Category: Europe

MIL-OSI United Kingdom: New mobile phone policy for Perth and Kinross Schools

Source: Scotland – City of Perth

Digital technology is an integral part of the lives of many children, young people and families across Perth & Kinross.

Used responsibly, devices such as phones and tablets can be powerful tools to support learning and teaching, communication and social experiences.

However, they can also cause disruption to learning and when used inappropriately can impact children and young people’s health and wellbeing.

This policy is designed to provide clear information and guidance on the safe, responsible and legal use of mobile technologies in schools, while protecting staff, children and young people from the consequences of inappropriate use or abuse. It will support calm and inclusive learning environments that are fully focussed on learning and teaching.

Learning and Families Committee convener Councillor John Rebbeck said: “This policy will allow our school leaders to work with their individual communities to ensure that everyone is clear on if, when and how mobile technology can be used.

“Safeguarding the wellbeing of our children and young people is our priority and this policy provides a framework to support the development of responsible citizens, recognising and respecting children and young people’s rights, and will support the development of positive relationships and behaviour.

“We can’t uninvent mobile phones but it is important we set boundaries for behaviour during class.

“We spoke to teachers, parent councils and, importantly, pupils themselves about mobile phones and what sort of learning environments are best for our children and young people.

“This new policy gives schools the flexibility to adopt an approach that is right for them.”

MIL OSI United Kingdom –

March 27, 2025

MIL-OSI: Sidetrade Annual Results for 2024: Operating Margin exceeds 15% of Revenue and Net Profit up 40%

Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

New record in year-over-year bookings (+13% in ACV)

Strong revenue growth: up 26% with SaaS subscriptions up 22%

Operating margin ⁽³⁾exceeds 15% of revenue (+45%)

Surge in net profit to €7.9 million, up 40%

Operating cash flow strongly supporting the acquisition of SHS Viveon

Recognized ESG commitment: Platinum by EthiFinance and Silver by EcoVadis

Sidetrade, the global leader in AI-powered Order-to-Cash applications, today announces a 26% increase in revenue for 2024, with a surge in operating margin ⁽³⁾of €8.4 million (+45%) and in net profit of €7.9 million (+40%).

Sidetrade (€m)	2024	2023	Change

Revenue	55.0 ⁽¹⁾	43.7	+26%
SaaS subscriptions	45.5 ⁽²⁾	36.6	+22%

Gross margin	43.1	35.3	+22%

Operating expenses (OPEX)	(34.6)	(29.4)	+18%

Operating margin ⁽³⁾	8.4	5.8	+45%
as a % of revenue	15%	13%
Net profit	7.9	5.6	+40%

2024 information is from consolidated, unaudited data.
(1) includes €4.4m in SHS Viveon revenue
(2) includes €3.0m in SHS Viveon recurring revenue
(3) Operating margin corresponds to operating profit based on 2024 accounting standards in France, including the French Research Tax Credit.

Olivier Novasque, CEO of Sidetrade commented:

“2024 once again illustrates the strength of Sidetrade’s business model, combining growth with profitability. Our 26% revenue increase was driven by a major breakthrough in the North American market, a leading-edge AI offering embraced by large enterprises, and the acquisition of SHS Viveon in Germany, which has further solidified our leadership in Order-to-Cash solutions across Europe. For the first time in our history, we have surpassed €8 million in operating profit, a significant 45% increase, highlighting the effectiveness and balance of our expansion strategy. But the real story goes beyond this impressive performance. We are witnessing an accelerated revolution in how businesses leverage artificial intelligence, marked by the emergence of specialized AI agents. Unlike traditional automation models that rely on rigid rule-based programming and constant human oversight, AI agents bring a new level of autonomous decision-making and real time operational optimization. These are no longer mere automation tools; they are intelligent entities capable of anticipating needs and acting independently within a company’s IT infrastructure, with minimal human intervention. Where traditional software simply organizes workflows using pre-defined rules, an AI agent trains, learns, adapts, and executes complex processes on its own. And this agentic revolution is only just beginning! At Sidetrade, Aimie represents the next generation of AI, evolving into an agentic AI that will orchestrate a network of AI agents, each managing a specific link in the Order-to-Cash cycle: risk, disputes, collections, cash application, and more. Aimie will direct, coordinate, and interconnect these high-specialized agents. Backed by the Sidetrade Data Lake, the most unique in the Order-to-Cash market and built on $7.2 trillion in B2B transactions spanning over 39.9 million businesses, Aimie is already powered by a one-of-a-kind training dataset in our field that will give its AI agents unmatched intelligence. Thanks to intensified R&D investments in 2024, we are set to launch our first next-gen AI agent in 2025, one that will redefine the boundaries of autonomy and capability. Companies that fail to embrace this paradigm shift will be rapidly outpaced by those that embed AI agents at the core of their operational excellence. With Aimie, Sidetrade is fully aligned with this AI agent revolution and is uniquely positioned to lead the race in its field.”

New record in year-over-year bookings (+13% in ACV)
Sidetrade maintained its growth trajectory in 2024 and set a new record with Annual Contract Value (ACV) reaching €12.73 million, up 13% compared to 2023. Annual Recurring Revenue (New ARR), increased by 6%, amounting to €6.53 million while Services bookings grew by 21%, totaling €6.2 million.

Bookings by new customers (“New Business”) accounted for 63% of total new bookings in 2024, while contract extensions (“Cross-sell”) and additional modules to existing customers (“Upsell”) contributed 18% and 19% of bookings, respectively.

Strong revenue growth in 2024: up 26% with SaaS subscriptions up 22%

In 2024, Sidetrade reported annual revenue of €55.0 million, marking a 26% increase compared to the previous year, and a 16% increase on a reported basis (excluding the acquisition of SHS Viveon finalized in June 2024). Several factors contributed to this strong performance:

Sustained organic growth: Overall revenue (excluding the acquisition of SHS Viveon) grew by 16%, while SaaS subscriptions increased by 15%. Meanwhile, Services showed impressive growth of 24%, driven by global implementation projects.
Strategic acquisition of SHS Viveon opening the DACH region: Since July 1, 2024, SHS Viveon has contributed €4.4 million to Sidetrade’s revenue, now accounting for 15% of total revenue in the second half of 2024.
Expanding international reach: The integration of SHS Viveon has increased the share of revenue generated outside of France to 65%. With 70% of its workforce now based internationally, Sidetrade demonstrates its ability to scale globally while maintaining strong local client relationships, key to building trust and driving operational efficiency.
Outstanding performance in North America: North America recorded the highest growth in 2024, with a 36% increase, bringing annual revenue to €16.6 million. This strategic market is central to Sidetrade’s ambitions.

Sidetrade continues to strengthen its position among multinationals, with a 44% increase in subscriptions from companies generating over €2.5 billion in revenue. These contracts now represent 50% of total subscriptions. More broadly, companies generating over €1 billion in revenue account for 79% of the portfolio, cementing Sidetrade’s status as a preferred partner for large enterprises.

Gross margin and operating margin: strongly accelerating performance

Strong growth in gross margin: +22% with an increase of €7.8 million

The sustained momentum in subscription growth continued to drive the expansion of the gross margin in 2024. On a like-for-like basis (excluding SHS Viveon), the gross margin rate for subscriptions remained particularly high at 92%, compared to 93% in 2023. SaaS subscriptions now represent 97% of the total gross margin.

Sidetrade’s overall gross margin rate on a like-for-like basis stood at 80%, versus 81% the previous year. Including the impact of SHS Viveon acquisition, the consolidated gross margin rate reached 78% of total revenue for the 2024 fiscal year.

In total, in 2024, Sidetrade delivered an incremental gross margin increase of €7.8 million compared to 2023, representing a +22% year-over-year growth.

Operating margin exceeding 15% of revenue (vs 13% in 2023)

Sidetrade’s operating margin showed a remarkable increase, reaching €8.4 million in 2024, up 45% from €5.8 million in 2023. This profitability is driven by sustained business growth, an excellent gross margin and disciplined cost management.

Thanks to this momentum, Sidetrade has continued its investment strategy, with an increase in expenditure of €5.2 million over 2023, and a particular focus on R&D (+€2.4 million), notably to accelerate the integration of generative AI into its core product offering.

The 2024 operating margin includes a French Research Tax Credit of €2.6 million (versus €2.4 million in 2023) as well as activation of €0.16 million in marginal R&D costs, i.e., 2% of R&D costs for the full year.

As a result, Sidetrade’s operating margin stands at 15% of revenue versus 13% in 2023, representing a 2-point gain year-over-year.

Surge in net profit to €7.9 million: up 40%

Sidetrade’s financial income, recorded as of December 31, 2024, stands at €0.7 million, up significantly from 2023 (€0.4 million). This performance is mostly due to interest earned on short-term investments during the year and the foreign exchange gains realized over the period.

Corporate income tax for 2024 is estimated at €1.1 million, versus €0.6 million in 2023.

All told, Sidetrade’s net profit for 2024 was €7.9 million, an increase of 40%, confirming the solid balance between growth and profitability.

Operating cash flow strongly supporting the acquisition of SHS Viveon

In 2024, Sidetrade generated a solid operating cash flow of €9.6 million, up €3.3 million (excluding the timing impact of the French Research Tax Credit refund). This level of cash generation enabled the Company to fully self-finance the acquisition of SHS Viveon, with a net cash outlay of €5.2 million (€6.6 million for the purchase of shares, offset by €1.4 million in available cash held by SHS Viveon).

As of December 31, 2024, Sidetrade reported €25.2 million in gross cash, up €1.3 million compared to year-end 2023.

In addition, Sidetrade held 85,437 of its own shares, valued at €19.1 million as of December 31, 2024.

Financial debt stood at €7.9 million, down €2.3 million year-over-year. Even after the SHS Viveon acquisition, Sidetrade retains substantial investment capacity, well-positioned to support its continued expansion strategy.

Recognized ESG commitment: Platinum by EthiFinance and Silver by EcoVadis

In 2024, Sidetrade accelerated its transition toward becoming a more responsible company and was awarded a Platinum medal from EthiFinance and a Silver medal from EcoVadis, with respective scores of 84/100 and 70/100. Now ranked among the top 15% of the most highly rated companies audited by EcoVadis, demonstrating its leadership in social responsibility.

These accolades confirm the relevance of Sidetrade’s strategy and its ability to anticipate the environmental and social challenges of tomorrow.

Sidetrade looks ahead to the fiscal year 2025 with confidence and a clear vision, and has the resources to fulfill its ambitions.

Next financial announcement
First Quarter Revenue for 2025: April 15, 2025, after the stock market closes.
Investor relations
Christelle Dhrif 00 33 6 10 46 72 00 cdhrif@sidetrade.com
Media relations @Sidetrade
Becca Parlby 00 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 $7.2 trillion worth of B2B payment transactions daily in its Cloud, thereby anticipating customer payment behavior and the attrition risk of 39.9 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, Inmarsat, KPMG, Lafarge, Manpower, Page, Randstad, Saint-Gobain, Securitas, 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 French version is to be taken into account.

Attachment

Sidetrade Annual Results for 2024: Operating Margin exceeds 15% of Revenue and Net Profit up 40%

The MIL Network –

March 27, 2025

MIL-OSI: Quadient SA: FY 2024 results: Solid 1st year delivery of “Elevate to 2030” strategic plan, with Digital Solution achieving €267m in revenue and 61% EBITDA growth to €47m

Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

Quadient FY 2024 results:
Solid 1^st year delivery of “Elevate to 2030” strategic plan, with Digital Solution achieving €267m in revenue and 61% EBITDA growth to €47m

Key highlights

FY 2024 financial targets achieved
Two operating profitability milestones reached:
Digital EBITDA margin at 17.5%, up 5.7pts yoy, reflecting strong profitability improvement
All three solutions are EBITDA positive
Consolidated sales of €1,093 million, up +2.8% on a reported basis, including the contribution of the latest acquisitions
FY 2024 subscription-related revenue up +10.2% in Digital and up +11.5% in Lockers
FY 2024 subscription-related revenue of €777m, representing 71% of total revenue, up +€30m yoy,
vs. +€90m 2026 target
FY 2024 Group current EBIT of €146 million, up +2.2% organically
Proposed dividend of €0.70 per share, up by €0.05 for the fourth consecutive year
FY 2025 outlook: acceleration both in organic revenue growth and in current EBIT organic growth vs. 2024

Paris, 26 March 2025

Quadient S.A. (Euronext Paris: QDT), an Intelligent automation platform powering secure and sustainable business connections, today announces its 2024 fourth-quarter consolidated sales and full-year results (period ended on 31 January 2025). The full year 2024 results were approved by the Board of Directors during a meeting held on 25 March 2025.

Geoffrey Godet, Chief Executive Officer of Quadient S.A., stated: “We have delivered a solid first year of our Elevate to 2030 strategic plan.

Our Digital Automation platform has reached the record level of c.€270 million in revenue thanks to both the addition of 2,600+ new customers and the contribution from the increased usage and upsell from our existing 16,500 customer base. This strong revenue increase has been delivered together with a significant improvement in profitability with EBITDA rising by 61% to reach €47 million. We are now in a good position to exceed the 20% EBITDA margin ambition set for 2026.

2024 also saw the highest level of Digital cross-sold deals into our Mail customer base while at the same time our Mail business continues to outpace competition. In Lockers, investments made over the past couple of years are paying off, contributing to a strong performance in H2 with double digit growth in revenue thanks to increased usage of the locker base across all regions. In addition, Lockers have reached EBITDA breakeven over the full year and profitability will further improve as we continue to increase the size of our network, grow its usage and take advantage of the recent addition of Package Concierge in the US residential sector.

At Company level, this solid performance translates into a €30 million increase in annual recurring revenue, well on track to deliver the €90 million increase targeted by 2026. Based on this solid start to the strategic plan, we are confident in our ability to continue building a €1bn recurring revenue platform by 2030, generating €250 million current EBIT. Therefore, we are proposing to increase our dividend for the fourth consecutive year in a row, to €0.70.

While macro uncertainties have recently been growing, we are expecting an acceleration of organic growth in revenue and current EBIT in 2025 against 2024 levels.”

Comments on FY 2024 performance

Group sales came in at €1,093 million in FY 2024, a +2.8% increase on a reported basis, and +0.4% organic growth compared to FY 2023, in line with Quadient’s expectations. The reported growth includes a positive currency impact of €2 million and a positive scope effect of €24 million, which is related to the acquisitions of Daylight (September 2023), Frama (February 2024) and Package Concierge (December 2024).

In the fourth quarter of 2024, reported revenue growth stood at +4.1% and organic revenue growth was broadly flat, at -0.2%, compared to Q4 2023.

Subscription-related revenue reached €777 million in FY 2024, growing +1.6% organically, and representing 71% of total sales. This represents a €30 million increase year-on-year (compared to the +€90 million target by 2026), progressing toward the €1 billion subscription-related revenue target by 2030. Performance in the fourth quarter of 2024 was steady, up 2.1% organically against Q4 2023, driven by a double-digit organic increase in Digital and in Lockers. Non-recurring revenue declined by 2.4% organically in FY 2024, including a 5.1% decline in Q4 2024, essentially due to a high comparison basis in Mail hardware sales.

By geography, North America (58% of revenue) continued to outperform other regions with a +2.8% organic growth achieved in FY 2024.

Consolidated sales and EBITDA by Solution

FY 2024 consolidated sales

In € million	FY 2024	FY 2023	Change	Organic change
Digital	267	245	+9.1%	+7.7%
Mail	732	729	+0.4%	(2.5)%
Lockers	94	88	+5.7%	+4.3%
Group total	1,093	1,062	+2.8%	+0.4%

EBITDA and EBITDA margin

	FY 2024		FY 2023
In € million	EBITDA	EBITDA margin	EBITDA	EBITDA margin
Digital	47	17.5%	29	11.8%
Mail	200	27.4%	218	29.9%
Lockers	1	0.6%	(3)	(3.0)%
Group total	247	22.6%	244	23.0%

Digital

In FY 2024, revenue from Digital reached €267 million, up 7.7% organically (+10.1% in Q4 2024 vs. Q4 2023) and up 9.1% on a reported basis (including the contribution from Daylight) compared to FY 2023.

This solid performance was driven by a strong 10.2% organic growth in subscription-related revenue in FY 2024 (+10.5% in Q4 2024 vs. Q4 2023), including a good contribution from North America and continued positive commercial trends across the platform with further solid cross-selling and up-selling. In FY 2024, subscription-related revenue was representing 82% of Digital total sales, a further increase compared to 80% in FY 2023.

At the end of FY 2024, annual recurring revenue (ARR), which is a forward-looking indicator of future subscription-related revenue, reached €232 million, up from €206 million at the end of FY 2023, representing a 12.7% organic growth.

EBITDA for Digital was €47 million in FY 2024, up +61% year-on-year. EBITDA margin was at 17.5%, a strong improvement of 5.7 points compared to FY 2023. In H2 2024, EBITDA margin further improved, reaching 19.1%, after 15.7% in H1 2024. This positive evolution in profitability reflects the combination of subscription-related revenue growth and platform maturity. The Digital solution is well on track to reach its target of EBITDA margin greater than 20% in 2026.

As part of its customer acquisition strategy, Digital continues to demonstrate strong commercial momentum. Over
2,600 new customers were added in FY 2024 thanks in particular to robust cross-selling with Mail, especially in North America. Digital experienced a dynamic fourth quarter, with several key deals secured in the US. Additionally, a new partnership was established with Avaloq to deliver Customer Communications Management capabilities to the financial services industry.

As part of the customer expansion process, the focus continues to be on further increasing up-selling, notably in financial automation process. Several platform innovations have been made, to bring added value to customers, including the ramp-up and extension of Repay for direct supplier invoice payments in the US and Canada, and new electronic invoice formats (UBL, CII, Factur-X) to align with upcoming European e-invoicing regulation.

In Quadient’s core geographies, the addressable demand for its Digital automation platform is set to grow from
c.€6 billion in 2023 to c.€9 billion in 2027, representing a +10% CAGR, creating substantial growth opportunities in both communication and financial automation.

To capture this growth, Quadient is strongly positioned, leveraging on:

a sound base of highly predictable business, with over 16,500 customers, 82% subscription-based revenue,
and a churn rate well below 5%,
a highly recognized platform in financial & communication automation, and 84.5% of Saas customers,
across three regions,
a fully scalable and modulable platform, for small to large customers, driving new client acquisition (+2,600 in FY 2024) and record cross-sell of Digital solutions into Quadient Mail customers and increased upsell opportunities among existing customers,
an efficient go-to-market organisation that driving a 34% year-on-year increase in bookings in Q4 2024 and +12.7% growth of ARR at the end of the year.

Mail

Mail revenue reached €732 million in FY 2024, down 2.5% on an organic basis (-4.6% in Q4 2024 vs. Q4 2023). The reported growth stood at +0.4%, including the contribution of Frama.

Hardware sales recorded a minor -1.7% organic decline in FY 2024, despite a 7.3% drop registered in Q4 2024, mainly reflecting a high comparison basis related to deals signed in H2 2023.

Subscription-related revenue (68% of Mail sales) recorded a 2.9% organic decline in FY 2024.

EBITDA for Mail was €200 million for FY 2024. EBITDA margin reached 27.4%, down 2.5 points compared to FY 2023. Mail EBITDA margin was impacted by the dilutive effect of Frama acquisition, including integration costs. Frama’s performance is due to improve significantly from 2025 onward, with positive current EBIT already reached in FY 2024 and payback of the acquisition expected in FY 2025.

Thanks to its strong focus on customer acquisition, Quadient’s Mail business continues to outperform the market. In Q4 2024, commercial performance remained resilient in North America, particularly in highly regulated industries where secure mail communications are key.

As part of the customer expansion focus, outlook remains strong driven by a high customer satisfaction rate of 95.7% and robust cross-selling performance, especially in the US where a record-breaking performance in placement of Digital solutions was recorded in Q4 2024. Mail business also benefited from the positive impact of the ongoing US mailing systems decertification, though this impact is expected to conclude in Q1 2025. Lastly, Quadient aims at upgrading Frama’s installed base and initiating some cross-selling to promote its Digital offer to Frama’s customers.

At the end of January 2025, already 42.4% of Quadient installed base has been upgraded with its newest technology.

Lockers

Lockers revenue reached €94 million in FY 2024, a +4.3% increase on an organic basis, with strong momentum in the latter part of the year (+8.0% in Q4 2024 vs. Q4 2023, after a strong Q3 2024, up +14.3% year-on-year) and a +5.7% increase on a reported basis compared to FY 2023, including a marginal contribution from Package Concierge.

Subscription-related revenue was up 11.5% organically in FY 2024 (+19.6% in Q4 2024 vs. Q4 2023), benefiting from:

the continued strong volumes ramp up in the British and the French open networks;
the sustained strong momentum in the US, driven by higher monetization of usage fees;
a resilient performance in Japan, despite an unfavorable e-commerce environment.

Overall, subscription-related revenue stood at 64% of total revenue in FY 2024, up from 61% in FY 2023.

Non-recurring revenue (license & hardware sales and professional services) were down 6.8% organically in FY 2024. Hardware sales were still impacted by slower new installations in North America.

Quadient’s global locker installed base reached c.25,700 units at the end of FY 2024, including c. 3,000 units from Package Concierge, vs. c.20,200 units at the end of FY 2023. This is reflecting an acceleration in the pace of installation of new lockers, notably in the UK, fueled by the partnerships signed by Quadient to host parcel lockers in new suitable locations.

EBITDA for Lockers was above breakeven, at €1 million in FY 2024. EBITDA margin stood at 0.6%, up by 3.6 points compared to FY 2023. This significant profitability improvement, illustrated by a 6.7% EBITDA margin in H2 2024, was driven by growing recurring revenue and increased usage. Additionally, the revised commercial agreement with Yamato for the Japanese installed base was implemented at the beginning of H2 2023.

As part of the customer acquisition focus, Quadient is accelerating the pace of installation for new lockers in its open networks in Europe, mostly in France and the UK, with installed base up 145% year-on-year. This is supported by the additional deals signed for premium locations (including Morrisons Daily Stores and ScotRail…). Additionally, the trend for new installations in North America has turned positive in Q4, where market share leadership position in Residences and Universities remains robust.

As part of the customer expansion strategy, volumes from both pick-up and drop-off in European open networks saw a significant increase, growing sevenfold between Q4 2023 and Q4 2024. The momentum in North America for the locker network, particularly across the multifamily sector and higher education campuses was strong in Q4 2024. In Japan, macroeconomic conditions have impacted parcel volumes, but new initiatives, such as the new partnership with Japan Post, are aimed at driving volume growth and increasing adoption.

REVIEW OF 2024 FULL-YEAR RESULTS

Simplified P&L

In € million	FY 2024	FY 2023	Change
Sales	1,093	1,062	+2.8%
Gross profit	818	788	+3.7%
Gross margin	74.8%	74.2%
EBITDA	247	244	+1.2%
EBITDA margin	22.6%	23.0%
Current EBIT	146	147	(0.5)%
Current EBIT margin	13.4%	13.8%
Optimization expenses and other operating income & expenses	(23)	(15)	+58.0%
EBIT	123	132	(7.0)%
Financial income/(expense)	(39)	(31)	+24.8%
Income before tax	84	101	(16.8)%
Share of results of associated companies	1	(0)	n/a
Income taxes	(17)	(17)	+2.8%
Net income of continued operations	68	84	(19.4)%
Net income from discontinued operations	(0)	(14)	(98.7)%
Net attributable income	66	69	(3.4)%
Earnings per share	1.94	2.02
Diluted earnings per share	1.94	2.01

Gross margin stood at 74.8% in FY 2024 slightly up compared to FY 2023, due to lower cost of sales.

EBITDA⁽¹⁾ for the Group reached €247 million in FY 2024, up €3 million compared to FY 2023. EBITDA grew by 3.0% organically, driven by strong growth of 80% in Digital and improved profitability in Lockers, which more than compensated for the softer EBITDA performance in Mail. The EBITDA margin reached 22.6% in FY 2024. It was almost stable compared to FY 2023: despite the impact of the change in revenue mix and the dilutive effect of Frama acquisition, the Group EBITDA margin was supported by significant profitability gains in Digital and Lockers.

Depreciation and amortization stood at €101 million in FY 2024, compared to €98 million in FY 2023. This slightly higher depreciation mainly reflects the increase in Lockers’ asset base.

Current operating income (current EBIT) reached €146 million in FY 2024 compared to €147 million in FY 2023, up 2.2% on an organic basis. Current EBIT margin stood at 13.4% of sales in FY 2024 compared to 13.8% in FY 2023.

Optimization costs and other operating expenses stood at €23 million in FY 2024, versus €15 million in FY 2023. This increase mainly relates to the write-off of an IT project, additional office optimization and Frama restructuring costs.

Consequently, EBIT reached €123 million in FY 2024, versus €132 million recorded in FY 2023.

Net attributable income

Net cost of debt was up from €29 million in FY 2023 to €39 million in FY 2024, impacted by higher interest rates. The currency gains & losses and other financial items was broadly flat in FY 2024, compared to a loss of €2 in FY 2023. Overall, net financial result was a loss of €39 million in FY 2024 compared to a loss of €31 million in FY 2023.

Income tax expense was stable year-on-year at €17 million.

Net income from discontinued operations of the Mail Italian subsidiary was null in FY 2024, compared to a €14 million loss in FY 2023. This loss included exceptional charges related to the sale process for this subsidiary, which was sold to a local mail distribution company in October 2024.

Net attributable income after minority interests amounted to €66 million in FY 2024 compared to €69 million in FY 2023.

Earnings per share⁽²⁾ stood at €1.94 in FY 2024 compared to €2.02 in FY 2023. The fully diluted earnings per share⁽²⁾ was €1.94 in FY 2024 compared to €2.01 in FY 2023.

Cash flow generation

The change in working capital was a net cash inflow of €9 million in FY 2024 compared to a net cash outflow of €6 million in FY 2023, mostly reflecting the positive impact from timing on prepaid expenses and customers deposits.

The leasing portfolio and other financing services stood at €623 million as of 31 January 2025, compared to €598 million as of 31 January 2024, up on an organic basis (i.e. excluding currency impact of €18 million) for the first time in several years thanks to good hardware placements in Mail. While generating future subscription-related revenue, this increase in lease receivables resulting from the good performance in the placement of new equipment translates into a cash outflow of
€7 million in FY 2024. At the end of FY 2024, the default rate of the leasing portfolio stood at around 1.1% compared to c.1.3% at the end of FY 2023.

Interest and taxes paid increased to €67 million in FY 2024 versus the amount of €55 million paid in FY 2023. The difference was mostly explained by higher interest rates in FY 2024.

Capital expenditure reached €108 million in FY 2024, up €7 million compared to FY 2023, mostly due to UK locker open network deployment. Capex for Digital reached €24 million in FY 2024, slightly up compared to €22 million in FY 2023 and was mainly focused on R&D and platform development. Capex for Mail remained at fairly high level of €51 million
(vs. €53 million in FY 2023), due to continued high placement of machines related to the US decertification, which is expected to end in Q1 2025. Capex for Lockers increased from €26 million to €33 million to support the ramp-up of the deployment of the open network in the UK. The sale of Frama real estate in Switzerland generated €6 million in cash inflows in FY 2024.

All in all, cash flow after capital expenditure (free cash flow) reached €66 million in FY 2024, compared to €64 million in FY 2023.

Leverage and liquidity position

Net debt stood at €741 million as of 31 January 2025, a slight increase against €709 million as of 31 January 2024. In FY 2024, Quadient successfully raised approximately €325 million in new facilities, including the following transactions in H2 2024:

in October 2024, the Company secured EBRD financing, including a €25 million Schuldschein;
in December 2024, the Company secured a USD 50 million bank loan;
in January 2025, Quadient further strengthened its financial position with the issuance of a USD 100 million USPP.

These new facilities enabled Quadient to repay post-closing its €260 million bond due in February 2025 and settle the repayment of Schuldschein loans for €29 million, also due in early 2025. As a result of these transactions, the Company’s average debt maturity has been extended to four years as of the end of February 2025, compared to three years at the end of FY 2023.

The leverage ratio (net debt/EBITDA) remained broadly stable at 3.0x⁽³⁾ as of 31 January 2025 compared to 2.9x⁽³⁾ as of 31 January 2024. Excluding leasing, Quadient leverage ratio remained stable at 1.7x⁽³⁾ as of 31 January 2025, despite the acquisitions of Frama and Package Concierge in 2024, as well as the implementation of a share buyback programs.

As of 31 January 2025, the Group had a strong liquidity position of €667 million, split between €367 million in cash and a €300 million undrawn credit line, maturing in 2029.

Shareholders’ equity stood at €1,113 million as of 31 January 2025 compared to €1,069 million as of 31 January 2024. The gearing ratio⁽⁴⁾ stood at 66.6% as of 31 January 2025.

SHAREHOLDER’ RETURN

Proposed dividend for FY 2024 stands at €0.70 per share, representing an 8% increase against FY 2023, and a payout ratio of 36.1% of net income, higher than Quadient’s minimum 20% pay-out ratio of net income as per the Group’s dividend policy. This represents a €0.05 year-on-year increase, for the fourth consecutive year. The dividend is subject to approval by the Annual General Meeting, scheduled for 13 June 2025, and will be paid in cash in one instalment on 6 August 2025.

In addition, Quadient’s announced in September 2024 the launch of a share buyback program for a total consideration of up to €30 million. To date, €10 million worth of shares have been repurchased, with the program set to be executed over an
18-month⁽⁵⁾ period. This operation demonstrates Quadient’s confidence in the value creation potential of its “Elevate to 2030” strategic plan, its ability to reach its FY 2026 leverage ratio target⁽⁶⁾ and is in line with the capital allocation policy of the Company, while improving shareholders’ return.

OUTLOOK

The evolving dynamics within Quadient’s business portfolio, characterized by strong growth in Digital and Lockers revenue alongside a moderate decline in Mail revenue, will naturally drive a year-on-year acceleration in the Company’s total revenue growth.

As Digital and Lockers continue to expand their share of Quadient’s revenue and profit, while simultaneously improving their profitability, this shift is expected to contribute to a higher growth in current EBIT

As a result, Quadient targets an acceleration in organic revenue growth and in current EBIT organic growth in 2025 compared to 2024.

Quadient also confirms its 3-year guidance for the 2024-2026 period of minimum 1.5% organic revenue CAGR and minimum 3% organic current EBIT CAGR.

Q4 2024 BUSINESS HIGHLIGHTS

Avaloq and Quadient Partner to Elevate Client Communications for Financial Services
On 3 December 2024, Quadient and Avaloq announced today their partnership to offer unrivaled customer communications management (CCM) capabilities for the financial services industry. Avaloq has selected Quadient Inspire as its standard CCM solution, seamlessly integrating it into the Avaloq platform.

Quadient Launches SimplyMail in Europe to Help Small Businesses Leverage Digital Solutions to Enhance Efficiency in Mail Operations
On 11 December 2024, Quadient announced the launch in Europe of SimplyMail, a solution designed to address the growing needs for smaller businesses to automate and optimize their mail operations with ease.

Quadient Named a Worldwide Automated Document Generation and CCM Leader by IDC
On 12 December 2024, Quadient announced it has been named a Leader in the IDC MarketScape: Worldwide Automated Document Generation and Customer Communication Management 2024 Vendor Assessment.

Quadient Recognized in Two IDC MarketScape Reports for Accounts Receivable Automation Applications
On 16 December 2024, announced it has been named a Leader in the IDC MarketScape: Worldwide Accounts Receivable Automation Applications for Small and Midmarket 2024 Vendor Assessment. Additionally, Quadient has been recognized for the first time as a Major Player in the IDC MarketScape: Worldwide Accounts Receivable Automation Applications for the Enterprise 2024 Vendor Assessment.

Quadient Surpasses 25,000 Global Locker Installations with US Package Concierge Acquisition, Setting Sights on Exceeding €100M of Locker Revenue in 2025
On 18 December 2024, Quadient announced the acquisition of US-based parcel management solutions provider Package Concierge®, exceeding the 25,000-unit mark in its global installed base. Package Concierge provides innovative digital locker technology that addresses the growing challenges of package management in residential, commercial, retail and university campuses across the United States.

Quadient strengthens its financial position with a USD50 million bank loan from Bank of America
On 20 December 2024, announced a USD50 million bank loan from Bank of America. This new credit facility, which comes with a 3-year maturity at a variable rate, strengthens Quadient’s financial position ahead of debt maturities due in 2025.

Report by Leading Analyst Firm Shows Quadient Recorded the Fastest Growth in 2023 Among CCM Market Leaders
On 10 January 2025, Quadient announced that a newly released report by market research and consulting firm IDC shows Quadient rapidly closing the gap on the top position. Quadient’s 13.7% year-on-year revenue growth in 2023 has accelerated from its 11% growth in 2022. This is also the fastest growth among the major Customer Communications Management (CCM) vendors globally, outperforming the overall market growth.

Quadient Secures New c.$1.6 Million Contract to Enhance US Government Agency’s Mail Automation Capacity
On 14 January 2025, Quadient announced that it has been selected by a US government agency to modernize its mail automation infrastructure in a contract valued at c.$1.6 million. This follows a previous announcement in October 2024, where Quadient was awarded a contract worth nearly $1 million for a similar modernization project with another federal agency.

Leading Human Resources Technology Company Selects Quadient for Accessibility Compliance in Customer Communications
On 16 January 2025, Quadient announced that a leading US provider of integrated benefits, payroll, and human resources cloud solutions has selected customer communications management (CCM) platform Quadient Inspire to ensure accessibility compliance for its US federal agency client.

Quadient Partners with ScotRail to Introduce Parcel Lockers at Stations Across Scotland
On 21 January 2025, Quadient announced a partnership with ScotRail to deploy Parcel Pending by Quadient automated lockers across Scotland’s rail network. ScotRail, Scotland’s national rail operator, is enhancing its passenger experience and operational efficiency with the installation of parcel lockers in its stations.

Quadient strengthens its financial position through a USD100 million US Private Placement from MetLife
On 22 January 2025, Quadient announced that it has signed a new USD100 million US Private Placement (USPP) with MetLife Investment Management (“MIM”), reinforcing its financial position. This new USPP of USD 100 million senior notes has a
7-year average maturity and comes with an additional shelf facility allowing the issue of senior notes for a maximum aggregate principal amount of USD50 million.

Quadient Teams Up with Buzz Bingo to Bring Convenient Parcel Lockers to Bingo Clubs Across the UK
On 28 January 2025, Quadient announced a partnership with Buzz Bingo to deploy Parcel Pending by Quadient automated lockers in 35 of its 81 bingo clubs across the UK, with plans for further installations in the future. This collaboration enhances parcel collection, delivery, and return convenience while improving the customer experience at Buzz Bingo locations.

Leading US Law Firm Chooses Quadient in a Deal Over $1M to Streamline Mailing, Shipping, and Accounting Processes
On 30 January 2025, Quadient announced a new contract with one of the largest injury law firms in the US, transitioning the firm from its long-standing provider to Quadient. Under the new agreement, worth over 1 million dollars, the firm is rolling out nearly 100 Quadient iX-Series mailing systems at offices across the country, all seamlessly integrated with Quadient’s cloud-based S.M.A.R.T. accounting and shipping software.

Quadient Reports Strong Year-End Locker Usage Growth in Multifamily and Higher Education Campuses in North America
On 31 January 2025, Quadient announced strong year-end momentum in the adoption and usage of its Parcel Pending by Quadient locker network across multifamily and higher education campuses in North America.

POST-CLOSING EVENTS

Morrisons Partners with Quadient for Convenient Parcel Delivery at its Morrisons Daily Stores
On 18 February 2025, Quadient announced a new partnership with Morrisons. The partnership will see Parcel Pending by Quadient parcel lockers installed at 230 Morrisons Daily stores by spring 2025.

Quadient Enables New Shipping Service with Japan Post on its Open Locker Network, Driving Convenience and Increased Parcel Volume
On 3 March 2025, Quadient announced an expanded partnership between Japan Post and Packcity Japan, a joint venture between Quadient and Yamato Transport. Thanks to the extended partnership, consumers will not only receive Japan Post deliveries at Packcity Japan’s nationwide open network of automated parcel lockers, but they will also now be able to ship parcels from the lockers, called PUDO stations. Consumers using Japan Post’s Yu-Pack parcel service use a mobile app to ship from a PUDO station, eliminating the need to wait at delivery counters or manually handling shipping slips.

Quadient Maintains Leader Position on Aspire Leaderboard for Customer Communications and Interaction Experience Software
On 13 March 2025, Quadient announced it has maintained its leadership position on the Aspire Leaderboard. Produced by independent advisory firm Aspire CCS, the Aspire Leaderboard highlights and compares vendors in the customer communications management (CCM) and customer experience management software space. It is updated in real-time as vendors release enhancements and adjust strategies.

To know more about Quadient’s news flow, previous press releases are available on our website at the following address: https://invest.quadient.com/en/newsroom.

CONFERENCE CALL & WEBCAST

Quadient will host a conference call and webcast today at 6:00 pm Paris time (5:00 pm London time).

To join the webcast, click on the following link: Webcast.

To join the conference call, please use one of the following phone numbers:

▪ France: +33 (0) 1 70 37 71 66.
▪ United States: +1 786 697 3501.
▪ United Kingdom (standard international): +44 (0) 33 0551 0200.

Password: Quadient

A replay of the webcast will also be available on Quadient’s Investor Relations website for 12 months.

Calendar

3 June 2025: Q1 2025 sales release (after close of trading on the Euronext Paris regulated market)
13 June 2025: Annual General Meeting

About Quadient®

Quadient is a global automation platform provider powering secure and sustainable business connections through digital and physical channels. Quadient supports businesses of all sizes in their digital transformation and growth journey, unlocking operational efficiency and creating meaningful customer experiences. Listed in compartment B of Euronext Paris (QDT) and part of the CAC® Mid & Small and EnterNext® Tech 40 indices, Quadient shares are eligible for PEA-PME investing.

For more information about Quadient, visit https://invest.quadient.com/en/.

Contacts

APPENDIX

Digital: New name for Intelligent Communication Automation

Mail: New name for Mail-Related Solutions

Lockers: New name for Parcel Locker Solutions

FY 2024 and Q4 2024 consolidated sales

FY 2024 consolidated sales by geography

In € million	2024	2023	Change	Organic change
North America	632	607	+4.0%	+2.8%
Main European countries^(a)	369	354	+4.5%	(2.0)%
International^(b)	92	101	(9.7)%	(5.4)%
Group total	1,093	1,062	+2.8%	+0.4%
Including Austria, Benelux, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy (excluding Mail), Switzerland, and the United Kingdom International includes the activities of Digital, Mail and Lockers outside of North America and the Main European countries

Q4 2024 consolidated sales by Solution

In € million	Q4 2024	Q4 2023	Change	Organic change
Digital	73	65	+11.5%	+10.1%
Mail	196	196	(0.3)%	(4.6)%
Lockers	27	22	+20.2%	+8.0%
Group total	295	284	+4.1%	(0.2)%

Q4 2024 consolidated sales by geography

In € million	Q4 2024	Q4 2023	Change	Organic change
North America	171	160	+7.0%	+2.5%
Main European countries^(a)	100	97	+3.3%	(2.9)%
International^(b)	24	27	(10.7)%	(6.9)%
Group total	295	284	+4.1%	(0.2)%
Including Austria, Benelux, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy (excluding Mail), Switzerland, and the United Kingdom International includes the activities of Digital, Mail and Lockers outside of North America and the Main European countries

Financial statements – Full-year 2024

Consolidated income statement

In € million	FY 2024 (period ended on 31 January 2025)	FY 2023 (period ended on 31 January 2024)
Sales	1,093	1,062
Cost of sales	(275)	(274)
Gross margin	818	788
R&D expenses	(63)	(63)
Sales and marketing expenses	(287)	(275)
Administrative and general expenses	(187)	(176)
Service and support expenses	(116)	(109)
Employee profit-sharing, share-based payments and other expenses	(10)	(7)
M&A and strategic projects expenses	(8)	(11)
Current operating income	146	147
Optimization expenses and other operating income & expenses	(23)	(15)
Operating income	123	132
Financial income/(expense)	(39)	(31)
Income before taxes	84	101
Income taxes	(17)	(17)
Share of results of associated companies	1	(0)
Net income from continued operations	68	84
Net income of discontinued operations	(0)	(14)
Net income	67	70
Of which: Minority interests	1	1
Net attributable income	66	69

Simplified consolidated balance sheet

Assets In € million	FY 2024 (period ended on 31 January 2025)	FY 2023 (period ended on 31 January 2024)
Goodwill	1,131	1,082
Intangible fixed assets	119	121
Tangible fixed assets	170	156
Other non-current financial assets	65	65
Other non-current receivables	2	2
Leasing receivables	623	598
Deferred tax assets	38	17
Inventories	75	67
Receivables	240	228
Other current assets	79	84
Cash and cash equivalents	367	118
Current financial instruments	1	2
Assets held for sale	0	9
TOTAL ASSETS	2,910	2,550

Liabilities In € million	FY 2024 (period ended on 31 January 2025)	FY 2023 (period ended on 31 January 2024)
Shareholders’ equity	1,113	1,069
Non-current provisions	12	12
Non-current financial debt	722	715
Current financial debt	347	66
Lease obligations	38	46
Other non-current liabilities	3	2
Deferred tax liabilities	101	104
Financial instruments	5	5
Trade payables	104	79
Deferred income	223	212
Other current liabilities	242	225
Liabilities held for sale	0	15
TOTAL LIABILITIES	2,910	2,550

Simplified cash flow statement

In €millions	FY 2024 (period ended on 31 January 2025)	FY 2023 (period ended on 31 January 2024)
EBITDA	247	244
Other elements	(15)	(19)
Cash flow before net cost of debt and income tax	233	225
Change in the working capital requirement	9	(6)
Net change in leasing receivables	(7)	(0)
Cash flow from operating activities	235	219
Interest and tax paid	(67)	(55)
Net cash flow from operating activities	168	165
Capital expenditure	(108)	(101)
Disposal of assets	6	0
Net cash flow after investing activities	66	64
Impact of changes in scope	(37)	(5)
Net cash flow after acquisitions and divestments	29	59
Dividends paid	(22)	(21)
Change in debt and others	219	(39)
Net cash flow after financing activities	226	(1)
Cumulative translation adjustments on cash	(6)	(2)
Net cash from discontinued operations	(1)	(9)
Change in net cash position	219	(11)

^([1]) EBITDA = current operating income + provisions for depreciation of tangible and intangible fixed assets.
^([2]) For the FY 2024, the average compounded number of shares is 34,114,060. Diluted number of shares is 34,486,288.
([3]) Including IFRS 16
([4]) Net debt / shareholder’s equity
([5]) Subject to the renewal of the share buyback authorizations at the 2025 AGM
([6]) FY 2026 leverage ratio excluding leasing target of 1.5x

Attachment

The MIL Network –

March 27, 2025

MIL-OSI United Nations: Statement attributable to the Spokesperson for the Secretary-General – on the outcomes of meetings of experts on the Black Sea

Source: United Nations secretary general

The Secretary-General welcomes the discussions and reported commitments reached in Saudi Arabia by the United States, the Russian Federation and Ukraine.

Reaching an agreement on freedom of navigation in the Black Sea to ensure the protection of civilian vessels and port infrastructure, will be a crucial contribution to global food security and supply chains, reflecting the importance of trade routes from both Ukraine and the Russian Federation to global markets.

The United Nations has been working consistently, especially following the letters the Secretary-General sent to Presidents Zelenskyy, Putin and Erdogan on 7 February 2024 putting forward a proposal for safe and free navigation in the Black Sea.

The United Nations also remains closely engaged in the continued implementation of the Memorandum of Understanding with the Russian Federation on facilitating access of Russian food and fertilizers to global markets to address global food security.

The Secretary-General’s good offices remain available to support all efforts towards peace.

The Secretary-General reiterates his hope that such efforts will pave the way for a durable ceasefire and contribute to achieving a just, comprehensive and lasting peace in Ukraine, in line with the UN Charter, international law and relevant UN resolutions and in full respect of Ukraine’s independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity.

MIL OSI United Nations News –

March 27, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: President Pro Tempore John F. Kennedy Celebrates Final Passage of Legislation to Combat Absenteeism

Source: US State of Georgia

ATLANTA (March 26, 2025) — Yesterday, the Georgia House of Representatives passed Senate Bill 123 with strong, bipartisan support. Authored by Senate President Pro Tempore John F. Kennedy (R–Macon), SB 123 takes meaningful steps to address the growing chronic absenteeism crisis in Georgia schools by ensuring students cannot be expelled solely for missing school. The bill also mandates a more localized and individualized approach to reviewing chronic absenteeism cases., requiring local boards of education to adopt policies that identify and support students who are chronically absent.

“The final passage of Senate Bill 123 is a major victory for students across our state,” said Sen. Kennedy. “Last year alone, nearly 360,000 students missed 10% or more of the school year, missing out on critical opportunities to reach their full potential because they were not in the classroom. Once SB 123 is signed into law, school systems will be better equipped to understand the root causes of absenteeism, intervene earlier, and build a stronger system for recognizing and addressing warning signs. Our goal is to respond to absenteeism fairly and constructively, not punitively, and this legislation is a positive step toward real reform in Georgia’s education system for the benefit of our children.”

With passage in both chambers, SB 123 now heads to Governor Kemp’s desk. The bill will require School Climate Committees to develop a comprehensive framework to improve student attendance if signed into law. Additionally, it will create local attendance review teams who will assess individual student attendance cases. The School Climate Committees must report their progress to the Georgia General Assembly, ensuring accountability and continued focus on this critical issue.

For more information about the legislation, click here.

# # # #

Sen. John F. Kennedy serves as the President Pro Tempore of the Georgia State Senate. He represents the 18th Senate District, which includes Crawford, Monroe, Peach and Upson counties, as well as portions of Bibb and Houston counties. He may be reached at (404) 656-6578 or by email at John.Kennedy@senate.ga.gov.

For all media inquiries, please reach out to SenatePressInquiries@senate.ga.gov.

MIL OSI USA News –

March 27, 2025
MIL-OSI: Bitcoinese Launches Blockchain Research Lab to Accelerate Innovation and Global Collaboration

Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

Hamburg, Germany, March 26, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Bitcoinese has officially launched its new Blockchain Research Lab, a dedicated initiative focused on advancing blockchain infrastructure, smart contract security, cross-chain technology, and applied AI systems. This move positions Bitcoinese at the forefront of blockchain research, aiming to foster innovation through global academic and industry partnerships.

Establishing a Research-Driven Future for Blockchain Development

The newly formed Bitcoinese Blockchain Research Lab will serve as a central hub for exploring next-generation blockchain solutions, with a strong emphasis on interdisciplinary collaboration. By uniting researchers, developers, and technologists, the lab will produce whitepapers, prototypes, and open-source frameworks designed to solve complex challenges in digital infrastructure.

Key areas of focus include:

Scalable Blockchain Architecture: Researching high-throughput, low-latency consensus mechanisms and energy-efficient systems.

Smart Contract Security: Developing automated audit tools and formal verification methods for decentralized applications.

Cross-Chain Protocols: Designing interoperability frameworks for seamless asset transfers between blockchains.

AI Integration: Investigating the convergence of artificial intelligence and decentralized ledgers for predictive analytics and autonomous finance.

The lab will operate with a global, open-access model, allowing select external contributors to participate in research programs and collaborate on technical publications.

Partnerships with Universities and Industry Experts

To ensure real-world impact, Bitcoinese is forming strategic partnerships with universities, technology institutes, and blockchain research foundations across Europe, Asia, and North America. These collaborations will involve joint publications, co-hosted conferences, and talent development programs aimed at fostering the next generation of blockchain engineers and scientists.

Bitcoinese will also offer research grants and fellowships to emerging scholars and developers working on critical blockchain advancements. The lab will regularly publish peer-reviewed studies and technical documentation for the public and industry stakeholders.

Accelerating Open-Source Innovation

A core goal of the Blockchain Research Lab is to support the open-source blockchain ecosystem. All major findings and tools developed by the lab will be published under open-source licenses, enabling adoption and contribution from global communities.

Initial projects under development include:

A modular testing environment for smart contract stress testing.

A decentralized benchmarking tool for cross-chain bridges.

An open AI oracle system for autonomous smart contract execution.

These initiatives are expected to provide essential infrastructure for developers working on DeFi, enterprise blockchain, supply chain, and digital identity solutions.

Bitcoinese’s Commitment to Long-Term Technological Advancement

By launching the Blockchain Research Lab, Bitcoinese reinforces its commitment to long-term technological innovation and global cooperation. The company views research as a foundational pillar of its ecosystem and believes that investment in knowledge, transparency, and experimentation is critical to driving the next wave of blockchain adoption.

Bitcoinese plans to host its first Blockchain Research Forum in the coming year, inviting scholars, developers, and policymakers to engage in discussions around security, regulation, scalability, and ethics in decentralized technology.

This research-led initiative underscores Bitcoinese’s vision of building a blockchain future grounded in evidence-based development and collaborative progress.

The MIL Network –

March 27, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: Cotton, Kustoff Introduce Bill to Keep Cellphones Out of Jails
US Senate News:
Source: United States Senator for Arkansas Tom Cotton

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Caroline Tabler or Patrick McCann (202) 224-2353
March 26, 2025

Cotton, Kustoff Introduce Bill to Keep Cellphones Out of Jails

Washington, D.C. — Senator Tom Cotton (R-Arkansas) today introduced the Cellphone Jamming Reform Act of 2025, legislation which would prevent inmates from using contraband cellphone use in prison facilities by allowing state and federal prisons to use cellphone jamming systems. Congressman David Kustoff (Tennessee-08) is leading companion legislation in the House.

Senators Bill Cassidy (R-Louisiana), Shelley Capito (R-West Virginia), Mike Crapo (R-Idaho), Lindsey Graham (R-South Carolina), Bill Hagerty (R-Tennessee), Cyndi Hyde-Smith (R-Mississippi), James Lankford (R-Oklahoma), and James Risch (R-Idaho) are cosponsoring the legislation.

“For far too long, contraband cellphones have been a major security threat in our prisons, allowing criminals to coordinate crimes from behind bars. This legislation is a common-sense step to cut off their ability to threaten witnesses, organize drug trafficking, and endanger law-abiding citizens from within prison walls,” said Senator Cotton.

“Criminals are using contraband cellphones to commit crimes while in prison. The extent of coordinated criminal activity carried out by inmates is a serious threat to public safety,” said Congressman Kustoff. “As a former United States Attorney, I have seen first-hand the dangerous effects of contraband cellphone use to both law enforcement officers and our communities. It should be impossible for prisoners to organize gang activity, traffic drugs, and coordinate any other wrongdoing from behind bars. The Cellphone Jamming Reform Act is commonsense legislation that will crack down on cellphones in prisons and protect inmates, guards, and the public at large.”

Text of the legislation may be found here.

Background:
- The use of contraband cellphones is widespread in both federal and state prison facilities. Inmates have used contraband cellphones to conduct illegal activities, including ordering hits on individuals outside of the prison walls, running illegal drug operations, conducting illegal business deals, facilitating sex trafficking, and organizing escapes which endanger correctional employees, other inmates, and members of the public.
- Last year, two 13-year-old boys were killed at a birthday party in Atlanta after inmates in a Georgia prison used contraband cellphones to order their murder. In 2024, Georgia authorities confiscated more than 15,500 contraband cellphones and seized more than 8,000 in 2023.
- In December 2024, two California inmates were convicted of murder, racketeering, and other RICO-related crimes for running a heroin and meth trafficking operation from their prison cells.
- In 2018, a gang fight over territory using cellphones to trade contraband sparked a brawl inside the Lee Correctional Institution near Bishopville, South Carolina, and left seven inmates dead and 20 injured.
- Bureau of Prisons Correctional officer Lt. Osvaldo Albarati was murdered in 2013 for interrupting an illicit contraband cellphone business. His actual assassination was initiated by an inmate using a contraband cellphone to contact the gunman as outlined in the indictment.
MIL OSI USA News –
March 27, 2025
MIL-OSI Russia: Chords of Love

Translartion. Region: Russians Fedetion –

Source: Moscow Government – Government of Moscow –

The Library No. 24 — the Nazim Hikmet Cultural Center — will host a concert called “Chords of Love.” Guests will enjoy Soviet hits and modern songs.

This evening will feature singer-songwriter Olga Savochkina, pianist Nikita Antonov, guitarist Ilya Tikhankov and poet Sergei Saunin.

Entry to the event is free.

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.

Please Note; This Information is Raw Content Directly from the Information Source. It is access to What the Source Is Stating and Does Not Reflect

HTTPS: //ble.mos.ru/Event/338776257/

MIL OSI Russia News –

March 27, 2025
MIL-OSI United Nations: Secretary-General Urges Developed Countries to Double Annual Climate Adaptation Finance to $40 Billion

Source: United Nations MIL OSI b

Following are UN Secretary-General António Guterres’ remarks to the virtual high-level segment of the Sixteenth Petersberg Climate Dialogue, held in New York today:

Thank you for this opportunity — and for your focus today on collective climate action and acceleration of implementation. This could not be more timely. There is much uncertainty and instability in our world. But, today, we meet in the wake of some good news.

Just this morning, the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) officially confirmed that 2024 was a record year for renewables additions to global power capacity. Renewables represented more than 92 per cent of all new electricity-generation capacity installed last year.

The amount of renewables added represents more than the total electricity capacity of Brazil and Japan combined. Europe’s capacity grew by 9 per cent — with Germany contributing more than one quarter of that growth. Africa’s capacity grew by almost 7 per cent.

All of this is another reminder of a twenty-first century truth: Renewables are renewing economies. They are powering growth, creating jobs, lowering energy bills and cleaning our air. And every day, they become an even smarter investment.

Since 2010, the average cost of wind power has plunged 60 per cent. Solar is 90 per cent cheaper. In 2023, clean energy sectors accounted for 5 per cent of economic growth in India and 6 [per cent] in the United States. It accounted for a fifth of China’s GDP [gross domestic product] growth, and a third of the European Union’s.

The economic case for — and opportunities of — climate action have become ever clearer — particularly for those who choose to lead. And leadership is what we need — as today’s IRENA report shows:

To accelerate the shift to renewables and to correct the imbalances in the transition, which is still starving developing countries — outside China — of the investment needed to fully embrace clean energy.

As the title of this session puts it so well: we are indeed at a turning point to the future. In the 10 years since Paris, we have seen other important progress. Ninety per cent of global emissions are now covered by net-zero targets.

A decade ago, the planet was on course for a global temperature rise of over 4°C. Today, countries’ national climate plans — or NDCs [nationally determined contributions] — if fully delivered — will take us closer to a 2.6°C rise.

At the same time, climate challenges are piling up. It seems records are shattered at every turn — the hottest day of the hottest month of the hottest year of the hottest decade ever.

All of this is hitting the vulnerable hardest, and everyday people in their pockets — with higher living costs, higher insurance premiums and higher food prices. Just last week, the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) confirmed that 2024 was another alarming year.

Almost every climate indicator reached new and increasingly dangerous heights — inflaming displacement and food insecurity and inflicting huge economic losses. And for the first time, the annual global temperature was 1.5°C hotter than pre-industrial times.

Scientists are clear: it is still possible to meet the long-term 1.5°C limit. But, it requires urgent action. And it requires leadership. I see two critical fronts to drive action.

First, new national climate plans — or NDCs — due by September. Investors need certainty and predictability. These new plans are a unique opportunity to deliver and lay out a coherent vision for a just green transition. They must align with the 1.5°C limit, as agreed at COP28 [twenty-eighth Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change]. And cover all emissions and the whole economy.

Together, they must reduce global emissions 60 per cent by 2035 compared to 2019 and contribute to the COP28 global energy transition goals.

All this must be achieved in line with the principle of common but differentiated responsibilities and respective capabilities, in the light of national circumstances but everybody, everybody must do more. The Group of 20 (G20) — the largest emitters and economies — must lead.

Every country must step up and play their part. The United Nations is with you all. President Lula and I are working to secure the highest ambition from the largest economies.

The United Nations Climate Promise is supporting 100 countries to prepare their new climate plans. And we will convene a special event in September to take stock of the plans of all countries, push for action to keep 1.5°C within reach, and deliver climate justice.

Second, we must drive finance to developing countries. The COP29 finance agreement must be implemented in full. I count on the leadership of the COP29 and COP30 presidencies to deliver a credible road map to mobilize $1.3 trillion a year by 2035.

We need new and innovative sources of financing, and credible carbon pricing. Developed countries must honour their promise to double adaptation finance to at least $40 billion a year, by this year.

And we need serious contributions to the fund for responding to loss and damage, and to get it up and running.

We can only meet these goals with stronger collaboration between Governments, and across society and sectors. Those that will lag behind need to be not a reason for us to be discouraged, but an increase in our commitment to move forward.

The rewards are there for the taking, for all those ready and willing to lead the world through these troubled times. We are at a turning point. I urge you to seize this moment; and seize the prize.

MIL OSI United Nations News –

March 27, 2025
MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Sign your street up for a party to celebrate Victory in Europe Day

Source: City of Coventry

Those who wish to celebrate VE Day with a street party this year can now submit their street party applications for the Bank Holiday week.

People across the country are planning to commemorate the day. This year marks 80 years since World War II ended.

Residents of Coventry are invited to apply to host their own street party. Streets will be able to select one day over the Bank Holiday week – Monday 5, Friday 9 or Monday 12 May 2025.

Cllr Abdul Salam Khan, Deputy Leader of Coventry City Council and Cabinet Member for Events, said:

We know residents of Coventry enjoy holding their own street parties to mark special occasions, and we’re delighted to offer the opportunity to celebrate VE Day outdoors with family and friends.

It’s a significant event that, as a city, we are proud to remember and commemorate, so we will also be hosting other events and activities across Coventry, which residents will soon hear more about.

Cllr Patricia Hetherton, Cabinet Member for City Services at Coventry City Council, said:

VE Day is an important occasion, which is why we are encouraging people to hold street parties by waiving road closure charges.

We’re providing advance notice of the free applications to enable people to make plans. We do, however, have a strict cut-off date to allow time for traffic management plans to be put in place so those who are holding parties can do so safely.

We encourage those who are looking to mark the occasion by holding a street party to submit their applications as soon as possible.

The closing date for VE Day Party applications is 5pm on Sunday, 6 April 2025. Applications received after this date will not be processed.

You can put in an application and find out more about holding a street party in your community by visiting www.coventry.gov.uk/streetparty or emailing temptm@coventry.gov.uk.

If you need advice on licensing issues related to arranging a street party, visit www.coventry.gov.uk/licensing-regulation or email licensing@coventry.gov.uk.

Published: Wednesday, 26th March 2025

MIL OSI United Kingdom –

March 27, 2025
MIL-OSI United Kingdom: We must have enduring peace in Ukraine, which ensures Ukraine’s future security and upholds the UN Charter: UK statement at the UN Security Council

Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

Speech

We must have enduring peace in Ukraine, which ensures Ukraine’s future security and upholds the UN Charter: UK statement at the UN Security Council

Statement by Ambassador James Kariuki, UK Deputy Permanent Representative to the UN, at the UN Security Council meeting on Ukraine.

I would like to start by thanking Assistant Secretary-General Joyce Msuya for the briefing today.

Colleagues, last month marked three years since President Putin launched his illegal and unprovoked full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

The invasion displaced over 10 million people. Today, 12.7 million remain in need of urgent humanitarian support.

The suffering caused by Russian forces is well known to this Council: war crimes, torture of civilians and prisoners of war, mass killings, the forced deportation of thousands of children, the forced cleansing and Russification of areas under their illegal control.

It is a shocking record for any state, let alone a Permanent Member of the Security Council.

In recent weeks, Russian drone and missile attacks have intensified nationwide, with daily reports of damage to residential areas and civilian infrastructure across multiple Oblasts.

According to the UN Human Rights Monitoring Mechanism of Ukraine, in one attack which took place on 7 March, two ballistic missiles hit a residential area in Donetsk Oblast killing 11 people and destroying homes.

Emergency responders who arrived to treat the wounded were then targeted by further strikes.

This has to stop.

The UK is clear that we want to see an end to the fighting and to the killing. We must have enduring peace in Ukraine.

Putin could bring about peace tomorrow by withdrawing his forces and ending his illegal invasion.

President, we welcome US efforts towards just and lasting peace. And we welcome President Zelenskyy’s clear commitment to peace and readiness to move quickly towards a comprehensive and lasting settlement.

In agreeing to a full, immediate and unconditional ceasefire, Ukraine has shown that it is the party of peace.

Russia must now agree to this without further delay.

Ukraine’s humanitarian needs are immense, and the UK will continue to do what we can in support.

To date, we have committed £477 million in humanitarian support to Ukraine, providing its people with food, water, shelter, and medical care, alongside support to safeguard the rights, dignity, and well-being of civilians.

We repeat our call on Russia to end its brutal war, withdraw from Ukrainian territory within its internationally recognised borders.

Until that day comes, the UK will continue to work with Ukraine and our international partners to achieve a just and lasting peace, which ensures Ukraine’s future security and upholds the core principles of the United Nations Charter.

Updates to this page

Published 26 March 2025

MIL OSI United Kingdom –

March 27, 2025
MIL-OSI United Kingdom: expert reaction to study on first genetically modified pig-to-human liver transplantation
Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

March 26, 2025

A study published in Nature looks at a genetically modified pig-to-human liver xenotransplantation.

Prof Peter Friend, Professor of Transplantation, University of Oxford, said:

“This is an important study because it advances the field of xenotransplantation from non-human primates to human, enabling assessment of transgenic xenografts in the context of human immunological and physiological systems.

“This is a very elegant surgical technique which allows the insertion of a (relatively small) xeno-liver with limited disruption to the anatomy of the existing liver (i.e. it is potentially feasible in a clinical setting as a temporary bridging technique).

“The genetic modifications are similar (although not identical) to those used in the recently reported heart and kidney clinical xeno-transplants, and also the xeno-liver cross-circulation studies performed at the University of Pennsylvania.

“The presence of the brain-dead donor’s native liver means that we cannot extrapolate the extent to which this xenograft would have supported a patient in liver failure. However, this study does demonstrate that these genetic modifications allow the liver to avoid hyperacute rejection and (significantly) that the thrombocytopenia associated with liver xenotransplantation is self-limiting, with the platelet count recovering within 7 days. The mechanism of this phenomenon is not fully understood.

“Although the maintenance of normal coagulation parameters (e.g. INR) is reassuring, because the clotting factors produced by the xenograft were not measured directly, the data do not definitively prove that this is a function of the xenograft rather than the native liver.”

Comments provided by our friends at SMC Spain:

Rafael Matesanz, creator and founder of the National Transplant Organisation (Spain), said:

“A frequent approach in the development of xenotransplants of different organs, before moving on to the clinical phase, is to perform them in patients in brain death but with haemodynamic stability, so that the evolution of the organ and the impact on the deceased person’s organism can be assessed at least in the short term, but with circulation maintained.

“At least three kidney transplants have been performed in the United States since 2021 – one with up to 61 days of follow-up in brain-dead patients – and two heart transplants, which served to accumulate a number of useful lessons. In both modalities, they preceded the first clinical experiences in living people, which so far have resulted in two heart transplants (both deceased) and four kidney transplants, two of which have survived after several months of evolution.

“The team at the Xi’an Military Hospital in China has had extensive experience in experimental transplantation of all types of organs from pigs to monkeys for more than a decade. This is the world’s first case of a transplant of a genetically modified pig liver into a brain-dead human. The ultimate goal of the experiment was not to achieve a standard liver transplant, but to serve as a ‘bridge organ’ in cases of acute liver failure, while awaiting a human organ for a definitive transplant. The experience lasted 10 days and the porcine organ remained in good condition, with acceptable basic metabolic function and no signs of acute rejection, indicating that the procedure was successful for its intended purpose and could be used in vivo in the near future.

“In short, this is an important experiment, which opens up a different path to what has been tried so far in both vital organs (heart) and non-vital organs (kidney), such as the temporary replacement of the diseased liver until a human liver can be obtained for the definitive transplant’.”

Iván Fernández Vega, Professor of Pathological Anatomy at the University of Oviedo (Spain), Scientific Director of the Principality of Asturias Biobank (BioPA) and Coordinator of the Organoid hub of the ISCIII Biomodels and Biobanks Platform, said:

“I found the work very relevant, but we have to be cautious. The study represents a milestone in the history of liver xenotransplantation, describing for the first time a transplantation of a genetically modified porcine liver into a human being (in this case, a brain-dead human).The quality of the work is very high, both in terms of scientific rigour and the exhaustive clinical, immunological, histological and haemodynamic characterisation of the procedure. Sophisticated genetic modifications have been applied to the graft to prevent hyperacute rejection, one of the most critical complications in preclinical models of xenotransplantation.

“The clinical implications are highly relevant, as optimising this approach could expand the pool of available organs and save lives in liver emergencies. This work complements and extends the existing evidence on previous pig-to-human heart and kidney xenotransplantation. It provides several relevant novelties:
- It is the first study to demonstrate that a genetically modified porcine liver can survive and exert basic metabolic functions (albumin and bile production) in the human body.
- It shows that there was no major coagulation dysfunction, in contrast to what was observed in other models, such as the first human cardiac xenotransplantation, where microthrombi and severe disorders were detected.
- He points out the need to assess possible myocardial damage in early postoperative phases, given the early elevation of AST and cardiac enzymes, which can be confused with liver damage.
- The use of xenograft as a bridging therapy is proposed, especially in patients with acute liver failure awaiting a human graft, although not as a definitive solution, as bile and albumin production was limited for long-term support.
“However, the study has relevant limitations:
- A major limitation of the study is that it is a single case (n=1), which precludes drawing generalisable conclusions or establishing robust patterns of clinical and immunological response. Although this is a pioneering advance, studies with a larger sample and in living recipients will be necessary to confirm the safety, efficacy and reproducibility of the procedure.
- Limited duration of follow-up (10 days), by decision of the recipient’s family, which prevents assessment of medium- and long-term viability of the graft. Therefore, it does not add information in relation to acute and chronic rejection of xenotransplantation.
- Only basic liver functions (albumin synthesis and bile secretion) were assessed, with no data on other complex liver functions such as drug metabolism, detoxification or immune function.
- The heterotopic helper transplantation procedure would not allow resection of the original liver, which invalidates it as a strategy for example in patients with hepatocarcinoma awaiting transplantation.”
‘Gene-modified pig-to-human liver xenotransplantation’ by Wang et al. was published in Nature at 16:00 UK time on Wednesday 26th March.

DOI: 10.1038/s41586-025-08799-1

Declared interests

Iván Fernández Vega “He declares that he has no conflicts of interest.”

Prof Peter Friend: “Please note I have an association with OrganOx Ltd, a spin-out company from the University of Oxford: I am a co-founder and Chief Medical Officer. OrganOx manufactures a liver perfusion device for use in liver transplantation (the OrganOx metra); this is being adapted for potential use in liver support using extra-corporeal liver perfusion. OrganOx is now working in collaboration with eGenesis, the University of Pennsylvania and the University of Oxford to test the use of genetically-modified pigs as a source of organs for extra-corporeal liver support.”

For all other experts, no reply to our request for DOIs was received.
MIL OSI United Kingdom –
March 27, 2025
MIL-OSI Europe: Meeting held at Palazzo Chigi ahead of tomorrow’s Summit on peace and security for Ukraine

Source: Government of Italy (English)

The President of the Council of Ministers, Giorgia Meloni, convened a meeting at Palazzo Chigi this morning, ahead of her participation in tomorrow’s meeting on peace and security for Ukraine to be held in Paris.

This morning’s meeting was attended by the Vice-President of the Council of Ministers and Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Antonio Tajani (via video link), the Vice-President of the Council of Ministers and Minister of Infrastructure and Transport, Matteo Salvini, and the Minister of Defence, Guido Crosetto.

The meeting reaffirmed the commitment to building solid and effective security guarantees for Ukraine that are grounded in the Euro-Atlantic context, together with European and Western partners and the United States, also based on a model that can partly reflect the provisions of Article 5 of the Washington Treaty, with this proposal attracting growing interest among international partners.

The meeting also provided an opportunity to reiterate that there are no plans for Italy to participate in a possible military force on the ground.

Lastly, the issue of implementing and monitoring a ceasefire was also discussed, in relation to which a possible United Nations role is emerging, which the Italian Government has long supported.

MIL OSI Europe News –

March 27, 2025
MIL-OSI: Resolutions of Annual General Meeting of LHV Group
Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

The Annual General Meeting of Shareholders of AS LHV Group (LHV Group) was held on 26 March 2025 at Hilton Tallinn Park Hotel. It was possible to participate in the meeting in person or electronically.

A total of 1,192 shareholders participated in the meeting, representing a total of 215,268,277 votes, which corresponds to 66.40% of all votes entitled to participate in the meeting.

Of the participants 1,102 shareholders, representing a total of 131,820,583 votes, voted before the meeting according to the procedure for pre-voting and electronic participation published with the notice on calling the meeting.

The notice on calling the Annual General Meeting was published in the stock exchange information system and on the Group’s website on 4 March 2025. On the same date, the notice was printed in Postimees daily newspaper.

The Annual General Meeting of the Shareholders of LHV Group adopted the following resolutions:

1. Annual Report 2024

Approve the Annual Report of LHV Group for the financial year 2024 as submitted to the General Meeting.

In favour: 194,709,108 votes (90.45% of the represented votes)
Opposed: 472,672 votes (0.22% of the represented votes)
Neutral: 16,304 votes (0.01% of the represented votes)
Withheld: 20,070,193 votes (9.32% of the represented votes)

2. Profit Distribution for Financial Year 2024

The consolidated net profit attributable to LHV Group as the parent company of the consolidation group in the financial year 2024 amounts to EUR 152,405 thousand. Transfer EUR 0 to the legal reserve. Approve the profit allocation proposal made by the Management Board and pay dividends in the net amount of 9 euro cents per share. The list of shareholders entitled to receive dividends will be established as at on 9 April 2025 EOD of Nasdaq CSD settlement system. Consequently, the day of change of the rights related to the shares (ex-dividend date) is set to 8 April 2025. From this day onwards, the person acquiring the shares will not have the right to receive dividends for the financial year 2024. Dividends shall be disbursed to the shareholders on 10 April 2025.

In favour: 210,519,615 votes (97.79% of the represented votes)
Opposed: 25,761 votes (0.01% of the represented votes)
Neutral: 8,061 votes (0.00% of the represented votes)
Withheld: 4,714,840 votes (2.19% of the represented votes)

3. Financial Results of First Two Months of 2025

An overview of the economic results of LHV Group for the first two months of 2025 was given by the CEO of LHV Group.

4. Five-Year Financial Forecast

An overview of the five-year financial forecast of LHV Group was given by the CEO of LHV Group.

5. Amendments to 2020–2024 Share Option Program

Approve the amendments of LHV Group’s 2020–2024 share option program as presented to the General Meeting and authorize LHV Group’s Supervisory Board to implement the 2020–2024 share option program in accordance with the program’s terms.

In favour: 206,661,208 votes (96.00% of the represented votes)
Opposed: 1,170,927 votes (0.54% of the represented votes)
Neutral: 655,451 votes (0.30% of the represented votes)
Withheld: 6,780,691 votes (3.15% of the represented votes)

6. 2025–2029 Share Option Program

Approve LHV Group’s 2025–2029 share option program as presented to the General Meeting and authorize LHV Group’s Supervisory Board to implement the 2025–2029 share option program in accordance with the program’s terms.

In favour: 200,680,460 votes (93,22% of the represented votes)
Opposed: 1,173,460 votes (0.55% of the represented votes)
Neutral: 978,108 votes (0.45% of the represented votes)
Withheld: 12,436,249 votes (5.78% of the represented votes)

7. Conditions of Performance Pay

As of 1 January 2026, to prospectively raise for the next five (5) years, i.e., for the period of the 2025–2029 share option program, the percentage of performance pay payable to the management members and equivalent staff of LHV Group and its group companies up to two hundred percent (200%) of their basic salary in accordance with the rationale presented to the General Meeting.

In favour: 199,828,946 votes (92.83% of the represented votes)
Opposed: 3,299,238 votes (1.53% of the represented votes)
Neutral: 376,838 votes (0.18% of the represented votes)
Withheld: 11,763,255 votes (5.46% of the represented votes)

8. Acquisition of Own Shares

Approve the acquisition of LHV Group’s own shares under the following conditions:
- The purpose of acquiring own shares is to create value for shareholders by using the acquired shares for the execution of applicable General Meeting’s approved share option programs.
- The acquisition shall be executed within a period of up to five (5) years from the adoption of this resolution. The acquisitions may take place in one or multiple transactions within thirteen (13) months from each LHV Group’s Supervisory Board decision to execute the acquisition of own shares.
- LHV Group is entitled to acquire a maximum of its own shares necessary for fulfilling the commitments arising from the General Meeting’s approved share option programs. The acquisition may take place in portions corresponding to the required volume for a single year, multiple years, or the full duration of the applicable share option programs. This resolution shall also apply if the shareholders approve amendments to the share option programs that affect the acquisition volume. In any case, the total nominal value of the shares owned by LHV Group does not exceed 1/10 of the share capital.
- The price per share to be paid for own shares shall be no less than EUR 0.00 and must not exceed the closing price of the Nasdaq Tallinn Stock Exchange on the previous trading day, as determined before the execution date of each respective acquisition (or the date of announcement of the execution of the acquisition). The purchase price per share shall not exceed the average market price of the last 30 trading days by more than fifty percent (50%). The acquisition of shares shall be executed under market conditions in accordance with the rules of Nasdaq Tallinn Stock Exchange.
- The acquisition of own shares must not cause the net assets to become less than the total of share capital and reserves which pursuant to law or the Articles of Association shall not be paid out to shareholders.
Authorize LHV Group’s Supervisory Board, in accordance with this resolution, applicable legislation and the General Meeting’s approved share option programs, to decide and execute own shares acquisitions, determine the acquisition price, procedure, and other conditions, and to carry out all necessary actions related to the own shares acquisition. The Supervisory Board may delegate technical and procedural tasks related to the execution of the acquisition to the Management Board. The execution of the own shares acquisition shall be conditional upon the European Central Bank’s consent.

In favor: 202,399,668 votes (94.02% of the represented votes)
Opposed: 1,164,099 votes (0.54% of the represented votes)
Neutral: 236,684 votes (0.11% of the represented votes)
Withheld: 11,467,826 votes (5.33% of the represented votes)

9. Amendments to Articles of Association

Approve the new redaction of the Articles of Association of LHV Group, thereby amending clauses 4.1.5 and 4.1.6. with the following wording:
“4.1.5. The Supervisory Board has set up the Audit Committee, the Risk and Capital Committee, the Nomination Committee and the Remuneration Committee and established the relevant terms of reference.”
“4.1.6. The Supervisory Board shall be authorized, for a period of 3 (three) years from the entry into force of this version of the Articles of Association, to increase the share capital through contributions 1 (once) per year by up to 2% (two percent) of the share capital as valid at the time of the respective resolution. If the full 2% (two percent) limit has not been used in previous years, the unused portion may be carried forward within the authorization period. However, if the limit has been fully utilized, the increase in any following year shall not exceed 2% (two percent).”

In favour: 202,252,123 votes (93.95% of the represented votes)
Opposed: 14,450 votes (0.01% of the represented votes)
Neutral: 1,085,252 votes (0.50% of the represented votes)
Withheld: 11,916,452 votes (5.54% of the represented votes)

All relevant documents associated with the Group’s General Meeting (including the notice on calling the General Meeting, draft resolutions, LHV Group’s annual report for 2024, including the independent auditor’s report, proposal for the profit distribution, the remuneration report, the Supervisory Board’s report on its activities and assessment of the 2024 annual report and proposals for approving of the terms of performance pay, LHV Group’s share option programs and LHV Group’s Articles of Association) have been presented in more detail on the Group’s website (https://investor.lhv.ee/en/general-meetings/#26.03.2025) where the minutes of the meeting shall also be made available at the latest 7 days after the General Meeting.

LHV Group is the largest domestic financial group and capital provider in Estonia. The main subsidiaries of LHV Group are LHV Pank, LHV Varahaldus, LHV Kindlustus, and LHV Bank Limited. The Group employs more than 1,160 people. As at the end of February, the banking services of LHV are used by 462,000 clients, the pension funds managed by LHV have 113,000 active clients, and LHV Kindlustus protects a total of 174,000 clients. LHV Bank, a subsidiary of the Group, holds a UK banking licence and offers banking services to international fintech companies and loans to small and medium-sized enterprises.

Priit Rum
Communications Manager
Phone: +372 502 0786
Email: priit.rum@lhv.ee

The MIL Network –
March 27, 2025
MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Team praised for work to reduce parental conflict

Source: City of Wolverhampton

The Reducing Parental Conflict Team and Family Learning Team received the Amity Collective Excellence Award for their work around reducing parental conflict.

Lisa Raghunanan, Service Manager for Children’s Services, collected the award on behalf of colleagues including Julie Baker, Nicola Shelton, David Clinton, Charlotte Maher-Butler, Glenn Evans and Adele Aldred recently.

Judges said that, under their leadership, the council has implemented a ‘robust, multi agency strategy’ which has trained over 180 professionals in reducing parental conflict awareness. A further 150 have been trained in the Amity Relationship Toolkit, a resource for frontline professionals who work with families.

They added that the teams have ‘secured lasting change through major city wide events, including engagement sessions with over 100 professionals from across voluntary, health, education, social care and law enforcement sectors – each attendee making a personal pledge to address parental conflict in their role’.

They have also ‘embedded clear pathways of support, ensuring that over 300 parents have accessed online resources – helping families find guidance and professionals build confidence in their interventions’.

Judges concluded: “Their collective energy, people skills and drive have motivated countless others to take action, leading to more secure family relationships, improved child outcomes, and stronger multi agency collaboration.”

Councillor Jacqui Coogan, Cabinet Member for Children, Young People and Education, said: “Parental conflict is unsurprisingly a cause of poor outcomes for children, particularly when that conflict is frequent, intense and poorly resolved.

“There is growing awareness of the need to tackle this and, as a council, we were successful in a bid for funding from the Government’s Reducing Parental Conflict Programme.

“We have used this to raise, enhance and embed awareness of this issue within the council and within our partner organisations to create a skilled workforce that is confident in supporting and addressing issues relating to parental conflict with families at the earliest opportunity.

“This work is having a profound impact on outcomes for children, young people and their families, and this recognition from Amity is richly deserved for everyone involved in this important piece of work.”

Amity provides relationship training, support and resources for professionals working with children, adults and families.

MIL OSI United Kingdom –

March 27, 2025
MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Artwork wows the public and highlights road technology

Source: City of Liverpool

A massive glow-in-the-dark painting has been unveiled at Liverpool ONE in the City Centre.

Commissioned as part of the The Association of Directors of Environment, Economy, Planning & Transport (ADEPT) Live Labs 2: Decarbonising Local Roads in the UK programme, the painting has been installed at the intersection of Hanover Street and College Lane in Liverpool ONE.

Liverpool City Council is a key partner in ADEPT Live Labs 2, a three-year, UK-wide £30 million programme funded by the Department for Transport that aims to decarbonise the local highway network.

The Council is pioneering the use of smart road and highway technologies with a series of experiments across the city on roads, pedestrian crossings and cycle paths.

The hope is that these new technologies will reduce carbon emissions, improve air quality, alleviate congestion, and create more sustainable neighbourhoods.

The striking artwork, titled ‘Harmony’ created by the esteemed artist collective Reskate Studio, uses Luminokrom, a photoluminescent paint that can be used for highway marking on roads.

This material absorbs ambient light during daylight hours and emits a luminous glow during periods of darkness. The artwork undergoes a dynamic transformation from day to night, providing a compelling demonstration of the paint’s capabilities.

The paint absorbs natural or artificial light and glows in the dark for 10 hours without any power supply or CO2 emissions.

The artwork is part of Reskate’s Harreman Project – a series of glow-in-the-dark artworks across Europe.

The design represents the poetic connection between the arts, nature and innovation on the path to a more hopeful and sustainable future.

Reskate art collective aims to foster awareness, engagement, and proactive involvement in environmental stewardship through this public installation.

Comprised of artists Minuskula and Javier de Riba, Reskate is renowned for its site-specific murals and installations that integrate with their surrounding environments. Their work is characterised by a commitment to conveying meaningful messages through thoughtful aesthetic choices.

ADEPT represents local authority county, unitary and metropolitan directors across England. Live Labs 2 includes seven projects, grouped by four interconnected themes, led by local authorities working alongside commercial and academic partners. Each project is testing new solutions to decarbonise construction and maintenance across the whole life cycle of the local highway network. The programme is overseen by an independent Commissioning Board, which includes the Department for Transport and other experts from across the public and private sectors.

Cllr Daniel Barrington, Cabinet Member for Transport and Connectivity, said: “This is a great artwork that will bring lots of pleasure and fun to people who see it. It’s really striking how the piece changes from daytime into night, and lights up in an incredible way.

“It’s an exciting way of telling the story about ADEPT Live Labs 2 and how roads can become net zero contributors in the years ahead.

“I’d urge everyone to pop along to Liverpool ONE to have a look at an iconic piece of art.”

Donna Howitt, Place Strategy Director at Liverpool ONE, said: “Supporting art and culture is at the heart of what we do at Liverpool ONE. This striking display now in place not only enhances the city’s landscape but will also sparks conversation on important topics while inspiring visitors.

Artist Minuskula, said: “This collaboration with our city partners is a fantastic example of how art can highlight important themes like sustainability while making Liverpool an even more exciting place to visit.

“This is a site-specific work that belongs to our “Harreman project”, murals that feature glow in the dark paint. This mural is part a series of works, which represent youth’s worries that are often silenced. We’re very proud to be able to create a poetic and inspiring image that helps to make visible a better future.”

MIL OSI United Kingdom –

March 27, 2025
MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Spoken word used to tackle serious organised crime as fourth EVOLVE operation launched

Source: City of Liverpool

Spoken word is being used as a medium to educate young people about a Home Office-backed project designed to breakdown gang culture and make Merseyside safer.

Merseyside Police and partners including Liverpool City Council are approaching the fight against serious and organised crime from a new angle with the roll out of ‘Dear Merseyside’ in secondary schools in EVOLVE areas – those worst affected by serious criminality.

‘Dear Merseyside’ is in essence a love letter to Merseyside created by 21-year-old spoken word artist Joseph Roberts that features problems touching on gang culture and knife crime before talking about solutions and reflecting on the ‘love where you live’ ethos behind EVOLVE.

EVOLVE is Merseyside’s response to the Home Office’s Clear, Hold, Build strategy. This sees police and partners working together long-term to rid neighbourhoods of organised crime groups and build up community resilience to help protect the vulnerable and prevent further serious criminality to make these areas safer for generations to come.

EVOLVE projects are taking place in Netherton (Park Lane area), Wirral (Noctorum, Beechwood and Woodchurch), Liverpool and Knowsley (Dovecot, Yew Tree, Page Moss, Longview and Huyton) and in Everton and parts of Vauxhall.

EVOLVE Everton-Vauxhall is the latest Clear, Hold, Build site – the Clear phase began in January and the Build phase, which will run concurrently with the Clear and Hold phases, launched today (Monday 24 March, 2025) alongside the ‘Dear Merseyside’ roll out at North Liverpool Academy in Everton.

Officers have been carrying out high visibility patrols in the area to disrupt and deter criminal activity.

Since January there have been 255 arrests, 32 warrants executed, 415 stop searches and seven vulnerable people safeguarded. Officers have also seized 12 weapons, around 10kg of drugs and more than £21,000 cash.

The ‘Dear Merseyside’ project launched at a media event in the Odeon, Liverpool One shortly before Christmas featuring talks from Joseph Roberts, Catch22, Everton in the Community and the LFC Foundation to highlight the dangers of exploitation while showcasing some of the diversionary work taking place in the region to improve futures.

The event was attended by more than 120 schoolchildren from EVOLVE schools, the families of Olivia Pratt-Korbel, Ashley Dale, Sam Rimmer and Elle Edwards and partner agencies.

The roll out will see assemblies taking place with around 2,000 Year 8 children who will learn about EVOLVE, watch Joseph performing ‘Dear Merseyside’ live and have opportunity to ask him questions before taking part in a session about exploitation with Catch22 who will let them know the signs to watch out for and what to do if they or someone they know is being exploited.

Following the assemblies, smaller groups of children will be taken to a double decker media bus touring the EVOLVE secondary schools with Joseph and local media agency Springboard, to take part in focused workshops where they will be taught by Joseph how to write their own spoken word versions of ‘Dear Merseyside’.

The children will be given a media brief and taught how to create engaging content for their key target market, resulting in young people creating content for people like them.

They will also be taught how to create short form video and audio content. Springboard will professionalise the content, which will then be used in a social media and audio campaign for Merseyside Police to help further spread these important messages among young people.

T/ Chief Constable Chris Green said: “We recognise that if we want to continue making a big difference to the reduction of serious criminality, we need to be part of a solution that includes young people and that we make positive changes to their attitudes from a young age.

“We hope the ‘Dear Merseyside’ project will empower children to be able to reject the traps set by gangs by encouraging them to see the devastation criminality causes and the importance of reaching out for help, while reflecting on all the positives to living in our fantastic region.

“The project will encourage them to think about problem-solving and we will help them to bring their own ideas to the table, which we hope can contribute to making Merseyside safer.

“As part of our recognition of the important role young people play in our communities, EVOLVE Everton-Vauxhall will be holding a participatory budget event on 29 April at Notre Dame Catholic College where pupils will help decide which community groups’ bids for a slice of a £50,000 funding pot to improve the areas are successful.

“We are committed to making a difference in Merseyside and tackling serious and organised crime in any way that we can. Young people are our future and we are determined to make sure that their futures remain bright.”

While Liverpool is currently celebrating the year of the spoken word literacy rates in Merseyside are among the lowest in the UK.

In July, Joseph will be holding the UK’s first poetry expo at the Liverpool Exhibition Centre where these schoolchildren will also be given an opportunity to perform their poems to other children and the public. It is also hoped that the children’s love letters to Merseyside will later be displayed in key areas across the region.

Liverpool City Council’s Cabinet Member for Community Safety, Cllr Laura Robertson-Collins, said: “There is an absolute determination from all of the partners involved in the EVOLVE projects to tackle the root causes of serious violence, so that residents can go about their lives without fear of crime.

“‘The Dear Merseyside’ project and the participatory budget event are part of the commitment to continue to make a real difference and dissuade young people from getting involved in criminality.”

Community groups with projects that could help improve Everton and Vauxhall are asked to complete an application form by emailing Evolve.EvertonVauxhall@merseyside.police.uk or calling Sgt Nicola Hutton on 0151 777 1472.

Any young person wishing to report a crime anonymously can do so by visiting Fearless, part of the national charity Crimestoppers, on https://crimestoppers-uk.org/fearless/news/2025/fearless-in-merseyside or calling 0800 555 111.

MIL OSI United Kingdom –

March 27, 2025
MIL-OSI United Kingdom: New guidance sets out rules to follow for scaffolding and skips
Source: City of Leicester

NEW guidance has been issued by the city council to make it clear what is expected of people who want to put up scaffolding in Leicester.

Leicester City Council’s new policy on skips, scaffolding and hoarding licences covers a host of things which applicants or contractors must consider when applying for licences, which need to be in place before work can begin.

The idea is to bring all of the information needed together in one place, so that it is easier for people to ensure they are complying with the rules.

City mayor Peter Soulsby said: “Whilst we know that many scaffold companies operate responsibly, we also know that some do not. This is not acceptable – they must comply with our licensing requirements for works on the highway, and they must operate in a safe manner at all times. That’s why we have updated our policy to make sure this information is easily accessible – so that there can be no excuse for those who do not comply; and so that we can take swift action against them.”

Deputy city mayor Cllr Elly Cutkelvin, who is responsible for regulatory services, licensing and enforcement, added: “We developed this new guidance after consulting with representatives from the scaffolding trade, who have welcomed the clarity it provides.

“Responsible operators know that our licensing process is there for a reason – to ensure safety. This is, of course, vitally important for both members of the public and those who work in the trade.

“If you are a householder in need of a scaffolding service, be aware that there is a lead-in time in applying for a licence, as well as a cost involved. Make sure you ask your contractor about their licence. If a quote seems too good to be true or too quick, check that they are applying for a licence and ask to see their application.”

Scaffold licences have been needed for works on the highways for many years. The new document aims to be very clear on the requirements regarding licensing, but also sets out associated considerations – such as traffic management and how to work around existing street furniture, trees, and utilities.

The rules include:
- Scaffolders need to apply for a licence well in advance of the date they wish to install scaffolding on the highway, excepting genuine emergencies for safety reasons. This is to give the council time to properly consider and determine the application.
- The application process includes the need to provide adequate supporting information, including site plans and traffic management arrangements. This is a basic requirement to demonstrate that applicants have considered the risks and have adequate safety arrangements in place.
- There is also a section on skips, which also need to be licensed – even if they are only on the highway for a short time.
If the terms and conditions of a licence are breached, officers from the city council initially contact the licence holder to let them know and to ask them to rectify the problem within 24 hours. A continued breach – or where there is no licence in place – can lead to prosecution.

The guidance is available online at https://www.leicester.gov.uk/business/licences-and-permits/trade-and-industry/skips-scaffolding-and-hoarding-licensing/

ENDS
MIL OSI United Kingdom –
March 27, 2025
MIL-OSI Global: Trump’s purported ‘Art of the Deal’ negotiating skills aren’t likely to end the Russia-Ukraine war
Source: The Conversation – Canada – By Anton Oleinik, Professor of Sociology, Memorial University of Newfoundland

The White House says Russia and Ukraine have agreed to a ceasefire in the Black Sea, with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy asserting the truce was effective immediately while also accusing Russia of lying about the deal’s terms.

Needless to say, it’s far from clear that United States President Donald Trump’s supposed “Art of the Deal” negotiating skills are enough to broker sustainable peace between Russia and Ukraine given the protagonists’ unwillingness to make concessions and the volatile nature of attempts to broker a peace agreement.

The war waged by Russia has reached the stage where both Russian and Ukrainian officials fear losing face if they make concessions.

Both view their enemy as an existential threat. Russian President Vladimir Putin has argued Russian defeat would spell “the end of the 1,000-year history of the Russian state,” while Zelenskyy says Russia’s protracted assault is an overt existential threat and the absence of U.S. support threatens the very survival of his country.

Both sides have seemed prepared to fight until the bitter end. The involvement of a mediator in the form of the United States, therefore, could potentially change the deadly dynamics of the conflict.

‘Love to beat them’

Trump declares being up to this formidable task. He positions himself as a mediator occupying a middle ground between the protagonists, unlike his predecessor in the Oval Office who supported Ukraine.

In his ghost-written book The Art of the Deal, Trump claimed to enjoy these sorts of challenges:

“In New York real estate… you are dealing with some of the sharpest, toughest, and most vicious people in the world… I happen to love to go up against these guys, and I love to beat them.”

But if mediators, including Trump, are to successfully persuade opposing sides to make a deal, they need to properly understand each side’s motives. To what extent is each side malleable so some common ground can be found? Making a deal always requires compromises and concessions.

Trump is well aware of this, saying recently of any prospective Russia-Ukraine agreement: “You’re going to have to always make compromises. You can’t do any deals without compromises.”

Understanding motivations

David McClelland’s theory of human motivation may be relevant in terms of attempts to broker peace between Ukraine and Russia. The social psychologist argued that three motives — the need for achievement, the need for affiliation and the need for power — explains most human behaviour:
1. The need for achievement explains the desire to be productive and get results;
2. Concern about establishing, maintaining or restoring a positive relationship with another person or people underpins the need for affiliation;
3. The will to dominate, to have an impact on another person or people, is the essence of the need for power.
McClelland predicted that when the need for power significantly exceeds the need for affiliation, conflicts and wars are likely. He viewed a high “power-minus-affiliation” gap as indicative of what he called the “imperial power motive syndrome.”

Read more:
Too much power can do very odd things to a leader’s head

The metaphor of an empire lies at its origin. The empire’s declared mission is to enlighten, civilize and bring order to its subjects. Leaders with the imperial power motive syndrome show reformist zeal to save others, whether they like it or not.

The social psychologist Robert Hogenraad subsequently adapted McClelland’s theory for computer-assisted content analysis by developing dictionaries of the three needs.

If the words associated with the need for power — control, domination, victory, for example — occur more often in a text, speech or news reports than words associated with the need for affiliation — like love, family, friends — then the speaker has the imperial power motive syndrome.

Hawks vs. doves

My recently published analysis of war-related speeches delivered by Russian, Ukrainian, American, British and French leaders during the three years of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine gives some clues about the motivations of the parties involved.

Compared with their western counterparts, Putin and Zelenskyy exhibit the strongest imperial power motive syndrome and are “hawks.” Their need for power, as expressed through their public speeches, significantly exceeds their need for affiliation. Trump, however, appears similar to that of his arch-rival, former president Joe Biden. Both are closer to the “dovish” end of the scale.

The preliminary outcomes of talks on a potential ceasefire reveal the challenges faced by mediators.

First, the talks being held in Saudi Arabia were bilateral, with American officials meeting separately with Russian and Ukrainian delegations, as opposed to trilteral.

Second, no joint statement followed the talks, although it was widely expected.

Third, the White House issued two separate statements, one on talks with Ukraine’s representatives and the other on discussions with Russia’s representatives.

The Ukraine statement includes the commitment to continue the exchange of prisoners of war, the release of civilian detainees and the return of forcibly transferred Ukrainian children, whereas the statement on the talks with Russia does not mention any of this.

This is despite the fact that the International Criminal Court has accused Putin of committing war crimes via the unlawful deportation of children.

Trump’s antipathy toward Zelenskyy

The prospects of a peace agreement is further complicated by the history of Trump’s attempts to broker deals in Ukraine.

The war in Ukraine actually began in 2014 with the annexation of Crimea and a proxy war in Donbas. Trump was elected president two years later.

His discourse about Ukraine did not differ significantly from Obama’s and Biden’s until his first impeachment in 2020 for soliciting “the interference of a foreign government, Ukraine, to benefit his re-election.”

His call to Zelenskyy in July 2019 triggered the impeachment. He pushed for two investigations aimed at helping his re-election bid — one into Hunter Biden’s business dealings in Ukraine and another into the hack of Democratic National Committee servers in 2016 — in exchange for releasing about $400 million of military assistance already approved by Congress and inviting Zelenskyy to the White House at that time.

During and after the first impeachment, Trump’s language on Ukraine significantly diverged from Obama’s and Biden’s. He began using words like “corruption,” “lies” and “hoax” in relation to Ukraine.

Moving forward

All this suggests that Trump’s first impeachment has had a lasting impact on his perception of Ukraine and its leader.

And so in addition to dealing with two protagonists who are unwilling to make concessions, Trump as a mediator faces challenges related to his past.

One protagonist, Zelenskyy, may unwittingly remind him of one of the darkest moments in his political career — his first impeachment. This fact should be kept in mind when trying to make sense of the treatment received by Zelenskyy during his most recent visit to the White House and Trump’s references to him as a “dictator.”

To truly succeed in mediation, Trump must move forward, leaving biases and prejudices related to Ukraine and its leader in the past. But can he?

Anton Oleinik 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. Trump’s purported ‘Art of the Deal’ negotiating skills aren’t likely to end the Russia-Ukraine war – https://theconversation.com/trumps-purported-art-of-the-deal-negotiating-skills-arent-likely-to-end-the-russia-ukraine-war-252666
MIL OSI – Global Reports –
March 27, 2025
MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Nobody should be destitute in a modern Scotland

Source: Scottish Greens

26 Mar 2025 Human Rights

Scotland has the keys to ending destitution – it is time our government unlocked the doors.

More in Human Rights

The Scottish Government must do more to end destitution for people living under the thumb of the hostile environment, says Scottish Greens MSP Maggie Chapman.

The Green MSP will use a Member’s Business Debate today to call on the Scottish Government to go further in its work to end destitution.

Ms Chapman will call for commitments to five tangible actions to end destitution, including: widening access to universal services and benefits, expanding support for Fair Way Scotland – a partnership that provides advice and accommodation for people with restricted or uncertain eligibility to public funds, creating a new Scottish crisis or hardship grant, and increasing funding for housing, immigration and asylum legal aid.

Ms Chapman said:

“Right now in Scotland, thousands of people who live in dire conditions are shut out of services and left struggling. Without support, they regularly go cold and hungry. Many are forced into precarious work and dangerous situations to make ends meet, often ending up homelessness.

“We cannot undo all of the damage being done by Westminster, but we have the power to alleviate some of these challenges and change these lives for the better. Unfortunately the Scottish Government isn’t doing nearly enough.

“If we don’t intervene, the cycle of destitution, suffering and exploitation will simply continue.”

No Recourse to Public Funds is a condition attached to work, family and study visas which restricts access to a lot of aspects of social security, including Universal Credit and child benefit and a range of other support like homelessness assistance.

Ms Chapman added:

“The No Recourse to Public Funds policy is yet another arm of the UK government’s hostile and racist immigration system. We already know how to mitigate the cruelty of this policy – so we cannot continue to justify blocking people’s access to crucial services in times of desperate need.

“We have universal human rights obligations to help our fellow humans, irrespective of immigration status. Our governments must go further to support those who risk fleeing from one hostile environment to simply enter another, cloaked as a sanctuary.

“Tragically, people in Scotland are dying from destitution as the doors remain closed to those in need. Our government can, and must, widen access to universal services to include people who are stranded by the widest inequality and cut off by the deepest destitution.”

MIL OSI United Kingdom –

March 27, 2025
MIL-OSI United Kingdom: UK spending cuts ‘risk harm to most vulnerable’

Source: Scottish Government

Finance Secretary responds to Spring Statement.

Spending cuts announced by the Chancellor risk harming some of the most vulnerable people in society, Finance Secretary Shona Robison has said.

Responding to the Spring Statement, Ms Robison said:

“Today’s statement from the Chancellor will see austerity cuts being imposed on some of the most vulnerable people in our society. The UK Government appears to be trying to balance its books on the backs of disabled people.

“Not content with these cuts, the UK Government is still expected to short-change Scotland’s public services on additional employer National Insurance costs to the tune of hundreds of millions of pounds. This will be felt in public services that people rely on up and down the country – services such as our NHS, GPs, dentists, social care providers, and universities.

“The UK Government’s choice to increase defence investment is welcome, but its choices to shortchange public services and deliver austerity cuts to some of the most vulnerable are deplorable.”

MIL OSI United Kingdom –

March 27, 2025
MIL-OSI United Nations: Secretary-General’s remarks to the Informal Interactive Dialogue on the Implementation of the Pact for the Future [bilingual, as delivered; scroll down for all-English version]

Source: United Nations secretary general

Mr. President of the General Assembly, Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen,

I thank the President of the General Assembly for convening this important dialogue — the first of three in the coming months.

From day one of the Pact for the Future’s adoption, the President has been its active champion.

I deeply appreciate your efforts, Mr. President, and your leadership.

Excellencies,

Adopting the Pact was the beginning of the process, not the end.

Today I want to focus on what we have done over the last six months — and what we need to do.

We face a long list of challenges.

Conflicts and climate disasters are intensifying.

The Sustainable Development Goals are far off-track — as is the funding required to achieve them.

Geopolitical divisions and mistrust are blocking effective action, with some actively questioning the value of international cooperation and the multilateral system itself.

But let me be very clear. It is exactly because of these divides and these mistrusts that the Pact for the Future and the two parallel documents are more important than ever. And the bigger the obstacle, the bigger will be my determination to make things move forward in line with the will expressed by Member States in the Summit of the Future.

Meanwhile, critical funding is being drastically cut for people in desperate need — with more reductions to come.

Resources are shrinking across the board — and they have been for a long time.

From day one of my mandate, we embarked on an ambitious agenda to become more effective and cost-effective across our organization.

Earlier this month, I announced the “UN80” initiative to continue this work and intensify it.

We’re reviewing efficiencies and improvements to current arrangements, the implementation of mandates handed down by Member States, and structural changes and programme realignment.

All these will contribute for a more effective implementation of the Pact for the Future.

Excellencies,

We’ve wasted no time moving into the implementation phase of the Pact.

From an operational perspective, we established a principal-level steering committee — which I chair — overseeing six working groups focused on action and reforms in key areas:

Sustainable Development Goals acceleration…peace and security… international financial architecture…digital technologies…UN governance…and youth.

We’ve created two task teams focusing on future generations and the need to look beyond GDP as a measure of progress and guide to policy-making.

And we’re establishing an internal tracking system to monitor our progress on Pact implementation.

Today, I’d like to report on our efforts since the Pact was adopted, and outline the work ahead in four areas.

First — peace and security.

United Nations peace operations help safeguard people and communities in some of the most desperate corners of the world.

The Pact represents a commitment to strengthen tools to prevent and address conflict, to ensure that our peace efforts respond to new and emerging threats.

In November, I issued a report on peacebuilding which included concrete suggestions to strengthen the Peacebuilding Commission and Fund.

We’re actively working on the second independent progress study on the positive contribution of young people to peace processes.

And we’re progressing on a review of all forms of Peace Operations — as requested in the Pact.

Our recent proposals to the Security Council regarding Haiti are a case in point where new approaches can be developed to complex security challenges.

The review will be an opportunity to help adapt peace operations to today’s realities, and ensure they’re guided by clear and sequenced mandates that are realistic and achievable — with viable exit strategies and transition plans.

It will also recognize the limitations of our operations where there is little or no peace to keep.

We will also continue pushing forward on other peace-related priorities of the Pact — including disarmament commitments around nuclear, biological and chemical weapons, lethal autonomous weapons and the growing weaponization of outer space.

And we will continue advocating — including through the intergovernmental negotiations process — for the Pact’s call to make the Security Council more representative of today’s world and more effective in the capacity to promote peace in the world.

Second — finance for development.

Since the Pact’s adoption, we’ve taken action on several fronts.

For example, our Resident Coordinators and Country Teams are now mapping out how we can accelerate progress at the national levels in close cooperation with the Governments.

We’ve begun analyzing the impact of military expenditure on the achievement of the SDGs and on our own work at the UN — with a final report out by September.

The Expert Group called for in the Pact to develop measures of progress that go beyond Gross Domestic Product will soon be announced, and will work throughout the year before an inter-governmental process takes over in 2026.

And we’ve been working closely with the World Bank and the IMF to follow-up on the Pact’s action points addressing improvements to the international financial system.

Developing countries must be represented fairly in the governance of the very institutions they depend on.

We know the environment is not favourable.

But we must not give up.

Since the Pact’s adoption, I have also established an expert group to identify practical steps for action on debt.

In the coming weeks, they will propose a list of achievable outcomes — and release a full report in June in advance of the Financing for Development Conference in Spain.

Debt relief is a central issue if we want the implementation and the Pact for the Future a reality.

At the same time, we will continue advocating to increase the lending capacity of Multilateral Development Banks, to make them bigger and bolder.

This includes both stretching their balance sheets and recapitalization.

And we must ensure that concessional finance is deployed where it is most needed.

Many of these actions depend on decisions of other multilateral institutions and of Member States, but we will not relent in our constant advocacy for what the Pact for the Future has clearly indicated as the way to pursue.

Three — youth and future generations

Our efforts must deliver for young people and the generations to come.

The Pact’s central promise to young people is to listen to their concerns and ideas, and including them at the decision-making table.

Following the establishment of a UN Youth Office in 2022, young people played a key role in shaping the Pact’s priorities.

With the Pact’s adoption, we’re now progressing towards establishing a Youth Investment Platform to ensure that national funding mechanisms and investment platforms are focused on the needs of young people.

And we’re developing core principles to strengthen youth engagement across our work at the United Nations — including by broadening the representation of younger colleagues within our organizational structures.

Through the Declaration on Future Generations, we’re also looking to the generations yet to be born.

We’ve established a Strategic Foresight Network and Community of Practice, to ensure our policies, programmes and field operations are based on long-term thinking.

And later this year, I will appoint a Special Envoy for Future Generations to scale up these efforts.

Quatrièmement : la technologie.

Nous mettons en œuvre les appels du Pacte mondial pour le numérique pour combler toutes les fractures numériques et veiller à ce que tout le monde puisse bénéficier d’un espace numérique sûr et sécurisé.

L’intelligence artificielle fait l’objet d’une attention particulière.

Nous élaborons un rapport sur les options novatrices de financement volontaire qui permettraient de renforcer les capacités en matière d’intelligence artificielle afin d’aider les pays du Sud à exploiter cette technologie au service de l’intérêt général – en tenant compte des recommandations formulées par mon Organe consultatif de haut niveau.

Un avant-projet de résolution visant à établir le Groupe scientifique international indépendant sur l’IA et à organiser un Dialogue mondial sur la gouvernance de l’IA a été distribué la semaine dernière – grâce au travail des co-facilitateurs, l’Espagne et le Costa Rica.

J’invite l’Assemblée générale à agir rapidement pour mettre sur pied ce Groupe et veiller à ce que le savoir-faire et les connaissances en matière d’IA soient mis à la disposition de tous les pays – tout en soutenant le Dialogue mondial.

L’ensemble du système de l’ONU se tient prêt à soutenir ces travaux.

Excellences,

Tout en défendant ces priorités, nous nous attelons par ailleurs à améliorer l’efficience et l’efficacité de nos opérations – comme l’exige le Pacte.

L’automne dernier, nous avons entrepris une évaluation complète dans l’ensemble des entités de l’ONU afin d’exploiter le potentiel de l’innovation, de l’analyse des données, de la transformation numérique et de la prospective dans l’ensemble de nos travaux – conformément à l’initiative ONU 2.0.

Les résultats sont déjà au rendez-vous : nous avons par exemple été capable de constater une accélération de l’évaluation des catastrophes dans la région Asie-Pacifique, un renforcement des programmes de sécurité sociale au Malawi, ou encore une consolidation des fonctions relatives à l’informatique dans l’ensemble du système des Nations Unies.

Ces efforts, où les données sont une question essentielle pour que nous puissions faire une bien meilleure gestion de ces données – ces efforts doivent se poursuivre, en particulier au regard des problèmes de financement auxquels nous devons faire face.

Nous comptons sur votre soutien pour mener ce travail à bien.

Excellences,

Alors que nous œuvrons pour remodeler le système multilatéral et ainsi relever les défis du monde d’aujourd’hui, le Pacte pour l’avenir est un rouage essentiel de ce processus de renouvellement constant.

Nous ne pouvons pas diluer nos efforts.

Gardons intact l’esprit et la détermination qui ont permis de forger et d’adopter le Pacte.

Nous comptons sur vous pour éclairer, inspirer et guider le travail de mise en œuvre à venir.

Une fois encore, merci pour vos idées et votre engagement.

***
[All-English]

Mr. President of the General Assembly, Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen,

I thank the President of the General Assembly for convening this important dialogue — the first of three in the coming months.

From day one of the Pact for the Future’s adoption, the President has been its active champion.

I deeply appreciate your efforts, Mr. President, and your leadership.

Excellencies,

Adopting the Pact was the beginning of the process, not the end.

Today I want to focus on what we have done over the last six months — and what we need to do.

We face a long list of challenges.

Conflicts and climate disasters are intensifying.

The Sustainable Development Goals are far off-track — as is the funding required to achieve them.

Geopolitical divisions and mistrust are blocking effective action, with some actively questioning the value of international cooperation and the multilateral system itself.

But let me be very clear. It is exactly because of these divides and these mistrusts that the Pact for the Future and the two parallel documents are more important than ever. And the bigger the obstacle, the bigger will be my determination to make things move forward in line with the will expressed by Member States in the Summit of the Future.

Meanwhile, critical funding is being drastically cut for people in desperate need — with more reductions to come.

Resources are shrinking across the board — and they have been for a long time.

From day one of my mandate, we embarked on an ambitious agenda to become more effective and cost-effective across our organization.

Earlier this month, I announced the “UN80” initiative to continue this work and intensify it.

We’re reviewing efficiencies and improvements to current arrangements, the implementation of mandates handed down by Member States, and structural changes and programme realignment.

All these will contribute for a more effective implementation of the Pact for the Future.

Excellencies,

We’ve wasted no time moving into the implementation phase of the Pact.

From an operational perspective, we established a principal-level steering committee — which I chair — overseeing six working groups focused on action and reforms in key areas:

Sustainable Development Goals acceleration…peace and security… international financial architecture…digital technologies…UN governance…and youth.

We’ve created two task teams focusing on future generations and the need to look beyond GDP as a measure of progress and guide to policy-making.

And we’re establishing an internal tracking system to monitor our progress on Pact implementation.

Today, I’d like to report on our efforts since the Pact was adopted, and outline the work ahead in four areas.

First — peace and security.

United Nations peace operations help safeguard people and communities in some of the most desperate corners of the world.

The Pact represents a commitment to strengthen tools to prevent and address conflict, to ensure that our peace efforts respond to new and emerging threats.

In November, I issued a report on peacebuilding which included concrete suggestions to strengthen the Peacebuilding Commission and Fund.

We’re actively working on the second independent progress study on the positive contribution of young people to peace processes.

And we’re progressing on a review of all forms of Peace Operations — as requested in the Pact.

Our recent proposals to the Security Council regarding Haiti are a case in point where new approaches can be developed to complex security challenges.

The review will be an opportunity to help adapt peace operations to today’s realities, and ensure they’re guided by clear and sequenced mandates that are realistic and achievable — with viable exit strategies and transition plans.

It will also recognize the limitations of our operations where there is little or no peace to keep.

We will also continue pushing forward on other peace-related priorities of the Pact — including disarmament commitments around nuclear, biological and chemical weapons, lethal autonomous weapons and the growing weaponization of outer space.

And we will continue advocating — including through the intergovernmental negotiations process — for the Pact’s call to make the Security Council more representative of today’s world and more effective in the capacity to promote peace in the world.

Second — finance for development.

Since the Pact’s adoption, we’ve taken action on several fronts.

For example, our Resident Coordinators and Country Teams are now mapping out how we can accelerate progress at the national levels in close cooperation with the Governments.

We’ve begun analyzing the impact of military expenditure on the achievement of the SDGs and on our own work at the UN — with a final report out by September.

The Expert Group called for in the Pact to develop measures of progress that go beyond Gross Domestic Product will soon be announced, and will work throughout the year before an inter-governmental process takes over in 2026.

And we’ve been working closely with the World Bank and the IMF to follow-up on the Pact’s action points addressing improvements to the international financial system.

Developing countries must be represented fairly in the governance of the very institutions they depend on.

We know the environment is not favourable.

But we must not give up.

Since the Pact’s adoption, I have also established an expert group to identify practical steps for action on debt.

In the coming weeks, they will propose a list of achievable outcomes — and release a full report in June in advance of the Financing for Development Conference in Spain.

Debt relief is a central issue if we want the implementation and the Pact for the Future a reality.

At the same time, we will continue advocating to increase the lending capacity of Multilateral Development Banks, to make them bigger and bolder.

This includes both stretching their balance sheets and recapitalization.

And we must ensure that concessional finance is deployed where it is most needed.

Many of these actions depend on decisions of other multilateral institutions and of Member States, but we will not relent in our constant advocacy for what the Pact for the Future has clearly indicated as the way to pursue.

Three — youth and future generations

Our efforts must deliver for young people and the generations to come.

The Pact’s central promise to young people is to listen to their concerns and ideas, and including them at the decision-making table.

Following the establishment of a UN Youth Office in 2022, young people played a key role in shaping the Pact’s priorities.

With the Pact’s adoption, we’re now progressing towards establishing a Youth Investment Platform to ensure that national funding mechanisms and investment platforms are focused on the needs of young people.

And we’re developing core principles to strengthen youth engagement across our work at the United Nations — including by broadening the representation of younger colleagues within our organizational structures.

Through the Declaration on Future Generations, we’re also looking to the generations yet to be born.

We’ve established a Strategic Foresight Network and Community of Practice, to ensure our policies, programmes and field operations are based on long-term thinking.

And later this year, I will appoint a Special Envoy for Future Generations to scale up these efforts.

Fourth — technology.

We’re implementing the Global Digital Compact’s calls to close all digital divides and ensure all people benefit from a safe and secure digital space.

Artificial Intelligence is a particular focus.

We’re developing a report on innovative voluntary financing options for AI capacity-building to help the Global South harness AI for the greater good, taking into account the recommendations of my High-Level Advisory Body.

The zero draft resolution to establish the International Independent Scientific Panel on AI and convene a Global Dialogue on AI Governance was also circulated last week — thanks to the work of the co-facilitators, Spain and Costa Rica.

I urge the General Assembly to act swiftly to establish this Panel, and ensure that AI expertise and knowledge are available to all countries, while supporting the Global Dialogue.

The UN system stands ready to support this work.

Excellencies,

As we push for these priorities, we’re also improving the efficiency and effectiveness of our operations, as called for by the Pact.

Last fall, we undertook a comprehensive assessment across UN entities to harness the potential of innovation, data analytics, digital transformation and foresight across our work — as called for in the UN 2.0 initiative.

We’re already seeing results: from speeding-up disaster assessments in the Asia-Pacific, to strengthening social security programmes in Malawi, to consolidating Information Technology functions across the UN System.

This work must continue — especially in light of the funding challenges we face.

We’re counting on your support as we move forward.

Excellencies,

The Pact for the Future is an essential part of this process of constant renewal, as we re-shape the multilateral system for the challenges of today’s world.

We cannot dilute our efforts.

We need to sustain the same spirit and determination in which the Pact was forged and adopted.

We count on you to inform, inspire and guide the implementation work ahead.

Once again, thank you for your ideas and commitment.

MIL OSI United Nations News –

March 27, 2025
MIL-OSI United Kingdom: expert reaction to science/research-related bits of the Spring Statement

Source: United Kingdom – Science Media Centre

March 26, 2025

Scientists comment on science related elements of the Spring Statement delivered by the Chancellor.

Dr Alicia Greated, Executive Director, Campaign for Science and Engineering (CaSE):

“Today’s spring statement confirmed the difficult context for the upcoming spending review. The Chancellor emphasised the importance of economic growth – and we will continue, alongside the rest of the R&D sector, to make a strong case for R&D’s role in delivering it, and for an ambitious settlement for R&D and innovation in June. It is welcome that the chancellor recognises the importance of capital investment, which includes R&D.

“Defence R&D is an important part of the UK research system. It is critical that the breadth of UK R&D is supported by the UK Government if R&D is to drive economic growth and deliver wide ranging benefits to society.

“We look forward to seeing the detail behind the fiscal measures announced today and await the detail of departmental allocations following the autumn budget last October. Proper scrutiny of R&D funding allocations is of great importance ahead of the spending review this June.”

Dr Joe Marshall, CEO, National Centre for Universities and Business (NCUB), said:

“It was reassuring that the Chancellor acknowledged a major UK strength is our position as a ‘hub for global innovation’. This shouldn’t be taken for granted and is the result of a strong and effective supporting ecosystem.

“While efficiency savings in government should always be sought, and the transformation fund is a welcome initiative, it will be important to ensure that these changes are carried forward without negative impact on the research and innovation ecosystem.

“The Chancellor has today stressed the increasing importance of defence spending in an uncertain world. It must be remembered that research and innovation is as crucial for defence supply chains as it is to other sectors of the economy.

“The £400m ringfenced for defence innovation, the defence growth board, and the alignment of defence spending with the industrial strategy are all positive signs that the Government recognises this – the vital role of the ecosystem that supports universities and businesses come together must be prioritised within these interventions.”

https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/spring-statement-2025;

https://www.gov.uk/government/news/chancellor-delivers-security-and-national-renewal-in-a-new-era-of-global-change

Declared interests

The nature of this story means everyone quoted above could be perceived to have a stake in it. As such, our policy is not to ask for interests to be declared – instead, they are implicit in each person’s affiliation.

MIL OSI United Kingdom –

March 27, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: Daily physical activity, even at light intensities, linked to lower cancer risk

Source: US Department of Health and Human Services – 2

News Release
Wednesday, March 26, 2025

NIH study finds number of steps taken daily may be more important for cancer risk than the intensity of activity.
What
In a prospective cohort study of more than 85,000 adults in the United Kingdom, researchers at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and University of Oxford found that individuals who engaged in light- and moderate-to-vigorous-intensity daily physical activity had a lower risk of cancer than individuals who were more sedentary. The findings, published March 26, 2025, in British Journal of Sports Medicine, are among the first to evaluate the cancer risk reduction associated with light intensity activities such as doing errands and performing household chores.
Previous studies have shown an inverse association between physical activity and cancer risk, but most of these studies relied on self-reported questionnaires, which may not accurately capture the intensity of different activities. Earlier studies that used objective measures were focused on higher-intensity physical activity. In the new study, led by researchers from NIH’s National Cancer Institute, participants in the UK Biobank study (median age of 63) wore wrist accelerometers that tracked total daily activity, activity intensity, and daily step count over a period of one week. The researchers then looked at the relationship between the daily averages and incidence of 13 cancer types, including breast and colorectal cancer, previously associated with physical activity.
After a mean follow-up of 5.8 years, 2,633 participants had been diagnosed with one of the 13 cancer types. Individuals with the highest total amount of daily physical activity had a 26% lower risk of developing cancer than individuals who had the lowest amount of daily physical activity. The researchers also explored the impact of replacing daily sedentary time with light- and moderate-to-vigorous-intensity physical activity and found that this shift was associated with a reduced risk of cancer. The associations between physical activity and cancer risk remained even after researchers adjusted for demographic factors, lifestyle factors, body mass index (BMI), and other health conditions.
Higher daily step count, but not the pace of the steps (step intensity), was also associated with a lower risk of cancer. Compared with cancer risk in those taking 5,000 steps per day, cancer risk was 11% lower for those taking 7,000 steps per day and 16% lower for those taking 9,000 steps per day. Beyond 9,000 steps, the risk reduction plateaued. The researchers suggested that less physically active individuals may lower their cancer risk by incorporating more walking, at any pace, into their daily routine.
Who
Alaina Shreves, M.S., Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics, National Cancer Institute, and Nuffield Department of Population Health, University of Oxford
Reference
“Amount and intensity of dail total physical activity, step count and risk of incident cancer in the UK Biobank” appears March 26, 2025, in British Journal of Sports Medicine.
About the National Cancer Institute (NCI): NCI leads the National Cancer Program and NIH’s efforts to dramatically reduce the prevalence of cancer and improve the lives of people with cancer. NCI supports a wide range of cancer research and training extramurally through grants and contracts. NCI’s intramural research program conducts innovative, transdisciplinary basic, translational, clinical, and epidemiological research on the causes of cancer, avenues for prevention, risk prediction, early detection, and treatment, including research at the NIH Clinical Center—the world’s largest research hospital. Learn more about the intramural research done in NCI’s Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics. For more information about cancer, please visit the NCI website at cancer.gov or call NCI’s Cancer Information Service, at 1-800-4-CANCER (1-800-422-6237).
About the National Institutes of Health (NIH): NIH, the nation’s medical research agency, includes 27 Institutes and Centers and is a component of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. NIH is the primary federal agency conducting and supporting basic, clinical, and translational medical research, and is investigating the causes, treatments, and cures for both common and rare diseases. For more information about NIH and its programs, visit www.nih.gov.
NIH…Turning Discovery Into Health®
###

MIL OSI USA News –

March 27, 2025
MIL-OSI: Correction: Amber Grid Investor’s Calendar for 2025

Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

AB Amber Grid, legal entity code: 303090867. Address: Laisvės ave. 10, LT-04215 Vilnius, Lithuania.

Amber Grid is changing the investor calendar for 2025 as follows:

07.04.2025 – audited annual financial statements and management report for year 2024;
07.04.2025 – notice of convening the Ordinary General Meeting of Shareholders,
30.04.2025 – resolutions of the Ordinary Annual General Meeting of Shareholders;
09.05.2025 – interim information for the 3 months of 2025;
08.08.2025 – interim information for the 6 months of 2025;
07.11.2025 – interim information for the 9 months of 2025.

More information:
Laura Šebekienė, Head of Communications of Amber Grid,
Ph. +370 699 61 246, e-mail: l.sebekiene@ambergrid.lt

The MIL Network –

March 27, 2025
MIL-OSI Russia: “Studying at the University of Bologna is very different from how we study at the HSE”

Translartion. Region: Russians Fedetion –

Source: State University Higher School of Economics – State University Higher School of Economics –

Alina Pakhomova

Photo from personal archive

Alina Pakhomova, 4th year student of the educational program “Computer Science and Engineering» MIEM HSE, studied for six months at the oldest university in Europe — the University of Bologna. She went to Italy under the academic mobility program, and upon returning to Moscow, she told about her impressions of life and study in another country, leisure, new friends and, of course, the famous Italian cuisine.

University of Bologna and the educational system

The University of Bologna is considered the oldest university in the Western world, where Dante Alighieri, Francesco Petrarca, Nicolaus Copernicus, and Umberto Eco studied. In addition, it is one of the top universities in Italy. Therefore, when I saw that Bologna was on the list of universities to which HSE had the opportunity to apply, there was no doubt: I applied only there. Besides, the programs at other universities, to be honest, were not very suitable.

When you go on mobility, you replace your courses with those at the university where you will study, regardless of the field. I am in my 4th year of bachelor’s degree, and it turned out that I studied on master’s courses, since they were the best fit for replacement. In addition, there are more master’s programs in English than bachelor’s, which means there is more choice.

The semester lasts from September to February. Exams were, as in HSE, in autumn and winter, but, unfortunately, in winter they are there both before and after the New Year. After the free winter holidays at HSE, it was difficult to sit and chat during the winter holidays in Italy…

Lectures and practical classes

Studying at the University of Bologna is very different from how we study at the HSE. Classes last three hours, sometimes two. Frankly, you lose focus after the usual hour and a half. In Italy, it is important to sit down after a class and reread the lectures, delve into the material and take notes, otherwise you simply won’t remember anything. At the HSE, seminars are very helpful in consolidating the material, which the University of Bologna doesn’t have.

There are laboratory works, but, unlike HSE, where you most often do the work at home, and in the practical class you only ask questions or already defend the work, in Bologna they are done by students right in the practical classes and only finished at home, which happens rarely, only if you did not have time.

Probably my favorite course is Artificial Intelligence in Industry, because it was a course where you delve into how everything works in real life, and lectures were often given by invited lecturers from foreign companies. By the way, in Bologna, another common practice in IT areas is a project as an exam. That is, you just pass one big project, and the grade for it is your final grade for the course.

Where to live in Bologna

Housing is hard here. The university does not provide dormitories: they are there, but it is almost impossible to get them. If you do not have 1000 euros for a room in a student co-living, where exchange students from other European countries (Erasmus students) usually live, then welcome to the “Hunger Games”. Here you will not choose an apartment, but the landlord (landlord) will choose the one he likes best from the mass of students who want to rent housing.

Then you need to look for either a double (bed in a double room) or a single (bed in a single room). The prices are 350 and 500 euros respectively. Another option is to join someone and rent the entire apartment.

Tip 1: try to look for housing through acquaintances or students who were on mobility before you, and do it in advance. Also look through chats, as students often post the housing they lived in and find a replacement.

Tip 2: Don’t be upset if you can’t find anything in advance. You can rent temporary accommodation and then continue searching in Bologna itself once you’ve arrived there.

What did you like most about Italy?

Here it is easy to arrange a mini-vacation and travel to another city or country. For example, I flew for the weekend to France, Denmark and other European countries, because the tickets cost 15-20 euros (1500-2000 rubles) one way. And the journey takes very little time.

Speaking about Italy itself, it really helped me slow down. In Moscow, you are constantly in some kind of hustle and bustle, constantly going somewhere on the metro, wasting a lot of time on it. In Bologna, on foot, 20 minutes — and you are already there. Here, it is much easier to meet for a short walk or a get-together in a cafe, invite someone for a coffee before work or for an Aperol after classes.

How the vision of the future profession has changed

Before Italy, I thought I had decided on the direction I wanted to develop in. My study and work experience combines several areas: IT, marketing, and events. All this makes me an excellent devrel. But after studying abroad, I realized that I don’t want to stop there. I plan to continue my education in a master’s degree. Now I am most interested in product management in the field of high technologies.

Communication and extracurricular student life

People and networking were one of the main goals of my trip. There were 7 of us from HSE who went on mobility, and we didn’t know each other before Italy. But the circumstance of finding ourselves alone in another country and trying to figure out a lot of new rules and bureaucratic requirements really brought us together. In Moscow, we would most likely never have crossed paths, and even if we had, we would hardly have become friends: we are all very different. But in another country, everything is different, the very circumstances of life brought us closer. And communication with completely different people, unlike your usual environment in Moscow, changes you a lot.

In Europe, there is an organization called ESN (Erasmus Student Network). Their branches are usually in every student city. Either students or graduates work there. They organize various meetings and events for dating, trips and travel with big discounts. They also have partners, and you can get discounts in establishments or companies with an ESN member card (it costs 10 euros). For example, one of the partners is a low-cost airline that provides 10% discounts and free luggage space with an ESN card.

I wouldn’t say that there is some kind of super-organization of all events, but there are simply a lot of them. The events are mainly aimed at introducing people, uniting them by interests and providing an opportunity to have a good time together. For example, one of the events is The Babel Nights: people gather in different audiences and communicate in a certain language. English, Italian, Spanish, French, German – you can choose whichever is closer to you and go to the right audience. You can also go to the theater together (cheaper with ESN) and to exhibitions. In general, everyone will find something to their liking.

There are other student clubs. For example, some guys just organized a hiking chat and every Saturday they go somewhere on a short day hike. When I left, they decided to expand and create sub-chats for basketball and volleyball fans.

It’s easy to meet anyone here, but the common problem is that communication is very superficial. To be honest, sometimes you get tired of the huge amount of small talk.

Local cuisine and favourite dishes

Food in Italy is a separate topic. What is interesting here is not so much what food is the most delicious, but how Italians treat their food and the order of eating. Take a cappuccino after 12, order a pizza for two, drink autumn special coffee from Starbucks with pumpkin syrup – get ready for deportation, as we often joked when doing something like this. Italians are very sensitive to their gastronomic culture and really don’t like it when someone doesn’t follow the rules.

My favorite dishes are: croissant with pistachio, cappuccino and lasagne. I won’t mention pizza and pasta because I feel sick from eating so much of them. I don’t understand how Italians can eat pasta every day. Once we asked a friend: “Are there days when you don’t eat pasta for lunch?” His answer perfectly describes the Italian culture: “Of course, but then I’ll definitely have it for dinner.”

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 –

March 27, 2025
MIL-OSI Europe: AFRICA/IVORY COAST – Bishops invite “to work together to ensure that the vote on October 31 takes place peacefully”

Source: Agenzia Fides – MIL OSI

Abidjan (Agenzia Fides) – “Fair, transparent, inclusive, and peaceful elections.” This is the wish of the bishops of Ivory Coast for the presidential elections on October 31.” Ivory Coast is at a crucial turning point in its history. We therefore call for strengthening its ethical foundations and democratic legitimacy by deciding to politically include all candidates for a fair, transparent, and peaceful presidential election,” said Marcellin Yao Kouadio, President of the Bishops’ Conference of Ivory Coast and Bishop of Daloa, at a press conference on March 24.The bishops called on the authorities in Abidjan to ensure a peaceful climate and an electoral process without the exclusion of any candidate. This was a clear reference to the exclusion of Laurent Gbagbo, Charles Blé Goudé, and Guillaume Soro from the recently published electoral list. Giving all candidates a chance to be elected is all the more necessary and “urgent given that national reconciliation represents a real challenge.” “Despite the government’s considerable efforts, some projects initiated for this purpose have remained like unfinished symphonies,” noted Bishop Marcellin Yao Kouadio. The bishops appealed to the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) to guarantee the transparency of the electoral process from beginning to end and to work for a climate of trust between political parties and citizens that ensures dialogue and fairness.Addressing the political parties, the President of the Bishops’ Conference called on them to work for national unity and put the common interest first. The media and social networks should disseminate “verified and balanced” information and refrain from any form of incitement to hatred and division. The same appeal was addressed to young people and the defense and security forces, so that they do not allow themselves to be manipulated by political actors and demonstrate professionalism and neutrality in safeguarding the electoral process. (L.M.) (Agenzia Fides, 26/3/2025)
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MIL OSI Europe News –

March 27, 2025
MIL-OSI Europe: AFRICA/NIGERIA – Bishop Kukah: “The democratization of development leads to the development of democracy”

Source: Agenzia Fides – MIL OSI

Abuja (Agenzia Fides) – “Democracy is a progressive development. Democracy gives one the opportunity to prove one’s failures and gives one a greater chance to correct past mistakes,” said Matthew Hassan Kukah, Bishop of Sokoto in his speech at the conference to celebrate the 60th birthday of Emeka Ihedioha, former governor of Imo State, held in Abuja on March 24.”The American constitution was first written in mind to protect the white property,” Bishop Kukah explained, but over time, amendments were made that extended civil rights to the entire population.Bishop Kukah further emphasized that Africans have inherited a system “that is not ours, but we can’t say it’s not relevant to us.”In this context, the Bishop of Sokoto asked whether there are “differences between democracy in Asia and that of Africa.” The answer, he argued, lies in how well the democratic system succeeds in meeting the development needs of the population. “The democratization of development leads to the development of democracy,” Bishop Kukah emphasized. “That is if you decide to equitably democratize development, and not take every institution, university, medical school whatever to your village and if all the roads are done”. A practice often used by African leaders who favor their home regions at the expense of others. The Bishop emphasized that “if we do not have a mechanism by which we are measuring our growth, our chase for a democratic society becomes an empty chase.”Former President Olusegun Obasanjo, on the other hand, emphasized in his speech that “democracy in Africa has failed because it is not African.” According to the former President, the democratic model imported from the West is in crisis because it is inconsistent with African values, culture, and ways of life. In this context, Obasanjo emphasized the need for an Africa-centric democratic system that truly benefits the people and not just a privileged elite: “Democracy is meant to be a system of government that delivers to all the people, not just a select few. But what do we have today? A government by a small number of people, for a small number of people, while the majority are deprived of their needs.” (L.M.) (Agenzia Fides, 26/3/2025)
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MIL OSI Europe News –

March 27, 2025
MIL-OSI Europe: ASIA/JAPAN – Archbishop Nappa visits Nagasaki and Tokyo: safeguarding the memory of the Japanese martyrs

Source: Agenzia Fides – MIL OSI

Tokyo (Agenzia Fides) – On Monday, Archbishop Emilio Nappa, Secretary of the Governorate of the Vatican City and former President of the Pontifical Mission Societies, began his visit to Nagasaki, Japan, at Nishizaka Hill, where Saint Paul Miki and his 25 companions were crucified in 1597 while guarding their village. It was a busy program, alternating visits to some important sites in the history of the Japanese Church with equally significant encounters. “In Nagasaki,” said Father Marco Sungsu Kim, a collaborator of the the Dicastery for Evangelization (section for the First Evangelization and the New Particular Churches), who accompanied Archbishop Emilio Nappa, “the delegation visited the new Cathedral, which houses some remains from the time of the atomic bombings, including the head of a statue of the Virgin Mary, and the Church of Oura, a so-called ‘Minor Basilica’ and co-cathedral of the Archdiocese of Nagasaki, where Christians who preserved their faith until the 19th century were rediscovered.”Archbishop Nappa’s visit continued the following day in Tokyo with a visit to the Shinseikaikan Center, founded in 1934 by Father Iwashita as a student dormitory named after Saint Philip. It celebrated its 90th anniversary last year and is currently headed by the Auxiliary Bishop of Tokyo, Andrea Lembo.Archbishop Nappa recalled how since its origins, this center offered not only food and shelter, but also an education based on the values of Catholicism, at a time marked by rampant militarism. “Given the current dominance of nationalism and the many global conflicts, the need for people educated according to these values is becoming ever greater,” Archbishop Nappa said. “It is important to share material goods with the poor, because in this way we can give each other the necessities of life and preserve our fundamental dignity as human beings created in the image of God. However, we must not forget to share the richness of faith with the spiritually poor. I firmly believe that special attention must continue to be paid to this aspect of the commitment to Shinseikaikan.”Yesterday afternoon, at a meeting with catechists of the Archdiocese of Tokyo, Archbishop Nappa recalled that the Catholic Church in Japan, although a minority in the country, nevertheless has an extraordinary history and a centuries-old tradition of martyrdom, distinguished above all by keeping the faith alive during the long years of persecution. In this context, Archbishop Nappa referred to the numerous armed conflicts, particularly in Myanmar, and emphasized the special attention paid by the Archdiocese of Tokyo and the Japanese Church to these peoples. “As former President of the Pontifical Mission Societies, I would like to make a special request to you: Do not forget to teach the Church’s social teaching, both through the catechesis you live in your lives and in the catechesis you address in the classrooms to catechumens and the faithful. Your witness helps us walk the path of forgiveness, reconciliation, and peace. It is an important message of great persuasive power,” the Archbishop concluded. Archbishop Nappa noted the support the Pontifical Mission Societies provide to about 1,200 mission dioceses in Asia, Africa, and Oceania, including Japan, and invited participants to take advantage of the presence of Father Joseph Naoki Momma, National Director of the Pontifical Mission Societies in Japan, to learn more about opportunities to support the work of missionary priests and local priests in mission territories. From Japan, the former President of the Pontifical Mission Societies will travel to South Korea, where he will participate in the celebrations marking the 60th anniversary of the Pontifical Mission Societies in the Asian country. (EG) (Agenzia Fides, 26/3/2025)
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MIL OSI Europe News –

March 27, 2025
MIL-OSI Europe: ASIA/CHINA – Four new priests ordained in Ningbo on the Feast of the Annunciation

Source: Agenzia Fides – MIL OSI

Wednesday, 26 March 2025

Ningbo (Agenzia Fides) – The Diocese of Ningbo, in the Chinese province of Zhejiang, celebrated the ordination of four new priests on March 25, the Feast of the Annunciation of the Lord. The diocesan priests, according to the diocesan website, then concelebrated the liturgy with Bishop Francis Xavier Jin Yangke, Ordinary Bishop of the diocese, in the Cathedral dedicated to the Assumption of Mary.The ecclesial communities of the four deaneries, together with friends and family, accompanied the vocational journey of the new priests. Three of them graduated from the Major Seminary of Hebei and one from that of Shenyang, completing their missionary and pastoral formation in various parishes in the diocese.The ecclesial community of the Diocese of Ningbo is experiencing a flourishing of vocations, with several priestly ordinations and religious professions recorded each year.The Sisters of the Congregation of the Daughters of Purgatory, composed of about fifty nuns, also receive numerous vocations annually. The diocese is divided into four deaneries, with 12 parishes and 106 churches and chapels. Historically, the ecclesial community of Ningbo is linked to the missionary work of the Lazarist Fathers and, earlier, between the 17th and 18th centuries, to the mission of Jesuits such as Martino Martini, Lodovico Buglio, Joao Monteiro, Rodrigue de Figueredo, Antoine de Gouvea, and Jean Alexis de Gollet. The Apostolic Vicariate of Ningbo was established in 1924 and entrusted to Paul Marie Reynaud CM, and elevated to a diocese in 1926, the year in which the first six Chinese bishops were ordained.Since the resumption of ecclesiastical activities in 1979, the diocese has prioritized the reopening of churches, the formation of priests and religious, and the application of the spirit of the Second Vatican Council. Located in a region of significant economic development, the Diocese of Ningbo stands out for its pastoral, cultural, and social activities. On May 24, 2024, the diocese hosted a conference commemorating the centenary of the Primum Concilium Sinense, the first council of the Church in China, held in Shanghai in 1924. (NZ) (Agenzia Fides, 26/3/2025)

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MIL OSI Europe News –

March 27, 2025

Category: Europe

We must have enduring peace in Ukraine, which ensures Ukraine’s future security and upholds the UN Charter: UK statement at the UN Security Council

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March 26, 2025

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March 26, 2025

University of Bologna and the educational system

Lectures and practical classes

Where to live in Bologna

What did you like most about Italy?

How the vision of the future profession has changed

Communication and extracurricular student life

Local cuisine and favourite dishes