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  • MIL-OSI: red violet to Announce Fourth Quarter and Full Year 2024 Financial Results on February 27, 2025

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    BOCA RATON, Fla., Feb. 13, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Red Violet, Inc. (NASDAQ: RDVT), a leading analytics and information solutions provider, announced today that it will report its financial results for the fourth quarter and full year ended December 31, 2024 after the close of the U.S. financial markets on Thursday, February 27, 2025.

    The Company will host its earnings call on Thursday, February 27, 2025 at 4:30pm ET to discuss its quarterly and full year results and provide a business update.

    The participant registration and webcast information are listed below. The earnings call will be simultaneously webcast on the Investors section of the red violet website at www.redviolet.com. Please login at least 15 minutes prior to the start of the call to ensure adequate time for any downloads that may be required.

    Please note participants must register to receive their unique dial-in number credentials. A general dial-in number will not be provided.

    PARTICIPANT REGISTRATION & WEBCAST INFORMATION
    WHEN: THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 27, 2025 at 4:30pm ET
    Participant Registration:  Click Here
    Webcast URL:  Click Here

    Following the completion of the earnings call, an archived webcast of the earnings call will be available on the Investors section of the red violet website at www.redviolet.com.

    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 identity verification, 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.

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

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

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: Enertiv and Voltus Unlock Valuable CRE Energy Usage Data, Provide Demand Response for Tenants

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    NEW YORK, Feb. 13, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Voltus, Inc. (Voltus), the leading distributed energy resource (DER) software platform and virtual power plant operator, and Enertiv, the operational intelligence platform for commercial real estate, announced today a strategic partnership that unlocks new demand response revenue opportunities for Enertiv’s commercial real estate customers, by integrating Voltus’s industry-leading demand response offering into Enertiv’s comprehensive platform.

    This partnership allows Enertiv’s customers to participate in Voltus’s demand response programs, earning revenue, reducing monthly electricity bills, and avoiding carbon emissions. The partnership also unlocks additional energy usage data for Enertiv’s customers, which they can then use to further improve their energy procurement and risk management strategies as well as advance sustainability goals within their portfolios.

    “This partnership is a game changer for both owners and their tenants,” said Connell McGill, CEO and Founder at Enertiv. “Capturing utility data for reporting is only the first step. The key to decarbonization across commercial real estate is to transform that data into value. Adding demand response to our existing landlord and tenant portals is a no-brainer, helping our customers and their tenants earn additional revenue while improving their sustainability.”

    The partnership is active across all wholesale markets in the U.S. and Canada. Landlords already signed up with Enertiv can integrate the Voltus platform, leveraging Enertiv’s device-level metering data to analyze and surface demand response opportunities, without the need for additional hardware installations.

    “Commercial buildings in the United States are responsible for 18% of the country’s greenhouse gas emissions. This partnership allows commercial real estate customers to comply with building regulations while creating new revenue streams,” said Dan Svejnar, SVP of Growth at Voltus.

    About Enertiv
    Enertiv is a SaaS platform built to decarbonize commercial real estate. By collecting and verifying real-time utility data, Enertiv maximizes data coverage, automates reporting, and delivers actionable energy-saving insights for landlords and tenants. The world’s largest real estate owners and operators, including Starwood Capital Group, Prologis, Panattoni, and Related, use Enertiv to power ESG reporting, asset optimization, and decarbonization. Learn more at www.enertiv.com.

    About Voltus
    Voltus is a leading DER technology platform and virtual power plant operator connecting distributed energy resources to electricity markets, delivering less expensive, more reliable, and more sustainable electricity. Our commercial and industrial customers and DER partners generate cash by allowing Voltus to maximize the value of their flexible load, distributed generation, energy storage, energy efficiency, and electric vehicle resources in these markets. To learn more, visit www.voltus.co.

    Media Contact
    Mona Khaldi
    press@voltus.co

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: Bitget’s Protection Fund Average Hits $648M in January 2025

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    VICTORIA, Seychelles, Feb. 13, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Bitget, the leading cryptocurrency exchange and Web3 company, has announced that its Protection Fund achieved a valuation of $648 million in January 2025, reflecting sustained growth and stability in the crypto market. The fund, designed to provide financial security for users during volatile market conditions, continues to demonstrate its resilience and importance as Bitcoin and other digital assets experience significant price movements.

    In January 2025, Bitget’s Protection Fund reached a peak valuation of $690 million, maintaining its upward trajectory as Bitcoin traded within a range of $87,000 to $105,000. Throughout January, the Protection Fund maintained an average valuation of approximately $648 million, playing its vital role as a reliable safeguard for user assets amid fluctuating market conditions.

    “The consistent growth of our Protection Fund aligns with our focus on advancing security and building user trust,” said Gracy Chen, CEO of Bitget. “As the crypto market evolves, we remain committed to providing a secure and transparent environment for our users, enabling them to navigate the market with confidence.”

    Launched in 2022 with an initial commitment of $300 million, the Protection Fund has grown steadily, offering users enhanced security during periods of market volatility. This latest valuation reflects Bitget’s robust risk management framework, which ensures the fund remains well-capitalized to protect user assets even during heightened market activity. The fund’s performance in January aligns with broader market trends, including increased institutional interest and regulatory developments that continue to shape the crypto landscape.

    In addition to the Protection Fund, Bitget’s Proof of Reserves maintains a 1:1 reserve ratio, further reinforcing transparency and trust. Recently Bitget was announced on the list of top trusted crypto platforms by Forbes. These initiatives collectively position Bitget as a leading exchange that prioritizes user security and confidence in an ever-changing market environment.

    For detailed Protection Fund and Proof of Reserves reports, visit here.

    About Bitget

    Established in 2018, Bitget is a leading cryptocurrency exchange and Web3 company, serving over 100 million users across 150+ countries and regions. The Bitget exchange is dedicated to empowering users with innovative trading solutions, including its pioneering copy trading feature, while providing real-time access to Bitcoin price, Ethereum price, and other cryptocurrency prices. Formerly known as BitKeep, Bitget Wallet is a world-class multi-chain crypto wallet offering comprehensive Web3 solutions, including wallet functionality, token swaps, an NFT marketplace, and a DApp browser.

    Bitget continues to drive crypto adoption through strategic partnerships, including its role as the Official Crypto Partner of LALIGA in the EASTERN, SEA, and LATAM markets, as well as its collaboration with Turkish National athletes Buse Tosun Çavuşoğlu (Wrestling world champion), Samet Gümüş (Boxing gold medalist), and İlkin Aydın (Volleyball national team). These partnerships aim to inspire global communities to embrace the future of cryptocurrency.

    For more information, visit: 

    Website | Twitter | Telegram | LinkedIn | Discord | Bitget Wallet

    For media inquiries, please contact: 

    media@bitget.com

    Risk Warning:* Digital asset prices are subject to fluctuation and may experience significant volatility. Investors are advised to only allocate funds they can afford to lose. The value of any investment may be impacted, and there is a possibility that financial objectives may not be met, nor the principal investment recovered. Independent financial advice should always be sought, and personal financial experience and standing carefully considered. Past performance is not a reliable indicator of future results. Bitget accepts no liability for any potential losses incurred. Nothing contained herein should be construed as financial advice. For further information, please refer to our *Terms of Use.

    Photos accompanying this announcement are available at:

    https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/d2b64ea6-fbca-44ae-9700-7e5940d7e572

    https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/57c8be45-47b5-4832-a5b8-4a0be2096c4e

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-Evening Report: Eugene Doyle: Will New Zealand invade the Cook Islands to stop China? Seriously

    Report by Dr David Robie – Café Pacific. –

    The New Zealand government and the mainstream media have gone ballistic (thankfully not literally just yet) over the move by the small Pacific nation to sign a strategic partnership with China in Beijing this week.

    It is the latest in a string of island nations that have signalled a closer relationship with China, something that rattles nerves and sabres in Wellington and Canberra.

    The Chinese have politely told the Kiwis to back off.  Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun told reporters that China and the Cook Islands have had diplomatic relations since 1997 which “should not be disrupted or restrained by any third party”.

    “New Zealand is rightly furious about it,” a TVNZ Pacific affairs writer editorialised to the nation. The deal and the lack of prior consultation was described by various journalists as “damaging”, “of significant concern”, “trouble in paradise”, an act by a “renegade government”.

    Foreign Minister Winston Peters, not without cause, railed at what he saw as the Cook Islands government going against long-standing agreements to consult over defence and security issues.

    “Should New Zealand invade the Cook islands?” . . . New Zealand Herald columnist Matthew Hooton’s view in an “oxygen-starved media environment” amid rattled nerves. Image: New Zealand Herald screenshot APR

    ‘Clearly about secession’
    Matthew Hooton, who penned the article in The Herald, is a major commentator on various platforms.

    “Cook Islands Prime Minister Mark Brown’s dealings with China are clearly about secession from the realm of New Zealand,” Hooton said without substantiation but with considerable colonial hauteur.

    “His illegal moves cannot stand. It would be a relatively straightforward military operation for our SAS to secure all key government buildings in the Cook Islands’ capital, Avarua.”

    This could be written off as the hyperventilating screeching of someone trying to drum up readers but he was given a major platform to do so and New Zealanders live in an oxygen-starved media environment where alternative analysis is hard to find.

    The Cook Islands, with one of the largest Exclusive Economic Zones in the world — a whopping 2 million sq km — is considered part of New Zealand’s backyard, albeit over 3000 km to the northeast.  The deal with China is focused on economics not security issues, according to Cooks Prime Minister Mark Brown.

    Deep sea mining may be on the list of projects as well as trade cooperation, climate, tourism, and infrastructure.

    The Cook Islands seafloor is believed to have billions of tons of polymetallic nodules of cobalt, copper, nickel and manganese, something that has even caught the attention of US Secretary of State Marco Rubio. Various players have their eyes on it.

    Glen Johnson, writing in Le Monde Diplomatique, reported last year:

    “Environmentalists have raised major concerns, particularly over the destruction of deep-sea habitats and the vast, choking sediment plumes that excavation would produce.”

    All will be revealed
    Even Cook Island’s citizens have not been consulted on the details of the deal, including deep sea mining.  Clearly, this should not be the case. All will be revealed shortly.

    New Zealand and the Cook Islands have had formal relations since 1901 when the British “transferred” the islands to New Zealand.  Cook Islanders have a curious status: they hold New Zealand passports but are recognised as their own country. The US government went a step further on September 25, 2023. President Joe Biden said:

    “Today I am proud to announce that the United States recognises the Cook Islands as a sovereign and independent state and will establish diplomatic relations between our two nations.”

    A move to create their own passports was undermined by New Zealand officials who successfully stymied the plan.

    New Zealand has taken an increasingly hostile stance vis-a-vis China, with PM Luxon describing the country as a “strategic competitor” while at the same time depending on China as our biggest trading partner.  The government and a compliant mainstream media sing as one choir when it comes to China: it is seen as a threat, a looming pretender to be South Pacific hegemon, replacing the flip-flopping, increasingly incoherent USA.

    Climate change looms large for island nations. Much of the Cooks’ tourism infrastructure is vulnerable to coastal inundation and precious reefs are being destroyed by heating sea temperatures.

    “One thing that New Zealand has got to get its head round is the fact that the Trump administration has withdrawn from the Paris Climate Accord,” Dr Robert Patman, professor of international relations at Otago University, says. “And this is a big deal for most Pacific Island states — and that means that the Cook Islands nation may well be looking for greater assistance elsewhere.”

    Diplomatic spat with global coverage
    The story of the diplomatic spat has been covered in the Middle East, Europe and Asia.  Eyebrows are rising as yet again New Zealand, a close ally of Israel and a participant in the US Operation Prosperity Guardian to lift the Houthi Red Sea blockade of Israel, shows its Western mindset.

    Matthew Hooton’s article is the kind of colonialist fantasy masquerading as geopolitical analysis that damages New Zealand’s reputation as a friend to the smaller nations of our region.

    Yes, the Chinese have an interest in our neck of the woods — China is second only to Australia in supplying much-needed development assistance to the region.

    It is sound policy not insurrection for small nations to diversify economic partnerships and secure development opportunities for their people. That said, serious questions should be posed and deserve to be answered.

    Geopolitical analyst Dr Geoffrey Miller made a useful contribution to the debate saying there was potential for all three parties to work together:

    “There is no reason why New Zealand can’t get together with China and the Cook Islands and develop some projects together,” Dr Miller says. “Pacific states are the winners here because there is a lot of competition for them”.

    I think New Zealand and Australia could combine more effectively with a host of South Pacific island nations and form a more effective regional voice with which to engage with the wider world and collectively resist efforts by the US and China to turn the region into a theatre of competition.

    We throw the toys out
    We throw the toys out of the cot when the Cooks don’t consult with us but shrug when Pasifika elders like former Tuvalu PM Enele Sopoaga call us out for ignoring them.

    In Wellington last year, I heard him challenge the bigger powers, particularly Australia and New Zealand, to remember that the existential threat faced by Pacific nations comes first from climate change. He also reminded New Zealanders of the commitment to keeping the South Pacific nuclear-free.

    To succeed, a “Pacific for the peoples of the Pacific” approach would suggest our ministries of foreign affairs should halt their drift to being little more than branch offices of the Pentagon and that our governments should not sign up to US Great Power competition with China.

    Ditching the misguided anti-China AUKUS project would be a good start.

    Friends to all, enemies of none. Keep the Pacific peaceful, neutral and nuclear-free.

    Eugene Doyle is a community organiser and activist in Wellington, New Zealand. He received an Absolutely Positively Wellingtonian award in 2023 for community service. His first demonstration was at the age of 12 against the Vietnam War. This article was first published at his public policy website Solidarity and is republished here with permission.

    This article was first published on Café Pacific.

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-OSI NGOs: Kazakhstan: Authorities must drop politically motivated charges against satirical blogger  

    Source: Amnesty International –

    Ahead of the start of the trial in Kazakhstan of Temirlan Ensebek, a blogger who has been charged with “inciting interethnic discord” and faces up to seven years in jail for a year-old post on his Instagram page, Marie Struthers, Amnesty International’s Director for Eastern Europe and Central Asia, said:  

    “This is not the first time that the Kazakh authorities have targeted Temirlan Ensebek for his free expression. 

    This politically motivated prosecution is part of a wider crackdown on civil society

    “This politically motivated prosecution, which relies on a vague and overly broad definition of ‘incitement’ within Kazakhstan’s Criminal Code, is part of a wider crackdown on civil society.  

    “Free expression is not a crime and the authorities must end their misuse of the criminal justice system and the charge of ‘discord’ to suppress dissent and silence critical voices. These baseless charges must be dropped and Temirlan Ensebek should be immediately released from detention.” 

    Background  

    Temirlan Ensebek, manages the satirical Instagram account Qaznews24. He was arrested on 17 January and remanded in pretrial detention for two months. 

    He has been charged under article 174 of Kazakhstan’s Criminal Code on vague charges of “inciting interethnic discord”. 

    Ensebek’s post on the Qaznews24 Instagram account featured a Russian TV presenter, with a song conveying hostile feelings against Russians.

    MIL OSI NGO –

  • MIL-OSI: Sidetrade announces alliance with Interpath

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    Sidetrade, the global leader in AI-powered Order-to-Cash applications, and Interpath, the international advisory firm, have announced an alliance relationship that has been designed to accelerate digital transformation efforts, empowering businesses to harness AI from Sidetrade’s dedicated Order-to-Cash Data Lake and adapt more effectively to the demands of a rapidly changing economy.

    Interpath is a fast-growing firm that supports clients with advisory and restructuring services and has operations in the UK, France, Ireland, Germany, Austria, Bermuda, Cayman Islands, BVI, and Algeria. The alliance with Sidetrade will support the firm’s continued growth and further enhance its ability to create, defend, preserve, sustain and grow value for its clients through working capital optimization. In turn, Sidetrade will be able to draw on Interpath’s advisory capabilities across a wide range of markets and channels to help more leadership teams transform their Order-to-Cash operations.

    Kevin Schafer, AVP Partners Europe, at Sidetrade, commented: “We are excited to join forces with Interpath to extend the reach of Aimie, Sidetrade’s AI assistant, to a wider spectrum of organizations. By combining Interpath’s industry expertise with our advanced technology, we are creating a powerful synergy to help businesses unlocking new efficiencies in optimizing working capital and driving sustainable cash flow growth.”

    The new alliance is set to reshape the way businesses tackle working capital challenges. It aims to empower organizations with digitally transformative solutions, delivering tangible results in an increasingly dynamic financial environment.

    Sidetrade has consistently been recognized as a leader in the global Order-to-Cash the market, thanks to its powerful AI technology powered by the Sidetrade Data Lake which processes $6.1 trillion in B2B payment transactions real-time daily in Sidetrade’s cloud to provide users with a unique market view. Sidetrade has been positioned as a Gartner® Magic Quadrant™ Leader since 2022. It was also named a Leader in the IDC MarketScape: Worldwide Accounts Receivable Automation Applications for the Enterprise 2024 Vendor Assessment (doc #US51740924, December 2024).

    Hope Rosenbaum, Chief Growth Officer, Head of Alliances at Interpath, commented: “Sidetrade offers a world-class Order-to-Cash solution that leverages AI and cloud technology to make a transformational impact, complementing the work we do every day to help clients improve their financial performance and create value. The alliance couldn’t be timelier as businesses look for ways to make their cashflow work for them and find a more sustainable financial future. We look forward to working with Sidetrade as we leverage the technology and harness the expertise that we both hold to make a real difference for businesses we support across our international networks.”

    Gartner, Magic Quadrant for Invoice-to-Cash Applications, 6 May 2024, Tamara Shipley Et Al.
    Gartner does not endorse any vendor, product or service depicted in its research publications and does not advise technology users to select only those vendors with the highest ratings or other designation. Gartner research publications consist of the opinions of Gartner’s research organization and should not be construed as statements of fact. Gartner disclaims all warranties, expressed or implied, with respect to this research, including any warranties of merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose.
    GARTNER is a registered trademark and service mark of Gartner and Magic Quadrant is a registered trademark of Gartner, Inc. and/or its affiliates in the U.S. and internationally and are used herein with permission. All rights reserved.

    Media relations @Sidetrade
    Becca Parlby               +44 7824 5055 84           bparlby@sidetrade.com

    About Sidetrade (www.sidetrade.com)
    Sidetrade (Euronext Growth: ALBFR.PA) provides a SaaS platform designed to revolutionize how cash flow is secured and accelerated. Leveraging its next-generation AI, nicknamed Aimie, Sidetrade analyzes $6.1 trillion worth of B2B payment transactions daily in its Cloud, thereby anticipating customer payment behavior and the attrition risk of more than 38 million buyers worldwide. Aimie recommends the best operational strategies, dematerializes and intelligently automates Order-to-Cash processes to enhance productivity, results and working capital across organizations.
    Sidetrade has a global reach, with 400+ talented employees based in Europe, the United States and Canada, serving global businesses in more than 85 countries. Amongst them: Bidcorp, Biffa, Bunzl, Engie, Expedia, Inmarsat, KPMG, Lafarge, Manpower, Opentext, Page, Randstad, Saint-Gobain, Securitas, Sodexo, Tech Data, UGI, and Veolia.
    Sidetrade is a participant of the United Nations Global Compact, adhering to its principles-based approach to responsible business. 
    For further information, visit us at www.sidetrade.com and follow @Sidetrade on LinkedIn. 
    In the event of any discrepancy between the French and English versions of this press release, only the English version is to be taken into account

    Attachment

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: Coop Pank held an investor webinar to introduce unaudited results of Q4 and 12 month of 2024

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    Today, on 13 February 2024 at 9 am (EET), Coop Pank held an investor webinar, where the Chairman of the Board Margus Rink and Chief Financial Officer Paavo Truu introduced the bank’s Q4 and 12 month of 2024 unaudited financial results. Webinar was held in Estonian language.  

    Coop Pank would like to thank all participants. Webinar recording is available here:
    https://youtu.be/XHWdTjDnFbo?si=-aAiISEtqk0FGk7G

    Coop Pank’s report for unaudited results of Q4 and 12 month of 2024 and the presentation is available here:
    https://view.news.eu.nasdaq.com/view?id=1342555&lang=en

    Coop Pank, based on Estonian capital, is one of the five universal banks operating in Estonia. The number of clients using Coop Pank for their daily banking has reached 208,000. Coop Pank aims to put the synergy generated by the interaction of retail business and banking to good use and to bring everyday banking services closer to people’s homes. The strategic shareholder of the bank is the domestic retail chain Coop Eesti comprising 320 stores.

    Additional information:
    Katre Tatrik
    Communication Manager
    Tel: +372 5151 859
    E-mail: katre.tatrik@cooppank.ee

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: YieldMax™ Unveils New Weekly Pay 0DTE Covered Call Strategy ETF on the Nasdaq 100 Index

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    CHICAGO, MILWAUKEE and NEW YORK, Feb. 13, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — YieldMax™ announced the launch today of the following ETF:

    YieldMax™ Nasdaq 100 0DTE Covered Call Strategy ETF (Nasdaq: QDTY)

    QDTY Overview        
    QDTY follows an active management approach that utilizes a synthetic covered call strategy designed to generate weekly income while also providing exposure to the price return of an Index.

    • QDTY is designed to generate weekly income, while also providing exposure to the price return of the Nasdaq 100 Index (the “Index”).
    • QDTY seeks to generate income primarily by utilizing zero days to expiry (“0DTE”) options on the Index and/or passively managed ETFs that tracks the Index’s performance (the “Index ETFs”).

    Index
    The Nasdaq 100 Index is a benchmark index comprising 100 of the largest non-financial companies listed on the Nasdaq Stock Market, based on market capitalization. This large-cap index, heavily weighted towards the technology sector, represents various industries, including consumer discretionary, healthcare, communication services, and industrials, reflecting Nasdaq’s historical strength.

    QDTY’s Option Strategy

    QDTY employs a synthetic covered call strategy by selling and purchasing call options on the Index or Index ETFs. Each business day, typically at market open, the Fund sells out-of-the-money (OTM) call options with zero days to expiration (“0DTE”), which expire the same day they are sold. OTM options have a strike price above the current Index value. QDTY’s synthetic covered call strategy is established by combining the call options sold to generate income with buying call options for exposure to the Index.

    QDTY’s Return Profile and Index Performance

    QDTY earns income by selling out-of-the-money 0DTE call options daily. The premiums from these options add to income but limit participation in Index gains. If the Index rises past the strike price, losses on sold options can offset gains. This strategy balances income generation with limited Index upside exposure while premiums can help mitigate losses if the Index declines.

    QDTY’s Distribution Schedule
    Like all YieldMax™ ETFs, QDTY aims to generate income for investors. With respect to distributions, QDTY aims to make distributions on a weekly basis, and its first weekly distribution is expected to be announced on February 26, 2025.

    Why Invest in QDTY?

    • QDTY seeks to generate weekly income, which is not dependent on the value of the Index (or the Index ETFs).
    • QDTY aims to participate in a portion of the Index gains, which may be capped.

    Important Information

    Investors should consider the investment objectives, risks, charges and expenses carefully before investing. For a prospectus or summary prospectus with this and other information about each Fund, visit our website at www.YieldMaxETFs.com. Read the prospectus or summary prospectus carefully before investing.

    There is no guarantee that any Fund’s investment strategy will be properly implemented, and an investor may lose some or all of its investment in any such Fund.

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

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

    Risk Disclosures

    Investing involves risk. Principal loss is possible.

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

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

    The Nasdaq 100 Index Risks. The Index’s major risks stem from its high concentration in the technology sector and significant exposure to high-growth, high-valuation companies. A downturn in the tech industry, whether from regulatory changes, shifts in technology, or competitive pressures, can greatly impact the index.

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

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

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

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

    Distribution Risk. As part of the Fund’s investment objective, the Fund seeks to provide current income. There is no assurance that the Fund will make a distribution in any given period. If the Fund does make distributions, the amounts of such distributions will likely vary greatly from one distribution to the next. Additionally, monthly distributions, if any, may consist of returns of capital, which would decrease the Fund’s NAV and trading price over time.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

    © 2025 YieldMax™ ETFs

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: Blackford Capital Earns M&A Atlas Awards for U.S.A. Deal of the Year and Rising Star Dealmaker

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    GRAND RAPIDS, Mich., Feb. 13, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Blackford Capital (“Blackford”), a leading lower middle market private equity firm, announced today that it was awarded U.S.A. Deal of the Year at the 16th Annual Americas M&A Atlas Awards, hosted by Global M&A Network, LLC. Rishabh Mukherjee, CFA, Blackford’s Vice President of Deals (T/IPP), was also honored as a 2024 America’s Rising Star Dealmaker.

    The Americas M&A Atlas Awards, presented at a gala held on February 6, recognize the achievements of influential dealmakers and leaders, outstanding firms, and the best growth-delivering transactions of the year. Blackford Capital was also named a finalist for the Private Equity Firm of the Year award.

    Blackford received the U.S.A. Deal of the Year award for the acquisition of Industrial Molding Corporation by its portfolio company Davalor Mold Company, LLC (“Davalor”) from NN, Inc. Industrial Molding Corporation, the first add-on to the Davalor platform, has expanded the company’s breadth of capabilities and strengthened its leadership team, while also serving as a solid foundation for continued expansion and innovation.

    “We are extremely honored to be recognized by Global M&A Network for our team’s success in closing a strategically important deal for our portfolio, particularly in 2024’s more competitive deal environment,” said Martin Stein, Blackford Capital’s founder and managing director. “I sincerely appreciate the hard work of everyone at Blackford who contributed to this accomplishment, and together we will look to build on our achievements from last year.”

    Mr. Mukherjee was also named a 2024 America’s Rising Star Dealmakers by the Global M&A Network, which recognizes brilliant and exceptional young dealmakers for their achievements, dedication, and talents for closing value-creating transactions. Mr. Mukherjee has over seven years of experience in executing complex transactions, as well as a demonstrated ability to deliver projects on both the buy-side and sell-side by working closely with various stakeholders across the entire deal lifecycle.

    “Rishabh’s recognition is truly well-earned,” said Mr. Stein. “He has played an important role in the investment process at Blackford, and his ability to collaborate with stakeholders has brought a people-centered approach to dealmaking. This award is a testament to the impact he has had our firm, and we look forward to his future contributions.”

    For more information, and for a detailed list of all the Award winners for the 16th Americas M&A Atlas Awards and Rising Star Awards, please visit https://globalmanetwork.com.

    About Blackford Capital
    Founded in 2010, Blackford Capital is a private equity investment firm headquartered in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Blackford acquires, manages, and builds founder and family-owned, lower middle-market companies, with a focus on the manufacturing, industrial and distribution industries. Blackford has a track record of exceptional returns, a disciplined and relentless approach to value creation, and a focus on operational excellence and a compelling culture. In 2023 and 2024, Blackford Capital was named to Inc’s list of Founder-Friendly Investors, was recognized by ACG Detroit with the 2023 M&A Dealmaker of the Year Award and awarded the 2023 Small Markets Deal of the Year award by both Buyouts Magazine and the Global M&A Network Atlas Awards. For more information, visit www.blackfordcapital.com.

    Media Contact:
    Lambert by LLYC
    Jennifer Hurson
    (845) 729-3100
    jhurson@lambert.com

    Jackson Lin
    (646) 717-4593
    jlin@lambert.com

    Photos accompanying this announcement are available at:

    https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/f0378d41-fbbe-498c-89f3-40bb9742f6a7

    https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/351310b7-130b-42cc-9524-0597f4a92d29

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Decentralised social media offers an alternative to big tech platforms like X and Meta. How does it work? Podcast

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Gemma Ware, Host, The Conversation Weekly Podcast, The Conversation

    Koshiro K/Shutterstock

    When Elon Musk acquired Twitter in 2022, many users looked for alternatives, fuelling a wave of online migration from the social media platform. Musk says he’s using Twitter, now named X, to champion free speech and that “cancel culture has been cancelled”. But his closeness to Donald Trump and his use of X to support far-right political ideologies around the world, have driven even more people to explore new options.

    How do these alternative platforms differ from traditional social media, and what does the future hold for these online spaces? In this episode of The Conversation Weekly podcast, we speak to Robert Gehl, Ontario Research Chair of Digital Governance at York University, Canada, about the evolving landscape of decentralised social media.

    In 2018, technologists working at the World Wide Web Consortium built a new protocol for social media called ActivityPub. It would give birth to the Fediverse, a decentralised form of social media. Robert Gehl likens the Fediverse to email.

     ”A friend of mine can have a Gmail account, another friend can have an Outlook account with Microsoft. I could have an account with ProtonMail. And even though these are three different companies and three different locations in the world, I can email all my friends and they can email me back because all those email servers agree to speak a shared protocol.“

    ActivityPub does the same, but for social media. Somebody could set up a server that speaks that protocol and invite their friends to sign up. Somebody else could set up a different type of server, and those two could connect using ActivityPub’s protocol. Gehl explains: “You can build a big network out of all these little servers that removes a centre.”

     Examples of platforms on the Fediverse include micro-blogging site Mastodon, image-sharing site Pixelfed and video-sharing platform PeerTube. By comparison to these decentralised systems, traditional social media platforms like X, Instagram or YouTube centralise user data, content, moderation and governance and control how information is organised and distributed to their users.

    Other alternative platforms, which aren’t part of the Fediverse, include Bluesky, which  launched to the public in 2024. Bluesky grew out of Twitter, and Twitter’s founder, Jack Dorsey, used to be on its board. However, Gehl says analysts still see Bluesky as a quite centralised because of the way it’s designed.

     ”They’re building an architecture where all posts are accessible and then they let people build filters to go to that big stack of posts and pull out the things that they want to see …  I personally find Mastodon and the Fediverse to be a little bit more compelling because they’re federated systems. When you run a federated social media system, you install the software like Mastodon, and then it pulls in messages from the network as need be … so you don’t have the entire network on one box.“

    Listen to the interview with Robert Gehl on The Conversation Weekly podcast, which also includes an introduction with Nehal El-Hadi, interim editor-in-chief at The Conversation Canada.

    This episode of The Conversation Weekly was written and produced by Mend Mariwany with assistance from Katie Flood and Gemma Ware, Sound design was by Michelle Macklem, and theme music by Neeta Sarl.

    Clips in this episode from NBC News and CTV News.

    Listen to The Conversation Weekly via any of the apps listed above, download it directly via our RSS feed or find out how else to listen here.

    Robert Gehl has received funding from the Canada First Research Excellence Fund.

    – ref. Decentralised social media offers an alternative to big tech platforms like X and Meta. How does it work? Podcast – https://theconversation.com/decentralised-social-media-offers-an-alternative-to-big-tech-platforms-like-x-and-meta-how-does-it-work-podcast-249758

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: PARLIAMENT QUESTION: Earthquake preparedness

    Source: Government of India

    Posted On: 13 FEB 2025 3:50PM by PIB Delhi

    Current Status of Earthquake preparedness and Early Warning Systems in Earthquake Prone regions of the Country:

    India has a well-defined National Seismological Network, expanded in the length and breadth of the country, that monitors seismic activity 24×7 around the corner in real-time mode and disseminates earthquake-related parameters and reports  to various stakeholders and the public nationwide promptly through Bhukamp App and other unified Dissemination System (e.g. website; social media / whatsapp; twitter; telephone, Fax).

    National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) has undertaken the Earthquake Disaster Risk Indexing (EDRI) project to systematically address the challenges of rapid urbanization and ensuring earthquake resilience in growing cities and assess earthquake risk across Indian cities. The results of the EDRI and risk assessment have far-reaching implications, particularly in cities experiencing rapid urbanization. By integrating the risk index into urban planning frameworks, cities can adopt risk-informed decision-making, ensuring safer infrastructure development and community resilience. This initiative underscores NDMA’s commitment to developing for proactive disaster risk reduction in urban India.

    To address the community-based preparedness and raise awareness in earthquake- prone regions, NDMA runs TV and radio campaigns focused on earthquake preparedness, highlighting critical do’s and don’ts during seismic events. Special programs like ‘Aapda ka Samna’, aired on Doordarshan, feature expert discussions on prevention and mitigation strategies, equipping the public with actionable knowledge to safeguard lives and property.

    Additionally, The Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) has developed a seismic zoning map of India to update stakeholders regarding earthquake precautionary measures.

    Status of earthquake early warning systems:

    Research efforts have started in India for developing an Earthquake Early Warning (EEW) System for Himalayan region, but these are still at a nascent stage. The National Centre for Seismology (NCS), Ministry of Earth Sciences has concerted efforts to develop an Earthquake Early Warning (EEW) System for the Himalayan region under its pilot project. However, National Centre for Seismology (NCS) under Ministry of Earth Sciences (MoES) is capable of recording any earthquake of M:2.5 and above in and around Delhi, M:3.0 and above for NE region, M:3.5 and above in Peninsular and extra-peninsular region, M:4.0 and above in Andaman region, and M:4.5 and above in border regions lying between 0 – 40 degree; N: 60 – 100 degree East. The details of the earthquakes reported by NCS are available in public domain through social media and on the website of NCS (seismo.gov.in).

    National Centre for Seismology (NCS), Ministry of Earth Sciences (MoES) monitors the earthquake activity in and around the country on 24×7 basis and this information is disseminated after the occurrence of the earthquake to all nodal state and central disaster management authorities in the least possible time. For this purpose, NCS maintains the National Seismological Network (NSN) comprising of 166 permanent seismological observatories spread across the country. The details of the earthquakes reported by NCS and the observatories of NSN are available in public domain through social media and on the website of NCS (seismo.gov.in).

    Additionally, probabilistic seismic hazard maps by BIS and Seismic Microzonation of strategic cities falling in the seismic Hazard Zone III, IV, and V by NCS-MoES and with its technical partner institutes a step towards earthquake risk mitigation of the country.

    The status of infrastructure resilience in earthquake-prone regions of India varies from “Poor to Moderate”, with significant concerns regarding non-compliance with building codes that were constructed earlier.

    Infrastructure resilience in earthquake-prone regions is a key aspect of risk management. Multiple organizations are already working in this regard. As also explained above, NDMA has undertaken the Earthquake Disaster Risk Indexing (EDRI) project to address the challenges of rapid urbanization and ensure earthquake resilience in growing cities. Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) has published criterion for constructing of earthquake resilient structures. The design of structure should be such that the whole structure behaves as one unit at the time of vibration rather than assemblage of parts. However, it is not economical to demolish and reconstruct most of the poorly built structures; for such poorly built structures BIS has prepared guidelines for their retrofitting. Also, HUDCO & BMTPC have published guidelines and brochures for construction and retrofitting of buildings. Based on these guidelines, critical facilities like hospitals, schools and bridges may be typically reinforced to withstand seismic forces, ensuring they remain operational during an emergency.

    NDMA, has developed guidelines and formulates programs targeting earthquake risk mitigation to mitigate losses in a systematic and coordinated manner.

    These initiatives are:

    1. Home Owner’s Guide for Earthquake & Cyclone Safety (2019): The guide will make homeowners aware of various considerations and minimum requirements, which need to be taken care of while constructing and buying a house.
    2. Simplified Guidelines for Earthquake Safety (2021): It provides details based on the National Building Code of India 2016 (released by the Bureau of Indian Standards, Government of India) to those who are constructing a house and who are buying a flat in multi-storey buildings, which are made of either masonry or reinforced concrete (RC). This Guide focuses to address this aspiration of potential homeowners, and provides the basic information that they should have when constructing individual houses or buying flats in multi-storey buildings.

    The National Centre for Seismology (NCS), Ministry of Earth Sciences (MoES)  conducts Seismic Microzonation of cities in India to generate integrated seismological, geological, and geotechnical parameters for earthquake risk resilient structures/infrastructures and buildings.

    This information was given by Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Science & Technology and Earth Sciences, Dr. Jitendra Singh in a reply in the Rajya Sabha today.

    ***

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    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Government and 28 large corporates jointly launch new round of HYAB Scheme on Corporate Summer Internship on the Mainland and Overseas

    Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

    Government and 28 large corporates jointly launch new round of HYAB Scheme on Corporate Summer Internship on the Mainland and Overseas
    Government and 28 large corporates jointly launch new round of HYAB Scheme on Corporate Summer Internship on the Mainland and Overseas
    ******************************************************************************************

         ​The Government today (February 13) announced the launch of the HYAB Scheme on Corporate Summer Internship on the Mainland and Overseas 2025 in collaboration with 28 large corporates, providing young people of Hong Kong with quality summer internship placements on the Mainland and overseas to jointly promote youth development.           In the 2024 Policy Address, the Chief Executive emphasised that the Government would sustain its efforts in strengthening support for youth development. This includes continuing to implement various exchange and internship programmes on the Mainland and overseas to encourage young people to gain a deeper understanding of national development and global development trends. In this regard, the Home and Youth Affairs Bureau forged partnerships with large corporates to launch the HYAB Scheme on Corporate Summer Internship on the Mainland and Overseas to provide internship placements at the corporates’ Mainland and overseas operations, with the aim of cultivating a cohort of young talent with a good understanding of the country’s development and a global perspective. The Scheme provides young people with exposure to the work culture in large corporates in different parts of the world, and an opportunity to establish interpersonal networks outside Hong Kong, enabling them to seize national development opportunities.           The number of companies participating in the new round of the Scheme has increased to 28, and internship placements are offered in multiple Mainland provinces and cities, including various Mainland cities in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, Beijing, Shanghai, Chengdu and Hangzhou, as well as overseas countries including Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand and Australia. The internship placements cover different industries, such as financial services, innovation and technology, logistics, property development, construction, retail, hospitality, entertainment and utilities (please refer to Annex for details of the internship placements). Applicants should be (i) a full time post-secondary student (including sub-degree, undergraduate, or postgraduate) holding a Hong Kong permanent identity card; or (ii) a local full-time post-secondary student (including sub-degree, undergraduate, or postgraduate) holding a Hong Kong identity card. The internship will take place between June and September this year. Participating companies will sponsor the interns for major expenses including transportation and accommodation costs, and assign dedicated personnel to provide training and support to the interns.           Details of the Scheme and internship placements are available on the dedicated webpage (www.ydc.gov.hk/scsi/en). Interested young people should submit their applications through the centralised application platform on the dedicated webpage on or before March 10. Each person can apply for up to three companies in one application. Upon receiving the applications, participating companies will contact suitable applicants directly for the assessment and selection process, and make placement arrangements for selected interns.

     
    Ends/Thursday, February 13, 2025Issued at HKT 17:50

    NNNN

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Lunar New Year auction of vehicle registration marks this Sunday

    Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

         The Transport Department today (February 13) reminded the public that the Lunar New Year auction of vehicle registration marks will be held this Sunday (February 16) at Meeting Room N201, L2, New Wing, Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre, Wan Chai.

         A total of 49 vehicle registration marks will be put up for public auction. Forty-eight of them are traditional vehicle registration marks (TVRMs), and one of them is a personalised vehicle registration mark (PVRM). The list of marks has been posted on the department’s website, www.td.gov.hk/en/public_services/vehicle_registration_mark/index.html.

         People who wish to participate in the bidding at the auction should take note of the following points:

    (1) Bidders are required to produce the following documents for completion of registration and payment procedures immediately after the successful bidding:

    (i) the identity document of the successful bidder;
    (ii) the identity document of the purchaser if it is different from the successful bidder;
    (iii) a copy of the Certificate of Incorporation if the purchaser is a body corporate; and
    (iv) a crossed cheque payable to “The Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region” or “The Government of the HKSAR”. Any bidder who wishes to bid for both TVRMs and the PVRM, should bring along at least two crossed cheques for payment of auction prices (for an auctioned mark paid for by cheque, the first three working days after the date of auction will be required for cheque clearance confirmation before processing of the application for mark assignment can be completed). Successful bidders may also pay through the Easy Pay System (EPS), but are reminded to note the maximum transfer amount on the same day of the payment card. Payment by post-dated cheque, cash, credit card or other methods will not be accepted.

    (2) Purchasers must make payment of the purchase price through the EPS or by crossed cheque and complete the Memorandum of Sale of Registration Mark or the Memorandum of Sale of Personalised Vehicle Registration Mark immediately after the bidding. Subsequent alteration of the particulars in the Memorandum will not be permitted.

    (3) A registration mark can only be assigned to a motor vehicle which is registered in the name of the purchaser. The Certificate of Incorporation must be produced immediately by the purchaser if a vehicle registration mark purchased is to be registered under the name of a body corporate.

    (4) The display of a vehicle registration mark on a motor vehicle should be in compliance with the requirements stipulated in Schedule 4 to the Road Traffic (Registration and Licensing of Vehicles) Regulations.

    (5) Special vehicle registration marks are non-transferable. Where the ownership of a motor vehicle with a special vehicle registration mark is transferred, the allocation of the special vehicle registration mark shall be cancelled.

    (6) The purchaser shall, within 12 months after the date of auction, apply to the Commissioner for Transport for the vehicle registration mark to be assigned to a motor vehicle registered in the name of the purchaser. If the purchaser fails to assign the registration mark within 12 months, allocation of the registration mark will be cancelled and arranged for re-allocation by the Commissioner for Transport in accordance with the statutory provision without prior notice to the purchaser.

         For other auction details, please refer to the Guidance Notes – Auction of Traditional Vehicle Registration Marks (www.td.gov.hk/en/public_services/vehicle_registration_mark/tvrm_auction/index.html) and Guidance Notes – Auction of PVRMs (www.td.gov.hk/en/public_services/vehicle_registration_mark/pvrm_auction/index.html).

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: PM greets everyone on the occasion of World Radio Day

    Source: Government of India

    Posted On: 13 FEB 2025 9:36AM by PIB Delhi

    The Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi greeted everyone on the occasion of World Radio Day today. He also invited everyone to share their ideas and inputs for this month’s Mann Ki Baat, scheduled on the 23rd. 

    In a post on X, Shri Modi wrote:

    “Happy World Radio Day! 

    Radio has been a timeless lifeline for several people—informing, inspiring and connecting people. From news and culture to music and storytelling, it is a powerful medium that celebrates creativity.

    I compliment all those associated with the world of radio. I also invite you all to share your ideas and inputs for this month’s #MannKiBaat, which will take place on the 23rd. 

    https://www.mygov.in/group-issue/inviting-ideas-mann-ki-baat-prime-minister-narendra-modi-23rd-february-2025”

    ***

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    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-Evening Report: Will New Zealand invade the Cook Islands to stop China? Seriously

    The Chinese have politely told the Kiwis to back off.  Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun told reporters that China and the Cook Islands have had diplomatic relations since 1997 which “should not be disrupted or restrained by any third party”.

    “New Zealand is rightly furious about it,” a TVNZ Pacific affairs writer editorialised to the nation. The deal and the lack of prior consultation was described by various journalists as “damaging”, “of significant concern”, “trouble in paradise”, an act by a “renegade government”.

    Foreign Minister Winston Peters, not without cause, railed at what he saw as the Cook Islands government going against long-standing agreements to consult over defence and security issues.

    “Should New Zealand invade the Cook islands?” . . . New Zealand Herald columnist Matthew Hooton’s view in an “oxygen-starved media environment” amid rattled nerves. Image: New Zealand Herald screenshot APR

    ‘Clearly about secession’
    Matthew Hooton, who penned the article in The Herald, is a major commentator on various platforms.

    “Cook Islands Prime Minister Mark Brown’s dealings with China are clearly about secession from the realm of New Zealand,” Hooton said without substantiation but with considerable colonial hauteur.

    “His illegal moves cannot stand. It would be a relatively straightforward military operation for our SAS to secure all key government buildings in the Cook Islands’ capital, Avarua.”

    This could be written off as the hyperventilating screeching of someone trying to drum up readers but he was given a major platform to do so and New Zealanders live in an oxygen-starved media environment where alternative analysis is hard to find.

    The Cook Islands, with one of the largest Exclusive Economic Zones in the world — a whopping 2 million sq km — is considered part of New Zealand’s backyard, albeit over 3000 km to the northeast.  The deal with China is focused on economics not security issues, according to Cooks Prime Minister Mark Brown.

    Deep sea mining may be on the list of projects as well as trade cooperation, climate, tourism, and infrastructure.

    The Cook Islands seafloor is believed to have billions of tons of polymetallic nodules of cobalt, copper, nickel and manganese, something that has even caught the attention of US Secretary of State Marco Rubio. Various players have their eyes on it.

    Glen Johnson, writing in Le Monde Diplomatique, reported last year:

    “Environmentalists have raised major concerns, particularly over the destruction of deep-sea habitats and the vast, choking sediment plumes that excavation would produce.”

    All will be revealed
    Even Cook Island’s citizens have not been consulted on the details of the deal, including deep sea mining.  Clearly, this should not be the case. All will be revealed shortly.

    New Zealand and the Cook Islands have had formal relations since 1901 when the British “transferred” the islands to New Zealand.  Cook Islanders have a curious status: they hold New Zealand passports but are recognised as their own country. The US government went a step further on September 25, 2023. President Joe Biden said:

    “Today I am proud to announce that the United States recognises the Cook Islands as a sovereign and independent state and will establish diplomatic relations between our two nations.”

    A move to create their own passports was undermined by New Zealand officials who successfully stymied the plan.

    New Zealand has taken an increasingly hostile stance vis-a-vis China, with PM Luxon describing the country as a “strategic competitor” while at the same time depending on China as our biggest trading partner.  The government and a compliant mainstream media sing as one choir when it comes to China: it is seen as a threat, a looming pretender to be South Pacific hegemon, replacing the flip-flopping, increasingly incoherent USA.

    Climate change looms large for island nations. Much of the Cooks’ tourism infrastructure is vulnerable to coastal inundation and precious reefs are being destroyed by heating sea temperatures.

    “One thing that New Zealand has got to get its head round is the fact that the Trump administration has withdrawn from the Paris Climate Accord,” Dr Robert Patman, professor of international relations at Otago University, says. “And this is a big deal for most Pacific Island states — and that means that the Cook Islands nation may well be looking for greater assistance elsewhere.”

    Diplomatic spat with global coverage
    The story of the diplomatic spat has been covered in the Middle East, Europe and Asia.  Eyebrows are rising as yet again New Zealand, a close ally of Israel and a participant in the US Operation Prosperity Guardian to lift the Houthi Red Sea blockade of Israel, shows its Western mindset.

    Matthew Hooton’s article is the kind of colonialist fantasy masquerading as geopolitical analysis that damages New Zealand’s reputation as a friend to the smaller nations of our region.

    Yes, the Chinese have an interest in our neck of the woods — China is second only to Australia in supplying much-needed development assistance to the region.

    It is sound policy not insurrection for small nations to diversify economic partnerships and secure development opportunities for their people. That said, serious questions should be posed and deserve to be answered.

    Geopolitical analyst Dr Geoffrey Miller made a useful contribution to the debate saying there was potential for all three parties to work together:

    “There is no reason why New Zealand can’t get together with China and the Cook Islands and develop some projects together,” Dr Miller says. “Pacific states are the winners here because there is a lot of competition for them”.

    I think New Zealand and Australia could combine more effectively with a host of South Pacific island nations and form a more effective regional voice with which to engage with the wider world and collectively resist efforts by the US and China to turn the region into a theatre of competition.

    We throw the toys out
    We throw the toys out of the cot when the Cooks don’t consult with us but shrug when Pasifika elders like former Tuvalu PM Enele Sopoaga call us out for ignoring them.

    In Wellington last year, I heard him challenge the bigger powers, particularly Australia and New Zealand, to remember that the existential threat faced by Pacific nations comes first from climate change. He also reminded New Zealanders of the commitment to keeping the South Pacific nuclear-free.

    To succeed, a “Pacific for the peoples of the Pacific” approach would suggest our ministries of foreign affairs should halt their drift to being little more than branch offices of the Pentagon and that our governments should not sign up to US Great Power competition with China.

    Ditching the misguided anti-China AUKUS project would be a good start.

    Friends to all, enemies of none. Keep the Pacific peaceful, neutral and nuclear-free.

    Eugene Doyle is a community organiser and activist in Wellington, New Zealand. He received an Absolutely Positively Wellingtonian award in 2023 for community service. His first demonstration was at the age of 12 against the Vietnam War. This article was first published at his public policy website Solidarity and is republished here with permission.

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: The Walled City Music Festival returns this March for its seventeenth edition, bringing world-class

    Source: Northern Ireland – City of Derry

    The Walled City Music Festival returns this March for its seventeenth edition, bringing world-class

    13 February 2025

    Co-Artistic Directors Cathal Breslin (Derry) and Sabrina Hu (USA) have once again curated a fantastic feast of music welcoming guest artists Finghin Collins (piano), Kristīne Balanas (violin), Gerard McChrystal (saxophone), The Creviston Duo (saxophone/piano) and the Hellas Ensemble from Derry.

    Gala concerts will take place in the stunning setting of the Great Hall at Ulster University Magee and audiences will be treated to varied programmes of classical music from across the ages and right up to the present day.

    On Thursday 13 March, Finghin Collins and Cathal Breslin will present Mozart, Rachmaninov and Milhaud for two pianos, along with a very special performance of a selection of movements from Gustav Holst’s much-loved The Planets.

    Friday 14 March will see a dazzling display from two of the world’s top saxophone artists, Gerard McChrystal (Derry) and Christopher Creviston (USA), alongside pianist Hannah Creviston and WCMF Co-Artistic Director Sabrina Hu (flute). The ensemble will perform a brilliant programme of music from the Americas to Europe, including music by Jean-Baptiste Singelée, Charles Koechlin, Andy Scott, and Irish composers Linda Buckley and Michael McGlynn.

    On Saturday 15 March, Latvian street musician and rock singer turned virtuoso violinist, Kristīne Balanas, will delight with a passionate and elegant performance of Bach, Beethoven, Brahms and Ravel on her 1694 ‘Rutson’ Stradivarius violin alongside Co-Artistic Director Cathal Breslin (piano).

    Closing the Festival on Sunday 16 March, audiences can experience the beauty of music and poetry intertwined in a captivating lunchtime performance inspired by Seamus Heaney’s Sonnets from Hellas. The Hellas Ensemble, founded by Greek and Irish bouzouki players and composers Nikos Petsakos and Martin Coyle, celebrate Heaney’s love of Greece and its profound influence on his work, with narration from Derry-born TV and theatre actor, Ruairi Conaghan.

    For tickets and information visit walledcitymusic.com

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI: Himax Technologies, Inc. Reports Fourth Quarter and Full Year 2024 Financial Results; Provides First Quarter 2025 Guidance

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    Q4 2024 Revenues, Gross Margin and EPS All Surpassed Guidance Range Issued on November 7, 2024
    Company Q1 2025 Guidance: Revenues to Decrease 8.5% to 12.5% QoQ,
    Gross Margin is Expected to be Around 30.5%. Profit per Diluted ADS to be 9.0 Cents to 11.0 Cents

    • Q4 2024 revenues registered $237.2 million, an increase of 6.7% QoQ, significantly exceeding guidance range of a slight decrease to flat, primarily driven by stronger order momentum across product lines
    • Q4 2024 Gross margin reached 30.5%, exceeding guidance of flat to slightly up, driven by a favorable product mix and cost improvements. Up from 30.0% in the Q3 2024
    • Q4 2024 after-tax profit was $24.6M, or 14.0 cents per diluted ADS, considerably above the guidance range of 9.3 cents to 11.0 cents
    • Company’s full year 2024 revenues were $906.8 million, and gross margin was 30.5%. 2024 profit attributable to shareholders was $0.46 per fully diluted ADS
    • Company’s Q1 2025 revenues to decline 8.5% to 12.5% QoQ, reflecting the low season demand due to Lunar New Year holidays. The Q1 revenue guidance implies flat to 4.6% increase YoY. Gross margin to be around 30.5%, up from 29.3% same quarter last year. Profit per diluted ADS to be in the range of 9.0 cents to 11.0 cents, implying the increase of 26% to 54% YoY
    • Himax sales revenues in each quarter of 2024 consistently outperformed guidance, demonstrating its ability to handle most of rush orders, underscoring its strong ability in inventory management and swift market responsiveness
    • Full year 2024 automotive driver IC sales increased nearly 20% YoY, significantly outpacing global automotive growth, largely driven by the continued TDDI adoption among major customers across all continents. Himax continues to reinforce its market leadership in automotive TDDI, holding well over 50% market share
    • Himax’s WLO technology plays a critical role in CPO by providing essential optical coupling capability, making it a core element of the solution. Small-scale production of the first-gen CPO underway, with acceleration of future CPO generation development, in close collaboration with AI customers/partners. Company believes prospect of CPO remains unchanged
    • WiseEye, building on the success with Dell, has achieved notable progress with other leading NB brands. Also made breakthroughs in smart door lock, palm vein authentication and smart home. Himax anticipates a strong growth trajectory in WiseEye business in 2025 and beyond
    • At CES 2025, Himax showcased a wide range of innovative achievements, including automotive display technology, WiseEye AI, and advanced optical technologies for AR/VR
    • Rising enthusiasm in AR glasses with Gen AI in CES 2025. Himax offers three critical technologies for AR glasses, namely LCoS microdisplay, WLO waveguide, and ultralow power WiseEye AI
    • Himax is well-positioned to capitalize on the trend of the premium NB to adopt OLED displays and touch features. Confident to lead in the rapidly evolving landscape of AI PCs and premium NB, offering a comprehensive IC portfolio for both LCD and OLED NB

    TAINAN, Taiwan, Feb. 13, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Himax Technologies, Inc. (Nasdaq: HIMX) (“Himax” or “Company”), a leading supplier and fabless manufacturer of display drivers and other semiconductor products, announced its financial results for the fourth quarter and full year 2024 ended December 31, 2024.

    “In 2024, our sales revenues in each quarter consistently outperformed guidance. We have consistently demonstrated our ability to handle most of rush orders, underscoring our agility, adaptability, strong capabilities in inventory management, and swift market responsiveness,” said Mr. Jordan Wu, President and Chief Executive Officer of Himax.

    “At CES this year, Himax showcased a wide range of innovative achievements, including automotive display technology, WiseEye AI, and advanced optical technologies for AR/VR. Notably, a clear trend emerged at this year’s CES as the industry demonstrated growing enthusiasm for AR glasses, fueled by more companies entering the space and integrating generative AI to accelerate the development of lightweight, compact, and all-day AR glasses. For AR glasses, Himax offers three critical technologies, namely LCoS microdisplay, WLO waveguide, and ultralow power WiseEye AI,” continued Mr. Jordan Wu.

    “Himax’s WLO technology plays a critical role in CPO by providing essential optical coupling capability, making it a core element of the solution. The prospect of CPO remains unchanged and the widespread adoption of CPO for data transmission to be conducted via optics instead of metal wire is on track in high-performance AI applications. Through WLO and CPO technologies, Himax is well-positioned to engage in the high-speed AI computing market with high expectations for its growth,” concluded Mr. Jordan Wu.

    Fourth Quarter 2024 Financial Results

    Himax net revenues registered $237.2 million, an increase of 6.7% sequentially, significantly exceeding Company’s guidance range of a slight decrease to flat, and up 4.2% year-over-year. Gross margin reached 30.5%, exceeding its guidance of flat to slightly up from 30.0% in the previous quarter, and up from 30.3% in the same period last year. The sequential increase was driven by a favorable product mix and cost improvements. Q4 profit per diluted ADS was 14.0 cents, considerably above the guidance range of 9.3 cents to 11.0 cents, thanks to better-than-expected revenues and improved costs.

    Revenue from large display drivers came in at $25.0 million, reflecting a 18.6% sequential decline. The decrease was primarily attributed to continued customer destocking after substantial Q2 replenishment for shopping festivals, as well as heightened price competition from Chinese peers. Sales of large panel driver ICs accounted for 10.5% of total revenues for the quarter, compared to 13.8% last quarter and 14.8% a year ago.

    Small and medium-sized display driver segment totaled $166.8 million, an increase of 7.4% sequentially, exceeding its guidance of flat quarter-over-quarter, thanks to stronger-than-expected sales in the automotive and tablet markets. Q4 automotive driver sales, including both traditional DDIC and TDDI, experienced mid-teens increase, significantly outperforming Company’s expectation of a single digit increase, with both DDIC and TDDI showing stronger-than-expected sales. This surge was primarily driven by continued rush orders from Chinese panel customers, carried over from Q3, following the Chinese government’s renewed trade-in stimulus initiative announced in mid-August 2024 to boost automobile consumption. Remarkably, Himax’s Q4 automotive TDDI sales have exceeded DDIC sales for the first time, underscoring the global adoption of Company’s TDDI solutions, which are increasingly essential in modern vehicles, and reflects the growing demand for more intuitive, interactive, and cost-effective touch panel features powered by TDDI technology. Himax’s automotive business, comprising drivers, Tcon, and OLED IC sales, accounted for around 50% of total Q4 revenues. Meanwhile, Q4 tablet IC sales exceeded the guidance of a low teens decline, with sales up slightly sequentially driven by rush orders from leading end customers. Q4 smartphone IC sales declined slightly, in line with its guidance. The small and medium-sized driver IC segment accounted for 70.3% of total sales for the quarter, compared to 69.9% in the previous quarter and 71.6% a year ago.

    Fourth quarter revenues from its non-driver business reached $45.4 million, exceeding the guidance range, with a 24.9% increase from the previous quarter. The growth was primarily driven by a one-time ASIC Tcon product shipment to a leading projector customer and Tcon for monitor application. In Q4, automotive Tcon sales continued to grow sequentially, due to the widespread adoption of Himax’s market-leading local dimming Tcon with over two hundred secured design-win projects across major panel makers, Tier 1 suppliers, and automotive manufacturers worldwide. Non-driver products accounted for 19.2% of total revenues, as compared to 16.3% in the previous quarter and 13.6% a year ago.  

    Fourth quarter operating expenses were $49.2 million, a decrease of 19.1% from the previous quarter and a decline of 6.0% from a year ago. The sequential decrease stemmed primarily from a reduction in annual employee bonuses, partially offset by an increase in R&D expenses. As part of Company’s standard practice, Himax grants annual bonuses, including cash and RSUs, to employees at the end of September each year. This results in higher IFRS operating expenses in the third quarter compared to the other quarters of the year. The year-over-year decrease was mainly due to a decline in employee bonus compensation as the amortized portion of prior year’s bonuses for 2023 was higher than that for 2024, offsetting the higher annual bonus compensation grant for 2024 compared to 2023. Amid ongoing macroeconomic challenges, Himax is strictly enforcing budget and expense controls, with full-year 2024 operating expenses declining 5.6% compared to last year.

    Fourth quarter operating income was $23.1 million or 9.7% of sales, compared to 2.6% of sales last quarter and 7.3% of sales for the same period last year. The sequential increase was primarily the result of higher sales, improved gross margin, and lower operating expenses. The year-over-year increase was primarily the result of higher sales, higher gross margin, and lower employee bonus compensation due to the amortized portion of the prior year’s bonuses. Fourth-quarter after-tax profit was $24.6 million, or 14.0 cents per diluted ADS, reflecting a meaningful increase from $13.0 million, or 7.4 cents per diluted ADS last quarter, and up from $23.6 million, or 13.5 cents in the same period last year.

    Full Year 2024 Financial

    Revenues totaled $906.8 million, a slight decline of 4.1% compared to 2023. Persistent global demand weakness, coupled with uncertainty about market trends, led to conservative purchasing decisions and inventory management by Company’s panel customers. Given this uncertainty, Himax implemented strict expense controls, resulting in a 5.6% reduction in operating expenses for the year. However, Company’s optimism in the automotive business remains unwavering, with automotive IC sales increasing by nearly 20% year-over-year in 2024, far outpacing the overall automotive market growth. Among Company’s automotive product lines, automotive TDDI and Tcon sales, both relatively new technologies, surged by more than 70%, driven by accelerated adoption across the board. This growth strengthened Company’s market leadership and positions Himax well for continued success as the automotive sector embraces more advanced technology resulting from the mega trend of increasing size, quantity, and sophistication of displays inside vehicles.

    Revenue from large panel display drivers totaled $125.9 million in 2024, marking a decrease of 28.3% year-over-year, and representing 13.9% of total sales, as compared to 18.6% in 2023. Small and medium-sized driver sales totaled $625.4 million, reflecting a slight decrease of 0.6% year-over-year, and accounting for 69.0% of its total revenues, as compared to 66.5% in 2023. Non-driver product sales totaled $155.5 million, an increase of 10.6% year-over-year, and representing 17.1% of Company’s total sales, as compared to 14.9% a year ago.

    Gross margin in 2024 was 30.5%, up from 27.9% in 2023. The margin expansion was driven by a strategic focus on cost improvements and operational efficiency optimization, combined with a favorable product mix that included a higher percentage of high-margin products such as automotive and Tcon. The successful diversification of foundry sources also contributed to the margin increase.

    Operating expenses in 2024 were $208.0 million, a decline of 5.6% from 2023, primarily due to lower employee bonus compensation, as the amortized portion of bonuses in 2023 was higher than that in 2024. 2024 operating income was $68.2 million, or 7.5% of sales, an increase from $43.2 million, or 4.6% of sales, in 2023. Himax’s net profit for 2024 was $79.8 million, or $0.46 per diluted ADS, significantly up from $50.6 million, or $0.29 per diluted ADS in 2023.

    Balance Sheet and Cash Flow

    Himax had $224.6 million of cash, cash equivalents and other financial assets as of December 31, 2024. This compares to $206.4 million at the same time last year and $206.5 million a quarter ago. Himax achieved a strong positive operating cash flow of $35.4 million for the fourth quarter, compared to a cash outflow of $3.1 million in Q3. Company made a total of $30.1 million annual cash bonus to employees, resulting in the low operating cash flow of the quarter. As of December 31, 2024, Himax had $34.5 million in long-term unsecured loans, with $6.0 million representing the current portion.

    The Company’s inventories as of December 31, 2024 were $158.7 million, lower than $192.5 million last quarter and $217.3 million at the end of last year. Company’s inventory levels have steadily declined over the past couple of quarters and are now at a healthy level. Accounts receivable at the end of December 2024 was $236.8 million, little changed from $224.6 million last quarter and $235.8 million a year ago. DSO was 96 days at the quarter end, as compared to 92 days last quarter and 91 days a year ago. Fourth quarter capital expenditures were $3.2 million, versus $2.6 million last quarter and $15.1 million a year ago. Fourth quarter capex was mainly for R&D related equipment for Company’s IC design business. Total capital expenditures for 2024 were $13.1 million as compared to $23.4 million in 2023. The decrease was primarily due to reduced spending on in-house testers for Company’s IC design business in 2024.

    Outstanding Share

    As of December 31, 2024, Himax had 174.9 million ADS outstanding, little changed from last quarter. On a fully diluted basis, the total number of ADS outstanding for the fourth quarter was 175.1 million.  

    Q1 2025 Outlook

    In 2024, Himax’s sales revenues in each quarter consistently outperformed guidance. While this strong performance is certainly commendable, it also highlights the challenges Company faced such as limited market visibility and conservative customer demand, where many customers relied on rush orders to address their actual demands. On the other hand, rush orders are indicative of the tight inventory position of Company’s panel customers in general. In the past few quarters, Himax has consistently demonstrated its ability to handle most of such rush orders, underscoring Company’s agility, adaptability, strong capabilities in inventory management, and swift market responsiveness.

    The automotive IC sales remained Company’s largest revenue contributor in 2024, accounting for almost half of total revenues and achieving close to 20% annual growth. This performance highlights Himax’s automotive leadership in technological innovations, product development, and market share. Looking ahead, Himax expects its automotive TDDI and Tcon technologies to maintain growth momentum, further strengthening its market competitiveness. Beyond LCD technology, Himax is advancing development in the automotive OLED sector, with numerous projects currently underway in partnership with leading panel makers. Company anticipates that automotive OLED IC will serve as one of the key growth drivers for Himax in the coming years, further solidifying its leadership in automotive display market.

    Meanwhile, Himax is actively expanding its technology development beyond display ICs. To that end, in the WiseEye AI segment, Company has made notable progress with leading notebook brands and achieved significant breakthroughs in smart door lock, palm vein authentication, and smart home applications, collaborating with world-leading customers to develop new innovations. Himax anticipates a strong growth trajectory in its WiseEye business in 2025 and beyond.

    Himax’s proprietary wafer-level optics (WLO) technology for co-packaged optics (CPO) has recently garnered significant attention in the capital markets. In fact, as early as June 2024, Himax and FOCI, a global leader in silicon photonics connectors, jointly announced the industry-leading CPO technology. The collaboration, spanning several years, unites Himax’s WLO technology with FOCI’s CPO solutions for cutting-edge AI multi-chip modules (MCM). Since the announcement, Himax has provided updates on the latest progress in each quarterly earnings call. Himax’s WLO technology plays a critical role in CPO by providing essential optical coupling capability, making it a core element of the solution. CPO significantly enhances bandwidth and accelerates data transmission while reducing signal loss, latency, and power consumption. Additionally, it can help drastically decrease the size and cost of MCM.

    While CPO is still in engineering validation and trial production stage this year, with customer’s mass production timelines undisclosed and the recent AI market disruptions from DeepSeek, the prospect of CPO remains unchanged. The widespread adoption of CPO for data transmission to be conducted via optics instead of metal wire is on track in high-performance AI applications. This is evident by the significant increase in customer’s recent trial production volume forecast, indicating an accelerated timeline for CPO technology to enter mass production. Furthermore, Himax and FOCI, in close collaboration with leading AI customers and partners, are actively developing future generations of CPO technologies to meet the explosive high-speed optical data transmission demand in HPC and AI. Through WLO and CPO technologies, Himax is well-positioned to engage in the high-speed AI computing market with high expectations for its growth. Company believes that CPO technology, beyond cloud applications, will see further adoption in sectors such as automotive and robot in the future. Himax’s current goal is to accelerate CPO adoption in cloud applications, thereby helping drive broader CPO adoption in AI applications.

    At CES this year, Himax showcased a wide range of innovative achievements, including automotive display technology, WiseEye AI, and advanced optical technologies for AR/VR. Notably, a clear trend emerged at this year’s CES as the industry demonstrated growing enthusiasm for AR glasses, fueled by more companies entering the space and integrating generative AI to accelerate the development of lightweight, compact, and all-day AR glasses. For AR glasses, Himax offers three critical technologies, namely LCoS microdisplay, WLO waveguide, and ultralow power WiseEye AI. Company’s latest, patented Front-lit LCoS Microdisplay delivers unparalleled brightness with an industry-leading 400k nits, exceptional optical power efficiency, compact form factor, lightweight, and superior display quality, making it one of the most viable solutions in the see-through AR glasses market. In waveguide, in collaboration with leading tech names, Himax leverages proprietary WLO expertise, built on advanced nanoimprint technology, to offer industry-leading optical solutions that optimize light transmission and display efficiency. In the field of AI sensing for AR glasses, Himax’s WiseEye provides always-on AI sensing capabilities which are being applied by developers to significantly enhance AR interactivity while consuming just a few milliwatts of power.

    In automotive display IC technology, Himax unveiled the industry’s most comprehensive LCD and OLED solutions at CES, showcasing a range of next-generation smart cabin technologies. These solutions not only improve the intuitive operation of smart cabins but also enhance driving safety and provide an exceptional user experience. A prime example is the advanced Display HMI solution developed in collaboration with AUO which meets the demands for large-size, high-resolution, and freeform automotive displays.

    At CES, Himax also partnered with several AI ecosystem partners to showcase its ultralow power WiseEye Modules over a range of innovative, production-ready AIoT applications. These applications include palm vein authentication, baby cry detection, people flow management, and human sensing detection. The modules are designed for easy integration, making it highly suitable for various AIoT applications.

    Display Driver IC Businesses

    LDDIC

    In Q1 2025, Himax anticipates a single digit sequential sales increase for large display driver ICs, driven by demand spurred by Chinese government subsidies for household appliances aimed at reviving demand in the sluggish household sector. Notebook and monitor sales are expected to increase in Q1. In contrast, TV IC sales are set to decline as customers pulled forward their inventory purchases in the prior quarter, coupled with the seasonal slowdown in Q1.

    Looking ahead in the notebook sector, Company is seeing an increase in demand for premium notebooks to adopt OLED displays and touch features, partially fueled by the rise of AI PC. Himax is well-positioned to capitalize on this trend, offering a comprehensive range of ICs for both LCD and OLED notebooks, including DDIC, Tcon, touch controllers, and TDDI. A standout innovation is Company’s pioneering in-cell touch TDDI for LCD displays, which improves the ease of system design and integration by embedding the touch controller within the TDDI chip while maintaining the conventional display driver setup for Tcon data transmission. This design simplifies integration for customers, reducing engineering complexity and speeding up product development. This solution also supports high-resolution displays up to 4K and larger screens up to 16 inches, aligning with the growing demand for advanced, visually stunning, and immersive laptops. With mass production already underway for a leading notebook vendor’s AI PC, more projects are lined up. For OLED notebooks, in addition to Company’s OLED DDIC and Tcon solutions, Himax is also developing on-cell touch controller technology, with multiple projects underway with top panel makers and notebook vendors. Last but not least, progress has been made on the next-generation eDP 1.5 display interface for Tcon for both LCD and OLED panels. This interface will support high frame rates, low power consumption, adaptive sync, and high resolution, key features essential for next-generation AI PCs. By delivering innovative, cutting-edge technologies, Himax is well-positioned to lead in the rapidly evolving landscape of AI PCs and premium notebooks.

    SMDDIC

    On SMDDIC revenue, for the full year 2024, Himax’s automotive driver IC sales, comprising of TDDI and traditional DDIC, increased nearly 20% year-over-year, significantly outpacing global automotive growth, largely driven by the continued adoption of TDDI technology among major customers across all continents. However, Himax anticipates Q1 automotive revenue to decline low teens sequentially, following two quarters of surge demand. Despite this, Q1 automotive sales are still projected to increase by mid-teens on a year-over-year basis. In the automotive TDDI sector, with cumulative shipments significantly surpassing those of Himax’s competitors, Company continues to reinforce its market leadership, which currently stands at well over 50%. With nearly 500 design-in projects secured and a continuous influx of new pipeline and design-wins across the board, of which only 30% already in mass production, Himax expects to sustain this decent growth in the years ahead. While traditional automotive DDIC sales for 2024 declined due to their gradual, partial replacement by TDDI, Company’s DDIC shipment volume still saw a modest increase in the last year. This demonstrates the steady demand for mature DDIC products, such as those used in cluster displays, HUDs, and rear- and side-view mirrors, which do not require touch functionality. Furthermore, the long-term trust and loyalty from Company’s DDIC customers, some of whom have relied on Himax’s solutions for over a decade, is indicative of Company’s strong customer retention. Himax continues to lead the automotive DDIC market, maintaining a global market share of approximately 40%.

    Himax continues to lead in automotive display IC innovation by pioneering solutions that deliver superior performance, power efficiency, and enhanced user experiences. As part of this ongoing innovation, Company’s latest TED (Tcon Embedded Driver IC) solution, which combines TDDI with local dimming Tcon into a single chip, provides a cost-effective, flexible, and comprehensive solution for its customers. Another new technology worth highlighting is Himax’s automotive TDDI with advanced user-aware touch control, which differentiates between driver and passenger touches to prevent cross-touch and enhance driving safety. In addition, Company offers a unique knob-on-in-cell-display solution that combines a physical knob with a TDDI. This design seamlessly merges in-cell touch technology with tactile controls, offering drivers a safer, more intuitive interaction that reduces distractions and enhances the overall driving experience.

    Moving to smartphone and tablet IC sales, Himax expects a sequential decline in both product lines, as is typical during the low season in Q1 due to the Lunar New Year.

    On OLED business update. In the automotive OLED market, Company has established strategic partnerships with leading panel makers in Korea, China, and Japan. As OLED technology extends beyond premium car models, Himax is well-positioned as the preferred partner, leveraging Company’s strong presence and proven track record in the automotive LCD display sector. Capitalizing on Himax’s first-mover advantage, Himax aims to drive the growing adoption of OLED in automotive displays by offering a comprehensive range of solutions, including DDIC, Tcon, and on-cell touch controller. Company believes this positions it as a primary beneficiary of the anticipated shift toward OLED displays for high end vehicles in a couple of years, enabling Himax to capture new growth opportunities and further strengthen its market leadership.

    Beyond the automotive sector, Company has also made strides in the tablet and notebook markets, partnering with leading OLED panel makers in Korea and China. Himax’s comprehensive OLED product portfolio, covering DDIC, Tcon, and touch controllers, has driven several new projects that are on track to begin mass production this year. In the smartphone OLED market, Company is making solid progress in collaborations with customers in Korea and China and anticipates mass production to start later this year.

    First quarter small and medium-sized display driver IC business is expected to decline low teens sequentially.

    Non-Driver Product Categories

    Q1 non-driver IC revenues are expected to decrease high teens sequentially.

    Timing Controller (Tcon)

    Himax anticipates Q1 2025 Tcon sales to decrease mid-teens sequentially, primarily due to the non-recurrence of a one-time ASIC Tcon shipment to a leading projector customer last quarter, as well as a moderation in automotive Tcon shipments following several quarters of strong growth. That being said, Himax maintains an unchallenged position in local dimming Tcon, evidenced by growing validation and widespread adoption in both premium and mainstream car models worldwide. Company is confident in the continued growth of its automotive Tcon business, supported by its strong market presence in local dimming Tcon, with strong pipeline of over two hundred design-win projects set to gradually enter production in the coming years. Heads-up display (HUD) is another field gaining traction within automotive displays, driving increased adoption of local dimming Tcon technology and emerging as a particularly promising application. Himax’s industry-leading local dimming Tcon provides distinct advancements with high contrast ratio and optimized power consumption. It effectively eliminates the “postcard effect” often seen in HUDs, caused by backlight leakage typical of conventional TFT LCD panels, ensuring clear and precise images on the windshield. Additionally, the Tcon features advanced transparency detection to prevent the display from obstructing the driver’s view, thereby ensuring driving safety. Several HUD projects are already in progress, and Himax is excited about the potential opportunities ahead. Company is well positioned for continuous growth in automotive Tcon over the next few years.

    WiseEye™ Ultralow Power AI Sensing

    On the update of WiseEye™ ultralow power AI sensing solution, a cutting-edge endpoint AI integration featuring industry-leading ultralow power AI processor, always-on CMOS image sensor, and CNN-based AI algorithm. WiseEye AI delivers a significant competitive edge in the rapidly growing AI market through its ultralow power consumption and context-aware, on-device AI inferencing that seamlessly integrates vision and other sensing capabilities into endpoint applications, particularly battery-powered devices. This not only enhances intuitive user interaction but also makes AI more practical and accessible. Additionally, WiseEye AI offloads tasks from the main processor, effectively extending battery lifespan and improving overall data processing efficiency. Building on the success with Dell notebooks, Himax WiseEye AI is continuing to expand its market presence, with additional use cases expected across other leading notebook brands, some of which are set for production later this year.

    WiseEye also continues to achieve significant market success across various sectors. For smart door lock, Company collaborated with DESMAN, a leading high-end brand in China, to introduce the world’s first smart door lock with 24/7 sentry monitoring and real-time event recording. Building on this achievement, Himax is expanding globally by collaborating with other leading door lock makers worldwide to integrate innovative AI features, including parcel recognition, anti-pinch protection, and palm vein biometric access, further extending application possibilities. Several of these value-added solutions are set to enter production later this year. At CES 2025, Himax joined forces with ecosystem partners to unveil a suite of innovative, production-ready AIoT applications, powered by Company’s tiny form factor, plug-and-play WiseEye Modules. Himax offers a series of modules, each incorporating an ultralow power WiseEye AI processor, an AoS image sensor, and advanced algorithms. The modules feature no-code/low-code AI platform capabilities, simplifying AI integration and supporting diverse use cases, such as human presence detection, gender and age recognition, gesture recognition, face mesh, voice command, thermal image sensing, pose estimation and people flow management. By streamlining deployment and reducing development costs, WiseEye Modules open new opportunities for automation, enhance interactivity, and elevate user experiences across a variety of industries.

    A broad range of innovative, ultralow power WiseEye Modules are also under development in collaboration with ecosystem partners, such as crying baby detection, dynamic gesture recognition, and human sensing, among others. One standout in Himax’s WiseEye Module portfolio is the Himax WiseEye PalmVein solution, which has quickly gained traction since its introduction just one year ago. Company has secured multiple design wins, with mass production already underway by a US customer for smart access applications and a Taiwan-based door lock vendor for its leading smart door lock brands. To meet growing customer demand for flexibility across various environments, the upgraded WiseEye PalmVein suite now features bimodal authentication, combining both palm vein and face recognitions. This dual-authentication solution enhances security by offering two layers of biometric verification, which not only increases reliability but also makes it highly adaptable to various environments.

    The rise of physical AI agents marks a significant shift in human-machine interaction, enabling devices to perceive, process, and respond to their surroundings in real time. A key emerging trend is the integration of cloud-based large language models (LLMs), which enables these agents’ advanced reasoning and language understanding, enhancing their ability to interact with and adapt to the physical world. Himax WiseEye AI is at the forefront of this revolution, delivering always-on sensor fusion, ultralow power on-device processing, while seamlessly interfacing with LLMs, to provide the essential real-time AI capabilities for next-generation applications. A good illustration of this innovation was showcased at CES 2025, where Himax and Seeed Studio introduced the SenseCAP Watcher, a physical AI agent powered by WiseEye AI. Equipped with vision and audio sensor fusion, along with a speaker, this battery-powered IoT device combines on-device AI with cloud-based LLMs to interpret commands, recognize objects, respond to events, and facilitate real-time interaction. Drawing from the success of SenseCAP Watcher, Himax is actively working on multiple projects leveraging WiseEye AI to further drive advancements in physical AI agent applications.

    Separately, Himax is excited about its collaboration with a leading AR player to integrate WiseEye AI into the next generation of AR glasses. At CES, there was a renewed enthusiasm on AR glasses with AI becoming an integral component to enable intuitive and seamless human-device interaction. WiseEye AI addresses two critical challenges in AR glasses, namely real-time responsiveness and power efficiency. For example, WiseEye supports always-on outward sensing, enabling AR glasses to detect and analyze the surrounding environment with real time context-aware AI. This capability powers instant response, real-time object recognition, navigation assistance, translation, and environmental mapping, enhancing the overall AR experience. Notably, WiseEye AI’s exceptional ultralow power consumption, measured in single digit milliwatts, also make it perfectly suited for AR glasses for all-day wear. In another example, Company collaborates with Ganzin on eyeball tracking technology, which, powered by WiseEye, precisely detects subtle eyeball movements, gaze direction, pupil size, and blinking, thereby providing critical data for the enhancement of user interaction in AR glasses.

    Wafer Level Optics (WLO)

    In June 2024, Himax, in partnership with FOCI, a world leader in silicon photonics connector, unveiled an industry-leading co-packaged optics (CPO) technology, leveraging Himax state-of-the-art WLO technology. This innovation integrates silicon photonic chips and optical connectors within MCM, replacing traditional metal wire transmission with high-speed optical communication. The technology significantly enhances bandwidth, boosts data transmission rates, reduces signal loss and latency, lowers power consumption, and significantly minimizes the size and cost of MCM. In working closely with FOCI, Himax is making significant strides through a solid partnership with leading AI semiconductor companies and foundry, with small-scale production of the first-generation CPO solution already underway. The significant increase in Q1 engineering validation and trial production volume, combined with the anticipated sample volume increases in the coming quarters, is a strong indication that CPO technology is being accelerated toward mass production. In addition, in close collaboration with leading AI customers/partners, Himax is speeding up the development of CPO technology for the next few generations. Himax is more optimistic than ever about the outlook for its WLO business, which is poised to generate significant growth opportunities and become a major revenue and profit contributor in the years ahead.

    Alongside the CPO progress, Company is witnessing a rise in engineering collaborations with global technology leaders who are utilizing Himax’s WLO expertise to make advanced waveguides for AR glasses, highlighting the growing recognition of Company’s WLO capabilities.

    LCoS

    On the update on LCoS, Company recently introduced its industry-leading 400K nits ultra-luminous Front-lit LCoS Microdisplay, setting a new benchmark for brightness with extremely low power consumption of merely 300mW. At CES 2025, Company showcased an AR glasses POC (Proof-Of-Concept) featuring the microdisplay with a third-party waveguide, achieving over 1,000 nits of brightness to the eye. This demonstration highlighted its suitability for outdoor, high ambient light conditions. With a lightweight of just 0.98 grams and ultra-compact form factor of less than 0.5 c.c., combined with excellent color performance, Himax’s Front-lit LCoS Microdisplay is ideal for all-day AR glasses and underscores the technology’s readiness for real-world applications.

    Following the recent release of Himax’s 400K nits ultra-luminous Front-lit LCoS Microdisplay, Himax is actively engaged in significant projects through strategic collaborations with industry leaders. Himax’s proven track record of over a decade in LCoS technology, coupled with a history of successful production shipments, highlights Company’s readiness to meet the demands of large-scale production of AR glasses.

    First Quarter 2025 Guidance
    Net Revenue: Decrease 8.5% to 12.5% QoQ, Flat to Up 4.6% YoY
    Gross Margin: Around 30.5%, depending on final product mix
    Profit: 9.0 cents to 11.0 cents per diluted ADS, Up 26% to 54% YoY  
       

    Himax noticed that some peers’ customers placed orders early due to tariff factors, especially in the consumer electronics sector, resulting in Q1 revenue forecasts exceeding normal seasonal demand. In contrast, no similar trend has been observed in the automotive semiconductor market. Since Himax’s automotive business accounts for more than half of its total revenues, Himax’s Q1 revenue forecast has not benefited from tariff factors.

    HIMAX TECHNOLOGIES FOURTH QUARTER AND FULL YEAR 2024 EARNINGS CONFERENCE CALL
    DATE: Thursday, February 13, 2025
    TIME: U.S.       8:00 a.m. EST
    Taiwan  9:00 p.m.
       
    Live Webcast (Video and Audio): http://www.zucast.com/webcast/br8wqbB4
    Toll Free Dial-in Number (Audio Only):
      Hong Kong 2112-1444
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    Dial-in Number (Audio Only): 
      Taiwan Domestic Access 02-3396-1191
    International Access +886-2-3396-1191
    Participant PIN Code: 3329013 # 
       

    If you choose to attend the call by dialing in via phone, please enter the Participant PIN Code 3329013 # after the call is connected. A replay of the webcast will be available beginning two hours after the call on www.himax.com.tw. This webcast can be accessed by clicking on this link or Himax’s website, where it will remain available until February 13, 2026.

    About Himax Technologies, Inc.
    Himax Technologies, Inc. (NASDAQ: HIMX) is a leading global fabless semiconductor solution provider dedicated to display imaging processing technologies. The Company’s display driver ICs and timing controllers have been adopted at scale across multiple industries worldwide including TVs, PC monitors, laptops, mobile phones, tablets, automotive, ePaper devices, industrial displays, among others. As the global market share leader in automotive display technology, the Company offers innovative and comprehensive automotive IC solutions, including traditional driver ICs, advanced in-cell Touch and Display Driver Integration (TDDI), local dimming timing controllers (Local Dimming Tcon), Large Touch and Display Driver Integration (LTDI) and OLED display technologies. Himax is also a pioneer in tinyML visual-AI and optical technology related fields. The Company’s industry-leading WiseEye™ Ultralow Power AI Sensing technology which incorporates Himax proprietary ultralow power AI processor, always-on CMOS image sensor, and CNN-based AI algorithm has been widely deployed in consumer electronics and AIoT related applications. Himax optics technologies, such as diffractive wafer level optics, LCoS microdisplays and 3D sensing solutions, are critical for facilitating emerging AR/VR/metaverse technologies. Additionally, Himax designs and provides touch controllers, OLED ICs, LED ICs, EPD ICs, power management ICs, and CMOS image sensors for diverse display application coverage. Founded in 2001 and headquartered in Tainan, Taiwan, Himax currently employs around 2,200 people from three Taiwan-based offices in Tainan, Hsinchu and Taipei and country offices in China, Korea, Japan, Germany, and the US. Himax has 2,649 patents granted and 402 patents pending approval worldwide as of December 31, 2024.

    http://www.himax.com.tw

    Forward Looking Statements

    Factors that could cause actual events or results to differ materially from those described in this conference call include, but are not limited to, the effect of the Covid-19 pandemic on the Company’s business; general business and economic conditions and the state of the semiconductor industry; market acceptance and competitiveness of the driver and non-driver products developed by the Company; demand for end-use applications products; reliance on a small group of principal customers; the uncertainty of continued success in technological innovations; our ability to develop and protect our intellectual property; pricing pressures including declines in average selling prices; changes in customer order patterns; changes in estimated full-year effective tax rate; shortage in supply of key components; changes in environmental laws and regulations; changes in export license regulated by Export Administration Regulations (EAR); exchange rate fluctuations; regulatory approvals for further investments in our subsidiaries; our ability to collect accounts receivable and manage inventory and other risks described from time to time in the Company’s SEC filings, including those risks identified in the section entitled “Risk Factors” in its Form 20-F for the year ended December 31, 2023 filed with the SEC, as may be amended.

    Company Contacts:

    Eric Li, Chief IR/PR Officer
    Himax Technologies, Inc.
    Tel: +886-6-505-0880
    Fax: +886-2-2314-0877
    Email: hx_ir@himax.com.tw
    www.himax.com.tw
      
    Karen Tiao, Investor Relations
    Himax Technologies, Inc.
    Tel: +886-2-2370-3999
    Fax: +886-2-2314-0877
    Email: hx_ir@himax.com.tw
    www.himax.com.tw

    Mark Schwalenberg, Director
    Investor Relations – US Representative
    MZ North America
    Tel: +1-312-261-6430
    Email: HIMX@mzgroup.us
    www.mzgroup.us

    -Financial Tables-

    Himax Technologies, Inc.
    Unaudited Condensed Consolidated Statements of Profit or Loss
    (These interim financials do not fully comply with IFRS because they omit all interim disclosure required by IFRS)
    (Amounts in Thousands of U.S. Dollars, Except Share and Per Share Data)
      Three Months
    Ended December 31,
    		   3 Months
    Ended
    September 30,
        2024       2023       2024  
               
    Revenues          
    Revenues from third parties, net $ 237,182     $ 227,664     $ 222,401  
    Revenues from related parties, net   41       14       6  
        237,223       227,678       222,407  
               
    Costs and expenses:          
    Cost of revenues   164,963       158,669       155,795  
    Research and development   37,584       41,088       46,880  
    General and administrative   5,711       5,831       6,828  
    Sales and marketing   5,886       5,409       7,048  
    Total costs and expenses   214,144       210,997       216,551  
               
    Operating income   23,079       16,681       5,856  
               
    Non operating income (loss):          
    Interest income   2,042       1,934       2,297  
    Changes in fair value of financial assets at fair value through profit or loss   1,245       1,710       27  
    Foreign currency exchange gains (losses), net   690       (1,525 )     457  
    Finance costs   (964 )     (1,140 )     (1,018 )
    Share of losses of associates   (360 )     (14 )     (143 )
    Other losses   –       (1,932 )     –  
    Other income (losses)   60       (362 )     105  
        2,713       (1,329 )     1,725  
    Profit before income taxes   25,792       15,352       7,581  
    Income tax expense (benefit)   761       (7,933 )     (5,174 )
    Profit for the period   25,031       23,285       12,755  
    Loss (profit) attributable to noncontrolling interests   (423 )     280       268  
    Profit attributable to Himax Technologies, Inc. stockholders $ 24,608     $ 23,565     $ 13,023  
               
    Basic earnings per ADS attributable to Himax Technologies, Inc. stockholders $ 0.141     $ 0.135     $ 0.075  
    Diluted earnings per ADS attributable to Himax Technologies, Inc. stockholders $ 0.140     $ 0.135     $ 0.074  
               
    Basic Weighted Average Outstanding ADS   175,008       174,724       174,727  
    Diluted Weighted Average Outstanding ADS   175,146       174,979       174,987  
    Himax Technologies, Inc.
    Unaudited Condensed Consolidated Statements of Profit or Loss
    (Amounts in Thousands of U.S. Dollars, Except Share and Per Share Data)
       
        Twelve Months
    Ended December 31,
          2024       2023  
             
    Revenues        
    Revenues from third parties, net   $ 906,737     $ 945,309  
    Revenues from related parties, net     65       119  
          906,802       945,428  
             
    Costs and expenses:        
    Cost of revenues     630,601       681,931  
    Research and development     160,329       171,392  
    General and administrative     24,121       25,037  
    Sales and marketing     23,530       23,856  
    Total costs and expenses     838,581       902,216  
             
    Operating income     68,221       43,212  
             
    Non operating income (loss):        
    Interest income     9,907       8,746  
    Changes in fair value of financial assets at fair value through profit or loss     1,363       1,655  
    Foreign currency exchange gains (losses), net     2,491       (768 )
    Finance costs     (4,014 )     (6,080 )
    Share of losses of associates     (831 )     (598 )
    Other losses     –       (1,932 )
    Other income     198       158  
          9,114       1,181  
    Profit before income taxes     77,335       44,393  
    Income tax benefit     (2,435 )     (5,028 )
    Profit for the period     79,770       49,421  
    Loss (profit) attributable to noncontrolling interests     (15 )     1,195  
    Profit attributable to Himax Technologies, Inc. stockholders   $ 79,755     $ 50,616  
             
    Basic earnings per ADS attributable to Himax Technologies, Inc. stockholders   $ 0.456     $ 0.290  
    Diluted earnings per ADS attributable to Himax Technologies, Inc. stockholders   $ 0.456     $ 0.290  
             
    Basic Weighted Average Outstanding ADS     174,796       174,495  
    Diluted Weighted Average Outstanding ADS     175,014       174,783  
    Himax Technologies, Inc.
    IFRS Unaudited Condensed Consolidated Statements of Financial Position
    (Amounts in Thousands of U.S. Dollars)
     
        December 31,
    2024    		   December 31,
    2023    		   September 30,
    2024
    Assets            
    Current assets:            
    Cash and cash equivalents   $ 218,148     $ 191,749     $ 194,139  
    Financial assets at amortized cost     4,286       12,511       12,335  
    Financial assets at fair value through profit or loss     2,140       2,117       –  
    Accounts receivable, net (including related parties)     236,813       235,829       224,589  
    Inventories     158,746       217,308       192,458  
    Income taxes receivable     726       1,454       986  
    Restricted deposit     503,700       453,000       503,700  
    Other receivable from related parties     13       69       22  
    Other current assets     43,471       86,548       42,581  
    Total current assets     1,168,043       1,200,585       1,170,810  
    Financial assets at fair value through profit or loss     23,554       21,650       26,383  
    Financial assets at fair value through other comprehensive income     28,226       1,635       22,457  
    Equity method investments     8,571       3,490       2,945  
    Property, plant and equipment, net     121,280       130,109       122,333  
    Deferred tax assets     21,193       14,196       13,806  
    Goodwill     28,138       28,138       28,138  
    Other intangible assets, net     636       816       717  
    Restricted deposit     31       32       31  
    Refundable deposits     221,824       222,025       221,879  
    Other non-current assets     18,025       20,728       18,484  
          471,478       442,819       457,173  
         Total assets   $ 1,639,521     $ 1,643,404     $ 1,627,983  
    Liabilities and Equity            
    Current liabilities:            
    Current portion of long-term unsecured borrowings   $ 6,000     $ 6,000     $ 6,000  
    Short-term secured borrowings     503,700       453,000       503,700  
    Accounts payable (including related parties)     113,203       107,342       121,384  
    Income taxes payable     9,514       15,309       2,324  
    Other payable to related parties     –       110       –  
    Contract liabilities-current     10,622       17,751       25,694  
    Other current liabilities     63,595       109,291       54,673  
    Total current liabilities     706,634       708,803       713,775  
    Long-term unsecured borrowings     28,500       34,500       30,000  
    Deferred tax liabilities     564       520       505  
    Other non-current liabilities     7,496       35,879       11,361  
          36,560       70,899       41,866  
    Total liabilities     743,194       779,702       755,641  
    Equity            
    Ordinary shares     107,010       107,010       107,010  
    Additional paid-in capital     115,376       114,648       115,285  
    Treasury shares     (5,546 )     (5,157 )     (4,714 )
    Accumulated other comprehensive income     8,621       (180 )     3,507  
    Retained earnings     664,600       640,447       644,596  
    Equity attributable to owners of Himax Technologies, Inc.     890,061       856,768       865,684  
    Noncontrolling interests     6,266       6,934       6,658  
    Total equity     896,327       863,702       872,342  
         Total liabilities and equity   $ 1,639,521     $ 1,643,404     $ 1,627,983  
    Himax Technologies, Inc.
    Unaudited Condensed Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows
    (Amounts in Thousands of U.S. Dollars)
     
        Three Months
    Ended December 31,    		   Three Months Ended
    September 30,
          2024       2023       2024  
                 
    Cash flows from operating activities:            
    Profit for the period   $ 25,031     $ 23,285     $ 12,755  
    Adjustments for:            
    Depreciation and amortization     5,564       5,115       5,640  
    Share-based compensation expenses     103       346       407  
    Losses (gains) on disposals of property, plant and equipment, net     4       (368 )     –  
    Loss on re-measurement of the pre-existing relationships in a business combination     –       1,932       –  
    Changes in fair value of financial assets at fair value through profit or loss     (1,245 )     (1,710 )     (27 )
    Interest income     (2,042 )     (1,934 )     (2,297 )
    Finance costs     964       1,140       1,018  
    Income tax expense (benefit)     761       (7,933 )     (5,174 )
    Share of losses of associates     360       14       143  
    Inventories write downs     4,037       5,727       2,269  
    Unrealized foreign currency exchange losses (gains)     (159 )     1,517       228  
          33,378       27,131       14,962  
    Changes in:            
    Accounts receivable (including related parties)     (27,302 )     8,163       8,548  
    Inventories     29,675       36,580       8,964  
    Other receivable from related parties     9       (29 )     33  
    Other current assets     2,502       (5,682 )     (778 )
    Accounts payable (including related parties)     (7,706 )     (627 )     (26,101 )
    Other payable to related parties     1       363       (102 )
    Contract liabilities     6       (958 )     667  
    Other current liabilities     2,508       3,014       (4,161 )
    Other non-current liabilities     71       393       (3,354 )
    Cash generated from operating activities     33,142       68,348       (1,322 )
    Interest received     3,513       2,665       860  
    Interest paid     (1,047 )     (1,140 )     (1,018 )
    Income tax paid     (191 )     (1,131 )     (1,658 )
    Net cash provided by (used in) operating activities     35,417       68,742       (3,138 )
                 
    Cash flows from investing activities:            
    Acquisitions of property, plant and equipment     (3,222 )     (15,052 )     (2,551 )
    Proceeds from disposal of property, plant and equipment     –       111       –  
    Acquisitions of intangible assets     –       (40 )     (9 )
    Acquisitions of financial assets at amortized cost     (2,286 )     (4,573 )     (1,500 )
    Proceeds from disposal of financial assets at amortized cost     10,289       784       617  
    Acquisitions of financial assets at fair value through profit or loss     (6,807 )     (5,375 )     (27,934 )
    Proceeds from disposal of financial assets at fair value through profit or loss     3,722       1,645       33,036  
    Acquisitions of financial assets at fair value through other comprehensive income     –       (1,379 )     –  
    Proceeds from disposal of financial assets at fair value through other comprehensive income     –       99       –  
    Acquisition of a subsidiary, net of cash acquired (paid)     (5,416 )     433       –  
    Proceeds from capital reduction of investment     338       360       –  
    Acquisitions of equity method investment     (1,236 )     –       –  
    Decrease (increase) in refundable deposits     (8 )     –       11,339  
    Net cash provided by (used in) investing activities     (4,626 )     (22,987 )     12,998  
                 
    Cash flows from financing activities:            
    Purchase of treasury shares     (832 )     –       –  
    Prepayments for purchase of treasury shares     (2,168 )     –       –  
    Payments of cash dividends     –       –       (50,670 )
    Payments of dividend equivalents     –       –       (233 )
    Proceeds from issuance of new shares by subsidiaries     –       916       –  
    Purchases of subsidiaries shares from noncontrolling interests     –       (9 )     –  
    Proceeds from short-term unsecured borrowings     –       36,932       –  
    Repayments of short-term unsecured borrowings     –       (37,226 )     –  
    Repayments of long-term unsecured borrowings     (1,500 )     (1,500 )     (1,500 )
    Proceeds from short-term secured borrowings     461,400       427,100       522,600  
    Repayments of short-term secured borrowings     (461,400 )     (427,100 )     (471,900 )
    Pledge of restricted deposit     –       –       (50,700 )
    Payment of lease liabilities     (1,340 )     (1,244 )     (979 )
    Guarantee deposits received (refunded)     219       (5 )     –  
    Net cash used in financing activities     (5,621 )     (2,136 )     (53,382 )
    Effect of foreign currency exchange rate changes on cash and cash equivalents     (1,161 )     873       985  
    Net increase (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents     24,009       44,492       (42,537 )
    Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of period     194,139       147,257       236,676  
    Cash and cash equivalents at end of period   $ 218,148     $ 191,749     $ 194,139  
                 
    Himax Technologies, Inc.
    Unaudited Condensed Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows
    (Amounts in Thousands of U.S. Dollars)
        Twelve Months
    Ended December 31,
          2024       2023  
             
    Cash flows from operating activities:        
    Profit for the period   $ 79,770     $ 49,421  
    Adjustments for:        
    Depreciation and amortization     22,354       20,322  
    Share-based compensation expenses     1,247       2,663  
    Losses (gains) on disposals of property, plant and equipment, net     4       (368 )
    Loss on re-measurement of the pre-existing relationships in a business combination     –       1,932  
    Changes in fair value of financial assets at fair value through profit or loss     (1,363 )     (1,655 )
    Interest income     (9,907 )     (8,746 )
    Finance costs     4,014       6,080  
    Income tax benefit     (2,435 )     (5,028 )
    Share of losses of associates     831       598  
    Inventories write downs     13,551       21,540  
    Unrealized foreign currency exchange losses (gains)     (171 )     624  
          107,895       87,383  
    Changes in:        
    Accounts receivable (including related parties)     (40,738 )     20,804  
    Inventories     45,011       132,090  
    Other receivable from related parties     56       5  
    Other current assets     3,941       (3,863 )
    Accounts payable (including related parties)     14,567       7,676  
    Other payable to related parties     (110 )     (268 )
    Contract liabilities     45       (37,051 )
    Other current liabilities     (9,010 )     1,246  
    Other non-current liabilities     (2,260 )     (4,602 )
    Cash generated from operating activities     119,397       203,420  
    Interest received     9,732       8,567  
    Interest paid     (4,015 )     (6,080 )
    Income tax paid     (9,138 )     (53,066 )
    Net cash provided by operating activities     115,976       152,841  
             
    Cash flows from investing activities:        
    Acquisitions of property, plant and equipment     (13,054 )     (23,378 )
    Proceeds from disposal of property, plant and equipment     –       111  
    Acquisitions of intangible assets     (153 )     (115 )
    Acquisitions of financial assets at amortized cost     (11,236 )     (6,911 )
    Proceeds from disposal of financial assets at amortized cost     19,457       3,099  
    Acquisitions of financial assets at fair value through profit or loss     (76,003 )     (82,628 )
    Proceeds from disposal of financial assets at fair value through profit or loss     70,389       75,539  
    Acquisitions of financial assets at fair value through other comprehensive income     (17,164 )     (1,379 )
    Proceeds from disposal of financial assets at fair value through other comprehensive income     –       99  
    Acquisition of a subsidiary, net of cash acquired (paid)     (5,416 )     433  
    Proceeds from capital reduction of investment     338       360  
    Acquisitions of equity method investment     (1,236 )     –  
    Decrease (increase) in refundable deposits     33,562       (56,933 )
    Cash received in advance from disposal of land     –       2,821  
    Net cash used in investing activities     (516 )     (88,882 )
             
    Cash flows from financing activities:        
    Purchase of treasury shares     (832 )     –  
    Prepayments for purchase of treasury shares     (2,168 )     –  
    Payments of cash dividends     (50,670 )     (83,720 )
    Payments of dividend equivalents     (233 )     (148 )
    Proceeds from issuance of new shares by subsidiary     71       916  
    Purchases of subsidiaries shares from noncontrolling interests     (190 )     (9 )
    Proceeds from short-term unsecured borrowings     –       47,226  
    Repayments of short-term unsecured borrowings     –       (47,226 )
    Repayments of long-term unsecured borrowings     (6,000 )     (6,000 )
    Proceeds from short-term secured borrowings     1,780,300       1,383,300  
    Repayments of short-term secured borrowings     (1,729,600 )     (1,299,600 )
    Pledge of restricted deposit     (50,700 )     (83,700 )
    Payment of lease liabilities     (5,032 )     (4,830 )
    Guarantee deposits received (refunded)     (23,163 )     200  
    Net cash used in financing activities     (88,217 )     (93,591 )
    Effect of foreign currency exchange rate changes on cash and cash equivalents     (844 )     (200 )
    Net increase (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents     26,399       (29,832 )
    Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of period     191,749       221,581  
    Cash and cash equivalents at end of period   $ 218,148     $ 191,749  

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: Bear In Bathrobe ($BIB) Now Listed on ZEBACUS: A New Milestone for the Meme Token Revolution

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

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    About Bear In Bathrobe ($BIB)

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    Bear In Bathrobe ($BIB)
    general@bearinbathrobe.com

    Disclaimer: This content is provided by “Bear In Bathrobe(BIB)”. The statements, views, and opinions expressed in this content are solely those of the sponsor and do not necessarily reflect the views of this media platform. We do not endorse, verify, or guarantee the accuracy, completeness, or reliability of any information presented. This content is for informational purposes only and should not be considered as financial, investment, or trading advice. Readers are strongly encouraged to conduct their own research and consult with a qualified financial advisor before investing in or trading cryptocurrency and securities .Please conduct your own research and invest at your own risk.

    A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/911b61a6-b0c7-42d9-9708-c4ac471d503d

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: The semi-final of the “Star of Polytechnic” competition was held at SPbPU

    Translartion. Region: Russians Fedetion –

    Source: Peter the Great St Petersburg Polytechnic University – Peter the Great St Petersburg Polytechnic University –

    On February 10, the semi-final of the largest student creative project “Polytech Star” took place in the White Hall. It has been revealing new names of talented singers and presenters for 17 seasons in a row.

    The participants went through castings and numerous rehearsals. The White Hall stage featured everything from original songs to world pop hits. It is worth noting that each of the 15 vocal numbers was carefully prepared and directed by the project organizers’ team under the direction of Maxim Pilyugin. Both the organizers themselves and representatives of the PolyDance dance studio acted as choreographers. The event was held with the support of the Student Club and the help of volunteers from the KOrgi Organizers’ Team.

    We have been preparing the semi-final for a long time and painstakingly, and we managed to make it grandiose and fun at the same time. Now we know how our audience behaves, we can fully adjust the future scenario of the competition final to the viewer, – commented the finalist in the nomination “Hosts”, 2nd year student of the Institute of Culture and Science Vladislava Chanysheva.

    Monday evening was remembered by viewers for its bright and dynamic numbers, unique media support and sincere emotions of the participants and support groups.

    In the semi-final, I experienced a whole range of feelings – from incredible awe, which you only experience when something is truly dear to you, to an absolute feeling of pleasure that penetrated every cell of the body, – shared the finalist of the 17th season, a second-year student of the IPMET Ivan Umrikhin.

    The performances were assessed by experienced experts, for whom creativity, music and youth initiatives have become an integral part of life: Director of the Center for Youth Trajectories “Polytech Tower” Andrey Dolgirev, Chairman of the SPbPU PROF Maxim Susorov, Head of the SPbPU MSN Dmitry Oshkin, as well as finalists of previous seasons of the project Alexey Papin and Adelina Borozdina.

    This season, the gap between the castings and the semi-final was longer than ever, and during this time, the organizers and participants managed to become very attached to each other. Of course, it is sad to realize that our work with some participants has ended, but “Polytech Star” is not only a competition, but also a real friendship and a warm family atmosphere, which we have maintained for many years now and are always happy to see the finalists and semi-finalists of past seasons at our events and rehearsals, – shared the project manager Maxim Pilyugin.

    Of the 22 semi-finalists, 13 made it to the final. The final stage of the competition will be held on April 28 in the White Hall. Then the name of the new “Polytech Star” will be announced. We wish the finalists determination and successful performances. See you in the final!

    Please note: This information is raw content directly from the source of the information. It is exactly what the source states and does not reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI: CLIQ: Invitation to Full Year 2024 Results Presentation

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    DÜSSELDORF, 13 February 2025 – The CLIQ Group will report and present its audited full year 2024 financial results and highlights on Thursday, 20 February 2025.

    The 2024 Annual Report and a slides deck to accompany the earnings call will be available at https://cliqdigital.com/investors from 7:30 a.m. CET.

    Earnings call

    A live audio webcast conducted in English will be held at 2.00 p.m. CET on 20 February 2025 with presentations from Luc Voncken, CEO, and Ben Bos, member of the Management Board.

    Questions submitted before 12.00 p.m. CET via email to investors@cliqdigital.com will be answered after the presentations.

    Please click on the link below to register for this webcast:

    https://cliqdigital.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_UManLyZkSvyaKCEkPZeQmg

    ZOOM details will be sent to you via email post registration and a replay of the webcast will be available shortly after the call at: https://cliqdigital.com/investors/financials/financial-reporting.

    Contacts

    Investor Relations:
    Sebastian McCoskrie, s.mccoskrie@cliqdigital.com, +49 151 52043659

    Media Relations:
    Daniela Münster, daniela.muenster@h-advisors.global, +49 174 3358111

    Financial calendar

    Annual report 2024 & earnings call Thursday 20 February 2025
    Annual General Meeting 2025 Friday 11 April 2025
    Financial report 1Q 2025 & earnings call Thursday 8 May 2025
    Half-year financial report 2025 & earnings call Thursday 7 August 2025
    Financial report 3Q/9M 2025 and earnings call Thursday 6 November 2025

    About CLIQ

    The CLIQ Group is a data-driven, online performance marketing company that sells bundled subscription-based digital products to consumers worldwide. The Group licenses content from partners, bundles it to digital products, and sells them via performance marketing. CLIQ is expert in turning consumer interest into sales by monetising online traffic using an omnichannel approach.

    CLIQ operated in 40 countries and employed 132 staff from 33 different nationalities as at 31 December 2024. The company is headquartered in Düsseldorf and has offices in Amsterdam and Paris. CLIQ is listed in the Scale segment of the Frankfurt Stock Exchange (ISIN: DE000A35JS40, GSIN/WKN: A35JS4) and is a constituent of the MSCI World Micro Cap Index.

    Visit our website at https://cliqdigital.com/investors. Here you will find all publications and further information about CLIQ. You can also follow us on LinkedIn.

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI China: Pact inked to share Chinese pop icon’s music with the world

    Source: China State Council Information Office 3

    Liu Huan, a legendary pop artist and music educator, and the Universal Music Greater China, a division of the world-leading music company, Universal Music Group, announced an exclusive global agreement on Feb 11.

    It is the first time that a major part of Liu’s body of work — both recording and publishing rights — will be united under one umbrella. The deal aims to further promote and preserve Liu’s musical legacy, while amplifying the cultural impact of Chinese music globally.

    A prolific singer-songwriter and dedicated music educator, Liu has made significant contributions to the evolution of Chinese pop music scene. His enduring hits have defined each era since the 1980s, including Wan Wan De Yue Liang (The Crescent Moon) and Shao Nian Zhuang Zhi Bu Yan Chou (Young Aspiration Knows No Sorrow), making him a beloved household name in China. In the 1990s, Liu cemented his status as a national icon through his songs and compositions for the hit television series Beijingers in New York, including the beloved hit Qian Wan Ci De Wen (Time and Time Again). Later in the decade, his performance of Hao Han Ge (The Song of Heroes), the theme song for the TV adaptation of Water Margin, one of China’s Four Great Classical Novels, became a cultural phenomenon. In the 2010s, Liu composed and performed the entire soundtrack for award-winning TV series Empresses in the Palace, which shattered viewership records and evoked nationwide acclaim.

    Liu’s status as a cultural icon is reflected in performances that have defined pivotal moments in China’s modern history. In 1990, he collaborated with female singer Wei Wei to perform Ya Zhou Xiong Feng (Mighty Winds of Asia), a song dedicated to the 11th Beijing Asian Games, capturing the spirit of optimism and ambition of the era. In 2008, Liu took center stage at the Beijing Olympics Game opening ceremony, performing You and Me alongside British soprano Sarah Brightman in a duet watched by billions around the world.

    Beyond his career as an artist, Liu Huan has dedicated himself to nurturing new talent and promoting original music. In 2012, he joined the inaugural season of The Voice of China, helping launch the careers of many of his students. In 2014, Liu spearheaded the critically acclaimed reality show Sing My Song, which spotlighted original music and introduced a new generation of singer-songwriters, producing a wealth of widely celebrated original songs. Furthering his commitment to musical originality, Liu established the Liu Huan Original Music Fund in 2019, a philanthropic initiative to support Chinese singer-songwriters, promoting the development and innovation of China’s music industry.

    “We are deeply honored to stand alongside Liu Huan as his chosen partner, supporting him in this exciting new chapter of his illustrious career. His ability to create music that speaks to the soul of a nation is unparalleled, and his enduring artistic vitality makes him truly one of a kind. With his trust, we are committed to celebrating his musical legacy, and together, we aim to promote the development of Chinese music industry, continuing to elevate the global impact of Chinese culture,” says Timothy Xu, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Universal Music Greater China.

    “We are committed to championing local artistry as part of our vision for a diversified global music culture. Liu Huan is a towering figure in contemporary Chinese music history, and we are proud to support his journey in sharing his extraordinary music with the world,” says Adam Granite, Executive Vice-President, Market Development of Universal Music Group.

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI China: Culture-loving tourists captivated by western China amidst Spring Festival merriment

    Source: China State Council Information Office 3

    Staff members stage a play for tourists at an immersive performance street in Lanzhou, northwest China’s Gansu Province, Feb. 9, 2025. (Xinhua/Zhang Wenjing)

    Zare Salman found himself entranced in the bustling streets of Lanzhou, capital of northwest China’s Gansu Province, as Silk Road merchants shouted out their wares, Dunhuang mural dancers twirled with elegance, and an actor enacted Zhang Qian’s historic departure on his westward mission.

    The 39-year-old Iranian visiting scholar at the Northwest Institute of Eco-Environment and Resources under the Chinese Academy of Sciences, spending his first Chinese New Year in China, couldn’t contain his excitement.

    “Magical! This is so magical!” he exclaimed as he immersed himself in an immersive performance street bringing ancient Chinese history to life. Just days earlier, he had celebrated Chinese New Year’s Eve in Xi’an, sharing a traditional reunion dinner with a Chinese colleague’s family, receiving a red envelope, and visiting a lively temple fair.

    “My friend’s family treated me like one of their own,” Salman said. “The festival atmosphere was overwhelming — this is the grandest and most vibrant celebration I’ve ever seen.”

    This holiday, Salman was one of millions drawn to China’s booming cultural tourism sector. As the country marked its first Spring Festival since UNESCO recognized it as an intangible cultural heritage, demand for traditional and immersive experiences surged, particularly in its western regions, which boast a rich history.

    According to the Gansu Provincial Department of Culture and Tourism, the province hosted 1,418 themed events, received 18.05 million tourist visits, and generated 10 billion yuan (about 1.4 billion U.S. dollars) in tourism revenue during the Spring Festival holiday — both figures rising by more than 10 percent compared to last year.

    A major highlight was the rising interest in the intangible cultural heritage. In Lanzhou, a small museum showcasing carved gourds welcomed nearly 9,000 visitors over the holiday, many of them children and parents eager to try gourd carving under the guidance of Master Artisan Ruan Xiyue.

    “Each year, more families come to experience these traditional crafts,” Ruan said. “It shows a growing appreciation for our cultural heritage.”

    Cultural tourism in western China is flourishing due to its seamless blend of tradition and innovation. As Chinese New Year celebrations continue to evolve, they remain a powerful draw for domestic and international visitors, offering an authentic and immersive connection to China’s heritage.

    During the holiday, western regions launched a variety of cultural activities. The Gansu Provincial Museum held paper-cutting and cloisonné enamel-making workshops. Ningxia hosted over 200 events, from folk performances to traditional handicraft markets. Xinjiang organized over 700 cultural shows, while Qinghai arranged 2,000 programs featuring music, theater and folklore.

    China’s major online travel agencies reported a surge in interest for culture-focused trips. According to Fliggy, demand for cultural tourism, particularly experiences tied to the intangible cultural heritage, surged 40 percent compared to last year. Lantern festivals, folk performances and hands-on craft workshops were among the most sought-after activities.

    For Salman, the experience was more than just a holiday — it was a journey through history and tradition. “I’ve learned so much about Chinese culture, from its New Year customs to the Silk Road’s rich past,” he said. “I can’t wait to share this with my family and hopefully bring them to China one day.”

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI China: Chinese culture on display at Lantern Festival celebration in Jordanian capital

    Source: China State Council Information Office 3

    People participate in a Hanfu show during a Lantern Festival celebration hosted by the China Cultural Center in Amman, Jordan, on Feb. 12, 2025. The China Cultural Center in Amman hosted the Lantern Festival celebration on Wednesday, marking the end of Chinese Spring Festival festivities with traditional performances and cultural exchanges. (Photo by Mohammad Abu Ghosh/Xinhua)

    The China Cultural Center in Amman hosted a Lantern Festival celebration on Wednesday, marking the end of Chinese Spring Festival festivities with traditional performances and cultural exchanges.

    Chinese Ambassador to Jordan Chen Chuandong said the Spring Festival is China’s most important traditional holiday, noting the Lantern Festival marks the first full moon of the Chinese New Year and symbolizes renewal and the arrival of spring.

    “Lantern Festival traditions, such as moon gazing, lantern displays, riddle-solving, and tasting traditional sweets, reflect the cultural heritage passed down through generations,” Chen said, adding the event offered a glimpse into Chinese traditions.

    Chen highlighted shared values between China and Jordan, including a commitment to peace, respect for family, and openness to cultural exchange. He noted historical ties between the two nations dating back to the Silk Road.

    Interest in Chinese language and culture is rising among Jordanian youth, while appreciation for Arabic culture is growing in China, he added.

    “We celebrate the Lantern Festival as a bridge for goodwill and communication, fostering closer cooperation between our countries,” Chen said.

    Shi Wei, cultural counselor at the Chinese Embassy and director of the China Cultural Center in Amman, said the “Happy Spring Festival” initiative has served as a global cultural exchange platform for two decades. She noted this year’s Lantern Festival celebration marked the final event of the 2025 Spring Festival in Amman, symbolizing unity and tradition.

    The event featured Kung Fu performances, traditional folk music and dance, theatrical acts, and a raffle draw. It drew Jordanian public figures, academics, students studying Chinese, embassy officials, and members of the Chinese community.

    Mohannad Al-Bakri, director-general of the Royal Film Commission of Jordan, said the event offered an engaging introduction to Chinese culture through performances incorporating technology, imagery, and film.

    He said the celebration deepened his understanding of the Spring Festival and noted cultural similarities between China and Jordan. The interaction between Jordanian and Chinese youth underscored growing cultural cooperation, he added. 

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI China: Harry Potter attraction to be launched in Shanghai in 2027

    Source: China State Council Information Office 3

    A Harry Potter studio tour will open in Shanghai in 2027, which will be the third such attraction globally and the first in China, its developers announced on Wednesday.

    Officially named Warner Bros Studio Tour Shanghai — The Making of Harry Potter, it will be located in the renovated Shanghai Jinjiang Action Park, according to Jin Jiang International Holdings Co and Warner Bros Discovery Global Experiences.

    Jinjiang Action Park, in the city’s Minhang district, closed on Jan 26 for renovations. The new 53,000-square-meter attraction is still in the regulatory approval stage.

    It will offer visitors an immersive behind-the-scenes look at how the Harry Potter franchise brought British author JK Rowling’s seven-volume fantasy novel series to life. Visitors will be able to explore the iconic film sets that were designed by the creators of the films, according to Warner Bros Discovery Global Experiences. It will also feature authentic costumes and props, alongside interactive features.

    The tour will include internal and external spaces that will take around half a day to walk through. A landscaped park area will be created in front of the tour for both visitors and the general public.

    The redevelopment project extends beyond the tour itself, Zheng Bei, chairwoman of Shanghai Jinjiang Action Park Co, told Radio Shanghai. The site will feature three main components, including the Harry Potter attraction, a themed hotel and the iconic Ferris wheel ride, which will be upgraded to be around 118 meters tall.

    The Shanghai location will integrate digital interactive elements with distinctive Chinese elements, Zheng said.

    To manage visitor flow, the attraction will implement a reservation system requiring advance booking for both dates and specific time slots, said Zheng, noting that the park anticipates welcoming approximately 2 million visitors in the first year.

    “Harry Potter’s multigenerational appeal means the Shanghai tour should draw a wide range of fans from teenagers all the way up to adults in their 50s,” Zheng said. “We envision visitors coming from across China and even Southeast Asia.”

    The original Jinjiang Action Park opened in 1984 as Shanghai’s first major theme park.

    “Jinjiang Action Park was a beloved childhood memory for many locals growing up in Shanghai,” said Lu Ping, a local born in the 1980s. “Although the park has experienced several revamps, it was less attractive than before. Bringing a Harry Potter attraction here is a way to rejuvenate this space.”

    Lin Huanjie, director of the Shanghai-based Institute for Theme Park Studies in China, said that introducing an international brand like Harry Potter is a smart move, which will activate Jinjiang Action Park’s brand value and release new consumer vitality.

    “Shanghai is an ideal landing spot given its status as a global city with a booming tourism market and appetite for high-quality themed entertainment,” he added.

    Lin said that the Shanghai tour differentiates itself from Universal Beijing Resort’s Harry Potter-themed land by providing an immersive studio experience focused on the filmmaking process.

    And, he said he expects that it would include Chinese cultural elements.

    “For international branded attractions to truly resonate in China, there needs to be localization that allows Chinese guests to experience and understand the Western stories through an Eastern cultural lens,” he said. “The Harry Potter storylines should remain pure, but other facilities can fuse Chinese philosophy and storytelling traditions.”

    Once officially opened, the studio tour will not just fulfill the dreams of Chinese fans of Harry Potter, but is also expected to attract tourists from South Korea, Southeast Asia and other regions to Shanghai, further boosting the inbound tourism market, he added.

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: “He’s a Danger,” King Warns in Floor Speech Against RFK Jr. Nomination

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Maine Angus King

    WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Senator Angus King (I-ME) tonight took to the floor of the Senate to share his concern over President Trump’s nomination of Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. to serve as the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS). In the speech, Senator King began his remarks by outlining the roles of Congress and the Presidency as America’s Founders envisioned: to make laws and to execute laws, respectively.  He then turned to the HHS candidate, speaking to Kennedy’s lack of experience and qualifications needed to run a large-scale health organization, and pointed out Kennedy’s long held public opinions as hostile toward the mission of the agency. He also warned of Kennedy’s dangerous skepticism toward proven, life-saving vaccines, sharing a childhood memory of a classmate who had polio.

    “Mr. President, I’d like to begin my remarks this afternoon by talking a little bit about the Constitution. I spent some time last week talking about the Constitution and our failure to observe that the Constitutional, fundamental structure of the division of power between the Congress and the Executive is being violated and the Congress is allowing it to happen. Another provision of the Constitution is the provision in Article I about advise and consent. It’s a fundamental check and balance built into the Constitution by the framers for a reason. It wasn’t a throw-away line or a few sentences that were put in because they wanted to fill the paragraph out. Again, it’s part of the structure that was designed to protect us from tyranny. And the structure involved the division of power, the separation of power because the framers knew that if all power was concentrated in a single individual or single institution, that institution or that individual would inevitably abuse our people. That’s human nature. That’s 1,000 years of human nature. All power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely. So, the advise and consent provision was in the Constitution for a reason. It was in there for a reason, in order to provide a check on the executive and the people who were going to be put in charge of running the administration. 

    “By the way, I want to stop for a minute and focus on the word administration and the word executive, because it really goes to the discussion we’re having in this country right now about how our government is supposed to work. The executive comes from the word execute, and the word execute means put into action. It doesn’t mean initiate the action. It means put it into action. The same for the term administration. There’s a reason we call it the administration. They are to administer the laws. In fact, the obligation on the president in Article II is to see that the laws are faithfully executed. And it does not give the president the power to ignore laws or to decide which laws he or she thinks are okay, to ignore the responsibility and constitutional authority of the congress to define spending. It does not give the president that power. Although, the fellow we approved for Office of Management and Budget last week thinks he has that power. Or this President or any president has that power. That’s absolutely antithetical to the Constitution, as established by the framers. So, administration means administer the laws, executive means execute the laws, not make them. We make the laws here and the administration is to faithfully execute those laws. 

    “Now, let’s talk about advise and consent. Advise and consent means we have a responsibility — a Constitutional responsibility to consider each of the president’s nominees for these important jobs. This isn’t something that we may do or occasionally do. This is a fundamental part of our job. We take an oath when we come here to defend the Constitution against all enemies, foreign and domestic. I think it’s interesting — they knew in 1787 that there was a potential for domestic enemies to the Constitution. So we have an obligation to take advise and consent seriously. 

    “Now, I’m a former governor, as is the presiding officer. And as a former executive, I believe the executive should have the ability to choose the team that they want, to choose their advisors. To choose the people they will work with, with some limitations. In other words, I start with the premise of the person elected should perhaps get the benefit of the doubt is a little too strong, but I start with the premise that they were elected and they should be able to choose the team that they are going to be working with. However, I think there are two qualifications. This has been my stated position on this since I entered the Senate. Benefit of the doubt to the executive, however, the nominee must be manifestly qualified and not hostile to the mission of the agency to which they’ve had been appointed. Two criteria that for me give life to the idea of advise and consent. 

    “Okay, let’s talk about Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. He, unfortunately, checks both of the boxes as to being disqualified. Number one, he’s not remotely qualified to run an organization. He has no experience running anything remotely like the scope and scale of the Department of Health and Human Services. No executive experience in that sense. So that’s number one. Is he qualified? No. He’s grossly unqualified. But the second box is he hostile to the mission of the agency? And if the mission of the agency, HHS, is to protect the health of the American people, I would argue he is manifestly hostile to that mission. There’s been a lot of discussion here today and I think it’s interesting. I haven’t heard too many people come up on the floor and support this nominee and tell us why he should be approved because, you know what, Mr. President? If this were a secret ballot, this man wouldn’t get 20 votes. Everybody in this body knows he’s not qualified. Everybody in this body knows he has no business anywhere near this position. But here we are. We’re going to take a vote. Unfortunately, it will probably be on a party-line basis. 

    “But let me focus on just one little piece. On January 29, barely a week ago, before the Senate Finance Committee, here’s what Mr. Kennedy said. Quote, “news reports have claimed that I’m antivaccine or anti-industry. I am neither. I am pro-safety. All of my kids are vaccinated.” I bet that came as news to all of the folks he’s been leading astray over the last 25-30 years. I believe vaccines have a critical role in health care. I am reminded of Saul on the road to Damascus. A miraculous conversion. A bright light was shown and suddenly the scales fell from his eyes in his confirmation hearing. Okay, let’s go back a little over a year, July 6, 2023, this is a quote, a direct quote, “there is no vaccine that is safe and effective.” He later said, on the same podcast, ‘vaccines are inherently unsafe.’ Mr. President, this man shouldn’t be confirmed because he told the committee and the Senate something diametrically opposed to the position he’s taken the last 30 years, all of his adult life. 

    “Maya Angelou said, “If somebody tells you who they are, you should believe them.” And he’s told us repeatedly. And he has acted on his vaccine skepticism. This wasn’t something that was rumbling around in his head. He’s traveled the world. He’s written articles, gone on podcasts, gone on TV and he’s discouraged people from being vaccinated. And now he has this miraculous conversion 10 days ago. ‘All my kids are vaccinated. I believe vaccines have a critical role in health care.’ The same thing during COVID. He said, ‘it is criminal medical malpractice to give a child one of these vaccines.’ Wow, criminal malpractice. And of course it’s been discussed. He said I do believe that autism does come from vaccines. July of 2023 there was one study in England — I think it was in 1998 — that showed that — purported to show a tenuous convection between vaccines and — connection between vaccines and autism. I’m reasonably confident that one of the authors recanted. It was withdrawn and it’s been debunked over and over and over again, but this man has been peddling this lie for 20 years, and who knows how many parents have fallen for that on the one hand who knows how many children have paid the price. Just to talk about vaccines, at one point during the pandemic, there was a survey — July of 2021 — remember, that was the height of it — they surveyed 50 hospitals in 17 states. 94% of the patients hospitalized in July of 2021 were unvaccinated. What does that tell you? Vaccinations worked. And people who were unvaccinated were at enormously higher risk. 94% of the people were unvaccinated.

    “In addition to the vaccination issue, this guy — this man doesn’t respect the FDA, the agency that was put in place to protect our health, to regulate us, to be sure that we’re getting safe medications, to deal with some of the awful problems of the potential of harmful medications literally getting into America’s bloodstream. In December of 2024, barely a couple months ago, he said he would fire officials at the FDA. And in October 2024 he said on X, ‘FDA’s war on public health is about to end. If you work for the FDA and are part of this corrupt work, two messages for you: prepare your records and pack your bags.’ He didn’t say a certain office in the FDA or a certain part of the FDA or maybe there was one provision, a part that he didn’t think was helpful. He said, if you work for the FDA, that’s everybody, preserve your records and pack your bags. 

    “This man is not only unqualified, he’s anti-qualified. He’s a danger. We have physicians in the Senate — I believe that the Hippocratic oath, do no harm, should apply to Senate votes. You should not be voting for somebody who you know is going to do harm to the public health. So this is really a kind of surreal debate because everybody in this chamber knows this man should not be Secretary of Health and Human Services. 

    “Now, I want to end with a personal story. One of the few advantages of being older is that you have a long memory. And in 1952 I was entering the third grade at Macarthur School in Alexander, Virginia. In my class was a kid named Butch. And he was horribly twisted into a wheelchair. I don’t think I’d ever seen a wheelchair when I was going into the third grade. He was there, and I’m not even going to say how many years later, but I can close my eyes and see Butch in that chair. Polio was what he had. He was in pain daily. He could barely make himself understood. His arms were crossed. His legs were bent grotesquely in the wheelchair. And three years later the Salk Vaccine began what turned out to be the elimination of Polio. Where would we be as a country if this man had been the head at that time it was HEW and somehow put a stop to this vaccine, which I believe he has said even the Polio vaccine should be rescinded, which has saved millions of lives around the world. Where would we be? I can’t escape the memory of that boy in that wheelchair. I can’t forget the memory of my parents not letting me go to the public swimming pool because of the fear of Polio. Not being able to go out in the summer and play because of the fear of Polio that stalked the land. The former Republican leader was a victim of Polio. Former President Franklin D. Roosevelt was a victim of Polio. It was the vaccine. And, Mr. President, I hope this place comes to its senses and rejects this surreal nomination. It would be probably be hard to find somebody less qualified to serve in this position. I believe that it will lead to damage to our country, to our health, to our children, and I urge my colleagues to vote no. If you vote yes, you’ll regret it. Thank you, Mr. President. I yield the floor.”

    Senator King has been continuously sounding the alarm on President Donald Trump’s existential threat to the Constitution: he declared that the proposal to halt all federal grant and loan disbursement was illegal and a direct assault on the Constitution. More recently, he joined 36 Senators in a letter to Secretary of State Marco Rubio, sharing the detrimental effects of  the Trump Administration’s dismantling of the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID). He also joined fellow Senate Select Committee on Intelligence (SSCI) colleagues in writing a letter to the White House about the risks to national security by allowing unvetted Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) staff and representatives to access classified and sensitive government materials. Last week, he spoke on the Senate floor to share his growing concerns over the Trump Administration’s largely unconstitutional and unprecedented overreach; in the speech he cited the Founding Fathers to add historical perspective to the decision facing the Senate, including the importance of the separation of powers.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Meet the City’s Search for a Star winners

    Source: Government of Western Australia

    Seven talented local singers will take the stage to perform with a live orchestra in front of thousands thanks to the Search for a Star competition.

    The seven winners were carefully selected following multiple auditions and will all perform at the City’s blockbuster Symphony Under the Stars event at Kingsway Regional Sporting Complex on 22 February.

    The winners range in age as well as musical experience, with each of the local talents being either residents or students within the City.

    The unique experience to perform with a 70-piece orchestra will be matched by the impressive crowds, with the event drawing 12,000 people last time it was held at Kingsway.

    Sofia Gale
    Performing Skyfall by Adele

    At just 16 years old, Sofia’s musical experience is impressive, having already performed in front of nearly 12,000 people at RAC Arena.

    A student of the Gail Meade Performing Arts Centre in Wangara for over 12 years, Sofia has a mix of singing, songwriting and theatre experience.

    “I’ve always been a theatre kid at heart,” she said. “But, around 11 or 12, I found a love for songwriting – not only was it therapeutic, but it was a release for me.”

    Sofia has released four singles to date, with one of her tracks winning a West Australian Music song of the year award, with her music drawing comparisons to Birdy and Olivia Rodrigo.

    Sofia will now further her career accomplishments by performing alongside a live orchestra for the first time.

    “What a phenomenal opportunity it is, to give local performers and local singers the chance to perform with such an orchestra,” she said.

    “We’ve already started rehearsals now and even when I’m not rehearsing with them, I’m just listening to them play so beautifully. I feel so honoured to be a part of this.”

    Meagen Reyes
    Performing I Will Always Love You & I Wanna Dance With Somebody by Whitney Houston

    Coming from a family of musicians, Meagen will be living out a dream on behalf of her parents and siblings when she takes the stage.

    The youngest of five children, the 28-year-old started her musical career as just two years old, joining her family band.

    “All of my siblings were taught how to sing by my mum, my dad knows how to sing as well and plays the guitar,” she said.

    “At the age of around two or three I was already singing on stage, not knowing how to read but memorising songs just by listening to them.”

    Meagen said she jumped at the opportunity to enter the competition and play with a live orchestra.

    “I was chosen as one of the winners and that was such a relief, because I really wanted to sing with the orchestra, as a singer it’s such a different experience,” she said.

    “I’ve sung for live bands and with backing tracks, but a live orchestra is so different because it’s a full ensemble. They’re relying on you to sing it correctly.”

    Meagen said the competition was a great opportunity to springboard the singing careers of younger artists, but also provided a rare opportunity for more experienced local artists.

    “Having an event like Search for a Star Wanneroo is such a good opportunity for talents everywhere in Perth, not just young talents but even people like me being nearly 30,” she said.

    “It’s great that I still have the chance to do things like this within the City.”

    Krystal Biddulph
    Performing Fix You by Coldplay

    An experienced dancer, performing since age three, Krystal has put one of her passions to the side after 15 years to pursue a career in singing.

    The talented singer has a gained a growing following thanks to nearly three years busking around the Perth CBD which she continues to do.

    “I’m very excited about Symphony Under the Stars, obviously, there would have been a lot of amazing applicants,” she said.

    Krystal is no stranger to playing in front of a big crowd, having performed at RAC Arena in front of 14,000 during a Wildcats game last year as well as featuring on Australian Idol.

    “I’m most excited for singing in front of an orchestra, it’s something that I’ve never done before but something I want to do,” the 18-year-old said.

    “Everything sounds better with an orchestra, even rehearsing with them I have the best time, it just makes me even more excited to get on stage and perform in front of people with them.”

    Caoimhe Power
    Performing Stop by Spice Girls & Shallow by Lady Gaga and Bradley Cooper

    Caoimhe’s singing journey started in Scotland at age nine before moving to WA with her family, immediately joining her high school music program.

    The Banksia Grove resident said she was stunned when she learned she was one of the winners.

    “When I got the email about being one of the winners I was in complete shock, I was so happy, so excited and so grateful, because I knew there were so many amazing competitors,” she said.

    “I felt so honoured that I was one of the winners picked to be able to sing and do what I love – it was honestly amazing.”

    At the age of just 16, Caoimhe will take the stage along with four other winners in a group performance, as well as a duo with last year’s Search for a Star winner Kade De Luca.  

    “I’m so excited to be able to perform in front of so many people,” she said.

    “It is just so crazy that I was chosen to sing with a 70-piece orchestra.

    “It’s amazing that we get to take part in this huge opportunity right at our doorstep and I think it’s great that we get to perform with people similar to our age and with the same love for music.”

    Tegan Mumba
    Performing Stop by Spice Girls

    Tegan has been singing since the age of four and notably performed at the RAC Arena in 2019 for Grease the Musical aged just 10.

    The 16-year-old said she is looking forward to recreating the thrill on stage alongside the Joondalup Symphony Orchestra.

    “When I found out I was a winner I was so excited, I called my dance teacher right away and told my mum,” the Yanchep local said.

    “I’m super excited to perform in front of all these people. Knowing that my singing could make someone’s day makes me even more excited.

    “I think the competition is a great opportunity for so many kids to be able to get their names out there. People will have all their eyes on us and I think it’s great for many aspiring teens.”

    Jade Alexander
    Performing Stop by Spice Girls

    Jade is a recent addition to the City, having immigrated from South Africa just a year ago.

    With extensive musical experience in her homeland often entering singing competitions, Jade had no hesitation in applying for the City’s Search for a Star. 

    “In South Africa I entered a lot of singing competitions and then when we moved here, I got the opportunity to do some gigs,” the 16-year-old said.

    “My mum found this competition and she saw how big of an opportunity it was to enter, and we grabbed it with both hands.

    “I’m so excited and I still can’t believe it. It’s one of my bucket list items to perform with an orchestra, so being able to do it is surreal.

    “We’ve done two rehearsals with the orchestra. It’s so cool to be able to hear the instruments live and the whole orchestra really creates an atmosphere.”

    Emily Mackenzie
    Performing Stop by Spice Girls

    Emily is a multi-talented local artist who started her performing arts journey at age eight when she started doing theatre shows.

    That path led her to performing in The Boy from Oz at Crown Theatre, with her first theatre appearance happening at age eight.

    The 18-year-old Hocking local also plays piano and guitar and said she holds a real appreciation for the talented Joondalup Symphony Orchestra.

    “I’m pretty excited to go in front of such a big audience,” she said.

    “I think it’s just a really great opportunity to get more experience to do more shows like this in the future. 

    “I haven’t performed with an orchestra before, but I love live music. The live orchestra feels more alive, rather than just a speaker and to have so many people making the music is a pretty cool thing.”

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-Evening Report: Civicus Monitor criticises PNG use of cybercrime law to curb free speech

    Pacific Media Watch

    Papua New Guinea’s civic space has been rated as “obstructed” by the Civicus Monitor and the country has been criticised for pushing forward with a controversial media law in spite of strong opposition.

    Among concerns previously documented by the civil rights watchdog are harassment and threats against human rights defenders, particularly those working on land and environmental rights, use of the cybercrime law to criminalise online expression, intimidation and restrictions against journalists, and excessive force during protests.

    In recent months, the authorities have used the cybercrime law to target a human rights defender for raising questions online on forest enforcement, while a journalist and gender-based violence survivor is also facing charges under the law, said the Civicus Monitor in its latest report.

    The court halted a logging company’s lawsuit against a civil society group while the government is pushing forward with the controversial National Media Development law.

    Human rights defender charged under cybercrime law
    On 9 December 2024, human rights defender and ACT NOW! campaign manager Eddie Tanago was arrested and charged by police under section 21(2) of the Cybercrime Act 2016 for allegedly publishing defamatory remarks on social media about the managing director of the PNG Forest Authority.

    Tanago was taken to the Boroko Police Station Holding cell and released on bail the same afternoon. If convicted he could face a maximum sentence of 15 years’ imprisonment.

    ACT NOW is a prominent human rights organisation seeking to halt illegal logging and related human rights violations in Papua New Guinea (PNG).

    According to reports, ACT NOW had reshared a Facebook post from a radio station advertising an interview with PNG Forest Authority (PNGFA) staff members, which included a photo of the managing director.

    The repost included a comment raising questions about PNGFA forest enforcement.

    Following Tanago’s arrest, ACT NOW said: “it believes that the arrest and charging of Tanago is a massive overreach and is a blatant and unwarranted attempt to intimidate and silence public debate on a critical issue of national and international importance.”

    It added that “there was nothing defamatory in the social media post it shared and there is nothing remotely criminal in republishing a poster which includes the image of a public figure which can be found all over the internet.”

    On 24 January 2025, when Tanago appeared at the Waigani Committal Court, he was instead charged under section 15, subparagraph (b) of the Cybercrime Act for “identity theft”. The next hearing has been scheduled for February 25.

    The 2016 Cybercrime Act has been used to silence criticism and creates a chilling effect, said Civicus Monitor.

    The law has been criticised by the opposition, journalists and activists for its impact on freedom of expression and political discourse.

    Journalist and gender activist charged with defamation
     Journalist and gender activist Hennah Joku was detained and charged under the Cybercrime Act on 23 November 2024, following defamation complaints filed by her former partner Robert Agen.

    Joku was charged with two counts of breaching the Cybercrimes Act 2016 and detained in Boroko Prison. She was freed on the same day after bail was posted.

    Joku, a survivor of a 2018 assault by Agen, had documented and shared her six-year journey through the PNG justice system, which had resulted in his conviction and jailing in 2023.

    On 2 September 2024, the PNG Supreme Court overturned two of three criminal convictions, and Agen was released from prison.

    On 4 and 15 September 2024, Joku shared her reactions with more than 9000 followers on her Meta social media account. Those two posts, one of which featured the injuries suffered from her 2018 assault, now form the basis for the current defamation charges against her.

    Section 21(2) of the Cybercrimes Act 2016, which has an electronic defamation clause, carries a maximum penalty of up to 25 years’ imprisonment or a fine of up to one million kina (NZ$442,000).

    The Pacific Freedom Forum (PFF) expressed “grave concerns” over the charges, saying: “We encourage the government and judiciary to review the use of defamation legislation to silence and gag the universal right to freedom of speech.

    “Citizens must be informed. They must be protected.”

    Court stays logging company lawsuit against civil society group
     In January 2025, an injunction issued against community advocacy group ACT NOW! to prevent publication of reports on illegal logging has been stayed by the National Court.

    In July 2024, two Malaysian owned logging companies obtained an order from the District Court in Vanimo preventing ACT NOW! from issuing publications about their activities and from contacting their clients and service providers.

    That order has now been effectively lifted after the National Court agreed to stay the whole District court proceedings while it considers an application from ACT NOW! to have the case permanently stayed and transferred to the National Court.

    ACT NOW! said the action by Global Elite Limited and Wewak Agriculture Development Limited, which are part of the Giant Kingdom group, is an example of Strategic Litigation Against Public Participation (SLAPP).

    “SLAPPs are illegitimate and abusive lawsuits designed to intimidate, harass and silence legitimate criticism and close down public scrutiny of the logging industry,” said Civicus Monitor.

    SLAPP lawsuits have been outlawed in many countries and lawyers involved in supporting them can be sanctioned, but those protections do not yet exist in PNG.

    The District Court action is not the first time the Malaysian-owned Giant Kingdom group has tried to use the legal system in an attempt to silence ACT NOW!

    In March 2024, the court rejected a similar SLAPP style application by the Global Elite for an injunction against ACT NOW! As a result, the company discontinued its legal action and the court ordered it to pay ACT NOW!’s legal costs.

    Government pushes forward with controversial media legislation
     The government is reportedly ready to pass legislation to regulate its media, which journalism advocates have said could have serious implications for democracy and freedom of speech in the country.

    National Broadcasting Corporation (NBC) of PNG reported in January 2025 that the policy has received the “green light” from cabinet to be presented in Parliament.

    The state broadcaster reported that Communications Minister Timothy Masiu said: “This policy will address the ongoing concerns about sensationalism, ethical standards, and the portrayal of violence in the media.”

    In July 2024, it was reported that the proposed media policy was now in its fifth draft but it is unclear if this version has been updated.

    As previously documented, journalists have raised concerns that the media development policy could lead to more government control over the country’s relatively free media.

    The bill includes sections that give the government the “power to investigate complaints against media outlets, issue guidelines for ethical reporting, and enforce sanctions or penalties for violations of professional standards”.

    There are also concerns that the law will punish journalists who create content that is against the country’s development objectives.

    Organisations such as Transparency International PNG, Media Council of PNG, Pacific Freedom Forum, and Pacific Media Watch/Asia Pacific Media Network among others, have asked for the policy to be dropped.

    The press freedom ranking for PNG dropped from 59th place to 91st in the most recent index published by Reporters without Borders (RSF) in May 2024.

    Civicus Monitor.

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-Evening Report: Indigenous knowledge merges with science to protect people from fish poisoning in Vanuatu

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Meg Parsons, Associate Professor in Historical Geography, University of Auckland, Waipapa Taumata Rau

    Wikimedia/Louisa Cass/AusAID, CC BY-SA

    Ciguatera fish poisoning is the world’s most frequently reported seafood-borne illness.

    It poses a serious health risk to tropical coastal communities, with some of the highest rates reported in Vanuatu. But now, Indigenous knowledge provides crucial insights for predicting fish poisoning outbreaks.

    Our study documents a collaboration between scientists and Indigenous knowledge holders on Vanuatu’s Ambae island. It offers a powerful new model designed to protect people’s health in vulnerable regions.

    Ecological indicators and fish poisoning risk

    Ciguatera poisoning occurs when people eat fish contaminated with ciguatoxins produced by marine algae that accumulate in reef-feeding fish. Symptoms can range from nausea and muscle pain to severe neurological effects. In some cases, the poisoning can lead to serious illness or even death.

    For millennia, Ambae islanders have relied on their knowledge of the local environment to manage their lands and seas in a sustainable manner. They have observed ecological indicators, including environmental changes that precede ciguatera fish poisoning events, to monitor and respond to risks.

    For instance, they note how heavy rains wash volcanic sediments into the ocean, triggering algal blooms that produce ciguatoxins. Likewise, jellyfish blooms and shifts in coral growth signal imbalances in the marine ecosystem, often preceding toxic fish contamination.

    These ecological indicators, passed down through oral traditions, have guided community decisions about fishing practices and food consumption.

    The islanders’ traditional observations are now being woven together with scientific data to create an early-warning system known as the Gigila Framework, named after a local term meaning “risk onset”, to aid public health responses.

    Our research documents 14 key environmental indicators used by Ambae island communities. We cross-referenced these indicators with climate, geological and marine data to confirm their accuracy. By comparing Ambae islanders’ observations with scientific data, we identify which Indigenous indicators can be used to assess when and where ciguatera fish poisoning outbreaks take place.

    Ambae islanders use ecological observations guide decisions about fishing practices and food consumption.
    Allan Rarai, CC BY-SA

    Lessons for other regions

    The Gigila framework is a community-driven early-warning system designed to reduce the risk of people eating contaminated fish. It uses visual markers, such as dials, to indicate risk levels.

    Village elders appoint local people to act as observers to track environmental changes. They then share their observations (such as jellyfish blooms) with government agencies.

    The Gigila model helps local community members make informed decisions about if and where they go fishing. It also strengthens collaborations between Indigenous knowledge holders, scientists and medical professionals.

    The approach makes health risk information more accessible and practical. Instead of replacing Indigenous knowledge, it seeks to empower and enhance it. It also helps to ensure that younger generations learn about it.

    Challenges of working with different knowledge systems

    The weaving together of Indigenous knowledge with scientific knowledge is not without hurdles.

    Indigenous knowledge practices are deeply rooted in local culture, passed on through oral traditions and combined with lived experiences. Scientific research, in contrast, relies on standardised testing, numerical data and universal theories.

    Unsurprisingly, miscommunication between scientists and Indigenous knowledge holders abounds. Scientists sometimes misinterpret and misunderstand Indigenous knowledge and treat it like data to be extracted and exploited. In doing so, Indigenous peoples’ sacred knowledge systems, cultural identities and ways of life are disrespected and marginalised.

    However, the success of the Gigila framework shows that respectful collaborations between scientists and Indigenous knowledge holders are possible. At the heart of this collaboration is respect for Indigenous knowledge holders’ expertise.

    Another vital component is that Indigenous communities are active participants in helping to create and maintain the early-warning system designed to protect their health. This approach highlights the strengths of combining different knowledge systems to address local environmental issues, which can be adapted to fit different problems and risks.

    Local and global applications

    The Gigila framework holds potential beyond Vanuatu. Many small island nations face similar challenges from fish poisoning. Climate change is making these risks worse by creating the environmental conditions that toxic algae favour.

    Warmer sea temperatures, ocean acidification, more intense and frequent extreme weather events and changes in the distribution of fish species are all contributing to more frequent fish poisoning outbreaks worldwide, including in areas with no history of it.

    This highlights the need for enhanced monitoring and management strategies to reduce the impacts on human health and communities that depend on fisheries.

    Other communities could develop their own early-warning systems drawing on the Gigila framework. Globally, Indigenous peoples manage vast ecosystems. Their knowledge and environmental guardianship practices are critical for sustainability and environmental health, but are often sidelined in science and policy.

    The Gigila framework highlights the continued relevance and importance of Indigenous knowledge and the need for Indigenous knowledge holders and scientists to work together in a respectful and equitable manner.

    As climate change accelerates, partnerships between communities and researchers will be crucial. Governments should support locally led initiatives that promote the deployment of Indigenous knowledge with scientific expertise to produce solutions that are both effective and culturally grounded.

    The Gigila framework offers a compelling example of what’s possible when different ways of knowing are woven together. By embracing these approaches, we can build stronger, more resilient and adaptable communities in the face of an uncertain future.

    Allan Rarai receives funding from the Association of the Commonwealth Universities through the Ocean Country Partnership Programme research grant.

    Meg Parsons 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. Indigenous knowledge merges with science to protect people from fish poisoning in Vanuatu – https://theconversation.com/indigenous-knowledge-merges-with-science-to-protect-people-from-fish-poisoning-in-vanuatu-249469

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-OSI: Community Hospital Corporation and CarePilot Forge Strategic Partnership Following Successful Pilot of Ambient AI Technology

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    KANSAS CITY, Mo. and PLANO, Texas, Feb. 12, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — CarePilot, a leader in AI-driven medical documentation for community healthcare, today announced a new strategic partnership with Plano, TX based Community Hospital Corporation (CHC) following a successful pilot of CarePilot’s ambient AI technology in several CHC facilities. Under this partnership, CHC plans to deploy and distribute CarePilot’s AI scribe solution across their managed and affiliated hospitals nationwide.

    • CarePilot’s ambient AI technology transforms spoken clinical conversations into comprehensive, structured documentation, enabling clinicians to focus on delivering patient care rather than on administrative tasks. This partnership is expected to streamline clinical workflows and ultimately enhance the patient experience throughout CHC’s extensive network.

    “We’re excited to work with CarePilot to bring AI to community health care and improve the experience for our patients and providers,” said Joe Ford, Regional Vice President of Information Technology at CHC.

    CHC is renowned for its support of community-based hospitals nationwide. The organization is either directly responsible for or supports the day-to-day operations of 23 hospitals across the country.  Additionally, CHC Consulting, CHC IT management, Telecom and Supply chain programs extend its influence to over 200 network hospitals. This broad reach positions CHC as a pivotal force in enhancing community health care delivery across diverse regions. By integrating CarePilot’s AI solution, the partnership aims to reduce administrative burdens on clinicians, optimize clinical documentation, and foster more meaningful interactions between healthcare providers and their patients.

    “We’re committed to bringing cutting-edge technology to rural and community hospitals. Our collaboration with CarePilot and their ambient AI platform is a testament to that commitment. By automating documentation in ambulatory, ED, and inpatient settings, and ensuring seamless compatibility with various EHRs, we’re not only improving operational efficiency, but also making this advanced technology accessible to our dedicated healthcare professionals, ultimately driving better patient outcomes in the communities we serve.”

    About CarePilot
    CarePilot is at the forefront of AI-driven documentation solutions for community healthcare. Its cutting-edge AI scribe technology converts clinical conversations into detailed clinical notes, reducing the administrative burden on providers and allowing them to focus on what truly matters—patient care. Designed for seamless integration into existing clinical workflows, CarePilot’s solution is transforming the landscape of clinical documentation across community health settings.

    About CHC Community Hospital Corporation
    Community Hospital Corporation owns, manages and consults with hospitals through CHC Hospitals, CHC Consulting and CHC ContinueCARE with the purpose to collaborate with partners and bring innovative solutions to support the vibrancy and accessibility of community healthcare. Based in Plano, Texas, CHC provides the resources and experience community hospitals need to improve quality outcomes, patient satisfaction and financial performance.

    For more information, please visit www.carepilot.com or www.chc.com.

    CONTACT:
    Joseph Tutera, CEO
    sales@carepilot.com
    6550 Sprint Parkway
    Suite 200
    Overland Park, Kansas, 66211, USA

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI China: AI technology widely adopted during Spring Festival events

    Source: China State Council Information Office 2

    During the 2025 Intangible Cultural Heritage Gala aired by China Media Group on Jan. 31, a pack of ten robot dogs leaped, spun and waved in perfect harmony to a traditional dance song, wowing audiences with their flawless moves.
    This electrifying performance soon ignited social media, where amazed netizens dubbed them “the most dedicated dance crew” and marveled at the stunning fusion of cultural heritage and futuristic technology.

    A robot dog and actors perform lion dance during a temple fair celebrating the Lantern Festival at Xihu District in Hangzhou, east China’s Zhejiang Province, Feb. 11, 2025. (Xinhua/Han Chuanhao)
    The dancing Lite3 models showcased during the gala belong to the agile intelligent robot dog series of Hangzhou-based firm DEEP Robotics. Capable of carrying 7.5 kg payloads with a 5 km operational range and 1.5-2 hours continuous motion, these robots can perform complex maneuvers including high jumps and front flips.
    “Our proprietary joint modules, control systems and advanced algorithms enable unprecedented motion capabilities,” said Lin Yi, the company’s R&D manager. Users can engage in more diverse exercise training and development based on intelligent algorithms such as deep learning and reinforcement learning.
    Notably, artificial intelligence (AI) is entering Chinese households like never before — seamlessly blending into both daily life and entertainment.
    Dressed in colorful jackets, a group of humanoid robots became a highlight of this year’s Spring Festival gala, broadcast on Chinese New Year’s Eve. The 16 robots danced the Yangko, a traditional folk dance, alongside human performers. After the show, a “robot grandmother” was gently escorted offstage by the dancers — and the moment quickly went viral on social media.
    With its vast knowledge, eloquent expression, boundless imagination and playful wit, DeepSeek has captivated people of all ages, making it the ultimate “chat companion.” “I felt powerful after having a good command of DeepSeek,” said a retiree surnamed Ma, who downloaded the open-resource tool following his son’s strong recommendation.
    Beyond the virtual world, AI is becoming an ever-present force in daily life, not only enhancing online interactions but also transforming real-world experiences with remarkable efficiency. Whether at temple fairs or tourist attractions, AI is increasingly integrating into people’s daily lives, replacing servers and trainers, making candy figurines, playing games, carrying heavy loads, delivering goods and even assisting climbers.
    This year’s Spring Festival has been a celebration of AI-driven surprises, with each innovation sparking excitement and wonder. Social media is buzzing with netizens sharing and recommending their favorite high-tech experiences, making this a unique futuristic Chinese New Year.
    “Wow! No more video calls for New Year greetings!” said a tech worker surnamed Li. He uploaded a photo to the Baidu App, entered prompts like “firecrackers on Mars” and “dragon dance on the Forbidden City rooftop,” and added a festive message. In just over a minute, AI created a unique digital greeting card, making the experience effortless and exciting.
    AI’s shift from niche to mainstream success is driven by two key factors — practical application and strong technology. The key to AI’s widespread adoption is the effective alignment of technological advancements with real-world needs, according to Baidu chairman and CEO Robin Li.
    The success of AI is measured not by lab-based computing power, but by its impact on everyday users. Advanced technologies must be integrated into everyday life, making them accessible to all, turning tools once limited to a few into resources for the many, Li said.
    China’s AI industry ecosystem covers key segments ranging from chips, algorithms, data and platforms to applications. Over 4,500 companies are involved, with the core industry reaching a scale of nearly 600 billion yuan (about 82.1 billion U.S. dollars). In the past year alone, 238 new generative AI products have been registered.
    The strong demand for large AI models is clearly reflected in the impressive growth numbers. On Feb. 2, DeepSeek topped app markets in 140 regions, with daily active users exceeding 30 million. By last November, Baidu’s ERNIE had reached over 1.5 billion daily calls, a 30-fold increase from the previous year, while ByteDance’s Doubao saw daily token usage rise 33-fold by December 2024 after its launch in May 2024.
    Omdia, a consultancy focused on the tech industry, forecasts that China’s generative AI market will achieve 5.5-fold growth over the next five years — totaling 9.8 billion U.S. dollars by 2029.
    Looking forward, the wave sparked by DeepSeek continues to gain momentum, rapidly expanding its “ecosystem” and further activating the AI industry chain. Major cloud service providers like Huawei Cloud, Tencent Cloud, Alibaba Cloud and Baidu AI Cloud have integrated DeepSeek’s large models into their platforms.

    MIL OSI China News –