Category: Canada

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: UK to extend electronic travel to European visitors

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    News story

    UK to extend electronic travel to European visitors

    Europeans can now apply for an Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) to travel to the UK and will need one from 2 April 2025.

    Photo: Getty Images

    The UK government is taking the last major step in the rollout of Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) for the millions of visitors who pass through the UK border every year. From today, eligible Europeans can apply for an ETA and will need one to travel to the UK from Wednesday 2 April 2025.

    This expansion follows the successful rollout of ETAs to all eligible non-European nationals last year, which includes visitors from the USA, Canada and Australia who now need an ETA to travel. Almost 1.1 million visitors have been issued with ETAs and will benefit from smoother, easier travel to the UK for short trips in the future.

    ETAs will strengthen the immigration system’s security and keep our country safe by screening people before they set foot in the UK.

    Minister for Migration and Citizenship, Seema Malhotra, said:

    Securing our borders is a foundation of the UK government’s Plan for Change and by digitising the immigration system we are paving the way for a contactless UK border, ensuring visitors enjoy a seamless travel experience in the future.

    Expanding ETA worldwide cements our commitment to enhance security through technology and innovation.

    Applying for an ETA is quick and simple through the UK ETA app and, with the vast majority of applicants currently receiving a decision automatically in minutes, spontaneous trips to the UK should still be possible. Prospective visitors can also apply on GOV.UK if they do not have access to a smartphone.

    Applicants provide their biographic and biometric details and answer questions on suitability and criminality. Once an applicant has successfully applied, their ETA is digitally linked to their passport.

    While most applications are approved quickly, it is still recommended to allow up to 3 working days to account for the small number of cases that require additional review.

    An ETA currently costs £10 and allows multiple visits to the UK of up to 6 months over a 2-year period, or until the holder’s passport expires – whichever is sooner. An ETA is not a visa, it is a digital permission to travel.

    The UK government continues to work closely with the travel industry, including major airline, maritime and rail carriers, to ensure the smooth implementation of our new digital requirements.

    Updates to this page

    Published 5 March 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom

  • MIL-OSI Economics: Apple introduces the new MacBook Air with the M4 chip and a sky blue color

    Source: Apple

    Headline: Apple introduces the new MacBook Air with the M4 chip and a sky blue color

    March 5, 2025

    PRESS RELEASE

    Apple introduces the new MacBook Air with the soaring performance of the M4 chip, a gorgeous new sky blue color, and a lower starting price of $999

    The world’s most popular laptop delivers more value than ever with greater performance, up to 18 hours of battery life, a 12MP Center Stage camera, and enhanced external display support — all in its strikingly thin and light design

    CUPERTINO, CALIFORNIA Apple today announced the new MacBook Air, featuring the blazing-fast performance of the M4 chip, up to 18 hours of battery life,1 a new 12MP Center Stage camera, and a lower starting price. It also offers support for up to two external displays in addition to the built-in display, 16GB of starting unified memory, and the incredible capabilities of macOS Sequoia with Apple Intelligence — all packed into its strikingly thin and light design that’s built to last. The new MacBook Air now comes in an all-new color — sky blue, a metallic light blue that joins midnight, starlight, and silver — giving MacBook Air its most beautiful array of colors ever. It also now starts at just $999 — $100 less than before — and $899 for education, making it an incredible value for students, business professionals, or anyone looking for a phenomenal combination of world-class performance, portability, design, and durability. With two sizes to choose from, the new 13- and 15-inch MacBook Air are available to pre-order today, with availability beginning Wednesday, March 12.

    “MacBook Air is by far the world’s most popular laptop, and today we’re giving everyone even more reasons to love it, including a big boost in performance with the M4 chip, a new Center Stage camera, and a beautiful new sky blue color,” said Greg Joswiak, Apple’s senior vice president of Worldwide Marketing. “Combined with its thin and light, fanless design, all-day battery life, and the incredible capabilities of macOS Sequoia with Apple Intelligence, MacBook Air is unlike any other laptop. And with a new lower starting price of $999, MacBook Air delivers more value to consumers than ever before, making this the perfect moment to upgrade or experience the Mac for the first time.”

    A Fresh New Hue: Hello, Sky Blue  

    Adding a new choice to the lineup of MacBook Air colors is the all-new sky blue. A beautiful, metallic light blue that creates a dynamic gradient when light reflects off of its surface, sky blue joins midnight, starlight, and silver to complete the brilliant array of color choices for MacBook Air. All color options, including sky blue, come with a color-matched MagSafe charge cable.

    M4: Performance to the Next Level 

    With M4 in MacBook Air, everything from daily activities like multitasking between apps to more demanding tasks like photo and video editing is faster and more fluid. The M4 chip features a powerful 10-core CPU, an up to 10-core GPU, and support for up to 32GB of unified memory, making the new MacBook Air up to 2x faster than the M1 model.1 When compared to the fastest Intel-based MacBook Air, the M4 model delivers up to 23x faster performance.1 With battery life on the new MacBook Air up to 18 hours, Intel-based upgraders will get up to six additional hours, so they can get more done on a single charge.1 The powerful Neural Engine in the M4 chip, which accelerates AI-based tasks, is also up to 3x faster than on MacBook Air with M1, significantly increasing speed in tasks like automatically enhancing photos and removing background noise from a video.

    MacBook Air with M4 delivers a new level of performance:

    • Spreadsheet calculation performance in Microsoft Excel is up to 4.7x faster than the fastest Intel-based MacBook Air, and up to 1.6x faster than the 13-inch MacBook Air with M1.1
    • Video editing in iMovie is up to 8x faster than the fastest Intel-based MacBook Air, and up to 2x faster than the 13-inch MacBook Air with M1.2
    • Photo editing in Adobe Photoshop is up to 3.6x faster than the fastest Intel-based MacBook Air, and up to 2x faster than the 13-inch MacBook Air with M1.1
    • Web browsing is up to 60 percent faster when compared to a PC laptop with an Intel Core Ultra 7 processor, and more demanding tasks get up to 2x faster performance.1

    Built for Apple Intelligence

    MacBook Air is built for Apple Intelligence, unlocking exciting new capabilities that make Mac even more helpful and powerful. Users can explore creative new ways to express themselves visually with Image Playground, create the perfect emoji with Genmoji, and make their writing even more dynamic with Writing Tools. With new Siri improvements, users can move fluidly between spoken and typed requests to accelerate tasks throughout their day, and Siri can answer thousands of questions about Mac features and settings, with step-by-step instructions for how to do something on Mac. With access to ChatGPT seamlessly integrated into Writing Tools and Siri, users can choose to access ChatGPT’s expertise so they can get things done faster and easier than ever before. Users can access ChatGPT for free without creating an account, and privacy protections are built in — their IP addresses are obscured and OpenAI won’t store requests. Users can choose whether to enable ChatGPT integration, and are in full control of when they use it and what information is shared with ChatGPT.

    Designed to protect users’ privacy at every step, Apple Intelligence uses on-device processing, meaning that many of the models that power it run entirely on device. For requests that require access to larger models, Private Cloud Compute extends the privacy and security of Mac into the cloud to unlock even more intelligence. When using Private Cloud Compute, users’ data is never stored or shared with Apple; it is used only to fulfill their request.

    Always Camera-Ready

    A new 12MP Center Stage camera with improved video quality keeps MacBook Air users looking their best, whether at home, school, or work. Center Stage automatically keeps users centered in the frame as they move around — great for connecting with friends and family over FaceTime or joining an important meeting. It also supports Desk View, which simultaneously displays the user and a top-down view of their desk, making video calls even more engaging for those who want to show off their latest DIY project or present a prototype at work.

    Enhanced Display Support 

    MacBook Air can easily power a multi-display setup to make viewing and interacting with content a breeze, for anyone from business professionals at the office multitasking across multiple windows, to students in a dorm room tackling a big project across several apps. For users who like to spread their work out, MacBook Air now supports up to two 6K external displays, in addition to its built-in Liquid Retina display.

    Everything Users Already Love

    More people choose MacBook Air over any other laptop. In addition to what’s new, MacBook Air with M4 includes all of the useful features and capabilities that have made it so popular, including:

    • Reliability and durability: The 13- and 15-inch MacBook Air feature a durable aluminum unibody enclosure that’s built to last, and are both less than half an inch thin, so users can work, play, or create from anywhere. The 13-inch model provides the ultimate in portability for users on the go, while the 15-inch model offers even more room to multitask.
    • Touch ID and Magic Keyboard: With the advanced security of Touch ID, users can easily and securely unlock their MacBook Air, make online purchases with Apple Pay, and download apps. The comfortable and quiet Magic Keyboard is backlit and comes with a full-height function row.
    • Gorgeous display: MacBook Air features a brilliant 13.6- or 15.3-inch Liquid Retina display with up to 500 nits of brightness, support for 1 billion colors, and up to 2x the resolution of comparable PC laptops. Content looks vivid with sharp detail, and text appears super crisp.
    • Versatile connectivity: MacBook Air with M4 features fast Wi-Fi 6E and Bluetooth 5.3. It also includes MagSafe charging and two Thunderbolt ports for connecting accessories like external storage and security keys, along with a 3.5mm headphone jack.
    • Mics and speakers: Users will sound their best with a three-mic array and enhanced voice clarity on audio and video calls. And with an immersive sound system that has support for Spatial Audio along with Dolby Atmos, users will enjoy a three-dimensional soundstage for music and movies.

    An Unrivaled Experience: macOS Sequoia

    macOS Sequoia completes the new MacBook Air experience with a host of exciting features, including iPhone Mirroring, allowing users to wirelessly interact with their iPhone, its apps, and notifications directly from their Mac.3 Safari, the world’s fastest browser,4 now surfaces relevant information on sites in Highlights; summarizes articles in the redesigned Reader; keeps videos front and center in a new Video Viewer; and lets users hide distracting items with Distraction Control. Gaming gets even more immersive with features like Personalized Spatial Audio and improvements to Game Mode, along with a breadth of exciting titles, including Civilization VII, Wuthering Waves, and more. Easier window tiling means users can stay organized with a window layout that works best for them. The all-new Passwords app gives convenient access to passwords, passkeys, and other credentials — all stored in one place. And users can apply new, beautiful built-in backgrounds for video calls, which include a variety of color gradients, or use their own photos.

    Next month, macOS Sequoia 15.4 will make it easier than ever to set up the new MacBook Air with iPhone. By simply bringing iPhone close to Mac, users can quickly and conveniently sign in to their Apple Account to get their files, photos, messages, passwords, and more on their new MacBook Air.5

    Better for the Environment

    MacBook Air is designed with the environment in mind. As part of Apple 2030, the company’s ambitious goal to be carbon neutral across its entire carbon footprint by the end of this decade, Apple is transitioning to renewable electricity for manufacturing, and investing in wind and solar projects around the world to address the electricity used to charge all Apple products, including MacBook Air. Today, all Apple facilities run on 100 percent renewable electricity — including the data centers that power Apple Intelligence.

    To achieve Apple 2030, the company is designing products with more recycled and renewable materials, which further drives down the carbon footprint. MacBook Air features over 55 percent recycled content overall, the most in any Apple product. This includes 100 percent recycled aluminum in the enclosure and 100 percent recycled rare earth elements in all magnets. The battery contains 100 percent recycled cobalt and — in a first for any Mac — over 95 percent recycled lithium. MacBook Air meets Apple’s high standards for energy efficiency, and is free of mercury, brominated flame retardants, and PVC. The packaging is entirely fiber-based, bringing Apple closer to its goal to remove plastic from all packaging by the end of 2025.6

    Pricing and Availability

    • Customers can pre-order the new MacBook Air with M4 starting today on apple.com/store and in the Apple Store app in 28 countries and regions, including the U.S. It will begin arriving to customers, and will be in Apple Store locations and Apple Authorized Resellers, starting Wednesday, March 12.
    • The 13-inch MacBook Air with M4 starts at $999 (U.S.) and $899 (U.S.) for education, and the 15‑inch MacBook Air with M4 starts at $1,199 (U.S.) and $1,099 (U.S.) for education. Both are available in sky blue, midnight, starlight, and silver.
    • Additional technical specifications, configure-to-order options, and accessories are available at apple.com/mac.
    • Apple Intelligence is available on all Mac models with M1 and later, in localized English for Australia, Canada, Ireland, New Zealand, South Africa, the UK, and the U.S. Additional languages — including French, German, Italian, Portuguese (Brazil), Spanish, Japanese, Korean, Chinese (simplified), English (Singapore), and English (India) — will be available in April, with more languages coming over the course of the year, including Vietnamese. Some features, applications, and services may not be available in all regions or all languages.
    • With Apple Trade In, customers can trade in their current computer and get credit toward a new Mac. Customers can visit apple.com/shop/trade-in to see what their device is worth.
    • AppleCare+ for Mac provides unparalleled service and support. This includes unlimited incidents of accidental damage, battery service coverage, and 24/7 support from the people who know Mac best.
    • Every customer who buys directly from Apple Retail gets access to Personal Setup. In these guided online sessions, a Specialist can walk them through setup, or focus on features that help them make the most of their new device. Customers can also learn more about getting started with their new device with a Today at Apple session at their nearest Apple Store.
    • Customers in the U.S. who shop at Apple using Apple Card can pay monthly at 0 percent APR when they choose to check out with Apple Card Monthly Installments, and they’ll get 3 percent Daily Cash back — all up front. More information — including details on eligibility, exclusions, and Apple Card terms — is available at apple.com/apple-card/monthly-installments.

    About Apple Apple revolutionized personal technology with the introduction of the Macintosh in 1984. Today, Apple leads the world in innovation with iPhone, iPad, Mac, AirPods, Apple Watch, and Apple Vision Pro. Apple’s six software platforms — iOS, iPadOS, macOS, watchOS, visionOS, and tvOS — provide seamless experiences across all Apple devices and empower people with breakthrough services including the App Store, Apple Music, Apple Pay, iCloud, and Apple TV+. Apple’s more than 150,000 employees are dedicated to making the best products on earth and to leaving the world better than we found it.

    1. Testing was conducted by Apple in January 2025. See apple.com/macbook-air for more information. Battery life varies by use and configuration. See apple.com/batteries for more information.
    2. Results are compared to previous-generation MacBook Air systems with Apple M1, 8-core CPU, 8-core GPU, 16GB of RAM, and 2TB SSD; and 1.2GHz quad-core Intel Core i7-based MacBook Air systems with Intel Iris Plus Graphics, 16GB of RAM, and 2TB SSD.
    3. Available on Mac computers with Apple silicon and Intel-based Mac computers with a T2 Security Chip. See requirements on apple.com/macos/macos-sequoia. Some iPhone features (for example, camera and microphone) are not compatible with iPhone Mirroring.
    4. Testing was conducted by Apple in August 2024. See apple.com/safari for more information.
    5. Available next month on macOS Sequoia 15.4 with iPhone and iPad running iOS 18.4, iPadOS 18.4, or a later version.
    6. Based on retail packaging as shipped by Apple. Breakdown of U.S. retail packaging by weight. Adhesives, inks, and coatings are excluded from our calculations of plastic content and packaging weight.

    Press Contacts

    Starlayne Meza

    Apple

    starlayne_meza@apple.com

    Lizette Viviana Du Pond

    Apple

    ldupond@apple.com

    Apple Media Helpline

    media.help@apple.com

    MIL OSI Economics

  • MIL-OSI Economics: Apple unveils new Mac Studio, the most powerful Mac ever

    Source: Apple

    Headline: Apple unveils new Mac Studio, the most powerful Mac ever

    March 5, 2025

    PRESS RELEASE

    Apple unveils new Mac Studio, the most powerful Mac ever, featuring M4 Max and new M3 Ultra

    With Thunderbolt 5, up to 512GB of unified memory, and an up to 16TB SSD, all in a compact design, the ultimate pro desktop delivers even more performance

    CUPERTINO, CALIFORNIA Apple today announced the new Mac Studio, the most powerful Mac ever made, featuring M4 Max and the new M3 Ultra chip. The ultimate pro desktop delivers groundbreaking pro performance, extensive connectivity now with Thunderbolt 5, and new capabilities in its compact and quiet design that can live right on a desk. Mac Studio can tackle the most intense workloads with its powerful CPU, Apple’s advanced graphics architecture, higher unified memory capacity, ultrafast SSD storage, and a faster and more efficient Neural Engine. It provides a big boost in performance compared to the previous generation, and a massive leap for users coming from older Macs.

    Mac Studio is a powerhouse for AI, capable of running large language models (LLMs) with over 600 billion parameters entirely in memory, thanks to its advanced GPU and up to 512GB of unified memory with M3 Ultra — the most ever in a personal computer. It’s also built for Apple Intelligence, the personal intelligence system that transforms how users work, communicate, and express themselves, while protecting their privacy. The new Mac Studio is available to pre-order today, with availability beginning March 12.

    “The new Mac Studio is the most powerful Mac we’ve ever made,” said John Ternus, Apple’s senior vice president of Hardware Engineering. “A complete game-changer for pros around the world — powering both home and pro studios — Mac Studio sits in a class of its own, offering a staggering amount of performance in a compact, quiet design that fits beautifully on your desk. With this new Mac Studio, we’re delivering even more extreme performance with M4 Max and M3 Ultra, support for half a terabyte of unified memory, up to 16TB of superfast storage, and Thunderbolt 5 connectivity. Mac Studio truly is the ultimate pro desktop.”

    Mac Studio with M4 Max: A Performance Juggernaut

    The new Mac Studio with M4 Max is the perfect choice for video editors, colorists, developers, engineers, photographers, creative pros, and other users who need to blaze through intensive workflows. It delivers phenomenal single-threaded CPU performance with the world’s fastest CPU core, along with outstanding multithreaded CPU performance for complex workloads. Featuring an up to 16-core CPU, an up to 40-core GPU, over half a terabyte per second of unified memory bandwidth, and a Neural Engine that is over 3x faster than M1 Max, Mac Studio with M4 Max can run on-device AI models incredibly fast. Mac Studio with M4 Max is up to 3.5x faster than Mac Studio with M1 Max, and is up to 6.1x faster than the most powerful Intel-based 27-inch iMac.1

    The GPU in M4 Max also brings Apple’s advanced graphics architecture to Mac Studio for the first time, including dynamic caching, hardware-accelerated mesh shading, and a second-generation ray-tracing engine for more seamless content creation and gaming. Mac Studio with M4 Max starts at 36GB of unified memory, with support for up to 128GB, so users can do everything from sorting through thousands of images with speed and precision, to producing complex compositions with hundreds of tracks, plug-ins, and virtual instruments, all played in real time. And with the powerful Media Engine in M4 Max, which features two ProRes accelerators, Mac Studio performance is outstanding for videographers who can effortlessly work with multiple streams of 4K ProRes.

    Mac Studio with M4 Max enables:1

    • Up to 1.6x faster image processing in Adobe Photoshop when compared to Mac Studio with M1 Max, and up to 2.9x faster when compared to the 27-inch iMac with Core i9. 
    • Up to 2.1x faster build performance when compiling code in Xcode when compared to Mac Studio with M1 Max, and up to 3.1x faster when compared to the 27-inch iMac with Core i9. 
    • Up to 1.2x faster ProRes transcode performance in Compressor when compared to Mac Studio with M1 Max, and up to 2.8x faster when compared to the 27-inch iMac with Core i9. 
    • Up to 1.6x faster video processing performance in Topaz Video AI when compared to Mac Studio with M1 Max, and up to 5x faster when compared to the 27-inch iMac with Core i9.

    Mac Studio with M3 Ultra: The Pinnacle of Pro Performance

    Mac Studio with M3 Ultra pushes demanding workflows to a whole new level. It delivers nearly 2x faster performance than M4 Max in workloads that take advantage of high CPU and GPU core counts, and massive amounts of unified memory.2 Mac Studio with M3 Ultra is up to 2.6x faster than Mac Studio with M1 Ultra, and up to 6.4x faster than the 16-core Intel Xeon W-based Mac Pro.1 With the new M3 Ultra, Mac Studio features an up to 32-core CPU with 24 performance cores, 50 percent more than any previous Ultra chip and the most CPU cores ever in a Mac. It also offers an up to 80-core GPU, more than any Apple silicon chip; a powerful 32-core Neural Engine for on-device AI and machine learning (ML); and a high-bandwidth memory architecture that delivers over 800GB/s of unified memory bandwidth.

    Mac Studio with M3 Ultra starts with 96GB of unified memory, which can be configured up to 512GB — the most unified memory ever in a personal computer — and up to 16TB of ultrafast SSD storage, so content and data can be kept locally. That’s enough storage for over 12 hours of 8K ProRes video. The advanced graphics architecture brings Dynamic Caching, along with hardware-accelerated mesh shading and ray tracing, so graphics workflows like GPU-based renderers are up to 2.6x faster than Mac Studio with M1 Ultra.

    Mac Studio with M3 Ultra enables:1

    • Up to 16.9x faster token generation using an LLM with hundreds of billions of parameters in LM Studio when compared to Mac Studio with M1 Ultra, thanks to its massive amounts of unified memory.
    • Up to 2.6x faster scene rendering performance in Maxon Redshift when compared to Mac Studio with M1 Ultra, and up to 6.4x faster when compared to the 16-core Intel-based Mac Pro with Radeon Pro W5700X.
    • Up to 1.1x faster basecalling for DNA sequencing in Oxford Nanopore MinKNOW when compared to Mac Studio with M1 Ultra, and up to 21.1x faster when compared to the 16-core Intel-based Mac Pro with Radeon Pro W5700X. 
    • Up to 1.4x faster 8K video rendering performance in Final Cut Pro when compared to Mac Studio with M1 Ultra, and up to 4x faster when compared to the 16-core Intel-based Mac Pro with Radeon Pro W5700X.

    Thunderbolt 5 for High-Bandwidth Accessories and Expansion

    The new Mac Studio features Thunderbolt 5 ports that deliver transfer speeds up to 120 Gb/s, up to 3x faster than the prior generation, enabling faster external storage, expansion chassis, and powerful hub solutions. For those who rely on PCIe expansion cards for their workflows, Thunderbolt 5 allows users to connect an external expansion chassis with higher bandwidth and lower latency. And with M3 Ultra, Mac Studio now drives up to eight Pro Display XDRs at the full 6K resolution. Mac Studio also offers a wide array of connectivity within easy reach for pros, including a 10Gb Ethernet port, an HDMI port, an SDXC card slot on the front to conveniently import photos and video, along with built-in Wi-Fi and Bluetooth.

    Built for Apple Intelligence

    Mac Studio helps pros push the boundaries of what they can do, and Apple Intelligence elevates those experiences even further. Writing is even more dynamic with Writing Tools, which can help users rewrite, proofread, or summarize — whether they are responding to emails or using summarization to draft an abstract in seconds in apps like Scrivener. Pros can minimize unnecessary distractions with Priority Notifications and use live transcription in Notes to record and easily recap important meetings. With new Siri improvements, users can move fluidly between spoken and typed requests to accelerate tasks throughout their day, and Siri can answer thousands of questions about Mac features and settings, with step-by-step instructions like how to combine PDF files in Preview. With access to ChatGPT seamlessly integrated into Writing Tools and Siri, users can tap into ChatGPT’s expertise, so they can get things done even faster and easier. Users can choose to enable ChatGPT integration, and are in full control of when to use it and what information is shared with ChatGPT. Users can also explore creative new ways to express themselves visually with Image Playground, and drop their original image right into their paper, mood board, or Keynote presentation. Whether users are researching their next project, editing a video, creating new designs, or preparing for their next lecture, these new tools will help pros be even more productive.

    Designed to protect users’ privacy at every step, Apple Intelligence uses on-device processing, meaning that many of the models that power it run entirely on device. For requests that require access to larger models, Private Cloud Compute extends the privacy and security of Mac into the cloud to unlock even more intelligence. When using Private Cloud Compute, users’ data is never stored or shared with Apple; it is used only to fulfill their request.

    macOS Sequoia: An Unrivaled Experience

    macOS Sequoia completes the new Mac Studio experience with a host of exciting features, including iPhone Mirroring, which allows users to wirelessly interact with their iPhone, its apps, and notifications directly from their Mac.3 Pros can now move files, photos, and videos between iPhone and Mac as easily as they can drag and drop between apps on Mac. Easier window tiling means users can stay organized with a window layout that works best for them. The all-new Passwords app gives convenient access to passwords, passkeys, and other credentials, all stored in one place. And users can apply beautiful built-in backgrounds for video calls, which include a variety of color gradients and system wallpapers, or upload their own photos. Safari, the world’s fastest browser,4 now surfaces relevant information on sites in Highlights; summarizes articles in the redesigned Reader; keeps videos front and center in a new Video Viewer; and lets users hide distracting items with Distraction Control. Gaming gets even more immersive with features like Personalized Spatial Audio and improvements to Game Mode, along with a breadth of exciting titles, including Cyberpunk 2077: Ultimate Edition by CD PROJEKT RED, Assassin’s Creed Shadows, and more.

    Next month, macOS Sequoia 15.4 will make it easier than ever to set up the new Mac Studio with iPhone.5 By simply bringing iPhone close to Mac, users can quickly and conveniently sign in to their Apple Account to get their files, photos, messages, passwords, and more on their new Mac Studio.

    The Ultimate Studio Setup

    Mac Studio, together with Studio Display, empowers creative users to build the studio of their dreams. Studio Display perfectly pairs with Mac Studio with its expansive 27-inch 5K Retina display, 12MP Center Stage camera, studio-quality three-mic array, and six-speaker sound system with Spatial Audio. For users working on HDR workflows, Pro Display XDR offers a 32-inch Retina 6K display with up to 1600 nits of peak HDR brightness. Customers can also add matching Magic accessories — including Magic Keyboard with Touch ID, Magic Trackpad, and Magic Mouse — that beautifully complement the elegant design of Mac Studio and Studio Display.

    Better for the Environment

    The new Mac Studio is designed with the environment in mind. As part of Apple 2030, the company’s ambitious goal to be carbon neutral across its entire carbon footprint by the end of this decade, Apple is transitioning to renewable electricity for its manufacturing, and investing in wind and solar projects around the world to address the electricity used to power all Apple products, including Mac Studio. Today, all Apple facilities run on 100 percent renewable electricity — including the data centers that power Apple Intelligence.

    To achieve Apple 2030, the company is designing products with more recycled and renewable materials, which further drives down the carbon footprint. Mac Studio features over 30 percent recycled content overall, including 100 percent recycled aluminum in the enclosure and 100 percent recycled rare earth elements in all magnets. Mac Studio uses far less energy and materials than desktops in its class, and is free of mercury, brominated flame retardants, and PVC. The packaging is entirely fiber-based, bringing Apple closer to its goal to remove plastic from all packaging by the end of 2025.6

    Pricing and Availability

    • Customers can pre-order the new Mac Studio starting today on apple.com/store and in the Apple Store app in 28 countries and regions, including the U.S. It will begin arriving to customers, and will be in Apple Store locations and Apple Authorized Resellers, starting Wednesday, March 12.
    • Mac Studio starts at $1,999 (U.S.) and $1,799 (U.S.) for education. Additional configure-to-order options are available at apple.com/store
    • More information on Studio Display, Pro Display XDR, and Magic accessories is available at apple.com/shop/buy-mac.
    • Apple Intelligence is available on all Mac models with M1 and later, in localized English for Australia, Canada, Ireland, New Zealand, South Africa, the UK, and the U.S. Additional languages — including French, German, Italian, Portuguese (Brazil), Spanish, Japanese, Korean, Chinese (simplified), English (Singapore), and English (India) — will be available in April, with more languages coming over the course of the year, including Vietnamese. Some features, applications, and services may not be available in all regions or all languages. 
    • With Apple Trade In, customers can trade in their current computer and get credit toward a new Mac. Customers can visit apple.com/shop/trade-in to see what their device is worth. 
    • AppleCare+ for Mac provides unparalleled service and support. This includes unlimited incidents of accidental damage, battery service coverage, and 24/7 support from the people who know Mac best. 
    • Every customer who buys directly from Apple Retail gets access to Personal Setup. In these guided online sessions, a Specialist can walk them through setup, or focus on features that help them make the most of their new device. Customers can also learn more about getting started with their new device with a Today at Apple session at their nearest Apple Store.
    • Customers in the U.S. who shop at Apple using Apple Card can pay monthly at 0 percent APR when they choose to check out with Apple Card Monthly Installments, and they’ll get 3 percent Daily Cash back — all up front. More information — including details on eligibility, exclusions, and Apple Card terms — is available at apple.com/apple-card/monthly-installments.

    About Apple Apple revolutionized personal technology with the introduction of the Macintosh in 1984. Today, Apple leads the world in innovation with iPhone, iPad, Mac, AirPods, Apple Watch, and Apple Vision Pro. Apple’s six software platforms — iOS, iPadOS, macOS, watchOS, visionOS, and tvOS — provide seamless experiences across all Apple devices and empower people with breakthrough services including the App Store, Apple Music, Apple Pay, iCloud, and Apple TV+. Apple’s more than 150,000 employees are dedicated to making the best products on earth and to leaving the world better than we found it.

    1. Testing was conducted by Apple in January and February 2025. See apple.com/mac-studio for more information.
    2. Results are compared to Mac Studio systems with Apple M4 Max, 16-core CPU, 40-core GPU, 128GB of RAM, and 8TB SSD.
    3. Available on Mac computers with Apple silicon and Intel-based Mac computers with a T2 Security Chip. See requirements on apple.com/macos/macos-sequoia. Some iPhone features (for example, camera and microphone) are not compatible with iPhone Mirroring.
    4. Testing was conducted by Apple in August 2024. See apple.com/safari for more information.
    5. Available next month on macOS Sequoia 15.4 with iPhone and iPad running iOS 18.4, iPadOS 18.4, or a later version.
    6. Based on retail packaging as shipped by Apple. Breakdown of U.S. retail packaging by weight. Adhesives, inks, and coatings are excluded from calculations of plastic content and packaging weight.

    Press Contacts

    Michelle Del Rio

    Apple

    mr_delrio@apple.com

    Starlayne Meza

    Apple

    starlayne_meza@apple.com

    Apple Media Helpline

    media.help@apple.com

    MIL OSI Economics

  • MIL-OSI: Byrna Technologies Announces Preliminary Fiscal First Quarter 2025 Record Revenue of $26.2 Million

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    ANDOVER, Mass., March 05, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Byrna Technologies Inc. (“Byrna” or the “Company”) (Nasdaq: BYRN), a technology company, specializing in the development, manufacture, and sale of innovative less-lethal personal security solutions, today announced select preliminary financial results for the fiscal first quarter ended February 28, 2025.

    Preliminary First Quarter Results
    Based on preliminary unaudited results, the Company expects total revenue for the fiscal first quarter of 2025 to be $26.2 million, representing a 57% increase compared to $16.7 million in the fiscal first quarter of 2024. The significant year-over-year growth in first quarter revenue is primarily attributable to the continued success of Byrna’s marketing strategies and increased production levels at Byrna’s Fort Wayne, Indiana factory.

    As a result, Byrna’s e-commerce channels were up $6.7 million over last year, representing 74% of Byrna’s total sales for the quarter. To meet heightened demand and support its growth initiatives for 2025, Byrna produced a record 68,916 launchers in the first quarter, a 26% increase from the fourth quarter of 2024 and a 219% increase year-over-year. Dealer sales also experienced strong growth, rising $1.9 million year-over-year.

    Management Commentary
    “We are gratified to see the growth in Q1, as this is the first year-over-year quarterly comparison where we were comparing our performance against a prior year quarter where we had implemented our celebrity endorsement strategy,” said Byrna CEO Bryan Ganz. “Historically, Q1 has been our slowest quarter, yet sales decreased only 6% sequentially from what is our seasonally strongest quarter of the fiscal year. This success is a testament to the growing brand awareness that we have built since pivoting our marketing strategy in 2023.

    “To support our ambitious growth targets, we produced a record 68,916 launchers in the quarter. With new celebrity influencers including Megyn Kelly, Lara Trump, and Donald Trump Jr., an expanding retail store presence, the kickoff of our store-within-a-store partnership with Sportsman’s Warehouse, and the launch of the Compact Launcher, we are well-positioned to continue our strong growth trajectory throughout 2025.”

    Preliminary Fiscal First Quarter 2025 Sales Breakdown:      
    Sales Channel ($ in millions) Q1 2025 Q1 2024 % Change
    Web 19.4  12.7  53 %
    Byrna Dedicated Dealers 4.4  2.5  76 %
    Law Enforcement / Schools / Pvt Security 0.0  0.0  0 %
    Retail Stores 0.3  0.2  53 %
    International 2.0  1.3  56 %
    Total Sales 26.2  16.7  57 %


    Tariff Exposure Update

    Byrna remains well-positioned to navigate evolving trade policies with minimal impact on its cost structure. As previously stated, Byrna sources no critical components from Mexico or Canada, and its limited exposure to China is mitigated by a dual-sourcing strategy. The Company is on track to move most, if not all of the current supply chain to the United States in 2025, reinforcing its commitment to domestic manufacturing. Additionally, higher tariffs on Chinese goods could benefit Byrna by raising costs for competitors that rely on China for production.

    Conference Call
    Byrna plans to report its full financial results for the fiscal first quarter in April, which will be accompanied by a conference call to discuss the results and address questions from investors and analysts. The conference call details will be announced prior to the event.

    About Byrna Technologies Inc.
    Byrna is a technology company specializing in the development, manufacture, and sale of innovative non-lethal personal security solutions. For more information on the Company, please visit the corporate website here or the Company’s investor relations site here. The Company is the manufacturer of the Byrna® SD personal security device, a state-of-the-art handheld CO2 powered launcher designed to provide a non-lethal alternative to a firearm for the consumer, private security, and law enforcement markets. To purchase Byrna products, visit the Company’s e-commerce store.

    Forward-Looking Statements
    This news release contains “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the securities laws. All statements contained in this news release, other than statements of current and historical fact, are forward-looking. Often, but not always, forward-looking statements can be identified by the use of words such as “plans,” “expects,” “intends,” “anticipates,” and “believes” and statements that certain actions, events or results “may,” “could,” “would,” “should,” “might,” “occur,” “be achieved,” or “will be taken.” Forward-looking statements include descriptions of currently occurring matters which may continue in the future. Forward-looking statements in this news release include, but are not limited to, our statements related to preliminary revenue results for the first fiscal quarter 2025, the timing of the release of full financial results for the quarter, expectations for future sales growth and demand trends, the impact of marketing strategies, the anticipated performance of new products and retail store expansion, and the Company’s ability to sustain momentum throughout 2025.Forward-looking statements are not, and cannot be, a guarantee of future results or events. Forward-looking statements are based on, among other things, opinions, assumptions, estimates, and analyses that, while considered reasonable by the Company at the date the forward-looking information is provided, inherently are subject to significant risks, uncertainties, contingencies, and other factors that may cause actual results and events to be materially different from those expressed or implied.

    Any number of risk factors could affect our actual results and cause them to differ materially from those expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements in this news release, including, but not limited to, disappointing market responses to current or future products or services; prolonged, new, or exacerbated disruption of the Company’s supply chain; the further or prolonged disruption of new product development; production or distribution or delays in entry or penetration of sales channels due to inventory constraints, competitive factors, increased shipping costs or freight interruptions; prototype, parts and material shortages, particularly of parts sourced from limited or sole source providers; determinations by third party controlled distribution channels not to carry or reduce inventory of the Company’s products; determinations by advertisers to prohibit marketing of some or all Byrna products; the loss of marketing partners or endorsers; potential cancellations of existing or future orders including as a result of any fulfillment delays, introduction of competing products, negative publicity, or other factors; product design defects or recalls; litigation, enforcement proceedings or other regulatory or legal developments; changes in consumer or political sentiment affecting product demand; regulatory factors including the impact of commerce and trade laws and regulations; import-export related matters or tariffs, sanctions or embargos that could affect the Company’s supply chain or markets; delays in planned operations related to licensing, registration or permit requirements; and future restrictions on the Company’s cash resources, increased costs and other events that could potentially reduce demand for the Company’s products or result in order cancellations. The order in which these factors appear should not be construed to indicate their relative importance or priority. We caution that these factors may not be exhaustive; accordingly, any forward-looking statements contained herein should not be relied upon as a prediction of actual results. Investors should carefully consider these and other relevant factors, including those risk factors in Part I, Item 1A, (“Risk Factors”) in the Company’s most recent Form 10-K, should understand it is impossible to predict or identify all such factors or risks, should not consider the foregoing list, or the risks identified in the Company’s SEC filings, to be a complete discussion of all potential risks or uncertainties, and should not place undue reliance on forward-looking information. The Company assumes no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking information, except as required by applicable law.

    Investor Contact:
    Tom Colton and Alec Wilson
    Gateway Group, Inc.
    949-574-3860
    BYRN@gateway-grp.com

    The MIL Network

  • MIL-OSI: Asphalt Ridge Option Period to Acquire Remaining 17.75% Working Interest Extended to April 10, 2025 and non-binding Letter of Intent to acquire Novacor oil and gas assets extended to March 15, 2025.

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    Bakersfield, CA, March 05, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Trio Petroleum Corp (NYSE American: “TPET”, “Trio” or the “Company”), a California-based oil and gas company, today provided updates on its Asphalt Ridge Project in Uintah County, Utah, and its intent to acquire a 100% working interest in certain petroleum and natural gas properties held by Novacor Exploration Ltd. which are located in the prolific Lloydminster, Saskatchewan heavy oil region.

    Asphalt Ridge Project

    TPET announced on January 5, 2024, that it had secured an option (the “Option”) to acquire a 20% interest in a sweet (i.e., low sulfur content), heavy-oil and tar-sand development project at Asphalt Ridge, located near the town of Vernal in Uintah County, northeastern Utah. We announced on June 11, 2024, the successful drilling and completion of the first two exploratory wells at the project, the HSO 2-4 and HSO 8-4 and that the wells encountered substantial oil-bearing pay zones in the Rimrock and Asphalt Ridge tar-sands (over 190’of oil-pay in HSO 2-4 and over 100’ of oil-pay in HSO 8-4).

    TPET currently owns a 2.25% working interest in 960 acres at Asphalt Ridge, and under the Option may acquire up to an additional 17.75% working interest in the same 960 acres and also a 20% interest in an adjacent 1,920 acres, and also has a right of first refusal to participate in an additional approximate 30,000 acres of the greater Asphalt Ridge Project on terms offered to other third parties. TPET has secured an Option extension and now has until April 10, 2025, to exercise its right to acquire the remaining 17.75% interest in the initial 960 acres. 

    The Asphalt Ridge Project is known to be one of the largest heavy-oil and tar-sand deposits in North America outside of Canada, making it a potential giant oilfield, and is unique given its low wax and negligible sulfur content, which is expected to make the oil very desirable for many industries, including shipping. A typical project well has an estimated ultimate recovery (“EUR”) of 300,000 barrels of oil with an initial production rate of approximately 40 barrels of oil per day.

    Novacor Exploration Ltd Oil and Gas Assets

    TPET announced on December 19, 2024, that it had entered into a non-binding Letter of Intent (“LOI”) for the acquisition of a 100% working interest in certain petroleum and natural gas properties held by Novacor Exploration Ltd. (“Novacor”), which are located in the prolific Lloydminster, Saskatchewan heavy oil region (the “Acquisition”). “The Lloydminster area has seen noteworthy activity from top produces both large and small as the areas thermal and heavy oil projects are key operational focuses for public companies from Cenovus and Strathcona to Lycos Energy, along with a healthy pool of private companies. Unlike other more costly plays in Canada, Lloydminster “per well” costs are not prohibitive for many small producers as the wells are generally shallow, with an average true vertical depth of just under 1830 feet.” (BOE Report February 27, 2024). In the event that Trio consummates the Acquisition, it believes that it could strategically position itself to expand its operations into one of North America’s most promising heavy oil basins, with upside potential for long term production and reserve growth. Since the Novacor assets are in the heavy oil area, they offer economical development. Market accessibility combined with a favorable regulatory process makes this area very attractive for continued and future development within these lands.

    There are currently seven producing wells located on the two properties. The wells produce heavy crude oil from the McLaren/Sparky and Lloydminster formation(s). Novacor is the operator of these cash flow positive wells. Current production is approximately 70 barrels per day with potential for 4 additional re-entry wells and two fully equipped locations to be reactivated each capable of an additional 70 barrels in total per day. Trio and Novacor mutually agreed to extend the execution of definitive acquisition documents to March 15, 2025. Trio plans to negotiate an additional extension if documents are not completed and executed by that date.

    About Trio Petroleum Corp

    Trio Petroleum Corp is an oil and gas exploration and development company headquartered in Bakersfield, California, with operations in Monterey County, California, and Uintah County, Utah. In Monterey County, Trio owns a 85.75% working interest in 9,245 acres at the Presidents and Humpback oilfields in the South Salinas Project, and a 21.92% working interest in 800 acres in the McCool Ranch Field. In Uintah County, Trio owns a 2.25% working interest in 960 acres and options to acquire up to an additional 17.75% working interest in the 960 acres, and also a 20% working interest in an adjacent 1,920 acres, and a right of first refusal to participate in up to a 20% working interest in an additional approximate 30,000 acres of the Asphalt Ridge Project with other third parties.

    Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

    All statements in this press release of Trio Petroleum Corp (“Trio”) and its representatives and partners that are not based on historical fact are “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 and the provisions of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Acts”). In particular, when used in the preceding discussion, the words “estimates,” “believes,” “hopes,” “expects,” “intends,” “on-track”, “plans,” “anticipates,” or “may,” and similar conditional expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Acts and are subject to the safe harbor created by the Acts. Any statements made in this news release other than those of historical fact, about an action, event or development, are forward-looking statements. While management has based any forward-looking statements contained herein on its current expectations, the information on which such expectations were based may change. These forward-looking statements rely on a number of assumptions concerning future events and are subject to a number of risks, uncertainties, and other factors, many of which are outside of the Trio’s control, that could cause actual results to materially and adversely differ from such statements. Such risks, uncertainties, and other factors include, but are not necessarily limited to, those set forth in the Risk Factors section of the Trio’s S-1 filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). Copies are of such documents are available on the SEC’s website, www.sec.gov. Trio undertakes no obligation to update these statements for revisions or changes after the date of this release, except as required by law.

    Investor Relations Contact:
    Redwood Empire Financial Communications
    Michael Bayes
    (404) 809 4172
    michael@redwoodefc.com

    The MIL Network

  • MIL-OSI: Parex Resources Announces 2024 Full-Year Results & Reserves, Declaration of Q1 2025 Dividend, and Appointment of Chief Financial Officer

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    CALGARY, Alberta, March 05, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Parex Resources Inc. (“Parex” or the “Company”) (TSX: PXT) is pleased to announce its financial and operating results for the three- and twelve-month periods ended December 31, 2024, as well as the results of its independent reserves assessment as at December 31, 2024. Additionally, the Company declares its Q1 2025 regular dividend of C$0.385 per share and provides a corporate update. All amounts herein are in United States dollars (“USD”) unless otherwise stated.

    Key Highlights

    • Generated annual funds flow provided by operations of $622 million(1) and free funds flow of $275 million(2) in 2024.
    • Evaluated PDP after-tax net asset value per share of C$22.02(3).
    • Added 10 mmboe 1P reserves and 7 mmboe 2P reserves at LLA-34 and Cabrestero through positive technical revisions as well as extensions & improved recovery; 2024 reserves evaluation supported by technology, including waterflood and polymer injection results(8).
    • Tracking to deliver FY 2025 average production guidance of 43,000 to 47,000 boe/d (45,000 boe/d midpoint); YTD average production is 44,500 boe/d(4).
    • Declared a Q1 2025 regular dividend of C$0.385 per share(5) (C$1.54 per share annualized).
    • Commenced a normal course issuer bid (“NCIB”) on January 22, 2025; in 2024, the Company repurchased roughly 5% of its outstanding shares through its prior NCIB.
    • Appointed Cameron Grainger as Chief Financial Officer, effective immediately.
    • Retiring from the Board of Directors are Lisa Colnett and Robert Engbloom as part of standard Board renewal process; in preparation, the Company has approved Mona Jasinski and Jeff Lawson as director nominees for the upcoming Annual General Meeting of Shareholders.

    Imad Mohsen, President & Chief Executive Officer, commented: “In 2024, Parex generated strong financial results from its underlying asset base while achieving its best annual safety performance. Despite challenges, we accomplished multiple strategic milestones throughout the year that reinforce Parex’s long-term sustainability. Building on a strong foundation, as reflected in today’s reserve report, we remain focused on executing our 2025 plan, which is characterized by lower-risk activities and a high-graded set of opportunities. The team at Parex is dedicated to rebuilding market confidence, by delivering steady results, evolving our Colombian portfolio, and strengthening our track record of shareholder returns — while also progressing towards Llanos Foothills exploration in 2026.”

    2024 Full-Year Achievements & Results

    • Achieved multiple strategic milestones throughout the year, in addition to delivering returns to shareholders:
      • Signed definitive agreements in the Llanos Foothills to consolidate Parex’s position, advancing gas and exploration strategies;
      • Implemented waterflood at Cabrestero successfully and continued waterflood progression at LLA-34;
      • Completed polymer injection pilot at Cabrestero with positive results, advancing enhanced oil recovery initiatives;
      • Executed Putumayo business collaboration agreements to add a new core area for the Company; and
      • Returned $186 million to shareholders during the year, which cumulatively results in C$1.5 billion returned to shareholders through dividends and share repurchases over the past five years.
    • Average production of 49,924(6) boe/d, meeting revised FY 2024 guidance range of 49,000 to 50,000 boe/d.
    • Realized net income of $61 million or $0.60 per share basic(7).
    • Generated funds flow provided by operations (“FFO”) of $622 million(1) and FFO per share of $6.14(3)(7).
    • Produced an operating netback of $41.30/boe(3) and an FFO netback of $33.95/boe(3) from an average Brent price of $79.86/bbl.
    • Incurred $348 million(2) of capital expenditures, primarily from activities at LLA-34, Arauca, LLA-32, LLA-122, and Capachos.
    • Delivered the Company’s best safety performance on record, with strong results across all safety metrics, including lagging and leading indicators.

    2024 Fourth Quarter Results

    • Average production was 45,297 boe/d(6).
    • Realized net loss of $69 million or $0.70 per share basic(7), largely a result of non-cash impairments recorded in the period.
    • Generated FFO of $141 million(1) and FFO per share of $1.43(3)(7).
    • Produced an operating netback of $34.90/boe(3) and an FFO netback of $32.39/boe(3) from an average Brent price of $74.01/bbl.
    • Recovered current tax of $6 million in the quarter; for 2025 the Company expects its FFO netback to be supported by lower current tax expenses compared to prior periods due to the Company’s before tax cash flow profile, previous capital expenditures, and certain tax strategies that have been deployed over recent years.
    • Incurred $82 million(2) of capital expenditures, primarily from activities at LLA-34, LLA-32, and Capachos.
    • Generated $59 million of free funds flow(2); working capital surplus was $59 million(1) and cash was $98 million at quarter end.

    2024 Year-End Corporate Reserves Report: Highlights(8)

    For the year ended December 31, 2024, the Company:

    • Increased both proved (“1P”) reserves per share and proved plus probable (“2P”) reserves per share by 6%, while proved developed producing (“PDP”) reserves per share was down 9%, compared to 2023.
      • LLA-34: realized positive technical revisions of 6 mmboe 1P related to waterflood implementation and increased recovery factor.
      • Cabrestero: added 3 mmboe 2P related to improved recovery through implementation of polymer injection.
      • LLA-32: more than doubled 1P and 2P through extensions to 2 mmboe and 4 mmboe, respectively, compared to 2023.
      • Putumayo: added inventory runway and acquired 10 mmboe and 18 mmboe of 1P and 2P, respectively, from Parex earning 50% working interest in four blocks through an enhanced strategic partnership with Ecopetrol S.A(9).
    • Increases in 1P and 2P reserves per share were partially offset by negative technical revisions associated with portfolio management at Arauca as well as a non-core block in the Magdalena basin.
      • Arauca negative technical revisions were 3 mmboe and 6 mmboe of 1P and 2P, respectively.
      • Aguas Blancas negative technical revisions were 2 mmboe and 2 mmboe of 1P and 2P, respectively.
    • Realized PDP reserves replacement ratio of 41%; three-year average PDP reserves replacement ratio was 85%.
      • Lower-than-expected Arauca and corporate exploration results were in-year PDP replacement factors.
    • Improved PDP, 1P and 2P reserve life index by 10%, 26% and 27%, respectively, compared to 2023.
      • Improved metrics supported by a lower absolute production profile that benefited PDP, 1P and 2P metrics, as well as achieving approximately 100% year-over-year reserve replacement in 1P and 2P.
    • Evaluated after-tax PDP, 1P and 2P net asset value per share(3) of C$22.02, C$26.60, and C$35.55, respectively.

    (1) Capital management measure. See “Non-GAAP and Other Financial Measures Advisory.”
    (2) Non-GAAP financial measure. See “Non-GAAP and Other Financial Measures Advisory.”
    (3) Non-GAAP ratio. See “Non-GAAP and Other Financial Measures Advisory.”
    (4) Estimated average production for January 1, 2025 to February 28, 2025; light & medium crude oil: ~9,382 bbl/d, heavy crude oil: ~34,268 bbl/d, conventional natural gas: ~5,100 mcf/d; rounded for presentation purposes.
    (5) Supplementary financial measure. See “Non-GAAP and Other Financial Measures Advisory.”
    (6) See “Operational and Financial Highlights” for a breakdown of production by product type.
    (7) Based on weighted-average basic shares for the period.
    (8) See “2024 Year-End Corporate Reserves Report” sections and “Reserves Advisory” for additional information.
    (9) As previously announced December 11, 2024.

    Operational and Financial Highlights Three Months Ended Year Ended
      Dec. 31,   Dec. 31,   Sep. 30,   December 31,
      2024   2023   2024   2024   2023   2022  
    Operational            
    Average daily production            
    Light Crude Oil and Medium Crude Oil (bbl/d) 9,550   9,700   9,064   8,850   8,417   7,471  
    Heavy Crude Oil (bbl/d) 34,882   46,760   37,777   40,336   45,163   43,008  
    Crude oil (bbl/d) 44,432   56,460   46,841   49,186   53,580   50,479  
    Conventional Natural Gas (mcf/d) 5,190   5,214   4,368   4,428   4,656   9,420  
    Oil & Gas (boe/d)(1) 45,297   57,329   47,569   49,924   54,356   52,049  
                 
    Operating netback ($/boe)            
    Reference price – Brent ($/bbl) 74.01   82.90   78.71   79.86   82.18   99.04  
    Oil & gas sales(4) 63.73   70.55   68.75   69.80   70.71   86.55  
    Royalties(4) (9.43 ) (12.12 ) (10.59 ) (10.99 ) (12.31 ) (17.61 )
    Net revenue(4) 54.30   58.43   58.16   58.81   58.40   68.94  
    Production expense(4) (15.53 ) (13.67 ) (14.81 ) (13.93 ) (10.42 ) (6.88 )
    Transportation expense(4) (3.87 ) (3.54 ) (3.71 ) (3.58 ) (3.43 ) (3.22 )
    Operating netback ($/boe)(2) 34.90   41.22   39.64   41.30   44.55   58.84  
                 
    Funds flow provided by operations netback ($/boe)(2) 32.39   36.81   34.58   33.95   33.59   38.35  
                 
    Financial ($000s except per share amounts)            
                 
    Net income (loss) (69,051 ) 133,783   65,793   60,680   459,309   611,368  
    Per share – basic(6) (0.70 ) 1.28   0.65   0.60   4.32   5.38  
                 
    Funds flow provided by operations(5) 141,201   193,377   151,773   622,233   667,782   724,890  
    Per share – basic(2)(6) 1.43   1.85   1.50   6.14   6.29   6.38  
                 
    Capital expenditures(3) 82,110   91,419   82,367   347,695   483,343   512,252  
                 
    Free funds flow(3) 59,091   101,958   69,406   274,538   184,439   212,638  
                 
    EBITDA(3) (10,419 ) 110,860   167,763   545,362   650,829   953,210  
    Adjusted EBITDA(3) 137,312   201,552   164,002   720,089   817,280   1,066,040  
                 
    Long-term inventory expenditures (2,569 ) (866 ) (6,318 ) 4,773   39,430   140,266  
                 
    Dividends paid 26,658   29,505   28,467   112,184   118,676   75,491  
    Per share – Cdn$(4)(6) 0.385   0.375   0.385   1.53   1.50   0.89  
                 
    Shares repurchased 16,408   22,453   20,723   73,789   105,068   221,464  
    Number of shares repurchased (000s) 1,692   1,220   1,585   5,495   5,628   11,821  
                 
    Outstanding shares (end of period) (000s)            
    Basic 98,339   103,812   100,031   98,339   103,812   109,112  
    Weighted average basic 99,063   104,394   100,891   101,414   106,247   113,572  
    Diluted(8) 99,238   104,502   100,933   99,238   104,502   109,939  
                 
    Working capital surplus(5) 59,397   79,027   37,509   59,397   79,027   84,988  
    Bank debt(7) 60,000   90,000   30,000   60,000   90,000    
    Cash 98,022   140,352   147,454   98,022   140,352   419,002  

    (1)  Reference to crude oil or natural gas in the above table and elsewhere in this press release refer to the light and medium crude oil and heavy crude oil and conventional natural gas, respectively, product types as defined in National Instrument 51-101 – Standard of Disclosure for Oil and Gas Activities.
    (2)  Non-GAAP ratio. See “Non-GAAP and Other Financial Measures Advisory”.
    (3)  Non-GAAP financial measure. See “Non-GAAP and Other Financial Measures Advisory”.
    (4)  Supplementary financial measure. See “Non-GAAP and Other Financial Measures Advisory”.
    (5)  Capital management measure. See “Non-GAAP and Other Financial Measures Advisory”.
    (6)  Per share amounts (with the exception of dividends) are based on weighted average common shares.
    (7)  Borrowing limit of $240.0 million as of December 31, 2024.
    (8)  Diluted shares as stated include the effects of common shares and stock options outstanding at the period-end. The December 31, 2024 closing stock price was C$14.58 per share.

    Operational Update

    For the period of January 1, 2025, to February 28, 2025, estimated average production was 44,500 boe/d(5).

    Parex currently has two drilling rigs operating (one operated and one non-operated), with expectations to ramp-up to four drilling rigs in Q2 2025 (three operated and one non-operated).

    The Company’s operations are supportive of a growing H2 2025 production profile, with the following activities:

    • Progressing waterflood and polymer injection programs at LLA-34 and Cabrestero.
      • Cabrestero is fully on waterflood, with plans for a full polymer injection scheme that is supported by pilot results to date.
      • LLA-34 continues to ramp-up waterflood activity and is planning to commence a polymer injection pilot in 2025.
    • Planning to begin LLA-32 drilling campaign in Q2 2025.
      • LLA-32 is located to the north and adjacent to LLA-34 and Cabrestero; Parex drilled three successful wells at LLA-32 in 2024.
    • Advancing near-field exploration program, with the expectation to drill 3-4 prospects in H1 2025.
      • Prospects are generally focused in the Southern Llanos where Parex has had previous basin success.
    • Gaining momentum to achieve initial access in the Putumayo in Q2 2025 as originally anticipated.
      • Per budgeted plans, activity is expected to begin with a workover rig, with a drilling rig added approximately mid-year.

    Operations so far this year are progressing within Management expectations and Parex’s 2025 corporate guidance remains as previously released January 14, 2025, and as set out below:

    Category 2025 Guidance
    Brent Crude Oil Average Price $70/bbl
    Average Production(1) 43,000-47,000 boe/d
    Funds Flow Provided by Operations Netback(1)(2) $26-28/boe
    Funds Flow Provided by Operations(1)(3) $425-465 million
    Capital Expenditures(4) $285-315 million
    Free Funds Flow(4) $145 million (midpoint)

    (1) 2025 assumptions: operational downtime: ~5%; Vasconia differential: ~$5/bbl; production expense: $15-16/bbl; transportation expense: ~$3.50/bbl; G&A expense: ~$4.50/bbl; effective tax rate: 3-6%; see “Non-GAAP and Other Financial Measures Advisory”.
    (2) Non-GAAP ratio. See “Non-GAAP and Other Financial Measures Advisory”.
    (3) Capital management measure. See “Non-GAAP and Other Financial Measures Advisory”.
    (4) Non-GAAP financial measure. See “Non-GAAP and Other Financial Measures Advisory”.
    (5) Estimated average production for January 1, 2025 to February 28, 2025; light & medium crude oil: ~9,382 bbl/d, heavy crude oil: ~34,268 bbl/d, conventional natural gas: ~5,100 mcf/d; rounded for presentation purposes.

    Return of Capital

    Q1 2025 Dividend

    Parex’s Board of Directors has approved a Q1 2025 regular dividend of C$0.385 per share to shareholders of record on March 11, 2025, to be paid on March 18, 2025.

    This quarterly dividend payment to shareholders is designated as an “eligible dividend” for purposes of the Income Tax Act (Canada).

    Normal Course Issuer Bid Update

    As at February 28, 2025, Parex has repurchased approximately 0.3 million shares under its current NCIB at an average price of C$14.30 per share, for a total consideration of roughly C$4 million.

    In 2024, Parex repurchased 5.5 million shares under a prior NCIB, representing approximately 5% of the public float and a return of C$99 million to shareholders.

    2024 Year-End Corporate Reserves Report: Discussion

    The following tables summarize information contained in the independent reserves report prepared by GLJ Ltd. (“GLJ”) dated March 4, 2025 with an effective date of December 31, 2024 (the “GLJ 2024 Report”). All December 31, 2024 reserves presented are based on GLJ’s forecast pricing effective January 1, 2025; all December 31, 2023 reserves presented are based on GLJ’s forecast pricing effective January 1, 2024 and all December 31, 2022 reserves presented are based on GLJ’s forecast pricing effective January 1, 2023. GLJ pricing is available on their website at www.gljpc.com.

    All reserves are presented as Parex’s working interest before royalties and in certain tables set forth below, the columns may not add due to rounding. Additional reserve information as required under NI 51-101 will be included in the Company’s Annual Information Form for the 2024 fiscal year, which is available on SEDAR+.

    Gross Reserves Volumes

                Dec. 31   Change over Dec.
    31,
        2022   2023   2024  
    Reserve Category   Mboe   Mboe   Mboe(1)   2023
    Proved Developed Producing (PDP)   82,788   82,628   71,908   (13 %)
    Proved Developed Non-Producing   11,767   7,252   5,534   (24 %)
    Proved Undeveloped   36,100   22,647   34,678   53 %
    Proved (1P)   130,655   112,528   112,119   %
    Proved + Probable (2P)   200,704   168,625   169,633   1 %
    Proved + Probable + Possible (3P)   281,595   231,299   245,383   6 %

    (1) 2024 net reserves after royalties are: PDP 62,128 Mboe, proved developed non-producing 4,939 Mboe, proved undeveloped 29,644 Mboe, 1P 96,711 Mboe, 2P 146,645 Mboe and 3P 211,882 Mboe.

    Gross Reserves Reconciliation

        Total 1P   Total 2P   Total 3P 
        Mboe   Mboe   Mboe 
    December 31, 2023   112,528   168,625   231,299  
    Technical Revisions(1)   2,777   (5,434 ) (10,870 )
    Extensions & Improved Recovery(2)   4,760   6,636   9,133  
    Discoveries(3)   160   200   240  
    Acquisitions(4)   10,166   17,877   33,853  
    Production   (18,272 ) (18,272 ) (18,272 )
    December 31, 2024(5)   112,119   169,633   245,383  

    (1) Reserves technical revisions are associated with positive evaluations of LLA-34 and Cabrestero, offset by negative revisions of Arauca, Aguas Blancas, and Capachos.
    (2) Extensions & improved recovery are associated with positive evaluations of Cabrestero, LLA-32, and LLA-34.
    (3) Discoveries are associated with the positive evaluation of LLA-30.
    (4) Acquisitions are associated with the positive evaluations of Occidente, Nororiente and Area Sur.
    (5) The estimates of reserves and future net revenue for individual properties may not reflect the same confidence level as estimates of reserves and future net revenue for all properties, due to the effects of aggregation.

    Reserves Net Present Value After Tax Summary – GLJ Brent Forecast(1)(2)

        NPV15     NPV15     NAV   CAD/sh Change
    over

        December 31,     December 31,     December 31,  
          2023     2024     2024   Dec. 31,
    Reserve Category   (000s)(2)     (000s)(2)     (CAD/sh)(3)   2023(4)
    PDP   $ 1,679,078   $ 1,505,386   $ 22.02   4 %
    Proved Developed Non-Producing     112,298     83,310   $ 1.21   (6 %)
    Proved Undeveloped     201,380     230,174   $ 3.36   38 %
    1P   $ 1,992,757   $ 1,818,870   $ 26.60   5 %
    2P   $ 2,556,169   $ 2,430,060   $ 35.55   10 %
    3P   $ 3,191,329   $ 3,102,864   $ 45.39   12 %

    (1) Net present values (“NPV”) are stated in USD and are discounted at 15 percent. The forecast prices used in the calculation of the present value of future net revenue are based on the GLJ January 1, 2024 and GLJ January 1, 2025 price forecasts, respectively. The GLJ January 1, 2025 price forecast is in the Company’s Annual Information Form for the 2024 fiscal year.
    (2) Includes future development capital (“FDC”) as at December 31, 2023 of $27 million for PDP, $346 million for 1P, $537 million for 2P and $707 million for 3P and FDC as at December 31, 2024 of $23 million for PDP, $440 million for 1P, $595 million for 2P and $740 million for 3P.
    (3) 2024 NAV calculated, as at December 31, 2024, as after tax NPV15 plus working capital of USD$59 million (converted at USDCAD=1.4389), less bank debt of USD$60 million, divided by 98 million basic shares outstanding as at December 31, 2024. Non-GAAP ratio. See “Non-GAAP and Other Financial Measures Advisory”.
    (4) 2023 NAV calculated, as at December 31, 2023, as after tax NPV15 plus working capital of USD$79 million (converted at USDCAD=1.3226), less bank debt of USD$90 million, divided by 104 million basic shares outstanding as at December 31, 2023. Non-GAAP ratio. See “Non-GAAP and Other Financial Measures Advisory”.

    Appointment of Chief Financial Officer

    Following a thorough executive search, Cameron Grainger has been appointed as Chief Financial Officer (“CFO”), effective immediately.

    “We are very pleased to announce Cam as CFO. He is a trusted leader, who has developed an exceptional understanding of our portfolio while providing over 15 years of financial leadership at Parex. I look forward to continuing to work with Cam as he plays an integral role on our leadership team and am confident that he will continue to make significant contributions in support of our strategy,” said Imad Mohsen, President & Chief Executive Officer.

    Mr. Grainger has served as the Company’s interim CFO since September 21, 2024, and prior to, was the Vice President, Finance, as well as Controller. Mr. Grainger has held roles with increasing levels of responsibility at Parex since 2011, and is a Chartered Professional Accountant.

    Board of Directors Update

    The Company announces that Lisa Colnett as well as Robert Engbloom are retiring from the Board of Directors and will not stand for re-election at the upcoming Annual General Meeting of Shareholders (“Meeting”).

    “We want to thank Lisa and Bob for their contributions that have supported Parex’s growth in Colombia and wish them all the best,” commented Wayne Foo, Chair of the Board of Parex.

    In preparation for the upcoming retirements, the Company has approved Mona Jasinski and Jeff Lawson as director nominees at the upcoming Meeting.

    “We are excited to recommend Mona and Jeff to Parex’s Board of Directors, both of whom have a wealth of experience across the energy sector and bring refreshed perspectives,” commented Mr. Foo.

    Ms. Jasinski has over 20 years of human resources, corporate strategy and leadership expertise with experience spanning the energy and chemicals sectors as well as philanthropic boards. She is currently the Senior Vice President, HR & Communications at NOVA Chemicals. Prior to NOVA Chemicals, she built a depth of energy-specific experience, serving as Executive Vice President, People and Culture, at Vermilion Energy for 12 years, and previously held leadership roles at Royal Dutch Shell and TransCanada Pipelines. Ms. Jasinski holds a Master of Business Administration from the University of Calgary and an ICD.D designation from the Institute of Corporate Directors.

    Mr. Lawson has extensive experience in corporate strategy, mergers & acquisitions as well as investments and corporate restructurings across the energy and legal sectors. He is currently the Senior Vice President, Corporate Development and Chief Sustainability Officer at Cenovus Energy. Prior to Cenovus, he spent 15 years at Peters & Co. in a variety of senior finance roles and he was also a securities lawyer at Burnet, Duckworth & Palmer for 14 years where he co-led the securities group and served on the firm’s executive committee. Mr. Lawson holds a Bachelor of Laws from the University of Alberta.

    Q4 2024 and FY 2024 Results – Conference Call & Webcast

    Parex will host a conference call and webcast to discuss its Q4 2024 and FY 2024 results on Thursday, March 6, 2025, beginning at 9:30 am MT (11:30 am ET). To participate in the conference call or webcast, please see the access information below:

    Conference ID: 2908137
    Participant Toll-Free Dial-In Number: 1-646-307-1963
    Participant International Dial-In Number: 1-647-932-3411
    Webcast: https://events.q4inc.com/attendee/690785926


    Annual General Meeting

    Parex anticipates holding its Annual General Meeting of Shareholders on Thursday, May 8, 2025.

    The Notice of Annual General Meeting & Management Proxy Circular is expected to be available on or about March 26, 2025, at www.parexresources.com and SEDAR+.

    About Parex Resources Inc.

    Parex is one of the largest independent oil and gas companies in Colombia, focusing on sustainable conventional production. The Company’s corporate headquarters are in Calgary, Canada, with an operating office in Bogotá, Colombia. Parex shares trade on the Toronto Stock Exchange under the symbol PXT.

    For more information, please contact:

    Mike Kruchten
    Senior Vice President, Capital Markets & Corporate Planning
    Parex Resources Inc.
    403-517-1733
    investor.relations@parexresources.com

    Steven Eirich
    Investor Relations & Communications Advisor
    Parex Resources Inc.
    587-293-3286
    investor.relations@parexresources.com

    NOT FOR DISTRIBUTION OR FOR DISSEMINATION IN THE UNITED STATES

    Reserves Advisory

    The recovery and reserve estimates of crude oil reserves provided in this news release are estimates only, and there is no guarantee that the estimated reserves will be recovered. Actual crude oil reserves may eventually prove to be greater than, or less than, the estimates provided herein. All December 31, 2024 reserves presented are based on GLJ’s forecast pricing effective January 1, 2025. All December 31, 2023 reserves presented are based on GLJ’s forecast pricing effective January 1, 2024. All December 31, 2022 reserves presented are based on GLJ’s forecast pricing effective January 1, 2023.

    Comparatives to the independent reserves report prepared by GLJ dated February 29, 2024 with an effective date of December 31, 2023 (the “GLJ 2023 Report”), and the independent reserves report prepared by GLJ dated February 2, 2023 with an effective date of December 31, 2022 (“GLJ 2022 Report”, and collectively with the GLJ 2024 Report and the GLJ 2023 Report, the “GLJ Reports”). Each GLJ Report was prepared in accordance with definitions, standards and procedures contained in the Canadian Oil and Gas Evaluation Handbook (“COGE Handbook”) and National Instrument 51-101 – Standards of Disclosure for Oil and Gas Activities (“NI 51-101”).

    It should not be assumed that the estimates of future net revenues presented herein represent the fair market value of the reserves. There are numerous uncertainties inherent in estimating quantities of crude oil, reserves and the future cash flows attributed to such reserves.

    “Proved Developed Producing Reserves” are those reserves that are expected to be recovered from completion intervals open at the time of the estimate. These reserves may be currently producing or, if shut-in, they must have previously been on production, and the date of resumption of production must be known with reasonable certainty.

    “Proved Developed Non-Producing Reserves” are those reserves that either have not been on production or have previously been on production but are shut-in and the date of resumption of production is unknown.

    “Proved Undeveloped Reserves” are those reserves expected to be recovered from known accumulations where a significant expenditure (e.g. when compared to the cost of drilling a well) is required to render them capable of production. They must fully meet the requirements of the reserves category (proved, probable, possible) to which they are assigned.

    “Proved” reserves are those reserves that can be estimated with a high degree of certainty to be recoverable. It is likely that the actual remaining quantities recovered will exceed the estimated proved reserves.

    “Probable” reserves are those additional reserves that are less certain to be recovered than proved reserves. It is equally likely that the actual remaining quantities recovered will be greater or less than the sum of the estimated proved plus probable reserves.

    “Possible” reserves are those additional reserves that are less certain to be recovered than probable reserves. There is a 10 percent probability that the quantities actually recovered will equal or exceed the sum of proved plus probable plus possible reserves. It is unlikely that the actual remaining quantities recovered will exceed the sum of the estimated proved plus probable plus possible reserves.

    The term “Boe” means a barrel of oil equivalent on the basis of 6 Mcf of natural gas to 1 barrel of oil (“bbl”). Boe’s may be misleading, particularly if used in isolation. A boe conversation ratio of 6 Mcf: 1 bbl is based on an energy equivalency conversion method primarily applicable at the burner tip and does not represent a value equivalency at the wellhead. Given the value ratio based on the current price of crude oil as compared to natural gas is significantly different from the energy equivalency of 6:1, utilizing a conversion ratio at 6:1 may be misleading as an indication of value.

    Light crude oil is crude oil with a relative density greater than 31.1 degrees API gravity, medium crude oil is crude oil with a relative density greater than 22.3 degrees API gravity and less than or equal to 31.1 degrees API gravity, and heavy crude oil is crude oil with a relative density greater than 10 degrees API gravity and less than or equal to 22.3 degrees API gravity.

    With respect to F&D costs, the aggregate of the exploration and development costs incurred in the most recent financial year and the change during that year in estimated future development costs generally will not reflect total F&D costs related to reserve additions for that year. The estimates of reserves and future net revenue for individual properties may not reflect the same confidence level as estimates of reserves and future net revenue for all properties, due to the effects of aggregation.

    This press release contains several oil and gas metrics, including reserve replacement, reserve additions including acquisitions, and reserve life index. In addition, the following non-GAAP financial measures and non-GAAP ratios, as described below under “Non-GAAP and Other Financial Measures”, can be considered to be oil and gas metrics: F&D costs, FD&A costs, F&D recycle ratio, FD&A recycle ratio, operating netback, funds flow provided by operations, funds flow provided by operations netback, reserve replacement and NAV.   Such oil and gas metrics have been prepared by management and do not have standardized meanings or standard methods of calculation and therefore such measures may not be comparable to similar measures used by other companies and should not be used to make comparisons. Such metrics have been included herein to provide readers with additional measures to evaluate the Company’s performance; however, such measures are not reliable indicators of the future performance of the Company and future performance may not compare to the performance in previous periods and therefore such metric should not be unduly relied upon. Management uses these oil and gas metrics for its own performance measurements and to provide security holders with measures to compare the Company’s operations over time. Readers are cautioned that the information provided by these metrics, or that can be derived from the metrics presented in this news release, should not be relied upon for investment or other purposes. A summary of the calculations of reserve replacement and RLI are as follows, with the other oil and gas metrics referred to above being described herein under “Non-GAAP and Other Financial Measures”:

    • Reserve additions including acquisitions is calculated by the change in reserves category and adding current year annual production.
    • Reserve replacement is calculated by dividing the annual reserve additions by the annual production.
    • Reserve life index is calculated by dividing the applicable reserves category by the annualized fourth quarter average production.

    2024 Year-End Corporate Reserves Report: Supplemental Reserves Tables

    All reserves are presented as Parex working interest before royalties and in certain tables set forth below, the columns may not add due to rounding.

    Gross Reserves by Area(1)

        1P 2P 3P
    Area   Mboe(1) Mboe(1) Mboe(1)
    LLA-34   63,320 88,823 120,283
    Southern Llanos   20,634 30,487 37,749
    Northern Llanos   12,246 18,007 24,113
    Magdalena   5,754 14,439 29,384
    Putumayo   10,166 17,877 33,853
    Total   112,119 169,633 245,383

    (1) The estimates of reserves and future net revenue for individual properties may not reflect the same confidence level as estimates of reserves and future net revenue for all properties, due to the effects of aggregation.

    Gross Reserves Volumes by Product Type

    Product Type   PDP 1P 2P 3P
    Light & Medium Crude Oil (Mbbl)   10,084 30,138 51,422 84,901
    Heavy Crude Oil (Mbbl)   58,654 76,788 107,161 140,348
    Natural Gas Liquids (Mbbl)   480 1,207 1,643 2,108
    Conventional Natural Gas (MMcf)   16,139 23,915 56,441 108,155
    Oil Equivalent (Mboe)   71,908 112,119 169,633 245,383


    Gross Reserves Volumes Per Share
    (1)

        Dec. 31 Change over
    Dec. 31, 2022
        2022 2023 2024(1)
    Year-End Basic Outstanding Shares (000s)   109.1 103.8 98.3 (5 %)
    PDP (boe/share)   0.76 0.80 0.73 (9 %)
    1P (boe/share)   1.20 1.08 1.14 6 %
    2P (boe/share)   1.84 1.62 1.72 6 %
    3P (boe/share)   2.58 2.23 2.50 12 %

    (1) 2024 net reserves after royalties are: PDP 62,128 Mboe, proved developed non-producing 4,939 Mboe, proved undeveloped 29,644 Mboe, 1P 96,711 Mboe, 2P 146,645 Mboe and 3P 211,882 Mboe.

    Reserve Replacement Ratio and Reserve Life Index

        Dec. 31, 2022(1) Dec. 31, 2023(2) Dec. 31, 2024(3) 3-Year
    PDP          
    Reserve Replacement Ratio   112 % 99 % 41 % 85 %
    Reserve Life Index   4.2 years 3.9 years 4.3 years 4.1 years
    1P          
    Reserve Replacement Ratio   128 % 9 % 98 % 77 %
    Reserve Life Index   6.6 years 5.4 years 6.8 years 6.2 years
    2P          
    Reserve Replacement Ratio   110 % (62 %) 106 % 49 %
    Reserve Life Index   10.1 years 8.1 years 10.3 years 9.4 years

    (1) Calculated by dividing the amount of the relevant reserves category by average Q4 2022 production of 54,257 boe/d annualized (consisting of 10,511 bbl/d of light crude oil and medium crude oil, 42,746 bbl/d of heavy crude oil and 6,000 mcf/d of conventional natural gas).
    (2) Calculated by dividing the amount of the relevant reserves category by average Q4 2023 production of 57,329 boe/d annualized (consisting of 9,700 bbl/d of light crude oil and medium crude oil, 46,760 bbl/d of heavy crude oil and 5,214 mcf/d of conventional natural gas).
    (3) Calculated by dividing the amount of the relevant reserves category by estimated average Q4 2024 production of 45,297 boe/d annualized (consisting of 9,550 bbl/d of light crude oil and medium crude oil, 34,882 bbl/d of heavy crude oil and 5,190 mcf/d of conventional natural gas).

    Future Development Capital (“FDC”) (000s)(1)

    Reserve Category 2025 2026 2027 2028 2029+ Total FDC Total
    FDC/boe
    PDP $ 23,467 $ $ $ $ $ 23,467 $ 0.33
    1P $ 239,609 $ 113,210 $ 73,861 $ 13,000 $ 622 $ 440,302 $ 3.93
    2P $ 241,934 $ 157,800 $ 157,181 $ 17,166 $ 21,317 $ 595,398 $ 3.51

    (1) FDC are stated in USD, undiscounted and based on GLJ January 1, 2025 price forecasts.

    Summary of Reserve Metrics – Company Gross

        2024 3-Year
      PDP 1P 2P PDP 1P 2P
    F&D Costs ($/boe)(1) 45.60 36.11 169.52 27.90 36.91 122.51
    FD&A Costs ($/boe)(1) 45.60 24.75 21.09 27.90 32.21 49.94
    Recycle Ratio – F&D(1) 0.9 x 1.1 x 0.2 x 1.7 x 1.3 x 0.4 x
    Recycle Ratio – FD&A(1) 0.9 x 1.7 x 2.0 x 1.7 x 1.5 x 1.0 x

    (1) Non-GAAP ratio. See “Non-GAAP and Other Financial Measures Advisory”.

    Non-GAAP and Other Financial Measures Advisory

    This press release uses various “non-GAAP financial measures”, “non-GAAP ratios”, “supplementary financial measures” and “capital management measures” (as such terms are defined in NI 52-112), which are described in further detail below. Such measures are not standardized financial measures under IFRS and might not be comparable to similar financial measures disclosed by other issuers. Investors are cautioned that non-GAAP financial measures should not be construed as alternatives to or more meaningful than the most directly comparable GAAP measures as indicators of Parex’s performance.

    These measures facilitate management’s comparisons to the Company’s historical operating results in assessing its results and strategic and operational decision-making and may be used by financial analysts and others in the oil and natural gas industry to evaluate the Company’s performance. Further, management believes that such financial measures are useful supplemental information to analyze operating performance and provide an indication of the results generated by the Company’s principal business activities.

    Set forth below is a description of the non-GAAP financial measures, non-GAAP ratios, supplementary financial measures and capital management measures used in this press release.

    Non-GAAP Financial Measures

    Capital expenditures, is a non-GAAP financial measure which the Company uses to describe its capital costs associated with oil and gas expenditures. The measure considers both property, plant and equipment expenditures and exploration and evaluation asset expenditures which are items in the Company’s statement of cash flows for the period and is calculated as follows:

      For the three months ended   For the year ended
      December 31,   September 30,   December 31,
    ($000s)   2024     2023     2024     2024     2023     2022
    Property, plant and equipment expenditures $ 62,799   $ 50,753   $ 68,406   $ 221,250   $ 310,933   $ 389,979
    Exploration and evaluation expenditures   19,311     40,666     13,961     126,445     172,410     122,273
    Capital expenditures $ 82,110   $ 91,419   $ 82,367   $ 347,695   $ 483,343   $ 512,252


    Free funds flow,
    is a non-GAAP financial measure that is determined by funds flow provided by operations less capital expenditures. The Company considers free funds flow to be a key measure as it demonstrates Parex’s ability to fund returns of capital, such as the normal course issuer bid and dividends, without accessing outside funds and is calculated as follows:

      For the three months ended     For the year ended
     
      December 31,   September 30,     December 31,
     
    ($000s)   2024     2023     2024       2024     2023     2022  
    Cash provided by operating activities $ 67,847   $ 194,242     $ 181,874     $ 569,915   $ 376,471   $ 983,602  
    Net change in non-cash assets and liabilities   73,354     (865 )     (30,101 )     52,318     291,311     (258,712 )
    Funds flow provided by operations   141,201     193,377       151,773       622,233     667,782     724,890  
    Capital expenditures   82,110     91,419       82,367       347,695     483,343     512,252  
    Free funds flow $ 59,091   $ 101,958     $ 69,406     $ 274,538   $ 184,439   $ 212,638  


    EBITDA,
    is a non-GAAP financial measure that is defined as net income (loss) adjusted for finance income and expense, other expenses, income tax expense (recovery) and depletion, depreciation and amortization.

    Adjusted EBITDA, is a non-GAAP financial measure defined as EBITDA adjusted for non-cash impairment charges, share-based compensation expense (recovery), unrealized foreign exchange gains (losses), and unrealized gains (losses) on risk management contracts.

    The Company considers EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA to be key measures as they demonstrate Parex’s profitability before finance income and expenses, taxes, depletion, depreciation and amortization and other non-cash items. A reconciliation from net income to EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA is as follows:

      For the three months ended
        For the year ended
     
      December 31,   September 30,     December 31,
     
    ($000s)   2024       2023       2024       2024       2023       2022  
    Net income (loss) $ (69,051 )   $ 133,783     $ 65,793     $ 60,680     $ 459,309     $ 611,368  
    Adjustments to reconcile net income (loss) to EBITDA:                      
    Finance income   (998 )     (2,067 )     (963 )     (4,315 )     (14,055 )     (9,015 )
    Finance expenses   4,318       2,878       5,676       18,408       13,834       8,393  
    Other expense   2,208       362       1,818       6,227       2,582       1,315  
    Income tax expense (recovery)   (880 )     (81,929 )     42,767       248,592       (5,070 )     191,798  
    Depletion, depreciation and amortization   53,984       57,833       52,672       215,770       194,229       149,351  
    EBITDA $ (10,419 )   $ 110,860     $ 167,763     $ 545,362     $ 650,829     $ 953,210  
    Non-cash impairment charges   137,841       85,330             142,502       142,540       103,394  
    Share-based compensation expense (recovery)   6,149       7,674       (7,994 )     1,462       30,364       19,128  
    Unrealized foreign exchange loss (gain)   2,581       (2,312 )     4,233       29,603       (6,453 )     (9,692 )
    Unrealized loss on risk management contracts   1,160                   1,160              
    Adjusted EBITDA $ 137,312     $ 201,552     $ 164,002     $ 720,089     $ 817,280     $ 1,066,040  


    Non-GAAP Ratios

    Operating netback per boe, is a non-GAAP ratio the Company considers operating netback per boe to be a key measure as it demonstrates Parex’s profitability relative to current commodity prices. Parex calculates operating netback per boe as operating netback divided by the total equivalent sales volume including purchased oil volumes for oil and natural gas sales price and transportation expense per boe and by the total equivalent sales volume and excludes purchased oil volumes for royalties and operating expense per boe.

    Funds flow provided by operations netback per boe, is a non-GAAP ratio that includes all cash generated from operating activities and is calculated before changes in non-cash working capital, divided by produced oil and natural gas sales volumes. The Company considers funds flow provided by operations netback per boe to be a key measure as it demonstrates Parex’s profitability after all cash costs relative to current commodity prices.

    Finding & Development Costs (F&D costs) per boe and Finding, Development and Acquisition Costs (FD&A costs) per boe, is a non-GAAP ratio that helps to explain the cost of finding and developing additional oil and gas reserves. F&D costs are determined by dividing capital expenditures plus the change in FDC in the period divided by BOE reserve additions in the period. FD&A costs per boe are determined by dividing capital expenditures in the period plus the change in FDC plus acquisition costs divided by BOE reserve additions in the period.

    F&D and FD&A Costs(1)   2024   3-Year
     
    ($000s) PDP   1P   2P   PDP 1P   2P  
                 
    Capital Expenditures(2) 347,695   347,695   347,695   1,343,290 1,343,290   1,343,290  
    Capital Expenditures – change in FDC (3,321 ) (69,775 ) (109,856 ) 8,730 (95,935 ) (113,170 )
    Total Capital 344,374   277,920   237,839   1,352,020 1,247,355   1,230,120  
                 
    Net Acquisitions          
    Net Acquisitions – change in FDC   164,207   168,739   168,739   164,207  
    Total Net Acquisitions   164,207   168,739   168,739   164,207  
                 
    Total Capital including Acquisitions 344,374   442,127   406,578   1,352,020 1,416,094   1,394,327  
                 
    Reserve Additions 7,552   7,697   1,403   48,459 33,797   10,041  
    Net Acquisitions Reserve Additions   10,166   17,877   10,166   17,877  
    Reserve Additions including Acquisitions (Mboe) 7,552   17,863   19,280   48,459 43,963   27,918  
                 
    F&D Costs ($/boe) 45.60   36.11   169.52   27.90 36.91   122.51  
    FD&A Costs ($/boe) 45.60   24.75   21.09   27.90 32.21   49.94  

    (1) All reserves are presented as Parex working interest before royalties.
    (2) Calculated using capital expenditures for the period ended December 31, 2024.

    Recycle ratio, is a non-GAAP ratio that measures the profit per barrel of oil to the cost of finding and developing that barrel of oil. The recycle ratio is determined by dividing the annual operating netback per boe by the F&D costs and FD&A costs in the period.

        2024   3-Year
     
      PDP 1P 2P   PDP 1P 2P  
                     
    Operating netback ($/boe) 41.30 41.30 41.30   48.43 48.43 48.43  
                     
    F&D Costs(2) ($/boe) 45.60 36.11 169.52   27.90 36.91 122.51  
    FD&A Costs(2) ($/boe) 45.60 24.75 21.09   27.90 32.21 49.94  
                     
    Recycle Ratio – F&D(1) 0.9 x 1.1 x 0.2 x   1.7 x 1.3 x 0.4 x  
    Recycle Ratio – FD&A(1) 0.9 x 1.7 x 2.0 x   1.7 x 1.5 x 1.0 x  

    (1) Recycle ratio is calculated as operating netback per boe divided by F&D or FD&A as applicable. Three-year operating netback on a per boe basis is calculated using weighted average sales volumes.

    Net Asset Value (“NAV”) per share, is a non-GAAP ratio that combines the 51-101 NPV15 value after tax with the Company’s estimated working capital at the period end date, less bank debt at the period end date, divided by common shares outstanding at the period end date. The Company uses the NAV per share as a way to reflect the Company’s value considering existing working capital on hand, less bank debt, plus the NPV15 after tax value on Oil and Gas Reserves. NAV per share is stated in CAD dollars using an exchange rate of USDCAD=1.4389. NAV is defined as total assets less total liabilities.

    Net Asset Value (“NAV”) per boe, is a non-GAAP ratio that combines the 51-101 NPV15 value after tax with the Company’s estimated working capital at the period end date, less bank debt at the period end date, divided by reserve volumes at the period end date. The Company uses the NAV per boe as a way to reflect the Company’s value considering existing working capital on hand, less bank debt, plus the NPV15 after tax value on Oil and Gas Reserves. Net asset value is defined as total assets less total liabilities.

    Basic funds flow provided by operations per share is a non-GAAP ratio that is calculated by dividing funds flow provided by operations by the weighted average number of basic shares outstanding. Parex presents basic funds flow provided by operations per share whereby per share amounts are calculated using weighted-average shares outstanding, consistent with the calculation of earnings per share.

    Capital Management Measures

    Funds flow provided by operations, is a capital management measure that includes all cash generated from operating activities and is calculated before changes in non-cash assets and liabilities. The Company considers funds flow provided by operations to be a key measure as it demonstrates Parex’s profitability after all cash costs. A reconciliation from cash provided by operating activities to funds flow provided by operations is as follows:

      For the three months ended
        For the year ended
     
      December 31,   September 30,     December 31,
     
    ($000s)   2024     2023       2024       2024     2023     2022  
    Cash provided by operating activities $ 67,847   $ 194,242     $ 181,874     $ 569,915   $ 376,471   $ 983,602  
    Net change in non-cash assets and liabilities   73,354     (865 )     (30,101 )     52,318     291,311     (258,712 )
    Funds flow provided by operations $ 141,201   $ 193,377     $ 151,773     $ 622,233   $ 667,782   $ 724,890  


    Working capital surplus,
    is a capital management measure which the Company uses to describe its liquidity position and ability to meet its short-term liabilities. Working capital surplus is defined as current assets less current liabilities.

      For the three months ended   For the year ended
      December 31,   September 30,   December 31,
    ($000s)   2024     2023     2024     2024     2023     2022
    Current assets $ 245,943   $ 337,175   $ 248,208   $ 245,943   $ 337,175   $ 593,602
    Current liabilities   186,546     258,148     210,699     186,546     258,148     508,614
    Working capital surplus $ 59,397   $ 79,027   $ 37,509   $ 59,397   $ 79,027   $ 84,988

    Supplementary Financial Measures

    “Oil and natural gas sales per boe” is determined by sales revenue excluding risk management contracts, as determined in accordance with IFRS, divided by total equivalent sales volume including purchased oil volumes.

    “Royalties per boe” is comprised of royalties, as determined in accordance with IFRS, divided by the total equivalent sales volume and excludes purchased oil volumes.

    “Net revenue per boe” is comprised of net revenue, as determined in accordance with IFRS, divided by the total equivalent sales volume and includes purchased oil volumes.

    “Production expense per boe” is comprised of production expense, as determined in accordance with IFRS, divided by the total equivalent sales volume and excludes purchased oil volumes.

    “Transportation expense per boe” is comprised of transportation expense, as determined in accordance with IFRS, divided by the total equivalent sales volumes including purchased oil volumes.

    “Dividends paid per share” is comprised of dividends declared, as determined in accordance with IFRS, divided by the number of shares outstanding at the dividend record date.

    Dividend Advisory

    The Company’s future shareholder distributions, including but not limited to the payment of dividends and the acquisition by the Company of its shares pursuant to an NCIB, if any, and the level thereof is uncertain. Any decision to pay further dividends on the common shares (including the actual amount, the declaration date, the record date and the payment date in connection therewith and any special dividends) or acquire shares of the Company will be subject to the discretion of the Board of Directors of Parex and may depend on a variety of factors, including, without limitation the Company’s business performance, financial condition, financial requirements, growth plans, expected capital requirements and other conditions existing at such future time including, without limitation, contractual restrictions and satisfaction of the solvency tests imposed on the Company under applicable corporate law. Further, the actual amount, the declaration date, the record date and the payment date of any dividend are subject to the discretion of the Board. There can be no assurance that the Company will pay dividends or repurchase any shares of the Company in the future.

    Advisory on Forward-Looking Statements

    In particular, forward-looking statements contained in this document include, but are not limited to, statements with respect to the Company’s operational and financial position; the Company’s plan, strategy and focus; the focus of the Company’s 2025 operational plan; Parex’s plan of rebuilding market confidence by delivering steady results, evolving its Colombian portfolio and strengthening its track record of shareholder returns, while also progressing towards Llanos Foothills exploration in 2026; Parex’s FY 2025 average production guidance; the anticipated Board nominees at Parex’s upcoming Meeting; the anticipated number of operating and non-operating drilling rigs that Parex will have in Q2 2025; expectations that the Company’s operations are supportive of a growing H2 2025 production profile and the Company’s anticipated activities at certain of its locations, including the anticipated timing thereof; the Company’s 2025 guidance, including anticipated Brent crude oil average price, average production, funds flow provided by operations netback, funds flow provided by operations, capital expenditures and free funds flow; the anticipated terms of the Company’s Q1 2025 regular quarterly dividend including its expectation that it will be designated as an “eligible dividend”; the anticipated date and time of Parex’s 2025 Meeting and the release of its 2024 Annual Information Form; and the anticipated date of Parex’s conference call. In addition, statements relating to “reserves” are by their nature forward-looking statements, as they involve the implied assessment, based on certain estimates and assumptions that the reserves described can be profitably produced in the future. The recovery and reserve estimates of Parex’s reserves provided herein are estimates only and there is no guarantee that the estimated reserves will be recovered.

    These forward-looking statements are subject to numerous risks and uncertainties, including but not limited to, the impact of general economic conditions in Canada and Colombia; determinations by OPEC and other countries as to production levels; volatility in commodity prices; industry conditions including changes in laws and regulations including adoption of new environmental laws and regulations, and changes in how they are interpreted and enforced, in Canada and Colombia; competition; lack of availability of qualified personnel; the results and timelines of exploration and development drilling, test, monitoring and work programs and related activities; obtaining required approvals of regulatory authorities, in Canada and Colombia; risks associated with negotiating with foreign governments as well as country risk associated with conducting international activities; volatility in market prices for oil; fluctuations in foreign exchange or interest rates; environmental risks; changes in income tax laws or changes in tax laws and incentive programs relating to the oil industry; changes to pipeline capacity; ability to access sufficient capital from internal and external sources; risk that Parex’s evaluation of its existing portfolio of development and exploration opportunities is not consistent with its expectations; that production test results may not necessarily be indicative of long term performance or of ultimate recovery; the risk that Parex may not commence exploration activities in the Llanos Foothills area when anticipated, or at all; the risk that Parex’s FY 2025 average production may be less than anticipated; the risk that Parex may have less operating and non-operating drilling rigs in Q2 2025 than anticipated; the risk that Parex’s financial and operating results may not be consistent with its expectations; the risk that the Company may not release its Annual Information Form or hold its 2025 Meeting when anticipated; the risk that Parex may not have sufficient financial resources in the future to provide distributions to its shareholders; the risk that the Board may not declare dividends in the future or that Parex’s dividend policy changes;and other factors, many of which are beyond the control of the Company. Readers are cautioned that the foregoing list of factors is not exhaustive. Additional information on these and other factors that could affect Parex’s operations and financial results are included in reports on file with Canadian securities regulatory authorities and may be accessed through the SEDAR+ website (www.sedarplus.ca).

    Although the forward-looking statements contained in this document are based upon assumptions which Management believes to be reasonable, the Company cannot assure investors that actual results will be consistent with these forward-looking statements. With respect to forward-looking statements contained in this document, Parex has made assumptions regarding, among other things: current and anticipated commodity prices and royalty regimes; availability of skilled labour; timing and amount of capital expenditures; future exchange rates; the price of oil, including the anticipated Brent oil prices; the impact of increasing competition; conditions in general economic and financial markets; availability of drilling and related equipment; effects of regulation by governmental agencies; receipt of partner, regulatory and community approvals; royalty rates; future operating costs; uninterrupted access to areas of Parex’s operations and infrastructure; recoverability of reserves and future production rates; the status of litigation; timing of drilling and completion of wells; on-stream timing of production from successful exploration wells; operational performance of non-operated producing fields; pipeline capacity; that Parex will have sufficient cash flow, debt or equity sources or other financial resources required to fund its capital and operating expenditures and requirements as needed; that Parex’s conduct and results of operations will be consistent with its expectations; that Parex will have the ability to develop its oil and gas properties in the manner currently contemplated; that Parex’s evaluation of its existing portfolio of development and exploration opportunities is consistent with its expectations; current or, where applicable, proposed industry conditions, laws and regulations will continue in effect or as anticipated as described herein; that the estimates of Parex’s production and reserves volumes and the assumptions related thereto (including commodity prices and development costs) are accurate in all material respects; that Parex will be able to obtain contract extensions or fulfill the contractual obligations required to retain its rights to explore, develop and exploit any of its undeveloped properties; that Parex will have sufficient financial resources in the future to pay a dividend and repurchase its shares in the future; that the Board will declare dividends in the future; and other matters.

    Management has included the above summary of assumptions and risks related to forward-looking information provided in this document in order to provide shareholders with a more complete perspective on Parex’s current and future operations and such information may not be appropriate for other purposes. Parex’s actual results, performance or achievement could differ materially from those expressed in, or implied by, these forward-looking statements and, accordingly, no assurance can be given that any of the events anticipated by the forward-looking statements will transpire or occur, or if any of them do, what benefits Parex will derive. These forward-looking statements are made as of the date of this document and Parex disclaims any intent or obligation to update publicly any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or results or otherwise, other than as required by applicable securities laws.

    This press release contains information that may be considered a financial outlook under applicable securities laws about the Company potential financial position, including, but not limited to: the Company’s 2025 guidance, including anticipated funds flow provided by operations netback, funds flow provided by operations, capital expenditures and free funds flow; and the anticipated terms of the Company’s Q1 2025 regular quarterly dividend including its expectation that it will be designated as an “eligible dividend”. Such financial outlook has been prepared by Parex’s management to provide an outlook of the Company’s activities and results. The financial outlook has been prepared based on a number of assumptions including the assumptions discussed above and assumptions with respect to the costs and expenditures to be incurred by the Company, including capital equipment and operating costs, foreign exchange rates, taxation rates for the Company, general and administrative expenses and the prices to be paid for the Company’s production.

    Management does not have firm commitments for all of the costs, expenditures, prices or other financial assumptions used to prepare the financial outlook or assurance that such operating results will be achieved and, accordingly, the complete financial effects of all of those costs, expenditures, prices and operating results are not objectively determinable. The actual results of operations of the Company and the resulting financial results will likely vary from the amounts set forth in the analysis presented in this press release, and such variations may be material. The Company and Management believe that the financial outlook has been prepared on a reasonable basis, reflecting the best estimates and judgments, and represent, to the best of Management’s knowledge, Parex’s expected expenditures and results of operations. However, because this information is highly subjective and subject to numerous risks including the risks discussed above, it should not be relied on as necessarily indicative of future results. Except as required by applicable securities laws, the Company undertakes no obligation to update such financial outlook. The financial outlook contained in this press release was made as of the date of this press release and was provided for the purpose of providing further information about the Company’s potential future business operations. Readers are cautioned that the financial outlook contained in this press release is not conclusive and is subject to change.

    The following abbreviations used in this press release have the meanings set forth below:

    PDP proved developed producing
    1P proved
    2P proved plus probable
    3P proved plus probable plus possible
    bbl one barrel
    bbls barrels
    bbl/d barrels per day
    boe barrels of oil equivalent; one barrel of oil or natural gas liquids for six thousand cubic feet of natural gas
    boe/d barrels of oil equivalent per day
    mbbl thousands of barrels
    mboe thousand barrels of oil equivalent
    mcf thousand cubic feet
    mcf/d thousand cubic feet per day
    mmboe one million barrels of oil equivalent
    mmcf one million cubic feet
    W.I. working interest

    PDF available: 

    http://ml.globenewswire.com/Resource/Download/dc94d190-6b5f-48f2-9d09-33ac94624887

    The MIL Network

  • MIL-OSI: Standard Lithium to Attend 37th Annual Roth Conference

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    VANCOUVER, British Columbia, March 05, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Standard Lithium Ltd. (“Standard Lithium”) (TSXV:SLI) (NYSE:A:SLI), a leading near-commercial lithium developer today announced senior leadership will participate in the upcoming 37th Annual Roth Conference.

    Event   37th Annual Roth Conference
    Date March 16 – 18, 2025
    Location The Laguna Cliffs Marriott Resort & Spa, Dana Point, CA
       

    Salah Gamoudi, Chief Financial Officer and Chris Lang, Director of Finance will be hosting one-on-one meetings during the conference. Interested investors should contact their Roth representative or Standard Lithium Investor Relations at investors@standardlithium.com.

    About Standard Lithium Ltd.

    Standard Lithium is a leading near-commercial lithium development company focused on the sustainable development of a portfolio of large, high-grade lithium-brine properties in the United States. The Company prioritizes projects characterized by the highest quality resources, robust infrastructure, skilled labor, and streamlined permitting. Standard Lithium aims to achieve sustainable, commercial-scale lithium production via the application of a scalable and fully integrated Direct Lithium Extraction (“DLE”) and purification process. The Company’s flagship projects are located in the Smackover Formation, a world-class lithium brine asset, focused in Arkansas and Texas. In partnership with global energy leader Equinor, Standard Lithium is advancing the South West Arkansas project, a greenfield project located in southern Arkansas, and actively exploring promising lithium brine prospects in East Texas. Additionally, the Company is advancing the Phase 1A project in partnership with LANXESS Corporation, a brownfield development project located in southern Arkansas. Standard Lithium also holds an interest in certain mineral leases in the Mojave Desert in San Bernardino County, California.

    Standard Lithium trades on both the TSX Venture Exchange and the NYSE American under the symbol “SLI”; and on the Frankfurt Stock Exchange under the symbol “S5L”. Please visit the Company’s website at www.standardlithium.com.

    Media Contact:

    Chris Lang
    Director of Finance
    Standard Lithium Ltd.
    +1 604 409 8154
    investors@standardlithium.com 

    Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. This news release may contain certain “Forward-Looking Statements” within the meaning of the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 and applicable Canadian securities laws. When used in this news release, the words “anticipate”, “believe”, “estimate”, “expect”, “target, “plan”, “forecast”, “may”, “schedule” and other similar words or expressions identify forward-looking statements or information. These forward-looking statements or information may relate to intended development timelines, future prices of commodities, accuracy of mineral or resource exploration activity, reserves or resources, regulatory or government requirements or approvals, the reliability of third party information, continued access to mineral properties or infrastructure, fluctuations in the market for lithium and its derivatives, changes in exploration costs and government regulation in Canada and the United States, and other factors or information. Such statements represent the Company’s current views with respect to future events and are necessarily based upon a number of assumptions and estimates that, while considered reasonable by the Company, are inherently subject to significant business, economic, competitive, political and social risks, contingencies and uncertainties. Many factors, both known and unknown, could cause results, performance or achievements to be materially different from the results, performance or achievements that are or may be expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. The Company does not intend, and does not assume any obligation, to update these forward-looking statements or information to reflect changes in assumptions or changes in circumstances or any other events affecting such statements and information other than as required by applicable laws, rules and regulations.

    The MIL Network

  • MIL-OSI: Stack Capital Group Inc. Invests $10 Million USD Into CoreWeave

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    TORONTO, March 05, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Stack Capital Group Inc. (TSX:STCK) (“Stack Capital”), an investment holding company that invests in equity, debt and/or other securities of leading growth-to-late-stage private businesses, is pleased to announce that it has invested $10 million USD into CoreWeave, Inc. (“CoreWeave” or the “Company”), a leading cloud-based AI infrastructure company that provides GPU-accelerated data centers delivering high-performance compute capabilities with significant cost savings to its customers, many of whom are leading AI enterprises.

    CoreWeave offers scalable resources for high-compute workloads that demand intensive processing, making it easy and cost-effective for its customers to handle complex computing tasks without having to invest heavily in their own hardware. Its servers, storage, and networking solutions deliver best-in-class performance that is up to 35 times faster and 80% less expensive than those offered by generalized public cloud peers. From advanced data processing used in AI, machine learning, scientific research, finance, visual effects rendering, and pixel streaming, CoreWeave’s platform is designed to support a broad range of applications. By continually investing in cutting-edge GPU compute capabilities and infrastructure, the Company has managed to stay ahead of its peers, market trends and customer needs which, in turn, has served to enhance its credibility and overall reach.

    “Given its growing data center presence across the United States, Europe, and Canada, CoreWeave is extremely well-positioned to continue capitalizing on accelerating global demand for AI infrastructure and compute capabilities,” said Jeff Parks, CEO of Stack Capital. “With leading AI enterprises such as Microsoft, Nvidia, Meta, and Cohere already in the fold, and a recently announced IPO filing, it’s an exciting time to be an investor in CoreWeave, as well as Stack Capital.”

    About Stack Capital

    Stack Capital is an investment holding company and its business objective is to invest in equity, debt, and/or other securities of growth-to-late-stage private businesses. Through Stack Capital, shareholders have the opportunity to gain exposure to the diversified private investment portfolio; participate in the private market; and have liquidity due to the listing of the Common Shares on the TSX. At the same time, the public structure also allows Stack Capital to focus its efforts on maximizing long-term performance through a portfolio of high growth businesses, which are not widely available to most Canadian investors. SC Partners Ltd. has taken the initiative in creating Stack Capital and acts as its administrator and is responsible to source and advise with respect to all portfolio investments.

    For more information, please visit our website or contact:

    Brian Viveiros
    VP, Corporate Development, and Investor Relations
    647.280.3307
    brian@stackcapitalgroup.com

    A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/4f420200-2890-4ef9-946d-6dfd3666374c

    The MIL Network

  • MIL-OSI USA: Station Nation: Meet Chris Wade, Visiting Vehicle Integration Manager for SpaceX Vehicles 

    Source: NASA

    Chris Wade is a visiting vehicle integration manager for SpaceX vehicles in the International Space Station Transportation Integration Office. He plays a key role in ensuring that all vehicle requirements are on track to support SpaceX missions to the space station. Chris also manages a team of real-time mission support personnel who follow launch, docking, undocking, and splashdown operations. Read on to learn about his career with NASA and more! 
    Where are you from? 
    I am from Clarksdale, Mississippi. 
    Tell us about your role at NASA.  
    I manage horizontal integration between the SpaceX vehicle provider and the Commercial Crew and International Space Station Programs. In this role, I work to ensure all vehicle requirements will close in time to support upcoming SpaceX missions to the orbiting laboratory and achieve final certification prior to launch. Additionally, as a vehicle integration manager, I manage a team of real-time mission support personnel who follow launch, docking, undocking, and splashdown operations. 

    cHRIS wade
    Visiting Vehicle Integration Manager for SpaceX Vehicles

    How would you describe your job to family or friends who may not be familiar with NASA?  
    In my current position, I am responsible for ensuring SpaceX Dragon vehicles have met all requirements to conduct missions to the space station. 
    How long have you been working for NASA?  
    I have been working at Johnson Space Center for 25 years. 
    What advice would you give to young individuals aspiring to work in the space industry or at NASA?  
    I would advise young individuals to focus their studies on the STEM fields and work hard. I would also advise aspiring candidates to start applying for NASA internships as soon as feasible and don’t be opposed to opportunities in the contractor workforce. 
    What was your path to NASA?  
    My path to NASA was through the contractor workforce. I started working in space station robotic assembly analysis for Lockheed Martin directly out of college, then later became a civil servant at NASA. 
    Is there someone in the space, aerospace, or science industry that motivated or inspired you to work for the space program? Or someone you discovered while working for NASA who inspires you?   
    The Space Shuttle Challenger STS-51-L crew motivated me to pursue a career at NASA. I vividly remember watching the launch from an elementary classroom in Mississippi and thinking, I wish I could do something to help one day. When I got an opportunity to work at Johnson, it was a no-brainer for me to accept the offer. 
    What is your favorite NASA memory?  
    My favorite NASA memory is when I saw my first rocket launch, which was HTV-1 in Kagoshima, Japan. 

    What do you love sharing about station? What’s important to get across to general audiences to help them understand its benefits to life on Earth?  
    I enjoy telling people that we have a space station that has been in low Earth orbit with people on it for nearly 25 years and we rotate crews of astronauts every six months. 
    If you could have dinner with any astronaut, past or present, who would it be?  
    I would have dinner with NASA astronaut Ron McNair. Growing up in a small southern town, my path to NASA was very similar to his. I find it fascinating how individuals from different eras can end up on similar paths in life, and I would love to have a conversation with him about the choices he made that lead to his career as an astronaut. 
    Do you have a favorite space-related memory or moment that stands out to you?  
    My favorite space-related memory is watching the SpaceX Demo-2 Crew Mission arrive at the International Space Station. That was the first launch of NASA astronauts from American soil since the Space Shuttle Program had ended almost 10 years prior.
    What are some of the key projects you’ve worked on during your time at NASA? What have been your favorite?   
    Some of the key projects I’ve worked on include: 

    Robotic assembly of the International Space Station 

    Robotic visiting vehicle capture  

    Cargo and crew dragon visiting vehicle mission certification 

    Of these, my favorite was the robotic visiting vehicle capture project. For this project, I got to work with the Canadian Space Agency and develop a method of using the space station’s robotic arm to grab unmanned visiting resupply vehicles. 

    What are your hobbies/things you enjoy outside of work?  
    Some of my favorite hobbies include running, reading, listening to audio books, and visiting family and friends back in Mississippi. 
    Day launch or night launch?   
    Day launch! 
    Favorite space movie?  
    Armageddon 
    NASA “worm” or “meatball” logo?  
    Worm 

    Every day, we’re conducting exciting research aboard our orbiting laboratory that will help us explore further into space and bring benefits back to people on Earth. You can keep up with the latest news, videos, and pictures about space station science on the Station Research & Technology news page. It’s a curated hub of space station research digital media from Johnson and other centers and space agencies.  
    Sign up for our weekly email newsletter to get the updates delivered directly to you.  
    Follow updates on social media at @ISS_Research on Twitter, and on the space station accounts on Facebook and Instagram.  

    MIL OSI USA News

  • MIL-OSI: YieldMax™ ETFs Announces Distributions on FIAT (101.61%), ULTY (82.09%), CONY (79.47%), YMAX (85.55%), YMAG (48.55%) and Others

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    CHICAGO, MILWAUKEE and NEW YORK, March 05, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — YieldMax™ today announced distributions for the YieldMax™ Weekly Payers and Group C ETFs listed in the table below.

    ETF Ticker1 ETF Name Distribution Frequency Distribution per Share Distribution Rate2,4 30-Day
    SEC Yield3
    ROC5 Ex-Date & Record Date Payment Date
    QDTY YieldMax™ Nasdaq 100 0DTE Covered Call ETF Weekly $0.1580 33.90% 3/6/25 3/7/25
    SDTY YieldMax™ S&P 500 0DTE Covered Call ETF Weekly $0.1709 100.00% 3/6/25 3/7/25
    GPTY YieldMax™ AI & Tech Portfolio Option Income ETF Weekly $0.3094 37.80% 0.00% 0.00% 3/6/25 3/7/25
    LFGY YieldMax™ Crypto Industry
    & Tech Portfolio Option Income ETF
    Weekly $0.4637 61.48% 0.00% 0.00% 3/6/25 3/7/25
    YMAX YieldMax™ Universe
    Fund of Option Income ETFs
    Weekly $0.2405 85.55% 85.03% 48.89% 3/6/25 3/7/25
    YMAG YieldMax™ Magnificent 7
    Fund of Option Income ETFs
    Weekly $0.1514 48.55% 61.87% 55.46% 3/6/25 3/7/25
    CONY YieldMax™ COIN Option Income Strategy ETF Every 4 Weeks $0.5989 79.47% 4.56% 94.78% 3/6/25 3/7/25
    FIAT YieldMax™ Short COIN Option Income Strategy ETF Every 4 Weeks $0.6834 101.61% 3.52% 96.91% 3/6/25 3/7/25
    MSFO YieldMax™ MSFT Option Income Strategy ETF Every 4 Weeks $0.2845 22.70% 3.53% 83.81% 3/6/25 3/7/25
    AMDY YieldMax™ AMD Option Income Strategy ETF Every 4 Weeks $0.2533 40.54% 4.02% 92.00% 3/6/25 3/7/25
    NFLY YieldMax™ NFLX Option Income Strategy ETF Every 4 Weeks $0.4008 29.38% 3.23% 0.00% 3/6/25 3/7/25
    ABNY YieldMax™ ABNB Option Income Strategy ETF Every 4 Weeks $0.4805 42.34% 2.98% 92.39% 3/6/25 3/7/25
    PYPY YieldMax™ PYPL Option Income Strategy ETF Every 4 Weeks $0.3773 35.98% 4.20% 90.73% 3/6/25 3/7/25
    ULTY* YieldMax™ Ultra Option Income Strategy ETF Every 4 Weeks $0.4653 82.09% 0.00% 78.20% 3/6/25 3/7/25
    CVNY YieldMax™ CVNA Option Income Strategy ETF Every 4 Weeks $3.9149 96.80% 3/6/25 3/7/25
    Weekly Payers & Group D ETFs scheduled for next week: ULTY QDTY SDTY GPTY LFGY YMAX YMAG MSTY YQQQ AMZY APLY AIYY DISO SQY SMCY
     

    Performance data quoted represents past performance and is no guarantee of future results. Investment return and principal value of an investment will fluctuate so that an investor’s shares, when sold or redeemed, may be worth more or less than their original cost and current performance may be lower or higher than the performance quoted above. Performance current to the most recent month-end can be obtained by calling (833) 378-0717.

    Note: DIPS, FIAT, CRSH and YQQQ are hereinafter referred to as the “Short ETFs.”

    Distributions are not guaranteed.   The Distribution Rate and 30-Day SEC Yield are not indicative of future distributions, if any, on the ETFs. In particular, future distributions on any ETF may differ significantly from its Distribution Rate or 30-Day SEC Yield. You are not guaranteed a distribution under the ETFs. Distributions for the ETFs (if any) are variable and may vary significantly from period to period and may be zero. Accordingly, the Distribution Rate and 30-Day SEC Yield will change over time, and such change may be significant.

    Investors in the Funds will not have rights to receive dividends or other distributions with respect to the underlying reference asset(s).

    *Starting March 12, 2025, ULTY intends to distribute weekly income to shareholders. The dates for ULTY ’s future distributions will be those set forth in the YieldMax Distribution Schedule.

    1All YieldMax™ ETFs shown in the table above (except YMAX, YMAG, FEAT, FIVY and ULTY) have a gross expense ratio of 0.99%. YMAX, YMAG and FEAT have a Management Fee of 0.29% and Acquired Fund Fees and Expenses of 0.99% for a gross expense ratio of 1.28%. FIVY has a Management Fee of 0.29% and Acquired Fund Fees and Expenses of 0.59% for a gross expense ratio of 0.88%. “Acquired Fund Fees and Expenses” are indirect fees and expenses that the Fund incurs from investing in the shares of other investment companies, namely other YieldMax™ ETFs. ULTY has a gross expense ratio after the fee waiver of 1.30%. The Advisor has agreed to a fee waiver of 0.10% through at least February 28, 2026.   
    2The Distribution Rate shown is as of close on March 4, 2025. The Distribution Rate is the annual distribution rate an investor would receive if the most recent distribution, which includes option income, remained the same going forward. The Distribution Rate is calculated by annualizing an ETF’s Distribution per Share and dividing such annualized amount by the ETF’s most recent NAV. The Distribution Rate represents a single distribution from the ETF and does not represent its total return. Distributions may also include a combination of ordinary dividends, capital gain, and return of investor capital, which may decrease an ETF’s NAV and trading price over time. As a result, an investor may suffer significant losses to their investment. These Distribution Rates may be caused by unusually favorable market conditions and may not be sustainable. Such conditions may not continue to exist and there should be no expectation that this performance may be repeated in the future.
    3 The 30-Day SEC Yield represents net investment income, which excludes option income, earned by such ETF over the 30-Day period ended February 28, 2025, expressed as an annual percentage rate based on such ETF’s share price at the end of the 30-Day period.
    4 Each ETF’s strategy (except those of the Short ETFs) will cap potential gains if its reference asset’s shares increase in value, yet subjects an investor to all potential losses if the reference asset’s shares decrease in value. Such potential losses may not be offset by income received by the ETF. Each Short ETF’s strategy will cap potential gains if its reference asset decreases in value, yet subjects an investor to all potential losses if the reference asset increases in value. Such potential losses may not be offset by income received by the ETF.
    5 ROC refers to Return of Capital. The ROC percentage is the portion of the distribution that represents an investor’s original investment.

    Each Fund has a limited operating history and while each Fund’s objective is to provide current income, there is no guarantee the Fund will make a distribution. Distributions are likely to vary greatly in amount.

    Standardized Performance

    For YMAX, click here. For YMAG, click here. For TSLY, click here. For OARK, click here. For APLY, click here. For NVDY, click here. For AMZY, click here. For FBY, click here. For GOOY, click here. For NFLY, click here. For CONY, click here. For MSFO, click here. For DISO, click here. For XOMO, click here. For JPMO, click here. For AMDY, click here. For PYPY, click here. For SQY, click here. For MRNY, click here. For AIYY, click here. For MSTY, click here. For ULTY, click here. For YBIT, click here. For CRSH, click here. For GDXY, click here. For SNOY, click here. For ABNY, click here. For FIAT, click here. For DIPS, click here. For BABO, click here. For YQQQ, click here. For TSMY, click here. For SMCY, click here. For PLTY, click here. For BIGY, click here. For SOXY, click here. For MARO, click here. For FEAT, click here. For FIVY, click here. For LFGY, click here. For GPTY, click here. For CVNY, click here. For SDTY, click here. For QDTY, click here.

    Important Information

    This material must be preceded or accompanied by the prospectus. For all prospectuses, click here.

    Tidal Financial Group is the adviser for all YieldMax™ ETFs.

    THE FUND, TRUST, AND ADVISER ARE NOT AFFILIATED WITH ANY UNDERLYING REFERENCE ASSET.

    Risk Disclosures (applicable to all YieldMax ETFs referenced above, except the Short ETFs)

    YMAX, YMAG, FEAT and FIVY generally invest in other YieldMax™ ETFs. As such, these two Funds are subject to the risks listed in this section, which apply to all the YieldMax™ ETFs they may hold from time to time.

    Investing involves risk. Principal loss is possible.

    Referenced Index Risk. The Fund invests in options contracts that are based on the value of the Index (or the Index ETFs). This subjects the Fund to certain of the same risks as if it owned shares of companies that comprised the Index or an ETF that tracks the Index, even though it does not.

    Indirect Investment Risk. The Index is not affiliated with the Trust, the Fund, the Adviser, or their respective affiliates and is not involved with this offering in any way. Investors in the Fund will not have the right to receive dividends or other distributions or any other rights with respect to the companies that comprise the Index but will be subject to declines in the performance of the Index.

    Russell 2000 Index Risks. The Index, which consists of small-cap U.S. companies, is particularly susceptible to economic changes, as these firms often have less financial resilience than larger companies. Market volatility can disproportionately affect these smaller businesses, leading to significant price swings. Additionally, these companies are often more exposed to specific industry risks and have less diverse revenue streams. They can also be more vulnerable to changes in domestic regulatory or policy environments.

    Call Writing Strategy Risk. The path dependency (i.e., the continued use) of the Fund’s call writing strategy will impact the extent that the Fund participates in the positive price returns of the underlying reference asset and, in turn, the Fund’s returns, both during the term of the sold call options and over longer periods.

    Counterparty Risk. The Fund is subject to counterparty risk by virtue of its investments in options contracts. Transactions in some types of derivatives, including options, are required to be centrally cleared (“cleared derivatives”). In a transaction involving cleared derivatives, the Fund’s counterparty is a clearing house rather than a bank or broker. Since the Fund is not a member of clearing houses and only members of a clearing house (“clearing members”) can participate directly in the clearing house, the Fund will hold cleared derivatives through accounts at clearing members.

    Derivatives Risk. Derivatives are financial instruments that derive value from the underlying reference asset or assets, such as stocks, bonds, or funds (including ETFs), interest rates or indexes. The Fund’s investments in derivatives may pose risks in addition to, and greater than, those associated with directly investing in securities or other ordinary investments, including risk related to the market, imperfect correlation with underlying investments or the Fund’s other portfolio holdings, higher price volatility, lack of availability, counterparty risk, liquidity, valuation and legal restrictions.

    Options Contracts. The use of options contracts involves investment strategies and risks different from those associated with ordinary portfolio securities transactions. The prices of options are volatile and are influenced by, among other things, actual and anticipated changes in the value of the underlying instrument, including the anticipated volatility, which are affected by fiscal and monetary policies and by national and international political, changes in the actual or implied volatility or the reference asset, the time remaining until the expiration of the option contract and economic events.

    Distribution Risk. As part of the Fund’s investment objective, the Fund seeks to provide current income. There is no assurance that the Fund will make a distribution in any given period. If the Fund does make distributions, the amounts of such distributions will likely vary greatly from one distribution to the next.

    High Portfolio Turnover Risk. The Fund may actively and frequently trade all or a significant portion of the Fund’s holdings. A high portfolio turnover rate increases transaction costs, which may increase the Fund’s expenses.

    Liquidity Risk. Some securities held by the Fund, including options contracts, may be difficult to sell or be illiquid, particularly during times of market turmoil.

    Non-Diversification Risk. Because the Fund is “non-diversified,” it may invest a greater percentage of its assets in the securities of a single issuer or a smaller number of issuers than if it was a diversified fund.

    New Fund Risk. The Fund is a recently organized management investment company with no operating history. As a result, prospective investors do not have a track record or history on which to base their investment decisions.

    Price Participation Risk. The Fund employs an investment strategy that includes the sale of call option contracts, which limits the degree to which the Fund will participate in increases in value experienced by the underlying reference asset over the Call Period.

    Single Issuer Risk. Issuer-specific attributes may cause an investment in the Fund to be more volatile than a traditional pooled investment which diversifies risk or the market generally. The value of the Fund, which focuses on an individual security (ARKK, TSLA, AAPL, NVDA, AMZN, META, GOOGL, NFLX, COIN, MSFT, DIS, XOM, JPM, AMD, PYPL, SQ, MRNA, AI, MSTR, Bitcoin ETP, GDX®, SNOW, ABNB, BABA, TSM, SMCI, PLTR, MARA, CVNA), may be more volatile than a traditional pooled investment or the market as a whole and may perform differently from the value of a traditional pooled investment or the market as a whole.

    Inflation Risk. Inflation risk is the risk that the value of assets or income from investments will be less in the future as inflation decreases the value of money. As inflation increases, the present value of the Fund’s assets and distributions, if any, may decline.

    Indirect Investment Risk. The Index is not affiliated with the Trust, the Fund, the Adviser, or their respective affiliates and is not involved with this offering in any way.

    Risk Disclosures (applicable only to GPTY)

    Artificial Intelligence Risk. Issuers engaged in artificial intelligence typically have high research and capital expenditures and, as a result, their profitability can vary widely, if they are profitable at all. The space in which they are engaged is highly competitive and issuers’ products and services may become obsolete very quickly. These companies are heavily dependent on intellectual property rights and may be adversely affected by loss or impairment of those rights. The issuers are also subject to legal, regulatory and political changes that may have a large impact on their profitability. A failure in an issuer’s product or even questions about the safety of the product could be devastating to the issuer, especially if it is the marquee product of the issuer. It can be difficult to accurately capture what qualifies as an artificial intelligence company.

    Technology Sector Risk. The Fund will invest substantially in companies in the information technology sector, and therefore the performance of the Fund could be negatively impacted by events affecting this sector. Market or economic factors impacting technology companies and companies that rely heavily on technological advances could have a significant effect on the value of the Fund’s investments. The value of stocks of information technology companies and companies that rely heavily on technology is particularly vulnerable to rapid changes in technology product cycles, rapid product obsolescence, government regulation and competition, both domestically and internationally, including competition from foreign competitors with lower production costs. Stocks of information technology companies and companies that rely heavily on technology, especially those of smaller, less-seasoned companies, tend to be more volatile than the overall market. Information technology companies are heavily dependent on patent and intellectual property rights, the loss or impairment of which may adversely affect profitability.

    Risk Disclosure (applicable only to MARO)

    Digital Assets Risk: The Fund does not invest directly in Bitcoin or any other digital assets. The Fund does not invest directly in derivatives that track the performance of Bitcoin or any other digital assets. The Fund does not invest in or seek direct exposure to the current “spot” or cash price of Bitcoin. Investors seeking direct exposure to the price of Bitcoin should consider an investment other than the Fund. Digital assets like Bitcoin, designed as mediums of exchange, are still an emerging asset class. They operate independently of any central authority or government backing and are subject to regulatory changes and extreme price volatility.

    Risk Disclosures (applicable only to BABO and TSMY)

    Currency Risk: Indirect exposure to foreign currencies subjects the Fund to the risk that currencies will decline in value relative to the U.S. dollar. Currency rates in foreign countries may fluctuate significantly over short periods of time for a number of reasons, including changes in interest rates and the imposition of currency controls or other political developments in the U.S. or abroad.

    Depositary Receipts Risk: The securities underlying BABO and TSMY are American Depositary Receipts (“ADRs”). Investment in ADRs may be less liquid than the underlying shares in their primary trading market.

    Foreign Market and Trading Risk: The trading markets for many foreign securities are not as active as U.S. markets and may have less governmental regulation and oversight.

    Foreign Securities Risk: Investments in securities of non-U.S. issuers involve certain risks that may not be present with investments in securities of U.S. issuers, such as risk of loss due to foreign currency fluctuations or to political or economic instability, as well as varying regulatory requirements applicable to investments in non-U.S. issuers. There may be less information publicly available about a non-U.S. issuer than a U.S. issuer. Non-U.S. issuers may also be subject to different regulatory, accounting, auditing, financial reporting and investor protection standards than U.S. issuers.

    Risk Disclosures (applicable only to GDXY)

    Risk of Investing in Foreign Securities. The Fund is exposed indirectly to the securities of foreign issuers selected by GDX®’s investment adviser, which subjects the Fund to the risks associated with such companies. Investments in the securities of foreign issuers involve risks beyond those associated with investments in U.S. securities.

    Risk of Investing in Gold and Silver Mining Companies. The Fund is exposed indirectly to gold and silver mining companies selected by GDX®’s investment adviser, which subjects the Fund to the risks associated with such companies.

    The Fund invests in options contracts based on the value of the VanEck Gold Miners ETF (GDX®), which subjects the Fund to some of the same risks as if it owned GDX®, as well as the risks associated with Canadian, Australian and Emerging Market Issuers, and Small-and Medium-Capitalization companies.

    Risk Disclosures (applicable only to YBIT)

    YBIT does not invest directly in Bitcoin or any other digital assets. YBIT does not invest directly in derivatives that track the performance of Bitcoin or any other digital assets. YBIT does not invest in or seek direct exposure to the current “spot” or cash price of Bitcoin. Investors seeking direct exposure to the price of Bitcoin should consider an investment other than YBIT.

    Bitcoin Investment Risk: The Fund’s indirect investment in Bitcoin, through holdings in one or more Underlying ETPs, exposes it to the unique risks of this emerging innovation. Bitcoin’s price is highly volatile, and its market is influenced by the changing Bitcoin network, fluctuating acceptance levels, and unpredictable usage trends.

    Digital Assets Risk: Digital assets like Bitcoin, designed as mediums of exchange, are still an emerging asset class. They operate independently of any central authority or government backing and are subject to regulatory changes and extreme price volatility. Potentially No 1940 Act Protections. As of the date of this Prospectus, there is only a single eligible Underlying ETP, and it is an investment company subject to the 1940 Act.

    Bitcoin ETP Risk: The Fund invests in options contracts that are based on the value of the Bitcoin ETP. This subjects the Fund to certain of the same risks as if it owned shares of the Bitcoin ETP, even though it does not. Bitcoin ETPs are subject, but not limited, to significant risk and heightened volatility. An investor in a Bitcoin ETP may lose their entire investment. Bitcoin ETPs are not suitable for all investors. In addition, not all Bitcoin ETPs are registered under the Investment Company Act of 1940. Those Bitcoin ETPs that are not registered under such statute are therefore not subject to the same regulations as exchange traded products that are so registered.

    Risk Disclosures (applicable only to the Short ETFs)

    Investing involves risk. Principal loss is possible.

    Price Appreciation Risk. As part of the Fund’s synthetic covered put strategy, the Fund purchases and sells call and put option contracts that are based on the value of the underlying reference asset. This strategy subjects the Fund to certain of the same risks as if it shorted the underlying reference asset, even though it does not. By virtue of the Fund’s indirect inverse exposure to changes in the value of the underlying reference asset, the Fund is subject to the risk that the value of the underlying reference asset increases. If the value of the underlying reference asset increases, the Fund will likely lose value and, as a result, the Fund may suffer significant losses.

    Put Writing Strategy Risk. The path dependency (i.e., the continued use) of the Fund’s put writing (selling) strategy will impact the extent that the Fund participates in decreases in the value of the underlying reference asset and, in turn, the Fund’s returns, both during the term of the sold put options and over longer periods.

    Purchased OTM Call Options Risk. The Fund’s strategy is subject to potential losses if the underlying reference asset increases in value, which may not be offset by the purchase of out-of-the-money (OTM) call options. The Fund purchases OTM calls to seek to manage (cap) the Fund’s potential losses from the Fund’s short exposure to the underlying reference asset if it appreciates significantly in value. However, the OTM call options will cap the Fund’s losses only to the extent that the value of the underlying reference asset increases to a level that is at or above the strike level of the purchased OTM call options. Any increase in the value of the underlying reference asset to a level that is below the strike level of the purchased OTM call options will result in a corresponding loss for the Fund. For example, if the OTM call options have a strike level that is approximately 100% above the then-current value of the underlying reference asset at the time of the call option purchase, and the value of the underlying reference asset increases by at least 100% during the term of the purchased OTM call options, the Fund will lose all its value. Since the Fund bears the costs of purchasing the OTM calls, such costs will decrease the Fund’s value and/or any income otherwise generated by the Fund’s investment strategy.

    Counterparty Risk. The Fund is subject to counterparty risk by virtue of its investments in options contracts. Transactions in some types of derivatives, including options, are required to be centrally cleared (“cleared derivatives”). In a transaction involving cleared derivatives, the Fund’s counterparty is a clearing house rather than a bank or broker. Since the Fund is not a member of clearing houses and only members of a clearing house (“clearing members”) can participate directly in the clearing house, the Fund will hold cleared derivatives through accounts at clearing members.

    Derivatives Risk. Derivatives are financial instruments that derive value from the underlying reference asset or assets, such as stocks, bonds, or funds (including ETFs), interest rates or indexes. The Fund’s investments in derivatives may pose risks in addition to, and greater than, those associated with directly investing in securities or other ordinary investments, including risk related to the market, imperfect correlation with underlying investments or the Fund’s other portfolio holdings, higher price volatility, lack of availability, counterparty risk, liquidity, valuation and legal restrictions.

    Options Contracts. The use of options contracts involves investment strategies and risks different from those associated with ordinary portfolio securities transactions. The prices of options are volatile and are influenced by, among other things, actual and anticipated changes in the value of the underlying reference asset, including the anticipated volatility, which are affected by fiscal and monetary policies and by national and international political, changes in the actual or implied volatility or the reference asset, the time remaining until the expiration of the option contract and economic events.

    Distribution Risk. As part of the Fund’s investment objective, the Fund seeks to provide current income. There is no assurance that the Fund will make a distribution in any given period. If the Fund does make distributions, the amounts of such distributions will likely vary greatly from one distribution to the next.

    High Portfolio Turnover Risk. The Fund may actively and frequently trade all or a significant portion of the Fund’s holdings.

    Liquidity Risk. Some securities held by the Fund, including options contracts, may be difficult to sell or be illiquid, particularly during times of market turmoil.

    Non-Diversification Risk. Because the Fund is “non-diversified,” it may invest a greater percentage of its assets in the securities of a single issuer or a smaller number of issuers than if it was a diversified fund.

    New Fund Risk. The Fund is a recently organized management investment company with no operating history. As a result, prospective investors do not have a track record or history on which to base their investment decisions.

    Price Participation Risk. The Fund employs an investment strategy that includes the sale of put option contracts, which limits the degree to which the Fund will participate in decreases in value experienced by the underlying reference asset over the Put Period.

    Single Issuer Risk. Issuer-specific attributes may cause an investment in the Fund to be more volatile than a traditional pooled investment which diversifies risk or the market generally. The value of the Fund, for any Fund that focuses on an individual security (e.g., TSLA, COIN, NVDA), may be more volatile than a traditional pooled investment or the market as a whole and may perform differently from the value of a traditional pooled investment or the market as a whole.

    Inflation Risk. Inflation risk is the risk that the value of assets or income from investments will be less in the future as inflation decreases the value of money. As inflation increases, the present value of the Fund’s assets and distributions, if any, may decline.

    Risk Disclosures (applicable only to YQQQ)

    Index Overview. The Nasdaq 100 Index is a benchmark index that includes 100 of the largest non-financial companies listed on the Nasdaq Stock Market, based on market capitalization.

    Index Level Appreciation Risk. As part of the Fund’s synthetic covered put strategy, the Fund purchases and sells call and put option contracts that are based on the Index level. This strategy subjects the Fund to certain of the same risks as if it shorted the Index, even though it does not. By virtue of the Fund’s indirect inverse exposure to changes in the Index level, the Fund is subject to the risk that the Index level increases. If the Index level increases, the Fund will likely lose value and, as a result, the Fund may suffer significant losses. The Fund may also be subject to the following risks: innovation and technological advancement; strong market presence of Index constituent companies; adaptability to global market trends; and resilience and recovery potential.

    Index Level Participation Risk. The Fund employs an investment strategy that includes the sale of put option contracts, which limits the degree to which the Fund will benefit from decreases in the Index level experienced over the Put Period. This means that if the Index level experiences a decrease in value below the strike level of the sold put options during a Put Period, the Fund will likely not experience that increase to the same extent and any Fund gains may significantly differ from the level of the Index losses over the Put Period. Additionally, because the Fund is limited in the degree to which it will participate in decreases in value experienced by the Index level over each Put Period, but has significant negative exposure to any increases in value experienced by the Index level over the Put Period, the NAV of the Fund may decrease over any given period. The Fund’s NAV is dependent on the value of each options portfolio, which is based principally upon the inverse of the performance of the Index level. The Fund’s ability to benefit from the Index level decreases will depend on prevailing market conditions, especially market volatility, at the time the Fund enters into the sold put option contracts and will vary from Put Period to Put Period. The value of the options contracts is affected by changes in the value and dividend rates of component companies that comprise the Index, changes in interest rates, changes in the actual or perceived volatility of the Index and the remaining time to the options’ expiration, as well as trading conditions in the options market. As the Index level changes and time moves towards the expiration of each Put Period, the value of the options contracts, and therefore the Fund’s NAV, will change. However, it is not expected for the Fund’s NAV to directly inversely correlate on a day-to-day basis with the returns of the Index level. The amount of time remaining until the options contract’s expiration date affects the impact that the value of the options contracts has on the Fund’s NAV, which may not be in full effect until the expiration date of the Fund’s options contracts. Therefore, while changes in the Index level will result in changes to the Fund’s NAV, the Fund generally anticipates that the rate of change in the Fund’s NAV will be different than the inverse of the changes experienced by the Index level.

    YieldMax™ ETFs are distributed by Foreside Fund Services, LLC. Foreside is not affiliated with Tidal Financial Group, or YieldMax™ ETFs.

    © 2025 YieldMax™ ETFs

    The MIL Network

  • MIL-OSI: NuVista Energy Ltd. Announces Record Year End 2024 Reserves, Financial and Operating Results

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    CALGARY, Alberta, March 05, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — NuVista Energy Ltd. (“NuVista” or the “Company“) (TSX: NVA) is pleased to announce record-setting reserves and strong financial and operating results for the three months and year ended December 31, 2024. The repeatable, predictable and profitable nature of our assets have once again underpinned significant growth in our reserves. Continued success in the Lower Montney and sanctioning of our Gold Creek area expansion have set the stage for continued growth toward 125,000 Boe/d. We are entering 2025 in a strong financial position with operational momentum and a commitment to shareholder returns. We are pleased to reaffirm our annual capital and production guidance for the year.

    Operational and Financial Highlights

    During the fourth quarter and year ended December 31, 2024, NuVista:

    • Produced an average of 85,635 Boe/d in the fourth quarter, exceeding our guidance range of 83,000 – 84,000 Boe/d. We achieved our highest-ever annual average production of 83,084 Boe/d, an 8% increase from 2023. Annual production composition aligned with guidance, with a volume weighting of 30% condensate, 9% NGLs and 61% natural gas;
    • Successfully executed a capital expenditure(2) program, investing $498.9 million in well and facility activities, including the drilling of 43 wells and the completion of 38 wells throughout the year. Fourth quarter, capital expenditures totaled $71.1 million, with 9 wells drilled;
    • Delivered annual adjusted funds flow(1) of $552.2 million ($2.68/share, basic(3)), with adjusted funds flow from the fourth quarter contributing $137.1 million ($0.67/share, basic);
    • Generated free adjusted funds flow(2) of $39.6 million for the year ($0.19/share, basic(3));
    • Repurchased and cancelled 5.9 million common shares in 2024 at an average price of $12.52 per common share, for a total cost of $74.4 million. Since the inception of the Company’s normal course issuer bid (“NCIB”) in 2022, we have repurchased and cancelled 36.5 million common shares for an aggregate cost of $438.3 million or $12.01 per share;
    • Exited the year with $5.4 million drawn on our $450 million credit facility and net debt(1) of $232.5 million, maintaining a favorable net debt to annualized fourth quarter adjusted funds flow(1) ratio of 0.4x;
    • Achieved annual net earnings of $305.7 million ($1.48/share, basic), including $99.2 million ($0.48/share, basic) in the fourth quarter;
    • Added LNG sales to our natural gas diversification portfolio by gaining exposure to the Japan/Korea marker (“JKM”) through a netback agreement with Trafigura based on 21,000 MMbtu/d of LNG for a period of up to thirteen years commencing January 1, 2027; and
    • Recognized as part of the TSX30 for the third consecutive year. The TSX30 recognizes the thirty top-performing companies on the Toronto Stock Exchange (“TSX”) over the prior three-year period (see www.tsx.com/tsx30). We ranked a notable sixth place overall.

    Notes:

    (1) Each of “adjusted funds flow”, “net debt” and “net debt to annualized fourth quarter adjusted funds flow” are capital management measures. Reference should be made to the section entitled “Non-GAAP and Other Financial Measures” in this press release.
    (2) Each of “free adjusted funds flow” and “capital expenditures” are non-GAAP financial measures that do not have any standardized meanings under IFRS Accounting Standards and therefore may not be comparable to similar measures presented by other companies where similar terminology is used. Reference should be made to the section entitled “Non-GAAP and Other Financial Measures” in this press release.
    (3) Each of “adjusted funds flow per share” and “free adjusted funds flow per share” are supplementary financial measures. Reference should be made to the section entitled “Non-GAAP and Other Financial Measures” in this press release.
       

    Significant Profitable and Repeatable Reserves Growth

    NuVista is pleased to announce the results of our year end 2024 independent reserves evaluation conducted by GLJ Ltd. (“GLJ”) effective as at December 31, 2024 (the “GLJ Report”). NuVista’s proven track record of continuous improvement, along with the substantial depth and quality of our undeveloped resources, reinforces our ability to deliver sustained shareholder returns in our journey to 125,000 Boe/d.

    Our GLJ Report includes the following key accomplishments:

    • Reported Proved Developed Producing (“PDP”) reserves of 177.3 MMBoe, a year-over-year increase of 9%, or a 12% increase on a per share basis, driven by a successful 2024 development program and 2% positive technical revisions due to new well outperformance;
    • Recorded Total Proved plus Probable (“TP+PA”) reserves of 779.7 MMBoe, a year-over-year increase of 21%, or a 24% increase on a per share basis, attributed to the continued success in NuVista’s multi-layer Montney development in Pipestone and successful Lower and Upper Montney delineation in Wapiti;
    • Replaced 150% and 550% of 2024 production on a PDP and TP+PA basis(1), respectively, reflecting the success of our 2024 capital program and continued expansion of our undeveloped location inventory;
    • Delivered PDP Finding, Development and Acquisition Cost (“FD&A”)(1) of $11.13/Boe that exceeded our expectations due to well outperformance and cost reductions;
    • Achieved a PDP recycle ratio(1) of 1.8x based on our 2024 operating netback(1);
    • TP+PA FD&A was $6.97/Boe, driven by the planned expansion of our infrastructure to 125,000 Boe/d and a 26% increase in undeveloped TP+PA drilling locations;
    • Total developed wells increased by 42 to 395, while the total undeveloped drilling locations increased by 9 to 1,189, which reflects over 25 years of development at the current pace(3); and
    • PDP, TP, and TP+PA before-tax net present value, discounted at 10% (NPV10)(2), are $10.01, $20.56, and $30.11 per share, respectively, at December 31, 2024, reflecting the underlying value of our assets.

    Notes:

    (1) Each of “reserve replacement”, “FD&A costs”, “recycle ratio” and “operating netback” are non-GAAP financial ratios. See “Oil and Gas Advisories” and “Non-GAAP and Other Financial Measures” in this press release for information relating to these specified financial measures.
    (2) Reference to “net present value per share” is a supplementary financial measure. Reference should be made to the section entitled “Non-GAAP and Other Financial Measures” in this press release.
    (3) Total undeveloped locations include 422 undeveloped proved plus probable drilling locations and 767 undeveloped contingent resource drilling locations. See “Oil and Gas Advisories”.
       

    The detailed summary of our year end 2024 reserves disclosure and other oil and gas information is included below, and further information will be included in our Annual Information Form which will be filed on or before March 28, 2025 on SEDAR+ at www.sedarplus.ca.

    Return of Capital to Shareholders and Balance Sheet Strength

    NuVista’s approach to capital allocation is focused on the compounding effect of absolute growth and a reduction in our outstanding common shares to produce industry leading total returns. We intend to allocate a minimum of $100 million in 2025, to the repurchase of the Company’s common shares pursuant to our NCIB and will allocate at least 75% of any incremental free adjusted funds flow towards additional share repurchases.

    We ended the year in a position of low debt and significant financial flexibility. As at December 31, 2024, our net debt was $232.5 million, well below our soft ceiling of approximately $350 million. We were minimally drawn on our $450 million covenant-based credit facility, at $5.4 million, with a net debt to annualized fourth quarter adjusted funds flow ratio of 0.4x. The net debt soft ceiling ensures that based on current production levels, our net debt to adjusted funds flow ratio remains at or below 1.0x in a stress test price environment of US$45/Bbl WTI and US$2.00/MMBtu NYMEX.

    We remain focused on our disciplined and value-adding growth strategy, and providing significant shareholder returns. We continue to view share repurchases as the most effective initial method of returning capital to shareholders and will reassess this approach as our growth plan progresses.

    Operations and 2025 Guidance

    Operations through the end of the year and into the first quarter of 2025 have progressed well. Consistent utilization of our two drilling rigs continues to pay dividends with new spud to rig release records being set. Completion operations kicked off again in January and despite extremely frigid temperatures, pumping efficiency has come in better than planned. With strong execution thus far in 2025 capital costs are trending below budget and we are forecasting a well cost reduction of 3% year-over-year.

    In Wapiti, we brought on a 5-well pad in Bilbo in January, which targeted three benches, including a Lower Montney, initial results from the pad are encouraging and in-line with expectations. We have finished drilling a 5-well pad in Elmworth, which is slated to come on-stream during the second quarter. In Gold Creek we are drilling a 4-well pad, including two Lower Montney wells, which is expected to come on-stream later in the second quarter. Notably, the 6-well pad between Gold Creek and Elmworth, which was co-developed across the entire stack of 4 zones, has reached its IP90 milestone producing on average 1,500 Boe/d per well, including 33% condensate. Importantly, the Lower Montney has performed in-line with the other benches. In Pipestone, we are completing a 14-well pad that is expected to come on-stream in the second quarter. Additionally, we are drilling an 8-well pad that is expected to come on-stream in the third quarter.

    Production in January and February has been trending favorably, we forecast first quarter production to average 87,000 – 88,000 Boe/d. As exhibited above we have material production additions slated to come on-line in the coming months. As previously communicated, the majority of our 2025 growth will come from the Pipestone area with the start-up of a third-party gas plant (“Pipestone Plant”), which is expected to be online during the second quarter. The Pipestone Plant will unlock approximately 8,000 – 10,000 Boe/d of additional productive capacity for NuVista. Given the performance of our base assets and current outlook, we anticipate our annual production to average approximately 92,000 Boe/d, assuming a second quarter start-up of the Pipestone Plant. If this start-up is delayed into the fourth quarter of the year, our expected annual average production will be approximately 88,000 Boe/d. Consequently, this range allows us to reiterate our annual production guidance of approximately 90,000 Boe/d.

    Further we reaffirm our annual capital expenditure guidance target of approximately $450 million, which will allow us to continue to prioritize at least a triple-digit return of capital to shareholders through the repurchase of our outstanding common shares.

    We are fortunate that our business has the flexibility, superior asset quality and underlying balance sheet strength to afford this. We intend to continue our track record of carefully directing free adjusted funds flow towards a prudent balance of capital return to shareholders and debt reduction, while investing in high return growth projects. NuVista’s top quality asset base, deep inventory, and management’s relentless focus on value maximization supports our medium-term plans for value-adding growth to the plateau level of 125,000 Boe/d. We will continue to closely monitor and adjust to the environment to maximize the value of our asset base and ensure the long-term sustainability of our business. We would like to thank our staff, contractors, and suppliers for their continued dedication and delivery, and we thank our Board of Directors and our shareholders for their continued guidance and support.

    The 2025 guidance does not include any potential impact of tariffs or trade-related regulations that have been announced by the U.S. and Canada, including the tariffs imposed by the U.S. on Canada effective March 4, 2025. See “Advisory regarding forward-looking information and statements”. Please note that our corporate presentation will be available at www.nuvistaenergy.com on March 5, 2025. NuVista’s audited financial statements, notes to the financial statements and management’s discussion and analysis for the year ended December 31, 2024, will be filed on SEDAR+ (www.sedarplus.ca) on March 5, 2025 and can also be obtained at www.nuvistaenergy.com.

                             
    FINANCIAL AND OPERATING HIGHLIGHTS
      Three months ended December 31 Year ended December 31
    ($ thousands, except otherwise stated) 2024 2023 % Change 2024 2023 % Change
    FINANCIAL            
    Petroleum and natural gas revenues 281,454   365,497   (23 ) 1,215,234   1,398,097   (13 )
    Cash provided by operating activities 135,831   211,761   (36 ) 600,253   721,342   (17 )
    Adjusted funds flow (3)(7) 137,059   201,987   (32 ) 552,196   756,943   (27 )
    Per share, basic (6) 0.67   0.95   (29 ) 2.68   3.50   (23 )
    Per share, diluted (6) 0.66   0.93   (29 ) 2.64   3.40   (22 )
    Net earnings 99,152   89,513   11   305,718   367,678   (17 )
    Per share, basic 0.48   0.42   14   1.48   1.70   (13 )
    Per share, diluted 0.48   0.41   17   1.46   1.65   (12 )
    Total assets       3,450,419   3,058,053   13  
    Net capital expenditures (1) 71,090   113,258   (37 ) 498,876   518,294   (4 )
    Net debt (3)       232,503   183,551   27  
    OPERATING            
    Daily Production            
    Natural gas (MMcf/d) 327.1   310.5   5   304.3   276.0   10  
    Condensate (Bbls/d) 22,657   26,889   (16 ) 24,709   24,633    
    NGLs (Bbls/d) 8,455   7,287   16   7,661   6,545   17  
    Total (Boe/d) 85,635   85,924     83,084   77,185   8  
    Condensate & NGLs weighting 36 % 40 %   39 % 40 %  
    Condensate weighting (8) 26 % 31 %   30 % 32 %  
    Average realized selling prices (5)            
    Natural gas ($/Mcf) 2.78   3.45   (19 ) 2.51   4.19   (40 )
    Condensate ($/Bbl) 83.58   99.20   (16 ) 94.83   100.02   (5 )
    NGLs ($/Bbl) (4) 30.38   32.46   (6 ) 27.86   31.80   (12 )
    Netbacks ($/Boe)            
    Petroleum and natural gas revenues (7) 35.72   46.24   (23 ) 39.96   49.62   (19 )
    Realized gain on financial derivatives 1.75   0.46   280   0.86   0.41   110  
    Other income 0.01       0.11      
    Royalties (7) (3.13 ) (4.50 ) (30 ) (4.30 ) (4.80 ) (10 )
    Transportation expense (4.57 ) (4.54 ) 1   (4.78 ) (4.77 )  
    Net operating expense (2) (11.07 ) (10.65 ) 4   (11.37 ) (11.40 )  
    Operating netback (2) 18.71   27.01   (31 ) 20.48   29.06   (30 )
    Corporate netback (2) 17.40   25.55   (32 ) 18.15   26.86   (32 )
    SHARE TRADING STATISTICS            
    High ($/share) 14.18   13.72   3   14.86   13.72   8  
    Low ($/share) 10.34   10.40   (1 ) 9.59   9.93   (3 )
    Close ($/share) 13.82   11.04   25   13.82   11.04   25  
    Common shares outstanding (thousands of shares)       203,701   207,584   (2 )
                       

    NOTES:

    (1) Non-GAAP financial measure that does not have any standardized meaning under IFRS Accounting Standards and therefore may not be comparable to similar measures presented by other companies where similar terminology is used. Reference should be made to the section entitled “Specified Financial Measures”.
    (2) Non-GAAP ratio that does not have any standardized meaning under IFRS Accounting Standards and therefore may not be comparable to similar measures presented by other companies where similar terminology is used. Reference should be made to the section entitled “Specified Financial Measures”.
    (3) Capital management measure. Reference should be made to the section entitled “Specified Financial Measures”.
    (4) Natural gas liquids (“NGLs”) includes butane, propane and ethane revenue and sales volumes, and sulphur revenue.
    (5) Product prices exclude realized gains/losses on financial derivatives.
    (6) Supplementary financial measure. Reference should be made to the section entitled “Specified Financial Measures”.
    (7) Includes the impact of a facility allocation adjustment, which impacted condensate revenues, royalties and transportation expense, reducing adjusted funds flow by $23.1 million for the three months and year ended December 31, 2024.
    (8) Includes the impact of a facility allocation adjustment. Excluding this adjustment, NuVista’s condensate weighting for the three months ended December 31, 2024 was 28%.
       

    DETAILED SUMMARY OF CORPORATE RESERVES DATA

    The following table provides summary reserve information based upon the GLJ Report using the published 3 Consultants’ Average January 1, 2025 price forecast:

      Natural Gas(2)   Natural Gas
    Liquids(4)
      Oil(3)   Total  
    Reserves category(1)(5) Company
    Gross
      Company
    Gross
      Company
    Gross
      Company
    Gross
     
      (MMcf)   (MBbls)   (MBbls)   (MBoe)  
    Proved                
    Developed producing 680,168   63,913     177,275  
    Developed non‑producing 93,825   10,140     25,777  
    Undeveloped 938,058   86,693     243,036  
    Total proved 1,712,051   160,747     446,088  
    Total probable 1,313,477   114,729     333,642  
    Total proved plus probable 3,025,528   275,475     779,730  
                     

    NOTES:

    (1) Numbers may not add due to rounding.
    (2) Includes conventional natural gas and shale gas.
    (3) Includes light and medium crude oil.
    (4) NGLs includes ethane, propane, butane, condensate and pentane plus.
    (5) Reserves have been presented on gross basis which are the Company’s total working interest share before the deduction of any royalties and without including any royalty interests of the Company.
       

    The following table is a summary reconciliation of the year end working interest reserves for 2024, with the year end working interest reserves for 2023:

    Company Gross Natural Gas(1)(3)
    (MMcf)
    Natural Gas
    Liquids(1)(5)
    (MBbls)
    Oil(1)(4)
    (MBbls)
    Total Oil Equivalent(1)
    (MBoe)
    Total proved        
    Balance, December 31, 2023 1,546,471   144,132     401,877  
    Exploration and development(2) 234,672   24,335     63,447  
    Technical revisions 30,118   2,912   11   7,942  
    Acquisitions 18,123   1,720     4,741  
    Dispositions (156 ) (18 )   (44 )
    Economic Factors (5,809 ) (498 )   (1,466 )
    Production (111,368 ) (11,837 ) (11 ) (30,409 )
    Balance, December 31, 2024 1,712,051   160,747     446,088  
    Total proved plus probable        
    Balance, December 31, 2023 2,505,894   225,374     643,023  
    Exploration and development(2) 597,808   57,452     157,087  
    Technical revisions 12,434   2,496   11   4,579  
    Acquisitions 22,817   2,161     5,964  
    Dispositions (201 ) (22 )   (56 )
    Economic Factors (1,857 ) (148 )   (458 )
    Production (111,368 ) (11,837 ) (11 ) (30,409 )
    Balance, December 31, 2024 3,025,528   275,475     779,730  

    NOTES:

    (1) Numbers may not add due to rounding.
    (2) Reserve additions for drilling extensions, infill drilling and improved recovery.
    (3) Includes conventional natural gas and shale gas.
    (4) Includes light and medium crude oil.
    (5) NGLs includes ethane, propane, butane, condensate and pentane plus.
       

    The following table summarizes the future development capital required to bring undeveloped reserves and proved plus probable undeveloped reserves on production:

    ($ thousands, undiscounted) Proved
    Producing(1)
    Proved(1) Proved plus
    Probable(1)
     
    2025 10,000   270,190   283,615  
    2026   441,337   441,337  
    2027   378,915   378,915  
    2028   582,820   623,529  
    2029   210,425   385,690  
    Remaining     1,205,057  
    Total (undiscounted) 10,000   1,883,686   3,318,141  
                 

    NOTE:

    (1) Numbers may not add due to rounding.
       

    The following table outlines NuVista’s corporate finding, development and acquisition (“FD&A”) costs in more detail:

      3 Year-Average (1)   2024 (1)   2023 (1)  
        Proved plus       Proved plus       Proved plus  
      Proved   probable   Proved   probable   Proved   probable  
    Finding and development costs ($/Boe) $ 10.06   $ 8.69   $ 9.28   $ 7.18   $ 10.92   $ 12.59  
    Finding, development and acquisition costs ($/Boe) $ 9.95   $ 8.60   $ 8.79   $ 6.97   $ 11.12   $ 12.86  
                                         

    NOTE:

    (1) F&D costs and FD&A are used as a measure of capital efficiency. The calculation for F&D costs includes all exploration and development capital for that period as outlined in the Company’s year-end financial statements plus the change in future development capital for that period. This total capital including the change in the future development capital is then divided by the change in reserves for that period including revisions for that same period. The aggregate of the exploration and development costs incurred in the most recent financial year and the change during the year in estimated future development costs generally will not reflect total finding and development costs related to reserve additions for the year. FD&A costs are calculated in the same manner except in addition to exploration and development capital and the change in future development capital, acquisition capital (net of any disposition proceeds) is also included in the calculation.
       

    Summary of Corporate Net Present Value Data of Future Net Revenue

    The estimated net present values of future net revenue before income taxes associated with NuVista’s reserves effective December 31, 2024 and based on the published 3 Consultants’ Average price forecast as at January 1, 2025 as set forth below, are summarized in the following table:

      Before Income Taxes
      Discount Factor (%/year)
    Reserves category (1)(2) ($ thousands) 0%   5%   10%   15%   20%  
    Proved          
    Developed producing 3,311,450   2,531,022   2,038,337   1,715,462   1,491,640  
    Developed non‑producing 589,610   437,020   350,631   295,990   258,256  
    Undeveloped 4,450,580   2,705,801   1,798,236   1,270,234   934,810  
    Total proved 8,351,651   5,673,843   4,187,204   3,281,686   2,684,706  
    Probable 7,457,152   3,482,560   1,946,864   1,232,453   849,096  
    Total proved plus probable 15,808,803   9,156,404   6,134,068   4,514,138   3,533,801  
                         

    NOTES:

    (1) Numbers may not add due to rounding.
    (2) All future net revenues are stated prior to the provision for interest income and other general and administrative expenses and after deduction of royalties, operating costs, estimated well and facility abandonment and reclamation costs and estimated future capital expenditures.
    (3) The estimated future net revenue contained in this press release does not necessarily represent the fair market value of the reserves.
       

    The following table is a summary of pricing and inflation rate assumptions based on published 3 Consultants’ Average forecast prices and costs as at January 1, 2025:

    Year   AECO Gas
    ($Cdn/
    MMBtu)
      NYMEX
    Gas
    ($US/
    MMBtu)
      Midwest
    Gas at
    Chicago
    ($US/
    MMBtu)
      Edmonton
    C5+
    ($Cdn/Bbl)
      Edmonton
    Propane
    ($Cdn/Bbl)
      Edmonton
    Butane
    ($Cdn/Bbl)
      WTI
    Cushing
    Oklahoma
    ($US/Bbl)
      Edmonton
    Par Price
    40 API
    ($Cdn/Bbl)
      Exchange
    Rate(2)
    ($US/$Cdn)
     
    Forecast                                      
    2025   2.36   3.31   3.05   100.14   33.56   51.15   71.58   94.79   0.712  
    2026   3.33   3.73   3.53   100.72   32.78   49.98   74.48   97.04   0.728  
    2027   3.48   3.85   3.66   100.24   32.81   50.16   75.81   97.37   0.743  
    2028   3.69   3.93   3.73   102.73   33.63   51.41   77.66   99.80   0.743  
    2029   3.76   4.01   3.82   104.79   34.30   52.44   79.22   101.79   0.743  
    2030   3.83   4.09   3.89   106.86   34.99   53.49   80.80   103.83   0.743  
    2031   3.91   4.17   3.97   109.00   35.69   54.56   82.42   105.91   0.743  
    2032   3.99   4.26   4.05   111.19   36.40   55.65   84.06   108.02   0.743  
    2033   4.07   4.34   4.13   113.41   37.13   56.76   85.75   110.19   0.743  
    2034   4.15   4.43   4.21   115.69   37.87   57.90   87.46   112.39   0.743  
    2035   4.24   4.52   4.30   118.01   38.63   59.05   89.21   114.64   0.743  
    2036   4.32   4.61   4.39   120.37   39.40   60.24   90.99   116.93   0.743  
    2037   4.41   4.70   4.48   122.77   40.19   61.44   92.82   119.27   0.743  
    2038   4.49   4.79   4.56   125.23   41.00   62.67   94.67   121.65   0.743  
    2039   4.58   4.89   4.65   127.73   41.82   63.92   96.57   124.09   0.743  
    2040+   +2.0%/yr   +2.0%/yr   +2.0%/yr   +2.0%/yr   +2.0%/yr   +2.0%/yr   +2.0%/yr   +2.0%/yr   0.743  
                                           

    NOTES:

    (1) Costs were not inflated in 2025 and inflated at 2% per annum thereafter.
    (2) Exchange rate used to generate the benchmark reference prices in this table.
    (3) NuVista’s future realized gas prices are forecasted based on a combination of various benchmark prices in addition to the AECO benchmark in order to reflect the favorable price diversification to other markets which NuVista has undertaken. Pricing at these markets has been accounted for in the GLJ Report. Additional information on NuVista’s gas marketing diversification will be available in our corporate presentation.
       

    Advisories Regarding Oil and Gas Information

    The reserve data provided in this press release presents only a portion of the disclosure required under National Instrument 51-101. All required information will be contained in the Company’s Annual Information Form for the year ended December 31, 2024, on SEDAR+ (www.sedarplus.ca).

    There are numerous uncertainties inherent in estimating quantities of crude oil, natural gas and NGL reserves and the future cash flows attributed to such reserves. The reserve and associated cash flow information set forth above are estimates only. In general, estimates of economically recoverable crude oil, natural gas and NGL reserves and the future net cash flows therefrom are based upon a number of variable factors and assumptions, such as historical production from the properties, production rates, ultimate reserve recovery, timing and amount of capital expenditures, marketability of oil and natural gas, royalty rates, the assumed effects of regulation by governmental agencies and future operating costs, all of which may vary materially. For these reasons, estimates of the economically recoverable crude oil, NGL and natural gas reserves attributable to any particular group of properties, classification of such reserves based on risk of recovery and estimates of future net revenues associated with reserves prepared by different engineers, or by the same engineers at different times, may vary. The Company’s actual production, revenues, taxes and development and operating expenditures with respect to its reserves will vary from estimates thereof and such variations could be material.

    BOEs may be misleading, particularly if used in isolation. A BOE conversion ratio of 6 Mcf: 1 Bbl is based on an energy equivalency conversion method primarily applicable at the burner tip and does not represent a value equivalency at the wellhead. As the value ratio between natural gas and crude oil based on the current prices of natural gas and crude oil is significantly different from the energy equivalency of 6:1, utilizing a conversion on a 6:1 basis may be misleading as an indication of value.

    This press release contains a number of oil and gas metrics prepared by management, including F&D costs, FD&A costs, PDP per share, TP+PA per share, recycle ratio, operating netback, corporate netback and reserves replacement costs, which do not have standardized meanings or standard methods of calculation and therefore such measures may not be comparable to similar measures used by other companies. Such metrics have been included herein to provide readers with additional measures to evaluate NuVista’s performance on a comparable basis with prior periods; however, such measures are not reliable indicators of the future performance of NuVista, and future performance may not compare to the performance in previous periods. Details of how F&D costs, FD&A costs, operating netback, corporate netback and recycle ratios are calculated are set forth under the heading “Non-GAAP and Other Financial Measures – Non-GAAP Ratios”. Reserves replacement is calculated as the reserves category divided by estimated production.

    Any references in this press release to initial production rates are useful in confirming the presence of hydrocarbons, however, such rates are not determinative of the rates at which such wells will continue production and decline thereafter. While encouraging, readers are cautioned not to place reliance on such rates in calculating the aggregate production for NuVista.

    Any reference to capital efficiency has been prepared by management and is used to measure performance. NuVista calculates capital efficiency as the sum of the capital expenditures divided by average first year production rate for the applicable well(s). This term does not have a standardized meaning or standard calculation and is not comparable to similar measures used by other entities.

    This press release discloses NuVista’s potential drilling locations in two categories: (i) undeveloped proved plus probable (TP+PA) drilling locations; and (ii) undeveloped contingent resources (2C) drilling locations. Undeveloped TP+PA drilling locations are derived the GLJ Report, and account for undeveloped drilling locations that have associated proved and/or probable reserves, as applicable. Undeveloped 2C drilling locations are derived from a report prepared by GLJ evaluating NuVista’s contingent resources as of December 31, 2024 (“GLJ Contingent Resource Report”), and account for undeveloped drilling locations that have associated contingent resources based on a best estimate of such contingent resources. There is no certainty that we will drill all drilling locations and if drilled, there is no certainty that such locations will result in additional oil and gas production. The drilling locations on which we actually drill wells will ultimately depend upon the availability of capital, regulatory approvals, seasonal restrictions, oil and natural gas prices, costs, actual drilling results, additional reservoir information that is obtained and other factors. Contingent resources are those quantities of petroleum estimated, as of a given date, to be potentially recoverable from known accumulations using established technology or technology under development, but which are not currently considered to be commercially recoverable due to one or more contingencies. Economic contingent resources are those contingent resources that are currently economically recoverable. The sub-classes included under economic contingent resources are Development Pending CR, Development on Hold CR, and Development Unclarified CR. Development Pending are resources where resolution of the final conditions for development is being actively pursued (high chance of development). Development on Hold are resources where there is a reasonable chance of development but there are major non-technical contingencies to be resolved that are usually beyond the control of the operator. Development Unclarified are resources where the evaluation is incomplete and there is ongoing activity to resolve any risks or uncertainties. Development Not Viable are resources that are not viable in the conditions prevailing at the effective date of the evaluation, and where no further data acquisition or evaluation is currently planned and hence there is a low chance of development. In the case of the contingent resources estimated in the GLJ Contingent Resource Report, contingencies include: (i) further delineation of interest lands; (ii) corporate commitment, and; (iii) final development plan. To further delineate interest lands additional wells must be drilled and tested to demonstrate commercial rates on the resource lands. Reserves are only assigned in close proximity to demonstrated productivity. As continued delineation drilling occurs, a portion of the contingent resources are expected to be reclassified as reserves. Confirmation of corporate intent to proceed with remaining capital expenditures within a reasonable timeframe is a requirement for the assessment of reserves. Finalization of a development plan includes timing, infrastructure spending and the commitment of capital.

    Definitions of Oil and Gas Reserves

    Reserves are estimated remaining quantities of crude oil and natural gas and related substances anticipated to be recoverable from known accumulations, as of a given date, based on the analysis of drilling, geological, geophysical, and engineering data; the use of established technology; and specified economic conditions, which are generally accepted as being reasonable. Reserves are classified according to the degree of certainty associated with the estimates as follows:

    Proved Reserves are those reserves that can be estimated with a high degree of certainty to be recoverable. It is likely that the actual remaining quantities recovered will exceed the estimated proved reserves.

    Probable Reserves are those additional reserves that are less certain to be recovered than proved reserves. It is equally likely that the actual remaining quantities recovered will be greater or less than the sum of the estimated proved plus probable reserves.

    PDP or Proved Developed Producing Reserves are those reserves that are expected to be recovered from completion intervals open at the time of the estimate. These reserves may be currently producing or, if shut-in, they must have previously been on production, and the date of resumption of production must be known with reasonable certainty.

    Basis of presentation

    Unless otherwise noted, the financial data presented in this press release has been prepared in accordance with Canadian generally accepted accounting principles (“GAAP”) also known as International Financial Reporting Standards (“IFRS”).

    Natural gas liquids are defined by National Instrument 51-101 – Standards of Disclosure for Oil and Gas Activities” to include ethane, butane, propane, pentanes plus and condensate. Unless explicitly stated in this press release, references to “NGL” refers only to ethane, butane and propane and references to “condensate” refers to only to condensate and pentanes plus. NuVista has disclosed condensate and pentanes plus values separately from ethane, butane and propane values as NuVista believes it provides a more accurate description of NuVista’s operations and results therefrom.

    Production split for Boe/d amounts referenced in the press release are as follows:

    Reference Total Boe/d
    Natural Gas
    %
    Condensate
    %
    NGLs
    %
               
    Q4 2024 production – actual 85,635   64 % 26 % 10 %
    Q4 2024 production – guidance 83,000 – 84,000   61 % 30 % 9 %
    2024 annual production – actual 83,084   61 % 30 % 9 %
    2024 annual production – guidance 83,500 – 86,000   61 % 30 % 9 %
    Q1 2025 production – guidance 87,000 – 88,000   63 % 28 % 9 %
    2025 annual production – guidance ~90,000   61 % 30 % 9 %
                     

    Reserves advisories

    The GLJ Report was prepared in accordance with National Instrument 51-101 – Standards of Disclosure for Oil and Gas Activities and the Canadian Oil and Gas Evaluation Handbook (“COGE Handbook”) and is dated effective as of December 31, 2024. The GLJ Report was based on 3 Consultants’ Average January 1, 2025 forecast pricing and foreign exchange rates at January 1, 2025. All reserves information has been presented on a gross basis, which is the Company’s working interest share before deduction of royalties and without including any royalty interests of the Company. The reserves have been categorized accordance with the reserves definitions as set out in the COGE Handbook. The recovery and reserve estimates contained herein are estimates only and there is no guarantee that the estimated reserves will be recovered. Also, estimates of reserves and future net revenue for individual properties may not reflect the same confidence level as estimates and future net revenue for all properties due to the effect of aggregation. All required reserve information for the Company will be contained in its Annual Information Form for the year ended December 31, 2024, which will be accessible at www.sedarplus.ca.

    With respect to disclosure contained herein regarding resources other than reserves, there is uncertainty that it will be commercially viable to produce any portion of the resources and there is significant uncertainty regarding the ultimate recoverability of such resources.

    Advisory regarding forward-looking information and statements

    This press release contains forward-looking statements and forward-looking information (collectively, “forward-looking statements”) within the meaning of applicable securities laws. The use of any of the words “will”, “expects”, “believe”, “plans”, “potential” and similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements. More particularly and without limitation, this press release contains forward looking statements, including but not limited to:

    • our intention to allocate $100 million to repurchase our common shares in 2025, with at least 75% of any incremental free adjusted funds flow also allocated to the repurchase of our common share pursuant to our NCIB;
    • that our soft ceiling net debt will allow our current production levels to be sustainable and maintain an adjusted funds flow ratio below 1.0x in a stress test price environment of US$45/Bbl WTI and US$2.00/MMBtu NYMEX;
    • NuVista’s ability to continue directing free adjusted funds flow towards a prudent balance of return of capital to shareholders and debt reduction, while investing in high return growth projects;
    • the anticipated allocation of free adjusted funds flow;
    • our expectation that our capital efficiency will continue to be strong in 2025, allowing us to realize a well cost reduction of 3% year-over-year;
    • our expectation that a 5-well pad in Elmworth, a 4-well pad in Gold Creek, and a 14-well pad in Pipestone will be brought on-stream during the second quarter;
    • our expectation that an 8-welll pad in Pipestone will be brought on-stream in the third quarter;
    • our expectations regarding the consistency in deliverability of inventory in the Elmworth and Gold Creek areas;
    • guidance with respect to first quarter 2025 production and production mix;
    • our expectation that growth in 2025 will be largely supported by the Pipestone area;
    • the expected timing of start-up of a third-party gas plant in the Pipestone area and the anticipated benefits thereof;
    • our 2025 full year production, full year production mix and capital expenditures guidance ranges;
    • our plan to continue to maintain an efficient drilling program by employing 2-drill-rig execution;
    • our expectation that our value-adding growth plateau level will be approximately 125,000 Boe/d;
    • our future focus, strategy, plans, opportunities and operations; and
    • other such similar statements.

    Statements relating to “reserves” are also deemed to be forward-looking statements, as they involve the implied assessment, based on certain estimates and assumptions, that the reserves described exist in the quantities predicted or estimated and that the reserves can be profitably produced in the future.

    The future acquisition of our common shares pursuant to a share buyback (including through our normal course issuer bid), if any, and the level thereof is uncertain. Any decision to acquire common shares pursuant to a share buyback will be subject to the discretion of the Board of Directors and may depend on a variety of factors, including, without limitation, the Company’s business performance, financial condition, financial requirements, growth plans, expected capital requirements and other conditions existing at such future time including, without limitation, contractual restrictions and satisfaction of the solvency tests imposed on the Company under applicable corporate law. There can be no assurance of the number of common shares that the Company will acquire pursuant to a share buyback, if any, in the future.

    By their nature, forward-looking statements are based upon certain assumptions and are subject to numerous risks and uncertainties, some of which are beyond NuVista’s control, including the impact of general economic conditions, industry conditions, current and future commodity prices and inflation rates; that other than the tariffs that have been announced and implemented by the U.S. and Canadian governments on March 4, 2025, neither the U.S. nor Canada (i) increases the rate or scope of such tariffs, or imposes new tariffs, on the import of goods from one country to the other, and/or (ii) imposes any other form of tax, restriction or prohibition on the import or export of products from one country to the other, the impact of ongoing global events, including Middle East and European tensions, with respect to commodity prices, currency and interest rates, anticipated production rates, borrowing, operating and other costs and adjusted funds flow; the timing, allocation and amount of capital expenditures and the results therefrom; anticipated reserves and the imprecision of reserve estimates; the performance of existing wells; the success obtained in drilling new wells; the sufficiency of budgeted capital expenditures in carrying out planned activities; access to infrastructure and markets; competition from other industry participants; availability of qualified personnel or services and drilling and related equipment; stock market volatility; effects of regulation by governmental agencies including changes in environmental regulations, tax laws and royalties; the ability to access sufficient capital from internal sources and bank and equity markets; that we will be able to execute our 2025 drilling plans as expected; our ability to carry out our 2025 production and capital guidance as expected; the risk that (i) the U.S. or Canadian governments increases the rate or scope of the currently implemented tariffs, or imposes new tariffs on the import of goods from on the import or export of products from one country to the other, and (ii) the tariffs imposed by the U.S. on other countries and responses thereto could have a material adverse effect on the Canadian, U.S. and global economies, and by extension the oil and gas industry; and including, without limitation, those risks considered under “Risk Factors” in our Annual Information Form.

    Readers are cautioned that the assumptions used in the preparation of such information, although considered reasonable at the time of preparation, may prove to be imprecise and, as such, undue reliance should not be placed on forward-looking statements. NuVista’s actual results, performance or achievement could differ materially from those expressed in, or implied by, these forward-looking statements, or if any of them do so, what benefits NuVista will derive therefrom. NuVista has included the forward-looking statements in this press release in order to provide readers with a more complete perspective on NuVista’s future operations and such information may not be appropriate for other purposes. NuVista disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by law.

    This press release also contains financial outlook and future oriented financial information (together, “FOFI”) relating to NuVista including, without limitation, capital expenditures in 2025 and production which are based on, among other things, the various assumptions disclosed in this press release including under “Advisory regarding forward-looking information and statements” and including assumptions regarding benchmark pricing as it relates to the 2025 capital allocation framework. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the FOFI contained in this press release does not include the potential impact of tariff or trade-related regulation that have been announced by the U.S. and Canada, including the tariffs imposed by the U.S. on Canada effective March 4, 2025. Readers are cautioned that the assumptions used in the preparation of such information, although considered reasonable at the time of preparation, may prove to be imprecise and the impact of the tariffs on NuVista’s business operations and financial condition, while currently unknown, may be material and adverse and, as such, undue reliance should not be placed on FOFI. NuVista’s actual results, performance or achievement could differ materially from those expressed in, or implied by, these FOFI, or if any of them do so, what benefits NuVista will derive therefrom. NuVista has included the FOFI in order to provide readers with a more complete perspective on NuVista’s future operations and such information may not be appropriate for other purposes.

    These forward-looking statements and FOFI are made as of the date of this press release and NuVista disclaims any intent or obligation to update any forward-looking statements and FOFI, whether as a result of new information, future events or results or otherwise, other than as required by applicable securities law.

    Non-GAAP and other financial measures

    This press release uses various specified financial measures (as such terms are defined in National Instrument 52-112 – Non-GAAP Disclosure and Other Financial Measures Disclosure (“NI 51-112”)) including “non-GAAP financial measures”, “non-GAAP ratios”, “capital management measures” and “supplementary financial measures” (as such terms are defined in NI 51-112), which are described in further detail below. Management believes that the presentation of these non-GAAP measures provides useful information to investors and shareholders as the measures provide increased transparency and the ability to better analyze performance against prior periods on a comparable basis.

    (1) Non-GAAP financial measures

    NI 52-112 defines a non-GAAP financial measure as a financial measure that: (i) depicts the historical or expected future financial performance, financial position or cash flow of an entity; (ii) with respect to its composition, excludes an amount that is included in, or includes an amount that is excluded from, the composition of the most directly comparable financial measure disclosed in the primary financial statements of the entity; (iii) is not disclosed in the financial statements of the entity; and (iv) is not a ratio, fraction, percentage or similar representation.

    These non-GAAP financial measures are not standardized financial measures under IFRS Accounting Standards and might not be comparable to similar measures presented by other companies where similar terminology is used. Investors are cautioned that these measures should not be construed as alternatives to or more meaningful than the most directly comparable GAAP measures as indicators of NuVista’s performance. Set forth below are descriptions of the non-GAAP financial measures used in this press release.

    • Free adjusted funds flow

    Free adjusted funds flow is adjusted funds flow less net capital expenditures, power generation expenditures, and asset retirement expenditures. Each of the components of free adjusted funds flow are non-GAAP financial measures. Please refer to disclosures under the headings “Capital management measures” and “Capital expenditures” for a description of each component of free adjusted funds flow. Management uses free adjusted funds flow as a measure of the efficiency and liquidity of its business, measuring its funds available for additional capital allocation to manage debt levels and return capital to shareholders through its NCIB program and/or dividend payments. By removing the impact of current period net capital and asset retirement expenditures, management believes this measure provides an indication of the funds NuVista has available for future capital allocation decisions.

    The following table sets out our free adjusted funds flow compared to the most directly comparable GAAP measure of cash provided by operating activities less cash used in investing activities for the applicable periods:

      Three months ended December 31 Year ended December 31
    ($ thousands) 2024 2023 2024 2023
    Cash provided by operating activities 135,831   211,761   600,253   721,342  
    Cash used in investing activities (71,090 ) (132,646 ) (499,579 ) (531,586 )
    Excess (deficit) cash provided by operating activities over cash used in investing activities 64,741   79,115   100,674   189,756  
             
    Adjusted funds flow 137,059   201,987   552,196   756,943  
    Net capital expenditures (71,090 ) (113,258 ) (498,876 ) (518,294 )
    Power generation expenditures   (16,904 ) (1,680 ) (16,904 )
    Asset retirement expenditures (3,551 ) (1,208 ) (12,029 ) (11,195 )
    Free adjusted funds flow 62,418   70,617   39,611   210,550  
                     
    • Capital expenditures

    Capital expenditures are equal to cash used in investing activities, excluding changes in non-cash working capital, other asset expenditures, power generation expenditures, proceeds on property dispositions and costs of acquisitions. NuVista considers capital expenditures to represent its organic capital program and a useful measure of cash flow used for capital reinvestment.

    The following table provides a reconciliation between the non-GAAP measure of capital expenditures to the most directly comparable GAAP measure of cash used in investing activities for the applicable periods:

      Three months ended December 31 Year ended December 31
    ($ thousands) 2024 2023 2024 2023
    Cash used in investing activities (71,090 ) (132,646 ) (499,579 ) (531,586 )
    Changes in non-cash working capital   2,484   (977 ) (13,112 )
    Other asset expenditures       9,500  
    Power generation expenditures   16,904   1,680   16,904  
    Property acquisition   44,000     44,000  
    Proceeds on property disposition       (26,000 )
    Capital expenditures (71,090 ) (69,258 ) (498,876 ) (500,294 )
                     
    • Net capital expenditures

    Net capital expenditures are equal to cash used in investing activities, excluding changes in non-cash working capital, other asset expenditures, and power generation expenditures. The Company includes funds used for property acquisitions or proceeds from property dispositions within net capital expenditures as these transactions are part of its development plans. NuVista considers net capital expenditures to represent its organic capital program inclusive of capital spending for acquisition and disposition proposes and a useful measure of cash flow used for capital reinvestment.

    The following table provides a reconciliation between the non-GAAP measure of net capital expenditures to the most directly comparable GAAP measure of cash used in investing activities for the applicable periods:

      Three months ended December 31 Year ended December 31
    ($ thousands) 2024  2023  2024  2023 
    Cash used in investing activities (71,090 ) (132,646 ) (499,579 ) (531,586 )
    Changes in non-cash working capital   2,484   (977 ) (13,112 )
    Other asset expenditures       9,500  
    Power generation expenditures   16,904   1,680   16,904  
    Net capital expenditures (71,090 ) (113,258 ) (498,876 ) (518,294 )
                     

    The following table provides a breakdown of capital expenditures, net capital expenditures and power generation expenditures by category for the applicable periods:

      Three months ended December 31   Year ended December 31  
    ($ thousands, except % amounts) 2024   % of total   2023   % of total   2024   % of total   2023   % of total  
    Land and retention costs     15     6,968   1   7,507   2  
    Geological and geophysical 38     249     1,164     691    
    Drilling and completion 43,915   62   51,413   74   353,583   72   392,663   78  
    Facilities and equipment 25,508   36   16,193   24   130,628   26   93,252   19  
    Corporate and other 1,629   2   1,388   2   6,533   1   6,181   1  
    Capital expenditures 71,090       69,258       498,876       500,294      
    Property acquisitions       44,000             44,000      
    Proceeds on property disposition                   (26,000 )    
    Net capital expenditures 71,090       113,258       498,876       518,294      
    Power generation expenditures       16,904       1,680       16,904      
                                     
    • Net operating expense

    NuVista considers that any incremental gross costs incurred to process third party volumes at its facilities are offset by the applicable fees charged to such third parties. However, under IFRS Accounting Standards, NuVista is required to reflect operating costs and processing fee income separately on its statements of earnings. Management believes that net operating expense, calculated as gross operating expense less processing income and other recoveries, is a meaningful measure for investors to understand the net impact of NuVista’s operating activities.

    The following table sets out net operating expense compared to the most directly comparable GAAP measure of operating expenses for the applicable periods:

      Three months ended December 31   Year ended December 31  
    ($ thousands) 2024   2023   2024   2023  
    Operating expense 88,891   85,207   354,253   324,196  
    Other income (1) (1,646 ) (1,038 ) (8,605 ) (3,058 )
    Net operating expense 87,245   84,169   345,648   321,138  

     

    (1) Processing income and other recoveries, included within Other Income as presented in the table below:
       
      Three months ended December 31   Year ended December 31  
    ($ thousands) 2024   2023   2024   2023  
    Other income 57     3,235    
    Processing income and other recoveries 1,646   1,038   8,605   3,058  
    Other Income 1,703   1,038   11,840   3,058  
                     

    (2) Non-GAAP ratios

    NI 52-112 defines a non-GAAP ratio as a financial measure that: (i) is in the form of a ratio, fraction, percentage or similar representation; (ii) has a non-GAAP financial measure as one or more of its components; and (iii) is not disclosed in the financial statements of the entity. Set forth below is a description of the non-GAAP ratios used in this MD&A.

    These non-GAAP ratios are not standardized financial measures under IFRS Accounting Standards and might not be comparable to similar measures presented by other companies where similar terminology is used. Investors are cautioned that these ratios should not be construed as alternatives to or more meaningful than the most directly comparable IFRS Accounting Standards measures as indicators of NuVista’s performance.

    Per Boe disclosures for petroleum and natural gas revenues, realized gains/losses on financial derivatives, royalties, transportation expense, G&A expense, financing costs, and DD&A expense are non-GAAP ratios that are calculated by dividing each of these respective GAAP measures by NuVista’s total production volumes for the period.

    Non-GAAP ratios presented on a “per Boe” basis may also be considered to be supplementary financial measures (as such term is defined in NI 51-112).

    • Operating netback and corporate netback (“netbacks”), per BoeNuVista calculated netbacks per Boe by dividing the netbacks by total production volumes sold in the period. Each of operating netback and corporate netback are non-GAAP financial measures. Operating netback is calculated as petroleum and natural gas revenues, realized financial derivative gains/losses and other income, less royalties, transportation expense and net operating expense. Corporate netback is operating netback less general and administrative expense, cash share-based compensation expense (recovery), financing costs excluding accretion expense, and current income tax expense (recovery).

      Management believes both operating and corporate netbacks are key industry benchmarks and measures of operating performance for NuVista that assists management and investors in assessing NuVista’s profitability, and are commonly used by other petroleum and natural gas producers. The measurement on a Boe basis assists management and investors with evaluating NuVista’s operating performance on a comparable basis.

    • Net operating expense, per BoeNuVista calculated net operating expense per Boe by dividing net operating expense by NuVista’s production volumes for the period.

      Management believes that net operating expense, calculated as gross operating expense less processing income and other recoveries, which are included in NuVista’s statements of earnings, is a meaningful measure for investors to understand the net impact of the Company’s operating activities. The measurement on a Boe basis assists management and investors with evaluating NuVista’s operating performance on a comparable basis.

    Reference has been also been made to certain terms that do not have standardized meanings or standard calculations and therefore such measures may not be comparable to similar measures used by other entities. These terms are used by NuVista’s management to measure the success of replacing reserves and to compare operating performance to previous periods on a comparable basis.

    • F&D costsNuVista calculated F&D costs as the sum of development costs plus the change in future development costs (“FDC”) for the period when appropriate, divided by the change in reserves within the applicable reserves category, excluding those reserves acquired or disposed.

      NuVista calculated TP+PA 3-year average F&D costs as the sum of development costs plus the sum of the change in FDC over the last three completed financial years, divided by the sum of the change in the total proved and probable reserves over the last three completed financial years.

    • FD&A costsNuVista calculated FD&A costs are calculated as the sum of development costs plus acquisition costs net of disposition proceeds plus the change in FDC for the period when appropriate, divided by the change in reserves within the applicable reserves category, inclusive of changes due to acquisitions and dispositions.
    • Recycle RatioNuVista calculates recycle ratio as the operating netback divided by F&D costs for the applicable period.

    (3) Capital management measures

    NI 52-112 defines a capital management measure as a financial measure that: (i) is intended to enable an individual to evaluate an entity’s objectives, policies and processes for managing the entity’s capital; (ii) is not a component of a line item disclosed in the primary financial statements of the entity; (iii) is disclosed in the notes to the financial statements of the entity; and (iv) is not disclosed in the primary financial statements of the entity.

    NuVista has defined net debt, adjusted funds flow, and net debt to annualized fourth quarter adjusted funds flow ratio as capital management measures used by the Company in this press release.

    • Adjusted funds flow

    NuVista considers adjusted funds flow to be a key measure that provides a more complete understanding of the NuVista considers adjusted funds flow to be a key measure that provides a more comprehensive view of the company’s ability to generate cash flow necessary for financing capital expenditures, meeting asset retirement obligations, and fulfilling its financial commitments. Adjusted funds flow is calculated by adjusting cash flow from operating activities to exclude changes in non-cash working capital and asset retirement expenditures. Management believes these elements are subject to timing variations in collection, payment, and occurrence. By excluding them, management is able to provide a more meaningful performance measure of NuVista’s ongoing operations. Specifically, expenditures on asset retirement obligations may fluctuate depending on the company’s capital programs and the maturity of its operating areas, while environmental remediation recovery is tied to an infrequent incident that management does not expect to recur regularly. The settlement of asset retirement obligations is managed through NuVista’s capital budgeting process, which incorporates the available adjusted funds flow.

    A reconciliation of adjusted funds flow is presented in the following table:

      2024 2023
    Cash provided by operating activities $ 600,253   $ 721,342  
    Asset retirement expenditures   12,029     11,195  
    Change in non-cash working capital   (60,086 )   24,406  
    Adjusted funds flow $ 552,196   $ 756,943  
                 

    Net debt is used by management to provide a more comprehensive understanding of NuVista’s capital structure and to assess the company’s liquidity. NuVista calculates net debt by considering accounts receivable, prepaid expenses, accounts payable and accrued liabilities, long-term debt (the Credit Facility), senior unsecured notes, and other liabilities. Management uses total market capitalization and the ratio of net debt to annualized adjusted funds flow for the current quarter to analyze balance sheet strength and liquidity.

    The following is a summary of total market capitalization, net debt, annualized current quarter adjusted funds flow, and net debt to annualized current quarter adjusted funds flow:

      2024 2023
    Basic common shares outstanding (thousands of shares)   203,701     207,584  
    Share price $ 13.82   $ 11.04  
    Total market capitalization $ 2,815,148   $ 2,291,727  
    Accounts receivable and other   (132,538 )   (139,451 )
    Prepaid expenses   (45,584 )   (45,241 )
    Accounts payable and accrued liabilities   206,862     157,711  
    Current portion of other liabilities   18,451     14,082  
    Long-term debt   5,353     16,897  
    Senior unsecured notes   163,258     162,195  
    Other liabilities   16,701     17,358  
    Net debt $ 232,503   $ 183,551  
    Annualized current quarter adjusted funds flow $ 548,236   $ 807,948  
    Net debt to annualized current quarter adjusted funds flow   0.4     0.2  
    Adjusted funds flow $ 552,196   $ 756,943  
    Net debt to adjusted funds flow   0.4     0.2  
                 

    (4) Supplementary financial measures

    This press release may contain certain supplementary financial measures. NI 52-112 defines a supplementary financial measure as a financial measure that: (i) is intended to be disclosed on a periodic basis to depict the historical or expected future financial performance, financial position or cash flow of an entity; (ii) is not disclosed in the financial statements of the entity; (iii) is not a non-GAAP financial measure; and (iv) is not a non-GAAP ratio.

    NuVista calculates: (i) “adjusted funds flow per share” by dividing adjusted funds flow for a period by the number of weighted average common shares of NuVista for the specified period; (ii) “operating netback per share” by dividing operating netback for a period by the number of weighted average common shares of NuVista for the specified period; (iii) “corporate netback per share” by dividing operating netback for a period by the number of weighted average common shares of NuVista for the specified period; (iv) “net debt to adjusted funds flow” by dividing the net debt at the end of a period by the adjusted funds flow for such period; and (v) “net present value per share” is the net present value (discounted at 10%) in the reserve category divided by the basic common shares outstanding at the end of the period.

    FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

    Mike J. Lawford Ivan J. Condic
    President and CEO VP, Finance and CFO
    (403) 538-1936 (403) 538-1945
       

    The MIL Network

  • MIL-OSI Economics: Verizon adds new partners Singtel, Skylo to worldwide IoT platform

    Source: Verizon

    Headline: Verizon adds new partners Singtel, Skylo to worldwide IoT platform

    What you need to know:

    • Singtel joins Bell Canada and Telenor IoT as Mobile Network Operator (MNO) partners providing international IoT connectivity through Verizon’s Global IoT Orchestration offering, which is now commercially available.
    • Skylo is powering satellite-IoT connectivity and services for network assurance in areas where terrestrial connectivity is challenged.
    • Verizon Business IoT customers can now access wireless services in up to 200 territories around the world, conveniently managed through Verizon Business’ ThingSpace IoT management platform.

    NEW YORK – Verizon Business has added IoT connectivity services from two new partners — Singapore-based operator Singtel and satellite service provider Skylo — to its suite of global IoT offerings. Verizon Business IoT customers can now access wireless services in up to 200 territories worldwide using complementary satellite, roaming, and native eSIM services from Verizon and its partners, all conveniently managed through the Verizon ThingSpace IoT management portal.

    Singapore-based communications technology group Singtel is the latest to partner with Verizon Business for its Global IoT Orchestration service, which allows Verizon Business customers to activate devices internationally using partner-MNO networks and services. Singtel will be a key partner supporting customers with the deployment of IoT connectivity in the Asia Pacific region. Global IoT Orchestration is now commercially available, offering international connectivity services from Singtel and previously announced collaborators Bell Canada and Telenor IoT.

    In the United States, Verizon will be positioned to offer IoT connectivity from satellite service provider Skylo, extending domestic network coverage to areas where cellular connectivity may be challenged. Coverage availability is expected to expand internationally in the future.

    Global IoT Orchestration is integrated in the Verizon ThingSpace IoT management platform, through which IoT connectivity and services in all territories — domestic and international — can be managed centrally on a single pane of glass using a seamless API interface or web portal. With Global IoT Orchestration, Verizon customers can activate devices in international regions using eSIM profiles from Verizon’s international carrier partners. In supported markets, customers can operate their devices just like a local network subscriber in that territory, with all the advantages of local connectivity.

    Global IoT Orchestration is available to U.S.-based customers activating IoT devices internationally. Contact Verizon Business here to learn more.

    Executive Statements

    “Our IoT services and platforms are designed to meet our customers’ needs wherever they do business, which is all around the world. We’re thrilled to see Global IoT Orchestration in-market now and satellite-enhanced IoT coverage in the U.S. to be available nearterm, enabling worldwide connectivity for our customers from the best partners in the industry,” said Shamik Basu, Vice President, Strategic Connectivity, Verizon Business. “We’re proud to offer an IoT capability that’s expansive, mobile, and conveniently managed through Verizon ThingSpace.”

    “Singtel is excited to support Verizon’s customers with our multi-domestic network offerings, so they can seamlessly manage their enterprise IoT applications and critical operational data, securely and in real time across the Asia Pacific region. Just as their customers can gain valuable insights from the diverse markets in this region, this partnership will pave the way for us to provide enhanced coverage for our customers in North America, facilitating increased customer reach, innovation and development in various industries across the world for all our stakeholders,” said Mr Lee Kwang Yong, Vice President, Enterprise Products, Singtel Singapore.

    “Skylo is honored to deepen our commercial relationship with Verizon for Industrial and Enterprise IoT Solutions. The Verizon ThingSpace platform is world renowned for managing and orchestrating IoT devices, and Skylo NTN allows customers to ensure that they and their devices are always connected and never lose coverage,” said Tarun Gupta, Chief Product Officer and co-founder of Skylo.

    MIL OSI Economics

  • MIL-OSI USA: Shaheen Statement on President Trump’s Joint Address to Congress

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for New Hampshire Jeanne Shaheen

    (Washington, DC) – U.S. Senator Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) issued the following statement after the President’s Joint Address to Congress:  

    “When I talk to New Hampshire families, farmers, small business owners, seniors, doctors or shipyard employees, I hear a desire for elected representatives to work together and find common ground on solutions that will help make their lives better. Yet what we heard tonight from the President was the opposite. He chose to lean into division over unity, chaos over calm and lies over facts – none of which stand to make America or the families we serve safer, stronger or more prosperous. 

    “Right now, Granite Staters are facing higher prices and uncertainty about the future. I was disappointed the President neglected to offer a path forward on issues that are top of mind for our constituents—like costs at the grocery store, health care affordability, the housing crisis, workforce and child care challenges. These are issues deeply personal to many, and I will remain focused on bringing forward solutions to make life better and more affordable for all. 

    “I was honored to be joined by my constituent Rebecca Hamilton, who owns and operates Badger, a Granite State small business that manufactures personal care products. Rebecca’s business will be badly hurt by the President’s reckless tariff tax on goods from Canada – and sadly, her story is all too common in New Hampshire. Small and large businesses alike will be forced to pass the price hike on imported goods onto consumers because they can’t afford to foot the bill alone.   

    “Once again, I find myself wishing that the President would spend more time focusing on lowering costs like he insisted he would and less time creating chaos. America is the best country in the world because of the values that unite us and our alliances around the globe that make us stronger. I sincerely hope the President will change course and focus instead on the values and opportunities that unite us as Americans.” 

    Shaheen’s guest to the Joint Address of Congress was Rebecca Hamilton, the co-owner and co-CEO of Badger in Gilsum, New Hampshire. Badger, a family-owned manufacturer of natural personal care products, is one of dozens of small businesses in New Hampshire that have already been impacted by the uncertainty around President Trump’s tariffs and could be devastated by the tariffs on Mexico and Canada—New Hampshire’s largest trading partner—that went into effect at midnight. 

    MIL OSI USA News

  • MIL-OSI Economics: Changes in the Lufthansa Supervisory Board

    Source: Lufthansa Group

    At the forthcoming Annual General Meeting of Deutsche Lufthansa AG on 6 May 2025, Dr Astrid Stange, Angela Titzrath and Erich Clementi will be standing for re-election to the Supervisory Board for a further three-year term.

    Dr Thomas Enders will resign from the Supervisory Board at his own request at the end of the Annual General Meeting on 6 May 2025. 

    The Supervisory Board proposes to the Annual General Meeting on 6 May 2025 that Dr Alexis von Hoensbroech (54), CEO of the Canadian airline WestJet, be elected to the Supervisory Board for a term of three years to fill the vacant position.

    MIL OSI Economics

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: UN Human Rights Council 58: UK Statement at the Interactive Dialogue with the Special Rapporteur on Torture

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    Speech

    UN Human Rights Council 58: UK Statement at the Interactive Dialogue with the Special Rapporteur on Torture

    UN Human Rights Council 58: UK Statement at the Interactive Dialogue with the Special Rapporteur on Torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment.

    A UK spokesperson said:

    Thank you, Mr President, 

    We thank the Special Rapporteur for her work and welcome the recommendations in the recent report on hostage-taking.  

    The UK unreservedly condemns the use of torture. There are no circumstances whatsoever that justify the use of torture or hostage taking. It is an abhorrent violation of human rights and human dignity.  

    We strongly believe that the prevention of torture, and tackling impunity for those who use torture, are essential components of safeguarding our security and integral to a fair legal system and the rule of law.  

    We are proud to work with partners and civil society to support torture prevention initiatives globally, including through our support for the Association for the Prevention of Torture. The UK is a signatory of the Declaration against Arbitrary Detention in State-to-State Relations and remains a vocal supporter of the Canadian-led initiative in its efforts to combat this practice. 

    We encourage the small minority of states which have not yet done so to ratify and implement the UN Convention against Torture, and the International Convention against the Taking of Hostages. 

    Special Rapporteur,  

    How can we better support states to overcome the barriers preventing them from ratifying the UN Convention against Torture?

    Updates to this page

    Published 4 March 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom

  • MIL-OSI USA: United States Arrests ISIS-K Attack Planner for Role in Killing of U.S. Military Service Members at Abbey Gate, Afghanistan

    Source: US State of North Dakota

    Note: View the affidavit and complaint here.

    On March 2, 2025, the United States charged Mohammad Sharifullah, also known as “Jafar,” a member of the terrorist organization the Islamic State of Iraq and ash-Sham-Khorasan Province (ISIS-K), with providing and conspiring to provide material support and resources to a designated foreign terrorist organization resulting in death, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 2339B. Sharifullah has been arrested and is expected to appear in the Eastern District of Virginia on March 5, 2025.

    “This evil ISIS-K terrorist orchestrated the brutal murder of 13 heroic Marines,” said Attorney General Pamela Bondi. “Under President Trump’s strong leadership on the world stage, this Department of Justice will ensure that terrorists like Mohammad Sharifullah have no safe haven, no second chances, and no worse enemy than the United States of America.”

    “The lethal attack that killed 13 American service members and Afghan civilians during the U.S. troop withdrawal from Afghanistan was an act of terrorism,” said FBI Director Kash Patel. “ISIS-K brazenly claimed responsibility for the carnage. Now thanks to the assistance of the FBI, Department of Justice, and the CIA, we have secured Sharifullah’s apprehension and transport to the U.S. to face American justice. The FBI will never forget the loss of these American heroes, we will continue to hunt down those who viciously murdered our warriors, we will find all responsible and bring them to justice.”

    “The charges announced today carry an unmistakable message: the commitment of the United States to hold accountable all who facilitate and carry out acts of terror against us will never waver,” said U.S. Attorney Erik S Siebert for the Eastern District of Virginia. “Our message to those who have been impacted by these horrific crimes is that you are not forgotten. We will continue to pursue justice no matter how long or how far it takes us.”

    On Aug. 26, 2021, American and other Coalition military forces were conducting an evacuation operation at Hamid Karzai International Airport in Kabul, Afghanistan. Abbey Gate was the main entry point for the operation. Thousands of civilians were at Abbey Gate for evacuation.

    At approximately 5:36 p.m., ISIS-K member Abdul Rahman al-Logari detonated a body-worn suicide bomb at Abbey Gate, killing 13 U.S. military service members and approximately 160 civilians.

    During an interview with FBI Special Agents on March 2, 2025, after waiving his Miranda rights, Sharifullah admitted to helping prepare for the Abbey Gate attack, including scouting a route near the airport for an attacker. Sharifullah specifically checked for law enforcement and American or Taliban checkpoints; he then communicated to other ISIS-K members that he believed the route was clear and that the attacker would not be detected. Sharifullah also admitted to recognizing al-Logari as an ISIS-K operative he had previously known.

    During his interview with the FBI, Sharifullah also admitted to supporting and conducting activities on behalf of ISIS-K in multiple other lethal attacks.

    On June 20, 2016, a suicide bomber acting for ISIS-K detonated a bomb that killed over ten embassy guards and multiple civilians and wounded other soldiers guarding the Canadian embassy in Kabul. ISIS claimed responsibility for the attack. As alleged in the complaint, prior to the attack, Sharifullah conducted surveillance to prepare the suicide bomber and later transported the bomber to the attack area.

    On March 22, 2024, a group of ISIS-K gunmen attacked Crocus City Hall near Moscow, Russia. The attack killed approximately 130 people and injured numerous others. Russian authorities arrested four gunmen in connection with the attack. During his interview with the FBI, Sharifullah admitted that, on behalf of ISIS-K, he had shared instructions on how to use AK-style rifles and other weapons to would-be attackers. Sharifullah also admitted to recognizing two of the four arrested gunmen as those he had previously instructed.

    If convicted, Sharifullah faces a maximum penalty of life in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

    Assistant U.S. Attorneys Michael P. Ben’Ary and Troy A. Edwards, Jr., for the Eastern District of Virginia and Trial Attorneys Alicia Cook, Charles Kovats, and Ryan White for the Department of Justice’s National Security Division are prosecuting the case.

    The details described above are allegations. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

    MIL OSI USA News

  • MIL-OSI Security: United States Arrests ISIS-K Attack Planner for Role in Killing of U.S. Military Service Members at Abbey Gate, Afghanistan

    Source: United States Attorneys General 9

    Note: View the affidavit and complaint here.

    On March 2, 2025, the United States charged Mohammad Sharifullah, also known as “Jafar,” a member of the terrorist organization the Islamic State of Iraq and ash-Sham-Khorasan Province (ISIS-K), with providing and conspiring to provide material support and resources to a designated foreign terrorist organization resulting in death, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 2339B. Sharifullah has been arrested and is expected to appear in the Eastern District of Virginia on March 5, 2025.

    “This evil ISIS-K terrorist orchestrated the brutal murder of 13 heroic Marines,” said Attorney General Pamela Bondi. “Under President Trump’s strong leadership on the world stage, this Department of Justice will ensure that terrorists like Mohammad Sharifullah have no safe haven, no second chances, and no worse enemy than the United States of America.”

    “The lethal attack that killed 13 American service members and Afghan civilians during the U.S. troop withdrawal from Afghanistan was an act of terrorism,” said FBI Director Kash Patel. “ISIS-K brazenly claimed responsibility for the carnage. Now thanks to the assistance of the FBI, Department of Justice, and the CIA, we have secured Sharifullah’s apprehension and transport to the U.S. to face American justice. The FBI will never forget the loss of these American heroes, we will continue to hunt down those who viciously murdered our warriors, we will find all responsible and bring them to justice.”

    “The charges announced today carry an unmistakable message: the commitment of the United States to hold accountable all who facilitate and carry out acts of terror against us will never waver,” said U.S. Attorney Erik S Siebert for the Eastern District of Virginia. “Our message to those who have been impacted by these horrific crimes is that you are not forgotten. We will continue to pursue justice no matter how long or how far it takes us.”

    On Aug. 26, 2021, American and other Coalition military forces were conducting an evacuation operation at Hamid Karzai International Airport in Kabul, Afghanistan. Abbey Gate was the main entry point for the operation. Thousands of civilians were at Abbey Gate for evacuation.

    At approximately 5:36 p.m., ISIS-K member Abdul Rahman al-Logari detonated a body-worn suicide bomb at Abbey Gate, killing 13 U.S. military service members and approximately 160 civilians.

    During an interview with FBI Special Agents on March 2, 2025, after waiving his Miranda rights, Sharifullah admitted to helping prepare for the Abbey Gate attack, including scouting a route near the airport for an attacker. Sharifullah specifically checked for law enforcement and American or Taliban checkpoints; he then communicated to other ISIS-K members that he believed the route was clear and that the attacker would not be detected. Sharifullah also admitted to recognizing al-Logari as an ISIS-K operative he had previously known.

    During his interview with the FBI, Sharifullah also admitted to supporting and conducting activities on behalf of ISIS-K in multiple other lethal attacks.

    On June 20, 2016, a suicide bomber acting for ISIS-K detonated a bomb that killed over ten embassy guards and multiple civilians and wounded other soldiers guarding the Canadian embassy in Kabul. ISIS claimed responsibility for the attack. As alleged in the complaint, prior to the attack, Sharifullah conducted surveillance to prepare the suicide bomber and later transported the bomber to the attack area.

    On March 22, 2024, a group of ISIS-K gunmen attacked Crocus City Hall near Moscow, Russia. The attack killed approximately 130 people and injured numerous others. Russian authorities arrested four gunmen in connection with the attack. During his interview with the FBI, Sharifullah admitted that, on behalf of ISIS-K, he had shared instructions on how to use AK-style rifles and other weapons to would-be attackers. Sharifullah also admitted to recognizing two of the four arrested gunmen as those he had previously instructed.

    If convicted, Sharifullah faces a maximum penalty of life in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

    Assistant U.S. Attorneys Michael P. Ben’Ary and Troy A. Edwards, Jr., for the Eastern District of Virginia and Trial Attorneys Alicia Cook, Charles Kovats, and Ryan White for the Department of Justice’s National Security Division are prosecuting the case.

    The details described above are allegations. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

    MIL Security OSI

  • MIL-OSI Security: Security News: United States Arrests ISIS-K Attack Planner for Role in Killing of U.S. Military Service Members at Abbey Gate, Afghanistan

    Source: United States Department of Justice 2

    Note: View the affidavit and complaint here.

    On March 2, 2025, the United States charged Mohammad Sharifullah, also known as “Jafar,” a member of the terrorist organization the Islamic State of Iraq and ash-Sham-Khorasan Province (ISIS-K), with providing and conspiring to provide material support and resources to a designated foreign terrorist organization resulting in death, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 2339B. Sharifullah has been arrested and is expected to appear in the Eastern District of Virginia on March 5, 2025.

    “This evil ISIS-K terrorist orchestrated the brutal murder of 13 heroic Marines,” said Attorney General Pamela Bondi. “Under President Trump’s strong leadership on the world stage, this Department of Justice will ensure that terrorists like Mohammad Sharifullah have no safe haven, no second chances, and no worse enemy than the United States of America.”

    “The lethal attack that killed 13 American service members and Afghan civilians during the U.S. troop withdrawal from Afghanistan was an act of terrorism,” said FBI Director Kash Patel. “ISIS-K brazenly claimed responsibility for the carnage. Now thanks to the assistance of the FBI, Department of Justice, and the CIA, we have secured Sharifullah’s apprehension and transport to the U.S. to face American justice. The FBI will never forget the loss of these American heroes, we will continue to hunt down those who viciously murdered our warriors, we will find all responsible and bring them to justice.”

    “The charges announced today carry an unmistakable message: the commitment of the United States to hold accountable all who facilitate and carry out acts of terror against us will never waver,” said U.S. Attorney Erik S Siebert for the Eastern District of Virginia. “Our message to those who have been impacted by these horrific crimes is that you are not forgotten. We will continue to pursue justice no matter how long or how far it takes us.”

    On Aug. 26, 2021, American and other Coalition military forces were conducting an evacuation operation at Hamid Karzai International Airport in Kabul, Afghanistan. Abbey Gate was the main entry point for the operation. Thousands of civilians were at Abbey Gate for evacuation.

    At approximately 5:36 p.m., ISIS-K member Abdul Rahman al-Logari detonated a body-worn suicide bomb at Abbey Gate, killing 13 U.S. military service members and approximately 160 civilians.

    During an interview with FBI Special Agents on March 2, 2025, after waiving his Miranda rights, Sharifullah admitted to helping prepare for the Abbey Gate attack, including scouting a route near the airport for an attacker. Sharifullah specifically checked for law enforcement and American or Taliban checkpoints; he then communicated to other ISIS-K members that he believed the route was clear and that the attacker would not be detected. Sharifullah also admitted to recognizing al-Logari as an ISIS-K operative he had previously known.

    During his interview with the FBI, Sharifullah also admitted to supporting and conducting activities on behalf of ISIS-K in multiple other lethal attacks.

    On June 20, 2016, a suicide bomber acting for ISIS-K detonated a bomb that killed over ten embassy guards and multiple civilians and wounded other soldiers guarding the Canadian embassy in Kabul. ISIS claimed responsibility for the attack. As alleged in the complaint, prior to the attack, Sharifullah conducted surveillance to prepare the suicide bomber and later transported the bomber to the attack area.

    On March 22, 2024, a group of ISIS-K gunmen attacked Crocus City Hall near Moscow, Russia. The attack killed approximately 130 people and injured numerous others. Russian authorities arrested four gunmen in connection with the attack. During his interview with the FBI, Sharifullah admitted that, on behalf of ISIS-K, he had shared instructions on how to use AK-style rifles and other weapons to would-be attackers. Sharifullah also admitted to recognizing two of the four arrested gunmen as those he had previously instructed.

    If convicted, Sharifullah faces a maximum penalty of life in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

    Assistant U.S. Attorneys Michael P. Ben’Ary and Troy A. Edwards, Jr., for the Eastern District of Virginia and Trial Attorneys Alicia Cook, Charles Kovats, and Ryan White for the Department of Justice’s National Security Division are prosecuting the case.

    The details described above are allegations. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

    MIL Security OSI

  • MIL-OSI: VAALCO Energy, Inc. Enters Into New $300 Million Revolving Credit Facility

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    HOUSTON, March 05, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — VAALCO Energy, Inc. (NYSE: EGY; LSE: EGY) (“Vaalco” or the “Company”) announced that it has entered into a new revolving credit facility (“the new facility”) with an initial commitment of $190 million and the ability to grow to $300 million, led by The Standard Bank of South Africa Limited, Isle of Man Branch with other participating banks and financial partners. This new facility, which is subject to customary administrative conditional precedents, replaces the Company’s existing undrawn revolving credit facility that was provided by Glencore Energy UK Ltd. The Company arranged the new facility primarily to provide short-term funding that may be needed from time-to-time to supplement its internally generated cash flow and cash balance as it executes its planned investment programs across its diversified asset base over the next few years.

    Key terms include:

    • Six-year term with facility amortization to begin on September 30, 2026;
    • Initial commitment of $190 million with the ability to grow to $300 million through a $110 million accordion;
    • Amounts drawn bear interest of 6.5% plus SOFR until the Côte d’Ivoire Floating Production Storage and Offloading vessel (“FPSO”) Dry Dock Refurbishment Project is completed;
    • Interest rate will decrease to 6.0% plus SOFR once the FPSO project is completed;
    • Undrawn available amounts incur a fee of 35% of margin per annum and undrawn unavailable amounts incur a fee of 20% of margin per annum, with semi-annual borrowing base redeterminations; and
    • Secured with Vaalco’s Gabon, Egypt and Côte d’Ivoire assets.

    “Closing this new credit facility will supplement our internally generated cash flow and cash balance to assist in funding our robust organic growth projects,” said George Maxwell, Vaalco’s Chief Executive Officer. “With $190 million in initial commitment and the ability to grow to $300 million, this facility enables us to fund any short-term capital funding needs that may occur as we execute the significant growth projects across our assets over the next couple of years. We appreciate the support shown by our lending group which we believe affirms the strength of our diverse asset base. We are excited about the major projects that we have planned which are expected to deliver a step-change in organic growth across our portfolio.”

    The Company entered into the new facility with The Standard Bank of South Africa Limited, Isle of Man Branch as the lead bank on the facility. Other participants include Rand Merchant Bank, The Mauritius Commercial Bank Limited and Glencore Energy UK Ltd.

    About Vaalco
    Vaalco, founded in 1985 and incorporated under the laws of Delaware, is a Houston, Texas, USA based, independent energy company with a diverse portfolio of production, development and exploration assets across Gabon, Egypt, Côte d’Ivoire, Equatorial Guinea, Nigeria and Canada.

    For Further Information

       
    Vaalco Energy, Inc. (General and Investor Enquiries) +00 1 713 543 3422
    Website: www.vaalco.com
       
    Al Petrie Advisors (US Investor Relations) +00 1 713 543 3422
    Al Petrie / Chris Delange  
       
    Buchanan (UK Financial PR) +44 (0) 207 466 5000
    Ben Romney / Barry Archer Vaalco@buchanan.uk.com
       

    Forward Looking Statements
    This press release includes “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”) and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, which are intended to be covered by the safe harbors created by those laws and other applicable laws and may also include “forward-looking information” within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities law (collectively “forward-looking statements”). Where a forward-looking statement expresses or implies an expectation or belief as to future events or results, such expectation or belief is expressed in good faith and believed to have a reasonable basis. All statements other than statements of historical fact may be forward-looking statements. The words “anticipate,” “believe,” “estimate,” “expect,” “intend,” “forecast,” “outlook,” “aim,” “target,” “will,” “could,” “should,” “may,” “likely,” “plan” and “probably” or similar words may identify forward-looking statements, but the absence of these words does not mean that a statement is not forward-looking. Forward-looking statements in this press release may include, but are not limited to, statements relating to (i) estimates of future drilling, production, sales and costs of acquiring crude oil, natural gas and natural gas liquids; (ii) expectations regarding Vaalco’s ability to effectively integrate assets and properties it has acquired as a result of the Svenska acquisition into its operations; (iii) expectations regarding future exploration and the development, growth and potential of Vaalco’s operations, project pipeline and investments, and schedule and anticipated benefits to be derived therefrom; (iv) expectations regarding future acquisitions, investments or divestitures; (v) expectations of future dividends; (vi) expectations of future balance sheet strength; and (vii) expectations of future equity and enterprise value.

    Such forward-looking statements are subject to risks, uncertainties and other factors, which could cause actual results to differ materially from future results expressed, projected or implied by the forward-looking statements. These risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to: risks relating to any unforeseen liabilities of Vaalco; the ability to generate cash flows that, along with cash on hand, will be sufficient to support operations and cash requirements; risks relating to the timing and costs of completion for scheduled maintenance of the FPSO servicing the Baobab field; and the risks described under the caption “Risk Factors” in Vaalco’s 2023 Annual Report on Form 10-K filed with the SEC on March 15, 2024 and subsequent Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q filed with the SEC.

    Inside Information
    This announcement contains inside information as defined in Regulation (EU) No. 596/2014 on market abuse which is part of UK domestic law by virtue of the European Union (Withdrawal) Act 2018 (“MAR”) and is made in accordance with the Company’s obligations under article 17 of MAR. The person responsible for arranging the release of this announcement on behalf of Vaalco is Matthew Powers, Corporate Secretary of Vaalco.

    The MIL Network

  • MIL-OSI USA: Rosen Response to President Trump’s Joint Address to Congress

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator Jacky Rosen (D-NV)
    WASHINGTON, DC – U.S. Senator Jacky Rosen (D-NV) released the below statement following President Donald Trump’s Joint Address to Congress tonight. 
    “Nevadans sent me to the U.S. Senate to work with anyone – no matter the political party – to deliver for our state. While I’ve been open to working with President Donald Trump when it’s right for Nevada, he has made it clear that he’s not interested in taking meaningful bipartisan action to lower costs for families,” said Senator Rosen. “Instead, Trump is looking to cut Medicaid to pay for more tax giveaways for billionaires, add new taxes on products from Mexico and Canada, and give Elon Musk unprecedented control over the federal government with no guardrails to prevent conflicts of interest. This is not what Nevadans voted for, and I’ll continue pushing back on actions that hurt our state.”
    Senator Rosen has strongly opposed Republicans’ budget plans that would give tax breaks to the ultra-wealthy by cutting programs Nevadans rely on. Earlier this month, Senator Rosen opposed Republicans’ extreme budget resolution that will gut programs like Medicaid and SNAP to pay for more tax cuts for the richest Americans. She also took to the Senate floor to call out Congressional Republicans for this extreme budget plan. Senator Rosen joined her Senate colleagues in urging President Donald Trump to reject Congressional Republicans’ legislative plans to increase the cost of living for Americans.

    MIL OSI USA News

  • MIL-Evening Report: Australia’s economy has turned the corner, and consumer spending was a big help

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Stephen Bartos, Professor of Economics, University of Canberra

    Australia’s economy expanded at the fastest pace in two years in the December quarter, boosted by an improvement in household spending and stronger exports.

    The Australian Bureau of Statistics’ national accounts report today said the economy grew by 0.6% in the quarter. It attributed this to “modest growth […] broadly across the economy […] supported by an increase in exports”.

    Annual gross domestic product (GDP) growth for the year to December 2024 was 1.3%. That’s not especially high in historical terms, but as good as we have seen since late 2022. The long-term average growth for the Australian economy is closer to 2.7%.

    It is one of the last pieces of major economic data before the next federal election, and will provide some comfort to the Labor government.

    The per capita recession is over

    A further encouraging sign is that GDP per head of population is no longer shrinking. It is tiny, rising a mere 0.1%, but at least is positive.

    This follows seven consecutive quarters where the per capita measure declined. Today’s report ends what some call a “per capita recession”: when the economy grows slower than population, so in terms of production per person we actually go backwards.

    Households spent more – on furniture, appliances, clothing, hotels, cafes and restaurants, health care and electricity. Consumption grew by 0.4% – which added to economic growth.

    Households also saved more – the saving to income ratio grew from 3.6% to 3.8%, the highest in nine quarters. How were households able to save, even while they spent more? The answer is wages are growing even more strongly.

    Employee compensation increased by 2% across the board, in both the public and private sectors. The compensation figure also reflects a 0.7% increase in hours worked.

    Other contributors to positive economic growth in the quarter were government spending and exports of goods and services. Agriculture was a strong performer (up 7.3%) due to meat exports to the United States and increased grains production following favourable weather conditions.

    What GDP doesn’t measure

    Nevertheless, GDP does not capture important dimensions of wellbeing.

    It omits things we value such as unpaid work, and the natural environment. Spending on recovery from a disaster improves GDP; if disaster never happens the numbers are unaffected.

    Australian statistician David Gruen outlined the limitations of GDP in a speech he gave in 2010, while still at Treasury. Economists and statisticians alike recognise those limitations.

    Still, the alternative to GDP growth is a recession: people lose jobs and income, businesses go broke. So overall, this latest release is a positive set of numbers for Australia.

    Improving outlook

    The trajectory for economic growth is looking good.

    The December quarter was an improvement on the September quarter’s result of 0.3%, and 0.2% in the June quarter. That September quarter result turned out, as predicted,
    to be a turning point.

    We now seem to be on a pathway for continuing growth. The December quarter, remember, came before the Reserve Bank cut interest rates in February. Falling interest rates will benefit not only mortgage holders but also business borrowers.

    Inflation has fallen to a level that gives optimism on possible future interest rate cuts.

    Nevertheless, although the rate of inflation is falling, this does not mean prices are coming down. They are merely rising more slowly than before. The inflation number is also an average. Some goods or services have higher than average price rises, others lower. People tend to pay attention to the prices that rise, not those that stay the same or decline.

    In short, these numbers may not make too much of a difference to the government’s election prospects. People will still be worried about the cost of living.

    International events beyond our control

    If voters pay attention to international politics, they also know our current economic sunshine might not last.

    US President Donald Trump has imposed 25% tariffs on Canadian and Mexican imports, and doubled the tariff on Chinese imports from 10% to 20%. The affected countries are talking about retaliation.

    Even if the US does not impose tariffs on Australian products (which remains a possibility, but Australian diplomats are lobbying hard to head it off), there is an impact from the US tariffs on China.

    We rely on China as our major trading partner. If its economy slows, so will ours. China has responded to the threat of tariffs today with a fresh stimulus package.

    Even more worrying is if the trade wars spread to other countries. Protectionism and insularity harms economies. Spread widely it can lead to a global recession.

    Even though the December quarter national accounts show good signs of economic recovery and bode well for the future, international events beyond Australia’s control might yet derail our positive prospects.

    Stephen Bartos does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

    ref. Australia’s economy has turned the corner, and consumer spending was a big help – https://theconversation.com/australias-economy-has-turned-the-corner-and-consumer-spending-was-a-big-help-251262

    MIL OSI AnalysisEveningReport.nz

  • MIL-Evening Report: Safe for autocracy: the world according to Putin and Trump

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Matthew Sussex, Associate Professor (Adj), Griffith Asia Institute; and Fellow, Strategic and Defence Studies Centre, Australian National University

    What does an ideal world look like for Russian President Vladimir Putin and his US counterpart Donald Trump? In a word: ugly.

    Trump’s embrace of Russia’s dictator, his bullying of a weakened Ukraine, his musings about new US territorial conquests, and his dismantling of US democratic institutions would, in any other age, have resulted in his immediate removal from office.

    And yet he has succeeded in beating his political opponents into submission, while his cultish following applauds every fresh outrage he visits on America’s friends, and every undeserved boon he grants its enemies.

    American interests?

    When discussing foreign policy, we typically use the term “national interests” to frame our understanding of what countries want, and the enablers and constraints that affect their chances of achieving it. Essentially, we to try to identify some parameters about what countries can, can’t, and might do.

    It assumes that factors such as economic heft, military capability, natural resources, alliance networks and geopolitical position all create a kind of baseline unique to each nation. It also assumes a fair amount of continuity in foreign policy, as new governments invariably face the same kinds of challenges and opportunities as past ones.

    And crucially, it assumes leaders will recognise it: that in democracies, for instance, elected public servants will continue acting in the broader public good.

    Not so for Trump. His behaviour is far more reminiscent of Putin’s. Like the Russian autocrat he idolises, Trump’s main domestic and foreign agendas revolve around his personal fortune, cementing his political power, and creating a narrative that existential forces – as well as internal enemies – are to blame for America’s problems.

    By presenting himself as the nation’s only possible saviour, Trump is directly plagiarising the Putin playbook.

    Like Russia’s tsar in all but name, Trump is creating an image of the state in which regime security and national security are innately linked. In that way, America First and Trump First are not just compatible, but actually synonymous.

    Trajectories of power

    Where the two differ, though, is that Putin’s recipe for dominating Russian politics has tended to increase his country’s raw national power, rather than diminishing it.

    Certainly, Putin’s renationalisation of Russia’s energy sector helped turn Russia into a petro-giant. That Putin has remained at the top of Russian politics for so long has been at least partly because he has distributed Russian wealth beyond a clique of oligarchs.

    The result was a larger middle class, apathetic to politics and tolerant of dictatorship, as long as living standards were improving.

    At the same time, Putin’s erosion of freedoms created powerful disincentives to express any opposition to his regime. After all, when criticising Russia’s “special military operation” in Ukraine can lead to beatings, ostracism from society, being sent to the front, or a prison sentence of up to 15 years, where’s the value in speaking out?

    There are plenty of signs that Trump would like to emulate Putin’s progress. From installing loyalists in the military and the ostensibly independent Department of Justice and FBI, coupled with threats against freedom of the press, his subversion of US democracy looks eerily familiar.

    But Trump’s recipe for success looks almost certain to weaken the US, not strengthen it.

    He has surrounded himself with completely unqualified supplicants in key roles, chosen on the basis of loyalty rather than competence.

    Purges at the CIA are weakening America’s vaunted intelligence-gathering capabilities. Orders to stop cyber operations against Russia are an extraordinary own-goal.

    Trump’s punishment of partners via tariffs – along with continued suggestions about annexing Canada, and his belittling of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau by calling him “governor” – are costing America friendships built on decades of trust.

    These schisms are becoming evident across the Atlantic too. In France, for instance, even the far-right nationalist Marine Le Pen has criticised Trump’s standover tactics in suspending military aid to Ukraine. A recent French poll found that fully 73% of respondents believed Trump’s US was no longer an ally.

    A new age of empires

    The recent – and historically breathtaking – statement by Putin’s press secretary, Dmitry Peskov, that Russian and US worldviews now largely align speaks volumes about the kind of world both regimes now agree on.

    It is, put simply, a new Age of Empires. This has long been a central theme of Russian geopolitical propaganda: that all major decisions affecting the world should be taken in only three of its capitals: Moscow, Beijing and Washington.

    In this brutal order, the strong do as they will, and the weak do as they must. It envisages a world cleaved into spheres of influence, with Russia permitted to run rampant over Eastern Europe, the US dominating the Americas and the East Pacific, and China as a hybrid maritime and continental power exerting hegemony in Asia.

    So how worried should we be? When we think of past global dangers, events such as the Cuban Missile Crisis come to mind. This is, of course, not the same: there isn’t the potential imminence of nuclear war.

    But there should nonetheless be not just deep concern but also immediate action to inoculate ourselves, as best we can, from the slow-burn effect of a world made safe for autocracy rather than democracy.

    There is also a legitimate counterargument that Trump’s bark is worse than his bite; that he will be a lame duck after the mid-term elections in 2026; and that all US allies need do is to keep a low profile until then.

    That may have been an appropriately soothing sentiment during Trump’s first term, but in his second one it rings increasingly hollow.

    For one thing, the goalposts have shifted. Trump has shown he will act with near-total impunity. He will doubtless try to manipulate elections, and he has shown before that he is perfectly prepared to reject their outcomes. For another, this time he will have not just a pliant legislature and cabinet, but also a loyal bureaucracy, and key supporters in law enforcement and military posts.

    Given that, it is one thing to hope for the best. But it makes sense also to plan for the worst. If the past few weeks have taught us anything, it is to be prepared for virtually daily episodes of disappointment. Or, to put it bluntly: things will get worse before they get better.

    Matthew Sussex has received funding from the Australian Research Council, the Atlantic Council, the Fulbright Foundation, the Carnegie Foundation, the Lowy Institute and various Australian government departments and agencies.

    ref. Safe for autocracy: the world according to Putin and Trump – https://theconversation.com/safe-for-autocracy-the-world-according-to-putin-and-trump-251246

    MIL OSI AnalysisEveningReport.nz

  • MIL-OSI Submissions: Global Economy – Trump’s Congress address triggers alarm: Biggest economic shift since 2008 crash, full-blown trade war? – deVere Group

    Source: deVere Group

    March 5 2025 – The global economy could now be on the brink of “its most severe disruption since the 2007-2008 financial crisis, besides the pandemic,” warns the CEO of global financial advisory giant, deVere Group.

    The comments from Nigel Green of deVere Group comes after in his highly anticipated address to Congress, US President Donald Trump doubled down on the most aggressive tariff policies seen since the 1940s in some respects, delivering a speech that, despite its rhetoric of economic strength, is set to cause concern through financial markets.

    He argued that “tariffs are not just about protecting American jobs, they’re about protecting the soul of our country,” but admitted they would cause “disturbance”.

    “Tariffs are about making America rich again, and making America great again,” he said. “And it’s happening, and it will happen rather quickly.”

    “There will be a little disturbance, but we’re okay with that,” he continued.

    In response, deVere Group’s Nigel Green says: “This is no longer just a warning sign. This is seemingly turning into an all-out trade war.

    “The immediate market reaction to Trump’s sweeping tariffs on Canada and Mexico was stark, with declines across major indices, reflecting investor fears of a prolonged and damaging standoff.

    “The true extent of the fallout, however, has yet to be fully realized, especially as wider reciprocal tariffs are set to be rolled on April 2, according to Trump in his address.”

    Donald Trump said “countless” nations charge the US “tremendously higher tariffs than we charge them”. The president said China’s average tariff on US products were twice what America charges Beijing.

    He added the average South Korean tariff was four times higher than what the US imposes on Seoul.

    The deVere CEO comments: “History has proven that protectionist policies of this magnitude don’t end in prosperity, but in economic isolation, slower growth, and inflationary pressures that ultimately hit consumers and businesses hardest.”

    “Tariffs are not a win for American workers or businesses—they’re taxes.”

    Companies across industries, from manufacturing to tech, are expected to bear the brunt of these costs, leading to price hikes, squeezed margins, and reduced competitiveness.

    “Trump’s assertion that these measures will strengthen the US economy is, at best, disingenuous.

    “The reality is that higher costs on imported goods will ripple through supply chains, forcing firms to either absorb the added expense or pass it onto consumers.” Either way, the result is likely economic pain.

    “The global repercussions cannot be overstated. Tariffs on key trading partners set off a chain reaction—retaliatory measures, shifting supply chains, capital flight, and a decline in investor confidence,” notes Nigel Green.

    Emerging markets, already grappling with tighter financial conditions, will be particularly vulnerable.

    The world is entering a period of heightened economic uncertainty, and with central banks already stretched in their policy responses, there is no easy fix on the horizon.

    Despite Trump’s assurances of an economic renewal, his trade war stance directly undermines long-term stability.

    “The lessons of past crises should serve as a stark reminder: economic nationalism and aggressive tariffs do not fuel growth; they suffocate it. The financial landscape is shifting rapidly, and businesses and investors must now brace for a turbulent period ahead.”

    What happens next will depend on how global markets, policymakers, and businesses react in the coming weeks.

    “It can be reasonably assumed that the fallout from Trump’s trade war is only just beginning. Households, businesses and investors need to buckle up,” concludes Nigel Green.

    deVere Group is one of the world’s largest independent advisors of specialist global financial solutions to international, local mass affluent, and high-net-worth clients.  It has a network of offices around the world, more than 80,000 clients, and $12bn under advisement.

    MIL OSI – Submitted News

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: President Lai meets US Heritage Foundation founder Dr. Edwin Feulner

    Source: Republic of China Taiwan

    Details
    2025-03-04
    President Lai attends opening ceremony of GCTF Workshop on Whole-of-Society Resilience Building, Preparation, and Response
    On the morning of March 4, President Lai Ching-te attended the opening ceremony of the Global Cooperation and Training Framework (GCTF) Workshop on Whole-of-Society Resilience Building, Preparation, and Response. In remarks, President Lai stated that global challenges such as extreme weather, pandemics, and energy crises continue to emerge, and growing authoritarianism presents a grave threat to freedom-loving countries. These challenges have no borders, he said, and absolutely no single country can face them alone. The president said that as a responsible member of the international community, Taiwan is both willing and able to contribute even more to the democracy, peace, and prosperity of the world, and that the GCTF is an important platform where Taiwan can make those contributions by sharing its experiences with the rest of the world. President Lai indicated that Taiwan will join the forces of the central and local governments to enhance social resilience across the board, enhance disaster response capabilities in the community, and leverage its strengths to make contributions to the international community. He said that we are demonstrating to the world our determination to create an even more resilient Taiwan, and expressed hope to advance mutual assistance and exchanges with all the countries involved, so that we can together promote stability and prosperity around the world. A transcript of President Lai’s remarks follows: To begin, I would like to welcome more than 60 distinguished guests from 30 countries, as well as experts from Taiwan. You are all here for this GCTF workshop to discuss whole-of-society resilience building, preparation, and response. As a responsible member of the international community, Taiwan is both willing and able to contribute even more to the democracy, peace, and prosperity of the world. The GCTF is an important platform where Taiwan can make those contributions by sharing its experiences with the rest of the world. I want to thank our full GCTF partners, the United States, Japan, Australia, and Canada. Over the past several years, we have worked with even more countries through this framework and have expanded our exchanges into even more fields. Together, we have met all kinds of new challenges. I am confident that as our cooperation grows stronger, so will our ability to promote global progress. Each of today’s guests is contributing a vital force in that regard. I extend my sincere thanks to you all. Global challenges such as extreme weather, pandemics, and energy crises continue to emerge. And growing authoritarianism presents a grave threat to freedom-loving countries. These challenges have no borders, and absolutely no single country can face them alone. Taiwan holds a key position on the first island chain, and stands at the very frontline of the defense of democracy. With this joint workshop, we are demonstrating to the world our determination to create an even more resilient Taiwan. We are also aiming to advance our mutual assistance and exchanges with all the countries involved, so that we can make our societies more resilient and together promote stability and prosperity around the world. Moving forward, we will continue advancing the following three initiatives: First, we will join the forces of the central and local governments to enhance social resilience across the board. Just last year, I established the Whole-of-Society Defense Resilience Committee at the Presidential Office. Civilian force training, strategic material preparation, and critical infrastructure operation and maintenance are all key discussion areas for our committee. These aim to enhance Taiwan’s resilience in national defense, economic livelihoods, disaster prevention, and democracy. They are also items on the agenda for this GCTF workshop. To cover all the bases, Taiwan must unite and cooperate as a team. Last year, our committee held the very first cross-sector tabletop exercise at the Presidential Office which included central and local government officials as well as civilian observers. We aim to test the government’s emergency response capabilities in high-intensity gray-zone operations and near-conflict situations. We will continue to hold exercises to help the central and local governments work together more efficiently, and strengthen Taiwan’s overall disaster response capabilities. Second is to enhance disaster response capabilities in the community. We fully understand that to build whole-of-society resilience, we must help people increase risk awareness, know how to respond to disasters, and develop abilities to help themselves, help one another, and work together. We are grateful to the American Institute in Taiwan (AIT) for collaborating with the Taiwan Development Association for Disaster Medical Teams to host “Take Action” workshops around the country since 2021. A 2.0 version is already in practice, and continues to train the public in first aid skills. Director of the AIT Taipei Office Raymond Greene and I took part in a Take Action event in New Taipei City last year and personally saw the positive outcomes of the training. In addition to the Take Action workshops, the government is also providing Disaster Relief Volunteer training for ages 11 to 89, and is continuing to expand its target audience. We have also set up Taiwan Community Emergency Response Teams at key facilities nationwide, enhancing the ability of these important facilities to respond independently to disasters. Civilian training will continue to be refined and expanded so that members of the public can serve as important partners in government-led disaster prevention and relief. Third, we will leverage Taiwan’s strengths to make contributions to the international community. The inspiration for our Disaster Relief Volunteer training comes from a similar program run by The Nippon Care-Fit Education Institute in Japan. I am confident that through exchanges like this workshop, Taiwan and other countries can also inspire one another in many areas, and enhance whole-of-society resilience in multiple ways. Taiwan also excels in information and communications and advanced technology. We will set up even more robust cybersecurity systems, expand usage of emerging technologies, and improve the ways we maintain domestic security. We hope that by leveraging our capabilities and sharing our experiences, Taiwan can contribute even more to the international community. I want to welcome all our partners once again, and thank AIT for co-hosting this event. Let’s continue down the path of advancing global security and developing resilience together. Because together, we can travel farther, and we can travel longer. Also in attendance at the event were Japan-Taiwan Exchange Association Deputy Representative Takaba Yo, Australian Office in Taipei Representative Robert Fergusson, and Canadian Trade Office in Taipei Executive Director Jim Nickel.

    Details
    2025-02-24
    President Lai meets Japanese House of Representatives Member Tamaki Yuichiro
    On the afternoon of February 24, President Lai Ching-te met with Japanese House of Representatives Member Tamaki Yuichiro. In remarks, President Lai noted that Taiwan and Japan are important trading partners. The president expressed hope that, in addition to semiconductors, Taiwan and Japan can also bolster cooperation in the fields of hydrogen energy and drones and build non-red supply chains, thus creating economic win-win situations and maintaining peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific region and globally. A translation of President Lai’s remarks follows: I would like to start by warmly welcoming Representative Tamaki on his first trip to Taiwan. Now is a key moment for the cooperative ties between Taiwan and Japan, and the fact that Representative Tamaki has chosen to take time out of his busy schedule to make this trip demonstrates his especially meaningful support for Taiwan. For this I want to express my deepest gratitude. At the beginning of this month, Japan and the United States held a summit meeting. In the post-summit joint leaders’ statement the government of Japan reiterated the importance of maintaining peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait, opposed any attempts to unilaterally change the status quo by force or coercion, and expressed support for Taiwan’s meaningful participation in international organizations. I would like to thank the government of Japan for these statements. Taiwan and Japan are both responsible members of the international community. I welcome an even firmer friendship between Japan and the US and hope to see cooperation among Taiwan, Japan, and the US become a solid force in consolidating peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific region. In addition to complex international conditions, we now also face the threat of China’s red supply chain. More and more countries are becoming increasingly concerned about such issues as economic security and supply chain resilience. As authoritarianism consolidates, democratic nations must also come closer in solidarity. Taiwan and Japan are important trading partners. I hope that, in addition to semiconductors, Taiwan and Japan can also bolster cooperation in the fields of hydrogen energy and drones, and that we can build non-red supply chains, thus creating economic win-win situations and maintaining peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific region and globally. Lastly, I would like once again to welcome Representative Tamaki to Taiwan and wish him a successful visit. I hope he departs Taiwan with a deep impression and that he will visit again. Representative Tamaki then delivered remarks, noting that this was his first visit to Taiwan and thanking President Lai and officials of the Taiwan government for their warm welcome. Pointing out that Taiwan-Japan ties are closer than ever thanks to the major efforts made on this front by President Lai since taking office, Representative Tamaki expressed his admiration and gratitude. Representative Tamaki pointed out that in a changing global landscape, Taiwan, Japan, and the Indo-Pacific region all face major changes, but he firmly believes that Taiwan-Japan relations will develop even further. Recalling President Lai’s previous remarks, the representative said that Japan and the US recently held a summit meeting that yielded important results. In the joint leaders’ statement, he noted, the two sides made a clear commitment regarding peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait and firmly opposed any attempts to unilaterally change the status quo by force or coercion. Representative Tamaki said that the ruling Liberal Democratic Party and the Komeito did not win a majority in last year’s House of Representatives general elections, while the number of seats held by his own Democratic Party for the People quadrupled. This result, he said, has filled him with a feeling of great responsibility. Moving forward, he intends to continue promoting Taiwan-Japan cooperation and strengthening relations. Also in attendance at the meeting was Japan-Taiwan Exchange Association Taipei Office Chief Representative Katayama Kazuyuki.

    Details
    2025-02-21
    President Lai meets Abe Akie, wife of late Prime Minister Abe Shinzo of Japan
    On the morning of February 21, President Lai Ching-te met with Abe Akie, the wife of late Prime Minister Abe Shinzo of Japan. In remarks, President Lai thanked Mrs. Abe for carrying on the legacy of former Prime Minister Abe, being a benevolent and determined force for regional peace and prosperity, and calling on all parties to continue to place attention on peace in the Taiwan Strait. The president stated that Taiwan will carry on the legacy and spirit of former President Lee Teng-hui and former Prime Minister Abe, safeguard the values of freedom and democracy, and deepen the Taiwan-Japan friendship. A translation of President Lai’s remarks follows: Last May, Mrs. Abe came to Taiwan to attend the inauguration ceremony for myself and Vice President Bi-khim Hsiao, and we reminisced about the past here at the Presidential Office. I would like to warmly welcome her back today. I am also delighted to be meeting with all guests in attendance. Yesterday, Mrs. Abe and I attended the opening of the very first Halifax Taipei forum, for which Mrs. Abe also delivered a keynote speech earlier today. In her speech, she offered valuable input on global security and democratic development. I would like to thank Mrs. Abe for making this special trip to Taiwan to take part, showing her strong support for Taiwan. Former Prime Minister Abe pioneered the vision of a free and open Indo-Pacific, and called on the international community to pay attention to peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait and Indo-Pacific. These have become common strategic goals of democratic countries around the world and will have a far-reaching influence over international developments and Taiwan’s security. They were important contributions that former Prime Minister Abe made in regard to the Taiwan Strait and the Indo-Pacific region. Recently, current Prime Minister of Japan Ishiba Shigeru and United States President Donald Trump held a meeting and jointly reiterated the importance of peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait, as well as opposed unilateral changes to the status quo by force or coercion. They also expressed support for Taiwan’s participation in international organizations. This shows that Prime Minister Ishiba is furthering the legacy of former Prime Minister Abe. We are very grateful for the former prime minister’s friendship toward Taiwan, and to Mrs. Abe for carrying on his legacy. Mrs. Abe is a benevolent and determined force for regional peace and prosperity, and has called on all parties at numerous public venues to continue to place attention on peace in the Taiwan Strait. Last December, for instance, she traveled at the invitation of President Trump and his wife to the US, where she addressed cross-strait issues and spoke up for Taiwan. We were deeply moved by this. As authoritarian states continue to expand, Taiwan will keep working alongside like-minded nations such as Japan and the US, as well as the European Union, to jointly contribute to regional and global peace and prosperity. I look forward to continued advancement of regional peace and prosperity with the help of Mrs. Abe’s efforts. Mrs. Abe will also be meeting with daughter of former President Lee and Lee Teng-hui Foundation Chairperson Annie Lee (李安妮) tomorrow. Former President Lee and former Prime Minister Abe were both fully devoted to promoting Taiwan-Japan relations. We will carry on their legacy and spirit, safeguard the values of freedom and democracy, and deepen the Taiwan-Japan friendship. In closing, I wish you all a smooth and successful visit. Mrs. Abe then delivered remarks, first expressing her sincere thanks to President Lai for taking the time to meet. She said that former Prime Minister Abe hailed from Yamaguchi Prefecture, and that accompanying her that day were House of Councillors Member Kitamura Tsuneo, Yamaguchi Prefecture Governor Muraoka Tsugumasa, Yamaguchi Prefectural Assembly Deputy Speaker Shimata Noriaki, and many other important figures from Yamaguchi. If former Prime Minister Abe’s spirit could look upon this scene, she said, he would certainly be very pleased. Mrs. Abe recalled that when the former prime minister passed away, then-Vice President Lai traveled to their official residence to express his condolences and pay tribute. She said that she will never forget such a gesture of deep friendship, heartfelt condolences, and care. The year before last, she indicated, a memorial photo exhibition for former Prime Minister Abe was held in Taiwan, and many Taiwanese people from all walks of life came to view it. Last year, Mrs. Abe continued, she had the privilege of attending President Lai’s inauguration ceremony, where she met with many friends from Taiwan and personally felt the close and beautiful ties that Taiwan and Japan share. Mrs. Abe stated that she will carry out the wishes of former Prime Minister Abe and do her utmost to help raise Taiwan-Japan relations to new heights, saying that she looks forward to hearing the advice that President Lai and all those present have to offer. The delegation also included Japan-Taiwan Exchange Association Taipei Office Chief Representative Katayama Kazuyuki.

    Details
    2025-02-20
    President Lai attends opening of 2025 Halifax Taipei forum
    On the afternoon of February 20, President Lai Ching-te attended the opening of the 2025 Halifax Taipei forum. In remarks, President Lai thanked the Halifax International Security Forum for their strong support for Taiwan, and for having chosen Taiwan as the first location outside North America to hold a forum. Noting that we face a complex global landscape, the president called on the international community to take action. He said that as authoritarianism consolidates, democratic nations must also come closer in solidarity, and called on the international community to create non-red global supply chains, as well as unite to usher in peace. President Lai emphasized that Taiwan will work toward maintaining peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait, and collaborate with democratic partners to form a global alliance for the AI chip industry and together greet a bright, new era. A transcript of President Lai’s remarks follows: To begin, I want to give a warm welcome to all the distinguished guests here at the very first Halifax Taipei forum. The Halifax International Security Forum, held every year in Canada, has been an important gathering for freedom-loving nations worldwide. I would like to thank Halifax and President [Peter] Van Praagh for their strong support for Taiwan. Every year since 2018, Taiwan has been invited to participate in the forum. Last year, former President Tsai Ing-wen was invited to speak, and this year, Halifax has chosen Taiwan as the first location outside North America to hold a forum. As President Van Praagh has said, “While the security challenges ahead are too big for any single country to solve alone, there is no challenge that can’t be met when the world’s democracies work together.” Today, we have world leaders and experts who traveled from afar to be here, showing that they value and support Taiwan. It demonstrates solidarity among democracies and the determination to take on challenges as one. I would like to express my gratitude and admiration to all of you for serving as defenders of freedom. At this very moment, Russia’s invasion of Ukraine is still ongoing. Authoritarian regimes including China, Russia, North Korea, and Iran continue to consolidate. China is hurting economies around the world through its dumping practices. We face grave challenges to global economic order, democracy, freedom, peace, and stability. Taiwan holds a key position on the first island chain, directly facing an authoritarian threat. But we will not be intimidated. We will stand firm and safeguard our national sovereignty, maintain our free and democratic way of life, and uphold peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait. Taiwan cherishes peace, but we also have no delusions about peace. We will uphold the spirit of peace through strength, using concrete actions to build a stronger Taiwan and bolster the free and democratic community. I sincerely thank the international community for continuing to attach importance to the situation in the Taiwan Strait. Recently, US President Donald Trump and Japan’s Prime Minister Ishiba Shigeru issued a joint leaders’ statement expressing their firm support for peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait, and for Taiwan’s participation in international affairs. As we face a complex global landscape, I call on the international community to take the following actions: First, as authoritarianism consolidates, democratic nations must also come closer in solidarity. Just a few days ago, the top diplomats of the US, Japan, and South Korea held talks, underlining the importance of maintaining peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait. They also conveyed their stance against “any effort to destabilize democratic institutions, economic independence, and global security.” On these issues, Taiwan will also continue to contribute its utmost. I recently announced that we will prioritize special budget allocations to ensure that our defense budget exceeds 3 percent of GDP.  Soon after I assumed office last year, I formed the Whole-of-Society Defense Resilience Committee at the Presidential Office. This committee aims to combine the strengths of government and civil society to enhance our resilience in national defense, economic livelihoods, disaster prevention, and democracy. We will also deepen our strategic partnerships in the democratic community to mutually increase defense resilience, demonstrate deterrence, and achieve our goal of peace throughout the world. Second, let’s create non-red global supply chains.  For the democratic community to deter the expansion of authoritarianism, it must have strong technological capabilities. These can serve as the backbone of national defense, promote industrial development, and enhance economic resilience. So, in addressing China’s red supply chain and the impact of its dumping, Taiwan is willing and able to work with global democracies to maintain the technological strengths among our partners and build resilient non-red supply chains. As a major semiconductor manufacturing nation, Taiwan will introduce an initiative on semiconductor supply chain partnerships for global democracies. We will collaborate with our democratic partners to form a global alliance for the AI chip industry and establish democratic supply chains for industries connected to high-end chips. The achievements of today’s semiconductor industry in Taiwan can be attributed to our collective efforts. Government, industry, academia, and research institutions had to overcome various challenges over the last 50 years for us to secure this position.  We hope Taiwan can serve as a base for linking the capabilities of our democratic partners so that each can play a suitable role in the semiconductor industry chain and develop its own strengths, deepening our mutually beneficial cooperation in technology. This benefits all of us. Moreover, it allows us to further enhance deterrence and maintain global security. Third, let’s unite to usher in peace. China has not stopped intimidating Taiwan politically and militarily. Last year, China launched several large-scale military exercises in the Taiwan Strait. Its escalation of gray-zone aggression now poses a grave threat to the peace and stability of the Indo-Pacific region. As a responsible member of the international community, Taiwan will maintain the status quo. We will not seek conflict. Rather, we are willing to engage in dialogue with China, under the principles of parity and dignity, and work toward maintaining peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait. As the agenda of this forum suggests, democracy and freedom create more than just opportunities; they also bring resilience, justice, partnerships, and security. Taiwan will continue working alongside its democratic partners to greet a bright, new era. Once again, a warm welcome to all of you. I wish this forum every success. Thank you. Also in attendance at the event were Mrs. Abe Akie, wife of the late former Prime Minister Abe Shinzo of Japan, and Halifax International Security Forum President Van Praagh.

    Details
    2025-02-18
    President Lai meets British-Taiwanese All-Party Parliamentary Group delegation
    On the morning of February 18, President Lai Ching-te met with a delegation from the British-Taiwanese All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG). In remarks, President Lai thanked the delegation members, the Parliament of the United Kingdom, and the UK government for continuing to demonstrate support for Taiwan through a variety of means. He also stated that Taiwan-UK relations have advanced significantly in recent years, noting that the Taiwan-UK Enhanced Trade Partnership (ETP) is the first institutionalized economic and trade framework signed between Taiwan and any European country. The president said he looks forward to continuing to deepen Taiwan-UK relations and jointly maintaining regional and global peace and stability, and indicated that together, we can create win-win developments for both Taiwan and the UK and Taiwan and European nations. A translation of President Lai’s remarks follows: This is the first UK parliamentary delegation of the current session to visit Taiwan. On behalf of the people of Taiwan, I extend my sincerest welcome to you all. APPG Chair Sarah Champion visited Taiwan last May to attend the inauguration ceremony of myself and Vice President Bi-khim Hsiao. In July, she also attended the annual summit of the Inter-Parliamentary Alliance on China (IPAC), which was held in Taipei. I am delighted that we are meeting once again. Taiwan-UK relations have advanced significantly in recent years. I would especially like to thank our distinguished guests, as well as the UK Parliament and government, for continuing to demonstrate support for Taiwan through a variety of means. For example, the House of Commons held a debate on Taiwan’s international status last November. After the debate, a motion was unanimously passed affirming that United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) Resolution 2758 does not mention Taiwan. Responding to the motion, Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State Catherine West stated that the UK opposes any attempt to broaden the interpretation of the resolution to rewrite history. This highlighted concrete progress in Taiwan-UK bilateral relations. I would also like to thank the UK Parliament and government for openly opposing on multiple occasions any unilateral change to the status quo across the Taiwan Strait, and for emphasizing that the security of the Indo-Pacific and transatlantic regions is closely intertwined. We look forward to continuing to deepen Taiwan-UK relations and jointly maintaining regional and global peace and stability. Together, we can create win-win developments for both Taiwan and the UK and Taiwan and European nations. For example, the Taiwan-UK ETP is the first institutionalized economic and trade framework signed between Taiwan and any European country. We hope to swiftly conclude negotiations on signing sub-arrangements on investment, digital trade, and energy and net-zero transition. This will facilitate even more exchanges and cooperation between Taiwan and the UK. We also hope that the UK will continue to support Taiwan’s accession to the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership. Together, we can build even more resilient global supply chains and further contribute to global prosperity and development. I believe that this visit adds to a strong and solid foundation for future Taiwan-UK cooperation. Thank you once again for backing Taiwan. I wish you a fruitful and successful visit. Chair Champion then delivered remarks, thanking President Lai for his warm welcome and for the hospitality he has shown to her and the delegation, and thanking Taiwan’s excellent team of officials for their care and attention. Chair Champion expressed that she thinks the IPAC conference held in Taiwan at the end of July last year was very significant, with legislators from 23 countries coming to show support for Taiwan, adding that that is something they have built on since the conference. She stated that she is also very proud that the UK Parliament supported the motion which made very clear that UNGA Resolution 2758 is specific to China and only to China, expressing that it was important and powerful that they recognize that. The chair went on to say that after the UK’s general election, more than half of the members of parliament are now new. She said she is very proud that there are new MPs as part of the delegation, and that she hopes it gives President Lai reassurance that their commitment to Taiwan is still there.  Chair Champion emphasized that the all-party group is important because it is indeed all-party, and that they work together for their common interests, stating that the common interest for the UK and for the world is to maintain Taiwan’s sovereignty. She also noted that the United States has now come out very much in support of Taiwan, which she said she hopes encourages other countries around the world to do the same. Chair Champion said that the UK will be going into the 27th trade negotiation with Taiwan, and that they hope the partnership that develops is very fruitful. The chair closed by saying that it is wonderful for the delegation to be meeting President Lai, as well as legislators and ministers, and to be understanding more about the culture of Taiwan so that they can build a deeper, longer-lasting friendship. The delegation also included Lord Purvis of Tweed of the House of Lords and Members of Parliament Ben Spencer, Helena Dollimore, Noah Law, and David Reed. The delegation was accompanied to the Presidential Office by Political and Communications Director at the British Office in Taipei Natasha Harrington.  

    Details
    2025-02-14
    President Lai holds press conference following high-level national security meeting
    On the morning of February 14, President Lai Ching-te convened the first high-level national security meeting of the year, following which he held a press conference. In remarks, President Lai announced that in this new year, the government will prioritize special budget allocations to ensure that Taiwan’s defense budget exceeds 3 percent of GDP. He stated that the government will also continue to reform national defense, reform our legal framework for national security, and advance our economic and trade strategy of being rooted in Taiwan while expanding globally. The president also proposed clear-cut national strategies for Taiwan-US relations, semiconductor industry development, and cross-strait relations. President Lai indicated that he instructed the national security and administrative teams to take swift action and deliver results, working within a stable strategic framework and according to the various policies and approaches outlined. He also instructed them to keep a close watch on changes in the international situation, seize opportunities whenever they arise, and address the concerns and hope of the citizens with concrete actions. He expressed hope that as long as citizens remain steadfast in their convictions, are willing to work hand in hand, stand firm amidst uncertainty, and look for ways to win within changing circumstances, Taiwan is certain to prevail in the test of time yet again. A translation of President Lai’s remarks follows: First, I would like to convey my condolences for the tragic incident which occurred at the Shin Kong Mitsukoshi department store in Taichung, which resulted in numerous casualties. I have instructed Premier Cho Jung-tai (卓榮泰) to lead the relevant central government agencies in assisting Taichung’s municipal government with actively resolving various issues regarding the incident. It is my hope that these issues can be resolved efficiently. Earlier today, I convened this year’s first high-level national security meeting. I will now report on the discussions from the meeting to all citizens. 2025 is a year full of challenges, but also a year full of hope. In today’s global landscape, the democratic world faces common threats posed by the convergence of authoritarian regimes, while dumping and unfair competition from China undermine the global economic order. A new United States administration was formed at the beginning of the year, adopting all-new strategies and policies to address challenges both domestic and from overseas. Every nation worldwide, including ours, is facing a new phase of changes and challenges. In face of such changes, ensuring national security, ensuring Taiwan’s indispensability in global supply chains, and ensuring that our nation continues to make progress amidst challenges are our top priorities this year. They are also why we convened a high-level national security meeting today. At the meeting, the national security team, the administrative team led by Premier Cho, and I held an in-depth discussion based on the overall state of affairs at home and abroad and the strategies the teams had prepared in response. We summed up the following points as an overall strategy for the next stage of advancing national security and development. First, for overall national security, so that we can ensure the freedom, democracy, and human rights of the Taiwanese people, as well as the progress and development of the nation as we face various threats from authoritarian regimes, Taiwan must resolutely safeguard national sovereignty, strengthen self-sufficiency in national defense, and consolidate national defense. Taiwan must enhance economic resilience, maintain economic autonomy, and stand firm with other democracies as we deepen our strategic partnerships with like-minded countries. As I have said, “As authoritarianism consolidates, democratic nations must come closer in solidarity!” And so, in this new year, we will focus on the following three priorities: First, to demonstrate our resolve for national defense, we will continue to reform national defense, implement whole-of-society defense resilience, and prioritize special budget allocations to ensure that our defense budget exceeds 3 percent of GDP. Second, to counter the threats to our national security from China’s united front tactics, attempts at infiltration, and cognitive warfare, we will continue with the reform of our legal framework for national security and expand the national security framework to boost societal resilience and foster unity within. Third, to seize opportunities in the restructuring of global supply chains and realignment of the economic order, we will continue advancing our economic and trade strategy of being rooted in Taiwan while expanding globally, strengthening protections for high-tech, and collaborating with our friends and allies to build supply chains for global democracies. Everyone shares concern regarding Taiwan-US relations, semiconductor industry development, and cross-strait relations. For these issues, I am proposing clear-cut national strategies. First, I will touch on Taiwan-US relations. Taiwan and the US have shared ideals and values, and are staunch partners within the democratic, free community. We are very grateful to President Donald Trump’s administration for their continued support for Taiwan after taking office. We are especially grateful for the US and Japan’s joint leaders’ statement reiterating “the importance of maintaining peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait as an indispensable element of security and prosperity for the international community,” as well as their high level of concern regarding China’s threat to regional security. In fact, the Democratic Progressive Party government has worked very closely with President Trump ever since his first term in office, and has remained an international partner. The procurement of numerous key advanced arms, freedom of navigation critical for security and stability in the Taiwan Strait, and many assisted breakthroughs in international diplomacy were made possible during this time. Positioned in the first island chain and on the democratic world’s frontline countering authoritarianism, Taiwan is willing and will continue to work with the US at all levels as we pursue regional stability and prosperity, helping realize our vision of a free and open Indo-Pacific. Although changes in policy may occur these next few years, the mutual trust and close cooperation between Taiwan and Washington will steadfastly endure. On that, our citizens can rest assured. In accordance with the Taiwan Relations Act and the Six Assurances, the US announced a total of 48 military sales to Taiwan over the past eight years amounting to US$26.265 billion. During President Trump’s first term, 22 sales were announced totaling US$18.763 billion. This greatly supported Taiwan’s defensive capabilities. On the foundation of our close cooperation with the past eight years’ two US administrations, Taiwan will continue to demonstrate our determination for self-defense, accelerate the bolstering of our national defense, and keep enhancing the depth and breadth of Taiwan-US security cooperation, along with all manner of institutional cooperation. In terms of bilateral economic cooperation, Taiwan has always been one of the US’s most reliable trade partners, as well as one of the most important cooperative partners of US companies in the global semiconductor industry. In the past few years, Taiwan has greatly increased both direct and indirect investment in the US. By 2024, investment surpassed US$100 billion, creating nearly 400,000 job opportunities. In 2023 and 2024, investment in the US accounted for over 40 percent of Taiwan’s overall foreign investment, far surpassing our investment in China. In fact, in 2023 and 2024, Taiwanese investment in China fell to 11 percent and 8 percent, respectively. The US is now Taiwan’s biggest investment target. Our government is now launching relevant plans in accordance with national development needs and the need to establish secure supply systems, and the Executive Yuan is taking comprehensive inventory of opportunities for Taiwan-US economic and trade cooperation. Moving forward, close bilateral cooperation will allow us to expand US investment and procurement, facilitating balanced trade. Our government will also strengthen guidance and support for Taiwanese enterprises on increasing US investment, and promote the global expansion and growth of Taiwan’s industries. We will also boost Taiwan-US cooperation in tech development and manufacturing for AI and advanced semiconductors, and work together to maintain order in the semiconductor market, shaping a new era for our strategic economic partnership. Second, the development of our semiconductor industry. I want to emphasize that Taiwan, as one of the world’s most capable semiconductor manufacturing nations, is both willing and able to address new situations. With respect to President Trump’s concerns about our semiconductor industry, the government will act prudently, strengthen communications between Taiwan and the US, and promote greater mutual understanding. We will pay attention to the challenges arising from the situation and assist businesses in navigating them. In addition, we will introduce an initiative on semiconductor supply chain partnerships for global democracies. We are willing to collaborate with the US and our other democratic partners to develop more resilient and diversified semiconductor supply chains. Leveraging our strengths in cutting-edge semiconductors, we will form a global alliance for the AI chip industry and establish democratic supply chains for industries connected to high-end chips. Through international cooperation, we will open up an entirely new era of growth in the semiconductor industry. As we face the various new policies of the Trump administration, we will continue to uphold a spirit of mutual benefit, and we will continue to communicate and negotiate closely with the US government. This will help the new administration’s team to better understand how Taiwan is an indispensable partner in the process of rebuilding American manufacturing and consolidating its leadership in high-tech, and that Taiwan-US cooperation will benefit us both. Third, cross-strait relations. Regarding the regional and cross-strait situation, Taiwan-US relations, US-China relations, and interactions among Taiwan, the US, and China are a focus of global attention. As a member of the international democratic community and a responsible member of the region, Taiwan hopes to see Taiwan-US relations continue to strengthen and, alongside US-China relations, form a virtuous cycle rather than a zero-sum game where one side’s gain is another side’s loss. In facing China, Taiwan will always be a responsible actor. We will neither yield nor provoke. We will remain resilient and composed, maintaining our consistent position on cross-strait relations: Our determination to safeguard our national sovereignty and protect our free and democratic way of life remains unchanged. Our efforts to maintain peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait, as well as our willingness to work alongside China in the pursuit of peace and mutual prosperity across the strait, remain unchanged. Our commitment to promoting healthy and orderly exchanges across the strait, choosing dialogue over confrontation, and advancing well-being for the peoples on both sides of the strait, under the principles of parity and dignity, remains unchanged. Regarding the matters I reported to the public today, I have instructed our national security and administrative teams to take swift action and deliver results, working within a stable strategic framework and according to the various policies and approaches I just outlined. I have also instructed them to keep a close watch on changes in the international situation, seize opportunities whenever they arise, and address the concerns and hope of the citizens with concrete actions. My fellow citizens, over the past several years, Taiwan has weathered a global pandemic and faced global challenges, both political and economic, arising from the US-China trade war and Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Through it all, Taiwan has persevered; we have continued to develop our economy, bolster our national strength, and raise our international profile while garnering more support – all unprecedented achievements. This is all because Taiwan’s fate has never been decided by the external environment, but by the unity of the Taiwanese people and the resolve to never give up. A one-of-a-kind global situation is creating new strategic opportunities for our one-of-a-kind Taiwanese people, bringing new hope. Taiwan’s foundation is solid; its strength is great. So as long as everyone remains steadfast in their convictions, is willing to work hand in hand, stands firm amidst uncertainty, and looks for ways to win within changing circumstances, Taiwan is certain to prevail in the test of our time yet again, for I am confident that there are no difficulties that Taiwan cannot overcome. Thank you.

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News

  • MIL-OSI China: Canada announces detailed counter tariff package against US

    Source: China State Council Information Office

    An employee removes U.S. alcohol products from a shelf at a Liquor Control Board of Ontario store in Oakville, Ontario, Canada, on March 4, 2025. [Photo/Xinhua]

    The Canadian federal government on Tuesday announced a detailed tariff package after Prime Minister Justin Trudeau vowed that Canada will not back down from a fight against the trade war initiated by U.S. President Donald Trump.

    According to a news release issued by the Finance Ministry, the first phase of Canada’s response includes tariffs on 30 billion Canadian dollars (about 21 billion U.S. dollars) in goods imported from the United States, effective as of 12:01 a.m., March 4. The list includes products such as orange juice, peanut butter, wine, spirits, beer, coffee, appliances, apparel, footwear, motorcycles, cosmetics, and certain pulp and paper products.

    The additional countermeasures on 125 billion Canadian dollars (about 89 billion U.S. dollars) in imports from the United States would be from a list of goods open for a 21-day comment period which includes products such as electric vehicles, fruits and vegetables, beef, pork, dairy, electronics, steel, aluminum, trucks, and buses, the release said.

    The government is also taking steps to mitigate the impact of these countermeasures on Canadian workers and businesses by establishing a remission process to consider requests for exceptional relief from the tariffs, the release said.

    All options remain on the table as the government considers additional measures, including non-tariff options, the release said.

    Trudeau said during his speech to the nation earlier in the day that Canada will also be challenging the U.S. illegal actions by filing dispute resolution claims at the World Trade Organization and through the Canada-U.S.- Mexico Agreement, or the free trade mechanism in North America that was renegotiated by Trump in his last term.

    The counter tariffs will remain in place until the U.S. tariffs are withdrawn and not a moment sooner, said Trudeau.

    MIL OSI China News

  • MIL-OSI USA: After Trump Levels Sweeping Tariffs on Canada and Mexico, Senate GOP Blocks Shaheen Effort to Pass Her Legislation to Protect Granite Staters from Impact and Higher Costs

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for New Hampshire Jeanne Shaheen
    **Shaheen’s bill would have limited impact of Canada and Mexico tariffs on American consumers and businesses**
    (Washington, DC) – U.S. Senator Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), Ranking Member of the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee and a top member of the U.S. Senate Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship, took to the Senate floor today to call for unanimous consent to pass her legislation—the Protecting Americans from Tax Hikes on Imported Goods Act. If Republicans had not blocked passage, Shaheen’s bill would have shielded American consumers and businesses from rising prices and higher taxes caused by President Trump’s tariffs on Canada, New Hampshire’s largest trading partner, and Mexico. Her legislation would keep costs down for imported goods by limiting the authority under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA)—which allows a President to immediately place unlimited tariffs after declaring a national emergency—while preserving IEEPA’s use for sanctions and other tools. Click here to watch Shaheen’s remarks in full.  
    Key quotes from Senator Shaheen: 
    “Trump’s tariffs will make everything—from gas to heating to groceries to lumber and more—more expensive for everyday Americans. And I think it bears repeating that tariffs are paid by consumers. They’re paid by Americans, not by other countries. And what the President is doing amounts to a new tax for Americans.” 
    “There are countless other imports that American businesses and families rely on that are going to be hit hard. And these tariffs do nothing to bring down those costs. They do just the opposite. These tariffs could add $1,200 to an average household’s yearly costs – and we won’t have to wait very long for the impact to be felt.” 
    “Businesses plan months, quarters or years in advance. They need to place orders and plot out their growth in order to succeed. How can they plan when they can’t even know whether their costs are going to go up 25% overnight?”
    “[My bill] would stop these tariff taxes on goods and energy coming from Canada and Mexico – and it would give businesses and families more certainty to plan for the future and keep more of their hard-earned dollars in their own pockets.” 
    Full Remarks as Delivered 
    I come to the floor today because I am concerned about President Trump’s actions to, I believe, start a trade war with our top two trading partners, Canada and Mexico. All goods coming from Canada and Mexico. As of midnight last night, I guess midnight today, face a 25% tax. 
    That is all except Canadian energy, which is taxed at 10%. Trump’s tariffs will make everything, from gas to heating to groceries to lumber and more, more expensive for everyday Americans. And I think it bears repeating that tariffs are paid by consumers. They’re paid by Americans, not by other countries. And what the president is doing amounts to a new tax for Americans.  
    For example, heating oil and propane that keeps hundreds of thousands of Granite Staters warm in the winter is going to cost more. We’re going to add about $150 to $250 to the cost of heating homes in New Hampshire. And gas prices are going to go up. In New Hampshire, half of the fuel in our cars and trucks comes from Canada, and U.S. refineries across the Midwest use Canadian oil. The U.S. imports 80% of its potash fertilizer from Canada, and this tariff makes farming and food more expensive. 
    It’s unclear how the American auto industry is going to continue to operate. Ford’s CEO said these tariffs will, and I quote, “blow a hole in the U.S. industry that we have never seen, with up to $12,000 added to the cost of the car.” And this will make lumber and electrical equipment that we need to build housing at a time when housing is already in short supply. It will make them more expensive and harder to find.  
    Those are just a few examples. There are countless other imports that American businesses and families rely on that are going to be hit hard. And these tariffs do nothing to bring down those costs. They do just the opposite. These tariffs could add $1,200 to an average household’s yearly costs. 
    And we won’t have to wait very long for the impact to be felt. It’s already being felt on Wall Street and the stock market. Target’s CEO said this morning that the consumer and I quote, “will likely see price increases over the next couple of days.” And for small businesses, these tariff taxes will be felt by small businesses in all of our states. 
    I was here a month ago today sharing stories from business owners in New Hampshire who weren’t sure how they were going to keep operating if specialized machinery that they can only get from Canada suddenly costs 25% more. And since that time, I’ve heard from even more people in New Hampshire, more small businesses.  
    Last week I heard from a small company in Windham, New Hampshire. It makes allergen free cookies, and they can only get certain ingredients for those cookies from Canada. The CEO built her business, which now employs 30 people, and now she can’t be sure if they’re even going to be able to keep going, let alone keep growing.  
    When I spoke with business representatives across New Hampshire last month, the theme they kept coming back to was uncertainty. 
    As a former small business owner, I know that uncertainty is the most destabilizing aspect of running and growing a business. Yet that’s what this administration keeps creating. Yesterday, we learned that new orders from manufacturers dropped in February for the first time in 22 years. For the first time in 22 years, new orders from manufacturers dropped because companies can’t work with this level of uncertainty. 
    Last Wednesday, the president was talking about Canadian tariffs going into effect April 2nd. The very next morning, he announced 25% tariffs would go into effect today. The whiplash is hard to imagine.  
    I spoke last month about a bus company, C&J Bus Lines in New Hampshire, that was worried about these tariffs and what it would mean for their bottom line. 
    Well, the CEO moved up his delivery date to get three busses in late March before these taxes were set to go into effect. But his costs just went up more than $450,000.  
    Businesses plan months, quarters or years in advance. They need to place orders and plot out their growth in order to succeed. How can they plan when they can’t even know whether their costs are going to go up 25% overnight? 
    How can a developer know if they can start building the housing that New Hampshire desperately needs if their lumber costs 25% more overnight?  
    And how can a family already struggling with high costs continue to pay the rent or put food on the table if their household costs are going to go up $1,200 this year?  
    I want families and businesses to know that the whims of this president are not going to cause them to break the bank on everyday items they need to get by. 
    That’s why I introduced the Protecting Americans from Tax Hikes on Imported Goods Act. It’s a simple change, really. It says that the International Emergency Economic Powers Act, IEEPA, can no longer be used to place taxes on imports. If the president needs to block some dangerous product, he still can. But if there’s a real threat, we’d want to stop it, not just add a tariff tax. 
    That’s what my bill does. It would stop these tariffs on goods and energy coming from Canada and Mexico, and it would give businesses and families more certainty to plan for the future and to keep their hard-earned dollars in their pockets.  
    So, Madam President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs be discharged from further consideration of S. 151 and that the Senate proceed to its immediate consideration, that the bill be considered read a third time and passed, and the motion to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table. 
    Last month, Shaheen introduced the Protecting Americans from Tax Hikes on Imported Goods Act with U.S. Senators Ron Wyden (D-OR) and Tim Kaine (D-VA) to keep costs down for imported goods by limiting the authority under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA)—which allows a President to immediately place unlimited tariffs after declaring a national emergency—while preserving IEEPA’s use for sanctions and other tools.   
    The authorities granted to the President through the IEEPA represent the broadest of the possible paths an administration can take to impose sweeping tariffs. The Protecting Americans from Tax Hikes on Imported Goods Act clarifies that the IEEPA may not be used to increase costs on American consumers and families by placing tariffs or tariff-rate quotas on imported goods. The legislation would preserve crucial national security tools granted to the President through the IEEPA authority to impose sanctions or to block all imports of goods that are dangerous to national security and would preserve the ability to push back on unfair trade practices of the People’s Republic of China.   

    MIL OSI USA News

  • MIL-OSI Security: Hollywood Woman Found Guilty of Running Tech-Savvy Drug Delivery Business that Caused Three Near-Fatal Fentanyl Overdoses

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    LOS ANGELES – A Hollywood woman was found guilty by a jury today of running a tech-savvy drug delivery business that employed drivers – including a part-time actor – and resulted in three near-fatal fentanyl overdoses.       

    Mirela Todorova, 36, a.k.a. “Mimi,” was found guilty of one count of conspiracy to distribute controlled substances resulting in serious bodily injury, one count of distribution of fentanyl, three counts of distribution of fentanyl resulting in serious bodily injury, one count of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, one count of possession with intent to distribute cocaine, one count of possession with intent to distribute MDMA (Ecstasy), and one count of making false statements to federal investigators.

    The jury also found that Todorova must forfeit $498,555 in drug proceeds to the government.

    “This defendant used her knowledge of technology to peddle the poison of fentanyl – despite knowing the pills she sold ran the risk of killing people,” said Acting United States Attorney Joseph McNally. “Investigating and prosecuting these cases saves lives. I commend our local and federal partners for stopping this dangerous criminal organization and bringing justice to the victims here.”

    “This case highlights the importance of looking at every overdose incident,” said Matthew Allen, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration’s Los Angeles Field Division. “This case started with a single overdose and led to the identification of the dealer responsible for multiple overdoses. This drug distributor had knowledge of the harm she was creating and didn’t care.”

    According to evidence presented at a nine-day trial, Todorova from June 2020 to March 2021 orchestrated a technology-savvy drug trafficking operation in which she provided cellphones and narcotics – including counterfeit oxycodone pills that contained fentanyl – to drivers to facilitate the delivery of drugs to customers across Los Angeles County and elsewhere. Todorova – who is a citizen of the United States, Canada, and Bulgaria – also delivered drugs herself.

    Several times throughout the drug trafficking conspiracy, Todorova visited Mexico, where she continued to manage her drug operation while tending to her pet jaguar, “Princess.”

    To carry out the scheme, Todorova hired Mucktarr Kather Sei, 39, of Koreatown, as a driver and, later, gave him the keys to her Hollywood drug stash house, allowing him to run the drug ring’s operations while continuing to direct him from abroad.

    Despite warnings from customers that the oxycodone pills she was selling were laced with fentanyl and potentially fatal, Todorova continued to sell them. From November 2020 to January 2021, three customers of Todorova’s drug ring suffered near-fatal overdoses of fentanyl-laced oxycodone pills. Despite knowing their danger, Todorova continued to sell these fentanyl-laced pills until February 2021.

    In March 2021, law enforcement executed search warrants on Todorova’s person, car, and home, seizing numerous drug trafficking materials and narcotics, including lab-confirmed methamphetamine, cocaine, and MDMA, as a well as a single purported oxycodone pill laced with fentanyl.

    In December 2021, Todorova knowingly made series of false statements to federal law enforcement official when she said she thought the drugs seized from her apartment were vitamins, she never instructed anyone how to package or make drugs, and she only met Sei twice.

    United States District Judge André Birotte Jr. scheduled a September 12 sentencing hearing, at which time Todorova will face a mandatory minimum sentence of 20 years in federal prison and a statutory maximum sentence of life imprisonment. She has been in federal custody since April 2021.

    Sei and two other defendants charged in this case – Christopher Y. Moreno Núñez, 29, of Pacific Palisades, and Ashley Alicia Nicole Johnson, 34, of Los Angeles – each pleaded guilty last year to felony narcotics distribution charges and will be sentenced in the coming months. Sei has been in federal custody since February 2022.

    This case is the result of an investigation by the Los Angeles Police Department and the Drug Enforcement Administration’s Overdose Justice Task Force, which was created to address opioid-related deaths in the greater Los Angeles area, most of which are caused by the synthetic opioid fentanyl. Under the Overdose Justice program for the DEA’s Los Angeles Field Division, DEA agents collaborate with local law enforcement to analyze evidence to determine if there are circumstances that might lead to a federal criminal prosecution, and, if so, proactively target the drug trafficker.

    Assistant United States Attorney Patrick Castañeda of the International Narcotics, Money Laundering, and Racketeering Section, Assistant United States Attorneys Jason C. Pang and Suria M. Bahadue of the General Crimes Section, and Assistant United States Attorney James E. Dochterman of the Asset Forfeiture and Recovery Section are prosecuting this case.

    MIL Security OSI

  • MIL-OSI USA: ICYMI: Tuberville in Newsweek: America is Back. President’s Joint Address Will Celebrate It

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Alabama Tommy Tuberville

    WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Senator Tommy Tuberville (R-AL) penned an op-ed in Newsweek previewing President Donald J. Trump’s Joint Address to Congress tonight. In the piece, Sen. Tuberville celebrates the Trump administration’s accomplishments since returning to the White House, including securing the border, negotiating America First trade deals, cutting wasteful government spending, and facilitating peace around the world.

    Read excerpts from the piece below or here.

    “Tonight, President Donald Trump will give his first joint address to Congress since his triumphant return to the White House. For the past four years, Americans endured a national nightmare under the Biden administration. Democrats opened our borders—allowing criminals, terrorists, drug dealers, and murderers to flood into our country unchecked. They canceled American energy production and forced us to rely on our foreign adversaries for energy. They wrote a blank check to Ukraine—while doing nothing to actually stop the bloodshed. They even went as far as to support men competing in women’s sports. Joe Biden and Kamala Harris brought this country to the brink of destruction.

    The last four years were a dumpster fire—a total disaster. ‘Sleepy Joe’ was worn slap out as soon as he got up in the morning. Thinking back on it now, I really don’t know how our country survived. It’s a miracle that we made it through those dark days. One thing is for sure: President Trump’s address will be nothing like the clown show we endured the last four years.

    But today, America is ready to usher in its golden age under President Donald J. Trump. We’re only a month and a half in, and President Trump is well on his way to renewing the American dream by reversing some of the Democrats’ most destructive policies. Most importantly, President Trump is keeping his promises to the 77 million Americans who voted for him and his ‘America First’ agenda. A recent poll showed 70 percent of Americans believe President Trump is doing what he said he would do.

    We’ve already seen a whole lot of winning. Illegal border crossings have plummeted under the Trump administration, reaching their lowest levels in decades. Democrats’ ‘catch and release’ program has been replaced with detaining and deporting illegal immigrants. Since master-dealmaker President Trump first threatened tariffs, Canada and Mexico have been pulling their weight to stop the flow of illegal immigrants and deadly fentanyl into the U.S. It’s about time they pony up and contribute to this so-called ‘alliance.’

    Two weeks ago, the administration officially designated eight different cartel groups as foreign terrorist organizations. Did Border Czar Kamala Harris recommend any of these policies? I don’t think so. She was too busy trying to keep the Left’s radical agenda alive. Border security is national security, and President Trump is making the safety of U.S. citizens his top priority.

    President Trump is also hard at work restoring common-sense policies. For example, his administration announced that schools that still enforce COVID vaccine mandates will no longer receive federal funding. President Trump also signed an executive order defining gender as male and female, along with one banning men from competing in women’s sports.

    […]

    I was particularly thrilled when President Trump signed an executive order to protect Title IX and keep men out of women’s sports. But unfortunately, executive orders can be reversed. My bill, the Protection of Women and Girls in Sports Act, finally got a vote last night in the Senate. Every Democrat voted against it. Last week, my wife Suzanne and I welcomed our first granddaughter, Rosie Grace. Now that I’m a grandfather, I’m more motivated than ever to continue fighting to permanently keep men out of women’s sports.

    President Trump is doing something rare in D.C.: delivering on his campaign promises. From cutting wasteful spending with DOGE to renaming the beautiful Gulf of America, President Trump is renewing the American dream. And he’s not slowing down. Trump has brought unbelievable energy to 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue. He won’t rest until American families, businesses, farmers, and manufacturers are winning again.

    We have a long way to go if we’re going to get our country back on track and truly make America great again. But we’re well on our way. I look forward to hearing his address tonight and am committed to helping advance his agenda from the Senate.”

    Senator Tommy Tuberville represents Alabama in the United States Senate and is a member of the Senate Armed Services, Agriculture, Veterans’ Affairs, HELP, and Aging Committees.

    MIL OSI USA News

  • MIL-OSI USA: Welch Joined on Capitol Hill by Allison Hope of the Vermont Maple Sugar Makers’ Association

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator Peter Welch (D-Vermont)
    Comes as the Trump Administration implemented sweeping 25% tariffs on Canada, Mexico, and China
    WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Senator Peter Welch (D-Vt.) and Allison Hope, Executive Director of the Vermont Maple Sugar Makers’ Association, today joined Senate Democrats for a press conference on Capitol Hill with Americans from across the country who are being hurt by Trump Administration policies—from businesses hit by tariffs to veterans who were laid off by Elon Musk’s so-called “Department of Government Efficiency” (DOGE) to cancer researchers.  
    Allison Hope, Executive Director of the Vermont Maple Sugar Makers’ Association spoke about how Trump’s Trade War will hurt Vermont’s maple industry: 
    “Vermont makes about 50-51% of the U.S. production of pure maple syrup, and we have Canadian partners across the border. In the past 20 years, Vermont’s production rates have grown 500% and a 25% Canadian tariff on maple equipment—most of which comes across the border, because that’s where most maple syrup is made—on the Canadian imports that come into Vermont will have a staggering effect on Vermont’s producers, who not only are agricultural farmers, but they are foresters, and so they keep a large swath of Vermont forested. 
    “I think that our Canadian counterparts are a huge part of our trade. The U.S. can’t supply all ofthe maple syrup for retail in the United States, and so we bring into Vermont —and other areas of the U.S.—Canadian bulk syrup. When that price goes up, it affects the shelf price at retail, and those larger contracts for blended Vermont, U.S., and Canadian maple syrup—those contracts change for cents on the dollar. And so, the end result of that will be a potential stagnation of production in Vermont and also a loss of potential shelf space at a time when it’s really hard and really expensive to get it back,” Hope said.  
    After the event, Senator Welch emphasized the importance of making sure the Trump Administration hears directly from those who are impacted by Trump’s misguided trade policies: 
    “These tariffs are really going to hurt our economy in Vermont, and the impacts will be far-reaching. President Trump is singlehandedly raising costs for Vermonters—from the food on our table, to our energy bills, to the materials our home construction companies and manufacturers need. It’s important that the Trump Administration and my colleagues across the aisle hear directly from those who are impacted and that they drop this misguided plan.” 
    Watch a livestream of the press conference below: 
    Vermont’s maple industry—as well as farms and businesses across Vermont—are bracing for the economic fallout of Trump’s 25% tariff on Canada, which went into effect today. Sugar makers expect the cost of Canadian-made sugaring equipment to dramatically increase. Bulk maple sales to major retailers like Costco, Target, and Whole Foods rely on both U.S. and Canadian producers and most of the equipment needed to produce syrup is manufactured in Canada.   
    Last week, Senator Welch expressed opposition to the Trump Tariffs after voting against the nominationof Jamieson Greer for United States Trade Representative. He also joined Senator Jeanne Shaheen’s (D-N.H.) Protecting Americans from Tax Hikes on Imported Goods Act, which would shield American businesses and consumers from rising prices imposed by tariffs on imported goods into the United States. The bill would keep costs down for imported goods by limiting the authority of the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA)—which allows a President to immediately place unlimited tariffs after declaring a national emergency—while preserving IEEPA’s use for sanctions and other tools.    

    MIL OSI USA News

  • MIL-OSI USA: Trump Tells Farmers ‘Have Fun’ As He Kicks Off Pointless Trade Wars. Cantwell Tells the Truth: ‘It’s Not Going to Be Fun, It’s Going to Be A Nightmare’

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Washington Maria Cantwell
    03.04.25
    Trump Tells Farmers ‘Have Fun’ As He Kicks Off Pointless Trade Wars. Cantwell Tells the Truth: ‘It’s Not Going to Be Fun, It’s Going to Be A Nightmare’
    Ahead of Presidential address, Cantwell calls on Congress to reclaim its Constitutional authority over tariffs; Cantwell also calls out arbitrary and wasteful layoffs at NOAA, NIH, NSF, USDA: “These kinds of ideas sound great, but they’re not well thought out. It’s literally throwing tax dollars away.”
    WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell (D-WA), ranking member of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation and senior member of the Senate Finance Committee, delivered a Senate floor speech raising concerns about the economic fallout of Trump’s newly announced tariffs, hours before the President is set to deliver remarks before a Joint Session of Congress.
     “Trump said to our farmers yesterday on Truth Social, quote, ‘tariffs will go on external products on April 2. Have fun.’ End quote,” Sen. Cantwell said. “’Have fun?’ ‘Have fun?’ When retaliatory tariffs strike our farmers — just as they did in the first Trump administration — it’s not going to be fun, it’s going to be a nightmare for our farmers. And many of the farmers in my state worry [whether] they will be able to farm at all.”
    “I hope my colleagues will slow down on this tariff tirade. Under Article One, Section Eight of the U.S. Constitution, Congress has the power to set duties and regulate foreign commerce. However, Congress has spent the last 80 years delegating its tariff authority to presidents,” she continued. “This president, I believe, is abusing this authority. He calls it an emergency. He’s using the trade wars to supposedly force countries to do things like changing their border policies. I believe it’s time for Congress to start taking back some of that power and considering how we’re going to protect the family farm.”
    Over the past 24 hours, as President Trump’s long-promised 25% tariffs on goods from Mexico and Canada and 10% tariff increase on goods from China took effect, stock prices in the United States have plummeted. The Dow fell more than 700 points this morning. Today, the Wall Street Journal’s editorial board criticized his decision: “Trump takes the dumbest tariff plunge.”.
    Sen. Cantwell also showed the following graph with the alarming new forecast by the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta, which recently began predicting negative real GDP growth for the first quarter of 2025, a rapid reversal of its prior forecast for growth.  “Just last week, when people want to talk about GDP and where this is going, it’s amazing that the Atlanta Fed was forecasting GDP growth over two percent for the first quarter of 2025…. but we can see when we got to February, we fell off a cliff… this drop is the representation of a cliff that President Trump is pushing the American economy over.”

    “We know this — that in my state, families are paying more for groceries. They’re paying more at the gas pump. They’re paying more at electricity bills. And they are seeing the stock market plummet because as businesses grapple with Trump’s unnecessary trade war, businesses are concerned about the long-term impacts of the supply chain and the cost of those tariffs,” Sen. Cantwell said.
    In Washington state, two out of every five jobs are tied to trade and trade-related industries. More information on how President Trump’s tariffs on goods from Mexico, Canada, and China will affect consumers and businesses in the State of Washington can be found HERE. Nationwide:
    A 25% tariff on Canada and Mexico would add an estimated $144 billion a year to the cost of manufacturing in the United States.
    Tariffs on Canada and Mexico could increase U.S. car prices by as much as $12,000.
    According to the Yale Budget Lab, Trump’s proposed tariffs would result in the highest U.S. effective tariff rate in more than 80 years, and depending on the level of retaliation by other trading partners, will result in increased costs of between $1,600 and $2,000 per household. According to their analysis, electronics, clothing, cars, and food will all see above-average price increases.
    Sen. Cantwell has remained a steadfast supporter of free trade to grow the economy in the State of Washington and nationwide. Sen. Cantwell was the leading voice in negotiations to end India’s 20% retaliatory tariff on American apples, which was imposed in response to tariffs on steel and aluminum and devastated Washington state’s apple exports. India had once been the second-largest export market for American apples, but after President Trump imposed tariffs on steel and aluminum in his first term, India imposed retaliatory tariffs in response and U.S. apple exports plummeted. The impact on Washington apple growers was severe: Apple exports from the state dropped from $120 million in 2017 to less than $1 million by 2023.  In September 2023, following several years of Sen. Cantwell’s advocacy, India ended its retaliatory tariffs on apples and pulse crops which was welcome news to the state’s more than 1,400 apple growers and the 68,000-plus workers they support.
    In her speech today, Sen. Cantwell also railed against the Trump Administration’s Department of Government Efficiency’s (DOGE) push to indiscriminately slash federal workers from the payroll, compromising the vital ongoing work at federal agencies.
    “The cuts that these agencies have been facing are really the cuts to some of the most technical jobs the United States government has. Whether you’re talking about NOAA, or the National Weather Service, or the National Institutes of Health, or the National Science Foundation, or the US Department of Agriculture — they’ve all been targeted for reductions. These agencies are critical to our economic growth and to our security. And at a time when we are seeing more extreme weather events, or more floods or more wildfires, why shouldn’t we be investing more in weather forecasting, not less? 
    “And when you look at NOAA workers who support our commercial, and recreation, and tribal fisheries, they employ 1.7 million people, including thousands in the State of Washington. Why would you cut specialized workforce that are helping support the growth of GDP?” Sen. Cantwell said.
    “DOGE wants to cap the overhead expenses of research. University of Washington medicine tells me that this would leave them with shortfalls and that they might have to stop clinical trials that are underway. You can’t just stop medical research like it’s a faucet! Once halted, the research, the data, the clinical trials, the patients, the laboratories, the equipment — all that led to innovation will be lost. You think you just turn that back on? You know, these kinds of ideas sound great, but they’re not well thought out. It’s literally throwing tax dollars away.”
    Since DOGE announced its intent to hack away at federal agencies and programs, Sen. Cantwell has been sounding the alarm and coming to the defense of workers at NOAA, the Small Business Administration, the Department of Housing and Urban Development, the Federal Aviation Administration, the National Institutes of Health, the National Park Service, and more.
    A video of her speech on the Senate floor today can be viewed HERE; audio is HERE; and a transcript is HERE.

    MIL OSI USA News