NewzIntel.com

Category: Europe

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Northumbrian manufacturer wins data-centre work with UKEF backing

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    Salem Tube is moving into the rapidly-growing sector thanks in part to support from the government’s export credit agency.

    • Based in Prudhoe, County Durham, Salem Tube has traded for over 30 years and makes industrial tubing.

    • It has traditionally served the energy sector but is taking on more and more orders from developers of data-centres.

    • Data-centres have high energy requirements and cannot function without cooling equipment provided by Salem Tube.

    A manufacturer from Northumberland is taking on new business with data-centre developers after securing the support of UK Export Finance (UKEF) and Santander UK.

    Salem Tube has traded since 1992 and supplies tubes for heat-transfer and heat-exchange – something essential to industrial cooling systems. It exports to over 40 countries a year, typically in the energy sector.

    As the market for AI and cloud data storage grows rapidly, Salem has been taking on more and more contracts in this area.

    Salem has now agreed a financing package worth £3.5 million which is provided by Santander UK and backed by the government through UKEF. This gives the business the capital which it needs to take on larger data-centre contracts and establish itself as a supplier to this emerging sector.

    UKEF offers its General Export Facility (GEF) scheme through all the major UK banks and a range of non-bank lenders. This allows exporters to access working capital facilities up to around £25 million.

    Pat Kendell, Senior Export Finance Manager (North East England), UKEF:

    Salem Tube is a perfect example of how businesses in the north are adapting and thriving in emerging sectors. This deal shows how government backing can help established manufacturers to seize new opportunities in the industries of the future. By supporting Salem Tube’s move into the data-centre market, UKEF is helping to safeguard jobs and boost exports in the North-East.

    Mark Ling, Head of Trade & Supplier Finance, Santander UK:

    We are delighted to provide further support for Salem Tube’s growth. Our partnership and collaboration with both Salem Tube and UKEF demonstrates our commitment to the international growth of businesses in the UK.

    This also helps Salem to complete its rebound from COVID-19 and grow larger than ever. It secured a range of overseas contracts in the USA and Middle East last year and is now considering taking on more employees.

    This is the latest phase of Salem’s partnership with UKEF, which has supported the business for over 5 years and previously helped it win new contracts in Africa.

    Contact

    Media enquiries:

    Updates to this page

    Published 10 February 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Vacancy for IT Manager at MAIB, Southampton

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    We have an exciting opportunity to join the technical department at MAIB.

    Your responsibilities will include but not be limited to:

    • Service owner and system administrator of the branch’s local network, MADNet and its associated peripherals:

      • Network administrator
      • Network architect
      • Cybersecurity lead
      • First-line IT support
      • System administrator for Microsoft applications and licensing
      • Branch case management system
      • Building and issuing of staff laptops using Microsoft Intune
      • Set-up and problem-solving
      • Managing IT contractors
    • IT procurement lead
    • DfT IT Focal Point

    Applicants will have a robust technical background and strong leadership abilities, along with a deep understanding of network architecture and cybersecurity. Proven experience in managing and optimizing a range of IT systems and infrastructure is also desirable.

    This critical role requires candidates with a proven relevant technical background, combined with excellent communication, leadership, and people skills. You will have extensive experience of:

    • Windows-based PCs and server operating systems
    • Group Policy, Active Directory
    • Antivirus configuration and management
    • Firewall configuration and management
    • Managing network infrastructure, including UPS, switches and router configuration
    • VPN configuration and management
    • Cyber Security
    • Microsoft applications including Intune, O365 including Admin Centre, Teams, SharePoint, Power BI, Dynamics and Azure

    Applicants must have A level/BTEC National Level 3 equivalent or higher qualification, in an information technology subject, or certification from reputable IT companies such as Microsoft, Cisco, Dell, HP, Juniper, etc.

    For further information about the post and how to apply, go to Civil Service Jobs: IT Manager, Ref: 389736

    Closing date: Thursday 27th February 2025.

    Updates to this page

    Published 10 February 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: Joint OECD-UNECE Seminar on SEEA Implementation

    Source: United Nations Economic Commission for Europe

    18-20 March 2025

    18 March (9:30) – 20 March (17:30) 2025

    Geneva Switzerland

    Concept Note

    pdf

    Provisional programme

    pdf

    WORLD CAFÉ: COMMUNICATION STRATEGIES, ADVANCED TECHNIQUES FOR SEEA AND NETWORKING WITH OTHER EXPERT COMMUNITIES

    SESSION 1: OPENING AND SETTING THE SCENE

    SESSION 2: THE SNA UPDATE AND THE SEEA CENTRAL FRAMEWORK UPDATE

    2a THE SNA UPDATE

    2b THE SEEA-CF UPDATE

    SESSION 3: BUILDING ROBUST SEEA ACCOUNTS FOR INFORMING CLIMATE CHANGE POLICIES AND DISASTER-RISK REDUCTION

    3a INTRODUCTION, INFORMATION NEEDS, EXISTING MEASUREMENT FRAMEWORKS AND THEIR LINKS WITH SEEA

    3b CHALLENGES IN IMPLEMENTING RELEVANT SEEA ACCOUNTS AND EXAMPLES OF USE

    3c EXPLORING THE POTENTIAL AND PRACTICALITIES OF INTEGRATING SEEA INTO THE GLOBAL DISASTER-RELATED STATISTICS FRAMEWORK

    SESSION 4: BUILDING ROBUST SEEA ACCOUNTS FOR INFORMING BIODIVERSITY POLICY

    4a INTRODUCTION AND POLICY CONTEXT

    4b PRACTICAL EXAMPLES OF PRODUCTION AND USE OF SEEA FOR INFORMING BIODIVERSITY POLICY

    4c PANEL DISCUSSION AND WRAP-UP

    SESSION 5: MAIN CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

  • MIL-OSI: Tower Semiconductor Reports 2024 Fourth Quarter and Full Year Financial Results

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    MIGDAL HAEMEK, Israel, Feb. 10, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Tower Semiconductor (NASDAQ: TSEM & TASE: TSEM) reports today its results for the fourth quarter of 2024 and for the year ended December 31, 2024.

    Fourth Quarter of 2024 Results Overview
    Revenues for the fourth quarter of 2024 were $387 million as compared to $371 million for the third quarter of 2024 and $352 million for the fourth quarter of 2023, representing 5% quarter over quarter growth and 10% year over year growth. The Company met its expressed target of sequential quarter over quarter revenue growth within 2024, resulting in 18% growth fourth quarter over first quarter.

    Gross profit for the fourth quarter of 2024 was $87 million, compared to $84 million for the fourth quarter of 2023. During the fourth quarter of 2024, the Company took on for the first time its portion of incremental costs of the greenfield Agrate facility.

    Operating profit for the fourth quarter of 2024 was $46 million as compared to $45 million for the fourth quarter of 2023.

    Net profit for the fourth quarter of 2024 was $55 million, reflecting $0.49 basic and diluted earnings per share. Net profit for the fourth quarter of 2023 was $54 million, or $0.49 basic and $0.48 diluted earnings per share.

    Cash flow generated from operating activities in the fourth quarter of 2024 was $101 million and investments in property and equipment, net were $93 million.

    Full year 2024 Results Overview
    Revenues for the full year of 2024 were $1.44 billion, gross profit was $339 million, operating profit was $191 million. Net profit for the full year of 2024 was $208 million, or $1.87 basic and $1.85 diluted earnings per share. For the full year of 2023, revenues were $1.42 billion, gross profit was $354 million, operating profit was $547 million and included $314 million, net, from the Intel merger contract termination and $33 million of restructuring income, net, from the previously disclosed reorganization and restructure of our Japan operations during 2022. Net profit for the full year of 2023 was $518 million, or $4.70 basic and $4.66 diluted earnings per share and included $290 million, net, due to the merger contract termination payment by Intel and $11 million restructuring income, net.

    Cash flow generated from operating activities for the year ended December 31, 2024, was $449 million. Investments in property and equipment, net for the year ended December 31, 2024, were $432 million and debt payments, net totaled $32 million.

    6” Fab Consolidation Update
    During the fourth quarter of 2024, the lower margin legacy of 150mm flows were discontinued in Fab1, with last Fab outs occurring in January 2025. The forward-looking strategic flows have been transferred into the Fab2 200mm factory. This strategic integration enables the Company to streamline its production processes, enhancing overall efficiency.

    Business Outlook
    Tower Semiconductor guides revenues for the first quarter of 2025 to be $358 million, with an upward or downward range of 5%. First quarter mid-range guidance reflects about 10% year-over-year growth.

    Russell Ellwanger, Chief Executive Officer of Tower Semiconductor, stated:
    “With the close of 2024, we are pleased with our progress, in having brought to market highly differentiated end application advancing platforms, hence strengthening our position for sustainable growth. Our 2025 revenue target is year-over-year growth, with sequential quarter-over-quarter revenue growth, and an acceleration in the second half of the year. This momentum is fueled by increasing production shipments as our previously announced capacity investments progress through the final stages of customer qualifications.”

    Ellwanger further added: “Our commitment to customer partnered innovation and streamlined execution continues to drive our ability to meet the growing and evolving needs of our customers in a quickly changing business environment, whilst expanding our available market size and share. We look forward to the year ahead with confidence and enthusiasm.”

    Teleconference and Webcast
    Tower Semiconductor will host an investor conference call today, Monday, February 10, 2025, at 10:00 a.m. Eastern time (9:00 a.m. Central time, 8:00 a.m. Mountain time, 7:00 a.m. Pacific time and 5:00 p.m. Israel time) to discuss the Company’s financial results for the fourth quarter and full year of 2024 and its business outlook.

    The call will be webcast and available through the Investor Relations section of Tower Semiconductor’s website at ir.towersemi.com. The pre-registration form required for dial-in participation is accessible here. Upon completing the registration, participants will receive the dial-in details, a unique PIN, and a confirmation email with all necessary information. To access the webcast, click here. The teleconference will be available for replay for 90 days.

    Non-GAAP Financial Measures
    The Company presents its financial statements in accordance with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles (“GAAP”). The financial information included in the tables below includes unaudited condensed financial data. Some of the financial information, which may be used and/or presented in this release and/or prior earnings related filings and/or in related public disclosures or filings with respect to the financial statements and/or results of the Company, which we may describe as adjusted financial measures and/or reconciled financial measures, are non-GAAP financial measures as defined in Regulation G and related reporting requirements promulgated by the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) as they apply to our Company. These adjusted financial measures are calculated excluding the following: (i) amortization of acquired intangible assets as included in our costs and expenses, (ii) compensation expenses in respect of equity grants to directors, officers, and employees as included in our costs and expenses, (iii) merger contract termination fees received from Intel, net of associated cost and taxes following the previously announced Intel contract termination as included in net profit in 2023 and (iv) restructuring income, net, which includes income, net of cost and taxes associated with the reorganization and restructure of our operations in Japan including the cessation of operations of the Arai facility, which occurred during 2022, as included in net profit. These adjusted financial measures should be evaluated in conjunction with, and are not a substitute for, GAAP financial measures. The tables also present the GAAP financial measures, which are most comparable to the adjusted financial measures used and/or presented in this release, as well as a reconciliation between the adjusted financial measures and the comparable GAAP financial measures. As used and/or presented in this release and/or prior earnings related filings and/or in related public disclosures or filings with respect to the financial statements and/or results of the Company, as well as may be included and calculated in the tables herein, the term Earnings Before Interest Taxes, Depreciation and Amortization which we define as EBITDA consists of operating profit in accordance with GAAP, excluding (i) depreciation expenses, which include depreciation recorded in cost of revenues and in operating cost and expenses lines (e.g., research and development related equipment and/or fixed other assets depreciation), (ii) stock-based compensation expense, (iii) amortization of acquired intangible assets, (iv) merger contract termination fees received from Intel, net of associated cost following the previously announced Intel contract termination, as included in operating profit and (v) restructuring income, net in relation to the reorganization and restructure of our operations in Japan including the cessation of operations of the Arai facility, as included in operating profit. EBITDA is reconciled in the tables below and/or prior earnings-related filings and/or in related public disclosures or filings with respect to the financial statements and/or results of the Company from GAAP operating profit. EBITDA and the adjusted financial information presented herein and/or prior earnings-related filings and/or in related public disclosures or filings with respect to the financial statements and/or results of the Company, are not a required GAAP financial measure and may not be comparable to a similarly titled measure employed by other companies. EBITDA and the adjusted financial information presented herein and/or prior earnings-related filings and/or in related public disclosures or filings with respect to the financial statements and/or results of the Company, should not be considered in isolation or as a substitute for operating profit, net profit or loss, cash flows provided by operating, investing and financing activities, per share data or other profit or cash flow statement data prepared in accordance with GAAP. The term Net Cash, as may be used and/or presented in this release and/or prior earnings-related filings and/or in related public disclosures or filings with respect to the financial statements and/or results of the Company, is comprised of cash, cash equivalents, short-term deposits, and marketable securities less debt amounts as presented in the balance sheets included herein. The term Net Cash is not a required GAAP financial measure, may not be comparable to a similarly titled measure employed by other companies and should not be considered in isolation or as a substitute for cash, debt, operating profit, net profit or loss, cash flows provided by operating, investing and financing activities, per share data or other profit or cash flow statement data prepared in accordance with GAAP. The term Free Cash Flow, as used and/or presented in this release and/or prior earnings related filings and/or in related public disclosures or filings with respect to the financial statements and/or results of the Company, is calculated to be net cash provided by operating activities (in the amounts of $101 million, $125 million and $126 million for the three months periods ended December 31, 2024, September 30, 2024 and December 31, 2023, respectively and in the amounts of $449 million and $677 million for the years ended December 31, 2024 and December 31, 2023, respectively (less cash used for investments in property and equipment, net (in the amounts of $93 million, $128 million and $136 million for the three months periods ended December 31, 2024, September 30, 2024 and December 31, 2023, respectively and in the amounts of $432 million and $432 million for the years ended December 31, 2024 and December 31, 2023, respectively). The term Free Cash Flow is not a required GAAP financial measure, may not be comparable to a similarly titled measure employed by other companies and should not be considered in isolation or as a substitute for operating profit, net profit or loss, cash flows provided by operating, investing, and financing activities, per share data or other profit or cash flow statement data prepared in accordance with GAAP.

    About Tower Semiconductor
    Tower Semiconductor Ltd. (NASDAQ/TASE: TSEM), the leading foundry of high-value analog semiconductor solutions, provides technology, development, and process platforms for its customers in growing markets such as consumer, industrial, automotive, mobile, infrastructure, medical and aerospace and defense. Tower Semiconductor focuses on creating a positive and sustainable impact on the world through long-term partnerships and its advanced and innovative analog technology offering, comprised of a broad range of customizable process platforms such as SiGe, BiCMOS, mixed-signal/CMOS, RF CMOS, CMOS image sensor, non-imaging sensors, displays, integrated power management (BCD and 700V), photonics, and MEMS. Tower Semiconductor also provides world-class design enablement for a quick and accurate design cycle as well as process transfer services including development, transfer, and optimization, to IDMs and fabless companies. To provide multi-fab sourcing and extended capacity for its customers, Tower Semiconductor owns one operating facility in Israel (200mm), two in the U.S. (200mm), two in Japan (200mm and 300mm) which it owns through its 51% holdings in TPSCo, shares a 300mm facility in Agrate, Italy with STMicroelectronics as well as has access to a 300mm capacity corridor in Intel’s New Mexico factory. For more information, please visit: www.towersemi.com.

    CONTACT:
    Liat Avraham | Investor Relations | +972-4-6506154 | liatavra@towersemi.com

    Forward-Looking Statements
    This release, as well as other statements and reports filed, stated and published in relation to this quarter’s results, includes certain “forward-looking” statements within the meaning of Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. These forward-looking statements include, among others, projections and statements with respect to our future business, financial performance and activities. The use of words such as “projects”, “expects”, “may”, “targets”, “plans”, “intends”, “committed to”, “tracking”, or words of similar import, identifies a statement as “forward-looking.” Actual results may vary from those projected or implied by such forward-looking statements and you should not place any undue reliance on such forward-looking statements, which describe information known to us only as of the date of this release. Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those projected or implied by such forward-looking statements include, without limitation, risks and uncertainties associated with: (i) demand in our customers’ end markets, (ii) reliance on acquisitions and/or gaining additional capacity for growth, (iii) difficulties in achieving acceptable operational metrics and indices in the future as a result of operational, technological or process-related problems, (iv) identifying and negotiating with third-party buyers for the sale of any excess and/or unused equipment, inventory and/or other assets, (v) maintaining current key customers and attracting new key customers, (vi) over demand for our foundry services resulting in high utilization and its effect on cycle time, yield and on schedule delivery, as well as customers potentially being placed on allocation, which may cause customers to transfer their business to other vendors, (vii) financial results that may fluctuate from quarter to quarter, making it difficult to forecast future performance, (viii) our debt and other liabilities that may impact our financial position and operations, (ix) our ability to successfully execute acquisitions, integrate them into our business, utilize our expanded capacity and find new business, (x) fluctuations in cash flow, (xi) our ability to satisfy the covenants stipulated in our agreements with our debt holders, (xii) pending litigation, (xiii) meeting the conditions set in approval certificates and other regulations under which we received grants and/or royalties and/or any type of funding from the Israeli, US and/or Japan governmental agencies, (xiv) receipt of orders that are lower than the customer purchase commitments and/or failure to receive customer orders currently expected, (xv) possible incurrence of additional indebtedness, (xvi) the effects of global recession, unfavorable economic conditions and/or credit crisis, (xvii) our ability to accurately forecast financial performance, which is affected by limited order backlog and lengthy sales cycles, (xviii) possible situations of obsolete inventory if forecasted demand exceeds actual demand when we create inventory before receipt of customer orders, (xix) the cyclical nature of the semiconductor industry and the resulting periodic overcapacity, fluctuations in operating results and future average selling price erosion, (xx) financing capacity acquisition related transactions, strategic and/or other growth or M&A opportunities, including funding Agrate fab’s significant 300mm capacity investments and acquisition or funding of equipment and other fixed assets associated with the capacity corridor transaction with Intel as announced in September 2023, in addition to other capacity and capability expansion plans, and the possible unavailability of such financing and/or the availability of such financing on unfavorable terms, (xxi) operating our facilities at sufficient utilization rates necessary to generate and maintain positive and sustainable gross, operating and net profit, (xxii) the purchase of equipment and/or raw material (including purchases beyond our needs), the timely completion of the equipment installation, technology transfer and raising the funds therefor, (xxiii) product returns and defective products, (xxiv) our ability to maintain and develop our technology processes and services to keep pace with new technology, including artificial intelligence, evolving standards, changing customer and end-user requirements, new product introductions and short product life cycles, (xxv) competing effectively, (xxvi) the use of outsourced foundry services by both fabless semiconductor companies and integrated device manufacturers, (xxvii) our dependence on intellectual property rights of others, our ability to operate our business without infringing others’ intellectual property rights and our ability to enforce our intellectual property against infringement, (xxviii) the Fab 3 landlord’s alleged claims that the noise abatement efforts made thus far are not adequate under the terms of the amended lease that caused him to request a judicial declaration that there was a material non-curable breach of the lease and that he would be entitled to terminate the lease, as well the ability to extend such lease or acquire the real estate and obtain the required local state and/or approvals required to be able to continue operations beyond the current lease term, (xxix) retention of key employees and recruitment and retention of skilled qualified personnel, (xxx) exposure to inflation, currency rates (mainly the Israeli Shekel, the Japanese Yen and the Euro) and interest rate fluctuations and risks associated with doing business locally and internationally, as well as fluctuations in the market price of our traded securities, (xxxi) meeting regulatory requirements worldwide, including export, environmental and governmental regulations, as well as risks related to international operations, (xxxii) potential engagement for fab establishment, joint venture and/or capital lease transactions for capacity enhancement in advanced technologies, including risks and uncertainties associated with the Agrate fab and the capacity corridor transaction with Intel as announced in September 2023, such as their qualification schedule, technology, equipment and process qualification, facility operational ramp-up, customer engagements, cost structure, required investments and other terms, which may require additional funding to cover their significant capacity investment needs and other payments, the availability of which funding cannot be assured on favorable terms, if at all, (xxxiii) potential liabilities, cost and other impacts that may be incurred or occur due to reorganization and consolidation of fabrication facilities, including the impact of cessation of operations of our facilities, including with regard to our 6 inch facility, (xxxiv) potential security, cyber and privacy breaches, (xxxv) workforce that is not unionized which may become unionized, and/or workforce that is unionized and may take action such as strikes that may create increased cost and operational risks, (xxxvi) the issuance of ordinary shares as a result of exercise and/or vesting of any of our employee equity, as well as any sale of shares by any of our shareholders, or any market expectation thereof, as well as the issuance of additional employee stock options and/or restricted stock units, or any market expectation thereof, which may depress the market value of the Company and the price of the Company’s ordinary shares and in addition may impair our ability to raise future capital, and (xxxvii) climate change, business interruptions due to floods, fires, pandemics, earthquakes and other natural disasters, the security situation in Israel, global trade “war” and the current war in Israel, including the potential inability to continue uninterrupted operations of the Israeli fab, impact on global supply chain to and from the Israeli fab, power interruptions, chemicals or other leaks or damages as a result of the war, absence of workforce due to military service as well as risk that certain countries will restrict doing business with Israeli companies, including imposing restrictions if hostilities in Israel or political instability in the region continue or exacerbate, and other events beyond our control. With respect to the current war in Israel, if instability in neighboring states occurs, Israel could be subject to additional political, economic, and military confines, and our Israeli facility’s operations could be materially adversely affected. Any current or future hostilities involving Israel or the interruption or curtailment of trade between Israel and its present trading partners, or a significant downturn in the economic or financial condition of Israel, could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.

    A more complete discussion of risks and uncertainties that may affect the accuracy of forward-looking statements included in this release or which may otherwise affect our business is included under the heading “Risk Factors” in the Company’s most recent filings on Forms 20-F and 6-K, as were filed with the SEC and the Israel Securities Authority. Future results may differ materially from those previously reported. The Company does not intend to update, and expressly disclaims any obligation to update, the information contained in this release.

    TOWER SEMICONDUCTOR LTD. AND SUBSIDIARIES  
    CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS (UNAUDITED)  
    (dollars in thousands)  
      December 31,   December 31,  
      2024   2023  
    ASSETS        
    CURRENT ASSETS        
    Cash and cash equivalents $ 271,894   $ 260,664  
    Short-term deposits 946,351   790,823  
    Marketable securities —   184,960  
    Trade accounts receivable 211,932   154,067  
    Inventories 268,295   282,688  
    Other current assets 61,817   35,956  
    Total current assets 1,760,289   1,709,158  
    PROPERTY AND EQUIPMENT, NET 1,286,622   1,155,929  
    GOODWILL AND OTHER INTANGIBLE ASSETS, NET 10,196   12,115  
    OTHER LONG-TERM ASSETS 23,378   41,315  
    TOTAL ASSETS $ 3,080,485   $ 2,918,517  
    LIABILITIES AND SHAREHOLDERS’ EQUITY        
    CURRENT LIABILITIES        
    Short-term debt $ 48,376   $ 58,952  
    Trade accounts payable 130,624   139,128  
    Deferred revenue and customers’ advances 21,655   18,418  
    Other current liabilities 84,409   60,340  
    Total current liabilities 285,064   276,838  
    LONG-TERM DEBT 132,437   172,611  
    LONG-TERM CUSTOMERS’ ADVANCES 7,690   25,710  
    OTHER LONG-TERM LIABILITIES 15,114   16,319  
    TOTAL LIABILITIES 440,305   491,478  
    TOTAL SHAREHOLDERS’ EQUITY 2,640,180   2,427,039  
    TOTAL LIABILITIES AND SHAREHOLDERS’ EQUITY $ 3,080,485   $ 2,918,517  
             
    TOWER SEMICONDUCTOR LTD. AND SUBSIDIARIES  
    CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS (UNAUDITED)  
    (dollars and share count in thousands, except per share data)  
      Three months ended  
      December 31,   September 30,   December 31,  
      2024   2024   2023  
    REVENUES $ 387,191   $ 370,512   $ 351,711  
    COST OF REVENUES 300,338   277,451   267,294  
    GROSS PROFIT 86,853   93,061   84,417  
    OPERATING COSTS AND EXPENSES:            
    Research and development 20,622   19,867   20,849  
    Marketing, general and administrative 19,812   17,432   18,401  
      40,434   37,299   39,250  
                 
    OPERATING PROFIT 46,419   55,762   45,167  
    FINANCING AND OTHER INCOME, NET 8,315   6,104   16,682  
    PROFIT BEFORE INCOME TAX 54,734   61,866   61,849  
    INCOME TAX EXPENSE, NET (2,149)   (7,026)   (10,130)  
    NET PROFIT 52,585   54,840   51,719  
    Net loss (profit) attributable to non-controlling interest 2,553   (193)   2,128  
    NET PROFIT ATTRIBUTABLE TO THE COMPANY $ 55,138   $ 54,647   $ 53,847  
    BASIC EARNINGS PER SHARE $ 0.49   $ 0.49   $ 0.49  
    Weighted average number of shares 111,493   111,237   110,796  
    DILUTED EARNINGS PER SHARE $ 0.49   $ 0.49   $ 0.48  
    Weighted average number of shares 112,967   112,474   111,308  
    RECONCILIATION FROM GAAP NET PROFIT ATTRIBUTABLE TO THE COMPANY TO ADJUSTED NET PROFIT ATTRIBUTABLE TO THE COMPANY:
    GAAP NET PROFIT ATTRIBUTABLE TO THE COMPANY $ 55,138   $ 54,647   $ 53,847  
    Stock based compensation 10,684   8,611   6,662  
    Amortization of acquired intangible assets 574   448   442  
    ADJUSTED NET PROFIT ATTRIBUTABLE TO THE COMPANY $ 66,396   $ 63,706   $ 60,951  
    ADJUSTED EARNINGS PER SHARE:            
    Basic $ 0.60   $ 0.57   $ 0.55  
    Diluted $ 0.59   $ 0.57   $ 0.55  
                 
    TOWER SEMICONDUCTOR LTD. AND SUBSIDIARIES  
    CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS (UNAUDITED)  
    (dollars and share count in thousands, except per share data)  
      Year ended  
      December 31,  
      2024   2023  
    REVENUES $ 1,436,122   $ 1,422,680  
    COST OF REVENUES 1,096,680   1,069,161  
    GROSS PROFIT 339,442   353,519  
    OPERATING COSTS AND EXPENSES:        
    Research and development 79,434   79,808  
    Marketing, general and administrative 74,964   72,454  
    Restructuring income, net * (6,270)   (32,506)  
    Merger-contract termination fee, net ** —   (313,501)  
      148,128   (193,745)  
             
    OPERATING PROFIT 191,314   547,264  
    FINANCING AND OTHER INCOME, NET 26,113   37,578  
    PROFIT BEFORE INCOME TAX 217,427   584,842  
    INCOME TAX EXPENSE, NET (10,205)   (65,312)  
    NET PROFIT 207,222   519,530  
    Net loss (profit) attributable to non-controlling interest 642   (1,036)  
    NET PROFIT ATTRIBUTABLE TO THE COMPANY $ 207,864   $ 518,494  
    BASIC EARNINGS PER SHARE $ 1.87   $ 4.70  
    Weighted average number of shares 111,153   110,289  
    DILUTED EARNINGS PER SHARE $ 1.85   $ 4.66  
    Weighted average number of shares 112,343   111,216  
    * Restructuring income, net resulted from the previously disclosed reorganization and restructure of our Japan operations during 2022.  
    ** Merger-contract termination fee received from Intel during the third quarter of 2023, net of associated cost.  
             
    RECONCILIATION FROM GAAP NET PROFIT ATTRIBUTABLE TO THE COMPANY TO ADJUSTED NET PROFIT ATTRIBUTABLE TO THE COMPANY:
    GAAP NET PROFIT ATTRIBUTABLE TO THE COMPANY $ 207,864   $ 518,494  
    Stock based compensation 33,837   27,931  
    Amortization of acquired intangible assets 1,918   1,923  
    Restructuring income, net *** (2,634)   (11,224)  
    Merger-contract termination fee, net **** —   (289,988)  
    ADJUSTED NET PROFIT ATTRIBUTABLE TO THE COMPANY $ 240,985   $ 247,136  
    ADJUSTED EARNINGS PER SHARE:        
    Basic $ 2.17   $ 2.24  
    Diluted $ 2.15   $ 2.22  
    *** Restructuring income, net resulted from the previously disclosed reorganization and restructure of our Japan operations during 2022, net of tax.
    **** Merger-contract termination fee received from Intel during the third quarter of 2023, net of associated cost and tax.
    TOWER SEMICONDUCTOR LTD. AND SUBSIDIARIES  
    CONSOLIDATED SOURCES AND USES REPORT (UNAUDITED)  
    (dollars in thousands)  
      Three months ended  
      December 31,   September 30,   December 31,  
      2024   2024   2023  
    CASH AND CASH EQUIVALENTS – BEGINNING OF PERIOD $ 270,979   $ 265,313   $ 314,816  
    Net cash provided by operating activities 100,816   124,743   126,098  
    Investments in property and equipment, net (93,396)   (127,624)   (136,426)  
    Debt received (repaid), net 2,795   (16,402)   (8,950)  
    Effect of Japanese Yen exchange rate change over cash balance (4,972)   5,537   2,101  
    Proceeds from (investment in) deposits, marketable securities and other assets, net (4,328)   19,412   (36,975)  
    CASH AND CASH EQUIVALENTS – END OF PERIOD $ 271,894   $ 270,979   $ 260,664  
      Year ended      
      December 31,   December 31,      
      2024   2023      
    CASH AND CASH EQUIVALENTS – BEGINNING OF PERIOD $ 260,664   $ 340,759      
    Net cash provided by operating activities 448,682   676,561 *    
    Investments in property and equipment, net (431,653)   (432,184)      
    Debt repaid, net (32,455)   (32,346)      
    Proceeds from investment in subsidiary —   1,932      
    Effect of Japanese Yen exchange rate change over cash balance (4,758)   (5,395)      
    Proceeds from (investment in) deposits, marketable securities and other assets, net 31,414   (288,663)      
    CASH AND CASH EQUIVALENTS – END OF PERIOD $ 271,894   $ 260,664      
    * Merger-contract termination fee received from Intel during 2023, net of associated cost, in the amount of $313,501  
    was included within the net cash provided by operating activities for the year ended December 31, 2023.  
     TOWER SEMICONDUCTOR LTD. AND SUBSIDIARIES  
    CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS (UNAUDITED)  
    (dollars in thousands)  
      Year ended  
      December 31,   December 31,  
      2024   2023  
    CASH FLOWS – OPERATING ACTIVITIES        
    Net profit for the period $ 207,222   $ 519,530  
    Adjustments to reconcile net profit for the period        
    to net cash provided by operating activities:        
    Income and expense items not involving cash flows:        
    Depreciation and amortization * 266,279   258,021  
    Effect of exchange rate differences and fair value adjustment 133   (1,632)  
    Other expense (income), net 24,721   (7,047)  
    Changes in assets and liabilities:        
    Trade accounts receivable (60,169)   (3,160)  
    Other current assets (33,992)   (9,541)  
    Inventories 4,778   8,682  
    Trade accounts payable 35,784   (8,254)  
    Deferred revenue and customers’ advances (14,783)   (35,676)  
    Other current liabilities 22,021   (70,163)  
    Other long-term liabilities (3,312)   25,801  
    Net cash provided by operating activities 448,682   676,561 **
    CASH FLOWS – INVESTING ACTIVITIES        
    Investments in property and equipment, net (431,653)   (432,184)  
    Proceeds from (investments in) deposits, marketable securities and other assets, net 31,414   (288,663)  
    Net cash used in investing activities (400,239)   (720,847)  
    CASH FLOWS – FINANCING ACTIVITIES        
    Debt repaid, net (32,455)   (32,346)  
    Proceeds from investment in subsidiary —   1,932  
    Net cash used in financing activities (32,455)   (30,414)  
    EFFECT OF FOREIGN CURRENCY EXCHANGE RATE CHANGE (4,758)   (5,395)  
             
    INCREASE (DECREASE) IN CASH AND CASH EQUIVALENTS 11,230   (80,095)  
    CASH AND CASH EQUIVALENTS – BEGINNING OF PERIOD 260,664   340,759  
    CASH AND CASH EQUIVALENTS – END OF PERIOD $ 271,894   $ 260,664  
    * Includes amortization of acquired intangible assets and stock based compensation in the amounts of $35,755  
    and $29,854 for the years ended December 31, 2024, and December 31, 2023, respectively.      
    ** Merger-contract termination fee received from Intel during the third quarter of 2023, net of associated cost, in the amount
    of $313,501 was included within the net cash provided by operating activities for the year ended December 31, 2023.
             

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Media Release – By Election – 10.02.25 Monday 10 February 2025

    Source: Channel Islands – States of Alderney

    Media Release

    Date: 10th February 2025

    By Election

    The upcoming By Election for the two vacant seats on the States of Alderney will be held on March 8th at the Island Hall. Nominations to stand in the By Election are open from 9am on the 14th February and close at 4pm on the 21st February. If you are not on the electoral roll but wish to vote in the By Election, you have until 13th February to hand in your registration form.

    Further information on how to vote, how to register on the electoral roll and how to stand in the By Election can be found at our election’s website www.alderneyelections.gg Ends Media Contact: Publications.Alderney@gov.gg

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Interest continues to soar in ‘earn while you learn’ apprenticeships

    Source: Northern Ireland City of Armagh

    (L-R): Roger Wilson, Chief Executive Armagh City, Banbridge and Craigavon Borough Council; Lee Campbell, SRC Principal & CEO; Harry Hamilton, ABC LMP Vice-Chairperson; Councillor Kyle Savage, Deputy Lord Mayor of Armagh City, Banbridge and Craigavon; Tracy Rice, ABC LMP Chairperson; Alderman Paul Greenfield. (Economic Development and Regeneration Committee Chair, ABC Council).

    Over 920 people attended The Big Apprenticeship Event at the Craigavon Civic and Conference Centre on Thursday 6 February, to explore the opportunities available with apprenticeships and higher level apprenticeships across sectors from robotics, accountancy, beauty therapy, construction and engineering to transport and science.

    This is a key event in the Armagh, Banbridge and Craigavon (ABC) Labour Market Partnership’s Get Future Ready campaign, in partnership with Southern Regional College (SRC). The event ran alongside the Department for the Economy’s (DfE) Apprenticeship Week, which occurred from the 3 – 7 February 2025.

    Speaking at the event, Deputy Lord Mayor of Armagh City, Banbridge and Craigavon, Councillor Kyle Savage said; “Apprenticeships have come a long way from being associated with traditional trades to being a much sought-after pathway to a successful career in a wide range of sectors.

    “Throughout this event we have heard first hand from employers, education and training providers and current apprentices about how apprenticeships, which have greatly increased in recent years, are important for our future economy and a worthwhile investment for employers and apprentices alike. Employers can harness skills that best meet the needs of the business and apprentices feel secure and confident by learning sector-specific skills and gaining industry recognised qualifications.”

     “In council we are committed to working with our partners to drive the vision of the Labour Market Partnership to help get local people closer to work and into work through apprenticeships so everyone can achieve their full potential.”

    The theme for this year’s Apprenticeship Week was ‘Getting it Right for You’, highlighting the varied and flexible opportunities that exist with an apprenticeship.

    Lee Campbell, Principal & CEO of Southern Regional College added; “It has been incredible to witness the increased interest and enthusiasm for all things apprenticeships. The College has continuously developed the range of apprenticeship opportunities available, catering for the diverse interests and career pathways of people within the southern region.  

    “Apprenticeship and higher level apprenticeships offer participants the distinct opportunity to train for a career in a chosen field, whilst being in employment. Our aspiration is to enable as many people as possible to start a career they enjoy and are passionate about. We look forward to September when we will be welcoming new apprentices starting their journey with Southern Regional College.”

    Click here to find out more about apprenticeships at SRC.

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Volunteers sought to take part in Bay Road Tree Planting Day

    Source: Northern Ireland – City of Derry

    Volunteers sought to take part in Bay Road Tree Planting Day

    6 February 2025

    Derry City and Strabane District Council are seeking volunteers to take part in a special Tree Planting Day at Bay Road Park.

    The event on Saturday February 22nd from 10am to Midday will see hundreds of trees being planted as part of the Life Project where a sapling tree is planted to mark the registration of significant life events in the Council area.

    Over 10,000 trees have been planted since the initiative started seven years ago and sees every birth, death, civil partnership and marriage registered in the District Registration Offices in Derry and Strabane marked by the planting of a sapling tree.

    The project forms part of a wider Council strategy to improve air quality and the public’s mental health.

    Speaking ahead of the planting day, Mayor of Derry City and Strabane District Council, Councillor Lilian Seenoi-Barr, encouraged local people of all ages to get involved in the event by registering their attendance online.

    “The Life Tree project is a poignant means of marking and remembering the registration of birth, deaths, civil partnerships and marriages in our City and District.

    “The Tree Planting Day at Bay Park is an ideal way to get out into the outdoors and contribute to a project that can help improve our air quality and the local landscape.

    “I would encourage people to register now and get involved.” 

    Spades will be provided on the day and volunteers are advised to wear appropriate footwear, warm clothing and gloves.

    Helpers will be on hand on the day to give tree planting advice.

    The tree planting site is adjacent to Bay Road Soccer and those attending on the day can park on spaces on the Bay Road.

    Further information on the Life Project is available at www.derrystrabane.com/lifeproject where you can also share your experiences of planting your trees.  

    If you would like to volunteer, please register now at [email protected] or contact Environmental Health Department by calling 028 71 253253 .

    Please register early as places are limited.

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: HSE Launches Advanced Training Course on AI in Education

    Translartion. Region: Russians Fedetion –

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

    Faculty of Computer Science HSE University is launching a professional development course on artificial intelligence in education. Program is intended for teachers, lecturers, and methodologists planning to integrate AI technologies into the educational process, as well as for management teams of educational institutions interested in improving educational processes through the implementation of AI.

    Teachers from the Faculty of Computer Science at the National Research University Higher School of Economics will show how to make artificial intelligence an assistant to a teacher so that it works for the benefit of the educational process. For example, students will be able to use neural networks to develop tests and educational materials, and analyze academic performance.

    The program consists of four blocks. The first is devoted to the effectiveness of AI in educational practice and the ethical issues of its use. The second block will examine AI services in detail: Yandex GPT, GigaChat, Perplexity and others. Teachers will tell how to use them to create programs of academic disciplines, articles, presentations, tests and assignments, and conduct data analysis. Block 3 contains information on how AI is currently used in education, business and media. The last block is a bonus. It is intended for those who want to delve deeper into the structure of large language models and learn about the practice of their application. Upon completion of the training in the Artificial Intelligence in Education program, students will be able to confidently create their own projects for integrating AI into the educational process based on the studied cases and examples.

    The integration of artificial intelligence tools into the educational process is not just a fashionable trend, but a necessity in today’s rapidly changing world, the expert believes Center for Continuous Education of the Faculty of Computer Science of the National Research University Higher School of Economics and the course creator Daria Kasyanenko, who spoke about the course and the importance of using AI tools in education.

    “AI opens up huge opportunities for personalizing learning, automating routine tasks, and increasing the efficiency of the educational process as a whole. Our course is designed to help teachers master these innovative technologies and implement them in their teaching practice,” she emphasized.

    The Higher School of Economics already has successful experience in this area. Last year, as part of the strategic academic leadership program “Priority 2030” More than 50% of HSE full-time employees have completed the course “Artificial Intelligence in Education and Research”.

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

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI Economics: Space Norway orders THOR 8 telecom satellite from Thales Alenia Space

    Source: Thales Group

    Headline: Space Norway orders THOR 8 telecom satellite from Thales Alenia Space

    Cannes, February 10th, 2025 – Space Norway, Northern Europe’s leading satellite operator, and Thales Alenia Space, a joint venture between Thales (67%) and Leonardo (33%), today announced they have signed a contract for the supply of a new communications satellite, THOR 8.

    THOR 8 © Thales Alenia Space/Briot

    From its orbital slot at 1° west, the THOR 8 communications satellite will meet the growing demand for connectivity and ensure continuity of Space Norway’s broadcasting service over a geographic coverage area from the Nordics to Central and Eastern Europe. THOR 8 will provide top-tier satellite connectivity for broadcasters and high-speed internet access for fixed and mobile infrastructure (maritime, terrestrial and aeronautical services) in Europe, the Middle East and Africa. With a launch mass of 4 metric tons, the satellite will be built on Thales Alenia Space’s Spacebus 4000B2 platform and will operate in the Ka and Ku frequency bands.

    As prime contractor, Thales Alenia Space is responsible for the design, manufacture, testing and delivery of the satellite. THOR 8 will be launched in 2027 and will have an in-orbit service life of over 15 years.

    Morten Tengs, CEO of Space Norway & Hervé Derrey, CEO of Thales Alenia Space © Thales Alenia Space/Briot

    “I would like to thank Space Norway for its continued trust in Thales Alenia Space,” said Hervé Derrey, CEO of Thales Alenia Space. “THOR 8 is our second satellite built for Space Norway, after THOR 6, which was launched in 2009. This new contract further underscores the success of our robust and proven Spacebus 4000 product line, which has represented a total of 41 satellite programs, including 15 based on Spacebus 4000B2 product.”

    Morten Tengs, CEO of Space Norway, stated: “The deployment of the THOR 8 satellite is a significant milestone in our mission to deliver advanced and reliable connectivity solutions. This strategic addition will enhance our capabilities, providing critical services to safeguard the interests of both national and international governments while meeting the demands of our commercial partners. We extend our gratitude to Thales Alenia Space for their long-standing partnership and commitment towards this transformational project.”

    About THALES ALENIA SPACE

    Drawing on over 40 years of experience and a unique combination of skills, expertise and cultures, Thales Alenia Space delivers cost-effective solutions for telecommunications, navigation, Earth observation, environmental management, exploration, science and orbital infrastructures. Governments and private industry alike count on Thales Alenia Space to design satellite-based systems that provide anytime, anywhere connections and positioning, monitor our planet, enhance management of its resources, and explore our Solar System and beyond. Thales Alenia Space sees space as a new horizon, helping to build a better, more sustainable life on Earth. A joint venture between Thales (67%) and Leonardo (33%), Thales Alenia Space also teams up with Telespazio to form the parent companies’ Space Alliance, which offers a complete range of services. Thales Alenia Space posted consolidated revenues of approximately €2.2 billion in 2023 and has around 8,600 employees in 8 countries, with 16 sites in Europe.

    MIL OSI Economics –

  • MIL-OSI Economics: World first: Thales delivers first autonomous drone system for mine countermeasures to the French Navy

    Source: Thales Group

    Headline: World first: Thales delivers first autonomous drone system for mine countermeasures to the French Navy

    • Thales has delivered the first drone system for mine countermeasures to the French Navy, as part of the MMCM (Maritime Mine Counter Measures) programme.
    • World first: this is the first autonomous surface drone system in service with a navy.
    • Thales achieves a technological breakthrough with autonomous, cyber-secure drone systems that include Artificial Intelligence (AI). The Group is involved in redefining the operational concept for mine warfare.
    Thales ©Eloi Stichelbaut|Polaryse

    Thales delivered the first serial production system of mine countermeasure drones to the French Navy in December 2024. This is a world first, as part of the Franco-British MMCM program, led by the French Defence Procurement Agency (DGA) and under the aegis of OCCAR1. A real technological breakthrough in the conduct of mine countermeasure missions, this system helps reduce sailors’ exposure to danger and contributes to the security of the maritime domain, which is the backbone of the global economy.

    The first system delivered to the French Navy includes a surface drone (USV – Unmanned Surface Vehicle) equipped with the towed sonar TSAM for the detection and classification of naval mines. Its operations can be controlled from land, from a mother ship, or from an opportunistic vessel, thereby enabling mine countermeasure missions to be carried out while reducing crew exposure to danger. Thales, the systems provider and integrator for the MMCM program, is at the forefront of drone systems for naval mine countermeasures, with innovative solutions such as the SAMDIS multi-view ​ sonar, the portable e-POC operations centre, the M-Cube mission management system, and the Mi-Map data analysis application, recognized for its exceptional performance and low false alarm rate, particularly due to the use of artificial intelligence (AI).

    The compact 12-metre naval surface drone is designed to be air transportable, allowing for deployment within 48 hours aboard an A400M and can be embarked on the future Mine Warfare Vessel (BGDM).

    Thales and its partners are proud to have met the challenges associated with their role as pioneers. Within the SLAMF1 program, France will receive 6 USV in 2025: 3 system-of-systems, each comprising 2 USVs, will be delivered to the French Navy, in addition to the prototype system already delivered and updated. The British Royal Navy will also receive 4 system-of-systems, each consisting of one USV, during 2025.

    “The United Kingdom and France have set an ambitious goal: to transform their mine countermeasure capabilities by adopting new disruptive operational concepts. Thales is proud to be at the heart of this transformation, which positions both nations as pioneers in autonomous naval systems. Our Group, a world leader in mine countermeasures, reaffirms its position as an innovative and reliable partner that navies can count on to develop their strategic capabilities.” said Philippe Duhamel, Executive Vice-President, Defence Mission Systems, Thales.

    About Thales

    Thales (Euronext Paris: HO) is a global leader in advanced technologies specialising in three business domains: Defence & Security, Aeronautics & Space and Cyber & Digital.

    It develops products and solutions that help make the world safer, greener and more inclusive.

    The Group invests close to €4 billion a year in Research & Development, particularly in key innovation areas such as AI, cybersecurity, quantum technologies, cloud technologies and 6G.Thales has close to 81,000 employees in 68 countries. In 2023, the Group generated sales of €18.4 billion.

    1OCCAR : Organisation for Joint Armament Cooperation

    2SLAMF – Système de Lutte Anti-mines Marines Futur (future naval mine countermeasures system) is an advanced naval mine countermeasures system being developed primarily by the French Navy. This system aims to enhance the ability to detect, classify, and neutralize underwater mines, which pose a significant threat to naval operations and maritime security.

    MIL OSI Economics –

  • MIL-OSI Economics: Thales at the AI Action Summit: Trusted AI can change society

    Source: Thales Group

    Headline: Thales at the AI Action Summit: Trusted AI can change society

    At a time when much is expected of AI and its contribution to the security and sovereignty of nations, Thales offers a hybrid, explainable, cybersafe and frugal AI, which is already incorporated into more than 100 of its products. This technology is already delivering significant advances in the protection of infrastructure, optimisation of energy consumption and defence systems.

    “Thales is a key player in the field of trusted AI: our experts have developed a hybrid AI, which offers transparency, cybersecurity, energy efficiency and an ethical approach — unlike many AI systems that rely exclusively on large amounts of data and are particularly energy-intensive. Thales offers an augmented intelligence, which is capable of changing society,” said Patrice Caine, Chairman and CEO of Thales.

    Patrice Caine, Chairman and CEO of Thales, will take part in the dialogue between heads of state and government and business leaders at two roundtable sessions on AI and national security and on Europe’s AI champions.

    • On Tuesday 11th February, experts from cortAIx, Thales’s AI accelerator, will conduct exclusive demonstrations of the practical impacts of AI in 15 critical fields for official French and international delegations at the Thales Digital Factory. These AI-enabled solutions are designed to boost the performance of the most advanced systems and help humans make better decisions in crisis situations and high-stakes environments where data security and sovereignty are critical.

    These solutions are already available and show how AI can reduce the environmental footprint of air traffic, protect airports and major events, protect maritime traffic and infrastructure, and, in the defence sector, increase the effectiveness of operational assets/resources and accelerate the OODA loop (observe, orient, decide, act).

    Other events

    • On Tuesday 11th February, Thales’s Friendly Hackers team will take part in the Cyber Crisis Management Exercise organised by ANSSI, France’s national agency for information system security, at the Cyber Campus in Paris.
    • On Tuesday11th February, Thales will take part in two events:
      • Empowering AI Ecosystems through Strategic Autonomy: Lessons from Finland and France at Finnish Embassy in Paris.
      • Building Trust: Anticipating and Managing AI Risks, organised by the HEC Hub Digital and Axys in Paris.
    • On Monday 10th February, Thales will take part in Military Talks, organised by the French Ministry of the Armed Forces and the Ministerial Agency for Defence AI (AMIAD), dedicated to AI for defence applications.
    • As part of the Confiance.ai consortium, Thales is contributing to actions to expand the programme’s role internationally.
    • On Sunday 8th February, Thales took part in the AI Luminate conference: Evolving AI Safety for Economic Growth in Uncertain Times, ML Commons, AI Verify, LNE and Prism, in Paris.
    • On Thursday 6th February, Thales took part in the Presentation of AI Deliverables for Major French Groups, organised by French Tech Grand Paris and Wavestone in Paris.
    • On Friday 24th January, Thales took part in the French-German AI Industry Executives Dialogue, organised by the French Embassy in Berlin. This event resulted in a Call for Action, which will be presented at the AI Action Summit.
    • On Tuesday 21st January, ahead of the AI Action Summit, Thales organised a visit to its cortAIx research laboratory in Palaiseau with a presentation of its latest innovations for institutional stakeholders.

    Thales and AI

    Thales is a major player in trusted, cybersafe, transparent, explainable and ethical AI for armed forces, aircraft manufacturers and critical infrastructure providers. The Group files more patents than any other company in Europe in the field of AI for critical systems. It employs more than 600 engineers and 100 doctoral candidates specialising in AI. It is rganised within cortAIx, the Group’s accelerator for AI R&D and the integration of AI into sensors (sonars, radars, optronics, etc.) and complex systems. Over 100 of Thales’s products and services already incorporate AI components for defence, aerospace, cybersecurity and digital identity. Trusted, secure, sovereign AI from Thales is designed to ensure more efficient data analysis and decision support and speeds up the detection, identification and classification of objects and scenes of interest while taking account of the specific constraints of critical environments such as cybersecurity, embeddability and frugality.

    Thales is an active member of the AI ecosystem. It has strategic partnerships with academic research institutes and with other industry players, in particular as part of the Confiance.ai programme, and has put in place an ambitious charter on the ethical development and use of AI technologies.

    • In 2023, Thales’s Friendly Hackers Unit demonstrated its credentials at the CAID challenge (Conference on Artificial Intelligence for Defence) organised by the French defence procurement agency (DGA), which involved finding AI training data even when it had been deleted from the system to preserve confidentiality.
    • For the French defence procurement agency’s 2024 challenge, the Group’s Friendly Hackers Unit invented a new model to detect AI-generated deepfake images.

    About Thales

    Thales (Euronext Paris: HO) is a global leader in advanced technologies specialising in three business domains: Defence & Security, Aerospace and Cyber & Digital.

    It develops products and solutions that help make the world safer, greener and more inclusive.

    The Group invests close to €4 billion a year in Research & Development, particularly in key innovation areas such as AI, cybersecurity, quantum technologies, cloud technologies and 6G.Thales has 81,000 employees in 68 countries. In 2023, the Group generated sales of €18.4 billion.

    LEARN MORE

    Ahead of France’s AI Action Summit, Thales unveils its latest innovations in trusted AI for critical systems | Thales Group

    Without proper cybersecurity protections, AI is a gamble we cannot afford (The Engineer)

    Developing AI systems we can all trust | Thales Group

    Thales speeds up its development of AI for defence | Thales Group

    Thales Group

    Consult related resources and documents in the Media Library

    Thales ​

    MIL OSI Economics –

  • MIL-OSI NGOs: Global/France: AI Action Summit must meaningfully center binding and enforceable regulation to curb AI-driven harms  

    Source: Amnesty International –

    Ahead of the AI Action Summit, which begins on February 10, Amnesty International’s Director of the technology and human rights programme, Damini Satija, said: 

    “With global leaders and tech executives gathering to attend the Artificial Intelligence (AI) Action Summit in Paris, the French government must not miss a crucial opportunity to make meaningful progress towards achieving human rights respecting AI regulation globally. Governments at the summit must not be swayed by corporate interests at the expense of those experiencing the sharpest human rights impacts of AI systems today.  

    “While France undertook a significant task in hosting the summit, the participation of civil society and human rights activists in the main summit agenda is wholly inadequate. The allocation of resources necessary to ensure a collaborative dialogue with representatives from the global majority, impacted communities, and human rights activists has not been prioritized.  

    “Lack of support by the summit organizers for human right advocates and community representatives in need of visas to enter France, exemplifies a lack of true commitment to engage in an equal dialogue with civil society particularly from Global Majority countries.  

    “If states are serious about an open, multi-stakeholder and inclusive approach around development, deployment and regulation of AI technologies, they must elevate and centre voices and priorities of impacted communities. 

    We are now living in a world that feels increasingly terrifying. The omnipresence of predictive algorithms, coupled with rising global backlash against civil liberties risks giving a carte blanche to tech companies, to operate without rules or guidelines. 

    Damini Satija, Programme Director, Amnesty Tech

    “State actors must also not be swayed by false ‘innovation vs regulation dichotomy’ parroted by tech companies and their executives to stifle human rights centric regulatory efforts. Governments must not ignore underlying systemic human rights issues heightened due to automation of our lives and roll-out of AI technologies. 

    “We are now living in a world that feels increasingly terrifying. The omnipresence of predictive algorithms, coupled with rising global backlash against civil liberties risks giving a carte blanche to tech companies, to operate without rules or guidelines. 

    “While governments present these announcements as ‘efficiency solutions’, they increasingly go hand in hand with austerity policies and the deployment of data-intensive AI technologies. Additionally, these systems also amplify pre-existing discrimination in society, ultimately leading to exclusion, inequalities, and the entrenchment of corporate power. 

    “There is ample evidence, along with investigations by civil society and journalists, exposing the grave consequences of AI technologies operating unchecked. From lethal autonomous weapons systems to facial recognition used for mass surveillance, and risk-scoring algorithms being used in the context of migration and the public sector for welfare distribution, it has become abundantly clear that the deployment and use of such technologies are incompatible with our rights and disregard human dignity.   

    “We must also acknowledge that the harms perpetuated by AI technologies have far-reaching consequences beyond the technologies themselves. The exploitative supply chains that fuel them, relying on inhumane labor practices and causing serious environmental damage, have created a disproportionate impact on people, particularly in the Global Majority. Given such devastating lasting effects of AI technologies, it is essential the impact of technologies is not just tackled within state boundaries, but also beyond. 

    “All AI regulation must also be free of loopholes and exemptions which risk violation of human rights. All public and private actors, including law enforcement, border management and national security bodies, must adhere to human rights standards throughout the whole lifecycle of AI technologies, including during research, development and testing phases of AI technologies.   

    “More importantly, people and communities impacted by AI must be empowered to seek redress and remedy. As prerequisite to effective remedy, impacted people should be guaranteed the right to information and explanation of AI-supported decision-making, including about the use and functioning of AI in the system.” 

    Damini Satija will be attending the AI Action Summit in Paris throughout its duration from 10 February to 11 February. She will be available for interviews on range of tech issues including: 

    a) Artificial Intelligence and algorithmic accountability 

    b) Artificial Intelligence regulation 

    c) Big Tech and policy 

    d) Spyware and surveillance 

    e) Children and Young people’s digital rights 

    Information for journalists: 

    Damini Satija is a technology, human rights and public policy expert. She is the Director of Amnesty Tech, the global human rights movement’s technology and human right’s programme which she originally joined to set up the Algorithmic Accountability Lab (an interdisciplinary unit investigating the impact of Artificial Intelligence technologies on human rights). Amnesty Tech works across a range of areas, most notably spyware and cyberattacks, surveillance, state use of AI and automation, big tech and social media accountability and children and young people’s rights in digital environments. Prior to her time at Amnesty International, Damini worked in a number of tech policy roles. She was most recently Senior Policy Advisor in the Center for Date Ethics & Innovation, the UK government’s independent expert body on data and AI policy and the UK’s policy expert at the Council of Europe’s committee on Artificial Intelligence and Human Rights.  

    For more information or to arrange an interview please contact Amnesty International’s press office: [email protected] 

    MIL OSI NGO –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Ministerial appointments: 10 February 2025

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    The King has been pleased to approve the following appointments.

    The King has been pleased to approve the following appointments:

    • Ashley Dalton MP as a Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State in the Department of Health and Social Care. 

    • The Rt Hon. Douglas Alexander MP jointly as a Minister of State in the Cabinet Office, in addition to his role as Minister of State in the Department for Business and Trade.

    • Lord Moraes OBE as a Lord in Waiting (Government Whip).

    • Lord Wilson of Sedgefield as a Lord in Waiting (Government Whip).

     Andrew Gwynne MP has left the government.

    Updates to this page

    Published 10 February 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Press release: Ministerial appointments: 10 February 2025

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

    The King has been pleased to approve the following appointments.

    The King has been pleased to approve the following appointments:

    • Ashley Dalton MP as a Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State in the Department of Health and Social Care. 

    • The Rt Hon. Douglas Alexander MP jointly as a Minister of State in the Cabinet Office, in addition to his role as Minister of State in the Department for Business and Trade.

    • Lord Moraes OBE as a Lord in Waiting (Government Whip).

    • Lord Wilson of Sedgefield as a Lord in Waiting (Government Whip).

     Andrew Gwynne MP has left the government.

    Updates to this page

    Published 10 February 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Hong Kong Customs detects one dangerous drugs internal concealment case involving passengers at airport (with photo)

    Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

    Hong Kong Customs detects one dangerous drugs internal concealment case involving passengers at airport (with photo)
    Hong Kong Customs detects one dangerous drugs internal concealment case involving passengers at airport (with photo)
    ******************************************************************************************

         Hong Kong Customs on February 8 detected one dangerous drugs internal concealment case involving two incoming passengers at Hong Kong International Airport and seized a total of about 890 grams of suspected cocaine with an estimated market value of about $720,000.     Customs officers on that day intercepted a male passenger and a female passenger, both aged 32, arriving in Hong Kong from Budapest, Hungary, via Paris, France, and Zurich, Switzerland. During Customs clearance, Customs officers suspected that the passengers had dangerous drugs concealed inside their body cavities. They were then escorted to the hospital for examination. Upon examination, doctors confirmed that foreign objects were concealed inside their body cavities, and they were arrested immediately. As at 4pm today (February 10), the arrested persons have discharged a total of 85 pellets of suspected cocaine weighing about 890g in total.     The arrested persons have been charged with one count of trafficking in a dangerous drug respectively. The case will be brought up at the West Kowloon Magistrates’ Courts tomorrow (February 11).     Customs will continue to apply a risk assessment approach and focus on selecting passengers from high-risk regions for clearance to combat transnational drug trafficking activities.     Under the Dangerous Drugs Ordinance, trafficking in a dangerous drug is a serious offence. The maximum penalty upon conviction is a fine of $5 million and life imprisonment.     Members of the public may report any suspected drug trafficking activities to Customs’ 24-hour hotline 182 8080 or its dedicated crime-reporting email account (crimereport@customs.gov.hk) or online form (eform.cefs.gov.hk/form/ced002).

     
    Ends/Monday, February 10, 2025Issued at HKT 17:35

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    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Prime Minister’s Departure statement ahead of his visit to France and USA

    Source: Government of India (2)

    Posted On: 10 FEB 2025 12:00PM by PIB Delhi

    At the invitation of President Macron, I will be visiting France from 10 to 12 February. In Paris, I look forward to co-chairing the AI Action Summit, a gathering of the world leaders and global tech CEOs, where we will exchange views on collaborative approach to AI technology for innovation and larger public good in an inclusive, secure and trustworthy manner.

    The bilateral segment of my visit will provide an opportunity to review the progress on 2047 Horizon Roadmap for India-France strategic partnership along with my friend President Macron. We will also travel to the historic French city of Marseille to inaugurate the first Indian Consulate in France and also visit the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor project, in which India is a member of the consortium of partner countries including France, to harness energy for the global good. I will also pay tribute to the Indian soldiers who laid down their lives during World Wars I and II at the Mazargues War Cemetery.

    From France, I will proceed on a two day visit to the United States at the invitation of President Donald Trump. I look forward to meeting my friend, President Trump. Although this will be our first meeting following his historic electoral victory and inauguration in January, I have a very warm recollection of working together in his first term in building a Comprehensive Global Strategic Partnership between India and the US.

    This visit will be an opportunity to build upon the successes of our collaboration in his first term and develop an agenda to further elevate and deepen our partnership, including in the areas of technology, trade, defence, energy, and supply chain resilience. We will work together for the mutual benefit of the people of our two countries and shape a better future for the world.  

    ***

    MJPS/VJ

    (Release ID: 2101222) Visitor Counter : 104

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: IEW’ 25 to Witness Unprecedented Global Participation and Innovation

    Source: Government of India

    Posted On: 10 FEB 2025 4:38PM by PIB Delhi

    “India Energy Week 2025 (IEW’25) is set to be the first major global event on the energy calendar and the most comprehensive and inclusive energy gathering of the year, especially in light of recent global developments that are expected to have a transformative impact on the energy market,” said Shri Hardeep Singh Puri, Minister of Petroleum & Natural Gas, while interacting with the media today. 

    Speaking on the sidelines of IEW’25, which will be held at Yashobhoomi, Dwarka, from February 11 to 14, 2025, Shri Puri highlighted India’s growing stature in the global energy landscape. He stated that IEW’25 is set to be even larger, more diverse, and more impactful than its previous two editions. Covering over 1 lakh square meters, IEW’25 will be the second-largest energy event globally in terms of ministerial and CEO participation, exhibition space, and the number of sessions.

    IEW’25 is set to be a landmark event in the global energy calendar, continuing its rapid growth from previous editions. Shri Hardeep Singh Puri, highlighted key metrics showcasing this expansion: a 65% increase in exhibition space over 2024 (28,000 sqm), 105 conference sessions (15% higher than 2024, 24% higher than 2023), 70,000+ delegates (55% higher than 2024, 89% higher than 2023), 500 speakers (38% higher than 2024, 58% higher than 2023), and 700+ exhibitors (57% higher than 2024, 115% higher than 2023). He touched upon some more key milestones, including a 35% increase in abstracts received as compared to last year (2,702 submissions) and a rise in international speakers at the Strategic Conference from 33% in 2024 to 48% in 2025.

    The Minister said that on the sidelines of IEW’25, the Ministry of Petroleum & Natural Gas will host a Clean Cooking Ministerial, bringing together global policymakers, industry leaders, and experts to accelerate the transition to clean cooking solutions. The event will showcase India’s success with the Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana (PMUY) as a model for global adoption. It aims to foster international collaboration, drive policy discussions, and facilitate technology sharing to ensure clean, affordable, and accessible cooking energy for households worldwide.

    Union Minister for Petroleum & Natural Gas, Shri Puri, underlined the event’s unprecedented scale, with 10 country pavilions (including Canada, Germany, Japan, the USA, and the UK) and 8 thematic zones covering areas such as hydrogen (1951 sqm), biofuels (1164 sqm), and net zero initiatives ( 350 sqm).

    The event will see participation from major Indian energy ministries, including the Ministry of Power, MNRE, NITI Aayog, and the Ministry of Mines, reflecting India’s commitment to integrated energy solutions, the Minister said. The Sustainable Mobility Pavilion, set up by SIAM, will showcase 15 cutting-edge vehicle models from 10 OEMs, under the theme “People-Centric Mobility Ecosystem.”

    Minister Shri Puri encouraged attendees to explore pioneering technologies developed by Public Sector Undertakings (PSUs). Key exhibits include ONGC’s deep-sea simulation game, HPCL’s indigenous Solid Oxide Fuel Cell System, BPCL’s LPG cylinder ATM, and CSIR’s e-tractor for sustainable agriculture.

    With its scale, innovation, and global participation, IEW’25 is poised to position India at the forefront of the global energy transition.

    *****

    MONIKA

    (Release ID: 2101335) Visitor Counter : 77

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: India to Inaugurate EFTA Desk to Enhance Trade and Investment under TEPA

    Source: Government of India (2)

    India to Inaugurate EFTA Desk to Enhance Trade and Investment under TEPA

    Business Roundtable to Witness Participation from Over 100 Companies from India and EFTA Nations

    Posted On: 10 FEB 2025 10:19AM by PIB Delhi

    In a significant step towards deepening economic ties with the European Free Trade Association (EFTA), Union Minister for Commerce and Industry Shri Piyush Goyal along with the EFTA bloc represented by H.E. Mrs. Helene Budliger Artieda, Swiss State Secretary, H.E. Mr. Tomas Norvoll, State Secretary of Trade and Industry, Norway, H.E. Martin Eyjolfsson, Permanent Secretary of State, Iceland, H.E. Dominique Hasler, Minister of External Affairs, Education, and Sport, Liechtenstein, Mr. Markus Schlagenhof, Deputy Secretary General, EFTA Secretariat and Mr. David Sveinbhornsson, Senior Officer, EFTA Secretariat, will inaugurate the EFTA Desk at Bharat Mandapam, New Delhi, on February 10, 2025.

    The initiative, in line with Chapter 7 of the India-EFTA Trade and Economic Partnership Agreement (TEPA), which was signed on March 10, 2024, aims to serve as a dedicated platform to promote trade, investment, and business facilitation between India and the four EFTA nations—Switzerland, Norway, Iceland, and Liechtenstein. The inauguration ceremony will be attended by senior officials from the Government of India and high-ranking dignitaries from EFTA member states.

    Senior officials from Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) and the Department of Commerce (DOC) will also address the gathering, outlining India’s vision for stronger economic engagement with EFTA nations.

    The India-EFTA Dedicated Desk will act as a centralized support mechanism for EFTA companies looking to expand in India. It will provide market insights and regulatory guidance, business matchmaking, and assistance in navigating India’s policy and investment landscape.

    Post-inauguration, a high-level EFTA-India Business Roundtable will convene, featuring over 100 leading businesses from India and EFTA nations, aimed at fostering collaboration across key sectors, including Pharmaceuticals & Life Sciences, Financial Services & Fintech, Mechanical & Electrical Engineering, Energy & Sustainability, Seafood & Maritime, Food Processing & Agritech. The roundtable will provide a structured forum for companies to explore joint ventures, investment opportunities, and technology partnerships under the framework of TEPA.

    ***

    Abhishek Dayal/Abhijith Narayanan/Asmitabha Manna

    (Release ID: 2101215) Visitor Counter : 23

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights Opens Seventy-Seventh Session

    Source: United Nations – Geneva

    The Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights today opened its seventy-seventh session.  The Committee adopted its agenda and programme of work for the session, during which it is scheduled to review the reports of Croatia, Peru, Philippines, Rwanda and the United Kingdom.

    Opening the session, Wan-Hea Lee, Chief of the Civil, Political, Economic, Social and Cultural Rights and Urgent Actions Section, Human Rights Treaties Branch, Human Rights Council and Treaties Mechanisms Division, United Nations Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, welcomed the five new members of the Committee: Lazhari Bouzid (Algeria), Peijie Chen (China), Charafat El Yedri Afailal (Morocco), Giuseppe Palmisano (Italy) and Laura Elisa Pérez (Mexico).

    Despite the liquidity situation currently facing the United Nations, Ms. Lee said, the first sessions of all the treaty bodies this year would be held, allowing the important work undertaken by these bodies to proceed.  The Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights and the United Nations more broadly had and would continue to do its utmost to ensure that their work could proceed to the maximum extent possible. 

    Ms. Lee reported that, at the upcoming fifty-eighth session of the Human Rights Council, a number of key panel discussions and interactive dialogues would be held that were of great relevance to economic, social and cultural rights, and the Council would also consider several reports related to the Committee’s mandate, including the Secretary-General’s report on the realisation of economic, social and cultural rights and the report of the intersessional workshop on cultural rights and the protection of cultural heritage.  She was sure that the work of the Committee would guide some of these discussions.

    In 2024, Ms. Lee said, significant efforts had been made to enhance indigenous peoples’ participation in human rights processes.  A second intersessional meeting held in October 2024 explored ways to strengthen indigenous peoples’ involvement in United Nations processes.  Indigenous peoples’ representatives also addressed the fifty-seventh session of the Human Rights Council in September 2024 for the first time as direct representatives of their communities and organizations.  Resolution 57/15 of October 2024 would facilitate the engagement of indigenous peoples with the treaty bodies going forward. These developments were especially timely given this year’s celebration of the sixtieth anniversary of the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination.

    Ms. Lee noted that two new instruments of accession were deposited at the end of the year.  St Kitts and Nevis became the one hundred and seventy-third State Party to the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, and Côte d’Ivoire became the thirtieth State party to its Optional Protocol.  While welcoming the continued march toward universal ratification, the Office of the High Commissioner was mindful of current events and modern challenges which were regrettably affecting the enjoyment of economic, social and cultural rights across the globe.  The High Commissioner, in a recent statement, noted the widespread pushback on multilateralism and how the challenges faced in 2024 were unlikely to let up in 2025, as conflicts continued and reemerged.

    The High Commissioner had been consistently urging States to commit to the global pursuit of a human rights economy, Ms. Lee said.  In a comment to the Social Forum in October 2024, he stressed that States needed to build inclusive human rights economies that prioritised people and planet.  Addressing the Hernan Santa Cruz Dialogue in December last year, the High Commissioner highlighted the substantial transformation necessary in economic systems to ensure the delivery of economic, social and cultural rights to all peoples around the world.  He said the world could not be based on a model that offered health for some, wealth for some, jobs for some, and rights for some.

    Last year was particularly challenging, Ms. Lee said. In addition to chronic resource constraints, the liquidity crisis had and continued to hamper the planning and implementation of the Committees’ work.  The Office was doing its utmost to ensure that the treaty bodies could implement their mandates.  Nevertheless, all indications pointed to a continuation of the difficult liquidity situation for the foreseeable future, she said.

    Ms. Lee said the treaty body strengthening process remained active.  It had reached a key moment with the adoption last December of the biennial resolution on the treaty body system by the General Assembly.  The resolution invited the treaty bodies and the Office to continue to work on coordination and predictability in the reporting process with the aim of achieving a regularised schedule for reporting and to increase their efforts to further use digital technologies.  However, the biennial resolution did not endorse certain detailed proposals made by the Chairs and corresponding resources to implement them, such as for an eight-year predictable schedule of reviews.

    The Office of the High Commissioner would continue to work alongside the Chairs and all the treaty body experts to strengthen the treaty body system, using all the opportunities at its disposal to advance this essential work, Ms. Lee said.

    In concluding remarks, Ms. Lee said a heavy programme for the next three weeks was before the Committee.  She commended the Committee’s efforts and work in preparation for such a substantial session and wished it continued success going forward.

    Laura-Maria Craciunean-Tatu, Committee Chair, thanked the Office of the High Commissioner for expressing confidence in the work of the Committee, and its contribution to the continued and heightened protection of economic, social and cultural rights around the world, in the face of today’s evermore complex challenges and setbacks.  The Committee also welcomed the accession by Saint Kitts and Nevis to the Covenant and of Côte d’Ivoire to the Optional Protocol.  The Chair said that the review of the periodic report of Kenya, which was scheduled for this session, had been postponed to a future session.

    Given today’s numerous challenges, Ms. Craciunean-Tatu said, it was clear that the Committee’s work was as important as ever in holding up the importance of human rights frameworks as a tool towards peace and sustainable development.  As such, the principles of equality, indivisibility, interdependence and interrelatedness of all human rights, as well their justiciability, needed to continue to guide the approach of States parties and other stakeholders to addressing the many challenges being faced worldwide.

    Ms. Craciunean-Tatu announced that, during the session, the Committee would work on the draft general comment on economic, social and cultural rights and the environmental dimension of sustainable development.  It would also hold internal discussions on the draft general comment on drug policies and economic, social and cultural rights, the draft general comment on armed conflict and economic, social and cultural rights, and the draft statement on effective and socially just taxation for the realisation of economic, social and cultural rights.

    Further, during the session, Ms. Craciunean-Tatu said, the Committee would adopt lists of issues regarding Cabo Verde, North Macedonia and Turkmenistan.  It would also consider matters related to the Optional Protocol and follow up reports for Serbia and Uzbekistan, as well as proposals regarding individual communications made by its Working Group. Additionally, it would be engaging in an informal meeting with States, as well as in its annual meeting with non-governmental organizations.  It would also engage with the Special Rapporteur on climate change and the Special Rapporteur in the field of cultural rights.

    Since the last session, Ms. Craciunean-Tatu reported, the Committee received the periodic reports of Canada, Ecuador, Slovakia, Egypt, Estonia, Zambia, Paraguay and Uganda, as well the initial report of Guinea Bisau.  The Committee’s concluding observations based on the consideration of reports and the dialogues held in the session would be communicated to the respective States as of Friday, 28 February, and made available publicly on the following Monday, 3 March.

    The Committee’s seventy-seventh session is being held until 28 February 2025.  All documents relating to the Committee’s work, including reports submitted by States parties, can be found on the session’s webpage.  Webcasts of the meetings of the session can be found here, and meetings summaries can be found here.

    The Committee will next meet in public at 3 p.m. this afternoon to begin its consideration of the second periodic report of Croatia (E/C.12/HRV/2).

     

     

    Produced by the United Nations Information Service in Geneva for use of the media; 
    not an official record. English and French versions of our releases are different as they are the product of two separate coverage teams that work independently.

     

     

     

    CESCR25.001E

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: Written question – Functioning of the European Schools – E-000433/2025

    Source: European Parliament

    Question for written answer  E-000433/2025
    to the Commission
    Rule 144
    Nikos Pappas (The Left)

    Despite Parliament’s September 2023 resolution on the system of European Schools[1], serious difficulties persist regarding the schools’ governance, management and financing. These issues hinder the functioning of the schools and have negative consequences for the entire school community. The challenges involve legal matters, resources, infrastructure, staff recruitment and aspects related to educational and pedagogical quality. Recently, the Commission and Parliament signed an agreement with a private school in Brussels to address the shortage of places in European Schools. However, this agreement only provides a limited number of spots for English- and French-speaking pupils, thus failing to resolve overcrowding.

    The Commission is therefore asked:

    • 1.Is there a plan to immediately evaluate the current situation of European Schools, determine which of the demands outlined in Parliament’s resolution have been met and take the necessary corrective action, and are there plans to establish agreements with other schools in the Brussels area to alleviate overcrowding and ensure the proper functioning of the schools?
    • 2.Will there be an increase in EU financial contributions to the European Schools system to enhance the level of service provided to the existing European Schools?
    • 3.What is the situation regarding the new facility in Neder-Over-Heembeek, which language sections will be relocated there, and what is the expected completion date?

    Submitted: 30.1.2025

    • [1] European Parliament resolution of 12 September 2023 on the system of European Schools: state of play, challenges and perspectives (OJ C, C/2024/1757, 22.3.2024, ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/C/2024/1757/oj).
    Last updated: 10 February 2025

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: Written question – Impact of US aid freeze on non-governmental organisations and EU-supported projects – P-000532/2025

    Source: European Parliament

    Priority question for written answer  P-000532/2025
    to the Commission
    Rule 144
    Michał Wawrykiewicz (PPE)

    The US administration has announced a 90-day freeze on foreign aid, affecting funding for non-governmental organisations (NGOs), humanitarian organisations and development projects worldwide. This decision could have significant consequences for independent media, as well as NGOs that promote democracy, human rights and the rule of law in Europe, as they are at risk of losing funding. Vulnerable populations across the globe rely heavily on US aid and the suspension could undermine progress on addressing global crises. The review, aimed at assessing the effectiveness of foreign aid in line with the ‘America first’ policy, threatens to halt or severely limit these critical initiatives.

    • 1.Given the potential impact of this decision on EU-supported projects and partners that rely on multiple sources of funding, including US assistance, has the Commission conducted an assessment of how this aid freeze could affect ongoing EU-funded programmes and NGOs operating in these regions?
    • 2.In the event of disruptions to key humanitarian and development initiatives, does the Commission plan to implement any measures to mitigate the impact of the US aid freeze, such as increased EU funding, coordination with international donors or diplomatic engagement with the US administration to clarify the scope of this decision?

    Submitted: 5.2.2025

    Last updated: 10 February 2025

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: Written question – Crop irrigation difficulties of farmers in Evros – EU action needed – E-000430/2025

    Source: European Parliament

    Question for written answer  E-000430/2025
    to the Commission
    Rule 144
    Afroditi Latinopoulou (PfE)

    The expiration of the cross-border agreement between Greece and Bulgaria for the supply of water resources via the River Arda – and the end of the three-month extension thereof – has created serious uncertainty for farmers in the Greek region of Evros, who rely on this water to irrigate more than 300 000 hectares of farmland. The situation is exacerbated by the lack of a stable government in Bulgaria, which is hampering the smooth negotiation of a new agreement.

    The inability to find a solution threatens not only the viability of agricultural production in Evros, but also the social and economic cohesion of the region. At the same time, maintenance problems at the Kalyva and Kefali dams compound the problem further, as they limit the possibility of using local water resources.

    Given the importance of cross-border cooperation and the EU’s role in supporting the outermost regions, can the Commission say:

    • 1.What can the EU do to ensure that a new cross-border deal is negotiated or concluded between Greece and Bulgaria, despite the political instability in our neighbouring country?
    • 2.What European tools or programmes can be mobilised right away to meet irrigation needs and restore local irrigation infrastructure, ensuring the viability of agricultural production in Evros?

    Submitted: 30.1.2025

    Last updated: 10 February 2025

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: Written question – Antimony mining on Chios: social and environmental risks – E-000429/2025

    Source: European Parliament

    Question for written answer  E-000429/2025
    to the Commission
    Rule 144
    Afroditi Latinopoulou (PfE)

    Recently, the Greek Government announced plans to mine antimony (by means of surface and underground mining) in a forested region bordering a Natura 2000 site (GR4130003) in northern Chios. The area to be mined includes villages, settlements and thermal springs, raising serious concerns about the impact on groundwater and public health.

    According to recital 17 of Regulation (EU) 2024/1252 on ensuring a secure and sustainable supply of critical raw materials in the EU, new projects should be planned and implemented sustainably, ensuring environmental protection and preventing socially adverse impacts through transparent business practices.

    In view of the above, can the Commission say:

    • 1.Is it aware of the planned mining activities in northern Chios and their possible impact on the environment, social cohesion and the quality of the island’s drinking water?
    • 2.Has it considered alternative solutions for the supply of antimony, such as recycling or parallel extraction from copper, lead and gold mines, as is done in other countries?
    • 3.How will it ensure that environmental studies and due diligence procedures are carried out in a transparent and objective manner, protecting the interests of residents and the island as a priority?

    Submitted: 30.1.2025

    Last updated: 10 February 2025

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: Written question – Commission spending on buildings – E-000410/2025

    Source: European Parliament

    Question for written answer  E-000410/2025
    to the Commission
    Rule 144
    Daniel Freund (Verts/ALE)

    • 1.What are the costs associated with Commission President Ursula von der Leyen’s accommodation and does she personally contribute to these expenses? If so, what is the share of her contribution?
    • 2.The Commission has reportedly sold 23 of its office buildings in Brussels. Does the Commission genuinely no longer require this space, or is it planning to rent some of it back? If so, has it been assured that renting will be more cost-effective than retaining ownership of the buildings?

    Submitted: 29.1.2025

    Last updated: 10 February 2025

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: Written question – Statements by former Commissioner Thierry Breton on the upcoming parliamentary elections in Germany: a threat to democracy – E-000414/2025

    Source: European Parliament

    Question for written answer  E-000414/2025
    to the Commission
    Rule 144
    Angéline Furet (PfE), Sarah Knafo (ESN), Pascale Piera (PfE), Marieke Ehlers (PfE), Ondřej Knotek (PfE), Tiago Moreira de Sá (PfE), Filip Turek (PfE), Marcin Sypniewski (ESN), Malika Sorel (PfE), Isabella Tovaglieri (PfE), Marie-Luce Brasier-Clain (PfE), Georgiana Teodorescu (ECR), António Tânger Corrêa (PfE), Petar Volgin (ESN), Anne-Sophie Frigout (PfE), Petr Bystron (ESN), Valérie Deloge (PfE), Irmhild Boßdorf (ESN), Diana Iovanovici Şoşoacă (NI), Fernand Kartheiser (ECR), Thierry Mariani (PfE), Catherine Griset (PfE), Nikola Bartůšek (PfE), Jorge Buxadé Villalba (PfE), Christophe Bay (PfE), Jean-Paul Garraud (PfE), Tomasz Froelich (ESN), Harald Vilimsky (PfE), Georg Mayer (PfE), Séverine Werbrouck (PfE), Branko Grims (PPE), Silvia Sardone (PfE)

    On 9 January 2025, in an interview on RMC, former European Commissioner Thierry Breton suggested that the European Union had played a role in the judicial process that led to the cancellation of the presidential elections in Romania. He added that the EU could consider similar action in Germany, notably if the AfD were to win the elections, owing to concerns about possible foreign interference, in particular by Elon Musk.

    These statements raise questions about the EU’s commitment to democratic principles and the sovereignty of the Member States.

    • 1.Can the Commission clarify these statements and state whether it intervened, or could have intervened in any way, in the process leading to the cancellation of the first round of the elections in Romania?
    • 2.What criteria could justify such a measure in other Member States?
    • 3.What powers does the Commission have to intervene in national elections?

    Supporters[1]

    Submitted: 30.1.2025

    • [1] This question is supported by Members other than the authors: Julien Leonardelli (PfE), Julie Rechagneux (PfE)

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: Written question – The delay in adopting the EU4Health programme – P-000511/2025

    Source: European Parliament

    Priority question for written answer  P-000511/2025
    to the Commission
    Rule 144
    Vytenis Povilas Andriukaitis (S&D)

    Parliament is deeply concerned about the delay in adopting the EU4Health programme, particularly given that other programmes were not affected by the transition to the new Commission. This delay risks jeopardising the vital work of health-focused non-governmental organisations (NGOs), which play a crucial role in promoting public health, countering corporate influence and ensuring the balanced representation of public interests. These organisations are indispensable for ensuring democratic debates and meaningful public engagement of civil society in EU policymaking. The timely launch of operating grants under the EU4Health programme is critical for many NGOs to sustain their efforts in addressing key health challenges, including those related to tobacco, alcohol and unhealthy food and drink. Without this financial support, there is a real risk of undermining the EU’s commitment to health equity and public interest.

    • 1.Could the Commission provide clarity on the reasons for this delay and confirm when the programme will be adopted?
    • 2.Furthermore, what measures is the Commission taking to expedite this process and mitigate the impact on health NGOs in the interim?

    We strongly urge the Commission to prioritise the launch of the EU4Health programme and the operating grants to safeguard the essential contributions of health NGOs to EU democracy and public health.

    Submitted: 5.2.2025

    Last updated: 10 February 2025

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: Spain: EIB finances with €15 million Amadix to develop innovative diagnostic tests for early cancer detection

    Source: European Investment Bank

    Amadix

    • Amadix is a Spanish biotech company developing non-invasive blood tests for early detection of several types of cancer before the symptoms appear.
    • The financing is part of the support the EIB is providing to European medtech startups developing cutting-edge medical solutions and contributes to the EIB Group strategic priority of accelerating digitalisation and technological innovation.
    • The operation is supported by InvestEU, an EU programme that aims to unlock over €372 billion in investment by 2027.

    The European Investment Bank (EIB) has signed a €15 million loan with Spanish company Amadix to support development and commercialization of innovative blood tests for early detection of several types of cancer before the appearance of symptoms. The survival rate of certain cancers such as colorectal cancer, can increase significantly if detected at an early stage.

    The EIB financing will support the research, development, and manufacture of Amadix’ products from its leading test, PreveCol, for colorectal cancer diagnosis, to the development of other pipeline products: PancreaDix and DiagnoLung, for pancreatic and lung cancer detection. The loan will also support Amadix´s international expansion plan, the clinical validation of PreveCol in the United States, and stablishing a strong presence of the company in both the European and U.S. markets.

    The Valladolid-based startup is a pioneer in applying Artificial Intelligence (AI) to early cancer detection tests. Their technology is based on an algorithm that combines clinical features identified by AI with the analysis of proteins and miRNAs in plasma for early detection of premalignant lesions. The detection and removal of these lesions can effectively prevent cancer from developing.

    “This loan shows the EIB’s commitment to support innovative European startups developing breakthrough medical solutions. We are delighted to join forces with research intense stratups like Amadix to expand the range of solutions for early detection of cancer, advance Europe’s plan to beat that illness and support the European medtech industry”. said EIB Director of Equity, Growth Capital and Project Finance Alessandro Izzo. 

    The EIB loan is guaranteed by InvestEU, the flagship EU programme to mobilise over €372 billion of additional public and private sector investment to support EU policy goals from 2021 to 2027. The project contributes to Europe’s Beating Cancer Plan and the EIB Group strategic priority of accelerating digitalisation and technological innovation.

    “It is very encouraging to see organizations like the EIB supporting companies like ours contributing to the Europe’s Beating Cancer Plan and supporting our international expansion. It will enable us to bring to the European and US market our disruptive blood tests for early cancer detection. Thanks to the EIB support, more people will have access to innovative solutions such as liquid biopsy to prevent cancer, a leading cause of death worldwide, to live longer and better”, added Rocío Arroyo, Amadix’s founder and CEO.

    The investments associated to the project will generate cutting edge scientific knowledge and retaining European scientific acumen. The project will also contribute to Europe’s competitiveness, boosting the innovative capacity of European based life science industries and businesses.

    Background information

    EIB

    The European Investment Bank (EIB) is the long-term lending institution of the European Union owned by its Member States. It finances investments that contribute towards EU policy goals. EIB projects bolster competitiveness, drive innovation, promote sustainable development, enhance social and territorial cohesion, and support a just and swift transition to climate neutrality.

    InvestEU

    The InvestEU programme provides the European Union with crucial long-term funding by leveraging substantial private and public funds in support of a sustainable recovery. It also helps mobilise private investments for the European Union’s policy priorities, such as the European Green Deal and the digital transition. The InvestEU programme brings together under one roof the multitude of EU financial instruments currently available to support investment in the European Union, making funding for investment projects in Europe simpler, more efficient and more flexible. The programme consists of three components: the InvestEU Fund, the InvestEU Advisory Hub and the InvestEU Portal. The InvestEU Fund is implemented through financial partners that will invest in projects using the EU budget guarantee of €26.2 billion. The entire budget guarantee will back the investment projects of the implementing partners, increase their risk-bearing capacity and thus mobilise at least €372 billion in additional investment.”

    Amadix

    Amadix is a leading molecular diagnostics company focused on liquid biopsy, developing innovative blood tests for early cancer detection. The company´s mission is to extend people´s lives by developing disruptive technologies that can detect tumours years in advance before the symptoms appear.  Amadix´s approach combines molecular data from blood samples with patient’s clinical information, extracted from diagnostic images and electronic medical records. Their technology, based on machine learning algorithms, is designed for use in screening and health prevention programmes, positioning itself as a complementary tool to promote precision medicine and cancer prevention.

    AMADIX (IEU TI)
    EIB finances with €15 million Amadix to develop innovative diagnostic tests for early cancer detection
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  • MIL-OSI Europe: Written question – Guaranteeing the continuation of UNRWA’s work in Palestinian territories illegally occupied by Israel – E-000431/2025

    Source: European Parliament

    Question for written answer  E-000431/2025
    to the Council
    Rule 144
    João Oliveira (The Left)

    Representatives of the State of Israel have said that laws passed by the Israeli Parliament banning the work of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) in illegally occupied Palestinian territory will enter into force on 30 January 2025.

    This indefensible decision poses a threat to the humanitarian aid UNRWA provides to hundreds of thousands of Palestinians.

    The UNRWA Commissioner-General has said that the Israeli legislation will only deepen the Palestinian people’s suffering, especially in the Gaza Strip, where people are in a living hell and an entire generation of children is at risk.

    The UN Secretary-General views the implementation of the laws, which could have devastating consequences for Palestinian refugees, to be unacceptable.

    In view of the above:

    • 1.What steps does the Council intend to take in the near future, including with regard to the State of Israel, to ensure UNRWA’s work can continue in the illegally occupied Palestinian territories?
    • 2.Does the Council intend to suspend the EU-Israel Association Agreement?
    • 3.What steps does the Council intend to take to ensure Palestinians have access to humanitarian aid?

    Submitted: 30.1.2025

    Last updated: 10 February 2025

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: Written question – Obstacle to competition in France’s outlying territories: upholding EU law in the face of the high cost of living – P-000461/2025

    Source: European Parliament

    Priority question for written answer  P-000461/2025
    to the Commission
    Rule 144
    Marie Toussaint (Verts/ALE), Rasmus Andresen (Verts/ALE), David Cormand (Verts/ALE), Mounir Satouri (Verts/ALE), Younous Omarjee (The Left), Nora Mebarek (S&D), Anthony Smith (The Left), Arash Saeidi (The Left), Emma Rafowicz (S&D), Pierre Jouvet (S&D), Emma Fourreau (The Left), Thomas Pellerin-Carlin (S&D), Claire Fita (S&D), Manon Aubry (The Left), Damien Carême (The Left), Murielle Laurent (S&D), Jean-Marc Germain (S&D), Raphaël Glucksmann (S&D), Leila Chaibi (The Left), Rima Hassan (The Left)

    France’s overseas territories suffer from an economic and social situation which is unacceptable: prices of basic necessities are considerably higher than in mainland France (+ 40% in Martinique, + 39% in French Guyana and + 78% in New Caledonia) and are reaching excessive levels. A number of official reports and independent investigations have uncovered quasi-monopolies and oligopolies, suggesting the existence of cartel and anti-competitive practices detrimental to the people living there.

    It is therefore likely that in these territories EU legislation on the transparency of company accounts and the functioning of the internal market is being infringed. The French authorities have so far been unable to resolve these difficulties alone so as to enforce European law and protect citizens effectively.

    • 1.Does the Commission intend to verify France’s application of Regulation (EC) No 250/2009 and, if necessary, open infringement proceedings?
    • 2.Does it intend to launch an antitrust investigation against the Bernard Hayot Group and the groups that dominate the outermost regions’ markets in the distribution, transport, automotive, agriculture and banking sectors?
    • 3.How can the concept of abuse of a dominant position be assessed differently in these sectors?

    Submitted: 3.2.2025

    Last updated: 10 February 2025

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: Highlights – European Parliamentary Week 2025 – Committee on Economic and Monetary Affairs

    Source: European Parliament

    The European Parliamentary Week (EPW) 2025, co-organised by the European Parliament, the Polish Seijm and the Polish Senate, will take place on 17 and 18 February 2025 at the European Parliament in Brussels. The event brings together parliamentarians from the EU, candidate and observer countries to discuss economic, budgetary and social matters.

    On Monday 17 February, the ECON Committee ICM (16.20 – 19.20 CET) will be dedicated to “The future of Banking Union and Capital Markets Union” and to ” Creating an ecosystem for European investments”. In the first panel, parliamentarians will exchange views with Julia SYMON (Finance Watch), Édouard FERNANDEZ BOLLO (Former-member of the Supervisory Board of the ECB), and Anastasia KOTOVSKAIA (Centre for European Policy). The second panel features Ms Iliyana TSANOVA, (Chief Risk Officer, European Commission), Hélène BUSSIERES (Head of the Asset Management Unit, DG FISMA, European Commission), and Roxana DE CARVALHO (ESMA).

    On the second day, two plenary sessions will cover “The Improvement of EU’s competitiveness through the single market, innovation policy, better regulation and quality jobs” with Mario Draghi as key speaker and the lessons learned from “The first national plans under the revised Economic Governance Framework”.

    MIL OSI Europe News –