NewzIntel.com

Category: China

  • MIL-OSI China: US withdraws from UN Human Rights Council

    Source: China State Council Information Office

    U.S. President Donald Trump on Tuesday signed an executive order withdrawing the United States from the UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC).

    The executive order also stops funding for the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA), and requires the U.S. State Department to reevaluate the UN Educational, Science and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).

    Trump made his announcement on the same day he met with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, whose country has consistently criticized both the human rights body and UNRWA for alleged bias against Israel.

    During Trump’s first term, the United States withdrew from the UNHRC in June 2018. In February 2021, then Secretary of State Antony Blinken said in a statement that the Joe Biden administration would reengage with the council as an observer.

    Since 1950, UNRWA has been assisting Palestinian refugees in Jordan, Lebanon, Syria, the Gaza Strip and the West Bank, including East Jerusalem.

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI China: Argentina announces withdrawal from WHO

    Source: China State Council Information Office

    The government of Argentina announced its withdrawal from the World Health Organization (WHO) on Wednesday.

    The presidential spokesperson Manuel Adorni told a press conference that President Javier Milei “instructed Foreign Minister Gerardo Werthein to withdraw Argentina’s participation in the World Health Organization.”

    “Argentines are not going to allow an international organization to intervene in our sovereignty, much less in our health,” Adorni said.

    “It should be clarified that Argentina does not receive financing from the WHO for health management, therefore, this measure, as some have said, at least on social networks, does not represent a loss of funds for the country, nor does it affect the quality of services,” the spokesperson added.

    The official said that the decision “gives the country greater flexibility to implement policies adapted to the context and interests that Argentina requires, as well as greater availability of resources, and reaffirms our path towards a country with sovereignty also in matters of health.”

    The spokesperson said he did not know when asked about the possibility of the South American country adopting similar measures concerning other international organizations, but he stressed that “the president is very categorical regarding making Argentina freer.”

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI China: Xi holds talks with Pakistani president

    Source: China State Council Information Office

    Chinese President Xi Jinping shakes hands with Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, capital of China, Feb. 5, 2025. Xi held talks with Zardari, who is on a state visit to China, in Beijing on Wednesday. [Photo/Xinhua]

    Chinese President Xi Jinping held talks with Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari in Beijing on Wednesday.

    Xi said China and Pakistan enjoy ironclad friendship and are all-weather strategic cooperative partners.

    In recent years, the two countries have provided firm political support for each other, maintained close high-level exchanges, and advanced the construction of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor and cooperation in various fields, setting a good example for relations between countries, he said.

    China stands ready to work with Pakistan to advance their respective modernization drives, accelerate the building of an even closer China-Pakistan community with a shared future in the new era, bring more benefits to the two peoples, and make greater contributions to regional peace, stability and prosperity, Xi said.

    Xi stressed that China always views its relations with Pakistan from a strategic perspective, and maintains a high degree of stability and continuity in its friendly policy toward Pakistan. He said that China will, as always, support Pakistan firmly in safeguarding its sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity, in combating terrorism, and in following a development path suited to its national conditions.

    He called on the two countries to deepen the docking of development strategies and the exchange of governance experience, strengthen exchange at all levels and across all authorities, and consolidate the political foundations of China-Pakistan relations constantly.

    China welcomes Pakistan to become one of the first countries to benefit from China’s further deepening of reform comprehensively and expanding high-standard opening up, Xi said, adding that China is ready to deepen practical cooperation with Pakistan in various fields, work together to upgrade China-Pakistan Economic Corridor cooperation, and help Pakistan consolidate its development foundations and unleash its development potential.

    He said that China hopes Pakistan will intensify the security measures for Chinese personnel, projects and institutions in Pakistan, and strengthen bilateral and multilateral counter-terrorism cooperation.

    Noting that next year marks the 75th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties between China and Pakistan, Xi called on the two sides to deepen exchange and cooperation on culture, education and the media, with the aim of passing on the China-Pakistan friendship from generation to generation.

    “China appreciates Pakistan’s active support for the three global initiatives and participation in relevant cooperation, and stands ready to work with Pakistan to adhere to the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence, resist unilateralism and hegemonic practices, strengthen multilateral coordination, and safeguard the common interests of developing countries,” Xi said.

    Pakistan will stand steadfastly with China no matter how the situation changes, Zardari said. He expressed Pakistan’s appreciation for the selfless assistance China has provided for Pakistan’s economic and social development. He said that Pakistan is willing to learn from China’s successful experience and promote the high-quality development of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor and cooperation in various fields, so as to realize industrialization and modernization.

    He said that under the brilliant leadership of President Xi, China has played an ever-growing leadership role in international affairs and has become an increasingly important force for world peace, stability and prosperity.

    Pakistan is willing to work closely with China to uphold multilateralism, safeguard free trade, and promote the common interests of the two countries and the vast number of developing countries, he added.

    After their talks, the two heads of state witnessed the signing of a number of bilateral cooperation documents in the fields of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor, trade, science and technology, and radio and television.

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI China: Peng Liyuan chats over tea with wife of Kyrgyz president

    Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News

    Peng Liyuan, wife of Chinese President Xi Jinping, chats over tea with Aigul Japarova, wife of Kyrgyz President Sadyr Japarov, in Beijing, capital of China, Feb. 5, 2025. [Photo/Xinhua]

    BEIJING, Feb. 5 — Peng Liyuan, wife of Chinese President Xi Jinping, chatted over tea with Aigul Japarova, wife of Kyrgyz President Sadyr Japarov, in Beijing on Wednesday.

    Peng welcomed Japarova, who is accompanying President Japarov on a state visit to China on the occasion of the Spring Festival. Noting that China and Kyrgyzstan have a traditional friendship, Peng expressed the hope that the people of both countries will maintain frequent exchanges and build close connections.

    Cultural exchanges are an important bridge for people-to-people exchanges, Peng added, expressing the hope that China-Kyrgyzstan people-to-people exchanges and cooperation will flourish.

    Peng also voiced appreciation for Japarova’s enthusiasm in social charity and public welfare, and looked forward to strengthening cooperation between China and Kyrgyzstan concerning the protection of the rights and interests of women, children and vulnerable groups, so as to jointly benefit the two peoples.

    Japarova extended Chinese New Year greetings to Peng and expressed sincere gratitude for the warm reception. She highly praised the significant achievements of China’s economic and social development, and expressed her willingness to actively promote Kyrgyzstan-China people-to-people exchanges and cooperation and continuously enhance the friendship between the two peoples.

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI China: A glimpse of Yingge dance, folk dance popular in S China’s Guangdong

    Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News

    A glimpse of Yingge dance, folk dance popular in S China’s Guangdong

    Updated: February 6, 2025 08:29 Xinhua
    An aerial drone photo shows a Yingge dance team performing during an event celebrating the Spring Festival in Shantou, south China’s Guangdong Province, Feb. 2, 2025. The Yingge dance, or “dance to the hero’s song,” is a form of folk dance popular in south China’s Guangdong Province. The dance merges opera, dance, and martial arts and was listed as the first batch of national intangible cultural heritage in 2006. Dating back to the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644), this traditional dance is often performed during traditional Chinese festivals. The Yingge dance has been trending on social media platforms over the past two years as videos of the dance garnered millions of views online. This year, Yingge dance teams from Shantou have also been invited to perform on multiple overseas stages for the Spring Festival celebrations. [Photo/Xinhua]
    A Yingge dance team performs during an event celebrating the Spring Festival in Shantou, south China’s Guangdong Province, Feb. 2, 2025. [Photo/Xinhua]
    A Yingge dance team of children performs during an event celebrating the Spring Festival in Shantou, south China’s Guangdong Province, Feb. 2, 2025. [Photo/Xinhua]
    Members of a Yingge dance team are pictured in Shantou, south China’s Guangdong Province, Jan. 26, 2025. [Photo/Xinhua]
    A women’s Yingge dance team performs in Shantou, south China’s Guangdong Province, Jan. 29, 2025. [Photo/Xinhua]
    A Yingge dance team performs during an event celebrating the Spring Festival in Shantou, south China’s Guangdong Province, Feb. 2, 2025. [Photo/Xinhua]
    A Yingge dance team performs during an event celebrating the Spring Festival in Shantou, south China’s Guangdong Province, Feb. 2, 2025. [Photo/Xinhua]
    A Yingge dance team performs during an event celebrating the Spring Festival in Shantou, south China’s Guangdong Province, Feb. 2, 2025. [Photo/Xinhua]

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Government rips up rules to fire-up nuclear power

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    More nuclear power plants will be approved across England and Wales as the Prime Minister slashes red tape to get Britain building – as part of his Plan for Change.

    • Prime Minister puts Britain back in the global race for nuclear energy.
    • Changes will allow for Small Modular Reactors for the first time.
    • Latest step in Government’s determination to grow the economy and deliver cleaner, more affordable energy.

    More nuclear power plants will be approved across England and Wales as the Prime Minister slashes red tape to get Britain building – as part of his Plan for Change.

    Reforms to planning rules will clear a path for smaller, and easier to build nuclear reactors – known as Small Modular Reactors –to be built for the first time ever in the UK. This will create thousands of new highly skilled jobs while delivering clean, secure and more affordable energy for working people.

    This is the latest refusal to accept the status quo, with the government ripping up archaic rules and saying not to the NIMBYs, to prioritise growth. It comes after recent changes to planning laws, the scrapping of the 3-strike rule for judicial reviews on infrastructure projects, and application of common-sense to environmental rules.

    For too long the country has been mired by delay and obstruction, with a system too happy to label decisions as too difficult, or too long term. The UK was the first country in the world to develop a nuclear reactor, but the last time a nuclear power station was built was back in 1995. None have been built since, leaving the UK lagging behind in a global race to harness cleaner, more affordable energy.

    The industry pioneered in Britain has been suffocated by regulations and this saw investment collapse, leaving only one nuclear power plant – Hinkley Point C – under construction. And this was after years of delay caused by unnecessary rules – meaning companies produced a 30,000-page environmental assessment to get planning permission.

    Meanwhile, China is constructing 29 reactors, and the EU has 12 at planning stage, giving these places a huge advantage in the global race to harness new technologies, create jobs and deliver cleaner, cheaper, independent energy.

    Investors want to get on and build reliable, cheap nuclear power, which will in turn support critical modern infrastructure, such as supercomputers to power the UK’s ambitions – but they have been held back.

    Today’s plan will shake up the planning rules to make it easier to build nuclear across the country – delivering jobs, cheaper bills in the long term, and more money in people’s back pockets. This will be achieved by:

    Including mini-nuclear power stations in planning rules for the first time – so firms can start building them in the places that need them.

    Scrapping the set list of 8-sites – which meant nuclear sites could be built anywhere across England and Wales.

    Removing the expiry date on nuclear planning rules – so projects don’t get timed out and industry can plan for the long term. 

    Setting up a Nuclear Regulatory Taskforce – that will spearhead improvements to the regulations to help more companies build here. This will report directly to the PM. 

    This is the Government delivering on a manifesto commitment to galvanise nuclear to help the UK achieve energy security and clean power, while securing thousands of good, clean jobs.

    Prime Minister Keir Starmer said:

    This country hasn’t built a nuclear power station in decades. we’ve been let down, and left behind. 

    Our energy security has been hostage to Putin for too long, with British prices skyrocketing at his whims.  

    I’m putting an end to it – changing the rules to back the builders of this nation, and saying no to the blockers who have strangled our chances of cheaper energy, growth and jobs for far too long. 

    My government was elected to deliver change. I’ll take the radical decisions needed to wrestle Britain from its status quo slumber, to turbocharge our plan for change.

    Currently, nuclear development is restricted to eight sites – as part of archaic planning rules that haven’t been looked at since 2011. With the reforms unveiled today, the refreshed planning framework will help streamline the process to encourage investment and enable developers to identify the best sites for their projects, supporting development at a wider range of locations.  

    Developers will be encouraged to bring forward sites as soon as possible at the pre-application stage in the planning process, speeding up overall timelines.  

    It will include new nuclear technologies such as small and advanced modular reactors for the first time, providing flexibility to co-locate them with energy intensive industrial sites such as AI data centres. 

    These technologies are cheaper and quicker to build than traditional nuclear power plants and require smaller sites, meaning they can be built in a greater variety of locations.  

    There will also continue to be robust criteria for nuclear reactor locations, including restrictions near densely populated areas and military activity, alongside community engagement and high environmental standards. 

    Energy Secretary Ed Miliband said: 

    Build, build, build – that is what Britain’s clean energy mission is all about.  

    The British people have been left vulnerable to global energy markets for too long – and the only way out is to build our way to a new era of clean electricity. 

    Nuclear power creating thousands of skilled jobs. That is what this government will deliver.

    Alongside reforms to the siting process, a specialist taskforce will lead on making sure nuclear regulation incentivises investment, to deliver new projects more quickly and cost efficiently, while upholding high safety and security standards. 

    Britain is currently considered one of the world’s most expensive countries in which to build nuclear power. The taskforce will speed up the approval of new reactor designs and streamline how developers engage with regulators.  

    Nuclear regulation will cover both civil and defence nuclear to help unlock economic growth in the sector.  

    The taskforce will better align the UK with international partners so reactor designs approved abroad could be green lit more quickly, minimising expensive changes. It will also examine how to reduce duplication and simplify processes where there are multiple regulators covering overlapping issues, as well as ensuring regulatory decisions are both safe and proportionate. 

    The work will help the issues faced by projects such as Hinkley Point C, where three European regulators reached different assessments on the reactor design, leading to delays and increased costs. 

    The UK’s rigorous safety standards and record will continue to be upheld. Nuclear plants are designed with multiple layers of safety measures including making them robust enough to withstand a direct aircraft impact. 

    This is part of the government push to drive growth – building on the Prime Minister’s announcement to overhaul the legal challenges to major infrastructure projects including nuclear – with Sizewell C having suffered increased legal costs and uncertainty as a result of local activists taking them to court.  

    In a volatile world, where oil and gas prices are driven by tyrants like Putin, the drive for new nuclear is an integral part of the government’s plans to replace the UK’s dependence on fossil fuel markets with clean homegrown energy, to make the UK energy independent and protect consumers with clean, homegrown power.  

    Since July, the government has committed to driving forward new nuclear including further funding for Sizewell C at the Autumn Budget 2024.  

    Great British Nuclear also continues to progress the small modular reactor competition, with contract negotiations currently underway. 

    Gary Smith, GMB General Secretary, said: 

    GMB has long said there can be no net zero without new nuclear. 

    For too long, the failure to deliver new nuclear has weakened our energy security and undermined economic growth. 

    Sizewell C stands ready and waiting for the green light to power up our country’s future. 

    Now we need to see spades in the ground without delay.

    Alistair Black, Senior Director, UK at X-energy said: 

    Opening up new siting opportunities for a fleet of advanced reactors will help unlock tens of billions of pounds of investment and growth across the country, bringing clean secure electricity and heat for industry. 

    We welcome this step today, and the intent to streamline assessment processes whilst ensuring robust regulatory standards continue to be met. We look forward to reviewing this in detail and responding to the consultation.

    Simone Rossi, CEO of EDF in the UK, said:

    As a major operator, investor and developer, EDF welcomes the proposals designed to speed up new nuclear projects in the UK and unlock economic growth.

    Nuclear is essential to a secure, low carbon energy system and is the ideal partner to renewables. There is a great opportunity to build new infrastructure across England and Wales, to replace aging stations and take advantage of available skills, existing grid connections and supportive communities.

    “The opportunity will only be fully realised with the necessary reforms to planning and regulation, alongside continuing to build on the critical work at Hinkley Point C and Sizewell C to further develop skills and supply chains.”

    Darren Hardman, CEO, Microsoft UK, said: 

    We welcome the government’s plans to accelerate the building of safe, modern nuclear as part of the energy mix. Economic growth will require increased energy supply for the UK, but we must not lose sight of our ambitions for a fully decarbonised grid.

    Chair of Great British Nuclear Simon Bowen said:

    Nuclear energy is a powerful tool for growing the UK’s economy. By expanding the range of sites where safe, secure, reliable, and clean nuclear energy plants can be built, there is huge potential to positively transform areas facing economic uncertainty. 

    Today’s announcement also signals exciting opportunities to co-locate nuclear energy generation on data centre sites and to decarbonise industrial processes.

    Nuclear is one of the safest and cleanest forms of energy generation. The new independent nuclear regulation taskforce will help unlock growth and investment by providing clarity and certainty while ensuring regulations are fit for purpose.

    Tom Greatrex, Chief Executive of the Nuclear Industry Association, said:

    This is the Prime Minister’s strongest signal yet that new nuclear is critical to the growth and clean power mission. A more streamlined planning system will give certainty to investors, the supply chain and communities, and will enable us to get on with building new nuclear plants on more sites and at pace for a cleaner, more secure power system.

    We need to make Britain the best possible place to build new nuclear, both large-scale and SMRs, which means avoiding unnecessary stumbling blocks and ensuring regulations are proportionate to our urgent need for low carbon power, energy security and good jobs.

    Jonathan Geldart, Director General of the Institute of Directors, said:

    The government is right to identify nuclear power as a crucial contributor to the UK’s future electricity needs. This development shows the right desire to overcome the significant challenges involved in building back nuclear at scale, in terms of planning obstacles and project delivery. Despite these challenges, today’s announcement marks a significant move forward.

    Mike Clancy, General Secretary of Prospect said:

    The government’s ambition to drive forward a new generation of nuclear power after decades of delay is exactly what Britain needs.

    Nuclear is not only essential for hitting our Net Zero goals and maintaining energy security, it also creates thousands of good, well-paid jobs in areas of the country where they are sorely needed.

    Speeding up the approval of new sites and new reactors is an important step towards enabling investment in new nuclear. The government’s support for Sizewell C is also a welcome vote of confidence in the sector and bringing this project to a Final Investment Decision will provide a strong foundation for its future growth.

    The success of Britain’s world class nuclear sector is built on a robust regulatory process, and we welcome a review of this framework to ensure it is supporting investment while still providing assurance that high safety standards are being maintained.

    Cathal O’Rourke, Laing O’Rourke’s Group Chief Executive Officer said:

    This announcement is a significant step forward for the UK’s nuclear industry. The clarity provided by these new planning rules, the focus on streamlining the regulatory process, and the emphasis on standardising reactor designs is precisely the sort of clear, unequivocal direction the industry needs.

    Having played a central role in delivering nuclear capacity at Hinkley Point C, we understand the complexities of these projects firsthand and these new measures, particularly around regulatory reform and streamlined planning, will be invaluable in ensuring future projects, like Sizewell C, can be delivered more efficiently and cost-effectively.  

    In particular, standardisation and an industrialised approach will be key to driving down costs and accelerating construction timelines, ensuring we can deploy new nuclear capacity efficiently and at pace by adopting a “copy, improve, repeat” approach to design and implementation. This type of approach would also improve worker welfare conditions on site from a physical and wellbeing perspective.

    This clear signal from government will unlock investment, create jobs nationwide for shared prosperity, including an ability to plan for long-term investment in apprenticeships, and ensure the UK can benefit from clean, locally supplied nuclear power for generations to come.

    Chris Conboy, Managing Director, Nuclear EMEA at AtkinsRéalis said:

    We welcome plans to accelerate new nuclear developments. Speeding up lengthy planning processes would help to bring forward new projects faster, strengthening the UK’s world-class nuclear supply chain and creating jobs and skills across the country. 

    Nuclear will be the cornerstone of a reliable net zero energy system. We need both large and small nuclear technologies to realise our AI ambitions, bolster our energy security, and enable the sustainable development of towns, cities and industries across the UK: building the right technology in the right locations is vital to power the UK’s growth agenda and meet our net zero goals.

    David Omand, former Director of GCHQ said: 

    It is very welcome to see this government pushing forward on their commitment to national security by making the UK more energy secure and speeding up nuclear power to boost growth across the country. Nuclear is critical to national security, and taking this kind of action is a mark of the seriousness with which Keir Starmer takes the challenges of modern geopolitics. I fully support this push to knock down barriers to safe, modern nuclear as part of the nation’s critical infrastructure.

    Kim Darroch, former National Security Adviser said: 

    As a former National Security Adviser, I think driving for as much homegrown clean power as possible in this age of global turbulence should be among our top national security objectives. So I welcome the Prime Minister’s intervention to accelerate the regeneration of our nuclear power industry.

    Julian David OBE, CEO, techUK said: 

    If we want the UK economy to keep growing, we must invest in our energy infrastructure. We are pleased to see the Government announce new plans to reform planning rules to expand new energy generation. This move will boost the economy, create new jobs, and ensure the UK is not reliant on external agents for its own energy supply.

    Updates to this page

    Published 6 February 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Press release: Government rips up rules to fire-up nuclear power

    Source: United Kingdom – Prime Minister’s Office 10 Downing Street

    More nuclear power plants will be approved across England and Wales as the Prime Minister slashes red tape to get Britain building – as part of his Plan for Change.

    • Prime Minister puts Britain back in the global race for nuclear energy.
    • Changes will allow for Small Modular Reactors for the first time.
    • Latest step in Government’s determination to grow the economy and deliver cleaner, more affordable energy.

    More nuclear power plants will be approved across England and Wales as the Prime Minister slashes red tape to get Britain building – as part of his Plan for Change.

    Reforms to planning rules will clear a path for smaller, and easier to build nuclear reactors – known as Small Modular Reactors –to be built for the first time ever in the UK. This will create thousands of new highly skilled jobs while delivering clean, secure and more affordable energy for working people.

    This is the latest refusal to accept the status quo, with the government ripping up archaic rules and saying not to the NIMBYs, to prioritise growth. It comes after recent changes to planning laws, the scrapping of the 3-strike rule for judicial reviews on infrastructure projects, and application of common-sense to environmental rules.

    For too long the country has been mired by delay and obstruction, with a system too happy to label decisions as too difficult, or too long term. The UK was the first country in the world to develop a nuclear reactor, but the last time a nuclear power station was built was back in 1995. None have been built since, leaving the UK lagging behind in a global race to harness cleaner, more affordable energy.

    The industry pioneered in Britain has been suffocated by regulations and this saw investment collapse, leaving only one nuclear power plant – Hinkley Point C – under construction. And this was after years of delay caused by unnecessary rules – meaning companies produced a 30,000-page environmental assessment to get planning permission.

    Meanwhile, China is constructing 29 reactors, and the EU has 12 at planning stage, giving these places a huge advantage in the global race to harness new technologies, create jobs and deliver cleaner, cheaper, independent energy.

    Investors want to get on and build reliable, cheap nuclear power, which will in turn support critical modern infrastructure, such as supercomputers to power the UK’s ambitions – but they have been held back.

    Today’s plan will shake up the planning rules to make it easier to build nuclear across the country – delivering jobs, cheaper bills in the long term, and more money in people’s back pockets. This will be achieved by:

    Including mini-nuclear power stations in planning rules for the first time – so firms can start building them in the places that need them.

    Scrapping the set list of 8-sites – which meant nuclear sites could be built anywhere across England and Wales.

    Removing the expiry date on nuclear planning rules – so projects don’t get timed out and industry can plan for the long term. 

    Setting up a Nuclear Regulatory Taskforce – that will spearhead improvements to the regulations to help more companies build here. This will report directly to the PM. 

    This is the Government delivering on a manifesto commitment to galvanise nuclear to help the UK achieve energy security and clean power, while securing thousands of good, clean jobs.

    Prime Minister Keir Starmer said:

    This country hasn’t built a nuclear power station in decades. we’ve been let down, and left behind. 

    Our energy security has been hostage to Putin for too long, with British prices skyrocketing at his whims.  

    I’m putting an end to it – changing the rules to back the builders of this nation, and saying no to the blockers who have strangled our chances of cheaper energy, growth and jobs for far too long. 

    My government was elected to deliver change. I’ll take the radical decisions needed to wrestle Britain from its status quo slumber, to turbocharge our plan for change.

    Currently, nuclear development is restricted to eight sites – as part of archaic planning rules that haven’t been looked at since 2011. With the reforms unveiled today, the refreshed planning framework will help streamline the process to encourage investment and enable developers to identify the best sites for their projects, supporting development at a wider range of locations.  

    Developers will be encouraged to bring forward sites as soon as possible at the pre-application stage in the planning process, speeding up overall timelines.  

    It will include new nuclear technologies such as small and advanced modular reactors for the first time, providing flexibility to co-locate them with energy intensive industrial sites such as AI data centres. 

    These technologies are cheaper and quicker to build than traditional nuclear power plants and require smaller sites, meaning they can be built in a greater variety of locations.  

    There will also continue to be robust criteria for nuclear reactor locations, including restrictions near densely populated areas and military activity, alongside community engagement and high environmental standards. 

    Energy Secretary Ed Miliband said: 

    Build, build, build – that is what Britain’s clean energy mission is all about.  

    The British people have been left vulnerable to global energy markets for too long – and the only way out is to build our way to a new era of clean electricity. 

    Nuclear power creating thousands of skilled jobs. That is what this government will deliver.

    Alongside reforms to the siting process, a specialist taskforce will lead on making sure nuclear regulation incentivises investment, to deliver new projects more quickly and cost efficiently, while upholding high safety and security standards. 

    Britain is currently considered one of the world’s most expensive countries in which to build nuclear power. The taskforce will speed up the approval of new reactor designs and streamline how developers engage with regulators.  

    Nuclear regulation will cover both civil and defence nuclear to help unlock economic growth in the sector.  

    The taskforce will better align the UK with international partners so reactor designs approved abroad could be green lit more quickly, minimising expensive changes. It will also examine how to reduce duplication and simplify processes where there are multiple regulators covering overlapping issues, as well as ensuring regulatory decisions are both safe and proportionate. 

    The work will help the issues faced by projects such as Hinkley Point C, where three European regulators reached different assessments on the reactor design, leading to delays and increased costs. 

    The UK’s rigorous safety standards and record will continue to be upheld. Nuclear plants are designed with multiple layers of safety measures including making them robust enough to withstand a direct aircraft impact. 

    This is part of the government push to drive growth – building on the Prime Minister’s announcement to overhaul the legal challenges to major infrastructure projects including nuclear – with Sizewell C having suffered increased legal costs and uncertainty as a result of local activists taking them to court.  

    In a volatile world, where oil and gas prices are driven by tyrants like Putin, the drive for new nuclear is an integral part of the government’s plans to replace the UK’s dependence on fossil fuel markets with clean homegrown energy, to make the UK energy independent and protect consumers with clean, homegrown power.  

    Since July, the government has committed to driving forward new nuclear including further funding for Sizewell C at the Autumn Budget 2024.  

    Great British Nuclear also continues to progress the small modular reactor competition, with contract negotiations currently underway. 

    Gary Smith, GMB General Secretary, said: 

    GMB has long said there can be no net zero without new nuclear. 

    For too long, the failure to deliver new nuclear has weakened our energy security and undermined economic growth. 

    Sizewell C stands ready and waiting for the green light to power up our country’s future. 

    Now we need to see spades in the ground without delay.

    Alistair Black, Senior Director, UK at X-energy said: 

    Opening up new siting opportunities for a fleet of advanced reactors will help unlock tens of billions of pounds of investment and growth across the country, bringing clean secure electricity and heat for industry. 

    We welcome this step today, and the intent to streamline assessment processes whilst ensuring robust regulatory standards continue to be met. We look forward to reviewing this in detail and responding to the consultation.

    Simone Rossi, CEO of EDF in the UK, said:

    As a major operator, investor and developer, EDF welcomes the proposals designed to speed up new nuclear projects in the UK and unlock economic growth.

    Nuclear is essential to a secure, low carbon energy system and is the ideal partner to renewables. There is a great opportunity to build new infrastructure across England and Wales, to replace aging stations and take advantage of available skills, existing grid connections and supportive communities.

    “The opportunity will only be fully realised with the necessary reforms to planning and regulation, alongside continuing to build on the critical work at Hinkley Point C and Sizewell C to further develop skills and supply chains.”

    Darren Hardman, CEO, Microsoft UK, said: 

    We welcome the government’s plans to accelerate the building of safe, modern nuclear as part of the energy mix. Economic growth will require increased energy supply for the UK, but we must not lose sight of our ambitions for a fully decarbonised grid.

    Chair of Great British Nuclear Simon Bowen said:

    Nuclear energy is a powerful tool for growing the UK’s economy. By expanding the range of sites where safe, secure, reliable, and clean nuclear energy plants can be built, there is huge potential to positively transform areas facing economic uncertainty. 

    Today’s announcement also signals exciting opportunities to co-locate nuclear energy generation on data centre sites and to decarbonise industrial processes.

    Nuclear is one of the safest and cleanest forms of energy generation. The new independent nuclear regulation taskforce will help unlock growth and investment by providing clarity and certainty while ensuring regulations are fit for purpose.

    Tom Greatrex, Chief Executive of the Nuclear Industry Association, said:

    This is the Prime Minister’s strongest signal yet that new nuclear is critical to the growth and clean power mission. A more streamlined planning system will give certainty to investors, the supply chain and communities, and will enable us to get on with building new nuclear plants on more sites and at pace for a cleaner, more secure power system.

    We need to make Britain the best possible place to build new nuclear, both large-scale and SMRs, which means avoiding unnecessary stumbling blocks and ensuring regulations are proportionate to our urgent need for low carbon power, energy security and good jobs.

    Jonathan Geldart, Director General of the Institute of Directors, said:

    The government is right to identify nuclear power as a crucial contributor to the UK’s future electricity needs. This development shows the right desire to overcome the significant challenges involved in building back nuclear at scale, in terms of planning obstacles and project delivery. Despite these challenges, today’s announcement marks a significant move forward.

    Mike Clancy, General Secretary of Prospect said:

    The government’s ambition to drive forward a new generation of nuclear power after decades of delay is exactly what Britain needs.

    Nuclear is not only essential for hitting our Net Zero goals and maintaining energy security, it also creates thousands of good, well-paid jobs in areas of the country where they are sorely needed.

    Speeding up the approval of new sites and new reactors is an important step towards enabling investment in new nuclear. The government’s support for Sizewell C is also a welcome vote of confidence in the sector and bringing this project to a Final Investment Decision will provide a strong foundation for its future growth.

    The success of Britain’s world class nuclear sector is built on a robust regulatory process, and we welcome a review of this framework to ensure it is supporting investment while still providing assurance that high safety standards are being maintained.

    Cathal O’Rourke, Laing O’Rourke’s Group Chief Executive Officer said:

    This announcement is a significant step forward for the UK’s nuclear industry. The clarity provided by these new planning rules, the focus on streamlining the regulatory process, and the emphasis on standardising reactor designs is precisely the sort of clear, unequivocal direction the industry needs.

    Having played a central role in delivering nuclear capacity at Hinkley Point C, we understand the complexities of these projects firsthand and these new measures, particularly around regulatory reform and streamlined planning, will be invaluable in ensuring future projects, like Sizewell C, can be delivered more efficiently and cost-effectively.  

    In particular, standardisation and an industrialised approach will be key to driving down costs and accelerating construction timelines, ensuring we can deploy new nuclear capacity efficiently and at pace by adopting a “copy, improve, repeat” approach to design and implementation. This type of approach would also improve worker welfare conditions on site from a physical and wellbeing perspective.

    This clear signal from government will unlock investment, create jobs nationwide for shared prosperity, including an ability to plan for long-term investment in apprenticeships, and ensure the UK can benefit from clean, locally supplied nuclear power for generations to come.

    Chris Conboy, Managing Director, Nuclear EMEA at AtkinsRéalis said:

    We welcome plans to accelerate new nuclear developments. Speeding up lengthy planning processes would help to bring forward new projects faster, strengthening the UK’s world-class nuclear supply chain and creating jobs and skills across the country. 

    Nuclear will be the cornerstone of a reliable net zero energy system. We need both large and small nuclear technologies to realise our AI ambitions, bolster our energy security, and enable the sustainable development of towns, cities and industries across the UK: building the right technology in the right locations is vital to power the UK’s growth agenda and meet our net zero goals.

    David Omand, former Director of GCHQ said: 

    It is very welcome to see this government pushing forward on their commitment to national security by making the UK more energy secure and speeding up nuclear power to boost growth across the country. Nuclear is critical to national security, and taking this kind of action is a mark of the seriousness with which Keir Starmer takes the challenges of modern geopolitics. I fully support this push to knock down barriers to safe, modern nuclear as part of the nation’s critical infrastructure.

    Kim Darroch, former National Security Adviser said: 

    As a former National Security Adviser, I think driving for as much homegrown clean power as possible in this age of global turbulence should be among our top national security objectives. So I welcome the Prime Minister’s intervention to accelerate the regeneration of our nuclear power industry.

    Julian David OBE, CEO, techUK said: 

    If we want the UK economy to keep growing, we must invest in our energy infrastructure. We are pleased to see the Government announce new plans to reform planning rules to expand new energy generation. This move will boost the economy, create new jobs, and ensure the UK is not reliant on external agents for its own energy supply.

    Updates to this page

    Published 6 February 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Ricketts, Foreign Relations Committee Republicans Call for Sanctions on Communist China for Transferring Missile Propellants to Iran

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator Pete Ricketts (Nebraska)

    February 5, 2025

    WASHINGTON, D.C. – Yesterday, U.S. Senator Pete Ricketts (R-NE), a senior member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Senator Jim Risch (R-ID), Chairman of the Foreign Relations Committee, and six other Senators sent a letter to Secretary of State Marco Rubio encouraging the sanctioning of Chinese entities involved in transferring missile propellant ingredients to Iran. The letter comes in response to multiple reports that two Iranian cargo ships are set to deliver 1,000 tons of missile propellant ingredients from Communist China to Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). The critical ingredients would enable the IRGC to produce hundreds of midrange missiles.

    “Reimposing maximum pressure on the Iranian regime requires imposing costs on Communist China,” the senators wrote. “We encourage the administration to identify and sanction any entities involved in transferring missile propellants to Iran, including any Chinese companies sourcing the propellants and any Chinese ports that allow sanctioned Iranian ships to dock. Additionally, if the press reports referenced above are accurate, we urge you to work with our global partners to intercept and stop the shipments currently underway. Finally, the administration should pressure Beijing to reverse its decision to green light Iran’s drawdown of stored oil or face severe consequences.”

    In addition to Ricketts and Risch, other signatories include Senators John Cornyn (R-TX), Ted Cruz (R-TX), John Curtis (R-UT), Steve Daines (R-MT), Bill Hagerty (R-TN), and Rick Scott (R-FL). All are members of the Foreign Relations Committee. 

    Read the full letter here or below:

    Dear Secretary Rubio,

    We write to express our growing concern over recent reports that two Iranian cargo ships are set to deliver 1,000 tons of a critical ingredient for missile propellant – sodium perchlorate – from Communist China to Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). This amount of sodium perchlorate would enable the IRGC to produce hundreds of midrange missiles and bolster its efforts to sow discord, promote terrorism, and even directly attack our ally, Israel, once again.

    According to the Financial Times, the first Iranian vessel, the Golbon, departed from Communist China on January 21 and the second, the Jairan, is expected to leave in early February.[1] Both of these vessels are linked to the Islamic Republic of Iran Shipping Line (IRISL), which is sanctioned by the U.S.

    The last 15 months have clearly shown that Tehran’s missile program poses a direct threat to the United States, Israel and other allies and partners in the Middle East and Europe. Since October 7, 2023, the Houthis in Yemen have launched hundreds of missiles at Israel and at commercial cargo vessels and U.S. Navy warships in and around the Red Sea.[2] Hezbollah has fired over 8,000 missiles at Israel.[3] Most concerning, on April 13, Iran directly attacked Israel for the very first time firing over 120 ballistic missiles.[4] On October 1, Iran was even more belligerent, firing 180 ballistic missiles at Israel in the largest ballistic missile attack in history.[5]

    Today, however, Iran is weakened and vulnerable. Its missile inventories are depleted from its aforementioned attacks against Israel, its shipment of ballistic missiles to Russia, and Israeli Defense Force airstrikes that have degraded its missile production facilities. As a result, Tehran has turned to the partner that it has relied on for supplying solid-propellant for its missiles for decades—Communist China.[6]

    Communist China, Iran, Russia, and North Korea continue to increase their coordination as part of a growing axis of authoritarians. Not only is Communist China propping up Iran’s missile program, it also recently gave Tehran the go-ahead to begin drawing down and selling millions of barrels of Iranian oil that have been stored in onshore facilities in Chinese ports for years. Alarmingly, the revenue from these oil sales has already been earmarked for the IRGC.[7]

    Reimposing maximum pressure on the Iranian regime requires imposing costs on Communist China. We encourage the administration to identify and sanction any entities involved in transferring missile propellants to Iran, including any Chinese companies sourcing the propellants and any Chinese ports that allow sanctioned Iranian ships to dock. Additionally, if the press reports referenced above are accurate, we urge you to work with our global partners to intercept and stop the shipments currently underway. Finally, the administration should pressure Beijing to reverse its decision to green light Iran’s drawdown of stored oil or face severe consequences.

    We appreciate your prompt attention to this matter. We stand ready to work with the administration to thwart Iran’s missile program and protect our allies.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI: Silicon Motion Announces Results for the Period Ended December 31, 2024

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    Business Highlights

    • Fourth quarter of 2024 sales decreased 10% Q/Q and decreased 6% Y/Y
      • SSD controller sales: 4Q of 2024 decreased 5% to 10% Q/Q and decreased 5% to 10% Y/Y
      • eMMC+UFS controller sales: 4Q of 2024 decreased 10% to 15% Q/Q and were flat Y/Y
      • SSD solutions sales: 4Q of 2024 decreased 35% to 40% Q/Q and decreased 25% to 30% Y/Y
    • Announced annual cash dividend of $2.00 per American Depositary Share (“ADS”)

    Financial Highlights

      4Q 2024 GAAP 4Q 2024 Non-GAAP*
     • Net sales $191.2 million (-10% Q/Q, -6% Y/Y) $191.2 million (-10% Q/Q, -6% Y/Y)
     • Gross margin 46.8% 47.0%
     • Operating margin 10.3% 16.5%
     • Earnings per diluted ADS $0.68 $0.91
      Full Year 2024 GAAP Full Year 2024 Non-GAAP*
     • Net sales $803.6 million (+26% Y/Y) $803.6 million (+26% Y/Y)
     • Gross margin 46.1% 46.2%
     • Operating margin 11.6% 15.3%
     • Earnings per diluted ADS $2.69 $3.43

    * Please see supplemental reconciliations of U.S. Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (“GAAP”) to all non-GAAP financial measures mentioned herein towards the end of this news release.

    TAIPEI, Taiwan and MILPITAS, Calif., Feb. 06, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Silicon Motion Technology Corporation (NasdaqGS: SIMO) (“Silicon Motion,” the “Company” or “we”) today announced its financial results for the quarter ended December 31, 2024. For the fourth quarter of 2024, net sales (GAAP) decreased sequentially to $191.2 million from $212.4 million in the third quarter of 2024. Net income (GAAP) increased to $23.0 million, or $0.68 per diluted ADS (GAAP), from net income (GAAP) of $20.8 million, or $0.62 per diluted ADS (GAAP), in the third quarter of 2024.

    For the fourth quarter of 2024, net income (non-GAAP) decreased to $30.9 million, or $0.91 per diluted ADS (non-GAAP), from net income (non-GAAP) of $31.0 million, or $0.92 per diluted ADS (non-GAAP), in the third quarter of 2024.

    All financial numbers are in U.S. dollars unless otherwise noted.

    Fourth Quarter of 2024 Review

    “We continued to execute well in the fourth quarter of 2024 despite the challenging consumer market, delivering revenue within our guided range and further expanding of our gross margin,” said Wallace Kou, President and CEO of Silicon Motion. ”For the full-year 2024, revenue rebounded strongly, growing 26% as compared to full-year 2023 and well above our initial expectations at the start of the year. For the full-year 2024, gross margin (non-GAAP) increased to 46.2% from 43.0% in 2023 despite the overall market weakness in the second half of 2024. We successfully launched our industry-leading PCIE Gen 5 controllers in the second half of 2024, winning four of the six flash makers and multiple module maker customers, which are all anticipated to ramp up throughout 2025. While the consumer market remains challenging in the near-term, we remain focused on delivering strong, sustainable long-term growth by broadening our product portfolio, expanding into new markets and growing our market share in the consumer, enterprise, automotive, industrial and commercial storage markets.”

    Key Financial Results

    (in millions, except percentages and per ADS amounts) GAAP Non-GAAP
    4Q 2024 3Q 2024 4Q 2023 4Q 2024 3Q 2024 4Q 2023
    Revenue $191.2 $212.4 $202.4 $191.2 $212.4 $202.4
    Gross profit $89.5 $99.3 $88.5 $89.9 $99.3 $89.3
    Percent of revenue 46.8% 46.7% 43.7% 47.0% 46.8% 44.1%
    Operating expenses $69.9 $74.8 $71.0 $58.3 $65.1 $61.5
    Operating profit $19.7 $24.5 $17.6 $31.6 $34.2 $27.8
    Percent of revenue 10.3% 11.5% 8.7% 16.5% 16.1% 13.8%
    Earnings per diluted ADS $0.68 $0.62 $0.63 $0.91 $0.92 $0.93

    Other Financial Information

    (in millions) 4Q 2024 3Q 2024 4Q 2023
    Cash, cash equivalents, restricted cash and short-term investments—end of period $334.3 $368.6 $369.0
    Routine capital expenditures $7.3 $7.4 $3.5
    Dividend payments $16.8 $16.8 $16.7

    During the fourth quarter of 2024, we had $10.8 million of capital expenditures, including $7.3 million for the routine purchases of testing equipment, software, design tools and other items, and $3.5 million for building construction in Hsinchu.

    Business Outlook
    “Longer-term, we expect to continue increasing our market share within the mobile and PC markets through greater outsourcing by the NAND flash makers, which should drive greater revenue and profitability for Silicon Motion,” said Mr. Kou. “This year, we expect to benefit from the introduction of several new products, including our 8-channel PCIe Gen 5 controller that started shipping in the second half of 2024, our new UFS 4.1 controller for the mobile market that will begin to ramp-up in the second half of this year, and our new 4-channel mainstream PCIe Gen 5 that we expect to launch late this year. Additionally, we will benefit from our many automotive controllers that are rapidly expanding across multiple applications and our MonTitan suite of enterprise controllers that just started shipping in the second half of 2024 and are expected to increase in the second half of this year. Consumer demand remains weak in the first half of 2025 and is proving more challenging than we initially anticipated; however, we expect a strong rebound in the second half of this year driven from new product introductions and new project wins with our OEM customers, reaching close to a run-rate of $1 billion in annual revenue in 4Q25.”

    For the first quarter of 2025, management expects:

    (in millions, except percentages) GAAP Non-GAAP Adjustment Non-GAAP
    Revenue $158m to $167m
    -17.5% to -12.5% Q/Q    		 — $158m to $167m
    -17.5% to -12.5% Q/Q
    Gross margin 46.9% to 47.4% Approximately $0.1m* 47.0% to 47.5%
    Operating margin 2.3% to 5.2% Approximately $7.5m to $8.5m** 7.7% to 9.7%

    * Projected gross margin (non-GAAP) excludes $0.1 million of stock-based compensation.
    ** Projected operating margin (non-GAAP) excludes $7.5 million to $8.5 million of stock-based compensation and dispute related expenses.

    Conference Call & Webcast:
    The Company’s management team will conduct a conference call at 8:00 am Eastern Time on February 6, 2025.

    Conference Call Details
    Participants must register in advance to join the conference call using the link provided below. Conference access information (including dial-in information and a unique access PIN) will be provided in the email received upon registration.

    Participant Online Registration:
    https://register.vevent.com/register/BI742c56c62eb0464e9ba0c61a39fa4c91

    A webcast of the call will be available on the Company’s website at www.siliconmotion.com.

    Discussion of Non-GAAP Financial Measures

    To supplement the Company’s unaudited selected financial results calculated in accordance with U.S. Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (“GAAP”), the Company discloses certain non-GAAP financial measures that exclude stock-based compensation and other items, including gross profit (non-GAAP), gross margin (non-GAAP), operating expenses (non-GAAP), operating profit (non-GAAP), operating margin (non-GAAP), non-operating income (expense) (non-GAAP), net income (non-GAAP), and earnings per diluted ADS (non-GAAP). These non-GAAP measures are not in accordance with or an alternative to GAAP and may be different from similarly-titled non-GAAP measures used by other companies. We believe that these non-GAAP measures have limitations in that they do not reflect all the amounts associated with the Company’s results of operations as determined in accordance with GAAP and that these measures should only be used to evaluate the Company’s results of operations in conjunction with the corresponding GAAP measures. The presentation of this additional information is not meant to be considered in isolation or as a substitute for the most directly comparable GAAP measure. We compensate for the limitations of our non-GAAP financial measures by relying upon GAAP results to gain a complete picture of our performance.

    Our non-GAAP financial measures are provided to enhance the user’s overall understanding of our current financial performance and our prospects for the future. Specifically, we believe the non-GAAP results provide useful information to both management and investors as these non-GAAP results exclude certain expenses, gains and losses that we believe are not indicative of our core operating results and because they are consistent with the financial models and estimates published by many analysts who follow the Company. We use non-GAAP measures to evaluate the operating performance of our business, for comparison with our forecasts, and for benchmarking our performance externally against our competitors. Also, when evaluating potential acquisitions, we exclude the items described below from our consideration of the target’s performance and valuation. Since we find these measures to be useful, we believe that our investors benefit from seeing the results from management’s perspective in addition to seeing our GAAP results. We believe that these non-GAAP measures, when read in conjunction with the Company’s GAAP financials, provide useful information to investors by offering:

    • the ability to make more meaningful period-to-period comparisons of the Company’s on-going operating results;
    • the ability to better identify trends in the Company’s underlying business and perform related trend analysis;
    • a better understanding of how management plans and measures the Company’s underlying business; and
    • an easier way to compare the Company’s operating results against analyst financial models and operating results of our competitors that supplement their GAAP results with non-GAAP financial measures.

    The following are explanations of each of the adjustments that we incorporate into our non-GAAP measures, as well as the reasons for excluding each of these individual items in our reconciliation of these non-GAAP financial measures:

    Stock-based compensation expense consists of non-cash charges related to the fair value of restricted stock units awarded to employees. The Company believes that the exclusion of these non-cash charges provides for more accurate comparisons of our operating results to our peer companies due to the varying available valuation methodologies, subjective assumptions and the variety of award types. In addition, the Company believes it is useful to investors to understand the specific impact of share-based compensation on its operating results.

    Restructuring charges relate to the restructuring of our underperforming product lines, principally the write-down of NAND flash, embedded DRAM and SSD inventory valuation and severance payments. 

    M&A transaction expenses consist of legal, financial advisory and other fees related to the transaction.

    Dispute related expenses consist of legal, consultant, other fees and resolution related to the dispute.

    Foreign exchange loss (gain) consists of translation gains and/or losses of non-US$ denominated current assets and current liabilities, as well as certain other balance sheet items which result from the appreciation or depreciation of non-US$ currencies against the US$. We do not use financial instruments to manage the impact on our operations from changes in foreign exchange rates, and because our operations are subject to fluctuations in foreign exchange rates, we therefore exclude foreign exchange gains and losses when presenting non-GAAP financial measures.

    Realized/Unrealized loss (gain) on investments relates to the disposal and net change in fair value of long-term investments.

     
    Silicon Motion Technology Corporation
    Consolidated Statements of Income
    (in thousands, except percentages and per ADS data, unaudited)
     
      For Three Months Ended   For the Year Ended
      Dec. 31,     Sep. 30,     Dec. 31,     Dec. 31,     Dec. 31,  
      2023     2024     2024     2023     2024  
      ($)     ($)     ($)     ($)     ($)  
    Net Sales 202,379     212,412     191,160     639,142     803,552  
    Cost of sales 113,854     113,142     101,635     368,752     432,862  
    Gross profit 88,525     99,270     89,525     270,390     370,690  
    Operating expenses                  
    Research & development 56,432     58,486     54,156     174,357     217,822  
    Sales & marketing 6,205     7,009     7,360     26,920     27,450  
    General & administrative 7,600     9,315     8,350     27,923     31,354  
    Loss from settlement of litigation 720     –     –     1,312     1,250  
    Operating income 17,568     24,460     19,659     39,878     92,814  
    Non-operating income (expense)                  
    Interest income, net 4,221     3,518     3,768     12,246     14,528  
    Foreign exchange gain (loss), net (1,117 )   (488 )   1,046     914     1,391  
    Realized/Unrealized gain(loss) on investments (51 )   (602 )   956     8,002     601  
    Others, net 8     –                    –     8     –  
    Subtotal 3,061     2,428     5,770     21,170     16,520  
    Income before income tax 20,629     26,888     25,429     61,048     109,334  
    Income tax expense (benefit) (464 )   6,045     2,389     8,175     18,614  
    Net income 21,093     20,843     23,040     52,873     90,720  
                       
    Earnings per basic ADS 0.63     0.62     0.68     1.59     2.70  
    Earnings per diluted ADS 0.63     0.62     0.68     1.58     2.69  
                       
    Margin Analysis:                  
    Gross margin 43.7%     46.7%     46.8%     42.3%     46.1%  
    Operating margin 8.7%     11.5%     10.3%     6.2%     11.6%  
    Net margin 10.4%     9.8%     12.1%     8.3%     11.3%  
    　 　 　 　 　 　 　 　 　 　
    Additional Data:                  
    Weighted avg. ADS equivalents 33,416     33,687     33,690     33,353     33,642  
    Diluted ADS equivalents 33,587     33,700     33,814     33,470     33,722  
    Silicon Motion Technology Corporation
    Reconciliation of GAAP to Non-GAAP Operating Results
    (in thousands, except percentages and per ADS data, unaudited)
     
      For Three Months Ended   For the Year Ended
      Dec. 31,     Sep. 30,     Dec. 31,     Dec. 31,     Dec. 31,  
    2023     2024     2024     2023     2024  
    ($)     ($)     ($)     ($)     ($)  
    Gross profit (GAAP) 88,525     99,270     89,525     270,390     370,690  
    Gross margin (GAAP) 43.7%     46.7%     46.8%     42.3%     46.1%  
    Stock-based compensation (A) 106     63     162     406     311  
    Restructuring charges 648     –     164     3,996     209  
    Gross profit (non-GAAP) 89,279     99,333     89,851     274,792     371,210  
    Gross margin (non-GAAP) 44.1%     46.8%     47.0%     43.0%     46.2%  
                          
    Operating expenses (GAAP) 70,957     74,810     69,866     230,512     277,876  
    Stock-based compensation (A) (5,680 )   (3,595 )   (9,585 )   (17,141 )   (16,645 )
    M&A transaction expenses 288     –     –     (2,606 )   –  
    Dispute related expenses (3,477 )   (6,076 )   (1,999 )   (6,973 )   (13,135 )
    Restructuring charges (638 )   –     –     (5,217 )   –  
    Operating expenses (non-GAAP) 61,450     65,139     58,282     198,575     248,096  
                       
    Operating profit (GAAP) 17,568     24,460     19,659     39,878     92,814  
    Operating margin (GAAP) 8.7%     11.5%     10.3%     6.2%     11.6%  
    Total adjustments to operating profit 10,261     9,734     11,910     36,339     30,300  
    Operating profit (non-GAAP) 27,829     34,194     31,569     76,217     123,114  
    Operating margin (non-GAAP) 13.8%     16.1%     16.5%     11.9%     15.3%  
                       
    Non-operating income (expense) (GAAP) 3,061     2,428     5,770     21,170     16,520  
    Foreign exchange loss (gain), net 1,117     488     (1,046 )   (914 )   (1,391 )
    Realized/Unrealized holding loss (gain) on investments 51     602     (956 )   (8,002 )   (601 )
    Non-operating income (expense) (non-GAAP) 4,229     3,518     3,768     12,254     14,528  
                       
    Net income (GAAP) 21,093     20,843     23,040     52,873     90,720  
    Total pre-tax impact of non-GAAP adjustments 11,429     10,824     9,908     27,423     28,308  
    Income tax impact of non-GAAP adjustments (1,202 )   (649 )   (2,049 )   (4,169 )   (3,064 )
    Net income (non-GAAP) 31,320     31,018     30,899     76,127     115,964  
                       
    Earnings per diluted ADS (GAAP) $0.63     $0.62     $0.68     $1.58     $2.69  
    Earnings per diluted ADS (non-GAAP) $0.93     $0.92     $0.91     $2.27     $3.43  
                       
    Shares used in computing earnings per diluted ADS (GAAP) 33,587     33,700     33,814     33,470     33,722  
    Non-GAAP adjustments 110     109     181     129     84  
    Shares used in computing earnings per diluted ADS (non-GAAP) 33,697     33,809     33,995     33,599     33,806  
                       
    (A) Excludes stock-based compensation as follows:                  
    Cost of sales 106     63     162     406     311  
    Research & development 4,103     2,377     6,670     11,709     11,284  
    Sales & marketing 361     455     978     1,858     1,954  
    General & administrative 1,216   　 763   　 1,937   　 3,574   　 3,407  
    Silicon Motion Technology Corporation
    Consolidated Balance Sheet
    (In thousands, unaudited)
     
      Dec. 31,   Sep. 30,   Dec. 31,
      2023   2024   2024
      ($)   ($)   ($)
    Cash and cash equivalents 314,302   313,924   276,068
    Accounts receivable (net) 194,701   202,726   233,744
    Inventories 216,950   214,574   201,154
    Refundable deposits – current 49,656   51,102   54,645
    Prepaid expenses and other current assets e17,636   38,246   31,187
    Total current assets 793,245   820,572   796,798
    Long-term investments 17,116   16,878   17,326
    Property and equipment (net) 167,417   181,983   188,398
    Other assets 30,183   29,304   30,354
    Total assets 1,007,961   1,048,737   1,032,876
               
    Accounts payable 55,586   30,888   17,773
    Income tax payable 7,544   14,444   13,176
    Accrued expenses and other current liabilities 149,680   131,143   168,624
    Total current liabilities 212,810   176,475   199,573
    Other liabilities 60,455   62,673   59,548
    Total liabilities 273,265   239,148   259,121
    Shareholders’ equity 734,696   809,589   773,755
    Total liabilities & shareholders’ equity 1,007,961   1,048,737   1,032,876
    Silicon Motion Technology Corporation
    Condensed Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows
    (in thousands, unaudited)
     
      For Three Months Ended   For the Year Ended
        Dec. 31,     Sep. 30,     Dec. 31,     Dec. 31,     Dec. 31,  
        2023     2024     2024     2023     2024  
        ($)     ($)     ($)     ($)     ($)  
    Net income   21,093     20,843     23,040     52,873     90,720  
    Depreciation & amortization   5,356     6,664     7,256     21,810     25,331  
    Stock-based compensation   5,786     3,658     9,747     17,547     16,956  
    Investment losses (gain) & disposals   (432 )   602     (956 )   (8,217 )   (601 )
    Changes in operating assets and liabilities   11,582     22,280     (45,245 )   65,070     (55,213 )
    Net cash provided by (used in) operating activities   43,385     54,047     (6,158 )   149,083     77,193  
                         
    Purchase of property & equipment   (10,758 )   (12,436 )   (10,836 )   (50,313 )   (44,449 )
    Proceeds from disposal of properties   1,228     –     3     1,228     3  
    Purchase of long-term investments   –     –     (4,173 )   –     (4,173 )
    Disposal of long-term investments   –     –     4,432     –     4,432  
    Net cash used in investing activities   (9,530 )   (12,436 )   (10,574 )   (49,085 )   (44,187 )
                         
    Dividend payments   (16,676 )   (16,812 )   (16,814 )   (16,690 )   (67,254 )
    Net cash used in financing activities   (16,676 )   (16,812 )   (16,814 )   (16,690 )   (67,254 )
                         
    Net increase (decrease) in cash, cash equivalents & restricted cash   17,179     24,799     (33,546 )   83,308     (34,248 )
    Effect of foreign exchange changes   1,508     186     (717 )   (1,373 )   (409 )
    Cash, cash equivalents & restricted cash—beginning of period   350,303     343,611     368,596     287,055     368,990  
    Cash, cash equivalents & restricted cash—end of period   368,990     368,596     334,333     368,990     334,333  


    Shareholder Litigation:
    On August 31, 2023, a Silicon Motion ADS holder (the “Plaintiff”) filed a putative class action complaint in the United States District Court for the Southern District of California, captioned Water Island Event-Driven Fund v. MaxLinear, Inc., No. 23-cv-01607 (S.D. Cal.), asserting claims against MaxLinear, Inc. (“MaxLinear”) and two of its officers (the “MaxLinear Defendants”) for alleged violations of (i) Section 10(b) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”), and Rule 10b-5 promulgated thereunder and (ii) Section 20(a) of the Exchange Act, in connection with alleged false and misleading statements made by the MaxLinear Defendants between June 6, 2023 and July 26, 2023 concerning MaxLinear’s intent to consummate the merger agreement it had entered into with Silicon Motion. On August 28, 2024, the Court dismissed the complaint against the MaxLinear Defendants without prejudice for lack of standing.  On September 18, 2024, the Plaintiff filed an amended complaint against the MaxLinear Defendants, and also added Silicon Motion and two of its officers (the “Silicon Motion Defendants”), asserting substantially similar claims under the Exchange Act. The complaint seeks compensatory damages, including interest, costs and expenses, and such other equitable or injunctive relief that the court deems appropriate. The motion to dismiss the amended complaint is fully briefed. The Silicon Motion Defendants believe that the claims asserted against them are without merit and intend to defend themselves vigorously.

    About Silicon Motion:
    We are the global leader in supplying NAND flash controllers for solid state storage devices.  We supply more SSD controllers than any other company in the world for servers, PCs and other client devices and are the leading merchant supplier of eMMC and UFS embedded storage controllers used in smartphones, IoT devices and other applications.  We also supply customized high-performance hyperscale data center and specialized industrial and automotive SSD solutions.  Our customers include most of the NAND flash vendors, storage device module makers and leading OEMs.  For further information on Silicon Motion, visit us at www.siliconmotion.com.

    Forward-Looking Statements:
    This news release contains “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Exchange Act. In some cases, you can identify forward-looking statements by terminology such as “may,” “will,” “should,” “expect,” “intend,” “plan,” “anticipate,” “believe,” “estimate,” “predict,” “potential,” “continue,” or the negative of these terms or other comparable terminology. Although such statements are based on our own information and information from other sources we believe to be reliable, you should not place undue reliance on them. These statements involve risks and uncertainties, and actual market trends or our actual results of operations, financial condition or business prospects may differ materially from those expressed or implied in these forward-looking statements for a variety of reasons. Potential risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to the unpredictable volume and timing of customer orders, which are not fixed by contract but vary on a purchase order basis; the loss of one or more key customers or the significant reduction, postponement, rescheduling or cancellation of orders from one or more customers; general economic conditions or conditions in the semiconductor or consumer electronics markets; the impact of inflation on our business and customer’s businesses and any effect this has on economic activity in the markets in which we operate; the functionalities and performance of our information technology (“IT”) systems, which are subject to cybersecurity threats and which support our critical operational activities, and any breaches of our IT systems or those of our customers, suppliers, partners and providers of third-party licensed technology; the effects on our business and our customer’s business taking into account the ongoing U.S.-China tariffs and trade disputes; the uncertainties associated with any future global or regional pandemic; the continuing tensions between Taiwan and China including enhanced military activities; decreases in the overall average selling prices of our products; changes in the relative sales mix of our products; changes in our cost of finished goods; supply chain disruptions that have affected us and our industry as well as other industries on a global basis; the payment, or non-payment, of cash dividends in the future at the discretion of our board of directors and any announced planned increases in such dividends; changes in our cost of finished goods; the availability, pricing, and timeliness of delivery of other components and raw materials used in the products we sell given the current raw material supply shortages being experienced in our industry; our customers’ sales outlook, purchasing patterns, and inventory adjustments based on consumer demands and general economic conditions; any potential impairment charges that may be incurred related to businesses previously acquired or divested in the future; our ability to successfully develop, introduce, and sell new or enhanced products in a timely manner; and the timing of new product announcements or introductions by us or by our competitors. For additional discussion of these risks and uncertainties and other factors, please see the documents we file from time to time with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, including our Annual Report on Form 20-F filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission on April 30, 2024. Other than as required under the securities laws, we do not intend, and do not undertake any obligation to, update or revise any forward-looking statements, which apply only as of the date of this news release.

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: Silicon Motion Announces New $50 Million Share Repurchase Program

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    TAIPEI, Taiwan and MILPITAS, Calif., Feb. 06, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Silicon Motion Technology Corporation (NasdaqGS: SIMO) (“Silicon Motion” or the “Company”) today announced that its Board of Directors has authorized a new share repurchase program and approved related cash disbursement for the Company to repurchase up to $50 million of its American Depositary Shares (“ADSs”) over a six-month period (the “Repurchase Program”), effective immediately.

    “We experienced significant top-and-bottom-line growth in fiscal year 2024 as our strategy to capture greater market share and diversify our product portfolio and addressable markets is delivering results,” said Wallace Kou, President & CEO of Silicon Motion. “We are confident that our opportunities are expanding over the long-term as we enter the enterprise market with our new MonTitan platform and expand our presence in automotive, IoT, gaming, wearables and other emerging growth markets. We remain confident in our strategy, growth prospects and strong financial position and are committed to opportunistically repurchasing our shares when we believe the current equity value may not accurately reflect the strength of our business longer-term.”

    Repurchases made under the Repurchase Program will be made in the open market or according to other methods in compliance with the safe harbor provisions of Rule 10b-18 under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”), subject to market conditions, applicable legal requirements and other factors. The Company expects to use cash on hand to fund the ADS repurchases. The Repurchase Program does not obligate the Company to acquire any particular amount of ADSs, and it may be suspended at any time at the Company’s discretion.

    As of December 31, 2024, the Company had approximately $334.3 million of cash, cash equivalents, restricted cash and short-term investments.

    About Silicon Motion:

    We are the global leader in supplying NAND flash controllers for solid state storage devices.  We supply more SSD controllers than any other company in the world for servers, PCs and other client devices and are the leading merchant supplier of eMMC and UFS embedded storage controllers used in smartphones, IoT devices and other applications.  We also supply customized high-performance hyperscale data center and specialized industrial and automotive SSD solutions.  Our customers include most of the NAND flash vendors, storage device module makers and leading OEMs.  For further information on Silicon Motion, visit us at www.siliconmotion.com.

    Forward-Looking Statements:

    This news release contains “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Exchange Act. In some cases, you can identify forward-looking statements by terminology such as “may,” “will,” “should,” “expect,” “intend,” “plan,” “anticipate,” “believe,” “estimate,” “predict,” “potential,” “continue,” or the negative of these terms or other comparable terminology. Although such statements are based on our own information and information from other sources we believe to be reliable, you should not place undue reliance on them. These statements involve risks and uncertainties, and actual market trends or our actual results of operations, financial condition or business prospects may differ materially from those expressed or implied in these forward-looking statements for a variety of reasons. Potential risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to the unpredictable volume and timing of customer orders, which are not fixed by contract but vary on a purchase order basis; the loss of one or more key customers or the significant reduction, postponement, rescheduling or cancellation of orders from one or more customers; general economic conditions or conditions in the semiconductor or consumer electronics markets; the impact of inflation on our business and customer’s businesses and any effect this has on economic activity in the markets in which we operate; the functionalities and performance of our information technology (“IT”) systems, which are subject to cybersecurity threats and which support our critical operational activities, and any breaches of our IT systems or those of our customers, suppliers, partners and providers of third-party licensed technology; the effects on our business and our customer’s business taking into account the ongoing U.S.-China tariffs and trade disputes; the uncertainties associated with any future global or regional pandemic; the continuing tensions between Taiwan and China including enhanced military activities; decreases in the overall average selling prices of our products; changes in the relative sales mix of our products; changes in our cost of finished goods; supply chain disruptions that have affected us and our industry as well as other industries on a global basis; the payment, or non-payment, of cash dividends in the future at the discretion of our board of directors and any announced planned increases in such dividends; changes in our cost of finished goods; the availability, pricing, and timeliness of delivery of other components and raw materials used in the products we sell given the current raw material supply shortages being experienced in our industry; our customers’ sales outlook, purchasing patterns, and inventory adjustments based on consumer demands and general economic conditions; any potential impairment charges that may be incurred related to businesses previously acquired or divested in the future; our ability to successfully develop, introduce, and sell new or enhanced products in a timely manner; and the timing of new product announcements or introductions by us or by our competitors. For additional discussion of these risks and uncertainties and other factors, please see the documents we file from time to time with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, including our Annual Report on Form 20-F filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission on April 30, 2024. Other than as required under the securities laws, we do not intend, and do not undertake any obligation to, update or revise any forward-looking statements, which apply only as of the date of this news release.

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Interest rate cuts, lower inflation, trade shifts – will Australia’s economy find its stride in 2025?

    Source: University of South Australia

    06 February 2025

    UniSA’s Credit Union SA Chair of Economics Dr Susan Stone.

    Australian households and businesses should benefit from lower interest rates and improved market conditions, in what a University of South Australia economist predicts will be a year of recovery for the country.

    UniSA’s Credit Union SA Chair of Economics Dr Susan Stone says global economic growth is expected to improve in 2025, with G20 economies averaging growth rates of 3.35%. India and Indonesia are stand out markets and will benefit Australia as they are both major export markets.

    Dr Stone says inflation is also expected to further recede, with central banks having reached their monetary policy targets in nearly half of the world’s advanced economies (US, UK, Canada, Japan etc) and close to 60% for emerging market economies (India, Brazil, South Africa etc).

    “Inflation is coming down in Australia and rate cuts are expected in the first half of the year, with many economists predicting one at the February meeting. However, there are still lingering concerns about Commonwealth payments affecting the CPI (consumer price index) numbers, with rents still growing strongly, services inflation running over 4%, a continued tight housing market and low unemployment,” she says,

    “All of this implies that spare capacity is limited in the economy and that any increase in demand accompanied by lowering interest rates could rekindle inflation.”

    Dr Stone, a former OECD and United Nations economist, says the labour market picture is more nuanced, with growth in full-time employment post-COVID-19 slightly ahead of part-time work, but this varies significantly by sector. The strongest employment increases have been in electricity, gas and water (EGW) and construction nationally.

    “EGW has more than doubled its employment growth since COVID (compared to the 10-year average) but it has come mainly through part-time work – 11% growth versus 3% growth in full-time jobs,” Dr Stone says. “The construction and health sectors were the next highest at 1.6% and 1.5% growth respectively. Both experienced stronger growth in full time workers than part-time.

    “Professional, scientific and technical services employment has actually grown at a slower rate in Australia since COVID with the average annual rate of 0.8% versus the average rate of 0.9% since 2014. However, manufacturing, while small, shows much stronger employment gains since COVID then in the 10-year period overall. In this sector, part-time employment has actually fallen while full-time has increased.

    “We see the construction sector really bouncing back from pre-COVID averages, with full-time job growth (at 1.7%) more than twice the rate as prior to COVID (0.7%) while part-time job growth remained the same (1%). Thus, tight conditions in the construction industry job market are likely to continue into 2025.”

    As inflation comes down and real wages rise, some recovery in household finances can be expected which should increase household spending. A key to growth in Australia’s economy for 2025 and beyond is business investment, Dr Stone says.

    “We saw volume measures of retail spending finish the year up, especially for household goods, which means people aren’t just spending more because of price increases. As the price index (CPI) continues to fall faster than the wage index (WPI), along with the expected cut in interest rates, household budgets should recover in 2025,” she says.

    Following Donald Trump’s official inauguration as the United States’ 47th president, like many countries, Australia is adapting to his return and promise of new tariffs on Canada, Mexico and China.

    Dr Stone says Australians may be affected by the additional trade barriers as even though the US accounts for only 5% of Australian exports, it still ranks as Australia’s fifth-largest export market.

    “We export a relatively small number of commodities to the US but it’s still an important customer for our advanced manufacturing sector. The US imports many of our high technology products such as hi-tech engines, aircraft and space parts and machine tools,” she says.

    “The US is also our second largest services export market, making up more than 10% of our total services trade. Service inputs are things like software, engineering or transport services that help produce international goods such as toys, laptops and refrigerators.”

    Dr Stone says overall, 2025 should be a year of recovery with Australian households and business benefitting from lower interest rates and improved market conditions.

    “Overseas markets are likely to remain rocky, but a weak dollar will help exports. Structural challenges in the housing market, innovation and business investment will need to be addressed to ensure sustained growth,” she adds.

    …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

     Contact for interview:  Dr Susan Stone, University of South Australia Credit Union SA Chair of Economics E: Susan.Stone@unisa.edu.au

    Media contact: Melissa Keogh, Communications Officer, UniSA M: +61 403 659 154 E: Melissa.Keogh@unisa.edu.au

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Utah’s Senators Introduce Bills for Navy and Coast Guard Readiness

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Utah Mike Lee

    WASHINGTON –Today, Senator Mike Lee (R-UT) and Senator John Curtis (R-UT) introduced two pieces of legislation aimed at enhancing the readiness and capabilities of the United States Navy and Coast Guard. The “Ensuring Naval Readiness Act” and the “Ensuring Coast Guard Readiness Act” are designed to modernize and expedite the construction and procurement processes for U.S. maritime forces by fostering increased collaboration with allied nations.

    “Both bills are about leveraging our diplomatic relationships and the comparative advantages of our allies to ensure America remains at the forefront of maritime security,” said Senator Lee. “By modernizing our approach to shipbuilding and repair, we can enhance our readiness and maintain our military edge, all while ensuring fiscal responsibility.”

    “The Ensuring Naval Readiness Act and the Ensuring Coast Guard Readiness Act take common-sense measures to strengthen America’s Navy and Coast Guard while keeping costs down and reinforcing our alliances with trusted partners.” said Senator Curtis. “I am pleased to support Senator Lee on these bills that ensure we remain ready to meet our national security threats.”

    “The Ensuring Naval Readiness Act” addresses the critical shortfall in our naval forces, echoing the Force Structure Assessment’s recommendation for a fleet of 355 ships to ensure a ready and capable Navy. By allowing the option to construct ships or components in shipyards of NATO member countries or Indo-Pacific nations with which the U.S. has mutual defense agreements, this bill aims to reduce costs and speed up delivery times, helping to close the gap between current capabilities and strategic needs.

    Following closely, “The Ensuring Coast Guard Readiness Act” proposes a strategic shift in the construction of U.S. Coast Guard vessels. This legislation permits the Coast Guard to partner with allied shipyards to procure vessels more quickly and cost-effectively, without compromising national security. It specifically allows for the construction of major vessel components in foreign shipyards not influenced by adversarial powers, particularly China.

    For further details on the bills or to review bill texts and summaries, please click the links below:

    Ensuring Naval Readiness Act: Bill Text | One-Pager
    Ensuring Coast Guard Readiness Act: Bill Text | One-Pager

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Mehtab Syed Named Special Agent in Charge of the Salt Lake City Field Office

    Source: Federal Bureau of Investigation FBI Crime News (b)

    The Federal Bureau of Investigation has named Mehtab Syed as the special agent in charge of the Salt Lake City Field Office. Ms. Syed most recently served as special agent in charge of Cyber and Counterintelligence Division in the Los Angeles Field Office.

    Ms. Syed entered on duty as an FBI special agent in August 2005. She was assigned to the New York Field Office, where she worked counterterrorism investigations and was a member of the crisis negotiation team and the rapid deployment team. 

    In 2008, Ms. Syed deployed to Islamabad, Pakistan, and served as acting assistant legal attaché. She was responsible for conducting extensive coordination between law enforcement, intelligence, and security services of multiple governments. She then returned to the New York Field Office until 2012.

    Ms. Syed was assigned to an 18-month temporary duty assignment (TDY) at the Counterterrorism Division at FBI Headquarters in 2012. She worked as the program manager for extraterritorial counterterrorism cases in the Pakistan/Afghanistan region. 

    In April 2015, Ms. Syed reported to LEGAT Amman as the assistant legal attaché. Ms. Syed returned to the New York Field Office as a supervisor for the New York Joint Terrorism Task Force (NY JTTF) in 2017. Ms. Syed was promoted to acting assistant special agent in charge of the NY JTTF’s Extraterritorial Branch in 2020.

    In November 2020, Ms. Syed was selected as the assistant special agent in charge of the cyber and counterintelligence branch of the Newark Field Office. In 2022, Ms. Syed was promoted to section chief of China Operations II Branch of the Counterintelligence Division at FBI Headquarters. In April of 2023, Ms. Syed served as special agent in charge of Cyber and Counterintelligence Division in the Los Angeles Field Office

    Prior to her career as a special agent for the FBI, Ms. Syed served at the Bureau as a contract linguist from 2004-2005. She has also worked as a financial analyst at the corporate office of Cosi, a restaurant chain with locations throughout the U.S. Ms. Syed received a bachelor’s degree in finance from Adelphi University in 2001. 

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Reed & Whitehouse: Trump’s Shutdown of USAID Will Cause Human Suffering Abroad & Weaken U.S. National Security

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Rhode Island Jack Reed

    WASHINGTON, DC – Recognizing that diplomacy and development play a key role alongside defense when it comes to U.S. national security, U.S. Senators Jack Reed (D-RI) and Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) joined Tim Kaine (D-VA) and 34 of their colleagues in sending a letter to U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio expressing their deep concern regarding the growing chaos and dysfunction at the U.S. Department of State and the Trump Administration’s illegal attempt to destroy the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID).

    USAID is a critical pillar of U.S. national security strategy, providing lifesaving aid and development support around the world to help ensure stability. Yesterday, personnel at USAID were not permitted to enter the agency’s headquarters, and Elon Musk announced that President Donald Trump agreed to close the agency and move it under the State Department – which Trump has no legal authority to do. The Trump Administration, led by Mr. Musk, has also furloughed thousands of senior career civil servants, including two top security officials who denied Musk and the Department of Government Efficiency access to classified documents and systems.

    “…We are deeply concerned by reports of not only growing chaos and dysfunction at the Department of State, but the Administration’s brazen and illegal attempts to destroy the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID). Mass personnel furloughs of dubious legality and abrupt, blanket stop-work orders without regard to relevant appropriations laws are causing immediate harm to U.S. national security, placing U.S. citizens at risk, disrupting life-saving work and breaking the U.S. government’s contractual obligations to private sector partners,” wrote the 37 U.S. Senators.

    The senators continued, “The Administration’s failure to consult with Congress prior to taking these steps violates the law and impedes Congress’s constitutional duty to conduct oversight of funding, personnel and the nation’s foreign policy. The Administration’s failure to expend funds appropriated on a bipartisan basis by Congress would violate the Impoundment Control Act.”

    “Foreign assistance is critical to supporting U.S. strategic interests around the world. Foreign assistance protects U.S. national security, advances U.S. values, and ensures the U.S. is the partner of choice for everything from defense procurement to cutting edge scientific research. China, Russia and Iran are already moving rapidly to exploit the vacuum and instability left by the U.S.’s sudden global retreat,” wrote the senators.

    They continued, “Every Administration has the right to review and adjust ongoing assistance programming. However, attempting to arbitrarily turn off core functions of a critical U.S. national security agency, without Congressional consideration or any metric-based review and absent legal authority to do so, is unprecedented and deeply disturbing.”

    In addition to Kaine, Reed, and Whitehouse, the letter is signed by U.S. Senators Cory Booker (D-NJ), Dick Durbin (D-IL), Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Ruben Gallego (D-AZ), Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-DE), Michael Bennet (D-CO), Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), Peter Welch (D-VT), Edward J. Markey (D-MA), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), Bernie Sanders (I-VT), Gary Peters (D-MI), Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Ron Wyden (D-OR), Martin Heinrich (D-NM), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), Andy Kim (D-NJ), Adam Schiff (D-CA), Angus S. King (I-ME), John Hickenlooper (D-CO), Mazie K. Hirono (D-HI), Alex Padilla (D-CA), Tina Smith (D-MN), Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV), Chris Murphy (D-CT), Jacky Rosen (D-NV), Mark Kelly (D-AZ), Brian Schatz (D-HI), Mark R. Warner (D-VA), Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), Chris Coons (D-DE), Elissa Slotkin (D-MI), and Reverend Raphael Warnock (D-GA).

    The full text of the letter follows.

    Dear Secretary Rubio:

    The effective administration of U.S. foreign assistance is critical to advancing core U.S. national security priorities, including countering the influence of China, Russia and Iran. As you acknowledged at your confirmation hearing, pushing back on China in particular is a top bipartisan priority. 

    As such, we are deeply concerned by reports of not only growing chaos and dysfunction at the Department of State, but the Administration’s brazen and illegal attempts to destroy the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID). Mass personnel furloughs of dubious legality and abrupt, blanket stop-work orders without regard to relevant appropriations laws are causing immediate harm to U.S. national security, placing U.S. citizens at risk, disrupting life-saving work and breaking the U.S. government’s contractual obligations to private sector partners.

    The Administration’s failure to consult with Congress prior to taking these steps violates the law and impedes Congress’s constitutional duty to conduct oversight of funding, personnel and the nation’s foreign policy. The Administration’s failure to expend funds appropriated on a bipartisan basis by Congress would violate the Impoundment Control Act.

    Foreign assistance is critical to supporting U.S. strategic interests around the world. Foreign assistance protects U.S. national security, advances U.S. values, and ensures the U.S. is the partner of choice for everything from defense procurement to cutting edge scientific research. China, Russia and Iran are already moving rapidly to exploit the vacuum and instability left by the U.S.’s sudden global retreat.

    Every Administration has the right to review and adjust ongoing assistance programming. However, attempting to arbitrarily turn off core functions of a critical U.S. national security agency, without Congressional consideration or any metric-based review and absent legal authority to do so, is unprecedented and deeply disturbing.

    We request immediate clarification on the following:

    Status of USAID:

    1.         Confirmation of your understanding that any effort to abolish USAID or merge USAID into the Department of State absent Congressional consultation and approval is illegal.

    2.         Confirmation of your understanding that adversaries such as China, Russia and Iran are quickly moving into the vacuum left by suspended USAID programs. 

    3.         The Department of State’s assessment of Mr. Elon Musk’s financial ties to China and the impact of these ties to the decision-making process of Mr. Musk and his employees.

    4.         Confirmation that neither you nor any member of your leadership team are taking direction from Mr. Musk with regards to the work of the Department of State or USAID, personnel or financial decisions for either agency, or any other matters relevant to U.S. national security. 

    5.         Confirmation of the names and employment status of individuals directed by Mr. Musk to engage with USAID staff, the qualifications of these individuals, and the level of their security clearances – if any.

    Personnel:

    1.         Confirmation of your understanding that any unauthorized access by or disclosure of classified information to individuals without appropriate security clearance could be considered a criminal offense.

    2.         The legal authority and rationale under which, on January 28, more than 50 senior career civil and foreign service USAID officials were placed on administrative leave. This move was not only unprecedented, but also inconsistent with the Office of Personnel Management’s own guidelines for the use of administrative leave.

    3.         The legal authority under which, on January 28, approximately 390 USAID Institutional Support Contractors (ISCs) were given stop-work orders, and clarification of which Administration official directed the implementation of this termination.

    4.         Whether any Department of State career civil and foreign service or contractors have been placed on administrative leave or removed from their roles as a result of or relating to the assistance freeze or any directives from the Office of Foreign Assistance.

    5.         Clarification of which Administration official directed the implementation of this mass furlough.

    6.         Clarification of whether these individuals were directed to be terminated without cause.

    7.         Confirmation that personnel will not face retaliation or retribution for performing their duties under the previous Administration’s policy direction.

    8.         Under what authorities and by which official’s directive career civil service, foreign service, and Personal Services Contractors (PSC), and those under other hiring authorities have been removed from their roles or limited in their ability to execute their work.

    9.         Confirmation that further career civil service, foreign service and USAID contractors will not be removed from their roles without cause or receive stop work orders.

    10.       Whether, upon full resumption of legally mandated foreign assistance activities, the Administration intends to re-hire contractors who have been removed from their roles.

    11.       Any additional guidance provided to State and USAID staff regarding the foreign assistance freeze, including confirmation of whether direct hires, contractors, or implementing organizations have been directed not to speak publicly about the foreign assistance freeze.

    12.       Public identification of the individual currently serving as the Director or Acting Director of the State Department’s Office of Foreign Assistance and as Acting Deputy Administrator of USAID, and the dates upon which this individual was appointed to each position.

    13.       Confirmation of your understanding that the State Department’s Director of Foreign Assistance has no authority to issue personnel directives for USAID.

    Resumption of Foreign Assistance:

    1.         The specific process and anticipated timeframe for activities to receive exemptions or waivers, as referenced in your January 28, 2025 directive to State and USAID staff.

    2.         The mechanisms and metrics established for this waiver process.

    3.         The timeline for full resumption of legally mandated foreign assistance activities.

    4.         Clarification of what risk assessment or analysis of potential risk to U.S. national security interests were conducted prior to the decision to freeze foreign assistance activities.

    5.         Confirmation of the Department of State’s obligation to comply with U.S. contract law and your responsibility as Secretary of State ensure the Department honors its commitments to contracting partners.

    We welcome your urgent attention to these questions. We and our staff stand ready to work with you to ensure U.S. foreign assistance funding continues to be deployed effectively to protect American citizens, at home and abroad.

    Respectfully,

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Tuberville, Lee Celebrate America’s Role in Creating the Panama Canal

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator Tommy Tuberville (Alabama)

    WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Tommy Tuberville (R-AL) joined U.S. Senator Mike Lee (R-UT) in introducing a resolution recognizing the great American achievement of creating the Panama Canal, the vital importance of the Canal in America’s trade, national security, and geopolitical interests, and the necessity to ensure the neutrality of the Canal from interference by global adversaries like China.

    “The Panama Canal would not exist without America,” said Sen. Tuberville. “Connecting the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans is integral to our global supply chain and national security interests. Now, more than ever, we cannot let our foreign adversaries, like China, have a foot in the door here. I’m glad Congress and the White House are putting America’s interests first when it comes to the Panama Canal.”

    Joining U.S. Senators Tuberville and Lee in cosponsoring the resolution are U.S. Senators Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) and Rick Scott (R-FL).

    Full text of the resolution can be found here. 

    BACKGROUND:

    Sen. Tuberville has sounded the alarm of the growing Chinese influence in Panama since his visit in 2023. Over the last two years, he has led multiple trips to the country and met with a plethora of Panamanian officials as well as questioned DOD officials on American involvement in the country. 

    MORE:

    ICYMI: Tuberville Joins “Sunday Morning Futures” With Maria Bartiromo

    ICYMI: Tuberville Joins Kudlow on Fox Business Network

    1819 News: Tuberville Warns of ISIS Fighters Crossing Southern Border—‘They’re Coming by the Droves’

    Tuberville Questions Top Defense Nominees on Recruiting and Readiness

    Tuberville Discusses Panama Visit, Growing Threat from China During Senate Armed Services Hearing

    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: FormFactor, Inc. Reports 2024 Fourth Quarter Results

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    FY24 revenue of $764 million, up 15.2% from $663 million in FY23, driven by growth in HBM revenue;
    Announces acquisition of minority interest in FICT Limited, a key supplier of industry-leading, high-performance advanced probe card components

    LIVERMORE, Calif., Feb. 05, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — FormFactor, Inc. (Nasdaq: FORM) today announced its financial results for the fourth quarter of fiscal 2024 ended December 28, 2024. Quarterly revenues were $189.5 million, a decrease of 8.9% compared to $207.9 million in the third quarter of fiscal 2024, and an increase of 12.7% from $168.2 million in the fourth quarter of fiscal 2023. For fiscal 2024, FormFactor recorded revenues of $764 million, up 15.2% from $663 million in fiscal 2023.

    • High Bandwidth Memory grew fourfold in fiscal 2024 compared to the prior year, driven by adoption of Generative AI, overcoming persistent lackluster demand in important high-unit-volume markets like PCs and mobile handsets.
    • DRAM probe-card revenue during the fourth quarter set third consecutive quarterly record.
    • Continued focus on expanding and diversifying FormFactor’s market position in enabling advanced packaging, through new customer qualifications in client PCs and server applications and new high-performance-compute applications.
    • FICT acquisition with MBK Partners solidifies FormFactor’s access to FICT’s technologies and products, which are an important component of advanced probe cards.

    “As expected, FormFactor reported sequentially lower fourth-quarter revenue, gross margin, and non-GAAP earnings per share, driven by the forecasted reduction in Foundry & Logic probe-card revenue,” said Mike Slessor, CEO of FormFactor, Inc. “This was partially offset by growth in DRAM probe-card revenue, with HBM increasing to approximately half of DRAM revenue.”

    FormFactor also announced today that together with MBK Partners (“MBKP”), the largest private equity firm in North Asia, it is acquiring FICT Limited (“FICT”) from Advantage Partners Inc. FICT, headquartered in Nagano, Japan, has been providing the semiconductor test and high-performance computing industries with complex multi-layer organic substrates, printed circuit boards, and related leading-edge technologies and services since its inception as a Fujitsu business unit in 1967. This acquisition is designed to strengthen and grow FICT’s business, and the FormFactor+MBKP consortium is committed to advancing FICT’s mission to serve its entire customer base.

    With this transaction, FormFactor invests approximately US$60M into the consortium. FormFactor will hold a minority, non-controlling stake of 20% and will be granted a seat on the company’s board of directors. All required regulatory and third-party approvals and conditions have been satisfied and the transaction is expected to close within the current quarter. The transaction is not expected to have a material impact on FormFactor’s results of operations.

    “The semiconductor industry’s rapidly accelerating adoption of advanced packaging requires increased investment and stronger collaboration across the test and assembly supply chain,” said Mike Slessor, FormFactor’s CEO. “FormFactor’s investment in FICT builds on our long-term collaboration with them as a supplier of the industry-leading, high-performance components we use in our advanced probe cards, and provides a platform for accelerated development of tomorrow’s test and packaging consumables.”

    “We’ve built a partnership with MBKP, North Asia’s leading private equity firm, with a shared vision to enhance FICT’s long-term value by fully serving all of FICT’s existing and potential customers,” Slessor concluded.

    Fourth Quarter and Fiscal 2024 Highlights

    On a GAAP basis, net income for the fourth quarter of fiscal 2024 was $9.7 million, or $0.12 per fully-diluted share, compared to net income for the third quarter of fiscal 2024 of $18.7 million, or $0.24 per fully-diluted share, and net income for the fourth quarter of fiscal 2023 of $75.8 million, or $0.97 per fully-diluted share. Net income for fiscal 2024 was $69.6 million, or $0.89 per fully-diluted share, compared to net income for fiscal 2023 of $82.4 million, or $1.05, per fully-diluted share. Gross margin for the fourth quarter of 2024 was 38.8%, compared with 40.7% in the third quarter of 2024, and 40.4% in the fourth quarter of 2023. Gross margin for fiscal 2024 was 40.3%, compared to 39.0% for fiscal 2023. The GAAP financial results for the fourth quarter of 2023 and fiscal 2023 include a $73.0 million gain from the sale of FRT that has been excluded from FormFactor’s fourth quarter and fiscal 2023 non-GAAP results. The GAAP financial results for fiscal 2024 include a $20.3 million gain from the sale of our China operations that has been excluded from FormFactor’s fiscal 2024 non-GAAP results.

    On a non-GAAP basis, net income for the fourth quarter of fiscal 2024 was $21.3 million, or $0.27 per fully-diluted share, compared to net income for the third quarter of fiscal 2024 of $27.2 million, or $0.35 per fully-diluted share, and net income for the fourth quarter of fiscal 2023 of $15.7 million, or $0.20 per fully-diluted share. Non-GAAP net income for fiscal 2024 was $90.2 million, or $1.15 per fully-diluted share, compared to net income of $56.8 million, or $0.73 per fully-diluted share for fiscal 2023. On a non-GAAP basis, gross margin for the fourth quarter of 2024 was 40.2%, compared with 42.2% in the third quarter of 2024, and 42.1% in the fourth quarter of 2023. Non-GAAP gross margin for fiscal 2024 was 41.7%, compared to 40.7% for fiscal 2023.

    A reconciliation of GAAP to non-GAAP measures is provided in the schedules included below.

    GAAP net cash provided by operating activities for the fourth quarter of fiscal 2024 was $35.9 million, compared to $26.7 million for the third quarter of fiscal 2024, and $9.3 million for the fourth quarter of fiscal 2023. Free cash flow for the fourth quarter of fiscal 2024 was $28.8 million, compared to free cash flow for the third quarter of fiscal 2024 of $20.0 million, and free cash flow for the fourth quarter of 2023 of negative $0.3 million. GAAP net cash provided by operating activities for fiscal 2024 was $117.5 million, compared to $64.6 million for fiscal 2023. Free cash flow for fiscal 2024 and fiscal 2023 was $82.8 million and $11.4 million, respectively. A reconciliation of net cash provided by operating activities to non-GAAP free cash flow is provided in the schedules included below.

    Outlook

    Dr. Slessor added, “We continue to see slow demand in important high-unit-volume markets, like client PCs and mobile handsets, through the first quarter, with anticipated sequential reductions in demand for both non-HBM DRAM probe cards and Systems. That notwithstanding, as we move through 2025, we expect an overall increase in demand for FormFactor’s products.”

    For the first quarter ending March 29, 2025, FormFactor is providing the following outlook*:

        GAAP   Reconciling Items**   Non-GAAP
    Revenue   $170 million +/- $5 million   —   $170 million +/- $5 million
    Gross Margin   36.5% +/- 1.5%   $3 million   38% +/- 1.5%
    Net income per diluted share   $0.07 +/- $0.04   $0.12   $0.19 +/- $0.04

    *This outlook assumes consistent foreign currency rates.
    **Reconciling items are stock-based compensation, amortization of intangible assets and fixed asset fair value adjustments due to acquisitions, and restructuring charges, net of applicable income tax impacts.

    We posted our revenue breakdown by geographic region, by market segment and with customers with greater than 10% of total revenue on the Investor Relations section of our website at www.formfactor.com. We will conduct a conference call at 1:25 p.m. PT, or 4:25 p.m. ET, today.

    The public is invited to listen to a live webcast of FormFactor’s conference call on the Investor Relations section of our website at www.formfactor.com. A telephone replay of the conference call will be available approximately two hours after the conclusion of the call. The replay will be available on the Investor Relations section of our website, www.formfactor.com.

    Use of Non-GAAP Financial Information:

    To supplement our condensed consolidated financial results prepared under generally accepted accounting principles, or GAAP, we disclose certain non-GAAP measures of non-GAAP net income, non-GAAP net income per basic and diluted share, non-GAAP gross profit, non-GAAP gross margin, non-GAAP operating expenses, non-GAAP operating income and free cash flow, that are adjusted from the nearest GAAP financial measure to exclude certain costs, expenses, gains and losses. Reconciliations of the adjustments to GAAP results for the three and twelve months ended months ended December 28, 2024, and for outlook provided before, as well as for the comparable periods of fiscal 2023, are provided below, and on the Investor Relations section of our website at www.formfactor.com. Information regarding the ways in which management uses non-GAAP financial information to evaluate its business, management’s reasons for using this non-GAAP financial information, and limitations associated with the use of non-GAAP financial information, is included under “About our Non-GAAP Financial Measures” following the tables below.

    About FormFactor:

    FormFactor, Inc. (NASDAQ: FORM), is a leading provider of essential test and measurement technologies along the full semiconductor product life cycle – from characterization, modeling, reliability, and design de-bug, to qualification and production test. Semiconductor companies rely upon FormFactor’s products and services to accelerate profitability by optimizing device performance and advancing yield knowledge. The Company serves customers through its network of facilities in Asia, Europe, and North America. For more information, visit the Company’s website at www.formfactor.com.

    Forward-looking Statements:

    This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the “safe harbor” provisions of the federal securities laws, including with respect to the Company’s future financial and operating results, and the Company’s plans, strategies and objectives for future operations. These statements are based on management’s current expectations and beliefs as of the date of this release, and are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties, many of which are beyond the Company’s control, that could cause actual results to differ materially from those described in the forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, statements regarding future financial and operating results, including under the heading “Outlook” above, customer demand, conditions in the semiconductor industry, the timing of completion of the FICT acquisition, the expected benefit thereof and other statements regarding the Company’s business. Forward-looking statements may contain words such as “may,” “might,” “will,” “expect,” “plan,” “anticipate,” “forecast,” and “continue,” the negative or plural of these words and similar expressions, and include the assumptions that underlie such statements. The following factors, among others, could cause actual results to differ materially from those described in the forward-looking statements: changes in demand for the Company’s products; customer-specific demand; market opportunity; anticipated industry trends; delays in the consummation of the FICT acquisition; the potential impact on the business of FormFactor and FICT due to uncertainties in connection with the acquisition; the retention of employees of FICT following acquisition; the ability of FormFactor to achieve expected benefits from the FICT acquisition; the availability, benefits, and speed of customer acceptance or implementation of new products and technologies; manufacturing, processing, and design capacity, goals, expansion, volumes, and progress; difficulties or delays in research and development; industry seasonality; risks to the Company’s realization of benefits from acquisitions, investments in capacity and investments in new electronic data systems and information technology; reliance on customers or third parties (including suppliers); changes in macro-economic environments; events affecting global and regional economic and market conditions and stability such as military conflicts, political volatility, infectious diseases and pandemics, and similar factors, operating separately or in combination; and other factors, including those set forth in the Company’s most current annual report on Form 10-K, quarterly reports on Form 10-Q and other filings by the Company with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. In addition, there are varying barriers to international trade, including restrictive trade and export regulations such as the US-China restrictions, dynamic tariffs, trade disputes between the U.S. and other countries, and national security developments or tensions, that may substantially restrict or condition our sales to or in certain countries, increase the cost of doing business internationally, and disrupt our supply chain. No assurances can be given that any of the events anticipated by the forward-looking statements within this press release will transpire or occur, or if any of them do so, what impact they will have on the results of operations or financial condition of the Company. Unless required by law, the Company is under no obligation (and expressly disclaims any such obligation) to update or revise its forward-looking statements whether as a result of new information, future events, or otherwise.

     
    FORMFACTOR, INC. 
    CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF INCOME
    (In thousands, except per share amounts)
    (Unaudited)
     
      Three Months Ended   Twelve Months Ended
      December 28,
    2024    		   September 28,
    2024    		   December 30,
    2023    		   December 28,
    2024    		   December 30,
    2023
    Revenues $ 189,483     $ 207,917     $ 168,163     $ 763,599     $ 663,102  
    Cost of revenues   115,903       123,212       100,229       455,676       404,522  
    Gross profit   73,580       84,705       67,934       307,923       258,580  
    Operating expenses:                  
    Research and development   30,504       31,243       28,166       121,938       115,765  
    Selling, general and administrative   35,226       35,607       31,451       141,786       133,012  
    Total operating expenses   65,730       66,850       59,617       263,724       248,777  
    Gain on sale of business   —       —       72,953       20,581       72,953  
    Operating income   7,850       17,855       81,270       64,780       82,756  
    Interest income, net   3,472       3,650       2,376       13,693       6,796  
    Other income (expense), net   617       (558 )     (1,546 )     939       (285 )
    Income before income taxes   11,939       20,947       82,100       79,412       89,267  
    Provision for income taxes   2,234       2,211       6,254       9,798       6,880  
    Net income $ 9,705     $ 18,736     $ 75,846     $ 69,614     $ 82,387  
    Net income per share:                  
    Basic $ 0.13     $ 0.24     $ 0.98     $ 0.90     $ 1.06  
    Diluted $ 0.12     $ 0.24     $ 0.97     $ 0.89     $ 1.05  
    Weighted-average number of shares used in per share calculations:                
    Basic   77,267       77,406       77,684       77,340       77,370  
    Diluted   77,982       78,439       78,410       78,437       78,159  
     
    FORMFACTOR, INC. 
    NON-GAAP FINANCIAL MEASURE RECONCILIATIONS
    (In thousands, except per share amounts)
    (Unaudited)
     
      Three Months Ended   Twelve Months Ended
      December 28,
    2024    		   September 28,
    2024    		   December 30,
    2023    		   December 28,
    2024    		   December 30,
    2023
    GAAP Gross Profit $ 73,580     $ 84,705     $ 67,934     $ 307,923     $ 258,580  
    Adjustments:                  
    Amortization of intangibles, inventory and fixed asset fair value adjustments due to acquisitions   555       530       756       2,216       4,336  
    Stock-based compensation   1,944       1,934       2,053       7,738       6,854  
    Restructuring charges   32       524       —       639       357  
    Non-GAAP Gross Profit $ 76,111     $ 87,693     $ 70,743     $ 318,516     $ 270,127  
                       
    GAAP Gross Margin   38.8 %     40.7 %     40.4 %     40.3 %     39.0 %
    Adjustments:                  
    Amortization of intangibles, inventory and fixed asset fair value adjustments due to acquisitions   0.4 %     0.3 %     0.5 %     0.3 %     0.6 %
    Stock-based compensation   1.0 %     0.9 %     1.2 %     1.0 %     1.0 %
    Restructuring charges   — %     0.3 %     — %     0.1 %     0.1 %
    Non-GAAP Gross Margin   40.2 %     42.2 %     42.1 %     41.7 %     40.7 %
                       
    GAAP operating expenses $ 65,730     $ 66,850     $ 59,617     $ 263,724     $ 248,777  
    Adjustments:                  
    Amortization of intangibles and other   (191 )     (191 )     (518 )     (764 )     (4,081 )
    Stock-based compensation   (8,269 )     (7,002 )     (7,230 )     (32,025 )     (31,762 )
    Restructuring charges   (371 )     (298 )     —       (767 )     (1,183 )
    Costs related to sale and acquisition of businesses   (1,689 )     (13 )     (268 )     (2,391 )     (2,407 )
    Non-GAAP operating expenses $ 55,210     $ 59,346     $ 51,601     $ 227,777     $ 209,344  
                       
    GAAP operating income $ 7,850     $ 17,855     $ 81,270     $ 64,780     $ 82,756  
    Adjustments:                  
    Amortization of intangibles, inventory and fixed asset fair value adjustments due to acquisitions, and other   746       721       1,274       2,980       8,417  
    Stock-based compensation   10,213       8,936       9,283       39,763       38,616  
    Restructuring charges   403       822       —       1,406       1,540  
    Gain on sale of business, net of cost related to sale and acquisition of businesses   1,689       13       (72,685 )     (18,190 )     (70,546 )
    Non-GAAP operating income $ 20,901     $ 28,347     $ 19,142     $ 90,739     $ 60,783  
     
    FORMFACTOR, INC. 
    NON-GAAP FINANCIAL MEASURE RECONCILIATIONS
    (In thousands, except per share amounts)
    (Unaudited)
     
      Three Months Ended   Twelve Months Ended
      December 28,
    2024    		   September 28,
    2024    		   December 30,
    2023    		   December 28,
    2024    		   December 30,
    2023
    GAAP net income $ 9,705     $ 18,736     $ 75,846     $ 69,614     $ 82,387  
    Adjustments:                  
    Amortization of intangibles, inventory and fixed asset fair value adjustments due to acquisitions, and other   746       721       1,274       2,980       8,417  
    Stock-based compensation   10,213       8,936       9,283       39,763       38,616  
    Restructuring charges   415       822       —       1,418       1,540  
    Gain on sale of business, net of cost related to sale and acquisition of businesses   1,689       13       (72,685 )     (18,190 )     (70,546 )
    Income tax effect of non-GAAP adjustments   (1,445 )     (2,002 )     2,026       (5,368 )     (3,624 )
    Non-GAAP net income $ 21,323     $ 27,226     $ 15,744     $ 90,217     $ 56,790  
                       
    GAAP net income per share:                  
    Basic $ 0.13     $ 0.24     $ 0.98     $ 0.90     $ 1.06  
    Diluted $ 0.12     $ 0.24     $ 0.97     $ 0.89     $ 1.05  
                       
    Non-GAAP net income per share:                  
    Basic $ 0.28     $ 0.35     $ 0.20     $ 1.17     $ 0.73  
    Diluted $ 0.27     $ 0.35     $ 0.20     $ 1.15     $ 0.73  
     
    FORMFACTOR, INC. 
    CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS
    (In thousands)
    (Unaudited)
     
      Twelve Months Ended
      December 28,
    2024    		   December 30,
    2023
    Cash flows from operating activities:      
    Net income $ 69,614     $ 82,387  
    Selected adjustments to reconcile net income to net cash provided by operating activities:      
    Depreciation   30,321       30,603  
    Amortization   2,582       6,850  
    Stock-based compensation expense   39,763       38,616  
    Provision for excess and obsolete inventories   12,342       15,003  
    Gain on sale of business   (20,581 )     (72,953 )
    Non-cash restructuring charges   428       —  
    Other activity impacting operating cash flows   (16,507 )     (35,904 )
    Net cash provided by operating activities   117,534       64,602  
    Cash flows from investing activities:      
    Acquisition of property, plant and equipment   (38,436 )     (56,027 )
    Proceeds from sale of business   21,585       101,785  
    Purchases of marketable securities, net   (15,129 )     (16,709 )
    Purchase of promissory note receivable   (1,500 )     —  
    Net cash provided by (used in) investing activities   (33,480 )     29,049  
    Cash flows from financing activities:      
    Purchase of common stock through stock repurchase program   (53,302 )     (19,801 )
    Proceeds from issuances of common stock   9,748       8,822  
    Principal repayments on term loans   (1,075 )     (1,045 )
    Tax withholdings related to net share settlements of equity awards   (19,983 )     (10,687 )
    Net cash used in financing activities   (64,612 )     (22,711 )
    Effect of exchange rate changes on cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash   (3,509 )     (2,649 )
    Net increase in cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash   15,933       68,291  
    Cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash, beginning of period   181,273       112,982  
    Cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash, end of period $ 197,206     $ 181,273  
     
    FORMFACTOR, INC. 
    RECONCILIATION OF CASH PROVIDED BY OPERATING ACTIVITIES TO NON-GAAP FREE CASH FLOW
    (In thousands)
    (Unaudited)
     
      Three Months Ended   Twelve Months Ended
      December 28,
    2024    		   September 28,
    2024    		   December 30,
    2023    		   December 28,
    2024    		   December 30,
    2023
    Net cash provided by operating activities $ 35,913     $ 26,731     $ 9,250     $ 117,534     $ 64,602  
    Adjustments:                  
    Sale of business and acquisition related payments in working capital   506       2,134       268       3,317       2,407  
    Cash paid for interest   93       97       105       391       422  
    Capital expenditures   (7,663 )     (8,939 )     (9,933 )     (38,436 )     (56,027 )
    Free cash flow $ 28,849     $ 20,023     $ (310 )   $ 82,806     $ 11,404  

     

     
    FORMFACTOR, INC.
    CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS
    (In thousands)
    (Unaudited)
     
        December 28,
    2024    		   September 28,
    2024    		   December 30,
    2023
    ASSETS            
    Current assets:            
    Cash and cash equivalents   $ 190,728     $ 184,506     $ 177,812  
    Marketable securities     169,295       169,961       150,507  
    Accounts receivable, net of allowance for credit losses     104,294       116,866       102,957  
    Inventories, net     101,676       105,374       111,685  
    Restricted cash     3,746       3,773       1,152  
    Prepaid expenses and other current assets     35,389       34,302       29,667  
    Total current assets     605,128       614,782       573,780  
    Restricted cash     2,732       2,210       2,309  
    Operating lease, right-of-use-assets     22,579       25,034       30,519  
    Property, plant and equipment, net of accumulated depreciation     210,230       204,108       204,399  
    Goodwill     199,171       200,137       201,090  
    Intangibles, net     10,355       11,017       12,938  
    Deferred tax assets     92,012       92,826       78,964  
    Other assets     4,008       3,669       2,795  
    Total assets   $ 1,146,215     $ 1,153,783     $ 1,106,794  
                 
    LIABILITIES AND STOCKHOLDERS’ EQUITY            
    Current liabilities:            
    Accounts payable   $ 62,287     $ 52,086     $ 63,857  
    Accrued liabilities     43,742       46,508       41,037  
    Current portion of term loan, net of unamortized issuance costs     1,106       1,098       1,075  
    Deferred revenue     15,847       20,972       16,704  
    Operating lease liabilities     8,363       8,512       8,422  
    Total current liabilities     131,345       129,176       131,095  
    Term loan, less current portion, net of unamortized issuance costs     12,208       12,488       13,314  
    Long-term operating lease liabilities     17,550       19,731       25,334  
    Deferred grant     18,000       18,000       18,000  
    Other liabilities     19,344       19,378       10,247  
    Total liabilities     198,447       198,773       197,990  
                 
    Stockholders’ equity:            
    Common stock     77       77       77  
    Additional paid-in capital     837,586       845,466       861,448  
    Accumulated other comprehensive loss     (10,840 )     (1,773 )     (4,052 )
    Accumulated income     120,945       111,240       51,331  
    Total stockholders’ equity     947,768       955,010       908,804  
    Total liabilities and stockholders’ equity   $ 1,146,215     $ 1,153,783     $ 1,106,794  

    About our Non-GAAP Financial Measures:

    We believe that the presentation of non-GAAP net income, non-GAAP net income per basic and diluted share, non-GAAP gross profit, non-GAAP gross margin, non-GAAP operating expenses, non-GAAP operating income and free cash flow provides supplemental information that is important to understanding financial and business trends and other factors relating to our financial condition and results of operations. Non-GAAP net income, non-GAAP net income per basic and diluted share, non-GAAP gross profit, non-GAAP gross margin, non-GAAP operating expenses, and non-GAAP operating income are among the primary indicators used by management as a basis for planning and forecasting future periods, and by management and our board of directors to determine whether our operating performance has met certain targets and thresholds. Management uses non-GAAP net income, non-GAAP net income per basic and diluted share, non-GAAP gross profit, non-GAAP gross margin, non-GAAP operating expenses, and non-GAAP operating income when evaluating operating performance because it believes that the exclusion of the items indicated herein, for which the amounts or timing may vary significantly depending upon our activities and other factors, facilitates comparability of our operating performance from period to period. We use free cash flow to conduct and evaluate our business as an additional way of viewing our liquidity that, when viewed with our GAAP results, provides a more complete understanding of factors and trends affecting our cash flows. Many investors also prefer to track free cash flow, as opposed to only GAAP earnings. Free cash flow has limitations due to the fact that it does not represent the residual cash flow available for discretionary expenditures, and therefore it is important to view free cash flow as a complement to our entire consolidated statements of cash flows. We have chosen to provide this non-GAAP information to investors so they can analyze our operating results closer to the way that management does, and use this information in their assessment of our business and the valuation of our Company. We compute non-GAAP net income, non-GAAP net income per basic and diluted share, non-GAAP gross profit, non-GAAP gross margin, non-GAAP operating expenses, and non-GAAP operating income, by adjusting GAAP net income, GAAP net income per basic and diluted share, GAAP gross profit, GAAP gross margin, GAAP operating expenses, and GAAP operating income to remove the impact of certain items and the tax effect, if applicable, of those adjustments. These non-GAAP measures are not in accordance with, or an alternative to, GAAP, and may be materially different from other non-GAAP measures, including similarly titled non-GAAP measures used by other companies. The presentation of this additional information should not be considered in isolation from, as a substitute for, or superior to, net income, net income per basic and diluted share, gross profit, gross margin, operating expenses, or operating income in accordance with GAAP. Non-GAAP financial measures have limitations in that they do not reflect certain items that may have a material impact upon our reported financial results. We may expect to continue to incur expenses of a nature similar to the non-GAAP adjustments described above, and exclusion of these items from our non-GAAP net income, non-GAAP net income per basic and diluted share, non-GAAP gross profit, non-GAAP gross margin, non-GAAP operating expenses, and non-GAAP operating income should not be construed as an inference that these costs are unusual, infrequent or non-recurring. For more information on the non-GAAP adjustments, please see the table captioned “Non-GAAP Financial Measure Reconciliations” and “Reconciliation of Cash Provided by Operating Activities to non-GAAP Free Cash Flow” included in this press release.

    Source: FormFactor, Inc.
    FORM-F

    Investor Contact:
    Stan Finkelstein
    Investor Relations
    (925) 290-4273
    ir@formfactor.com

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI Economics: How real-world businesses are transforming with AI – with 50 new stories

    Source: Microsoft

    Headline: How real-world businesses are transforming with AI – with 50 new stories

    Updated February 5, 2025: The post contains 50 new customer stories, which appear at the beginning of each section of customer lists. The post will be updated regularly with new stories.

    One of the highlights of my career has always been connecting with customers and partners across industries to learn how they are using technology to drive their businesses forward. In the past 30 years, we’ve seen four major platform shifts, from client server to internet and the web to mobile and cloud to now — the next major platform shift to AI.  

    As today’s platform shift to AI continues to gain momentum, Microsoft is working to understand just how organizations can drive lasting business value. We recently commissioned a study with IDC, The Business Opportunity of AI, to uncover new insights around business value and help guide organizations on their journey of AI transformation. The study found that for every $1 organizations invest in generative AI, they’re realizing an average of $3.70 in return — and uncovered insights about the future potential of AI to reshape business processes and drive change across industries.

    Check out the top 5 AI trends to watch from IDC and Microsoft

    Today, more than 85% of the Fortune 500 are using Microsoft AI solutions to shape their future. In working with organizations large and small, across every industry and geography, we’ve seen that most transformation initiatives are designed to achieve one of four business outcomes:  

    1. Enriching employee experiences: Using AI to streamline or automate repetitive, mundane tasks can allow your employees to dive into more complex, creative and ultimately more valuable work.
    2. Reinventing customer engagement: AI can create more personalized, tailored customer experiences, delighting your target audiences while lightening the load for employees.
    3. Reshaping business processes: Virtually any business process can be reimagined with AI, from marketing to supply chain operations to finance, and AI is even allowing organizations to go beyond process optimization and discover exciting new growth opportunities.
    4. Bending the curve on innovation: AI is revolutionizing innovation by speeding up creative processes and product development, reducing the time to market and allowing companies to differentiate in an often crowded field.

    In this blog, we’ve collected more than 300 of our favorite real-life examples of how organizations are embracing Microsoft’s proven AI capabilities to drive impact and shape today’s platform shift to AI. Today, we’ve added new stories of customers using our AI capabilities at the beginning of each section. We’ll regularly update this story with more. We hope you find an example or two that can inspire your own transformation journey.

    Enriching employee experiences

    Generative AI is truly transforming employee productivity and wellbeing. Our customers tell us that by automating repetitive, mundane tasks, employees are freed up to dive into more complex and creative work. This shift not only makes the work environment more stimulating but also boosts job satisfaction. It sparks innovation, provides actionable insights for better decision-making and supports personalized training and development opportunities, all contributing to a better work-life balance. Customers around the world have reported significant improvements in employee productivity with these AI solutions:

    New Stories:

    1. Acentra Health created MedScribe using Azure OpenAI Service. The solution has saved 11,000 nursing hours and nearly $800,000. It also helped each nurse process 20 to 30 letters daily, while achieving a 99% approval rate for MedScribe-generated letters.
    2. Brisbane Catholic Education provides Microsoft 365 Copilot to 12,500 educators, and uses Microsoft Copilot Studio to create a generative AI tool to help educators integrate Catholic traditions and values into the classroom.
    3. Crediclub saves 96% per month in auditing expenses and analyzes 150 meetings per hour with Azure AI, freeing up time for 800 sales advisors and 150 branch managers to interact directly with customers.
    4. eClinicalWorks developed a tool using Azure AI services and Azure AI Document Intelligence to help healthcare workers scan, sort and match thousands of faxes each year to match the faxed data with current patient files.
    5. Education Authority of Northern Ireland (EANI) introduced Microsoft 365 Copilot to reduce admin work, allowing teachers to focus on students. The Microsoft partnership ensures secure and ethical AI use, while teacher training focuses on prompt writing and effective tool adoption.
    6. Ma’aden uses Microsoft 365 Copilot to enhance productivity, saving up to 2,200 hours monthly. Tasks like drafting emails, creating documents and data analysis have become more efficient, helping Ma’aden achieve its growth goals.
    7. Marketing org mci group uses Microsoft 365 Copilot to enhance the use of AI and other technological advances to boost employee efficiency.
    8. Michelin deployed Microsoft 365 Copilot and a generative AI in-house chatbot based on Azure OpenAI Service called “Aurora” designed to help employees optimize work and team performance, boosting productivity tenfold.
    9. Raiffeisen Bank International built its own ChatGPT using Azure OpenAI Service to automate repetitive tasks like documenting intelligence and more rapidly summarize legal, regulation and banking documents.
    10. Sanabil Investments deployed Microsoft 365 Copilot to help employees reduce the time spent on manual everyday tasks that diverted focus from more strategic and valuable work. Within two months, approximately 70% of employees regularly used Copilot.
    11. Sensei rolled out Microsoft 365 to reduce the number of internal apps and better connect systems for easier collaboration, and is using Microsoft 365 Copilot to increase efficiency.
    12. Sikshana Foundation is working with Microsoft Research India to introduce an AI copilot for teachers that shortens preparation time for lessons from an hour or more to just minutes.
    13. The University of Hong Kong adopted Microsoft 365 Copilot to enhance productivity by automating administrative tasks and providing intelligent assistance, allowing faculty to focus more on teaching.
    1. Accenture and Avanade launched a Copilot business transformation practice, supported by Microsoft, and co-invested in new capabilities, solutions and training to help organizations securely and responsibly reinvent their business functions with generative and agentic AI and Copilot technologies.
    2. Access Holdings Plc adopted Microsoft 365 Copilot, integrating generative AI into daily tools and, as a result, writing code now takes two hours instead of eight, chatbots launch in 10 days instead of three months and presentations are prepared in 45 minutes instead of six hours.
    3. Adobe is connecting Adobe Experience Cloud workflows and insights with Microsoft 365 Copilot to deliver generative-AI powered capabilities that enable marketers to increase collaboration, efficiency and creativity.
    4. Amadeus empowers its teams to focus their time and skills on value-added tasks with Microsoft 365 Copilot, by summarizing email threads, chat or transcripts and summing up information from diverse sources.
    5. ANZ has invested in Microsoft 365 Copilot, GitHub Copilot and Copilot in Microsoft Edge to boost productivity and innovation across its workforce.
    6. Asahi Europe & International (AEI) has adopted Microsoft 365 Copilot, saving employees potentially 15% of time previously spent on administrative tasks.
    7. AXA developed AXA Secure GPT, a platform powered by Azure OpenAI Service that empowers employees to leverage the power of generative AI while targeting the highest level of data safety and responsible use of the tool.
    8. Axon Enterprise developed a new AI tool with Azure OpenAI Service called Draft One, resulting in an 82% decrease in time spent on reports, which freed up officers to engage more with their community.
    9. Aztec Group enhanced productivity and client experience by trialing Microsoft 365 Copilot with 300 staff, uncovering “unlimited” use cases and plans for a wider rollout.
    10. Bader Sultan & Bros. Co. W.L.L. implemented Microsoft 365 Copilot to enhance employee productivity and speed up customer response times.
    11. Bancolombia is using GitHub Copilot to empower its technical team, achieving a 30% increase in code generation, boosting automated application changes to an average of 18,000 per year, with a rate of 42 productive daily deployments.
    12. Bank of Queensland Group is using Microsoft 365 Copilot, with 70% of users saving two-and-a-half to five hours per week.
    13. BaptistCare Community Services is using Microsoft 365 Copilot to save employees time as they navigate workforce shortage challenges allowing them to focus more on the people they care for.
    14. Barnsley Council was recognized as “Double Council of the Year in 2023” for its implementation of Microsoft 365 Copilot, which modernized operations and reduced administrative tasks, leading to improved job satisfaction and increased creativity.
    15. BlackRock purchased more than 24,000 Microsoft 365 Copilot licenses spanning all employees, functions and locations, helping improve the Copilot experience, including codeveloping new features and functions.
    16. British Heart Foundation is testing Microsoft 365 Copilot and in its initial test, users estimate that Microsoft 365 Copilot could save them up to 30 minutes per day.
    17. Buckinghamshire Council deployed Microsoft 365 Copilot with staff reporting productivity improvements, quality enhancements and time savings which are enabling the different teams to do more with less.
    18. Campari Group adopted Microsoft 365 Copilot to help employees integrate it into their workflow, resulting in time savings of about two hours a week from the support of routine activities such as email management, meeting preparation, content creation and skill acquisition.
    19. Canadian Tire Corporation moved its data from on-premises systems to Microsoft Azure and built digital assistants using Azure OpenAI Service, and now more than 3,000 corporate employees save 30 to 60 minutes a day using its ChatCTC digital assistant.
    20. Capita is using GitHub Copilot for productivity improvements as well as improvements in developer satisfaction, recruitment and retention.
    21. Cathay leverages Microsoft 365 Copilot to streamline meetings and manage information more effectively, reducing time-consuming tasks and fostering creativity.
    22. CDW used Microsoft 365 Copilot to improve work quality for 88% of users, enabling 77% to complete tasks faster, and increasing productivity for 85% of users.
    23. Chi Mei Medical Center is lightening workloads for doctors, nurses and pharmacists with a generative AI assistant built on Azure OpenAI Service.
    24. Clifford Chance adopted Microsoft 365 Copilot to streamline tasks, automate processes and enhance collaboration. Lawyers use it to draft and manage emails and ensure compliance, allowing them to focus on complex legal work and improve productivity.
    25. DLA Piper chose Microsoft 365 Copilot to boost productivity for operational and administrative teams, saving up to 36 hours weekly on content generation and data analysis.
    26. Eaton adopted Microsoft 365 Copilot to automate the creation of 1,000 standard operating procedures to streamline customer service operations and improve data access across teams, cutting creation time from one hour to 10 minutes.
    27. E.ON is focused on Germany’s energy transition, leveraging Microsoft 365 Copilot to manage the complex grid in real-time, increasing productivity and efficiency for its workforce.
    28. Enerijisa Uretim has adopted Microsoft 365 Copilot to streamline meeting summaries, reformat documents and compile reports, enabling employees to concentrate on more strategic and fulfilling activities instead of spending six hours in meetings.
    29. EPAM is deploying Microsoft 365 Copilot to consolidate information and generate content and documents.
    30. Farm Credit Canada implemented Microsoft 365 Copilot which resulted in time savings on routine tasks for 78% of users, with 30% saving 30 to 60 minutes per week and 35% saving over an hour per week, allowing employees to focus on more value-added tasks.
    31. Finastra used Microsoft 365 Copilot to automate tasks, enhance content creation, improve analytics and personalize customer interactions, with employees citing a 20%-50% time savings.
    32. Four Agency Worldwide increased employee productivity using Microsoft 365 Copilot to generate ideas for creative work and support administrative-heavy processes, data analysis and report generation, allowing staff to focus on outreach and less time doing paperwork.
    33. Goodwill of Orange County developed an AI-powered app using Azure AI capabilities to help more people, including those with developmental, intellectual and physical disabilities, work in unfilled e-commerce positions.
    34. Harvey uses Azure OpenAI to simplify routine tasks across hundreds of law firms and legal teams, with one corporate lawyer saying he saved 10 hours of work per week.
    35. Honeywell employees are saving 92 minutes per week — that’s 74 hours a year! Disclaimer: Statistics are from an internal Honeywell survey of 5,000 employees where 611 employees responded.
    36. Insight employees using Copilot are seeing four hours of productivity gained per week from data summarization and content creation.
    37. Joos uses Microsoft 365 Copilot to grow its brand with worldwide collaboration by streamlining meetings, optimizing presentations and improving communications.
    38. Kantar is harnessing the power of Microsoft 365 Copilot by reducing costly, time-consuming IT processes and boosting productivity for employees.
    39. KMS Lighthouse enhanced its knowledge management platform with Microsoft Teams and Dynamics 365 integration, enabling users to leverage KMS Lighthouse without having to switch applications. And with Azure OpenAI Service, companies can create relevant content more quickly within the KMS Lighthouse application.
    40. KPMG Australia is using Microsoft Azure OpenAI Service, Azure AI Search and Microsoft Copilot 365 to perform advanced text analysis of dozens of client source documents to identify full or partial compliance, or noncompliance, in a fraction of the time required for manual assessments.
    41. LGT is launching Microsoft Copilot LGT to improve efficiency, showing users save an average of an hour a week even in the pilot phase.
    42. Localiza&Co, a leader in the mobility industry in Latin America, implemented Microsoft 365 Copilot to automate processes and improve efficiency, and reduced 8.3 working hours per employee per month.
    43. Lotte Hotels & Resorts has been creating a new work culture that allows employees to work more efficiently and focus on the nature of the work by adopting Microsoft Power Platform for automation.
    44. MAIRE is leveraging Microsoft 365 Copilot to automate routine tasks, saving over 800 working hours per month, freeing up engineers and professionals for strategic activities while supporting MAIRE’s green energy transition by reducing their carbon footprint.
    45. McDonald’s China chose Microsoft Azure AI, GitHub Copilot and Azure AI Search to transform its operations, resulting in a significant increase in AI adoption, consumption and retention from 2,000 to 30,000 employee transactions monthly.
    46. McKnight Foundation adopted Microsoft 365 Copilot for all staff, saving time, increasing productivity and freeing space to focus on strategic priorities.
    47. Medigold Health uses Azure OpenAI Service to significantly reduce the time that clinicians spend writing reports during their consultation and administrative time.
    48. Morula Health is using Microsoft 365 Copilot to enhance productivity, streamline medical writing tasks and ensure data security, ultimately improving efficiency and client satisfaction.
    49. Motor Oil Group is achieving remarkable efficiency gains by integrating Microsoft 365 Copilot into its workflows, with staff spending minutes on tasks that used to take weeks.
    50. Nagel-Group uses Azure OpenAI Service to help employees quickly access information which saves time, creates efficiency and transparency and leads to higher-quality answers overall.
    51. National Australia Bank is leveraging Microsoft 365 Copilot for daily productivity and data analysis and insights and Microsoft Copilot for Security to quickly analyze millions of security event logs and allow engineers to focus on more important areas.
    52. NFL Players Association integrated Azure AI Services and Azure App Service into their video review process, reducing review time by up to 73%, significantly increasing efficiency and enhancing player safety through consistent rule enforcement.
    53. O2 Czech Republic boosts productivity and streamlines meetings with Microsoft 365 Copilot, revolutionizing how information is shared and making automation a part of daily work.
    54. Onepoint developed a secure conversational agent based on Azure OpenAI which delivers productivity gains of between 10% and 15% across all business lines.
    55. Orange Group has over 40 use cases with Azure OpenAI Service and GitHub Copilot across business functions to support employees in their day-to-day tasks, enabling them to concentrate on higher value-added activities.
    56. Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust implemented Microsoft 365 Copilot to improve staff report productivity by saving one to two hours a week, or simple formatting tasks down to a matter of seconds, enabling more resources to deliver frontline services.
    57. PA Consulting transformed its sales operations with Microsoft 365 Copilot, so its people can invest more time on the activities that have the biggest impact for clients and maximize the strategic value they provide.
    58. Petrobras used Azure OpenAI Service to create ChatPetrobras, which is streamlining workflows, reducing manual tasks and summarizing reports for its 110,000 employees.
    59. Petrochemical Industries Company automates work processes to save time with Microsoft 365 Copilot from weeks to days, hours to seconds.
    60. PIMCO built ChatGWM with Azure AI Studio, a comprehensive platform that provides the ability to ask questions, receive responses and verify answers all in one place, so teams can spend more time engaging clients and having deeper conversations.
    61. PKSHA Technology is optimizing their time on critical work by increasing efficiency in meeting preparations, data analytics and ideation with the help of Microsoft 365 Copilot.
    62. Providence has collaborated with Nuance and Microsoft to accelerate development and adoption of generative AI-powered applications, helping improve care quality and access, and reduce physician’s administrative workloads.
    63. RTI International adopted Microsoft 365 Copilot to gain productivity wherever possible, allowing staff to focus on their areas of expertise, delivering even better science-backed solutions for clients.
    64. SACE, an Italian finance and insurance firm, is using Microsoft 365 Copilot and Viva to boost productivity and unlock employee potential while enhancing overall well-being — and productivity improvement data from the first nine months of implementation shows a 23% increase.
    65. Sandvik Coromant is using Microsoft Copilot for Sales to drive efficiency and accuracy, shaving at least one minute off each transaction, allowing sellers and account managers to focus their expertise on responding to customers’ needs with analysis, creativity and adaptability.
    66. Sasfin Bank built a solution on Microsoft Azure that centralized 20,000 documents to analyze contract clauses and provide real-time snapshots, moving guesswork into data-driven decision-making.
    67. Scottish Water implemented Microsoft 365 Copilot reducing mundane tasks to a minimum, and thus freeing up time for employees to work on the more meaningful tasks.
    68. Shriners Children’s developed an AI platform allowing clinicians to easily and securely navigate patient data in a singular location, enhancing patient care, and improving the efficiency of their healthcare services.
    69. Siemens is leveraging Azure OpenAI Service to improve efficiency, cut downtime and address labor shortages.
    70. Softchoice employees are experiencing firsthand how Microsoft 365 Copilot can transform daily workflows, realizing productivity gains of 97% reduction in time spent summarizing technical meetings and up to 70% less time spent on content creation.
    71. Syensqo utilized Microsoft’s Azure OpenAI Service to develop a custom AI chatbot in three months, which improved their internal data management, decision-making and overall efficiency.
    72. Teladoc Health uses Microsoft 365 Copilot to revolutionize its telehealth operations, automating routine tasks, boosting efficiency and increasing productivity.
    73. Telstra developed two cutting-edge generative AI tools based on Microsoft Azure OpenAI Service: 90% of employees are using the One Sentence Summary tool which resulted in 20% less follow-up customer contact and 84% of customer service agents using the Ask Telstra solution.
    74. Topsoe achieved 85% AI adoption among office employees in seven months, significantly enhancing productivity and business processes.
    75. Torfaen County Borough Council utilized Microsoft 365 Copilot to streamline back-office processes, resulting in significant time savings and enhanced productivity for both business and children’s services teams, with further rollouts planned.
    76. Trace3 leveraged Microsoft 365 Copilot to streamline and enhance processes across the business and with clients, such as reducing the time it takes HR recruiting managers to respond to applicants within a couple of days instead of several weeks.
    77. Unilever is reinventing their marketing process with Copilot, saving time on briefing tasks, automatically pulling in relevant market data, content and insights to accelerate campaign launches.
    78. Uniper SE implemented Microsoft 365 Copilot to reduce time spent on manual and repetitive tasks, and help workers focus on more pressing work, such as developing enhanced solutions to speed up the energy transition.
    79. Unum Group built a custom AI application to search 1.3 terabytes of data with 95% accuracy using Azure OpenAI Service.
    80. Virgin Atlantic adopted Microsoft 365 Copilot and GitHub Copilot and is seeing real business benefits, including productivity improvements, enabling new ways of working.
    81. Visier built a generative AI assistant that leverages Azure AI and Azure OpenAI Services to deliver workforce analytics and actionable insights for more than 50,000 customers.
    82. Virtual Dental Care developed an AI application Smart Scan that leverages Microsoft Azure to reduce paperwork for mobile dental clinics in schools by 75% and frees dentists to devote more time to patient care.
    83. Zakladni Skola As Hlavkova adopted Microsoft 365 Copilot and saw a 60% improvement in handling administrative documents, decreased lesson preparation from hours to few minutes, increased inclusivity and enhanced communication with students and parents.

    Reinventing customer engagement

    We’ve seen great examples of how generative AI can automate content creation, ensuring there’s fresh and engaging materials ready to go. It personalizes customer experiences by crunching the numbers, boosting conversion rates. It makes operations smoother, helping teams launch campaigns faster. Plus, it drives innovation, crafting experiences that delight customers while lightening the load for staff. Embracing generative AI is key for organizations wanting to reinvent customer engagements, stay ahead of the game and drive both innovation and efficiency.

    New Stories:

    1. Aditya Birla Capital built the SimpliFi chatbot on Microsoft Azure to simplify financial services information and offers through intelligent search and proactive nudging with minimum latency and high scalability.
    2. AIA is using Copilot in Dynamics 365 Customer Service to allow customer service representatives to handle more cases in less time by automating time-consuming tasks like drafting customer emails and summarizing lengthy chats and case histories.
    3. Aydem Energy and Microsoft partner Softtech used Azure OpenAI Service to create an AI assistant for WhatsApp, providing customers with real-time updates and handling meter readings, bill checks and claims.
    4. The City of Buenos Aires developed Boti with ChatGPT using Azure OpenAI Service to manage multiple service channels and personalize key services for residents and tourists. The chatbot centralizes data, enables natural language interactions and scales to handle high demands, managing 2 million queries per month without human intervention, alleviating the operational burden by 50%, improving the citizen experience and increasing efficiency.
    5. de Alliantie built a generative AI chatbot using Azure OpenAI to digest information in their online knowledge base so staff can get accurate answers in seconds. Another Azure AI-based solution transcribes and summarizes calls, then categorizes them by theme.
    6. Haceb created a virtual technical support assistant with generative AI, helping on-the-ground technicians troubleshoot, diagnose and resolve product issues faster and more efficiently.
    7. Lloyds Banking Group developed the Branch Translation App using Microsoft Power Apps and Azure AI services with a goal to improve communication with non-English speaking customers and the innovation enhanced service delivery, receiving positive feedback from employees and customers alike.
    8. Staffbase provides its clients with Staffbase Companion, which helps it enhance internal communication with quick content generation, summarization, translation and future capabilities — and remain confident in data protection.
    9. Tekion built Automative Retail Cloud, a unified, cloud-native platform that uses generative AI to analyze communications, extract insights and provide customer-specific recommendations for sales agents.
    10. Welcome Account created a banking application with a conversational agent based on Azure OpenAI Service, in order to help people manage their finances and administrative procedures. This multilingual agent already assists no less than a thousand refugees on a daily basis.
    11. UBS is using Azure AI solutions, including Azure AI Search and Azure OpenAI Service, to power “Smart Assistants” that streamline content access and provide real-time information to Client Advisors, boosting efficiency and client engagement.
    12. Virbe enables businesses to interact with customers through AI-powered avatars, and with Azure AI services like Azure OpenAI Service and Azure AI Search, Virbe enhanced its AI avatars and simplified engagement with enterprise customers — and customers are seeing up to a 10x increase in leads.

    ————————————————————————————————————————–

    1. Absa has adopted Microsoft Copilot to streamline various business processes, saving several hours on administrative tasks each day.
    2. Adobe leverages Microsoft Azure to streamline the customer experience, harnessing the power of the connected cloud services and creating a synergy that drives AI transformation across industries.
    3. Acentra Health developed Medscribe, a web application that uses Azure OpenAI Service to generate draft letters in a secure, HIPPA-compliant enclave that responds to customer appeals for healthcare services within 24 hours, reducing the time spent on each appeal letter by 50%.
    4. Air India leveraged Azure OpenAI Service to develop a virtual assistant that has handled nearly 4 million customer queries with full automation, significantly enhancing customer experience and avoiding millions of dollars in customer support costs.
    5. Alaska Airlines is using Microsoft Azure, Microsoft Defender, and GitHub to ensure its passengers have a seamless journey from ticket purchase to baggage pickup and started leveraging Azure OpenAI Service to unlock more business value for its customer care and contact centers.
    6. Ally Financial is using Azure OpenAI Service to reduce manual tasks for its customer service associates, freeing up time for them to engage with customers.
    7. BMW Group optimizes the customer experience connecting 13 million active users to their vehicles with the MyBMW app on Azure, which supports 450 million daily requests and 3.2TB data processing.
    8. Boyner has tripled its e-commerce performance using Microsoft Azure, seeing a rise in customer satisfaction, engagement, conversion rate and revenue.
    9. Bradesco Bank integrated Microsoft Azure to its virtual assistant, BIA, resulting in reduced response time from days to hours, improving operational efficiency and client satisfaction.
    10. Capgemini Mexico integrated GitHub Copilot to support scalable AI implementations which has led to improved customer experiences and increased efficiency.
    11. Capitec Bank uses Azure OpenAI Service and Microsoft 365 Copilot, enabling their AI-powered chatbot to assist customer service consultants in accessing product information more efficiently, saving significant time for employees each week.
    12. Cdiscount is leveraging GitHub Copilot and Azure OpenAI Service to enhance developer efficiency, optimize product sheet categorization and improve customer satisfaction.
    13. Cemex used Azure OpenAI Service to launch Technical Xpert, an AI tool used by sales agents to provide instant access to comprehensive product and customer solution information, significantly reducing search time by 80%.
    14. Chanel elevated their client experience and improved employee efficiency by leveraging Microsoft Fabric and Azure OpenAI Service for real-time translations and quality monitoring.
    15. City of Burlington created two AI-powered solutions: MyFiles system using Microsoft Power Platform for building permits, and CoBy, a 24/7 customer support assistant using Microsoft Copilot Studio.
    16. City of Madrid created an AI virtual assistant with Microsoft Azure OpenAI Service offering tourists accurate, real-time information and personalized responses in 95-plus languages.
    17. Cognizant is making performance management more effective and meaningful with Microsoft Azure Machine Learning to help clients across industries envision, build, and run innovative digital enterprises.
    18. Coles Group has leveraged Microsoft Azure to enhance its digital presence and improve customer engagement, rolling out new applications to its stores six times faster without disrupting workloads.
    19. Commercial Bank of Dubai used Microsoft Azure to upgrade its application infrastructure, improving transaction security and speed so individual customers can now open an account and start banking in about two minutes.
    20. Cradle Fund, dedicated to nurturing startups in Malaysia, introduced an AI-driven chatbot to boost user interaction and increase public engagement. User engagement quadrupled while resolution time was reduced from two days to a few clicks. Cradle also decreased customer service costs by 35%, increased international interactions by 40% and increased daily average visits 10-fold.
    21. Doctolib, a leading eHealth company in France, leverages Microsoft technology to develop an AI-powered medical assistant, integrating both Azure OpenAI Service and Mistral Large on Azure.
    22. Docusign used Azure AI to develop its Intelligent Agreement Management (IAM) platform, which supports millions of workflows, reducing contract processing times and enhancing customer satisfaction with advanced AI-powered analytics.
    23. Dubai Electricity and Water Authority has significantly improved productivity and customer satisfaction by integrating multiple Microsoft AI solutions, reducing task completion time from days to hours and achieving a 98% customer happiness rate.
    24. Elcome uses Microsoft 365 Copilot to improve the customer experience, reducing response times from 24 hours to eight hours.
    25. elunic developed shopfloor.GPT based on Azure OpenAI leading to increased productivity for customers saving 15 minutes per request.
    26. Estée Lauder Companies is leveraging Azure OpenAI Service to create closer consumer connections and increase speed to market with local relevancy.
    27. First National Bank (FNB) is using Microsoft Copilot for Sales to help bankers create professional, thoughtful emails in 13 native South African languages, to enhance customer interactions, streamline communications and reinforce its commitment to innovation and customer service.
    28. Flora Food Group migrated to Microsoft Fabric to offer more detailed and timely insights to its customers, enhancing service delivery and customer satisfaction.
    29. Groupama deployed a virtual assistant using Azure OpenAI Service that delivers reliable, verified and verifiable information, and boasts an 80% success rate.
    30. Holland America Line developed a virtual agent using Microsoft Copilot Studio that acts as a digital concierge on their website to support new and existing customers and travel advisors, which has achieved a strong resolution rate and is currently handling thousands of conversations per week.
    31. International University of Applied Sciences (IU) adopted Azure OpenAI Service to revolutionize learning with a personalized study assistant that can interact with each student just like a human would.
    32. Investec is using Microsoft 365 Copilot for Sales to enhance the bank’s client relationships, estimating saving approximately 200 hours annually ultimately boosting sales productivity and delivering personalized, seamless customer experience.
    33. Jato Dynamics used Azure OpenAI Service to automate content generation, helping dealerships save approximately 32 hours each month.
    34. Kenya Red Cross worked with Pathways Technologies to develop a mental health chatbot in Azure AI.
    35. LALIGA is delivering a seamless fan experience and AI insights with Azure Arc, using AI in Azure for optimizing match scheduling and other key operations.
    36. Legrand used Azure OpenAI Service to reduce the time to generate product data by 60% and improve customer support interactions with fast, accurate information.
    37. Linum is using Microsoft Azure to train their text-to-video models faster and more efficiently without losing performance or wasting resources.
    38. Lumen Technologies is redefining customer success and sales processes through the strategic use of Microsoft 365 Copilot, enhancing productivity, sales and customer service in the global communications sector.
    39. Mars Science & Diagnostics used the Azure AI catalog to build generative AI apps to enhance accuracy and extract data insights quickly, helping pets with critical, undiagnosed conditions receive the care they require faster.
    40. McKinsey & Company is creating an agent to reduce client onboarding process by reducing lead time by 90% and administrative work by 30%.
    41. Meesho leveraged Microsoft’s Azure OpenAI Service and GitHub Copilot to enhance customer service and software development, resulting in a 25% increase in customer satisfaction scores and 40% more traffic on customer service queries.
    42. Milpark Education integrated Microsoft Copilot and Copilot Studio and in just four months, improved efficiency and accuracy of student support, decreasing the average resolution time by 50% and escalation time by more than 30%.
    43. National Basketball Association is using Azure OpenAI Service to speed up the time to market, helping fans connect with the league with personalized, localized insights to enhance the fan experience.
    44. NC Fusion chose a comprehensive Microsoft solution to make marketing engagement activities easier and accurately target the best audience segments.
    45. Medgate, a telehealth subsidiary of Otto Group developed a medical Copilot powered by Azure OpenAI which summarizes consultations, supports triage and provides real-time translations.
    46. Orbital Witness embraced the use of large language models (LLMs) in Azure OpenAI to build its innovative AI Agent application, Orbital Copilot, which can save legal teams 70 percent of the time it takes to conduct property diligence work.
    47. Pacific Gas & Electric built a chatbot using Microsoft Copilot Studio that saves $1.1 million annually on helpdesk support.
    48. Parloa took a “voice-first” approach and created an enterprise-grade AI Agent Management platform to automate customer interactions across phone, chat and messaging apps.
    49. Pockyt is using GitHub Copilot and anticipates a 500% increase in productivity in the medium to long term as they continue adapting AI and fine-tuning their software development life cycle.
    50. South Australia Department for Education launched an AI-powered educational chatbot to help safeguard students from harmful content while introducing responsible AI to the classrooms.
    51. Sync Labs is using Microsoft Azure to create AI-driven solutions that have led to a remarkable 30x increase in revenue and a 100x expansion of their customer base.
    52. Syndigo is using Azure to accelerate digital commerce for its customers by more than 40% and expand its customer base.
    53. Telkomsel created a virtual assistant with Azure OpenAI Service, resulting in a leap in customer self-service interactions from 19% to 45%, and call volume dropped from 8,000 calls to 1,000 calls a day.
    54. Torrens University chose to use Azure OpenAI to uplift its online learning experience, saving 20,000 hours and $2.4 million in time and resources.
    55. Trusting Social integrated Microsoft Azure services to launch AI-driven agents that are changing how banks function and transforming their customer’s banking experience.
    56. University of California, Berkeley used Azure OpenAI Service to deploy a custom AI chatbot that supports student learning and helps students with complex coursework.
    57. University of Sydney created a self-serve AI platform powered by Azure OpenAI Service, to enable faculty to build custom chatbots for enhancing student onboarding, feedback, career simulation and more.
    58. Van Lanschot Kempen is using Microsoft 365 Copilot to reduce the time needed for daily tasks, freeing up time to invest in that crucial personal connection.
    59. Virgin Money built an award-winning virtual assistant using Copilot Studio to help build customers’ confidence in their digital products and services.
    60. VOCALLS automates over 50 million interactions per year, resulting in a 78% reduction in average handling time aside from a 120% increase in answered calls.
    61. Vodafone Group is leveraging Microsoft’s AI solutions, including Azure AI Studio, OpenAI Service, Copilot and AI Search, to achieve a 70% resolution rate for customer inquiries through digital channels and reduce call times by at least one minute.
    62. Walmart is using Azure OpenAI Service to deliver a helpful and intuitive browsing experience for customers designed to serve up a curated list of the personalized items a shopper is looking for.
    63. Weights & Biases created a platform which runs on Microsoft Azure that allows developers to keep records, log successes and failures and automate manual tasks.
    64. World2Meet is providing better customer service and operations with a new virtual assistant powered by Microsoft Azure.
    65. Xavier College is modernizing its student information systems on Microsoft Dynamics 365 and Microsoft Azure to unlock powerful insights, fostering innovation and data-driven decision making.
    66. Zavarovalnica Triglav implemented Microsoft Dynamics 365 and Azure OpenAI Service to streamline its operations with automated responses and smart rerouting of customer enquiries.
    67. Zurich Insurance Group used Azure OpenAI Service to develop advanced AI applications that led to more accurate and efficient risk assessment evaluations, accelerating the underwriting process, reducing turnaround times and increasing customer satisfaction.

    Reshaping business process

    Transforming operations is another way generative AI is encouraging innovation and improving efficiency across various business functions. In marketing, it can create personalized content to truly engage different audiences. For supply chain management, it can predict market trends so companies can optimize their inventory levels. Human resources departments can speed up the hiring process, while financial services can use it for fraud detection and risk assessments. With generative AI, companies are not just refining their current processes, they’re also discovering exciting new growth opportunities.

    New Stories:

    1. Bank of Queensland is modernizing its operations with Azure, Microsoft 365 and Microsoft 365 Copilot, using AI to optimize business processes such as creating marketing content, building reports and plans and drafting HR content.
    2. Document360 created an AI-powered knowledge base and service platform for companies to create, manage and publish online documentation, including product manuals, SOPs and wikis.
    3. Eduvos is simplifying the student enrollment experience with Microsoft Azure and Dynamics 365, reducing the time from 90 days to nearly instantaneous and associated costs by 90%.
    4. Emirates Global Aluminum (EGA) uses Azure Local to support its digital manufacturing platform, including support for safety-critical applications that use AI. Through its hybrid Azure environment, EGA has achieved 10 to 13 times faster AI response time and 86% cost savings for AI image and video use cases.
    5. Hellenic Cadastre built a system that reads and categorizes property contracts, applies legal rules and provides assessments for approval using Azure OpenAI Service. Today, property transaction assessments take less than 10 minutes instead of hours, reducing costs from 15 euros to 0.11 euros per assessment. The system also enhanced property owners’ legal security and boosted the Greek economy by enabling transactions to be completed sooner.
    6. Startup legal-i is using AI to analyze unstructured data and help expensive insurance specialists make better decisions faster — speeding up healthcare and insurance processes and improving the accuracy of outcomes.
    7. Publishing company SHUEISHA Inc. is using Microsoft Security Copilot to enable faster incident response, boosting the confidence and effectiveness of cybersecurity personnel.
    8. thyssencrupp is using the Siemens Industrial Copilot, built on Azure OpenAI Service, to address a skilled labor gap while revolutionizing how it programs and operates machinery.
    9. U.S. AutoForce implemented Dynamics 365 Supply Chain Management to centralize warehouse data, connect processes and improve operational efficiency while using Microsoft Copilot for Finance to automate monthly reconciliations.

    ————————————————————————————————————————–

    1. ABB Group integrated Azure OpenAI Service into their Genix Copilot platform enabling customers to achieve up to 30% savings in operations and maintenance, 20% improvement in energy and emission optimization and an 80% reduction in service calls.
    2. Accelleron used Microsoft Power Platform to support numerous business applications and simplify processes for service agents and employees, resulting in the onboard of new agents in 30 minutes, compared to two days for other solutions.
    3. Accenture developed an AI-powered financial advisor that leverages RISE with SAP on Microsoft Azure to enhance their infrastructure and integrate financial data.
    4. Atomicwork leverages Azure OpenAI to bring together three power capabilities: a conversational assistant, a modern service management system and a workflow automation platform.
    5. Blink Ops fully embraced generative AI to build the world’s first Security Automation Copilot with more than 8,000 automated workflows to help any Security/IT task through prompts.
    6. Chalhoub Group is using Microsoft Fabric to modernize its data analytics and streamline its data sources into one platform, increasing agility, enhancing analytics and accelerating processes.
    7. Cineplex is developing innovative automation solutions for finance, guest services and other departments, saving the company over 30,000 hours a year in manual processing time.
    8. ClearBank moved its services to Microsoft Azure to gain scalability and efficiency, pushing out 183% more monthly system releases, gaining both scalability and efficiency.
    9. Danske Statsbaner increases productivity up to 30% with help from Microsoft AI solutions.
    10. Dentsu implemented Microsoft Azure AI Foundry and Azure OpenAI Service to build a predictive analytics copilot that supports media insights, cutting analysis time by 80% and overall time to insight by 90%, reducing analysis costs.
    11. Dow implemented Microsoft 365 Copilot to empower teams with AI-driven insights and streamline essential workflows by automating tasks across departments, saving millions of dollars on shipping operations in the first year.
    12. Eastman implemented Microsoft Copilot for Security realizing the benefits of accelerated upskilling, step-by-step guidance for response and faster threat remediation.
    13. Fast Shop migrated to Microsoft Azure creating a self-service culture of access to data, eliminating delays, reducing costs and increasing leadership satisfaction with data while providing more agility in reporting.
    14. Florida Crystals adopted a value-added solution across Microsoft products including Microsoft 365 Copilot to reduce telecom expenses and automate industrial process controls.
    15. GHD is reinventing the RFP process in construction and engineering with Microsoft 365 Copilot.
    16. GovDash is a SaaS platform that leverages artificial intelligence to streamline the entire business development life cycle for government contracting companies using Azure OpenAI.
    17. Grupo Bimbo is deploying Microsoft’s industrial AI technologies to modernize its manufacturing processes, optimizing production and reducing downtime, driving significant cost savings, and empowering global innovation.
    18. Insight Canada implemented Microsoft 365 Copilot to streamline business operations, with 93% of users realizing productivity gains in functions including sales, finance and human resources.
    19. Intesa Sanpaolo Group enhanced its cybersecurity with AI-enabled Microsoft Sentinel and Microsoft Copilot for Security, resulting in faster threat detection, increased productivity and reduced storage costs.
    20. Kaya deployed a custom implementation of Microsoft Dynamics 365 and Power BI to modernize its supply chain, leading to enhanced visibility, improved planning and streamlined inter-department operations.
    21. Lenovo leveraged Dynamics 365 Customer Service to rapidly manage customer inquiries by streamlining repetitive tasks, boosted agent productivity by 15%, reduced handling time by 20% and reached record-high customer satisfaction.
    22. Lionbridge Technologies, LLC is using Microsoft Azure and Azure OpenAI Service to accelerate its delivery times and improve quality, reducing project turnaround times by up to 30%.
    23. LTIMindtree integrated Microsoft Copilot for Security, offering automated incident response, integrated threat intelligence and advanced threat analysis.
    24. Mania de Churrasco used Microsoft Azure, Power Platform and Microsoft 365 to achieve high efficiency, security and scalability in its operations, in addition to improving its data intelligence, which indirectly participated in a 20% increase in sales year on year.
    25. National Bank of Greece built an Azure-powered Document AI solution to transform its document processing, improving the bank’s accuracy to 90%.
    26. Nest Bank has revolutionized its operations by integrating Microsoft 365 Copilot and Azure OpenAI Service, resulting in doubled sales and increased daily transactions from 60,000 to 80,000, showcasing the transformative impact of generative AI in the financial sector.
    27. Network Rail modernized their data analytics solution with Microsoft Azure, helping engineers understand data 50% faster than before and improve efficiency, passenger experiences and safety — all while saving costs.
    28. Nsure developed an AI-powered agent that uses Copilot Studio and Power Automate to reduce manual processing time by 60% while also reducing associated costs by 50%.
    29. Oncoclínicas implemented Microsoft Azure to transform its entire data ecosystem with a web portal and mobile application that performs all image processing and storage.
    30. Operation Smile used Azure OpenAI Service, Fabric and Power Apps to eliminate manual data entry, resulting in reduced translation errors by about 90% and the time required for completing reports from four to five hours to just 15 to 20 minutes.
    31. Pacifico Seguros has adopted Microsoft Copilot for Security to optimize its security operations and anticipate and neutralize threats more efficiently and effectively.
    32. Parexel adopted Azure Databricks and Microsoft Power BI, achieving an 85% reduction in data engineering tooling costs, a 30% increase in staff efficiency and a 70% reduction in time to market for data product delivery.
    33. Paysafe used Microsoft 365 Copilot to streamline meetings, information management and document creation, addressing language barriers, eliminating time-consuming tasks and boosting creativity along the way.
    34. Planted is integrating Azure OpenAI to manage everyday tasks more efficiently and facilitate the search for information for innovative process development.
    35. Presidio realized dramatic productivity gains saving 1,200 hours per month on average for the employees using Microsoft 365 Copilot and created 70 new business opportunities.
    36. Qatar Charity used Copilot Studio to increase its call center efficiency, reducing average handle time by 30%, increased customer satisfaction by 25%, and achieved a 40% reduction in IT maintenance costs.
    37. Saphyre uses Microsoft Azure and AI to provide an intelligent cloud-based solution that automates and streamlines financial trading workflows around client and counterparty life cycle management, reducing manual efforts by 75%.
    38. StarKist Foods used Azure to effectively unite production and demand processes with finance, reducing the planning cycle from 16 hours to less than one.
    39. Swiss International Air Lines migrated and modernized with Microsoft Azure, achieving up to 30% cost savings, a remarkable boost in platform stability along with enhanced security visibility.
    40. ZEISS Group uses Microsoft Fabric to create a secure and trusted data supply chain that can be shared effortlessly across a range of business units.
    41. ZF Group builds manufacturing efficiency with over 25,000 apps and 37,000 unique active users on Power Platform.

    Bending the curve on innovation

    Generative AI is revolutionizing innovation by speeding up creative processes and product development. It’s helping companies come up with new ideas, design prototypes, and iterate quickly, cutting down the time it takes to get to market. In the automotive industry, it’s designing more efficient vehicles, while in pharmaceuticals, it’s crafting new drug molecules, slashing years off R&D times. In education, it transforms how students learn and achieve their goals. Here are more examples of how companies are embracing generative AI to shape the future of innovation.

    New Stories:

    1. Agricultural Development Trust (ADT) of Baramati is analyzing water, weather, nutrient, pH data and more with AI to increase crop yields in India.
    2. DrumBeat.AI is using Microsoft AI services to predict, identify and treat ear diseases in communities that are both rural and remote, helping to prevent hearing loss among Indigenous communities in Australia.
    3. Dynamic Health Systems created its VitruCare365® platform on the Microsoft Cloud for healthcare technologies to enable motivational care planning. Built on Microsoft Azure, FHIR (Fast Healthcare Interoperability Resources) and Dynamics 365, it provides personalized apps powered by Azure OpenAI Service to each patient and is deployed as an extension to the Microsoft 365 tools clinicians use every day.
    4. Cities can use Esri’s ArcGIS geospatial platform to create environmental digital twins that simulate heavy rainfall and apply hot spot analysis to highlight flooding. Adding Azure AI to the geospatial digital twin will reveal insights in impossible amounts of data.
    5. Digital employment agency Gojob developed Aglae, a virtual assistant based on Azure OpenAI Service, to pre-qualify candidates within 15 minutes, enabling recruiters to achieve record employment placement rates.
    6. Institut Curie and Microsoft partner Witivio developed Copilot for Researcher, an agent that can help researchers with some of the administrative tasks in their jobs so they have more time to spend on actual new ideas in the fight against cancer.
    7. NASA created Earth Copilot to transform how people interact with Earth’s data.
    8. Parity is helping women athletes use data and AI to help improve their well-being, performance and careers.
    9. Petbarn created “PetAI” using Azure OpenAI Service, Azure AI Search and Azure App Service to provide Australian pet owners highly personalized advice and product recommendations.
    10. Project Guacamaya is using daily satellite images and various AI models tailored to the Amazon ecosystem to help prevent its deforestation, allowing for quicker action to be taken in at-risk areas.
    11. Properstar developed a solution to simplify the analysis of unstructured real estate data and create a dynamic, AI-powered filtering system that provides more nuanced search results.
    12. RadarFit is using generative AI and a unique gamification strategy to encourage healthy habits in Brazil, with a comprehensive health and wellness program aimed at helping companies reduce chronic disease rates.
    13. SEDUC is using Microsoft 365 Copilot for administrative tasks — such as generating legal documents and handling administrative inquiries — and has expanded to include AI usage with students and teachers, including personalized learning to cater to individual student needs and help them recover from learning losses during the pandemic.
    14. Indonesia’s Universitas Terbuka used Microsoft Azure OpenAI services and Azure AI Foundry to build an AI tutor that delivers accurate, curriculum-aligned responses and streamlines student assessment. The tutor currently supports 500 classes and some 100,000 students.
    15. World Traveler is using AI including Microsoft Reading Progress and Microsoft Immersive Reader to help teachers reach its globally and educationally diverse students with personalized learning experiences.
    16. South Korean startup Wrtn Technologies brings ATI close to people, with a “superapp” that compiles an array of AI use cases and services, but localized for Korean users to integrate AI into their everyday lives.

    ————————————————————————————————————————–

    1. Air India has incorporated Microsoft 365 Copilot into multiple departments, unlocking a new realm of operational insights that not only provides critical data on flight punctuality and operational hurdles, but also empowers proactive, collaborative decision making.
    2. Agnostic Intelligencedeployed Azure OpenAI Service to eliminate time-consuming tasks, saving users up to 80% of their time, and enabling IT managers to focus on innovation and quality assurance.
    3. Albert Heijn is using Azure OpenAI for everything from customer personalization to demand forecast and food waste projects, making it easier for its customers to change their lifestyle.
    4. Amgen is using Microsoft 365 Copilot to boost productivity and has the potential to speed up drug development and support advancements in their business processes.
    5. APEC leverages Microsoft Azure and deep neural network algorithms to develop an app that enables healthcare providers to capture retinal images, increasing the accuracy to identify Retinopathy of Prematurity (RoP) to 90%.
    6. ASOS is using Azure AI Studio to help customers discover new looks with genuine shopping insights, personalized conversations, naturalism and even humor to enliven the shopping journey.
    7. Auburn University is incorporating Microsoft Copilot to promote AI literacy, accessibility and collaboration, with the aim to expand educational and economic opportunities for its entire academic community with AI-centric tools.
    8. B3 launched an AI assistant using Azure OpenAI Service that aids 10,000 users a day to answer Brazilians’ questions about how to start investing.
    9. Basecamp Research aims to build the world’s largest database of national biodiversity and apply AI and machine learning to advance bioscience.
    10. Bayer is using Microsoft Copilot to contribute to feeding a growing global population and helping people lead healthier, disease-free lives.
    11. BMW AG implemented Azure AI to develop a mobile data recorder copilot for faster data management helping engineers reduce the lead time for insights from days to hours or sometimes minutes.
    12. Brembo leveraged Azure OpenAI to develop ALCHEMIX, a solution to generate innovative compounds for its brake pads, drastically reducing the development time of new compounds from days to mere minutes.
    13. Canary Speech can now train new vocal models in as little as two months and handle millions of transactions per month with Microsoft Azure.
    14. CapitaLand simplified internal processes increasing efficiency to more than 10,000 man-days saved per year and deployed Azure OpenAI Service to build the first AI hospitality chatbot for its lodging business.
    15. Cassidy is using Azure OpenAI Service to enhance efficiency across various industries, supporting over 10,000 companies.
    16. Coca-Cola is implementing Azure OpenAI Service to develop innovative generative AI use cases across various business functions, including testing how Microsoft 365 Copilot could help improve workplace productivity.
    17. Denso is developing “human-like” robots using Azure OpenAI Service as the brain to help robots and humans work together through dialogue.
    18. eFishery is using Azure OpenAI for farmers to get the data and insights on fish and shrimp farming, including more precise feeding and water quality monitoring.
    19. EY developed an application that automatically matches and clears incoming payments in SAP, resulting in an increase from 30% to 80% in automatically cleared payments and 95% matched payments, with estimated annual time savings of 230,000 hours globally.
    20. EY worked with Microsoft to make Azure AI Foundry more inclusive for all, serving the 20% of the global workforce identifying as neurodivergent.
    21. FIDO is using Azure OpenAI Service to develop an AI tool that uses sound to pinpoint leaky pipes, saving precious drinking water.
    22. Georgia Tech is using Azure OpenAI Service to enhance the electric vehicle (EV) charging infrastructure, achieving rapid data classification and predictive modeling, highlighting the reliability of networked chargers over non-networked ones.
    23. GigXR developed a solution to create the intelligence for specific AI patients using Microsoft Azure OpenAI Service and other Azure services.
    24. GoTo Group is significantly enhancing productivity and code quality across its engineering teams by adopting GitHub Copilot, saving over seven hours per week and achieved a 30% code acceptance rate.
    25. GovTech used Microsoft Azure OpenAI Service to create LaunchPad, sparking more than 400 ideas and 20 prototypes, laying the foundation for the government to harness the power of generative AI.
    26. H&R Block is using Azure AI Studio and Azure OpenAI Service to build a new solution that provides real-time, reliable tax filing assistance.
    27. Haut.AI provides skin care companies and retailers with customizable, AI-based skin diagnostic tools developed with the help of Microsoft AI.
    28. Helfie is building a solution that caters to healthcare providers who can arm their patients with an application to more quickly and accurately access the care they need.
    29. Hitachi will implement Azure Open AI Service, Microsoft 365 Copilot and GitHub Copilot to create innovative solutions for the energy, mobility and other industries.
    30. Icertis is providing AI-based tools that will recognize contract language and then build algorithms to automatically choose the right approach based on the content of the contract.
    31. Iconem leveraged AI-generated imagery to process and analyze a vast amount of photogrammetry data used to create the 3D digital twin of St. Peter’s Basilica, allowing visitors to explore every intricate detail from anywhere in the world.
    32. ITOCHU is using Azure OpenAI Service and Azure AI Studio to evolve its data analytics dashboard into a service that provides immediate recommendations by automatically creating evidence-based product proposals.
    33. IU International University of Applied Sciences (IU) is using the power of Azure OpenAI Service to develop Syntea, an AI avatar integrated into Microsoft Teams and Microsoft 365 Copilot, making learning more personalized, autonomous and flexible.
    34. Khan Academy has partnered with Microsoft to bring time-saving and lesson-enhancing AI tools to millions of educators.
    35. Lufthansa Group developed an animated 3D avatar called Digital Hangar to help guide passengers from initial travel inspiration to flight booking through an exchange with an Avatar in natural language.
    36. Mia Labs implemented Azure OpenAI to produce and protect its conversational AI virtual assistant Mia that provides fast support from investors, along with the sophisticated security posture and threat protection capabilities for AI workloads.
    37. Mitsubishi Heavy Industries is using Azure OpenAI Service to help accelerate digital innovation in power plants.
    38. Molslinjen has created an AI analytics toolbox that has reduced fuel emissions, improved customer satisfaction and brought in millions of additional revenue.
    39. New Sun Road implemented AI into a local controller for energy systems to balance the supply, storage and use requirements. This optimized loads to accelerate the deployment of renewable energy for local clean power for communities.
    40. Novo Nordisk recently published initial results with predictive AI models for advanced risk detection in cardiovascular diseases, including an algorithm that can predict patients’ cardiovascular risk better than the best clinical standards.
    41. Ontada implemented Azure AI and Azure OpenAI Service to target nearly 100 critical oncology data elements across 39 cancer types and now accesses an estimated 70% of previously unanalyzed or unused information, accelerating its life science product development, speeding up time to market from months to just one week.
    42. Paige.AI​ is using AI and Microsoft Azure to accelerate cancer diagnoses with data from millions of images.
    43. Pets at Home created an agent to help its retail fraud detection team investigate suspicious transactions.
    44. Plan Heal is using Microsoft AI to create solutions that enable patients to monitor and report health metrics so care providers can better serve them.
    45. Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) is testing a new battery material that was found in a matter of weeks, not years, as part of a collaboration with Microsoft.
    46. Rijksmuseum is harnessing the power of Copilot to make art accessible at scale by joining forces with Microsoft to improve and expand the art experience for blind and low-vision community members.
    47. Royal National Institute of Blind People is using Azure AI services to develop an AI-based solution that quickly and accurately converts letters to braille, audio, and large print formats.
    48. Schneider Electric provides productivity-enhancing and energy efficiency solutions and is using a whole suite of AI tools to hasten its own innovation and that of its customers.
    49. SPAR ICS created an award-winning, AI-enabled demand forecasting system achieving 90% inventory prediction accuracy.
    50. SustainCERT deployed GenAI and machine learning for automated data verification, extraction from documents and to accelerate auditing processes to enable verifying the impacts and credibility of carbon credits.
    51. Suzuki Motor Corporation is adopting Azure OpenAI Service for data security, driving company-wide use with five multipurpose apps.
    52. Tecnológico de Monterrey created a generative AI-powered ecosystem built on Azure OpenAI Service with the goal to personalize education based on the students’ needs, improve the learning process, boost teachers’ creativity and save time on tedious tasks.
    53. TomTom is using Azure OpenAI Service, Azure Cosmos DB and Azure Kubernetes Service to revolutionize the driver experience.
    54. Toyota is deploying AI agents to harness the collective wisdom of engineers and innovate faster in a system named “O-Beya,” or “big room” in Japanese. The “O-Beya” system currently has nine AI agents — from a Vibration Agent to a Fuel Consumption Agent.
    55. Unilever is partnering with Microsoft to identify new digital capabilities to drive product innovation forward, from unlocking the secrets of our skin’s microbiome to reducing the carbon footprint of a multibillion-dollar business.
    56. Unity used Microsoft Azure OpenAI Service to build Muse Chat, an AI assistant that can guide creators through common questions and help troubleshoot issues to make game development easier.
    57. University of South Florida is using Microsoft 365 Copilot to alleviate the burden of repetitive, time-consuming tasks so faculty and staff can spend this time creatively solving problems, conducting critical research, establishing stronger relationships with peers and students and using their expertise to forge new, innovative paths.
    58. Utilidata built the first distributive AI and accelerated computing platform for the electric grid allowing flexible transformation and dynamic infrastructure to increase electrification and decarbonization.
    59. Visma has developed new code with GitHub Copilot, Microsoft Azure DevOps and Microsoft Visual Studio as much as 50 percent faster, contributing to increased customer retention, faster time to market and increased revenue.
    60. Wallenius Wilhelmsen is implementing Microsoft 365 Copilot and using Microsoft Viva to drive sustainable adoption, streamlining processes, empowering better decision making and cultivating a culture of innovation and inclusion.
    61. Wipro is committed to delivering value to customers faster and improving the outcomes across the business by investing $1 billion in AI and training 200,000 employees on generative AI principles with Microsoft Copilot.

    Read more:

    IDC InfoBrief: sponsored by Microsoft, 2024 Business Opportunity of AI, IDC# US52699124, November 2024

    Tags: AI, AI Azure, Azure OpenAI Service, Copilot, Copilot Studio, Microsoft 365 Copilot

    MIL OSI Economics –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Durbin, Duckworth Join Kaine In Raising Alarm Over Trump Administration Chaos At Critical National Security Agencies

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Illinois Dick Durbin

    February 05, 2025

    WASHINGTON – U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) and U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), a member of the U.S. Senate Committee on Foreign Relations, joined U.S. Senator Tim Kaine (D-IL), along with 34 of their Senate colleagues, in sending a letter to Secretary of State Marco Rubio expressing their deep concern regarding the growing chaos and dysfunction at the U.S. Department of State and the Trump Administration’s illegal attempt to destroy the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID). 

    USAID is a critical pillar of U.S. national security strategy, providing lifesaving aid and development support around the world to help ensure stability.  Earlier this week, personnel at USAID were not permitted to enter the agency’s headquarters, and Elon Musk announced that President Donald Trump agreed to close the agency and move it under the State Department – which Trump has no legal authority to do.  The Trump Administration, led by Musk, has also furloughed thousands of senior career civil servants, including two top security officials who denied Musk and the so-called Department of Government Efficiency access to classified documents and systems.

    “We are deeply concerned by reports of not only growing chaos and dysfunction at the Department of State, but the Administration’s brazen and illegal attempts to destroy the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID).  Mass personnel furloughs of dubious legality and abrupt, blanket stop-work orders without regard to relevant appropriations laws are causing immediate harm to U.S. national security, placing U.S. citizens at risk, disrupting life-saving work and breaking the U.S. government’s contractual obligations to private sector partners,” wrote the Senators.

    The Senators continued, “The Administration’s failure to consult with Congress prior to taking these steps violates the law and impedes Congress’s constitutional duty to conduct oversight of funding, personnel and the nation’s foreign policy.  The Administration’s failure to expend funds appropriated on a bipartisan basis by Congress would violate the Impoundment Control Act.”

    “Foreign assistance is critical to supporting U.S. strategic interests around the world.  Foreign assistance protects U.S. national security, advances U.S. values, and ensures the U.S. is the partner of choice for everything from defense procurement to cutting edge scientific research.  China, Russia and Iran are already moving rapidly to exploit the vacuum and instability left by the U.S.’s sudden global retreat,” wrote the Senators.

    They continued, “Every Administration has the right to review and adjust ongoing assistance programming.  However, attempting to arbitrarily turn off core functions of a critical U.S. national security agency, without Congressional consideration or any metric-based review and absent legal authority to do so, is unprecedented and deeply disturbing.”

    The letter is signed by U.S. Senators Cory Booker (D-NJ), Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Ruben Gallego (D-AZ), Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-DE), Michael Bennet (D-CO), Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), Peter Welch (D-VT), Edward J. Markey (D-MA), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), Bernie Sanders (I-VT), Gary Peters (D-MI), Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Ron Wyden (D-OR), Martin Heinrich (D-NM), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Andy Kim (D-NJ), Adam Schiff (D-CA), Angus S. King (I-ME), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), John Hickenlooper (D-CO), Mazie K. Hirono (D-HI), Alex Padilla (D-CA), Tina Smith (D-MN), Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV), Jack Reed (D-RI), Chris Murphy (D-CT), Jacky Rosen (D-NV), Mark Kelly (D-AZ), Brian Schatz (D-HI), Mark R. Warner (D-VA), Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), Chris Coons (D-DE), and Elissa Slotkin (D-MI).

    The full text of the letter is available here and below:

    February 4, 2025

    Dear Secretary Rubio:

    The effective administration of U.S. foreign assistance is critical to advancing core U.S. national security priorities, including countering the influence of China, Russia and Iran. As you acknowledged at your confirmation hearing, pushing back on China in particular is a top bipartisan priority. 

    As such, we are deeply concerned by reports of not only growing chaos and dysfunction at the Department of State, but the Administration’s brazen and illegal attempts to destroy the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID). Mass personnel furloughs of dubious legality and abrupt, blanket stop-work orders without regard to relevant appropriations laws are causing immediate harm to U.S. national security, placing U.S. citizens at risk, disrupting life-saving work and breaking the U.S. government’s contractual obligations to private sector partners.

    The Administration’s failure to consult with Congress prior to taking these steps violates the law and impedes Congress’s constitutional duty to conduct oversight of funding, personnel and the nation’s foreign policy. The Administration’s failure to expend funds appropriated on a bipartisan basis by Congress would violate the Impoundment Control Act.

    Foreign assistance is critical to supporting U.S. strategic interests around the world. Foreign assistance protects U.S. national security, advances U.S. values, and ensures the U.S. is the partner of choice for everything from defense procurement to cutting edge scientific research. China, Russia and Iran are already moving rapidly to exploit the vacuum and instability left by the U.S.’s sudden global retreat.

    Every Administration has the right to review and adjust ongoing assistance programming. However, attempting to arbitrarily turn off core functions of a critical U.S. national security agency, without Congressional consideration or any metric-based review and absent legal authority to do so, is unprecedented and deeply disturbing.

    We request immediate clarification on the following:

    Status of USAID:

    1. Confirmation of your understanding that any effort to abolish USAID or merge USAID into the Department of State absent Congressional consultation and approval is illegal.
    2. Confirmation of your understanding that adversaries such as China, Russia and Iran are quickly moving into the vacuum left by suspended USAID programs. 
    3. The Department of State’s assessment of Mr. Elon Musk’s financial ties to China and the impact of these ties to the decision-making process of Mr. Musk and his employees.
    4. Confirmation that neither you nor any member of your leadership team are taking direction from Mr. Musk with regards to the work of the Department of State or USAID, personnel or financial decisions for either agency, or any other matters relevant to U.S. national security. 
    5. Confirmation of the names and employment status of individuals directed by Mr. Musk to engage with USAID staff, the qualifications of these individuals, and the level of their security clearances – if any.

    Personnel:

    1. Confirmation of your understanding that any unauthorized access by or disclosure of classified information to individuals without appropriate security clearance could be considered a criminal offense.
    2. The legal authority and rationale under which, on January 28, more than 50 senior career civil and foreign service USAID officials were placed on administrative leave. This move was not only unprecedented, but also inconsistent with the Office of Personnel Management’s own guidelines for the use of administrative leave.
    3. The legal authority under which, on January 28, approximately 390 USAID Institutional Support Contractors (ISCs) were given stop-work orders, and clarification of which Administration official directed the implementation of this termination.
    4. Whether any Department of State career civil and foreign service or contractors have been placed on administrative leave or removed from their roles as a result of or relating to the assistance freeze or any directives from the Office of Foreign Assistance.
    5. Clarification of which Administration official directed the implementation of this mass furlough.
    6. Clarification of whether these individuals were directed to be terminated without cause.
    7. Confirmation that personnel will not face retaliation or retribution for performing their duties under the previous Administration’s policy direction.
    8. Under what authorities and by which official’s directive career civil service, foreign service, and Personal Services Contractors (PSC), and those under other hiring authorities have been removed from their roles or limited in their ability to execute their work.
    9. Confirmation that further career civil service, foreign service and USAID contractors will not be removed from their roles without cause or receive stop work orders.
    10. Whether, upon full resumption of legally mandated foreign assistance activities, the Administration intends to re-hire contractors who have been removed from their roles.
    11. Any additional guidance provided to State and USAID staff regarding the foreign assistance freeze, including confirmation of whether direct hires, contractors, or implementing organizations have been directed not to speak publicly about the foreign assistance freeze.
    12. Public identification of the individual currently serving as the Director or Acting Director of the State Department’s Office of Foreign Assistance and as Acting Deputy Administrator of USAID, and the dates upon which this individual was appointed to each position.
    13. Confirmation of your understanding that the State Department’s Director of Foreign Assistance has no authority to issue personnel directives for USAID.

    Resumption of Foreign Assistance:

    1. The specific process and anticipated timeframe for activities to receive exemptions or waivers, as referenced in your January 28, 2025 directive to State and USAID staff.
    2. The mechanisms and metrics established for this waiver process.
    3. The timeline for full resumption of legally mandated foreign assistance activities.
    4. Clarification of what risk assessment or analysis of potential risk to U.S. national security interests were conducted prior to the decision to freeze foreign assistance activities.
    5. Confirmation of the Department of State’s obligation to comply with U.S. contract law and your responsibility as Secretary of State ensure the Department honors its commitments to contracting partners.

    We welcome your urgent attention to these questions. We and our staff stand ready to work with you to ensure U.S. foreign assistance funding continues to be deployed effectively to protect American citizens, at home and abroad.

    Respectfully,

    -30-

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: Answer to a written question – China’s refoulement of DPRK escapees, and the situation of detainees in the DPRK – E-002674/2024(ASW)

    Source: European Parliament

    The EU has expressed its concerns about reports regarding the repatriation to the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) of North Koreans detained in China and has reiterated the importance of upholding the principle of non-refoulement.

    The EU has repeatedly raised this issue with China through diplomatic channels, asking China to refrain from returning North Korean refugees to the DPRK. The EU will continue to urge China to fully respect the principle of non-refoulement.

    The EU has noted with concern that foreign citizens remain arbitrarily detained in the DPRK, often following trials that do not conform with international fair trial guarantees, with no information available regarding their health or the conditions of their detention.

    The EU will continue to insist that the DPRK must respect its international human rights obligations, including with regard to the cases referred to in the written question.

    The EU has called on the DPRK to provide citizens of other countries detained in the DPRK with protections including access to consular assistance and to release persons that have been arbitrarily detained or sentenced after an unfair trial.

    The EU in principle does not enumerate individual consular cases in the annual Human Rights Council resolution on human rights in the DPRK.

    The cases relating to Myanmar concerned the highest representatives of the democratically elected government, detained after an unjustified, illegal and unconstitutional military coup.

    Last updated: 5 February 2025

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: Answer to a written question – Unfair competition in the aviation sector owing to Russian sanctions – E-002689/2024(ASW)

    Source: European Parliament

    The Commission is aware of the detours that European airlines need to undertake to fly to many Asian destinations. This is a consequence of Russia’s refusal to allow EU airlines to overfly its territory. These detours result in longer and costlier operations to countries like China.

    Although in 2016 the Commission proposed to Member States to negotiate an EU aviation agreement with China, Member States chose not to pursue such an agreement. Therefore, air transport between the EU and China is currently governed by bilateral agreements between individual Member States and China.

    The Commission stands ready and has offered to engage with Member States in this matter if they so wish.

    Last updated: 5 February 2025

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI Economics: China initiates WTO dispute complaint regarding US tariff measures

    Source: World Trade Organization

    China claims that the 10 per cent additional ad valorem duties applied on all goods originating in China, as well as measures with respect to the availability of drawback and duty-free de minimis treatment, which apply to all products of Chinese origin, are inconsistent with US most-favoured-nation obligations under Article I:1 of the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT) 1994 and US tariff obligations under Article II:1(a) of GATT 1994.

    Further information is available in document WT/DS633/1

    What is a request for consultations?

    The request for consultations formally initiates a dispute in the WTO. Consultations give the parties an opportunity to discuss the matter and to find a satisfactory solution without proceeding further with litigation. After 60 days, if consultations have failed to resolve the dispute, the complainant may request adjudication by a panel.

    Share

    MIL OSI Economics –

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: ‘No Appetite for Another Extension’ of South Sudan Peace Agreement, Mission Head Tells Security Council, Urging Leaders Focus on Benchmarks without Delay

    Source: United Nations 4

    The Revitalized Peace Agreement in South Sudan is facing challenges due to low political will, trust deficit among the parties to the accord and lack of predictable funding, the Security Council heard today from senior officials assisting peacebuilding in that country.

    Charles Tai Gituai, Interim Chairperson of the Reconstituted Joint Monitoring and Evaluation Commission — the official oversight body responsible for monitoring and evaluating the status of implementation of the 2018 Revitalized Peace Agreement — said that the parties in September 2024 agreed to extend the transitional period from 22 February 2025 to 22 February 2027, with elections rescheduled to December 2026.  While the National Election Commission has completed its plans and has opened offices in the 10 states, financial constraints remain a hindrance in election preparations.

    Further, election laws stipulate that parties with armed forces cannot be registered until they relinquish their forces — this includes the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement/Army in Opposition and others within the South Sudan Opposition Alliance, he said.  This underscores the need to hasten the unification of forces so that these parties can participate in the elections.  Also expressing concern about persistent levels of intercommunal violence in some parts of the country, he noted that the Sudan conflict exacerbates the humanitarian situation and has caused a huge influx of returnees and refugees in South Sudan.  Further, oil production — the country’s main source of foreign earnings — was disrupted in the second quarter of 2024 because of that conflict.

    Welcoming the work of the National Constitutional Amendment Committee and the Judicial Reform Committee, he said “the success of these institutions demonstrates that with funding availability, the Peace Agreement institutions and mechanisms can fully discharge their mandates”.  The permanent ceasefire continues to hold, though recent skirmishes in Western Equatoria State are concerning.  Commending the mediation talks ongoing in Nairobi, he said:  “The people of South Sudan are looking forward to a positive outcome for these talks and hoping that it will bring practical and enhanced transformative approaches in addressing the root causes of conflict.”  The Council must consider a visit to South Sudan to mobilize resources and political support to help South Sudan achieve its first democratic elections in December 2026, he added.

    Also addressing the Council was Nicholas Haysom, Special Representative of the Secretary-General and Head of the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS), who noted that this month marks the beginning of the fourth extension of the Revitalized Peace Agreement.  “There is no appetite for another extension,” he stressed.  Rather, “there is strong desire for the leaders to focus on the benchmarks set out in the Peace Agreement without further delay”.  Urging parties to engage constructively, he acknowledged progress in some areas and welcomed the declarations of Governors to expand the civic and political space in their states.  Also noting expanded access to justice, including through mobile courts, he pointed to the adoption of a national community violence reduction strategy.  The National Elections Commission has launched its website and is rolling out a voter education strategy.

    However, none of these achievements “are sufficient to significantly move the needle” on the critical conditions required for holding elections and adopting a new constitution, he added.  Stressing the importance of “low-hanging fruit” measures such as voter registration, he reiterated that “the clock is already ticking on the extended transitional period”.  Noting that constitution and census timelines do not fit into the framework for a December 2026 election, he added:  “we have not yet seen the previously promised harmonized work plan with an operational timetable for elections.”  The lack of Government funding is slowing down these processes, he said, underscoring that “neither UNMISS nor the international community or the electoral management bodies can provide the full measure of support if these critical decisions are not taken.”

    “My country is struggling to transition from instability to stability through implementation of the R-ARCSS [Revitalised Agreement on the Resolution of the Conflict in South Sudan],” observed Edmund Yakani, Executive Director of the Community Empowerment for Progress Organization. Noting that the Tumani Initiative under Kenya’s co-mediation provides an opportunity for transitioning the country from violence to peace, he added:  “We are impressed by the process of embracing inclusive Government”.  The only option for a peaceful transition is through elections, he said, pointing to the citizens’ disappointment over the last elections postponement.  Noting that deadly intercommunal violence poses a challenge for the country’s transition, he said that elections will be credible if the Government creates conditions for holding them.

    For her part, the representative of South Sudan acknowledged the concerns about delays in the transition process and assured the Council that “every effort is being made to accelerate key milestones, particularly the preparations for free, fair and credible elections”.  Her Government is committed to providing the necessary funding and institutional support to advance the electoral process and has taken significant steps to draft a permanent constitution “that will reflect the aspirations of the South Sudanese people”, she pledged.  The deployment of the Necessary Unified Forces remains a priority, and South Sudan is working to overcome logistical and financial challenges to complete Phase II of training and deployment, she added.

    Urging all parties, including opposition groups, to negotiate in good faith within the framework of the Revitalized Agreement rather than seeking a parallel process that could complicate the peace road map, she expressed concern about the deteriorating situation in Sudan.  Recalling her country’s appeals to Sudan to cease harbouring rebels who actively destabilize its security efforts, she said this plea has gone unanswered.  “The people of South Sudan have been deeply affected by videos depicting heartless killings” of their nationals, she said, adding that these are believed to be incited by General Yassir Al-Atta, Assistant to the Commander in Chief, who claimed that 65 per cent of the Rapid Support Forces are South Sudanese.  Despite the anger provoked by this, her Government continues to call for restraint from its people, she said.

    As Council members weighed in, they stressed the need to advance progress towards elections.  The representative of Sierra Leone, also speaking for Algeria, Guyana and Somalia, highlighted the need for a credible and inclusive electoral process.  For that, security sector reform and disarmament, demobilization and reintegration of armed groups remains crucial.  He also called for urgent action to finalize transitional security arrangements and establish a middle command structure for the Necessary Unified Forces.  While the electoral road map’s implementation is critical for elections, consideration should be given to the participation of internally displaced people and returnees, he pointed out.

    Pakistan’s delegate, noting that elections have been rescheduled to take place in 2026, encouraged South Sudan to use the two-year extension to move towards a credible path to elections.  “This extension must not become a missed opportunity”, Greece’s delegate said, while Slovenia’s delegate urged the Government to secure the necessary funding for timely implementation of the Revitalized Peace Agreement.  “Promises must be turned into reality,” said Denmark’s representative, also calling for a clear elections plan and resources for election-related bodies.

    The representative of the United States said the transitional Government failed to conclude the transitional period and use public revenue transparently for public needs.  Despite significant international support, South Sudan’s President and other political leaders “have not demonstrated political will to seriously move towards elections”, he observed, adding:  “In fact, they have made efforts worse.”  While the 2005 Comprehensive Peace Agreement was a “pivotal moment in South Sudan’s history that brought hope to a people long ravaged by war and oppression”, two decades later, that country’s leaders failed to meet their people’s expectations.  He called on the transitional Government to start using public revenues for appropriate public purposes rather than to benefit the “small corrupt elite”.

    Panama’s delegate was one among several Council members who expressed concern over persisting sexual and gender-based violence, noting that women and girls, as young as 11, have fallen victims to this crime.  Hence, the Mission’ work is crucial, he stressed, highlighting the need for the equitable participation of women, young people and communities in peacebuilding.  The representatives of the Republic of Korea and France also expressed support for UNMISS, highlighting its many crucial roles, which range from enabling humanitarian assistance to assisting with election preparations.

    China’s delegate, Council President for February, speaking in his national capacity, said that, prior to the meeting, his country, using virtual technologies, conducted an underground inspection of the Mission’s work.  A new “batch” of Chinese peacekeepers have recently completed their rotation and handover, he reported.  He welcomed South Sudan’s steps towards elections and called on the international community to respect its sovereignty and ownership.  Further, “sanctions, such as arms embargo, are constraining security capacity building in South Sudan and should be adjusted or lifted”, he stressed.

    Along similar lines, the Russian Federation’s delegate said that sanctions make it difficult to strengthen South Sudan’s security and called for a review of the parameters of the arms embargo.  Voting issues are South Sudan’s internal affairs, he observed, adding that the country’s leadership has managed to establish relative stability and attain progress in State-building and resolving security issues.

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Chairman Aguilar: America will be less safe and more expensive because of Trump and Republican corruption

    Source: US House of Representatives – Democratic Caucus

    The following text contains opinion that is not, or not necessarily, that of MIL-OSI – February 05, 2025

    WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, House Democratic Caucus Chair Pete Aguilar and Vice Chair Ted Lieu held a press conference on House Republicans’ failure to lower the high cost of living while prioritizing stealing taxpayer dollars from vital programs to pay for tax giveaways to billionaires.

    CHAIRMAN AGUILAR: Good morning. House Democrats had a productive Caucus this morning. Leader Jeffries laid out our path forward as we push back against the chaos and the corruption that we’ve seen from Donald Trump’s White House. 

    One thing is clear: with Trump and Republicans in control, America will be less safe and more expensive. We are less safe because an unelected billionaire with controversial ties to China has access to personal information for every American, including potentially tax and Social Security information. We’re less safe because President Trump released violent criminals into our communities, some with records of domestic violence, rape and attacking police officers. We are less safe because hundreds of FBI agents are on the verge of being fired for not being sufficiently loyal to Donald Trump. Women who serve in the military are less safe today because of an executive order Donald Trump signed preventing them from traveling across state lines to seek abortion care. 

    America is more expensive because egg prices are at an all time high, and Republicans in Congress have not taken a single step to reduce the cost of living. The reckless Republican tariffs will increase costs for households by $1,200 each year. Everything from groceries to alcohol to lumber used to build homes will be more expensive. The Republican rip off will increase health care costs by stealing from Medicaid to pay for tax cuts for billionaires and corporations. 

    The American people voted for solutions to their economic challenges and instead got a corrupt White House in an America that is less safe and more expensive. Vice Chair Ted Lieu. 

    VICE CHAIR LIEU: Thank you, Chairman Aguilar. Leader Jeffries has laid out a 10-point plan to fight back against the lawless actions of the Trump Administration. That plan has three themes. There’s going to be a legislative strategy, a mobilization strategy and a litigation strategy. To that end, over 25 lawsuits have already been filed. We expect that a number of these actions by the Trump Administration will be reversed because all the courts have to do is follow the law. And in fact, if you look at what happened, a number of Trump’s actions have been stopped or the Administration has simply folded. 

    The Administration wants you to think that they are invincible, that they are just rolling right along and doing all these things. That is simply not true. A number of times they have been stopped, and they have had to back down. So, for example, on the birthright citizenship order, a Reagan-appointed federal judge declared it unconstitutional, put an injunction on it. And then with the OMB freeze memo, there was pushback from Democrats, from the American people, and they had to rescind that memo, and a judge also declared that memo to be illegal. And then most recently, you saw Trump’s signature issue, the tariffs. He backed out because of the reaction from the stock market and the reaction from the American people. Basically, Canada and Mexico are doing what they said they were already going to do. So essentially, Donald Trump simply folded on that issue. So, I want people to understand their power to shape public sentiment. 

    And not only are the Trump Administration’s actions ludicrous, they are harming people. So, I’ll end on this example: In California, Donald Trump ordered the Army Corps of Engineers to release a whole bunch of water from these dams when no one needed it. So, over 2 billion gallons of water has now been wasted in California. This water from Northern California isn’t even going down to Southern California. It’s largely going to evaporate when farmers don’t need it, and so Republican Congressman David Valadao is going to have to answer to his farmers when in the summer months, they need water and they don’t have enough. 

    Those are the harmful actions of this Administration, and I want people to understand that pushing back against this Administration gets them to fold. 

    Video of the full press conference and Q&A can be viewed here.

    ###

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Ahead of Hearing, Warren Pushes Trump Trade Representative on Tariff Policy

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Massachusetts – Elizabeth Warren

    February 05, 2025

    Warren Questions Greer on Trade Agenda, Tariff Exemptions for Trump’s Allies and Special Interests

    “Tariffs are an important strategic economic tool, but Donald Trump’s desire to start and stop random trade wars will not protect jobs, keep Americans safe, or bring down costs for families.”

    Text of Letter (PDF)

    Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), Ranking Member of the Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs (BHUA) and member of the Senate Finance Committee, wrote to Jamieson Greer, nominee to be U.S. Trade Representative (USTR), ahead of his February 6, 2025 confirmation hearing, probing his views on trade. Senator Warren asked Mr. Greer to address her concerns with the administration’s tariff strategy, corporate influence over trade agreements, corporations offshoring of jobs, and other trade-related concerns. 

    The USTR is responsible for developing and promoting the U.S. trade agenda and leading trade negotiations on behalf of the U.S., playing a critical role in the economy. This week, the Trump administration announced new tariffs on Canada, Mexico, and China. During the last Trump administration, corporations and their lobbyists abused tariff exclusion loopholes to receive secretive exemptions from President Trump and his trade team. The Commerce Department’s Inspector General found that the process for receiving an exemption was “neither transparent nor objective.”

    “(T)he President does not appear to have a strategic plan in place to ensure that his proposed tariffs are implemented in a way that secures wins for hardworking Americans and precludes carveouts for special interests,” wrote Senator Warren. “Instead, he has threatened, and withdrawn tariff threats in a chaotic and haphazard manner that has only resulted in uncertainty for American consumers, workers, and manufacturers, as well as our allies.”

    Large multinational companies have also gained outsized influence in trade negotiations and trade disputes. For decades, membership of the trade advisory committee has leaned heavily in favor of billionaire corporations and their industry associations, and Investor-State Dispute Settlement (ISDS) provisions have allowed corporations to sue governments—including the United States—for pursuing public policies they may disagree with. Senator Warren encouraged Mr. Greer to pursue the removal of ISDS provisions from trade agreements with U.S. allies. 

    Senator Warren also wrote that she believes large corporations have too many incentives to move jobs and manufacturing abroad. “In order to reverse the negative effects offshoring has had on the American economy, the Administration must invest in domestic industry and eliminate incentives for corporations to hide their profits abroad,” the senator wrote. 

    Senator Warren also expressed support for the Trade Adjustment Assistance (TAA) program to help American workers whose jobs are displaced by trade. “Renewing TAA is a no-brainer, and I hope you will support it to make sure that workers at home get a fair deal,” said Senator Warren.

    In order to better understand Mr. Greer’s approach to trade, Senator Warren asked him to prepare to answer questions on his vision for the Trump administration’s trade agenda on February 6, 2025, the date of his confirmation hearing. 

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-Evening Report: Elections mean more misinformation. Here’s what we know about how it spreads in migrant communities

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Fan Yang, Research fellow at Melbourne Law School, the University of Melbourne and the ARC Centre of Excellence for Automated Decision-Making and Society., The University of Melbourne

    Shutterstock

    Migrants in Australia often encounter disinformation targeting their communities. However, disinformation circulated in non-English languages and within private chat groups often falls beyond the reach of Australian public agencies, national media and platform algorithms.

    This regulatory gap means migrant communities are disproportionately targeted during crises, elections and referendums when misinformation and disinformation are amplified.

    With a federal election just around the corner, we wanted to understand how migrants come across disinformation, how they respond to it, and importantly, what can be done to help.



    Read more:
    Misinformation, disinformation and hoaxes: What’s the difference?

    Our research

    Our research finds political disinformation circulates both online and in person among friends and family.

    Between 2023 and 2024, we carried out a survey with 192 respondents. We then conducted seven focus groups with 14 participants who identify as having Chinese or South Asian cultural heritage.

    We wanted to understand their experiences of political engagement and media consumption in Australia.

    An important challenge faced by research participants is online disinformation. This issue was already long-standing and inadequately addressed by Australian public agencies and technology companies, even before Meta ended its fact-checking program.

    Lack of diversity in news

    Our study finds participants read news and information from a diverse array of traditional and digital media services with heightened sense of caution.

    They encounter disinformation in two ways.

    The first is information misrepresenting their identity, culture, and countries of origin, particularly found in English-language Australian national media.

    The second is targeted disinformation distributed across non-English social media services, including in private social media channels.

    Misinformation is often spread on Chinese social media platforms to target their users.
    Shutterstock

    From zero (no trust) to five (most trusted), we asked our survey participants to rank their trust towards Australian national media sources. This included the ABC, SBS, The Age, Sydney Morning Herald, 9 News and the 7 Network.

    Participants reported a medium level of trust (three).

    Our focus groups explained the mistrust participants have towards both traditional and social media news sources. Their thoughts echoed other research with migrants. For instance, a second-generation South Asian migrant said:

    it feels like a lot of marketing with traditional media […] they use marketing language to persuade people in a certain way.

    Several participants of Chinese and South Asian cultural backgrounds reported that Australian national media misrepresent their culture and identity due to a lack of genuine diversity within news organisations. One said:

    the moment you’re a person of colour, everyone thinks that you’re Chinese. And we do get painted with the same paintbrush. It is very frustrating […]

    Another added:

    Sri Lanka usually gets in the media for cricket mainly, travel and tourism. So apart from that, there’s not a lot of deep insight.

    For migrants, the lack of genuine engagement with their communities and countries of origin distorts public understanding, reducing migrants to a one-dimensional, often stereotypical, portrayal. This oversimplification undermines migrants’ trust in Australian national media.

    Participants also expressed minimal trust in news and information on social media. They often avoid clicking on headline links, including those shared by Australian national media outlets. According to a politically active male participant of Chinese-Malaysian origin:

    I don’t really like reading Chinese social media even though I’m very active on WeChat and subscribe to some news just to see what’s going on. I don’t rely on them because I usually don’t trust them and can often spot mistakes and opinionated editorials rather than actual news.

    Consuming news from multiple sources to understand a range of political leanings is a strategy many participants employed to counteract biased or partial news coverage. This was particularly the case on issues of personal interest, such as human rights and climate change.



    Read more:
    About half the Asian migrants we surveyed said they didn’t fully understand how our voting systems work. It’s bad for our democracy

    What can be done?

    Currently, Australia lacks effective mechanisms to combat online disinformation targeting migrant communities, especially those whose first language is not English.

    Generalised counter-disinformation approaches (such as awareness camapaigns) fail to be effective even when translated into multiple languages.

    This is because the disinformation circulating in these communities is often highly targeted and tailored. Scaremongering around geopolitical, economic and immigration policies is a common theme. These narratives are too specific for a population-level approach to work.

    Our focus groups revealed that the burden of addressing disinformation often falls on family members or close friends. This responsibility is particularly carried by community-minded individuals with higher levels of media and digital knowledge. Women and younger family members play a key role.

    Women and younger family members play a key role in debunking misinformation in migrant families.
    Shutterstock

    Focus group members told us how they explained Australian political events to their families in terms they were more familiar with.

    During the Voice to Parliament referendum, one participant referenced China’s history of resistance against Japanese Imperialism to help a Chinese-Australian friend better understand the consequences of colonialism and its impacts on Australia’s First Nations communities.

    Younger women participants shared that combating online disinformation is an emotionally taxing process. This is especially so when it occurs within the family, often leading to conflicts. One said:

    I’m so tired of intervening to be honest, and mostly it’s family […] my parents and close friends and alike. There is so much misinformation passed around on WhatsApp or socials. When I do see someone take a very strong stand, usually my father or my mother, I step in.

    Intervening in an informal way doesn’t always work. Family dynamics, gender hierarchies and generational differences can impede these efforts.

    Countering disinformation requires us to confront deeper societal issues related to race, ethnicity, gender, power and the environment.

    International research suggests community-based approaches work better for combating misinformation in specific cohorts, like migrants. This sort of work could take place in settings people trust, be that community centres or public libraries.

    This means not relying exclusively on changes in the law or the practices of online platforms.

    Instead, the evidence suggests developing community-based interventions that are culturally resonant and attuned to historical disadvantage would help.

    Our recently-released toolkit makes a suite of recommendations for Australian public services and institutions, including the national media, to avoid alienating and inadvertently misinforming Asian-Australians as we approach a crucial election campaign.

    Sukhmani Khorana receives funding from the Australia Research Council and has previously conducted commissioned research for migrant and refugee-focused organisations.

    Fan Yang 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. Elections mean more misinformation. Here’s what we know about how it spreads in migrant communities – https://theconversation.com/elections-mean-more-misinformation-heres-what-we-know-about-how-it-spreads-in-migrant-communities-247685

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Legislation considered under suspension of the Rules of the House of Representatives during the week of February 10, 2025

    Source: US Congressional Budget Office

    The Majority Leader of the House of Representatives announces bills that will be considered under suspension of the rules in that chamber. Under suspension, floor debate is limited, all floor amendments are prohibited, points of order against the bill are waived, and final passage requires a two-thirds majority vote.

    At the request of the Majority Leader and the House Committee on the Budget, CBO estimates the effects of those bills on direct spending and revenues. CBO has limited time to review the legislation before consideration. Although it is possible in most cases to determine whether the legislation would affect direct spending or revenues, time may be insufficient to estimate the magnitude of those effects. If CBO has prepared estimates for similar or identical legislation, a more detailed assessment of budgetary effects, including effects on spending subject to appropriation, may be included.

    CBO’s estimates of the bills that have been posted for possible consideration under suspension of the rules during the week of February 10, 2025, include

    • H.R. 224, Disabled Veterans Housing Support Act 
    • H.R. 225, HUD Transparency Act of 2025
    • H.R. 386, Chinese Currency Accountability Act of 2025
    • H.R. 692, China Exchange Rate Transparency Act, as amended 
    • H.R. 736, Protect Small Business from Excessive Paperwork Act of 2025
    • H.R. __, Housing Unhoused Disabled Veterans Act 
    • H.R. __, Credit Union Board Modernization Act

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: 02.05.2025 Cruz, Fetterman, Slotkin Introduce Bipartisan Bill to Prohibit Strategic Petroleum Reserve Sales to Foreign Adversaries

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Texas Ted Cruz

    WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Sens. Ted Cruz (R-Texas), John Fetterman (D-Penn.) and Elissa Slotkin (D-Mich.) introduced theBanning SPR Oil Exports to Foreign Adversaries Act. The bipartisan bill prohibits the sale or export of oil from the U.S. Strategic Petroleum Reserve (SPR) to China, Russia, Iran, North Korea, or any entity owned or controlled by those nations.
    Upon introduction, Sen. Cruz said, “The Strategic Petroleum Reserve is meant to protect the U.S. during crises, not supply our adversaries. Under President Biden, part of this reserve was sold, benefiting China’s strategic interests. There is strong bipartisan consensus around preventing such a sale from being repeated. I’m proud to work with Senator Fetterman and Senator Slotkin on this legislation, which will prevent U.S. oil reserves from being sold to adversarial nations.”
    Sen. Fetterman said, “The Strategic Petroleum Reserve protects America’s energy, economic, and national security. We must prioritize the safety of America and our allies – we cannot allow our adversaries to purchase oil from our critical energy reserves. This is a commonsense bill with strong bipartisan support. I’m proud to introduce it with Senator Cruz, Senator Slotkin, and my colleagues in the House. I look forward to getting it signed into law this congress.”
    Sen. Slotkin said, “Our Strategic Petroleum Reserve is meant to bolster our national security, and it should never be sold to hostile nations like Russia, Iran or China. This bipartisan bill prevents hostile nations from buying oil from our Strategic Petroleum Reserve. Energy security shouldn’t ever be a partisan issue, and I look forward to working with my colleagues to pass this bill and fortify our energy security as a nation.” 
    The companion legislation was introduced in the House by U.S. Rep. Chrissy Houlahan (D-Penn.-6).
    Rep. Houlahan said, “When I heard there was a loophole enabling our foreign adversaries to purchase oil from our strategic reserves, I was shocked and outraged. When gas prices rise, releases from the strategic reserve are meant to ease the financial burden for working families—not potentially end up in the hands of those who wish our service members, country, and NATO Allies harm. Closing this loophole requires a Congressional fix, and I’m proud to partner with Reps. Don Bacon and Jay Obernolte to do just that. We’ve seen support for it in the past; it’s time to get this bill across the finish line and signed into law.”
    Read the bill text here.
    BACKGROUND
    Sen. Cruz previously led a bipartisan effort to have an amendment similar to the bill included in the FY24 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA). The amendment was agreed to by the Senate with overwhelming bipartisan support. The House companion bill, introduced by Representatives Houlahan (D-PA) and Don Bacon (R-NE), also passed the House unanimously as a part of the FY24 NDAA.
    The SPR, which was established by Congress in 1975 in response to OPEC’s oil embargo against the United States, exists to minimize the impacts of oil supply shocks on the United States. Today, as the world’s largest supply of emergency crude oil, it continues to protect and strengthen U.S. national, economic, and energy security. The U.S. Department of Energy manages the SPR and regularly conducts public sales of excess crude oil to the highest bidders through competitive public auction. During both the Biden and Trump Administrations, foreign companies with direct ties to our adversaries have won these auctions, giving anti-democratic regimes access to critical energy reserves.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Cantwell Takes to Senate Floor to Oppose Trump’s Trade Philosophy: No to Tariffs, Yes to Innovation, Collaboration & Growth

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Washington Maria Cantwell

    02.05.25

    Cantwell Takes to Senate Floor to Oppose Trump’s Trade Philosophy: No to Tariffs, Yes to Innovation, Collaboration & Growth

    In speech on Senate floor, Cantwell advocates for new U.S. trade agreements with Southeast Asia, the Middle East, & the Americas to strengthen ties with allies & grow the economy at home; Cantwell slams proposed Trump tariffs: “The payers in this dispute are never the government leaders … it’s the workers who lose their job.”

    WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell (D-WA), the ranking member of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, delivered a speech on the Senate floor calling for the United States to establish new trade agreements with Southeast Asia, the Middle East, and Latin America – and to repudiate the trade philosophy of President Donald Trump, whose proposed tariffs on goods from Canada, Mexico, and China would spark a trade war, drive up costs for American consumers, harm domestic businesses across hundreds of industries, and compromise the United States’ global leadership in the free trade ecosystem.

    “It’s better to have a job than be attracted to join a terrorist organization. It’s better to create economic stability than fueling poverty and migration […] Last week, I spoke about additional investments the United States needs to make in Panama, Latin America, and others, to link and modernize bilateral agreements that help us counter China,” Sen. Cantwell said. “Free trade agreements are a way for us — not tariffs — to gain the leverage we want. South Asia could play an important role in this coalition building, particularly in the Indo-Pacific region. But I want us to go further. I want us to understand that U.S.-led negotiations in a Middle East free trade agreement to build on the momentum of a ceasefire in Gaza could further stabilize that region.”

    In her speech, Sen. Cantwell railed against President Donald Trump’s tariff’s proposal, likening his isolationist trade policies to an attempt to make time stand still – a futile goal at any point, but especially during the modern information age, when countries are more interconnected than ever and the United States is locked in an innovation race in artificial intelligence and quantum technology. She also called on the United States to invest in its workforce, research & development, science, and capital investment to modernize its manufacturing and stay competitive.

    “To outcompete our adversaries, we need coalitions, not go-it-alone strategies. Why do we fear this if we think our principles are correct? But somehow the current administration thinks that we’ve been hurt more than we’ve been helped in this global equation, and they want us to believe that somehow there is a win-win situation on tariffs that they can deliver on,” Sen. Cantwell said.

    “Tariffs are a distortion of markets. Tariffs mean we disagree. It very rarely means the disagreement will be resolved quickly. It usually means people will retaliate, and the escalation of that retaliation will hurt consumers so much so that eventually someone will blink,” she continued. “The payers in this dispute, though, are never the government leaders. No, it’s the workers who lose their job. It’s the family that pays higher cost. It’s the community that loses their economic activity and tax revenue.”

    In Washington state: Two out of every five jobs are tied to trade and related industries. In 2023, the state imported $19.9 billion of goods from Canada – primarily oil, gas, lumber, and electrical power — making our northern neighbors Washington state’s largest trade partner. Also in 2023, the state imported $1.7 billion in goods from Mexico, including motor vehicles, vehicle parts, and household appliances. More information about how President Trump’s proposed tariffs will impact businesses and consumers in the State of Washington is HERE.

    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 devastated Washington state’s apple exports.  India had once been the second-largest export market for American apples, but after then-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, India ended its retaliatory tariffs on apples and pulse crops following several years of Sen. Cantwell’s advocacy, which was welcome news to the state’s more than 1,400 apple growers and the 68,000-plus workers they support.

    In May 2023, Sen. Cantwell sent a letter urging the Biden Administration to help U.S. potato growers finally get approval to sell fresh potatoes in Japan. In June 2023, Sen. Cantwell hosted U.S. Sen. Debbie Stabenow (D-MI), then-chair of the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry, in Washington state for a forum with 30 local agricultural leaders in Wenatchee to discuss the Farm Bill.

    In 2022, Sen. Cantwell spearheaded passage of the Ocean Shipping Reform Act, a law to crack down on skyrocketing international ocean shipping costs and ease supply chain backlogs that raise prices for consumers and make it harder for U.S. farmers and exporters to get their goods to the global market.

    In August 2020, during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, Sen. Cantwell sent a letter to then-Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue requesting aid funds be distributed to wheat growers. In December 2018, Sen. Cantwell celebrated the passage of the Farm Bill, which included $500 million of assistance for farmers, including those who grow wheat.

    In 2019, Sen. Cantwell helped secure a provision in the $16 billion USDA relief package, ensuring sweet cherry growers could access emergency funding to offset the impacts of tariffs and other market disruptions.

    Video of today’s speech is available HERE; and a transcript of Sen. Cantwell’s remarks is available HERE.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Booker Joins Kaine, 36 Senators in Raising Alarm Over Trump Administration Chaos at Critical National Security Agencies

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for New Jersey Cory Booker

    WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Cory Booker (D-NJ), a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, joined a group of 37 Senators led by Tim Kaine (D-VA), in a letter to Secretary of State Marco Rubio expressing their deep concern regarding the growing chaos and dysfunction at the U.S. Department of State and the Trump Administration’s illegal attempt to destroy the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID). USAID is a critical pillar of U.S. national security strategy, providing lifesaving aid and development support around the world to help ensure stability. Yesterday, personnel at USAID were not permitted to enter the agency’s headquarters, and Elon Musk announced that President Donald Trump agreed to close the agency and move it under the State Department – which Trump has no legal authority to do. The Trump Administration, led by Musk, has also furloughed thousands of senior career civil servants, including two top security officials who denied Musk and the Department of Government Efficiency access to classified documents and systems.

    “…We are deeply concerned by reports of not only growing chaos and dysfunction at the Department of State, but the Administration’s brazen and illegal attempts to destroy the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID). Mass personnel furloughs of dubious legality and abrupt, blanket stop-work orders without regard to relevant appropriations laws are causing immediate harm to U.S. national security, placing U.S. citizens at risk, disrupting life-saving work and breaking the U.S. government’s contractual obligations to private sector partners,” wrote the Senators.

    The Senators continued, “The Administration’s failure to consult with Congress prior to taking these steps violates the law and impedes Congress’s constitutional duty to conduct oversight of funding, personnel and the nation’s foreign policy. The Administration’s failure to expend funds appropriated on a bipartisan basis by Congress would violate the Impoundment Control Act.”

    “Foreign assistance is critical to supporting U.S. strategic interests around the world. Foreign assistance protects U.S. national security, advances U.S. values, and ensures the U.S. is the partner of choice for everything from defense procurement to cutting edge scientific research. China, Russia and Iran are already moving rapidly to exploit the vacuum and instability left by the U.S.’s sudden global retreat,” wrote the Senators.

    They continued, “Every Administration has the right to review and adjust ongoing assistance programming. However, attempting to arbitrarily turn off core functions of a critical U.S. national security agency, without Congressional consideration or any metric-based review and absent legal authority to do so, is unprecedented and deeply disturbing.”

    The letter is signed by U.S. Senators Cory Booker (D-NJ), Dick Durbin (D-IL), Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Ruben Gallego (D-AZ), Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-DE), Michael Bennet (D-CO), Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), Peter Welch (D-VT), Edward J. Markey (D-MA), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), Bernie Sanders (I-VT), Gary Peters (D-MI), Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Ron Wyden (D-OR), Martin Heinrich (D-NM), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), Andy Kim (D-NJ), Adam Schiff (D-CA), Angus S. King (I-ME), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), John Hickenlooper (D-CO), Mazie K. Hirono (D-HI), Alex Padilla (D-CA), Tina Smith (D-MN), Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV), Jack Reed (D-RI), Chris Murphy (D-CT), Jacky Rosen (D-NV), Mark Kelly (D-AZ), Brian Schatz (D-HI), Mark R. Warner (D-VA), Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), Chris Coons (D-DE), Elissa Slotkin (D-MI), and Reverend Raphael Warnock (D-GA).

    The full text of the letter is available here.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: IMF Executive Board Concludes 2024 Article IV Consultation with Chile

    Source: IMF – News in Russian

    February 5, 2025

    Washington, DC: The Executive Board of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) concluded the Article IV consultation[1] with Chile on February 3, 2025 and endorsed the staff appraisal without a meeting on a lapse-of-time basis.[2]

    The economy’s imbalances have been largely resolved. Real GDP is expected to expand by 2.2 percent in 2024, close to its potential pace, driven by the strong mining and service exports, and 2-2.5 percent in 2025, related to an expected recovery in domestic demand. However, the recovery has been uneven across industries, with the construction sector lagging and the unemployment rate remaining high. Inflation is set to return to the 3-percent target in early 2026, after the impact of the significant increase in electricity tariffs between June 2024 and early 2025 subsides. The current account deficit has continued to narrow and is projected to reach around 2½ percent of GDP in 2024 and 2025.

    External risks and uncertainty remain elevated. The commodity price volatility linked to the economic outlook of Chile’s main trading partners and the pace of the global green transition is a key external risk. Moreover, the uncertainty surrounding monetary and fiscal policies in advanced economies could lead to tight financial conditions for longer periods of time and higher financial volatility. Domestically, concerns about crime, migration, and inequality persist; and political polarization is hindering the structural reform progress.

    Policies have supported macroeconomic stability. The Central Bank of Chile lowered the monetary policy rate by 325 basis points since January 2024 to 5 percent in December 2024. The headline fiscal deficit is projected to reach 2.7 percent of GDP in 2024 due to a notable revenue underperformance and despite significant spending restraint compared to the budget. The 2025 budget envisions a notable deficit reduction within a medium-term fiscal plan toward a broadly balanced fiscal position by 2027. By setting the neutral level of the countercyclical capital buffer at 1 percent of risk-weighted assets with a gradual and state-contingent implementation path from the current level of 0.5 percent, the Central Bank of Chile has provided banks with planning certainty for strengthening financial resilience.

    Executive Board Assessment

    The economy is broadly balanced but external risks are elevated. Chile’s macroeconomic position is sound due to its very strong fundamentals, policies, and policy frameworks. Real GDP is growing around its potential and inflation is expected to reach the 3-percent target in early 2026. The current account deficit has continued to narrow, and the 2024 external position is assessed as moderately weaker than implied by medium-term fundamentals. Public debt is still relatively low and sustainable with high probability. However, the external environment is unstable and uncertain, which calls for policies that further strengthen economic buffers to provide additional policy space for future shocks.

    Lifting Chile’s growth potential is a must to raise living standards and tackle social and fiscal pressures. Taking a consultative approach, the government is advancing several growth initiatives, including: (i) expediting investment permit applications and environmental evaluations to encourage investment, (ii) fostering the development of emerging industries, particularly those related to renewable energy to maximize the benefits from the global green transition, and (iii) facilitating R&D. Swift and consistent implementation of these initiatives is crucial, especially in rationalizing the regulatory burden and improving essential infrastructure. Additionally, better integrating women into the labor market could partially offset the unfavorable demographic trends. The proposed new development bank requires a targeted mandate, sound risk management practices, and robust corporate governance.

    The goal of a broadly balanced fiscal position by 2027 remains appropriate but has become more challenging. The authorities’ commitment to fiscal restraint by adjusting spending plans in 2024 and 2025 is welcome. To achieve a balanced fiscal position over the next three years, a gap of at least 1 percent of GDP needs to be filled. This could be achieved largely from the important tax compliance law if its implementation yields the planned additional revenue and is not used for new spending initiatives. It is therefore crucial to carefully monitor developments in tax compliance and remain flexible to adjust current spending in case revenue mobilization falls short of plans, while aiming to preserve public investment outlays in support of medium-term growth. Ensuring that any structural spending increases align with higher structural revenues is vital for fiscal sustainability, while unifying fragmented social programs could enhance access and effectiveness for the most vulnerable.

    Continuous enhancements to Chile’s already very strong fiscal framework would foster fiscal policy formulation and transparency. For instance, providing more details on debt-creating flows outside the fiscal deficit (“below-the-line” items) would strengthen the monitoring of fiscal pressures. Updating fiscal forecasting methods, in line with the government’s plans, could improve revenue projections in the context of economic and policy shifts. Adopting a medium-term strategy to rebuild the size of the Economic and Social Stabilization Fund (ESSF) would help provide resources to respond to future shocks. Finally, simplifying the presentation of the fiscal targets and budget execution in the Public Finance Report could deepen the understanding of the fiscal balance rule framework.

    A pension reform is essential to ensure adequate pensions and address the fiscal costs of population aging. Raising contribution rates and the number of contribution periods is vital for sustainably self-financing old-age pensions. The minimum guaranteed pension (PGU) has strengthened the system’s solidarity, increased replacement ratios, and reduced old-age poverty, but it also incurs high fiscal costs. With the ratio of pensioners to the working-age population set to nearly double in two decades, it is crucial to manage public spending pressures while maintaining a solid safety net. Targeting the PGU to the most vulnerable elderly, linking the retirement age to life expectancy, and implementing the proposed unemployment insurance for pension contributions could further strengthen the system.

    A cautious data dependent approach to the pace of monetary policy easing is warranted. The BCCh’s monetary policy adjustments have been in line with its inflation-targeting framework. The real monetary policy rate is close to its estimated neutral range. With near-term inflation risks tilted to the upside, future cuts to the policy rate should remain contingent on evidence that inflation is heading decisively back to its target.

    Rebuilding international reserve buffers is important for enhancing resilience. While the flexible exchange rate plays a critical role as a shock absorber, the Central Bank of Chile’s access to international liquidity can provide an additional shield against potential external shocks. This underscores the importance of incorporating a comprehensive international liquidity framework into the central bank’s longer-term financial stability strategy. The strategy and operational design should continue to follow high transparency standards, be persistent and robust to changes in external risks, and minimize distortions in the foreign exchange market.

    The financial system remains resilient despite rising vulnerabilities related to the real estate sector and lower financial market depth. The real estate sector is expected to recover modestly as long-term interest rates gradually decline, and there are several mitigants to credit risk associated with lending to this sector. Nevertheless, supervisors need to carefully monitor banks and insurers’ portfolio quality and buffers, including by closing commercial real estate data gaps and enhancing stress test models. Rebuilding the depth of local financial markets by increasing pension contributions, which would increase the pool of investable savings, is important to help reduce market volatility and sensitivity to shocks.

    Financial sector policies need to continue reinforcing resilience. The recent adoption of a positive neutral level of the counter-cyclical capital buffer with a gradual and state-contingent implementation provides banks with planning certainty. The ongoing implementation of Basel III capital and liquidity requirements needs to be completed. Prompt implementation of the Financial Market Resilience Law would enhance the BCCh’s ability to respond to financial distress situations. Other priorities continue to include adopting an industry-funded deposit insurance and a bank resolution framework, providing budget independence to the CMF, further enhancing bank corporate governance, and implementing the Consolidated Debt Registry.

    Table 1. Chile: Selected Economic Indicators, 2023-27

    GDP (2023), in trillions of pesos

    282

    Quota

    GDP (2023), in billions of U.S. dollars

    336

    		  

    in millions of SDRs

    1,744

    Per capita (2023), U.S. dollars

    16,815

    		  

    in % of total

    		  

    0.37

    Population (2023), in millions

    19.96

    		        

    Main products and exports

    Copper

    		        

    Key export markets

    China, U.S., Euro area
     

    Proj.

    2023

    2024

    2025

    2026

    2027
             

    Output

    (Annual percentage change, unless otherwise specified)

    Real GDP

    0.2

    2.2

    2.2

    2.3

    2.3

      Total domestic demand

    -4.2

    1.0

    2.4

    2.3

    2.3

    Consumption

    -3.9

    1.6

    1.9

    2.2

    2.1

    Fixed capital formation

    -1.1

    -1.0

    4.3

    3.4

    3.7

         Exports of goods and services

    -0.3

    5.5

    4.3

    4.7

    3.9

         Imports of goods and services

    -12.0

    1.2

    4.4

    4.3

    3.2

    Output gap (in percent)

    0.0

    -0.1

    -0.1

    0.0

    0.0

    Employment

    Unemployment rate (in percent, annual average)

    8.7

    8.5

    8.2

    8.0

    7.8

    Prices

    GDP deflator

    6.6

    6.0

    4.1

    2.9

    2.7

    Change of CPI (end of period)

    3.9

    4.5

    3.5

    3.0

    3.0

    Change of CPI (period average)

    7.6

    3.9

    4.2

    3.1

    3.0

    Public Sector Finances

    (In percent of GDP, unless otherwise specified)

    Central government revenue

    22.9

    22.1

    23.0

    23.8

    23.9

    Central government expenditure

    25.3

    24.8

    24.8

    24.7

    24.3

    Central government fiscal balance

    -2.4

    -2.7

    -1.8

    -0.8

    -0.4

    Central government structural fiscal balance 1/

    -3.4

    -3.1

    -2.1

    -1.2

    -0.5

    Central government gross debt

    39.4

    42.7

    43.7

    44.1

    43.5

    Public sector gross debt 2/

    70.2

    73.5

    74.5

    74.9

    74.4

    Balance of Payments

    Current account balance (% of GDP) 3/

    -3.5

    -2.3

    -2.5

    -2.5

    -2.7

    Foreign direct investment net flows (% of GDP) 3/

    -4.6

    -4.0

    -2.6

    -2.9

    -2.9

    Gross external debt (% of GDP) 4/

    71.1

    77.5

    76.5

    76.6

    75.7

    Sources: Central Bank of Chile, Ministry of Finance, Haver Analytics, and IMF staff calculations and projections.

    1/ The structural fiscal balance includes adjustments for output, copper prices, and lithium revenues based on IMF calculations. The lithium adjustment starts in 2022.

    2/ Includes liabilities of the central government, the Central Bank of Chile and public enterprises. Excludes Recognition Bonds.

    3/ Calculated as a share of US$ GDP.

    4/ Data from Dipres for the government and from BCCh for all other sectors. Calculated as a share of US$ GDP.

    [1] Under Article IV of the IMF’s Articles of Agreement, the IMF holds bilateral discussions with members, usually every year. A staff team visits the country, collects economic and financial information, and discusses with officials the country’s economic developments and policies. On return to headquarters, the staff prepares a report, which forms the basis for discussion by the Executive Board.

    [2] The Executive Board takes decisions under its lapse-of-time procedure when the Board agrees that a proposal can be considered without convening formal discussions.

    IMF Communications Department
    MEDIA RELATIONS

    PRESS OFFICER: Jose Luis De Haro

    Phone: +1 202 623-7100Email: MEDIA@IMF.org

    https://www.imf.org/en/News/Articles/2025/02/04/pr25027-chile-imf-executive-board-concludes-2024-article-iv-consultation

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