Category: Asia Pacific

  • MIL-OSI USA: Sens. Markey, Padilla, Warnock Lead Colleagues in Demanding Answers About EPA Clean School Bus Program Funds Freeze

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Massachusetts Ed Markey

    Letter Text (PDF)

    Washington (February 27, 2025) – Senators Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.), Alex Padilla (D-Calif.), and Raphael Warnock (D-Ga.) led a letter with fifteen colleagues to Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Lee Zeldin today, requesting information about the status of the distribution of Clean School Bus program funding to recipients with signed agreements and urging the EPA to immediately release any withheld funding.

    In the letter, the lawmakers write, “To provide these health and cost savings benefits to our children and continue supporting the boom in electric bus manufacturing that is creating good-paying jobs across the country, the EPA must implement the Clean School Bus program as Congress directed. Following your confirmation hearing, you committed to the continued implementation of this program when you responded: ‘I commit to following the law. I cannot prejudge the outcome of any particular policy review.’ Recognizing that Congress authorizes and appropriates federal funding—and explicitly established the Clean School Bus program through a bipartisan vote— it is your duty to implement the program and ensure program awardees have confidence in working with the EPA and are receiving funding.”

    The letter is signed by Senators Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), Jon Ossoff (D-Ga.), Ron Wyden (D-Ore.), Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii), Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H), Gary Peters (D-Mich.), Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.), Patty Murray (D-Wash.), Michael Bennet (D-Colo.), Mark Warner (D-Va.), Cory Booker (D-N.J.), Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), and Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.).

    The lawmakers request the following information by March 6, 2025:

    1. For both rebates and grants under the Clean School Bus program, what is the status of the disbursement of already obligated funds to recipients?
    1. On what legal basis did the EPA end its disbursement of already obligated funds for the program? Please identify the authority under which the EPA cut off funding.
    1. If the disbursement of any obligated Clean School Bus Program grants and rebates currently remains frozen for any awardees, when will it resume? If you cannot provide a date, please explain why, including the legal basis for not resuming disbursements and an explanation of the EPA’s grant and rebate-review process.
    1. Will you commit to following the law by obligating the remaining Clean School Bus program grants and rebates that have yet to be awarded, or that have been awarded but not yet disbursed, through FY2026?

    MIL OSI USA News

  • MIL-OSI USA: Museum of the Albemarle to Host Final Moonshine and Motorsports Concert March 29

    Source: US State of North Carolina

    Headline: Museum of the Albemarle to Host Final Moonshine and Motorsports Concert March 29

    Museum of the Albemarle to Host Final Moonshine and Motorsports Concert March 29
    jejohnson6

    The finale in a special series of concerts celebrating North Carolina’s unique story of moonshine and motorsports will take place March 29 at the Museum of the Albemarle in Elizabeth City, N.C.

    The concert will feature Tar Heel legend of Americana, Jim Lauderdale, the iconic bluegrass combo, the Kruger Brothers with special guest Jonah Horton, along with the Nest of Singing Birds.

    Inspired by the Moonshine and Motorsports Trail developed by the North Carolina Department of Natural and Cultural Resources (DNCR), this North Carolina Museum of History-sponsored series has blended music with storytelling as it moved from Raleigh to Charlotte to Elizabeth City, highlighting the historic places on that very trail.

    Tickets can be purchased through this link (https://www.eventbrite.com/e/moonshine-and-motorsports-music-museum-of-the-albemarle-tickets-964317308027?aff=oddtdtcreator).

    For accessibility accommodations, please contact the Museum of the Albemarle at (252) 353-1453.

    About Jim Lauderdale
    At any given time, you’re likely to find Jim Lauderdale making music, whether he’s laying down a new track in the studio or working through a spontaneous melody at his home in Nashville. And if he’s not actively crafting new music, he’s certainly thinking about it. “It’s a constant challenge to try to keep making better and better records, write better and better songs. I still always feel like I’m a developing artist,” he says. This may be a surprising sentiment from a man who’s won two Grammys, released 37 full-length albums, and taken home the Americana Music Association’s coveted Wagonmaster Lifetime Achievement Award among other awards. But his latest album, My Favorite Place, is convincing evidence that the North Carolina native is only continuing to hone his craft.

    About the Kruger Brothers
    Born and raised in Europe, brothers Jens and Uwe Kruger started singing and playing instruments at a very young age. Growing up in a family where music was an important part of life, they were exposed to a wide diversity of musical influences. The brothers were performing regularly by the time they were eleven and twelve years old, and they began their professional career in 1979. Several years later the brothers teamed up with bass player Joel Landsberg, forming a trio that has been playing professionally together since 1995. Together, they established the incomparable sound that the Kruger Brothers are known for today. The trio moved to the United States in 2002 and is based in Wilkesboro, N.C.

    About the Nest of Singing Birds
    Sheila Kay Adams is a 7th generation ballad singer, storyteller, and banjo player. She is a recipient of the National Heritage Fellowship from the National Endowment of the Arts and the North Carolina Heritage Award. Her daughter, Melanie Rice, along with Donna Ray Norton are 8th generation ballad singers. They will be performing with old-time traditional fiddle player, William Ritter.

    About the North Carolina Department of Natural and Cultural Resources
    The N.C. Department of Natural and Cultural Resources (DNCR) manages, promotes, and enhances the things that people love about North Carolina – its diverse arts and culture, rich history, and spectacular natural areas. Through its programs, the department enhances education, stimulates economic development, improves public health, expands accessibility, and strengthens community resiliency.

    The department manages over 100 locations across the state, including 27 historic sites, seven history museums, two art museums, five science museums, four aquariums, 35 state parks, four recreation areas, dozens of state trails and natural areas, the North Carolina Zoo, the State Library, the State Archives, the N.C. Arts Council, the African American Heritage Commission, the American Indian Heritage Commission, the State Historic Preservation Office, the Office of State Archaeology, the Highway Historical Markers program, the N.C. Land and Water Fund, and the Natural Heritage Program. For more information, please visit www.dncr.nc.gov.
    Feb 25, 2025

    MIL OSI USA News

  • MIL-OSI USA: North Carolina Rice Festival to Highlight Gullah-Geechee Culture and Heritage at Brunswick Town/Fort Anderson State Historic Site

    Source: US State of North Carolina

    Headline: North Carolina Rice Festival to Highlight Gullah-Geechee Culture and Heritage at Brunswick Town/Fort Anderson State Historic Site

    North Carolina Rice Festival to Highlight Gullah-Geechee Culture and Heritage at Brunswick Town/Fort Anderson State Historic Site
    jejohnson6

    On Saturday, March 8, Brunswick Town/Fort Anderson State Historic Site will host the North Carolina Rice Festival. The festival celebrates how rice and Gullah-Geechee culture shaped the North Carolina Lowcountry.

    The festival will feature over 70 vendors and three stage areas offering lectures, storytelling, children’s crafts, and live music. A full event schedule is available at www.northcarolinaricefestival.org. Festivities will kick off at 9:30 a.m. with the Gullah-Geechee community riverwalk processional. The event ends at 5:30 p.m.

    Admission to the festival is free. Parking is available at the state historic site at 8884 St. Philip’s Rd SE in Winnabow. Shuttles will be available to transport visitors from parking locations to the visitor center. No pets are allowed except for service animals.

    About Brunswick Town/Fort Anderson State Historic Site
    Brunswick Town/Fort Anderson State Historic Site is a major pre-Revolutionary port on North Carolina’s Cape Fear River, Brunswick was abandoned and burned during the American Revolution and never fully recovered. During the Civil War, Fort Anderson was constructed atop the old village site, and served as part of the Cape Fear River defenses below Wilmington before the fall of the Confederacy. Colonial foundations dot the present-day tour trail, which crosses the earthworks of the Confederate fort. The site is located at 8884 St. Philip’s Rd SE, Winnabow, NC 28479. For more information, visit https://historicsites.nc.gov/all-sites/brunswick-town-and-fort-anderson/plan-your-visit or call (910) 371-6613.

    About the North Carolina Department of Natural and Cultural Resources
    The N.C. Department of Natural and Cultural Resources (DNCR) manages, promotes, and enhances the things that people love about North Carolina – its diverse arts and culture, rich history, and spectacular natural areas. Through its programs, the department enhances education, stimulates economic development, improves public health, expands accessibility, and strengthens community resiliency.

    The department manages over 100 locations across the state, including 27 historic sites, seven history museums, two art museums, five science museums, four aquariums, 35 state parks, four recreation areas, dozens of state trails and natural areas, the North Carolina Zoo, the State Library, the State Archives, the N.C. Arts Council, the African American Heritage Commission, the American Indian Heritage Commission, the State Historic Preservation Office, the Office of State Archaeology, the Highway Historical Markers program, the N.C. Land and Water Fund, and the Natural Heritage Program. For more information, please visit www.dncr.nc.gov.
    Feb 26, 2025

    MIL OSI USA News

  • MIL-OSI USA: Bentonville Battlefield Anniversary Event Set for March 15-16

    Source: US State of North Carolina

    Headline: Bentonville Battlefield Anniversary Event Set for March 15-16

    Bentonville Battlefield Anniversary Event Set for March 15-16
    jejohnson6

    Experience history come alive at the Bentonville Battlefield State Historic Site 160th anniversary program March 15-16. Thousands of living historians from across the country will descend on Bentonville Battlefield for one of the nation’s largest battle reenactments.     

    Advanced tickets to view the daily battle reenactments are now on sale. In addition to the daily ticketed battles, spend the day exploring a host of free activities: inspect the soldier’s camps, smell period cooking, listen to lectures, tour the Harper house, learn about 19th-century medicine, shop the dozens of “sutlers” — vendors selling Civil War related items — or just relax while listening to period music. Bring the family and enjoy a day with us at Bentonville Battlefield. Concessions will be provided by numerous food truck vendors.  

    In 2015, about 60,000 visitors attended the two-day event commemorating the 150th anniversary of the battle. Visitors are strongly encouraged to purchase tickets well in advance of the event. Advanced tickets are $15. A discounted weekend pass is also available for $25 during advanced sales only. Tickets purchased day-of on site are $20 per day. Children aged 10 and under receive free admission.   

    For more information and to purchase tickets visit www.bentonvillereenactment.com. Tickets can also be purchased at Bentonville Battlefield or by calling (910) 594-0789.  

    We encourage the public to arrive early to avoid traffic delays. Also, bring blankets or chairs to watch the battles. Spaces are on a first-come, first-serve basis. The reenactment field will be divided into three general admission sections: front rows for sitting on the ground, middle rows for sitting in chairs, and back rows for standing. The battles begin at 2 p.m. on Saturday and 1:30 p.m. on Sunday, with the reenactment field opening two hours beforehand each day.  

    The 2025 event is sponsored by the Friends of Bentonville Battlefield, Inc., the Johnston County Visitors Bureau and the North Carolina Department of Natural and Cultural Resources. All proceeds from the event support Bentonville Battlefield State Historic Site.   

    The Battle of Bentonville, fought March 19-21, 1865, involved 80,000 troops in one of the last major actions of the war. A patched together Confederate army under the command of Joseph Johnston failed to halt Union Gen. William T. Sherman’s advance through eastern North Carolina, eventually leading to the largest Confederate surrender of the war at Bennett Place near Durham weeks later.   

    Bentonville Battlefield is located at 5466 Harper House Road, Four Oaks, N.C. 27524, three miles north of Newton Grove on S.R. 1008, about one hour from Raleigh and about 45 minutes from Fayetteville. For more information, visit www.nchistoricsites.org/bentonvi/bentonvi.htm or call (910) 594-0789.     

    About the North Carolina Department of Natural and Cultural Resources
    The N.C. Department of Natural and Cultural Resources (DNCR) manages, promotes, and enhances the things that people love about North Carolina – its diverse arts and culture, rich history, and spectacular natural areas. Through its programs, the department enhances education, stimulates economic development, improves public health, expands accessibility, and strengthens community resiliency.

    The department manages over 100 locations across the state, including 27 historic sites, seven history museums, two art museums, five science museums, four aquariums, 35 state parks, four recreation areas, dozens of state trails and natural areas, the North Carolina Zoo, the State Library, the State Archives, the N.C. Arts Council, the African American Heritage Commission, the American Indian Heritage Commission, the State Historic Preservation Office, the Office of State Archaeology, the Highway Historical Markers program, the N.C. Land and Water Fund, and the Natural Heritage Program. For more information, please visit www.dncr.nc.gov.
    Feb 27, 2025

    MIL OSI USA News

  • MIL-OSI USA: 2025 Women’s History Month Programs Planned

    Source: US State of North Carolina

    Headline: 2025 Women’s History Month Programs Planned

    2025 Women’s History Month Programs Planned
    jejohnson6

    Throughout March, in celebration of Women’s History Month, agencies within the N.C. Department of Natural and Cultural Resources will showcase the remarkable contributions of North Carolina women through special programs and exhibits.

    Wednesdays and Saturdays throughout March, 10-11 a.m., Women of Somerset Place Tour — Learn about some of the remarkable women who lived and worked at Somerset Place. The 60-minute special tour will focus on the contributions that enslaved and free women made to the development, maintenance, and infrastructure of Somerset Place. The tour will be offered to commemorate Women’s History Month. Guided tour fees of $2 for adults $1 for children are applicable. Group reservations are required for groups of 15 or more.

    March 1, 8, 15, 22, 29, 10 a.m. and 1 p.m., Charlotte Hawkins Brown Museum: Dr. Brown and Women’s Suffrage Tours — Take a tour of Canary Cottage and learn about Dr. Charlotte Hawkins Brown and the fight towards equal and women’s right to vote. These tours are offered on Saturdays in March. Registration for this event can be found at the link here (https://www.eventbrite.com/e/dr-brown-and-the-womens-suffrage-movement-tickets-1249327294569?aff=ebdsshcopyurl&utm-campaign=social&utm-content=attendeeshare&utm-medium=discovery&utm-term=listing&utm-source=cp). Registration is not a purchase of tickets. Tickets must be purchased in person on the day of the tour at the visitor center. Ticket prices are $2/adult (13-64 years), $1/adult (65+), and $1/child (12 and under).

    March 7, 6-8:30 p.m., CSS Neuse Museum: Female Spy Dinner Theater — Experience the captivating story of Rose O’Neal Greenhow, brought to life by Emily Lapisardi. This remarkable tale of a Confederate female spy promises to enthrall and engage. Dinner and dessert will precede the presentation. This program is appropriate for ages 12 and up. Tickets are $35 per person. The deadline to register is Feb. 28, at 7 p.m. Limited to 100 guests. Ticket link: https://lp.constantcontactpages.com/ev/reg/53t36wd/lp/89be23c6-4d63-423b-9c47-266338e53a59. For more information, please email cssneusegba@gmail.com or call 252-526-9600, ext. 222. This event is hosted by the Friends of the CSS Neuse Museum.

    March 8, 8 p.m., North Carolina Museum of Art Film & Lecture: “Song for Imogene” is a film from female-founded and run North Carolina production company, Honey Head Films. The showing will include an artist talk with the director/writer and lead actress. Tickets $10, $5 for Members.

    March 13, noon-1 p.m., State Archives: History for Lunch, “Where Did All the Midwives Go?: Statistical Authority in the Regulation of Midwifery in North Carolina, 1900-1940.” — Register in advance for online participation at https://www.zoomgov.com/webinar/register/WN_ag8T1464Q9igwmEL2k69vg#/registration For more information, contact Adrienne Berney, adrienne.berney@dncr.nc.gov; 919-814-6863.

    March 19, Noon-1 p.m., Museum of the Albemarle History for Lunch: Harriet Jacobs, A Woman of Conscience — Amanda Irvin, program coordinator at Historic Edenton State Historic Site, will tell the tragic and inspiring tale of Harriet Jacobs, a woman forced to work in the household of an abusive enslaver. After years of threats to herself and her children, Jacobs self-emaciated and hid in the roof space of her grandmother’s house for nearly seven years before her chance to escape via the Maritime Underground Railroad. Discover the story of a woman determined to fight for herself, her children, and later, for others. For additional information, contact Lori Meads at lori.meads@dncr.nc.gov.

    March 21, 10 a.m.-4:30 p.m., North Carolina Maritime Museum in Beaufort: N.C. Whales and Whaling Symposium — The history, biology, conservation, and pedagogy of whales and whaling specific to North Carolina will be covered during the North Carolina Maritime Museum’s annual Whales and Whaling Symposium. This year’s symposium, which features an all-female lineup of speakers, will be held at Fort Macon State Park. The program is free. However, pre-registration required due to limited seating; you must register for each program that you plan on attending individually. Register online at ncmaritimemuseumbeaufort.com or by calling 252-504-7758.

    March 29, 10 a.m.-3 p.m., North Carolina Maritime Museum at Southport: Deep Dive Into History: “Stitching the 18th Century” — Join museum educators as they focus on the role and creation of clothing in the 18th century: how it defined your status, gender, and even occupation. Visitors will have the opportunity to interact with a mantua maker (a female-only occupation) as she drafts a gown in a day. There will be a variety of clothing on display for visitors to touch and try on during the drop-in program. It is part of the museum’s Deep Dive series, a program designed to give visitors a deeper understanding of our shared past through costumed interpretation. Each Deep Dive will delve into a specific theme in Lower Cape Fear and maritime history.

    About the North Carolina Department of Natural and Cultural Resources
    The N.C. Department of Natural and Cultural Resources (DNCR) manages, promotes, and enhances the things that people love about North Carolina – its diverse arts and culture, rich history, and spectacular natural areas. Through its programs, the department enhances education, stimulates economic development, improves public health, expands accessibility, and strengthens community resiliency.

    The department manages over 100 locations across the state, including 27 historic sites, seven history museums, two art museums, five science museums, four aquariums, 35 state parks, four recreation areas, dozens of state trails and natural areas, the North Carolina Zoo, the State Library, the State Archives, the N.C. Arts Council, the African American Heritage Commission, the American Indian Heritage Commission, the State Historic Preservation Office, the Office of State Archaeology, the Highway Historical Markers program, the N.C. Land and Water Fund, and the Natural Heritage Program. For more information, please visit www.dncr.nc.gov.
    Feb 27, 2025

    MIL OSI USA News

  • MIL-OSI Security: UNC Members Honor Legacy of Chipyong-ri at 74th Victory Ceremony

    Source: United States INDO PACIFIC COMMAND

    The annual ceremony in Chipyong-ni, South Korea, paid tribute to the French Battalion and the U.S. Army’s 23rd Infantry Regiment, 2nd Infantry Division. Their victory in February 1951 is credited with halting the Chinese offensive and turning the tide of the war.

    “It is a chilling reminder of the courage, discipline, effort, and will to win in the hardest of conditions that have to be inculcated in each of us to ensure victory and freedom,” said U.S. Army Col. Chris Choi, Future Operations Division Chief for the UNC, who represented the command at the ceremony.

    The ceremony drew representatives from several UNC member nations, including French Army Col. Olivier LeClercq, Director of Policy and Plans; New Zealand Warrant Officer Class One Grant Collins, Senior Enlisted Advisor; Netherlands Army Maj. Ekrem Karadeniz, Strategic Communication Staff Officer; and Australian Navy Lt. Cmdr. Brendan Trembath, Public Affairs Officer.

    Distinguished guests included the French ambassador to South Korea, the 2nd Infantry Division/ROK-U.S. Combined Division commander, the South Korean 11th Maneuver Division commander, and surviving veterans of the Korean War.

    The battle, also known as Jipyeong-ri, was a decisive victory for U.S. and French units of the 23rd Infantry Regiment against units of the Chinese People’s Volunteer Army. French Army Lt. Gen. Ralph Monclar famously volunteered to step down in rank to Lieutenant Colonel to fight in the war, demonstrating unwavering resolve in the face of adversity.

    The annual commemoration serves as a powerful reminder of the shared sacrifice and enduring partnership between South Korea and the UNC in ensuring peace and security on the Korean Peninsula and in the Indo-Pacific region.

    MIL Security OSI

  • MIL-OSI Security: USARPAC General Travels to Cambodia

    Source: United States INDO PACIFIC COMMAND

    In addition to the Prime Minister, Clark met with Minister of Defense General Tea Seiha, Royal Cambodian Armed Forces (RCAF) Commander-in-Chief General Vong Pisen, and RCAF Deputy Commander-in-Chief Mao Sophan.

    In their discussions, the officials explored ways to enhance the U.S.-Cambodia bilateral defense relationship to promote Indo-Pacific peace and security. Talks covered military training exchanges focused on disaster relief, United Nations Peacekeeping, and efforts to make Cambodia mine-free.

    Officials of both nations expressed their support for ongoing dialogue regarding these matters.

    MIL Security OSI

  • MIL-OSI Security: Opening ceremony kicks off 44th iteration of Cobra Gold

    Source: United States INDO PACIFIC COMMAND

    The opening ceremony marks the 44th iteration of Cobra Gold, which started in 1982 and is the largest exercise in mainland Asia. This year, more than 3,200 U.S. service members are participating in the exercise, where they will be working side by side with allies and partners to participate in joint training, multinational engagements, and humanitarian projects.

    “We share a goal in this region: to prevent war by remaining ready together,” said Gen. Ronald P. Clark, the commanding general of U.S. Army Pacific. “Preventing war requires many thanks, so thank you to Thailand for putting in the effort this year for the 44th annual Cobra Gold Exercise.” 

    CG25 has evolved over the years to incorporate more facets. Still, each exercise has been designed to strengthen the capabilities of participating nations to plan and conduct combined and joint operations, as well as build relationships among those nations. 

    “Cobra Gold is about our partnerships,” Clark said. “Partnerships that are long-term and require investment.”

    This year, CG25 will focus on three primary events: a command and control exercise, humanitarian civic assistance projects, and a field training exercise. Approximately 30 nations will participate either directly or as observers throughout CG25.

    “Cobra Gold is the longest-running international military exercise in the world,” said Robert F. Godec, U.S. Ambassador to Thailand. “It affirms the enduring Thai and U.S. security partnership and is a pillar of our commitment to the region. Cobra Gold helps build interoperability, advances our common interests, and is a concrete demonstration of our ongoing promise to our allies and partners to work together to ensure a free and open Indo-Pacific region.”

    The continued commitment to Cobra Gold and exercises like it demonstrates the dedication of all nations involved to build long-lasting and mutually beneficial relationships, which enhances capabilities across all partnership forces.

    “Putting the work in to rehearse our ability to work together and train together never stops,” Clark said. “We see our increased ability to work together for our collective security and sovereignty, and in every Cobra Gold, we better understand each other’s capabilities and build upon our collective partnerships.”

    This year’s iteration of Cobra Gold will conclude on March 7, but the nations involved will continue to build lasting partnerships through other joint, multinational exercises and future iterations of Cobra Gold.

    “Cobra Gold will continue to help us strengthen our land power network, our partnerships built on trust that demonstrate our interoperability, and multiple new capabilities during this exercise,” said Clark.

    “The benefits of Cobra Gold have been demonstrated time and again over the years,” Godec said. “Cobra Gold prepares us for future multi-national crisis responses to new and emerging challenges, and in the last 20 years, the 30 nations represented…have put the joint training to operational use in responding to disasters and life-threatening crisis. To tsunamis, earthquakes, typhoons, and in non-combatant evacuation operations, we have put the lessons of Cobra Gold to work. In doing so, we have saved lives and helped countless people in this region.”

    MIL Security OSI

  • MIL-OSI: Diginex Limited Announces Relocation of Headquarters to London as Cornerstone for Global Expansion

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    LONDON, Feb. 27, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Diginex Limited (“Diginex Limited” or the “Company”) (Nasdaq: DGNX), an impact technology company specializing in environmental, social, and governance (ESG) issues, today announced that the Company will relocate its corporate headquarters to London, the United Kingdom, as part of its centralizing leadership to execute its strategic growth plans. On February 26, 2025, the Company signed a lease for office space with International Workplace Group for 18 months at 25 Wilton Road, Victoria, London, Greater London, SW1V 1LW, United Kingdom commencing on April 1, 2025, underscoring its commitment to establishing a strong base in one of the world’s leading financial hubs.

    By establishing its headquarters in London, Diginex Limited aims to enhance access to global financial markets, expand business operations, and strengthen opportunities for strategic partnerships and acquisitions in the European market and beyond. The upcoming move follows the Company’s recent cross-listing on the Frankfurt Stock Exchange (Open Market) and the Tradegate Exchange under the symbol “I0Q” as of February 20, 2025, as well as its engagement with German-based investor relations firm, Kirchhoff Consult GmbH.

    Diginex Limited’s Chief Executive Officer, Mark Blick, will relocate to London to lead the Company’s expansion in the region. The Company’s executive leadership team comprises of six senior leaders, including four British executives, one German, and one Swiss. The Company plans to hire additional senior executives in London to further support its growing operations and drive strategic initiatives. This decision strengthens Diginex Limited’s leadership presence in the European market, which has become an increasingly important region for its growth strategy. With this shift, Diginex Limited expects to be better positioned to intensify its focus on mergers and acquisitions across Europe and the United States, allowing key executives to be closer to potential M&A target companies and emerging opportunities.

    “We believe relocating our corporate headquarters to London is a welcome milestone in our strategic plan to grow by acquisition and places key executives closer to the company’s external M&A partners thus encouraging greater efficiency and more fluid decision making,” said Miles Pelham, Chairman of Diginex Limited. “This move strengthens our ability to engage with global investors, expand our leadership team, and accelerate future growth. With sustainability and regulatory frameworks playing a growing role in corporate governance, the relocation makes it easier to engage directly with organizations operating under the ISSB (International Sustainability Standards Board) and the CSRD (Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive) frameworks.”

    As Diginex Limited continues its expansion, the Company remains dedicated to driving innovation in ESG solutions, supporting businesses in navigating regulatory landscapes, and delivering value to global clients across Europe, North America and Asia. 

    About Diginex Limited

    Diginex Limited is a Cayman Islands exempted company, with subsidiaries located in Hong Kong, the United Kingdom and the United States of America. Diginex Limited conducts operations through its wholly owned subsidiary Diginex Solutions (HK) Limited, a Hong Kong corporation (“DSL”) and DSL is the sole owner of (i) Diginex Services Limited, a corporation formed in the United Kingdom and (ii) Diginex USA LLC, a limited liability company formed in the State of Delaware. DSL commenced operations in 2020, and is a software company that empowers businesses and governments to streamline ESG, climate, and supply chain data collection and reporting. DSL is an impact technology business that helps organizations address the some of the most pressing ESG, climate and sustainability issues, utilizing blockchain, machine learning and data analysis technology to lead change and increase transparency in corporate social responsibility and climate action.

    Diginex’s products and services solutions enable companies to collect, evaluate and share sustainability data through easy-to-use software. For more information, please visit the Company’s website: https://www.diginex.com/.

    Forward-Looking Statements

    Certain statements in this announcement are forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties and are based on the Company’s current expectations and projections about future events that the Company believes may affect its financial condition, results of operations, business strategy and financial needs. Investors can identify these forward-looking statements by words or phrases such as “approximates,” “believes,” “hopes,” “expects,” “anticipates,” “estimates,” “projects,” “intends,” “plans,” “will,” “would,” “should,” “could,” “may” or other similar expressions. The Company undertakes no obligation to update or revise publicly any forward-looking statements to reflect subsequent occurring events or circumstances, or changes in its expectations, except as may be required by law. Although the Company believes that the expectations expressed in these forward-looking statements are reasonable, it cannot assure you that such expectations will turn out to be correct, and the Company cautions investors that actual results may differ materially from the anticipated results and encourages investors to review other factors that may affect its future results in the Company’s filings with the SEC.

    For investor and media inquiries, please contact:

    Diginex
    Investor Relations
    Email:ir@diginex.com

    European IR Contact
    Jens Hecht
    Phone: +49.40.609186.82
    Email:jens.hecht@kirchhoff.de

    US IR Contact
    Jackson Lin
    Lambert by LLYC
    Phone: +1 (646) 717-4593
    Email: jian.lin@llyc.global

    The MIL Network

  • MIL-OSI: ARB IOT Group Limited Announces Entry Into a Memorandum of Understanding to Set-Up AI Data Centre Experimental Laboratory in the Region

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, Feb. 27, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — ARB IOT Group Limited (“ARB IOT” or the “Company”) (NASDAQ: ARBB) has, through its indirect wholly owned subsidiary, ARB IOT Group Sdn Bhd, signed a Memorandum of Understanding (“MOU”) to set up an AI data centre experimental laboratory, a state-of-the-art facility designed for advanced research and AI application development. This initiative is in partnership with a UKM startup (the “UKM Startup”) affiliated with the Institute of Visual Informatics of Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, a leading research university in Malaysia (“IVI-UKM”), and Gajah Kapitalan Sdn Bhd (“GKSB”).

    The AI data centre experimental laboratory facility aims to create a dedicated environment for advancing AI research, AI application development, testing and deployment. It provides state-of-the-art infrastructure and resources to foster innovation, collaboration and skill building in AI technologies. The AI data centre experimental lab will boast AI servers of ARB 222 and ARB 333 series and will be located at IVI, UKM, Malaysia.

    The ARB-222 and ARB-333 series are high-performance rackmount servers designed for AI, deep learning, and enterprise computing. These AI servers are optimized for AI inference and data processing while also excelling in fine-tuning AI training and handling large-scale simulations. Built for reliability and scalability, these servers offer greater energy efficiency compared to other AI products available in the market.

    This initiative aligns with the Malaysian government’s initiatives to strengthen AI capabilities at the regional and national level and to encourage and nurture more data scientists and engineers to participate in the robust AI development and data science community.

    This MOU represents a strong commitment to robust collaboration in exchanging knowledge and expertise in the AI industry.  Under the MOU, the Company will be responsible for the architecture and design of the laboratory facility.

    Bridging the gap between research and practical applications, this initiative brings together the academia and industry partners to fast-track the adoption of innovative and sustainable AI server solutions. These collaborative efforts will set new sustainability standards for AI data centre operations in the region. This is a significant milestone to drive innovation and deliver value to the customers, partners and the nation.

    By having an AI data centre experimental lab with the AI servers of ARB 222 and ARB 333 series in the region, the Company is well positioned to capture a significant growth portion of AI-driven economy in the future.

    This MOU marks a significant milestone in the Company’s growth, leveraging combined expertise in AI computing technology and promoting sustainable advanced AI server solutions to accelerate the AI revolution in the region.

    Dato’ Sri Liew Kok Leong (“Larry”), CEO of ARB IOT, said, “the AI data centre experimental laboratory brings together academia and industry partners to drive innovation in AI technologies and improve the sustainability of AI application in the region. Such industry R&D platform will accelerate the translation and commercialisation of research, and we anticipate that the lab will actively contribute to the ongoing AI-driven growth and innovation.”

    Larry also expressed that the AI servers of ARB 222 and ARB 333 series will serve as the AI data centre hardware platform to support technological growth and create a vibrant ecosystem for AI research, development and deployment. Besides, the lab will also be used for exhibiting AI applications to showcase AI capabilities and present the latest advancements in AI technology. The AI servers of ARB 222 and ARB 333 series offer cost-effective options to customers by optimising resources, reducing operational costs, and improving efficiency. These AI servers offer a balanced, cost-effective and flexible solution ideal for data centres, offering an alternative to the H100/200 solutions currently available in the market.

    Muhammad Badrun Almuhaimin Bin Baharon, Director of GKSB said, “we will be responsible for the operations of AI data centre,  operating AI servers of ARB 222 and ARB 333 series, and developing new market segments in AI industry in this region. To complement the development in the AI industry, we will also be offering the leasing services of data centre AI computing power in Malaysia. The set-up of this AI data centre experimental lab boosts our confidence in funding the set-up of AI data centres in Malaysia.”

    Associate Professor Dr. Rabiah Abdul Kadir, the director of IVI-UKM and the chairman of the UKM Startup emphasised that this AI Data Centre experimental lab can significantly elevate AI research and development to next level by developing efficient AI models with lower energy consumption and better performance. It is expected to play a crucial role in nurturing and incubating talents in the AI industry. By having the cost-effective and flexible solution from ARB 222 and ARB 333 series, she was excited that IVI-UKM will be the technology partner to initiate the AI research and development with the Company.

    About the UKM Startup and IVI-UKM

    The UKM Startup is affiliated with the IVI-UKM, a research institute under UKM, established to advance the field of visual informatics. IVI-UKM was established with objectives to integrate multidisciplinary areas encompassing areas such as artificial intelligence, virtual reality, haptic computation, computer vision, data analytics and visualization, simulation, and image processing. The UKM Startup is committed to offering AI training programs to enables machine to learn from experience, adapt to new data, and automate tasks in a wide range of field, and integrating AI analytics dashboards into business intelligence platforms.

    About GKSB

    GKSB is dedicated to empowering Malaysian businesses through technological innovation, focusing on delivering advanced computing systems for enterprises, research institutions and developers.

    About ARB IOT Group Limited

    ARB IOT Group Limited is a provider of complete solutions to clients for the integration of Internet of Things (“IoT”) systems and devices from designing to project deployment. We offer a wide range of IoT systems as well as provide customers a substantial range of services such as system integration and system support service. We deliver holistic solutions with full turnkey deployment from designing, installation, testing, pre-commissioning, and commissioning of various IoT systems and devices as well as integration of automated systems, including installation of wire and wireless and mechatronic works.

    Safe Harbor Statement

    This press release contains “forward-looking statements” that involve substantial risks and uncertainties. All statements other than statements of historical facts contained in this press release, such as statements regarding our estimated future results of operations and financial position, our strategy and plans, and our objectives or goals, are forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. We have attempted to identify forward-looking statements by terminology including “anticipates,” “believes,” “can,” “continue,” “could,” “estimates,” “expects,” “intends,” “may,” “plans,” “potential,” “predicts,” “should,” or “will” or the negative of these terms or other comparable terminology. Our actual results may differ materially or perhaps significantly from those discussed herein, or implied by, these forward-looking statements. There are a significant number of factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from statements made in this press release, including, but not limited to, those that we discussed or referred to in the Company’s disclosure documents filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) available on the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov, including the Company’s Annual Report on Form 20-F as well as in our other reports filed or furnished from time to time with the SEC. The forward-looking statements included in this press release are made as of the date of this press release and the Company undertakes no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements, other than as required by applicable law.

    For further information, please contact:

    ARB IOT Group Limited
    Investor Relations Department
    Email: contact@arbiotgroup.com

    The MIL Network

  • MIL-OSI: dLocal Reports 2024 Fourth Quarter Financial Results

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    Full Year 2024 results
    US$25.6 billion Total Payment Volume, up 45% year-over-year
    Revenue of US$746 million, up 15% year-over-year
    113% Net Revenue Retention Rate
    Gross Profit of US$295 million, up 6% year-over-year
    Adjusted EBITDA of US$189 million, down 7% year-over-year

    Fourth Quarter 2024
    US$7.7 billion Total Payment Volume, up 51% year-over-year and 18% quarter-over-quarter
    Revenue of US$204 million, up 9% year-over-year and 10% quarter-over-quarter
    106% Net Revenue Retention Rate
    Gross Profit of US$84 million, up 20% year-over-year and 7% quarter-over-quarter
    Adjusted EBITDA of US$57 million, up 16% year-over-year and 9% quarter-over-quarter

    • Record TPV of $26 billion, a strong growth to 45% YoY with mix continuing to move to newer more attractive markets, while core markets rebounded from Q3 softness;
    • Revenue and gross profits hitting record highs of $746 million and $295 million, respectively;
    • Adjusted EBITDA to GP margins closing out the year at 64%, but improving consistently as the year progressed.

    dLocal reports in US dollars and in accordance with IFRS as issued by the IASB

    MONTEVIDEO, Uruguay, Feb. 27, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — DLocal Limited (“dLocal”, “we”, “us”, and “our”) (NASDAQ:DLO), a technology – first payments platform today announced its financial results for the fourth quarter ended December 31, 2024..

    As we walk through a review of our performance over the past quarter and year, and as we have repeatedly mentioned, we think of five pillars underpinning dLocal’s investment thesis:

    • A massive addressable market, given the untapped potential of emerging and frontier markets as they digitize payments and merchants go to market throughout the Global South. 85% of the world’s population resides in emerging markets1, and two thirds of global growth by 2035 will come from there2.
    • Consistent high top line growth, driven by a proven track record of delivering value to the world’s most sophisticated global digital merchants that has allowed us to capture a market leading share of this expanding TAM.
    • Attractive margin business with potential to deliver operational leverage once we have laid the foundational blocks and further scale benefits kick in.
    • Strong cash generating financial model as Net Income converts well into FCF.
    • Investment in product development capabilities to drive growth through new categories, products, feature innovations, and potential M&A activity.

    Our FY 2024 results affirm the investment thesis, highlighted by a record TPV of $26 billion, a strong TPV growth of 45% year-over-year, driven by a shift towards newer, more attractive markets, while core markets rebounded from Q3 softness. Additionally, revenue and gross profits reached record highs of $746 million and $295 million, respectively, with an adjusted EBITDA to GP margins closing the year at 64%, showing consistent improvement throughout the year. Furthermore, Net Income to FCF of Own funds3 conversion exited the year at a rate above 100%.

    These strong 2024 results should be seen in the context of a weak first quarter followed by progressively stronger quarter-over-quarter performance, and the continuation of an investment cycle aimed at achieving greater scalability for our business.

    Building on last quarter’s positive trend, our TPV grew over 50% year-over-year, despite a strong Q4 2023 comparison. Quarter-over-quarter, TPV growth accelerated to nearly 20%, driven by commerce seasonality, and strength in remittances and ride-hailing. In constant currency3, given general weakness in Emerging Markets currencies, those growth rates are even more impressive, about 30 points higher year-over-year.

    Revenues surpassed the milestone of over $200 million in Q4, representing a 9% year-over-year growth. In constant currencies4, revenue growth for the period would have been around 40% year-over-year.

    Our growth continues to reinforce our position as a trusted partner for global companies seeking to do business across emerging markets, with performance coming from a well diversified list of countries, with notable contributions from Argentina, Egypt, Other LatAm and Other Africa and Asia markets. As a result of our expansion into more frontier markets, we also continue to see solid growth in our cross-border volumes.

    In terms of profitability, we reached a record gross profit of $84 million, with a net take rate at 1.1%, reflecting the market dynamic where higher volumes drive lower take rates, increase in the payouts share, and the depreciation of emerging market currencies. To offset this, we are driving cost efficiencies through processor and broker renegotiations and improvements in our hedging strategy. We also continue our push into higher take rate markets and verticals, which over the long term, should partially offset the take rate compression.

    Despite the ongoing step up in investments in our engineering team, operational capabilities, and license portfolio to support our long-term growth ambitions, our Adjusted EBITDA hit a record $57 million in the quarter, with an adjusted EBITDA over gross profit margin improving quarter-over-quarter to 68%.

    Cash generation was also solid, as we continue to increase free cash available to deploy behind our capital allocation strategy. This sustained cash generation increases our flexibility when thinking through M&A, buybacks or re-investing in a disciplined manner back into the business.

    In 2024, we added 9 licenses and registrations, including the UK FCA’s Authorised Payment Institution license, which enhances our competitive edge and demonstrates our commitment to compliant practices and regulatory oversight.

    To sum up, Q4 marked the successful end to 2024 in terms of consistent TPV growth, controlled take rate decline, and balance of investment for future growth with a healthy margin and free cash profile.

    Looking ahead to our 2025 guidance5, we expect a strong TPV growth of 35% – 45% year-over-year, with a revenue growth of 25% – 35% year-over-year that shows this sustained momentum of our top line. We see gross profit growth of 20% – 25% year-over-year, and Adjusted EBITDA growth between 20% and 30% year-over-year.

    Considering those assumptions, we should expect a net take rate compression while delivering high TPV growth even at our scale. Over the midterm, we will work to maintain strong TPV while recognizing that given the extremely strong levels of TPV retention we deliver, our larger merchants will continue to attain lower pricing tiers. We will strive to offset this effect through growth in higher take rate new verticals, natural mix shift towards higher take rate frontier markets, and new revenue streams through product launches.

    This guidance highlights that our combination of revenue growth, margin structure and free cash generation is not that common. There are not that many companies today who are as profitable as we are, growing revenues at the pace we are growing, and consistently generating free cash.

    As known, our business thrives in fast-growing, dynamic markets with massive opportunities in digital payments across emerging markets, driven by strong demand and long-term growth trends. However, these markets also bring volatility from macroeconomic shifts, regulatory changes, and currency fluctuations. While we are confident in our long-term high-growth potential, providing mid-term guidance may not accurately reflect the predictability over a multi-year timeframe. For this reason, we have made the decision to discontinue mid-term guidance. We will continue to focus on delivering strong operational execution so as to hit the annual targets we disclose.

    Looking ahead to 2025, we are confident in our ability to sustain momentum. Our investments in technology, product innovation, and market expansion position us well for growth. Despite the volatility of emerging markets, our disciplined scaling, local expertise, and commitment to delivering value to merchants will differentiate us. Our strategy focuses on capturing the potential of digital payments in high-growth regions, driving operational efficiencies, and reinforcing market leadership. We are excited about the opportunities ahead and committed to executing with the same rigor and discipline that have defined our success.

    1 Source: Euromonitor International: Reaching the emerging middle class beyond BRIC; 2 Source: S&P Global Market Intelligence. 3 Please see Reconciliation of TPV and Revenue constant currency measures to reported results of Q4 2024 Earnings Presentation; 4 Please see Reconciliation of TPV and Revenue constant currency measures to reported results of Q4 2024 Earnings Presentation; 5 please see Full year 2025 outlook on slide 23 of Q4 2024 Earnings Presentation.

    Fourth quarter 2024 financial highlights

    • Total Payment Volume (“TPV”) reached a record US$7.7 billion in the fourth quarter, up 51% year-over-year compared to US$5.1 billion in the fourth quarter of 2023 and up 18% compared to US$6.5 billion in the third quarter of 2024. In constant currencies1, TPV growth for the period would have been 81% year-over-year.
    • Revenues amounted to US$204.5 million, up 9% year-over-year compared to US$188.0 million in the fourth quarter of 2023 and up 10% compared to US$185.8 million in the third quarter of 2024. This quarter-over-quarter increase was mostly driven by volume increase in Egypt, as well as positive results in Other LatAm and Other Africa and Asia, with notable performance in South Africa, Turkey, Colombia and Ecuador. In constant currencies1, revenue growth for the period would have been 42% year-over-year.
    • Gross profit was US$83.7 million in the fourth quarter of 2024, up 20% compared to US$69.7 million in the fourth quarter of 2023 and up 7% compared to US$78.2 million in the third quarter of 2024. The improvement in gross profit quarter-over-quarter was primarily due to volume growth in Argentina, Egypt, Nigeria and Turkey. These positive factors were partially offset by (i) Mexico, given the higher growth of Tier 0 merchants coupled with a shift in the payment mix; (ii) Brazil, given the lower take rates from the new Payment Orchestration option launched in the third quarter of 2024 (which positively allowed for volume recovery versus the prior quarter) and shift in the payment mix; and (iii) Other LatAm markets, that despite delivering positive volume performance, on a quarter-over-quarter comparison was impacted by the strong growth in Q3 from wider FX spreads in certain smaller markets, as disclosed in the previous quarterly results.
    • As a result, gross profit margin was 41% in this quarter, compared to 37% in the fourth quarter of 2023 and 42% in the third quarter of 2024.
    • Gross profit over TPV was at 1.1% decreasing from 1.4% in the fourth quarter of 2023 and from 1.2% compared to the third quarter of 2024.
    • Operating income was US$42.3 million, up 3% compared to US$41.0 million in the fourth quarter of 2023 and up 3% compared to US$41.1 million in the third quarter of 2024, as we resumed the pace of certain investments in building out our capabilities. In this context, operating expenses grew by 44% year-over-year, with most of the growth allocated to Product Development & IT capabilities, with these expenses increasing by 70% year-over-year while combined Sales and Marketing (S&M) and G&A expenses grew by 29%. On the sequential comparison, operating expenses increased 12% quarter-over-quarter, a reflection of (i) growth in combined S&M and G&A expenses, driven by continued investment in operating capabilities and marketing investments; and (ii) slightly down tech and development expenses as increases in headcount were offset by reductions in other IT expenditures.
    • As a result, Adjusted EBITDA was US$56.9 million, up 16% compared to US$49.2 million in the fourth quarter of 2023 and up 9% compared to US$52.4 million in the third quarter of 2024.
    • Adjusted EBITDA margin was 28%, compared to the 26% recorded in the fourth quarter of 2023 and 28% in the third quarter of 2024. On the annual comparison, the increase is explained by investments in core areas to drive efficiency and ensure future growth while maintaining our lean and disciplined structure. Adjusted EBITDA over gross profit of 68% decreased compared to 71% in the fourth quarter of 2023 and increased compared to 67% in the third quarter of 2024.
    • Net financial cost was US$1.1 million, compared to a finance income of US$1.0 million in the fourth quarter of 2023 and a cost of US$10.1 million in the third quarter of 2024, as explained in the Net Income section.
    • Our effective income tax rate increased to 27% from 8% last quarter, and stands at 20% on a year-to-date basis. In the fourth quarter of 2024, effective income tax rate was impacted by an income tax settlement related to previous periods. Excluding this tax settlement, our effective income tax rate stood at 16% for the fourth quarter and 17% for the year compared to 16% in 2023, as a result of slightly higher local-to-local share of pre-tax income.
    • Net income for the fourth quarter of 2024 was US$29.7 million, or US$0.10 per diluted share, up 4% compared to a profit of US$28.5 million, or US$0.10 per diluted share, for the fourth quarter of 2023 and up 11% compared to a profit of US$26.8 million, or US$0.09 per diluted share for the third quarter of 2024. During the current period, net income was mostly affected by the positive non-cash mark to market effect related to our Argentine bond investments, lower finance costs partially offset by higher taxes. Adjusted net income for the fourth quarter of 2024 was US$45.8 million, up 13% compared to US$40.6 million for the fourth quarter of 2023 and up 6% compared to US$43.4 million for the third quarter of 2024.
    • As of December 31, 2024, dLocal had US$425.2 million in cash and cash equivalents, including US$189.0 million of own funds and US$236.1 million of merchants’ funds. The consolidated cash position decreased by US$111.0 million from US$536.2 million as of December 31, 2023. When compared to the US$560.5 million cash position as of September 30, 2024, it decreased by US$135.4 million. The variation quarter-over-quarter is primarily explained by changes in merchant working capital, driven by: (i) increase in trade receivables due to temporary settlement delays before year-end; coupled with (ii) decrease in trade payables due to a shift in settlement periods with certain merchants and higher settlement of accumulated merchant balances.

    1Please see Reconciliation of TPV and Revenue constant currency measures to reported results of Q4 2024 Earnings Presentation.

    The following table summarizes our key performance metrics:

      Three months ended December 31 Twelve months ended December 31
      2024 2023 % change 2024 2023 % change
    Key Performance metrics (In millions of US$ except for %)
    TPV 7,714 5,111 51% 25,575 17,677 45%
    Revenue 204.5 188.0 9% 746.0 650.4 15%
    Gross Profit 83.7 69.7 20% 294.7 276.9 6%
    Gross Profit margin 41% 37% 4p.p 40% 43% -3p.p
    Adjusted EBITDA 56.9 49.2 16% 188.7 202.3 -7%
    Adjusted EBITDA margin 28% 26% 2p.p 25% 31% -6p.p
    Adjusted EBITDA/Gross Profit 68% 71% -3p.p 64% 73% -9p.p
    Profit 29.7 28.5 4% 120.5 149.1 -19%
    Profit margin 15% 15% -1p.p 16% 23% -7p.p
                 

    Fourth quarter 2024 business highlights

    • During the fourth quarter of 2024, pay-ins TPV increased 44% year-over-year and 15% quarter-over-quarter to US$5.3 billion, accounting for 69% of the TPV.
    • Pay-outs TPV increased by 68% year-over-year and 26% quarter-over-quarter to US$2.4 billion, accounting for the remaining 31% of the TPV.
    • Cross-border TPV increased by 67% year-over-year and 23% quarter-over-quarter to US$3.7 billion. Cross-border volume accounted for 48% of the TPV in the fourth quarter of 2024.
    • Local-to-local TPV increased by 38% year-over-year and 14% quarter-over-quarter to US$4.0 billion. Local-to-local volume accounted for 52% of the TPV in the fourth quarter of 2024.
    • LatAm revenue increased 16% year-over-year to US$152.9 million, accounting for 75% of total revenue. On the annual comparison, the growth was primarily driven by (i) volume growth in Argentina; and (ii) strong performance of Other LatAm, particularly in Colombia. This result was partially offset by Brazil due to (i) lower take rates from the new Payment Orchestration option launched in the third quarter of 2024; and (ii) shift in the payment mix. Sequentially, LatAm revenue grew by 5%, mainly driven by the performance of Other LatAm, especially in Colombia and Ecuador. The positive result was offset by (i) Argentina, impacted by the lower FX spreads; (ii) Brazil, as previously explained; and (iii) Mexico, due to higher growth of Tier 0 merchants coupled with a shift in the payment mix.
    • In the Africa and Asia region, revenue decreased by 9% year-over-year, primarily driven by Nigeria due to the Naira devaluation in February of 2024; partially offset by (i) the strong growth performance in Egypt; and (ii) in Other Africa and Asia, particularly the performance in South Africa in the commerce vertical. Those regions are also the main drivers of the sequential increase.
    • LatAm gross profit increased by 3% year-over-year and 1% quarter-over-quarter to US$56.4 million, accounting for 67% of total gross profit. Most of the year-over-year increase is explained by the volume growth in Argentina, Mexico, and other LatAm markets, which were mostly offset by Brazil as just explained, and currency devaluations. Sequentially, the growth was mainly driven by Argentina’s positive performance; offset by drivers in Mexico and Brazil, as explained previously. Other Latam markets, which continue to grow TPV, were negatively impacted quarter-over-quarter due to the strong Q3 growth from wider FX spreads in smaller markets, as previously disclosed.
    • Africa and Asia gross profit increased by 82% year-over-year to US$27.3 million, accounting for the remaining 33% of total gross profit. This annual comparison is explained by TPV growth in Egypt, ramp-up of commerce merchants in South Africa, and positive performance in Other Africa and Asia markets, including Turkey and Vietnam. Sequentially, gross profit increased by 21%, attributable to the positive performance in Egypt, Nigeria and Turkey in categories such as remittances, financial services, ads and streaming.
    • During the quarter, Revenue from Existing Merchants reached US$198.3 million compared to US$ 179.9 million in the third quarter of 2024. On the annual comparison, Revenue from Existing Merchants increased by 13% and the net revenue retention rate, or NRR, reached 106%.
    • Revenue from New Merchants accounted for US$6.1 million in the fourth quarter of 2024 compared to US$11.8 million in the same quarter of the prior year.

    The tables below present the breakdown of dLocal’s TPV by product and type of flow:

    In millions of US$ except for % Three months ended December 31 Twelve months ended December 31
      2024 % share 2023 % share 2024 % share 2023 % share
    Pay-ins 5,340 69% 3,701 72% 17,902 70% 12,823 73%
    Pay-outs 2,373 31% 1,410 28% 7,673 30% 4,855 27%
    Total TPV 7,714 100% 5,111 100% 25,575 100% 17,677 100%
                     
    In millions of US$ except for % Three months ended December 31 Twelve months ended December 31
      2024 % share 2023 % share 2024 % share 2023 % share
    Cross-border 3,740 48% 2,235 44% 11,902 47% 8,670 49%
    Local-to-local 3,974 52% 2,876 56% 13,673 53% 9,007 51%
    Total TPV 7,714 100% 5,111 100% 25,575 100% 17,677 100%
                     

    The tables below present the breakdown of dLocal’s revenue by geography:

    In millions of US$ except for % Three months ended December 31 Twelve months ended December 31
      2024 % share 2023 % share 2024 % share 2023 % share
    Latin America 152.9 75% 131.5 70% 562.2 75% 492.7 76%
    Brazil 33.7 16% 50.2 27% 152.0 20% 159.0 24%
    Argentina 25.1 12% 10.5 6% 85.5 11% 75.1 12%
    Mexico 40.5 20% 35.6 19% 149.2 20% 116.8 18%
    Chile 13.5 7% 14.9 8% 51.2 7% 55.7 9%
    Other LatAm 40.1 20% 20.3 11% 124.4 17% 86.1 13%
                     
    Africa & Asia 51.6 25% 56.5 30% 183.8 25% 157.7 24%
    Nigeria 2.9 1% 28.4 15% 13.3 2% 84.0 13%
    Egypt 21.4 10% 18.4 10% 94.0 13% 36.7 6%
    Other Africa & Asia 27.4 13% 9.7 5% 76.5 10% 37.0 6%
                     
    Total Revenue 204.5 100% 188.0 100% 746.0 100% 650.4 100%
                     

    The tables below present the breakdown of dLocal’s gross profit by geography:

    In millions of US$ except for % Three months ended December 31 Twelve months ended December 31
      2024 % share 2023 % share 2024 % share 2023 % share
    Latin America 56.4 67% 54.7 79% 214.2 73% 228.7 83%
    Brazil 14.8 18% 25.5 37% 67.3 23% 78.8 28%
    Argentina 9.2 11% 4.0 6% 28.7 10% 48.7 18%
    Mexico 10.9 13% 9.3 13% 42.5 14% 34.7 13%
    Chile 9.2 11% 9.1 13% 33.1 11% 34.0 12%
    Other LatAm 12.4 15% 7.0 10% 42.6 14% 32.6 12%
                     
    Africa & Asia 27.3 33% 15.0 21% 80.5 27% 48.1 17%
    Nigeria 2.4 3% 1.5 2% 6.6 2% 5.8 2%
    Egypt 16.0 19% 9.6 14% 48.4 16% 26.1 9%
    Other Africa & Asia 8.9 11% 3.9 6% 25.5 9% 16.2 6%
                     
    Total Gross Profit 83.7 100% 69.7 100% 294.7 100% 276.9 100%
                     

    Special note regarding Adjusted EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA Margin

    dLocal has only one operating segment. dLocal measures its operating segment’s performance by Revenues, Adjusted EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA Margin, and uses these metrics to make decisions about allocating resources.

    Adjusted EBITDA as used by dLocal is defined as the profit from operations before financing and taxation for the year or period, as applicable, before depreciation of property, plant and equipment, amortization of right-of-use assets and intangible assets, and further excluding the finance income and costs, impairment gains/(losses) on financial assets, transaction costs, share-based payment non-cash charges,other operating gain/loss,other non-recurring costs, and inflation adjustment. dLocal defines Adjusted EBITDA Margin as the Adjusted EBITDA divided by consolidated revenues.

    Although Adjusted EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA Margin may be commonly viewed as non-IFRS measures in other contexts, pursuant to IFRS 8, (“Operating Segments”), Adjusted EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA Margin are treated by dLocal as IFRS measures based on the manner in which dLocal utilizes these measures. Nevertheless, dLocal’s Adjusted EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA Margin metrics should not be viewed in isolation or as a substitute for net income for the periods presented under IFRS. dLocal also believes that its Adjusted EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA Margin metrics are useful metrics used by analysts and investors, although these measures are not explicitly defined under IFRS. Additionally, the way dLocal calculates operating segment’s performance measures may be different from the calculations used by other entities, including competitors, and therefore, dLocal’s performance measures may not be comparable to those of other entities. Finally, dLocal is unable to present a quantitative reconciliation of forward-looking guidance for Adjusted EBITDA because dLocal cannot reliably predict certain of their necessary components, such as impairment gains/(losses) on financial assets, transaction costs, and inflation adjustment.

    The table below presents a reconciliation of dLocal’s Adjusted EBITDA to net income:

    $ in thousands Three months ended December 31 Twelve months ended December 31
      2024 2023 2024 2023
    Profit for the period 29,701 28,481 120,469 149,086
    Income tax expense 11,090 7,476 30,550 29,428
    Depreciation and amortization 4,888 3,604 17,177 12,225
    Finance income and costs, net 1,085 (996) (17,174) (11,394)
    Share-based payment non-cash charges 6,339 4,850 23,780 11,922
    Other operating loss¹ 1,307 5,257
    Impairment loss / (gain) on financial assets 533 (657) 440 (3,136)
    Inflation adjustment 392 6,040 6,655 12,537
    Other non-recurring costs² 1,571 434 1,571 1,663
    Adjusted EBITDA 56,906 49,232 188,725 202,332
             

    Note: 1 The company wrote-off certain amounts related to merchants/processors off-boarded by dLocal. 2 Other non-recurring costs consist of costs not directly associated with our core business activities, including costs associated with addressing the allegations made by a short-seller report and certain class action and other legal and regulatory expenses (which include fees from counsel, global expert services and a forensic accounting advisory firm) in 2023 and 2024.

    Special note regarding Adjusted Net Income

    Adjusted Net Income is a non-IFRS financial measure. As used by dLocal, Adjusted Net Income is defined as the profit for the period (net income) excluding impairment gains/(losses) on financial assets, transaction costs, share-based payment non-cash charges, and other operating (gain)/loss, in line with our Adjusted EBITDA calculation (see detailed methodology for Adjusted EBITDA on page 13). It further excludes the accounting non-cash charges related to the fair value gain from the Argentine dollar-linked bonds, the exchange difference loss from the intercompany loan denominated in USD that we granted to our Argentine subsidiary to purchase the bonds, and the hedging cost associated with the Argentina treasury notes. In addition, it excludes the inflation adjustment based on IFRS rules for hyperinflationary economies. We believe Adjusted Net Income is a useful measure for understanding our results of operations while excluding certain non-cash effects such as currency devaluation, inflation, and hedging costs. Our calculation for Adjusted Net Income may differ from similarly-titled measures presented by other companies and should not be considered in isolation or as a replacement for our measure of profit for the period as presented in accordance with IFRS.

    The table below presents a reconciliation of dLocal’s Adjusted net income:

    $ in thousands Three months ended December 31 Twelve months ended December 31
      2024 2023 2024 2023
    Net income as reported 29,701 28,481 120,469 149,086
    Inflation adjustment 392 6,040 6,655 12,537
    Loan – exchange difference 2,332 51,858 22,602 81,024
    Argentina Treasury Notes Hedging Costs 5,536 9,808
    Fair value loss / (gain) of financial assets at FVTPL (5,115) (50,754) (38,609) (78,640)
    Impairment loss / (gain) on financial assets 533 (657) 440 (3,135)
    Share-based payment non-cash charges 6,339 4,850 23,780 11,922
    Other operating loss¹ 1,307 5,257
    Other non-recurring costs³ 1,571 434 1,571 1,663
    Tax effect on adjustments (1,310) 386 (899) 834
    Adjusted net income 45,828 40,638 155,616 175,291
             

    Unaudited quarterly results.

    Note: 1 The company wrote-off certain amounts related to merchants/processors off-boarded by dLocal. 2 In Q4 2024, income tax was impacted by an income tax settlement related to previous periods, as disclosed in the Note 12 – Income Tax. 3 Other non-recurring costs consist of costs not directly associated with our core business activities, including costs associated with addressing the allegations made by a short-seller report and certain class action and other legal and regulatory expenses (which include fees from counsel, global expert services and a forensic accounting advisory firm) in 2023 and 2024.

    Earnings per share

    We calculate basic earnings per share by dividing the profit attributable to owners of the group by the weighted average number of common shares outstanding during the three-month and twelve-month periods ended December 31, 2024 and 2023.

    Our diluted earnings per share is calculated by dividing the profit attributable to owners of the group of dLocal by the weighted average number of common shares outstanding during the period plus the weighted average number of common shares that would be issued on conversion of all dilutive potential common shares into common shares.

    The following table presents the information used as a basis for the calculation of our earnings per share:

      Three months ended December 31 Twelve months ended December 31
      2024 2023 2024 2023
    Profit attributable to common shareholders (USD) 29,682,000 28,515,000 120,416,000 148,964,000
    Weighted average number of common shares 280,443,489 290,657,015 290,014,019 291,982,305
    Adjustments for calculation of diluted earnings per share 14,417,466 5,008,261 15,122,271 10,976,123
    Weighted average number of common shares for calculating diluted earnings per share 294,860,956 295,665,276 305,136,290 302,958,428
    Basic earnings per share 0.11 0.10 0.42 0.51
    Diluted earnings per share 0.10 0.10 0.39 0.49
             

    This press release does not contain sufficient information to constitute an interim financial report as defined in International Accounting Standards 34, “Interim Financial Reporting” nor a financial statement as defined by International Accounting Standards 1 “Presentation of Financial Statements”. The quarterly financial information in this press release has not been audited, whereas the annual results for the year ended December 31, 2024 and 2023 are audited.

    Conference call and webcast
    dLocal’s management team will host a conference call and audio webcast on February 27, 2025 at 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time. Please click here to pre-register for the conference call and obtain your dial in number and passcode.

    The live conference call can be accessed via audio webcast at the investor relations section of dLocal’s website, at https://investor.dlocal.com/. An archive of the webcast will be available for a year following the conclusion of the conference call. The investor presentation will also be filed on EDGAR at www.sec.gov.

    About dLocal
    dLocal powers local payments in emerging markets, connecting global enterprise merchants with billions of emerging market consumers in more than 40 countries across Africa, Asia, and Latin America. Through the “One dLocal” platform (one direct API, one platform, and one contract), global companies can accept payments, send pay-outs and settle funds globally without the need to manage separate pay-in and pay-out processors, set up numerous local entities, and integrate multiple acquirers and payment methods in each market.

    Definition of selected operational metrics
    “API” means application programming interface, which is a general term for programming techniques that are available for software developers when they integrate with a particular service or application. In the payments industry, APIs are usually provided by any party participating in the money flow (such as payment gateways, processors, and service providers) to facilitate the money transfer process.

    “Cross-border” means a payment transaction whereby dLocal is collecting in one currency and settling into a different currency and/or in a different geography.

    “Local payment methods” refers to any payment method that is processed in the country where the end user of the merchant sending or receiving payments is located, which include credit and debit cards, cash payments, bank transfers, mobile money, and digital wallets.

    “Local-to-local” means a payment transaction whereby dLocal is collecting and settling in the same currency.

    “Net Revenue Retention Rate” or “NRR” is a U.S. dollar-based measure of retention and growth of dLocal’s merchants. NRR is calculated for a period or year by dividing the Current Period/Year Revenue by the Prior Period/Year Revenue. The Prior Period/Year Revenue is the revenue billed by us to all our customers in the prior period. The Current Period/Year Revenue is the revenue billed by us in the current period to the same customers included in the Prior Period/Year Revenue. Current Period/Year Revenue includes revenues from any upselling and cross-selling across products, geographies, and payment methods to such merchant customers, and is net of any contractions or attrition, in respect of such merchant customers, and excludes revenue from new customers on-boarded in the preceding twelve months. As most of dLocal revenues come from existing merchants, the NRR rate is a key metric used by management, and we believe it is useful for investors in order to assess our retention of existing customers and growth in revenues from our existing customer base.

    “Pay-in” means a payment transaction whereby dLocal’s merchant customers receive payment from their customers.

    “Pay-out” means a payment transaction whereby dLocal disburses money in local currency to the business partners or customers of dLocal’s merchant customers.

    “Revenue from New Merchants” means the revenue billed by us to merchant customers that we did not bill revenues in the same quarter (or period) of the prior year.

    “Revenue from Existing Merchants” means the revenue billed by us in the last twelve months to the merchant customers that we billed revenue in the same quarter (or period) of the prior year.

    “TPV” dLocal presents total payment volume, or TPV, which is an operating metric of the aggregate value of all payments successfully processed through dLocal’s payments platform. Because revenue depends significantly on the total value of transactions processed through the dLocal platform, management believes that TPV is an indicator of the success of dLocal’s global merchants, the satisfaction of their end users, and the scale and growth of dLocal’s business.

    Rounding: We have made rounding adjustments to some of the figures included in this interim report. Accordingly, numerical figures shown as totals in some tables may not be an arithmetic aggregation of the figures that preceded them.

    Forward-looking statements
    This press release contains certain forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements convey dLocal’s current expectations or forecasts of future events, including guidance in respect of total payment volume, revenue, gross profit and Adjusted EBITDA. Forward-looking statements regarding dLocal and amounts stated as guidance are based on current management expectations and involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause dLocal’s actual results, performance or achievements to be materially different from any future results, performances or achievements expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements. Certain of these risks and uncertainties are described in the “Risk Factors,” “Forward-Looking Statements” and “Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Statements” sections of dLocal’s filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. Unless required by law, dLocal undertakes no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements to reflect circumstances or events after the date hereof. In addition, dLocal is unable to present a quantitative reconciliation of forward-looking guidance for Adjusted EBITDA, because dLocal cannot reliably predict certain of their necessary components, such as impairment gains/(losses) on financial assets, transaction costs, and inflation adjustment.

    dLocal Limited
    Certain financial information
    Consolidated Condensed Interim Statements of Comprehensive Income for the three-month and twelve-month periods ended December 31, 2024 and 2023
    (All amounts in thousands of U.S. Dollars except share data or as otherwise indicated)

      Three months ended December 31 Twelve months ended December 31
      2024 2023 2024 2023
    Continuing operations        
    Revenues 204,491 188,005 745,974 650,351
    Cost of services (120,780) (118,286) (451,301) (373,492)
    Gross profit 83,711 69,719 294,673 276,859
             
    Technology and development expenses (6,822) (4,024) (25,625) (12,650)
    Sales and marketing expenses (5,598) (4,710) (21,626) (17,120)
    General and administrative expenses (27,183) (20,641) (101,225) (70,568)
    Impairment (loss)/gain on financial assets (533) 657 (440) 3,136
    Other operating (loss)/gain (1,307) (5,257)
    Operating profit 42,268 41,001 140,500 179,657
    Finance income 12,036 57,913 66,875 128,228
    Finance costs (13,121) (56,917) (49,701) (116,834)
    Inflation adjustment (392) (6,040) (6,655) (12,537)
    Other results (1,477) (5,044) 10,519 (1,143)
    Profit before income tax 40,791 35,957 151,019 178,514
    Income tax expense (11,090) (7,476) (30,550) (29,428)
    Profit for the period 29,701 28,481 120,469 149,086
             
    Profit attributable to:        
    Owners of the Group 29,682 28,515 120,416 148,964
    Non-controlling interest 19 (34) 53 122
    Profit for the period 29,701 28,481 120,469 149,086
             
    Earnings per share (in USD)        
    Basic Earnings per share 0.11 0.10 0.42 0.51
    Diluted Earnings per share 0.10 0.10 0.39 0.49
             
    Other comprehensive income        
    Items that may be reclassified to profit or loss:        
    Exchange difference on translation on foreign operations (4,417) (9,054) (11,188) (7,713)
    Other comprehensive income for the period, net of tax (4,417) (9,054) (11,188) (7,713)
    Total comprehensive income for the period, net of tax 25,284 19,427 109,281 141,373
             
    Total comprehensive income for the period        
    Owners of the Group 25,311 19,463 109,290 141,255
    Non-controlling interest (27) (36) (9) 118
    Total comprehensive income for the period 25,284 19,427 109,281 141,373
             

    dLocal Limited
    Certain financial information
    Consolidated Condensed Interim Statements of Financial Position as of December 31, 2024 and December 31, 2023
    (All amounts in thousands of U.S. dollars)

      December 31, 2024   December 31, 2023
    ASSETS      
    Current Assets      
    Cash and cash equivalents 425,172   536,160
    Financial assets at fair value through profit or loss 129,319   102,677
    Trade and other receivables 496,713   363,374
    Derivative financial instruments 2,874   2,040
    Other assets 18,805   11,782
    Total Current Assets 1,072,883   1,016,033
           
    Non-Current Assets      
    Financial assets at fair value through profit or loss   1,710
    Trade and other receivables 18,044  
    Deferred tax assets 5,367   2,217
    Property, plant and equipment 3,377   2,917
    Right-of-use assets 3,645   3,689
    Intangible assets 63,318   57,887
    Other assets 4,695  
    Total Non-Current Assets 98,446   68,420
    TOTAL ASSETS 1,171,329   1,084,453
           
    LIABILITIES      
    Current Liabilities      
    Trade and other payables 597,787   602,493
    Lease liabilities 1,137   626
    Tax liabilities 21,515   20,800
    Derivative financial instruments 6,227   948
    Financial liabilities 50,455  
    Provisions 500   362
    Total Current Liabilities 677,621   625,229
           
    Non-Current Liabilities      
    Deferred tax liabilities 1,858   753
    Lease liabilities 2,863   3,331
    Total Non-Current Liabilities 4,721   4,084
    TOTAL LIABILITIES 682,342   629,313
           
    EQUITY      
    Share Capital 570   591
    Share Premium 186,769   173,001
    Treasury Shares (200,980)   (99,936)
    Capital Reserve 33,438   21,575
    Other Reserves (20,934)   (9,808)
    Retained earnings 490,024   369,608
    Total Equity Attributable to owners of the Group 488,887   455,031
    Non-controlling interest 100   109
    TOTAL EQUITY 488,987   455,140
    TOTAL EQUITY AND LIABILITIES 1,171,329   1,084,453
           

    dLocal Limited
    Certain interim financial information
    Consolidated Statements of Cash flows for the three-month and twelve-month periods ended December 31, 2024 and 2023
    (All amounts in thousands of U.S. dollars)

      Three months ended December 31 Twelve months ended December 31
      2024 2023 2024 2023
    Cash flows from operating activities        
    Profit before income tax 40,791 35,957 151,019 178,514
    Adjustments:        
    Interest Income from financial instruments (6,921) (7,159) (28,266) (49,588)
    Interest charges for lease liabilities 370 110 501 578
    Other interests charges 739 2,503 3,758 5,623
    Finance expense related to derivative financial instruments (627) 5,497 19,462 28,013
    Net exchange differences 5,914 50,100 24,787 82,620
    Fair value loss/(gain) on financial assets at FVPL (3,922) (50,754) (37,416) (78,640)
    Amortization of Intangible assets 4,364 3,251 15,511 10,816
    Depreciation and disposals of PP&E and right-of-use 652 353 1,884 1,409
    Share-based payment expense, net of forfeitures 6,339 4,850 23,780 11,922
    Other operating gain 786 4,736
    Net Impairment loss/(gain) on financial assets 533 2,796 440 318
    Inflation adjustment and other financial results (5,704) 9,041 (17,063) 9,041
      43,313 56,546 163,133 200,626
    Changes in working capital        
    Increase in Trade and other receivables (109,487) (51,154) (162,645) (123,246)
    Decrease / (Increase) in Other assets 4,128 13,258 5,427 45,007
    Increase / (Decrease) in Trade and Other payables (70,700) 52,654 (6,957) 194,619
    Increase / (Decrease) in Tax Liabilities (3,835) (6,591) (3,184) (10,967)
    Increase / (Decrease) in Provisions 222 (275) 138 (1,111)
    Cash (used) / generated from operating activities (136,359) 64,438 (4,088) 304,928
    Income tax paid (4,773) (2,996) (28,696) (11,475)
    Net cash (used) / generated from operating activities (141,132) 61,442 (32,784) 293,453
             
    Cash flows from investing activities        
    Acquisitions of Property, plant and equipment (427) 21 (1,705) (965)
    Additions of Intangible assets (5,699) (4,758) (20,942) (17,260)
    Acquisition of financial assets at FVPL (14,852) (15,847) (121,468) (117,517)
    Collections of financial assets at FVPL 3,721 108,097 1,487
    Interest collected from financial instruments 6,921 7,159 28,266 49,588
    Payments for investments in other assets at FVPL (10,000) (10,000)
    Net cash (used in) / generated investing activities (24,057) (9,704) (17,752) (84,667)
             
    Cash flows from financing activities        
    Repurchase of shares (101,067) (97,929)
    Share-options exercise paid 358 1,853 153
    Interest payments on lease liability (370) (110) (501) (578)
    Principal payments on lease liability (112) (315) (552) (1,103)
    Finance expense paid related to derivative financial instruments (8) (7,640) (15,017) (28,443)
    Net proceeds from financial liabilities 33,653 50,428
    Interest payments on financial liabilities (1,633) (2,281)
    Other finance expense paid (327) (2,851) (1,450) (5,971)
    Net cash used in by financing activities 31,561 (10,916) (68,587) (133,871)
    Net increase in cash flow (133,628) 40,822 (119,123) 74,915
             
    Cash and cash equivalents at the beginning of the period 560,533 498,165 536,160 468,092
    Net (decrease)/increase in cash flow (133,628) 40,822 (119,123) 74,915
    Effects of exchange rate changes on inflation and cash and cash equivalents (1,732) (2,827) 8,135 (6,847)
    Cash and cash equivalents at the end of the period 425,172 536,160 425,172 536,160
             

    Investor Relations Contact:
    investor@dlocal.com

    Media Contact:
    media@dlocal.com

    The MIL Network

  • MIL-OSI: AvePoint Announces Fourth Quarter and Full Year 2024 Financial Results

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    Full year SaaS revenue of $230.7 million, representing 43% year-over-year growth, 44% on a constant currency basis
    Full year Total revenue of $330.5 million, representing 22% year-over-year growth, 22% on a constant currency basis
    Total ARR of $327.0 million, representing 24% year-over-year growth, 25% adjusted for FX

    JERSEY CITY, N.J., Feb. 27, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — AvePoint (NASDAQ: AVPT), the global leader in data security, governance and resilience, today announced financial results for the fourth quarter and full year ended December 31, 2024. 

    “Our fourth quarter was an outstanding close to 2024, and we are pleased with the team’s steady focus and broad-based execution,” said Dr. Tianyi Jiang (TJ), CEO and Co-Founder, AvePoint. “Our results this year – as well as our outlook for 2025 – reflect the growing demand from companies around the world for platform solutions that enable them to prepare, secure and optimize their data for AI, as well as our ongoing improvement in effectively and efficiently delivering on that demand. Today, AvePoint stands at the forefront of addressing the pivotal challenges in data security, governance, and resilience, and we are excited for the many opportunities we see in 2025 and beyond to continue driving shareholder value.”

    Fourth Quarter 2024 Financial Highlights

    • Revenue: Total revenue was $89.2 million, up 20% from the fourth quarter of 2023 and up 20% on a constant currency basis. Within total revenue, SaaS revenue was $64.8 million, up 43% from the fourth quarter of 2023 and up 44% on a constant currency basis.
    • Gross Profit: GAAP gross profit was $67.3 million, compared to $55.0 million for the fourth quarter of 2023. Non-GAAP gross profit was $67.3 million, compared to $56.1 million for the fourth quarter of 2023. Non-GAAP gross margin was 75.5%, compared to 75.2% for the fourth quarter of 2023.
    • Operating Income/(Loss): GAAP operating income was $4.9 million, compared to $0.9 million for the fourth quarter of 2023. Non-GAAP operating income was $14.5 million, compared to $10.3 million for the fourth quarter of 2023.

    Full Year 2024 Financial Highlights

    • Revenue: Total revenue was $330.5 million, up 22% from the full year 2023 and up 22% on a constant currency basis. Within total revenue, SaaS revenue was $230.7 million, up 43% from the full year 2023 and up 44% on a constant currency basis.
    • Gross Profit: GAAP gross profit was $248.0 million, compared to $194.4 million for the full year 2023. Non-GAAP gross profit was $250.2 million, compared to $198.5 million for the full year 2023. Non-GAAP gross margin was 75.7%, compared to 73.0% for the full year 2023.
    • Operating Income/(Loss): GAAP operating income was $7.2 million, compared to a GAAP operating loss of $(15.4) million for the full year 2023. Non-GAAP operating income was $47.6 million, compared to $22.2 million for the full year 2023.
    • Cash and short-term investments: $290.9 million as of December 31, 2024.
    • Cash from operations: For the twelve months ended December 31, 2024, the Company generated $88.9 million of cash from operations, compared to $34.7 million in the prior year period.

    Fourth Quarter 2024 Key Performance Indicators and Recent Business Highlights

    • ARR as of December 31, 2024 was $327.0 million, representing growth of 24% year-over-year. Adjusted for FX, ARR grew 25% year-over-year.
    • Adjusted for FX, dollar-based gross retention rate was 89%, while dollar-based net retention rate was 111%. On an as-reported basis, dollar-based gross retention rate was 88%, while dollar-based net retention rate was 110%.
    • Introduced first-to-market benchmarking capabilities within AvePoint tyGraph for Microsoft 365 Copilot to provide organizations critical insights into their AI adoption and usage patterns.
    • Announced the launch of AvePoint’s AI Lab in Singapore, to advance AI-driven research and innovation that will address global industry challenges and embed AI across the AvePoint Confidence Platform.
    • Named to the inaugural Forbes America’s Best Companies List, which recognizes the top 300 companies in the U.S. across over 60 measures, including financial performance, customer and employee satisfaction, cybersecurity, and more.

    Financial Outlook

    For the first quarter of 2025, the Company expects:

    • Total revenues of $87.8 million to $89.8 million, or year-over-year growth of 18% to 21%. On a constant currency basis, the Company expects revenue growth of 19% to 22%.
    • Non-GAAP operating income of $11.1 million to $12.1 million.

    For the full year 2025, the Company expects:

    • Total ARR of $401.3 million to $407.3 million, or year-over-year growth of 23% to 25%. Adjusted for FX, the Company expects ARR growth of 24% to 26%.
    • Total revenues of $380.0 million to $388.0 million, or year-over-year growth of 15% to 17%. On a constant currency basis, the Company expects revenue growth of 17% to 19%.
    • Non-GAAP operating income of $52.3 million to $55.3 million.

    Quarterly Conference Call

    AvePoint will host a conference call today, February 27, 2025, to review its fourth quarter and full year 2024 financial results and to discuss its financial outlook. The call is scheduled to begin at 4:30pm ET. You may access the call and register with a live operator by dialing 1 (833) 816-1428 for US participants and 1 (412) 317-0520 for outside the US. The passcode for the call is 8306574. Investors can also join by webcast by visiting https://www.avepoint.com/ir/events-and-presentations. The webcast will be available live, and a replay will be available following the completion of the live broadcast for approximately 90 days.

    About AvePoint

    Beyond Secure. AvePoint is the global leader in data security, governance, and resilience, going beyond traditional solutions to ensure a robust data foundation and enable organizations everywhere to collaborate with confidence. Over 25,000 customers worldwide rely on the AvePoint Confidence Platform to prepare, secure, and optimize their critical data across Microsoft, Google, Salesforce, and other collaboration environments. AvePoint’s global channel partner program includes approximately 5,000 managed service providers, value-added resellers, and systems integrators, with our solutions available in more than 100 cloud marketplaces. To learn more, visit www.avepoint.com.

    Non-GAAP Financial Measures and Other Key Metrics

    To supplement AvePoint’s consolidated financial statements presented in accordance with GAAP, the company uses non-GAAP measures of certain components of financial performance. These non-GAAP measures include non-GAAP gross profit, non-GAAP gross margin, non-GAAP operating expenses (including percentage of revenue figures), non-GAAP operating income and non-GAAP operating margin, and key metrics include annual recurring revenue, dollar-based gross retention rate, and dollar-based net retention rate. The company has included a reconciliation of GAAP to non-GAAP financial measures at the end of this press release. These reconciliations adjust the related GAAP financial measures to exclude stock-based compensation expense and the amortization of acquired intangible assets. The company believes the presentation of its non-GAAP financial measures provides a better representation as to its overall operating performance. The presentation of AvePoint’s non-GAAP financial measures is not meant to be considered in isolation or as a substitute for its financial results prepared in accordance with GAAP, and AvePoint’s non-GAAP measures may be different from non-GAAP measures used by other companies.

    Annual Recurring Revenue. This metric is calculated as the annualized sum of contractually obligated Annual Contract Value (“ACV”) from SaaS, term license and support, and maintenance revenue sources from all active customers at the end of a reporting period. ARR should be viewed independently of revenue and deferred revenue and is not intended to be combined with or replace these items. ARR is not a forecast of future revenue, and the active contracts used in calculating ARR may or may not be extended or renewed by our customers. The company believes this metric further enables measurement of its business performance, is an important metric for financial forecasting and better enables strategic decision making. Because this metric does not have the effect of providing a numerical measure that is different from any comparable GAAP measure, the company does not consider it a non-GAAP measure.

    Dollar-based Gross Retention Rate. This metric is calculated by starting with the ARR from all active customers as of 12 months prior to such period end, or Prior Period ARR. The company then calculates ARR from these same customers as of the current period end, or Current Period ARR. Current Period ARR includes net contraction or attrition over the last 12 months but excludes ARR from new customers in the current period. The company then divides the total Current Period ARR by the total Prior Period ARR to arrive at the dollar-based gross retention rate. The company uses this metric as a measure of its ability to retain existing customers, and believes it is useful to investors for the same reason. Because this metric does not have the effect of providing a numerical measure that is different from any comparable GAAP measure, the company does not consider it a non-GAAP measure.

    Dollar-based Net Retention Rate. This metric is calculated by starting with the ARR from all active customers as of 12 months prior to such period end, or Prior Period ARR. The company then calculates ARR from these same customers as of the current period end, or Current Period ARR. Current Period ARR includes net expansion over the last 12 months but excludes ARR from new customers in the current period. The company then divides the total Current Period ARR by the total Prior Period ARR to arrive at the dollar-based net retention rate. The company uses this metric as a measure of its ability to expand business with existing customers, and believes it is useful to investors for the same reason. Because this metric does not have the effect of providing a numerical measure that is different from any comparable GAAP measure, the company does not consider it a non-GAAP measure.

    Disclosure Information

    AvePoint uses its Investor Relations website (https://avepoint.com/ir) as a means of disclosing material non-public information and for complying with its disclosure obligations under Regulation FD.

    Forward-Looking Statements

    This press release contains certain forward-looking statements within the meaning of the “safe harbor” provisions of the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 and other federal securities laws including statements regarding the future performance of and market opportunities for AvePoint. These forward-looking statements generally are identified by the words “believe,” “project,” “expect,” “anticipate,” “estimate,” “intend,” “strategy,” “future,” “opportunity,” “plan,” “may,” “should,” “will,” “would,” “will be,” “will continue,” “will likely result,” and similar expressions. Forward-looking statements are predictions, projections and other statements about future events that are based on current expectations and assumptions and, as a result, are subject to risks and uncertainties. Many factors could cause actual future events to differ materially from the forward-looking statements in this press release, including but not limited to: changes in the competitive and regulated industries in which AvePoint operates, variations in operating performance across competitors, changes in laws and regulations affecting AvePoint’s business and changes in AvePoint’s ability to implement business plans, forecasts, and ability to identify and realize additional opportunities, and the risk of downturns in the market and the technology industry. You should carefully consider the foregoing factors and the other risks and uncertainties described in the “Risk Factors” section of AvePoint’s most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K and its registration statement on Form S-1 and related prospectus and prospectus supplements filed with the SEC. Copies of these and other documents filed by AvePoint from time to time are available on the SEC’s website, www.sec.gov. These filings identify and address other important risks and uncertainties that could cause actual events and results to differ materially from those contained in the forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements speak only as of the date they are made. Readers are cautioned not to put undue reliance on forward-looking statements, and AvePoint does not assume any obligation and does not intend to update or revise these forward-looking statements after the date of this release, whether as a result of new information, future events, or otherwise, except as required by law. AvePoint does not give any assurance that it will achieve its expectations. Unless the context otherwise indicates, references in this press release to the terms “AvePoint”, “the Company”, “we”, “our” and “us” refer to AvePoint, Inc. and its subsidiaries.

    Investor Contact
    AvePoint
    Jamie Arestia
    ir@avepoint.com
    (551) 220-5654

    Media Contact
    AvePoint
    Nicole Caci
    pr@avepoint.com  
    (201) 201-8143

    AvePoint, Inc.
    Condensed Consolidated Statements of Income
    (In thousands, except per share amounts)
    (Unaudited)
     
      Three Months Ended     Year Ended  
      December 31,     December 31,  
      2024     2023     2024     2023  
    Revenue:                              
    SaaS $ 64,847     $ 45,260     $ 230,667     $ 160,961  
    Term license and support   9,432       12,270       44,560       52,744  
    Services   12,228       13,788       44,036       44,795  
    Maintenance   2,676       3,306       11,219       13,325  
    Total revenue   89,183       74,624       330,482       271,825  
    Cost of revenue:                              
    SaaS   11,405       9,338       41,544       35,924  
    Term license and support   382       505       1,584       1,946  
    Services   9,980       9,576       38,757       38,807  
    Maintenance   154       199       641       783  
    Total cost of revenue   21,921       19,618       82,526       77,460  
    Gross profit   67,262       55,006       247,956       194,365  
    Operating expenses:                              
    Sales and marketing   32,410       29,127       122,869       112,105  
    General and administrative   17,127       15,592       69,222       61,271  
    Research and development   12,872       9,409       48,699       36,340  
    Total operating expenses   62,409       54,128       240,790       209,716  
    Income (loss) from operations   4,853       878       7,166       (15,351 )
    Other expense, net   (23,458 )     (1,687 )     (31,565 )     (3,263 )
    Loss before income taxes   (18,605 )     (809 )     (24,399 )     (18,614 )
    Income tax (benefit) expense   (1,427 )     (5,245 )     4,743       2,887  
    Net (loss) income $ (17,178 )   $ 4,436     $ (29,142 )   $ (21,501 )
    Net income (loss) attributable to noncontrolling interest   7       167       (52 )     224  
    Net (loss) income available to common stockholders $ (17,185 )   $ 4,269     $ (29,090 )   $ (21,725 )
    Earnings per share:                              
    Basic $ (0.09 )   $ 0.02     $ (0.16 )   $ (0.12 )
    Diluted $ (0.09 )   $ 0.02     $ (0.16 )   $ (0.12 )
    Weighted average shares outstanding:                              
    Basic   186,605       181,152       183,721       182,257  
    Diluted   186,605       198,570       183,721       182,257  

     

    AvePoint, Inc.
    Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets
    (In thousands, except par value)
     
      December 31,     December 31,  
      2024     2023  
    Assets              
    Current assets:              
    Cash and cash equivalents $ 290,735     $ 223,162  
    Short-term investments   167       3,721  
    Accounts receivable, net   87,365       85,877  
    Prepaid expenses and other current assets   16,528       12,824  
    Total current assets   394,795       325,584  
    Property and equipment, net   5,289       5,118  
    Goodwill   17,715       19,156  
    Intangible assets, net   8,889       10,546  
    Operating lease right-of-use assets   15,954       13,908  
    Deferred contract costs   59,838       54,675  
    Other assets   16,575       13,595  
    Total assets $ 519,055     $ 442,582  
    Liabilities, mezzanine equity, and stockholders’ equity              
    Current liabilities:              
    Accounts payable $ 2,352     $ 1,384  
    Accrued expenses and other current liabilities   76,135       53,766  
    Current portion of deferred revenue   144,468       121,515  
    Total current liabilities   222,955       176,665  
    Long-term operating lease liabilities   9,909       9,383  
    Long-term portion of deferred revenue   8,840       7,741  
    Earn-out shares liabilities         18,346  
    Other liabilities   6,403       5,603  
    Total liabilities   248,107       217,738  
    Commitments and contingencies              
    Mezzanine equity              
    Redeemable noncontrolling interest         6,038  
    Total mezzanine equity         6,038  
    Stockholders’ equity              
    Common stock, $0.0001 par value; 1,000,000 shares authorized, 194,071 and 184,652 shares issued and outstanding as of December 31, 2024 and 2023, respectively   19       18  
    Additional paid-in capital   779,007       667,881  
    Accumulated other comprehensive income   576       3,196  
    Accumulated deficit   (510,448 )     (460,496 )
    Noncontrolling interest   1,794       8,207  
    Total stockholders’ equity   270,948       218,806  
    Total liabilities, mezzanine equity, and stockholders’ equity $ 519,055     $ 442,582  
    AvePoint, Inc.
    Condensed Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows
    (In thousands)
    (Unaudited)
     
      Year Ended  
      December 31,  
      2024     2023  
    Operating activities              
    Net loss $ (29,142 )   $ (21,501 )
    Adjustments to reconcile net loss to net cash provided by operating activities:              
    Depreciation and amortization   5,382       4,687  
    Operating lease right-of-use assets expense   6,270       6,234  
    Foreign currency remeasurement loss   866        
    Stock-based compensation   39,059       36,048  
    Deferred income taxes   498       (864 )
    Other   (67 )     1,068  
    Change in value of earn-out and warrant liabilities   37,276       11,454  
    Changes in operating assets and liabilities:              
    Accounts receivable   (4,898 )     (19,448 )
    Prepaid expenses and other current assets   (3,350 )     (2,773 )
    Deferred contract costs and other assets   (8,482 )     (7,687 )
    Accounts payable, accrued expenses, operating lease liabilities and other current liabilities   16,046       609  
    Deferred revenue   29,436       26,867  
    Net cash provided by operating activities   88,894       34,694  
    Investing activities              
    Maturities of investments   5,353       2,620  
    Purchases of investments   (1,819 )     (3,497 )
    Capitalization of internal-use software   (1,211 )     (1,434 )
    Purchase of property and equipment   (3,044 )     (2,087 )
    Issuance of notes receivables   (1,750 )     (1,250 )
    Other investing activities   (130 )      
    Net cash used in investing activities   (2,601 )     (5,648 )
    Financing activities              
    Repurchase of common stock   (33,053 )     (39,036 )
    Proceeds from warrant exercises   17,182        
    Proceeds from stock option exercises   11,033       5,569  
    Redemption of redeemable noncontrolling interest   (6,130 )      
    Purchase of public warrants   (3,991 )      
    Company earn-out shares settled in cash   (572 )      
    Repayments of finance leases   (6 )     (64 )
    Payments of debt issuance costs         (136 )
    Net cash used in financing activities   (15,537 )     (33,667 )
    Effect of exchange rates on cash   (3,183 )     595  
    Net decrease in cash and cash equivalents   67,573       (4,026 )
    Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of period   223,162       227,188  
    Cash and cash equivalents at end of period $ 290,735     $ 223,162  
    Supplemental disclosures of cash flow information              
    Income taxes paid $ 6,882     $ 6,112  
    Company earn-out shares issuance $ 53,871     $  
    AvePoint, Inc.
    Non-GAAP Reconciliations
    (In thousands)
    (Unaudited)
     
      Three Months Ended     Year Ended  
      December 31,     December 31,  
      2024     2023     2024     2023  
    Non-GAAP operating income                              
    GAAP operating income (loss) $ 4,853     $ 878     $ 7,166     $ (15,351 )
    Stock-based compensation expense   9,252       9,073       39,059       36,048  
    Amortization of acquired intangible assets   356       350       1,420       1,456  
    Non-GAAP operating income $ 14,461     $ 10,301     $ 47,645     $ 22,153  
    Non-GAAP operating margin   16.2 %     13.8 %     14.4 %     8.1 %
                                   
                                   
                                   
    Non-GAAP gross profit                              
    GAAP gross profit $ 67,262     $ 55,006     $ 247,956     $ 194,365  
    Stock-based compensation expense   (201 )     869       1,315       3,161  
    Amortization of acquired intangible assets   239       239       961       964  
    Non-GAAP gross profit $ 67,300     $ 56,114     $ 250,232     $ 198,490  
    Non-GAAP gross margin   75.5 %     75.2 %     75.7 %     73.0 %
                                   
    Non-GAAP sales and marketing                              
    GAAP sales and marketing $ 32,410     $ 29,127     $ 122,869     $ 112,105  
    Stock-based compensation expense   (2,281 )     (2,251 )     (8,965 )     (9,518 )
    Amortization of acquired intangible assets   (117 )     (111 )     (459 )     (492 )
    Non-GAAP sales and marketing $ 30,012     $ 26,765     $ 113,445     $ 102,095  
    Non-GAAP sales and marketing as a % of revenue   33.7 %     35.9 %     34.3 %     37.6 %
                                   
    Non-GAAP general and administrative                              
    GAAP general and administrative $ 17,127     $ 15,592     $ 69,222     $ 61,271  
    Stock-based compensation expense   (5,032 )     (4,787 )     (20,483 )     (19,338 )
    Non-GAAP general and administrative $ 12,095     $ 10,805     $ 48,739     $ 41,933  
    Non-GAAP general and administrative as a % of revenue   13.6 %     14.5 %     14.7 %     15.4 %
                                   
    Non-GAAP research and development                              
    GAAP research and development $ 12,872     $ 9,409     $ 48,699     $ 36,340  
    Stock-based compensation expense   (2,140 )     (1,166 )     (8,296 )     (4,031 )
    Non-GAAP research and development $ 10,732     $ 8,243     $ 40,403     $ 32,309  
    Non-GAAP research and development as a % of revenue   12.0 %     11.0 %     12.2 %     11.9 %

    The MIL Network

  • MIL-OSI USA: Murphy, Senate Foreign Relations Committee Democrats Statement On Trump Administration’s Reckless Termination Of U.S. Foreign Assistance Programs

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Connecticut – Chris Murphy

    February 27, 2025

    WASHINGTON—U.S. Senator Chris Murphy (D-Conn.), a member of the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee, on Thursday joined U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee Ranking Member Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.), and U.S. Senators Chris Coons (D-Del.), Tim Kaine (D-Va.), Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), Cory Booker (D-N.J.), Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii), Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.) and Jacky Rosen (D-Nev.) in issuing the following statement on the Trump Administration’s reckless termination of nearly all U.S. foreign assistance programs:
    “It is clear that the Trump Administration’s foreign assistance ‘review’ was not a serious effort or attempt at reform but rather a pretext to dismantle decades of U.S. investment that makes America safer, stronger and more prosperous. There is no indication Secretary Rubio conducted a program-by-program review of the more than 9,000 awards or considered the dire national security implications of these rash actions. Ending programs first and asking questions later only jeopardizes millions of lives and creates a power vacuum for our adversaries like China and Russia to fill.
    “While it’s easy to assume that these cuts will only affect people thousands of miles away, the fact is, the impact will be felt by American farmers who will no longer get top dollar for their crops to feed the hungry, churches who will no longer have the support of the U.S. government in their missions, American families who fall sick when diseases like Zika, Ebola and Malaria once again reach our shores and U.S. biotech companies who will no longer sell their drugs to treat the vulnerable overseas. Secretary Rubio should immediately come before our Committee. We expect him to not only consult with Congress but follow the law.”

    MIL OSI USA News

  • MIL-OSI Security: Riverton man sentenced to two life sentences plus an additional 10 years in prison for first-degree murder and related charges on the Wind River Indian Reservation

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    Burdick Nelson Seminole Sr., 59, of Riverton, Wyoming, was sentenced to life in prison for first-degree murder and causing death with a firearm during a crime of violence, each count to run concurrently; plus, an additional 10 years imprisonment for discharging a firearm during a crime of violence. Chief U.S. District Court Judge Scott W. Skavdahl imposed the sentence on Feb. 27 in Casper. The court also ordered Seminole to pay $4,521.09 in restitution and a $300 special assessment.

    Seminole was convicted of first-degree murder after a four-day trial on Nov. 15, 2024. According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, in the early morning of Aug. 8, 2023, Seminole drove to the victim’s residence, entered the residence without permission, and confronted the victim. An argument ensued and Seminole left the residence to retrieve a pistol and reentered the residence, where he continued to argue with the victim, who was sitting in his wheelchair. Seminole pistol-whipped the victim and shot him three times. In response, another resident shot at Seminole, hitting him in the back of the neck, causing him to flee. Seminole drove himself to the hospital and was diagnosed with a minor flesh wound. The victim was pronounced dead at the scene by EMS.

    The Bureau of Indian Affairs Wind River Police Department and the FBI investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael J. Elmore prosecuted the case.

    This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy, strengthening PSN on the basis of these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results. For more information about Project Safe Neighborhoods, please visit Justice.gov/PSN.

    Case No. 24-CR-00017

    MIL Security OSI

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Police acknowledge guilty pleas in Ariki Rigby murder case

    Source: New Zealand Police (National News)

    Please attribute to Detective Inspector David De Lange of Eastern District Police:

    Police acknowledge the guilty pleas entered today by Jimmy Heremaia, 32, the man charged with the murder of Ariki Rigby in 2022.

    Heremaia pleaded guilty to charges of murder and arson.

    We acknowledge Ariki’s whanau, who have waited so long to see the person responsible held accountable for her tragic death.

    We also acknowledge those Police staff who worked meticulously over a long period of time to piece together the evidence that has brought about this result today.

    ENDS

    Issued by Police Media Centre

    MIL OSI New Zealand News

  • MIL-OSI Video: EU-India Summit: European Commission President von der Leyen and the College in New Delhi

    Source: European Commission (video statements)

    “In this era of intense geostrategic competition, Europe stands for openness, partnership, and outreach. We seek to deepen ties with one of our most trusted friends and allies—India. Europe and India are like-minded partners, bound by the shared conviction that democracy best serves the people. That’s why one of the first visits of the new Commission is to India. We are committed to strengthening our strategic partnership to advance trade, economic security, and resilient supply chains, along with a common tech agenda and reinforced security and defence cooperation.” Commission President von der Leyen

    On the 27th and 28th of February, President Ursula von der Leyen will visit New Delhi accompanied by the College of Commissioners to meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the Indian Government.

    The unprecedented visit, one of the first by the College of Commissioners in the new mandate, highlights the strong momentum in EU-India relations. It follows President von der Leyen’s announcement of a new strategic agenda with India to be presented this year at the EU-India Summit. The visit emphasises the importance of strengthening ties in key areas vital to the prosperity and security of both Europe and India.

    Read the press release here https://ec.europa.eu/commission/presscorner/home/en
    Audiovisual material on the EC AV Portal https://audiovisual.ec.europa.eu/en

    Follow us on:
    -X: https://twitter.com/EU_Commission
    -Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/europeancommission/
    -Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/EuropeanCommission
    -LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/european-commission/
    -Medium: https://medium.com/@EuropeanCommission

    Visit our website: http://ec.europa.eu

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IH9n2BLMc7k

    MIL OSI Video

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Appointments – Greymouth accounting firm welcomes new associate

    Source: ASHTON WHEELANS

    A leading South Island accounting firm has strengthened its presence on the West Coast with the recruitment of Greymouth local Kimberley Costelloe as associate.

    A chartered accountant with more than 19 years’ industry experience, Kimberley recently joined Ashton Wheelans, which has offices in Greymouth, Christchurch, Rangiora and Wānaka.

    She has worked alongside clients across a wide range of industries, including property investment, winemaking, mining, farming, hair and beauty, tourism, hospitality, trades, primary industry and manufacturing.

    “The best part of being an accountant and business advisor is getting to know my clients, their business and forming great relationships with them,” she explains. “I enjoy hearing their wins, challenges and aspirations. This also means I can keep my ear to the ground for emerging developments: legislative, technology and any opportunities that may arise and have an impact on their business.”

    Kimberley says she is delighted to work within a diverse team across the South Island, while still living in her hometown.

    “Ashton Wheelans has a wide network of experience, with a well-established and knowledgeable team,” she says. “Having the ability to tap into this level of expertise and resources anytime is excellent as I like to work collaboratively with colleagues to assess the best approach.

    “Knowing that I have that type of support is extremely valuable, as it means we get the best outcomes for our clients,” she adds.

    Ashton Wheelans partner Fergal O’Gara says Kimberley brings a wealth of experience to the team, and our clients.

    “Kimberley’s down-to-earth nature enables her to connect with people of any age or background,” he says. “It is great to have her in our Greymouth-based team.”

    Kimberley is a multi-generational West Coaster and is involved in several local community groups, including Big Brothers Big Sisters Westland, Paroa Playcentre and Paroa Park Redevelopment Inc. Her professional career has seen her work in various accounting practices in Nelson and Christchurch, before returning home to the West Coast.

    Ashton Wheelans has a longstanding history and has been operating for more than 60 years to provide accounting, tax, audit and business advisory services throughout the South Island. In April 2024, Ashton Wheelans merged with the team at Greymouth’s Marshall & Heaphy to become the firm’s West Coast-based office.
     
    About Ashton Wheelans
    Ashton Wheelans is one of the South Island’s leading chartered accountancy firms with a 60-year history of helping business owners and individuals achieve their goals and financial success. With offices in Rangiora, Christchurch, Greymouth and Wānaka, Ashton Wheelans provides innovative and forward-thinking financial advice to drive growth and success, from accounting, tax and auditing expertise to specialist advice on acquisitions, startups, mentoring, restructuring or insolvency, succession and strategic planning.
    www.ashtonwheelans.co.nz

    MIL OSI New Zealand News

  • MIL-OSI Security: Chicago Man Sentenced to Consecutive Time in Prison

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    HAMMOND – Nurldon Green, III, 32 years old, of Chicago, Illinois, was sentenced by United States District Court Judge Philip P. Simon after pleading guilty to Failure to Surrender for Service of Sentence, announced Acting United States Attorney Tina L. Nommay.

    Green was sentenced to 14 months in prison, consecutive to his sentence of 27 months in the Bureau of Prisons (BOP) and two years of supervised release in federal case number 2:22-CR-116.

    According to documents in the case, on February 22, 2024, Green was sentenced in his previous federal case for Theft of Mail to a term of 27 months in the BOP, followed by two years of supervised release, and was ordered to appear to serve his sentence on April 4, 2024, either at the BOP institution to which he was assigned or to the United States Marshals Service in Hammond, Indiana.  On April 4, 2024, Green willfully failed to report or surrender at either location.  Green was subsequently located and arrested on August 31, 2024, and has remained in custody since that date.

    This case was investigated by the United States Postal Inspection Service, with assistance from the United States Marshals Service.  The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Emily Morgan.

    MIL Security OSI

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Insurance Council – Half of Kiwis seek action on climate

    Source: Insurance Council of NZ

    One in two New Zealanders believe the Government should invest more to protect people and properties from extreme weather events, according to a new survey.
    Commissioned by the Insurance Council of New Zealand | Te Kāhui Inihua o Aotearoa (ICNZ), the survey found 49% of respondents believe the Government should invest more to safeguard lives and properties, compared with 53% in 2023 and 39% in 2002. Some 29% remain unsure about this issue.
    A sizeable majority of 83% of respondents believe there should be more control on where properties are built so they are not at risk from flooding, similar to previous surveys.
    “It’s clear Kiwis want to see more investment in resilience measures and action to avoid building in dumb places,” ICNZ chief executive Kris Faafoi said.
    “The Government is taking steps in the right direction, but New Zealand needs to remain focused on finding solutions to reduce risk and keep communities safe as we face the prospect of more extreme weather.”
    The survey also found:
    • Nearly half of those surveyed (46%) feel the Government should cover the cost of actions to reduce risk from the impact of climate change, followed by councils at 13%, individuals (12%), private sector (6%), and local communities (4%)
    • A majority of people (62%) believe the Government should take the lead to build New Zealand’s resilience and ability to cope with natural events such as earthquakes, floods and wildfires. This is followed by councils (16%), local communities (6%), individuals (4%) and thr private sector (3%).
    “New Zealand is highly vulnerable to natural hazards and we are used to responding to major events. The insurance industry is committed to working collaboratively with government to reduce risk before disaster strikes,” Kris Faafoi said.
    “ICNZ is holding its annual conference next week in Auckland and we are bringing together politicians, industry leaders, and regulators to discuss the challenges, opportunities, and actions necessary to build resilience in the face of climate change.
    “The industry supports a broad political consensus that delivers a clear, coordinated and enduring climate change framework that ensures we avoid building in dumb places and that we do invest in infrastructure to protect communities.
    “By investing in solutions to mitigate and adapt to the changing climate and reduce risk, we can safeguard New Zealanders, reduce the costs to taxpayers and ratepayers, and keep insurance affordable and accessible,” Kris Faafoi said.

    MIL OSI New Zealand News

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Online Safety – Tamariki encouraged to share their online experiences in efforts to improve internet safety

    Source: Save the Children

    New Zealand’s online safety organisation Netsafe and child rights organisation Save the Children have teamed up to bring children’s voices to the internet safety conversation.
    Launching ahead of Te Rā o Ngā Tamariki, New Zealand Children’s Day on Sunday (2 March), children are being asked to share their experiences of using the internet, including social media and gaming, and what they believe would make it a safer space for children. The anonymous online survey is open to all children and young people aged 5-18 and the results will be shared with parents, teachers and decision makers to better understand how to support young people online.
    “The internet is a big part of life for many tamariki and rangatahi in Aotearoa, but adults don’t always understand what it’s really like for them. Often, we take an ‘adults know best’ approach rather than taking time to seek the views of children,” says Save the Children New Zealand’s Director of Advocacy and Research Jacqui Southey.
    “The views and opinions of young people matter – they know best the experiences they are having online, and what actions decision makers could take to make it a more fun and safe experience.”
    Netsafe CEO Brent Carey says the survey builds on existing research conducted by Netsafe around children’s experiences online by asking for their input and guidance around what would improve internet safety.
    “Children are often told by adults what will make their experiences online better but rarely asked to contribute to this important conversation around internet safety. Hearing directly from them about their experience and advice for decision makers will help inform our own efforts to ensure the internet is a safer space for everyone.
    “We’ve already started to hear directly from children and young people and have had some great suggestions around what children want to see.”
    This includes creating safer online gaming spaces, better tools to stop online bullying and harassment, greater controls over what content they see, including blocking harmful sites, including those containing false and extremist content, and more education for parents and teachers around online experiences for children. Younger children are communicating the important role their parents are playing in helping them to feel safe.
    Children wanting to take part in the online survey can do so here: Tamariki Online! Have your say with Netsafe and Save the Children.

    MIL OSI New Zealand News

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Suspicious building fire at Prospect

    Source: South Australia Police

    Police are investigating a suspicious building fire in Prospect in the early hours of this morning.

    About 12.30am on Thursday 27 February, emergency services were called to Prospect Road at Prospect after reports of a fire inside a business premises.

    Fire crews were quickly on scene and extinguished the blaze however there was significant damage caused to the shop.

    Prospect Road was closed to traffic for a period of time whilst emergency services were at the scene.

    Fire Techs attended to determine the cause of the fire, which is believed to have been deliberately lit.

    Western District Detectives are investigating the incident and ask anyone who saw any suspicious activity in the area or has information that may assist to contact Crime Stoppers. You can anonymously provide information to Crime Stoppers online at https://crimestopperssa.com.au or free call 1800 333 000.

    MIL OSI News

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: UN chief calls for peace and justice as Ramadan begins

    Source: United Nations MIL OSI

    UN Affairs

    As Muslims around the world prepare to mark the beginning of the Holy Month of Ramadan, UN Secretary-General António Guterres issued a call on Thursday for compassion, empathy and generosity, urging people everywhere to embrace their common humanity and work towards a more just and peaceful world.

    In this Holy Month, let us all be uplifted by these values and embrace our common humanity to build a more just and peaceful world for all,” he said in a message.

    He also extended a special message of support to those experiencing hardship, displacement and violence.

    I stand with all those who are suffering. From Gaza and the wider region, to Sudan, the Sahel and beyond,” he said, joining those observing Ramadan in calling for peace and mutual respect.

    The first day of fasting for the Holy Month in Mecca, Saudi Arabia, will be Saturday, March 1, or Sunday, March 2, depending on the sighting of the new moon, according to media reports.

    Other countries, especially in the western hemisphere, could see the Ramadan moon before Mecca due to alignments in the night sky.

    Ramadan is determined by the Islamic lunar calendar, which begins with the sighting of the crescent moon.

    Secretary-General Guterres’ video message for the begining of Ramadan.

    Solidarity visit to Bangladesh

    As part of his annual Ramadan solidarity visit, Mr. Guterres will travel to Bangladesh from 13 to 16 March, where he will meet Rohingya refugees in Cox’s Bazar, one of the world’s largest refugee settlements, his Spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric announced at the regular news briefing at the UN Headquarters.

    Mr. Guterres will also take part in an Iftar meal with refugees and members of the Bangladeshi host community, recognising the generosity of Bangladesh in sheltering nearly one million Rohingya who fled persecution and violence in Myanmar.

    During his visit, he will also visit the capital, Dhaka, where he will meet Chief Adviser in the interim government, Professor Muhammed Yunus, as well as young representatives from civil society.

    An annual tradition

    The Secretary-General has made solidarity visits an annual tradition, beginning during his decade-long tenure as UN High Commissioner for Refugees, when he regularly observed Ramadan alongside displaced and marginalized communities.

    “Every Ramadan, I undertake a solidarity visit and fast with a Muslim community around the globe. These missions remind the world of the true face of Islam,” Mr. Guterres said in his message.

    Ramadan embodies the values of compassion, empathy and generosity. It is an opportunity to reconnect with family and community…And I always come away even more inspired by the remarkable sense of peace that fills this season,” he added.

    MIL OSI United Nations News

  • MIL-Evening Report: Shuttered car factories in Australia could be repurposed to make houses faster and cheaper

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Ehsan Noroozinejad, Senior Researcher, Urban Transformations Research Centre, Western Sydney University

    studiovin/Shutterstock

    Australia is in the grip of a severe housing shortage. Many people are finding it extremely difficult to find a place to live in the face of rising rents and property price surges. Homelessness is rising sharply. Tent cities are becoming more common.

    The federal government has pledged to encourage the building of about 1.2 million new dwellings over the five years from mid-2024. The problem is, conventional building techniques are unlikely to be able to respond to the scale of demand quickly. Conventional building is expensive and slow. Faster, cheaper construction methods are needed.

    There might be a way to accelerate the build. In recent years, car manufacturers Ford, General Motors and Toyota have shuttered their Australian factories, due to intense global competition.

    Before these factories fell silent, they were home to trained workers, advanced machinery and efficient production systems. In Australia, companies such as Hickory Group are working to turn car factories into house factories. In Japan, Toyota has been making modular housing for decades, by adapting car production line techniques.

    Scaling this approach up in Australia could simultaneously address industrial decline and housing demand.

    Can mothballed car factories really make houses?

    After years of decline, Australia’s car manufacturing industry came to an end in 2017, when Toyota and General Motors’ factories stopped mass production. Ford’s local factories closed a year earlier. It was the end of 70 years of mass production, though companies such as Premcar are still making local versions of overseas cars.

    Thousands of factory workers lost their jobs. But the effect rippled outward, as about 40,000 workers in the supply chain lost their jobs.

    These automobile factories left behind more than just empty structures.

    Most of them have not been demolished. Some still have advanced manufacturing lines. Their former workers with automation and precise engineering training might be working in different fields, such as caravan manufacturing.

    Building a house in a factory has similarities to car manufacturing. Both use modular production, in which individual parts are manufactured and then assembled into a final product.

    That’s not to say this would be easy – there would be regulatory hurdles to overcome and the factories would need an overhaul.

    One tough part is figuring out how to use modern car-building tools (such as robotics) to make components of houses. While building cars and houses share some ideas, they’re not the same.

    Bringing these factories back into production would boost the economies of states such as Victoria.

    States such as South Australia have already started down this path, turning Mitsubishi’s defunct Tonsley Park factory into an innovation precinct hosting modular construction companies such as Fusco Constructions, which will begin operations next year.

    Meanwhile, much work has been done in Australia and overseas to find ways to mass-produce housing using factories.

    Imagine thousands of individual car parts were delivered to your front yard, where workers painstakingly put the car together. This seems crazy. But it’s essentially what we do with houses, especially freestanding ones. Advocates for modern methods of construction have pointed out the inefficiencies of transporting building materials to a site and assembling them there.

    Some large-scale builders are already working to automate more of the home-building process. Besides making houses more cheaply, the benefits include centralising production around a factory, protection from weather delays, and the ability to use industrial robots.

    Car assembly lines guarantee each component is manufactured to exacting specifications. Automobile manufacturing has been transformed by new technologies, including digital twin simulations, robotics and 3D printing. But the building industry has been slower to take these up. If we can bring these technologies to bear on how we make homes, we can accelerate construction, reduce errors and cut prices.

    In fact, we are seeing some car manufacturers moving into home building. Mercedes-Benz, Bugatti, Bentley, Aston Martin and Porsche are all putting their names on high-end homes in some way, while Honda has explored manufacturing smart, low-energy homes.

    Change is coming – but slowly

    Advanced building techniques are not new to Australia. Prefab buildings are already being built on factory lines by companies such as Fleetwood, ATCO Structures and Logistics and Modscape.

    Here, building components are produced in a controlled factory setting before being delivered to the construction site for prompt assembly. Dozens of companies are working in this space. To date, however, most of these buildings will be used as schools, police stations or temporary housing for mining workers.

    Last year, the federal government set up a A$900 million fund as an incentive for state and territory governments to accelerate building approvals and take up prefab techniques. To date, the sector is struggling to scale up due to a lack of infrastructure and too few manufacturers.

    Other countries are further along the path. In Sweden, up to 84% of detached homes are made with prefabricated components, compared with about 15% in Japan and 5% in the United States, United Kingdom and Australia.

    One option is to adopt yet more advanced techniques, such as lean manufacturing and automated assembly. Both of these are well established in car-making, and could be used to increase the speed and accuracy of prefab home construction.

    What would it take to make this happen?

    Australia’s housing crisis has been years in the making. To solve it, we may need bold solutions.

    Converting old car factories into affordable home factories could help accelerate our response to the challenge – and reinvigorate industrial precincts.

    It would take work and funding to make this happen. But there are commonalities. Making prefab homes depends on precise, modular production methods that work best when automated. Transitions like these can happen.

    Dr. Ehsan Noroozinejad has received funding from both national and international organisations to support research addressing housing and climate crises. His most recent funding comes from the James Martin Institute for Public Policy. He has received funding from the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada

    ref. Shuttered car factories in Australia could be repurposed to make houses faster and cheaper – https://theconversation.com/shuttered-car-factories-in-australia-could-be-repurposed-to-make-houses-faster-and-cheaper-249709

    MIL OSI AnalysisEveningReport.nz

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Te Putanga | Leadership in Practice upcoming cohort dates confirmed

    Source: Leadership Development Centre

    Dates have been confirmed for cohort 83 and 84 starting in September 2025 and January 2026!

    Te Putanga | Leadership in Practice in our flagship 9 month development programme for experienced Public Service leaders who are ready to transform their leadership impact and grow strategic influence across the Public Service. It is an immersive, whole self development experience that challenges you to deepen your self-awareness, mindsets and skills to unlock your leadership effectiveness and impact.

    We draw on leadership practices from te ao Māori, the Pacific and the world to support you to reflect on who you are as a leader and what is emerging from within you. 

    View more information including programme overview and dates. 

    MIL OSI New Zealand News

  • MIL-OSI USA: NASA Selects Participating Scientists to Join Lucy Asteroid Mission

    Source: NASA

    NASA has selected eight participating scientists to join its Lucy mission to the Jupiter Trojan asteroids. These asteroids are remnants of our early solar system trapped on stable orbits associated with – but not close to – the planet Jupiter. 

    NASA’s Lucy in the L4 Trojans Participating Scientist Program supports scientists to carry out new investigations that address outstanding questions related to the Jupiter Trojan asteroids as part of the Lucy mission. Launched in 2021, the Lucy spacecraft is currently on its way to the L4 Trojan swarm, which leads Jupiter in its orbit around the Sun. This is the first selection of Lucy participating scientists, who will become mission science team members for the four major asteroid encounters that the Lucy spacecraft will have in the L4 swarm in 2027 and 2028, and who will remain on the team for subsequent scientific analysis until 2030. The newly selected participating scientists are:

    Harrison Agrusa, Observatoire de la Côte d’Azur in Nice, France
    Benjamin Byron, University of Central Florida in Orlando
    Emily Costello, University of Hawaii, Honolulu
    Masatoshi Hirabayashi, Georgia Tech Research Corporation [TSS1] in Atlanta
    Fiona Nichols-Fleming, Smithsonian Institution in Washington
    Norbert Schorghofer, Planetary Science Institute in Tucson, Arizona
    Jennifer Scully, NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California
    Anne Verbiscer, University of Virginia, Charlottesville

    Lucy’s principal investigator, Hal Levison, is based out of the Boulder, Colorado, branch of Southwest Research Institute, headquartered in San Antonio. NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland, provides overall mission management, systems engineering, and safety and mission assurance. Lockheed Martin Space in Littleton, Colorado, built and operates the spacecraft. Lucy is the 13th mission in NASA’s Discovery Program. NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama, manages the Discovery Program for the Science Mission Directorate at NASA Headquarters in Washington. For more information on NASA’s Lucy mission, visit: https://www.nasa.gov/lucy

    MIL OSI USA News

  • MIL-OSI USA: Commodity Classic Hyperwall Schedule

    Source: NASA

    NASA Science at AMS Hyperwall Schedule, January 13-16, 2025
    Join NASA in the Exhibit Hall (Booth #401) for Hyperwall Storytelling by NASA experts. Full Hyperwall Agenda below.

    MONDAY, JANUARY 13

    6:10 – 6:25 PM
    The Golden Age of Ocean Science: How NASA’s Newest Missions Advance the Study of Oceans in our Earth System
    Dr. Karen St. Germain

    6:25 – 6:40 PM
    Integration of Vantage Points and Approaches for Earth System Science
    Dr. Jack Kaye

    6:45 – 7:00 PM
    Helio Big Year Wind-Down and a Look Ahead
    Dr. Joseph Westlake

    7:00 – 7:15 PM
    Chasing Snowstorms with Airplanes: An Overview of the IMPACTS Field Campaign
    John YorksLynn McMurdie

    7:15 – 7:30 PM
    NASA Earth Action Empowering Health and Air Quality Communities
    Dr. John Haynes

    TUESDAY, JANUARY 14

    10:00 – 10:15 AM
    Earthdata Applications
    Hannah Townley

    10:15 – 10:30 AM
    Climate Adaptation Science Investigators (CASI): Enhancing Climate Resilience at NASA
    Cynthia Rosenzweig

    10:30 – 10:45 AM
    From Orbit to Earth: Exploring the LEO Science Digest
    Jeremy Goldstein

    12:00 – 12:15 PM
    Visualizaiton of the May 10-11 ‘Gannon’ Geospace Storm
    Michael Wiltberger

    12:15 – 12:30 PM
    Explore Space Weather Through the Community Coordinated Modeling Center and OpenSpace
    Elana Resnick

    12:30 – 12:45 PM
    Satellite Needs Working Group (SNWG): US Government Agencies’ Source of NASA ESD-wide Earth Observations solutions
    Natasha Sadoff

    12:45 – 1:00 PM
    Connecting Satellite Data to the One Health Approach
    Helena Chapman

    1:00 – 1:15 PM
    A Bird’s-Eye View of Pollution in Asian Megacities
    Laura Judd

    1:15 – 1:30 PM
    Space Weather at Mars
    Gina DiBraccioJamie Favors

    3:00 – 3:15 PM
    Open Science: Creating a Culture of Innovation and Collaboration
    Lauren Perkins

    3:15 – 3:30 PM
    NASA’s Early Career Reseach Program Paving the Way
    Cynthia HallYaítza Luna-Cruz

    3:30 – 3:45 PM
    SciX: Accelerating Discovery of NASA’s Science through Open Science and Domain Integration
    Anna Kelbert

    6:15 – 6:30 PM
    Using NASA IMERG to Detect Extreme Rainfall Within Data Deserts
    Owen KelleyGeorge Huffman

    6:30 – 6:45 PM
    Satellite Remote Sensing of Aerosols Around the World
    Rob Levy

    6:45 – 7:00 PM
    The Sun, Space Weather, and You
    Jim SpannErin Lynch

    7:00 – 7:15 PM
    Eyes on the Stars: The Building of a 21st-century Solar Observatory
    Ame FoxDr. Elsayed Talaat

    7:15 – 7:30 PM
    NASA ESTO: Launchpad for Novel Earth Science Technologies
    Michael Seablom

    WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 15

    10:00 – 10:15 AM
    Parker Solar Probe Outreach and the Power of Indigenous Thought Leaders
    Troy Cline

    10:15 – 10:30 AM
    Forecasting Extreme Weather Events at Local Scales with NASA High-Resolution Models
    Gary Partyka

    10:30 – 10:45 AM
    North American Land Data Assimilation System: Informing Water and Agricultural Management Applications with NASA Modeling and Remote Sensing
    Sujay Kumar

    12:00 – 12:15 PM
    Life After Launch: A Snapshot of the First 9 Months of NASA’s PACE Mission
    Carina Poulin

    12:15 – 12:30 PM
    Space Weather and the May 2024 Geomagnetic Storm
    Antti Pulkkinen

    12:30 – 12:45 PM
    Geospace Dynamics Constellation: The Space Weather Rosetta Stone
    Dr. Katherine Garcia Gage

    12:45 – 1:00 PM
    Monitoring Sea Level Change using ICESat-2 and other NASA EO Missions
    Aimee Neeley

    1:00 – 1:15 PM
    Space Weather Center of Excellence CLEAR: All-CLEAR SEP Forecast
    Lulu Zhao

    1:15 – 1:30 PM
    Harnessing the Power of NASA Earth Observations for a Resilient Water Future
    Stephanie Granger

    3:00 – 3:15 PM
    From EARTHDATA to Action: Enabling Earth Science Data to Serve Society
    Jim O’SullivanYaitza Luna-Cruz

    3:15 – 3:30 PM
    GMAO and GEOS Related Talk TBD
    Christine Bloecker

    3:30 – 3:45 PM
    Live Heliophysics Kahoot! Quiz Bowl
    Jimmy Acevedo

    3:45 – 4:00 PM
    Parker Solar Probe
    Nour Rawaf

    THURSDAY, JANUARY 16

    10:00 – 10:15 AM
    Sounds of Space: Sonification with CDAWeb
    Alex Young

    10:30 – 10:45 AM
    Developing the Future of Microwave Sounding Data: Benefits and Opportunities
    Ed Kim

    MIL OSI USA News

  • MIL-OSI Global: What are the chances an asteroid will impact Earth in 2032?

    Source: The Conversation – Canada – By Gordon Osinski, Professor in Earth and Planetary Science, Western University

    An artist’s rendition of one of the many thousands of near-Earth objects that could potentially impact Earth in the future. (European Space Agency/P.Carril)

    For a few days in mid-February, headlines around the world buzzed about the potential for an asteroid to hit the Earth in 2032 — specifically, asteroid 2024 YR4. The chance of this impact rose to a high of 3.1 per cent on Feb. 18.

    The number has since dropped to near zero, but this news was a real-life Don’t Look Up moment, and a stark reminder of the threat that asteroid impacts pose to life on Earth.

    As a planetary geologist, my research focuses on meteorite impact craters, the scars of large asteroid and cometary impacts in Earth’s past.

    Impact Earth

    There are countless numbers of asteroids and an unknown number of comets throughout our solar system. Most of these objects date back to the very beginnings of our solar system, around 4.5 billion years ago.

    Research has identified approximately 200 locations where these asteroids or comets have struck the Earth in the past to form meteorite impact craters. It’s very rare that planetary geologists can tell whether it was an asteroid or comet that hit.

    One of the most famous of these 200 or so impact craters is the 200 km diameter Chicxulub impact crater in the Yucatan Peninsula, Mexico. This impact wiped out 65 per cent of all species on Earth, including the dinosaurs, 66 million years ago.

    One of the most recent and best-preserved craters on Earth is the 1.2 km in diameter Meteor Crater in Arizona, which formed 50,000 years ago.

    The Meteor Crater in Arizone is one of the most recent and best-preserved craters on Earth.
    (G.Osinski), CC BY

    Millions of craters

    Two hundred craters over 4.5 billion years hardly seems like a big number or cause for concern however, this number is a tiny fraction of the actual record. Most impact craters formed on Earth have been erased due to plate tectonics, volcanic eruptions, and erosion by water, wind and ice.

    To truly appreciate how common impact craters are, we need to look to Earth’s closest neighbour, the moon. Because of its proximity, objects that can hit the moon can also hit the Earth. In fact, because the Earth is bigger, which means our gravitational attraction is higher, more asteroids and comets would have hit the Earth over the past 4.5 billion years than the moon.

    The best estimate is 1.3 million craters over one kilometre in diameter on the moon, with another 700,000 or so smaller ones.

    The dots represent a snapshot of the population of near-earth asteroids that scientists think are likely to exist. The simulated near-Earth asteroids are blue, and Earth’s orbit is green.
    (NASA/JPL-Caltech)

    Updated calculations

    Asteroid 2024 YR4 was discovered on Dec. 27, 2024 by the Chilean station of the Asteroid Terrestrial-impact Last Alert System (ATLAS). It was immediately recognized to be a near-Earth object (NEO). Additional telescope observations enabled astronomers to better calculate its orbit.

    In January, the probability of this asteroid hitting Earth surpassed one per cent, which triggered a series of international responses. The International Asteroid Warning Network coordinates telescopes around the world to make further observations and narrow down uncertainties in its orbit.

    An image of asteroid 2024 YR4 captured by one of the ATLAS telesopes.
    (SOURCE)

    On Feb. 18, NASA and the European Space Agency announced that the probability of asteroid 2024 YR4 hitting Earth in 2023 was 3.1 per cent, the highest ever recorded for an object of this size. This represents one in 32 odds. For comparison, the chance of dying in a motor vehicle crash in the United States is one per cent, or one in 95; the chances of the asteroid hitting Earth were pretty significant.

    Thankfully, the most recent estimates of the probability of impact have gone down to near zero, based on improved calculations of its orbit.

    We’re off the hook… for now.

    Potential impact

    Bruce Betts, chief planetary scientist at the Planetary Society, was quoted as saying: “If you put it over Paris or London or New York, you basically wipe out the whole city and some of the environs,” leading to asteroid 2024 YR4 being dubbed “a city-killer.”

    The average impact velocity for an asteroid on Earth is a whopping 17 km per second — this is 25 times faster than an F-35 Lightning strike fighter.

    To calculate the mass of an asteroid, we need to know its size. Estimates for 2024 YR4 range from 40 to 90 metres. If we take the upper estimate of 90 m, we can calculate the energy released at approximately nine megatons, the equivalent of the explosive energy of nine million tons of TNT. For comparison, the atomic bomb dropped on Hiroshima in Japan in 1945 was only 0.015 megatons.

    The crater formed by this 90 m asteroid would be approximately 2.7 km in diameter. This is just over twice the diameter of the Meteor Crater.

    The destruction doesn’t stop there, however. Research on nuclear weapons suggests that each megaton can destroy roughly 50 square kilometres, so this impact could destroy up to 450 square km around the crater through a fireball, supersonic ejecta and seismic shaking.

    Would this be a city killer as some reports suggested? Absolutely. With an urban area of 232 square kilometres, my hometown of London, Ont., with a population of around 420,000 would be totally destroyed.




    Read more:
    Asteroid has a very small chance of hitting Earth in 2032, but a collision could devastate a city


    Actual risks

    The good news is that we estimate that the impact of a 90 m diameter asteroid will occur once in every 10,000 years. For a 40 m size asteroid, this drops to once every 1,000 years — but the destructive effects are drastically reduced. It’s worth pointing out that these numbers are very approximate, and they don’t really help us figure out when the next one might happen.

    As the story around asteroid 2024 YR4 shows, there is more good news in that we are getting better at detecting asteroids. Thanks to the coordination of the United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs, many space agencies around the world are collaborating, with the knowledge that this is a problem for our entire planet.

    If the calculations had continued to show that the chance of asteroid 2024 YR4 hitting Earth in 2032 was high, with enough time, an attempt to deflect the asteroid could have been attempted. In September 2022, NASA’s DART spacecraft provided the first demonstration that deflecting an asteroid from its path is possible, something that had been imagined in Hollywood movies, but not proven to be possible until then.

    Gordon Osinski receives funding from the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada and the Canadian Space Agency.

    ref. What are the chances an asteroid will impact Earth in 2032? – https://theconversation.com/what-are-the-chances-an-asteroid-will-impact-earth-in-2032-250463

    MIL OSI – Global Reports

  • MIL-OSI Security: Defense News: Military Sealift Command Continues Support to Operation Deep Freeze 2025

    Source: United States Navy

    The Military Sealift Command chartered ship MV Ocean Gladiator is conducting a cargo offload of supplies at McMurdo Station, Antarctica in support of the annual resupply mission Operation Deep Freeze (ODF) 2025.

    The second of two MSC chartered ships supporting ODF 2025, Ocean Gladiator arrived at McMurdo Station on Feb. 20, where they were met by members of Navy Cargo Handling Battalion ONE and began conducting the offload. The ship is delivering 321 pieces of cargo, consisting of containers filled with mechanical parts, vehicles, construction materials including cement pilings for a pier project, food, electronics equipment and comfort items; supplies needed to sustain the next year of operations at McMurdo Station, Antarctica.

    Following the offload, Ocean Gladiator will be loaded with 149 containers of retrograde cargo for transportation off the continent. This includes trash and recyclable materials for disposal and equipment no longer required on the station, as well as the 65-ton floating Modular Causeway System, which has been used in lieu of the ice-pier for cargo operations. Before departing McMurdo station, Ocean Gladiator will be loaded with ice core samples that will be stored on the ship in a sub-zero freezer. The ice core samples will be delivered to the United States for scientific study.
    Logistics moves are nothing new for MSC, in fact, they are almost a daily occurrence. Moving cargo in the harshest environment on Earth is a mission unto itself, as Marie Morrow, MSC’s ship liaison to the Joint Support Forces Antarctica staff can attest. On her third ODF mission, she has become something of an expert on how to move cargo while moored next to an ice-pier or a movable causeway, in sub zero temperatures and with high winds that whip over a snow-covered mountain and across an island.

    Working in Antarctica wasn’t something Morrow had even considered when she came to work at MSC’s Pacific area command, MSCPAC. In fact, a job in San Diego seemed like the perfect place to be, for someone who doesn’t like the cold.

    “I thought, San Diego, Southern California, that is exactly what I’m looking for,” said Morrow. “Then I got assigned to go to Antarctica. It wasn’t something I was looking for, or had even thought about to be honest, but, I really enjoy this mission. It is an experience that I share with only a very few people.”

    Few world travelers ever get the coveted passport stamp for all seven continents. Access to Antarctica is strictly controlled. As Morrow explained, the journey to the southern most part of the planet isn’t an easy, or short commute. Morrow’s journey began in San Diego, with a flight to San Francisco, followed by an 14-hour flight to New Zealand, and then an 8-hour flight on a military C-130, sitting in a mesh cargo seat.

    On the ice, Morrow serves as part of a team consisting of representatives of numerous government agencies including the National Science Foundation, Coast Guard, Navy, Army, Coast Guard. All working together to ensure a successful mission.

    “Nothing can happen without all of us working together,” said Morrow. “It is super cooperative and interoperative.”

    Everyone who is part of the ODF mission live in barracks at McMurdo Station, or on the ships. Life is communal with shared rooms and a dining hall. Those supporting the mission get to know each other personally and, like a combat unit, create their own support structure for each other.

    “Being at McMurdo Station is like being at summer camp for adults,” laughed Morrow. “It’s a very tight-knit group of people, working and living in a challenging environment. We get very close.”

    Weather is a constant factor in Antarctica. The continent is known for its extreme environment, particularly subzero temperatures and high winds. February is summertime in the Southern Hemisphere. In this small window of just a few weeks, ODF takes place. And while it is summer, temperatures on the ice still hover around freezing during the day and below zero at night. Cargo operations can move forward, despite the temperatures, but high winds can put a pause on work for hours, with the ships’ cranes unable to move cargo in winds over 25 knots.

    “The weather is everything,” explained Morrow. “The Southern Ocean is the most unforgiving and treacherous water way on Earth. The weather can keep flights and ships from coming into port. The weather can put the offload on pause. This can mean that some of the cargo may not be offloaded. It is the National Science Foundation who has to make the decisions on how to stay inside the mission window.”

    With all the challenges and unpredictabilities of the ODF missions, those who support these operations come away with a feeling of being a part of something special and important, something outside the normal course of their job description.

    “I never thought I would get to go on a mission to Antarctica,” said Morrow. “But I love going to McMurdo Station, and I’m proud to be a part of it and to represent MSC.”

    Following operations in Antarctica, Ocean Gladiator will travel to Japan to deliver the floating modular causeway, before sailing for Port Hueneme, Calif., where they will offload cargo, completing their mission.

    Operation Deep Freeze is a joint service, on-going Defense Support to Civilian Authorities mission in support of the National Science Foundation (NSF). NSF is the lead agency for the United States Antarctic Program. Mission support consists of active duty, Guard and Reserve personnel from the U.S. Air Force, Navy, Army, and Coast Guard as well as Department of Defense civilians and attached non-DOD civilians. ODF operates from two primary locations situated at Christchurch, New Zealand and McMurdo Station, Antarctica. MSC-chartered ships have made the challenging voyage to Antarctica every year since the station and its resupply mission were established in 1955.

    MIL Security OSI

  • MIL-OSI Europe: Written question – Protein self-sufficiency – E-000708/2025

    Source: European Parliament

    Question for written answer  E-000708/2025
    to the Commission
    Rule 144
    Nadine Morano (PPE)

    The European Union is becoming less and less self-sufficient when it comes to protein, especially in terms of meeting its needs for animal husbandry.

    Less than 25 % of oilseed cakes and less than 5 % of soya cakes consumed in Europe are produced in Europe, making our producers dependent on third-country protein markets, in particular those in the Americas and Asia.

    Yet being self-sufficient in protein is key to being self-sufficient in food, which must remain one of the EU’s priority objectives.

    In this context, what action will the Commission take to strengthen the EU’s protein self-sufficiency?

    Submitted: 17.2.2025

    Last updated: 27 February 2025

    MIL OSI Europe News

  • MIL-OSI Europe: Portugal: EIB finances Galp’s Renewable Hydrogen and Biofuels projects in Sines with €430 million

    Source: European Investment Bank

    EIB

    • The two projects, already in construction at the Sines Refinery, represent a total investment of €650 million.
    • The Biofuels unit, financed with €250 million, will produce low-carbon fuels essential for the decarbonization of transport.
    • The Green Hydrogen production unit, financed with €180 million, will be one of the largest in Europe.

    The European Investment Bank (EIB) has granted a €430 million loan for the construction of two key projects aimed at transforming Galp’s Sines Refinery, making a crucial contribution for the decarbonization of heavy-duty road transport and aviation.

    Galp is developing the Biofuels unit, already at a construction stage, in partnership with Japan’s Mitsui, as part of a total €400 million investment, of which €250 million is provided by the EIB. This unit will convert vegetable oils and residual fats into sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) and renewable diesel of biological origin (HVO) with identical characteristics to the fossil-based fuels used in regular combustion engines.

    This unit, set to begin production in 2026, will have the capacity to produce up to 270,000 tons of renewable fuels, enough for Portugal to comply with the European Union mandate for this type of fuels in aviation. SAF is essential for air transportation – responsible for about 3% of global greenhouse gas emissions – to begin its decarbonization journey.

    In parallel, Galp is building in the same site a 100MW electrolyser, a €250 million investment of which the EIB will finance €180 million. It is set to produce up to 15,000 tons of green hydrogen per year when it goes online next year, becoming one of the first operational units of its size in Europe.

    “These pioneering projects are a clear example of how we can combine financing, innovation, and our environmental commitment to promote a fair and sustainable energy transition,” said Jean-Christophe Laloux, Director General, Head of EU Lending and Advisory at the EIB. “By supporting the production of advanced biofuels and green hydrogen, we are contributing to a more energy-independent Europe that aligns with global climate goals.”

    “We have mobilized partners, private investment, and European financing to drive a transformative project that brings European and national energy and industrial policies to life,” said Ronald Doesburg, Galp’s Executive Board Member responsible for the Industrial area. “More is needed from energy companies, public funding and government support if we want to maintain Portugal’s relevance in an increasingly unstable world,” he concluded.

    The two projects support the goal of climate neutrality by 2050, in line with the European Green Deal, and strengthen the EU’s energy independence as outlined in the REPowerEU plan. The projects benefit from €22,5 in Recovery and Resilience Plan incentives.

    Background information   

    About the EIB  

    The European Investment Bank (ElB) is the long-term lending institution of the European Union, owned by its Member States. Built around eight core priorities, we finance investments that contribute to EU policy objectives by bolstering climate action and the environment, digitalisation and technological innovation, security and defence, cohesion, agriculture and bioeconomy, social infrastructure, the capital markets union, and a stronger Europe in a more peaceful and prosperous world. 

    The EIB Group, which also includes the European Investment Fund (EIF), signed nearly €89 billion in new financing for over 900 high-impact projects in 2024, boosting Europe’s competitiveness and security.   

    All projects financed by the EIB Group are in line with the Paris Climate Agreement, as pledged in our Climate Bank Roadmap. Almost 60% of the EIB Group’s annual financing supports projects directly contributing to climate change mitigation, adaptation, and a healthier environment.   

    Fostering market integration and mobilising investment, the Group supported a record of over €100 billion in new investment for Europe’s energy security in 2024 and mobilised €110 billion in growth capital for startups, scale-ups and European pioneers. Approximately half of the EIB’s financing within the European Union is directed towards cohesion regions, where per capita income is lower than the EU average. 

    High-quality, up-to-date photos of our headquarters for media use are available here.

    About Galp

    Galp is an energy company committed to developing efficient and sustainable solutions in its operations and the integrated offerings it provides to its customers. We create simple, flexible, and competitive solutions for energy or mobility needs, catering to large industries, small and medium-sized enterprises, as well as individual consumers.

    Our portfolio includes various forms of energy – from electricity generated from renewable sources to natural gas and liquid fuels, including low-carbon options. As a producer, we engage in the extraction of oil and natural gas from reservoirs located kilometers below the ocean surface, and we are also one of the leading solar-based electricity producers in the Iberian region.

    We contribute to the economic development of the 10 countries where we operate and to the social progress of the communities that welcome us. Galp employs more than 7,000 people from 52 nationalities.

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