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Category: Internet

  • MIL-OSI USA: S. 28, Informing Consumers about Smart Devices Act

    Source: US Congressional Budget Office

    S. 28 would require manufacturers of Internet-connected devices to disclose to consumers whether such devices have microphones or cameras. The bill would direct the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to establish guidance for manufacturers to follow when notifying consumers and to enforce any violations of the bill’s requirements.

    Using information from the FTC and the cost of similar requirements, CBO expects that the FTC would need three employees to issue guidance in 2026 and four employees in each year from 2027 through 2030 to enforce the bill’s requirements. CBO estimates that the average cost for salaries and benefits for an FTC employee would be $240,000 in 2025. After accounting for anticipated inflation, CBO estimates that implementing S. 28 would cost $4 million over the 2025-2030 period; any related spending would be subject to the availability of appropriated funds.

    The bill would authorize the FTC to collect civil monetary penalties from businesses found in violation of the bill, along with pursuing other remedies. Civil monetary penalties are generally remitted to the Treasury and recorded as revenues. However, CBO estimates that the additional revenues collected over the next decade would be insignificant. The extent to which business would violate the new rules after they go into effect is uncertain.

    Furthermore, if a business does violate the new rules and the FTC chooses to proceed with an enforcement action, the extent to which the agency pursues civil penalties versus other remedies is also uncertain, as is the amount of time it would take to resolve a case.

    S. 28 would impose a private-sector mandate as defined in the Unfunded Mandates Reform Act (UMRA) by requiring manufacturers of Internet-connected devices to disclose to the consumer if a component of the device includes a microphone or camera. According to industry sources, most manufacturers already disclose such information on the device’s exterior packaging or other forms of advertising. Therefore, CBO estimates that the cost for manufacturers to comply with the bill would not exceed the annual threshold established in UMRA ($203 million in 2025, adjusted annually for inflation).

    S. 28 contains no intergovernmental mandates as defined in UMRA.

    The CBO staff contacts for this estimate are Margot Berman (for the FTC) and Rachel Austin (for mandates). The estimate was reviewed by H. Samuel Papenfuss, Deputy Director of Budget Analysis.

    Phillip L. Swagel

    Director, Congressional Budget Office

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI: Credtent Announces $17-20 Million Dollar Valuation of Studio Ghibli’s IP for AI Training and Advocates for Creative Consent

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    Los Angeles, CA, March 31, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Credtent, Inc., a leader in ethical AI and content licensing, has independently assessed the AI training value of Studio Ghibli’s intellectual property at $17 to 20 million annually for enterprise AI platforms. This third-party evaluation underscores the importance of fair compensation for creators whose unique styles are often used in generative AI tools without consent or compensation.

    Credtent’s Official CVE for Studio Ghibli

    The studio is admired the world over for their award-winning and distinctive films like My Neighbor Totoro, Princess Mononoke, and Kiki’s Delivery Service. The company’s iconic founder, Hayao Miyazaki, has expressed disdain for AI art before, calling it “an assault on life itself.” With Ghibli-styled memes flooding the Internet this last week, fans have complained about the unauthorized use of the studio’s work.

    Credtent’s Director of Creator Outreach, Deborah Drake, emphasized the need for respect and collaboration between artists and AI tools, stating, “Artists and technologists think about creative work differently. What is art to creatives is just data to AI companies. As a neutral utility, we enable them both to find common ground with opt-out options and fair-market license pricing.”

    Drawing on more than a decade of experience setting industry standards for the value of content and earned media, Credtent’s team calculates pricing for AI training data based on a cross-section of factors grounded in scientific first principles set by the company’s Chief Science Officer, Dr. Galen Buckwalter. Using publicly available data and its expertise in pricing content, Credtent assessed this value to highlight the importance of creative consent.

    “The studio could command multi-million dollar pricing from AI companies if they licensed their work for random meme creation,” said Credtent CEO Eric R. Burgess. “But if they feel, as I do, that a gorgeous film like Spirited Away is devalued by random AI slop in its style, their company’s and their artists’ names should be restricted from generative AI prompting.”

    Guardrails like these are already in place for many artist names on most Large Language Models (LLMs). They are just not applied to all artists who don’t want their work exploited. “That’s why we built Credtent – to track opt-out requests and licensing across the AI industry for artists and creators of all types,” added Burgess. The company offers creators the ability to opt-out of AI training in one place. Their list is available to all AI companies to ensure respect for creative consent.

    Starting in Q2 2025, artists can also license their work to earn revenue through Credtent’s Training Data Marketplace. Thousands of creators have already registered their diverse works, including books, albums, podcasts, music, photos and art, and more to opt-out or for licensing. They will benefit from the highest pay rates in the industry because Credtent is a certified Public Benefit Corporation with plans to deliver 85% of licensing revenue to creators.

    “Credtent’s goal is to orchestrate relationships between AI and creative people without stifling innovation,” said Burgess. “We want to support creative people thriving in the Age of AI, while also helping AI companies use credible, licensed content that protects them from lawsuits for copyright infringement and inaccuracy claims.”

    Credtent’s commitment to ethical AI is further shown through their certified Ethical Sourcing Badges. These badges are awarded to companies that respect creative rights and undergo regular audits in partnership with Credtent. This initiative helps LLM customers feel confident about using outputs without worrying about copyright violations. Last year, Credtent also introduced Creative Origin Badges to enable creative people to be transparent about their use of AI so audiences can make their own choice about supporting AI-composed content, AI-Assisted work, or creative work that is entirely human-composed.

    Open Enrollment for Credtent’s free licensing option is available until July 31st and lifetime Opt-Out requests are free through December 31st. For more information, visit Credtent’s website.

    Credtent’s Ethical Sourcing Badges for LLMs that subscribe to the platform.

    About Credtent, Inc.

    Credtent is a Public Benefit Corporation that enables creators to exclude their work or profit from AI by setting fair licensing terms for responsible companies seeking credible, unbiased training data. We issue Content Origin and Sourcing Badges, and help AI companies make better decisions about the content they use to train their models.

    Press inquiries

    Credtent, Inc.
    https://www.credtent.org
    Carmen Sinata
    hello@credtent.org
    626-600-1226 
    1822 E. Route 66, Ste. A353
    Glendora, CA 91740

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: BYDFi Lists GUNZ Token: Gunzilla Games Raises Nearly $100M, Ushering in the Next Era of AAA Web3 Gaming

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    VICTORIA, Seychelles, March 31, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — The globally renowned crypto exchange BYDFi today announced the global listing of the GUNZ token($GUN), the native asset of the GUNZ Layer1 blockchain developed by German AAA game studio Gunzilla Games. As one of the first crypto economies purpose-built for AAA gaming, GUNZ is rapidly emerging as a standout Web3 project thanks to its strong institutional backing and groundbreaking infrastructure tailored for next-generation gaming.

    GUNZ: A Layer-1 Blockchain Built for AAA Games

    Unlike early play-to-earn experiments driven by hype, GUNZ is purpose-built to embed blockchain seamlessly into high-end gaming environments. The chain ensures true digital ownership of in-game assets while enhancing player experience—without disrupting gameplay.

    Developed by Gunzilla Games, GUNZ will power the studio’s flagship title Off The Grid, a cinematic cyberpunk battle royale that blends high-fidelity storytelling with a native on-chain economy. For a Web3 gaming market that has been largely stagnant, this marks a major leap forward.

    The numbers reflect momentum: GUNZ has already onboarded over 12 million wallet addresses, with more than 230 million on-chain transactions processed—clear signs of the scalability and adoption potential of its gaming-focused ecosystem.

    Off The Grid: Flagship Title Fueling the GUNZ Ecosystem

    Off The Grid features film-quality graphics and immersive storytelling wrapped in a cyberpunk setting. It integrates a full-stack blockchain economy where players can earn and trade in-game NFTs—such as weapons, skins, and gear—directly on the GUNZ network. The game solves one of the key issues in traditional gaming: asset ownership. And it gives NFTs real functionality, rather than speculative hype.

    At the protocol level, GUNZ introduces several innovations to support high-performance gaming while remaining decentralized:

    • Ultra-High Throughput & Near-Zero Gas Fees: Built on a custom Avalanche subnet, GUNZ delivers 12,000+ TPS and transaction fees below $0.0001.
    • Game Engine Compatibility: Native support for Unity and Unreal plugins allows traditional games to integrate in as little as 72 hours.
    • Hybrid Validator Network: With node operators including Delphi Ventures and community stakers, GUNZ balances efficiency with decentralization.

    Backed by Capital, Powered by Utility

    Gunzilla Games has raised $76 million to date:

    • In August 2022, the company closed a $46M round led by Republic Capital, with participation from Griffin Gaming Partners, Animoca Brands, Jump Crypto, and Twitch co-founder Justin Kan.
    • In March 2024, it secured a $30M follow-on round co-led by Avalanche’s Blizzard Fund and CoinFund.

    GUNZ has a total token supply of 10 billion, with an initial circulating supply of 6.05%. The token fuels multiple use cases across the ecosystem, including gas payments, in-game transactions, governance, and rewards—laying the foundation for a sustainable and scalable Web3 gaming economy.

    As Gunzilla Games CTO Timur Davidenko put it at the recent developer summit:

    “We’re not putting a game on a chain—we’re growing a chain from within the game.”


    About BYDFi

    Founded in 2020, BYDFi has become one of the most trusted global crypto exchanges, earning recognition from CoinMarketCap, CoinGecko, and Forbes, which ranked it among the Top 10 Crypto Exchanges Globally. With a user base of over 1,000,000 across 150+ countries, BYDFi continues to expand its influence on the digital asset world.

    To celebrate its 5th Anniversary, BYDFi is launching a series of global user campaigns, featuring over $100,000 in rewards, limited-time token airdrops, and special gifts. For more details, visit the official website or download the BYDFi mobile app.

    • Website: https://www.bydfi.com
    • Support Email: CS@bydfi.com
    • Business Partnerships: BD@bydfi.com
    • Media Inquiries: media@bydfi.com

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    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Richmond Sexual Predator Sentenced to 40 Years in Federal Prison

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    INDIANAPOLIS— Moises Bojorquez, 29, of Richmond, Indiana, has been sentenced to 40 years in federal prison, followed by a lifetime of supervised release, after pleading guilty to sexual exploitation of a child, distribution of child sexual abuse material, and possession of matter containing child sexual abuse material.

    According to court documents, Bojorquez sexually abused a one-year-old relative, who was in his care and custody.  Bojorquez forced the victim to perform oral sex on him on multiple occasions.  In several instances, Bojorquez live chatted the sexual abuse.  In other instances, Bojorquez recorded the sexual abuse and sent it to a woman via Telegram, an encrypted, cloud-based instant messaging service.

    Bojorquez and the woman engaged in a months-long conversation via Telegram in which they described their shared sexual interest in children.  Bojorquez also shared other child sex abuse material with the same woman via Telegram and with others via email.  Investigators located more than 1,000 images and videos on Bojorquez’s two cell phones, some of which depicted infants or toddlers engaged in sexually explicit conduct and sadistic or masochistic conduct or other depictions of violence.

    “No child should suffer sexual abuse,” said John E. Childress, Acting United States Attorney for the Southern District of Indiana. “This predator cruelly exploited an innocent child to satisfy his criminal sexual desires with other likeminded predators. Thanks to the efforts of law enforcement officers, this defendant will now spend 40 years in federal prison, where he cannot sexually abuse another child.”

    “This case is a sobering reminder of the depths of pravity some individuals will go to exploit the most innocent among us,” said ICE Homeland Security Investigations Chicago Special Agent in Charge Matthew Scarpino. “HSI and our law enforcement partners remain committed to identifying and bringing to justice those who prey on children. We will continue to use every available resource to protect the innocent and disrupt the networks that facilitate these horrific crimes.”

    “The Indiana Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force remains vigilant and committed to working with its local and federal partners to protect society’s most vulnerable to sexual exploitation: our children. Caretakers, parents, and others in positions of trust who fail in their duty to protect children but instead seek to sexually exploit them for their own selfish and devious reasons will be identified, investigated, and prosecuted,” said Christopher D. Cecil, Commander of Indiana Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force.

    Homeland Security Investigations and members of the Indiana Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, including Indiana State Police, Richmond Police Department, and Plainfield Police Department, investigated this case, with assistance from the Ohio Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force. The sentence was imposed by U.S. District Judge Sarah Evans Barker. 

    Acting U.S. Attorney Childress thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Meredith Wood and Tiffany J. Preston, who prosecuted this case.

    This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims.

    If you are a victim of child sexual exploitation, please contact your local police department. Resources for victims of child exploitation can be found on our website at https://www.justice.gov/usao-sdin/project-safe-childhood

    ###

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: HSE awarded finalists of NTO in computer game development

    Translartion. Region: Russians Fedetion –

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

    © Higher School of Economics

    On March 28, the HSE Cultural Center hosted a ceremony to award prize winners and winners of the Computer Game Development profile among schoolchildren in grades 8–11 National Technology Olympiad (NTO). More than 60 people took part in the final. The profile is organized by the National Research University Higher School of Economics in partnership with the Ninsar.Games studio, the National Cyber-Physical Platform “Berloga”, VK Play and VK Education.

    In the finals, which took place at the HSE from March 24 to 29, schoolchildren, united in teams, solved real engineering problems. They developed a game prototype according to the specified technical requirements and guidelines – a game simulator in the setting of the National Cyber-Physical Platform “Berloga”.

    At the award ceremony, the finalists were greeted by Deputy Minister of Science and Higher Education of the Russian Federation Olga Petrova. “The Olympiad is not just a competition, but an entire ecosystem that selects the best of the best. I am proud of each of you. You have passed a colossal selection and received knowledge that has made you stronger, wiser and more experienced. Trying yourself, going beyond the usual school curriculum – these are the competencies that will often be required of you in life. Learn, dare, dream and do not stop there! Remember that our country is a country of colossal opportunities, and everything is in your hands!” said Olga Petrova.

    The winners in the special nomination from the Berloga platform were announced by its leader, President of the Association of Participants of Technological Circles Alexey Fedoseyev. He presented prizes to representatives of three teams, as well as acceleration certificates.

    “We will be glad to work with you, to bring the games not just to publication, but to implementation in educational environments, to receive feedback not only from those who download and play them on the Internet, but also from teachers, from people who can influence their further promotion. I hope that you will get unique products,” Alexey Fedoseyev emphasized.

    The diplomas to the winners of the Olympiad were presented by Alexander Egorov, head of the VK Play Indie division, and Egor Sechinsky, founder of Ninsar.Games, responsible developer of the “Computer Game Development” profile.

    According to Alexander Egorov, the games created by the Olympiad participants help solve certain problems, which is better than just “walking in the dark and trying to find some kind of light.” “I sincerely believe that you will soon be able to enter the market, gather your first fan base and open a franchise, and sometime in the future, raise enough capital to make the games of your dreams,” he said.

    Egor Sechinsky recalled that the NTO in the field of “Development of Computer Games” is being held for the sixth time and that the projects that were this year surprised him again. He recommended the finalists not to abandon their developments and bring them to such a level of readiness that they could “put them on the shelf in their portfolio”. “We in the industry are ready to help you, promote you and make sure that new young talented teams appear,” he concluded.

    The winners in the individual competition were congratulated by Dmitry Kaisin, Deputy Rector for Development at University 2035, and Yaroslav Paunov, Director of the Human Resources Development Division of the Young Professionals division of the ASI.

    Dmitry Kaisin said that he himself had once participated in the final of a similar competition, saw how quite young people came out on stage to congratulate the winners, and wanted to become like them. He recommended that schoolchildren do what they love — make a hobby their job, and also make friends with equally passionate colleagues.

    Yaroslav Paunov noted that the peculiarity of NTO is “tasks from the market and for the market, their practical applicability.” “You don’t just solve and invent something, contributing to your development and, perhaps, to future admission to such a top university as HSE, but you prepare for the market while still in school,” he believes.

    The difference between NTO and many other Olympiads is that, in addition to the individual standings, there is a team standings. In the profile “Development of Computer Games”, the winner in the team standings was the team “Paradigma”, consisting of four people: Yaroslav Reznikov (Simferopol), Olesya Polischuk (Sevastopol), Gleb Shakhanov (Moscow Region) and Artem Reus (Sevastopol). Yaroslav also won in the individual standings, Olesya, Gleb and Artem became prize winners. In addition, the team was among the winners of a special nomination from the platform “Berloga”.

    The awards were presented to the team members by Olga Petrova and the Vice-Rector of the National Research University Higher School of Economics, the responsible secretary of the NTO organizing committee Dmitry Zemtsov.

    “When we conceived this profile, we hoped that it would include its own geniuses and stars who would create games that would change the world. I have no doubt that such people are among the finalists of the anniversary, tenth season of the National Technology Olympiad. For example, I remember the very young Egor Sechinsky, who today already acts as the founder of the Ninsar.Games gaming studio and the organizer of the Computer Game Development profile of the NTO, selecting the best Olympiad participants for his team, with whom he creates popular games,” said Dmitry Zemtsov.

    In an interview with the Vyshka.Glavnoye news service, members of the Paradigma team said that they had developed a game called Arktos (the ancient Greek name for the Ursa Major constellation). The idea of the game is that bears crash in space, end up on an uninhabited planet, and solve OGE problems there, with each problem bringing them closer to returning home to their den. Thus, exam preparation is built into the exciting game.

    The team had clearly defined roles: Yaroslav was the captain and main programmer, Olesya was a tester, Gleb was a graphic artist, and Artem was a game designer. Olesya also acted as a manager — she negotiated playtests, and in particular, she managed to organize playtests at Sevastopol Gymnasium No. 1. “We collected a huge amount of feedback, and it really helped us,” she said.

    Work on the project lasted for six months, and the team’s mentor, ITMO first-year student Vladimir Mikhnev, played an important role in it. “At the finals at the HSE, I came to them every evening and told them what they had succeeded in doing and what needed to be corrected,” he says. “The guys discussed my proposals together, agreed with some, rejected others. Of course, winning the Olympiad is, first and foremost, their merit, their hard work.”

    All team members are considering the possibility of entering various universities in Moscow and St. Petersburg, including HSE, MIREA, MAI, ITMO. They plan to develop professionally in the IT field, including in the field of computer game development.

    The 2024/25 academic year is the tenth anniversary season of the National Technology Olympiad. It is held under the coordination of the Ministry of Science and Higher Education together with the federal project “Russia – Country of Opportunities” of the national project “Youth and Children” with the support of the “Movement of the First”, the Agency for Strategic Initiatives and the ANO “NTI Platform”. The Olympiad project office is located at the HSE with the methodological support of the Association of Participants of Technology Circles (NTI Circle Movement).

    This academic year, NTO set a new record: almost 220,000 students applied to participate in the tracks of the largest engineering competitions. More than 2,000 schoolchildren and students from 72 regions of Russia and three other countries: Belarus, Kazakhstan and Turkmenistan reached the finals.

    Winning in the Computer Game Development profile, as in most other NTO areas, will give schoolchildren the opportunity to receive 100 USE points in one of the subjects or enter a university without entrance examinations. NTO results are accepted by more than 100 Russian universities.

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

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI: 2024 Earnings Report

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    Continued recovery of margins and strong improvement in cash generation

    Relevance of the selectivity strategy implemented in 2024, prioritizing margins

    • Another year of strong improvement in adjusted EBITDA margin: 7.5% in 2024, up 40 basis points compared to 2023
    • Slight increase in adjusted EBITDA to €75.1 million, despite the 5.8% decrease in revenue
    • Gradual recovery in net income, group share: -€15.8 million in 2024, compared with -€22.7 million in 2023
    • Net income, group share adjusted for amortization of customer relationships: -€6.0 million, compared with -€12.9 million in 2023

    Sustained momentum for the Group’s profitable growth drivers

    • Confirmation of Germany’s strong potential: +33.6% growth, accretive adjusted EBITDA margin for the Group
    • Expansion of the Energy business: +28.5% growth, including +52.0% in France, driven by accelerated development in solar

    Strong improvement in cash generation, solid financial position

    • Net free cash flow: €5.9 million, compared with -€17.0 million in 2023
    • Net bank debt: €0.8 million at the end of 2024
    • Bank debt successfully refinanced in November 2024 for €120 million

    On track to meet 2026 targets

    • Tripling of revenue in Germany compared to 2023
    • Tripling of revenue in Energy in France compared to 2023
    • Adjusted EBITDA margin above 10% in the Group’s three main geographies: Benelux, France and Germany

    Today, Solutions30 SE is announcing its consolidated earnings for the year ended December 31, 2024, prepared in accordance with IFRS. Solutions30’s 2024 consolidated financial statements as approved by the Management Board were examined by the Supervisory Board on March 31, 2025. The auditors, PKF Audit & Conseil, have completed their audit of the consolidated financial statements for the year ended December 31, 2024. The audit report relating to the certification of these statements as well as the Group’s consolidated financial statements for 2024 are available on the Solutions30 website (www.solutions30.com) under the “Investor Relations” section.

    Gianbeppi Fortis, Chief Executive Officer of Solutions30, stated: “In 2024, we made the strategic choice to prioritize margin improvement over revenue growth, adopting a more selective approach in certain mature markets. This choice has paid off as, this year, we were once again able to significantly improve our margins and we even achieved a slight increase in our adjusted EBITDA, despite a decline in revenue. The German market, where we are now firmly established, has confirmed its strong potential. Increased infrastructure investment in Germany should further expand the range of opportunities available to us. Energy services also confirmed their status as a solid growth driver, particularly in France, where they accounted for almost 30% of our Q4 revenue, with excellent prospects, especially in renewable energy.
    Following significant transformations in 2024, both in our organization and in our business portfolio, we are entering 2025 on a solid footing, with renewed confidence in the Group’s fundamentals. We have set a clear path for 2026, which we presented at our Capital Markets Day last September: tripling our revenue in Germany and in energy services in France, and achieving an adjusted EBITDA margin above 10% in our three main geographies. We are well on track to meet these ambitions.”

    Key figures – Consolidated data
    In millions of euros 2024 2023 Change
    Revenue 996.0 1,057.0 (5.8)%
    Adjusted EBITDA 75.1 74.6 0.7%
    As a % of revenue (EBITDA margin) 7.5% 7.1%  
    Adjusted EBIT 28.4 22.6 25.6%
    As a % of revenue 2.9% 2.1%  
    Operating income 0.6 (2.7) n.a.
    As a % of revenue 0.1% (0.3)%  
    Net income, group share (15.8) (22.7) n.a.
    Adjusted net income, group share * (6.0) (12.9) n.a.
    Free cash flow 40.2 13.4  
    Free cash flow net 5.9 (17.0)  
           
    Financial position figures
    In millions of euros    		 31.12.2024 31.12.2023 Change
    Equity 108.1 124.6 (16.5)
    Net debt 73.8 78.4 (4.7)
    Net bank debt 0.8 (5.7) 6.5

    * Adjusted for amortization of customer relationships (group share) net of the associated tax impact – charge relating to past acquisitions, purely accounting in nature, with no cash impact, and unrelated to tangible assets.

    Solutions30’s consolidated revenue for 2024 amounted to €996.0 million, down -5.8% compared to 2023. This includes an organic contraction of -6.4%, a +0.2% impact from acquisitions, and a +0.4% favorable exchange rate effect. It reflects the Group’s strategic orientations, aimed at giving greater priority to margins over revenue growth, in a context where it is currently operating in markets and business segments at different stages of maturity. Solutions30 chose to scale down its exposure to the telecommunications sector notably in France and in Spain, where certain contracts no longer met its profitability requirements. At the same time, the Group accelerated its development in its profitable growth drivers in Germany and in energy services.

    Adjusted EBITDA amounted to €75.1 million, up +0.7% on 2023, despite lower revenue, reflecting a further increase in adjusted EBITDA margin to 7.5% from 7.1% in 2023 (+40 basis points). This performance reflects the relevance of the selective strategy implemented by the Group in 2024.

    Free cash flow reached €40.2 million, a clear €26.8 million improvement compared to 2023 (€13.4 million). This reflects a favorable trend in working capital, in a context where Solutions30 is increasingly and continuously focusing on profitability and cash generation. Net free cash flow, after repayment of lease liabilities and interest paid on these liabilities, turned positive in 2024, at €5.9 million, compared with a negative -€17.0 million in 2023.

    As a result, the Group’s financial position remains very solid, with a cash position net of bank debt close to breakeven at the end of 2024 (-€0.8 million). In addition, all financing needs are fully covered by the successful refinancing of the Group’s bank debt in November 2024, for a total amount of €120 million.

    Analysis by geographical segment

      2024 2023 Change
    Benelux      
    Revenue 371.6 381.6 (2.6)%
    Adjusted EBITDA 37.1 43.6 (14.9)%
    Adjusted EBITDA margin % 10.0% 11.4% (140 bps)
    France      
    Revenue 360.8 403.3 (10.5)%
    Adjusted EBITDA 34.1 35.5 (3.9)%
    Adjusted EBITDA margin % 9.5% 8.8% +70bp
    Other Countries      
    Revenue 263.6 272.1 (3.1)%
    Adjusted EBITDA 16.3 5.5 +196.4%
    Adjusted EBITDA margin % 6.2% 2.0% ‘+420bp
    HQ* (12.4) (10.0) 24%
    Revenue 996.0 1,057.0 (5.8)%
    Adjusted EBITDA 75.1 74.6 +0.7%
    Adjusted EBITDA margin % 7.5% 7.1% +40 bps

       * Costs related to the Group’s centralized functions

    Benelux

    In the Benelux, the Group’s leading geography in terms of revenue, revenue amounted to €371.6 million in 2024, down slightly by -2.6% (-2.8% organic) from a very high comparison basis (+72% in 2023). This decline is due to the Connectivity business (2024 revenue of €282.2 million, down -7.2%), as the fiber-optic roll-out in Belgium has been slowed by negotiations between service providers aimed at streamlining their roll-out operations nationwide. In addition, the merger between Proximus and Fiberklaar is prompting the adaptation of the Group’s operational processes.

    Energy revenue reached €64.8 million, up +11.6%, driven by the roll-out of smart meters and strong momentum in energy transition support services, notably with the entry into production of the contract to modernize over 1,000 km of low-voltage electricity network in Flanders. In addition, the acquisition of Xperal in September 2024 opens up new prospects in the solar sector in Benelux.

    Lastly, Technology activities maintained their strong momentum, with revenue up by +27.6% to €24.5 million, driven notably by the launch of a new IT support contract in the fourth quarter.

    The Benelux’s adjusted EBITDA margin remained in double-digit territory throughout the year at 10.0%, demonstrating the Group’s ability to effectively adapt its processes and organization to the temporary slowdown in the Connectivity business. Adjusted EBITDA thus amounted to €37.1 million in 2024.

    France

    In France, revenue amounted to €360.8 million, down -10.5% (-11.0% organic). Revenue from the Connectivity business contracted by -26.9% to €208.8 million, reflecting the selective measures implemented since the second quarter to improve margins. This has led the Group to significantly reduce its exposure to certain contracts that were no longer meeting its profitability requirements, with an impact compounded by the slow-down in the fiber roll-out market since the beginning of the year.

    In 2024, Solutions30 successfully continued to expand its Energy business, achieving sustained growth of +52.0% to reach revenue of €78.4 million, or 22% of the total (almost 30% in the fourth quarter). In the photovoltaic sector, the Group benefits from a highly dynamic market and a leading position. The Energy business thus represents a strategic diversification lever for the Group in France, with the ambition of reaching €150 million in revenue from this segment by 2026.

    In the Technology business, revenue amounted to €73.6 million, up +11%, driven by a surge in activity linked to the 2024 Olympics and continued momentum in IT support services.

    France’s adjusted EBITDA margin stood at 9.5%, up 70 basis points compared to 2023. This increase results from the increased selectivity strategy implemented in the Connectivity business, which prioritizes margin improvement over revenue growth. It also reflects the ramp-up of the Energy business and the associated scale effects, as well as ongoing efforts to streamline the organization and central functions.

    Other Countries

    In Other Countries, revenue amounted to €263.6 million, down -3.1%. This trend includes an organic contraction of -4.5% partially offset by a positive currency effect of +1.4%, reflecting the appreciation of the zloty and the pound sterling against the euro during the period.

    With revenue up +33.6% to €84.4 million, Germany confirms in 2024 its status as a powerful growth driver and the Group’s future third pillar in Europe, alongside Benelux and France. Leveraging strong relationships with Germany’s six main telecom service providers, Solutions30 is successfully replicating its business model in this market whose exceptional potential continues to materialize, supported by the accelerated roll-out of fiber networks, and strong future investment momentum in infrastructure in general.

    In Poland, strong growth continues, reaching +18.0% in 2024. In Italy, the agreement reached with the main telecom client has effectively eliminated the associated risk, allowed business to return to normal as of the third quarter, with progressively improving economic conditions expected over the first half of 2025. Revenue was down -16.0% for the year, but returned to growth in the fourth quarter. In Spain, where revenue contracted by -34.2%, the Group has considerably reduced its exposure to the mature telecoms market, and is restructuring its Connectivity business while refocusing on the Energy and Technology businesses. Finally, in the United Kingdom, revenue was down -23.3%, reflecting increased selectivity and a refocusing on the fiber and energy services markets.

    Adjusted EBITDA in Other Countries stood at €16.3 million, three times its 2023 level (€5.5 million). The adjusted EBITDA margin was 6.2%, compared with 2.0% in 2023. This significant improvement reflects Germany’s solid performance. It also results from the return to breakeven in Italy, after the losses recorded in 2023, as well as the initial progress made in the United Kingdom.

    Consolidated earnings

    On the basis of adjusted EBITDA of €75.1 million for 2024, after accounting for depreciation and operational of €14.9 million (compared to €22.8 million in 2023), and after amortization of the right-of-use assets (IFRS 16) amounting to €31.8 million (€29.2 million in 2023), the Group’s adjusted EBIT stood at €28.4 million, up +25.6% compared to 2023, representing 2.9% of full-year revenue (2.1% in 2023).

    Operating income returned to positive territory in 2024, reaching €0.6 million, compared with a loss of -€2.7 million in 2023. It includes:

    • €13.4 million in net non-current operating expenses. These expenses mainly include restructuring costs, reflecting the measures taken by the Group to support the selective downsizing in certain markets and to optimize its organizational structure accordingly, particularly in Spain, the United Kingdom, and France.
    • €14.5 million in amortization of customer relationships, stable compared to 2023. This charge, relating to past acquisitions, is purely accounting in nature, with no impact on cash flow, and does not relate to tangible assets.

    Net financial income was -€14.7 million, compared with -€13.1 million in 2023. It includes a bank interest charge of -€7.2 million, compared with -€5.4 million in 2023, mainly reflecting a higher average drawdown in 2024, and interest on leases (IFRS 16) of -€3.2 million (-€1.7 million in 2023). It also includes, in 2024, non-cash income of €1.1 million, linked to the downward adjustment of earn-out liabilities from past acquisitions (compared with a -€0.8 million charge in 2023).

    After accounting for a net tax expense of -€1.4 million, the Group’s share of So-Tec’s income (equity-accounted) for €0.4 million, and deducting minority interests of €0.7 million, Net income group share amounted to -€15.8 million, a considerable improvement compared to 2023 (-€22.7 million). Adjusted for the amortization of customer relationships net of the related tax impact, Adjusted net income Group share – which strictly reflects the Group’s operating performance – amounted to -€6.0 million, compared with -€12.9 million in 2023.

    Cash flow

    The Group’s 2024 operating cash flow was €56.6 million. The change in working capital, restated for non-cash items, represents an inflow of €1.6 million, compared with an outflow of -€26.2 million in 2023. In addition to the impact from the decrease in revenue, this sharp improvement reflects the Group’s evolving business profile, as well as the enhanced focus on cash generation, with favorable trends in average customer payment terms and advance payment flows. The change in working capital includes a significant reduction in factoring of -€40.5 million, due to a lower volume of receivables in France as a result of the aforementioned decrease in activity, as well as favorable payment terms in Germany. As a result, net cash flow from operating activities rose sharply in 2024, to €58.2 million, compared to €34.1 million in 2023.

    Net investments amounted to €18.0 million, or -1.8% of revenue, in line with their normative levels of around 2%, and were mainly related to information systems and technical equipment. In particular, Solutions30 relies on its proprietary IT platform, Smartfix, as a strategic tool to efficiently manage its large-scale operations. This platform accounts for the bulk of the Group’s annual investments.

    Overall, free cash flow amounted to €40.2 million in 2024, a significant improvement over 2023 (€13.4 million). After repayment of lease liabilities and related interest (IFRS 16), amounting to -€34.3 million, net free cash flow turned positive in 2024, at €5.9 million, compared with -€17.0 million in 2023.

    Taking into account -€3.5 million in earn-outs paid on past acquisitions, -€0.1 million in acquisitions made during the period, -€6.9 million in interest paid, -€14.3 million in net reimbursements of loans, -€1.9 million in debt issuance costs and the -€1.1 million impact of exchange rate fluctuations, the change in cash position was -€22.0 million.

    Financial position

    Solutions30 maintains a solid financial position, combining strong liquidity with a net financial debt of almost zero. At December 31, 2024, the Group’s gross cash position stood at €96.3 million, compared with €118.2 million at the end of December 2023. Gross bank debt amounted to €97.0 million, compared with €112.5 million at December 31, 2023, due to the repayment of loans during the year. As a result, the Group’s net bank debt was nearly breakeven, at €0.8 million at December 31, 2024, compared with a net cash position of €5.7 million at December 31, 2023.

    This financial position is all the more solid given the significant reduction in receivables sold under the Group’s non-recourse factoring program, which amounted to €69 million as of December 31, 2024, compared to €109 million as of December 31, 2023. Factoring can finance working capital from recurring activities that have fully developed, at a very modest cost. This program, combined with a solid financial position, provides Solutions30 with the resources it needs to finance its growth strategy.

    Including €68.8 million in lease liabilities (IFRS 16) and €4.1 million in potential financial debt linked to future earnouts and put options, the Group’s total net debt stood at €73.8 million at December 31, 2024, down slightly from €78.4 million at December 31, 2023.

    In November 2024, Solutions30 completed the refinancing of its entire bank debt, for a total amount of €120 million, including an effective loan of €83 million and a loan commitment of €37 million to finance growth. This new facility, arranged with a syndicate of eight core relationship banks, strengthens the Group’s financial base and provides it with the resources needed to support its continued expansion, particularly in the energy sector. With a 7-year maturity, it also extends the debt maturity profile while maintaining a cost comparable to that of the previous debt.

    Outlook

    Following a year in which Solutions30’s selective strategy proved effective, the Group intends to continue prioritizing margins over volumes in its most mature markets, while allocating more resources to segments offering the strongest prospects for profitable growth, particularly in Germany and in energy services.

    Confident in its positioning and ability to seize the numerous opportunities within its markets, the Group is fully committed to achieving its 2026 objectives, as presented at the Capital Markets Day held on September 26, 2024. These include achieving an adjusted EBITDA margin in excess of 10% in each of its three main geographies: Benelux, France, and Germany.

    In the Benelux, the Group is confident it will be able to capitalize on its leading market position and return to growth during 2025.

    In France, Energy Solutions revenue is set to triple compared with 2023, reaching €150 million in 2026. For Connectivity Solutions, the Group is focused on stabilizing its activity levels while applying strict contract selectivity.

    In Germany, Solutions30 is targeting a first milestone in 2026, with revenue ranging between €150 million and €200 million. Germany should continue to grow faster than the rest of the Group, ultimately becoming one of its largest contributors. In the longer term, the country is set to benefit from strong investment momentum in infrastructure, which should translate into numerous growth opportunities for Solutions30, not only in fiber optics, but also in Energy (smart grids, solar power, energy storage, electric vehicle charging infrastructure, smart meters) and Technology (rail network signaling, Internet of Things) businesses.

    In the rest of Europe, Solutions30 has adopted a portfolio management approach, aiming at sustaining Poland’s profitable growth, further improving performance in the UK, and either restoring margin in Italy and Spain by 2026 or initiating a strategic review in these two countries.

    Webcast for Investors and Analysts

    Date: Monday, March 31, 2025
    6:30 PM (CET) – 5:30 PM (GMT)

    Speakers:
    Gianbeppi Fortis, Chief Executive Officer
    Amaury Boilot, Group General Secretary

    Connection details:

    Webcast in French or English : https://channel.royalcast.com/solutions30-fr/#!/solutions30-fr/20250331_1

    Upcoming Events

    2025 Q1 Revenue Report – April 29, 2025 (after market close)
    TPICAP Conference – Paris – May 15, 2025
    Annual General Meeting – June 17, 2025
    Portzamparc Mid & Small Caps Conference –  June 19, 2025
    2025 Half-year Results – September 17, 2025 (after market close)
    2025 Q3 Revenue Report – November 5, 2025 (after market close)        

    About Solutions30 SE

    Solutions30’s mission is to make the technological developments that are transforming our daily lives accessible to everyone, individuals and businesses alike, especially with regard to the digital transformation and the energy transition. With its network of more than 16,000 technicians, Solutions30 has completed over 65 million call-outs since its inception and led over 500 renewable energy projects with a combined maximum output surpassing 1800 MWp. Every day, Solutions30 is doing its part to build a more connected and sustainable world. Solutions30 has become an industry leader in Europe with operations in 10 countries: France, Italy, Germany, the Netherlands, Belgium, Luxembourg, Spain, Portugal, the United Kingdom, and Poland. The capital of Solutions30 SE consists of 107,127,984 shares, equal to the number of theoretical votes that can be exercised. Solutions30 SE is listed on the Euronext Paris exchange (ISIN FR0013379484- code S30). Indices : CAC Mid & Small | CAC Small | CAC Technology | Euro Stoxx Total Market Technology | Euronext Tech Croissance.
    Visit our website to learn more: www.solutions30.com

    Contact

    Individual Shareholders:
    actionnaires@solutions30.com – Tel: +33 1 86 86 00 63

    Analysts/Investors:
    investor.relations@solutions30.com

    Press – Image 7 :
    Charlotte Le Barbier – Tel: +33 6 78 37 27 60 – clebarbier@image7.fr

    The Group uses financial indicators not defined by IFRS:

    • Profitability indicators and their components are key operational performance indicators used by the Group to monitor and evaluate its overall operating earnings and earnings by country.
    • Cash flow indicators are used by the Group to implement its investment and resource allocation strategy.

    The non-IFRS financial indicators used are calculated as follows:

    Organic growth includes the organic growth of acquired companies after they are acquired, which Solutions30 assumes they would not have experienced had they remained independent. In 2024, the Group’s organic growth included only the internal growth of its long-standing subsidiaries.

    Adjusted EBITDA is the “operating margin” as reported in the Group’s financial statements.

    Free cash flow corresponds to the net cash flow from operating activities minus the acquisitions of intangible assets and property, plant and equipment net of disposals.

    Calculation of free cash flow:

    In millions of euros 31.12.2024 31.12.2023
    Net cash flow from operating activities         58.2                 34.1        
    Acquisition of fixed assets, net         (18.6)         (21.4)
    Disposal of non-current assets after tax         0.7                 0.7        
    Free cash flow         40.2                 13.4        

    Net free cash flow corresponds to free cash flow less “Repayment of lease liabilities” and “Interest paid on lease liabilities” as shown in the Group’s consolidated statement of cash flows.

    Calculation of net free cash flow:

    In millions of euros 31.12.2024 31.12.2023
    Free cash flow         40.2                 13.4        
    Repayment of lease liabilities         (31.1)         (28.7)
    Interest paid on lease liabilities         (3.2)         (1.7)
    Free cash flow net         5.9                 (17.0)

    Cash net of bank debt corresponds to “Cash and cash equivalents” as it appears in the Group’s financial statements from which is deducted “Loans from credit institutions, long-term” and “Short-term loans from credit institutions, lines of credit, and bank overdrafts” as they appear in note 10.2 of the Group’s annual financial statements.

    Adjusted EBIT corresponds to operating income as shown in the Group’s financial statements, to which “Customer relationship amortization” and “Other non-current operating expenses” are added and from which “Other non-current operating income” is deducted.

    Reconciliation between operating income and adjusted EBIT:

    In millions of euros 31.12.2024 31.12.2023
    Operating income         0.6                 (2.7)        
    Customer relationship amortization         14.5                 14.4        
    Other non-current operating income         (2.2)                 (0.4)        
    Other non-current operating expenses         15.5                 11.4        
    Adjusted EBIT         28.4                 22.6        
    As a % of revenue         2.9        %         2.1        %

    The adjusted group share of net income corresponds to the “Net income, group share” as shown in the group financial statements, to which is added “Amortization of customer relationships, group share” and from which is deducted the “Tax impact on amortization of customer relationships, group share.”

    In millions of euros 31.12.2024 31.12.2023
    Net income, group share         (15.8)         (22.7)
    Amortization of customer relationships, group share         13.2                 13.1        
    Tax impact on amortization of customer relationships, group share         (3.4)         (3.3)
    Adjusted group share of net income         (6.0)         (12.9)

    Net debt corresponds to “Debt, long-term,” “Debt, short-term,” and long- and short-term “Lease liabilities” as they appear in the Group’s financial statements from which “Cash and cash equivalents” as they appear in the Group’s financial statements are deducted.

    Net debt/EBITDA ratio corresponds to “net debt” divided by annualized EBITDA.

    Net debt-to-equity ratio corresponds to “net debt” divided by equity.

    Net debt:

    In millions of euros 31.12.2024 31.12.2023
    Bank debt         97.0                 112.5        
    Lease liabilities         68.8                 76.4        
    Future liabilities from earnouts and put options         4.1                 7.7        
    Cash and cash equivalents         (96.3)                 (118.2)        
    Net debt         73.8                 78.4        
         
    Operating margin (Adjusted EBITDA)         75.1                 74.6        
    Net debt ratio 0.98 1.05
         
    Equity         108.1                 124.6        
    % of net debt         68.2        %         62.9        %

    Net bank debt corresponds to “Long-term loans from credit institutions” and “Short-term loans from credit institutions, lines of credit, and bank overdrafts” as they appear in note 10.2 of the Group’s annual financial statements from which are deducted “Cash and cash equivalents” as they appear in the Group’s financial statements.

    Net bank debt:

    In millions of euros 31.12.2024 31.12.2023
    Loans from credit institutions, long-term         74.3                 75.6        
    Short-term loans from credit institutions and lines of credit         22.7                 37.0        
    Gross bank debt         97.0                 112.6        
    Cash and cash equivalents         (96.3)         (118.2)
    Net bank debt         0.8                 (5.7)
    Cash net of bank debt         (0.8)         5.7        

    Gross bank debt corresponds to “Loans from credit institutions, long-term” and “Short-term loans from credit institutions, lines of credit, and bank overdrafts” as they appear in note 10.2 of the Group’s annual financial statements.

    Working capital corresponds to “current assets” as reported in the Group’s financial statements (excluding “Cash and cash equivalents” and “Derivative financial instruments”) less “current liabilities” (excluding “Debt, short-term,” “Current provisions,” and “Lease liabilities”).

    Working capital:

    In millions of euros 31.12.2024 31.12.2023
    Inventory and work in progress         24.7                 25.7        
    Trade receivables and related accounts         219.5                 211.6        
    Current contract assets         0.9                 1.0        
    Other receivables         79.1                 66.5        
    Prepaid expenses         6.1                 3.1        
         
              (171.7)         (200.1)
    Trade payables         (143.4)         (120.8)
    Tax and social security liabilities         (21.0)         (15.0)
    Other current liabilities         (56.8)         (18.9)
    Working capital         (62.6)         (46.9)
         
    Change in working capital         (15.6)         17.7        
    Non-monetary items         14.0                 8.5        
    Change in working capital adjusted for non-monetary items         (1.6)         26.2        
         

    Net investments correspond to the sum of the lines “Acquisition of current assets,”
    “Acquisition of non-current financial assets,” and “Disposal of non-current assets after tax” as they appear in the consolidated statement of cash flows.
    Net investments:

    In millions of euros 31.12.2024 31.12.2023
    Acquisition of non-current assets         (18.2)         (21.6)
    Acquisition of non-current financial assets         (0.4)         0.2        
    Disposal of non-current assets after tax         0.7                 0.7        
    Net investments         (17.9)         (20.7)

    Operating costs correspond to costs incurred for the Group’s operations, included in the “operating margin” (excluding structural costs).

    Structural costs correspond to costs incurred by the Group’s head office functions in various countries, included in the “operating margin” (excluding operating costs).

    Expenses related to the Group’s centralized functions refer to costs incurred by the parent company’s headquarters functions and are included in the “operating margin.”

    Attachment

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: After-death services portal launched

    Source: Hong Kong Information Services

    The Food & Environmental Hygiene Department today launched a one-stop online portal to assist the public in handling after-death arrangements by streamlining the electronic application process and offering personalised services.

    Starting today, members of the public can submit applications for all cemeteries and crematoria services managed by the department via the Platform for Cemeteries & Crematoria Services.

    The applications include cremation services, allocation of public niches, cemetery services, green burial, cremation or keeping services for abortus, free memorial sails and the establishment of the Internet Memorial Service Website (Advanced Planning Version).

    The service platform allows members of the public to create an integrated service account to manage after-death arrangements for multiple deceased individuals, reducing cumbersome procedures.

    Users can also manage multiple applications for the same deceased in a single account and track the application progress of each service at a glance.

    The platform also supports multiple electronic payment methods.

    Applicants must register and complete authentication on the service platform before applying for cemetery and crematorium services. The department encourages the use of the iAM Smart electronic identity verification.

    Click here for details.

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: SPC Severe Thunderstorm Watch 87

    Source: US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

    Note:  The expiration time in the watch graphic is amended if the watch is replaced, cancelled or extended.Note: Click for Watch Status Reports.
    SEL7

    URGENT – IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
    Severe Thunderstorm Watch Number 87
    NWS Storm Prediction Center Norman OK
    1130 AM EDT Mon Mar 31 2025

    The NWS Storm Prediction Center has issued a

    * Severe Thunderstorm Watch for portions of
    Central and Northern Georgia
    Western North Carolina
    Western and Central South Carolina

    * Effective this Monday morning and evening from 1130 AM until
    700 PM EDT.

    * Primary threats include…
    Scattered damaging wind gusts to 70 mph likely
    Isolated large hail events to 1 inch in diameter possible
    A tornado or two possible

    SUMMARY…A squall line will move into the Watch area with the
    primary hazard being damaging straight-line winds within bowing
    portions of the line. A brief tornado is also possible if a
    stronger embedded circulation in the squall line can develop.

    The severe thunderstorm watch area is approximately along and 115
    statute miles east and west of a line from 35 miles north of
    Greenville SC to 55 miles south southwest of Macon GA. For a
    complete depiction of the watch see the associated watch outline
    update (WOUS64 KWNS WOU7).

    PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS…

    REMEMBER…A Severe Thunderstorm Watch means conditions are
    favorable for severe thunderstorms in and close to the watch area.
    Persons in these areas should be on the lookout for threatening
    weather conditions and listen for later statements and possible
    warnings. Severe thunderstorms can and occasionally do produce
    tornadoes.

    &&

    OTHER WATCH INFORMATION…CONTINUE…WW 84…WW 85…WW 86…

    AVIATION…A few severe thunderstorms with hail surface and aloft to
    1 inch. Extreme turbulence and surface wind gusts to 60 knots. A few
    cumulonimbi with maximum tops to 450. Mean storm motion vector
    27045.

    …Smith

    Note: The Aviation Watch (SAW) product is an approximation to the watch area. The actual watch is depicted by the shaded areas.
    SAW7
    WW 87 SEVERE TSTM GA NC SC 311530Z – 312300Z
    AXIS..115 STATUTE MILES EAST AND WEST OF LINE..
    35N GSP/GREENVILLE SC/ – 55SSW MCN/MACON GA/
    ..AVIATION COORDS.. 100NM E/W /27NNW SPA – 23NE PZD/
    HAIL SURFACE AND ALOFT..1 INCH. WIND GUSTS..60 KNOTS.
    MAX TOPS TO 450. MEAN STORM MOTION VECTOR 27045.

    LAT…LON 35398018 31958205 31958597 35398426

    THIS IS AN APPROXIMATION TO THE WATCH AREA. FOR A
    COMPLETE DEPICTION OF THE WATCH SEE WOUS64 KWNS
    FOR WOU7.

    Watch 87 Status Report Message has not been issued yet.

    Note:  Click for Complete Product Text.Tornadoes

    Probability of 2 or more tornadoes

    Low (20%)

    Probability of 1 or more strong (EF2-EF5) tornadoes

    Low (5%)

    Wind

    Probability of 10 or more severe wind events

    Mod (60%)

    Probability of 1 or more wind events > 65 knots

    Low (20%)

    Hail

    Probability of 10 or more severe hail events

    Low (20%)

    Probability of 1 or more hailstones > 2 inches

    Low (

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA News: ONDCP Recognizes Law Enforcement’s Work to Stop Drug Traffickers

    Source: The White House

    class=”wp-block-heading has-text-align-center”>National High Intensity Drug Trafficking Areas Awards Ceremony Recognizes Excellence Across 14 Key Categories

    Washington, D.C.—Last night, the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) recognized individuals and initiatives of the High Intensity Drug Trafficking Areas (HIDTA) Program at the 2025 National HIDTA Awards Ceremony for their critical work to combat the national security threat posed by drug traffickers, including those who traffic deadly illicit fentanyl in the United States, killing tens of thousands of Americans each year.  

    The Trump Administration is taking the fight to the cartels and drug traffickers in order to save American lives. The HIDTA Program plays a key role in disrupting and dismantling drug trafficking organizations and provides assistance to federal, state, local, Tribal, and territorial law enforcement agencies operating in areas determined to be critical drug trafficking regions across all 50 states. Last year, the 33 HIDTAs seized 4.1 million pounds of fentanyl and other drugs and denied drug traffickers $17.7 billion in illicit profits. For every dollar invested in the HIDTA Program, the American people get $68.07 in benefits, making HIDTA an effective and efficient use of taxpayers’ money, and an important tool in the nation’s effort to stop drug traffickers and save American lives.  

    The following awards were presented March 27 to individuals and initiatives of the HIDTA Program for their efforts to reduce the supply and trafficking of dangerous drugs in communities across the country: 

    INVESTIGATIVE COLLABORATION

    Chicago HIDTA, Chicago HIDTA Counternarcotics and Cryptocurrency Task Force

    Created to identify, disrupt, and dismantle transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), the Chicago HIDTA Counternarcotics and Cryptocurrency Task Force (CNCTF) targeted one of the largest, fastest-growing dark net markets in the world – Nemesis Market. This marketplace facilitated drug trafficking, fraud, hacking, and other illicit activities responsible for more than $20 million in illicit transactions to more than 150,000 registered users around the world. Led by DEA and comprising an array of federal and local partners, CNCTF undertook Operation Keyboard Warrior, which received designation by the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF). In March 2024, CNCTF, working with the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the German Bundescriminalamt, disrupted Nemesis Market by executing simultaneous, multinational search and seizure warrants on critical technological infrastructure. The warrants resulted in nearly $1 million in frozen and seized cryptocurrency-related assets, twelve computer servers, various electronic devices, and terabytes of data containing financial records and personal information of more than 1,000 vendors trafficking in drugs and engaging in fraud, hacking, and forgeries on the marketplace. CNCTF leveraged this information to effect arrests and warrants in eight U.S. federal districts, and provided investigative leads to foreign law enforcement counterparts in multiple countries using international treaty-based disclosure agreements that were novel to cyber cases.

    PROSECUTION

    South Florida HIDTA, Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kevin Gerarde and Sean McLaughlin

    With the support of the South Florida HIDTA and assistance from the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Assistant United States Attorneys (AUSAs) Kevin Gerarde and Sean McLaughlin secured a jury verdict against the Premier of the British Virgin Islands (BVI) for drug trafficking. Andrew Fahie, who was elected as the Premier in 2019, was accused of assisting the Sinaloa Cartel in transporting loads of cocaine weighing three metric tons from the coast of Colombia through the BVI en route to the United States for distribution. In exchange for his assistance, Fahie allegedly received a 12 percent cut of the proceeds when the cocaine was sold in the United States. After an extensive undercover operation conducted with the United Kingdom’s National Crime Agency and the Royal Virgin Islands Police Force, DEA arrested Fahie. In prosecuting Fahie, AUSAs Gerarde and McLaughlin overcame a variety of evidentiary challenges, including United Kingdom and BVI foreign law determinations regarding the applicability of U.S. money laundering statutes. On February 8, 2024, the jury returned a verdict finding Fahie guilty on all counts, and he was subsequently sentenced to 135 months imprisonment.

    PUBLIC HEALTH/PUBLIC SAFETY COLLABORATION

    Texoma HIDTA, Caprock Drug Initiative

    The Texoma HIDTA’s Caprock Initiative launched a program at the behest of local officials to address alarming increases in fentanyl overdoses in and around Lubbock, Texas. Since its inception, the program has reached nearly 26 thousand individuals from all walks of life. Undertaken with substantial support from the United States Attorney’s Office, the Texas Anti-Gang Center, and the Lubbock County District Attorney’s Office, the program has become the most requested fentanyl awareness presentation in the South Plains region. It has been presented to numerous local schools, including to the Texas Tech football team. The program provides candid, factual information from people in recovery, overdose survivors, and families of overdose victims. It is credited with raising public awareness and contributing to a reduction in overdoses in the region.

    HIDTA SUPPORT

    Atlanta Carolinas HIDTA, Lydia Sheffield

    Lydia Sheffield has served the Atlanta Carolinas HIDTA for two decades, providing continuity with her outstanding support to three executive directors. In addition to her myriad duties as the Executive Assistant, Ms. Sheffield is the primary Performance Management Process (PMP) Coordinator for the HIDTA, and has established herself as an expert user of PMP. In that role, she has generously provided training to PMP users from multiple other regional HIDTAs at the behest of the National HIDTA Assistance Center and to National HIDTA Program staff. Ms. Sheffield has drawn upon her own background and experience as a skilled trainer to develop curriculum materials to support trainings to both peer PMP coordinators and initiative commanders across the United States.

    INVESTIGATION INVOLVING INNOVATIVE APPROACHES

    Gulf Coast HIDTA, Mobile Baldwin Major Investigations Team

    In 2023, the Mobile Baldwin Major Investigations Team (MBMIT) began investigating a deactivated DEA confidential source who was coordinating large shipments of methamphetamine, fentanyl, and cocaine from Texas and Georgia into the Mobile, Alabama area. Because the former source was familiar with law enforcement communication and investigative techniques and was still being used by local law enforcement agencies, the source was emboldened to conduct illicit drug-related transactions via an end-to-end encrypted phone app. MBMIT agents successfully executed a search warrant to clone the source’s phone and initiated real-time Title III intercepts of the encrypted app. This was the first time an end-to-end encryption application was successfully intercepted in the New Orleans Division and only the third time this type of intercept had been conducted worldwide within DEA. The success of this investigative technique enabled 120 electronic and voice Title III intercepts resulting in 24 state and federal arrests, the seizure of 19 kilograms of cocaine and 20 kilograms of methamphetamine, and the seizure of over $500,000 in cash, jewelry, and vehicles. Additionally, these intercepts lead to the identification and follow-on investigation of regional drug traffickers in the United States with links to multiple Mexican TCOs.

    INTELLIGENCE AND INFORMATION SHARING

    Nevada HIDTA, Investigative Research Assistant Phillip Scichilone

    In early 2024, the Nevada Highway Patrol received a tip regarding a suspicious trucking company suspected of transporting illicit drugs from northern Nevada across the county, and subsequently passed the tip to Investigative Research Assistant Phillip Scichilone. Mr. Scichilone provided Northern Nevada Interdiction Task Force members with key intelligence related to the travel patterns of the vehicle involved, suspicious financial activity of the trucking company, and identification of the suspected owner and driver of the vehicle. The task force used this information to interdict the vehicle involved, resulting in the seizure of approximately $1 million and the identification of the driver and passenger, who were suspected of being linked to a known terrorist organization. After conducting follow-up analysis linking the suspects to out-of-state DEA and FBI investigations, Mr. Scichilone connected representatives of both agencies to deconflict and share information and then worked with both agencies to pass on key intelligence information.

    INTERDICTION

    New England HIDTA, Greater Boston HIDTA Task Force

    The Greater Boston HIDTA Task Force, co-led by the FBI and Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), initiated an investigation targeting a California-based drug trafficking organization (DTO) involved in large-scale illicit drug smuggling, distribution, and transportation from the Southwest Border to destinations throughout the United States and Canada. The initial phase of this ongoing investigation resulted in the disruption of a large-scale criminal enterprise with two arrests and the interdiction of 32 kilograms of methamphetamine and 490 kilograms of cocaine from a tractor trailer that traveled cross country to meet with undercover law enforcement agents in Massachusetts. The Massachusetts State Police have claimed this to be the largest seizure of narcotics from a tractor trailer in New England history, and the ongoing investigation has wide-ranging impact on DTO operations in the United States, Mexico, and Canada.

    INVESTIGATION INVOLVING A VIOLENT ORGANIZATION

    Texoma HIDTA, ATF Oklahoma City Violent Crime Initiative

    The ATF Oklahoma City Violent Crime Initiative led interagency Operation Sonic Boom that used information from the National Integrated Ballistic Information Network (NIBIN) to overlay maps of Oklahoma City with shooting incidents to identify critical, high gun violence areas to deploy additional resources. In a 60-day operation, ATF Confidential Sources and Undercover Agents conducted 117 undercover firearm purchases that led to the indictment of 64 defendants and the seizure of 110 firearms, 83 machinegun conversion devices (MCDs), 53 kilograms of methamphetamine, 5 kilograms of cocaine, and more than 1.5 kilograms of fentanyl tablets. Highlighting the critical links between the undercover operations in this case and the ongoing violent crime investigations in Oklahoma City, twelve of the firearms purchased by undercover agents had confirmed links in NIBIN to open shooting and homicide cases by violent criminal gangs in the greater Oklahoma City area. From a HIDTA perspective, the case was also a statistical success, with investigators identifying eight separate Drug Trafficking or Money Laundering Organizations and disrupting six of them during the course of the operation. 

    COMMUNITY IMPACT INVESTIGATION

    Northwest HIDTA, DEA Bellingham Regional HIDTA Task Force

    Over the past year, the DEA Bellingham Regional HIDTA Task Force (BRHTF) initiated an investigation that resulted in a substantial impact concerning public safety and health on the greater Lummi Nation Tribal Lands. Over a one-year period, BRHTF, along with partner agencies, seized over 850,000 fentanyl pills, seven kilograms of fentanyl powder, seven kilograms of cocaine, 29 illicit firearms, over $120,000 in U.S. currency, and disrupted a centralized DTO responsible for trafficking and distributing fentanyl and other drugs in the Lummi Nation within Whatcom County, WA. This investigation resulted in a notable decrease in both fentanyl availability and overdose deaths on Lummi Tribal Lands.

    OVERDOSE REDUCTION

    South Texas HIDTA, Laredo DEA HIDTA Task Force

    In 2023, the DEA Laredo District Office created a HIDTA Overdose Task Force initiative to address the dramatic rise in overdose deaths in Laredo, Texas, and its surrounding communities. The City of Laredo experienced 21 overdose deaths in 2021, rose to 41 overdose deaths in 2022, and was on pace to experience nearly 100 overdose deaths in 2023, when the task force was launched. Formed with multiple local and federal agencies and comprising six task force officers, the task force proved to be effective, with Laredo reporting 73 deaths in 2023, well short of the expected numbers. Throughout 2024, Laredo and its surrounding communities experienced 40 overdose deaths, and preliminary data indicate the city is on pace for a remarkable 45 percent decrease.

    INVESTIGATION

    Arizona HIDTA, Metro Intelligence Support and Technical Investigative Center (MISTIC)

    Throughout 2024, the Phoenix Police Department (PPD) Drug Enforcement Bureau’s (DEB) Conspiracy Squad and the DEA Phoenix Field Division’s Financial Investigations Group (FIG) conducted a long-term, complex investigation that targeted a TCO responsible for the trafficking and distribution of bulk quantities of illicit drugs, as well as for money laundering. Investigators conducted 2,000 hours of surveillance, utilized 225 court orders and search warrants, and initiated 35 wire intercepts targeting TCO members. Through the course of this investigation, detectives identified, disrupted, and dismantled the international drug trafficking activities of both foreign and United States-based sources of supply, load coordinators, couriers, stash house operators, and distribution coordinators, while also dismantling metropolitan Phoenix-based DTO operations.

    TASK FORCE OF THE YEAR

    Appalachia HIDTA, Appalachia HIDTA Diversion Task Force

    In response to an influx of counterfeit pharmaceuticals flooding southeastern Kentucky that were contributing to a rise in drug poisoning deaths, investigators with the Appalachia HIDTA Diversion Drug Task Force initiated an investigation into a dark net market distributor operating under the name GreenBeansUSA. This investigation was conducted jointly with the Appalachia HIDTA DEA London Task Force in coordination with the FBI, Internal Revenue Service, and U.S. Postal Inspection Service under the OCDETF Operation “Loyal Business.” Investigators identified GreenBeansUSA as a global supplier responsible for the sale and distribution of over 16 million counterfeit pharmaceutical pills, and the receipt of over $11 million in drug proceeds in the form of illicit cryptocurrency. In the course of the operation, investigators issued more than 200 grand jury subpoenas, 47 pen registers, 8 ping orders, Mutual Legal Assistance Treaty (MLAT) requests, IP analysis, blockchain and cluster analysis, 2703(d) orders, undercover purchases, undercover money laundering operations, pole cameras, and electronic search warrants to multiple telecommunications and technological entities. Their efforts resulted in federal indictments of six key members of the organization, the seizure of 11 kilograms of controlled pharmaceuticals (nitazene, benzodiazepine, and ketamine), six pill press machines, and approximately $1.2 million in assets.

    HIDTA AWARD FOR EXCELLENCE

    Ohio HIDTA, Sergeant Breck Williamson, Ohio State Highway Patrol

    Sergeant Breck Williamson has distinguished himself as both a prolific and successful interdictor of illicit drugs transiting the nation’s highways, and as an expert instructor and mentor to other officers conducting highway interdictions. Since October 2023, Sergeant Williamson has personally seized over 405 pounds of methamphetamines, 11 pounds of fentanyl, 141 pounds of cocaine, 3,203 pounds of marijuana, and $135,000 in U.S. currency. He also serves as an instructor for both the El Paso Intelligence Center (EPIC) and the Drug Interdiction Awareness Program (DIAP), sharing his expertise with hundreds of students throughout the past year. In addition to his day-to-day supervisory and highway interdiction duties, Sergeant Williamson is a DEA task force officer and is regularly called upon by DEA offices nationwide to advise on interdiction tactics and techniques.

    HIDTA OF THE YEAR

    SOUTH FLORIDA HIDTA

    The South Florida HIDTA has demonstrated an exemplary capacity for multidimensional vision and leadership. Through its Executive Director and Executive Board, it has targeted emerging threats, such as synthetic drugs, while remaining steadfastly committed to the interdiction of metric tons of cocaine destined for the United States from South America. It has inspired national efforts, like the launch of Crime Gun Intelligence Centers in HIDTA regions across the United States, without losing focus of the core HIDTA mission to disrupt and dismantle DTOs and while maintaining deep and sustaining partnerships at the local level. It has launched enterprising collaborations with law enforcement partners, such as partnering with the Federal Aviation Administration to access radar interdiction operability and records of straw registration of aircraft, while embracing public health initiatives focused on overdose reduction and drug use prevention.

    Among its many accomplishments, in 2023 South Florida HIDTA initiatives dismantled or disrupted 54 DTOs, of which 19 were international in scope and nearly 20 percent were OCDETF-designated or linked to consolidated or regional priority organization targets. Task forces seized illicit drugs with a total estimated value of $748 million, including 23 metric tons of cocaine, 248 kilograms of methamphetamine, and 224 kilograms of fentanyl. South Florida HIDTA initiatives also seized more than $105 million in cash and other assets, delivering a return on investment of $56.22 for every dollar financed by the National HIDTA Program. Finally, in pursuit of one of its most vital functions – ensuring officer safety – the South Florida HIDTA provided deconfliction services to all its partners, preventing more than 400 “blue on blue” incidents.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI: Sourcetable gets $4.3m and launches world’s first “self-driving spreadsheet” powered by AI

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    San Francisco, March 31, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — While 750 million people use spreadsheets every day, only 20% know how to use basic functions like VLOOKUP or create a pivot table – leaving powerful insights inaccessible to the vast majority of us. Today, Sourcetable announces the launch of the world’s first autonomous “self-driving” spreadsheet that uses AI to democratize data analysis for everyone. Alongside this breakthrough, the company has closed a $4.3 million funding round to accelerate its mission of making spreadsheet analysis accessible to all.

    This seed funding round was led by Bee Partners with participation from Julien Chaumond (Hugging Face co-founder), Preston-Werner Ventures (GitHub co-founder), Roger Bamford (Distinguished Architect at MongoDB), and James Beshara (Magic Mind co-founder). 

    Sourcetable founders: Eoin McMillan and Andrew Grosser. CREDIT: Sophia Morel.

    Sourcetable’s approach eliminates the technical barrier that has plagued spreadsheets since their inception. Users simply tell the spreadsheet what they want done through natural language commands, and Sourcetable’s AI does the work for them. Instructions can be made via keyboard or through a hands-free voice control mode, creating an experience the team calls “vibing” – similar to the emerging practice of vibe coding. This marks the first time a spreadsheet has offered full “self-driving” autopilot capabilities, where the AI has complete write access and edit control to complete multi-step operations.

    “AI is the biggest platform shift since the browser, with a bigger opportunity for disruption. Sourcetable is building the AI spreadsheet for the next billion users, be they human or AI,” says Eoin McMillan, CEO & Co-founder of Sourcetable. “As AI makes analysis easier, everybody will become an analyst. Sourcetable’s AI automation ushers in a new era of productivity and human cognition.”

    Sourcetable’s autopilot mode can complete a wide range of complex tasks that typically require advanced spreadsheet knowledge, including creating and editing financial models, generating spreadsheet templates, building pivot tables (something Google Sheets’ AI struggles with), cleaning data, creating charts and graphs, editing formatting, enriching data, and analyzing entire workbooks. The AI can understand data context without requiring users to pre-select ranges, interpret multiple ranges across different tabs, work with messy data, and seek human clarification when instructions are unclear.

    Sourcetable in action: AI spreadsheet Autopilot. CREDIT: Sourcetable.com

    Founded by Eoin McMillan and Andrew Grosser, both based in San Francisco, Sourcetable is built on the founders’ deep expertise in machine learning and AI from previous startups. This technical background has allowed the team to leapfrog Excel and Sheets’ AI offerings and be first to market with full automation capabilities – a significant milestone considering Excel was last disrupted in 2006 when Google Sheets launched with browser-based collaboration.

    Yet, Sourcetable’s journey didn’t start here. Originally, the platform was built for technical users – data scientists, Python programmers, and SQL analysts. But the real breakthrough came when the team flipped this approach, focusing instead on making spreadsheets more powerful for everyday users. By integrating AI to streamline common but complex workflows, friction went down, engagement went up, and they realized the potential of AI to democratize data analysis for everyone.

    At the core of this breakthrough is a fast, accurate, code-driven evaluation loop developed by the Sourcetable team. This system verifies AI responses in real-time, ensuring the accuracy needed for complex, multi-step automation. Without this foundation, self-driving spreadsheet automation would be too slow and unreliable to be trusted.

    Sourcetable’s AI features. CREDIT: Sourcetable.com

    Early user Simar Singh, co-founder at Butternut AI added: “In the future, it’s obvious that humans won’t be doing spreadsheet grunt work, and will defer to AI instead. We use Sourcetable to speed up our internal analytics workflows, and love the copy enrichment feature too. Big fans!”. Andrey Karmanov, Research Assistant at Waterloo University said: “Sourcetable is great for importing data for clear and easy visualizations, especially when using the AI assistant to transform data for forecasting or further analysis.”

    What sets the company apart is also its best-in-class, flexible approach to models. While Microsoft and Google are locked into their proprietary AI models, Sourcetable’s AI selects the optimal model for each task – often combining multiple models for the best results. This agility allows Sourcetable to integrate the latest breakthroughs from OpenAI, Anthropic, Groq, Meta (Llama), NVIDIA, Prior Labs, DeepSeek, and Hugging Face on the day of release, ensuring users always have access to cutting-edge AI capabilities.

    Michael Berolzheimer, Managing Partner, Bee Ventures added: “For decades, we’ve been stuck in a world with those who know Excel, and those who don’t.  Not anymore.  Today’s AI supercycle demands that all of our interfaces transform to become useful for both humans and machines, and they all demand a new data architecture.  Eoin, Andrew and the Sourcetable team have done it.  Now anyone, human or agent, can benefit from accurate, reliable data analysis, underpinned by the all important spreadsheet.”

    Julien Chaumond, Co-Founder & CTO at Hugging Face said: “Spreadsheet apps are an Internet-native product I use every day in both my work and personal life, and I’ve for a long time wished that one could multiply their productivity with AI. So when I got the opportunity to invest in such a product in Sourcetable I was excited to do it.”

    Tom-Preston Werner, GitHub Co-founder and partner at Preston-Werner Ventures commented: “AI is the biggest collaboration opportunity since Git. Once we understood Sourcetable’s ambition and vision, we were eager to invest”.

    Ultimately, Sourcetable is part of a new wave of AI-powered productivity platforms reshaping the industry. Companies like Cursor, Windsurf, Shortwave, and Granola are proving that incumbents can be challenged – and Sourcetable is positioned to be the next major player in this transformation. And for the team, this is just the beginning.

    Looking ahead, Sourcetable is evolving into a full-scale platform for AI agents and applications, enabling seamless agent-to-agent interactions and serving as an operating system for the web. With read/write capabilities to third-party systems planned, it’s not just reinventing spreadsheets – it’s redefining how businesses interact with data.

    Ends

    Media images can be found here. 

    About Sourcetable
    Sourcetable is an AI spreadsheet and data analyst that makes it easy to analyze Excel and CSV files, create charts and graphs, clean data, answer questions, and 10x your spreadsheet productivity. Sourcetable is a leader in AI-enabled spreadsheet automation.

    Sourcetable is based in San Francisco and was founded by Eoin McMillan (CEO) and Andrew Grosser (CTO). Sourcetable has raised money from top Silicon Valley firms and angel investors including Long Journey Ventures, Bee Partners, NextView Ventures, Preston-Werner Ventures, Julien Chaumond, and Lenny Rachitsky. For more information please visit https://sourcetable.com/ or follow via LinkedIn, TikTok, Youtube or X.  

    About Bee Partners
    We are at the outset of a decades-long supercycle of AI-enabled machines that will drive evermore acceleration. This supercycle is persistent and rapidly evolving, and favors adaptive, technical and bold founders.

    Bee Partners invests at the pre-seed, providing deep tech exposure for our LPs. We invest pre-product and pre-revenue in 8-10 companies per year, offering Founders both $500k-$1.5M in funding as well as deep partnership with our network in exchange for meaningful ownership. In doing so, we underwrite every position to return the fund. Bee’s partnership model is built on integrity and trust with our Founders, delivering value from day one in the form of strategic introductions to customers, future partners and employees and capital sources.

    Bee Partners model has led its pre-seed portfolio to a 60% matriculation rate to Series A with more than $2B in follow-on capital from the world’s top VCs.

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: WISeSat.Space Creates WISeSat España SA Subsidiary to Lead European Space Projects from Andalusia and Build a 100% “Made in Europe” Solution Aligned With the IRIS² Strategy

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    WISeSat.Space Creates WISeSat España SA Subsidiary to Lead European Space Projects from Andalusia and Build a 100% “Made in Europe” Solution Aligned With the IRIS² Strategy

    Madrid / Geneva / La Línea, Cadiz – March 31, 2025 – WISeSat.Space, a pioneer in secure satellite connectivity solutions and part of the WISeKey International Holding Ltd (“WISeKey”) (SIX: WIHN, NASDAQ: WKEY), a leading global cybersecurity, blockchain, and IoT company, today announces the creation of its new subsidiary WISeSat España, headquartered in La Línea de la Concepción (Cádiz, Andalusia). This strategic decision represents a decisive step toward the consolidation of a fully European industrial and technological ecosystem in the space and quantum domains, in line with the digital sovereignty priorities defined by the European Union.

    The choice of La Línea de la Concepción as the official headquarters of WISeSat España is no coincidence. This Andalusian city, located at a geostrategic point between Europe and Africa, is positioning itself as an emerging hub for technological innovation, thanks to its institutional will, international openness, and proximity to key logistical infrastructures.

    Establishing WISeSat in La Línea makes the company a founding pillar of the project LL4GIR.COM, an ambitious public-private initiative aimed at creating a Center for the Fourth Industrial Revolution in southern Europe. This center will promote high-impact projects in artificial intelligence, quantum computing, blockchain, IoT, and space connectivity, transforming the region into a global benchmark for resilience, sustainability, and economic progress.

    A 100% “Made in Europe” solution

    The launch of WISeSat España aims to build a 100% European space value chain, combining technological sovereignty, security, sustainability, and autonomous access to space. The proposal is fully aligned with the principles of the IRIS² program (Infrastructure for Resilience, Interconnectivity and Security by Satellite), promoted by the European Commission to establish a satellite constellation ensuring secure connectivity across the continent.

    The WISeSat España roadmap includes:

    • Manufacturing secure nanosatellites in collaboration with the Spanish company FOSSA Systems, where WISeKey is an investor, specializing in IoT and low Earth orbit communications solutions.
    • Launching satellites in partnership with PLD Space, a leading Spanish company in reusable rockets. The first launch is scheduled for early 2026, marking a milestone for European autonomy in space access.
    • Developing post-quantum processors in cooperation with QuantixS (Murcia) and SEALSQ (France) to ensure ultra-secure communications in the era of quantum computing.
    • Already operational, the installation of a satellite antenna in La Línea’s City Hall building, enabling direct connection with WISeSat satellites currently in orbit and serving as a local operations hub.
    • Incorporating WISeTalkie radio communication technology, developed by WISeKey and its partner Global Radio System (GRS), which ensures highly secure radio communications using advanced encryption, authentication protocols, and resistance to interference or unauthorized access. This innovation strengthens the security architecture of the WISeSat ecosystem at both space and ground levels.

    A new paradigm of decentralized innovation

    The model proposed by WISeSat España breaks with traditional centralized structures. Its vision is to create a decentralized network of European technological nodes, collaborating under principles of transparency, interoperability, resilience, and sovereign control. The La Línea node will serve as the secure space gateway for European institutions, companies, and citizens.

    “At WISeSat, we firmly believe that Europe needs its own secure and resilient infrastructure to avoid dependence on external players in critical areas such as space or cybersecurity. With WISeSat España and our partnerships with FOSSA Systems, PLD Space, QuantixS, and SEALSQ, we demonstrate that a 100% European model is not only possible but necessary,” said Carlos Creus Moreira, Founder and CEO of WISeKey.

    The January satellite, currently in orbit:
    https://wisesat.wisekey.com/?tags=WISeSat
    This launch builds on the previous success of WISeSat in collaboration with FOSSA Systems, which achieved the launch of 17 picosatellites to test the resilience and performance of its core technologies. These tests laid the foundation for the current generation of satellites, which, starting in June, will be equipped with more robust security protocols and post-quantum cryptographic infrastructure developed by SEALSQ.

    WISeSat also announced a new strategic partnership with Skyroot Aerospace in India. This collaboration will diversify launch operations by enabling satellites to be deployed on alternative orbital trajectories, optimizing constellation coverage and efficiency. The alliance also includes the possibility of manufacturing satellites on Indian soil, to local specifications, further strengthening WISeSat’s global production and launch capabilities.

    By the end of 2025, WISeSat satellites will be able to carry out transactions in SEALCOIN tokens with each other and with connected objects on Earth, forming a secure, autonomous mesh network for machine-to-machine (M2M) transactions. This innovation will create a financial and data exchange infrastructure in space, where connected machines will be digitally certified through a “Know Your Object” (KYO) protocol. The KYO process integrates Wecan technology and WISeKey’s WISeID platform, ensuring reliable identity and accountability throughout the ecosystem.

    Each WISeSat satellite is built with:

    • Post-quantum cryptographic chips from SEALSQ
    • WISeKey Root of Trust and digital identity infrastructure (WISeID)
    • Hedera’s Distributed Ledger Technology (DLT) for decentralized, tamper-proof data integrity

    This technological foundation positions WISeSat as a global leader in secure satellite-based IoT infrastructure.

    Invitation to Collaborate

    WISeSat España invites governments, universities, R&D centers, investors, and technology companies to join this transformative vision. The goal is to build together a new paradigm of smart economic development by integrating emerging technologies, specialized training, high-quality employment, and international cooperation.

    About WISeSat.Space
    WISeSat.Space AG is pioneering a transformative approach to IoT connectivity and climate change monitoring through its innovative satellite constellation. By providing cost-effective, secure, and global IoT connectivity, WISeSat is enabling a wide range of applications that support environmental monitoring, disaster management, and sustainable practices. The integration of satellite data with advanced climate models holds great promise for enhancing our understanding of climate change and developing effective strategies to combat its impacts. As the world continues to grapple with the challenges of climate change, initiatives like WISeSat’s IoT satellite constellation are essential for creating a more resilient and sustainable future.

    About WISeKey

    WISeKey International Holding Ltd (“WISeKey”, SIX: WIHN; Nasdaq: WKEY) is a global leader in cybersecurity, digital identity, and IoT solutions platform. It operates as a Swiss-based holding company through several operational subsidiaries, each dedicated to specific aspects of its technology portfolio. The subsidiaries include (i) SEALSQ Corp (Nasdaq: LAES), which focuses on semiconductors, PKI, and post-quantum technology products, (ii) WISeKey SA which specializes in RoT and PKI solutions for secure authentication and identification in IoT, Blockchain, and AI, (iii) WISeSat AG which focuses on space technology for secure satellite communication, specifically for IoT applications, (iv) WISe.ART Corp which focuses on trusted blockchain NFTs and operates the WISe.ART marketplace for secure NFT transactions, and (v) SEALCOIN AG which focuses on decentralized physical internet with DePIN technology and house the development of the SEALCOIN platform.

    Each subsidiary contributes to WISeKey’s mission of securing the internet while focusing on their respective areas of research and expertise. Their technologies seamlessly integrate into the comprehensive WISeKey platform. WISeKey secures digital identity ecosystems for individuals and objects using Blockchain, AI, and IoT technologies. With over 1.6 billion microchips deployed across various IoT sectors, WISeKey plays a vital role in securing the Internet of Everything. The company’s semiconductors generate valuable Big Data that, when analyzed with AI, enable predictive equipment failure prevention. Trusted by the OISTE/WISeKey cryptographic Root of Trust, WISeKey provides secure authentication and identification for IoT, Blockchain, and AI applications. The WISeKey Root of Trust ensures the integrity of online transactions between objects and people. For more information on WISeKey’s strategic direction and its subsidiary companies, please visit www.wisekey.com.

    Disclaimer
    This communication expressly or implicitly contains certain forward-looking statements concerning WISeKey International Holding Ltd and its business. Such statements involve certain known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors, which could cause the actual results, financial condition, performance or achievements of WISeKey International Holding Ltd to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. WISeKey International Holding Ltd is providing this communication as of this date and does not undertake to update any forward-looking statements contained herein as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

    This press release does not constitute an offer to sell, or a solicitation of an offer to buy, any securities, and it does not constitute an offering prospectus within the meaning of the Swiss Financial Services Act (“FinSA”), the FinSa’s predecessor legislation or advertising within the meaning of the FinSA. Investors must rely on their own evaluation of WISeKey and its securities, including the merits and risks involved. Nothing contained herein is, or shall be relied on as, a promise or representation as to the future performance of WISeKey.

    Press and Investor Contacts

    WISeKey International Holding Ltd
    Company Contact: Carlos Moreira
    Chairman & CEO
    Tel: +41 22 594 3000
    info@wisekey.com
    media@wisekey.com    		 WISeKey Investor Relations (US) 
    The Equity Group Inc.
    Lena Cati
    Tel: +1 212 836-9611
    lcati@equityny.com

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: High Arctic Announces 2024 Fourth Quarter and Year End Financial and Operating Results

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    NOT FOR DISTRIBUTION TO U.S. NEWSWIRE SERVICES OR FOR DISSEMINATION IN THE UNITED STATES. ANY FAILURE TO COMPLY WITH THIS RESTRICTION MAY CONSTITUTE A VIOLATION OF U.S. SECURITIES LAW

    CALGARY, Alberta, March 31, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — High Arctic Energy Services Inc. (TSX: HWO) (the “Corporation” or “High Arctic”) released its’ fourth quarter and year-end results today. The audited consolidated financial statements, management discussion & analysis (“MD&A”), and annual information form for the year ended December 31, 2024 will be available on SEDAR at www.sedar.com, and on High Arctic’s website at www.haes.ca. All amounts are denominated in Canadian dollars (“CAD”), unless otherwise indicated.

    Mike Maguire, Interim Chief Executive Officer commented:

    “With 2024 complete High Arctic has effectively been reset and is now a Canadian focused platform characterized by minimal debt, investment holdings, and an established and viable high margin rental business.

    Our rental business footprint, while still small in scale, was bolstered by the Delta Acquisition completed in late 2023, an acquisition that is indicative of the type and structure of accretive investments High Arctic looks to pursue going forward.

    The Board of Directors is currently undergoing a process to recruit and appoint a new Chief Executive Officer to augment and lead High Arctic’s vision and strategic plan which is to grow its equipment rentals business and position itself to benefit from upstream energy service activity levels in the western Canadian oil and gas industry.”

    In the following discussion, the three months ended December 31, 2024 may be referred to as the “Quarter” or “Q4 2024”, and similarly the year ended December 31, 2023 may be referred to as “YTD 2023”. The comparative three months ended December 31, 2023 may be referred to as “Q4 2023” and similarly the year ended December 31, 2022 may be referred to as “YTD 2022”. References to other quarters may be presented as “QX 20XX” with X being the quarter/year to which the commentary relates.

    2024 Highlights

    • Successful integration of Delta Rental Services.
    • Completed the reorganization of High Arctic including the return of $37.8 million to shareholders.
    • Maintained operational excellence and safety as evidenced by the continuation of recordable incident free work.
    • Exited Q4 with net positive working capital of $2.7 million, including $3.1 million of cash.

    2025 Strategic Objectives

    With the corporate restructuring and spinoff of the PNG business complete, the Corporation’s 2025 strategic objectives include:

    • Relentless focus on safety excellence and quality service delivery;
    • Grow the core businesses through selective and opportunistic investments;
    • Actively manage direct operating costs and general and administrative costs;
    • Steward capital to preserve balance sheet strength and financial flexibility; and
    • Execute on accretive acquisitions in Canada to drive shareholder value and optimize available tax loss carry-forwards.

    2024 Strategic Objectives

    At the beginning of 2024, High Arctic established a set of strategic priorities. Our priorities and highlights of objectives met include:

    • Continued relentless focus on safety excellence and quality service delivery.
      • High Arctic’s Canadian business completed 2024 without any recordable incidents, contributing to the Corporation’s second calendar year running with a zero Total Recordable Incident Frequency Rate (“TRIF”) rate.
      • High Arctic extended its recordable incident free activity in PNG, with 7 years and 353 days of continuous recordable incident free work conducted to the date of the spin-out, representing over 4 million work hours.
    • The creation of appropriate capital and corporate structures for the current businesses, providing the opportunity to consider transactions which would create value for the Corporation’s shareholders.
      • The Arrangement was overwhelmingly supported by shareholders and resulted in separate public companies each focused upon their area of expertise.
    • A return of significant capital and spin out of the PNG Business to shareholders.
      • The Arrangement resulted in separate public companies while also delivering a tax efficient return of capital totaling $37.8 million to shareholders.
      • The Corporation retained its position on the main TSX (TSX: HWO); with High Arctic Overseas Holdings Corp. being listed on the TSX Venture Exchange (TSXV: HOH).
    • Grow the core businesses through selective and opportunistic investments.
      • The Corporation focused on the very successful integration and rebranding of its rentals business in 2024, following its acquisition and amalgamation of the Delta Acquisition at the end of 2023.
      • The middle of the year was dedicated to the business of the Arrangement and the resulting transitionary work, however later in the year, the Corporation commenced the examination of selective investment opportunities, with this work continuing into 2025.
    • Capital stewardship that preserves balance sheet strength and financial flexibility.
      • The Delta acquisition has provided incremental free cash flow and operational synergies.
      • The Corporation currently maintains low debt levels and associated leverage ratios.
      • Exited 2024 with a working capital ratio of 1.6:1
    • Building up the Canadian business with acquisitions that allow the Corporation to optimize its available tax loss carry-forwards.
      • The Delta acquisition creates a blueprint for accretive acquisitions that position the Corporation to improve its ability to utilize its significant tax loss carry-forwards.
      • The Corporation, under the stewardship of the Board, continues its strategic review of potential acquisition targets with strong underlying intrinsic value and that will be accretive for shareholders.

    RESULTS OVERVIEW
    The following is a summary of select financial information of the Corporation:

      Three months ended Dec 31,   Year ended Dec 31,  
    (thousands of Canadian Dollars, except per share amounts) 2024   2023   2024   2023  
    Operating results from continuing operations:        
    Revenue – continuing operations 2,443   1,037   10,470   3,384  
    Net loss – continuing operations (715 ) 219   (2,117 ) (989 )
    Per share (basic & diluted) (0.06 ) 0.02   (0.17 ) (0.08 )
    Oilfield services operating margin – continuing operations 1,143   664   5,207   2,058  
    Oilfield services operating margin as a % of revenue 46.8 % 64.0 % 49.7 % 60.8 %
    EBITDA – continuing operations 178   (918 ) (527 ) (2,311 )
    Adjusted EBITDA – continuing operations 133   (672 ) 795   (2,703 )
    Operating loss – continuing operations (533 ) (1,408 ) (2,965 ) (5,163 )
    Cash flow from continuing operations:        
    Cash flow from (used in) continuing operating activities 226   (874 ) 184   (515 )
    Per share (basic & diluted) 0.02   (0.07 ) 0.01   (0.04 )
    Funds flow from (used in) continuing operating activities 530   (335 ) 484   (1,292 )
    Per share (basic & diluted) 0.04   (0.03 ) 0.04   (0.11 )
    2024 return of capital / 2023 dividends –   –   37,842   2,190  
        As at December 31  
    (thousands of Canadian Dollars, except per share amounts)   2024   2023   2022  
    Financial position:              
    Working capital   2,692   62,985   59,461  
    Cash and cash equivalents   3,123   50,331   19,559  
    Total assets   30,867   123,137   133,957  
    Long-term debt   3,178   3,352   4,028  
    Shareholders’ equity   21,105   99,332   115,231  
    Per share (basic)   1.70   8.09   9.47  
    Common shares outstanding   12,448,166   12,280,568   12,172,958  


    Fourth Quarter 2024 Summary

    • Revenue from continuing operations increased 136% to $2,443 in the quarter compared to $1,037 in Q4 2023. The increase in revenue is primarily attributable to the Delta Acquisition in late Q4 2023.
    • Oilfield services operating margin from continuing operations was $1,143 in the current year quarter compared to $664 in the prior year quarter, an increase of $479 or 72%, driven by the Delta Acquisition as noted above.
    • EBITDA from continuing operations was $178 in the current year quarter compared to EBITDA loss of $918 in the prior year quarter. EBITDA from continuing operations benefitted from the acquisition of Delta Rental Services Ltd. (“Delta”) or (the “Delta Acquisition”) in late 2023.   
    • Operating loss from continuing operations of $553 in the quarter compared to $1,408 in Q4 2023. The decrease in operating loss is attributable to higher oilfield services operating margin and reduced general and administrative costs, offset in part, by an increase in depreciation and amortization expenses. The improvements in operating loss from continuing operations is directly related to the Delta Acquisition.
    • Net loss from continuing operations was $715 in Q4 2024 compared to net income from continuing operations of $219 in Q4 2023. Net loss from continuing operations was impacted by the same items impacting operating loss (as above) with a substantial contribution from the Delta Acquisition combined with reduced interest income, net higher non-cash accretion on contingent payments and notes receivable, fair value related adjustments, reduced income from equity accounted investment in Team Snubbing, and the positive change in foreign exchanges loss in Q4 2023 to gain in Q4 2024.

    Annual 2024 Summary:

    • Revenue from continuing operations increased 209% to $10,470 compared to revenue of $3,384 achieved in 2023. Consistent with the summary of the fourth quarter results, the increase in revenue is primarily attributable to the Delta Acquisition in late Q4 2023.
    • Oilfield services operating margin from continuing operations was $5,207 in the current year quarter compared to $2,058 in the prior year quarter, an increase of $3,149 or 153%, driven by the Delta Acquisition as noted above.
    • EBITDA loss from continuing operations was $527 in the current year compared to EBITDA loss of $2,311 in the prior year. EBITDA from continuing operations benefitted from the Delta Acquisition.
    • Operating loss from continuing operations improved to $2,965 in the year compared to $5,163 in 2023. The decrease in operating loss is attributable to higher oilfield services operating margin, offset in part, by an increase in depreciation and amortization expenses. The improvements in operating loss from continuing operations was directly related to the Delta Acquisition.
    • Net loss from continuing operations was $2,117 compared to $989 in FY 2023. The net loss, despite an improvement of $2,198 in operating income, is primarily due to the 2023 $615 gain on sale of the nitrogen business, a 2023 $915 deferred income tax recovery, $729 lower interest income from cash on guaranteed investment certificates (“GICs”) and term deposits in 2024 with the July 2024 distributed return of capital to shareholders, $1,493 lower equity investment income from Team Snubbing, and the net impact of higher non-cash accretion related expenses.
    • Production Service’s 42% equity investment share of Team Snubbing Services Inc. net loss was $690 for the year ended December 31, 2024, compared to net income of $803 in the comparative period in 2023. Weak international operating results in 2024 combined with costs incurred to restructure the international business in Alaska dragged down Team Snubbing’s results while the Canadian business performed in line with 2023.
    • Cash from operating activities from continuing operations was $184 for the year, an improvement of $699 as compared to the prior year use of $515, driven by strong operational performance from the Delta Acquisition, partially offset by the significant additional general and administrative expenses incurred in 2024 due to the Arrangement.

    Rental services segment

      Three months ended Dec 31,   Years ended Dec 31,  
    (thousands of Canadian Dollars, unless otherwise noted) 2024   2023   2024   2023  
    Revenue – continuing operations 2,443   1,037   10,470   3,384  
    Oilfield services expense – continuing operations (1,300 ) (373 ) (5,263 ) (1,326 )
    Oilfield services operating margin(1) 1,143   664   5,207   2,508  
    Operating margin (%) 46.8 % 64.0 % 49.7 % 60.8 %

    The Rental Services segment consists of High Arctic’s oilfield rental equipment in Canada, centred upon pressure control equipment and equipment supporting the high-pressure stimulation of oil and gas wells in the WCSB.

    The increase in revenue for the three and twelve month periods ended December 31, 2024, versus the comparable periods in 2023 is a direct result of the contribution from the Delta business that was acquired in late 2023. Specifically, Q4 2024 revenues increased by $1,406 or 136% compared to Q3 2023, with annual 2024 revenues increasing by $7,086 or 209% when compared to annual 2023. Operating margins of 46.8% and 49.7% for the three and twelve months ended December 31, 2024, respectively, are approximately 17 percent and 11 percent lower (on a gross basis) than the comparable periods in 2023, respectively. The reduction in operating margins is primarily a result of the Delta Acquisition, as Delta utilizes a combination of owned and third-party rental equipment in its operations, with third-party rental equipment resulting in higher operating expenses.

    Production Services segment
    The Production Services segment operations consist of High Arctic’s idled snubbing units in Colorado, U.S., and its equity investments in the Seh’ Chene Partnership and Team Snubbing Services Inc. in Canada. Though the Seh’ Chene Partnership has experienced limited business activity since the 2022 Canadian sales transactions, the partnership is still active and the Corporation together with its partner will look to reposition its customer offerings and explore other avenues for business activity.

    Team Snubbing Services Inc.
    High Arctic accounts for the results of its 42% equity interest in Team Snubbing using the equity method of accounting, with Team Snubbing’s net earnings recorded as income from equity investments in the respective reporting period. As reported in the Corporation’s 2024 Financial Statements (Note 12), Team Snubbing achieved gross revenues of $26,064 for 2024 versus gross revenues of $21,252 for the comparative period in 2023. This increase in revenues is primarily a result of the consolidation of the results of Team Snubbing International Inc. (“Team International”) for the first time following Team Snubbing’s April 1, 2024, acquisition of control of Team International.

    Team International’s operations experienced lower than anticipated activity levels in the Alaskan market in both Q4 2024, and for the year 2024. In addition, during Q2 2024, Team International incurred additional costs for restructuring management and operational teams. The restructuring initiative consolidated Team International’s workforce, “right sizing” it to the needs of the overall customer base and aligning the service delivery with Team Snubbing’s successful Canadian model. Team Snubbing’s domestic Canadian operations experienced similar activity levels in both Q4 2024 and year-to-date 2024, when compared to the same periods of 2023.

    High Arctic’s proportionate share of Team Snubbing’s net loss for 2024 was $690 compared to an income inclusion of $803 for the comparable period in 2023, representing a decrease in income from equity investment of $1,493. This year-over-year decline in income from equity investment realized in 2024 was primarily due to the results of Team International.

    Liquidity and capital resources

      Three months ended Dec 31,   Years ended Dec 31,  
    (thousands of Canadian Dollars) 2024   2023   2024   2023  
    Cash provided by (used in) continued operations:        
    Operating activities 226   (874 ) 184   (515 )
    Investing activities (310 ) (3,160 ) (997 ) 25,638  
    Financing activities (430 ) 45   (38,659 ) (2,967 )
    Effect of exchange rate changes on cash (469 ) (745 ) 717   (720 )
    Increase (decrease) in cash from continuing operations (983 ) (4,734 ) (38,755 ) 21,436  
    (thousands of Canadian Dollars, unless otherwise noted)     As at
    Dec 31, 2024    		   As at
    Dec 31, 2023    		  
    Current assets     7,221   79,438  
    Working capital(1)     2,692   62,985  
    Working capital ratio(1)     1.6:1   4.8:1  
    Cash and cash equivalents     3,123   50,331  
    Net cash(1)     (230 ) 46,804  


    Operating Activities
    In Q4 2024, cash from operating activities from continuing operations was $226, as compared with an outflow of $874 from operating activities from continuing operations in Q4 2023. Funds from operating activities from continuing operations totaled $530 in the quarter versus funds used of $335 for Q4 2023 (see “Non-IFRS Measures”). In Q4 2024, changes in non-cash operating working capital from continuing operations totaled an outflow of $304 compared to an outflow of $539 in Q4 2023.

    For the year ended 2024, cash from operating activities from continuing operations was $184 as compared to a use of cash of $515 of cash from operating activities from continuing operations in 2023. Funds from operating activities from continuing operations totaled $484 for the year ended 2024, versus a use of funds of $1,292 for 2023.

    Changes in cash from operating activities from continuing operations and funds from operating activities from continuing operations for both the three and twelve months ended December 31, 2024, when compared to the same periods in 2023, were largely the result of the positive impact on the business from the Delta Acquisition. In addition, operating related cash flows in the fourth quarter of 2024 benefitted from reduced G&A costs associated with the Arrangement transaction which was completed in the third quarter of 2024.

    Investing Activities
    During the fourth quarter, the Corporation’s net cash used in investing activities from continuing operations totaled $310 compared to $3,160 for the prior year comparative quarter. For the year ended 2024, net cash used in investing activities from continuing operations totaled $997 compared to an inflow of $25,638 in the prior year. For the fourth quarter of 2024 and YTD 2024, the majority of expenditures incurred related to sustaining and growth capital for the Rental Services Segment combined with investments in information technology and systems required to support the Corporation upon completion of the Arrangement transaction. YTD 2023 investing activities were impacted by proceeds received on the sale of assets (net of costs) of $29,569, offset in part by the Delta Acquisition in Q4 2023 for $3,430.

    Financing Activities
    During the fourth quarter, the Corporation’s net cash used in financing activities from continuing operations was $430 compared to an inflow of $45 in the prior year comparative quarter. For the year ended 2024, net cash used in financing activities from continuing operations was $38,659 compared to $2,967 in the prior year. Cash flow from financing activities for the year ended 2024 was impacted by a one-time $37,842 distribution to shareholders in accordance with the completion of the Arrangement transaction. Excluding the impact of the one-time distribution, cash flows related to finance activities were impacted by the normal course receipts and payments on the Corporation’s existing note receivables, lease liabilities and long-term debt.

    Working Capital
    As at December 31, 2024, the Corporation’s working capital balance was $2,692 compared to $62,985 as at December 31, 2023. The change in working capital is largely due to the spinout of the Corporation’s PNG business combined with the $37,842 return of capital distribution paid during 2024, both of which were completed in connection with the Arrangement transaction.

    Long-term Debt

    (thousands of Canadian Dollars)     As at
    Dec 31, 2024    		   As at
    Dec 31, 2023    		  
    Current     175   175  
    Non current     3,178   3,352  
    Total     3,353   3,527  

    The Corporation has mortgage financing secured by lands and buildings owned by High Arctic located within Alberta, Canada. The mortgage has a remaining initial term of under two years with a fixed interest rate of 4.30% with payments occurring monthly. The mortgage financing contains certain non-financial covenants requiring lenders’ consent including changes to the underlying business. As at December 31, 2024, the Corporation was compliant with all covenants associated with the mortgage financing.

    2025 Earn-Out Shares issued pursuant to the 2023 share purchase agreement with Delta Rental Services Ltd.
    Subsequent to December 31, 2024, the Corporation issued 248,793 shares as part of the settlement of the first-year contingent consideration payable pursuant to the Acquisition of Delta Rental Services Ltd.

    Outlook
    As a result of the successful execution of the Arrangement and corporate reorganization during 2024, High Arctic has transformed itself. After a decade of significant cash flow generation and cash dividends and distribution to shareholders in excess of $105 million, bold measures were taken to adjust for the decade ahead. The 2024 Arrangement provided shareholders with a separate investment holding and future flexibility through a new publicly traded entity containing the former PNG business (TSXV: HOH) plus a tax efficient cash distribution in the form of a $37.8 million return of capital. It also provided shareholders with a continuing investment in a refined, Canadian focused, and reset High Arctic publicly traded entity.

    High Arctic’s Canadian platform is characterized by minimal debt and its continuing operations now consist of:

    • A western Canadian high-margin equipment rental business – centred on pressure ‎control and well stimulation;
    • A minority 42% interest in Canada’s largest oilfield snubbing services business, Team Snubbing; and
    • Two industrial properties, located in Clairmont and Whitecourt, Alberta.

    High Arctic anticipates that its Rental Services segment will continue to generate funds flow from operations commensurate with oil and gas well completion fundamentals in western Canada. The rental business footprint, while still small in scale, was bolstered by the 2023 Delta Acquisition. This acquisition is indicative of the type and structure of accretive investment High Arctic will look to pursue going forward. For 2025, the Rental Services segment is expected to be at a stage whereby operating cash flow covers Corporate segment costs and yields modest funds for organic growth.

    High Arctic is at the early stages of a new chapter in its corporate history. The 2024 transformational developments provide a clean platform to enable a new strategic direction. The Board of Directors is currently undergoing a process to recruit and appoint a new Chief Executive Officer to augment and lead High Arctic’s vision and strategic plan. High Arctic’s current intent is to grow its equipment rentals business and position itself to benefit from upstream energy service activity levels in the western Canadian oil and gas industry. Complementary new service lines with high margin, low headcount and low fixed costs, are also being considered.

    In summary for 2025, the Corporation expects to continue to execute on the initial phases of its strategic business plan, with progress to date being evidenced by selective capital expenditure investments in its rental business throughout 2024. High Arctic continues to assess acquisition targets that are both complimentary and new to existing customer offerings. Potential benefits of an acquisition for High Arctic include enhancing the scope and scale of its operations; the ability to provide a broader customer service offering; and formalizing/augmenting the leadership team for the Corporation.

    Execution of the strategic plan remains opportunistic and is ongoing. The timing and ability to execute on certain underlying objectives, however, has become challenging due to recent divisive global geopolitical developments and resulting global economic uncertainties. These developments include changes and potential changes in global trade policies and tariffs, threats of additional or retaliatory tariffs, and policy shifts as a result of new government leadership in many jurisdictions around the world. The federal election in Canada, set for April 28, 2025, may have a significant impact on long term investment in Canada’s energy industry.

    Western Canadian oil and gas activity levels, despite volatility in underlying commodity prices, have benefited from resurgent Canadian upstream activity to meet, and then sustain, growing oil and natural gas export infrastructure capacity. This includes tidewater access off the west coast of Canada through the 2024 Trans Mountain pipeline expansion, expected 2025 LNG Canada pipeline commencement, and land pipeline expansion to the United States through completed projects such as the Line 3 expansion.

    NON – IFRS MEASURES
    This press release contains references to certain financial measures that do not have a standardized meaning prescribed by International Financial Reporting Standards (“IFRS”) and may not be comparable to the same or similar measures used by other companies High Arctic uses these financial measures to assess performance and believes these measures provide useful supplemental information to shareholders and investors. These financial measures are computed on a consistent basis for each reporting period and include Oilfield services operating margin, EBITDA (Earnings before interest, tax, depreciation, and amortization), Adjusted EBITDA, Operating loss, Funds flow from operating activities, Working capital and Long-term financial liabilities. These do not have standardized meanings.

    These financial measures should not be considered as an alternative to, or more meaningful than, net income (loss), cash from operating activities, current assets or current liabilities, cash and/or other measures of financial performance as determined in accordance with IFRS.

    For additional information regarding non-IFRS measures, including their use to management and investors and reconciliations to measures recognized by IFRS, please refer to the Corporation’s MD&A, which is available online at www.sedar.com and through High Arctic’s website at www.haes.ca.   

    FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS
    This press release contains forward-looking statements. When used in this document, the words “may”, “would”, “could”, “will”, “intend”, “plan”, “anticipate”, “believe”, “seek”, “propose”, “estimate”, “expect”, and similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements. Such statements reflect the Corporation’s current views with respect to future events and are subject to certain risks, uncertainties, and assumptions. Many factors could cause the Corporation’s actual results, performance, or achievements to vary from those described in this press release.

    Should one or more of these risks or uncertainties materialize, or should assumptions underlying forward-looking statements prove incorrect, actual results may vary materially from those described in this press release as intended, planned, anticipated, believed, estimated or expected. Specific forward-looking statements in this press release include, among others, statements pertaining to the following: general economic and business conditions, which will include, among other things, the outlook for the energy industry inclusive of commodity prices, producer activity levels and general energy supply and demand fundamentals that may impact the energy industry as a whole; the impact (if any) of geo-political events, changes in government, changes to tariff’s or related trade policies and the potential impact on the Corporation’s ability to execute its 2025 strategic objectives; fluctuations in interest rates and commodity prices; expectations regarding the Corporation’s ability to manage its liquidity risk; raise capital and manage its debt finance agreements; projections of market prices and costs; factors upon which the Corporation will decide whether or not to undertake a specific course of operational action or expansion; the Corporation’s ongoing relationship with its major customers; the Corporation’s ability to seek and execute accretive acquisitions including the timing thereof and the potential operational and financial benefits; the ability to recruit and retain executive officers and other key personnel; management of general and administrative costs; the maintenance of a strong balance sheet and related financial flexibility; the performance of the Corporation’s investment in Team Snubbing; operational and financial performance of the Corporation’s Canadian rental equipment in 2025; scaling the Canadian business, execution on one or more corporate transactions; and estimated credit risks.

    With respect to forward-looking statements contained in this press release, the Corporation has made assumptions regarding, among other things, its ability to: maintain its ongoing relationship with major customers; successfully market its services to current and new customers; devise methods for, and achieve its primary objectives; source and obtain equipment from suppliers; successfully manage, operate, and thrive in an environment which is facing much uncertainty; remain competitive in all its operations; attract and retain skilled employees; obtain equity and debt financing on satisfactory terms and manage its liquidity risk.

    The Corporation’s actual results could differ materially from those anticipated in these forward-looking statements as a result of the risk factors set forth above and elsewhere in this press release, along with the risk factors set out in the most recent Annual Information Form filed on SEDAR+ at www.sedarplus.ca.

    The forward-looking statements contained in this press release are expressly qualified in their entirety by this cautionary statement. These statements are given only as of the date of this press release. The Corporation does not assume any obligation to update these forward-looking statements to reflect new information, subsequent events or otherwise, except as required by law.

    About High Arctic Energy Services
    High Arctic is an energy services provider. High Arctic provides pressure control equipment and equipment supporting the high-pressure stimulation of oil and gas wells and other oilfield equipment ‎on a rental basis to exploration and production companies, from its bases in Whitecourt and Red Deer, Alberta‎.

    For further information contact:

    Lonn Bate
    Chief Financial Officer 
    P: 587-318-2218
    P: +1 (800) 688 7143 

    High Arctic Energy Services Inc.
    Suite 2350, 330 – 5th Ave SW
    Calgary, Alberta, Canada T2P 0L4
    website: www.haes.ca
    Email: info@haes.ca

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Attorney General Alan Wilson issues warning to parents on the dangers and signs of children being victimized by violent online gore-seeking groups such as 764Read More

    Source: US State of South Carolina

    (COLUMBIA, S.C.) – Attorney General Alan Wilson is warning parents of the increasing presence of an online gore trend, like the 764 movement, that is targeting teens. Those perpetuating these trends, who often are teens themselves, seek to generate online gore material through coercion and victimization of other teens, including but not limited to:  cutting, blood signs, child sexual abuse material, sextortion, bestiality, the torture or killing of animals, and documented suicide. These subjects also encourage their victims to become the subject and victimize others via online video games and chat rooms.

    Leaders of these online trends also often encourage and execute attacks on others via swatting and bomb threats.

    Some signs that your child may be at risk for participating in or becoming a victim of these gore groups are:

    • Teens and pre-teens aged 11-17 who experience mood disorders such as depression and anxiety, or are part of the LGBT community.
    • Spend an unusual amount of time online in a private space such as a bedroom (these activities usually take place on a desktop, laptop, or gaming computer).
    • Refer to “friends” by screen names only.
    • Have any signs of cutting themselves (this can be done anywhere on the body). The cuts are used to make a “blood-sign,” which is the writing of a message in blood, usually written in the bathroom/shower, then photographed.
    • The harming of pets and animals (most specifically cats).
    • Receive gifts, money, food deliveries, etc. from online or unknown relationships.

    Many victims do not realize that they are victims. If they refuse to provide content, subjects will often be threatened when they refuse to meet requests and/or recruit new victims.

    If you think your child may be a victim of these crimes, you should immediately report it to local law enforcement or the Federal Bureau of Investigation at 1-800-CALL-FBI.

    More information on 764 and their activities can be found here: Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) | Violent Online Networks Target Vulnerable and Underage Populations Across the United States and Around the Globe

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI China: Xiong’an New Area: sci-tech innovation, industrial development promote each other

    Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News

    Xiong’an New Area: sci-tech innovation, industrial development promote each other

    Updated: March 31, 2025 19:36 Xinhua
    A staff member adjusts a patrol robot at a pilot testing base in Xiong’an New Area, north China’s Hebei Province, March 26, 2025. Since China announced plans to establish the Xiong’an New Area in April 2017, it has evolved from a blueprint into a vibrant city. The Xiong’an New Area has been designed to take on functions transferred from Beijing that are not essential to its role as China’s capital. In Xiong’an, dubbed China’s “city of the future,” sci-tech innovation and industrial development synergistically promote each other. The Zhongguancun Science Park in Xiong’an has attracted over 140 enterprises. The sci-tech Innovation center in the new area has built an achievement transformation system with close integration of various innovation entities. [Photo/Xinhua]
    This combo photo shows a staff member demonstrating an automatic drone inspection system (above) and checking the operation of the system in Xiong’an New Area, north China’s Hebei Province, March 19, 2025. [Photo/Xinhua]
    Staff members work at a workshop in a pilot testing base in Xiong’an New Area, north China’s Hebei Province, March 26, 2025. [Photo/Xinhua]
    People learn about a guiding robot at Yuerong Park in Xiong’an New Area, north China’s Hebei Province, March 19, 2025. [Photo/Xinhua]
    A staff member of a sci-tech company in Zhongguancun Science Park demonstrates an industrial robot in Xiong’an New Area, north China’s Hebei Province, March 26, 2025. [Photo/Xinhua]
    An aerial drone photo taken on March 17, 2025 shows Zhongguancun Science Park, a hub for innovation and business, in Xiong’an New Area, north China’s Hebei Province. [Photo/Xinhua]
    People visit an exhibition themed on Internet Protocol version 6 (IPv6) at Zhongguancun Science Park in Xiong’an New Area, north China’s Hebei Province, March 19, 2025. [Photo/Xinhua]
    Staff members work at a chip production workshop in a pilot testing base in Xiong’an New Area, north China’s Hebei Province, March 26, 2025. [Photo/Xinhua]

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: SPC Severe Thunderstorm Watch 86

    Source: US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

    Note:  The expiration time in the watch graphic is amended if the watch is replaced, cancelled or extended.Note: Click for Watch Status Reports.
    SEL6

    URGENT – IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
    Severe Thunderstorm Watch Number 86
    NWS Storm Prediction Center Norman OK
    605 AM CDT Mon Mar 31 2025

    The NWS Storm Prediction Center has issued a

    * Severe Thunderstorm Watch for portions of
    Southern Alabama
    The Western Florida Panhandle
    Southeast Mississippi
    Coastal Waters

    * Effective this Monday morning and afternoon from 605 AM until
    100 PM CDT.

    * Primary threats include…
    Scattered damaging wind gusts to 70 mph likely
    Isolated large hail events to 1.5 inches in diameter possible
    A tornado or two possible

    SUMMARY…A line of thunderstorms will move eastward over the next
    several hours. Scattered severe/damaging winds with peak gusts up to
    60-70 mph should be the main threat, although a tornado or two may
    also occur.

    The severe thunderstorm watch area is approximately along and 75
    statute miles east and west of a line from 45 miles north northwest
    of Evergreen AL to 30 miles southeast of Mobile AL. For a complete
    depiction of the watch see the associated watch outline update
    (WOUS64 KWNS WOU6).

    PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS…

    REMEMBER…A Severe Thunderstorm Watch means conditions are
    favorable for severe thunderstorms in and close to the watch area.
    Persons in these areas should be on the lookout for threatening
    weather conditions and listen for later statements and possible
    warnings. Severe thunderstorms can and occasionally do produce
    tornadoes.

    &&

    OTHER WATCH INFORMATION…CONTINUE…WW 83…WW 84…WW 85…

    AVIATION…A few severe thunderstorms with hail surface and aloft to
    1.5 inches. Extreme turbulence and surface wind gusts to 60 knots. A
    few cumulonimbi with maximum tops to 500. Mean storm motion vector
    27035.

    …Gleason

    SEL6

    URGENT – IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
    Severe Thunderstorm Watch Number 86
    NWS Storm Prediction Center Norman OK
    605 AM CDT Mon Mar 31 2025

    The NWS Storm Prediction Center has issued a

    * Severe Thunderstorm Watch for portions of
    Southern Alabama
    The Western Florida Panhandle
    Southeast Mississippi
    Coastal Waters

    * Effective this Monday morning and afternoon from 605 AM until
    100 PM CDT.

    * Primary threats include…
    Scattered damaging wind gusts to 70 mph likely
    Isolated large hail events to 1.5 inches in diameter possible
    A tornado or two possible

    SUMMARY…A line of thunderstorms will move eastward over the next
    several hours. Scattered severe/damaging winds with peak gusts up to
    60-70 mph should be the main threat, although a tornado or two may
    also occur.

    The severe thunderstorm watch area is approximately along and 75
    statute miles east and west of a line from 45 miles north northwest
    of Evergreen AL to 30 miles southeast of Mobile AL. For a complete
    depiction of the watch see the associated watch outline update
    (WOUS64 KWNS WOU6).

    PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS…

    REMEMBER…A Severe Thunderstorm Watch means conditions are
    favorable for severe thunderstorms in and close to the watch area.
    Persons in these areas should be on the lookout for threatening
    weather conditions and listen for later statements and possible
    warnings. Severe thunderstorms can and occasionally do produce
    tornadoes.

    &&

    OTHER WATCH INFORMATION…CONTINUE…WW 83…WW 84…WW 85…

    AVIATION…A few severe thunderstorms with hail surface and aloft to
    1.5 inches. Extreme turbulence and surface wind gusts to 60 knots. A
    few cumulonimbi with maximum tops to 500. Mean storm motion vector
    27035.

    …Gleason

    Note: The Aviation Watch (SAW) product is an approximation to the watch area. The actual watch is depicted by the shaded areas.
    SAW6
    WW 86 SEVERE TSTM AL FL MS CW 311105Z – 311800Z
    AXIS..75 STATUTE MILES EAST AND WEST OF LINE..
    45NNW GZH/EVERGREEN AL/ – 30SE MOB/MOBILE AL/
    ..AVIATION COORDS.. 65NM E/W /53WSW MGM – 32SE SJI/
    HAIL SURFACE AND ALOFT..1.5 INCHES. WIND GUSTS..60 KNOTS.
    MAX TOPS TO 500. MEAN STORM MOTION VECTOR 27035.

    LAT…LON 32008605 30378664 30378915 32008861

    THIS IS AN APPROXIMATION TO THE WATCH AREA. FOR A
    COMPLETE DEPICTION OF THE WATCH SEE WOUS64 KWNS
    FOR WOU6.

    Watch 86 Status Report Message has not been issued yet.

    Note:  Click for Complete Product Text.Tornadoes

    Probability of 2 or more tornadoes

    Low (20%)

    Probability of 1 or more strong (EF2-EF5) tornadoes

    Low (10%)

    Wind

    Probability of 10 or more severe wind events

    Mod (60%)

    Probability of 1 or more wind events > 65 knots

    Low (20%)

    Hail

    Probability of 10 or more severe hail events

    Low (20%)

    Probability of 1 or more hailstones > 2 inches

    Low (10%)

    Combined Severe Hail/Wind

    Probability of 6 or more combined severe hail/wind events

    High (80%)

    For each watch, probabilities for particular events inside the watch (listed above in each table) are determined by the issuing forecaster. The “Low” category contains probability values ranging from less than 2% to 20% (EF2-EF5 tornadoes), less than 5% to 20% (all other probabilities), “Moderate” from 30% to 60%, and “High” from 70% to greater than 95%. High values are bolded and lighter in color to provide awareness of an increased threat for a particular event.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI: MEXC Unveils MNT Promotion Offering Up to $1 Million in Rewards

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    VICTORIA, Seychelles , March 31, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — MEXC, a leading global cryptocurrency exchange, has announced a groundbreaking partnership with Mantle (MNT) to launch an exclusive month-long trading campaign with a prize pool of up to $1,000,000, offering users an opportunity to earn substantial rewards.

    The event presents a range of valuable opportunities for users:

    • Zero trading fees on MNT Spot and Futures markets, helping users reduce costs and optimize returns.
    • Up to 500% APR through MNT staking, offering one of the most competitive yields currently available.
    • Token rewards via Launchpool, where users can stake USDT, MX, or MNT to earn additional MNT tokens and exclusive benefits.

    Additionally, users can join the Deposit & Trade campaign, designed with a low entry threshold—ideal for newcomers looking to explore the ecosystem. For seasoned traders, the Futures Trading Competition provides a platform to demonstrate their trading expertise, climb the leaderboard based on trading volume, and compete for a share of the $300,000 prize pool.

    Event Overview

    Period: March 31, 2025, 10:00 – April 30, 2025, 10:00 (UTC)
    During the event period, users can participate in the following MNT-related activities on the platform by clicking on the links below.
    Event 1: MNT trading (Spot and Futures) is available with zero trading fees.
    Event 2: Users who deposit and trade MNT on the Spot market may qualify to share a pool of 113,340 MNT.
    Event 3: MNT staking offers returns of up to 500% APR, subject to platform terms.
    Event 4: A Futures Trading event allows participants to compete for a share of 300,000 USDT in bonus rewards.
    Event 5: The MNT Launchpool enables users to stake selected tokens in exchange for a portion of 240,000 MNT in rewards.

    As a pioneering Layer-2 scaling solution for Ethereum, Mantle uses Optimistic Rollup technology to lower transaction costs and improve network performance. This collaboration highlights MEXC’s leadership in backing innovative blockchain projects and its unwavering commitment to offering users diverse, cutting-edge trading opportunities, lowering costs and helping them maximize their potential returns.

    Looking ahead, MEXC is committed to continuously enhancing the trading experience by introducing innovative features, expanding user opportunities, and launching new initiatives aligned with the dynamic nature of the cryptocurrency market.

    For further details on the event, please see the official announcement.

    About MEXC
    Founded in 2018, MEXC is committed to being “Your Easiest Way to Crypto.” Serving over 34 million users across 170+ countries, MEXC is known for its broad selection of trending tokens, everyday airdrop opportunities, and low trading fees. Our user-friendly platform is designed to support both new traders and experienced investors, offering secure and efficient access to digital assets. MEXC prioritizes simplicity and innovation, making crypto trading more accessible and rewarding.
    MEXC Official Website｜ X ｜ Telegram ｜How to Sign Up on MEXC

    Risk Disclaimer:
    The information provided in this article regarding cryptocurrencies does not constitute investment advice. Given the highly volatile nature of the cryptocurrency market, investors are encouraged to carefully assess market fluctuations, the fundamentals of projects, and potential financial risks before making any trading decisions.

    Source

    Contact:
    Lucia Hu
    PR Manager
    lucia.hu@mexc.com

    Disclaimer: This press release is provided by MEXC. The statements, views, and opinions expressed in this content are solely those of the content provider and do not necessarily reflect the views of this media platform or its publisher. We do not endorse, verify, or guarantee the accuracy, completeness, or reliability of any information presented. This content is for informational purposes only and should not be considered financial, investment, or trading advice. Investing in crypto and mining related opportunities involves significant risks, including the potential loss of capital. Readers are strongly encouraged to conduct their own research and consult with a qualified financial advisor before making any investment decisions. However, due to the inherently speculative nature of the blockchain sector–including cryptocurrency, NFTs, and mining–complete accuracy cannot always be guaranteed. Neither the media platform nor the publisher shall be held responsible for any fraudulent activities, misrepresentations, or financial losses arising from the content of this press release.Speculate only with funds that you can afford to lose.Neither the media platform nor the publisher shall be held responsible for any fraudulent activities, misrepresentations, or financial losses arising from the content of this press release. In the event of any legal claims or charges against this article, we accept no liability or responsibility.

    Legal Disclaimer: This media platform provides the content of this article on an “as-is” basis, without any warranties or representations of any kind, express or implied. We do not assume any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information presented herein. Any concerns, complaints, or copyright issues related to this article should be directed to the content provider mentioned above.

    A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/75a055b0-3b18-4f14-b6f9-f7a099054d63

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Ghana’s e-levy: 3 lessons from the abolished mobile money tax

    Source: The Conversation – Africa – By Max Gallien, Research Fellow, Institute of Development Studies

    The first budget speech of Ghana’s new government on 11 March painted a picture of an economy in crisis, facing high debt and fiscal mismanagement. The finance minister, Cassiel Ato Forson, acknowledged that key International Monetary Fund performance targets would be missed and announced drastic spending cuts.

    However, most Ghanaians just wanted to know whether the minister would announce the scrapping of the country’s electronic transfer levy (or e-tax), as he’d indicated he would.

    He did, a decision parliament endorsed unanimously the next day.

    The e-levy, a fee on mobile money transactions, was introduced in 2022. Ghanaians immediately united around the issue in fierce opposition, a sentiment that grew as the tax took effect.



    Read more:
    Ghana’s e-levy is unfair to the poor and misses its revenue target: a lesson in mobile money tax design

    Both major parties had campaigned for its removal in the run-up to elections held in December 2024.

    How did the e-levy become so unpopular, and what will repealing it mean?

    Over three years, researchers from the International Centre for Tax and Development worked with partners in Ghana to study the e-levy as part of our Digitax research programme. This study generated knowledge and evidence at the interface of digital financial services, digital identities and tax.

    The e-levy’s intense politicisation and complex design made it an interesting case of a wider trend of mobile money taxes in the region. We learned more about the e-levy’s impact on informal sector workers in Accra, knowledge and sentiments, registered merchant exemptions and mobile money usage.

    Based on this research, three key lessons emerge.

    Firstly, like other taxes on mobile money, the e-levy has come to be an important source of revenue in Ghana, even if it did not live up to initial optimistic estimates of its potential.

    Secondly, beyond the revenue it raised directly, the real potential of the e-levy – and loss if it is completely abolished – lay in the data it produced. It was enabling the Ghana Revenue Authority to uncover users with significant incomes who were not registered for income tax.

    Thirdly, the new consensus against the e-levy has arisen because important stakeholders such as mobile money providers and public opinion were not adequately managed from the start.

    A difficult birth

    Much like its departure, the e-levy was announced during a time of fiscal distress. Mobile money transactions had expanded rapidly, particularly after COVID-19, making it an attractive tax target, especially for the informal sector.

    Given this growth in the digital financial sector coupled with the need for revenue, the e-levy targeted the value of electronic financial transactions.

    Introduced in the 2022 budget at 1.75%, with a 100 cedi (US$10) daily exemption, it was met with strong resistance. The budget was rejected, protests erupted, and negotiations ensued. The government attempted to win public support through town hall meetings, eventually reducing the rate to 1.5% and adding exemptions.

    It went ahead with implementation in May 2022, however.

    Negative sentiment persisted, fuelled by confusion and concerns about its implementation.

    The government framed the tax as being essential for national development and investment attraction. But efforts to justify the necessity and benefit of the tax seemed to fall short.



    Read more:
    New data on the e-levy in Ghana: unpopular tax on mobile money transfers is hitting the poor hardest

    Several International Centre for Tax and Development studies, nationally representative and one focusing on informal markets, found an overwhelming sense of dissatisfaction among Ghanaians.

    The studies also showed the grievances had less to do with the tax and its rates per se and more to do with how people viewed government and its trustworthiness to collect and spend money.

    Did Ghana’s e-levy work?

    New taxes are often unpopular, but that alone should not determine their fate.

    Other key indicators of performance include:

    Revenue: The e-levy met only 12% of the initial revenue target of GH₵6.96 billion (US$380 million). But, based on our research, we have concluded that this reflects poor forecasting rather than implementation failure. It still contributed about 1% of total tax revenue, which equated to about US$129 million annually.

    Mobile money usage: Many critics feared negative effects on financial inclusion. However, one study of this impact shows that while transactions initially dropped, they soon rebounded and continued to grow. Another International Centre for Tax and Development study found that exempted payments values and volumes increased, with registered merchants who benefited from this exemption developing greater trust in government policies.

    Equity and distributional effects: Despite exemptions, an International Centre for Tax and Development study focusing on the intended target of the e-levy, the informal sector, found that the e-levy as a whole was highly regressive. While the poorest were somewhat protected by the 100 cedi daily threshold, low-income mobile money users still bore the greatest tax burden. Additionally, with the high rate of inflation in Ghana, the unchanged daily threshold became less effective with time.

    This result is striking given that in its design, the e-levy is potentially less regressive than most mobile money taxes in Africa.

    Will it be missed?

    Given public hostility, its removal may be widely celebrated. However, it leaves a revenue gap that must be addressed. Ghana’s fiscal history suggests this could lead to new, potentially unpopular taxes.

    The bigger loss may be the dismantling of systems built to administer the e-levy. These new advances in tax administration allowed the country’s revenue authorities to track high-volume users who were not registered for income tax, offering a path towards more efficient taxation.

    As governments face mounting revenue pressures in an era of high debt and declining aid, careful attention must be paid to the politics of tax reform. Perhaps the e-levy’s greatest flaw was the haste with which it was introduced, without adequate stakeholder engagement. Uganda faced similar backlash from rushed mobile money taxation in 2018.

    Evidence shows that perceptions affect how users respond to taxes, and first impressions can be hard to overcome. So, it is essential to make sure they are seen as fair and appropriate from the start, so that they are sustainable.

    Max Gallien is a Research Lead at the International Centre for Tax and Development (ICTD). Through the ICTD, the research described in this article has been supported by the UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, the Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation and the Gates Foundation.

    Martin Hearson is a Research Director at the International Centre for Tax and Development (ICTD). Through the ICTD, the research described in this article has been supported by the UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, the Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation and the Gates Foundation.

    Mary Abounabhan is a Researcher at the International Centre for Tax and Development (ICTD) Through the ICTD, the research described in this article has also been supported by the UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, the Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation and the Gates Foundation.

    – ref. Ghana’s e-levy: 3 lessons from the abolished mobile money tax – https://theconversation.com/ghanas-e-levy-3-lessons-from-the-abolished-mobile-money-tax-253285

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI USA: SPC Severe Thunderstorm Watch 85

    Source: US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

    Note:  The expiration time in the watch graphic is amended if the watch is replaced, cancelled or extended.Note: Click for Watch Status Reports.
    SEL5

    URGENT – IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
    Severe Thunderstorm Watch Number 85
    NWS Storm Prediction Center Norman OK
    445 AM CDT Mon Mar 31 2025

    The NWS Storm Prediction Center has issued a

    * Severe Thunderstorm Watch for portions of
    Northern and Central Alabama
    Far Northwest Georgia
    Northeast Mississippi

    * Effective this Monday morning from 445 AM until NOON CDT.

    * Primary threats include…
    Scattered damaging wind gusts to 70 mph likely
    Isolated large hail events to 1.5 inches in diameter possible
    A tornado or two possible

    SUMMARY…Multiple lines and clusters of thunderstorms are expected
    to spread eastward this morning across much of northern/central
    Alabama and into far northwest Georgia. Scattered severe/damaging
    winds should be the main threat with this activity, although
    isolated hail and perhaps a tornado or two may also occur.

    The severe thunderstorm watch area is approximately along and 75
    statute miles east and west of a line from 25 miles northeast of
    Huntsville AL to 20 miles south southwest of Selma AL. For a
    complete depiction of the watch see the associated watch outline
    update (WOUS64 KWNS WOU5).

    PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS…

    REMEMBER…A Severe Thunderstorm Watch means conditions are
    favorable for severe thunderstorms in and close to the watch area.
    Persons in these areas should be on the lookout for threatening
    weather conditions and listen for later statements and possible
    warnings. Severe thunderstorms can and occasionally do produce
    tornadoes.

    &&

    OTHER WATCH INFORMATION…CONTINUE…WW 81…WW 82…WW 83…WW
    84…

    AVIATION…A few severe thunderstorms with hail surface and aloft to
    1.5 inches. Extreme turbulence and surface wind gusts to 60 knots. A
    few cumulonimbi with maximum tops to 500. Mean storm motion vector
    27035.

    …Gleason

    SEL5

    URGENT – IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
    Severe Thunderstorm Watch Number 85
    NWS Storm Prediction Center Norman OK
    445 AM CDT Mon Mar 31 2025

    The NWS Storm Prediction Center has issued a

    * Severe Thunderstorm Watch for portions of
    Northern and Central Alabama
    Far Northwest Georgia
    Northeast Mississippi

    * Effective this Monday morning from 445 AM until NOON CDT.

    * Primary threats include…
    Scattered damaging wind gusts to 70 mph likely
    Isolated large hail events to 1.5 inches in diameter possible
    A tornado or two possible

    SUMMARY…Multiple lines and clusters of thunderstorms are expected
    to spread eastward this morning across much of northern/central
    Alabama and into far northwest Georgia. Scattered severe/damaging
    winds should be the main threat with this activity, although
    isolated hail and perhaps a tornado or two may also occur.

    The severe thunderstorm watch area is approximately along and 75
    statute miles east and west of a line from 25 miles northeast of
    Huntsville AL to 20 miles south southwest of Selma AL. For a
    complete depiction of the watch see the associated watch outline
    update (WOUS64 KWNS WOU5).

    PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS…

    REMEMBER…A Severe Thunderstorm Watch means conditions are
    favorable for severe thunderstorms in and close to the watch area.
    Persons in these areas should be on the lookout for threatening
    weather conditions and listen for later statements and possible
    warnings. Severe thunderstorms can and occasionally do produce
    tornadoes.

    &&

    OTHER WATCH INFORMATION…CONTINUE…WW 81…WW 82…WW 83…WW
    84…

    AVIATION…A few severe thunderstorms with hail surface and aloft to
    1.5 inches. Extreme turbulence and surface wind gusts to 60 knots. A
    few cumulonimbi with maximum tops to 500. Mean storm motion vector
    27035.

    …Gleason

    Note: The Aviation Watch (SAW) product is an approximation to the watch area. The actual watch is depicted by the shaded areas.
    SAW5
    WW 85 SEVERE TSTM AL GA MS 310945Z – 311700Z
    AXIS..75 STATUTE MILES EAST AND WEST OF LINE..
    25NE HSV/HUNTSVILLE AL/ – 20SSW SEM/SELMA AL/
    ..AVIATION COORDS.. 65NM E/W /51ENE MSL – 41WSW MGM/
    HAIL SURFACE AND ALOFT..1.5 INCHES. WIND GUSTS..60 KNOTS.
    MAX TOPS TO 500. MEAN STORM MOTION VECTOR 27035.

    LAT…LON 34908514 32088583 32088839 34908779

    THIS IS AN APPROXIMATION TO THE WATCH AREA. FOR A
    COMPLETE DEPICTION OF THE WATCH SEE WOUS64 KWNS
    FOR WOU5.

    Watch 85 Status Report Message has not been issued yet.

    Note:  Click for Complete Product Text.Tornadoes

    Probability of 2 or more tornadoes

    Low (20%)

    Probability of 1 or more strong (EF2-EF5) tornadoes

    Low (10%)

    Wind

    Probability of 10 or more severe wind events

    Mod (60%)

    Probability of 1 or more wind events > 65 knots

    Low (20%)

    Hail

    Probability of 10 or more severe hail events

    Low (20%)

    Probability of 1 or more hailstones > 2 inches

    Low (10%)

    Combined Severe Hail/Wind

    Probability of 6 or more combined severe hail/wind events

    High (80%)

    For each watch, probabilities for particular events inside the watch (listed above in each table) are determined by the issuing forecaster. The “Low” category contains probability values ranging from less than 2% to 20% (EF2-EF5 tornadoes), less than 5% to 20% (all other probabilities), “Moderate” from 30% to 60%, and “High” from 70% to greater than 95%. High values are bolded and lighter in color to provide awareness of an increased threat for a particular event.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Results announced for All India Drawing & Painting competition celebrating the spirit of Maha Kumbh Mela 2025

    Source: Government of India

    Results announced for All India Drawing & Painting competition celebrating the spirit of Maha Kumbh Mela 2025

    Over 68000 students across India participated in the competitions

    Posted On: 31 MAR 2025 2:44PM by PIB Delhi

    Maha Kumbh Mela, a sacred confluence of faith and tradition, stands as the largest peaceful gathering in the world, deeply rooted in India’s spiritual and cultural heritage. This significant event transpired from 13th January to 26th February, 2025, representing the perpetual human quest for spiritual enlightenment. The festival, known for its deep philosophical significance and vibrant cultural expressions, brings together millions for a collective celebration of devotion, knowledge and unity.

    To encourage young minds to artistically explore the essence of this sacred tradition, the Department of School Education and Literacy, Ministry of Education (MoE), organised an All India Drawing & Painting competition across the nation on the theme of Maha Kumbh Mela 2025. The competition was conducted for students of Classes 6th–8th from Kendriya Vidyalayas, Navodaya Vidyalayas and Central Board of Secondary Education-affiliated schools throughout the country. The competition was organised under the three themes of Bhavya Maha Kumbh, Divya Maha Kumbh and Ek Bharat Shreshtha Bharat, with an emphasis on originality and creativity. The objective was to encourage students to understand the spiritual and cultural significance of the event as well as India’s rich cultural traditions and values so as to appreciate and celebrate the spirit of unity in diversity. The results were declared on 24th March 2025.

    The participation in the contest was extensive, with a total of 39,840 students from 1040 Kendriya Vidyalayas, 26,398 students from 404 Navodaya Vidyalayas schools and 2,887 students from 1,000 CBSE schools. The entries were received through Nodal officers of KVS, NVS and CBSE for national-level screening. The best entries were selected in two phases, i.e., primary-level entries were selected by Nodal officers by their own screening committees and the second-level entries were evaluated, recorded and finalized under the screening committee by NCERT.

     

     

    The winners in both the drawing and painting categories were selected for the cash prizes and certificates. The first prize for each category is Rs. 15,000, with second and third prizes of Rs. 10,000 and Rs. 7,000, respectively. Ten consolation prizes, including certificates and gift hampers, are also awarded in both categories.

    List of awards and prizes in each category at All India Drawing and Painting Contest on the theme of Maha Kumbh Mela 2025

     

    Drawing Competition

    Painting Competition

    Awards

    Student Name

    Address for Communication

    CBSE/NVS/KVS

    Awards

    Student Name

    Address for Communication

    CBSE/NVS/KVS

    I

    VIVEK SHARMA

    MAHESHWARI PUB SCHOOL VAISHALI NAGAR AJMER RAJASTHAN

    CBSE

    I

    LAVANYA THAKUR

    PM SHRI, KV NO.1, BINNAGURI CANT, WEST BENGAL

    KVS

    II

    LAKSHARAJ JORWAJ

    PM SHRI, NVS, KHERLI, POST BHANDAREJ, DISTRICT DAUSA, RAJASTHAN

    NVS

    II

    MYRA GODWAJ

    BHARAT RAM GLOBAL SCHOOL, INDRAPURM,GZBD,UP

    CBSE

    III

    AVNEESH NAND

    PM SHRI NVS, VILLAGE BAHUAR, DISTRICT: SONEBHADRA, UTTAR PRADESH

    NVS

    III

    ANUSHKA DAS

    KVS, BOLPUR, BRITTISADAN, PRANTIK, DISTRICT-BIRBHUM, WEST BENGAL

    KVS

     

    Ten Consolation prizes each comprising a certificate and a gift hamper

     

     Drawing Competition

    Painting Competition

    Sl.No

    Student Name

    Address for Communication

    CBSE/NVS

    KVS

    Sl. No

    Student Name

    Address for Communication

    CBSE/NVS

    KVS

    1.

    AJAY SUJIT KUMAR

    PM SHRI SCHOOL JNV, VILLAGE POKHRAPUR, DISTRICT SOLAPUR, MAHARASHTRA

    JNV

    1.

    SAANVI GOPAL

    ATOMIC ENERGY CENTRAL SCH-5 ANUSHAKTHI NGR MR

    CBSE

    2.

    AJESH MARKAM

    JNV, PM SHRI SCHOOL, DANTEWADA, CHATTISGARH

    NVS

    2.

    SHOBHIT KUMAR

    JAYSHREE PERIWAL GLOBAL SCH JAGATPURA JAIPUR RJ

    CBSE

    3.

    JAIDEEP SINGH

    JNV, PM SHRI SCHOOL, BRINGKHERA, SHRI MUKTSAR SAHIB (PUNJAB)

    JNV

    3.

    VANI DOGRA

    PM SHRI, KV N0-2, KANGRA (H.P), VILLAGE BILHDER

    KVS

    4.

    KHUSHI KUMARI

    KVS, ASANSOL DISTRICT PASCHIM BURDWAN

    KVS

    4.

    ARADHYA DIMARI

    KV AUGUSTYAMUNI, RUDRAPRAYAG, UTTARAKHAND

    KVS

    5.

    LAKSH

    PM SHRI SCHOOL, KV KAPURTHALA CANTT.

    KVS

    5.

    HANU

    KVS DHARAMPURI, MP

    KVS

    6.

    P. MOKSHITHA

    KVS NO.2, CRS SETTIPALLI TIRUPUTI

    KVS

    6.

    ISHAN PODDAR

    NARULA PUBLIC SCHOOL MOGRA HOOGHLY WB

    CBSE

    7.

    POOJA DURGADAS

    PH SHRI KV, POST BOX 80, JALOGAON, MAHARSHTRA

    KVS

    7.

    DEVASMITA KARMAKAR

    PM SHRI, KV NO. 3, MAMUN CANTT. PATHANKOT

    KVS

    8.

    PRATIK ROY

    KV NO.2 DHANBAD

    KVS

    8.

    SONAL SINGH CHAHAR

    KVS NO. 3, AGAR AGRA CANTT. (UP)

    KVS

    9.

    PRERNA S

    KVS-2, DHANBAD

    KVS

    9.

    RIYA YADAV

    MODERN PUBLIC SCHOOL B BLK SHALIMAR BAGH DLI

    CBSE

    10.

    RICKY SINGH KHWAIRAKPAM

    KVS, NHPC, VIDUT VIHAR KOM, LOKTAK MANIPUR

    KVS

    10.

    POONAM

    KVS NO. 3, AGAR AGRA CANTT. (UP)

    KVS

     

    The All India Drawing and Painting Contest on Maha Kumbh Mela 2025 has served as a platform for young minds to creatively express their interpretations of this timeless tradition. As envisioned in #NEP2020, cultural awareness and artistic expression are integral to holistic learning and these budding artists have exemplified this through their creativity.

    *****

    MV/AK

    MOE/DoHE/31 March 2025/6

    (Release ID: 2117021) Visitor Counter : 25

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Public library opening hours for Ching Ming Festival and Easter

    Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

         The Leisure and Cultural Services Department announced today (March 31) that all public libraries will be closed on Good Friday (April 18), while students’ study rooms will be open from 8am to 9.30pm.

         Apart from individual libraries’ closing days, the opening hours of all public libraries on Ching Ming Festival (April 4), the day following Good Friday (April 19), and Easter Monday (April 21) will be the same as those for public holidays.

         To carry out system maintenance work, the Multimedia Information System and online reservation of computer facilities services will be suspended from 9pm on April 17 to 7am on April 19. Moreover, the following services will also be suspended from 0.30am on April 18 to 7am on April 19:

    • library mobile app services and Internet and telephone renewal services;
    • other online library services, including the library catalogue, borrowers’ record enquiries, reservation of library materials and electronic resources (e-books and e-databases); and
    • self-service library stations (readers may still return books to the stations before the due date, and the loan record will be updated within two working days).
       

         Details can be obtained from notices posted at all public libraries and on the website at www.hkpl.gov.hk/en/library-notices/library-notices-list.html. For enquiries, please call 2921 0208.

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: SPC Severe Thunderstorm Watch 84

    Source: US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

    Note:  The expiration time in the watch graphic is amended if the watch is replaced, cancelled or extended.Note: Click for Watch Status Reports.
    SEL4

    URGENT – IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
    Severe Thunderstorm Watch Number 84
    NWS Storm Prediction Center Norman OK
    345 AM CDT Mon Mar 31 2025

    The NWS Storm Prediction Center has issued a

    * Severe Thunderstorm Watch for portions of
    Southeast Louisiana
    Southern Mississippi
    Coastal Waters

    * Effective this Monday morning from 345 AM until 1100 AM CDT.

    * Primary threats include…
    Scattered damaging wind gusts to 70 mph likely
    Isolated very large hail events to 2 inches in diameter possible
    A tornado or two possible

    SUMMARY…Thunderstorms are expected to consolidate into a line as
    they move east-southeastward this morning. Scattered damaging winds
    should be the main threat, with peak gusts potentially up to 60-70
    mph. Isolated large hail around 1-2 inches in diameter and a tornado
    or two may also occur.

    The severe thunderstorm watch area is approximately along and 85
    statute miles north and south of a line from 55 miles northwest of
    Houma LA to 20 miles south southeast of Slidell LA. For a complete
    depiction of the watch see the associated watch outline update
    (WOUS64 KWNS WOU4).

    PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS…

    REMEMBER…A Severe Thunderstorm Watch means conditions are
    favorable for severe thunderstorms in and close to the watch area.
    Persons in these areas should be on the lookout for threatening
    weather conditions and listen for later statements and possible
    warnings. Severe thunderstorms can and occasionally do produce
    tornadoes.

    &&

    OTHER WATCH INFORMATION…CONTINUE…WW 80…WW 81…WW 82…WW
    83…

    AVIATION…A few severe thunderstorms with hail surface and aloft to
    2 inches. Extreme turbulence and surface wind gusts to 60 knots. A
    few cumulonimbi with maximum tops to 500. Mean storm motion vector
    28035.

    …Gleason

    SEL4

    URGENT – IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
    Severe Thunderstorm Watch Number 84
    NWS Storm Prediction Center Norman OK
    345 AM CDT Mon Mar 31 2025

    The NWS Storm Prediction Center has issued a

    * Severe Thunderstorm Watch for portions of
    Southeast Louisiana
    Southern Mississippi
    Coastal Waters

    * Effective this Monday morning from 345 AM until 1100 AM CDT.

    * Primary threats include…
    Scattered damaging wind gusts to 70 mph likely
    Isolated very large hail events to 2 inches in diameter possible
    A tornado or two possible

    SUMMARY…Thunderstorms are expected to consolidate into a line as
    they move east-southeastward this morning. Scattered damaging winds
    should be the main threat, with peak gusts potentially up to 60-70
    mph. Isolated large hail around 1-2 inches in diameter and a tornado
    or two may also occur.

    The severe thunderstorm watch area is approximately along and 85
    statute miles north and south of a line from 55 miles northwest of
    Houma LA to 20 miles south southeast of Slidell LA. For a complete
    depiction of the watch see the associated watch outline update
    (WOUS64 KWNS WOU4).

    PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS…

    REMEMBER…A Severe Thunderstorm Watch means conditions are
    favorable for severe thunderstorms in and close to the watch area.
    Persons in these areas should be on the lookout for threatening
    weather conditions and listen for later statements and possible
    warnings. Severe thunderstorms can and occasionally do produce
    tornadoes.

    &&

    OTHER WATCH INFORMATION…CONTINUE…WW 80…WW 81…WW 82…WW
    83…

    AVIATION…A few severe thunderstorms with hail surface and aloft to
    2 inches. Extreme turbulence and surface wind gusts to 60 knots. A
    few cumulonimbi with maximum tops to 500. Mean storm motion vector
    28035.

    …Gleason

    Note: The Aviation Watch (SAW) product is an approximation to the watch area. The actual watch is depicted by the shaded areas.
    SAW4
    WW 84 SEVERE TSTM LA MS CW 310845Z – 311600Z
    AXIS..85 STATUTE MILES NORTH AND SOUTH OF LINE..
    55NW HUM/HOUMA LA/ – 20SSE ASD/SLIDELL LA/
    ..AVIATION COORDS.. 75NM N/S /21S BTR – 21NE HRV/
    HAIL SURFACE AND ALOFT..2 INCHES. WIND GUSTS..60 KNOTS.
    MAX TOPS TO 500. MEAN STORM MOTION VECTOR 28035.

    LAT…LON 31369132 31318969 28858969 28909132

    THIS IS AN APPROXIMATION TO THE WATCH AREA. FOR A
    COMPLETE DEPICTION OF THE WATCH SEE WOUS64 KWNS
    FOR WOU4.

    Watch 84 Status Report Message has not been issued yet.

    Note:  Click for Complete Product Text.Tornadoes

    Probability of 2 or more tornadoes

    Low (20%)

    Probability of 1 or more strong (EF2-EF5) tornadoes

    Low (10%)

    Wind

    Probability of 10 or more severe wind events

    Mod (60%)

    Probability of 1 or more wind events > 65 knots

    Low (20%)

    Hail

    Probability of 10 or more severe hail events

    Mod (30%)

    Probability of 1 or more hailstones > 2 inches

    Mod (30%)

    Combined Severe Hail/Wind

    Probability of 6 or more combined severe hail/wind events

    High (80%)

    For each watch, probabilities for particular events inside the watch (listed above in each table) are determined by the issuing forecaster. The “Low” category contains probability values ranging from less than 2% to 20% (EF2-EF5 tornadoes), less than 5% to 20% (all other probabilities), “Moderate” from 30% to 60%, and “High” from 70% to greater than 95%. High values are bolded and lighter in color to provide awareness of an increased threat for a particular event.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: AI-generated child abuse images are a growing threat

    Source: Anglia Ruskin University

    By Simon Bailey and Samantha Lundrigan, Anglia Ruskin University

    The UK aims to be the first country in the world to create new offences related to AI-generated sexual abuse. New laws will make it illegal to possess, create or distribute AI tools designed to generate child sexual abuse material (CSAM), punishable by up to five years in prison. The laws will also make it illegal for anyone to possess so-called “paedophile manuals” which teach people how to use AI to sexually abuse children.

    In the last few decades, the threat against children from online abuse has multiplied at a concerning rate. According to the Internet Watch Foundation, which tracks down and removes abuse from the internet, there has been an 830% rise in online child sexual abuse imagery since 2014. The prevalence of AI image generation tools is fuelling this further.

    Last year, we at the International Policing and Protection Research Institute at Anglia Ruskin University published a report on the growing demand for AI-generated child sexual abuse material online.

    Researchers analysed chats that took place in dark web forums over the previous 12 months. We found evidence of growing interest in this technology, and of online offenders’ desire for others to learn more and create abuse images.

    Horrifyingly, forum members referred to those creating the AI-imagery as “artists”. This technology is creating a new world of opportunity for offenders to create and share the most depraved forms of child abuse content.

    Our analysis showed that members of these forums are using non-AI-generated images and videos already at their disposal to facilitate their learning and train the software they use to create the images. Many expressed their hopes and expectations that the technology would evolve, making it even easier for them to create this material.

    Dark web spaces are hidden and only accessible through specialised software. They provide offenders with anonymity and privacy, making it difficult for law enforcement to identify and prosecute them.

    The Internet Watch Foundation has documented concerning statistics about the rapid increase in the number of AI-generated images they encounter as part of their work. The volume remains relatively low in comparison to the scale of non-AI images that are being found, but the numbers are growing at an alarming rate.

    The charity reported in October 2023 that a total of 20,254 AI generated imaged were uploaded in a month to one dark web forum. Before this report was published, little was known about the threat.

    The harms of AI abuse

    The perception among offenders is that AI-generated child sexual abuse imagery is a victimless crime, because the images are not “real”. But it is far from harmless, firstly because it can be created from real photos of children, including images that are completely innocent.

    While there is a lot we don’t yet know about the impact of AI-generated abuse specifically, there is a wealth of research on the harms of online child sexual abuse, as well as how technology is used to perpetuate or worsen the impact of offline abuse. For example, victims may have continuing trauma due to the permanence of photos or videos, just knowing the images are out there. Offenders may also use images (real or fake) to intimidate or blackmail victims.

    These considerations are also part of ongoing discussions about deepfake pornography, the creation of which the government also plans to criminalise.

    All of these issues can be exacerbated with AI technology. Additionally, there is also likely to be a traumatic impact on moderators and investigators having to view abuse images in the finest details to identify if they are “real” or “generated” images.

    What can the law do?

    UK law currently outlaws the taking, making, distribution and possession of an indecent image or a pseudo-photograph (a digitally-created photorealistic image) of a child.

    But there are currently no laws that make it an offence to possess the technology to create AI child sexual abuse images. The new laws should ensure that police officers will be able to target abusers who are using or considering using AI to generate this content, even if they are not currently in possession of images when investigated.

    We will always be behind offenders when it comes to technology, and law enforcement agencies around the world will soon be overwhelmed. They need laws designed to help them identify and prosecute those seeking to exploit children and young people online.

    It is welcome news that the government is committed to taking action, but it has to be fast. The longer the legislation takes to enact, the more children are at risk of being abused.

    Tackling the global threat will also take more than laws in one country. We need a whole-system response that starts when new technology is being designed. Many AI products and tools have been developed for entirely genuine, honest and non-harmful reasons, but they can easily be adapted and used by offenders looking to create harmful or illegal material.

    The law needs to understand and respond to this, so that technology cannot be used to facilitate abuse, and so that we can differentiate between those using tech to harm, and those using it for good.

    Simon Bailey, Chair, International Policing and Public Protection Research Institute, Anglia Ruskin University and Samantha Lundrigan, Professor of Investigative Psychology and Public Protection, Anglia Ruskin University

    This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.

    The opinions expressed in VIEWPOINT articles are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of ARU.

    If you wish to republish this article, please follow these guidelines: https://theconversation.com/uk/republishing-guidelines

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI USA: SPC Severe Thunderstorm Watch 83

    Source: US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

    Note:  The expiration time in the watch graphic is amended if the watch is replaced, cancelled or extended.Note: Click for Watch Status Reports.
    SEL3

    URGENT – IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
    Severe Thunderstorm Watch Number 83
    NWS Storm Prediction Center Norman OK
    135 AM CDT Mon Mar 31 2025

    The NWS Storm Prediction Center has issued a

    * Severe Thunderstorm Watch for portions of
    Far Southern Arkansas
    Louisiana
    Central Mississippi
    Far East Texas

    * Effective this Monday morning from 135 AM until 800 AM CDT.

    * Primary threats include…
    Scattered damaging wind gusts to 70 mph likely
    Scattered large hail and isolated very large hail events to 2
    inches in diameter possible
    A tornado or two possible

    SUMMARY…Thunderstorms will continue to move east-northeastward
    over the next several hours early this morning, while posing a
    threat for scattered damaging winds up to 60-70 mph and large hail
    around 1-2 inches in diameter. A tornado or two may also occur.

    The severe thunderstorm watch area is approximately along and 60
    statute miles north and south of a line from 45 miles south of
    Columbus MS to 75 miles west of Fort Polk LA. For a complete
    depiction of the watch see the associated watch outline update
    (WOUS64 KWNS WOU3).

    PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS…

    REMEMBER…A Severe Thunderstorm Watch means conditions are
    favorable for severe thunderstorms in and close to the watch area.
    Persons in these areas should be on the lookout for threatening
    weather conditions and listen for later statements and possible
    warnings. Severe thunderstorms can and occasionally do produce
    tornadoes.

    &&

    OTHER WATCH INFORMATION…CONTINUE…WW 77…WW 78…WW 79…WW
    80…WW 81…WW 82…

    AVIATION…A few severe thunderstorms with hail surface and aloft to
    2 inches. Extreme turbulence and surface wind gusts to 60 knots. A
    few cumulonimbi with maximum tops to 500. Mean storm motion vector
    26035.

    …Gleason

    SEL3

    URGENT – IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
    Severe Thunderstorm Watch Number 83
    NWS Storm Prediction Center Norman OK
    135 AM CDT Mon Mar 31 2025

    The NWS Storm Prediction Center has issued a

    * Severe Thunderstorm Watch for portions of
    Far Southern Arkansas
    Louisiana
    Central Mississippi
    Far East Texas

    * Effective this Monday morning from 135 AM until 800 AM CDT.

    * Primary threats include…
    Scattered damaging wind gusts to 70 mph likely
    Scattered large hail and isolated very large hail events to 2
    inches in diameter possible
    A tornado or two possible

    SUMMARY…Thunderstorms will continue to move east-northeastward
    over the next several hours early this morning, while posing a
    threat for scattered damaging winds up to 60-70 mph and large hail
    around 1-2 inches in diameter. A tornado or two may also occur.

    The severe thunderstorm watch area is approximately along and 60
    statute miles north and south of a line from 45 miles south of
    Columbus MS to 75 miles west of Fort Polk LA. For a complete
    depiction of the watch see the associated watch outline update
    (WOUS64 KWNS WOU3).

    PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS…

    REMEMBER…A Severe Thunderstorm Watch means conditions are
    favorable for severe thunderstorms in and close to the watch area.
    Persons in these areas should be on the lookout for threatening
    weather conditions and listen for later statements and possible
    warnings. Severe thunderstorms can and occasionally do produce
    tornadoes.

    &&

    OTHER WATCH INFORMATION…CONTINUE…WW 77…WW 78…WW 79…WW
    80…WW 81…WW 82…

    AVIATION…A few severe thunderstorms with hail surface and aloft to
    2 inches. Extreme turbulence and surface wind gusts to 60 knots. A
    few cumulonimbi with maximum tops to 500. Mean storm motion vector
    26035.

    …Gleason

    Note: The Aviation Watch (SAW) product is an approximation to the watch area. The actual watch is depicted by the shaded areas.
    SAW3
    WW 83 SEVERE TSTM AR LA MS TX 310635Z – 311300Z
    AXIS..60 STATUTE MILES NORTH AND SOUTH OF LINE..
    45S CBM/COLUMBUS MS/ – 75W POE/FORT POLK LA/
    ..AVIATION COORDS.. 50NM N/S /30S IGB – 16ESE LFK/
    HAIL SURFACE AND ALOFT..2 INCHES. WIND GUSTS..60 KNOTS.
    MAX TOPS TO 500. MEAN STORM MOTION VECTOR 26035.

    LAT…LON 32118845 30189445 31919445 33848845

    THIS IS AN APPROXIMATION TO THE WATCH AREA. FOR A
    COMPLETE DEPICTION OF THE WATCH SEE WOUS64 KWNS
    FOR WOU3.

    Watch 83 Status Report Message has not been issued yet.

    Note:  Click for Complete Product Text.Tornadoes

    Probability of 2 or more tornadoes

    Low (20%)

    Probability of 1 or more strong (EF2-EF5) tornadoes

    Low (10%)

    Wind

    Probability of 10 or more severe wind events

    Mod (60%)

    Probability of 1 or more wind events > 65 knots

    Low (20%)

    Hail

    Probability of 10 or more severe hail events

    Mod (40%)

    Probability of 1 or more hailstones > 2 inches

    Mod (30%)

    Combined Severe Hail/Wind

    Probability of 6 or more combined severe hail/wind events

    High (80%)

    For each watch, probabilities for particular events inside the watch (listed above in each table) are determined by the issuing forecaster. The “Low” category contains probability values ranging from less than 2% to 20% (EF2-EF5 tornadoes), less than 5% to 20% (all other probabilities), “Moderate” from 30% to 60%, and “High” from 70% to greater than 95%. High values are bolded and lighter in color to provide awareness of an increased threat for a particular event.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: SPC Severe Thunderstorm Watch 80

    Source: US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

    Note:  The expiration time in the watch graphic is amended if the watch is replaced, cancelled or extended.Note: Click for Watch Status Reports.
    SEL0

    URGENT – IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
    Severe Thunderstorm Watch Number 80
    NWS Storm Prediction Center Norman OK
    1055 PM EDT Sun Mar 30 2025

    The NWS Storm Prediction Center has issued a

    * Severe Thunderstorm Watch for portions of
    Eastern Kentucky
    Far Southern Ohio
    Far Western Virginia
    Western West Virginia

    * Effective this Sunday night and Monday morning from 1055 PM
    until 600 AM EDT.

    * Primary threats include…
    Scattered damaging wind gusts to 70 mph likely
    Isolated large hail events to 1 inch in diameter possible
    A tornado or two possible

    SUMMARY…The threat for damaging wind gusts will continue into the
    region as the ongoing convective line progresses eastward.

    The severe thunderstorm watch area is approximately along and 60
    statute miles east and west of a line from 40 miles north of
    Charleston WV to 30 miles southeast of London KY. For a complete
    depiction of the watch see the associated watch outline update
    (WOUS64 KWNS WOU0).

    PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS…

    REMEMBER…A Severe Thunderstorm Watch means conditions are
    favorable for severe thunderstorms in and close to the watch area.
    Persons in these areas should be on the lookout for threatening
    weather conditions and listen for later statements and possible
    warnings. Severe thunderstorms can and occasionally do produce
    tornadoes.

    &&

    OTHER WATCH INFORMATION…CONTINUE…WW 72…WW 74…WW 76…WW
    77…WW 78…WW 79…

    AVIATION…A few severe thunderstorms with hail surface and aloft to
    1 inch. Extreme turbulence and surface wind gusts to 60 knots. A few
    cumulonimbi with maximum tops to 500. Mean storm motion vector
    27040.

    …Mosier

    Note: The Aviation Watch (SAW) product is an approximation to the watch area. The actual watch is depicted by the shaded areas.
    SAW0
    WW 80 SEVERE TSTM KY OH VA WV 310255Z – 311000Z
    AXIS..60 STATUTE MILES EAST AND WEST OF LINE..
    40N CRW/CHARLESTON WV/ – 30SE LOZ/LONDON KY/
    ..AVIATION COORDS.. 50NM E/W /23ENE HNN – 26SE LOZ/
    HAIL SURFACE AND ALOFT..1 INCH. WIND GUSTS..60 KNOTS.
    MAX TOPS TO 500. MEAN STORM MOTION VECTOR 27040.

    LAT…LON 38938047 36778261 36778478 38938271

    THIS IS AN APPROXIMATION TO THE WATCH AREA. FOR A
    COMPLETE DEPICTION OF THE WATCH SEE WOUS64 KWNS
    FOR WOU0.

    Watch 80 Status Report Message has not been issued yet.

    Note:  Click for Complete Product Text.Tornadoes

    Probability of 2 or more tornadoes

    Low (20%)

    Probability of 1 or more strong (EF2-EF5) tornadoes

    Low (5%)

    Wind

    Probability of 10 or more severe wind events

    Mod (60%)

    Probability of 1 or more wind events > 65 knots

    Low (20%)

    Hail

    Probability of 10 or more severe hail events

    Low (20%)

    Probability of 1 or more hailstones > 2 inches

    Low (10%)

    Combined Severe Hail/Wind

    Probability of 6 or more combined severe hail/wind events

    High (80%)

    For each watch, probabilities for particular events inside the watch (listed above in each table) are determined by the issuing forecaster. The “Low” category contains probability values ranging from less than 2% to 20% (EF2-EF5 tornadoes), less than 5% to 20% (all other probabilities), “Moderate” from 30% to 60%, and “High” from 70% to greater than 95%. High values are bolded and lighter in color to provide awareness of an increased threat for a particular event.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-Evening Report: School phone ban one year on: our student survey reveals mixed feelings about its success

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Cara Swit, Associate professor, School of Health Sciences, University of Canterbury

    DavideAngelini/Shutterstock

    One year after the government banned cellphones from schools to help students focus and reduce distractions in class, we’re beginning to see how it has been implemented and how successful it’s been.

    As part of that process, our new research asked young people about the ban. Unsurprisingly, they had a lot to say.

    Schools around the world, including in Australia, France, the United Kingdom, Italy, China and parts of the United States, have implemented similar bans. The guiding principle everywhere has been to help students do better in school.

    When New Zealand’s ban came into effect in April 2024, Prime Minister Christopher Luxon said it was time to cut the distractions so kids could learn and achieve.

    But studies have shown these bans often don’t work as planned. For example, recent research from the UK involving over 1,200 students found no significant difference in academic grades or wellbeing between schools with strict phone bans and those with more relaxed policies.

    With so many questions at the time of the ban about how it would be enforced, we wanted to hear what was going on in schools and what young people really thought. We spoke to 77 young people aged 12 to 18 from 25 schools around the country. Some liked the bans, some didn’t and some weren’t sure.

    Mixed feelings

    Many students had mixed feelings about the bans. Some admitted the bans helped reduce distractions and gave them a break from using their phones. As one explained,

    otherwise, we’ll be on our phone all day, all afternoon, all night, and it won’t be healthy for our minds.

    But other students said the ban had created new problems.

    First, some students felt stressed and anxious when they couldn’t contact their parents or caregivers during the day. Second, they said the rules weren’t always clear or fair. Some teachers were strict, others weren’t. And sometimes, teachers used their phones in class, but students couldn’t.

    That perceived double standard – where teachers can use phones but students can’t – left many of our respondents feeling frustrated and unfairly treated. In some cases, it even made them more secretive about their phone use. One student said,

    Even though we’re not allowed to use our phones, everyone is sneaky and uses it anyway.

    Prime Minister Christopher Luxon said the cellphone ban would cut distractions so kids could learn and achieve.
    Hagen Hopkins/Getty Images

    A lack of consultation

    A lot of students said they weren’t asked what they thought before the bans were introduced. They felt as if adults made the rules without asking them or listening to them. One of our interviewees said,

    It feels like they just ban everything, thinking it will fix the problem.

    Many didn’t understand the purpose of the ban, especially since they still have to use laptops and other technology in class.

    Recent research found more than 80% of students in Aotearoa New Zealand say technology in class is distracting – not just phones.

    Already, some students have found clever ways around the phone ban. At one Auckland school, students started using walkie-talkies instead of phones to stay connected with their peers.

    Examples like this show bans don’t always change behaviour the way they’re intended to. It can simply make students feel as though adults underestimate how tech-savvy they really are.

    Young people as active problem solvers

    The young people in our research offered some alternatives to the ban.

    Many suggested allowing phones at break and lunch times. That way, they could stay connected without interrupting class. They also said adults needed to model healthy digital habits, not just set the rules.

    Based on student responses, it does appear that learning and teaching how to use phones in healthy ways would be more helpful than banning them altogether.

    Research from the Digital Wellness Lab supports this balanced approach, emphasising skill building over restriction. But for this to work, adults need support too. Teachers and parents need training and resources to help guide young people – and should also be surveyed on how they feel about the ban.

    Banning phones doesn’t fix the bigger issue of helping young people to use technology safely and responsibly. If schools really want to support students, they need to move beyond one-size-fits-all rules.

    Our research shows young people aren’t just passive users of technology. They’re active problem solvers. They want to be part of the conversation – and part of the solution.

    This would involve replacing top-down bans with meaningful conversations involving young people and adults to build fair and practical digital guidelines, where everyone benefits.

    Cara Swit received funding from The Oakley Mental Health Foundation, InternetNZ and the University of Canterbury’s Vision Mātauranga Development Fund to conduct this research.

    Aaron Hapuku received funding from The Oakley Mental Health Foundation, InternetNZ and the University of Canterbury’s Vision Mātauranga Development Fund to conduct this research.

    Helena Cook received funding from InternetNZ, Oakley Mental Health Foundation and UC Vision Mātauranga Development Fund.

    Jennifer Smith received funding from Internet New Zealand and The Oakley Mental Health Foundation.

    – ref. School phone ban one year on: our student survey reveals mixed feelings about its success – https://theconversation.com/school-phone-ban-one-year-on-our-student-survey-reveals-mixed-feelings-about-its-success-252179

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-OSI USA: SPC Severe Thunderstorm Watch 79

    Source: US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

    Note:  The expiration time in the watch graphic is amended if the watch is replaced, cancelled or extended.Note: Click for Watch Status Reports.
    SEL9

    URGENT – IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
    Severe Thunderstorm Watch Number 79
    NWS Storm Prediction Center Norman OK
    1010 PM EDT Sun Mar 30 2025

    The NWS Storm Prediction Center has issued a

    * Severe Thunderstorm Watch for portions of
    Eastern Ohio
    Far Southwestern Pennsylvania
    Northwestern West Virginia

    * Effective this Sunday night and Monday morning from 1010 PM
    until 300 AM EDT.

    * Primary threats include…
    Scattered damaging wind gusts to 70 mph likely
    Isolated large hail events to 1 inch in diameter possible
    A tornado or two possible

    SUMMARY…Ongoing convective line is expected to continue quickly
    eastward over the next few hours. Some strong to occasionally severe
    gusts are possible within this line.

    The severe thunderstorm watch area is approximately along and 60
    statute miles east and west of a line from 30 miles north of Akron
    OH to 25 miles south southwest of Parkersburg WV. For a complete
    depiction of the watch see the associated watch outline update
    (WOUS64 KWNS WOU9).

    PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS…

    REMEMBER…A Severe Thunderstorm Watch means conditions are
    favorable for severe thunderstorms in and close to the watch area.
    Persons in these areas should be on the lookout for threatening
    weather conditions and listen for later statements and possible
    warnings. Severe thunderstorms can and occasionally do produce
    tornadoes.

    &&

    OTHER WATCH INFORMATION…CONTINUE…WW 72…WW 74…WW 76…WW
    77…WW 78…

    AVIATION…A few severe thunderstorms with hail surface and aloft to
    1 inch. Extreme turbulence and surface wind gusts to 60 knots. A few
    cumulonimbi with maximum tops to 500. Mean storm motion vector
    26045.

    …Mosier

    Note: The Aviation Watch (SAW) product is an approximation to the watch area. The actual watch is depicted by the shaded areas.
    SAW9
    WW 79 SEVERE TSTM OH PA WV 310210Z – 310700Z
    AXIS..60 STATUTE MILES EAST AND WEST OF LINE..
    30N CAK/AKRON OH/ – 25SSW PKB/PARKERSBURG WV/
    ..AVIATION COORDS.. 50NM E/W /19ESE CLE – 25NE HNN/
    HAIL SURFACE AND ALOFT..1 INCH. WIND GUSTS..60 KNOTS.
    MAX TOPS TO 500. MEAN STORM MOTION VECTOR 26045.

    LAT…LON 41358026 39008049 39008273 41358259

    THIS IS AN APPROXIMATION TO THE WATCH AREA. FOR A
    COMPLETE DEPICTION OF THE WATCH SEE WOUS64 KWNS
    FOR WOU9.

    Watch 79 Status Report Message has not been issued yet.

    Note:  Click for Complete Product Text.Tornadoes

    Probability of 2 or more tornadoes

    Low (20%)

    Probability of 1 or more strong (EF2-EF5) tornadoes

    Low (5%)

    Wind

    Probability of 10 or more severe wind events

    Mod (60%)

    Probability of 1 or more wind events > 65 knots

    Low (10%)

    Hail

    Probability of 10 or more severe hail events

    Low (20%)

    Probability of 1 or more hailstones > 2 inches

    Low (10%)

    Combined Severe Hail/Wind

    Probability of 6 or more combined severe hail/wind events

    High (80%)

    For each watch, probabilities for particular events inside the watch (listed above in each table) are determined by the issuing forecaster. The “Low” category contains probability values ranging from less than 2% to 20% (EF2-EF5 tornadoes), less than 5% to 20% (all other probabilities), “Moderate” from 30% to 60%, and “High” from 70% to greater than 95%. High values are bolded and lighter in color to provide awareness of an increased threat for a particular event.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: SPC Severe Thunderstorm Watch 77

    Source: US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

    Note:  The expiration time in the watch graphic is amended if the watch is replaced, cancelled or extended.Note: Click for Watch Status Reports.
    SEL7

    URGENT – IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
    Severe Thunderstorm Watch Number 77
    NWS Storm Prediction Center Norman OK
    635 PM CDT Sun Mar 30 2025

    The NWS Storm Prediction Center has issued a

    * Severe Thunderstorm Watch for portions of
    Northwest Louisiana
    Southeast and East-Central Texas

    * Effective this Sunday night and Monday morning from 635 PM
    until 200 AM CDT.

    * Primary threats include…
    Scattered large hail and isolated very large hail events to 2.5
    inches in diameter likely
    Scattered damaging wind gusts to 70 mph likely
    A tornado or two possible

    SUMMARY…Thunderstorms coverage is expected to increase over the
    next few hours across southeast and east-central TX before then
    continuing downstream into northwest LA. Strong instability and
    moderate shear will support the potential for supercells. The
    primary severe hazard with these supercells will be large to very
    large hail (i.e. greater than 2″ in diameter). Strong wind gusts
    could occur as well. Given the potential for a supercell mode, a
    tornado or two is also possible.

    The severe thunderstorm watch area is approximately along and 40
    statute miles north and south of a line from 35 miles north
    northwest of College Station TX to 35 miles southeast of Shreveport
    LA. For a complete depiction of the watch see the associated watch
    outline update (WOUS64 KWNS WOU7).

    PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS…

    REMEMBER…A Severe Thunderstorm Watch means conditions are
    favorable for severe thunderstorms in and close to the watch area.
    Persons in these areas should be on the lookout for threatening
    weather conditions and listen for later statements and possible
    warnings. Severe thunderstorms can and occasionally do produce
    tornadoes.

    &&

    OTHER WATCH INFORMATION…CONTINUE…WW 70…WW 71…WW 72…WW
    74…WW 75…WW 76…

    AVIATION…A few severe thunderstorms with hail surface and aloft to
    2.5 inches. Extreme turbulence and surface wind gusts to 60 knots. A
    few cumulonimbi with maximum tops to 500. Mean storm motion vector
    24030.

    …Mosier

    SEL7

    URGENT – IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
    Severe Thunderstorm Watch Number 77
    NWS Storm Prediction Center Norman OK
    635 PM CDT Sun Mar 30 2025

    The NWS Storm Prediction Center has issued a

    * Severe Thunderstorm Watch for portions of
    Northwest Louisiana
    Southeast and East-Central Texas

    * Effective this Sunday night and Monday morning from 635 PM
    until 200 AM CDT.

    * Primary threats include…
    Scattered large hail and isolated very large hail events to 2.5
    inches in diameter likely
    Scattered damaging wind gusts to 70 mph likely
    A tornado or two possible

    SUMMARY…Thunderstorms coverage is expected to increase over the
    next few hours across southeast and east-central TX before then
    continuing downstream into northwest LA. Strong instability and
    moderate shear will support the potential for supercells. The
    primary severe hazard with these supercells will be large to very
    large hail (i.e. greater than 2″ in diameter). Strong wind gusts
    could occur as well. Given the potential for a supercell mode, a
    tornado or two is also possible.

    The severe thunderstorm watch area is approximately along and 40
    statute miles north and south of a line from 35 miles north
    northwest of College Station TX to 35 miles southeast of Shreveport
    LA. For a complete depiction of the watch see the associated watch
    outline update (WOUS64 KWNS WOU7).

    PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS…

    REMEMBER…A Severe Thunderstorm Watch means conditions are
    favorable for severe thunderstorms in and close to the watch area.
    Persons in these areas should be on the lookout for threatening
    weather conditions and listen for later statements and possible
    warnings. Severe thunderstorms can and occasionally do produce
    tornadoes.

    &&

    OTHER WATCH INFORMATION…CONTINUE…WW 70…WW 71…WW 72…WW
    74…WW 75…WW 76…

    AVIATION…A few severe thunderstorms with hail surface and aloft to
    2.5 inches. Extreme turbulence and surface wind gusts to 60 knots. A
    few cumulonimbi with maximum tops to 500. Mean storm motion vector
    24030.

    …Mosier

    Note: The Aviation Watch (SAW) product is an approximation to the watch area. The actual watch is depicted by the shaded areas.
    SAW7
    WW 77 SEVERE TSTM LA TX 302335Z – 310700Z
    AXIS..40 STATUTE MILES NORTH AND SOUTH OF LINE..
    35NNW CLL/COLLEGE STATION TX/ – 35SE SHV/SHREVEPORT LA/
    ..AVIATION COORDS.. 35NM N/S /50SE ACT – 46SSE EIC/
    HAIL SURFACE AND ALOFT..2.5 INCHES. WIND GUSTS..60 KNOTS.
    MAX TOPS TO 500. MEAN STORM MOTION VECTOR 24030.

    LAT…LON 31639660 32669341 31519341 30479660

    THIS IS AN APPROXIMATION TO THE WATCH AREA. FOR A
    COMPLETE DEPICTION OF THE WATCH SEE WOUS64 KWNS
    FOR WOU7.

    Watch 77 Status Report Message has not been issued yet.

    Note:  Click for Complete Product Text.Tornadoes

    Probability of 2 or more tornadoes

    Low (20%)

    Probability of 1 or more strong (EF2-EF5) tornadoes

    Low (5%)

    Wind

    Probability of 10 or more severe wind events

    Mod (60%)

    Probability of 1 or more wind events > 65 knots

    Low (20%)

    Hail

    Probability of 10 or more severe hail events

    Mod (60%)

    Probability of 1 or more hailstones > 2 inches

    Mod (60%)

    Combined Severe Hail/Wind

    Probability of 6 or more combined severe hail/wind events

    High (>95%)

    For each watch, probabilities for particular events inside the watch (listed above in each table) are determined by the issuing forecaster. The “Low” category contains probability values ranging from less than 2% to 20% (EF2-EF5 tornadoes), less than 5% to 20% (all other probabilities), “Moderate” from 30% to 60%, and “High” from 70% to greater than 95%. High values are bolded and lighter in color to provide awareness of an increased threat for a particular event.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: SPC Severe Thunderstorm Watch 75

    Source: US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

    Note:  The expiration time in the watch graphic is amended if the watch is replaced, cancelled or extended.Note: Click for Watch Status Reports.
    SEL5

    URGENT – IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
    Severe Thunderstorm Watch Number 75
    NWS Storm Prediction Center Norman OK
    510 PM EDT Sun Mar 30 2025

    The NWS Storm Prediction Center has issued a

    * Severe Thunderstorm Watch for portions of
    Southeast Lower Michigan
    Northwest Ohio
    Lake Erie
    Lake Huron

    * Effective this Sunday afternoon and evening from 510 PM until
    1000 PM EDT.

    * Primary threats include…
    Scattered damaging winds likely with isolated significant gusts
    to 75 mph possible
    Isolated large hail events to 1 inch in diameter possible
    A tornado or two possible

    SUMMARY…A well-developed squall line will move quickly
    northeastward from Indiana into Lower Michigan and northwest Ohio
    through this evening, with a continued threat for damaging winds of
    60-75 mph, isolated large hail near 1 inch diameter, and possibly a
    tornado or two with embedded circulations.

    The severe thunderstorm watch area is approximately along and 55
    statute miles east and west of a line from 25 miles northeast of
    Saginaw MI to 50 miles southwest of Findlay OH. For a complete
    depiction of the watch see the associated watch outline update
    (WOUS64 KWNS WOU5).

    PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS…

    REMEMBER…A Severe Thunderstorm Watch means conditions are
    favorable for severe thunderstorms in and close to the watch area.
    Persons in these areas should be on the lookout for threatening
    weather conditions and listen for later statements and possible
    warnings. Severe thunderstorms can and occasionally do produce
    tornadoes.

    &&

    OTHER WATCH INFORMATION…CONTINUE…WW 70…WW 71…WW 72…WW
    73…WW 74…

    AVIATION…A few severe thunderstorms with hail surface and aloft to
    1 inch. Extreme turbulence and surface wind gusts to 65 knots. A few
    cumulonimbi with maximum tops to 500. Mean storm motion vector
    23050.

    …Thompson

    SEL5

    URGENT – IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
    Severe Thunderstorm Watch Number 75
    NWS Storm Prediction Center Norman OK
    510 PM EDT Sun Mar 30 2025

    The NWS Storm Prediction Center has issued a

    * Severe Thunderstorm Watch for portions of
    Southeast Lower Michigan
    Northwest Ohio
    Lake Erie
    Lake Huron

    * Effective this Sunday afternoon and evening from 510 PM until
    1000 PM EDT.

    * Primary threats include…
    Scattered damaging winds likely with isolated significant gusts
    to 75 mph possible
    Isolated large hail events to 1 inch in diameter possible
    A tornado or two possible

    SUMMARY…A well-developed squall line will move quickly
    northeastward from Indiana into Lower Michigan and northwest Ohio
    through this evening, with a continued threat for damaging winds of
    60-75 mph, isolated large hail near 1 inch diameter, and possibly a
    tornado or two with embedded circulations.

    The severe thunderstorm watch area is approximately along and 55
    statute miles east and west of a line from 25 miles northeast of
    Saginaw MI to 50 miles southwest of Findlay OH. For a complete
    depiction of the watch see the associated watch outline update
    (WOUS64 KWNS WOU5).

    PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS…

    REMEMBER…A Severe Thunderstorm Watch means conditions are
    favorable for severe thunderstorms in and close to the watch area.
    Persons in these areas should be on the lookout for threatening
    weather conditions and listen for later statements and possible
    warnings. Severe thunderstorms can and occasionally do produce
    tornadoes.

    &&

    OTHER WATCH INFORMATION…CONTINUE…WW 70…WW 71…WW 72…WW
    73…WW 74…

    AVIATION…A few severe thunderstorms with hail surface and aloft to
    1 inch. Extreme turbulence and surface wind gusts to 65 knots. A few
    cumulonimbi with maximum tops to 500. Mean storm motion vector
    23050.

    …Thompson

    Note: The Aviation Watch (SAW) product is an approximation to the watch area. The actual watch is depicted by the shaded areas.
    SAW5
    WW 75 SEVERE TSTM MI OH LE LH 302110Z – 310200Z
    AXIS..55 STATUTE MILES EAST AND WEST OF LINE..
    25NE MBS/SAGINAW MI/ – 50SW FDY/FINDLAY OH/
    ..AVIATION COORDS.. 50NM E/W /22NE MBS – 19NW ROD/
    HAIL SURFACE AND ALOFT..1 INCH. WIND GUSTS..65 KNOTS.
    MAX TOPS TO 500. MEAN STORM MOTION VECTOR 23050.

    LAT…LON 43788262 40508330 40508539 43788483

    THIS IS AN APPROXIMATION TO THE WATCH AREA. FOR A
    COMPLETE DEPICTION OF THE WATCH SEE WOUS64 KWNS
    FOR WOU5.

    Watch 75 Status Report Message has not been issued yet.

    Note:  Click for Complete Product Text.Tornadoes

    Probability of 2 or more tornadoes

    Low (20%)

    Probability of 1 or more strong (EF2-EF5) tornadoes

    Low (5%)

    Wind

    Probability of 10 or more severe wind events

    High (70%)

    Probability of 1 or more wind events > 65 knots

    Mod (40%)

    Hail

    Probability of 10 or more severe hail events

    Mod (30%)

    Probability of 1 or more hailstones > 2 inches

    Low (10%)

    Combined Severe Hail/Wind

    Probability of 6 or more combined severe hail/wind events

    High (90%)

    For each watch, probabilities for particular events inside the watch (listed above in each table) are determined by the issuing forecaster. The “Low” category contains probability values ranging from less than 2% to 20% (EF2-EF5 tornadoes), less than 5% to 20% (all other probabilities), “Moderate” from 30% to 60%, and “High” from 70% to greater than 95%. High values are bolded and lighter in color to provide awareness of an increased threat for a particular event.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: SPC Severe Thunderstorm Watch 74

    Source: US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

    Note:  The expiration time in the watch graphic is amended if the watch is replaced, cancelled or extended.Note: Click for Watch Status Reports.
    SEL4

    URGENT – IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
    Severe Thunderstorm Watch Number 74
    NWS Storm Prediction Center Norman OK
    345 PM CDT Sun Mar 30 2025

    The NWS Storm Prediction Center has issued a

    * Severe Thunderstorm Watch for portions of
    Southwest Arkansas
    Far Southeast Oklahoma
    North into Northeast Texas

    * Effective this Sunday afternoon and evening from 345 PM until
    1000 PM CDT.

    * Primary threats include…
    Scattered large hail and isolated very large hail events to 3
    inches in diameter likely
    Scattered damaging wind gusts to 70 mph likely
    A tornado or two possible

    SUMMARY…Isolated to widely scattered thunderstorms are forecast to
    develop and rapidly intensify this afternoon and persist into the
    evening. Supercells capable of large to very large hail will be
    possible with the stronger storms.

    The severe thunderstorm watch area is approximately along and 60
    statute miles east and west of a line from 40 miles north northwest
    of Hot Springs AR to 40 miles west southwest of Corsicana TX. For a
    complete depiction of the watch see the associated watch outline
    update (WOUS64 KWNS WOU4).

    PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS…

    REMEMBER…A Severe Thunderstorm Watch means conditions are
    favorable for severe thunderstorms in and close to the watch area.
    Persons in these areas should be on the lookout for threatening
    weather conditions and listen for later statements and possible
    warnings. Severe thunderstorms can and occasionally do produce
    tornadoes.

    &&

    OTHER WATCH INFORMATION…CONTINUE…WW 70…WW 71…WW 72…WW
    73…

    AVIATION…A few severe thunderstorms with hail surface and aloft to
    3 inches. Extreme turbulence and surface wind gusts to 60 knots. A
    few cumulonimbi with maximum tops to 500. Mean storm motion vector
    27025.

    …Smith

    Note: The Aviation Watch (SAW) product is an approximation to the watch area. The actual watch is depicted by the shaded areas.
    SAW4
    WW 74 SEVERE TSTM AR OK TX 302045Z – 310300Z
    AXIS..60 STATUTE MILES EAST AND WEST OF LINE..
    40NNW HOT/HOT SPRINGS AR/ – 40WSW CRS/CORSICANA TX/
    ..AVIATION COORDS.. 50NM E/W /50ESE FSM – 15NE ACT/
    HAIL SURFACE AND ALOFT..3 INCHES. WIND GUSTS..60 KNOTS.
    MAX TOPS TO 500. MEAN STORM MOTION VECTOR 27025.

    LAT…LON 35009231 31809601 31809805 35009443

    THIS IS AN APPROXIMATION TO THE WATCH AREA. FOR A
    COMPLETE DEPICTION OF THE WATCH SEE WOUS64 KWNS
    FOR WOU4.

    Watch 74 Status Report Message has not been issued yet.

    Note:  Click for Complete Product Text.Tornadoes

    Probability of 2 or more tornadoes

    Low (20%)

    Probability of 1 or more strong (EF2-EF5) tornadoes

    Low (5%)

    Wind

    Probability of 10 or more severe wind events

    Mod (60%)

    Probability of 1 or more wind events > 65 knots

    Low (20%)

    Hail

    Probability of 10 or more severe hail events

    Mod (60%)

    Probability of 1 or more hailstones > 2 inches

    Mod (60%)

    Combined Severe Hail/Wind

    Probability of 6 or more combined severe hail/wind events

    High (>95%)

    For each watch, probabilities for particular events inside the watch (listed above in each table) are determined by the issuing forecaster. The “Low” category contains probability values ranging from less than 2% to 20% (EF2-EF5 tornadoes), less than 5% to 20% (all other probabilities), “Moderate” from 30% to 60%, and “High” from 70% to greater than 95%. High values are bolded and lighter in color to provide awareness of an increased threat for a particular event.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: SPC Severe Thunderstorm Watch 73

    Source: US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

    Note:  The expiration time in the watch graphic is amended if the watch is replaced, cancelled or extended.Note: Click for Watch Status Reports.
    SEL3

    URGENT – IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
    Severe Thunderstorm Watch Number 73
    NWS Storm Prediction Center Norman OK
    415 PM EDT Sun Mar 30 2025

    The NWS Storm Prediction Center has issued a

    * Severe Thunderstorm Watch for portions of
    Southwest Lower Michigan
    Lake Michigan

    * Effective this Sunday afternoon and evening from 415 PM until
    900 PM EDT.

    * Primary threats include…
    Scattered damaging winds likely with isolated significant gusts
    to 75 mph possible
    Scattered large hail events to 1 inch in diameter possible
    A tornado or two possible

    SUMMARY…A well-developed squall line with bowing segments will
    move quickly northeastward from Indiana into southwest Lower
    Michigan through the afternoon/evening. Swaths of damaging winds
    (60-75 mph) are likely with this squall line, along with the
    potential for isolated large hail and a tornado or two with embedded
    circulations.

    The severe thunderstorm watch area is approximately along and 60
    statute miles east and west of a line from 40 miles north of Grand
    Rapids MI to 10 miles southwest of Kalamazoo MI. For a complete
    depiction of the watch see the associated watch outline update
    (WOUS64 KWNS WOU3).

    PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS…

    REMEMBER…A Severe Thunderstorm Watch means conditions are
    favorable for severe thunderstorms in and close to the watch area.
    Persons in these areas should be on the lookout for threatening
    weather conditions and listen for later statements and possible
    warnings. Severe thunderstorms can and occasionally do produce
    tornadoes.

    &&

    OTHER WATCH INFORMATION…CONTINUE…WW 70…WW 71…WW 72…

    AVIATION…A few severe thunderstorms with hail surface and aloft to
    1 inch. Extreme turbulence and surface wind gusts to 65 knots. A few
    cumulonimbi with maximum tops to 500. Mean storm motion vector
    23050.

    …Thompson

    SEL3

    URGENT – IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
    Severe Thunderstorm Watch Number 73
    NWS Storm Prediction Center Norman OK
    415 PM EDT Sun Mar 30 2025

    The NWS Storm Prediction Center has issued a

    * Severe Thunderstorm Watch for portions of
    Southwest Lower Michigan
    Lake Michigan

    * Effective this Sunday afternoon and evening from 415 PM until
    900 PM EDT.

    * Primary threats include…
    Scattered damaging winds likely with isolated significant gusts
    to 75 mph possible
    Scattered large hail events to 1 inch in diameter possible
    A tornado or two possible

    SUMMARY…A well-developed squall line with bowing segments will
    move quickly northeastward from Indiana into southwest Lower
    Michigan through the afternoon/evening. Swaths of damaging winds
    (60-75 mph) are likely with this squall line, along with the
    potential for isolated large hail and a tornado or two with embedded
    circulations.

    The severe thunderstorm watch area is approximately along and 60
    statute miles east and west of a line from 40 miles north of Grand
    Rapids MI to 10 miles southwest of Kalamazoo MI. For a complete
    depiction of the watch see the associated watch outline update
    (WOUS64 KWNS WOU3).

    PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS…

    REMEMBER…A Severe Thunderstorm Watch means conditions are
    favorable for severe thunderstorms in and close to the watch area.
    Persons in these areas should be on the lookout for threatening
    weather conditions and listen for later statements and possible
    warnings. Severe thunderstorms can and occasionally do produce
    tornadoes.

    &&

    OTHER WATCH INFORMATION…CONTINUE…WW 70…WW 71…WW 72…

    AVIATION…A few severe thunderstorms with hail surface and aloft to
    1 inch. Extreme turbulence and surface wind gusts to 65 knots. A few
    cumulonimbi with maximum tops to 500. Mean storm motion vector
    23050.

    …Thompson

    Note: The Aviation Watch (SAW) product is an approximation to the watch area. The actual watch is depicted by the shaded areas.
    SAW3
    WW 73 SEVERE TSTM MI LM 302015Z – 310100Z
    AXIS..60 STATUTE MILES EAST AND WEST OF LINE..
    40N GRR/GRAND RAPIDS MI/ – 10SW AZO/KALAMAZOO MI/
    ..AVIATION COORDS.. 50NM E/W /29NE MKG – 28SE PMM/
    HAIL SURFACE AND ALOFT..1 INCH. WIND GUSTS..65 KNOTS.
    MAX TOPS TO 500. MEAN STORM MOTION VECTOR 23050.

    LAT…LON 43458432 42128452 42128686 43458672

    THIS IS AN APPROXIMATION TO THE WATCH AREA. FOR A
    COMPLETE DEPICTION OF THE WATCH SEE WOUS64 KWNS
    FOR WOU3.

    Watch 73 Status Report Message has not been issued yet.

    Note:  Click for Complete Product Text.Tornadoes

    Probability of 2 or more tornadoes

    Low (20%)

    Probability of 1 or more strong (EF2-EF5) tornadoes

    Low (5%)

    Wind

    Probability of 10 or more severe wind events

    High (70%)

    Probability of 1 or more wind events > 65 knots

    Mod (40%)

    Hail

    Probability of 10 or more severe hail events

    Mod (40%)

    Probability of 1 or more hailstones > 2 inches

    Low (20%)

    Combined Severe Hail/Wind

    Probability of 6 or more combined severe hail/wind events

    High (90%)

    For each watch, probabilities for particular events inside the watch (listed above in each table) are determined by the issuing forecaster. The “Low” category contains probability values ranging from less than 2% to 20% (EF2-EF5 tornadoes), less than 5% to 20% (all other probabilities), “Moderate” from 30% to 60%, and “High” from 70% to greater than 95%. High values are bolded and lighter in color to provide awareness of an increased threat for a particular event.

    MIL OSI USA News –