NewzIntel.com

Category: European Union

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Inspectors praise Good rated Adult Education Wolverhampton

    Source: City of Wolverhampton

    Inspectors visited the City of Wolverhampton Council run service last month and, in their report published this week, praised consistently high attendance across all courses. Students ‘enjoy their studies’, ‘learn in a calm and purposeful environment’, ‘develop their confidence and feel well supported by staff’.

    Students who are looking for employment or higher skilled jobs receive ‘specialist high quality careers advice and guidance’, with a high proportion of students achieving their learning goals and being well prepared for their next steps.

    Students benefit from Adult Education Wolverhampton’s links with employers or community groups. The service also provides ‘positive learning opportunities for families in local schools’.

    Inspectors concluded that Wolverhampton Adult Education Service continues to be a good provider.

    Anna Place, Deputy Head of Service said: “The service aims to continuously improve, and the inspectors recognised our strengthened quality assurance and improvement strategies that have supported high levels of achievement.”

    Councillor Chris Burden, the council’s Cabinet Member for City Development, Jobs and Skills, said: “This is great news and I’m delighted that the inspectors have continued to recognise the enthusiasm, dedication and expertise that our teachers and the wider service brings to adult students across the city each and every day.

    “Providing good quality education and training for all our residents to learn and grow, increasing their employability and wellbeing, whatever their age or situation, is a key commitment in Our City: Our Plan, and I’m pleased that Adult Education Wolverhampton is continuing to help us deliver on that pledge.

    “A recent survey found that 99% of students would recommend Adult Education Wolverhampton to their friends and family, and I would urge residents to take full advantage of the opportunities available.”

    To find out more about courses available through Adult Education Wolverhampton, please visit Adult Education Wolverhampton, call 01902 558180 or attend the next open day taking place on Saturday 21 June.

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Latest Council Budget plans include £5m boost for neighbourhoods

    Source: City of Manchester

    Manchester City Council is set to invest around £5 million extra funding to keep neighbourhoods clean, green and tidy. 

    The move, proposed in newly-published reports about the Council’s 2025/26 budget to be considered at its Executive meeting on 19 February, will be funded from Manchester’s £5.4 million share of a rebate to councils from Greater Manchester Combined Authority’s waste reserve which was announced last week.  

    The extra funding, to be spent over three years, will be used to improve and support the upkeep of neighbourhoods across the city. In the council’s recent budget consultation this was the top priority identified by residents – with 77.5% of residents putting it among the issues which mattered the most to them.  

    £4.6 million of the extra funding will be invested to boost services to keep neighbourhoods clean, including cleaning, combatting flytipping, maintenance of green spaces and leaf collection. 

    A further £400,000 will be used to overturn a decision taken last year to start charging for replacement recycling bins which would have applied from this April.  

    The remainder will be invested in other neighbourhood priorities including an extra £338,000 towards improved enforcement to tackle damp and mould in private rented sector properties.  

    While significant challenges remain, the Council’s position has improved since planning for its 2025/26 budget began in spring 2024. At that point the then Government had indicated there would be real terms funding cuts for local government which, together with emerging pressures, would have required deep cuts.  

    The incoming Government’s Autumn Statement reversed this position with a real terms increase in Core Spending Power instead. The Government’s financial settlement for the Council, which it received just before Christmas, was better than expected with a number of increases, especially in recognition of the nationwide pressures in social care. Manchester’s Core Spending Power increase of 10.4% is the highest nationally, reflecting a ministerial decision to direct resources to places with high deprivation levels and low council taxbases which had been the hardest hit since 2010. 

    This has meant that while £18.2m of savings from previously published savings identified for 2025/26 are required, the Council will be able to set a balanced budget for 2025/26 which also takes account of ongoing pressures. The savings relate to efficiencies and increased income generation not service reductions.  

    The budget assumes a 4.99% increase in the Council’s element of Council Tax, 2% of which is specifically to support adult social care.  

    Council Leader Cllr Bev Craig said: “We are still dealing with the brutal legacy of 14 years of austerity and cuts to our funding under the previous Government, and that can’t be turned around overnight.  

    “But the improved funding under the current Government, which recognises this legacy, is a step in the right direction. Together with our careful planning, it means we’re able to bring forward a budget which looks to make lives better and improve the city.”  

    Councillor Rabnawaz Akbar, Executive Member for Finance, said: “Residents told us loud and clear in our recent budget consultation that keeping neighbourhoods clean was their top priority and we have responded to that with this extra investment. 

    “We are pleased to be in a position where can deliver a budget that works for Manchester people.”  

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Communities gather to strengthen Climate Action at regional event

    Source: City of Derby

    A recent event in Derby brought together community groups, sustainability experts, and local organisations to explore key topics in community-led sustainability efforts. The event facilitated conversations on funding, decarbonisation, renewable energy, community engagement, and sustainable transport solutions.

    Delegates were able to hear from topic experts, engage with case studies, and participate in meaningful discussions aimed at driving action and collaboration within their communities.

    As part of the event, attendees were able to take part in table discussions guided by facilitators, ensuring that key insights, innovative ideas, and critical challenges were captured and shared. 

    The event aimed to provide community groups with the knowledge and resources to take action on pressing sustainability issues. By fostering collaboration and knowledge-sharing, the event hoped to empower communities to drive change at a local level.

    Key topics at the event included: 

    • Community funding and creating bids 
    • Decarbonising community buildings and local homes 
    • Local sustainable transport and travel 
    • Local Area Energy Planning 

    Joanna Watson, Founder of Darley Community Energy Ltd commented: 

    “The Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire Community Event was packed full of interesting speakers and representatives from across the Community Energy sector. Of particular interest was insight into the Local Area Energy Plan consultation process and that Community Energy groups are recognised as key stakeholders. It was good to see many familiar faces from across the sector sharing their work, and also a great networking opportunity.” 

    Peter Burgess-Allen, Project Manager and Development Lead at Marches Energy Agency added: 

    “A lot of my work at Marches Energy Agency involves talking to community activists or council officers, and sometimes managing to get them together. It was great to see community groups given a platform to share their work and hear about council strategy to tackle emissions, in the same space.  I look forward to more debate and interaction going forwards!”

    Councillor Carmel Swan, Derby City Council Cabinet Member for Climate Change, Transport and Sustainability said: 

    “Community groups are a vital part of our journey to net-zero and really hold the key to accelerating projects in their local area. This event showed that we’re lucky to have lots of engaged communities in the area and I look forward to taking forward the learning and knowledge shared at the event.” 

    The event was funded by Fast Followers, part of Innovate UK’s Net Zero Living Programme, designed to help places and businesses across the UK to accelerate the delivery of the transition to Net Zero. 

    The event was hosted by a partnership of Derby City Council, Derbyshire County Council, Nottingham City Council, Nottinghamshire County Council, Rushcliffe Borough Council, Gedling Borough Council and Broxtowe Borough Council.

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Help stop the spread of winter vomiting bug

    Source: City of Wolverhampton

    Norovirus, also known as the winter vomiting bug, is a stomach bug that causes sickness and diarrhoea. It can be very unpleasant, but most people will make a full recovery within 2 or 3 days without needing any medicine.

    However, some groups – including young children, the elderly or those with weakened immunity – are at risk of suffering more serious and prolonged illness, which may require medical treatment.

    Symptoms include feeling sick, being sick and diarrhoea, as well as a raised temperature, headache, tummy pain and body aches. The virus can easily spread from person to person through hand to mouth contact and can be picked up by touching infected surfaces such as equipment, hands, toys or dirty nappies or from eating food prepared or handled by someone with norovirus.

    Councillor Jasbir Jaspal, the City of Wolverhampton Council’s Cabinet Member for Adults and Wellbeing, said: “Norovirus is highly contagious and can spread rapidly anywhere that people are gathered, such as hospitals, schools or offices, especially during colder weather.

    “If you have norovirus, avoid visiting people in hospitals and care homes to prevent passing on the infection in these settings.

    “Do not return to work, school or nursery until 48 hours after your symptoms have stopped and do not prepare food for others in that time either, because the virus can still be passed on in the days after you stop being sick.

    “Washing your hands frequently with soap and warm water is the best way to stop it spreading; this is particularly important after an episode of illness, after using the toilet, before eating or preparing food.”

    If you are concerned about symptoms talk to your GP by phone, contact NHS 111. For more information on how to help yourself or your family members recover from norovirus, visit NHS | Norovirus (vomiting bug).

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI: Preem Partners with Imubit to Drive Sustainability and Lower Emissions Through Advanced Closed Loop AI Optimization

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    Houston, TX, Feb. 19, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Houston, TX – February 19, 2025 – Imubit, a global leader in closed loop artificial intelligence optimization (AIO), and Preem, Sweden’s largest fuel company, have entered into a partnership aimed at accelerating Preem’s sustainability journey through Imubit’s Closed Loop AIO technology. As part of Sweden’s drive toward a carbon-neutral future, this partnership underscores Preem’s commitment to innovative, data-driven solutions to reduce emissions and increase operational efficiency.

    Preem has set ambitious goals for emissions reduction, including meeting net zero GHG emissions throughout the value chain by 2035.  To meet this ambitious target, digitalisation for increased profitability is one of the main areas in Preem’s strategy. This partnership with Imubit represents a significant step in that direction. Imubit’s AI-driven Optimizing Brain™ solution will enable Preem’s Lysekil refinery to maximize the production efficiency of its Fluid Catalytic Cracking (FCC) unit. This is anticipated to also result in emissions reductions and fuel savings by enhancing yield profiles and stabilizing the fuel gas balance.

    Dennis Rohe, Business Consulting Lead at Imubit, expressed the potential impact of the project: “Our collaboration with Preem is an opportunity to showcase the power of AI in industrial sustainability. By optimizing process variables to minimize environmental impact, we are supporting Preem in achieving emission reductions. We’re excited to drive forward their vision of greener refining practices.”

    “At Preem, we are constantly exploring new technologies to reach our sustainability goals,” Erika Wikström, SVP of Technology. “Working with Imubit allows us to leverage cutting-edge AI to optimize our renewable processes while minimizing our carbon footprint. This collaboration is an important step toward a more sustainable future for our industry.”

    The partnership between Imubit and Preem demonstrates the role of AI in transforming process industries and advancing sustainable operations. Imubit’s Closed Loop AI Optimization will help Preem set a new standard in refining, by including AI-optimisation on top of Preem’s already ambitious plans to reduce dependency on fossil fuels and enabling a sustainable energy transition across Europe.

    -ENDS-

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: Atos Successfully Supports Invictus Games Vancouver Whistler 2025 Reach New Heights

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

                                                                   News

    Atos Successfully Supports Invictus Games Vancouver Whistler 2025 Reach New Heights

    Atos services were instrumental in helping participants share their extraordinary resilience and passion on-site and with audiences worldwide

    Vancouver and Whistler, Canada, and Paris, France, February 18, 2025 – Atos, a global leader in digital transformation and the Official Technology Partner of the Invictus Games Vancouver Whistler 2025, today announces it has successfully delivered the full range of critical IT services that helped make the games, which took place from February 8 to 16, 2025, a unique event.

    This event brought together up to 550 competitors from 23 nations, introducing winter sports to the Invictus Games for the first time. Atos provided the entire range of essential services, including data processing, timing and scoring, public scoreboards, TV graphics, as well as live results for a total of 11 sports: Wheelchair Basketball, Sitting Volleyball, Wheelchair Rugby, Indoor Rowing, Swimming, Wheelchair Curling, Alpine Skiing, Snowboarding, Biathlon, Nordic Skiing, and Skeleton.

    The Invictus Games is an international adaptive multi-sport event founded by Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex, for wounded, injured, and sick service members and Veterans. Launched in London in 2014, the Games aim to use the power of sport to inspire recovery, support rehabilitation, and generate a wider understanding and respect for those who serve their countries. Participants compete in a spirit of brotherhood, sharing their experiences and showcasing their resilience, determination and courage. 

    Adaptative sports come with a unique set of rules and categories based on competitors’ health, where Atos’ experience and advanced sports technologies play a crucial role. These solutions significantly enhance the readiness and deployment capabilities, ensuring a seamless experience for athletes and organizers.

    Atos relied on the unparalleled expertise of its 25 on-site professionals and 10 remote technicians from its Sport Technology Center of Excellence in Spain to ensure operational excellence throughout the 8 days of competition. More than 110 computers were deployed across various sports disciplines, in addition to providing over 300 TV graphics for the live broadcast of the event. One of the highlights of Atos’s collaboration at the Invictus Games was the implementation of a remote On-Venue Result system (OVR) for certain sports, including Wheelchair Basketball, Sitting Volleyball, Wheelchair Rugby, and Indoor Rowing. Atos experts perfectly managed, deployed, and monitored the entire spectrum of the Games’ technology, ensuring that all services run smoothly and efficiently during the entire competition.

    “We believe this event beautifully showcases the spirit of sportsmanship and the incredible resilience of the competitors” said Nacho Moros, Head of Major Events, Atos. “We are proud that our cutting-edge technology and all the experience we accumulated in supporting the largest sport events worldwide in the past decades created an amazing experience for the Invictus Games 2025 competitors and fans alike. We are looking forward to pursuing this journey, and keeping integrating new, exciting features in future editions.”

    Atos has been serving its partners and customers through a dedicated in-house sports and major events division (“Major Events”) for over 30 years, giving it an unmatched experience and the flexibility to serve its customers regardless of their exposure, size and scale. From global events to local competitions such as the next 2025 European Youth Olympic Winter Festival to be held in Bakuriani (Georgia), Atos consistently strives to deliver technology excellence to its entire customer base. 

    Atos has been involved with the Olympic Movement since 1992 and the Paralympic Movement since 2002 and is the Official Digital Technology Partner of the European Olympic Committee 2027 edition of the European Games, as well as the official Digital partner for Special Olympics International. In addition, the company is also the Official Information Technology Partner of UEFA National Team Football. Most recently, Atos has been instrumental in delivering successful leading-edge IT services for iconic events such as UEFA EURO 2024™ in Germany and the Olympic and Paralympic Games Paris 2024. 

    To learn more about Atos solutions for sporting events and major events, visit Atos major events. 

    ***

    About Invictus Games Vancouver Whistler 2025

    The Invictus Games Vancouver Whistler 2025, presented by ATCO and Boeing, is an international sporting competition for wounded, injured, and sick service members and Veterans. From February 8-16, 2025, the seventh Invictus Games brought together up to 550 competitors from up to 25 nations in 11 adaptive sports in the natural beauty of British Columbia, Canada. Invictus means unconquered and the Games celebrate courage, resiliency and the strength of the human spirit. Through the power of sport, the Games will inspire recovery, support rehabilitation, and generate a wider understanding and respect for those who have served their country.   

    The Invictus Games Vancouver Whistler 2025 were held on the traditional territories of the Lil̓wat7úl (Líl̓wat), xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam), Sḵwx̱wú7mesh (Squamish) and səlilwətaɬ (Tsleil-Waututh) Nations. True Patriot Love Foundation, the Government of Canada, and the Province of British Columbia are the valued Founding Partners of the Invictus Games Vancouver Whistler 2025.   

    Visit invictusgames2025.ca for the latest updates, supporting materials and full Games details. 

    About Atos

    Atos is a global leader in digital transformation with c. 82,000 employees and annual revenue of c. € 10 billion. European number one in cybersecurity, cloud and high-performance computing, the Group provides tailored end-to-end solutions for all industries in 69 countries. A pioneer in decarbonization services and products, Atos is committed to a secure and decarbonized digital for its clients. Atos is a SE (Societas Europaea) and listed on Euronext Paris.

    The purpose of Atos is to help design the future of the information space. Its expertise and services support the development of knowledge, education and research in a multicultural approach and contribute to the development of scientific and technological excellence. Across the world, the Group enables its customers and employees, and members of societies at large to live, work and develop sustainably, in a safe and secure information space.

    Press contact

    Laurent Massicot | laurent.massicot@atos.net | +33 (0)7 69 48 01 80

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    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: University of Potsdam (UP)

    Source: UNISDR Disaster Risk Reduction

    Mission

    Since its founding in 1991, the University of Potsdam has excelled in research and teaching and is well positioned both on a national and international scale. The university aims to play an active role among Germany’s leading research universities on a sustained basis. The university actively engages in qualified training of urgently needed skilled personnel and ensure a rapid translation of the latest scientific findings into practice. It is of particular concern to us to win strong political, economic, and social partners. Through its reporting, the university aims to inform, arouse interest, and show connecting factors which improve the density and stability of the university’s network for education, science and knowledge transfer – to the benefit of Brandenburg.

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: Human Rights Council to Hold its Fifty-Eighth Regular Session from 24 February to 4 April 2025

    Source: United Nations – Geneva

    The United Nations Human Rights Council will hold its fifty-eighth regular session from 24 February to 4 April 2025 at the Palais des Nations in Geneva, starting with its high-level segment from 24 to 26 February, when dignitaries representing more than 100 Member States will address the Council.

    The session will open at 9 a.m. on Monday, 24 February under the Presidency of Ambassador Jürg Lauber of Switzerland. Delivering statements at the opening will be the Secretary-General of the United Nations, António Guterres; the President of the United Nations General Assembly , Philemon Yang; the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Türk; as well as the Chief of the Federal Department of Foreign Affairs of Switzerland, Ignazio Cassis. The Council will be meeting in room XX of the Palais des Nations.

    On Monday, 3 March, the Council is scheduled to hear a global update by the High Commissioner for Human Rights on the situation of human rights around the world. The general debate on his global update will start following his presentation of a number of country-specific reports and updates.

    During the session, the Council will hold 30 interactive dialogues with the High Commissioner, his Office and designated experts, with Special Procedure mandate holders and investigative mechanisms, and with Special Representatives of the Secretary-General. The Council will also hold five enhanced interactive dialogues and one high-level dialogue, as well as nine general debates.

    The Council will also hold the annual high-level panel discussion on human rights mainstreaming with a focus on the thirtieth anniversary of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action; the biennial high-level panel on the death penalty ; panel discussions on early warning and genocide, HIV response and leaving no one behind, and on rights to work and to social security ; the annual interactive debate on the rights of persons with disabilities; the annual discussion on the rights of the child; and a commemoration of the International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination.

    The Council will examine the situation of human rights in a number of countries under its various agenda items, including the situation in the occupied Palestinian territory, Eritrea, Sudan, South Sudan, Nicaragua, Afghanistan and Myanmar under agenda item two; in Iran, Syria, Venezuela, Ukraine, Belarus, the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, and Myanmar under agenda item four; and in Mali, Haiti, Ukraine, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, South Sudan and Central African Republic under agenda item 10.

    The final outcomes of the Universal Periodic Review of 14 States will also be considered, namely those of Norway, Albania, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Côte d’Ivoire, Portugal, Bhutan, Dominica, Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, Brunei Darussalam, Costa Rica, Equatorial Guinea, Ethiopia, Qatar and Nicaragua. 

    Towards the end of the session, the Council will appoint three new members of the Expert Mechanism on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples.

    A detailed agenda and further information on the fifty-eighth session can be found on the session’s webpage . Reports to be presented are available here. 

    First Week of the Session 

    The fifty-eighth regular session will open at 9 a.m. on Monday, 24 February with a short opening meeting, followed by the start of the high-level segment, which will continue until 26 February, and during which the Council will hear addresses by more than 100 dignitaries. Intervening during the high-level segment will be the annual high-level panel discussion on human rights mainstreaming in the afternoon of 24 February and the biennial high-level panel on the death penalty in the morning of Tuesday, 25 February. The general segment will follow the conclusion of the high-level segment in the afternoon of Wednesday, 26 February.

    On Thursday, 27 February, the Council will hold an interactive dialogue on the High Commissioner’s report on the occupied Palestinian territory, including East Jerusalem, and the obligation to ensure accountability and justice, followed by enhanced interactive dialogues on the situation of human rights in Eritrea and on the High Commissioner’s report on Sudan, with the assistance of the designated Expert. Friday, 28 February, will see the conclusion of the discussion on Sudan, followed by an enhanced interactive dialogue on the report of the Commission on Human Rights in South Sudan. This will be followed by three interactive dialogues, the first on the report of the Group of Human Rights Experts on Nicaragua, the second with the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Afghanistan, and the third on the High Commissioner’s oral update on Myanmar.

    Second Week of the Session 

    At the beginning of the second week, on the morning of Monday, 3 March, the Council will hear the High Commissioner’s global update, then conclude the interactive dialogue on the High Commissioner’s oral update on Myanmar. This will be followed by the presentation of reports on the activities of the Office of the High Commissioner in Colombia, Guatemala and Honduras, and of another report on Cyprus, and oral updates on Sri Lanka and Nicaragua. The Council will then begin the general debate under agenda item two, namely the annual report of the High Commissioner for Human Rights and reports of the Office of the High Commissioner and the Secretary-General, which will conclude on Tuesday, 4 March. The Council will subsequently begin its considerations under agenda item three on the promotion and protection of all human rights, holding interactive dialogues with the Special Rapporteur on torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment and with the Special Rapporteur on freedom of religion or belief.

    On the morning of Wednesday, 5 March, the Council will hold a panel on early warning and genocide prevention, then conclude its interactive dialogue with the Special Rapporteur on freedom of religion or belief. This will be followed by an enhanced interactive dialogue on the report of the Office of the High Commissioner on transitional justice. Another panel will be held on Thursday, 6 March on HIV response and leaving no one behind, in addition to two interactive dialogues with the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights defenders and the Special Rapporteur in the field of cultural rights. A third panel will be held in the morning of Friday, 7 March on rights to work and to social security, followed by two interactive dialogues with the Special Rapporteur on the right to adequate housing and the Independent Expert on the rights of persons with albinism.

    Third Week of the Session 

    The Council will start its third week on Monday, 10 March with a focus on disability, beginning with an interactive dialogue with the Special Rapporteur on the rights of persons with disabilities, to be followed by the annual debate on the rights of persons with disabilities. The day will conclude with an interactive dialogue with the Independent Expert on foreign debt, which will continue in the morning of Tuesday, 11 March. Two more interactive dialogues will also be held on Tuesday with the Special Rapporteur on the right to food and the Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of human rights and fundamental freedoms while countering terrorism.

    Wednesday, 12 March will see a further three interactive dialogues with the Special Rapporteur on the right to privacy, and the Special Representatives of the Secretary-General on violence against children and on children and armed conflict, the latter of which will conclude on Thursday, 13 March. The focus on children will continue on Thursday, with the Council also holding its annual discussion on the rights of the child, the theme of which will be early childhood development, and starting an interactive dialogue with the Special Rapporteur on the sale of children, which will conclude on Friday, 14 March.

    On Friday, an interactive dialogue with the Special Rapporteur on the human right to a healthy environment will precede the presentation of reports by the open-ended intergovernmental working group on transnational corporations and other business enterprises with respect to human rights, the Secretary-General, the High Commissioner and his Office, followed by the start of the general debate on agenda item three.

    Fourth Week of the Session

    The first day of the Council’s fourth week, Monday 17 March, will be devoted to concluding the general debate on agenda item three. From Tuesday, 18 March, consideration of agenda item four, human rights situations that require the Council’s attention, will begin. First on the schedule is a joint interactive dialogue with the Special Rapporteur and the independent international fact-finding mission on the situation of human rights in Iran, followed by interactive dialogues with the independent international commission of inquiry on Syria, the fact-finding mission on Venezuela and the independent international commission of inquiry on Ukraine.

    On Wednesday, 19 March, after the conclusion of the dialogue with the commission of inquiry on Ukraine, three more separate interactive dialogues will be held with the group of independent experts on the situation of human rights in Belarus and with the Special Rapporteurs on the situation of human rights in the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea and in Myanmar.

    Thursday, 20 March, will see the Council hear the presentation of the High Commissioner’s report on the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea and his oral update of the situation of human rights in Venezuela. This will be followed by the general debate on agenda item four, which will conclude on the morning of Friday, 21 March. On Friday, the Council will also hold an interactive dialogue with the Special Rapporteur on minority issues, before beginning considerations under agenda item five on human rights bodies and mechanisms. After hearing the presentation of reports by the Forum on Minority Issues, the Social Forum, and the Special Procedures of the Council, it will commence the general debate on agenda item five.

    Fifth Week of the Session 

    The Council will start its fifth week on Monday, 24 March with its consideration under agenda item six of the final outcomes of the Universal Periodic Reviews of 14 States: Norway, Albania, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Côte d’Ivoire, Portugal, Bhutan, Dominica, Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, Brunei Darussalam, Costa Rica, Equatorial Guinea, Ethiopia, Qatar and Nicaragua. This consideration will continue through to the morning of Wednesday, 26 March, after which the Council will hold a general debate on agenda item six. This will be followed by the presentation of the reports of the High Commissioner and the Secretary-General under agenda item seven, namely the human rights situation in Palestine and other occupied Arab territories, and the general debate on this agenda item. The general debate under agenda item eight – follow-up and implementation of the Vienna Declaration and Programme of Action – is also scheduled to commence on Wednesday afternoon.

    Ending racism will be the Council’s theme for Thursday, 27 March. After concluding the debate under agenda item eight, it will hear the presentation of the report of the intergovernmental working group on the effective implementation of the Durban Declaration and Programme of Action, then hold its general debate on agenda item nine, namely racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related forms of intolerance, follow-up to and implementation of the Durban Declaration and Programme of Action. From 2:30 to 4:30 p.m., the Council will also hold a meeting in commemoration of the International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination.

    Friday, 28 March will begin with the conclusion of the debate under agenda item nine, followed by three interactive dialogues conducted under agenda item 10 on technical assistance and capacity-building. The first dialogue will be with the Independent Expert on the situation of human rights in Mali; the second on the High Commissioner’s report on the situation of human rights in Haiti, with the participation of the Independent Expert on the subject; and the third on the High Commissioner’s oral update on the situation of human rights in Ukraine.

    Sixth Week of the Session 

    Monday, 31 March is a United Nations holiday. On Tuesday, 1 April, the Council will hold an enhanced interactive dialogue on oral updates by the High Commissioner and by the team of international experts on the Democratic Republic of the Congo, followed by an interactive dialogue on the report of the Office of the High Commissioner on technical assistance and capacity building for South Sudan and a high-level dialogue on the Central African Republic. At the end of the day, the Council will hear the annual presentation of the High Commissioner on technical cooperation and his oral update on Georgia, and the presentation of the report of the Board of Trustees of the Voluntary Fund for Technical Cooperation, followed by the general debate on agenda item 10.

    The general debate will conclude on Wednesday, 2 April, and the Council will then start to act on draft decisions and resolutions, appoint three new members of the Expert Mechanism on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, and adopt the report of the fifty-eighth regular session, before closing the session on Friday, 4 April.

    The Human Rights Council 

    The Human Rights Council is an inter-governmental body within the United Nations system, made up of 47 States, which is responsible for strengthening the promotion and protection of human rights around the globe. The Council was created by the United Nations General Assembly on 15 March 2006 with the main purpose of addressing situations of human rights violations and making recommendations on them.

    The composition of the Human Rights Council at its fifty-eighth session is as follows: Albania (2026); Algeria (2025); Bangladesh (2025); Belgium (2025); Benin (2027); Bolivia (2027); Brazil (2026); Bulgaria (2026); Burundi (2026); Chile (2025); China (2026); Colombia (2027); Costa Rica (2025); Côte d’Ivoire (2026); Cuba (2026); Cyprus (2027); Czechia (2027); Democratic Republic of the Congo (2027); Dominican Republic (2026); Ethiopia (2027); France (2026); Gambia (2027); Georgia (2025); Germany (2025); Ghana (2026); Iceland (2027); Indonesia (2026); Japan (2026); Kenya (2027); Kuwait (2026); Kyrgyzstan (2025); Malawi (2026); Maldives (2025); Marshall Islands (2027); Mexico (2027); Morocco (2025); Netherlands (2026); North Macedonia (2027); Qatar (2027); Republic of Korea (2027); Romania (2025); South Africa (2025); Spain (2027); Sudan (2025); Switzerland (2027); Thailand (2027); and Viet Nam (2025).

    The term of membership of each State expires in the year indicated in parentheses.

    The President of the Human Rights Council in 2025 is Jürg Lauber (Switzerland). The four Vice-Presidents are Tareq Md Ariful Islam (Bangladesh), Razvan Rusu (Romania), Paul Empole Losoko Efambe (Democratic Republic of the Congo) and a fourth Vice-President to be elected later from the Group of Latin American and Caribbean States. Mr. Efambe will also serve as Rapporteur of the Geneva-based body.

    The dates and venue of the fifty-eighth session are subject to change.

    Information on the fifty-eighth session can be found here , including the annotated agenda and the reports to be presented.

    For further information, please contact Pascal Sim (simp@un.org), Matthew Brown (matthew.brown@un.org) or David Díaz Martín (David.diazmartin@un.org)

    ___________

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

     

    HRC.25.001E

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

  • MIL-OSI Video: How Pasta Revived an Abandoned Land—with EU Support

    Source: European Commission (video statements)

    For over 50 years, a visionary family has transformed an abandoned monastery into a thriving organic farm and pasta producer. With the support of the European Union, this small initiative grew into Italy’s first fully fair-trade food supply chain, setting an example for sustainable and competitive food production across Europe.

    This family embraced environmentally friendly practices long before organic farming became a trend, proving that sustainable agriculture is the future. Their journey—from ruined land to an award-winning European producer—highlights the power of innovation, resilience, and EU-backed investments.

    The European Commission is committed to ensuring a strong, sustainable, and competitive agri-food sector. Its policies will cover:
    – Building an attractive agri-food sector;
    – Fostering a competitive and resilient sector;
    – Providing the conditions for a future-proof sector;
    – Focusing on food, fair living and working conditions in rural areas;
    For more information on the contents of these pillars, follow this link: https://europa.eu/!Qnw393

    Thanks to EU funding, this pioneering company completed its supply chain—from cultivation to final product—and received the EU Organic Award for excellence in food processing. This story is not just about pasta; it’s about redefining the future of food.

    #EUAgriculture

    Watch on the Audiovisual Portal of the European Commission: https://audiovisual.ec.europa.eu/en/video/I-267965
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    Check our website: http://ec.europa.eu/

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XXbTJ5nk2n4

    MIL OSI Video –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Brutalism: Oscar-nominated film has revived interest in a controversial architectural legacy

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Gleb Redko, PhD Researcher in Punk, Brutalism & Psychogeography, School of Architecture Art & Design, University of Portsmouth

    With ten Oscar nominations, The Brutalist has reignited the debate over the legacy of brutalism. The polarising architectural style was shaped by post-war hopes for a better future. But it was also, as historian Adrian Forty argues in his book Concrete and Culture (2012), an “expression of melancholy, the work of a civilisation that had all but destroyed itself in the second world war”.

    The fictional architect at centre of The Brutalist, László Tóth, is an Austro-Hungarian modernist and concentration-camp survivor who moves to America to rebuild his life. His designs, described as “machines”, are inspired by the trauma of camps like Buchenwald and Dachau.

    Emerging from the rubble of the second world war, brutalism became an architectural response to devastation and the pressing need for urban renewal. The destruction caused by the Blitz provided architects with opportunities to design environments reflecting the ideals of the new welfare state: equality, accessibility and functionality for the collective good.

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    This ethical foundation aimed to address the social needs of the post-war era, particularly in housing, education and public welfare infrastructure. Notable examples of the style include the Barbican estate and Southbank Centre in London.

    Architectural critic Reyner Banham, who coined the term brutalism in his 1966 work Brutalism: Ethic or Aesthetic, argued that the movement was more than an aesthetic choice. He championed the work of Alison and Peter Smithson, young British architects who played a crucial role in shaping brutalism through projects like Robin Hood Gardens in London’s Tower Hamlets. For Banham, brutalism was an ethical stance and a form of “radical philosophy” aiming to address the social needs of the post-war era.

    The brutalist style has, however, often been criticsed for what many perceived to be its unappealing, “ugly” aesthetic and alienating qualities. In 1988, King Charles famously compared the National Theatre in London to a nuclear plant, encapsulating the public’s mixed reactions. Similarly the situationists (a French anti-capitalist art movement) denounced brutalist housing estates as “machines for living”. They saw them as oppressive structures that stifled human connection.

    The perception of brutalism is highly dependent on context. In warmer climates like Marseille in France, the play of sunlight on raw concrete gave structures a sculptural quality. In the UK’s wet climate, however, exposed concrete weathered quickly, making buildings appear grey and neglected.

    Yet for brutalist architects, this was never just about aesthetics. They saw their designs as expressions of honesty and social progress, rejecting ornamentation in favour of raw, functional materials that symbolised a new egalitarian society. The very qualities that critics saw as oppressive were, to its proponents, what made brutalism a radical and hopeful architecture.

    Rebellion and reclamation

    Despite their ethical intentions, brutalist buildings often appeared to have an alienating impact on their residents. In his book Making Dystopia (2018), architectural historian James Stevens Curl discusses the Canada Estate in Bermondsey, London, built in 1964, where tenants expressed their disaffection for the environment through acts of vandalism.

    By the 1970s, the optimism surrounding modernist and brutalist projects had begun to collapse, both figuratively and literally. One of the most infamous moments symbolising this failure was the Ronan Point disaster in 1968. A gas explosion on the 18th floor of this newly built tower block in east London caused a partial collapse. Four people were killed and serious concerns were raised about the safety and quality of post-war high-rise housing.

    This tragedy pushed the Clash’s Joe Strummer to write one of the band’s most notable songs, London’s Burning, in 1976. In the late 1970s and 1980s, punks splattered brutalist architecture with graffiti slogans echoing situationist critiques of modern urban life.

    Some referenced punk band names or song lyrics, showing how punk didn’t just adopt the attitude of the situationists but also their language and tactics. Jamie Reid, the architect of the Sex Pistols’ aesthetic, often used images of brutalist structures as a stark backdrop to his punk visuals.

    The punk movement reinterpreted the failure of brutalism not just as an architectural problem but as a broader societal collapse, highlighting issues of alienation, neglect and the erosion of post-war utopian ideals.



    Read more:
    Jamie Reid: the defiant punk art of the man behind the Sex Pistols’ iconic imagery

    Yet, in recent years, the brutalist aesthetic has found a new audience. Online communities, such as Reddit’s 1.5 million-member r/EvilBuildings reflect on buildings and surroundings captured by community members and the impressions these structures leave. Brutalist buildings frequently top the list.

    This renewed interest highlights the complex legacy of a style that was once widely criticised but continues to captivate a broader audience beyond architects.

    Brutalism’s dual legacy, a movement intended to create community but often seen as alienating, continues to shape debates in architecture and urban planning. The controversial nature of this style is evident in the demolition of prominent structures like the Smithsons’ Robin Hood Gardens (2018), the Tricorn Centre in Portsmouth (2004), and the currently ongoing demolition of Cumbernauld town centre in central Scotland.

    These demolitions highlight both brutalism’s polarised reception and the public reassessment of its value. These spaces are more than just concrete. They are sites of memory, rebellion, and ongoing cultural significance, continuously shaping and being shaped by the society around them.

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

    – ref. Brutalism: Oscar-nominated film has revived interest in a controversial architectural legacy – https://theconversation.com/brutalism-oscar-nominated-film-has-revived-interest-in-a-controversial-architectural-legacy-249627

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Hebden Bridge Flood Alleviation Scheme designs to be put on show

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    Officers from the Environment Agency are hosting two events where residents can view final designs for the scheme, ask any questions and meet the project team.

    On Thursday 27 February and Thursday 6 March, designs will be displayed at Hebden Bridge Town Hall.

    People are invited to pop in from 12pm to 8pm to view the designs and ask any questions, prior to the main planning application being submitted to the council.  

    Environment Agency work to reduce flood risk from the River Calder and Hebden Water will consist of raising and strengthening river walls, using glass panels and raising barriers to minimise any intrusion on the iconic views for those living on the riverside.  

    Working in partnership with Calderdale Council, the Hebden Bridge Flood Alleviation Scheme is designed to reduce flood risk from the River Calder and Hebden Water.  

    Jo Arnold, Calderdale Programme and Partnership Manager at the Environment Agency, said: 

    We are really pleased to share our plans for the Hebden Bridge Flood Alleviation Scheme with the local community and we’d encourage all residents to attend to see what the final designs entail, ask questions and provide comment, prior to our plans being submitted for planning approval.  

    It’s a great opportunity to see the designs in detail, find out what the work will entail, ask any questions and speak directly with the team behind the project. 

    This scheme will play a key role in better protecting homes, businesses, and critical infrastructure across the town and support their long-term resilience against flooding. 

    Information on preparing for flooding

    Environment Agency officers will also be on hand to help anyone who’d like information on how to be prepared for flooding, provide practical advice, and help people sign up for flood warnings. 

    Even with flood defences in place, people can never be fully protected against flooding, so the Environment Agency always urge people to check their risk and sign up to flood warnings.

    Calderdale Council’s Cabinet Member for Climate Action and Housing, Cllr Scott Patient, said:

    It’s great news that the Hebden Bridge Flood Alleviation Scheme is reaching the final stages of development and crucial that we now move into delivery. I hope people take the time to find out more about the plans to better protect the town from flooding.

    It’s now nearly ten years since Storm Eva and five years since Storm Ciara caused significant flooding in the upper valley, but the risk is ever present, and we continue to work in partnership to minimise risk and build resilience.

    The planning application is expected to be submitted later this summer. It is anticipated that pre-construction preparation work will commence later in 2025. 

    Hebden Bridge Flood Information Centre on Valley Road continues to open on Mondays and Fridays from 10am to 2pm where people can get any further information.

    The project team can also be contacted by email.

    Updates to this page

    Published 19 February 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: ESFA Update: 19 February 2025

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    Latest information and actions from the Education and Skills Funding Agency for academies, schools, colleges, local authorities and further education providers.

    Applies to England

    Documents

    ESFA Update academies: 19 February 2025

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    Details

    Latest for further education

    No edition

    Latest information for academies

    Article Title
    Information general annual grant allocation guide for 2025 to 2026

    Latest information for local authorities

    No edition

    Updates to this page

    Published 19 February 2025

    Sign up for emails or print this page

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Ensuring a just transition to net zero

    Source: Scottish Government

    Climate action must benefit all of Scotland, says First Minister.

    First Minister John Swinney has vowed that he will take a collaborative approach to tackling the climate and nature emergency, and that the transition to net zero ‘will abandon no community’.

    Addressing key climate stakeholders at the Glasgow Botanic Gardens, the First Minister said that despite the many examples of government supported actions and projects that are contributing to a more climate resilient Scotland, there is much more to be done.

    He also called once again on the UK Government to at least match the Scottish Government’s investment in securing a future for the Grangemouth refinery.

    The First Minister said:

    “This transition will abandon no community. The importance of safeguarding jobs and livelihoods has never been more stark than in the immediacy of the situation at Grangemouth.

    “If we are going to ensure a future for the site, opportunities for its highly skilled workforce, investment is needed now. That is why yesterday, I announced that the Scottish Government will amend the 2025-26 Budget at this late stage to allocate an additional £25 million for a Just Transition Fund for Grangemouth.

    “Today, I urge the UK Government to at least match our funding – and to use the powers they have to go further.  If this is a Government for the United Kingdom, then Scotland should be getting its fair share of UK-wide investments.”

    The First Minister added:

    “If we are to persuade people to back climate action wholeheartedly, we must speak not only of the costs and challenges – which there will be – but also demonstrate clear and direct household and community benefits where these are possible. Tangible benefits at home, in terms of more jobs, lower energy bills, and new economic opportunities, delivering also tangible benefits for the planet.

    “My approach to Government has always been collaboration, which is why I want this to be the start of an ongoing conversation, with a focus on action, on delivery. I believe that we can only make the progress, and map out the next necessary steps on our climate journey, by bringing together local and central Government, agencies, stakeholders, trade unions, community organisations, and the wider public.”

    Background

    Climate action: First Minister’s speech – 19 February – gov.scot 

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: expert reaction to the announcement of the expansion of the OpenSAFELY data platform

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    Scientists comment on the expansion of the OpenSAFELY data platform. 

    Prof Andrew Morris, Director of HDR UK, said: 

    “OpenSAFELY is an excellent example of what is possible when we get health data right with the confidence of patients, the public and health professionals. Access to comprehensive GP data across all of England is a great step forward for safe and approved research. GP data offers greater breadth and depth than hospital data, providing a detailed picture of people’s health over time. Many common conditions, like arthritis, depression and back pain are mostly managed by GPs, so this data is vital for research that can improve care for millions.  

    “The OpenSAFELY platform is one that proved its worth during the pandemic, giving us much needed knowledge about COVID-19.  It permits researchers to work with the information the data provides – while preventing them from accessing the data itself. Now by moving beyond COVID-19, researchers will be able to uncover groundbreaking insights that can improve the health and well-being of countless individuals. Significant challenges remain – the system is still evolving, with much work still to be done.  But as OpenSAFELY and other initiatives show, the UK has both the skills and the will to make it work.  

    “The UK has long been a global leader in health data research.  But to stay ahead, we must make coordinated investments in secure data infrastructure if data driven research is to power improvements in patient care, public health, NHS efficiency, clinical trials and enable medical discovery. This includes secure data sharing with flagship programmes such as Our Future Health, UK Biobank and Genomics England.”

     

    Professor Sir Rory Collins, Principal Investigator and CEO of UK Biobank, said:     

    “The expansion of OpenSAFELY should be welcomed as it enhances an innovative and useful tool for health researchers working on GP data. However, the most significant leaps in scientific discovery will come from comparing many different types of data simultaneously, and at scale. For example, the 20,000 researchers who use UK Biobank can analyse over 10,000 variables on many of our 500,000 volunteers, with whole genome sequencing being just one of those. 

    “It is this ability to study the genetic, imaging, lifestyle, secondary and – soon – primary care data in combination that is so vital for research. That’s why we’ve seen over 14,000 peer-reviewed papers published using UK Biobank data, including developments that should lead to better diagnostics and treatments for conditions such as diabetes, dementia and heart disease. 

    “GP data is a critical national asset, and both researchers and patients will benefit from this expansion. The next step is adding consented GP data to larger datasets, and we at UK Biobank are delighted to be working with NHS England to add the de-identified primary care data of our 500,000 volunteers.” 

    Prof Sheila Bird, Honorary Professor, University of Edinburgh’s College of Medicine and Veterinary Medicine; and Visiting Senior Fellow at the MRC Biostatistics Unit, University of Cambridge, University of Cambridge, said:

    “Dr. (now Professor) Ben Goldacre, a physician by profession, was first to receive the Royal Statistical Society’s Award for Statistical Excellence in Journalism for his  Bad Science column in the Guardian.

    “Professor Goldacre, who authored the Goldacre Review in 2022 [1] is against Bad Science. But he is staunchly for properly-approved record-linkages which respect patient confidentiality: and his team at OpenSafely have worked, during SARS-CoV-2 and since, to deliver just that. The delivery is a work in progress, as the excellent video about OpenSafely makes clear. Hence, my comment is about elements of enhanced delivery.

    “First, as the Royal Statistical Society has argued for since swine-flu in 2009/10, the public  – and OpenSafely – need legislation to end the late registration of fact-of-death in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. Only in Scotland, in our dis-United Kingdom, is fact-of-death registered, by law, within 8 days of death having been ascertained. OpenSafely for E&W urgently needs prompt and proper registration of fact-of-death which – for inquest deaths – is delayed by months or years [2].

    “Second, since one of five deaths aged 5-44 years in E&W is not registered for at least 6 months [2], ending the late registration of deaths is essential if we are to learn by OpenSafely’s research how to prevent or reduce premature mortality such as deaths due to suicide or addictions.

    “Third, analysts – including biostatisticians such as I – need to know in more detail about the random generators that OpenSafely uses for creating its pseudo-data, on which, as a biostatistician, I would develop and test my analysis routines. In particular, real data are often more complex in structure than statistical approximations to them in terms of their distribution (eg lognormal distribution assumed but the actual ln-data are not normally-distributed) or correlation structure. Analysts typically need to check assumptions on real data but may be writing checking-code based on approximations. For the checking-code to be incisive enough, analysts may need to understand in some detail the  “random generation” processes.

    “Fourthly, enhancements to OpenSafely may lead to important evolution in how some data are recorded by general practitioners. For example, when Gao et al. used record-linkage within Scotland’s  safe-haven to analyse the methadone-specific death-rate and other opioid-related deaths in Scotland’s Methadone Client Cohort (2009-2015)[4], we found that the available data were quantity of methadone prescribed (not daily-dose) and reimbursement date (not prescription end-date) because those quantities were the data needed to audit the reimbursement of pharmacists[5]. By contrast, guidelines on safe prescribing of methadone are written in terms of daily-dose!

    “Finally, the precautions built-into OpenSafely may mean that patients who registered objection to the use of their GP-data by care.data or the subsequent attempted grab during SARS-CoV-2 (which also failed) may wish to re-consider their objection. How does one do so?

    1. https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/better-broader-safer-using-health-data-for-research-and-analysis
    2. Bird SM. Editorial: Counting the dead properly and promptly. Journal of the Royal Statistics Society Series A 2013; 176: 815 – 817.                                                                                                                                           
    3. Bird SM. End late registration of fact-of-death in England and Wales. Lancet 2015: 385: 1830 – 1831.             
    4. Bird SM. Everyone counts – so count everyone in England and Wales. Lancet 2016: 387: 25 – 26.                     Gao L, Robertson JR,
    5. Bird SM.  Scotland’s 2009-2015 methadone-prescription cohort: quintiles for daily-dose of prescribed methadone and risk of methadone-specific death. British Journal of Clinical Pharmacology 2020; accepted 12 June 2020; https://doi.org/10.1111/bcp.14432.

    This was announced at an SMC Press Briefing, and was accompanied by a funding announcement from Wellcome. The embargo lifted at 11:30am on Wednesday 19th February. 

    Declared interests:

    Prof Andrew Morris “Andrew Morris is Director of Health Data Research UK, the national institute for health data science; is Professor of Medicine and Vice Principal at the University of Edinburgh; is President of the Academy of Medical Sciences, has minority (

    Prof Sir Rory Collins “I am CEO and PI of UK Biobank, which is a Charitable Company established as a Joint Venture by the MRC and Wellcome. I have been in that role since September 2005, seconded 60%FTE from the University of Oxford where I am Head of the Nuffield Department of Population Health (which, along with other research organisations globally, benefits from using the UK Biobank – without any preferential access – for health-related research that is in the public interest).”  

     Prof Sheila Bird “has 30-years of experience of confidential record-linkage; & leads for Royal Statistical Society on need for legislation to end late registration of fact-of-death in E&W and Northern Ireland.”

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: LCQ10: Colorectal Cancer Screening Programme

    Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

         Following is a question by Dr the Hon David Lam and a written reply by the Secretary for Health, Professor Lo Chung-mau, in the Legislative Council today (February 19):Question:     The Colorectal Cancer Screening Programme (CRCSP) has been implemented since 2016, under which participants will be arranged to undergo a Faecal Immunochemical Test (FIT) screening. According to the information released by the Government in December last year, about 60 per cent of the colorectal cancer patients diagnosed under CRCSP were in earlier stages (i.e. stage I and stage II) of cancer, which was higher than the 40 per cent of those who were not diagnosed under CRCSP. On the other hand, according to the information on the website of the Hong Kong Cancer Registry, among all cancers, the incidence rate of colorectal cancer dropped from the first place in 2016 to the third place in 2022, and the age-standardised mortality rate of colorectal cancer also dropped from about 14.1 to 12.7 per 100 000 population during the same period, indicating that CRCSP is effective in detecting colorectal cancer at an earlier stage and in lowering the mortality rate. However, there are views that only early detection and removal of advanced adenoma can further minimise the incidence rate of colorectal cancer. In recent years, studies have found that although FIT has a high sensitivity and specificity for colorectal cancer, the sensitivity for advanced adenoma ranges from 25 per cent to 34 per cent only, which is lower than that of the newer multi-target stool DNA test (about 42 per cent) and faecal bacterial gene markers test (about 57 per cent). Moreover, the Asian Pacific Association of Gastroenterology and the Asian-Pacific Society for Digestive Endoscopy do not even recommend the use of FIT for screening of colorectal polyps. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council whether it has plans to review CRCSP and consider adopting screening other than FIT for testing by participants; if so, of the relevant progress; if not, the reasons for that?Reply:President,     The reply, in consultation with the Department of Health (DH), to the question raised by Dr the Hon David Lam is as follows:     The Government attaches great importance to cancer prevention and control. In 2001, it established the Cancer Coordinating Committee (CCC) to formulate strategies for cancer prevention and control and to steer the direction of work covering cancer prevention and screening, surveillance, research and treatment. The CCC is chaired by the Secretary for Health and comprising members who are cancer experts, academics, doctors in public and private sectors as well as public health professionals. The Cancer Expert Working Group on Cancer Prevention and Screening (CEWG) established under the CCC regularly reviews local and international scientific evidence and makes recommendations on cancer prevention and screening applicable to the local setting.     From the public health perspective, the Government must carefully assess various factors when formulating a cancer screening programme with reference to evidence-based advice from the relevant experts. These include the local prevalence of the cancer concerned, the accuracy and safety of the relevant screening tools, and the effectiveness and cost-effectiveness in reducing incidence and mortality rates. Meanwhile, a screening programme will lead the public and relevant medical specialties to change the demand and supply model of related medical services. The Government needs to carefully assess the impact of a screening programme on the current healthcare system to avoid a severe imbalance in the use of limited healthcare resources, with a view to ensuring the optimal use of the overall public health and healthcare resources.      Regarding screening for colorectal cancer (CRC), the CEWG recommends that average-risk (e.g. without hereditary bowel syndromes), asymptomatic individuals aged 50 to 75 should consider annual or biennial faecal occult blood test; or sigmoidoscopy every five years; or colonoscopy every 10 years.     Based on the CEWG recommendations, the Government launched the Colorectal Cancer Screening Programme (the Programme) in 2016, which currently subsidises asymptomatic Hong Kong residents aged between 50 and 75 to undergo screening tests every two years in the private sector. The programme adopts faecal immunochemical test (FIT) as the screening tool. If the FIT result is positive, the participant will be referred to an enrolled colonoscopy specialist to receive a colonoscopy examination subsidised by the Government. If the FIT result is negative, the participant is advised to undergo the screening two years later.      As of the end of 2024, the cumulative total number of eligible persons participated in the Programme was approximately 510 000. About 77 000 persons (15 per cent) had positive FIT results, about 40 000 persons (7.7 per cent) were diagnosed to have colorectal adenomas after colonoscopy examination, and about 3 400 persons (0.7 per cent) had CRC. In 2024, there were around 86 000 new participants in the Programme, a record annual high since its launch. Among the CRC cases diagnosed under the Programme, a preliminary analysis of around 2 400 cases has been conducted, and about 56 per cent of these cases were in earlier stages, while less than 40 per cent of CRC cases in the general population (excluding cases from the Programme) belonged to earlier stages. This demonstrates that participation in the Programme allows early detection and treatment of CRC, thereby leading to a more favourable prognosis.     Regarding the screening method, the Programme uses FIT as the primary screening tool, which is in line with practices of the CRC screening programmes of most overseas places (such as Singapore, the United Kingdom and Australia). The CEWG has reviewed the scientific evidence on other non-invasive tests for CRC screening such as stool DNA, RNA, “microbial marker” and blood DNA tests in 2023, including the Joint Asian Pacific Association of Gastroenterology (APAGE)–Asian Pacific Society of Digestive Endoscopy (APSDE) clinical practice guidelines on the use of non-invasive biomarkers for diagnosis of colorectal neoplasia published in 2023. Upon CEWG’s review, there was currently insufficient evidence on better effectiveness and cost-effectiveness in reducing CRC incidence and mortality by these newer non-invasive CRC screening tools. The CEWG therefore reaffirmed the recommendations on CRC screening. In general, the cost of FIT ranges from several dozens to several hundred dollars, while the service charge of other newer non-invasive CRC screening tests mentioned above could amount to several thousand dollars. The CEWG shall continue to keep in view further local and overseas scientific evidence and practice related to CRC screening.     Apart from participating in regular CRC screening, leading a healthy lifestyle is also important in the prevention of CRC. According to CEWG’s current recommendation on prevention of CRC, the public is advised to adopt healthy lifestyle such as increasing intake of dietary fibre, reducing consumption of red and processed meat, having regular exercise, maintaining a healthy body weight and waist circumference, avoiding drinking alcohol and smoking. The DH has long been promoting a healthy lifestyle as the primary strategy for cancer prevention. The DH makes every effort in stepping up public education related to cancers with a view to raising public awareness of cancer prevention and screening.      At the same time, the Primary Healthcare Commission is actively promoting the Life Course Preventive Care Plan via District Health Centres (DHCs)/DHC Expresses and family doctors. Based on the core principles of prevention-oriented and whole-person care, a personalised preventive care plan will be formulated to address the health needs of citizens across different life stages with reference to the latest evidence. Family doctors and primary healthcare professionals will collaborate to provide health advice and education on chronic disease and cancer screening, and healthy lifestyles according to personal factors, such as recommending persons aged 50 or above to undergo CRC screening.

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: EIB Group invests €12.3 billion in Spain in 2024, with record investments in climate action, energy, innovation and housing

    Source: European Investment Bank

    The European Investment Bank (EIB) approved a financing package of €260 million to support the Maltese government’s investments aimed at fostering a smarter, greener, and more resilient economy. The first €130 million tranche was signed this morning in Valletta by Clyde Caruana, Minister for Finance, and Kyriacos Kakouris, EIB Vice-President. This landmark agreement will help Malta co-finance initiatives that receive grants through the European Union budget for the 2021-2027 period, advancing strategic investments in critical sectors that drive economic growth, job creation, and social cohesion.

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: Written question – Managing the influx of migration to the Canary Islands – E-000288/2025

    Source: European Parliament

    Question for written answer  E-000288/2025/rev.1
    to the Commission
    Rule 144
    Jean-Paul Garraud (PfE), Fabrice Leggeri (PfE)

    In 2024, a total of 46 843 migrants landed in the Canary Islands, up 17.4 % from 2023. This situation highlights the limitations of the migration policies and external border controls in the European Union. Ángel Víctor Torres, Spain’s Minister for Territorial Policy, has admitted that this wave of migration is overloading the reception and accommodation facilities. Faced with such a high number of arrivals, the local authorities even stated that they were no longer able to look after unaccompanied migrant children.

    Meanwhile, Pedro Sánchez’s Socialist Government has adopted a reform aimed at regularising 300 000 illegal immigrants per year. This measure will merely serve to encourage potential immigrants, allow the smuggling networks to grow even stronger and put more human lives at risk.

    • 1.What additional resources will Frontex be given to combat smuggling networks?
    • 2.Does the Commission intend to strengthen the readmission agreements with the countries of origin to facilitate returns and deter illegal departures?

    Submitted: 23.1.2025

    Last updated: 19 February 2025

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: Written question – New directives allowing corruption in Spain – E-000244/2025

    Source: European Parliament

    Question for written answer  E-000244/2025
    to the Commission
    Rule 144
    Nora Junco García (ECR), Diego Solier (ECR)

    In the context of recent EU reforms and legislative proposals to combat corruption (such as the Whistleblower Protection Directive[1]), it is essential to reinforce transparency. In Spain, there are worrying signs of practices that erode public trust, forcing us to reflect on the integrity of Western democracies.

    Under the leadership of Pedro Sánchez, there are worrying signs of corruption and partisan use of power, with power-linked scandals such as those involving his wife Begoña Gómez and his brother David Sánchez, who are currently facing accusations of corruption and nepotism.

    In Spain, partitocracy and the misuse of public resources undermine public trust. Moreover, tight control over key institutions jeopardises the separation of powers, an essential principle of any functional democracy.

    In view of this:

    • 1.Is the Commission considering an independent review of institutional governance in Spain to assess its compliance with democratic principles?
    • 2.What oversight and transparency tools can be strengthened to prevent abuse of power and clientelism in the Member States?
    • 3.What measures does the Commission plan to take to ensure that EU funds in Spain are not used for corrupt or partisan purposes?

    Submitted: 21.1.2025

    • [1] Directive (EU) 2019/1937 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 23 October 2019 on the protection of persons who report breaches of Union law (OJ L 305, 26.11.2019, p. 17, ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/dir/2019/1937/oj).
    Last updated: 19 February 2025

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: Written question – LEZs and their lack of transparency and order – E-000247/2025

    Source: European Parliament

    Question for written answer  E-000247/2025
    to the Commission
    Rule 144
    Diego Solier (ECR), Nora Junco García (ECR)

    The implementation of low emission zones (LEZs) in Spain, particularly in Madrid, reflects an alarming lack of planning and consideration for their socio-economic impact on citizens. Despite EU mandates, the Spanish Government has demonstrated incompetence in the management of these regulations, resulting in court decisions that have paralysed them due to formal defects and lack of information at the regional, municipal and national levels. This administrative chaos severely affects thousands of families in Madrid, with 250 000 vehicles facing irrational restrictions without viable alternatives or effective aid.

    Furthermore, the inadequacy of the plans to transition to electric vehicles, exacerbated by the lack of state budget and the inability to manage EU funds, is evidence of poor management and a disconnection from the economic reality of citizens. Meanwhile, car manufacturers face disproportionate demands that threaten the stability of the industry, which is crucial for employment in Spain.

    In view of this:

    • 1.What measures will the Commission take to ensure that Member States such as Spain carry out thorough economic analyses before implementing low emission zones?
    • 2.Is the Commission considering revising the deadlines for the transition to electric vehicles in order to adapt them to the real capacity of citizens and industry?
    • 3.What mechanisms does the Commission have in place to prevent EU funds from being inefficiently managed by Member States?

    Submitted: 21.1.2025

    Last updated: 19 February 2025

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: Greece financing from EIB Group totals €2.2 billion in 2024 with focus on energy supply, business growth and disaster preparedness

    Source: European Investment Bank

    EIB

    • EIB Group’s fresh financing in Greece last year amounted to €2.2 billion
    • Focus last year on energy supply, business growth and disaster management
    • Latest annual results bring EIB Group support in Greece over past five years to €14.5 billion

    The European Investment Bank (EIB) Group’s new financing in Greece amounted to €2.2 billion last year, with major support to bolster energy supplies, strengthen businesses and protect against environmental disasters in the country.

    The total for 2024 included €2.03 billion from the EIB and portfolio guarantees of €152 million from the European Investment Fund (EIF), which focuses on innovative and technology-driven small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) as well as Small Mid-Caps in Europe.

    Top operations included loans of €390 million to natural-gas supplier DEPA Commercial to build solar parks, €150 million to power provider HEDNO to upgrade the grid, loans and guarantees of €550 million to domestic banks to expand financing for SMEs and Mid-Caps and €220 million to the government to bolster disaster management.

    Kostis Hatzidakis, Minister of Finance of the Hellenic Republic noted: “Greece’s relationship with the European Investment Bank is long-standing and strong. This was reaffirmed in 2024, with new financing reaching €2.2 billion. These funds will be used for investments in renewable energy sources, upgrades to the electricity grid, support for SMEs, and the purchase of firefighting aircraft and rescue equipment. The EIB was a valuable ally when Greece was cut off from the markets. It will remain a partner, but with a new approach. Going forward, priorities will focus on energy interconnections, research and technology, climate adaptation, and defense investments, as outlined in the EIB’s Strategic Roadmap”.

    “Our work in Greece is a testament to the transformative power of strategic financing,” said EIB Vice-President Yannis Tsakiris. “In 2024, we reinforced our commitment to the country by supporting clean energy, climate resilience and critical infrastructure while strengthening SMEs, innovation, job creation and social cohesion.”

    The latest annual results bring total EIB Group financing in Greece over the past five years to €14.5 billion. The yearly average in the country since 2000 is almost €2.9 billion, which reflects an unusually high sum of almost €5 billion in 2021 as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic.

    The EIB Group’s support last year was almost 1% of Greece’s gross domestic product (GDP), the third-highest level among European Union countries behind only Croatia and Estonia. That means that EIB Group financing in Greece last year averaged €631 per inhabitant, making the country one of the biggest beneficiaries based on the size of the population and the economy. The funding is projected to catalyse investments in Greece of up to €6.6 billion – about 2.5% of its GDP.

    Energy supply

    The €390 million EIB loan to DEPA Commercial is for new photovoltaic (PV) parks in the regions of western Macedonia, Thessaly and central Greece. The sites will add approximately 800 megawatts (MW) of renewable energy – enough to power 278,000 households for a year.

    Also in the area of clean energy, the EIB last year provided a €195 million loan to supplier PPC Renewables to develop 580 MW of solar plants and 175 MW of battery storage. The moves will boost renewables capacity, grid stability and energy security.

    The €150 million EIB credit to HEDNO covers upgrades to Greece’s electricity-distribution network, improving grid reliability and facilitating integration of renewables.

    The EIB last year also took part in the creation of an EU “Decarbonisation Fund” for Greece that will channel €1.6 billion in revenue from the European emissions-trading system into sustainable energy and development projects on Greek islands. These include grid interconnections with the mainland and the phase-out of local power plants.

    Business boost

    The EIB last year allocated a total €702 million to strengthen SMEs and Mid-Caps in Greece. The support – 28% of the total – took the form of intermediated loans and guarantees.

    Top operations included €300 million guarantees to Eurobank and National Bank of Greece covering €600 million new loans to Mid-Caps. In addition, the EIB provided a €250 million loan to the National Bank of Greece to bolster green investments by Greek SMEs and Mid-Caps. The credit raised total EIB support for such investments in Greece to €1 billion.

    The EIF also showed its agility in supporting vital investments for both debt and equity. It signed €152m with several of Greece’s financial institutions for capped portfolio guarantees. They are expected to mobilise up to €1,8bn in financing for small and medium-sized enterprises, while making the Greek economy greener, and supporting innovation and the country’s digital transition.

    The EIF also signed a new €200 million equity mandate to support innovative companies in Life Sciences & Healthcare and Sustainability & Social Impact by improving their access to vital financing. Funded by Cohesion policy and national resources of the Hellenic Republic, the mandate will cover a financing gap in these sectors, supporting investments from pre-seed to growth stages based on market needs.

    Disaster protection

    The €220 million EIB loan last year to the Greek government is to buy fire trucks, rescue vehicles and aircraft needed to fight to natural disasters such as wildfires and floods, both of which have caused extensive damage in Greece in recent years. The credit also covers upgrades to essential disaster-management services.

    The financing forms part of a European climate-adaptation plan by the EIB Group and brings its total support for Greek civil protection and disaster preparedness to €595 million.

    EIB Advisory

    There were also key technical assistance projects delivered from EIB Advisory, a highlight being an agreement with the Athens Water Supply and Sewerage Company (EYDAP) to back its €2 billion, 10-year investment programme to ensure the Greek capital has a more resilient water supply and supporting investments in lignite-dependent regions such as Western Macedonia and Megalopolis in the Peloponnese, facilitating their transition to a future of clean energy.

    In December 2024, the continuation of advisory support by EIB advisors from the PASSA team to the Greek administration was approved. This support aims to ensure the smooth implementation of sustainable development and Just Transition projects financed by the EU.

    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, important investments outside the EU, and the Capital Markets Union.  

    The EIB Group, which also includes the European Investment Fund (EIF), signed nearly €89 billion in new financing for over 900 high-impact projects in 2024, boosting Europe’s competitiveness and security.  

    All projects financed by the EIB Group are in line with the Paris Climate Agreement, as pledged in our Climate Bank Roadmap. Almost 60% of the EIB Group’s annual financing supports projects directly contributing to climate change mitigation, adaptation, and a healthier environment.  

    Fostering market integration and mobilising investment, the Group supported a record of over €100 billion in new investment for Europe’s energy security in 2024 and mobilised €110 billion in growth capital for startups, scale-ups and European pioneers

    Approximately half of the EIB’s financing within the European Union is directed towards cohesion regions, where per capita income is lower than the EU average.

    Greece financing from EIB Group totals €2.2 billion in 2024 with focus on energy supply, business growth and disaster preparedness
    Greece financing from EIB Group totals €2.2 billion in 2024 with focus on energy supply, business growth and disaster preparedness
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    Greece financing from EIB Group totals €2.2 billion in 2024 with focus on energy supply, business growth and disaster preparedness
    Greece financing from EIB Group totals €2.2 billion in 2024 with focus on energy supply, business growth and disaster preparedness
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    Greece financing from EIB Group totals €2.2 billion in 2024 with focus on energy supply, business growth and disaster preparedness
    Greece financing from EIB Group totals €2.2 billion in 2024 with focus on energy supply, business growth and disaster preparedness
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    Greece financing from EIB Group totals €2.2 billion in 2024 with focus on energy supply, business growth and disaster preparedness
    Greece financing from EIB Group totals €2.2 billion in 2024 with focus on energy supply, business growth and disaster preparedness
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    Greece financing from EIB Group totals €2.2 billion in 2024 with focus on energy supply, business growth and disaster preparedness
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    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: Commission allocates €99 million in emergency support to farmers in Spain, Croatia, Cyprus, Latvia and Hungary

    Source: European Commission

    European Commission Press release Brussels, 19 Feb 2025 Today, Member States gave a positive opinion to the Commission proposal to mobilise €98,6 million from the agricultural reserve to directly support farmers in Spain, Croatia, Cyprus, Latvia and Hungary who have been impacted by exceptional adverse climatic events and natural disasters since spring 2024.

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI: DT Cloud Acquisition Corporation Announces Change of Extraordinary General Meeting Date

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    New York, New York, Feb. 19, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — DT Cloud Acquisition Corporation (Nasdaq: DYCQU, DYCQ, DYCQR) (“DT Cloud” or the “SPAC”), a publicly-traded special purpose acquisition company, today announced that its Extraordinary General Meeting (“EGM”), previously scheduled at 10:00 a.m. Eastern Time on February 18, 2025, has been postponed to 10:00 a.m. Eastern Time on February 21, 2025, and the redemption right deadline has been postponed to 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time on February 19, 2025.

    The Company filed a proxy supplement on February 14, 2025, as further amended on February 19, 2025, to increase the amended monthly extension fee, as proposed in the Proposal 1 to the EGM, to $0.022 for each outstanding Public Share. The proxy materials can be accessed on the SEC’s website at http://www.sec.gov.

    About DT Cloud Acquisition Corporation

    DT Cloud is a blank check company formed for the purpose of effecting a merger, share exchange, asset acquisition, stock purchase, reorganization or other similar business combination with one or more businesses. While DT Cloud may pursue an initial business combination target in any business or industry, it intends to focus its search on industries that complement its management team’s background. DT Cloud is led by Shaoke Li, its Chief Executive Officer, and Guojian Chen, its Chief Financial Officer.

    Forward-looking Statements

    This press release contains “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended and the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward looking statements are statements that are not historical facts. Such forward-looking statements are subject to risks and uncertainties, which could cause actual results to differ from the forward-looking statements. The Company expressly disclaims any obligations or undertaking to release publicly any updates or revisions to any forward-looking statements contained herein to reflect any change in the Company’s expectations with respect thereto or any change in events, conditions or circumstances on which any statement is based.

    Additional Information and Where to Find It

    On January 27, 2025, the Company filed a definitive proxy statement with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) in connection with its solicitation of proxies for the EGM. The Company filed additional proxy supplements with the SEC on February 4, 14 and 19, 2025. BEFORE MAKING ANY VOTING DECISION, INVESTORS AND SECURITY HOLDERS OF THE COMPANY ARE URGED TO READ THE DEFINITIVE PROXY STATEMENT (INCLUDING ANY AMENDMENTS OR SUPPLEMENTS THERETO) AND OTHER DOCUMENTS THE COMPANY FILES WITH THE SEC CAREFULLY IN THEIR ENTIRETY WHEN THEY BECOME AVAILABLE AS THEY WILL CONTAIN IMPORTANT INFORMATION. Investors and security holders will be able to obtain free copies of the definitive proxy statement (including any amendments or supplements thereto) and other documents filed or that will be filed with the SEC through the web site maintained by the SEC at www.sec.gov.

    Participants in the Solicitation

    The Company and its directors, executive officers, other members of management and employees, under SEC rules, may be deemed to be participants in the solicitation of proxies from the shareholders of the Company in connection with the Meeting. Investors and shareholders may obtain more detailed information regarding the names, affiliations and interests of the Company’s directors and officers in the Proxy Statement, which may be obtained free of charge from the sources indicated above.

    No Offer or Solicitation

    This press release shall not constitute a solicitation of a proxy, consent or authorization with respect to any securities or in respect of the EGM proposals. This communication shall also not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy any securities, nor shall there be any sale of securities in any states or jurisdictions in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful prior to registration or qualification under the securities laws of any such jurisdiction. No offering of securities shall be made except by means of a prospectus meeting the requirements of Section 10 of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, or an exemption therefrom. 

    Contact:

    For investors:

    DT Cloud Acquisition Corporation
    Shaoke Li
    Chief Executive Officer
    30 Orange Street
    London
    United Kingdom, WC2H 7HF
    Email: jack.li@dtcloudspac.com

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: Diversified Energy Announces Proposed Offering of Ordinary Shares

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    BIRMINGHAM, Ala., Feb. 19, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Diversified Energy Company PLC (LSE: DEC; NYSE: DEC) (“Diversified” or the “Company“), an independent energy company focused on natural gas and liquids production, transportation, marketing and well retirement, today announces the launch of an underwritten public offering (the “Offering”) in the United States of up to 8,500,000 ordinary shares (the “Shares”).

    Citigroup and Mizuho are acting as joint book-running managers and underwriters for the proposed Offering.

    In addition, Diversified intends to grant the underwriters an option to purchase up to an additional 850,000 ordinary shares at the public offering price, less underwriting discount. The Offering is subject to market conditions and other factors, and there can be no assurance as to whether or when the Offering may be completed, or as to the actual size or terms of the Offering.

    The Company intends to use the net proceeds from the Offering to repay a portion of the debt expected to be incurred by the Company in connection with the proposed acquisition of Maverick Natural Resources, LLC, as announced on January 27, 2025 (the “Acquisition”). In the event that the Acquisition does not close, the Company intends to use the net proceeds from the Offering to repay debt and for general corporate purposes. The consummation of the Offering is not conditioned upon the completion of the Acquisition, and the completion of the Acquisition is not conditioned upon the consummation of the Offering.

    A shelf registration statement relating to these securities was filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC“) on February 11, 2025 and became effective upon filing. Copies of the registration statement can be accessed through the SEC’s website free of charge at www.sec.gov. The Offering will be made only by means of a prospectus supplement and an accompanying prospectus in the United States. A preliminary prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus related to the Offering will be filed with the SEC and will be available free of charge by visiting EDGAR on the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov. Copies of the preliminary prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus can also be obtained, when available, free of charge from either of the joint book-running managers for the Offering: Citigroup, c/o Broadridge Financial Solutions, 1155 Long Island Avenue, Edgewood, NY 11717 (Tel: 800-831-9146); or Mizuho Securities USA LLC, Attention: Equity Capital Markets Desk, at 1271 Avenue of the Americas, New York, NY 10020, or by email at US-ECM@mizuhogroup.com.

    This announcement does not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy our ordinary shares nor shall there be any sale of securities, and shall not constitute an offer, solicitation or sale in any jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful prior to registration or qualification under the securities laws of that jurisdiction.

    CONTACTS

    Diversified Energy Company PLC +1 973 856 2757
    Doug Kris dkris@dgoc.com
    Senior Vice President, Investor Relations & Corporate Communications  
       
    FTI Consulting dec@fticonsulting.com
    U.S. & UK Financial Media Relations  
       

    About Diversified

    Diversified is a leading publicly traded energy company focused on natural gas and liquids production, transport, marketing, and well retirement. Through our unique differentiated strategy, we acquire existing, long-life assets and invest in them to improve environmental and operational performance until retiring those assets in a safe and environmentally secure manner. Recognized by ratings agencies and organizations for our sustainability leadership, this solutions-oriented, stewardship approach makes Diversified the Right Company at the Right Time to responsibly produce energy, deliver reliable free cash flow, and generate shareholder value.

    Forward-Looking Statements

    This press release includes forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are sometimes identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as “believe”, “expects”, “targets”, “may”, “will”, “could”, “should”, “shall”, “risk”, “intends”, “estimates”, “aims”, “plans”, “predicts”, “continues”, “assumes”, “projects”, “positioned” or “anticipates” or the negative thereof, other variations thereon or comparable terminology. These forward-looking statements include all matters that are not historical facts. They appear in a number of places throughout this announcement and include statements regarding the intentions, beliefs or current expectations of management or the Company concerning, among other things, expectations regarding the proposed Offering of securities and the Acquisition. These forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties, many of which are beyond the Company’s control and all of which are based on management’s current beliefs and expectations about future events, including market conditions, failure of customary closing conditions and the risk factors and other matters set forth in the Company’s filings with the SEC and other important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those projected.

    Important Notice to UK and EU Investors

    This announcement contains inside information for the purposes of Regulation (EU) No. 596/2014 on market abuse and the UK Version of Regulation (EU) No. 596/2014 on market abuse, as it forms part of UK domestic law by virtue of the European Union (Withdrawal) Act 2018 (together, “MAR”). In addition, market soundings (as defined in MAR) were taken in respect of the matters contained in this announcement, with the result that certain persons became aware of such inside information as permitted by MAR. Upon the publication of this announcement, the inside information is now considered to be in the public domain and such persons shall therefore cease to be in possession of inside information in relation to the Company and its securities.

    Members of the public are not eligible to take part in the Offering. This announcement is directed at and is only being distributed to persons: (a) if in member states of the European Economic Area, “qualified investors” within the meaning of Article 2(e) of Regulation (EU) 2017/1129 (the “Prospectus Regulation“) (“Qualified Investors“); or (b) if in the United Kingdom, “qualified investors” within the meaning of Article 2(e) of the UK version of Regulation (EU) 2017/1129 as it forms part of UK law by virtue of the European Union (Withdrawal) Act 2018, who are (i) persons who fall within the definition of “investment professionals” in Article 19(5) of the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 (Financial Promotion) Order 2005, as amended (the “Order“), or (ii) persons who fall within Article 49(2)(a) to (d) of the Order; or (c) persons to whom they may otherwise lawfully be communicated (each such person above, a “Relevant Person“). No other person should act or rely on this announcement and persons distributing this announcement must satisfy themselves that it is lawful to do so. This announcement must not be acted on or relied on by persons who are not Relevant Persons, if in the United Kingdom, or Qualified Investors, if in a member state of the EEA. Any investment or investment activity to which this announcement or the Offering relates is available only to Relevant Persons, if in the United Kingdom, and Qualified Investors, if in a member state of the EEA, and will be engaged in only with Relevant Persons, if in the United Kingdom, and Qualified Investors, if in a member state of the EEA.

    No offering document or prospectus will be available in any jurisdiction in connection with the matters contained or referred to in this announcement in the United Kingdom and no such offering document or prospectus is required (in accordance with the Prospectus Regulation or UK Prospectus Regulation) to be published. The Company will publish a prospectus in connection with Admission as required under the UK Prospectus Regulation in due course.

    Neither the content of the Company’s website (or any other website) nor the content of any website accessible from hyperlinks on the Company’s website (or any other website) is incorporated into, or forms part of, this announcement.

    The Company has consulted with a number of existing shareholders and other investors ahead of the release of this announcement, including regarding the rationale for the offering. Consistent with each of its prior offerings, the Company will respect the principles of pre-emption, so far as is possible, through the allocation process, in the Offering.

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: OSCE Supports Medical Training for Border Service Personnel in Kyrgyzstan

    Source: Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe – OSCE

    Headline: OSCE Supports Medical Training for Border Service Personnel in Kyrgyzstan

    Participants of the specialized Train-the-Trainer (ToT) programme aimed at strengthening the medical response capabilities of the Border Service. Osh, Kyrgyzstan. (OSCE) Photo details

    Bishkek, 31 January 2025 – The OSCE Programme Office in Bishkek has implemented a specialized Train-the-Trainer (ToT) programme aimed at strengthening the medical response capabilities of the Border Service of the State Committee for National Security of the Kyrgyz Republic.
    From 27 to 31 January 2025, nine selected lecturers, instructors, and medical professionals participated in the training at the Border Service Training Centre in Osh. The training developed by Lazarus Ltd, a UK-based company, was designed in line with International Mine Action Standards (IMAS) “Basic Care Provider” requirements and tailored to local conditions.
    The ToT programme focused on theoretical and practical training. Participants gained expertise in training methodologies, fostering an engaging learning environment, and instructional skills. The hands-on sessions included the use of training dummies, wound simulators, and scenario-based exercises to enhance their ability to train Border Service personnel effectively.
    This programme follows an initial needs assessment conducted by Lazarus Training in September 2024 and the basic and intermediate-level medical training delivered in November–December 2024, in which 30 personnel completed the basic training and 15 completed the intermediate training. The final stage will involve the procurement of training equipment to further enhance the Border Service’s medical training capacity. The newly trained trainers will now continue conducting medical trainings within the Border Service, further reinforcing the sustainability of the programme.
    Through this initiative, the OSCE continues to support regional security and capacity-building efforts, ensuring that Border Service personnel are equipped with the skills necessary to respond effectively to medical emergencies.
    The initiative is implemented within the framework of the extrabudgetary project “Reducing risk of illicit small arms and light weapons, ammunition and explosives proliferation across border of Kyrgyz Republic,” funded by the US, Germany, Norway, UK, and supported by Austria and Poland.

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: New members appointed to Disabled Persons Transport Advisory Committee

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    DPTAC has an important role to play in our ambition to have an inclusive transport network allowing disabled people to travel easily and with dignity.

    • Transport Minister appoints new members to committee
    • membership will help remove barriers to transport accessibility, supporting the government’s inclusivity goals
    • the new appointees bring experience in disability academia, policy and transport accessibility

    Local Transport Minister Simon Lightwood has today (19 February 2025) announced the appointment of 13 new members to the Disabled Persons Transport Advisory Committee (DPTAC).

    The independent committee provides advice to the Department for Transport (DfT) on the transport needs of disabled people – particularly on ministerial policy priorities and areas they think need urgent attention.

    Their works helps DfT stand by its ambition to ensure transport is accessible for all, including keeping it at the heart of bus and rail reform, as well as the establishment of the Passenger Standards Authority.

    Local Transport Minister, Simon Lightwood, said: 

    We are clear in our ambition to have an inclusive transport network so disabled people can travel easily confidently and with dignity. DPTAC has a key role in ensuring we develop policy that delivers this.

    This unique committee has membership with broad understanding of the barriers faced by disabled people and it ensures those issues are understood right from the start of policy development.

    The new members of DPTAC are:

    • Damian Joseph Bridgeman – prominent leader in public policy, disability advocacy, and corporate governance
    • Mark Cutter – Chair of Northern’s Accessibility User Group (NAUG) and the Rail Accessibility and Inclusion Forum for the North (RAIFN)
    • Carly Danesh Jones – autism advocate who has previously held advisory roles with Heathrow Airport and East Midlands Rail
    • Mary Doyle – coach who advises multinational companies on inclusivity and accessibility policy 
    • Paul Finnegan – Chief Executive of suicide prevention charity Lighthouse
    • Dr Miro Griffiths – disability scholar at the University of Leeds
    • Prof Mari Martiskainen – Professor of Energy and Society at Science Policy Research Unit within the University of Sussex
    • Rachael Mole – consultant and advisor within accessibility and people management
    • Ruth Murran – english and drama teacher with life-long experience of global travel
    • Maral Nozratzadeh – postgraduate researcher at the University of Leeds School of Law
    • David Sindall – previously Head of Disability and Inclusion for the Association of Train Operating Companies for 12 years
    • Zamila Skingsley– former Cabinet Office Director
    • Edward Trewhella – Chief Executive at Driving Mobility

    DPTAC has helped to inform DfT’s work to improve transport accessibility, including the Access For All programme which has made over 260 train stations accessible, as well as the Aviation Accessibility Task and Finish Group that was launched by DfT in November 2024.

    It has also helped inform bus and coach policy, including the Public Service Vehicles (Accessible Information) Regulations 2023 that require operators of local bus and coach services to provide information on the route, direction of travel and each upcoming stop.

    DPTAC chair, Matthew Campbell-Hill, said:

    I am delighted to welcome our new DPTAC members, who bring a wealth of diverse experiences and expertise.

    Their insights will be invaluable as we work together to remove barriers and improve accessibility across our transport network. By harnessing this collective knowledge, we can drive meaningful change and ensure that transport truly works for everyone.

    Existing member Sue Sharp, the former Chief Executive Officer of the Royal Society for Blind Children, has also been appointed the group’s Deputy Chair.

    Those appointed to DPTAC serve terms of 2 to 3 years.

    Under the Transport Act 1985, DPTAC’s membership should have between 10 and 20 members, excluding its chair. These appointments bring DPTACs membership to a total of 17.

    News desk enquiries

    Media enquiries 0300 7777 878

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    Updates to this page

    Published 19 February 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: CMA publishes interim report in logistics merger

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    CMA independent inquiry group’s initial assessment is that GXO’s purchase of Wincanton is likely to reduce competition in the supply of dedicated warehousing services to UK grocers.

    iStock

    The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) independent inquiry group’s initial assessment is that GXO’s purchase of Wincanton is likely to reduce competition in the supply of dedicated warehousing services to grocery customers in the UK.  

    Logistics, including warehousing, is essential to the operation of supermarkets and many other businesses in the UK. Efficient logistics systems help to lower costs for both businesses and consumers and ensure that products are available in stores when needed.  

    GXO and Wincanton are currently two of the three suppliers of dedicated warehousing services used by grocers in the UK. The inquiry group considers that some alternatives would remain for supermarket customers following the transaction, in particular they could switch to the third supplier, DHL, and some could switch some of their activities to their own in-house warehouses. The inquiry group’s initial assessment, however, is that these remaining alternatives would not be sufficient to prevent fees rising and that the deal could raise costs for grocers that rely on dedicated warehousing services as part of their logistics.  

    Richard Feasey, Chair of the independent inquiry group, said:  

    Contract logistics services play a critical role in ensuring that supermarket shelves are fully stocked for customers in the UK every day of the year. Our initial view is that this merger could raise the costs of these services and reduce choice for supermarkets who rely on these services for moving goods across the country.  

    We want to ensure competition in this market is working as well as it can to manage costs for supermarkets and grocers, and ensure products continue to reach supermarket shelves efficiently.

    The CMA invites any interested parties to respond to these provisional findings by no later than 5pm on Wednesday 12 March 2025. 

    For more information, visit the GXO / Wincanton case page.

    Notes to Editors:

    1. GXO announced its deal to acquire Wincanton in February 2024. The deal was then completed in April 2024, although an interim enforcement order (IEO) is in place to prevent the 2 organisations integrating while the CMA conducts its merger review. 

    2. Contract logistics services (CLS) encompass a range of B2B and B2C supply chain-related services, which enable businesses to supply goods to customers and consumers. These services include transport and distribution, warehousing and additional value-added services. 

    3. The interim report contains the inquiry group’s provisional findings on whether the merger gives rise, or may be expected to give rise, to a substantial lessening of competition in any market in the UK. 

    4. The inquiry group also assessed other areas of CLS including the supply of transport services and shared warehousing. At this stage, the inquiry group has not found significant competition concerns in relation to those markets.  

    5. CLS to retail customers includes the provision of services to customers whose products are consumer-facing such as groceries or fashion and apparel. This includes products that are ordered online, products that sell quickly and have a short shelf life due to high consumer demand or perishability (known as Fast Moving Consumer Goods), and products that require temperature-controlled logistic services (including certain food and drink products). CLS to non-retail customers involves the provision of services to customers whose products and services are not consumer-facing, such as automotive, construction, energy and manufacturing businesses. 

    6. The inquiry group analysed evidence which showed that customers often prioritise reputation, reliability and track record when choosing CLS providers. Despite there being other alternatives in the CLS market, GXO and Wincanton (alongside DHL) are regarded as leading suppliers of mainstream CLS services, particularly for warehousing for grocery retail customers. The evidence shows that customers’ preference for suppliers with a track record creates a barrier to entry and expansion for smaller providers. 

    7. All media enquiries should be directed to the CMA press office by email on press@cma.gov.uk or by phone on 020 3738 6460.

    Updates to this page

    Published 19 February 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: expert reaction to study looking at life expectancy changes in 20 European countries from 1990-2021

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    A study published in The Lancet Public Health looks at life expectancy changes across 20 European countries from 1990-2020. 

    Prof Jennifer Dowd, Professor of Demography and Population Health, University of Oxford, said:

    Does the press release accurately reflect the science?

    “While accurate overall, the press release at times oversimplifies and overstates the conclusions of the paper, including the press release title: “We are no longer living longer.”  The paper looks at mortality trends from 1990-2021 and finds slowing improvements in life expectancy in the decade prior to COVID–but improvements still mean we are living longer.  Life expectancy declined due to COVID-19 in 2020 and 2021, but this is likely a temporary shock and doesn’t mean we will die sooner than our parents and grandparents, as implied. The press release also states that food, physical activity, and obesity are largely to blame for these trends, but this overstates what we can confidently say about these causes.”

     

    Is this good quality research?  Are the conclusions backed up by solid data?

    “This is good quality research, especially in the standard estimation of life expectancy trends and the causes of death contributing to these trends. The part of the analysis that tries to attribute slower mortality improvements to specific risk factors such as cholesterol, hypertension, and “dietary risks” is on shakier ground. The estimates used for this part of the analysis were based on different data and analysis that are not discussed in detail here. The estimation of how risk factors such as diet causally impact mortality is methodologically very challenging, and there is a lot of uncertainty about any single estimate. In addition, the population-representative data on the prevalence and trends of these risk factors across all the countries is not readily available. Putting these two sources of uncertainty together means it is very difficult to attribute country-level life expectancy trends to specific risk factors with high confidence. The “under the hood” part of how these estimates are produced is largely glossed over in the paper, but they are presented as established facts.”

    How does this work fit with the existing evidence?

    “The analysis of trends in life expectancy is consistent with previous work that has shown similar trends and slowdowns in improvements in the decade prior to COVID. For example, see a recent review “Progress Stalled? The Uncertain Future of Mortality in High-Income Countries””

    Have the authors accounted for confounders?  Are there important limitations to be aware of?

    “The portion of the paper attributing life expectancy changes to specific risk factors like diet and physical activity is based on other analyses that are highly vulnerable to bias due to confounding. The conclusions for this portion of the analysis should be tempered.”

     

    What are the implications in the real world?  Is there any overspeculation? 

    “We are seeing slowdowns in life expectancy improvements after decades of often rapid gains. But even slow improvements mean we are living longer on average. Slowing improvements may be a warning sign of things to come, so we need to continue tracking these trends. This paper makes strong statements about the specific risk factors responsible for slowing life expectancy improvements, including obesity, high cholesterol, and “occupational risks.” While these risk factors are no doubt important for health, we can’t say with certainty how each one contributes to these trends.”

     

    How confident can we be as to the causes of the decline in life expectancy in England?

    “The reported decline in life expectancy in England was only during COVID. Prior to that there were slower improvements in life expectancy compared to the previous period and compared to other countries. There is not broad agreement on the cause of these slowdowns, as it is difficult to directly test mechanisms such as austerity cuts. We have good evidence that the slower improvements were largely attributable to slowing improvements in cardiovascular disease, as well as some increases in external cause mortality such as drug deaths at younger ages and midlife. For more thorough examinations, please see paper here and here.”

     

    Could these trends be potentially linked to current state of NHS/ waiting lists? Also could the use of weight-loss drugs potentially help reverse this trend if they tackle rising obesity rates?

    “Challenges with the NHS are one potential contributor to mortality trends in England, but the size of their contribution is not well established. These trends likely reflect much longer-term trends in risk factors such as obesity that accumulate over time. Since the obesity epidemic is now many decades old, more people are entering midlife and older age having been obese for a long time, which could be contributing to these trends. There is cautious optimism that the new GLP-1 class of diabetes and weight-loss drugs could be a game-changer for treating obesity have some long-term benefits for life expectancy, though more evidence is needed to confirm this.”

    Dr Yize Wan, NIHR Clinical Lecturer in Intensive Care Medicine & Anaesthesia, William Harvey Research Institute (WHRI), Queen Mary University London (QMUL), said:

    “The reasons for these findings are complex and likely to be a combination of both individual risk factors from health behaviours and the need to improve access and delivery of healthcare systems. This study has highlighted the importance of addressing modifiable risk factors and preventing and not just treating long-term disease. It would be important to see if these trends are seen across the whole population or whether people from more socioeconomically deprived or different ethnic backgrounds are disproportionally affected. Particularly as we know that socioeconomically and ethnically disadvantaged population groups are more likely to be exposed to common risk factors such as poor diet and low physical activity as well as have more limited access to healthcare.”

     

    Prof Tom Sanders, Professor emeritus of Nutrition and Dietetics, King’s College London (KCL), said:

    “This is a useful analysis of changes in life expectancy across Europe since 2011 compared with the period 1990-2011.  Prior to this life expectancy had increased by about 11 years compared with 1960s for a variety of reasons particularly better control of high blood pressure, blood pressure and immunisation against flu as well as lifestyle changes (smoking cessation and better diet) including increased prosperity. This study shows overall across the 20 countries there was an improvement in life expectancy increased from 1990 up to 2011 by on average 0.23 years but this rate of improvement slowed to 0.15 years between 2011 and 2019. The UK, France and Germany showed bigger declines in life-expectancy compared to the Nordic countries.

    “It is important to recognise that the demographics of the European population have changed markedly in some countries such as the UK, France and Germany because of increased migration compared to Nordic countries. In the UK, the population growth had been due to migration often from countries where life expectancy is much lower.

    “The authors attribute the small decline in life-expectancy to increasing prevalence of obesity particularly in younger and middle-aged adults. While, obesity is likely to contribute to decreased life expectancy in future generations, the prevalence was not particularly high in the older generation, who accounted for most of the deaths in the period 2011-2019.”

    ‘Changing life expectancy in European countries 1990–2021: a subanalysis of causes and risk factors from the Global Burden of Disease Study 2021’ by Nicholas Steel et al. was published in The Lancet Public Health at 23:30 UK time Tuesday 18th February 2025. 

    DOI: 10.1016/S2468-2667(25)00009-X

    Declared interests

    Dr Yize Wan: I have no declarations of interest.

    Prof Jennifer Dowd: No conflicts.

    For all other experts, no reply to our request for DOIs was received.

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Coventry Job Shop get ready to host ‘I Can’ International Women’s Day Event

    Source: City of Coventry

    Coventry Job Shop are excited to host an event exclusively for female customers on Wednesday 5 March, dedicated to empowering women to secure high-quality jobs and meaningful careers.

    The ‘I Can’ International Women’s Day Jobs and Careers Event is designed to inspire and shatter stereotypes, opening doors for women in industries they may not have previously considered.

    Each session will welcome up to 100 women, offering them the chance to hear from trailblazing female leaders in fields such as construction, manufacturing, armed services and logistics.

    Guest speakers from Coventry City Council will also be at the event to deliver powerful talks. This includes Cabinet Member for Education and Skills, Councillor Dr Kindy Sandhu.

    After these motivational talks, those at the event will be able to see what jobs are on offer. Attendees will be able to apply for live positions and connect with skills providers to gain the necessary qualifications for these exciting roles.

    Councillor Dr Kindy Sandhu, Cabinet Member for Education and Skills said: “This will be a really powerful careers event to mark International Women’s Day and support our female residents looking to either start their career or break into a new industry.

    “We have some fantastic employers who will be attending, equipped with plenty of advice. I would encourage any women looking for their next career journey to join me at the Job Shop for this exciting event.”

    This exclusive event (with the Job Shop closed to other customers) offers a unique opportunity to inspire and empower women on their career journeys.

    Some of the confirmed employers and training providers for the event include Hill Group, Balfour Beatty Vinci, The British Army, Octavious and Tarmac. Coventry Adult Education, NIS Group, Hercules Academy, Challenge TRG and RMF will also be on hand to offer valuable advice on relevant training courses.

    To find out more about the event, or to request an event invite, drop into the Job Shop to speak to one of the Employment Coaches, or contact the Job Shop on: 024 7678 5740 or jobshop@coventry.gov.uk.

    To keep up to date with the latest news, sign up for our Your Coventry email newsletter or follow the Council on Facebook, X (formerly Twitter), YouTube, Instagram, LinkedIn and TikTok.

    Wednesday, 19th February 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Getting help with Council Tax and changing the way you pay

    Source: City of Coventry

    Approximately 67 per cent of households in the city pay by Direct Debit, which is the easiest way to pay your Council Tax, especially if you’re worried about forgetting to pay.

    Instead of making the payment directly, Direct Debit means the Council take the amount out of a person’s bank account, when it is due.

    It also means the customer is protected by the Direct Debit Guarantee. If they wish to change the way that they pay and switch to Direct Debit the online instruction is simple to complete.

    For anyone who currently pays their Council Tax in 10 instalments and want to switch to 12, this can be requested by completing this quick form.

    A change of circumstance

    The Council also want people to get in touch if their circumstances have changed by applying to us for a Council Tax Discount.

    Anyone eligible will get a discount on their bill. For example, if just one person is living in the household – where before there was two or more – the bill will be reduced by 25 per cent.

    Also, people who are claiming Universal Credit or other benefits may not automatically receive council tax support, but they can make a claim to ensure they don’t pay more than they need to. Make a claim for council tax support or for more information.

    Cllr Richard Brown, Cabinet Member for Finance, said:

    “It’s important that people contact us if they want to change the way they pay, can’t afford to pay or have a change of circumstances when it comes to paying Council Tax.

    “Most people find it easiest to pay by Direct Debit but if you don’t it is quite easy to switch. Also, I’d encourage anyone who may have a query to get in touch and if anyone is eligible for support with a reduction on their bill they can get help.”

    Anyone who may no longer want to receive a paper copy bill can visit Council Tax – Sign up to paperless billing – Data protection – Coventry City Council

    Wednesday, 19th February 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI: Global-e Reports Fourth Quarter and Full Year 2024 Results

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    PETAH-TIKVA, Israel, Feb. 19, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Global-e Online Ltd. (Nasdaq: GLBE) the platform powering global direct-to-consumer e-commerce, today reported financial results for the fourth quarter of 2024 and full year 2024.

    “2024 was yet another record-breaking year for Global-e, and it came to a great close with a fourth quarter which was our strongest quarter ever, as we continued to execute on our strategy and further solidify Global-e’s leadership position in the global e-commerce space,” said Amir Schlachet, Founder and CEO of Global-e. “In addition, we achieved two important financial milestones during the quarter. For the first time in our journey, we crossed the 20% Adjusted EBITDA Margin mark, which was the long-term target we set for ourselves at the IPO, and we reached GAAP profitability for the first time as a public company; a testament to our relentless focus on delivering fast yet durable growth.”

    “As we head into 2025, we remain as committed as ever to continue on our growth path, deliver more cutting-edge and market-leading solutions to our merchants and seize more and more of the great opportunities that lie ahead of us in the world of global e-commerce. In 2025, we also expect to achieve three additional key financial milestones: surpass the 20% Adjusted EBITDA Margin mark on a full year basis, achieve annual GAAP profitability, and most importantly, for the first time, cross an annual run-rate of $1 billion in Revenues.”

    Q4 2024 Financial Results

    • GMV1 in the fourth quarter of 2024 was $1,713 million, an increase of 44% year over year
    • Revenue in the fourth quarter of 2024 was $262.9 million, an increase of 42% year over year, of which service fees revenue was $117.3 million and fulfillment services revenue was $145.6 million
    • Non-GAAP gross profit2 in the fourth quarter of 2024 was $120.9 million, an increase of 53% year over year. GAAP gross profit in the fourth quarter of 2024 was $118.7 million
    • Non-GAAP gross margin2 in the fourth quarter of 2024 was 46%, an increase of 330 basis points from 42.7% in the fourth quarter of 2023. GAAP gross margin in the fourth quarter of 2024 was 45.1%
    • Adjusted EBITDA3 in the fourth quarter of 2024 was $57.1 million compared to $35.2 million in the fourth quarter of 2023, an increase of 62% year over year
    • Net profit in the fourth quarter of 2024 was $1.5 million
    • Net cash provided by operating activities in the fourth quarter of 2024 was $129.3 million, while capital expenditures totaled $0.5 million, leading to free cash flow of $128.8 million

    FY 2024 Financial Results

    • GMV1 for the full year was $4,858 million, an increase of 37% year over year
    • Revenue for the full year was $752.8 million, an increase of 32% year over year, of which service fees revenue was $350.3 million and fulfillment services revenue was $402.5 million
    • Non-GAAP gross profit2 for the full year was $349.4 million, an increase of 43% year over year. GAAP gross profit for the full year was $339.4 million
    • Non-GAAP gross margin2 for the full year was 46.4%, an increase of 350 basis points from 42.9% in 2023. GAAP gross margin for the full year was 45.1%
    • Adjusted EBITDA3 for the full year was $140.8 million compared to $92.7 million in 2023, an increase of 51.8% year over year
    • Net loss for the full year was $75.5 million
    • Net cash provided by operating activities in the full year was $169.4 million, while capital expenditures totaled $2.3 million, leading to free cash flow of $167.1 million

    Recent Business Highlights

    • Throughout 2024, our existing merchant base continued to stay and grow with us, as reflected in our annual enterprise NDR rate of 119% and GDR rate of 93.5%. GDR and NDR were negatively impacted by the out of the ordinary bankruptcy of Ted Baker and by several Borderfree merchants that chose not to re-platform to the Global-e platform. NDR and GDR excluding the out of the ordinary churn for 2024 is close to 123% and 97%, respectively
    • Recently launched with Logitech, one of the world’s largest and most innovative providers of computer peripherals and input devices, gaming accessories, audio and video gear and smart home device
    • On-boarded many additional new merchants located around the globe and trading in various verticals, including:
      • North America – shapewear brand Spanx, Thursday Boots, and the web store of famous fashion designer Tom Ford
      • UK and Europe – Spanish brand Tous, Italian fashion brand Slowear, UK footwear brand Phoebe Philo, German brand IvyOak, Swiss running gear brand Compressport, famous Austrian lingerie brand Triumph, French brands ZAPA and MOLLI, and the Finish brand HURTTA
      • APAC – Japanese brands Komehyo, one of Japan’s largest retailers of second-hand goods, Kyoto-based wristwatch brand Kuoe, novelty brands Mofusand and Taito, and the tailored shirt brand Kamakura Shirts, as well as the renowned Korean cosmetics brand Depology, and Australian fashion brands Zoe Kratzmann and SECONDLEFT
    • Expanded to new lanes with existing merchants – added Romania and Croatia to the markets we operate for Adidas, went live with a new outlet site for John Smedley, and added Strellson, the third brand to go live with us out of the Swiss Holy Fashion Group
    • Shopify Managed Markets – continued joint work with Shopify to add new features and functionalities to the Managed Markets offering, aimed at making it applicable to a wider range of merchants on the Shopify platform

    Q1 2025 and Full Year Outlook

    Global-e is introducing first quarter and full year guidance as follows:

        Q12025   FY 2025
        (in millions)
    GMV(1) $1,210 – $1,250   $6,190 – $6,490
    Revenue $184.5 – $191.5   $917 – $967
    Adjusted EBITDA(3) $29.5 – $33.5   $179 – $199

    1 Gross Merchandise Value (GMV) is a key operating metric. See “Non-GAAP Financial Measures and Key Operating Metrics” for additional information regarding this metric.
    2 Non-GAAP Gross profit and Non-GAAP gross margin are non-GAAP financial measures. See “Non-GAAP Financial Measures and Key Operating Metrics” for additional information regarding this metric.
    3 Adjusted EBITDA is a non-GAAP financial measure. See “Non-GAAP Financial Measures” for additional information regarding this metric, including the reconciliations to Operating Profit (Loss), its most directly comparable GAAP financial measure. The Company is unable to provide a reconciliation of Adjusted EBITDA to Operating Profit (Loss), its most directly comparable GAAP financial measure, on a forward-looking basis without unreasonable effort because items that impact this GAAP financial measure are not within the Company’s control and/or cannot be reasonably predicted. These items may include, but are not limited to, share-based compensation expenses. Such information may have a significant, and potentially unpredictable impact on the Company’s future financial results.

    Conference Call Information

    Global-e will host a conference call at 8:00 a.m. ET on Wednesday, February 19, 2025.
    The call will be available, live, to interested parties by dialing:

    United States/Canada Toll Free:  1-800-717-1738
    International Toll: 1-646-307-1865

    A live webcast will also be available in the Investor Relations section of Global-e’s website at: https://investors.global-e.com/news-events/events-presentations

    Approximately two hours after completion of the live call, an archived version of the webcast will be available on the Investor Relations section of the Company’s web site and will remain available for approximately 30 calendar days.

    Non-GAAP Financial Measures and Key Operating Metrics

    To supplement Global-e’s financial information presented in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles in the United States of America, or GAAP, Global-e considers certain financial measures and key performance metrics that are not prepared in accordance with GAAP including:

    • Non-GAAP gross profit, which Global-e defines as gross profit adjusted for amortization of acquired intangibles. Non-GAAP gross margin is calculated as Non-GAAP gross profit divided by revenues
    • Adjusted EBITDA, which Global-e defines as operating profit (loss) adjusted for stock-based compensation expenses, depreciation and amortization, commercial agreements amortization, amortization of acquired intangibles and merger related contingent consideration.
    • Free cash flow, which Global-e defines as net cash provided by operating activities less purchase of property and equipment.

    Global-e also uses Gross Merchandise Value (GMV) as a key operating metric. Gross Merchandise Value or GMV is defined as the combined amount we collect from the shopper and the merchant for all components of a given transaction, including products, duties and taxes and shipping.

    The aforementioned key performance indicators and non-GAAP financial measures are used, in conjunction with GAAP measures, by management and our board of directors to assess our performance, including the preparation of Global-e’s annual operating budget and quarterly forecasts, for financial and operational decision-making, to evaluate the effectiveness of Global-e’s business strategies, and as a means to evaluate period-to-period comparisons. These measures are frequently used by analysts, investors and other interested parties to evaluate companies in our industry. We believe that these non-GAAP financial measures are appropriate measures of operating performance because they remove the impact of certain items that we believe do not directly reflect our core operations, and permit investors to view performance using the same tools that we use to budget, forecast, make operating and strategic decisions, and evaluate historical performance.

    Global-e’s definition of Non-GAAP measures may differ from the definition used by other companies and therefore comparability may be limited. In addition, other companies may not publish these metrics or similar metrics. Furthermore, these metrics have certain limitations in that they do not include the impact of certain expenses that are reflected in our consolidated statement of operations that are necessary to run our business. Thus, Non-GAAP measures should be considered in addition to, not as substitutes for, or in isolation from, measures prepared in accordance with GAAP.

    For more information on the non-GAAP financial measures, please see the reconciliation tables provided below. The accompanying reconciliation tables have more details on the GAAP financial measures that are most directly comparable to non-GAAP financial measures and the related reconciliations between these financial measures.

    Cautionary Note Regarding Forward Looking Statements

    This press release contains estimates and forward-looking statements within the meaning of the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. We intend such forward-looking statements to be covered by the safe harbor provisions for forward-looking statements as contained in Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”). All statements contained in this press release other than statements of historical fact, including, without limitation, statements regarding our future strategy and projected revenue, GMV, Adjusted EBITDA and other future financial and operational results, growth strategy and plans and objectives of management for future operations, including, among others, expansion in new and existing markets, the launch of large enterprise merchants, and our ongoing partnership with Shopify, are forward-looking statements. As the words “may,” “might,” “will,” “could,” “would,” “should,” “expect,” “plan,” “anticipate,” “intend,” “target,” “seek,” “believe,” “estimate,” “predict,” “potential,” “continue,” “contemplate,” “possible” or the negative of these terms or other similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements, though not all forward-looking statements use these words or expressions. Forward-looking statements are predictions, projections and other statements about future events that are based on current expectations and assumptions and, as a result, are subject to risks and uncertainties. Global-e believes there is a reasonable basis for its expectations and beliefs, but they are inherently uncertain. Many factors could cause actual future events to differ materially from the forward-looking statements in this announcement, including but not limited to, our rapid growth and growth rates in recent periods may not be indicative of future growth; the ability to retain merchants or the GMV generated by such merchants; the ability to retain existing, and attract new merchants; our business acquisitions and ability to effectively integrate acquired businesses; our ability to anticipate merchant needs or develop or acquire new functionality or enhance our existing platforms to meet those needs; our ability to implement and use artificial intelligence and machine learning technologies successfully; our ability to compete in our industry; our reliance on third-parties, including our ability to realize the benefits of any strategic alliances, joint ventures, or partnership arrangements and to integrate our platforms with third-party platforms; our ability to develop or maintain the functionality of our platforms, including real or perceived errors, failures, vulnerabilities, or bugs in our platforms; our history of net losses; our ability to manage our growth and manage expansion into additional markets; increased attention to ESG matters and our ability to manage such matters; our ability to accommodate increased volumes during peak seasons and events; our ability to effectively expand our marketing and sales capabilities; our expectations regarding our revenue, expenses and operations; our ability to operate internationally; our reliance on third-party services, including third-party providers of cross-docking services and third-party data centers, in our platforms and services and harm to our reputation by our merchants’ or third-party service providers’ unethical business practices; our ability to adapt to changes in mobile devices, systems, applications, or web browsers that may degrade the functionality of our platforms; our operation as a merchant of record for sales conducted using our platform; regulatory requirements and additional fees related to payment transactions through our e-commerce platforms could be costly and difficult to comply with; compliance and third-party risks related to anti-money laundering, anti-corruption, anti-bribery, regulations, economic sanctions and export control laws and import regulations and restrictions; our business’s reliance on the personal importation model; our ability to securely store personal information of merchants and shoppers; increases in shipping rates; fluctuations in the exchange rate of foreign currencies has impacted and could continue to impact our results of operations; our ability to offer high quality support; our ability to expand the number of merchants using our platforms and increase our GMV and to enhance our reputation and awareness of our platforms; our dependency on the continued use of the internet for commerce; our ability to adapt to emerging or evolving regulatory developments, changing laws, regulations, standards and technological changes related to privacy, data protection, data security and machine learning technology and generative artificial intelligence evolves; the effect of the situation in Ukraine on our business, financial condition and results of operations; our role in the fulfilment chain of the merchants, which may cause third parties to confuse us with the merchants; our ability to establish and protect intellectual property rights; and our use of open-source software which may pose particular risks to our proprietary software technologies; our dependency on our executive officers and other key employees and our ability to hire and retain skilled key personnel, including our ability to enforce non-compete agreements we enter into with our employees; litigation for a variety of claims which we may be subject to; the adoption by merchants of a direct to consumer model; our anticipated cash needs and our estimates regarding our capital requirements and our needs for additional financing; our ability to maintain our corporate culture; our ability to maintain an effective system of disclosure controls and internal control over financial reporting; our ability to accurately estimate judgments relating to our critical accounting policies; changes in tax laws or regulations to which we are subject, including the enactment of legislation implementing changes in taxation of international business activities and the adoption of other corporate tax reform policies; requirements to collect sales or other taxes relating to the use of our platforms and services in jurisdictions where we have not historically done so; global events such as war, health pandemics, climate change, macroeconomic events and the recent economic slowdown; risks relating to our ordinary shares, including our share price, the concentration of our share ownership with insiders, our status as a foreign private issuer, provisions of Israeli law and our amended and restated articles of association and actions of activist shareholders; risks related to our incorporation and location in Israel, including risks related to the ongoing war and related hostilities; and the other risks and uncertainties described in Global-e’s Annual Report on Form 20-F for the year ended December 31, 2023, filed with the SEC on March 28, 2024 and other documents filed with or furnished by Global-e from time to time with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”). The foregoing list of factors is not exhaustive. You should carefully consider the foregoing factors. These filings identify and address other important risks and uncertainties that could cause actual events and results to differ materially from those contained in the forward-looking statements. These statements reflect management’s current expectations regarding future events and operating performance and speak only as of the date of this press release. Forward-looking statements speak only as of the date they are made. Readers are cautioned not to put undue reliance on forward-looking statements Although we believe that the expectations reflected in the forward-looking statements are reasonable, we cannot guarantee that future results, levels of activity, performance and events and circumstances reflected in the forward-looking statements will be achieved or will occur. We undertake no obligation to update any forward-looking statements made in this press release to reflect events or circumstances after the date of this press release or to reflect new information or the occurrence of unanticipated events, except as required by law. We may not actually achieve the plans, intentions or expectations disclosed in our forward-looking statements, and you should not place undue reliance on our forward-looking statements.

    About Global-E Online Ltd.

    Global-e (Nasdaq: GLBE) is the world’s leading platform enabling and accelerating global, Direct-To-Consumer e-commerce. The chosen partner of over 1,000 brands and retailers across the United States, EMEA and APAC, Global-e makes selling internationally as simple as selling domestically. The company enables merchants to increase the conversion of international traffic into sales by offering online shoppers in over 200 destinations worldwide a seamless, localized shopping experience. Global-e’s end-to-end e-commerce solutions combine best-in-class localization capabilities, big-data best-practice business intelligence models, streamlined international logistics and vast global e-commerce experience, enabling international shoppers to buy seamlessly online and retailers to sell to, and from, anywhere in the world. For more information, please visit: www.global-e.com.

    Investor Contact:
    Erica Mannion or Mike Funari
    Sapphire Investor Relations, LLC
    IR@global-e.com 
    +1 617-542-6180

    Press Contact:
    Sarah Schloss
    Headline Media
    Globale@headline.media 
    +1 786-233-7684 

    Global-E Online Ltd.
    CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS
    (In thousands)    		  
        Period Ended  
        December 31,     December 31,  
        2023     2024  
              (Unaudited)  
    Assets                
    Current assets:                
    Cash and cash equivalents   $ 200,081     $ 250,773  
    Short-term deposits     96,939       187,322  
    Accounts receivable, net     27,841       41,171  
    Prepaid expenses and other current assets     63,967       84,613  
    Marketable securities     20,403       36,345  
    Funds receivable, including cash in banks     111,232       122,984  
    Total current assets     520,463       723,208  
    Property and equipment, net     10,236       10,440  
    Operating lease right-of-use assets     23,052       24,429  
    Long term deposits     3,552       3,786  
    Deferred contract acquisition costs, noncurrent     2,668       3,787  
    Other assets, noncurrent     4,078       4,527  
    Commercial agreement asset   192,721       66,527  
    Goodwill     367,566       367,566  
    Intangible assets     78,024       59,212  
    Total long-term assets     681,897       540,274  
    Total assets   $ 1,202,360     $ 1,263,482  
    Liabilities and Shareholders’ Equity                
    Current liabilities:                
    Accounts payable   $ 50,943     $ 79,559  
    Accrued expenses and other current liabilities     107,306       141,551  
    Funds payable to Customers     111,232       122,984  
    Short term operating lease liabilities     4,031       4,347  
    Total current liabilities     273,512       348,441  
    Long-term liabilities:                
    Deferred tax liabilities     6,507       –  
    Long term operating lease liabilities     19,291       20,510  
    Other long-term liabilities     1,071       1,098  
    Total liabilities   $ 300,381     $ 370,049  
                     
    Shareholders’ deficit:                
    Share capital and additional paid-in capital     1,360,250       1,425,317  
    Accumulated comprehensive income     (1,420 )     515  
    Accumulated deficit     (456,851 )     (532,399 )
    Total shareholders’ (deficit) equity     901,979       893,433  
    Total liabilities and shareholders’ equity   $ 1,202,360     $ 1,263,482  
    Global-E Online Ltd.
    CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS
    (In thousands, except share and per share data)    		  
        Three Months Ended   Year Ended  
        December 31,   December 31,  
        2023     2024     2023       2024  
        (Unaudited)           (Unaudited)  
    Revenue   $ 185,401     $ 262,912     $ 569,946       $ 752,764  
    Cost of revenue     109,080       144,253       336,343         413,331  
    Gross profit     76,321       118,659       233,603         339,433  
                                     
    Operating expenses:                                
    Research and development     25,169       28,284       97,568         105,487  
    Sales and marketing     58,756       70,936       217,035         250,661  
    General and administrative     15,451       14,257       56,059         51,213  
    Total operating expenses, net     99,376       113,477       370,662         407,361  
    Operating profit (loss)     (23,055 )     5,182       (137,059 )       (67,928 )
    Financial expenses (income), net     (5,010 )     6,073       (5,262 )       11,465  
    Loss before income taxes     (18,045 )     (891 )     (131,797 )       (79,393 )
    Income tax (benefit) expenses     4,055       (2,400 )     2,008         (3,845 )
    Net profit (loss) attributable to ordinary shareholders   $ (22,100 )   $ 1,509     $ (133,805 )     $ (75,548 )
    Net profit (loss) per share attributable to ordinary shareholders, basic   $ (0.13 )   $ 0.01     $ (0.81 )     $ (0.45 )
    Net profit (loss) per share attributable to ordinary shareholders, diluted   $ (0.13 )   $ 0.01     $ (0.81 )     $ (0.45 )
    Weighted-average shares used in computing net loss per share attributable to ordinary shareholders, basic     165,626,904       168,419,800       164,353,909         167,323,350  
    Weighted-average shares used in computing net loss per share attributable to ordinary shareholders, diluted     165,626,904       175,674,929       164,353,909         167,323,350  
    Global-E Online Ltd.
    CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS
    (In thousands)
        Three Months Ended     Year Ended
        December 31,     December 31,
        2023     2024     2023     2024  
        (Unaudited)             (Unaudited)  
    Operating activities                                
    Net profit (loss)   $ (22,100 )   $ 1,509     $ (133,805 )   $ (75,548 )
    Adjustments to reconcile net profit (loss) to net cash provided by operating activities:                                
    Depreciation and amortization     489       547       1,788       2,131  
    Share-based compensation expenses     12,180       9,538       44,960       39,158  
    Commercial agreement asset     37,433       37,433       150,451       148,594  
    Amortization of intangible assets     5,091       4,402       20,434       18,812  
    Unrealized loss (gain) on foreign currency     (3,011 )     3,554       (1,901 )     4,468  
    Changes in accrued interest and exchange rate on short-term deposits     72       (1,373 )     (416 )     (1,329 )
    Changes in accrued interest and exchange rate on long-term deposits     (144 )     364       (255 )     200  
    Accounts receivable     (14,390 )     15,925       (11,417 )     (13,330 )
    Prepaid expenses and other assets     61       (24,164 )     (11,736 )     (18,019 )
    Funds receivable     (9,038 )     8,726       (11,074 )     (3,205 )
    Long-term receivables     (1,497 )     51       (339 )   551  
    Funds payable to customers     40,817       2,564       33,107       11,752  
    Operating lease ROU assets     786       991       3,230       3,691  
    Deferred contract acquisition costs     (772 )     (322 )     (1,207 )     (1,382 )
    Accounts payable     18,438       37,176       (1,277 )     28,617  
    Accrued expenses and other liabilities     25,345       35,945       30,625       34,272  
    Deferred taxes     3,635       (2,592 )     120       (6,507 )
    Operating lease liabilities     99       (987 )     (3,067 )     (3,533 )
    Net cash provided by operating activities     93,494       129,287       108,222       169,393  
    Investing activities                                
    Investment in marketable securities     (851 )     (18,331 )     (3,728 )     (21,128 )
    Proceeds from marketable securities   –     2,028         671       4,988  
    Investment in short-term deposits     (43,250 )     (77,848 )     (175,237 )     (269,601 )
    Proceeds from short-term deposits     34,318       22,298       125,068       180,548  
    Purchases of long-term investments     (4 )     (307 )     (82 )     (1,459 )
    Proceeds from long-term deposits     10       24       10       24  
    Purchases of property and equipment     (926 )     (482 )     (1,741)       (2,335 )
    Net cash used in investing activities     (10,703 )     (72,618 )     (55,039 )     (108,963 )
    Financing activities                                
    Proceeds from exercise of Warrants to ordinary shares     –     3       22     5  
    Proceeds from exercise of share options     244       1,632       1,969       3,271  
    Net cash provided by financing activities     244       1,635       1,991       3,276  
    Exchange rate differences on balances of cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash     3,011       (3,554 )     1,901       (4,468 )
    Net Increase in cash, cash equivalents, and restricted cash     86,046       54,750       57,075       59,238  
    Cash and cash equivalents and restricted cash—beginning of period     182,551       273,086       211,522       268,597  
    Cash and cash equivalents and restricted cash—end of period   $ 268,597     $ 327,835     $ 268,597     $ 327,835  
    Global-E Online Ltd.
    SELECTED OTHER DATA
    (In thousands)
    		  
        Three Months Ended     Year Ended  
        December 31,     December 31,  
        2023     2024     2023     2024  
        (Unaudited)     (Unaudited)  
    Key performance metrics            
    Gross Merchandise Value     1,189,467               1,712,903               3,557,444               4,857,970          
    Adjusted EBITDA (a)     35,178               57,102               92,735               140,767          
                                                                     
    Revenue by Category                                                                
    Service fees     89,936       49 %     117,268       45 %     262,255       46 %     350,311       47 %
    Fulfillment services     95,465       51 %     145,644       55 %     307,692       54 %     402,453       53 %
    Total revenue   $ 185,401       100 %   $ 262,912       100 %   $ 569,946       100 %   $ 752,764       100 %
                                                                     
    Revenue by merchant outbound region                                                                
    United States     94,887       51 %     146,250       56 %     285,619       50 %     399,596       53 %
    United Kingdom     54,962       30 %     55,807       21 %     173,584       30 %     182,904       24 %
    European Union     29,421       16 %     44,469       17 %     92,566       16 %     125,547       17 %
    Israel     479       0 %     1,671       1 %     1,806       0 %     2,746       0 %
    Other   5,652     3 %     14,715       5 %   16,371     3 %     41,971       6 %
    Total revenue   $ 185,401       100 %   $ 262,912       100 %   $ 569,946       100 %   $ 752,764       100 %

    (a) See reconciliation to adjusted EBITDA table

    Global-E Online Ltd.
    RECONCILIATION TO Non-GAAP GROSS PROFIT
    (In thousands)    		  
        Three Months Ended     Year Ended  
        December 31,     December 31,  
        2023     2024     2023     2024  
      (Unaudited)
    Gross Profit     76,321       118,659       233,603       339,433  
                                     
    Amortization of acquired intangibles included in cost of revenue     2,796       2,198       11,183       9,994  
    Non-GAAP gross profit     79,117       120,857       244,786       349,427  
    Global-E Online Ltd.
    RECONCILIATION TO ADJUSTED EBITDA
    (In thousands)    		  
        Three Months Ended     Year Ended  
        December 31,     December 31,  
        2023     2024     2023     2024    
        (Unaudited)  
    Operating profit (loss)     (23,055 )     5,182       (137,059 )     (67,928 )  
    (1) Stock-based compensation:                                
    Cost of revenue     186       275       639       929    
    Research and development     6,962       4,153       26,266       17,291    
    Selling and marketing     1,238       1,528       4,259       5,836    
    General and administrative     3,794       3,582       13,796       15,102    
    Total stock-based compensation     12,180       9,538       44,960       39,158    
                                     
    (2) Depreciation and amortization     489       547       1,788       2,131    
                                     
    (3) Commercial agreement asset amortization   37,433       37,433     150,451       148,594    
                                 
    (4) Amortization of acquired intangibles   5,091       4,402     20,434       18,812    
                                 
    (5) Merger related contingent consideration   3,040       –     12,161       –    
                                 
    Adjusted EBITDA     35,178       57,102       92,735       140,767    
    Global-E Online Ltd.
    RECONCILIATION TO FREE CASH FLOW
    (In thousands)
        Three Months Ended   Year Ended
        December 31,   December 31,
        2023     2024     2023     2024  
      (Unaudited)
    Net cash provided by operating activities     93,434       129,287       108,222       169,393  
    Less:                          
    Purchase of property and equipment     (926 )     (482 )     (1,741 )     (2,335 )
    Free cash flow     92,508       128,805       106,481       167,058  

    The MIL Network –