NewzIntel.com

Category: European Union

  • MIL-OSI Europe: Answer to a written question – Romania’s Făget Sud – Colonia Făget area in need of urgent protection as a proposed Natura 2000 site – E-000333/2025(ASW)

    Source: European Parliament

    1. + 2. The insufficiencies in the Sites of Community Interest (SCI) part of Romania’s Natura 2000 network are subject to an ongoing infringement[1], as mentioned by the Honourable Member. However, the assessment of the information available carried out as part of this infringement indicates no insufficiencies regarding the habitats and species protected in the site ROSCI0074 Făgetul Clujului — Valea Morii, including in the wider area of the site. Thus, the Commission cannot establish any breach of the Habitats Directive[2] and will not enlarge the scope of this infringement procedure against Romania on the basis of the Făget Sud — Colonia Făget area .

    3. Due to the infringement mentioned above, Romania has taken steps to address insufficiencies in the SCI part of its Natura 2000 network (e.g. by launching an ongoing project which is expected to deliver results by the end of 2025).  Cohesion policy supports projects focused on the maintenance and increase of biodiversity in Natura 2000 sites. In 2021 — 2027 programming period the national programme for sustainable development has an allocation of EUR 150 million for these actions .  In its role as guardian of the Treaties, the Commission will continue monitoring the situation and, where necessary, may decide to take appropriate action.

    • [1] INFR(2019)2138: https://ec.europa.eu/commission/presscorner/detail/en/inf_23_142
    • [2] Council Directive 92/43/EEC of 21 May 1992 on the protection of natural habitats and wild fauna and flora, OJ L 206, 22.7.1992, p. 7-50.
    Last updated: 18 March 2025

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: NZ food price inflation improving, but prices skyrocket for poor nations – WorldVision

    Source: World Vision

     

    • Food price inflation for ten basic food items has improved in New Zealand from a 56% rise in 2023 to an 18% drop in 2024
    • It takes 2.4 hours to pay for a basic food basket in NZ and 1.7 hours in Australia.  This compares with 47 days in Barundi and 20 days in Sudan.
    • There is growing global inequality in food access with food price inflation disproportionately affecting low-income nations.
    • Wealthier nations need to commit to funding emergency food aid and humanitarian aid.

     

     A new report on food price inflation shows basic food items are now more affordable in New Zealand, but reveals devastating increases for some of the world’s poorest countries, including Sudan, Burundi, and Timor Leste. 

     

    World Vision’s annual Price Shocks Report examines food price inflation in 77 countries for ten common food items, including rice, bananas, chicken, tomatoes, eggs, milk, and oil, and compares these with prices a year ago.

     

    The 2025 report finds that food prices dropped 18% in New Zealand in 2024, compared with a 56% increase for the same basic food items in 2023.  The average New Zealander would have to work for 2.4 hours to pay for the ten common food items.  This compares with three hours in 2023.

     

    However, while food price inflation has improved in more wealthy nations, such as New Zealand, Australia, France, Germany, Ireland and the United States, it has dramatically worsened for many of the world’s poorest countries, especially those in sub-Saharan Africa. 

     

    In 16 countries in this year’s study, it would take more than one week of work to earn enough money to pay for World Vision’s standard food basket.

     

    These countries, such as Sudan, Chad, Somalia, and Burundi are united in facing climate and environmental extremes, along with armed conflict, political instability and massive population displacement.

     

    World Vision Head of Advocacy and Justice, Rebekah Armstrong, says the report highlights the urgent need for adequate funding for emergency food aid.

     

    “This report is released in turbulent and uncertain times and the findings emphasise the need for urgent action to sustain global food systems and prevent the agonising impacts of hunger.

     

    “This requires interventions to address the root causes of hunger, but it also demands that we fund and deliver adequate emergency food aid. 

     

    “Sadly, we know that humanitarian funding for food security programming is expected to fall far short of the target to address predicted needs in 2025, and that means millions will go hungry due a deficit of political will and resources.  It doesn’t have to be this way,” she says. 

     

    World Vision is calling on the New Zealand government to make a strong commitment to support humanitarian food aid, climate adaptation, and global hunger responses — especially within the Asia-Pacific region, where communities are particularly vulnerable to climate and economic shocks. 

     

    Armstrong says in addition to saving millions of lives, emergency food aid and cash grants for food are one of the key ways to avoid greater political unrest around the world.

     

    “Food insecurity is an indicator of wider instability, but it also contributes to political unrest, conflict, economic stagnation and delays in development.  Addressing food security is a proven method to help create a safer and more secure world for everyone,” she says. 

     

    Armstrong says in 2024, only 47% of required humanitarian food assistance was funded leaving millions without support.

     

    She says the Rohingya crisis, the ongoing war in Sudan, prolonged droughts in the Horn of Africa and cyclones in the Pacific all contribute to conditions that exacerbate hunger.

     

    “We are at a breaking point.  Governments and the global community need to fulfil the commitments they have made and act now to scale up food aid, support smallholder farmers and invest in long-term solutions to prevent millions more from falling into famine.”

     

    New Zealanders who want to support emergency food aid can give here: wvnz.org.nz/wfp

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI Economics: Verizon & Santander Bank partner to bring Openbank’s digital banking experience to Verizon customers

    Source: Verizon

    Headline: Verizon & Santander Bank partner to bring Openbank’s digital banking experience to Verizon customers

    • Partnership brings together industry leaders in mobility and banking to provide a secure, seamless digital banking experience to Verizon customers with no fees, low minimum deposits and 24/7 access to funds.
    • Relationship significantly expands Santander’s national scale and reach as part of its strategy to become a leading digital bank with branches and enhances Verizon’s financial service portfolio with added benefits for customers.

    Verizon and Santander Bank, N.A., part of the global banking leader Santander1, today announced a multi-year U.S. partnership to bring a new, competitive high yield savings account to millions of Verizon mobile and 5G Home customers. Introducing Verizon + Openbank Savings: a digital high yield savings account with a rate 10 times the national average and the ability to save up to $180 a year on your Verizon bill. Verizon + Openbank Savings joins Verizon’s portfolio of financial services offerings, yet another example of outstanding value and benefits on top of mobile and home connectivity.

    “Verizon has long been committed to delivering value and savings beyond wireless services,” said Hans Vestberg, Chairman and CEO of Verizon. “Our scale enables the creation of exclusive financial services solutions and savings accessible only to Verizon customers. Adding the power of Openbank’s secure, simple high yield savings account to our financial offerings provides Verizon customers with unique and differentiated value in the telco and financial services category. This collaboration reinforces our dedication to delivering meaningful and exclusive benefits that support how our customers live, work, play AND save.”

    Ana Botín, Banco Santander Executive Chair, added, “By partnering with Verizon, the nation’s leading mobile provider, Openbank can offer a differentiated savings opportunity and digital experience to millions of consumers across the U.S. The Verizon partnership is a significant milestone for Santander as we scale our U.S. business further by bringing Openbank’s secure and simple banking experience and compelling rewards to Verizon’s customers nationwide — backed by a leading global bank that has earned the trust of more than 173 million customers. This is an important step in our growth strategy, and I am excited for what’s ahead.”

    Incredible savings with Verizon + Openbank

    In addition to maximizing savings with Verizon + Openbank’s competitive interest rate at 10 times the national average, customers can also save on their Verizon wireless bill, starting with a minimum average daily balance of $1,000. The higher the average daily balance, the higher the wireless bill savings — up to $180 per year.

    Signing up is simple

    Starting in April, Verizon customers can easily sign up for an Openbank high yield savings account via verizon.com or the MyVerizon app. Customers will then be directed to the Openbank site to complete the account registration process. After opening their account, customers can use the Openbank app to deposit and withdraw funds, check their monthly interest rate and manage their accounts. To learn more, you can visit verizon.com/startsaving.

    Unlocking a savings growth opportunity

    Santander US research reveals that while interest rates have been at their highest levels in nearly two decades, many consumers have not taken advantage of high-rate products, such as high yield savings accounts, to grow their savings. The research also found consumers’ top consideration for selecting a banking partner are safety, stability, and 24/7 digital access. Openbank’s digital platform provides a secure, seamless banking experience with no fees, low minimum deposits and 24/7 access to funds and customer support.

    The Openbank digital banking platform launched in the U.S. market in late 2024 with a high yield savings account offering that quickly reached more than $3 billion (USD) in deposits. The digital platform is now available nationwide, and will begin offering additional products, such as Certificates of Deposit (CDs) and Checking Accounts, later in 2025. Openbank in the U.S. is a division of Santander Bank, N.A., which is a Member of the FDIC. For more information about Openbank by Santander, including eligibility, please visit openbank.us.

    With exclusive savings, top-tier perks, the flexibility to customize your plan with myPlan and myHome, and now the incredible Verizon + Openbank Savings account, it’s never been a better time to be a Verizon customer.

    1 Banco Santander is a leading commercial bank, founded in 1857 and headquartered in Spain and one of the largest banks in the world by market capitalization. The group’s activities are consolidated into five global businesses: Retail & Commercial Banking, Digital Consumer Bank, Corporate & Investment Banking (CIB), Wealth Management & Insurance and Payments (PagoNxt and Cards). This operating model allows the bank to better leverage its unique combination of global scale and local leadership. Santander aims to be the best open financial services platform providing services to individuals, SMEs, corporates, financial institutions and governments. The bank’s purpose is to help people and businesses prosper in a simple, personal and fair way. Santander is building a more responsible bank and has made a number of commitments to support this objective, including raising €220 billion in green financing between 2019 and 2030. At the end of 2024, Banco Santander had €1.3 trillion in total funds, 173 million customers, 8,000 branches and 207,000 employees.

    Verizon + Openbank Savings is offered exclusively by Openbank, a division of Santander Bank, N.A., and is not managed, housed, or controlled by Verizon. Santander Bank, N.A., offering your account through its Openbank division, is a Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (“FDIC”) insured institution. Deposits at Santander Bank, N.A. and its Openbank division are combined for FDIC insurance purposes (FDIC Cert. 29950) and are not separately

    insured. There is a maximum of $250,000 of deposit insurance from the FDIC per depositor for each category of account ownership. Please visit fdic.gov for details. Verizon is not a chartered banking institution and is not insured by FDIC.

    MIL OSI Economics –

  • MIL-OSI NGOs: Hungary: Pride ban is full-frontal attack on LGBTI people and must not be signed into law 

    Source: Amnesty International –

    Reacting to the passing of a bill that will ban Pride marches in Hungary and allow authorities to impose fines on organizers and participants as well as use facial recognition software to identify attendees, Dávid Vig, Director of Amnesty International Hungary, said: 

    “This law is a full-frontal attack on the LGBTI community and a blatant violation of Hungary’s obligations to prohibit discrimination and guarantee freedom of expression and peaceful assembly.  

    “On the eve of the 30th anniversary of Budapest Pride in June, this harmful ban turns the clock back three decades, further undermining the hard-won rights of LGBTI people in Hungary. It is unfortunately just the latest in a line of discriminatory measures taken by the authorities that targets and stigmatizes LGBTI individuals and groups. 

    On the eve of the 30th anniversary of Budapest Pride, this harmful ban turns the clock back three decades

    “The spurious justification for the passing of this law – that events and assemblies would be ‘harmful to children’ – is based on harmful stereotypes and deeply entrenched discrimination, homophobia and transphobia. The Hungarian president must not sign this bill into law and authorities must instead ensure that LGBTI people are able to freely express their identities as well as organize and participate in public events.” 

    Background 

    The bill modifies the Act on the Right of Assembly making it a crime to hold and an offence to attend events that violate Hungary’s Propaganda Law legislation, which prohibits the “depiction or promotion” of homosexuality to under-18s. 

    A fine of up to 200,000 HUF (500 EUR) may be applied for people who attend the pride if banned. 

    The new law was submitted in the Hungarian Parliament on 17 March and rushed through in an expedited procedure today, without consultation. The law is due to enter into force on 15 April. 

    The right to freedom of peaceful assembly has increasingly come under attack across Europe, with state authorities stigmatizing, impeding, deterring, punishing and cracking down on people organizing and participating in peaceful protests. In a recent report, Amnesty International documented restrictions to the right to protest in 21 countries, including Hungary. Hungary is among the countries flouting its international and regional human rights obligations to respect, protect and facilitate peaceful assemblies, to remove obstacles and to avoid unwarranted interferences with the right to exercise the right of peaceful assembly. See https://www.amnesty.org/en/documents/eur01/8199/2024/en/

    MIL OSI NGO –

  • MIL-OSI USA: New Hampshire Congressional Delegation Opens AUKUS Industry Roundtable, Highlights Granite State Defense Industry

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for New Hampshire Jeanne Shaheen
    (Portsmouth, NH) – Today, U.S. Senators Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), Ranking Member of the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee, and Maggie Hassan (D-NH) along with U.S. Representatives Chris Pappas (NH-01) and Maggie Goodlander (NH-02) delivered remarks to open a defense industry roundtable to increase opportunities for New Hampshire businesses as part of the Australia-U.K.-U.S. (AUKUS) submarine agreement. The delegation was joined by representatives from the Australian Embassy, including the Australian Consul-General and the Minister Counsellor of AUKUS. Photos from today’s event can be found here.
    “Today’s event is an important example of how the strength of our alliances can make a difference here in the Granite State and boost our local economies,” said Senator Shaheen. “The AUKUS agreement makes America and Australia stronger by allowing us to work hand-in-hand to build and maintain nuclear submarines for both of our countries—and the technology and know-how to do that starts right here in the Granite State.”
    “If America’s allies are looking for new ways to keep their submarine fleets on the cutting edge, there’s no better place to turn to than New Hampshire — it was Portsmouth that helped build and maintain some of the first ships of the United States Navy, and Portsmouth was indispensable in building the submarine fleet that helped win World War II,” said Senator Hassan. “In a dangerous and uncertain world where our new Administration seems at times to confuse America’s friends with America’s foes, I am grateful for this strong alliance between the United States, Australia, and the United Kingdom that has made our nations stronger, more secure, and more free.”
    “American naval superiority has long played an historic role in our nation’s strength and will play a decisive role to confront challenges alongside our allies and secure the future. New Hampshire, our manufacturers, and the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard all have a critical role to play in this mission,” said Congressman Pappas. “Through the AUKUS agreement with our allies, the United Kingdom and Australia, we will bolster our naval capabilities and submarine industrial bases and strengthen our cooperation in the Indo-Pacific. New Hampshire manufacturers and workers can help lead the way, and I was glad to join this event focused on the increasing opportunities for them under the AUKUS agreement.”
    “I know first-hand from my time as an intelligence officer in the United States Navy Reserve that the alliance between the United States and Australia makes America stronger and safer,” said Congresswoman Maggie Goodlander. “The hardworking women and men of New Hampshire who work every day on behalf of our national defense are critical to the future of our alliance and the AUKUS agreement. I’m proud to represent our state’s critical role in our national security on the House Armed Services Committee.”
    Senator Shaheen has long advocated for New England’s shipbuilding industry and workforce, including through authorizing funding and workforce development for Portsmouth Naval Shipyard. Through the FY 2025 National Defense Authorization Act, Shaheen secured full authorization for the Shipbuilding Infrastructure Optimization Program (SIOP) projects at Portsmouth Naval Shipyard, which will expand the Shipyard’s capacity to maintain America’s fast-attack submarine fleet.
    Recently, the New Hampshire Congressional delegation held a press conference to discuss the impact the Trump Administration is having on the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard. Shaheen and U.S. Senator Susan Collins (R-ME) have called on the U.S. Department of the Navy to exempt Portsmouth Naval Shipyard employees from the Office of Personnel Management’s (OPM) deferred resignation program for federal employees. The Department of Defense recently announced that the shipyard workforce is exempt from the civilian hiring freeze
    As a founding co-chair of the Public Shipyard Caucus, Congressman Pappas is a strong supporter of the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard, the men and women who serve there, and its work to strengthen our national and global security. Last week Representatives Pappas and Pingree led a bipartisan group of their colleagues sounding the alarm over the Trump Administration’s hiring freeze and workforce cuts, which impact American shipyards like Portsmouth Naval Shipyard.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI: Nokia Corporation: Repurchase of own shares on 18.03.2025

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    Nokia Corporation
    Stock Exchange Release
    18 March 2025 at 22:30 EET

    Nokia Corporation: Repurchase of own shares on 18.03.2025

    Espoo, Finland – On 18 March 2025 Nokia Corporation (LEI: 549300A0JPRWG1KI7U06) has acquired its own shares (ISIN FI0009000681) as follows:

    Trading venue (MIC Code) Number of shares Weighted average price / share, EUR*
    XHEL 2,536,936 4.94
    CEUX 1,127,528 4.95
    BATE – –
    AQEU – –
    TQEX 169,978 4.95
    Total 3,834,442 4.94

    * Rounded to two decimals

    On 22 November 2024, Nokia announced that its Board of Directors is initiating a share buyback program to offset the dilutive effect of new Nokia shares issued to the shareholders of Infinera Corporation and certain Infinera Corporation share-based incentives. The repurchases in compliance with the Market Abuse Regulation (EU) 596/2014 (MAR), the Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2016/1052 and under the authorization granted by Nokia’s Annual General Meeting on 3 April 2024 started on 25 November 2024 and end by 31 December 2025 and target to repurchase 150 million shares for a maximum aggregate purchase price of EUR 900 million.

    Total cost of transactions executed on 18 March 2025 was EUR 18,943,677. After the disclosed transactions, Nokia Corporation holds 179,424,434 treasury shares.

    Details of transactions are included as an appendix to this announcement.

    On behalf of Nokia Corporation

    BofA Securities Europe SA

    About Nokia
    At Nokia, we create technology that helps the world act together.

    As a B2B technology innovation leader, we are pioneering networks that sense, think and act by leveraging our work across mobile, fixed and cloud networks. In addition, we create value with intellectual property and long-term research, led by the award-winning Nokia Bell Labs which is celebrating 100 years of innovation.

    With truly open architectures that seamlessly integrate into any ecosystem, our high-performance networks create new opportunities for monetization and scale. Service providers, enterprises and partners worldwide trust Nokia to deliver secure, reliable and sustainable networks today – and work with us to create the digital services and applications of the future.

    Inquiries:

    Nokia Communications
    Phone: +358 10 448 4900
    Email: press.services@nokia.com
    Maria Vaismaa, Global Head of External Communications

    Nokia Investor Relations
    Phone: +358 931 580 507
    Email: investor.relations@nokia.com

    Attachment

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Hong Kong Customs seizes suspected dangerous drugs worth over $2.8 million (with photos)

    Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

    Hong Kong Customs seizes suspected dangerous drugs worth over $2.8 million  
    Through risk assessment, Customs on March 11 inspected two air parcels, declared as bottle openers and arriving in Hong Kong from Italy. Upon inspection, Customs officers found that the batch of suspected ketamine was concealed inside 24 packaging boxes of bottle openers.
     
    After a follow-up investigation, Customs officers conducted a controlled delivery operation yesterday in Kwai Chung and arrested a male consignee, aged 31, who was suspected to be connected with the case. Later, Customs further seized about 34g of suspected ketamine and about 8g of suspected methamphetamine from his vehicle and in his possession respectively. 
     
    The arrested person has been charged with two counts of trafficking in a dangerous drug and one count of possession of dangerous drug. He will appear at the West Kowloon Magistrates’ Courts tomorrow (March 19).
     
    Customs will continue to step up enforcement against drug trafficking activities through intelligence analysis. The department also reminds members of the public to stay alert and not to participate in drug trafficking activities for monetary return. They must not accept hiring or delegation from another party to carry controlled items into and out of Hong Kong. They are also reminded not to carry unknown items for other people, nor to release their personal data or home address to others for receiving parcels or goods.
     
    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.
     
    Customs reminds people to pay attention to the fact that drug trafficking is a serious criminal offence. Criminal conviction will result in grave repercussions for their future and they should not take risks in the hope that they may not be caught.
     
    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.hkIssued at HKT 18:52

    NNNN

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI: Waldencast Reports Q4 2024 and Fiscal Year 2024 Financial Results

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    Q4 Net Revenue of $72.1 million, 29.4% Comparable Net Revenue Growth and $11.2 million of Adjusted EBITDA, doubling from Q4 2023

    FY 2024 Net Revenue of $273.9 million, 27.5% Comparable Net Revenue Growth and $40.3 million of Adjusted EBITDA

    Obagi Medical is the fastest growing professional skincare brand1 in the US in 2024

    Milk Makeup expands its distribution to Ulta Beauty

    Waldencast secures a new $205 million credit facility, replacing the current one, enhancing flexibility and extending debt maturity

    LONDON, March 18, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Waldencast plc (NASDAQ: WALD) (“Waldencast” or the “Company”), a global multi-brand beauty and wellness platform, today reported operating results for the three months ended December 31, 2024 (“Q4 2024”) and the year ended December 31, 2024 (the “Year Ended 2024”) on Form 6-K to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”), which are also available on our investor relations site at http://ir.waldencast.com/.

    Michel Brousset, Waldencast Founder and CEO, said: “We closed a transformative year for the Group, achieving outstanding growth, expanding our brands’ communities, and making significant progress on our strategic priorities. Our business model is driven by a powerful flywheel effect of growth and profitability. This begins with the unique strength of our brands, which is amplified by our ability to enhance operational efficiency. As a result, we can effectively increase investments in sales and marketing to drive profitable growth. In 2024, we achieved a 27.5% increase in Comparable Net Revenue and a 65.1% rise in Adjusted EBITDA, demonstrating our proven ability to expand gross margins and optimize our cost base as we grow.”

    “Our proven ability to innovate significantly contributed to our brands’ growth. This year, Milk Makeup introduced several exciting new products, including the viral and award-winning Cooling Water Jelly Tint Blush + Lip Stain. Obagi Medical also launched a range of successful innovations aimed at both consumers and the professional skincare medical community, most notably the ELASTIderm Lift Up & Sculpt Facial Moisturizer and Elastiderm Advanced Filler Concentrate.”

    “Building on our momentum, we are excited to announce that Milk Makeup will launch in over 600 Ulta Beauty locations this spring, further highlighting the growing demand for our cult-favorite brand. Additionally, Obagi Medical expanded the Suzan Obagi MD® collection with groundbreaking new products, including the Super Antioxidant Serum and the Moisture Restore Hydration Replenishing Cream.”

    ____________________________________

    1 Among the top 10 brands. Kline & Company. (2024). 2024 Kline Professional Skincare: United States market analysis and opportunities.

    “Overall, we are excited about the year ahead and expect another year of significant milestones toward achieving our ambition to build a global best-in-class beauty and wellness multi-brand platform by creating, acquiring, accelerating, and scaling the next generation of high-growth, purpose-driven brands,” concluded Mr. Brousset.

    Q4 2024 Results Overview

    Please refer to the definitions and reconciliations set out further in this release with respect to certain adjusted non-GAAP measures discussed below which are included to provide an easier understanding of the underlying performance of the business, but should not be seen as a substitute for the U.S. GAAP numbers presented in this release.

    For the three months ended December 31, 2024 compared to the three months ended December 31, 2023:

    Net Revenue increased 30.8% to $72.1 million, a 29.4% increase in Comparable Net Revenue Growth that was attributable to Milk Makeup channel expansion, Obagi Medical accelerated growth in the Physician Dispense channel, and continued success in Obagi Medical e-commerce channels.

    Gross Profit was $49.4 million. Adjusted Gross Profit was $52.6 million, or 73.0% of net revenue, compared to $40.3 million in Q4 2023.

    Net Loss improved from $32.7 million in Q4 2023 to $22.6 million in Q4 2024, driven by operational growth and a reduction in non-recurring costs associated with the restatement and SEC investigation.

    Adjusted EBITDA doubled to $11.2 million (15.5% of net revenue), reflecting a 530 basis point expansion from Q4 2023. This growth was driven by strong top-line performance and operational leverage, as both Obagi Medical and Milk Makeup continued to scale and reinvest in business drivers while maintaining G&A discipline.

    Liquidity: The business maintained strong cash conversion in Q4 2024, driven by effective working capital management and minimal capital expenditure thanks to our asset-light business model. While the Company continues to incur significant non-recurring legal and advisory costs, the level of expenditures has been gradually reducing. As of December 31, 2024, the Company had $14.8 million in cash and cash equivalents and $154.2 million of Net Debt.

    New Credit Facility: Waldencast has entered into a new $205 million five-year credit facility, comprising a $175 million Term Loan and a $30 million RCF, that replaces its existing facility. This agreement supports the Company’s strategic priorities by enhancing financial flexibility and extending its debt maturity profile well ahead of the current facilities expiration in July 2026.

    Outstanding Shares: As of February 28, 2025, we had 122,720,911 ordinary shares outstanding, consisting of 112,054,383 Class A shares and 10,666,528 Class B shares. As of December 31, 2024, we had 122,692,968 ordinary shares outstanding, consisting of 112,026,440 Class A shares and 10,666,528 Class B shares.

    (In $ millions, except for percentages)   Q4 2024   % Sales   % Growth   % Comparable
    Net Revenue
    Growth    		     Q4 2023   % Sales
    Waldencast                          
    Net Revenue   72.1   100.0%   30.8%   29.4%     55.1   100.0%
    Adjusted Gross Profit   52.6   73.0%   30.7%         40.3   73.1%
    Adjusted EBITDA   11.2   15.5%   99.3%         5.6   10.2%
                               
    Obagi Medical                          
    Net Revenue   42.2   100.0%   30.0%   27.7%     32.5   100.0%
    Adjusted Gross Profit   33.2   78.7%   28.0%         26.0   80.0%
    Adjusted EBITDA   9.8   23.3%   23.7%         8.0   24.5%
                               
    Milk Makeup                          
    Net Revenue   29.9   100.0%   31.9%         22.6   100.0%
    Adjusted Gross Profit   19.4   64.9%   35.6%         14.3   63.1%
    Adjusted EBITDA   4.8   16.1%   248.0%         1.4   6.1%
     

    Fourth Quarter 2024 Brand Highlights:

    Obagi Medical:

    • Net Revenue reached $42.2 million, from $32.5 million in Q4 2023 with Comparable Net Revenue Growth of 27.7%.
    • Obagi Medical’s strong net revenue growth continued to be driven by increased brand awareness, stronger selling and marketing investments, and continued innovation. The brand continued expanding its international footprint and growing e-commerce sales through its direct website and the move to a first party model with its main e-commerce distributor, implemented in late 2023, with benefits tapering off by Q1 2025.
    • Notably, Obagi Medical was the fastest-growing professional skin care brand among the top 10 in the US in 20241. This historic achievement underscores the strength of our enhanced go-to-market strategy which successfully balances growth in the Physician Dispense channel, our historic stronghold, with the acceleration of our digital channels.
    • Adjusted Gross Margin of 78.7% contracted 130 basis points from Q4 2023 due to a higher weight of inventory liquidations.
    • Adjusted EBITDA was $9.8 million, an increase of 23.7% from Q4 2023 with an Adjusted EBITDA margin of 23.3%, a decline of 120 basis points from Q4 2023 reflecting the brands continued strategic investment in marketing to drive top-line growth and improved leverage of fixed costs.

    Milk Makeup:

    • Net Revenue reached $29.9 million, up 31.9% from $22.6 million in Q4 2023.
    • Milk Makeup’s Q4 2024 growth reflected the initial shipments to Ulta Beauty in support of the brand’s spring 2025 launch along with increased demand driven by our growing awareness, the continued delivery of sought-after innovation, and international expansion.
    • Adjusted Gross Margin increased by 180 basis points versus Q4 2023, primarily reflecting the positive impact of channel and product mix, as well as margin accretive innovation.
    • Adjusted EBITDA was $4.8 million an increase of $3.4 million from Adjusted EBITDA of $1.4 million in Q4 2023. Adjusted EBITDA Margin improved 1,000 basis points to 16.1% versus 6.1% in Q4 2023 as robust sales growth and gross margin expansion drove significant operational leverage despite increased brand investment.

    Year Ended 2024 Results Overview

    For the year ended December 31, 2024 compared to the year ended December 31, 2023:

    Net Revenue was $273.9 million, a 27.5% increase in Comparable Net Revenue Growth.

    Gross Profit was $191.7 million. Adjusted Gross Profit was $203.6 million, or 74.3% of net revenue, a margin improvement of 530 basis points versus 2023.

    Net Loss was $48.6 million, down from $106.0 million in the Year Ended 2023. The improvement was primarily driven by strong operational growth in the business, a fair value adjustment of the warrants, and reduced non-recurring costs.

    Adjusted EBITDA was $40.3 million, an Adjusted EBITDA Margin of 14.7%, compared to 11.2% in the Year Ended 2023.

    Fiscal 2025 Outlook:

    We expect to deliver mid-teens Net Revenue growth and further expansion of Adjusted EBITDA Margin into the mid-to-high teens.

    Net revenue growth is expected to accelerate throughout the year, starting with relatively flat growth in Q1 due to the anniversary of the highly successful Milk Makeup “Jellies” launch from Q1 2024, as well as inventory adjustment in some of our retail partners.

    Growth is expected to accelerate progressively in the following quarters, driven by our innovation pipeline and the continued expansion of our distribution footprint in the U.S. and internationally, including the launch of Milk Makeup at Ulta Beauty in March 2025.

    Year Ended 2024 Highlights

    (In $ millions, except for percentages)   Year
    Ended
    2024    		   % Sales   % Growth   % Comparable
    Net Revenue
    Growth    		     Year
    Ended
    2023    		   % Sales
    Waldencast                          
    Net Revenue   273.9   100.0%   25.5%   27.5%     218.1   100.0%
    Adjusted Gross Profit   203.6   74.3%   35.3%         150.4   69.0%
    Adjusted EBITDA   40.3   14.7%   65.1%         24.4   11.2%
                               
    Obagi Medical                          
    Net Revenue   149.3   100.0%   26.9%   30.7%     117.7   100.0%
    Adjusted Gross Profit   118.6   79.4%   41.6%         83.7   71.2%
    Adjusted EBITDA   30.5   20.4%   46.4%         20.8   17.7%
                               
    Milk Makeup                          
    Net Revenue   124.6   100.0%   24.0%         100.5   100.0%
    Adjusted Gross Profit   85.0   68.2%   27.4%         66.7   66.4%
    Adjusted EBITDA   29.1   23.3%   58.0%         18.4   18.3%
     

    Conference Call and Webcast Information

    Waldencast will host a conference call to discuss its year-end and fourth quarter results on Wednesday, March 19, 2025, at 8:30 AM EDT for the period ended December 31, 2024. Those interested in participating in the conference call are invited to dial (877) 704-4453. International callers may dial (201) 389-0920. A live webcast of the conference call will include a slide presentation and will be available online at https://ir.waldencast.com/. A replay of the webcast will remain available on the website until our next conference call. The information accessible on, or through, our website is not incorporated by reference into this release.

    Non-GAAP Financial Measures

    In addition to the financial measures presented in this release in accordance with U.S. GAAP, Waldencast separately reports financial results on the basis of the measures set out and defined below which are non-GAAP financial measures. Waldencast believes the non-GAAP measures used in this release provide useful information to management and investors regarding certain financial and business trends relating to its financial condition and results of operations. Waldencast believes that the use of these non-GAAP financial measures provides an additional tool for investors to use in evaluating ongoing operating results and trends. These non-GAAP measures also provide perspective on how Waldencast’s management evaluates and monitors the performance of the business.

    There are limitations to non-GAAP financial measures because they exclude charges and credits that are required to be included in GAAP financial presentation. The items excluded from GAAP financial measures such as net income/loss to arrive at non-GAAP financial measures are significant components for understanding and assessing our financial performance. Non-GAAP financial measures should be considered together with, and not alternatives to, financial measures prepared in accordance with GAAP.

    Please refer to definitions set out in the release and the tables included in this release for a reconciliation of these metrics to the most directly comparable GAAP financial measures.

    Comparable Net Revenue is defined as Net Revenue excluding sales related to the former Obagi Medical China business (the “Obagi Medical China Business”), which was not acquired by Waldencast at the time of the business combination with Obagi Medical and Milk Makeup (the “Business Combination”) as was presented in previous earnings releases. The sales to the Obagi Medical China Business have a below market sales price for a defined period of time after the acquisition of Obagi Medical pursuant to the Business Combination. As a result of the Business Combination, a below market contract liability was recognized and is amortized based on sales. This adjustment is shown in the Adjusted EBITDA and Adjusted Gross Profit reconciliations. Management of the Company believes that this non-GAAP measure provides perspective on how Waldencast’s management evaluates and monitors the performance of the business. See reconciliation to U.S. GAAP Net Revenue in the Appendix.

    Comparable Net Revenue Growth is defined as the growth in Comparable Net Revenue period over period expressed as a percentage.

    Adjusted Gross Profit is defined as GAAP gross profit excluding the impact of inventory fair value adjustments, amortization of the supply agreement and formulation intangible assets, discontinued product write-off, and the amortization of the fair value of the related party liability from the Obagi Medical China Business. The Adjusted Gross Profit reconciliation by Segment for each period is included in the Appendix.

    Adjusted Gross Margin is defined as Adjusted Gross Profit divided by GAAP Net Revenue.

    Adjusted EBITDA is defined as GAAP net income (loss) before interest income or expense, income tax (benefit) expense, depreciation and amortization, and further adjusted for the items as described in the reconciliation below. We believe this information will be useful for investors to facilitate comparisons of our operating performance and better identify trends in our business. Adjusted EBITDA excludes certain expenses that are required to be presented in accordance with GAAP because management believes they are non-core to our regular business. These include non-cash expenses, such as depreciation and amortization, stock-based compensation, inventory fair value adjustments, the amortization and release of fair value of the related party liability to the Obagi Medical China Business, change in fair value of financial instruments, loss on impairment of goodwill and leases, and foreign currency translation loss (gain). In addition, adjustments include expenses that are not related to our underlying business performance including (1) legal, advisory and consultant fees related to the financial restatement of previously issued financial statements and associated regulatory investigation, and the Business Combination; (2) costs to recover and the value of the inventory recovered from the acquisition of the SA distributor, and the associated discontinued products; and (3) other non-recurring costs, primarily legal settlement costs and restructuring costs. The Adjusted EBITDA by Segment for each period is included in the Appendix.

    Adjusted EBITDA Margin is defined as Adjusted EBITDA as a percentage of net revenue. The Adjusted EBITDA Margin reconciliation by Segment for each period is included in the Appendix.

    (In thousands, except for percentages)   Three
    Months
    Ended
    December 31,
    2024    		   Three
    Months
    Ended
    December 31,
    2023    		   Year ended
    December 31,
    2024    		   Year ended
    December 31,
    2023
    Net Loss   $ (22,597 )   $ (32,731 )   $ (48,648 )   $ (105,968 )
    Adjusted For:                
    Depreciation and amortization     15,013       14,863       60,015       60,498  
    Interest expense, net     4,088       4,276       17,155       18,888  
    Income tax expense (benefit)     4,113       (976 )     110       (6,975 )
    Stock-based compensation expense     2,993       1,677       9,392       9,235  
    Legal and advisory non-recurring costs(1)     3,029       12,949       21,493       32,783  
    Change in fair value of warrants and interest rate collar     443       2,473       (23,679 )     10,443  
    Amortization and release of related party liability(2)     (4,169 )     —       (5,678 )     (4,058 )
    Loss on impairment of goodwill     5,031       —       5,031       —  
    Other costs(3)     3,241       3,083       5,093       9,549  
    Adjusted EBITDA   $ 11,185     $ 5,613     $ 40,284     $ 24,395  
    Net Revenue   $ 72,083     $ 55,117     $ 273,868     $ 218,138  
    Net Loss % of Net Revenue     (31.3 )%     (59.4 )%     (17.8 )%     (48.6 )%
    Adjusted EBITDA Margin     15.5 %     10.2 %     14.7 %     11.2 %
     
    (1) Includes mainly legal, advisory and consultant fees related to the financial restatement 2020-2022 periods and associated regulatory investigation, and the Business Combination.
    (2) Relates to the fair value of the related party liability for the unfavorable discount to the Obagi Medical China Business as part of the Business Combination.
    (3) Other costs include legal settlements, foreign currency translation losses, product discontinuation costs related to advanced purchases for the SA Distributor, the write-down and subsequent recovery of inventory from the SA Distributor, restructuring costs, amortization of the fair value step-up as a result of the business combination, lease impairments, restructuring and contract termination fees.
       

    Net Debt Position is defined as the principal outstanding for the 2022 Term Loan and 2022 Revolving Credit Facility minus the cash and cash equivalents as of December 31, 2024.

    (In thousands)   Reconciliation of
    Net Carrying
    Amount of debt to
    Net Debt
    Current portion of long-term debt   $ 29,479  
    Long-term debt     137,137  
    Net carrying amount of debt     166,616  
    Adjustments:    
    Add: Unamortized debt issuance costs     2,339  
    Less: Cash & cash equivalents     (14,802 )
    Net Debt   $ 154,153  
             

    About Waldencast plc

    Founded by Michel Brousset and Hind Sebti, Waldencast’s ambition is to build a global best-in-class beauty and wellness operating platform by developing, acquiring, accelerating, and scaling conscious, high-growth purpose-driven brands. Waldencast’s vision is fundamentally underpinned by its brand-led business model that ensures proximity to its customers, business agility, and market responsiveness, while maintaining each brand’s distinct DNA. The first step in realizing its vision was the Business Combination. As part of the Waldencast platform, its brands will benefit from the operational scale of a multi-brand platform; the expertise in managing global beauty brands at scale; a balanced portfolio to mitigate category fluctuations; asset light efficiency; and the market responsiveness and speed of entrepreneurial indie brands. For more information please visit: https://ir.waldencast.com.

    Obagi Medical is an industry-leading, advanced skin care line rooted in research and skin biology, refined with a legacy of over 35 years’ experience. First known as leaders in the treatment of hyperpigmentation with the Obagi Nu-Derm® System, Obagi Medical products are designed to address the appearance of premature aging, photodamage, skin discoloration, acne, and sun damage. More information about Obagi Medical is available on the brand’s website at www.obagi.com.

    Founded in 2016, Milk Makeup quickly became a cult-favorite among the beauty community for its values of self-expression and inclusion, captured by its signature “Live Your Look”, its innovative formulas, and clean ingredients. The brand creates vegan, cruelty-free, clean formulas and has its Milk Makeup HQ in Downtown NYC. Currently, Milk Makeup offers over 250 products through its U.S. website www.MilkMakeup.com, and retail partners including Sephora globally, Ulta Beauty in the U.S., Lyko in Scandinavia, Space NK and Boots in the United Kingdom and many more.

    Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

    All statements in this release that are not historical, are forward-looking statements made pursuant to the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Such statements include, but are not limited to, statements about: Waldencast’s outlook and guidance for 2025; our ability to deliver financial results in line with expectations; expectations regarding sales, earnings or other future financial performance and liquidity or other performance measures; our long-term strategy and future operations or operating results; expectations with respect to our industry and the markets in which it operates; future product introductions; developments relating to the ongoing investigation and legal proceedings; and any assumptions underlying any of the foregoing. Words such as “anticipate,” “believe,” “continue,” “could,” “estimate,” “expect,” “intend,” “may,” “plan,” “predict,” “project,” “should,” and “will” and variations of such words and similar expressions are intended to identify such forward-looking statements.

    These forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance, conditions or results, and involve a number of known and unknown risks, uncertainties, assumptions and other important factors, many of which are outside of our control, that could cause actual results or outcomes to differ materially from those discussed in the forward-looking statements, including, among others: (i) the impact of the material weaknesses in our internal control over financial reporting, including associated investigations, our efforts to remediate such material weakness and the timing of remediation and resolution of associated investigations; (ii) our ability to recognize the anticipated benefits from any acquired business, including the Business Combination; (iii) our ability to successfully implement our management’s plans and strategies; (iv) the overall economic and market conditions, sales forecasts and other information about our possible or assumed future results of operations or our performance; (v) the general impact of geopolitical events, including the impact of current wars, conflicts or other hostilities; (vi) the potential for delisting, legal proceedings or existing or new government investigation or enforcement actions, including those relating to the restatement or the subject of the Audit Committee of our Board of Directors’ review further described in our annual report filed on Form 20-F for the year ended December 31, 2022, (vii) our ability to manage expenses, our liquidity and our investments in working capital; (viii) any failure to obtain governmental and regulatory approvals related to our business and products; (ix) the impact of any international trade or foreign exchange restrictions, increased tariffs, foreign currency exchange fluctuations; (x) our ability to raise additional capital or complete desired acquisitions; (xi) our ability to comply with financial covenants imposed by the new 2025 credit agreement we entered into referenced in the section entitled “New Credit Facility” above and the impact of debt service obligations and restricted debt covenants; (xii) volatility of Waldencast’s securities due to a variety of factors, including Waldencast’s inability to implement its business plans or meet or exceed its financial projections and changes; (xiii) the ability to implement business plans, forecasts, and other expectations, and identify and realize additional opportunities; (xiv) the ability of Waldencast to implement its strategic initiatives and continue to innovate Obagi Medical’s and Milk Makeup’s existing products and anticipate and respond to market trends and changes in consumer preferences, (xv) any shifts in the preferences of consumers as to where and how they shop; (xvi) the impact of any unfavorable publicity on our business or products; (xvii) changes in future exchange or interest rates or credit ratings; (xviii) changes in, and uncertainty with respect to, laws, regulations, and policies, including as a result of the change in the U.S. administration; and (xix) social, political and economic conditions. These and other risks, assumptions and uncertainties are more fully described in the Risk Factors section of our 2023 20-F (File No. 01-40207), filed with the SEC on April 30, 2024, and in our other documents that we file or furnish with the SEC, which you are encouraged to read.

    Should one or more of these risks or uncertainties materialize, or should underlying assumptions prove incorrect, actual results may vary materially from those indicated or anticipated by such forward-looking statements. Accordingly, you are cautioned not to rely on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date they are made. Waldencast expressly disclaims any current intention, and assumes no duty, to update publicly any forward-looking statement after the distribution of this release, whether as a result of new information, future events, changes in assumptions or otherwise.

    Contacts:

    Investors
    ICR
    Allison Malkin
    waldencastir@icrinc.com

    Media
    ICR
    Brittney Fraser/Alecia Pulman
    waldencast@icrinc.com

    Appendix

    Comparable Net Revenue Growth

        Group   Obagi Medical
    (In thousands, except for percentages)   Three
    months
    ended
    December 31,
    2024    		   Three
    months
    ended
    December 31,
    2023    		   Year ended
    December 31,
    2024    		   Year ended
    December 31,
    2023    		   Three
    months
    ended
    December 31,
    2024    		   Three
    months
    ended
    December 31,
    2023    		   Year ended
    December 31,
    2024    		   Year ended
    December 31,
    2023
    Net Revenue   $ 72,083     $ 55,117   $ 273,868     $ 218,138   $ 42,211     $ 32,470   $ 149,266     $ 117,651
    Obagi Medical China Business     735       —     2,804       5,619     735       —     2,804       5,619
    Comparable Net Revenue   $ 71,348     $ 55,117   $ 271,064     $ 212,519   $ 41,476     $ 32,470   $ 146,462     $ 112,032
    Comparable Growth     29.4 %         27.5 %         27.7 %         30.7 %    
                                                     

    Adjusted Gross Profit

        Group
    (In thousands, except for percentages)   Three months
    ended
    December 31,
    2024    		   Three months
    ended
    December 31,
    2023    		   Year ended
    December 31,
    2024    		   Year ended
    December 31,
    2023
    Net Revenue   $ 72,083     $ 55,117     $ 273,868     $ 218,138  
    Gross Profit     49,450       37,476       191,744       141,577  
    Gross Profit Margin     68.6 %     68.0 %     70.0 %     64.9 %
    Gross Margin Adjustments:                
    Amortization of the fair value of the related party liability(1)     (750 )     —       (2,260 )     (4,058 )
    Amortization of the inventory fair value adjustment(2)     —       —       —       1,691  
    Discontinued product write-off(3)     1,139       —       2,864       —  
    Amortization impact of intangible assets(4)     2,801       2,801       11,205       11,205  
    Adjusted Gross Profit   $ 52,639     $ 40,277     $ 203,553     $ 150,415  
    Adjusted Gross Margin %     73.0 %     73.1 %     74.3 %     69.0 %
                                     

     

    (1) Relates to the fair value of the related party liability for the unfavorable discount to the Obagi Medical China Business as part of the Business Combination.
    (2) Relates to the amortization of the inventory fair value step-up as a result of the Business Combination.
    (3) Relates to the advance purchase of specific products for the market in Vietnam sold through the SA Distributor that became obsolete when the distribution contract was terminated.
    (4) The Supply Agreement and Formulations intangible assets are amortized to cost of goods sold.
       
        Obagi Medical   Milk Makeup
    (In thousands, except for percentages)   Three
    months
    ended
    December 31,
    2024    		   Three
    months
    ended
    December 31,
    2023    		   Year ended
    December 31,
    2024    		   Year ended
    December 31,
    2023    		   Three
    months
    ended
    December 31,
    2024    		   Three
    months
    ended
    December 31,
    2023    		   Year ended
    December 31,
    2024    		   Year ended
    December 31,
    2023
    Net Revenue   $ 42,211     $ 32,470     $ 149,266     $ 117,651     $ 29,872     $ 22,647     $ 124,602     $ 100,487  
    Gross Profit     30,050       23,175       106,760       76,582       19,395       14,301       84,984       64,995  
    Gross Profit Margin     71.2 %     71.4 %     71.5 %     65.1 %     64.9 %     63.1 %     68.2 %     64.7 %
    Gross Margin Adjustments:                                
    Amortization of the fair value of the related party liability     (750 )     —       (2,260 )     (4,058 )     —       —       —       —  
    Amortization of the inventory fair value adjustment     —       —       —       —       —       —       —       1,691  
    Discontinued product write-off     1,139       —       2,864       —       —       —       —       —  
    Amortization impact of intangible assets     2,801       2,801       11,205       11,205       —       —       —       —  
    Adjusted Gross Profit   $ 33,239     $ 25,976     $ 118,569     $ 83,729     $ 19,395     $ 14,301     $ 84,984     $ 66,686  
    Adjusted Gross Margin %     78.7 %     80.0 %     79.4 %     71.2 %     64.9 %     63.1 %     68.2 %     66.4 %
                                                                     

    Adjusted EBITDA Margin by Segment

        Obagi Medical   Milk Makeup
    (In thousands, except for percentages)   Three
    months
    ended
    December 31,
    2024    		   Three
    months
    ended
    December 31,
    2023    		   Year ended
    December 31,
    2024    		   Year ended
    December 31,
    2023    		   Three
    months
    ended
    December 31,
    2024    		   Three
    months
    ended
    December 31,
    2023    		   Year ended
    December 31,
    2024    		   Year ended
    December 31,
    2023
    Net Loss   $ (12,114 )   $ (8,305 )   $ (31,524 )   $ (32,214 )   $ 230     $ (3,959 )   $ 8,803     $ (5,655 )
    Adjusted For:                                
    Depreciation and amortization     10,397       10,425       41,591       41,984       4,616       4,457       18,424       18,514  
    Interest expense, net     3,068       3,341       12,391       12,644       (3 )     4       (1 )     590  
    Income tax expense (benefit)     3,933       (990 )     (141 )     (6,997 )     25       9       32       10  
    Stock-based compensation expense     465       (317 )     (328 )     726       (338 )     444       1,167       2,352  
    Legal and advisory non-recurring costs     1,061       1,119       5,054       1,702       —       —       —       27  
    Amortization and release of related party liability     (4,169 )     —       (5,678 )     (4,058 )     —       —       —       —  
    Loss on impairment of goodwill     5,031       —       5,031       —       —       —       —       —  
    Other costs     2,166       2,682       4,120       7,027       285       428       639       2,566  
    Adjusted EBITDA   $ 9,838     $ 7,956     $ 30,516     $ 20,814     $ 4,814     $ 1,383     $ 29,064     $ 18,404  
    Net Revenue   $ 42,211     $ 32,470     $ 149,266     $ 117,651     $ 29,872     $ 22,647     $ 124,602     $ 100,487  
    Net Loss % of Net Revenue     (28.7 )%     (25.6 )%     (21.1 )%     (27.4 )%     0.8 %     (17.5 )%     7.1 %     (5.6 )%
    Adjusted EBITDA Margin     23.3 %     24.5 %     20.4 %     17.7 %     16.1 %     6.1 %     23.3 %     18.3 %
                                                                     
        Central costs
    (In thousands, except for percentages)   Three months
    ended
    December 31,
    2024    		   Three months
    ended
    December 31,
    2023    		   Year ended
    December 31,
    2024    		   Year ended
    December 31,
    2023
    Net Loss   $ (10,714 )   $ (20,467 )   $ (25,927 )   $ (68,099 )
    Adjusted For:                
    Depreciation and amortization     —       (20 )     —       —  
    Interest expense, net     1,024       931       4,765       5,654  
    Income tax expense     155       4       219       12  
    Stock-based compensation expense     2,866       1,549       8,553       6,157  
    Legal and advisory non-recurring costs     1,968       11,830       16,439       31,054  
    Change in fair value of warrants and interest rate collar     443       2,473       (23,679 )     10,443  
    Other costs     789       (26 )     334       (44 )
    Adjusted EBITDA   $ (3,468 )   $ (3,727 )   $ (19,296 )   $ (14,823 )
    Net Revenue   $ —     $ —     $ —     $ —  
    Net Loss % of Net Revenue     N/A       N/A       N/A       N/A  
    Adjusted EBITDA Margin     N/A       N/A       N/A       N/A  

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI Video: Gaza, Occupied Palestinian Territory & other topics – Daily Press Briefing | United Nations

    Source: United Nations (Video News)

    Noon briefing by Farhan Haq, Deputy Spokesperson for the Secretary-General.

    Highlights:
    – Secretary-General
    – Gaza
    – Occupied Palestinian Territory- Humanitarian
    – Occupied Palestinian Territory
    – U.N. Interim Force in Lebanon
    – Syria
    – Somalia
    – Democratic Republic of the Congo
    – D.R. Congo/Peacekeeping
    – South Sudan
    – South Sudan/Humanitarian
    – Tropical Storm Jude
    – Haiti
    – Financial Contributions

    SECRETARY-GENERAL
    In Geneva today, the Secretary-General concluded the informal meeting on Cyprus that he convened with the two Cypriot leaders and the Guarantor Powers of Greece, Türkiye and the United Kingdom.  
    Speaking to the press at the end of the meeting, the Secretary-General said the
    discussions were held in a constructive atmosphere, with both sides showing clear commitment to making progress and continuing dialogue.
    The Secretary-General added that the leaders have agreed to a group of initiatives to build trust: opening four crossing points; demining; the creation of a technical committee on youth; initiatives on the environment and climate change, including the impacts on mining areas; solar energy in the buffer zone; and the restoration of cemeteries. 
    Mr. Guterres said that the leaders also agreed to hold another meeting in the same format at the end of July, as well as to the appointment of a Personal Envoy to prepare the next steps.
    As we mentioned earlier, the meeting was held in the context of the Secretary-General’s good offices efforts on the Cyprus issue and as agreed with the two leaders on 15 October 2024.   
    The Secretary-General will be leaving for Brussels shortly, where he will meet with European Union leaders – and you will recall that this is something he has been doing in the month of March for the past few years.  
    Tomorrow, he is scheduled to meet Ursula von der Leyen, the President of the European Commission, Antonio Costa, the President of the European Council, as well as Roberta Metsola, the President of the European Parliament.  And we will keep you updated on his activities in Brussels.

    GAZA
    The Secretary-General expressed his shock earlier today at the Israeli airstrikes in Gaza, and he strongly appeals for the ceasefire to be respected, for unimpeded humanitarian assistance to be reestablished, and for the remaining hostages to be released unconditionally. Speaking to the press in Geneva, he said the situation in Gaza was intolerable, with hundreds of people having been reportedly killed.
    Muhannad Hadi, the Humanitarian Coordinator for the Occupied Palestinian Territory, said that the killings were unconscionable, adding that a ceasefire must be reinstated immediately.
    People in Gaza have endured unimaginable suffering, he said, and an end to hostilities, sustained humanitarian assistance, release of the hostages and the restoration of basic services and people’s livelihoods, are the only way forward.
    Volker Türk, the High Commissioner for Human Rights, added that the last 18 months of violence have made abundantly clear that there is no military path out of this crisis. The only way forward is a political settlement, in line with international law. Israel’s resort to yet more military force will only heap further misery upon a Palestinian population already suffering catastrophic conditions, he said.

    OCCUPIED PALESTINIAN TERRITORY- HUMANITARIAN
    The Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs reports that the Israeli military has ordered people to evacuate areas in Beit Hanoun and Khan Younis. This marks the first evacuation order issued in more than two months – since 15 January. Many people have already been displaced, seeking safety elsewhere.
    OCHA notes that the area covered by the evacuation order totals about 23 square kilometres – more than 6 per cent of the Gaza Strip – and includes more than a dozen sites sheltering displaced people. The area is also home to three clinics and one field hospital, with additional medical facilities located nearby. OCHA warns that no guarantees have been provided for the safety, protection and wellbeing of those ordered to leave, let alone for those staying behind.
    The World Health Organization says medical evacuations planned for today have been denied and is calling for the resumption of such evacuations.
    And the UN and our partners working in education report that activities have stopped in more than 300 facilities across the Strip, depriving thousands of children from their right to education. 

    Full Highlights: https://www.un.org/sg/en/content/ossg/noon-briefing-highlight?date%5Bvalue%5D%5Bdate%5D=18+March+2025

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wR0PvWRHXKM

    MIL OSI Video –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: Answer to a written question – Hungarian national card – E-002275/2024(ASW)

    Source: European Parliament

    1. With the exception of the determination of the volume of admission of third-country nationals, which remains the exclusive competence of the Member States, the common immigration policy is a shared competence between the EU and the Member States. As regards the admission of non-EU workers, Member States retain the right to apply national rules if those have not been harmonised at EU level. These national rules cannot, however, jeopardise the security and the well-functioning of an area of freedom, security and justice without internal frontiers, as holders of residence permits (like holders of the Hungarian ‘National Cards’) can move in the Schengen area for up to 90 days in any 180-day period.

    2. The Commission continues to condemn in the strongest possible terms the unprovoked and unjustified military aggression of Ukraine by Russia. In this context, all actions taken at EU and Member States’ levels need to consider the security of the Schengen area as a whole. The Commission adopted specific guidance[1] in 2022 to ensure additional scrutiny as this is a matter of European internal security. Against this background, the Commission maintains its deep concern regarding national schemes covering Russian and Belarusian nationals.

    3. The fact that Hungary has put in place a facilitated scheme to admit Russian and Belarusian nationals for the purpose of work, without considering the security concerns of the other Schengen States raises concerns. This increases the common risks and undermines mutual trust.

    • [1] C (2022) 7111 final.
    Last updated: 18 March 2025

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: Written question – Prison capacity shortage – E-001008/2025

    Source: European Parliament

    Question for written answer  E-001008/2025
    to the Commission
    Rule 144
    Sander Smit (PPE)

    There is a serious prison capacity shortage in the Netherlands; and neither detention centres nor police stations have sufficient space to accommodate newly arrested or detained individuals. In December 2024 the Netherlands Government decided – by way of a temporary measure – that inmates would be released three days earlier than they should be. The capacity shortage is not improving; accordingly, the Government is working on a proposal to extend that period to two weeks. The Netherlands needs measures to be taken that help bring about a structural increase in prison capacity plus faster and more severe sentencing. Until a long-term structural solution is found, interim responses are still needed.

    • 1.Can the Commission say in what way it is prepared to coordinate arrangements between Member States in which prison capacity is insufficient and Member States with surplus capacity in order to help mitigate capacity shortages in the Netherlands, among other countries?
    • 2.What assistance did the Commission offer the Netherlands last year in this connection?

    Submitted: 7.3.2025

    Last updated: 18 March 2025

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: Written question – Polish law to temporarily suspend the right to asylum – E-001017/2025

    Source: European Parliament

    Question for written answer  E-001017/2025
    to the Commission
    Rule 144
    Tineke Strik (Verts/ALE)

    On 21 February 2025, the Polish Sejm adopted legislation[1] that enables the Ministry of the Interior to temporarily suspend the right to asylum at (parts of) its external borders for up to 60 days, since it identifies migrants arriving at its borders to be part of ‘instrumentalisation’ by non-EU country actors. Moreover, the new law enables periods of suspension beyond 60 days subject to parliamentary approval.

    • 1.The UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) has analysed[2] the law and found inconsistencies with Poland’s obligations under the 1951 Refugee Convention. Has the Commission reviewed the legislation and is it prepared to share the results with Parliament?
    • 2.What is the Commission’s appreciation of the Polish legislation and its compliance with international and EU legal obligations for Member States to uphold the right to asylum, the principle of non-refoulement and the prohibition of collective expulsion, as enshrined in Articles 18 and 19 of the Charter of Fundamental Rights and the EU asylum and Schengen acquis?
    • 3.What action will the Commission take, as guardian of the Treaties, to enforce Poland’s compliance with EU law?

    Submitted: 10.3.2025

    • [1] https://orka.sejm.gov.pl/Druki10ka.nsf/0/BD1D81C1741E246AC1258C03004A7F5C/%24File/924.pdf.
    • [2] UNHCR Comments and Observations on the draft law amending the Act on Granting Protection to Foreigners in the territory of the Republic of Poland, 12 December 2024.
    Last updated: 18 March 2025

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Highland Local Development Plan – more time to Have Your Say

    Source: Scotland – Highland Council

    The Highland Council is providing more time for people and organisations with an interest in future development and investment in the area, to respond to its current consultation on its evidence papers for the Highland Local Development Plan. The deadline for responding to the consultation on evidence has been extended to 12 noon on Friday, 2 May, 2025.

    The new Highland Local Development Plan to be prepared will ultimately be used to determine planning applications and steer future development and investment in the area. The consultation seeks views on the evidence collated so far to inform preparation of the new plan.

    Chair of the Council’s Economy and Infrastructure Committee, Councillor Ken Gowans said: “The Evidence Papers highlight the unique challenges that Highland is facing and what evidence is needed to address them. This is presented for Housing and Economy, Infrastructure First, Transport and Connectivity, Climate Change and Energy, Natural Environment, Our Coastline and Design, Wellbeing and Placemaking. The Evidence Papers also contain Area Profiles that focus on how each of Highland’s sub-regions functions, along with important facts and figures and attributes.”

    The evidence needs to be sufficient, and the Council needs to assess the implications of its evidence before preparing the new plan, so in the evidence papers the Council is asking for views on this.

    Getting feedback on this is important as it can help with the next stage, as the Council prepares its formal ‘Evidence Report’ that will be submitted for independent review later in 2025, before a draft plan is prepared.

    Councillor Gowans added: “Feedback is welcome on all the sections of the consultation or just those parts of most interest to the person or organisation responding.”

    Alongside the evidence consultation, the Council is inviting the submission of new development site suggestions to be considered for inclusion in the new plan. Feedback to that call for development sites is particularly encouraged from landowners, developers and communities that have land or building opportunities that they wish to promote for housing, industry or mixed-use development. The deadline for submissions is 12 noon on Friday, 2 May, 2025.

    Take part here:  https://www.highland.gov.uk/hldp

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Still time to take part in the Highland Visitor Levy Consultation

    Source: Scotland – Highland Council

    Image of Visitor Levy banner

    The Highland Council has been hosting a series of in-person and on-line engagement events as part of the current consultation process on the proposed Visitor Levy Scheme for Highland.

    The last of the Community Webinar sessions takes place on 19 March from 18:00 to 19:00 via this link:

    https://events.teams.microsoft.com/event/ab67960b-8b01-43aa-b71c-513418382e29@89f0b56e-6d16-4fe8-9dba-176fa940f7c9

    The Convener of The Highland Council, Councillor Bill Lobban said: “I want to thank everyone who has attended the events in person and on-line. If anyone has been unable to attend any of the sessions, there is still time to feed your views into our consultation as it runs up until 31 March.

    “In addition to the public events, we’ve taken part in several sessions specifically for the business community. As well as getting feedback from businesses and the tourism sector, it is important that we gather as many views from individuals, community groups and businesses as possible to make the consultation inclusive and ensuring that it fairly and accurately captures opinion and feedback from across all communities.”

    As well as a link to the consultation portal – https://www.highland.gov.uk/visitorlevyconsultation, the information on the Council’s website includes helpful FAQs that have been updated with questions raised at the public engagement sessions.

    Cllr Lobban added: “All comments received from the on-line consultation and public engagement sessions will be analysed and included as part of a report that will be presented to council at a future date. I therefore encourage anyone who has not yet filled in the on-line consultation, to do so before the deadline.”

    A report will be considered at a future meeting of The Highland Council which will set out the findings of the consultation.”

    18 Mar 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: INDIAN AND FRENCH NAVIES SET FOR THE 23rd EDITION OF BILATERAL NAVAL EXERCISE – VARUNA 2025

    Source: Government of India

    Posted On: 18 MAR 2025 6:36PM by PIB Delhi

    The 23rd edition of the bilateral naval exercise VARUNA, a testament to the enduring maritime partnership between India and France, is set to take place from 19 to 22 Mar 25. Since its inception in 2001, VARUNA has evolved into a cornerstone of cooperation, showcasing the two nations’ commitment to enhancing naval interoperability and operational synergy. This year’s edition promises an exhilarating array of maritime exercises and complex manoeuvres across the sub-surface, surface, and air domains. The joint participation of the aircraft carriers Vikrant and Charles de Gaulle, alongside their fighter aircraft, destroyers, frigates, and an Indian Scorpene-class submarine, highlights the collaborative strength of both Navies.

    VARUNA 2025 will feature advanced air defence drills and fighter exercises, including mock air-to-air combat between the French Rafale-M and Indian MiG-29K, designed to refine tactical and operational capabilities. Anti-submarine warfare exercises will provide rigorous training in underwater domain awareness, while surface warfare operations will demonstrate synchronised manoeuvres and engagements by the Indian and French fleets. Maritime patrol aircraft will enhance situational awareness, and replenishment-at-sea exercises will fortify logistical cooperation. This collaboration underscores the shared vision of safeguarding a free, open, and secure maritime environment.

    By fostering the exchange of best practices and mutual understanding, the exercise reaffirms the ability of both nations to operate seamlessly in even the most complex maritime scenarios. VARUNA 2025 stands as a powerful reminder of the deep bonds uniting the Indian and French Navies in their pursuit of maritime peace and security.

    *****

    VM/SPS    

    (Release ID: 2112430) Visitor Counter : 12

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: European Union – Main results of the Foreign Affairs Council (17 Mar. 2025)

    Source: France-Diplomatie – Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Development

    Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs Jean-Noël Barrot took part in yesterday’s EU Foreign Affairs Council in Brussels, where important discussions were held on several topical international issues.

    With regard to the situation in Ukraine, France reiterated the need to strengthen military support for Ukraine and to step up pressure on Russia by adopting additional sanctions. During the month of March, the EU allocated nearly €4.5 billion to support Ukraine.

    The Member States stressed the importance of preserving the ceasefire in Gaza, releasing the hostages and resuming humanitarian aid. France emphasized that the plan endorsed by the Arab League on March 8 represented an important contribution. We also reaffirmed our opposition to any plan involving the forced displacement of Palestinians and underscored the importance of European efforts to preserve the two-state solution.

    As for Syria, France condemned the violence that occurred in the coastal region and noted the gradual, reversible nature of the lifting of individual and sectoral sanctions in light of recent events. We also proposed sanctions targeting those responsible for the atrocities committed against civilians in the west of the country.

    Furthermore, at France’s initiative, European sanctions were adopted against the Islamic State – Khorasan Province and its propaganda organ. The Foreign Affairs Council also authorized the adoption of restrictive measures against nine individuals and one entity as part of the sanctions regime relating to the situation in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: Written question – Violation of European legislation due to discrimination in maternity leave for substitute teachers in Greece – E-001020/2025

    Source: European Parliament

    Question for written answer  E-001020/2025
    to the Commission
    Rule 144
    Elena Kountoura (The Left)

    In Greece, there is a serious issue of discrimination regarding maternity leave for substitute teachers, who are only entitled to 119 days of parental leave[1]. Because of this, many women are forced to return to work early or even resign[2], with multiple negative consequences for their family as well as for their financial and professional situation. The Greek Government’s refusal to equalise maternity leave for this category of workers raises a serious problem, both for the protection of women’s rights and for the country’s compliance with European law.

    Taking into account: a) the Commission’s letter of formal notice to Greece for the incorrect transposition of Directive 1999/70/EC[3] into national law, setting a two-month deadline for Greece to eliminate discrimination between workers, b) Article 5(1) of Directive (EU) 2019/1158 on work-life balance, which stipulates that every worker is individually entitled to four months of parental leave[4], c) the deadline for equalising leave for substitute and permanent staff by the end of September 2024[5], d) the fact that substitute teachers are not entitled to leave in the event of threatened miscarriage, and e) the fact that the Greek Government has ignored all of the above:

    • 1.What actions does the Commission intend to take to ensure the protection of female workers and the country’s full compliance with European law?
    • 2.How does the Commission intend to support Member States in protecting gender equality in the workplace?

    Submitted: 10.3.2025

    • [1] In contrast to the nine months provided for permanent teachers, see Article 142 of Law 3655/2008, as amended by Article 43 of Law 4997/2022 (https://www.kepea.gr/uplds/file/2022/n4997%202022.pdf) and Article 33 of Law 4808/2021 (https://www.minedu.gov.gr/publications/docs2021/adeies_anaplirotwn_ekpaideutikwn.pdf).
    • [2] It is noted that resignation is accompanied by a two-year exclusion from recruitment competitions, https://www.minedu.gov.gr/publications/docs2018/N4589FEK13.pdf.
    • [3] The directive prohibits discrimination against workers with fixed-term contracts.
    • [4] Member States shall put in place the necessary measures to ensure that each worker is individually entitled to four months of parental leave to be taken before the child reaches a certain age, up to the age of eight, to be determined by the Member State or by collective agreements, https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EL/TXT/?uri=CELEX:02019L1158-20190712.
    • [5] https://ec.europa.eu/commission/presscorner/detail/el/inf_24_3228.
    Last updated: 18 March 2025

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: CEB and EIB sign agreement to facilitate co-financing and boost investment impact

    Source: European Investment Bank

    The Council of Europe Development Bank (CEB) and the European Investment Bank (EIB) deepened their long-standing partnership by signing a Mutual Reliance Agreement today to strengthen co-operation, facilitate co-financing and enhance the impact of public sector projects in countries of operation outside of the European Union.

    A key element of this approach is the mutual recognition of each institution’s procurement policies and procedures, thus reducing transaction costs and administrative burden. By streamlining project preparation and implementation, the agreement will allow both the CEB and the EIB to focus on delivering tangible benefits for their member countries.

    The agreement also aligns with the recommendations of the G20 Roadmap for Better, Bigger, and More Effective Multilateral Development Banks (MDBs), which calls on MDBs to enhance country-level coordination and co-financing, including through mutual reliance agreements for greater development financing efficiency.

    “As Chair of the Heads of MDBs Group this year, the CEB is committed to fostering stronger collaboration among multilateral development banks to increase our collective impact. This CEB-EIB agreement is a concrete example of how MDBs are working together more effectively as a system, to deliver financing where it is most needed. By tightening our cooperation, we can accelerate support for sustainable development, social cohesion and economic resilience in our countries of operation to benefit the communities we serve,” said CEB Governor Carlo Monticelli.  

    EIB Group President Nadia Calviño said: “ It is more important than ever that we join forces in mobilising investment and supporting a strong European voice in the world. The agreement we signed today with the Council of Europe Development Bank reflects our strong partnership, financing projects that build stronger communities and improve lives across the European Union and beyond.”

    The CEB and EIB have a strong track record of co-financing projects that drive social and economic development across Europe. Recent examples of collaboration include financing vital water irrigation investments in Greece; jointly supporting a landmark cultural, social and educational hub in Cyprus; and investing in water and wastewater facilities in Serbia. Projects in the healthcare sector are also being jointly appraised in the Western Balkans region.  

    The agreement will enable both institutions to co-finance larger and more complex projects that no single lender could undertake alone, leveraging their collective financial strength and expertise to maximise the impact of strategic investments.

    Background information

    EIB   

    The European Investment Bank (ElB) is the long-term lending institution of the European Union, owned by its Member States. Built around eight core priorities, we finance investments that contribute to EU policy objectives by bolstering climate action and the environment, digitalisation and technological innovation, security and defence, cohesion, agriculture and bioeconomy, social infrastructure, the capital markets union, and a stronger Europe in a more peaceful and prosperous world.  

    About the CEB

    The Council of Europe Development Bank (CEB) is a multilateral development bank, whose unique mission is to promote social cohesion in its 43 member states across Europe. The CEB finances investment in social sectors, including education, health and affordable housing, with a focus on the needs of vulnerable people. Borrowers include governments, local and regional authorities, public and private banks, non-profit organisations and others. As a multilateral bank with an excellent credit rating, the CEB funds itself on the international capital markets. It approves projects according to strict social, environmental and governance criteria, and provides technical assistance. In addition, the CEB receives funds from donors to complement its activities.

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: Other events – Exchange with European Chief Prosecutor on the EPPO Annual Report for 2024 – 19-03-2025 – Committee on Budgetary Control – Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs

    Source: European Parliament

    On 19 March, MEPs of the LIBE and CONT committees will discuss with Laura Codruța Kövesi, European Chief Prosecutor, the Annual activity report of the Office of European Public Prosecutor for the year 2024.

    Last year has been important for the development of the EPPO activities. The Office recorded sizeable increases in terms of ongoing investigations it has carried, new opened cases and indictments it has handled. By the end of 2024, the Office had 2 666 active investigations, for a total estimated damage over €24.8 billion.

    The report highlights the overall trend where EU fraud has become highly attractive to very dangerous criminals, in particular organised crime groups and presents a major security issue for the EU. 2024 has also been an important year from the institutional perspective, as it saw Poland and Sweden to join the enhanced cooperation on the EPPO. Therefore as of the end of 2024, the EPPO was able to investigate and prosecute fraud affecting Union funds in 24 EU countries.

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: Written question – EU funds to environmental lobbying groups to promote the European Green Deal – E-000838/2025

    Source: European Parliament

    Question for written answer  E-000838/2025/rev.1
    to the Commission
    Rule 144
    Ondřej Knotek (PfE), Klara Dostalova (PfE), Jaroslav Bžoch (PfE), Ondřej Kovařík (PfE), Tomáš Kubín (PfE), Jana Nagyová (PfE), Jaroslava Pokorná Jermanová (PfE)

    A recent investigation by Dutch newspaper De Telegraaf[1] has uncovered serious irregularities, according to which it is alleged that the Commission allocated substantial EU funds to environmental lobbying groups to promote its own ‘green agenda’.

    Furthermore, during Parliament’s Plenary Session of 22 January 2025[2], Commissioner for Budget, Anti-Fraud and Public Administration Piotr Serafin admitted that ‘it was inappropriate for … the Commission to enter into agreements that oblige NGOs to lobby Members of the European Parliament’.

    Given these revelations, could the Commission clarify the following:

    • 1.Will the Commission disclose the nature, amount and source of the funds allocated for each legislative proposal that was subject to such an ‘inappropriate practice’, and provide a detailed list of beneficiaries from Czechia, specifying the amounts received by them and the lobbying objectives assigned?
    • 2.What measures has the Commission taken, or does it intend to take, to investigate and address the identified irregularities, and how will it ensure the accountability of those responsible for improper or illegal practices, and prevent further conflicts of interest in the EU’s decision-making processes?
    • 3.Does the Commission plan to review and/or withdraw the European Green Deal legislation that may have been compromised by the findings revealed by De Telegraaf?

    Submitted: 25.2.2025

    • [1] Bakker, Alexander, ‘Lobbyschandaal in Brussel: EU betaalde milieuclubs in het geheim voor promotie van groene plannen Timmermans’, De Telegraaf, 22 January 2025, https://www.telegraaf.nl/nieuws/1287315486/lobbyschandaal-in-brussel-eu-betaalde-milieuclubs-in-het-geheim-voor-promotie-van-groene-plannen-timmermans.
    • [2] https://www.europarl.europa.eu/doceo/document/CRE-10-2025-01-22-ITM-015_DE.html.
    Last updated: 18 March 2025

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: European Union – Main results of the Foreign Affairs Council of 17 Mar. 2025

    Source: Republic of France in English
    The Republic of France has issued the following statement:

    Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs Jean-Noël Barrot took part in yesterday’s EU Foreign Affairs Council in Brussels, where important discussions were held on several topical international issues.

    With regard to the situation in Ukraine, France reiterated the need to strengthen military support for Ukraine and to step up pressure on Russia by adopting additional sanctions. During the month of March, the EU allocated nearly €4.5 billion to support Ukraine.

    The Member States stressed the importance of preserving the ceasefire in Gaza, releasing the hostages and resuming humanitarian aid. France emphasized that the plan endorsed by the Arab League on March 8 represented an important contribution. We also reaffirmed our opposition to any plan involving the forced displacement of Palestinians and underscored the importance of European efforts to preserve the two-state solution.

    As for Syria, France condemned the violence that occurred in the coastal region and noted the gradual, reversible nature of the lifting of individual and sectoral sanctions in light of recent events. We also proposed sanctions targeting those responsible for the atrocities committed against civilians in the west of the country.

    Furthermore, at France’s initiative, European sanctions were adopted against the Islamic State – Khorasan Province and its propaganda organ. The Foreign Affairs Council also authorized the adoption of restrictive measures against nine individuals and one entity as part of the sanctions regime relating to the situation in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Defense News: Ready on Day One: U.S. Naval Forces Europe-Africa and U.S. Sixth Fleet Reserve Enterprise

    Source: United States Navy

    NAPLES, Italy – Chief of Navy Reserve Vice Adm. Nancy Lacore’s initial fighting instruction in 2024 directed reservists to focus efforts on preparations and readiness to respond to the call when needed, “We will posture our Force for warfighting by accelerating the pace of organizational development and strengthening our warfighters. The Navy Reserve Force will be READY on DAY ONE!”

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-Evening Report: Adolescence is a technical masterpiece that exposes the darkest corners of incel culture and male rage

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Kate Cantrell, Senior Lecturer – Writing, Editing, and Publishing, University of Southern Queensland

    Netflix

    Filmed in a one-take style, Jack Thorne and Stephen Graham’s new crime drama Adolescence is being hailed by critics as a technical masterpiece.

    Out now on Netflix, the four-part series follows the fallout surrounding 13-year-old Jamie Miller (Owen Cooper) after he is arrested and later charged for the murder of his classmate, Katie. Co-creator Stephen Graham stars as Jamie’s father, Eddie.

    Adolescence draws inspiration from the United Kingdom’s knife crime epidemic, the rise of incel culture and the brutality of online bullying. These malignant forces combine to create every parent’s worst nightmare.

    However, unlike true crime, where there is often a resolution, there is no escape from the horror.

    The show’s continuous filming style offers no reprieve, and the story itself provides no easy outs – refusing to provide a simple explanation for why an intelligent boy from an “ordinary” loving family would borrow a knife from a friend and, on a casual Sunday evening, stab another child to death.

    While Jamie’s motives remain murky, the show makes one thing clear: today’s teens inhabit an online world that adults, however well-intentioned, are incapable of understanding if they do not listen.

    Anxieties distorted by algorithms

    At the centre of the show’s broken heart is a devastating truth: the most dangerous place in the world for a teenager is alone in their bedroom.

    Trapped in the dark mirror of social media, Jamie – like a growing number of teenage boys – turns to the digital “manosphere” and the grim logic of online misogynists.



    Read more:
    The draw of the ‘manosphere’: understanding Andrew Tate’s appeal to lost men

    He subscribes to the “red pills” of incel culture, so-called truth groups and the 80/20 rule (the theory that 80% of women are attracted to 20% of men, and that women only seek out men who are physically and socially desirable).

    While Jamie is, for the most part, an outwardly “normal” and well-adjusted teen, his explosive rage and aggrieved entitlement is revealed in a climatic scene in episode three, when he intimidates and shouts down a female psychologist (Erin Doherty).

    “You do not control what I do!” he yells. “Get that in that fucking little head of yours!”

    Jamie is quick to apologise when a guard intervenes. “I shouted,” he says. “I’m sorry. Can I have another hot chocolate, please?”

    In one particularly unnerving moment, Jamie recalls his decision to ask Katie out after receiving a topless photo of her on Snapchat.

    “I thought she might be weak cause everyone was calling her a slag,” he says. “I just thought that when she was that weak, she might like me. It’s clever, don’t you think?”

    While the sinister child-teen killer trope has been a mainstay of horror, from Child’s Play (1988) to The Exorcist (1973), Adolescence out-scares its predecessors in its unflinching portrayal of a radicalised misogynist-turned murderer.

    A nightmare with no end

    The show’s most stunning achievement is without a doubt its one-take style. Each hour-long episode is filmed in a single take which, as director Philip Barantini explains, “basically means that we press record on the camera, and we don’t stop until the very end of the hour”.

    Tapping into today’s true crime zeitgeist, the series renders Jamie’s story more real than it actually is by imitating the cinéma vérité style of documentary filmmaking.

    Each episode creates an immersive fly-on-the wall experience that is deeply compelling and uncomfortable. The lack of breaks forces viewers to feel as trapped as the characters, in an unfathomable spiral through confusion, guilt and shame.

    This unease is heightened when the action is shot in claustrophobic spaces, such as inside the family van or a police interrogation room.

    The continuous shooting style makes the viewer feel as trapped as the characters as they spiral through confusion, guilt and shame.
    Netflix

    The soundtrack adds another layer of gritty true crime trauma, with random sirens, slamming doors and thumping discordant notes designed to mirror the inner turmoil of the characters.

    As the story unfolds, it charts the devastating impact of Jamie’s crime on those around him. While Katie’s school friends struggle to process their unfathomable grief, Jamie’s parents must also confront their son’s capacity for cruelty.

    “We made him,” despairs Jamie’s mother (Manda Miller).

    The unbroken style, in this regard, is important for understanding how broken this family is. Because there are no cuts, there is no escape from the nightmare.

    Indeed, Jamie seems to have fallen through the cracks of the social institutions we relied on in the pre-internet age: the schooling system, the judiciary and the family itself.

    Jamie has fallen through the cracks of the schooling system – a social institution that is supposed to help keep him and his peers safe.
    Netflix

    The generational chasm

    The show’s true sympathy lies not with its cast of troubled teens but with the baffled adults around them. Like Jamie’s parents, viewers must surrender to the sorrow and disbelief of never truly understanding what went wrong.

    Adolescence is a convincing portrayal of the widening chasm between parents and their teenage children in a savage, unregulated digital age.

    It is also a social commentary on how little we know about how to communicate with teens effectively.

    The authors do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

    – ref. Adolescence is a technical masterpiece that exposes the darkest corners of incel culture and male rage – https://theconversation.com/adolescence-is-a-technical-masterpiece-that-exposes-the-darkest-corners-of-incel-culture-and-male-rage-252390

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: Joint statement of the G7 Foreign Ministers’ Meeting in Charlevoix

    Source: France-Diplomatie – Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Development

    We the G7 Foreign Ministers of Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom and the United States of America, and the High Representative of the European Union, met in Charlevoix on March 12 to 14, 2025.

    Ukraine’s long-term prosperity and security

    We reaffirmed our unwavering support for Ukraine in defending its territorial integrity and right to exist, and its freedom, sovereignty and independence.

    We welcomed ongoing efforts to achieve a ceasefire, and in particular the meeting on March 11 between the U.S. and Ukraine in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. We applauded Ukraine’s commitment to an immediate ceasefire, which is an essential step towards a comprehensive, just and lasting peace in line with the Charter of the United Nations.

    We called for Russia to reciprocate by agreeing to a ceasefire on equal terms and implementing it fully. We discussed imposing further costs on Russia in case such a ceasefire is not agreed, including through further sanctions, caps on oil prices, as well as additional support for Ukraine, and other means. This includes the use of extraordinary revenues stemming from immobilized Russian Sovereign Assets. We underlined the importance of confidence-building measures under a ceasefire including the release of prisoners of war and detainees—both military and civilian—and the return of Ukrainian children.

    We emphasized that any ceasefire must be respected and underscored the need for robust and credible security arrangements to ensure that Ukraine can deter and defend against any renewed acts of aggression. We stated that we will continue to coordinate economic and humanitarian support to promote the early recovery and reconstruction of Ukraine, including at the Ukraine Recovery Conference which will take place in Rome on July 10-11, 2025.

    We condemned the provision to Russia of military assistance by DPRK and Iran, and the provision of weapons and dual-use components by China, a decisive enabler of Russia’s war and of the reconstitution of Russia’s armed forces. We reiterated our intention to continue to take action against such third countries.

    We expressed alarm about the impacts of the war, especially on civilians and on civilian infrastructure. We discussed the importance of accountability and reaffirmed our commitment to work together to achieve a durable peace and to ensure that Ukraine remains democratic, free, strong and prosperous.

    Regional peace and stability in the Middle East

    We called for the release of all hostages and for the hostages’ remains held by Hamas in Gaza to be returned to their loved ones. We reaffirmed our support for the resumption of unhindered humanitarian aid into Gaza and for a permanent ceasefire. We underscored the imperative of a political horizon for the Palestinian people, achieved through a negotiated solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict that meets the legitimate needs and aspirations of both peoples and advances comprehensive Middle East peace, stability and prosperity. We noted serious concern over the growing tensions and hostilities in the West Bank and calls for de-escalation.

    We recognized Israel’s inherent right to defend itself consistent with international law. We unequivocally condemned Hamas, including for its brutal and unjustified terror attacks on October 7, 2023, and the harm inflicted on the hostages during their captivity and the violation of their dignity through the use of ‘handover ceremonies’ during their release. We reiterated that Hamas can have no role in Gaza’s future and must never again be a threat to Israel. We affirmed our readiness to engage with Arab partners on their proposals to chart a way forward on reconstruction in Gaza and build a lasting Israeli-Palestinian peace.

    We expressed our support for the people of Syria and Lebanon, as both countries work towards peaceful and stable political futures. At this critical juncture, we reiterated the importance of Syria’s and Lebanon’s sovereignty and territorial integrity. We called unequivocally for the rejection of terrorism in Syria. We condemned strongly the recent escalation of violence in the coastal regions of Syria, and called for the protection of civilians and for perpetrators of atrocities to be held accountable. We stressed the critical importance of an inclusive and Syrian-led political process. We welcomed the commitment by the Syrian interim government to work with the OPCW in eliminating all remaining chemical weapons.

    We stressed that Iran is the principal source of regional instability and must never be allowed to develop and acquire a nuclear weapon. We emphasized that Iran must now change course, de-escalate and choose diplomacy. We underscored the threat of Iran’s growing use of arbitrary detention and foreign assassination attempts as a tool of coercion.

    Cooperation to increase security and resilience across the Indo-Pacific

    We reiterated our commitment to upholding a free, open, prosperous and secure Indo-Pacific, based on sovereignty, territorial integrity, peaceful resolution of disputes, fundamental freedoms and human rights.

    We remain seriously concerned by the situations in the East China Sea as well as the South China Sea and continue to oppose strongly unilateral attempts to change the status quo, in particular by force and coercion. We expressed concern over the increasing use of dangerous maneuvers and water cannons against Philippines and Vietnamese vessels as well as efforts to restrict freedom of navigation and overflight through militarization and coercion in the South China Sea, in violation of international law. We emphasized the importance of maintaining peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait. We encouraged the peaceful resolution of cross-Strait issues and reiterated our opposition to any unilateral attempts to change the status quo by force or coercion. We also expressed support for Taiwan’s meaningful participation in appropriate international organizations.

    We remain concerned with China’s military build-up and the continued, rapid increase in China’s nuclear weapons arsenal. We called on China to engage in strategic risk reduction discussions and promote stability through transparency.

    We emphasized that China should not conduct or condone activities aimed at undermining the security and safety of our communities and the integrity of our democratic institutions.16. We expressed concerns about China’s non-market policies and practices that are leading to harmful overcapacity and market distortions. We further called on China to refrain from adopting export control measures that could lead to significant supply chain disruptions. We reiterated that we are not trying to harm China or thwart its economic growth, indeed a growing China that plays by international rules and norms would be of global interest.

    We demanded that the DPRK abandon all its nuclear weapons and any other weapons of mass destruction as well as ballistic missile programs in accordance with all relevant United Nations Security Council resolutions. We expressed our serious concerns over, and the need to address together, the DPRK’s cryptocurrency thefts. We called on DPRK to resolve the abductions issue immediately.

    We denounced the brutal repression of the people of Myanmar by the military regime and called for an end to all violence and for unhindered humanitarian access.

    Building stability and resilience in Haiti and Venezuela

    We strongly denounced the ongoing horrifying violence that continues to be perpetrated by gangs in Haiti in their efforts to seize control of the government. We reaffirmed our commitment to helping the Haitian people restore democracy, security and stability, including through support to the Haitian National Police and Kenya-led Multinational Security Support Mission and an increased role for the UN. We expressed support for Haitian authorities’ efforts to create a specialized anti-corruption jurisdiction that complies with the highest international standards.

    We reiterated our call for the restoration of democracy in Venezuela in line with the aspirations of the Venezuelan people who peacefully voted on July 28, 2024, for change, the cessation of repression and arbitrary or unjust detentions of peaceful protestors including youth by Nicolas Maduro’s regime, as well as the unconditional and immediate release of all political prisoners. We also agreed Venezuelan naval vessels threatening Guyana’s commercial vessels is unacceptable and an infringement of Guyana’s internationally recognized sovereign rights. We reaffirmed respect for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of all nations as an enduring value.

    Supporting lasting peace in Sudan and the Democratic Republic of the Congo

    We unequivocally denounced the ongoing fighting and atrocities in Sudan, including sexual violence against women and girls, which have led to the world’s largest humanitarian crisis and the spread of famine. We called for the warring parties to protect civilians, cease hostilities, and ensure unhindered humanitarian access, and urged external actors to end their support fueling the conflict.

    We condemned the Rwanda-backed M23 offensive in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and the resulting violence, displacement and grave human rights and international humanitarian law violations. This offensive constitutes a flagrant disregard of the territorial integrity of the DRC. We reiterated our call for M23 and the Rwanda Defence Force to withdraw from all controlled areas. We urged all parties to support the mediation led by the East African Community and the Southern African Development Community, to promote accountability for human rights abuses by all armed actors, including M23 and the FDLR, and to commit to a peaceful and negotiated resolution of the conflict, including the meaningful participation of women and youth.

    Strengthening sanctions and countering hybrid warfare and sabotage

    We welcomed efforts to strengthen the Sanctions Working Group focused on listings and enforcement. We also welcomed discussions on the establishment of a Hybrid Warfare and Sabotage Working Group, and of a Latin America Working Group.

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: IMF Executive Board Concludes 2025 Article IV Consultation, Third Review under the Resilience and Sustainability Facility with Morocco

    Source: IMF – News in Russian

    March 18, 2025

    • The IMF Executive Board concluded the 2025 Article IV Consultation and approved the Third Review under the Resilience and Sustainability Facility (RSF) arrangement with Morocco, allowing for the immediate disbursement of SDR 375 million (about US$ 496 million).
    • The Moroccan economy continued to show resilience despite another year of drought, with real GDP growth projected to slow modestly to 3.2 percent in 2024 amid strong domestic demand. Growth is expected to accelerate over the medium term, driven by stronger investment and the continued structural reforms.
    • Saving part of the revenue windfall from tax reforms would help strengthen fiscal buffers and protect against future shocks; while a new strategy to sustainably boost jobs and improve market competition would help address the increased unemployment linked to job displacement in the agricultural sector.

    Washington, DC: The Executive Board of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) concluded on March 17 the 2025 Article IV consultation[1] with Morocco and completed the Third Review under the Resilience and Sustainability Facility (RSF) arrangement, which was approved in September 2023 (see PR 23/327). The completion of the Third Review allows the authorities to draw SDR 375 million (about US$ 496 million), bringing total disbursement under the RSF arrangement to SDR 937.5 million (about US$ 1.24 billion). 

    In 2024, the Moroccan economy was resilient to yet another year of drought. Robust domestic demand helped offset weak agricultural output and economic activity is expected to have slowed only modestly to 3.2 percent in 2024. The current account deficit widened somewhat, whereas unemployment remained elevated at about 13 percent, mainly reflecting the impact of job losses in the agricultural sector. GDP growth is expected to accelerate to about 3.7 percent over the next few years, supported by a new series of infrastructure projects and the continued implementation of the structural reform agenda.

    Inflation decelerated further in 2024, mainly as the impact of supply shocks faded. This prompted Bank Al-Maghrib (BAM) to lower the policy rate twice in June and December. The dirham continued to move within the fluctuation band of ±5 percent.

    The central government fiscal deficit improved more than envisaged in the 2024 Budget. The 2024 overall deficit closed at 4.1 percent of GDP, about 0.2 percent of GDP less than projected in the 2024 Budget. This reflects better-than-expected tax revenues that more than offset higher spending. The reform of the Organic Budget Law envisages the introduction of a new fiscal rule based on a medium-term debt anchor.  

    The implementation of the announced structural reform agenda has continued. Further steps were taken to restructure SOEs, operationalize the Mohammed VI Investment Fund, and implement the new Charter of Investment.

    Morocco continued to make progress in bolstering its resilience to climate change under the RSF arrangement. Measures implemented under the third and final review of the RSF arrangement aim to better protect underground water resources, prepare the ground for a change in tariffication of water, improve the regulatory setting of the electricity market to encourage private sector’s production of renewable energy, and reinforce fiscal and financial systems’ resilience to climate change-related risks.   

    Following the Executive Board’s discussion on Morocco, Mr. Kenji Okamura, Deputy Managing Director and Acting Chair, issued the following statement:

    “The Moroccan economy continued to show resilience to negative shocks, a testament to the country’s very strong economic policies and frameworks. Despite renewed drought conditions, economic activity slowed only modestly to an estimated 3.2 percent in 2024, down from 3.4 percent in 2023, thanks to robust domestic demand. GDP growth is expected to accelerate to about 3.7 percent over the next few years, driven by a new cycle of infrastructure projects and the continued implementation of the structural reform agenda. These reforms are essential to making growth stronger, more resilient, job-rich, and more inclusive.

    “The RSF arrangement concluded with the implementation of six of the seven measures scheduled for the third and final review. These measures will help improve the management of scarce water resources, further liberalize the electricity sector, and address the climate risks on the stability of the fiscal position and the financial system. The gradual introduction of the carbon tax was not implemented as the authorities needed to undertake further analysis of its impact and deeper consultations with public and private stakeholders.” 

    Morocco: Selected Economic Indicators, 2020–30

    Population: 36.8 million; 2024

    		    

    Per capita GDP: $3,817; 2023

    		        

    Quota: SDR 894.4 million

    		    

    Poverty rate: 4.8 percent; 2013

    		        

    Main exports: automobiles, phosphate and derivatives; 2023

    		                

    Key export markets: France and Spain (42% of total trade); 2023

    		          
     

    2020

    2021

    2022

    2023

    2024

    2025

    2026

    2027

    2028

    2029

    2030
             

    Proj.

    Output (annual percent change)

    		                      

    Real GDP growth

    -7.2

    8.2

    1.5

    3.4

    3.2

    3.9

    3.7

    3.6

    3.6

    3.6

    3.6

    Real nonagricultural GDP growth

    -7.2

    7.0

    3.2

    3.6

    4.1

    3.7

    3.7

    3.7

    3.7

    3.7

    3.7
                           

    Employment (percent)

    		                      

    Unemployment

    11.9

    12.3

    11.8

    13.0

    13.3

    13.2

    12.9

    12.4

    12.1

    11.9

    11.8
                           

    Prices

    		                      

    Inflation (end of period)

    -0.3

    3.2

    8.3

    3.4

    0.7

    2.1

    2.2

    2.2

    2.1

    2.0

    2.0

    Inflation (period average)

    0.7

    1.4

    6.6

    6.1

    0.9

    2.2

    2.3

    2.2

    2.1

    2.0

    2.0
                           

    Central government finances (percent of GDP) 1/

    		                      

    Revenue

    27.0

    25.1

    28.4

    27.9

    30.1

    30.4

    29.4

    28.1

    28.1

    28.1

    28.1

    Expenditure

    34.1

    31.0

    33.8

    32.3

    34.2

    34.3

    32.8

    31.4

    31.3

    31.2

    31.2

    Fiscal balance

    -7.1

    -5.9

    -5.4

    -4.5

    -4.1

    -3.9

    -3.4

    -3.3

    -3.2

    -3.1

    -3.1

    Public debt

    72.2

    69.4

    71.5

    69.5

    70.0

    68.9

    67.7

    66.8

    66.2

    65.6

    65.1
                           

    Money and credit (annual percent change)

    		                      

    Broad money

    8.4

    5.1

    8.0

    4.0

    7.9

    4.6

    4.6

    4.6

    4.6

    4.6

    4.6

    Claims to the economy 2/

    4.9

    3.8

    7.1

    5.3

    6.9

    4.5

    4.1

    4.2

    4.2

    4.2

    4.2

    Balance of payments

    		                      

    Current account (percent of GDP)

    -1.2

    -2.3

    -3.5

    -0.6

    -1.5

    -2.0

    -2.2

    -2.6

    -2.9

    -3.1

    -3.3

    Exports of goods (in U.S. dollars, annual percent change)

    -4.4

    34.4

    15.1

    -0.5

    8.6

    6.6

    7.3

    6.9

    6.8

    6.7

    6.7

    Imports of goods (in U.S. dollars, annual percent change)

    -12.0

    32.1

    21.9

    -2.6

    8.0

    8.1

    7.5

    7.4

    7.3

    6.4

    6.2

    Merchandise trade balance (percent of GDP)

    -12.8

    -14.0

    -20.2

    -17.3

    -17.3

    -17.8

    -18.0

    -18.3

    -18.6

    -18.6

    -18.5

    FDI (percent of GDP)

    0.8

    1.1

    1.2

    0.2

    0.7

    1.4

    1.5

    1.6

    1.6

    1.7

    1.7

    Gross reserves (months of imports)

    7.2

    5.8

    5.3

    5.4

    5.2

    5.2

    5.2

    5.2

    5.1

    5.1

    5.2

    External Debt (percent of GDP)

    54.2

    45.5

    46.9

    50.2

    47.8

    49.2

    50.0

    50.9

    50.2

    54.0

    57.3

    Exchange rate

    		                      

    REER (annual average, percent change)

    1.4

    1.6

    -3.2

    0.9

    …

    …

    …

    …

    …

    …

    …

    Memorandum Items:

    		                      

    Nominal GDP (in billions of U.S. dollars)

    121

    142

    131

    144

    155

    166

    177

    188

    199

    212

    225

    Net imports of energy products (in billions of U.S. dollars)

    -5.3

    -8.4

    -15.1

    -12.0

    -11.5

    -12.1

    -12.3

    -12.8

    -13.2

    -13.7

    -14.1

    Local currency per U.S. dollar (period average)

    9.5

    9.0

    10.2

    10.1

    9.9

    …

    …

    …

    …

    …

    …

    Sources: Moroccan authorities; and Fund staff estimates.

    –––––––––––

    1/ Include grants.

    2/ Includes credit to public enterprises.

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

    IMF Communications Department
    MEDIA RELATIONS

    PRESS OFFICER: Wafa Amr

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

    https://www.imf.org/en/News/Articles/2025/03/18/pr-2568-morocco-imf-concludes-2025-art-iv-consult-3rd-review-under-rsf

    MIL OSI

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: President Meloni addresses Senate ahead of European Council meeting on 20-21 March

    Source: Government of Italy (English)

    18 Marzo 2025

    The President of the Council of Ministers, Giorgia Meloni, today provided the Senate with the official communications regarding the European Council meeting to be held on 20 and 21 March, and responded to the points raised during the general discussion.

    [President Meloni responds to the points raised by the Senate – Video available in Italian only]

    [President Meloni addresses the Senate – Video available in Italian only]

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Man convicted over Notting Hill drive-by shooting

    Source: United Kingdom London Metropolitan Police

    A man has been convicted following a drive-by shooting in Notting Hill.

    Nathan Tokosi, 25 (10.11.99), of Grove Street, Lewisham, was convicted of attempting to murder a 27-year-old man on Monday, 20 November, 2023.

    He was also found guilty of two counts of possession of a firearm with intent to endanger life and two counts of possession of ammunition with intent to endanger life. A jury at the Old Bailey returned their verdict on Tuesday, 18 March.

    Detective Constable Hannah Forrest, from the Met’s Specialist Crime South team, said: “This was a savage attack, with the victim requiring emergency surgery after being shot in the body, mouth and head. The verdict in this case shows that this violent criminality will not be tolerated on London’s streets.

    “Tokosi is a highly dangerous individual, who had – at the time of the shooting – only just been released from prison after serving time for a separate offence.

    “I would like to pay tribute to the investigation team in this case, who were able to build a compelling forensic case against Tokosi. This proved indispensable at trial.”

    At 02:05hrs on Monday, 20 November 2023, police responded to reports of a drive-by shooting in Clydesdale Road, Notting Hill.

    A car had pulled up to another car, with one of the passengers discharging a firearm. Officers attended and subsequently found the victim – who was severely injured – at his home address.

    A stolen car was found abandoned in Allington Road, Queen’s Park. Nearby, police located a black bag containing a handgun and ammunition. Forensics officers attended, and found Tokosi’s DNA inside the vehicle.

    Tokosi was arrested in Lewisham on Friday, 16 February, 2024, after his car was stopped by police. Following this, his address was searched and a further firearm plus ammunition was found.

    Having been remanded in custody, he was charged with attempted murder, two counts of possession of a firearm and two counts of possession of ammunition.

    Tokosi will be sentenced at the Old Bailey at a later date, which is yet to be set.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Global: New report calls for return of human remains – but UK museums lack the resources to act

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By William Carruthers, Lecturer, School of Philosophical, Historical, and Interdisciplinary Studies, University of Essex

    Shutterstock/David Herraez Calzada

    The display of human remains in museums has long been a contentious issue. Last week, the All-Party Parliamentary Group for Afrikan Reparations (APPG-AR) published a report on the African human remains collected by British museums during, and due to, colonialism and the slave trade.

    Introduced by the MP Bell Ribeiro-Addy (the APPG-AR’s chair), and produced by Afford (The African Foundation for Development), the publication of the report, Laying Ancestors to Rest, is another high-profile and meaningful intervention in an area where developments now seem inevitable.

    The report makes a number of recommendations. First, that the sale of human remains should be made illegal in the UK. It also suggests that the Human Tissue Act of 2004 should be amended to make stipulations about remains older than 100 years.

    This would include banning their public display without consent from the Human Tissue Authority and ensuring that museums obtain a licence from the authority for their storage. It’s further recommended that the UK parliament’s culture, media and sport committee should launch an inquiry into restitution.

    Laying Ancestors to Rest should be welcomed. It seems likely to be successful in achieving at least one of its recommendations. Calling for a ban on the trade in human remains in Britain, as the report does, is not particularly controversial.

    However, the report’s blanket approach towards banning the display of human remains without consent is, in the present environment, unlikely to succeed.

    This article is part of our State of the Arts series. These articles tackle the challenges of the arts and heritage industry – and celebrate the wins, too.

    The report itself hints at the reasons for this. The success of its recommendations rests on the financial health of the UK’s museum landscape. Resources matter, not least in terms of the relationships which those resources allow museums to build.

    Instead of a blanket response, developments in this area are likely to be piecemeal – both due to the significant effort required to carry out the task effectively and the limited resources many museums have to do so. In that sense, it is unclear whether calling for a blanket ban now is all that useful, other than as a wake-up call.

    This point is not to absolve museums for their historical part in this situation. It is though, to argue that work in understanding the collections of human remains held by British museums – where they come from, who they might belong to – has, at times (and certainly not in all circumstances), been happening. It is also to clarify what the often slow-paced norms of effective understanding and restitution are.

    In 2020, for example, the University of Oxford’s Pitt-Rivers Museum removed its well-known collection of tsantsa (shrunken heads) from display. The removal happened with a view to working with Shuar and Achuar delegates to decide on the best way forward with regard to the care and display of the human remains. That work continues.

    In 2020 the Pitt-Rivers Museum removed its well-known collection of shrunken heads from display.
    Shutterstock/John Wreford

    A few years earlier, Laura Peers, then curator of the Americas collections at the museum, wrote about the slow, quiet and bureaucratic process of returning a single femur “collected by a missionary as a medical curiosity, from an Indigenous nation with whom I have longstanding professional and personal relationships”.

    Such work is, when it happens, painstaking and careful. Even with the best of intentions, it is not a fast process

    Funding restitution

    The often-halting nature of that work is likely to continue. Museum professionals – particularly newer museum professionals – know that this work has to happen and are, I would argue, in large part invested in doing it.

    In a contemporary funding environment marked by almost continuous cuts, even the most dedicated staff will find their actions curtailed. They may, in some cases, be able to remove remains from display, as the report recommends (and as the Pitt Rivers Museum has done).

    However, securing consent for the limited display of mummified Egyptian bodies, for instance, will be challenging. Without funding, it is difficult to build the relationships necessary for conversations about consent, ownership and restitution.

    In his afterword to the report, Dan Hicks of the University of Oxford writes that “this is a time of immense hope and optimism for British museums”. The problem is that that hope in part rests on the funding that he also admits has been subject to “austerity and swingeing cuts”.

    Looking for something good? Cut through the noise with a carefully curated selection of the latest releases, live events and exhibitions, straight to your inbox every fortnight, on Fridays. Sign up here.

    The contradiction is not difficult to see – particularly when the report’s recommendations are similar to the 2018 one written for French collections by cultural researchers Felwine Sarr and Bénédicte Savoy.

    The Restitution of African Cultural Heritage: Toward a New Relational Ethics, which was commissioned by the French president, Emmanuel Macron, has been widely read. It has catalysed thinking beyond current international legal norms when it comes to restitution.

    Yet progress on the goal of restitution even in France has been slow, at least in part due to the time involved in building the new relationships that the report calls for. There is also the question of whether attitudes regarding restitution within African countries are consistent. By February 2024, France had returned only 26 objects to Benin and one (a sword) to Senegal.

    Worse still, the legislative picture across British collections remains complex. Collections such as the Pitt Rivers Museum have been able to move on restitution because they are university collections. As such, they are subject to different legislation than “national” collections such as the British Museum or the V&A, which were established by acts of parliament and are funded by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport.

    As the V&A’s director, Tristram Hunt, recently wrote, the UK’s national museums remain in “debilitating stasis” on restitution. Hunt argues that this is the case because these collections are hampered by the proscriptions of the 1983 National Heritage Act. That act – by rule or by choice, dependent on your view – effectively forbids such collections from disposing of objects, including human remains.

    As Laying Ancestors to Rest recommends, this situation needs to change. The likelihood is, however, that any change will come more slowly and with more deliberation even than the report itself acknowledges is necessary.

    Progress on this issue is by no means impossible. But without real political will and without the money to back it up, a blanket approach to the display and restitution of human remains in British museums remains difficult to enforce.

    William Carruthers works for the University of Essex as Lecturer in Heritage.

    – ref. New report calls for return of human remains – but UK museums lack the resources to act – https://theconversation.com/new-report-calls-for-return-of-human-remains-but-uk-museums-lack-the-resources-to-act-252547

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Nuclear deterrence: can Britain and France take on America’s role in defending Europe against Russian aggression?

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Paul van Hooft, Research Leader, Defence and Security, RAND

    European doubts about deterrence predate the current US administration. Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine, and its growing reliance on nuclear coercion to ward off Nato support, brought the importance of nuclear weapons to the foreground again for the first time since the cold war.

    Even after the invasion, the US continued to prioritise the Indo-Pacific. It questioned the sufficiency of its nuclear arsenal as China’s weapon stockpile grew and delivery systems improved.

    A bipartisan US congressional commission concluded that the Chinese and Russian arsenals should be seen as a joint “two-nuclear-peer” problem, with North Korea an additional disrupting presence.

    Within this context, European leaders are floating alternatives for deterrence in Europe. The French president, Emmanuel Macron, has again affirmed that the French nuclear deterrent has a “European dimension”.

    The Polish president, Andrzej Duda, registered his interest in the idea of the French deterrent being extended to include its European allies. But he also signalled that his country might want to develop its own deterrent.

    The incoming German chancellor, Friedrich Merz, has also noted the need to engage with the French and British deterrents. So, could French and British nuclear weapons be enough to deter Russia and reassure European allies?

    Russia has roughly as many weapons as the US. Its arsenal comprises approximately 1,700 deployed strategic weapons and 1,000-2,000 other lower-yield, “smaller” so-called “tactical” nuclear weapons, and another 2,500 non-deployed weapons.

    This is vastly more than France and the UK which have 290 and 225 respectively, or 515 in total.

    Yet, with those numbers both European states should have sufficient strategic weapons to cause unacceptable damage to Moscow and St Petersburg. Their weapons are carried by constantly patrolling nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarines – which, are concealed in the ocean far away and are therefore highly likely to survive a first-strike attack. These weapons should be considered credible deterrents for existential threats to either France or the UK.

    Unlike the US, France and the UK are in Europe and cannot consider their security distinct from each other or from Europe. The US, meanwhile, had to have a large and flexible arsenal with tactical nuclear weapons, and a large conventional presence in Europe simply to mount a credible argument, not least to its European allies, that it would actually protect Europe, with nuclear weapons as a last resort.

    The importance of needing to convince Russia of how serious Nato is about deterrence is a matter of record. When they met in Paris in June 1961, the then French leader, General Charles de Gaulle, expressed doubts to the then US president, John F. Kennedy, as to how serious the US was about its defence of Europe, particularly given the uncertainty at the time of the future security of Berlin.

    De Gaulle asked asked Kennedy: “Would you trade New York for Paris?”. His point was that if he wasn’t convinced, would the Russians be? So it’s not just about numbers of warheads. It’s about the defensive posture overall.

    Likely scenarios

    The issue is not existential deterrence but scenarios where French and British survival are not directly threatened. Neither has the option to escalate with so-called “tactical” (or non-strategic) weapons when non-vital interests are at risk – though France could fire a Rafale-launched nuclear “warning shot”.

    Meanwhile, Russia has 1,000–2,000 “tactical” nuclear weapons, which, despite the misleading term, are still entirely capable of levelling a city.

    In case of a conflict in Europe, these could provide military and signalling options between doing nothing and catastrophic escalation. Rather than a full-scale invasion, Russia is more likely to test Nato’s unity by pressuring a Baltic state and using nuclear threats to deter any Nato allies intervening in support. France and the UK would struggle to credibly threaten use of strategic weapons in response.

    Europe’s solution may lie in advanced conventional weapons to deter Russian aggression by building the ability to raise the costs in early stages of a conflict through what is called a strategy of denial. Such capabilities include long-range precision strikes, fifth generation airpower – such as the American F-35 fighter and the French, German and UK alternatives presently being developed – and integrated air and missile defence.

    Given the poor performance of Russia’s own air and missile defence in Ukraine, they could target Russian military units attacking or operating within Nato territory, their reinforcements and their logistics, while denying Russia’s use of missiles. Europe is already investing in cruise missiles, as well as developing their own European long-range strike approach and missile defence.

    Through precision, stealth and low-altitude flight, these weapons could also threaten strategic targets deep in Russia – potentially a more viable, less destabilising alternative to expanding French and British nuclear arsenals, or adding a third nuclear power in Europe.

    No time to waste

    Politically, however, there is a need for more than hardware. European states should find an institutional forum to coordinate deterrence. This means either convincing France to return to Nato’s nuclear planning group or creating another council for European deterrence with France, the UK, and other key European states like Germany and Poland.

    Those and other European armed forces could also conduct conventional operations in support of nuclear operations exercises together with France and the UK, specifically the French air force with its air-launched warheads.

    Simply put, there are material and political solutions to European deterrence problems if the US turns out to be preoccupied by events in Asia. The real constraint that France and the UK, and the rest of Europe, now face is how to build both the hardware and habits of conventional and nuclear deterrence in Europe in little or no time at all.

    Paul van Hooft received a Stanton Nuclear Security Foundation research grant in 2018.

    – ref. Nuclear deterrence: can Britain and France take on America’s role in defending Europe against Russian aggression? – https://theconversation.com/nuclear-deterrence-can-britain-and-france-take-on-americas-role-in-defending-europe-against-russian-aggression-252338

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Press Release – Expressions of Interest – Jersey Ferry Tuesday 18 March 2025

    Source: Channel Islands – States of Alderney

    Press Release
    Date: 18th March 2025

    Economic Development seeks Ferry Service operator between Jersey and Alderney

    The Economic Development Committee recognises the importance of connectivity to the island and is keen to expand ferry service offerings to Alderney.
    In keeping with the States established procurement procedures, and to demonstrate value for money to local taxpayers, the States is inviting Expressions of Interest (EOI) for a seasonal ferry service between the Island and Jersey for the 2025 summer season.

    The opportunity is open to ferry service providers with vessels of up to 12-passenger capacity to operate between the Spring Bank Holiday at the end of May until the end of September.
    The successful applicant will also have an option to extend to 2026 subject to review by both parties.

    It is envisaged that a minimum service for the Alderney-Jersey route would involve at least four rotations per week to accommodate overnight stays in Alderney.
    At this stage, potential providers are being asked to provide basic details to the States including vessel, proposed timetable and fares and what support the service may require from the States. Once initial submissions have been received, a more detailed process will be carried out to select the provider in time to commence the service in May.

    Details about the EOI and the procurement process can be found at the link: CHttpHandler.ashx

    Chair of the Economic Development Committee, Stuart Clark said ‘the seasonal ferry services to Guernsey for visitors and residents alike have been an important factor in Alderney’s transport offering. The limited travel links to Jersey have also been well noted and the Committee feels that direct links to Jersey is a market that should be tested and exploited.’

    Closing date for submission of EOI is March 28th 2025.

    Ends

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –