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Category: Education

  • MIL-OSI Africa: Nigeria reduces inflation rate, but the cost of living remains high – here’s why

    Source: The Conversation – Africa – By Taiwo Hassan Odugbemi, Lecturer in Economics, University of Abuja

    Nigeria recently rebased its consumer price index (CPI) from 2009 to 2024, leading to a significant drop in the reported inflation rate from 34.80% to 24.48%.

    This change has sparked discussions on the likely impact on economic planning, policy decisions, and public perception of inflation. Taiwo Odugbemi, an economist, unpacks what it means for a country to rebase its inflation rate and its implications for citizens.

    What is inflation rate rebasing and how is it done?

    Inflation rate rebasing follows a structured approach led by the National Bureau of Statistics to improve the accuracy of inflation measurements. Essentially what it means is that the National Bureau of Statistics expanded its data collection efforts to include a broader range of states, local government areas, and rural communities.

    The recent inflation revision involved:

    Updating the consumer price index basket

    The bureau reviewed and changed the composition of goods and services in the consumer price index basket. The index tracks the rate at which prices change over time, monthly or annually.

    These changes align the measurement of price changes with shifts in consumer spending habits.

    The changes to the basket are based on the household expenditure surveys which collect information on what households consume and spend.

    Categories such as telecommunications and technology were given greater weight. Less relevant items such as food and non-alcoholic beverages received reduced weighting to ensure the consumer price index accurately represents present-day household spending.

    Rebasing the inflation index

    The changes to the composition of the consumer price index basket require a change in the reference (base) year. The bureau has changed the consumer price index base year from 2009 to 2024.

    This adjustment aligns inflation measurements with current economic realities, reducing distortions caused by outdated reference periods. To achieve this, the National Bureau of Statistics has implemented high-frequency data collection methods, such as the National Longitudinal Phone Survey, which allows for more timely assessments of economic indicators.

    Adjusting weights of consumer price index components

    Each part of the consumer price index was given a new weight based on updated national consumption data. Spending categories with increased significance, such as transport and digital services, were given higher weights, while categories with declining relevance such as gas and other fuels were adjusted downward.

    Expanding data collection coverage

    The National Bureau of Statistics improved price data collection by:

    • increasing the sample size and geographical coverage

    • increasing the frequency of data collection

    • incorporating price variations from informal markets.

    The informal sector significantly contributes to Nigeria’s economy, accounting for approximately 58% of the gross domestic product (GDP).

    Read more: Nigeria’s 2025 budget has major flaws and won’t ease economic burden

    What does this rate rebase mean? Is it unusual?

    The rebase is a revision in the way inflation is measured. It reflects an effort to represent price movements and economic conditions more accurately.

    Inflation readjustment is not uncommon among economies striving for better data accuracy. Countries such as Ghana and Kenya have undertaken similar revisions in recent years.

    Ghana’s consumer price index rebasing in 2019 led to a lower reported inflation rate as it was calculated on newer spending habits.

    Similarly, in 2014, Nigeria rebased its gross domestic product. This resulted in a significant revision of economic indicators.

    Inflation in Nigeria reached 29.90% in January 2024. Revising how it is measured could be an attempt to capture structural economic changes more precisely.

    Concerns over outdated consumer price index weights might have driven the move. The rebase could also have been done because of shifts in consumer spending, or improvements in statistical methodologies to enhance policy-making and economic planning.

    The National Bureau of Statistics said the rebasing was necessary in order to reflect changes in consumption patterns.

    Given Nigeria’s persistent inflationary pressures, made worse by currency depreciation and food supply disruptions, this adjustment could have significant implications for economic forecasting and policy responses.

    Read more: Nigeria’s Brics partnership: economist outlines potential benefits

    What are the implications for Nigerians?

    If inflation is perceived as declining, consumer confidence may improve, leading to increased spending and investment.

    However, many Nigerians may still feel that the cost of living remains high, particularly as food inflation remains a major concern.

    For workers and businesses, the adjustment could influence wage negotiations and pricing strategies. If inflation is officially lower, employers may resist wage increases, arguing that the real cost of living has not risen as sharply as previously thought.

    Similarly, businesses may reassess pricing decisions based on the revised inflation outlook.

    A lower reported inflation rate might reduce pressure on policymakers to expand social safety nets, even if citizens still struggle with economic hardship.

    Read more: Nigeria’s economy in 2025 doesn’t look bright — analyst explains why

    What changes in policy can be expected?

    This adjustment can alter the way monetary, fiscal and exchange rate policies are formulated.

    Monetary policy adjustments

    With a lower inflation rate, the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) may reconsider its aggressive tightening stance, which is reflected in the level it sets interest rates at.

    Previously, high inflation prompted the central bank to raise the monetary policy rate to 22.75% in a bid to curb inflation. Raising the rate makes it more expensive to borrow money, so demand for goods is lower and this reduces price increases.

    The revised inflation figure could justify a more measured approach to interest rate adjustments, potentially easing borrowing costs for businesses and households. This could support economic growth but must be carefully managed.

    In the last Monetary Policy Committee meeting after the inflation rebasing, the committee decided for the first time in three years to pause interest rate hikes.

    Fiscal policy considerations

    The government may use the revised inflation data to reassess budgetary projections, wage policies, and what it spends on subsidy programmes.

    A lower inflation rate could reduce the urgency for drastic public sector wage increases, though real income concerns remain.

    Additionally, it might influence subsidy policies, particularly in energy and agriculture. Lower inflation could be used to justify gradual subsidy phaseouts without significant backlash.

    Exchange rate management

    A lower inflation rate could improve investor confidence and reduce pressure on the naira. The central bank may use this as a basis to re-calibrate foreign exchange interventions, aiming for greater currency stability.

    If inflation is perceived as more controlled, capital inflows may increase, supporting the exchange rate and easing forex liquidity challenges.

    – Nigeria reduces inflation rate, but the cost of living remains high – here’s why
    – https://theconversation.com/nigeria-reduces-inflation-rate-but-the-cost-of-living-remains-high-heres-why-251073

    MIL OSI Africa –

  • MIL-OSI Africa: Madagascar’s lemurs live with the threat of cyclones – has this shaped their behaviour?

    Source: The Conversation – Africa – By Alison Behie, Professor of Biological Anthropology, Australian National University

    Madagascar is an island that’s no stranger to natural disasters, in particular cyclones. This is because it’s located in the south-west Indian Ocean cyclone basin, a region of the Indian Ocean where tropical cyclones typically form and develop.

    Madagascar has experienced 69 cyclones between 1912 and 2022, although cyclones have been a pressure on the island for much longer – estimates range from hundreds to more than thousands of years. This regular exposure has resulted in a uniquely harsh and unpredictable environment.

    Madagascar is also the only place in the entire world where lemurs, a group of primates, are naturally found. It’s home to over 100 species of lemurs.

    Due to ongoing threats of disaster impacts, hunting and deforestation, lemurs are the most endangered group of mammals in the world. According to the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), 98% of lemur species are threatened with extinction, 31% of which are critically endangered.

    It is therefore important to understand future threats to lemurs so as to protect them.

    Lemurs are unusual among primates. They show a higher degree of traits associated with resilience to living in a disaster-prone environment. For example, very few species rely on a diet of fruit, which is one of the first food items to disappear after a cyclone. Over half of lemur species rely on leaves as their main food item.

    They also exhibit a high degree of energy conserving behaviours, including hibernation and torpor – a shorter period of inactivity characterised by a lower body temperature and metabolic rate.

    It has long been believed that these behaviours are a result of Madagascar’s frequent cyclones. Living in an unpredictable environment over multiple generations could lead to different features being beneficial for survival. Some evolutionary adaptations may happen within a few decades, others could form over thousands of years.

    However, there is variation among species in these traits and, to date, no one has tested whether the unique behavioural features of lemurs actually occur more frequently in species that have experienced more cyclones, or if there may be a different explanation. Our research wanted to clear this up.

    In our study, my colleagues and I found no association between cyclone impact and how resilient lemurs are. We did however find a positive association between cyclone impact and body size. This suggests that the more a lemur species is affected by cyclones, the smaller they are.

    Given the increase globally in disasters, this type of work allows us to better understand the most and least resilient species to prepare for conservation efforts into the future.

    How resilient are lemurs?

    My research focuses on how animals, particularly primates, respond to the threat of climate change and disaster exposure. Previous work my colleagues and I did with howler monkeys showed that historical hurricane exposure was significantly linked to the evolution of behavioural adaptations, like small group size and energy conserving behaviours.

    We set out to design a specific study for lemurs. We wanted to determine whether the variation in behavioural traits in lemurs could be accounted for by the variation in cyclone exposure across the island.

    To carry out this research, we first made a map showing how cyclones affect different parts of Madagascar. We used weather patterns, past cyclone paths, how strong the cyclones were, and how much rain they brought. Data used for this came from the past 58 years, which is the data that was available, although Madagascar has been hit by cyclones over a much longer time period.

    We then placed a map of where lemurs live on top of our cyclone map to see how much cyclones affect each lemur species’ home. Our study covered the 26 species for which enough data was published to be able to determine their overall behavioural traits.

    For each of these species, we created a “resilience score”. To create this score, each species got one point for each behavioural trait they exhibited that is associated with living in a cyclone-prone area. For example, a species that shows hibernation got one point and a species that does not got 0 points. The resilience traits we used included: energy conserving behaviours; habitat use; group size; fruit in the diet; home range size; geographic range; and body size.

    We then added up the score across all resilience traits and compared the resilience score of each species with their habitat range cyclone score. This helped us see if species in high-impact areas had higher resilience. If so, it would strongly suggest that resilience traits evolved as an adaptation to frequent cyclones.

    Our results found no relationship between cyclone impact and overall resilience score. This may be because the historical cyclone data we had access to covered only the past 58 years. This may not be an accurate proxy for longer term cyclone activity associated with evolutionary adaptations.

    It could also be that the traits linked to cyclone resilience may have already existed in the last common ancestor of lemurs due to rapid environmental change on the African continent. Recent research suggests this ancestor rafted to Madagascar from Africa on floating vegetation. These traits could have helped it survive the journey. They’re also seen in other wildlife believed to have rafted to their island habitats and that may have been crucial for island colonisation.

    While overall resilience scores were not associated with cyclone impact, we did find that lemur species with smaller bodies experienced greater cyclone impacts. The north-east of the island was found to experience higher cyclone activity compared to the south-west. This aligns with previous research suggesting that larger primates, which require more food and space and reproduce more slowly, are less resilient and more likely to die after habitat disturbance.

    Importance for conservation

    Ours was the first study to try to find a quantitative link between cyclone exposure and the evolution of behavioural adaptations in lemurs and only the second to do so in primates.

    While results did not show a link to overall resilience, they did provide a template for future studies to explore the concept on other primates at a global scale. The study also provides a cyclone impact grid that could be used to assess impacts on other wildlife in Madagascar.

    In addition, our work has highlighted the importance of body size as a factor associated with less resilience to disaster.

    Read more: Mozambique’s cyclone flooding was devastating to animals – we studied how body size affected survival

    This research helps us to understand more about how species responded to cyclones in the past, which improves our understanding of the sorts of behavioural flexibility needed to survive severe environmental change. This then improves our ability to predict the effects of future events and mitigate impacts through more effective and targeted conservation. This is particularly true in island ecosystems, such as Madagascar, where endemic species are confined.

    Read more: Madagascar supports more unique plant life than any other island in the world – new study

    – Madagascar’s lemurs live with the threat of cyclones – has this shaped their behaviour?
    – https://theconversation.com/madagascars-lemurs-live-with-the-threat-of-cyclones-has-this-shaped-their-behaviour-249172

    MIL OSI Africa –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Government to unleash the North Sea’s clean energy future

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    Press release

    Government to unleash the North Sea’s clean energy future

    The government is consulting on plans to put the North Sea at the heart of Britain’s clean energy future and drive economic growth.

    • UK government consults on plan to unleash the North Sea’s clean energy future and ensure prosperous and sustainable transition for oil and gas

    • this plan backs industry to make North Sea a world-leader in offshore industries, such as hydrogen, carbon capture and wind, as part of the government’s clean energy superpower mission

    • it also offers oil and gas industry long-term certainty on the fiscal landscape by ending the Energy Profits Levy and consulting on a new regime to boost investment in jobs and growth 

    • consultation gives certainty to industry about the lifespan of oil and gas projects by committing to maintain existing fields for their lifetime and work with business and communities on a managed transition, while implementing the commitment not to issue new licences to explore new fields 

    The government has today (Wednesday 5 March) launched a consultation that will put the North Sea – its communities, workers, businesses and supply chains – at the heart of Britain’s clean energy future to drive economic growth and deliver the Plan for Change.   

    This will support private investment into the technologies that will deliver the next generation of good jobs for North Sea workers, invest in local communities, cut carbon emissions and help the UK become energy secure.

    The consultation sets out the next steps in the government’s overarching objective for the North Sea to make it a world leading example of an offshore clean energy industry, building on the UK’s world-class oil and gas heritage. In addition to maintaining existing oil and gas fields, and continuing ongoing domestic production, which have been critical to the UK’s energy system and will continue to play an important role for decades to come, the government wants to boost the economy through the expansion of clean technologies, protecting the country’s energy security in the process. To achieve this, the government needs to ensure the oil and gas industry and its workers can take advantage of a clean energy future.

    Separately, HM Treasury and HM Revenue and Customs are confirming that the Energy Profits Levy will end in 2030. They are consulting on what a new regime could look like, to respond to any future shocks in oil and gas prices. The government will work closely with the sector and other stakeholders to develop an approach that protects jobs in existing and future industries and delivers a fair return for the nation, during times of unusually high prices. The government will ensure that the oil and gas industry has the long-term certainty it needs on the future fiscal landscape, helping to support investment and protect businesses and jobs now and for the future. 

    The government is committed to working with industry, communities, trade unions and wider organisations to develop a plan that will ensure a phased transition for the North Sea – creating tens of thousands more jobs in offshore renewables estimated by 2030.   

    The government recognises the call of workers and trade unions for a coordinated plan to protect good jobs, pay terms and conditions in the North Sea, and commits to shaping this plan with workers and unions. 

    The consultation also includes delivering the government’s commitment not to issue new licences to explore new oil and gas fields in the UK, in line with the science of what is required to keep global warming to 1.5 degrees. The consultation also engages with industry on how to manage existing fields, which will continue to make an important contribution during the clean energy transition, for the entirety of their lifespan.  

    This comes after the government has backed new investment into Scotland’s clean energy future, awarding £55.7 million to the Port of Cromarty Firth, securing critical facilities needed for the rapid development of new floating offshore wind farms and ensuring that they are built from the UK.

    By sprinting to achieve this mission, the UK can take back control of its energy and protect both family and national finances from fossil fuel price spikes – with cleaner, affordable, homegrown power. As part of this, Britain must also reduce its dependency on oil and gas, which leaves consumers exposed to unstable global energy markets, as its price is set on international markets.  

    Energy Secretary Ed Miliband said: 

    The North Sea will be at the heart of Britain’s energy future. For decades, its workers, businesses and communities have helped power our country and our world. 

    Oil and gas production will continue to play an important role and, as the world embraces the drive to clean energy, the North Sea can power our Plan for Change and clean energy future in the decades ahead.  

    This consultation is about a dialogue with North Sea communities – businesses, trade unions, workers, environmental groups and communities – to develop a plan that enables us to take advantage of the tremendous opportunities of the years ahead.

    Diversifying the North Sea industries while domestic production is managed for decades to come is key to protecting its jobs and investment in the long-term. Today’s consultation explores how to harness the North Sea’s existing infrastructure, natural assets and world-leading expertise to deploy new technologies – like hydrogen, carbon capture and storage, and renewables – to create skilled jobs, meet the UK’s climate obligations, and make the UK a clean energy superpower.  

    It is estimated that the offshore renewables workforce, including offshore wind, CCUS and hydrogen, could increase to between 70,000 and 138,000 in 2030, Meanwhile, an up-and-running carbon capture industry alone is expected to add around £5 billion per year of gross value to the UK economy by 2050. 

    New proposals could also see changes to the role of North Sea Transition Authority, as the regulator of UK oil and gas, offshore hydrogen, and carbon storage industries. This includes ensuring the authority has the regulatory framework it needs to support the government’s vision for the long-term future of the North Sea and enable an orderly and prosperous transition to clean energy.  

    The government has already taken rapid steps in accelerating clean energy industries – with the biggest ever investment in offshore wind and up to £21.7 billion in funding over the next 25 years for carbon capture and storage and hydrogen projects. This comes alongside the launch of Great British Energy, headquartered in Aberdeen, and the creation of a National Wealth Fund, both of which will unlock significant investment in clean power projects across the UK and help create thousands of skilled jobs. 

    The government has also consulted on revised environmental guidance offshore oil and gas projects and will respond to give certainty to the industry and enable developers to resume applying for consents for already-licensed projects. This follows a Supreme Court ruling last year that requires regulators to consider the impact of burning oil and gas – known as scope 3 emissions – in the Environmental Impact Assessment for new projects.

    Exchequer Secretary to the Treasury, James Murray, said: 

    We are committed to working together with the sector on the future of the North Sea by providing the stability they need to keep investing and supporting jobs across the country while ensuring they make a fair contribution at times of unusually high prices. 

    Tania Kumar, Net Zero Director, CBI said:

    The North Sea has long been a cornerstone of the UK’s energy sector and will continue to play a vital role in securing energy independence and transitioning to a low-carbon economy. Today’s consultations highlight the government’s commitment to a managed transition. Success hinges on our collaboration with communities, workers, and businesses to develop a practical plan.   

    Robust regulation and the pivotal role of the North Sea Transition Authority will be essential. The UK’s net zero economy is growing faster than the rest of the economy – the future is green growth and managing the transition away from fossil fuels to a clean energy future for the North Sea is vital to achieving it. 

    Dhara Vyas, CEO, Energy UK said: 

    Today’s announcement offers a positive step toward a just transition for offshore workers. The North Sea has been an engine of economic growth and energy security for the UK, but it’s critical to ensure pathways are available for offshore workers to transition to the low carbon industries of the future. The government has a sent a strong signal about the UK’s clean energy future, and the role the North Sea will continue to play in fostering clean technologies such as offshore wind, hydrogen, and carbon capture and storage. The clean energy mission can help ensure the North Sea’s best days are ahead of it, powering economic growth and enabling the UK to lead the way in the global clean industrial revolution. 

    David Whitehouse, Chief Executive, OEUK said:

    The UK offshore energy industry, including its oil and gas sector, is responsible for thousands of jobs across Scotland and the UK, and today the government has committed to meaningful consultation on the long-term future of our North Sea. That is important and welcomed. Energy policy underpins our national security – how we build a clean energy future and leverage our proud heritage matters.

    Today’s consultations, on both the critical role of the North Sea in the energy transition and how the taxation regime will respond to unusually high oil and gas prices, will help to begin to give certainty to investors and create a stable investment environment for years to come. We will continue to work with government and wider stakeholders to ensure a future North Sea which delivers economic growth and supports the communities that rely on this sector and workers across right and the UK.

    Rachel Solomon Williams, Executive Director, Aldersgate Group said:  

    The private sector recognises the growth opportunity of the clean energy transition alongside the risks associated with investments that are incompatible with the 1.5C target. This consultation is an important step on the path to building a prosperous and resilient economy, with wider benefits across all regions of the UK. Investing in assets that risk becoming stranded is sustainable for neither the UK economy nor the environment – the government’s recognition of this position will contribute to resolving uncertainty and building private sector confidence for clean energy investments in the region.    

    The skills and expertise built over recent decades in the North Sea are invaluable. They are highly transferable for clean energy and other growth sectors, both directly and with further upskilling. We welcome the government’s announcement that it is ensuring that the North Sea transition makes best use of the strengths in the region, creating opportunities and jobs. Capturing this growth opportunity for the UK must ensure that the local communities and workers can play a role in future energy sectors. The right policy framework and engagement with industry and local communities can enable a transition to net zero emissions without deindustrialisation.

    Dan McGrail, Chief Executive, RenewableUK said: 

    The biggest offshore wind farms in the world are being built in the North Sea and even more ambitious projects are being planned. Offshore wind is at the very heart of the government’s mission to reach clean power by 2030 and net zero by 2050, and the industry also offers the UK one of its biggest opportunities for job creation, industrial regeneration and economic growth. 

    The North Sea is already playing a crucial role in powering the UK and this is set to grow in the years ahead. A future focused on offshore wind isn’t just cleaner – it provides a more stable energy system for billpayers as we will be less exposed to volatile international fossil fuel prices. Offshore wind also offers opportunities for skilled workers from other industries to transfer into this dynamic and innovative sector.

    Notes to Editors 

    The Department for Energy Security and Net Zero’s consultation on Building the North Sea’s Energy Future will run for 8 weeks from 5 March to 30 April.

    The government is consulting on how to deliver its commitment to end new licences to explore new fields, including all new seaward exploration and production licences to search for and extract new oil and gas resources in the UK. Licence extensions and transfers would not be affected, to facilitate existing fields to operate for the entirety of their lifetime and support the government’s commitments not to revoke existing licences. Licences for carbon storage, gas storage and methane drainage would also not be affected.   

    The consultation also sets out the government’s commitment to end new licences for onshore oil and gas exploration and production in England.    

    HM Treasury’s consultation on High Price Mechanism for Oil and Gas will run for 12 weeks from 5 March to 28 May.   

    Officials figures from the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero’s ‘Digest of UK Energy Statistics’ show a 72% reduction in UK oil and gas production occurring between 1999 and 2023. The North Sea Transition Authority also predicts an 89 per cent drop in UK oil and gas production by 2050.   

    Office for National Statistics’ analysis shows that direct jobs in oil and gas extraction fell by around a third between 2014 and 2023.   

    Meanwhile, findings from the Robert Gordon University study ‘Powering up the Workforce’ in 2023 estimated that the offshore renewables workforce – which includes offshore wind, carbon capture and storage, and hydrogen – could increase to between 70,000 and 138,000 in 2030. This study also found that over 90% of the UK’s oil and gas workforce have medium to high skills transferability and are well positioned to work in adjacent energy sector.   

    Today’s announcement also comes after the government confirmed Aberdeen, Cheshire, Lincolnshire and Pembrokeshire as key growth regions for clean energy and launched pilots to help workers in these areas access jobs in new clean energy industries.    

    Oil and gas workers will also get help to move into these sectors, thanks to a new energy ‘skills passport’ launched last month – led by Renewable UK and Offshore Energies UK, and backed by UK and Scottish Governments. This tool will support workers into careers in offshore wind initially, before being expanded to other renewables roles later this year.   

    Many of the skills required for the transition already exist, with research showing that 90% of oil and gas workers have transferable skills for offshore renewable jobs. The government is now exploring what further support is needed to help workers take full advantage of the UK’s clean energy transition, as part of its consultation on the future of the North Sea.

    Updates to this page

    Published 5 March 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Martyn Oliver’s speech at the Nursery World Business Summit

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    Speech

    Martyn Oliver’s speech at the Nursery World Business Summit

    Sir Martyn Oliver, Ofsted’s Chief Inspector, spoke at the 2025 Nursery World Business Summit in London.

    Hello, thank you for the invitation to speak to you all today.

    Congratulations also to Nursery World on your hundred-year anniversary. That’s a fantastic achievement.

    I want to start by also thanking you for the wonderful work you do every day.

    We all know how important it is to make sure children get the best start in life.

    The early years are when the first building blocks are laid and when we set children on a lifelong journey of learning.

    So, thank you again.

    I’m looking forward to hearing from you and having a discussion with Catherine, but I just want to take a few minutes to tell you about the changes we’re proposing to how we work with you and other education providers.

    If you don’t already know, we’re consulting on a new approach on how we inspect and on how we report.

    Our aims

    We had several goals in mind as we developed these proposals.

    Firstly, and importantly, we want to keep the best of the current framework. The prominence of things like communication and language, what we want children to learn and, of course, how we keep them safe. They will all stay. I hope you agree that these elements have driven ever higher standards and a focus on what really matters in those precious early years.

    Secondly, we want to better inform parents and families. And so, we’re proposing a new report card that gives more detailed, more specific, and more nuanced information about the places educating their children, removing those simplistic overall effectiveness grades.

    Choosing a nursery is often the first educational choice families make.

    And it’s often the choice for which they have the most options to make a decision between.

    I believe our new report cards will do more to help them with this decision.

    And I believe they will do more to shine a light on the great things you’re doing and what makes your settings unique.

    Too often, what makes you remarkable was lost behind a few headline words.

    Soon, our proposals suggest that families will be able to see, in more detail, what’s special about you, what you do well and what you’re working on.

    Thirdly, we want to put inclusion at the heart of what we do. We’re proposing a new evaluation area looking very specifically at how you support the most vulnerable and disadvantaged children. And we’re threading it through every other evaluation area that we look at. Because, and I’ve always said this, I believe if you’re getting it right for the most disadvantaged and vulnerable, you’ll be getting it right for all your children.

    But alongside all of that, we want to make life easier and simpler for you.

    That’s why we’ve developed our new inspection toolkits for how we inspect. These set out the standards we expect, the standards that you all work to and in many cases beyond, across a range of evaluation areas.

    The evaluation areas themselves are, we believe, the core elements that go to make up great provision. And, fundamentally, these are rooted in the regulations and the statutory requirements that you already have to work to in the early years foundation stage – the EYFS. We’re not asking anything new of you, or anything you won’t already be doing.

    Tailoring our approach to you

    We heard in the Big Listen, last year, that you felt the current framework didn’t fully recognise the uniqueness of early years.

    So, the first thing to say is that these toolkits are bespoke to the different types and stages of education. Rather than a one-size-fits-all framework, there’s a toolkit specifically for you, for the early years sector. For nurseries like you and anyone else educating the youngest children.

    We’ll then go even further. And we’ll tailor our approach to how you work. We will train our inspectors on how to apply the toolkit in each type of provision – and share this information with you. And we’ll shape our inspection activities to the age and stage of development of the children in your care, and the context in which you’re working. That’s so crucial.

    So, for example, your inspection will look different to one at a childminder. This all means we can match our approach to what’s really important to your children and to their families.

    And we can take proper consideration of the challenges and the context that you are facing.

    Using existing standards

    As I’ve mentioned, we have also built the standards in all of our toolkits on the existing requirements for each sector. So, in your case, as I’ve just said, they are based around the requirements set out in the EYFS with the statutory and the regulatory standards at the core.

    We want you to be working for your children, not doing things ‘for Ofsted’.

    Nothing that we’re looking at should come as a surprise.

    We want to see things like:

    • safe and supportive environments
    • well-designed and delivered curricula
    • support and professional development for your staff
    • children developing across all the areas of learning
    • and a thoughtful combination of explicit teaching, planned and purposeful play, yes, purposeful play, and lots of positive interactions between you and your children

    How we recognise that you’re doing these things is also changing. We heard from parents in the Big Listen that a single word summary grade didn’t provide that nuance and a complex picture of a provider that they wanted.

    So, we will provide one of 5 grades for a range of evaluation areas. There will be ‘causing concern’ and ‘attention needed’ grades for an area where something isn’t quite good enough, and needs some focus to improve.

    But, if you’re meeting the government’s EYFS requirements for the learning, development and care of your children, you will also be meeting the standards for a ‘secure’ grade. And if you are going beyond these standards then you will be working at a ‘strong’ level. Perhaps, you may even have an element of your work that is at our new highest ‘exemplary’ standard.

    Your funding

    We know that your funding can often be dependent on our grades. So, let me also take this opportunity to reassure you that we are working with the department for education to maintain the continuity in this funding as our approach and our grades change.

    And if for any reason we do find something that needs attention, we will return more quickly than ever to check on the improvements you’re making. And that way, you won’t have long periods with an inspection outcome that no longer reflects your provision.

    Helping you grow

    But if you’re doing well, and you want to grow your business, we want to make sure you’re able to do just that. We want to help the best providers to get more settings registered more quickly. To offer care and education to more children.

    But to do this, I know you need to be able to recruit good staff too. And I know that’s really difficult for many of you right now.

    We want to make sure more people can enter the sector. We want you to have access to the workforce you need and young children need to have the consistent relationships with fantastic practitioners like you that they deserve.

    But I do need to be clear. The answer isn’t lower standards.

    Having appropriately qualified staff is important, and Ofsted does have concerns about the government’s new experience-based route. We will work with them to make sure any new routes into the profession continue to meet the high standards that we all want in this room for children.

    Next steps

    So that’s a quick run through of our proposals, and some of our other current priorities.

    I’m happy to answer questions on any and all of that, or anything else you want to ask about.

    I’m also delighted that Wendy Ratcliff, our Principal Officer for Early Years Education, is going to join me for the discussion. If you’ve got any really tricky questions, watch how nimbly I pass them over to Wendy. You’ve got me stumped!

    What’s more, if we run out of time, Wendy and her colleagues will be running a drop-in zone in the lunch breakout area after the session. So, you can go and ask them anything we don’t get to in this session.

    But before all of that, I just want to finish with a plea.

    A plea for you all to take part in our consultation. You can find it on our website, and you have until 28th April to participate.

    I’m really proud of the proposals we’re making. I think they will be better for you, better for parents, and most importantly, better for children.

    But I’m sure they can still be improved. And I’m sure that we need your help for that.

    You’re out there every day, making a difference in children’s lives. So please bring that wealth of experience that exists in this room, to bear and help us make the best possible system we can.

    Perhaps something is unclear or ambiguous? Perhaps we can do more to recognise the nuances of different types of provision or your unique context and challenges? Or perhaps we need to aim even higher and expect more to make sure all children get that crucial best start in life?

    Whatever it is, please don’t miss this opportunity to tell us. You can make a real difference, and we need your help.

    So thank you, and let’s get to some questions.

    Updates to this page

    Published 5 March 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Inspectors praise Stanley Primary School

    Source: Scotland – City of Perth

    Stanley Primary School and Early Learning and Childcare has been praised for their work to improve outcomes for children.

    Inspectors from Education Scotland visited the school in January and highlighted several strengths in the school’s work.

    They also praised the school’s approach to children’s wellbeing, and the leadership opportunities given to pupils throughout their time at the school.

    The inspection also identified areas for improvement, including improving approaches to learning, teaching and assessment and enhancing planning and assessment strategies to ensure all children make the best possible progress.

    Education Scotland’s evaluations for Stanley Primary School and Early Learning and Childcare are as follows:

    Primary Stages:

    • Leadership of change: Satisfactory
    • Learning, teaching, and assessment: Satisfactory
    • Ensuring wellbeing, equality, and inclusion: Good
    • Raising attainment and achievement: Good

    Nursery Class:

    • Leadership of change: Good
    • Learning, teaching, and assessment: Good
    • Ensuring wellbeing, equality, and inclusion: Good
    • Securing children’s progress: Good

    Councillor John Rebbeck, convener of Perth and Kinross Council’s Learning and Families Committee, said: “This inspection report achievement is a testament to the dedication, hard work, and commitment of the entire school community.

    “This report not only recognises the school’s current successes but also sets a benchmark for continued growth and improvement.”

    Last modified on 05 March 2025

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    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Reminiscing with the Class of 1975: A Look Back with School of Pharmacy Alumni.

    Source: US State of Connecticut

    Cynthia Huge vividly recalls her time as a pharmacy student in the 1970s, a decade marked by cultural and political trouble. The Vietnam War protests and the Kent State shootings were important events during her college years. “It was a time of turmoil,” she says, noting the era’s profound impact on campus life. Despite these challenges, she felt her class embodied resilience and community.

    The pharmacy field itself was undergoing significant changes. “Pharmacy was shifting from independent ownership to chain drug stores,” Huge says. She believes this evolution opened the profession to more women. Her class of 1975 reflected this progress, with women making up 25% of students—an increase from just 10% a few years prior.

    Huge says that choosing to study pharmacy was a big decision. She had worked in a pharmacy during high school but entered UConn with little knowledge about the profession’s rigorous scientific foundation. “I thought all pharmacists did was type labels,” she says. Adjusting to courses like chemistry and physics wasn’t easy, but her determination and support from classmates helped her through.

    Cynthia Huge with the rest of the 1975 yearbook staff.

    Some of her fondest memories came from moments of creativity and humor. As co-editor of the yearbook, Huge and her team playfully dedicated it to the animals sacrificed in lab experiments. To fund the project, they organized a beer fest, a memorable event that showcased the community spirit of the School of Pharmacy.

    Reflecting on her journey, Huge acknowledges that the friendships and experiences she gained at UConn have shaped her life. “It was a different time, but the connections I made are still meaningful today,” she says. For aspiring pharmacists, she offers a simple message: embrace challenges, value collaboration, and treasure the lifelong bonds formed along the way.

    For Marghie Giuliano, the 70s at the School of Pharmacy were a time of transformation, both personally and professionally. Reflecting on her student years, Giuliano describes the decade as “unique, not just culturally and politically, but academically.” She recalls a time of significant curriculum changes, which posed challenges for students and professors alike. However, these challenges fostered resilience and growth.

    Marghie Giuliano posing for the 1975 yearbook.

    “We were labeled disruptive because we stood up for ourselves,” she says, recalling how her class was characterized by their willingness to question authority and advocate for their needs. These experiences strengthened her sense of self and cultivated a collaborative spirit among classmates. Giuliano fondly remembers the friendships that defined her experience: “We didn’t want to see anybody fail. There was a real sense of collaboration instead of competition.” This support network forged lifelong friendships and set a foundation for her career.

    Giuliano’s connection to UConn runs deep, reinforced by a family legacy in pharmacy. Her uncles, including one who also graduated from the School of Pharmacy, inspired her journey. Entering UConn for her first professional year was a significant transition from her small college background, but she found a welcoming community. “UConn has always been there for me—sometimes challenging me, sometimes supporting me,” she says. This enduring relationship with the university shaped her professional life, offering a sense of home within the larger institution.

    Looking back at the evolution of pharmacy, Giuliano marvels at the growth of the profession. “When we graduated, there were only three options: hospital, retail, or industry. Now, opportunities are endless,” she says. Giuliano encourages today’s students to broaden their horizons and embrace change, emphasizing the importance of leadership and adaptability. “Challenge yourself, step into leadership roles, and keep your vision of pharmacy open,” she says.

    Jack Collins had an unexpected start to his pharmacy career. Initially studying business at Boston College, a middle-of-the-night epiphany led him to transfer to UConn to follow in the footsteps of his pharmacist father and grandfather.

    “I woke up in the middle of the night and said, you know what? You need to go back to the pharmacy,” Collins says. “I felt that strongly. I’m from Connecticut. That’s the school you want to go to if you’re going to become a pharmacist.”

    His time at UConn wasn’t easy. The pharmacy program was intense, with five years of science-heavy courses that left little room for anything else. “It was science from freshman year through your fifth year, all in, full bore, and it was hard,” Collins says. Courses like organic chemistry and long lab sessions were especially challenging. “Organic was brutal…physics was hard, physics labs were hard.” But despite the challenges, Collins cherishes the relationships he formed with his classmates. “We had a great class. A lot of successful people came out of that class, and some of them are still good friends, even 50 years later.”

    As he entered the professional world, Collins saw the pressures of retail pharmacy firsthand and knew it wasn’t the right path for him. In the 1990s, he pivoted to Home Infusion Therapy and Compounding. “Retail pharmacy wasn’t going to sustain my growing family,” Collins says. “So, I did something different, and it worked out well.”

    Jack Collins catching up on his studies.

    Collins’ career highlights the adaptability of UConn graduates. He found success in niche areas of Pharmacy which allowed him to grow professionally and personally.

    As UConn celebrates 100 years of excellence, the class of 1975 stands as a testament to the school’s enduring legacy. “It’s hard to believe it’s been 50 years,” Collins reflects. “But I’m just happy to be part of it.”

    For future students, Collins’ advice is clear: “Try to find a branch of pharmacy that’s going to use your six years of very difficult education.” Collins encourages students to look for niches where they can apply their education and make a real impact, whether in hospitals, compounding, or other areas. “The opportunities are endless—go for it.”

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Nigeria reduces inflation rate, but the cost of living remains high – here’s why

    Source: The Conversation – Africa – By Taiwo Hassan Odugbemi, Lecturer in Economics, University of Abuja

    Nigeria recently rebased its consumer price index (CPI) from 2009 to 2024, leading to a significant drop in the reported inflation rate from 34.80% to 24.48%.

    This change has sparked discussions on the likely impact on economic planning, policy decisions, and public perception of inflation. Taiwo Odugbemi, an economist, unpacks what it means for a country to rebase its inflation rate and its implications for citizens.

    What is inflation rate rebasing and how is it done?

    Inflation rate rebasing follows a structured approach led by the National Bureau of Statistics to improve the accuracy of inflation measurements. Essentially what it means is that the National Bureau of Statistics expanded its data collection efforts to include a broader range of states, local government areas, and rural communities.

    The recent inflation revision involved:

    Updating the consumer price index basket

    The bureau reviewed and changed the composition of goods and services in the consumer price index basket. The index tracks the rate at which prices change over time, monthly or annually.

    These changes align the measurement of price changes with shifts in consumer spending habits.

    The changes to the basket are based on the household expenditure surveys which collect information on what households consume and spend.

    Categories such as telecommunications and technology were given greater weight. Less relevant items such as food and non-alcoholic beverages received reduced weighting to ensure the consumer price index accurately represents present-day household spending.

    Rebasing the inflation index

    The changes to the composition of the consumer price index basket require a change in the reference (base) year. The bureau has changed the consumer price index base year from 2009 to 2024.

    This adjustment aligns inflation measurements with current economic realities, reducing distortions caused by outdated reference periods. To achieve this, the National Bureau of Statistics has implemented high-frequency data collection methods, such as the National Longitudinal Phone Survey, which allows for more timely assessments of economic indicators.

    Adjusting weights of consumer price index components

    Each part of the consumer price index was given a new weight based on updated national consumption data. Spending categories with increased significance, such as transport and digital services, were given higher weights, while categories with declining relevance such as gas and other fuels were adjusted downward.

    Expanding data collection coverage

    The National Bureau of Statistics improved price data collection by:

    • increasing the sample size and geographical coverage

    • increasing the frequency of data collection

    • incorporating price variations from informal markets.

    The informal sector significantly contributes to Nigeria’s economy, accounting for approximately 58% of the gross domestic product (GDP).



    Read more:
    Nigeria’s 2025 budget has major flaws and won’t ease economic burden

    What does this rate rebase mean? Is it unusual?

    The rebase is a revision in the way inflation is measured. It reflects an effort to represent price movements and economic conditions more accurately.

    Inflation readjustment is not uncommon among economies striving for better data accuracy. Countries such as Ghana and Kenya have undertaken similar revisions in recent years.

    Ghana’s consumer price index rebasing in 2019 led to a lower reported inflation rate as it was calculated on newer spending habits.

    Similarly, in 2014, Nigeria rebased its gross domestic product. This resulted in a significant revision of economic indicators.

    Inflation in Nigeria reached 29.90% in January 2024. Revising how it is measured could be an attempt to capture structural economic changes more precisely.

    Concerns over outdated consumer price index weights might have driven the move. The rebase could also have been done because of shifts in consumer spending, or improvements in statistical methodologies to enhance policy-making and economic planning.

    The National Bureau of Statistics said the rebasing was necessary in order to reflect changes in consumption patterns.

    Given Nigeria’s persistent inflationary pressures, made worse by currency depreciation and food supply disruptions, this adjustment could have significant implications for economic forecasting and policy responses.



    Read more:
    Nigeria’s Brics partnership: economist outlines potential benefits

    What are the implications for Nigerians?

    If inflation is perceived as declining, consumer confidence may improve, leading to increased spending and investment.

    However, many Nigerians may still feel that the cost of living remains high, particularly as food inflation remains a major concern.

    For workers and businesses, the adjustment could influence wage negotiations and pricing strategies. If inflation is officially lower, employers may resist wage increases, arguing that the real cost of living has not risen as sharply as previously thought.

    Similarly, businesses may reassess pricing decisions based on the revised inflation outlook.

    A lower reported inflation rate might reduce pressure on policymakers to expand social safety nets, even if citizens still struggle with economic hardship.



    Read more:
    Nigeria’s economy in 2025 doesn’t look bright — analyst explains why

    What changes in policy can be expected?

    This adjustment can alter the way monetary, fiscal and exchange rate policies are formulated.

    Monetary policy adjustments

    With a lower inflation rate, the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) may reconsider its aggressive tightening stance, which is reflected in the level it sets interest rates at.

    Previously, high inflation prompted the central bank to raise the monetary policy rate to 22.75% in a bid to curb inflation. Raising the rate makes it more expensive to borrow money, so demand for goods is lower and this reduces price increases.

    The revised inflation figure could justify a more measured approach to interest rate adjustments, potentially easing borrowing costs for businesses and households. This could support economic growth but must be carefully managed.

    In the last Monetary Policy Committee meeting after the inflation rebasing, the committee decided for the first time in three years to pause interest rate hikes.

    Fiscal policy considerations

    The government may use the revised inflation data to reassess budgetary projections, wage policies, and what it spends on subsidy programmes.

    A lower inflation rate could reduce the urgency for drastic public sector wage increases, though real income concerns remain.

    Additionally, it might influence subsidy policies, particularly in energy and agriculture. Lower inflation could be used to justify gradual subsidy phaseouts without significant backlash.

    Exchange rate management

    A lower inflation rate could improve investor confidence and reduce pressure on the naira. The central bank may use this as a basis to re-calibrate foreign exchange interventions, aiming for greater currency stability.

    If inflation is perceived as more controlled, capital inflows may increase, supporting the exchange rate and easing forex liquidity challenges.

    Taiwo Hassan Odugbemi 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. Nigeria reduces inflation rate, but the cost of living remains high – here’s why – https://theconversation.com/nigeria-reduces-inflation-rate-but-the-cost-of-living-remains-high-heres-why-251073

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Madagascar’s lemurs live with the threat of cyclones – has this shaped their behaviour?

    Source: The Conversation – Africa – By Alison Behie, Professor of Biological Anthropology, Australian National University

    Madagascar is an island that’s no stranger to natural disasters, in particular cyclones. This is because it’s located in the south-west Indian Ocean cyclone basin, a region of the Indian Ocean where tropical cyclones typically form and develop.

    Madagascar has experienced 69 cyclones between 1912 and 2022, although cyclones have been a pressure on the island for much longer – estimates range from hundreds to more than thousands of years. This regular exposure has resulted in a uniquely harsh and unpredictable environment.

    Madagascar is also the only place in the entire world where lemurs, a group of primates, are naturally found. It’s home to over 100 species of lemurs.

    Due to ongoing threats of disaster impacts, hunting and deforestation, lemurs are the most endangered group of mammals in the world. According to the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), 98% of lemur species are threatened with extinction, 31% of which are critically endangered.

    It is therefore important to understand future threats to lemurs so as to protect them.

    Lemurs are unusual among primates. They show a higher degree of traits associated with resilience to living in a disaster-prone environment. For example, very few species rely on a diet of fruit, which is one of the first food items to disappear after a cyclone. Over half of lemur species rely on leaves as their main food item.

    They also exhibit a high degree of energy conserving behaviours, including hibernation and torpor – a shorter period of inactivity characterised by a lower body temperature and metabolic rate.

    It has long been believed that these behaviours are a result of Madagascar’s frequent cyclones. Living in an unpredictable environment over multiple generations could lead to different features being beneficial for survival. Some evolutionary adaptations may happen within a few decades, others could form over thousands of years.

    However, there is variation among species in these traits and, to date, no one has tested whether the unique behavioural features of lemurs actually occur more frequently in species that have experienced more cyclones, or if there may be a different explanation. Our research wanted to clear this up.

    In our study, my colleagues and I found no association between cyclone impact and how resilient lemurs are. We did however find a positive association between cyclone impact and body size. This suggests that the more a lemur species is affected by cyclones, the smaller they are.

    Given the increase globally in disasters, this type of work allows us to better understand the most and least resilient species to prepare for conservation efforts into the future.

    How resilient are lemurs?

    My research focuses on how animals, particularly primates, respond to the threat of climate change and disaster exposure. Previous work my colleagues and I did with howler monkeys showed that historical hurricane exposure was significantly linked to the evolution of behavioural adaptations, like small group size and energy conserving behaviours.

    We set out to design a specific study for lemurs. We wanted to determine whether the variation in behavioural traits in lemurs could be accounted for by the variation in cyclone exposure across the island.

    To carry out this research, we first made a map showing how cyclones affect different parts of Madagascar. We used weather patterns, past cyclone paths, how strong the cyclones were, and how much rain they brought. Data used for this came from the past 58 years, which is the data that was available, although Madagascar has been hit by cyclones over a much longer time period.

    We then placed a map of where lemurs live on top of our cyclone map to see how much cyclones affect each lemur species’ home. Our study covered the 26 species for which enough data was published to be able to determine their overall behavioural traits.

    For each of these species, we created a “resilience score”. To create this score, each species got one point for each behavioural trait they exhibited that is associated with living in a cyclone-prone area. For example, a species that shows hibernation got one point and a species that does not got 0 points. The resilience traits we used included: energy conserving behaviours; habitat use; group size; fruit in the diet; home range size; geographic range; and body size.

    We then added up the score across all resilience traits and compared the resilience score of each species with their habitat range cyclone score. This helped us see if species in high-impact areas had higher resilience. If so, it would strongly suggest that resilience traits evolved as an adaptation to frequent cyclones.

    Our results found no relationship between cyclone impact and overall resilience score. This may be because the historical cyclone data we had access to covered only the past 58 years. This may not be an accurate proxy for longer term cyclone activity associated with evolutionary adaptations.

    It could also be that the traits linked to cyclone resilience may have already existed in the last common ancestor of lemurs due to rapid environmental change on the African continent. Recent research suggests this ancestor rafted to Madagascar from Africa on floating vegetation. These traits could have helped it survive the journey. They’re also seen in other wildlife believed to have rafted to their island habitats and that may have been crucial for island colonisation.

    While overall resilience scores were not associated with cyclone impact, we did find that lemur species with smaller bodies experienced greater cyclone impacts. The north-east of the island was found to experience higher cyclone activity compared to the south-west. This aligns with previous research suggesting that larger primates, which require more food and space and reproduce more slowly, are less resilient and more likely to die after habitat disturbance.

    Importance for conservation

    Ours was the first study to try to find a quantitative link between cyclone exposure and the evolution of behavioural adaptations in lemurs and only the second to do so in primates.

    While results did not show a link to overall resilience, they did provide a template for future studies to explore the concept on other primates at a global scale. The study also provides a cyclone impact grid that could be used to assess impacts on other wildlife in Madagascar.

    In addition, our work has highlighted the importance of body size as a factor associated with less resilience to disaster.



    Read more:
    Mozambique’s cyclone flooding was devastating to animals – we studied how body size affected survival

    This research helps us to understand more about how species responded to cyclones in the past, which improves our understanding of the sorts of behavioural flexibility needed to survive severe environmental change. This then improves our ability to predict the effects of future events and mitigate impacts through more effective and targeted conservation. This is particularly true in island ecosystems, such as Madagascar, where endemic species are confined.



    Read more:
    Madagascar supports more unique plant life than any other island in the world – new study

    Alison Behie receives funding from The Australian Research Council.

    – ref. Madagascar’s lemurs live with the threat of cyclones – has this shaped their behaviour? – https://theconversation.com/madagascars-lemurs-live-with-the-threat-of-cyclones-has-this-shaped-their-behaviour-249172

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Farm certification could make Canada’s farms fairer for migrant workers

    Source: The Conversation – Canada – By Erika Borrelli, PhD Candidate in Sociology and Social Justice, University of Windsor

    Amnesty International recently released a report criticizing Canada for labour migration policies and farm inspections that enable migrant farm worker exploitation. The report urges the Canadian government to abolish closed-work permits that tie migrant workers to a single employer.

    These concerns echo long-standing demands from Canadian researchers and migrant rights advocates. In 2024, a United Nations special rapporteur called Canada’s Temporary Foreign Worker Program a “breeding ground for contemporary forms of slavery.” Yet, calls for the government to address these flaws have gone unanswered.

    While we await much-needed policy reforms, farm certification could fill this gap. Farm certification offers a potential strategy to improve labour standards, uphold rights and amplify migrants’ voices.



    Read more:
    How we treat migrant workers who put food on our tables

    Essential but unprotected

    Though essential for the agriculture industry, migrant farm workers live in Canada on temporary, employer-tied work permits. These permits create fear of employer retaliation, discouraging workers from speaking up. This leaves them vulnerable to unsafe working conditions, abuse, exploitation and harassment, with few opportunities for recourse.

    Agricultural workers, whether migrants or citizens, are excluded from employment laws that protect workers in other industries. For example, overtime provisions, collective bargaining rights and sick pay vary by province. This leaves migrant workers — who are restricted to agricultural jobs — with fewer rights to claim. Compounding these challenges are ineffective farm inspections, which are mostly reactive and triggered by worker complaints.

    Studies show that fear of job loss and subsequent deportation or being blacklisted from immigration programs discourages migrants from filing complaints. Additionally, deterrents like fines for employers are rarely enforced, leaving violations unchecked.

    Farm certification as a creative strategy

    Farm certification recognizes farms with fair working conditions and enforces higher standards. This approach encourages retailers to prioritize certified producers, with compliance driven by market and consumer demand.

    However, some argue that relying solely on consumer choice — where people “vote with their dollar” by purchasing ethically certified products — is not enough. They’re right.

    In a recent project, colleagues and I examined the potential for introducing a farm certification scheme in Ontario.

    We focused on two U.S.-based strategies, the Equitable Food Initiative and the Fair Food Program, which emphasize collaboration among diverse stakeholders. These models offer insights into how they may be replicated in Canada while avoiding the commodification of migrants.

    U.S. farm certification models

    The Fair Food Program, initiated by the Coalition of Immokalee Workers (CIW), ensures fair wages and improved working conditions in Florida’s tomato fields.

    Compliance is enforced through contractual agreements between fast-food chains, retailers, growers and the CIW, all of whom commit to higher standards and responsible purchasing practices. Migrant workers played a central role in developing the program’s standards and remain involved in compliance and worker education.

    The Fair Food Program grew from grassroots campaigns that included hunger strikes and protests against low wages and extremely poor work conditions on farms. Campaigns later targeted major food corporations, arguing that if these companies could drive down farm wages, they could also demand better conditions from growers.

    The CIW organized a successful five-year boycott of Taco Bell, which ultimately joined the Fair Food Program, committing to source tomatoes only from growers who met the program’s standards. The boycott was successful due to sustained farm worker-student alliances. Other companies have since followed suit.

    The Equitable Food Initiative (EFI) is a certification model that integrates social and food safety standards. A selected group of workers at a certified farm, known as the Leadership Team, receive training on EFI’s standards and skills, such as communication and conflict resolution.

    The team functions as an internal grievance mechanism, allowing all workers to report concerns to designated members. Retailers participating in this initiative require growers to obtain EFI certification, replacing individual retailer audits.

    EFI emerged in California following the 2008 E. coli crisis. While industry leaders and retailers prioritized improving food safety standards on farms, migrant rights groups saw an opportunity to address poor working conditions for farm workers. Costco, Oxfam America and the United Farm Workers devised a strategy that ensures all stakeholders — retailers, growers and workers — to have an “equal seat at the table.”

    Some Canadian growers have become EFI-certified, primarily to meet demands of American retailers importing their produce. However, tariffs and the trade war between the U.S. and Canada could complicate the expansion of EFI in Canada.

    Replicating farm certification in Canada

    For farm certification to succeed in Canada, cross-movement collaboration is essential. The success of the Fair Food Program was driven by strong alliances between migrant rights and consumer movements. A similar coalition of food justice, migrant rights and consumer groups could pressure Canadian retailers to commit to ethical sourcing practices.

    EFI’s cross-sector collaboration model offers valuable lessons for Canada. Though it demands concessions, this approach fosters broad support from all stakeholders.

    For growers, it may help retain labour, particularly if sector-wide work permits are introduced that allow workers to change employers. As calls for self-reliance and food sovereignty grow in response to Trump’s tariffs, building a national food system that upholds workers’ rights will require collective efforts.

    Farm certification cannot replace essential policy reforms. Migrant workers need more secure legal status and greater labour rights, and non-compliant employers must face sanctions. However, certification can support education, empowerment and participation for workers, serving as an important complement to policy. If shaped and enforced by the workers it aims to protect, farm certification can be a meaningful tool for change.

    Erika Borrelli receives funding from the Mariam Assefa Fund and Canada Excellence Research Chair in Migration and Integration at Toronto Metropolitan University.

    – ref. Farm certification could make Canada’s farms fairer for migrant workers – https://theconversation.com/farm-certification-could-make-canadas-farms-fairer-for-migrant-workers-249560

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Government partners with young people to help develop new national youth strategy

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    Press release

    Government partners with young people to help develop new national youth strategy

    Young voices to be at the heart of policymaking as government breaks down barriers to opportunity through Plan for Change

    • Government launches national listening exercise to let young people have their say on support services, facilities and opportunities they need outside the school gates
    • Through youth engagement charity My Life My Say and the #iwill Movement young people will be able to engage with Government both in-person and online. 

    Young people across the country will be able to have their say on decisions that affect their lives as the Government launches one of the most ambitious listening exercises in a generation today.

    Ahead of the landmark National Youth Strategy, those aged 10-21 years old, and up to 25 years old for those with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND), will be asked to take part in a survey to hear what support services, facilities and opportunities they need outside the school gates to benefit their lives and futures.

    Young people will be able to submit their views on a range of topics including what issues matter to them in their local area, what services they think should be available to young people, and how money should be spent in their area – delivering on the government’s Plan for Change to spread opportunity across the country.

    Input will be collected by the Government in a range of ways including via an online survey, plus physical events including peer led focus groups known as ‘Democracy Cafes’, and workshop sessions so young people can offer views in their own words. The survey is now open here, and will close on 16 April. 

    This period of consultation will inform the Government’s new National Youth Strategy, previously announced by the Culture Secretary, designed to prioritise delivering better coordinated youth services and policy at a local, regional and national level. It will make sure decision-making moves away from a one-size-fits all approach, handing power back to young people and their communities, and rebuilding a thriving and sustainable sector. This will help deliver on the government’s missions, spreading opportunities, making our streets safer and taking pressure off health services.

    Culture Secretary, Lisa Nandy said: 

    We are handing power back to young people and their communities, giving them a genuine opportunity to help make the policies that affect their lives. 

    We want to hear from young people directly through one of the most ambitious listening exercises for a generation – Today’s Youth, Tomorrow’s Nation. 

    We are providing young people with a genuine voice, delivering on our Plan for Change and creating opportunities in every part of the country.

    Minister for Civil Society, Stephanie Peacock said:

    We are breaking down the barriers to opportunity that young people face and giving them the chance to have their say – on what they want from the Government and how public policies can work for them.

    I encourage all young people to fill in the survey and tell us what you think so you can help shape a brighter future for you and your generation.” 

    To ensure that young people’s voices are at the heart of the process throughout, the Government has appointed 13 young people to form a Youth Advisory Group (YAG). Members span multiple sectors and have experience across key areas including advocacy, violence prevention, social mobility and mental health. They include Jhemar Jones (member of London’s Violence Reduction Unit Young People’s Action Group), Yahye Abdi (Youth Development Coordinator with the Hope Collective) and Zafeera Akarim (Member of Youth Parliament).

    An Expert Advisory Group (EAG) will sit alongside the YAG to help guide the national conversation with young people, providing expertise and challenging thinking throughout the National Youth’s Strategy development. The group is made up of 14 experts from a variety of sectors including Isa Guha (sports presenter and founder of Cricket charity championing women and girls, Take Her Lead), Alex Holmes OBE (Deputy CEO at The Diana Award), and Paul Lindley OBE (founder of Ella’s Kitchen), among other highly experienced voices. 

    Young people will also be able to take part in ‘Hackathon’ events, collaborating with others alongside youth engagement experts and professional researchers to try and solve some of the most pressing issues they’re facing. Over the past few weeks, young people have been meeting at peer-led focus groups called ‘Democracy Cafés’ across the country, discussing the issues they want to see addressed.

    An expert consortium of partners will facilitate the widespread engagement with young people, comprising market research consultancy Savanta; key leader in youth-led engagement in the UK, My Life My Say (MLMS); and the #iwill Movement, a social movement supporting Youth Social Action with coordination from leading civil society and social action charity Volunteering Matters and UK Youth. They will be working with ten Youth Collaborators, young people recruited to ensure all activities are genuinely co-produced. 

    ENDS

    Additional quotes: 

    YAG member and Volunteer with Sea Cadet Corp Munachiso Thornton said:

    It is encouraging to see that outstanding individuals from a wide range of backgrounds have been recruited for the Youth Advisory Group, and we shall endeavour to authentically represent and amplify youth experiences. It is my earnest hope that the result of our input will contribute to a strategy that truly services young people of the UK.

    EAG member and Head of Artist Management at Off the Rells, Mickey Perkins said:

    Young people are the future of this country, and it’s crucial that they have a direct voice in shaping the policies that impact their lives. Through the Expert Advisory Group, we are ensuring that youth engagement goes beyond a mere tick-box exercise; it’s about fostering real conversations, creating real influence, and driving real change. The survey provides a platform for young people to express their views, helping bridge the gap between the government and the next generation. This will ensure that their ideas and experiences are no longer overlooked and can play a role in shaping the national agenda.

    Co-chair of #iWill Movement, Sami Gichki said:

    The National Youth Strategy isn’t something that has been decided, it is open – it will be shaped by young people so that it will be fit for purpose. It is hope; hope for creating a Britain where young people don’t just survive but thrive!

    Chair of Back Youth Alliance (BYA) & OnSide Chief Executive, Jamie Masraff said: 

    I am delighted that the Government is developing a new National Youth Strategy, something the BYA has been calling for over the last few years. This is a real opportunity to set out an overarching vision for young people that brings together priorities and recognises the importance of youth work and enrichment up and down the country.

    Associate Director of Policy at Centre for Mental Health, Kadra Abdinasir said: 

    The forthcoming youth strategy offers a crucial opportunity to enhance support for the nation’s children and young people.Hearing from young people is essential to ground the process in their views and experiences. I’m hopeful that the strategy will be a step toward creating a more confident and supported generation that feels heard, regardless of their background, and I’m pleased to be a member of the expert advisory group helping to shape its direction

    Bradley Riches autistic actor and author, Calls for Youth Voices to Shape the Future said:

    As a young person who has faced challenges growing up neurodivergent, I know how important it is to feel heard and understood. This initiative is an incredible opportunity for young people to have a say in shaping the support and services that will directly impact their futures. By listening to real experiences, the Government can make meaningful changes that empower young people from all backgrounds. I encourage everyone to get involved—your voice matters, and together, we can help shape a brighter, more inclusive future.

    Notes to editors: 

    Deliver You is the name of this national campaign across England, which will seek views directly from young people to inform the National Youth Strategy. The campaign, co-created with young people, is an ambitious and exciting opportunity for young people to share their views, experiences, and ideas- and to tell the Government what really matters to them.   – The Deliver You campaign is powered by DCMS, #iWill Movement, My Life My Say and Savanta – a partnership driven by a commitment to equipping and enabling young people to shape and lead change.

    Youth Advisory Group:

    • Yahye Abdi, Youth Development Coordinator, The Hope Collective
    • Zafeera Akarim, Member of Youth Parliament for Gloucester and Forest of Dean
    • Reuben Byfield, Youth Advisory Board member, NCS Trust
    • Jhemar Jones, youth worker and consultant
    • Charlotte Atherton, Girlguiding Advocacy Panel
    • Hilary Balogan, Girlguiding Advocacy Panel
    • Sophie Pender, founder, The 93% Club and Foundation
    • Serene Weibe, campaigner, boxing coach and mentor at Empire Fighting Chance
    • Dan Lawes, Co-CEO of My Life My Say and an #iwill ambassador
    • Sami Gichki, Co-Chair, #iwill Movement
    • Joe Seddon, Founder and CEO, Zero Gravity
    • Koby Davis, Youth Justice Case Manager, Leicestershire County Council
    • Lauren Roberts-Turner, researcher and campaigner
    • Munachiso Thornton, Volunteer with Sea Cadet Corp

    Expert Advisory Group:

    • Kadra Abdinasir, Associate Director of Policy at the Centre for Mental Health
    • Paul Lindley OBE, entrepreneur, campaigner and author
    • Professor Joht Singh Chandan, Clinical Professor of Public Health, University of Birmingham
    • Alex Holmes OBE, Deputy CEO, Diana Award
    • Alex Goat, CEO, Livity 
    • Jason Arthur, CEO, Mission 44
    • Mickey Perkins, Head of Artist Management, Off the Rells
    • Harris Bokhari OBE, Chair, National Citizen Service Trust
    • Jonathan Hopkins, public affairs consultant
    • Ciaran Thapar, Director of Public Affairs and Communications, Youth Endowment Fund
    • Jamie Masraff, CEO, OnSide
    • Leigh Middleton OBE, CEO, National Youth Agency
    • David Knott, CEO, The National Lottery Community Fund
    • Isa Guha, founder/chair of Take Her Lead and Presenter/Commentator for BBC and Fox

    Updates to this page

    Published 5 March 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: British Hallmarking Council appoints three new members

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    News story

    British Hallmarking Council appoints three new members

    The new members will be part of the British Hallmarking Council from January 2025 for a period of three years.

    The Secretary of State for Business and Trade has appointed three new members to the British Hallmarking Council from January 2025 for a period of three years.

    They will work with the Chair Noel Hunter, OBE and existing members of Council to ensure the organisation achieves its strategic objectives. 

    New members appointed are:

    • Kerry Gregory
    • Sally Leonard
    • Frederick Toye

    British Hallmarking Council Chair Noel Hunter said:

    I am delighted to welcome our three new members to Council. Their expertise in the precious metal, gemmology and jewellery trades will be invaluable as the Council continues its work to protect consumers, ensure the integrity and adequacy of hallmarking, and support growth in the sector.

    I would also like to express my thanks to our outgoing Secretary of State appointed Council members Joanna Hardy, Patrick Fuller, and Rachel Holloway for their invaluable contributions over the years.

    Kerry Gregory

    Kerry Gregory has been in the UK jewellery and pawnbroking industry for over 25 years. She started her business ‘Gemmology Rocks’ after a varied career of retail jewellery, valuing, pawnbroking and gemmology.

    Kerry holds qualifications in diamonds and gemstones from Gem-A, GIA, AIGS, and FEEG. As well as a certificate in Valuation Practice from NAJ. Kerry also holds a level 6 diploma in Education and Training specialising in teaching adults.

    Kerry is very active in both the UK and US industry, and has delivered presentations, and written articles, to critical acclaim, to many organisations and associations. A past long term tutor and head of ATC for Gem-A, she served on the board of Gem-A, and ran one of the UK Branches. Kerry is currently on the Board of Trustees for the Silversmiths and Jewellers Charity (UK), and a key contributor to the National Association of Jewellers Professional Trade Standards Committee.

    Sally Leonard

    Sally Leonard is a jeweller and consultant with over two decades of experience supporting the jewellery industry. Through her consultancy, she has guided hundreds of businesses, offering practical advice on strategy, market positioning, and sustainability.

    As the founder of Leonard of London, Sally combines her passion for design with a steadfast commitment to ethical sourcing and craftsmanship. Her work is rooted in inclusion and collaboration, helping to ensure that the jewellery sector remains both innovative and vibrant.

    She is honoured to be a Freeman of the Goldsmiths’ Company and the City of London.

    Frederick Toye

    Frederick Toye is chairman and a director of the celebrated British manufacturing firm Toye, Kenning & Spencer. Through the company, Frederick has collaborated with a wide variety of contemporary and well-known designers and brands creating precious metal jewellery, accessories and other items.

    The company uses several techniques at its diverse range of in-house workshops in the UK, including but not limited to stamping, polishing, plating, gold and silversmithing, engraving, toolmaking, enameling, woodwork, weaving, machine and hand-embroidery, gold and silver wire drawing and millinery.

    In addition, Frederick is one of the leading figures in the creation of state insignia, medals and regalia in the UK and holds a Royal Warrant from HM King Charles III for ‘the supply of gold and silver laces, insignia and embroidery’.

    Frederick is also a Liveryman of the Worshipful Company of Goldsmiths.

    Updates to this page

    Published 5 March 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Chinese student convicted of drugging and raping 10 women

    Source: United Kingdom London Metropolitan Police

    Met detectives appeal for victim-survivors to come forward after serial rapist convicted

    A serial rapist – who drugged and raped a number of women both in the UK and China – has been convicted, following one of the most complex investigations carried out by detectives in the Met.

    Zhenhao Zou, 28 (20.02.97), of Churchyard Row, Elephant and Castle, was today (Wednesday, 5 March) found guilty of a total of 28 offences, including 11 counts of rape against 10 different women.

    A jury found Zou guilty after a five-and-a-half-week trial at Inner London Crown Court. He will be sentenced at the same court on Thursday, 19 June.

    Following the conclusion of today’s court proceedings, detectives can now share they believe the scale of Zou’s offending may be much wider and are making a direct appeal for any victim-survivors who have not yet been identified to come forward and seek specialist support.

    While detectives have identified two victim-survivors, eight of the women who Zou was convicted of raping remain unidentified. Beyond this, detectives believe there may be more than 50 other women who may have been a victim and have not yet been identified by police.

    The investigation

    Zou is originally from Dongguan in the Guangdong Province of China and is believed to have lived in the UK since 2017.

    Before his arrest in January 2024, Zou was a student at University College London (UCL) since 2019 and prior to that studied at Queen’s University Belfast.

    Zou met women using online platforms and dating apps, inviting them to his home under the guise of studying or to have drinks. Officers have established that he invited women back to his address – one in central London and another in Elephant and Castle.

    Once inside he would offer them a drink which contained a substance – believed to be butanediol, which converts to GHB once in the human body.

    This would leave the victim-survivors drifting in and out of consciousness. While unconscious, he filmed himself as he raped and sexually assaulted them.

    Zou also kept items from victim-survivors, such as jewellery and clothing.

    After a woman came forward to report Zou, police searched his home and found the drugs butanediol and ketamine, as well as a number of hidden cameras. They also seized a number of laptops and mobile phones, which later uncovered the true scale of Zou’s offending.

    Officers downloaded the digital devices amounting to six and a half trillion bytes of data, which included around nine million WeChat messages.

    Met investigators spent months trawling through messages to understand Zou’s pattern of offending, painstakingly translating them into English from Simplified Chinese.

    They also watched hundreds of videos stored on his devices, which appear to show Zou filming himself raping and sexually assaulting women. It was after analysis of this graphic and disturbing material that it became apparent that he had not only committed offences in London, but also in his home country of China too.

    During the trial, officers were assisted by the Chinese Ministry of Public Security, who helped to facilitate one of the brave victim-survivors giving evidence against Zou.

    As part of the investigation, the Met has also been supported by the Crown Prosecution Service, National Crime Agency and Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office.

    The appeal

    To protect the integrity of ongoing legal proceedings after Zou was first charged with offences, detectives have not been able to publicly appeal for further potential victim-survivors until this time.

    The Metropolitan Police is now asking anyone who thinks they may have been a victim to come forward and speak with police.

    Specialist officers work closely with victim-survivors to seek justice and are available to offer support and signpost to external partners, so they can get help.

    Officers are keeping an open mind about the identities of unidentified victim-survivors, but are particularly keen to hear from women from the Chinese student community who may have met Zou and were living in and around London between 2019-2024. They also would like to speak to potential victims-survivors who may have met Zou while he was living in China.

    Women may have met Zou via online platforms, including student forums on the Chinese social media apps WeChat or Little Red Book, or may have spoken to him on dating apps, such as Bumble.

    Victim-survivors may have visited Zou at his accommodation in Woburn Place in central London or his address in Churchyard Row in Elephant and Castle in London. Others may have met Zou when he was living in China.

    Due to the nature of Zou’s offending, detectives believe that some women may not know they have been a victim-survivor and do not underestimate how distressing and difficult it may be to read or hear about his crimes following this verdict. They are reassuring potential victim-survivors that any reports will be fully investigated and dealt with the utmost sensitivity, care and compassion.

    Officers also understand that not every victim-survivor may wish to speak with the police to get support. Therefore, the charity Rape Crisis is also offering support for women to seek help and guidance from advisors who are independent to the police.

    As part of their appeal, detectives are also keen to speak to any witnesses who might have helpful information, in particular anyone who might have met Zou at parties or spoke to him on social media apps and has any concerns.

    Commander Kevin Southworth, lead for public protection at the Metropolitan Police, said: “Zhenhao Zou is a dangerous and prolific sexual predator, who manipulated and drugged women in order to prey on them in the most cowardly way.

    “I’d like to acknowledge the two women who bravely gave evidence against Zou in court – their courage and resilience has been unwavering.

    “We are determined to support all victim-survivors and are now asking women who believe they may have concerns about Zou to please come forward. I want to reassure anyone impacted that you are not alone and can seek specialist support and guidance, not only from the police, but also from independent charities and services.

    “I would also like to take this opportunity to thank the investigation team, who have shown professionalism, compassion and determination in their pursuit for justice.”

    The Met recognises the impact that this horrific case will have on Londoners, in particular Chinese students who may have lived in and around Southwark and Lambeth. Officers continue to liaise with partners to ensure anyone with concerns can access advice and specialist support from local police teams.

    How to contact the police and independent support agencies:

    Reports relating to Zhenhao Zou can be made online via the Major Incident Public Portal (MIPP): https://mipp.police.uk/operation/01MPS25X38-PO1. The MIPP is also available in Simplified Chinese (https://mipp.police.uk/operation/01MPS25X38-PO2 ), so it is as accessible as possible for potential victims and survivors.

    If you wish to speak to Met detectives or make a report relating to Zou, you can also contact police via email on survivors@met.police.uk

    You can also make a report to police by calling 101 from within the UK, quoting reference 2904/04FEB25.

    If you live in England or Wales and have been affected by this case and would like to seek support from specialist agencies, please contact the independent charity Rape Crisis via their 24/7 Rape and Sexual Abuse Support Line or call them on 0808 500 2222. Specially trained staff are there to listen, answer questions and offer emotional support.

    Background

    • Please consult ‘Document 1’ for a full breakdown of offences, including information relating to locations of offences
    • Please consult ‘Document 2’ for a timeline of offences

    Tackling Violence against Women and Girls

    • In 2023, the Met launched its new Violence against Women and Girls (VAWG) Action Plan, working with women and girls across London to shape a new approach to keep them safe.
    • The Met has transformed the way it investigates rape and serious sexual offences. Under Operation Soteria, the Met is doing more to put victim-survivors at the heart of its response to these crimes.
    • As part of its commitment to tackling violence against women and girls, caused largely at the hands of predatory men, officers are placing more focus on suspects and offering support to those impacted alongside specialist partners.
    • Since 2021, the Met has more than doubled its charge rate for rape.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI: NVIDIA CEO Jensen Huang and Industry Visionaries to Unveil What’s Next in AI at GTC 2025

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    SANTA CLARA, Calif., March 05, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — NVIDIA today announced GTC 2025, the world’s premier AI conference, will return March 17-21 to San Jose, Calif. — bringing together the brightest minds in AI to showcase breakthroughs happening now in physical AI, agentic AI and scientific discovery. GTC will bring together 25,000 attendees in person — and 300,000 attendees virtually — for an in-depth look at the technologies shaping the future.

    NVIDIA founder and CEO Jensen Huang will deliver the keynote from SAP Center on Tuesday, March 18, at 10 a.m. PT focused on AI and accelerated computing technologies changing the world. It will be livestreamed and available on demand at nvidia.com. Registration is not required to view the keynote online.

    Onsite attendees can arrive at SAP Center early to enjoy a live pregame show hosted by the “Acquired” podcast and other surprise festivities. Virtual attendees can catch the pregame show live online.

    “AI is pushing the limits of what’s possible — turning yesterday’s dreams into today’s reality,” Huang said. “GTC brings together the brightest scientists, engineers, developers and creators to imagine and build a better future. Come and be first to see the new advances in NVIDIA computing and breakthroughs in AI, robotics, science and the arts that will transform industries and society.”

    AI is here, and it’s mainstream — powering the everyday brands that shape people’s lives. At GTC, some of the world’s largest companies, groundbreaking startups and leading academic minds will convene to explore the transformative impact of AI across industries.

    With over 1,000 sessions, 2,000 speakers and nearly 400 exhibitors, GTC will showcase how NVIDIA’s AI and accelerated computing platforms tackle the world’s biggest and toughest challenges — spanning climate research to healthcare, cybersecurity, humanoid robotics, autonomous vehicles and more. From large language models and physical AI to cloud computing and scientific discovery, NVIDIA’s full-stack platform is driving the next industrial revolution.

    At the conference, attendees can also look forward to curated experiences, including dozens of demos spanning every industry, hands-on training, autonomous vehicle exhibits and rides, and a new GTC Night Market featuring street food and wares from 20 local vendors and artisans.

    Notable speakers include:

    • Pieter Abbeel, director of the UC Berkeley Robot Learning Lab and co-director of the UC Berkeley Artificial Intelligence Lab
    • Drago Anguelov, vice president and head of research, Waymo
    • Frances Arnold, Nobel Laureate in chemistry and Linus Pauling Professor of chemical engineering, bioengineering and biochemistry, California Institute of Technology
    • Gülen Bengi, chief marketing officer, Mars Snacking
    • Esi Eggleston Bracey, chief growth and marketing officer, Unilever
    • Noam Brown, research scientist, OpenAI
    • Nadia Carlsten, CEO, Danish Centre for AI Innovation, Novo Nordisk Foundation
    • Max Jaderberg, chief AI officer, and Sergei Yakneen, chief technology officer, Isomorphic Labs
    • Athina Kanioura, executive vice president and chief strategy and transformation officer, PepsiCo
    • Jeffrey Katzenberg, founding partner, WndrCo
    • The Rt Hon Peter Kyle MP, secretary of state for science, innovation and technology, United Kingdom
    • Yann LeCun, vice president and chief AI scientist, Meta; professor, New York University
    • Arthur Mensch, CEO, Mistral AI
    • Joe Park, chief digital and technology officer, Yum! Brands; president, Byte by Yum!
    • Rajendra “RP” Prasad, chief information and asset engineering officer, Accenture
    • Raji Rajagopalan, vice president, Azure AI Foundry, Microsoft
    • Aaron Saunders, chief technology officer, Boston Dynamics
    • RJ Scaringe, founder and CEO, Rivian
    • Clara Shih, head of business AI, Meta
    • Alicia Tillman, chief marketing officer, Delta Air Lines
    • Pras Velagapudi, chief technology officer, Agility Robotics

    More than 900 organizations will participate, including Accenture, Adobe, Arm, Airbnb, Amazon Web Services (AWS), BMW Group, The Coca-Cola Company, CoreWeave, Dell Technologies, Disney Research, Field AI, Ford, Foxconn, Google Cloud, Kroger, Lowe’s, Mercedes-Benz, Meta, Microsoft, MLB, NFL, OpenAI, Oracle Cloud Infrastructure, Pfizer, Rockwell Automation, Salesforce, Samsung, ServiceNow, SoftBank, TSMC, Uber, Volvo, Volkswagen, Wayve and Zoox.

    Quantum Day Arrives
    NVIDIA will host its first Quantum Day at GTC on March 20. The event will bring together the global quantum computing community and key industry figures.

    Leaders from the quantum computing industry will join a panel with Huang from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. PT, shedding light on the current state and future of quantum computing. The panel will be livestreamed and available on demand, and feature pioneers in quantum computing, including:

    • Alan Baratz, CEO, D-Wave
    • Ben Bloom, CEO, Atom Computing
    • Peter Chapman, executive chair, IonQ
    • Rajeeb Hazra, CEO, Quantinuum
    • Loïc Henriet, co-CEO, Pasqal
    • Matthew Kinsella, CEO, Infleqtion
    • Subodh Kulkarni, CEO, Rigetti
    • John Levy, CEO, SEEQC
    • Andrew Ory, CEO, QuEra Computing
    • Théau Peronnin, CEO, Alice & Bob
    • Rob Schoelkopf, chief scientist, Quantum Circuits
    • Simone Severini, general manager, quantum technologies, AWS
    • Pete Shadbolt, chief scientific officer, PsiQuantum
    • Krysta Svore, technical fellow, Microsoft

    Quantum Day will also feature technical sessions with partners, NVIDIA researchers and more.

    AI Training and Certification for Developers
    NVIDIA is training the workforce of the future to equip them with critical skills for navigating and leading in an AI-driven future.

    GTC attendees can participate in more than 80 hands-on instructor-led workshops and training labs provided by NVIDIA Training.

    For the first time, onsite attendees can take certification exams for free — gaining a tremendous opportunity to validate their AI and accelerated computing skills and advance their careers.

    In addition, new professional certifications will be available in accelerated data science and AI networking, as well as workshops in generative AI, agentic AI and accelerated computing with CUDA® C++.

    Learn more about training offerings at GTC on the event webpage.

    Startup and Venture Capital Ecosystem
    For startups and VCs, GTC will feature an AI Day with expert panels, live demos from top startups, session tracks designed for investors, a VC reverse pitch session and exclusive networking opportunities with investors.

    The NVIDIA Inception Pavilion will spotlight cutting-edge innovation from the NVIDIA Inception program, home to more than 22,000 startups. Nearly 250 Inception members will showcase their breakthroughs with demos, exhibitions and sessions spanning areas such as healthcare, climate science and robotics.

    NVIDIA Financial Analyst Q&A
    NVIDIA will hold a Q&A session for investors on March 19 at 8:30 a.m. PT. The webcast will be available at investor.nvidia.com.

    About NVIDIA
    NVIDIA (NASDAQ: NVDA) is the world leader in accelerated computing.

    For further information, contact:
    Clarissa Eyu
    Corporate Communications
    NVIDIA Corporation
    ceyu@nvidia.com

    Certain statements in this press release including, but not limited to, statements as to: the timing, size, themes, sessions, speakers, participants, availability and impact of GTC, including the GTC keynote and the Quantum Day; AI pushing the limits of what’s possible — turning yesterday’s dreams into today’s reality; from large language models and conversational AI to cloud computing and scientific breakthroughs, NVIDIA’s full-stack platform driving the next industrial revolution; AI powering the everyday brands that shape people’s lives; NVIDIA training the workforce of the future; the availability of professional certifications for onsite attendees; and the timing and availability of the financial analyst Q&A are forward-looking statements that are subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause results to be materially different than expectations. Important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially include: global economic conditions; our reliance on third parties to manufacture, assemble, package and test our products; the impact of technological development and competition; development of new products and technologies or enhancements to our existing product and technologies; market acceptance of our products or our partners’ products; design, manufacturing or software defects; changes in consumer preferences or demands; changes in industry standards and interfaces; unexpected loss of performance of our products or technologies when integrated into systems; as well as other factors detailed from time to time in the most recent reports NVIDIA files with the Securities and Exchange Commission, or SEC, including, but not limited to, its annual report on Form 10-K and quarterly reports on Form 10-Q. Copies of reports filed with the SEC are posted on the company’s website and are available from NVIDIA without charge. These forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance and speak only as of the date hereof, and, except as required by law, NVIDIA disclaims any obligation to update these forward-looking statements to reflect future events or circumstances.

    © 2025 NVIDIA Corporation. All rights reserved. NVIDIA, the NVIDIA logo and CUDA are trademarks and/or registered trademarks of NVIDIA Corporation in the U.S. and other countries. Other company and product names may be trademarks of the respective companies with which they are associated. Features, pricing, availability and specifications are subject to change without notice.

    A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/922e27de-6626-4818-9a6d-d3108f818e25.

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI Global: The child boss in ‘Severance’ reveals a devastating truth about work and child-rearing in the 21st century

    Source: The Conversation – USA – By Anna Mae Duane, Professor of English, University of Connecticut

    Miss Huang is, in many ways, capitalism’s ideal child. Apple TV+

    In the second season of “Severance,” there’s an unexpected character: a child supervisor named Miss Huang, who matter-of-factly explains she’s a child “because of when I was born.”

    Miss Huang’s deadpan response is more than just a clever quip. Like so much in the Apple TV+ series, which has broken viewership records for the streaming service, I think it reveals a devastating truth about the role of work in the 21st century.

    As a scholar of childhood studies, I also see historical echoes: What constitutes a “child” – and whether one gets to claim childhood at all – has always depended on when and where a person is born.

    An age of innocence?

    Americans are deeply invested in the idea of childhood as a time of innocence, with kids protected by doting adults from the harsh realities of work and making ends meet.

    However, French historian Philippe Ariès famously argued that childhood, as many understand it today, simply did not exist in the past.

    The 14th-century painting ‘Madonna of Veveri’ depicts a young child with adultlike proportions.
    The Print Collector/Getty Images

    Using medieval art as one resource, Ariès pointed out that children were often portrayed as miniature adults, without special attributes, such as plump features or silly behaviors, that might mark them as fundamentally different from their older counterparts.

    Looking at baptism records, Ariès also discovered that many parents gave siblings the same name, and he explained this phenomenon by suggesting that devastatingly high child mortality rates prevented parents from investing the sort of love and affection in their children that’s now considered a core component of parenthood.

    While historians have debated many of Ariès’ specific claims, his central insight remains powerful: Our modern understanding of childhood as a distinct life stage characterized by play, protection and freedom from adult responsibilities is a relatively recent historical development. Ariès argued that children didn’t emerge as a focus of unconditional love until the 17th century.

    Kids at work

    The belief that a child deserves a life free from the stress of the workplace came along still later.

    After all, if Miss Huang had been born in the 19th century, few people would question her presence in the workplace. The Industrial Revolution yielded accounts of children working 16-hour days and accorded no special protection because of their tender age and emotional vulnerability. Well into the 20th century, children younger than Miss Huang routinely worked in factories, mines and other dangerous environments.

    To today’s viewers of “Severance,” the presence of a child supervisor in the sterile, oppressive workplace of the show’s fictional Lumon Industries feels jarring precisely because it violates the deeply held belief that children are occupants of a separate sphere, their innocence shielding them from the dog-eat-dog environs of competitive workplaces.

    Lewis Hine’s 1908 photograph of girls working at Newberry Mills in Newberry, S.C.
    Library of Congress

    Childhood under threat

    As a child worker, Miss Huang might seem like an uncanny ghost of a bygone era of childhood. But I think she’s closer to a prophet: Her role as child-boss warns viewers about what a work-obsessed future holds.

    Today, the ideal childhood – access to play, care and a meaningful education – is increasingly under threat.

    As politicians and policymakers insist that children are the future, many of them refuse to support the intensive caregiving required to transform newborns into functioning adults. As philosopher Nancy Fraser has argued, capitalism relies on someone doing that work, while assigning it little to no monetized value.

    Child-rearing in the 21st century exists within a troubling paradox: Mothers provide unpaid child care for their own children, while those who professionally care for others’ children – predominantly women of color and immigrants – receive meager compensation for this essential work.

    In other words, economic elites and the politicians they support say they want to cultivate future workers. But they don’t want to fund the messy, inefficient, time-consuming process that raising modern children requires.

    The show’s name comes from a “severance” procedure that workers undergo to separate their work memories from their personal ones. It offers a darkly comic version of work-life balance, with Lumon office workers able to completely disconnect their work selves from their personalities off the clock. Each is distinct: A character’s “innie” is the person they are at the job, and their “outtie” is who they are at home.

    I see this as an apt metaphor for how market capitalism seeks to separate the slow, patient work required to raise children and care for other loved ones from the cold-eyed pursuit of economic efficiency. Parents are expected to work as if they don’t have children and raise children as if they don’t work.

    The result is a system that makes traditional notions of childhood – with its unwieldy dependencies, its inefficient play and its demands for attention and care – increasingly untenable.

    Capitalism’s ideal child

    Plummeting global fertility rates around the world speak to this crisis in child care, with the U.S., Europe, South Korea and China falling well below the birth rate required to replace the existing population.

    Even as Elon Musk frets about women choosing not to have children, he seems eager to restrict any government aid that would provide the time or resources that raising children requires.

    Accessible health care, affordable, healthy food and stable housing are out of the reach of many. The current administration’s quest for what it calls “government efficiency” is poised to shred safety net programs that help millions of low-income children.

    In the midst of this dilemma, Miss Huang offers a surreal solution to the problems children pose in 2025.

    She is, in many ways, capitalism’s ideal child. Already a productive worker as a tween, she requires no parent’s time, no teacher’s patience and no community’s resources. Like other workers and executives at Lumon, she seems to have shed the inefficient entanglements of family, love and play.

    In this light, Miss Huang’s clever insistence that she is a child “because of when I was born” is darkly prophetic. In a world where every moment must be productive, where caregiving is systematically devalued and where human relationships are subordinated to market logic, Miss Huang represents a future where childhood survives only as a date on a birth certificate. All the other attributes are economically impractical.

    Viewers don’t yet know if she’s severed. But at least from the perspective of the other workers in the show, Miss Huang works ceaselessly and, in doing so, proves that she is no child at all.

    Or rather, she is the only kind of child that America’s economic system allows to thrive.

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

    – ref. The child boss in ‘Severance’ reveals a devastating truth about work and child-rearing in the 21st century – https://theconversation.com/the-child-boss-in-severance-reveals-a-devastating-truth-about-work-and-child-rearing-in-the-21st-century-249123

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Learning ethics − one Marvel movie at a time

    Source: The Conversation – USA – By James Calvin Davis, Professor of Religion, Middlebury

    Philosophically, there’s more to many superhero movies than first meets the eye. Daniel Fung/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images

    Uncommon Courses is an occasional series from The Conversation U.S. highlighting unconventional approaches to teaching.

    Title of course:

    Ethics in the MCU

    What prompted the idea for the course?

    As a die-hard fan of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, I rewatch the movies and series on a regular basis. As an ethicist, I can’t help but notice that the MCU raises some really tough moral questions.

    Yes, the movies are about monsters and magic and things exploding, but they are also about racial prejudice, power and obligation, artificial intelligence, biotechnological enhancement and colonization. They center complicated questions about right and wrong, moral character and unintended consequences.

    The more I rewatched them, the more I was convinced that this would be a great way to introduce students to the study of ethics. So when my time came again to offer a first-year seminar, I constructed one around watching superheroes at work. Leading new college students through an ethical analysis of Marvel movies seemed like an opportunity to work on useful intellectual skills in a low-pressure environment. Not a bad way to start college!

    What does the course explore?

    I structured the course around specific moral questions and then used an MCU film or series to get the students thinking about those questions.

    For instance, the challenges faced by the female protagonist in “Captain Marvel” gave us an opportunity to talk more broadly about gender, empowerment and respect for women’s leadership, as did the brutal reaction to the movie by some comic book bros.

    The antagonist in “Black Panther” takes over the African country of Wakanda in order to ignite a global anticolonial uprising, and we used his perspective to think about the ethics of racial oppression, reparations and violent resistance.

    Captain America’s best friend, Bucky Barnes, who was captured and brainwashed into serving as a covert assassin for decades, has to deal with the consequences of his actions once he recovers his true self. Bucky’s situation invited us to talk about the relationship between intention and complicity in our moral judgments.

    And the most fascinating conversation I had in the entire semester was about the utilitarian calculus of the supervillain Thanos, who appears in the “Infinity War” and “Endgame” films. Overpopulation led to the destruction of Thanos’ home planet, and his fear that the whole cosmos could meet a similar fate drives him to wipe out half of all life in the universe.

    Was he justified? Our discussions explored the ethical limits of utilitarian calculations. To my shock, half of the class eventually came to the conclusion that Thanos may have had a moral point.

    Why is this course relevant now?

    While it is helpful to talk about moral responsibility theoretically, or with reference to real headlines, narrative is another useful way to get students to think about the ethical choices people make and how we make them. This is one way the arts and humanities can serve the liberal arts project, preparing young people for democratic citizenship.

    Stories serve as fictional but concrete “case studies” through which students can think about themselves and others as moral actors. By focusing on other characters, stories encourage our moral imagination and empathy. Rather than reducing ethical issues to abstraction, stories remind us that moral choices are made within particular circumstances and relationships.

    What materials does the course feature?

    Our main “texts” for the semester were movies and series we watched and discussed with certain moral questions in mind. In conjunction, we read short pieces on ethical theory to give students a tool kit for analyzing those issues. Authors ranged from classical writers such as Aristotle and 19th-century philosopher John Stuart Mill to more modern perspectives such as Martin Luther King Jr., theologian James Cone and philosopher Martha Nussbaum.

    We also read parts of two awesome books making similar connections: “The Politics of the Marvel Cinematic Universe,” edited by Nicholas Carnes and Lilly J. Goren, and “Marveling Religion,” edited by Jennifer Baldwin and Daniel White Hodge.

    What will the course prepare students to do?

    I hope the course provides students a fun chance to develop capacities for ethical thinking at the beginning of their college career. Public discourse in the United States, which is the focus of my teaching and scholarship, could use more citizens with greater skill in moral discernment, and these days we all could use more fun. Why not do something that is entertaining but also has intellectual integrity and social usefulness?

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

    – ref. Learning ethics − one Marvel movie at a time – https://theconversation.com/learning-ethics-one-marvel-movie-at-a-time-247308

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

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

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

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

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

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

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

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

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


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

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

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

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

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

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

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Influencers have trouble figuring out their tax obligations − and with good reason

    Source: The Conversation – USA – By Sarah Webber, Associate Professor of Accounting, University of Dayton

    If influencer Jimmy Darts got any of this outdoor furniture for free, the IRS would probably see it as income. AP Photo/Chris Pizzello

    The Internal Revenue Service hasn’t issued comprehensive guidance on how the estimated 27 million Americans earning income as influencers should report their income and expenses on their tax returns. That’s leaving people who either make a living or supplement their income by endorsing products and services on social media platforms such as Instagram and YouTube – and their accountants – unsure about the tax consequences of their income and expenses, or what kinds of deductions are legitimate for people in their line of work.

    We, two accounting scholars, published this finding and other things we discovered about the taxation of content creators in the Journal of Accountancy in the fall of 2024.

    We found that the tax treatment of the free products many influencers get in the course of doing their job is especially ambiguous, leaving them unaware of how to correctly file their tax returns.

    While some tax experts argue that freebies, whether they’re objects such as running shoes and headphones or services such as a luxury hotel stay, should be treated as taxable income. Other tax professionals say free goods and services are typically gifts, not income.

    For our research we analyzed tax laws, researched various accounting firms specializing in influencer clients and examined IRS guidance that offers tax advice to accountants and influencers. While specific audits of social media influencers for nondeductible lifestyle expenses are not publicly documented due to confidentiality, there are common areas where influencers may face scrutiny from tax authorities.

    The IRS issued its most relevant guidance in 2006, when it advised entertainers and celebrities who receive “swag bags” containing pricey gifts at the Oscars and other high-profile award ceremonies. Other guidance is based on commonly accepted tax rules for business deductions and income recognition.

    The IRS confirmed that items received this way constitute taxable income that must be reported based on their fair value. This advice offered a starting point for influencer tax rules. In our view, that guidance does not clear up a growing area of uncertainty that affects millions of people and countless companies.

    A CPA offers some advice for influencers who get stuff from brands.

    Why it matters

    Following years of rapid growth, the influencer industry has an estimated market value of more than US$23 billion in 2025. Some experts predict that it will reach $71 billion by 2032 as brands spend billions more on their partnerships with influencers.

    Ideally, all influencers would sign contracts with their business partners outlining the terms of their compensation. In reality, companies send stuff or provide free services to influencers without agreeing with them about anything in advance.

    While the IRS allows gifts to be excluded from income, many influencers receive unsolicited items that generally don’t qualify as gifts. That’s because a true gift requires nothing expected in return.

    In contrast, when influencers get freebies, they’re often expected to promote or acknowledge those products or services on social media. When influencers get things they don’t use, returning them is their best course of action in terms of their possible tax liability.

    Otherwise, those items they didn’t ask for could constitute income they must report unless the items are considered de minimis – very low value – fringe benefits.

    In influencer marketing, this guideline allows influencers to exclude low-cost products or services from their income if their value is too small to track. Frequently receiving many low-value goods or services from the same business, however, could constitute taxable income.

    Influencers’ expenses are also hard to assess because they use many purchases for both personal and business purposes. And business expenses can be deducted on a tax return but not personal ones.

    The tax code is especially strict when it comes to apparel, unless it’s used exclusively for business purposes. This leaves influencers unsure about what they should do when they purchase, say, a cashmere scarf that they promote on TikTok but also wear when they go on errands without any promotional activities. Would that scarf be partially deductible? Not deductible at all? The IRS hasn’t said enough for us – or anyone else – to answer this question.

    Influencers must track everything they get for free and all their work-related expenses paid during the year. Creating a simple record-keeping system tracking for all goods and services received will simplify tax filing. There are some apps for that.

    What still isn’t known

    Neither the IRS nor Congress has indicated whether any guidelines, regulations or laws that would clarify the rules governing influencer taxation are in the works. It’s also unclear when IRS audits of influencers or relevant tax court cases are underway.

    The Research Brief is a short take about interesting academic work.

    The University of Dayton is a partner organization with The Conversation.

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

    – ref. Influencers have trouble figuring out their tax obligations − and with good reason – https://theconversation.com/influencers-have-trouble-figuring-out-their-tax-obligations-and-with-good-reason-250490

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Supreme Court sides with San Francisco, requiring EPA to set specific targets in water pollution permits

    Source: The Conversation – USA – By Robin Kundis Craig, Professor of Law, University of Kansas

    Swimmers gather at San Francisco’s Ocean Beach for a Polar Plunge to start the new year, Jan. 1, 2025. Tayfun Coskun/Anadolu via Getty Images

    The U.S. Supreme Court has limited how flexible the Environmental Protection Agency and states can be in regulating water pollution under the Clean Water Act in a ruling issued March 4, 2025. However, the justices kept the decision relatively narrow.

    The ruling only prohibits federal and state permitting agencies from issuing permits that are effectively broad orders not to violate water quality standards. In this case, the city and county of San Francisco argued successfully that the EPA’s requirements were not clear enough.

    My research focuses on water issues, including the Clean Water Act and the Supreme Court’s interpretations of it. In my view, regulators still will have multiple options for limiting the pollutants that factories, sewage treatment plants and other sources can release into protected water bodies.

    While this court has not been friendly to regulation in recent years, I believe the practical impact of this decision remains to be seen, and that it is not the major blow to clean water protection that some observers feared the court would inflict. In particular, the court affirmed that permitting agencies can still impose nonnumeric requirements, such as prohibitions on polluting at a certain time or under certain weather conditions like rain or high heat.

    Standards for treating sewage

    The 1972 Clean Water Act prohibits any “discharge of a pollutant” without a permit into bodies of water, such as rivers, lakes and bays, that are subject to federal regulation. San Francisco has a combined sewage treatment plant and stormwater control system, the Oceanside plant, which discharges treated sewage and stormwater into the Pacific Ocean through eight pipes, or outfalls.

    San Francisco’s Oceanside water treatment plant is built into a hollowed-out hill in the southwest corner of the city and discharges to the Pacific Ocean.
    Pi.1415926535/Wikimedia, CC BY-SA

    The California State Water Resources Control Board is in charge of seven outfalls that release treated water close to shore, in state waters. But the facility’s main pipe discharges into federal waters more than 3 miles out to sea, so it is regulated by the EPA.

    To comply with the law, polluters must obtain permits through the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System. The city and county of San Francisco have held a permit for the Oceanside facility since 1997.

    Discharge permit requirements can be both quantitative and qualitative. For example, the EPA establishes standard effluent limitations that dictate how clean the discharger’s waste stream must be. The agency sets these technology-based limitations according to the methods available in the relevant industry to clean up polluted wastewater.

    Numeric targets tell the discharger clearly how to comply with the law. For example, sewage treatment plants must keep the pH value of their wastewater discharges between 6.0 and 9.0. As long as the plant meets that standard and other effluent limitations, it is in compliance.

    San Francisco monitors beach water quality year-round and issues alerts when bacteria levels make water contact unsafe. This can happen after the city’s water treatment system is overwhelmed during major storms.
    San Francisco Public Utilities Commission

    What counts as ‘clean’?

    A second approach focuses not on the specific content of the discharge but rather on setting standards for what counts as a “clean” water body.

    Under the Clean Water Act, Congress gives states authority to establish water quality standards for each water body within their territory. First, the state identifies the uses it wants the ocean, river, lake or bay to support, such as swimming, providing habitat for fish or supplying drinking water.

    Next, state regulators determine what characteristics the water has to have to support those uses. For example, to support cold-water fish such as perch and pike, the water may need to remain below a certain temperature. These characteristics become the water quality criteria for that water body.

    Sometimes technology-based effluent limitations in a polluter’s permit aren’t stringent enough to ensure that a water body meets its water quality standards. When that happens, the Clean Water Act requires the permitting agency to adjust its permit requirements to ensure that water quality standards are met.

    That’s what happened with the Oceanside plant. During rainstorms, runoff sometimes overwhelms the plant’s sewage treatment system, dumping a mixture of sewage and storm runoff directly into the Pacific Ocean – an event known as a combined sewer overflow. These episodes can cause violations of water quality standards. Area beaches sometimes are closed to swimming when bacterial counts in the water are high.

    In combined sewer systems, during dry weather and small storms, all flows are handled by the publicly owned treatment works. During large storms, the relief structure allows some of the combined stormwater and sewage to be discharged untreated to an adjacent water body.
    USEPA

    These aren’t small-scale releases. In a separate legal action, the federal government and the state of California are suing San Francisco for discharging more than 1.8 billion gallons of sewage on average every year since 2016 into creeks, San Francisco Bay and the Pacific Ocean.

    Can regulators say ‘Don’t violate water quality standards’?

    When the EPA and California issued the Oceanside plant’s current permit in 2019, they included two general standards. The first requires that Oceanside’s “[d]ischarge shall not cause or contribute to a violation of any applicable water quality standard.” The second states that “[n]either the treatment nor the discharge of pollutants shall create pollution, contamination, or nuisance” as defined under California law.

    The city and county of San Francisco argued that their permit terms weren’t fair because they couldn’t tell how to comply. For its part, the EPA invoked Section 1311(b)(1)(C) of the Clean Water Act, which allows permit writers to insert “any more stringent limitation, including those necessary to meet water quality standards,” into the permit. The agency argued that this phrase allows for narrative permit terms – a position that was upheld by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit.

    In a 5-4 decision, Justices Samuel Alito, Clarence Thomas and Brett Kavanaugh and Chief Justice John Roberts, with Justice Neil Gorsuch concurring, agreed with San Francisco that the EPA did not have the authority to issue permits that made the city and county responsible for overall water quality. Rather, they held, EPA should set limits on the quantities of various pollutants that San Francisco was allowed to discharge.

    “Determining what steps a permittee must take to ensure that water quality standards are met is the EPA’s responsibility, and Congress has given it the tools needed to make that determination,” the majority stated.

    Justices Amy Coney Barrett, Sonia Sotomayor, Elena Kagan and Ketanji Brown Jackson dissented. “When the technology-based effluent limitations are insufficient to ensure that the water quality standards are met, EPA has supplemental authority to impose further limitations,” they argued in an opinion authored by Barrett.

    There’s an important angle that neither the majority opinion nor the dissent addressed. Under Section 1312 of the Clean Water Act, when standard industry-wide effluent limitations are not stringent enough to protect the quality of a particular water body, regulatory agencies are required to come up with more stringent limits, which are known as water quality-based effluent limitations. For example, if a sewage treatment plant is discharging into a pristine mountain lake, it might be subject to these more stringent limitations to keep the lake pristine.

    Going forward, the EPA and states to which it has delegated authority will have to revise all Clean Water Act permits that contain the offending “don’t violate water quality standards” directive. These fixes will probably happen as those permits are renewed, which the law requires every five years.

    What if water pollution remains a serious problem, as it has in San Francisco? Regulators could choose to generate water quality-based effluent limitations, impose more stringent numeric requirements, or simply ignore potential violations of water quality standards. Their actions will likely vary depending on each agency’s resources and on how seriously pollution discharges threaten relevant water bodies and the humans and wildlife that use them.

    This is an updated version of an article originally published Oct. 11, 2024.

    Robin Kundis Craig has been a member of three National Research Council committees on the Clean Water Act and is a member of the American College of Environmental Law and the Environmental Law Institute, for whom she occasionally provides Clean Water Act analyses.

    – ref. Supreme Court sides with San Francisco, requiring EPA to set specific targets in water pollution permits – https://theconversation.com/supreme-court-sides-with-san-francisco-requiring-epa-to-set-specific-targets-in-water-pollution-permits-251441

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: USAID’s history shows decades of good work on behalf of America’s global interests, although not all its projects succeeded

    Source: The Conversation – USA – By Christian Ruth, America in the World Consortium Postdoctoral Fellow, University of Florida

    Volunteers at a camp for internally displaced people in Bahir Dar, Ethiopia, carry wheat flour donated by USAID in December 2021. J. Countess/Getty Images

    The Trump administration’s sudden dismantling of nearly all foreign aid, including the work carried out by the U.S. Agency for International Development, has upended the government agency’s longtime strategic role in implementing American foreign policy.

    The Trump administration said at the end of February 2025 that it is freezing 90% of USAID’s foreign aid contracts, leaving few projects intact. It has also recalled nearly 10,000 USAID staff from countries around the world.

    USAID is a government agency that, for more than 63 years, has led the United States’ foreign aid work on disaster recovery, poverty reduction and democratic reforms in many developing and middle-income countries.

    Reuters reported that a senior USAID official wrote in a March 2 internal memo that a yearlong pause in USAID’s work on health, food and agriculture in the world’s poorest countries would raise malaria deaths by 40%, to between 71,000 and 166,000 annually. It would also result in an increase of between 28% and 32% in tuberculosis cases, among other negative effects.

    As a historian of USAID, I know well that the agency has long faced a surprisingly high degree of scrutiny for its relatively tiny portion of the national budget.

    USAID’s budget has always been small – recently, in 2023, making up a roughly US$50 billion drop in the $6 trillion ocean of the federal budget. But USAID’s projects have had an outsized effect on the world.

    From a foreign policy standpoint, USAID’s greatest contribution to American influence abroad has always been its intangible soft-power effects. It helps to create an image of the U.S. as a positive, helpful world power worth partnering with.

    A poster for USAID in Beirut marks the U.S. donation for rebuilding lighting infrastructure near a destroyed city port in August 2023.
    Scott Peterson/Getty Images

    Responding to a Soviet threat in the 1960s

    USAID dates back to 1961, born from Cold War confrontations between the U.S. and the Soviet Union.

    In 1961, President John F. Kennedy merged several separate foreign aid agencies and offices – including the Mutual Security Agency, the Point Four Program and the Foreign Operations Administration – into one new agency.

    Kennedy, like other American presidents in the early years of the Cold War, fretted over the spread of communism.

    A well-known development economist, Walt Rostow, who served in Kennedy’s administration, was among the experts who argued that the Soviet Union could easily influence poor countries in Latin America, Africa and Asia. It was possible, Rostow argued, to help these countries grow their economies and become more modern.

    This possibility pushed Kennedy in 1961 to sign the Foreign Assistance Act, creating USAID that November.

    USAID immediately began to oversee U.S. foreign aid programs to develop farming, irrigation and dam construction projects throughout Southeast Asia, Africa and Latin America, taking over the existing projects of the various other aid departments that were now defunct.

    USAID was also responsible for public works projects in Cold War conflict zones, particularly Vietnam. There, USAID struggled in its efforts to build dams, improve rural agriculture techniques and construct South Vietnamese infrastructure. There were various environmental challenges working in the dense jungles, the physical threats caused by the ongoing Vietnam War and the realities of rural poverty.

    For example, USAID introduced new farming technologies to Vietnam, including modern fertilizers and tractors. This helped some farmers produce more crops, faster. But it also created disparities between wealthy and poor farmers, as modern fertilizer and other improvements were expensive. A growing number of poor farmers simply gave up and moved to nearby cities.

    Throughout the 1960s, USAID also funded the construction of hydropower water dams in Asia and Africa. This led to higher energy production in those regions, but also resulted in environmental degradation, as recklessly dammed rivers flooded forests and arable fields.

    Rostow and other development experts had unrealistically high goals for helping poor countries grow their economies. By the end of the decade, across the board, USAID beneficiary countries in Asia and Africa fell short of the economic growth expectations the U.S. set at the beginning of the 1960s.

    Still, USAID made substantial progress in developing food production and some economic growth, and improving the health of people in rural parts of countries such as India and Ghana.

    But that progress had limits and did not magically turn these economies into modern, Western-style capitalist democracies.

    With the help of a USAID grant, people lay pipework to bring water from a mountain spring to a town called Korem in Ethiopia in 1968.
    Paul Conklin/Getty Images

    Mixed results and focus

    As a result of USAID’s uneven progress in modernizing poor countries, the agency’s approach shifted in the 1970s and ‘80s.

    In the early 1970s, Congress and development experts pushed USAID away from grand, gross domestic product-focused modernization projects like dams, which they ostracized for their high costs and lack of tangible results.

    Instead, with the support of the Carter administration, USAID began to work more on meeting poor people’s basic human needs, including food, shelter and education, so they could lift themselves out of poverty.

    The agency shifted priorities once again in 1981, after President Ronald Reagan took office. His administration created programs meant to advertise American businesses and draw developing countries into the global marketplace.

    Rather than USAID giving money to a local government to build a well in a rural village, for example, the agency increasingly started contracting local or American businesses to do so. The U.S., in other words, began outsourcing its foreign aid.

    U.S. Ambassador to Indonesia Stapleton Roy, right, presents Indonesia’s food and agriculture minister, A.M. Saefuddin, with food donated by USAID in Bandar Lampung, South Sumatra, in July 1998.
    Bernard Estrade/AFP via Getty Images

    USAID’s next phase

    At the end of the Cold War in 1991, the United States’ interest in spending money on helping poorer countries develop and modernize declined around the world.

    USAID shifted priorities once again.

    Without the threat of the Soviet Union, USAID’s mission throughout the 1990s became increasingly focused on new issues. These included democracy promotion in former Soviet countries in Eastern Europe. Sustainable development – a broad term that means promoting economic growth while respecting environmental concerns and long-term natural resource usage – was another focus in different regions.

    After the U.S. invaded Iraq and Afghanistan in the early 2000s, USAID struggled to fulfill its existing international projects while also rebuilding critical infrastructure to resurrect the Iraqi and Afghani economies during wartime.

    USAID’s funding remained stagnant in the 2010s after the recession. At the time, its annual budget was roughly $25 billion.

    At the same time, China expanded its own international development program to entice governments toward its side and to tether them to the Chinese economy.

    China’s aid work in South America has expanded rapidly over the past several years, and it is now the region’s top trading partner and also a major contributor to investment, energy and infrastructure projects. China’s aid and investment work in Africa has also grown considerably over the past few decades.

    Now, with USAID’s dissolution, Chinese influence throughout poor and middle-income countries is expected to grow.

    A lasting mark

    Despite its limitations and frustrations, in my view, USAID has had an undeniable, and often massive, positive impact on the world.

    USAID’s efforts to promote American businesses and exports abroad have resulted in the creation of thousands of jobs, both domestically and abroad, in a wide variety of industries, ranging from farming to medical sciences.

    The tens of thousands of water wells and other forms of critical rural infrastructure the agency has funded, or created itself, have provided clean, safe drinking water for millions in Africa. The agency’s Office of Foreign Disaster Assistance has provided decades of critical disaster assistance during famines, earthquakes and hurricanes around the world.

    These humanitarian efforts cost money, however. Some Republicans, including politicians and voters, say they have found the idea of American tax dollars being sent abroad, whether during the Cold War or today, wasteful, and others have worried over how aid funds may have been [abused].

    USAID has always straddled a difficult line, as development is a messy field. But ending U.S. foreign aid will be much messier, and it could also cost millions of people who are reliant on USAID their health or lives.

    Christian Ruth receives funding from America in the World Consortium.

    – ref. USAID’s history shows decades of good work on behalf of America’s global interests, although not all its projects succeeded – https://theconversation.com/usaids-history-shows-decades-of-good-work-on-behalf-of-americas-global-interests-although-not-all-its-projects-succeeded-249337

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: COVID-19 is the latest epidemic to show biomedical breakthroughs aren’t enough to eliminate a disease

    Source: The Conversation – USA – By Powel H. Kazanjian, Professor of Infectious Diseases and of History, University of Michigan

    COVID-19 has become a part of modern life that many people don’t pay much attention to. Spencer Platt via Getty Images News

    The COVID-19 pandemic transformed over the past five years from a catastrophic threat that has killed over 7 million people to what most people regard today as a tolerable annoyance that doesn’t require precaution. Nonetheless, COVID-19 continues to kill over 2,000 people per month globally and cause severe illness in the infirm or elderly.

    The evolution of the COVID-19 pandemic – from devastation, to optimism for eradication, to persistent, uneven spread of disease – may seem unprecedented. As an infectious disease doctor and medical historian, however, I see similarities to other epidemics, including syphilis, AIDS and tuberculosis.

    Vaccines, medications and other biomedical breakthroughs are necessary to eliminate epidemic diseases. But as I explore in my book, “Persisting Pandemics,” social, economic and political factors are equally important. On its own, medical science is not enough.

    Syphilis, AIDS and TB have stuck around

    Syphilis is a sexually transmitted disease first identified in 1495. It causes skin rashes and may progress to causing paralysis, blindness or both. For centuries, syphilis weakened nations by disabling parents, workers and soldiers in the prime of their lives. Innovative drugs – first Salvarsan (1909), then penicillin (1943) – offered a path toward eradication when used together with widespread testing.

    A 1940s poster focuses on the medical cure for the disease.
    National Archives, CC BY

    Public health programs conducted from the 1930s through the 2000s, however, failed – not because of the efficacy of the treatments but because of socioeconomic conditions.

    One challenge has been persistent stigma around getting tested for the disease and tracing sexual partners. Poverty is another; it can force women into commercial sex activities and prevent people from learning how to protect themselves from sexually transmitted infections. Population migration due to commerce or war can cause high-risk behaviors such as sexual promiscuity. Women in some cultures lack authority to negotiate for condom use. And governments have not consistently prioritized the sustained funding needed to support efforts to eliminate the disease.

    Despite societal indifference toward syphilis, in the 2020s over 8 million new cases occur globally each year, particularly among racial minorities and low-income populations.

    The history of HIV/AIDS is shorter than that of syphilis, but the trajectory has similarities. Doctors first described HIV/AIDS in 1981, when it was a nearly uniformly fatal sexually transmitted disease. Novel antiretroviral drugs introduced in 1996 offered medical scientists the hope of disease elimination through public health campaigns, centered on widespread testing and treatment, implemented in 2013.

    But these programs, for reasons like with syphilis, are not meeting their treatment targets across all countries, especially among low-income populations and racial minorities. Sustaining funding for health care infrastructure and the multidrug regimens for 39 million people living with HIV poses an added challenge. Today, despite a cavalier public attitude toward the disease, AIDS causes over 630,000 deaths globally. That number will likely increase substantially given the Trump administration’s decision to cut funding for United States Agency for International Development programs.

    Tuberculosis is a third disease that also depleted workforces and weakened nations, particularly in postindustrial revolution 19th-century cities. The disease spread widely because poverty placed people in poorly ventilated working conditions and crowded tenement dwellings. The development of new combination antimicrobial drug regimens offered an avenue for disease eradication in the 1960s.

    Nonetheless, the inability to sustain funding to complete complex treatment courses, problems isolating people who could not afford suitable homes, and poor adherence due to homelessness, incarceration or migration during war or trade have compromised public health campaigns. Despite societal nonchalance, tuberculosis today kills up to 1.6 million globally yearly.

    Memories of the early, emergency phase of the COVID-19 pandemic have faded.
    Stan Grossfeld/The Boston Globe via Getty Images

    The COVID-19 case study

    The trajectories of these epidemics show how campaigns based solely on biomedical approaches that target pathogens are not enough to eliminate disease.

    COVID-19 provides the latest example. In the U.S., the pandemic and its lockdowns disproportionately affected low-income people and racial minorities, especially those employed in front-line jobs that did not allow remote work from home. These groups were more likely to reside in crowded residences with poor ventilation or no space for isolation.

    Despite the rapid development of a breakthrough mRNA vaccine that offered hope for what President Joe Biden euphorically termed “independence from the virus,” the promise never fully materialized.

    Too few people received shots, in large part due to socioeconomic factors.

    Wealthy countries purchased vaccines that lower-income countries could not afford. Allocation difficulties kept vaccines from remote regions of the world.

    Vaccine hesitancy due to mistrust in science, along with sentiment that vaccine mandates violated individual freedoms, also prevented people from getting the shot. Similar attitudes reduced rates of mask-wearing and isolation.

    Consequently, surges that could have been avoided took more lives.

    Drugs and vaccines can’t do it alone

    Modern medical science is unmatched in treating pathogens and disease symptoms. But to stop disease, it’s also critical to address the social, economic and political conditions that enable its spread.

    Public health officials have started to implement a variety of structural solutions:

    A peer educator talks about HIV/AIDS with his colleagues at a maintenance shop in Kenya.
    Wendy Stone/Corbis Historical via Getty Images

    Early 20th-century public health officials had hoped that efficient scientific solutions alone could take the place of 19th-century, pre-germ-theory environmental sanitation efforts. COVID-19, syphilis, HIV/AIDS and tuberculosis show that while biomedical breakthroughs are necessary to eliminate epidemic diseases, sustained focus and resources aimed at helping the most socially and economically vulnerable are essential.

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

    – ref. COVID-19 is the latest epidemic to show biomedical breakthroughs aren’t enough to eliminate a disease – https://theconversation.com/covid-19-is-the-latest-epidemic-to-show-biomedical-breakthroughs-arent-enough-to-eliminate-a-disease-245827

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

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

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

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

    Key Highlights

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

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

    2024 Full-Year Achievements & Results

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

    2024 Fourth Quarter Results

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

    Operational Update

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

    Return of Capital

    Q1 2025 Dividend

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

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

    Normal Course Issuer Bid Update

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

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

    2024 Year-End Corporate Reserves Report: Discussion

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

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

    Gross Reserves Volumes

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

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

    Gross Reserves Reconciliation

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

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

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

        NPV15     NPV15     NAV   CAD/sh Change
    over
        December 31,     December 31,     December 31,  
          2023     2024     2024   Dec. 31,
    Reserve Category   (000s)(2)     (000s)(2)     (CAD/sh)(3)   2023(4)
    PDP   $ 1,679,078   $ 1,505,386   $ 22.02   4 %
    Proved Developed Non-Producing     112,298     83,310   $ 1.21   (6 %)
    Proved Undeveloped     201,380     230,174   $ 3.36   38 %
    1P   $ 1,992,757   $ 1,818,870   $ 26.60   5 %
    2P   $ 2,556,169   $ 2,430,060   $ 35.55   10 %
    3P   $ 3,191,329   $ 3,102,864   $ 45.39   12 %

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

    Appointment of Chief Financial Officer

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

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

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

    Board of Directors Update

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

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

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

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

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

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

    Q4 2024 and FY 2024 Results – Conference Call & Webcast

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

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


    Annual General Meeting

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

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

    About Parex Resources Inc.

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

    For more information, please contact:

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

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

    NOT FOR DISTRIBUTION OR FOR DISSEMINATION IN THE UNITED STATES

    Reserves Advisory

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

    2024 Year-End Corporate Reserves Report: Supplemental Reserves Tables

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

    Gross Reserves by Area(1)

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

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

    Gross Reserves Volumes by Product Type

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


    Gross Reserves Volumes Per Share    (1)

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

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

    Reserve Replacement Ratio and Reserve Life Index

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

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

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

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

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

    Summary of Reserve Metrics – Company Gross

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

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

    Non-GAAP and Other Financial Measures Advisory

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

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

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

    Non-GAAP Financial Measures

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

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


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

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


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

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

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

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


    Non-GAAP Ratios

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

    Capital Management Measures

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

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


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

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

    Supplementary Financial Measures

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

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

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

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

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

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

    Dividend Advisory

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

    Advisory on Forward-Looking Statements

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

    PDF available: 

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

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: Region 16 ESC Edge Data Center Grand Opening

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    AMARILLO, Texas, March 05, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Region 16 Education Service Center (ESC), in collaboration with Duos Edge AI, Inc. (“Duos Edge AI”), a subsidiary of Duos Technologies Group, Inc. (Nasdaq: DUOT), proudly announces the grand opening of an advanced Edge Data Center (“EDC”) on March 18, 2025. In partnership with FiberLight, this milestone marks a transformative leap in connectivity, AI-driven education, and economic development for the Texas Panhandle. The Duos Edge AI EDC will expand digital access for schools, fuel job creation, and strengthen regional infrastructure to support long-term growth and innovation.

    Event Details:

    Date: Tuesday, March 18th, 2025
    Time: 9:00 AM – 1:00 PM CT
    Location: Region 16 ESC, located at 5800 Bell Street in Amarillo, Texas

    To RSVP for the event, please click here.
    To live stream the event, please watch here.

    The grand opening event includes a “ribbon cutting” and will feature an impressive lineup of industry leaders and experts, including Doug Recker, President and Founder, Duos Edge AI; Chuck Ferry, Chief Executive Officer, Duos Technologies Group and New APR Energy; Ron Kormos, Chief Strategy Officer, FiberLight; Tanya Larkin EdD, Executive Director, Region 16. These distinguished speakers will share insights on the future of edge computing, AI integration, and the impact of this new data center on regional development.

    “We’re looking forward to hosting this event, bringing together leaders in the community and industry alike to mark this milestone,” stated Michael Keough, CIO of Region 16 ESC. “It’s the beginning of a new chapter for the Texas Panhandle as we bring enhanced connectivity and resources to the area.”

    The launch event will showcase the cutting-edge technology housed within the new data center, demonstrating how it will drive innovation and economic growth in the region. “This grand opening represents a significant step forward in our mission to bring advanced AI capabilities closer to where data is generated,” said Doug Recker, President and Founder of Duos Edge AI. “We’re thrilled to partner with Region 16 to make this vision a reality.”

    “FiberLight’s partnership with Region 16 and Duos Edge AI goes beyond delivering fiber—it’s about creating a lasting impact,” said Ron Kormos, Chief Strategy Officer at FiberLight. “While our fiber infrastructure will immediately transform learning experiences for students and educators, its long-term benefit will extend across the Texas Panhandle. By establishing a strong fiber backbone, we’re enabling better education and also building the foundation for economic growth, business expansion, and improved public services. This investment will help bridge the digital divide, fostering a more connected and thriving community for years to come.”

    To learn more about Region 16 ESC, please visit www.esc16.net
    To learn more about Duos Edge AI, please visit www.duosedge.ai
    To learn more about FiberLight, please visit www.fiberlight.com

    About Region 16 Education Service Center:
    Located in Amarillo, Texas, Region 16 Education Service Center serves 60 school districts and three charter schools with 226 campuses in a 26,000 square mile area. Region 16 school districts have an average daily attendance of over 83,000 students, with individual districts ranging from fewer than 30 to more than 29,000 students and the total regional school staff numbering more than 12,800.

    About Duos Edge AI, Inc. 
    Duos Edge AI, Inc. is a subsidiary of Duos Technologies Group, Inc. (Nasdaq: DUOT). Duos Edge AI’s mission is to bring advanced technology to underserved communities, particularly in education, healthcare, and rural industries, by deploying high-powered edge computing solutions that minimize latency and optimize performance. Duos Edge AI specializes in high-function Edge Data Center (“EDC”) solutions tailored to meet evolving needs in any environment. By focusing on providing scalable IT resources that seamlessly integrate with existing infrastructure, its solutions expand capabilities at the network edge, ensuring data uptime onsite services. With the ability to provide 100 kW+ per cabinet, rapid 90-day deployment, and continuous 24/7 data services, Duos Edge AI aims to position its edge data centers within 12 miles of end users or devices, significantly closer than traditional data centers. This approach enables timely processing of massive amounts of data for applications requiring real-time response and supporting current and future technologies without large capital investments. For more information, visit www.duosedge.ai.

    About Duos Technologies Group, Inc.
    Duos Technologies Group, Inc. (Nasdaq: DUOT), based in Jacksonville, Florida, through its wholly owned subsidiaries, Duos Technologies, Inc., Duos Edge AI, Inc., and Duos Energy Corporation, designs, develops, deploys and operates intelligent technology solutions for Machine Vision and Artificial Intelligence (“AI”) applications including real-time analysis of fast-moving vehicles, Edge Data Centers and power consulting. For more information, visit www.duostech.com, www.duosedge.ai and www.duosenergycorp.com.

    About FiberLight
    FiberLight builds and operates mission-critical high bandwidth networks to ignite our client’s digital transformation. With more than 19,000 route miles of fiber networks and 300,000 pre-qualified near-net buildings, our service portfolio includes high-capacity Ethernet and Wavelength Services, Cloud Connect, Dedicated Internet Access, Dark Fiber, and Wireless Backhaul serving domestic and international telecom companies, wireless, wireline, cable, and cloud providers, as well as key players across enterprise, government, and education. For more information, visit https://www.fiberlight.com.

    A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/6411ccbd-6b47-4c24-8034-b1d965f06e10

    This press release was published by a CLEAR® Verified individual.

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: red violet Announces Appointment of Greg Strakosch to Board of Directors

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    BOCA RATON, Fla., March 05, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Red Violet, Inc. (NASDAQ: RDVT), a leading analytics and information solutions provider, today announced the appointment of Greg Strakosch to the red violet Board of Directors, effective March 4, 2025.

    “We are thrilled to welcome Greg to our Board of Directors,” said Derek Dubner, Chairman and CEO of red violet. “His proven track record in scaling technology businesses and deep understanding of market dynamics will be invaluable as we continue to drive our growth and expand our market presence.”

    Mr. Strakosch’s extensive knowledge and expertise encompasses capital markets, public company management, mergers and acquisitions, operations, and governance. As the founder and CEO of two successful startups, including TechTarget (NASDAQ: TTGT), Mr. Strakosch has demonstrated exceptional leadership in guiding companies from inception to substantial growth. Prior to founding TechTarget, Mr. Strakosch was the President of the Technology Division of UCG. He joined UCG when the company acquired Reliability Ratings, a successful IT publishing and research company, which he founded. Before founding Reliability Ratings, Mr. Strakosch worked at EMC Corporation, which he joined when the company had $18 million in revenues. He was there for EMC’s IPO and held various executive roles including opening the first office in Silicon Valley and successfully launching the company’s first mainframe product. Mr. Strakosch graduated from Boston College, where he serves on the Board of Regents. Mr. Strakosch serves on the Board of Governors at Fairfield Prep, is on the Board of Trustees at Cristo Rey Boston High School, serves on the Board of Trustees at Melmark, a human services provider for individuals with developmental disabilities, and serves on the Board of Habitat for Humanity of Collier County.

    “I am honored to join red violet’s Board of Directors,” said Greg Strakosch. “The company’s impressive growth trajectory and dedication to leveraging its differentiated technology and solutions for its business expansion resonate deeply with my professional experiences. I am eager to collaborate with the team to further accelerate red violet’s market presence and success.”

    This appointment reflects red violet’s dedication to strengthening its leadership team with seasoned professionals who can drive strategic initiatives and enhance shareholder value.

    About red violet®

    At red violet, we build proprietary technologies and apply analytical capabilities to deliver identity intelligence. Our technology powers critical solutions, which empower organizations to operate with confidence. Our solutions enable the real-time identification and location of people, businesses, assets and their interrelationships. These solutions are used for purposes including risk mitigation, due diligence, fraud detection and prevention, regulatory compliance, and customer acquisition. Our intelligent platform, CORE™, is purpose-built for the enterprise, yet flexible enough for organizations of all sizes, bringing clarity to massive datasets by transforming data into intelligence. Our solutions are used today to enable frictionless commerce, to ensure safety, and to reduce fraud and the concomitant expense borne by society. For more information, please visit www.redviolet.com.

    FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS

    This press release contains “forward-looking statements,” as that term is defined under the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 (PSLRA), which statements may be identified by words such as “expects,” “plans,” “projects,” “will,” “may,” “anticipate,” “believes,” “should,” “intends,” “estimates,” and other words of similar meaning. Such forward looking statements are subject to risks and uncertainties that are often difficult to predict, are beyond our control and which may cause results to differ materially from expectations, including whether Greg Strakosch’s proven track record in scaling technology businesses and deep understanding of market dynamics will be invaluable as the Company continues to drive growth and expand its market presence. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which are based on our expectations as of the date of this press release and speak only as of the date of this press release and are advised to consider the factors listed above together with the additional factors under the heading “Forward-Looking Statements” and “Risk Factors” in red violet’s Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2024 filed on February 27, 2025, as may be supplemented or amended by the Company’s other SEC filings. We undertake no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by law.

    Company Contact:
    Camilo Ramirez
    Red Violet, Inc.
    561-757-4500
    ir@redviolet.com

    Investor Relations Contacts:
    Steven Hooser
    Three Part Advisors
    214-872-2710
    ir@redviolet.com

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI China: CPPCC members commend China’s achievements

    Source: China State Council Information Office 2

    Members of the 14th National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) took part in a group interview with the press in Beijing on March 4 ahead of the opening of its third session, sharing insights on China’s new milestones and prospects.

    Members of the 14th National Committee of the CPPCC take part in a group interview at the Great Hall of the People, Beijing, March 4, 2025. [Photo by Zheng Liang/China.org.cn]
    Lin Songtian, deputy director of the CPPCC National Committee’s Foreign Affairs Committee, called the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) a landmark project linking five continents, promoting global prosperity and benefiting current and future generations.
    “The initiative has benefited people in over 150 countries, paving a new path for cooperation, mutual benefit and shared development worldwide,” Lin told reporters at the Great Hall of the People. He noted that the BRI has driven development in partner countries, improved investment environments and established numerous economic zones and industrial parks, creating vast employment opportunities, enhancing livelihoods and enabling Chinese enterprises to expand globally with robust infrastructure, legal and policy support.
    Since 2013, the BRI has delivered global benefits through key projects: the China-Laos Railway boosted Asia’s regional connectivity, the Addis Ababa-Djibouti Railway provided Ethiopia sea port access, Peru’s Chancay Port became a green, smart logistics hub, and the China-Europe Railway Express strengthened Asia-Europe ties, connecting 25 countries and over 220 cities with more than 100,000 freight trains.
    “With joint efforts from all parties, high-quality BRI cooperation will allow Chinese people to pursue their dreams worldwide with greater accessibility, while enabling more people around the globe to share in development opportunities and prosperity,” he said.
    Qiao Hong, academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) and CPPCC member, highlighted China’s remarkable progress in humanoid robotics in recent years, noting that the country now accounts for more than half of global robot deployment and leads the world in related technologies.
    Qiao emphasized that humanoid robots, a key manifestation of artificial intelligence (AI) and a vital platform for general-purpose physical AI systems, represent the cutting edge of technological evolution. She added that the “Q-series” humanoid robots, independently developed by the CAS’ Institute of Automation, have successfully established the core technological foundation for the humanoid robot mega-factory.
    “As part of China’s national strategic technological force, we will continue to harness our technological advancements and talent resources to solidify the nation’s core technological foundation and advance China’s goal of becoming a global technological powerhouse,” Qiao said.

    Members of the 14th National Committee of the CPPCC take part in a group interview at the Great Hall of the People, Beijing, March 4, 2025. [Photo by Zheng Liang/China.org.cn]
    Jin Li, vice-president of the Southern University of Science and Technology and CPPCC member, addressed challenges posed by China’s aging population, highlighting efforts to develop the silver economy and improve the well-being of elderly people.
    China’s silver economy, driven by its aging population, is set for significant growth, potentially creating 100 million jobs by 2050 and tapping into a market worth $4 trillion by 2035, boosting economic vitality. Currently, there are more than 300 million people aged 60 and above in China, with this figure expected to exceed 400 million by 2035.
    “The growing population aged 60 to 70 brings a wealth of energy and experience. A silver think tank can unlock opportunities in this demographic,” Jin said, noting that improving education and health care enables older individuals to continue making significant contributions to the workforce and society.
    Jin highlighted that the needs of China’s aging population are shifting from basic necessities like clothing, food, shelter and transportation to personal growth, including health care, elderly care, leisure and exploration, as the silver economy offers vast opportunities in terms of both supply and demand.
    Yan Jianbing, president of Huazhong Agricultural University and CPPCC member, emphasized that China’s innovation in agricultural science and technology ranks among the world’s highest, making significant contributions to agricultural progress.
    Yan expressed optimism in maintaining food security, praising the efforts of agricultural science and technology workers. In 2024, China’s grain output exceeded 700 million metric tons for the first time, with per capita availability surpassing 500 kilograms — well above the international food security threshold.

    Members of the 14th National Committee of the CPPCC take part in a group interview at the Great Hall of the People, Beijing, March 4, 2025. [Photo by Zheng Liang/China.org.cn]
    Zhao Hong, chief physician at the Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences’ Cancer Hospital and CPPCC member, highlighted China’s remarkable progress in biopharmaceutical innovation in recent years, aimed at better safeguarding public health. Last year, the nation approved 48 novel drugs and 65 innovative medical devices, with the number of novel medicines in the pipeline ranking second globally.
    “China has shifted from imitation to innovation in the biopharmaceutical field, significantly enhancing its capabilities and demonstrating a promising future,” Zhao said.
    CPPCC member Zhou Lan also noted China’s increased efforts to renovate old residential areas, creating modern and convenient living environments. Over 66,000 urban renewal projects have been carried out, updating and renovating 250,000 old neighborhoods, benefiting more than 100 million residents.
    “These urban renewal projects have not only optimized residents’ living conditions but also attracted new, efficient investment to these cities while preserving their cultural and historical heritage,” she said.

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: For UConn Students, the Future is Green

    Source: US State of Connecticut

    Environmental consciousness, sustainability, and related subjects are crucial topics that touch on countless aspects of life – and, as UConn students recently learned, they can be fruitful and rewarding career paths as well.

    “Green Careers: Engage and Explore,” held on campus on Feb. 25, allowed students to meet potential employers, network with peers with similar interests, and hear from an alumni panel about careers based on sustainability.

    “Sustainability is here to stay, globally,” said Betsy Mortensen, communication, outreach, and education coordinator for the Office of Sustainability. “Looking at a future in a green career is a smart thing to do.”

    The event had a mix of off-campus employers and on-campus organizations. Student-run groups such as Ecohusky, Spring Valley Student Farm, Climate and Mind Network, the Beekeeping Club, and more set up tables and shared information about their clubs.

    Employers including Eversource, Bartlett Tree Experts, CT Green Bank, Sustainable CT, and Greenskies had representatives in attendance.

    “This panel is different in a sense that it’s a little bit untraditional,” said student intern Andy Zhang ’26 (CAHNR & CLAS). “We have different niches here. There is a thrift stand and social responsibility and businesspeople. We have a lot of different perspectives.”

    “Sustainability and energy are becoming such a big topic of discussion,” said Gabrielle Comella, assistant director of corporate partner relations for the Center for Career Readiness and Life Skills. “You can have a green career in so many different industries that students don’t realize.”

    “Part of UConn’s strategic plan is preparing students for careers outside of UConn, and this clearly aligns by showing the diversity of sustainability career pathways,” said Mortensen. “Another tenet of the strategic plan is to power Connecticut in terms of a strong workforce, and pretty much all of the employers here have Connecticut roots.”

    ‘Every job is a climate job’ 

    The first speaking panel featured industry leaders. Representatives from Uber, Eversource, Bartlett Tree Experts, and Connecticut Roundtable on Climate and Jobs answered students’ questions about how their companies take sustainability initiatives and how the industry is changing.

    “From our perspective, every job is a climate job,” said Alison Pilcher, the policy director at the CT Roundtable. “Every industry should be thinking about how climate change is going to impact their industry.”

    April Regan, an attorney for Eversource, explained that the company is launching a clean energy innovation program with UConn. Students will have a chance to submit business ideas for “clean innovation.” Stakeholders from UConn and Eversource will review the proposed projects, and “The top five teams will get a little bit of money to explore their idea, and one winning team will get funding for a year,” said Regan. “We’re always trying to innovate, we’re always trying to push the envelope, to push energy policy and environmental policy over these projects.”

    Five alumni took the stage for the second speaking panel, offering advice on how to navigate a career in sustainability after graduation.

    Andy Zhang ’26, an intern in the Office of Sustainability, asks panelists a question (George Velky / UConn Photo)

    “There are so many different avenues you can take,” said Margaret Sanders ’22 (CAHNR), sustainability platform manager for Position Green. “Whether that be through further education or in the professional field, I think it’s really important to be open to trying new things.”

    Panelists discussed how to stay motivated in the field when federal administration is not overtly supportive of sustainability efforts. “Government is an interesting place. It’s a big battleship, it’s hard to turn,” said Brendan Schain, legal director for the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection’s Environmental Quality Branch and a graduate of the UConn School of Law. “The pace of change is the change. New people with new perspectives are doing interesting things and bringing an interesting new perspective, and it takes time to institutionalize that.”

    The alumni discussed how their time at UConn helped guide them into their careers as well. Megan Coleman ’17 (ENG), an engineer for JKMuir talked about how any involvement on campus was a good experience. “I was part of a lot of the different clubs here. Being engaged in those and exposing myself to different people, different perspectives, was something that what really important to me.”

    “I got the opportunity to do a study abroad program for the UConn Earth Sciences Department,” said Emily Bigl ’23 (CLAS), an environmental planner for the Southeastern CT Council of Governments. Bigl studied geoscience and geohazards in Taiwan thanks to the UConn program. “It’s a great experience. If you can find a program relating to sustainability in the environment, that’s awesome. But if you find one outside of your realm of study, that’s awesome too. Broaden your horizons.”

    Sanders worked at the National Resources Conservation Academy while at UConn. She mentored Connecticut students and helped them execute environmental programs in their own communities. “It was fun to both see how we could take action in Connecticut and also mentor younger students on the point of intergenerational relationships,” Sanders said.

    Office of Sustainability helps UConn chart a green course

    The Office of Sustainability partnered with the Center for Career Readiness and Life Skills for the event. Student interns at the Office of Sustainability contributed heavily to the preparation of the event.

    Zhang attributed a strong student network to building the mix of clubs, employers, and alumni coming to the event. Will Gabelman, senior manager for global strategies and operations at Uber, spoke on the first panel. Zhang was able to recruit him for the event because Gabelman was his mentor in a fellowship program.

    “We are the tenth most sustainable university in the world, and the second most sustainable university in the United States,” said Zhang, citing rankings from GreenMetric UI.

    UConn earned that title thanks to efforts from the Office of Sustainability and its interns, Zhang said, and added that there are 40 to 50 student interns this semester.

    The office puts together an Earth Day event annually, and is trying to pilot an environmental justice program, according to Kanika Chaturvedi ’26 (CLAS), an intern in the office.

    The give-and-go program is another initiative where the Office of Sustainability collects donations from students who are moving out. Things like clothing, furniture, and appliances are reused rather than discarded. Last year, the program diverted 8,000 pounds of waste from landfills, and “this year they are looking to double that,” said Chaturvedi. The group also collaborates with the town of Mansfield to organize litter cleanup events.

    A project Zhang has been working on is an E-collaboration sustainability network. “It’s kind of like a virtual platform that I think it helps break down a lot of the academic barriers that you see,” said Zhang. It has grown to 240 members and contains things like weekly internship postings and relevant studies posted by professors.

    “We’re able to see sustainability manifest in a lot of different facets,” said Zhang. “Even at the business school or the engineering school, regardless of what your major is, it’s becoming commonplace to have environmental opportunities.”

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Martial Arts, Cancer, and the Degree Program that Helps Patients Heal Through Exercise

    Source: US State of Connecticut

    Ashkan Novin was looking for a program to bring together his love of martial arts and his research on cancer treatments. He is both a competitor and a coach in karate. As a researcher, he is the founder of Genesist, a biotechnology company focused on gene therapy to combat cancer. He found UConn’s online Exercise Prescription graduate program to be the perfect complement to his interests because, for him, “exercise is not one-size-fits-all.”

    “In the traditional approach in the way we look at planning and prescribing activities, we had one group of exercises for everyone,” says Ashkan. “After this program, it changed my mindset towards a more precision and personalized approach. Everyone has their own needs.”

    Exercise Prescription is offered as both an online master’s degree and a graduate certificate program in the Department of Kinesiology in the College of Agriculture, Health and Natural Resources. The program is designed for working professionals and those interested in exercise science, sports medicine, kinesiology, personal training, exercise physiology, health and fitness, and others, with coursework 100% online.

    Novin enrolled in the certificate program to augment his studies as a biomedical engineering student in a doctoral partnership program between UConn’s College of Engineering and UConn Health.

    One of the class assignments propelled him deeper into bringing together his martial arts passion and an exercise strategy to reduce negative impacts from cancer treatments.

    “This program is great for whoever wants to upgrade their exercise knowledge to help their athletes, clients, or patients reach better outcomes,” says Novin.

    For Meghan O’Neil ‘23 (Neag), who is graduating from the Exercise Prescription master’s degree program this spring, she says the program aligned with her career goals after earning a UConn degree in sports management

    In December 2024, she joined Duke University as a Sports Performance Fellow. In this role she will assist with women’s soccer, women’s tennis, men’s and women’s golf, and men’s and women’s cross country, and volleyball teams. During her time at UConn, she was a student-athlete, playing five seasons as a pitcher on the UConn softball team.

    “It is very important for me to be educated on how to help others live healthier lives,” says O’Neil. “The knowledge I have gained will help me in the field of programming exercise routines in the correct way to my clients.”

    Novin and O’Neil said that even though the Exercise Prescription programs are online and asynchronous, they found each to be highly interactive.

    “My experience working with the other students within the program has been great,” says O’Neil. “The instructors do an outstanding job of allowing us to bounce ideas off each other, ask each other questions, and make connections.”

    “It was definitely one of the most effective virtual programs that I have ever experienced,” says Novin. “I’m still in touch with some of my classmates, which means, at the end of the day, the interaction worked, and it was sustainable.”

    O’Neil suggests if the program is of interest to reach out to the faculty who head the program, Distinguished Board of Trustees Professor Linda Pescatello and Tori DeScenza, assistant professor-in-residence, both in the Department of Kinesiology.

    “Speak with them about what your goals are and what you want to get out of this program. They are very big on communication and want to make your experience the most applicable for your future career.”

    This work relates to CAHNR’s Strategic Vision area focused on Enhancing Health and Well-Being Locally, Nationally, and Globally.

    Follow UConn CAHNR on social media

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Future research on Cystic Fibrosis in the UK

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    Cystic Fibrosis (CF) is an incurable, life-limiting condition, affecting over 11,300 people in the UK costing the NHS millions in care.

    Unbeknown to many, a game changing drug called Kaftrio was made available on the NHS at the start of the pandemic which has transformed the lives of many patients. People who thought all their lives that they would die in their 20s or 30s are now living to have families and careers and the change of a much longer and fuller life. But behind this wonderful success story lies huge challenges. Some patients don’t have the right genotype to respond to Kaftrio and others can’t tolerate the drug. Also with longer life expectancy, patients face a new and daunting list of health issues that come with living longer with a chronic disease. Research on CF now needs to adapt to this new era.

    To mark the end of Cystic Fibrosis Trust’s 60th anniversary year the SMC invited the Cystic Fibrosis Trust and a panel of leading academics and charity experts to discuss the future of Cystic Fibrosis and the charity’s new research goals, alongside the publication of a new briefing: The Future of Cystic Fibrosis Care in the UK. The briefing covered the research goals being developed to: –

    1. Develop effective treatments for all
    2. Improve the diagnosis and treatment of CF lung infections and maintain lung health
    3. Treat all of the symptoms of CF throughout the body
    4. Enable people with CF to live longer, healthier lives

    Speakers included:

    Dr Lucy Allen, Director of Research and Healthcare Data, Cystic Fibrosis Trust

    Professor Jane Davies, Honorary Consultant in Paediatric Respiratory Medicine, Royal Brompton Hospital and Professor of Paediatric Respiratory Medicine and Experimental Medicine, Imperial College London

    Dr Frederick Frost, Senior Lecturer, University of Liverpool and Honorary Consultant Respiratory Physician

    David Ramsden, Chief Executive, Cystic Fibrosis Trust

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-Evening Report: DNA detectives in Antarctica: probing 6,000 years of penguin poo for clues to the past

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jamie Wood, Senior Lecturer in Ecology and Evolution, University of Adelaide

    Jamie Wood

    Studies of ancient DNA have tended to focus on frozen land in the northern hemisphere, where woolly mammoths and bison roamed. Meanwhile, Antarctica has received relatively little attention. We set out to change that.

    The most suitable sediments are exposed near the coast of the icy continent, where penguins like to breed. Their poo is a rich source of DNA, providing information about the health of the population as well as what penguins have been eating.

    Our new research opens a window on the past of Adélie penguins in Antarctica, going back 6,000 years. It also offers a surprise glimpse into the shrinking world of southern elephant seals over the past 1,000 years.

    Understanding how these species coped with climate change in the past can help us prepare for the future. Wildlife in Antarctica faces multiple emerging threats and will likely need support to cope with the many challenges ahead.

    A unique marine ecosystem

    Adélie penguins are particularly sensitive to changes in their environment. This makes them what we call a “sentinel species”, providing an early warning of imbalance or dysfunction in the coastal ecosystem. Their poo also provides a record of how they responded to changes in the past.

    In our new research, we excavated pits up to 80cm deep at ten Adélie penguin colonies along the 700km Ross Sea coastline. We then collected 156 sediment samples from different depths in each excavation.

    Six of these colonies were still active, meaning birds return annually to breed. The other four had been abandoned at various times over the past 6,000 years.

    From these sediments we generated 94 billion DNA sequences, which provided us with an unparalleled window into the past lives of Adélie penguins and their ecosystem.

    We detected the DNA of several animal species besides Adélie penguins. These animals included two other birds, three seals and two soil invertebrates.

    Not all of this DNA came from penguin poo. Our samples also contained DNA from feathers, hairs or skin cells of other species in the environment at the time.

    Sediment samples were taken from ten penguin colonies of various ages, six active (white dot) and four abandoned (coloured dot), on the coast of Ross Sea in Antarctica.
    Wood, J., et al (2025) Nature Communications, CC BY-NC-ND

    Penguin population size and diet

    When we took a closer look at the DNA from penguins of the present day, we found more genetic diversity in samples from larger colonies.

    Recognising this relationship between genetic diversity and colony size enabled us to estimate the size of former colonies. We could also reconstruct population trends through time.

    For example, in samples from active colonies, we found penguin genetic diversity increased as we sampled closer and closer to the surface. This may reflect population growth over the past century.

    The DNA also revealed changes in penguin diets over time. Over the past 4,000 years, the penguins in the southern Ross Sea switched from mainly eating one type of fish – the bald notothen – to another, Antarctic silverfish.

    The bald notothen lives beneath the sea ice, so this prey-switching was likely driven by a change in sea ice extent compared with the past.

    Examples of an active Adélie penguin colony (Cape Hallett), and a 6,000 year old abandoned Adélie penguin colony site (Terra Nova Bay).
    Jamie Wood

    Surprise! Elephant seals

    We made an unexpected discovery at Cape Hallett, in the northern Ross Sea. This is the site of an active penguin colony.

    Samples of sediment from close to the surface contained lots of penguin DNA and eggshell. But samples from further down, where penguin DNA and eggshell were scarce, contained DNA from southern elephant seals.

    Today, elephant seals are uncommon visitors to the Antarctic continent, and breed on subantarctic islands including Macquarie, Campbell and Antipodes Islands. Yet, bones of elephant seal pups found along the Ross Sea coast indicate the species used to breed in the area.

    Carbon dating of these bones indicate elephant seal colonies began disappearing from the southern Ross Sea around 1,000 years ago. Over the following 200 years, colonies in the northern Ross Sea began vanishing too.

    As the climate cooled and the extent of sea ice increased, elephant seals could no longer access suitable breeding sites. These sites were then taken over by Adélie penguins who expanded into areas once occupied by seals.

    Our DNA evidence suggests Cape Hallett was one of the last strongholds of southern elephant seals on the icy continent. But we may yet again see elephant seals breeding on the Antarctic mainland as the world warms and sea ice melts.

    Even more ancient DNA in Antarctica

    Our study spans the past 6,000 years, but our research suggests it would be possible to go even further back.

    The DNA fragments we found were very well preserved, showing little of the damage expected in warmer climates.

    So it should be possible to obtain much older DNA from sediments on land in Antarctica – maybe even 1 million-year-old DNA, as recently reported from Antarctic sediments beneath the ocean floor.

    Worthy of lasting protection

    In December 2017, 2.09 million square kilometres of the Ross Sea and adjoining Southern Ocean became the world’s largest marine protected area. Establishing the protection was a major achievement, yet it was only afforded for 35 years.

    After 2052, continuation of the region’s protected status will require international agreement. Knowledge of the vulnerability of local species and their risk in the face of change will play a key role in informing the decision. Our research provides a case study for how ancient environmental DNA can contribute towards this understanding.

    This research was part of the Ross Sea Region Research and Monitoring Programme,, funded by the New Zealand Ministry for Business, Innovation and Employment.

    Theresa Cole 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. DNA detectives in Antarctica: probing 6,000 years of penguin poo for clues to the past – https://theconversation.com/dna-detectives-in-antarctica-probing-6-000-years-of-penguin-poo-for-clues-to-the-past-249940

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Strategic Public Policy Research Funding Scheme 2025-26 opens for applications

    Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

    Strategic Public Policy Research Funding Scheme 2025-26 opens for applications
    ******************************************************************************

    The Chief Executive’s Policy Unit (CEPU) today (March 5) announced that the Strategic Public Policy Research Funding Scheme (SPPRFS) 2025-26 is open for applications between now and April 23, 2025.      The SPPRFS is aimed at encouraging local think tank experts and scholars (including universities and civil society think tanks) to apply their expertise to conduct evidence-based research on key public policy issues, and to facilitate the knowledge transfer of research findings to policy considerations, serving as a channel for the Government to tap the public policy research expertise of society. In light of the policy priorities of the Government, six strategic themes have been identified for the SPPRFS 2025-26. They are: (a) Development Opportunities from the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area; (b) New Quality Productive Forces; (c) Integrated Development of Education, Technology and Talents; (d) International Financial, Shipping and Trade Centre; (e) Integrated Development of Culture, Sports and Tourism; and (f) Elderly and Healthcare Services.      Applications for the SPPRFS must be made under one of the above specified strategic themes and be in line with the specified research areas. Those falling outside the specified strategic themes and specified research areas will not be considered generally. Each SPPRFS project may be granted a maximum of HK$5 million and last from one to five years.      Separately, the major themes and indicative research areas of the Public Policy Research Funding Scheme (PPRFS), which is also administered by the CEPU, have been updated having regard to Hong Kong’s current and long-term development as well as the need for research on various social issues. While applications for the SPPRFS are accepted at specific times each year, the PPRFS focuses on research studies of shorter duration and smaller scale with applications accepted throughout the year. Applications for the PPRFS will be vetted, and notifications of the results will be issued by batch.      Assessments for the SPPRFS and PPRFS will be conducted by an Assessment Panel, which comprises experienced academics and professional experts. The Assessment Panel will also take into account comments from external reviewers who are experienced academics and professional experts during the assessment process. To ensure the policy relevance of the research proposals, views of relevant government bureaux/departments will also be sought for reference by the Panel. A declaration of interests system is in place to ensure that the assessments are fair and impartial.      Research quality and relevance to public policy needs are the primary considerations in evaluating research proposals under both Schemes, including the reasonableness of the research proposal, the research team’s capability, the cost-effectiveness of the proposed budget, and whether the research findings can be effectively translated into practicable policy recommendations.      For details of the SPPRFS and PPRFS, including eligibility criteria, research areas, assessment mechanism, application method and other related information, please visit the CEPU’s website (www. cepu.gov.hk/en/PRFS).

    Ends/Wednesday, March 5, 2025Issued at HKT 12:00

    NNNN

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: 2025 Aviation Weather Mission: Civil Air Patrol Cadets Help Scientists Study the Atmosphere with GLOBE Clouds

    Source: NASA

    The Science Activation Program’s NASA Earth Science Education Collaborative (NESEC) is working alongside the Civil Air Patrol (CAP) to launch the 2025 Aviation Weather Mission. The mission will engage cadets (students ages 11-20) and senior members to collect aviation-relevant observations including airport conditions, Global Learning and Observations to Benefit the Environment (GLOBE) Cloud observations, commercial aircraft information (including registration number and altitude), and satellite collocations provided by the NASA GLOBE Clouds team at NASA Langley Research Center. This mission results from a highly successful collaboration between NESEC and CAP as cadets and senior members collected cloud, air temperature, and land cover observations during the partial and total solar eclipses in 2023 and 2024, engaging over 400 teams with over 3,000 cadets and over 1,000 senior members in every state, Washington DC, and Puerto Rico.
    The 2025 Aviation Weather Mission will take place from April through July 2025, collecting observations over two 4-hour periods while practicing additional skills, such as flight tracking, orienteering, and data management. So far, over 3,000 cadets in 46 wings (states) have signed up to participate.
    Science Activation recently showed support for this mission through a letter of collaboration sent to CAP Major General Regena Aye in early February. NASA GLOBE Clouds and GLOBE Observer are part of the NASA Earth Science Education Collaborative (NESEC), which is led by the Institute for Global Environmental Strategies (IGES) and supported by NASA under cooperative agreement award number NNX16AE28A. NESEC is part of NASA’s Science Activation Portfolio. Learn more about how Science Activation connects NASA science experts, real content, and experiences with community leaders to do science in ways that activate minds and promote deeper understanding of our world and beyond: https://science.nasa.gov/learn

    MIL OSI USA News –