NewzIntel.com

Category: Politics

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: South China Sea conference 2024: speech by UK Minister for the Indo-Pacific

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    Minister Catherine West gave a keynote speech to the South China Sea conference in Ha Long, Vietnam.

    Location:
    Ha Long, Vietnam
    Delivered on:
    (Transcript of the speech, exactly as it was delivered)

    Good morning everybody, and it’s lovely to be here on such a perfect morning with those beautiful mountains and sea in front of us.

    As we’ve heard from Dr Dung and Vice Minister Viet, thank you to our local government partners who’ve put on such a beautiful event for us. And thank you to our Indonesian collaborator who spoke first, it was so good to hear from him.

    In the UK we have a relatively new government, elected in July this year…

    … and many people have asked me as the new Minister for the Indo-Pacific, “how do we know that the UK is committed to the Indo-Pacific?”.

    After three weeks my boss, David Lammy, who is the Foreign Secretary, visited Vientiane as part of the ASEAN discussions and this is my third country in the region to visit since July.

    So we know that working together with European partners and with others in the region, we can be allies with all of the partners in ASEAN and we can join together to have a very good discussion about peace and security.

    On Monday, I will go to Manila for the Women, Peace and Security conference, which will I think create a really deep understanding for myself as a new Minister as to the challenges in the region. And also the importance of promoting women’s leadership around this area of partnerships, rooted in respect and mutual trust. 

    Positioning the UK as a long-term reliable partner of the Indo-Pacific, underpinned by a shared respect for ASEAN leadership and centrality. And after that conference I will return to the UK, bringing back news of the conference and your thoughts.

    Because we know that after nearly 25 years of the landmark UN Security Council Resolution 1325,… 

    …in which the UK played a leading role,… 

    …I will underline that our commitment to advancing participation in conflict prevention, reduction and resolution is unwavering, both in ASEAN but also globally.  

    And it is in the same spirit that I join you here today, to set out the UK’s support for collective efforts to maintain regional security and uphold international law.

    Global Maritime Security  

    Let me begin by stating unambiguously that the UK wants a free and open Indo-Pacific.  

    Because put simply, our collective global prosperity hinges on keeping the vital sea-lanes in the South China Sea open. Or the East Sea, as I believe in Vietnam you call it.

    Our shared security interests also demand that we stand-up for principles of sovereignty and territorial integrity… 

    …through the international legal framework that protects these principles,… 

    …for example, the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea – or UNCLOS as we call it.    

    But it’s not just the Indo-Pacific.   

    Undermining international law in any situation, in any context… 

    … has the potential to corrode the wider system of global governance that protects security and prosperity. 

    Take for example the sustainable development goals.  

    We can hardly hope to achieve those goals without peace and security spurring on economic growth.  

    And all of that relies heavily on having stable seas where the rule of law is upheld.  

    And this year we’ve seen a serious and sustained series of incidents,… 

    …representing one of the sharpest spikes in tensions over recent years.  

    The use of water cannons, blocking, and ramming manoeuvres have interfered… 

    …with Philippine rights and freedom of navigation.  

    These actions, and the responses they may incite, raise the risk of serious miscalculation… 

    …as well as posing a direct threat to international law. 

    And last month Chinese law enforcement attacked Vietnamese fishermen, leaving them seriously injured.  

    The grave risk of instability and escalation that these incidents pose is a significant concern for the international community. 

    Not just because of the impact it could have on global prosperity and security, but also on livelihoods and local biodiversity.   

    That is why the UK has and will continue to protest any action which threatens peace and stability… 

    …or seeks to undermine the primacy of UNCLOS.  

    Keeping the South China Sea safe is our priority. 

    And the only way we can achieve that is by working together with partners including those represented here today.  

    Climate and nature security 

    Now another crucial element to our security and prosperity is climate and nature.

    After this session I will be going to visit some of the areas affected by Typhoon Yagi, to understand more deeply how the Red Cross is working to mitigate those terrible floods and hear from local people as to how they’re managing about those floods.

    We were among the first countries to sign the Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction Agreement… 

    …and we remain focussed on its ratification.   

    Home to over a third of world’s coral reefs – this region is critical… 

    …to halting and reversing the loss of the natural ecosystem. 

    Rising sea levels risk leading to worsening maritime disputes. 

    And we cannot tackle the various risks unless we understand them well.  

    So the UK is using its expertise to help.  

    For example, the UK Met Office is studying how changes in sea surface temperature affect migratory fish and coastal ecosystems,… 

    …playing a role not just on food security but also on addressing the poor environmental impact of rising temperatures.

    Back home, we have also set a landmark goal – to be the first major economy to deliver clean energy power by 2030.  

    But acting alone is not a solution.  

    That is why we want to work with you and partners across the world to accelerate the clean energy transition. 

    So we are boosting progress by building on existing programmes. 

    Such as the Just Energy Transition Partnerships – JETP – in Indonesia and Vietnam,… 

    …supporting innovative clean energy… 

    …and the expansion of grids and storage. 

    Growth and Technology 

    Technology also plays a key role… 

    …and is something the UK is keen to harness to help solve global challenges.  

    Modern maritime ecosystems is becoming increasingly interconnected and digital in its nature.  

    And more and more sophisticated technology supports improved port operations across the globe,… 

    …the development of Autonomous Surface Ships will reduce the number of seafarers needed to operate a vessel. 

    We know how essential undersea telecoms cables are.  

    And they will only grow in importance with the use of AI becoming more widespread.  

    That is why the UK is working transparently with partners to develop inclusive global norms and standards… 

    …for the responsible and ethical use of technology and AI, including in maritime contexts. 

    Working together 

    Finally, we know that we live in a rapidly changing world where the more closely we work, the stronger we are.   

    Next year, the UK will hold its third Regional Maritime Security Symposium in Southeast Asia to discuss collaboration on a range of maritime issues. 

    It’s so encouraging to be here today and to work with Asia-Pacific partners, and as I speak, HMS Spey and HMS Tamar, our two Offshore Patrol Vessels, continue their operations in the Indo-Pacific,… 

    …exercising with partners,… 

    …responding to humanitarian disasters,… 

    …and tackling maritime challenges.

    Thank you so much for the opportunity to speak today, and I look forward to questions afterwards.

    Thank you.

    Updates to this page

    Published 23 October 2024

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Meet Hedwige Lauwaert, who supported NATO’s media relations for more than 25 years

    Source: NATO

    During her long career at NATO, Hedwige Lauwaert served as the principal assistant to four NATO Spokespersons. In this behind-the-scenes role, she helped the Alliance communicate with thousands of international journalists – and witnessed turning points in NATO history, such as the accession of the first countries from the former Eastern Bloc in 1999, NATO’s operation Allied Force conducted in March 1999 to halt the humanitarian catastrophe that was then unfolding in Kosovo, and the invocation of Article 5 after the 9/11 terrorist attacks against the United States.

    The journey to NATO’s press office

    Hedwige was born in the Belgian city of Ninove in 1950, just a year after Belgium became a founding member of NATO. She studied modern languages and worked for 12 years in the private sector, for air transportation and engineering companies, before applying for a job at NATO Headquarters in Brussels.

    Hedwige’s journey at NATO started in 1984, when she joined the International Military Staff at the Allied Long Lines Agency (ALLA). ALLA’s mission was to ensure telecommunication services in times of conflict and peace, and to provide support to NATO and the Allies in commercial procurement.

    After one year of working in ALLA, Hedwige transferred to a new role in NATO’s Office of Information and Press, where she was part of the team in charge of organising visits to NATO Headquarters and offering group briefings to students, opinion makers, government officials and academics in English, French and Dutch. Additionally, she assisted the Dutch Liaison Officer in organising visits and conferences for groups from the Netherlands.

    “When I worked in the Visits Section, I realised how important communication was for NATO’s image. It was a difficult time for the Alliance because of the protests against the storage of cruise missiles on European military bases in the 1980s and nuclear activism demonstrations, so when I was offered the position of personal assistant to soon-to-be Spokesperson Jamie Shea at the Press Office, I accepted it immediately.”

    Working with the NATO Spokespersons

    From 1995 to 2011, Hedwige served as the principal assistant to the NATO Spokesperson, working with Jamie Shea, Yves Brodeur, James Appathurai and Oana Lungescu. Hedwige’s main role was to organise interviews for the Spokesperson, the NATO Secretary General and other NATO officials with journalists and media outlets from all over the world, and to accompany the Spokesperson to NATO summits and ministerial meetings abroad.

    During her sixteen years working for the NATO Spokesperson, Hedwige witnessed key episodes in the Alliance’s history. One particularly challenging moment was the Kosovo crisis in 1999. The pace of work was relentless, with daily press conferences, non-stop calls, long working hours and a considerable amount of stress as Spokesperson Jamie Shea explained NATO’s intervention over a 78-day air campaign to halt the humanitarian catastrophe.

    “The Kosovo crisis was probably the most intense period of my career at NATO. Every day felt like a summit day. At the time, our offices were located in the entrance hall of the press building, and journalists would constantly approach us until a Media Operations Centre was created in the secure zone.”

    Another key event of 1999 was NATO’s 50th anniversary summit in Washington, D.C. – where the North Atlantic Treaty had been signed in 1949.

    “I remember this meeting as being quite historical, because the Heads of State and Government of the new NATO members – Czechia, Hungary and Poland – were participating in their first NATO summit meeting,” Hedwige recalls. “This was also the time when I first visited the CNN studios, where I met my media contact for many years to come.”

    The 9/11 terrorist attacks

    The 9/11 terrorist attacks were a turning point in NATO’s history. Hedwige remembers the moment she learned about the collapse of the World Trade Center in New York City and the never-ending night when the crisis team scrambled to understand what had happened, with no sustenance other than leftover birthday cake.

    “Then-Spokesperson Yves Brodeur had just briefed a group of Finnish journalists when he returned to the office and told me to turn on the TV to see the images of the plane impact. Essential staff were required to stay working that night while all catering facilities were closed on the premises. It also happened to be the birthday of Jamie Shea, at the time the Director of Information and Press, and his cake was the only thing to eat all evening and night, and it had to be shared with approximately 20 people.”

    Over the following days and weeks, Hedwige supported the Spokesperson and the Secretary General as they communicated NATO’s response to the world – including the invocation of Article 5 for the first time in NATO’s history.

    During her time as contact point for international journalists, Hedwige learned about some of the professional difficulties they faced, particularly when it came to covering NATO’s meetings abroad. For this reason, on the occasion of the Foreign Ministers’ Meeting in Reykjavik in May 2002, Hedwige established a partnership with the Belgian Ministry of Defence that allowed her to use one of their planes as a means of transportation for journalists to such events. Hedwige’s creativity and innovation were commended by Secretary General Lord Robertson with NATO’s Award of Excellence, a recognition dedicated to honouring the professionalism of hard-working NATO staff members.

    Life after NATO

    Hedwige retired from NATO in 2011 and currently lives in Provence, France. She has become a keen gardener and helps to organise visits to the gardens in the region for the organisation ‘Mediterranean Gardening France’.

    Hedwige Lauwaert’s message for the Alliance’s 75th anniversary

    “It is probably a cliché, but I hope that NATO will be around for another 75 years, and longer, to make sure that future generations will live in peace.

    There have always been difficult periods in NATO’s history, and frequently its relevance was put into question, but in the current hostile world, NATO is the only guarantee to stability and hopefully peace.”

    This article is part of the 75th anniversary #WeAreNATO series.

    These interviews feature former NATO staff members who share their personal stories and first-hand experiences related to the Alliance’s key moments and historic turning points, such as the Cold War and 1989, the first out-of-area missions, partnerships, 9/11 and more.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI NGOs: Cuba: Amnesty declares four new prisoners of conscience in midst of new wave of state repression

    Source: Amnesty International –

    Widespread state repression has been enforced since the July 2021 protests, but a renewed effort to suppress dissent began this September

    Félix Navarro, Dama de Blanco Sayli Navarro, Roberto Pérez Fonseca and Luis Robles have been named as prisoners of conscience

    ‘This is a recognition of the courage and resistance of the people of Cuba who … fighting for their rights and the rights of all people’ – Ana Piquer

    Amnesty International has declared political dissident Félix Navarro, independent journalist Dama de Blanco Sayli Navarro, 11J protester Roberto Pérez Fonseca and activist Luis Robles as prisoners of conscience.

    These designations come in the context of renewed repression by the Cuban authorities against activists, human rights defenders, journalists, intellectuals and independent media in the last weeks of September. This includes an alarming increase in ill-treatment, harassment, arbitrary detentions, new threats of criminalisation, denial of prison benefits and worrying reports of deterioration in the health and physical integrity of detainees.

    Ana Piquer, Director of the Americas at Amnesty International, said:

    “These designations are a recognition of the dozens of people who remain in prison in Cuba for peacefully exercising their rights, and of all those who live under constant surveillance, harassment and the threat of criminalisation. This is a recognition of the courage and resistance of the people of Cuba who are standing up to constant and generalised repression and fighting for their rights and the rights of all people.

    “Following the widespread state repression unleashed by the July 2021 protests, and with many activists, political opponents and dissidents unjustly imprisoned, the Cuban state seems intent on eradicating any capacity for resistance within Cuban society, which now extends to projects, spaces and activism not linked to traditional political opposition or dissidence.

    “It is imperative that the international community show solidarity and demand the immediate release of those imprisoned for exercising their rights, and an end to the repression and harassment of dissidents in Cuba.”

    Prisoners of conscience

    • Félix Navarro is a 71-year-old political dissident and founder of the “Pedro Luis Boitel” Party for Democracy. For over 30 years, he has been the coordinator of the Patriotic Union of Cuba and has been associated with the Cuba Decides platform and the Council for the Democratic Transition in Cuba. Félix is currently serving his third prison sentence for political reasons. He was imprisoned in 1992 on charges of “enemy propaganda” for putting up “anti-revolution” posters in his hometown. In 2003, he was sentenced to 25 years in prison in the criminal proceedings following the crackdown known as the “Black Spring”, along with 75 other dissidents, journalists and activists. In this context, he was declared a prisoner of conscience by Amnesty. He was released on extra-penal leave on 23 March 2011, together with fellow prisoner of conscience José Daniel Ferrer, as the last of the group of 75 to be freed after previously refusing to be released in exchange for exile.
    • Sayli Navarro, Félix Navarro’s daughter, is a 38-year-old activist and co-founder of the Damas de Blanco (Ladies in White), a group of mothers, wives and daughters of the group of 75 people arrested during the “Black Spring”. Sayli has lived with the consequences of the state repression exercised against her father since she was a child. She was expelled from university in 2010 because of her “counter-revolutionary links”, and has been arbitrarily detained, subjected to interrogation and threatened on a number of occasions by state security agents and police authorities.  

    Félix and Sayli Navarro were sentenced in March 2022 to 9 and 8 years in prison respectively for events related to the protests of July 2021. Both were violently arrested on 12 July at their local police station in the town of Perico, Matanzas province, when they went to enquire about the situation of members of their movement who had been arrested during the protests the day before.  

    • Luis Robles, 32, was sentenced to four years and six months in prison in March 2022 on charges of enemy propaganda and disobedience for peacefully protesting on a pedestrian street in central Havana in December 2020. Luis was holding up a sign that read “Freedom”, “No+Repression” and “#Free-Denis” while walking in circles as dozens of people began to film him. Luis held up the sign for several minutes until the police approached him, took the sign from him and arrested him, with Luis putting up no resistance. This happened a few days after the San Isidro Movement staged a lockdown and hunger strike to demand the release of rapper Denis Solís. Luis wanted to express his solidarity with the rapper and the San Isidro Movement.
    • Roberto Pérez Fonseca, 41, was sentenced in October 2021 to 10 years imprisonment for his participation in the protests of July 2021. Roberto was charged with the offences of contempt, assault, public disorder and incitement to commit a crime, all of which are typically used by the Cuban authorities against those who exercise their right to freedom of peaceful assembly and association. The United Nations Working Group on Arbitrary Detention found Roberto’s detention to be arbitrary and motivated by the peaceful exercise of his right to freedom of assembly and association, as well as to freedom of opinion and expression. It also found that Roberto’s right to a fair and impartial trial had been violated.

    Climate of repression

    Independent media organisations El Toque, Periodismo de Barrio and Cubanet have claimed in editorials and on social media that their contributors have received threats of criminalisation from the authorities in recent weeks. According to these reports, contributors have repeatedly been summoned by police and state security agents and informed of possible criminal prosecution for “mercenarism”. In addition, activists and independent media contributors reported on their social networks that they had received arbitrary summonses followed by interrogations by the authorities and state security agents about their journalistic work and their links to certain individuals or media outlets considered to be “counter-revolutionary”.

    Amnesty has had access to the testimonies of at least 20 activists who have reported being threatened with imprisonment, forced to record themselves and sign declarations of self-incrimination, and deprived of their mobile phones and computers. Similarly, Cuban human rights organisations reported that at least three independent media contributors were forced to write public resignations on their social networks, expressing their intention not to work with independent media.

    On 16 September, cultural magazine PM Magazine announced that it was closing down permanently due to increasing pressure and harassment against its director by state security agents.

    Ana Piquer said:

    “This climate of constant fear and intimidation adds to our concern at the continuing reports of the deteriorating health and ill-treatment of prisoners of conscience Loreto Hernández, Pedro Albert and José Daniel Ferrer, and the increasing and systematic harassment of journalist Carlos Michael Morales, and Damas de Blanco leader Berta Soler.”

    Amnesty calls for the immediate and unconditional release of prisoners of conscience, and of all those unjustly imprisoned solely for exercising their human rights. The organisation also calls on the government of Miguel Díaz-Canel to respect human rights, including the right to freedom of expression, association and peaceful assembly, to repeal repressive legislation, and to end the repression of dissidents.

    In order to determine whether a person is a prisoner of conscience, Amnesty uses the information available to it regarding the circumstances leading to their detention. By designating a particular person as a prisoner of conscience, Amnesty is affirming that this person must be immediately and unconditionally released but is not endorsing their past or present views or conduct.

    MIL OSI NGO –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Flock is a refreshing play about the complex reality of growing up in care

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Eva A Sprecher, Research Fellow in Clinical, Education and Health Psychology, UCL

    Flock follows Robbie (Jamie Ankrah) and his older sister Cel (Gabriella Leonardi).
     Playing On, CC BY

    There are over 100,000 children and young people living in care in the UK, either with foster carers, in residential children’s homes or in other settings. Flock, currently playing at the Soho Theatre in London before embarking on a UK tour, follows the lives of two young people who have spent time in care, Robbie (Jamie Ankrah) and his older sister Cel (Gabriella Leonardi).

    The play was written by Lin Coughlan and directed by Jim Pope after three years of development with Raising the Roof, a project working with young people aged 16-25 who have lived in care, to develop fictional narratives informed by their own lives.

    The voices of young people who have lived in care give this play its beating heart. And they’re also vitally important for authentic representation of first-hand care-stories that are notably missing in mainstream media.

    Historically, characters who have grown up in the care system tend to be represented as villains or criminals in popular culture. Think Paul Spector in The Fall, or Loki from the Marvel universe. Exceptions can be found in many heroes in the Marvel comics created by Stan Lee, like Spider-Man or Daredevil.

    Researchers who have first-hand experience of the care system have commented on the prevalence of stigmatising narratives around “damage” and negative stereotypes associated with experience of care, alongside idealised “happy-ever-after” foundling stories.

    Important work is being done to archive the work of creators with experience of the care system and to capture a variety of care stories. However, nuanced work taking into account the complexity of going through the care system is rare and public attitudes reflect harmful misconceptions about young people living in care.

    Trailer for the touring production of Flock.

    In England, it’s estimated that at least one in three children who enter care are separated from their siblings. In Flock, Robbie is desperately waiting for his 18th birthday, when he hopes he will be able to live reunited with his sister Cel.

    While Robbie and Cel are not living together, they find ways to connect – taking trips to McDonalds or going bowling. Maintaining connections with siblings, while sometimes complex, can make a big difference to supporting the sense of belonging, mental health and wellbeing experienced by young people in care.

    Cel is one of the only people who shares Robbie’s memories of his nan and their valued moments with her before coming into care. There is evidence that sibling separation has a long-lasting impact for adults with experience of care, associated with complicated feelings of loss. However, when planning for young people’s living arrangements, sibling reunification or connection is not always prioritised.

    Young carers and their siblings

    Sibling reunification is not always easy. While Cel loves Robbie, she often feels more like his parent, and the responsibility of supporting him to manage his emotions while she is still a child weighs heavily on her. Cel might be described as a young carer, taking on daily tasks and personal care for her sibling when adults were not able to do so.

    While young carers who have spent time caring for a sibling do often express feeling more resourceful, greater responsibility and prioritising their sibling’s needs can impact their own wellbeing. Cel dreams of going to university and the freedom of leaving her responsibility as an older sister, even as she loves Robbie and wants the best for him.

    Cel is not the only person that Robbie can rely on. He also has a strong connection with his best friend Miko (Deshaye Gayle) and somewhat reluctantly meets with his personal advisor, Mrs Bosely (Jennifer Daley). As Robbie’s relationship with Cel comes under threat, these connections become especially important.

    Coming into care can cause disruption to more than sibling relationships. Children often lose touch with family, friends and communities and often move school and neighbourhood. Most young people living in care, like Robbie, have had difficult and possibly traumatic early experiences before, during and after moving into care.

    After difficult early experiences, some young people may experience changes to their brain and behaviour that allows them to survive loss, neglect or abuse. These adaptations may look like an increased alertness to danger or an unwillingness to trust others.

    While these changes may help children stay safe when living in unsafe circumstances, they might also make it harder to maintain close relationships. This negative impact of these understandable adaptations on relationships is called “social thinning”. At moments, Robbie’s mistrust is clear – when he fears that Miko is only his friend out of pity or when he finds it hard to accept any support Bosely offers him. However, we also see that the consistent, warm and understanding support of Miko and Bosely helps Robbie to stay connected in his lowest moments.

    This play represents both the very difficult experiences of young people living in care, alongside real moments of joy, strength, hope and connection. Flock provides a refreshing and much-needed story of the complex reality of the lives of young people living in care in the UK, putting real voices at its centre.

    Flock is on at the Soho Theatre, London until November 2, when it embarks on a UK tour.


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

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

    – ref. Flock is a refreshing play about the complex reality of growing up in care – https://theconversation.com/flock-is-a-refreshing-play-about-the-complex-reality-of-growing-up-in-care-241620

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Why Trump’s messaging is becoming more extreme, a mathematician explains

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Dorje C. Brody, Professor of Mathematics, University of Surrey

    “Talk about extreme.” That was the response of Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris at September’s televised debate, after her rival, Donald Trump, made the baseless claim that migrants had been eating the dogs and cats of their neighbours in Springfield, Ohio.

    Despite mounting criticism, Trump doubled down on the accusation. Likewise, during the more recent vice-presidential debate, Trump’s running mate, JD Vance, falsely claimed that the migrants in Springfield are illegal.

    The arrival of hurricanes Milton and Helene then gave them more opportunities to disseminate disinformation. Trump’s team attacked the government over its response to the disaster, claiming that government money earmarked for disaster victims has been spent on migrants who crossed illegally into the US.

    “Kamala spent all her Fema [Federal Emergency Management Agency] money – billions of dollars – on housing for illegal migrants”, Trump said at a rally in Michigan. This point was also repeated by Vance in an opinion piece on October 8 in the Wall Street Journal.

    The claim is false. But does it make sense for Trump’s team to spread such extreme disinformation? Mathematical analysis suggests it can.

    The positions of the candidates on the various issues, such as migration, can be represented on the political spectrum from the left to the right. It is fair to say that Trump places himself at the right end of the spectrum, while Harris sits at the centre.

    If you are at the far end of the spectrum, left or right, then you want to move people as far in your direction as possible. So, given that these days, in the US at least, there appear to be no consequences for disseminating disinformation, you want your messages to be extreme.

    By consistently hyping up the dangers of migrants, for example, more voters will start feeling that something needs to be done, even if they have never encountered an issue themselves.

    Indeed, mathematical models show that the probability of a candidate positioned at the end of the spectrum winning an election can, at least theoretically, reach 100%, if the messages are nothing but extreme. The same does not apply to a candidate positioned in the middle.

    We have seen this effect manifesting itself in the recent elections in Germany and France. Unless the public already has a strong appetite for the centre ground, which was the case for July’s general election in the UK, positions at the centre are often precarious.

    The path to victory for Harris therefore remains steep. But there are means for an effective counteroffensive.

    Clear communication

    Political messages have two purposes: communicating where the candidate stands on the various issues, and making the voters feel that those positions are desirable. We can apply the mathematics of communication, which explains our cognitive response to digesting information, to infer the impact of political messages.

    In particular, we can study how different messages on a given issue combine and interact. This, of course, only concerns voters who consume a variety of information sources, as opposed to those confined to an information echo chamber.

    For those who consume both Democratic and Republican messages, the effect of combining them can be subtle. But, in many cases, they combine in an additive way with some weights on each message.

    You can think of it as a weighted average of the two information sources. For example, if Harris says one thing and Trump says something opposite on a particular issue, then the net effect is each message muting the other slightly.

    So, if Trump says the illegal Haitian migrants in Springfield are eating people’s pets, and Harris says the migrants are there legally and are not eating anyone’s pets, then people might come to the conclusion that, while there may be illegal Haitian migrants in Springfield, they may not be eating pets.

    However, in some cases, one of the weights can take a negative value. This means that rather than adding them, the receiver of the two messages will subtract them. When this happens, the effect of that message is unexpectedly reversed.

    For example, when clear and convincing evidence of the legal status of the migrants in Springfield is presented, the prevailing noise about their pet-eating habits will, in anything, strengthen people’s belief that the claim is false.

    This can happen when the message from Harris is sufficiently loud and clear. Importantly, this does not mean Harris should loudly deny the disinformation. Provided that Harris sticks to her own messages in a clear and transparent manner, the mathematics of communication predicts that disinformation can turn itself against its spreader, for the following reasons.

    The idea, roughly speaking, goes as follows. Suppose that a recipient of the messages is unaware of the prevalence of disinformation, and that there is a considerable gap between the unsubstantiated disinformation and reliable information, with the latter being communicated very clearly.

    In this situation, communication theory shows that the receiver will dismiss disinformation more strongly than someone who is aware of the prevalence of disinformation.

    It is reminiscent of the Japanese martial art judo where the ultimate aim is to use your opponent’s momentum, rather than your own force.

    Disinformation should be challenged. And, indeed, both Harris and her predecessor Joe Biden have come out to condemn Trump’s “onslaught of lies” in relation to the two hurricanes.

    But merely focusing on challenging disinformation is counterproductive. What is more important is for their own message to be communicated loud and clear.

    No crystal ball can tell us whether the Democrats will retain the White House in November. But simply repeating the point that Trump is a threat to democracy, as Biden was prone to do, will not cut it.

    Dorje C. Brody has received funding from UKRI.

    – ref. Why Trump’s messaging is becoming more extreme, a mathematician explains – https://theconversation.com/why-trumps-messaging-is-becoming-more-extreme-a-mathematician-explains-239421

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Scottish Greens call for introduction of ‘mansion tax’ in Scottish budget

    Source: Scottish Greens

    23 Oct 2024 Economy

    Scottish Greens are calling for a range of revenue-increasing levies such as ‘mansion tax’ to protect people and planet from budget cuts.

    More in Economy

    The introduction of a ‘mansion tax’ on the sale of the most expensive homes is one of a number of property tax changes proposed by the Scottish Greens, with the money raised being used to protect public services from further cuts.

    Scottish Greens finance spokesperson Ross Greer has called for the Scottish Government to use the upcoming budget to introduce a new band of Land and Buildings Transaction Tax, set at 15% for the purchase of homes costing over £1 million.

    Currently, the top rate of Land and Buildings Transaction Tax for residential properties is 12% on £750,000 and above. The Scottish Greens are proposing a new 12% rate starting at £650,000 and a 15% rate from £1 million.

    Mr Greer said: “14 years of Tory cuts have left Scotland’s budget in a dire state. Sadly, the new Labour government shows every sign of going further and deeper with their own cuts to public services. We must use every tool available to us here in Scotland to protect people and planet from the damage these budget cuts would do.

    “A mansion tax on the biggest and most luxurious houses is one of many ways we can raise more money to support services like the NHS while only impacting the very wealthiest people.

    “There is more than enough wealth in Scotland to end child poverty tomorrow, but far too much of it is in the hands of a very small number of extremely rich people and big companies. The powers needed to tax them fairly mostly sit at Westminster rather than Holyrood, but we can use tools like Scottish property taxes to make sure the richest people in society pay a bit more when they are buying a new house.

    “A mansion tax could be introduced by the SNP now. It would raise crucial funds we could use to tackle child poverty and the climate emergency.”

    Mr Greer added: “The Scottish Greens have already delivered an income tax system for Scotland which raises £1.5 billion more every year for public services like our schools. If we want to protect these services though, we need to go further. That’s why we are proposing a range of options to the SNP. 

    “If they want Green votes to pass the government’s budget, they know that the price of our support is more funding to tackle child poverty and the climate crisis. We are being clear about where that money could be raised from.”

    In 2023, the Scottish Greens delivered new powers to double Council Tax on second homes and increased the Additional Dwelling Supplement, which is paid by those purchasing a property which is not their primary home, such as “buy to let” landlords and those buying second homes. The purpose of these changes was to raise additional funds and to discourage the purchase of holiday homes in areas where they are causing acute housing shortages.

    The Party also introduced the Housing Bill which is currently working its way through Parliament. If passed, this would provide permanent rent controls and protections for tenants.

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Donanemab licensed for early stages of Alzheimer’s disease in adult patients who have one or no copies of apolipoprotein E4 gene

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) has today, 23 October 2024, approved a licence for the medicine donanemab (Kisunla) for use in the early stages of Alzheimer’s disease, following a thorough review of the benefits and risks.

    Donanemab works by removing a sticky protein called beta-amyloid from the brain that is believed to cause Alzheimer’s disease, and in the trials conducted the medicine showed some evidence of efficacy in slowing its progression.

    As for any new medicine, this decision was made with expert scientific advice on the benefit risk of donanemab from the Commission on Human Medicines (CHM), the government’s independent advisory body.

    Julian Beach, MHRA Interim Executive Director, Healthcare Quality and Access, said:

    Licensing medicines which meet acceptable standards of safety, quality and efficacy is a key priority for us.

    We’re assured that, together with the conditions of the licence approval, the appropriate regulatory standards for this medicine have been met.

    As with all medical products, we will keep its safety under close review, and with a safety study to be undertaken after licensing, we will ensure that the benefit risk of donanemab is closely followed up post-authorisation.

    Donanemab is approved to treat adults in the early stages of Alzheimer’s disease who have one or no copies of the apolipoprotein E4 gene (ApoE4). A person can have no copies, one copy or two of this gene. Approximately 15% of those diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease have two copies of this gene, known as homozygous patients, and are at increased risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease, while people with one copy also have an increased risk.

    The patient’s doctor will perform testing to make sure that donanemab is right for them.

    Donanemab was evaluated in a main study (Phase III Study TRAILBLAZER-ALZ 2) involving 1,736 patients with early Alzheimer’s disease who had mild cognitive impairment, mild dementia and evidence of amyloid pathology. The patients in the study also had evidence of a protein called ‘tau’ in their brain which is involved in Alzheimer’s disease.

    The study looked at changes in patients’ brain cognition and function, measured by clinical tools such as the integrated Alzheimer’s Disease Rating Scale (iADRS). Other tools used included the Clinical Dementia Rating Scale – Sum of Boxes (CDR-SB), ADAS-Cog13, and ADCS-iADL. These tools are used by doctors to measure Alzheimer’s disease and were measured at the start (baseline) and then throughout the study.

    In this study, the patients received either 700 mg donanemab every 4 weeks for the first 3 doses, and then 1400 mg every 4 weeks (860 patients) or placebo (a dummy infusion, 876 patients) for up to 72 weeks.

    At week 76 of the study, patients treated with donanemab had statistically significantly less clinical progression in their Alzheimer’s disease compared to patients that were treated with the placebo. This was assessed by change in iADRS score from baseline. Patients with low to medium levels of tau protein showed 35% slowing of clinical progression which equated to 4.4 months of delay in disease progression. In the overall population treated with donanemab, there was a 22% slowing of clinical progression, translating to a 1.4-month delay in disease progression.

    Donanemab treatment in both carriers and non-carriers was associated with less decline on iADRS and CDR-SB scores and a significant reduction in amyloid plaque compared with placebo (this is consistent with previous data from phase 2 for carriers but not for non-carriers which previously were not seen to benefit). However, among carriers, the reduced decline in iADRS and CDR-SB was driven by those with one ApoE4 gene. Those with two ApoE4 genes did not demonstrate a significant slowing in decline. Reduction in amyloid plaque was observed regardless of the number of ApoE4 genes an individual had, but the reduction was smaller among those with two ApoE4 genes.

    ApoE4 homozygous patients who received donanemab were also at higher risk of developing Amyloid Related Imaging Abnormalities (ARIAs), which are most commonly seen as temporary swelling in one or more areas of the brain (ARIA-E) or small spots of bleeding in or on the surface of the brain (ARIA-H).

    The CHM therefore advised that the risk benefit of donanemab was favourable in the patients who were ApoE4 non-carriers or heterozygous but not in the homozygous group, and that testing for the ApoE4 gene should be carried out before treatment.

    Use of donanemab in patients who are on anticoagulants (blood thinners, including warfarin) or have been diagnosed with cerebral amyloid angiopathy (CAA) on MRI before starting treatment is contraindicated as the risks in these patients are considered to outweigh the benefits.

    Donanemab is a monoclonal antibody which binds to a protein called amyloid beta in Alzheimer’s disease, where clumps of amyloid beta protein form plaques in the brain. Donanemab works by binding to these clumps and reducing them, therefore slowing the progression of the disease.

    The recommended dose of donanemab is 1400mg, with the patient receiving this dose once every four weeks in a healthcare setting. When starting treatment, the patient will initially receive a 700mg dose every week for the first three rounds of treatment. Donanemab is administered intravenously, with each infusion lasting at least 30 minutes. The total duration of treatment should not exceed 18 months.  

    The most common side effects of the medicine are infusion-related reactions (which can cause fever and flu-like symptoms), headaches and ARIA.

    In placebo-controlled studies, the incidence of ARIA was lower in non-carriers (24.1% donanemab vs 11.3% placebo) and heterozygotes (37.4% donanemab vs 13.4% placebo) than in homozygotes (58.3% donanemab vs 21.3% placebo).

    Among patients treated with donanemab, symptomatic ARIA-E occurred in 4.1% of non-carriers and 6.1% of heterozygotes compared with 7.7% of homozygotes. Serious events of ARIA occurred in approximately 0.7% of non-carriers, 1.7% heterozygotes and 3% of homozygotes. Among patients treated with donanemab, the rate of severe radiographic ARIA-E was lower in non-carriers 1.0% (3/291) and heterozygotes 2.1% (11/522) compared to homozygotes 4.2% (7/168). The rate of severe radiographic ARIA-H was lower in non-carriers 4.5% (13/291) and heterozygotes 9.2% (48/522) compared to homozygotes 24.4% (41/168).

    A full list of all side effects reported with this medicine is available in the patient information leaflet or from the product information published on the MHRA website.   

    As with any medicine, the MHRA will keep the safety and effectiveness of donanemab under close review. To promote safe and effective use and keep the safety and efficacy of donanemab under close review, initiation of treatment in any patients will be through a central registration system implemented as part of a controlled access programme.

    A post-authorisation safety study will be conducted to investigate the safety and benefit-risk profile of donanemab in routine clinical practice, particularly in relation to incidence and severity of ARIAs and intracerebral haemorrhage, and long-term safety.

    Additional risk minimisation activities will be implemented for donanemab. These activities include the following:

    • educational materials for prescribers and radiologists on important safety risks related to the use of donanemab such as ARIA-E ARIA-H and intracerebral haemorrhage >1 cm
    • a patient card designed to enhance the awareness and knowledge of patients and caregivers about the safety concerns with donanemab as well as inform physicians of ARIA differential in an emergency setting.

    Anyone who suspects they are having a side effect from this medicine should to talk to their doctor, pharmacist or nurse and report it directly to the MHRA Yellow Card scheme website or via the Yellow Card app available on Google Play or Apple App stores. 

    ENDS

    Notes to editors  

    1. The authorisation for donanemab was granted on 23 October 2024 to Eli Lilly.
    2. More information can be found in the Summary of Product Characteristics and Patient Information leaflets which will be published on the MHRA Products website.
    3. The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) is responsible for regulating all medicines and medical devices in the UK by ensuring they work and are acceptably safe.  All our work is underpinned by robust and fact-based judgements to ensure that the benefits justify any risks.
    4. The MHRA is an executive agency of the Department of Health and Social Care.
    5. The Commission on Human Medicines (CHM) advises ministers on the safety, efficacy and quality of medicinal products. CHM is an advisory non-departmental public body, sponsored by the Department of Health and Social Care.
    6. For media enquiries, please contact the news centre on 020 3080 7651 or newscentre@mhra.gov.uk

    Updates to this page

    Published 23 October 2024

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Minister Rishworth speech at Inclusion Australia 70th Anniversary Dinner

    Source: Ministers for Social Services

    E&OE

    Good evening everyone.

    It’s my pleasure to be joining you tonight as we celebrate 70 years of Inclusion Australia.

    I would like to begin by acknowledging the Traditional Owners of the lands on which we meet, the Wurundjeri people, and pay my respects to elders past and present.

    I would also like to acknowledge:

    • Felicity Crowther (Chair of the Inclusion Australia Board and Executive Director of the South Australian Council on Intellectual Disability (SACID)), and
    • Catherine McAlpine (CEO of Inclusion Australia)
    • Those here from other organisations who have contributed to the success of Inclusion Australia
    • Advocates in the room
    • And particularly people with intellectual disability and their families and carers

    Tonight is an opportunity to reflect on how far we have come as a nation to create a more inclusive society for people with intellectual disability, and Inclusion Australia’s critical role in this-  but also to recognise how far we still have to go.  

    As an organisation whose focus is about increasing the voices of people with intellectual disability and supporting them to represent themselves – Inclusion Australia has, and continues, to play a critical role in this space.

    Tonight is a night of celebration!

    I would like to wish a very happy birthday to Inclusion Australia and congratulate you on 70 years of working alongside the disability community to amplify the voices of people with intellectual disability.

    What began in 1954 as a group of family and friends of people with disability has since grown to become the national peak body for intellectual disability, and one of Australia’s longest-standing disability advocacy organisations.

    What you have achieved over the past 7 decades has been nothing short of remarkable.

    And what’s more is that you’ve ensured people with intellectual disability have been at the centre of everything you do.

    From helping to steer the introduction of Australia’s first disability discrimination laws, to what you do now in advocating for inclusive education and employment and supported decision making, you’ve truly been pioneers and built strong relationships across communities and with Government to achieve change.

    Tonight, I want to talk about the importance of the advocacy work organisations like Inclusion Australia do for our community.

    Inclusion Australia has worked tirelessly to raise the profile of the issues that are important to people with intellectual disability – ensuring that your perspectives and ideas are incorporated into Government policy responses.

    Whether this is about making sure people with disability can make their own decisions with the right support, reducing the health inequalities experienced by people with intellectual disability, or making mainstream services and the broader community more inclusive and accessible – Inclusion Australia play a key role in educating the Government, organisations and businesses about the barriers people with intellectual disability can face.

    But importantly, Inclusion Australia provide ideas and solutions to break down these barriers, challenge stereotypes and build the confidence of organisations and services to be truly inclusive.

    And in undertaking your work, people with intellectual disability are at the centre of driving change – with people with intellectual disability leading Government and community engagement and education.

    We know how important advocacy is in promoting the rights and freedoms of people with disability.

    And that is why our Government has recognised Inclusion Australia as a standalone national peak organisation – and this does need to be recognised because you play a vital role to ensure people with intellectual disability have their needs met and can make choices about the way they want to live their lives.

    In the past, people with intellectual disability have experienced really significant exclusion and exploitation and haven’t been included in conversations about the things that impact them – and unfortunately these experiences are still too common. As Minister for Social Services, I am committed to working alongside Inclusion Australia and people with intellectual disability to change this.

    One of the ways our Government is supporting change is through increasing funding to Inclusion Australia as a Disability Representative Organisation.

    But we also know that there are other important ways we can empower people with intellectual disability to self-advocate and support social connections.

    I’ve heard many times how important peer support is for people with intellectual disability and that connecting with people like them to get advice and tips and ideas helps them to break down barriers that exist across society so they can live independently and fully participate in society.

    I often hear it’s about the “I get you” factor that really makes a difference.

    Everyone here knows how important lived experience is and that is why we are investing in peer support and self-advocacy activities for people with intellectual disability.

    These programs are an important way we help people with disability and their families to build knowledge, skills and confidence and connect with their local communities.

    Because we want to make Australia more inclusive and for each Australian with disability to be supported to reach their goals.

    We know that change can only happen when the voices, perspectives and ideas of the people with intellectual disability are a part of the conversation.

    And we will continue to listen to Inclusion Australia to understand how we can best work together to create a more inclusive society – because inclusion creates more opportunities and benefits everyone.

    One area that for too long people with intellectual disability haven’t been given equal opportunities is in employment. For too long supported employment has been seen as the only option available.

    And that is why creating more opportunities for people with disability in employment is a key area I have focused on since becoming Minister for Social Services.

    And I share this focus with Inclusion Australia – who have worked consistently and constructively across the sector and with government to improve employment outcomes for people with intellectual disability and provide more opportunities in open employment and career progression.

    As a Government we want to make sure people with disability, including those with intellectual disability understand the different employment options available to them and understand their rights at work.

    We are doing this by providing employment-related advocacy and information through a new Disability Employment Advocacy and Information Program.

    Advice about employment will be provided through group workshops and information sessions, and people will have access to individual advocacy for specific employment issues when it is needed.

    We also want to make sure there a lots of different employment pathways available for people with intellectual disability, with more opportunities to move into open employment and build careers.  Which is why we are investing in projects to evolve the supported employment sector.

    And to make sure people with intellectual disability have more opportunities to succeed in employment of their choice, we have expanded eligibility under our new specialist disability employment program that starts in July next year so that volunteers and people who can work less than 8 hours per week can participate.

    Because people deserve to be able to take advantage of a diverse range of opportunities and should not be excluded from our specialist disability employment program – because that is not inclusive and that’s why we are changing this.

    And this is a key change I know that Inclusion Australia has been advocating for, for many years – as one of the ways to create more pathways and opportunities for open employment.

    And I look forward to continuing to work with you as we reform the employment system for people with disability.

    In all of these areas we have been working with Inclusion Australia and their member organisation, who have played a big role in creating change for people with intellectual disability in all parts of Australia.

    I join with you in celebrating the work Inclusion Australia does to support people with intellectual disability to speak up and be heard.

    Thank you for this critical work you do to create a better future for people with intellectual disability.

    I look forward to the positive changes we will make together.

    And I hope you all enjoy the rest of the evening, especially on the dancefloor.

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-Evening Report: Politics with Michelle Grattan: Sally McManus on what unions want from Labor and Innes Willox on business wish list for Dutton

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra

    Industrial relations will be hotly contested at next year’s election.

    Labor has introduced a raft of new worker protections and pushed for wage increases for lower paid workers.
    Business groups have argued against further red tape and claimed the government’s new regulations have contributed to rising costs.

    The union movement, meanwhile, has been mired in the fallout from the CFMEU controversy, with some union leaders angry over the government and ACTU’s tough treatment of that union after revelations of its infiltration by criminals.

    To talk about these issues and more, we’re joined by ACTU secretary Sally McManus and Innes Willox, the head of the Australian Industry Group, one of the peak employer groups.

    On how to fix the construction industry, Willox advocates an oversight body but not the reintroduction of the Australian Building and Construction Commission,

    We believe that the construction sector does require its own oversight. We had the ABCC previously. We’re not saying go back to that. You don’t have to replicate that model entirely. But the sector has shown that it does require an oversight body that has the ability to launch both civil and criminal claims for poor behaviour. You’re not going to clean it up through sort of task forces and the like, which actually don’t do anything on the ground to change and moderate behaviour.

    What other changes to industrial relations would employers want from a Coalition government?

    I think what we can expect or hope that the Coalition will look long and hard at things like the right to disconnect. Which came from nowhere. It came out of left field right at the end of a process. It’s created huge uncertainty in workplaces. It’s a bit of a minefield both for employers and employees.

    The definition of’casual’ is now a 17-page manual that employers have to work through, rather than a straightforward definition. We’d hope that the Coalition would look at that. And, of course, union right-of-entry powers which have now tilted the balance totally in favour of unions. They’re the sort of things we think that they should look at as a priority and examine what they can do to take off the rough edges that have been put in place there.

    On the unions’ wish list from Labor, McManus says they are talking with the government about further action on the issue of equality.

    At the moment, the gender pay gap is at the lowest ever recorded. So that’s a good thing. But in terms of equality in the workplace, that issue is still a big one, and there is a big push that we are making for reproductive leave. This isn’t just for women, it’s also for men.

    So many women suffer from things like painful periods. Of course, there’s a whole issue of menopause.

    For men, there’s a whole lot of issues to do with reproductive issues as well. […] So this is something that we are talking to the government about and campaigning around.

    Another issue is that of youth wages:

    It’s really totally outrageous that 19, 20-year-olds are paid discount wages in Australia. It’s not acceptable in 2024-2025 and should be fixed. The union movement’s taking it up at the moment and have got rid of it in a lot of industries, and we want to finish the job. So we’re going to try and achieve that through campaigning and through the industrial commission. But if we don’t, if there’s no way of fixing it that way, there’ll be no option then other than to say to the government, listen, ball’s in your court now.

    On the split in the union movement over the government and ACTU actions against the construction division of the CFMEU, McManus says the ACTU will continue to keep its door open,

    Look, no one likes what’s happened. No one likes the fact that, obviously, that union was infiltrated by organised crime, outlaw motorcycle gangs. And no one supports corruption. The other construction union who works with the CFMEU all the time, which is the ETU, the Electrical Trades Union – they’re the ones who have disaffiliated from the ACTU.

    They’re mates, they’re all mates, right? And so, obviously, they’re also not happy with what’s happened. And obviously we will always keep the door open and encourage unity. The ACTU is a place where truck drivers and community workers and teachers and nurses and road workers, everyone of every profession, gets together and talks. It’s always a good thing because you’re listening to other people and you’re stronger together.

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

    – ref. Politics with Michelle Grattan: Sally McManus on what unions want from Labor and Innes Willox on business wish list for Dutton – https://theconversation.com/politics-with-michelle-grattan-sally-mcmanus-on-what-unions-want-from-labor-and-innes-willox-on-business-wish-list-for-dutton-242019

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-OSI NGOs: Uganda: ‘Drastic’ increase in online attacks against LGBTQ people having ‘devastating consequences’ – New Report

    Source: Amnesty International –

    Amnesty research reveals widespread patterns of online violence against LGBTQ people, including blackmailing, outing and threats of physical attack

    Cases of police using social media to connect with individuals before targeting them with physical violence and blackmail

    ‘Nowadays, digital spaces, which are so vital for LGBTQ people in Uganda, are often no safer than offline spaces’ – Roland Ebole

    Online attacks against Uganda’s LGBTQ communities have drastically increased, owing to overly broad laws that criminalise various aspects of the lives of LGBTQ people and entrench discrimination, Amnesty International said in a new report published today.

    The report – “Everybody Here Is Having Two Lives and Phones”: The Devastating Impact of Criminalisation On Digital Spaces for LGBTQ People in Uganda – is based on research across six Ugandan cities and neighbouring areas, including 64 interviews with LGBTQ people and organisations.

    The research reveals widespread patterns of technology-facilitated gender-based violence against LGBTQ people in Uganda. It documents cases of doxing, outing, threats of violence, blackmailing, impersonation, hacking and disinformation – further marginalising LGBTQ people, especially those from disadvantaged socio-economic backgrounds – and highlights not only the failure of state authorities to prevent or address these abuses, but also their active role in encouraging and condoning them, exposing LGBTQ people to grave human rights abuses.

    The Anti-Homosexuality Act 2023, in particular, has fostered a climate of impunity for attacks against LGBTQ people, forcing both individuals and organisations to significantly alter how they present themselves and engage with people online.

    Amnesty has documented numerous instances where police have seized devices or data of LGBTQ people by threatening them with arrest and found cases where both police and members of the general public have used social media platforms to connect with LGBTQ people before targeting them with physical violence and blackmailing. Blackmail was the most prevalent form of technology-facilitated gender-based violence noted across all locations.

    Shreshtha Das, Amnesty International’s Gender Researcher, said:

    “Our research shows that, while LGBTQ activists and organisations have continued to use digital spaces in a very hostile environment, the stigma, violence, and discrimination they face in offline spaces has been mirrored and amplified in digital spaces.

    “Technology-facilitated gender-based violence has devastating consequences for LGBTQ people, as online targeting can result in offline consequences, including arbitrary arrests, torture and other ill-treatment, forced evictions, dismissal from work, exposure to offline violence, as well as stress, anxiety and depression.”

    A ‘witch hunt’

    LGBTQ people and organisations in Uganda rely on digital platforms to connect with their communities, share information about sexual health services, and protect their rights.

    The prevalence of technology-facilitated gender-based violence has severely limited the possibilities for LGBTQ people to access, communicate and come together in digital spaces, while also hindering the outreach efforts of many organisations.

    Those providing health services to marginalised groups have been forced to avoid advertising their services online, fearing that the authorities could arbitrarily suspend their registration based on spurious accusations of “promoting homosexuality”.

    Marco Perolini, Amnesty International’s Civic Space Policy Advisor, said:

    “Instead of adopting policies to combat technology-facilitated gender-based violence, the Ugandan authorities have clamped down on human rights defenders and organisations, placing discriminatory restrictions on their work. Their acts amount to a witch-hunt against those perceived as “promoting homosexuality”, creating a chilling effect on the rights to freedom of expression and association.”

    Prejudicial laws worsening homophobia and transphobia

    While technology-facilitated gender-based violence against LGBTQ individuals was common in Uganda before, its severity and prevalence have surged since the passage of the Anti-Homosexuality Act 2023, which has intensified homophobic and transphobic public discourse.

    All interviewees told Amnesty that they would not report technology-facilitated gender-based violence to the police due to fears of being outed, blackmailed or arrested. In the few instances when LGBTQ people reported cases, the police failed to take any action and instead subjected them to further humiliation.

    Roland Ebole, Amnesty International’s Uganda researcher, said:

    “Nowadays digital spaces, which are so vital for LGBTQ people in Uganda, are often no safer than offline spaces — they are experiencing discrimination and violence in both.”

    LGBTQ individuals and organisations said that reporting cases of technology-facilitated gender-based violence on social media platforms remained challenging. They often did not know how to report abuses. In spite of social media platforms’ policies to address technology-facilitated gender-based violence, concerns remain regarding content moderation, especially in widely spoken local languages other than English.

    Out of all the organisations Amnesty wrote to – including various government authorities in Uganda, private organisations, and social media companies (Meta, TikTok and X) – only Meta and TikTok responded. Their responses have been reflected in the report.

    Amnesty’s calls

    Amnesty is calling on the Ugandan Parliament to immediately repeal the Anti-Homosexuality Act 2023 and other laws that criminalise acts and behaviours that disproportionately impact LGBTQ people.

    The authorities must also establish an independent mechanism to conduct effective, prompt, impartial, and independent investigations into allegations of technology-facilitated gender-based violence and other human rights violations committed against LGBTQ people.

    MIL OSI NGO –

  • MIL-OSI China: Hong Kong receives more visitors from new cities under individual visit scheme

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

    HONG KONG, Oct. 23 — In the third quarter of this year, visitors to Hong Kong from 10 newly added Chinese Mainland cities under the Individual Visit Scheme exceeded 140,000, an increase of about 16.3 percent compared to the same period last year, according to the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) government.

    Kevin Yeung, secretary for culture, sports and tourism of the HKSAR government, said on Wednesday at the HKSAR’s Legislative Council that in March and May this year, the scheme has been expanded to 10 mainland cities including Qingdao, Xi’an, Taiyuan, Lhasa and Yinchuan. The scheme is currently implemented in 59 cities on the mainland.

    Yeung said that to attract more residents from the 10 cities to visit Hong Kong, the Culture, Sports and Tourism Bureau of the HKSAR government and the Hong Kong Tourism Board have rolled out a series of promotional activities, including holding briefing sessions in March in Xi’an and Qingdao to introduce the latest tourism products of Hong Kong to local travel agencies and other trade representatives.

    Yeung said that depending on the circumstances of different markets, the Hong Kong Tourism Board promoted immersive, in-depth tours themed around “city walks” and activities appealing to the young generation, aiming to “soft sell” Hong Kong with fresh content and attract more visitors.

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: New initiative to boost growth and innovation for Winchester district businesses

    Source: City of Winchester

    IncuHive Chief Executive Officer George Scott-Welsh and Cabinet member for Business and Culture Cllr Lucille Thompson

    Entrepreneurs, early-stage startups, and small- to medium-sized businesses across the Winchester district are being encouraged to get involved in a new initiative to boost their growth and inspire innovation.

    The Business Growth Factory, delivered by IncuHive in partnership with Winchester City Council, will provide businesses with crucial skills, such as the ability to identify target markets, effectively manage finances and make successful investment pitches.

    The programme itself features a mix of tailored support, expert-led mentoring and hands-on workshops to help participants make the most of the support on offer and make sure they have the tools and insights needed to thrive in competitive marketplaces.

    The programme is provided completely free of charge thanks to funding from the UK government through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund.

    Winchester City Council’s Cabinet Member for Business and Culture, Councillor Lucille Thompson, said:

    “Local entrepreneurship is a vital part of our district’s vibrant local economy and it’s hugely important that our start-ups and small businesses have the support they need.

    “I’m really pleased that we’ve been able to partner with IncuHive on this fantastic initiative to empower our local business community by equipping them with important skills for growth”.

    The Business Growth Factory is open to new entrepreneurs, early-stage startups and small businesses in the Winchester district.

    Those interested can apply by visiting incuhive.co.uk/acceleration-investment/winchester-cc-business-growth-factory and completing the online application form.

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: UNECE to support Turkmenistan in green energy transition and methane emissions reduction

    Source: United Nations Economic Commission for Europe

    UNECE is supporting Turkmenistan to strengthen efforts on its sustainable energy transition and to deliver methane emissions reductions from the energy sector, in alignment with global climate objectives. 

    This was the focus of discussions this week between Mr. Dario Liguti, Director of the Sustainable Energy Division of UNECE, and senior officials from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Turkmenistan. 

    A central point of discussion was Turkmenistan’s Global Energy Security and Sustainability Cooperation Alliance, an initiative launched by the Government of Turkmenistan at the World Government Summit and reaffirmed at the 79th session of the United Nations General Assembly. This initiative seeks to create a global framework for cooperation on energy security that emphasizes the transition to sustainable energy systems. The Alliance aims to pool resources, expertise, and innovative technologies to tackle energy resilience, enhance energy access, and ensure environmental sustainability. UNECE expressed its support for this initiative and its readiness to foster collaboration across governments, international organizations, and the private sector in addressing the growing challenges of energy transition. 

    The meeting also explored concrete steps for enhancing Turkmenistan’s renewable energy capacity, with a particular focus on solar and wind energy projects. Turkmenistan, with its vast natural resources and favorable climate, has significant untapped potential for renewable energy development. UNECE will provide technical expertise to assist in the planning, development, and implementation of large-scale renewable energy projects, focusing on solar and wind technologies. These projects will be supported by innovative energy storage and transmission solutions, enabling Turkmenistan to overcome the intermittent nature of renewable energy sources and ensuring a stable and reliable energy supply. UNECE’s collaboration with Turkmenistan in this area is expected to play a key role in advancing the country’s energy diversification strategy, contributing to both national energy security and the achievement of its long-term climate goals. 

    In addition to expanding renewable energy, the meeting emphasized the importance of methane emissions management, a critical issue for reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Addressing methane emissions from energy production is a priority for Turkmenistan, where UNECE can help deliver reductions. UNECE will support Turkmenistan in developing effective methane monitoring, reporting, and verification (MRV) systems, as well as strategies for reducing methane emissions from its energy sector, particularly from oil and gas operations. These efforts align with global initiatives such as the Global Methane Pledge and UNECE’s work on methane management in the energy sector. 

    UNECE’s technical assistance can help Turkmenistan to modernize its energy infrastructure, improve energy efficiency, and reduce its environmental impact, harnessing innovation and technology transfer in accelerating the deployment of clean energy technologies, together with capacity building support. 

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

  • MIL-Evening Report: Prabowo’s presidency sparks fear and faint hope in Indonesia’s contested Papua

    By Victor Mambor in Jayapura

    With Prabowo Subianto, a controversial former general installed as Indonesia’s new president, residents in the disputed Papua region were responding to this reality with anxiety and, for some, cautious optimism.

    The remote and resource-rich region has long been a flashpoint for conflict, with its people enduring decades of alleged military abuse and human rights violations under Indonesian rule and many demanding independence.

    With Prabowo now in charge, many Papuans fear that their future will be marked by further violence and repression.

    In Papua — a region known as “West Papua” in the Pacific — views on Prabowo, whose military record is both celebrated by nationalists and condemned by human rights activists, range from apathy to outright alarm.

    Many Papuans remain haunted by past abuses, particularly those associated with Indonesia’s counterinsurgency campaigns that began after Papua was incorporated into Indonesia in 1969 through a disputed UN-backed referendum.

    For people like Maurids Yansip, a private sector employee in Sentani, Prabowo’s rise to the presidency is a cause for serious concern.

    “I am worried,” Yansip said. “Prabowo talked about using a military approach to address Papua’s issues during the presidential debates.

    ‘Military worsened hunman rights’
    “We’ve seen how the military presence has worsened the human rights situation in this region. That’s not going to solve anything — it will only lead to more violations.”

    In Jayapura, the region’s capital, Musa Heselo, a mechanic at a local garage, expressed indifference toward the political changes unfolding in Jakarta.

    “I didn’t vote in the last election—whether for the president or the legislature,” Heselo said.

    “Whoever becomes president is not important to me, as long as Papua remains safe so we can make a living. I don’t know much about Prabowo’s background.”

    But such nonchalance is rare in a region where memories of military crackdowns run deep.

    Prabowo, a former son-in-law of Indonesia’s late dictator Suharto, has long been a polarising figure. His career, marked by accusations of human rights abuses, particularly during Indonesia’s occupation of Timor-Leste, continues to evoke strong reactions.

    In 1996, during his tenure with the elite Indonesian Army special forces unit, Kopassus, Prabowo commanded a high-stakes rescue of 11 hostages from a scientific research team held by Free Papua Movement (OPM) fighters.

    Deadly operation
    The operation was deadly, resulting in the deaths of two hostages and eight pro-independence fighters.

    Markus Haluk, executive secretary of the United Liberation Movement for West Papua (ULMWP), described Prabowo’s presidency as a grim continuation of what he calls a “slow-motion genocide” of the Papuan people.

    “Prabowo’s leadership will extend Indonesia’s occupation of Papua,” Haluk said, his tone resolute.

    “The genocide, ethnocide, and ecocide will continue. We remember our painful history — this won’t be forgotten. We could see military operations return. This will make things worse.”

    Although he has never been convicted and denies any involvement in abuses in East Timor or Papua, these allegations continue to cast a shadow over his political rise.

    He ran for president in 2014 and again in 2019, both times unsuccessfully. His most recent victory, which finally propels him to Indonesia’s highest office, has raised questions about the future of Papua.

    President Prabowo Subianto greets people as he rides in a car after his inauguration in Jakarta, Indonesia, last Sunday. Image: Asprilla Dwi Adha/Antara Foto

    Despite these concerns, some see Prabowo’s presidency as a potential turning point — albeit a fraught one. Elvira Rumkabu, a lecturer at Cendrawasih University in Jayapura, is among those who view his military background as a possible double-edged sword.

    Prabowo’s military experience ‘may help’
    “Prabowo’s military experience and strategic thinking could help control the military in Papua and perhaps even manage the ultranationalist forces in Jakarta that oppose peace,” Rumkabu told BenarNews.

    “But I also worry that he might delegate important issues, like the peace agenda in Papua, to his vice-president.”

    Under outgoing President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo, Papua’s development was often portrayed as a priority, but the reality on the ground told a different story. While Jokowi made high-profile visits to the region, his administration’s reliance on military operations to suppress pro-independence movements continued.

    “This was a pattern we saw under Jokowi, where Papua’s problems were relegated to lower levels, diminishing their urgency,” Rumkabu said.

    In recent years, clashes between Indonesian security forces and the West Papua National Liberation Army (TPNPB) have escalated, with civilians frequently caught in the crossfire.

    Yohanes Mambrasar, a human rights activist based in Sorong, expressed grave concerns about the future under Prabowo.

    “Prabowo’s stance on strengthening the military in Papua was clear during his campaign,” Mambrasar said.

    Called for ‘more troops, weapons’
    “He called for more troops and more weapons. This signals a continuation of militarized policies, and with it, the risk of more land grabs and violence against indigenous Papuans.”

    Earlier this month, Indonesian military chief Gen. Agus Subiyanto inaugurated five new infantry battalions in Papua, stating that their mandate was to support both security operations and regional development initiatives.

    Indeed, the memory of past military abuses looms large for many in Papua, where calls for independence have never abated.

    During a presidential debate, Prabowo vowed to strengthen security forces in Papua.

    “If elected, my priority will be to uphold the rule of law and reinforce our security presence,” he said, framing his approach as essential to safeguarding the local population.

    Yet, amid the fears, some see opportunities for positive change.

    Yohanes Kedang from the Archdiocese of Merauke said that improving the socio-economic conditions of indigenous Papuans must be a priority for Prabowo.

    Education, health care ‘left behind’
    “Education, healthcare, and the economy — these are areas where Papuans are still far behind,” he said.

    “This will be Prabowo’s real challenge. He needs to create policies that bring real improvements to the lives of indigenous Papuans, especially in the southern regions like Merauke, which has immense potential.”

    Theo Hesegem, executive director of the Papua Justice and Human Integrity Foundation, believes that dialogue is key to resolving the region’s long-standing issues.

    “Prabowo has the power to address the human rights violations in Papua,” Hesegem said.

    “But he needs to listen. He should come to Papua and sit down with the people here — not just with officials, but with civil society, with the people on the ground,” he added.

    “Jokowi failed to do that. If Prabowo wants to lead, he must listen to their voices.”

     Pizaro Gozali Idrus in Jakarta contributed to the report. Copyright © 2015-2024, BenarNews. Republished with the permission of BenarNews.

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: UK-Germany Trinity House Agreement on Defence – Joint Communique

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    A commitment to improve and enhance bilateral defence co-operation between the Ministry of Defence of the Federal Republic of Germany and the Ministry of Defence of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.

    In July this year, the Ministry of Defence of the Federal Republic of Germany and the Ministry of Defence of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland committed to improve and further enhance bilateral defence co-operation to better meet the common challenges of the 21st Century and to best secure the common interests of both countries in defence-related areas. We outlined escalating security concerns, exacerbated by Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine. We said that the deteriorating strategic environment demanded a unified response to ensure the preservation of European security.

    As we confront these challenges together with Allies and partners, we are guided by our shared values of democracy, freedom, and the rule of law. Recognising the imperative for closer collaboration in the face of evolving geopolitical challenges and shared security threats, we aim to promote stability on NATO’s eastern flank, in Europe as a whole, and beyond for the Euro-Atlantic area. Strategic defence co-operation is an important first pillar in the new relationship between Germany and the United Kingdom, which will be codified in the forthcoming bilateral treaty in 2025.

    Recognising the imperative, we have worked at pace to create our response through this historic, first-of-its kind, defence agreement between our two great nations. Our shared strategic objective is to sustain effective deterrence against would-be aggressors by building credible, resilient defence forces and defence industries, working towards the vision of a peaceful and stable Euro-Atlantic area. To do this, our agreement will become a crucial element in the broader architecture of European security; it is explicitly designed to support our Allies and strengthen the European contribution to NATO. In particular, it complements our respective existing bilateral agreements with France, laying the foundation for increasingly close co-operation between the E3.

    Through this agreement, we have brought focus, resource, and ambition to our previously stated objectives: Strengthening Defence Industries, Reinforcing Euro-Atlantic Security, Enhancing Interoperability, Addressing Emerging Threats, Supporting Ukraine, and Deep Precision Strike. In addition to new governance structures, we will bring these objectives to life through the creation of totemic lighthouse projects, which will serve as beacons for unprecedented levels of co-operation and integration between our respective Armed Forces.

    Deep Precision Strike and Defence: The UK and Germany will work jointly to rapidly develop extended Deep Precision Strike capabilities, to provide a conventional deterrent in Europe and strengthen European Integrated Air and Missile Defence. We will do this in the short term through:

    • Undertaking a comprehensive exercise to compare capability needs and identify synergies.
    • Developing common requirements and military doctrine to aid the development of long-range systems, working in co-operation with Allies and partners, in particular through the European Long Range Strike Approach.
    • Identifying opportunities for industrial collaboration and investment to achieve closer working on countering threats through Integrated Air and Missile Defence.

    And in the medium term through:

    • Joint development and procurement of new extended Deep Precision Strike capabilities in close co-ordination with Allies and partners, giving special focus to new capabilities which far exceed today’s ranges.
    • Joint development of a common approach to deploying extended Deep Precision Strike in all physical domains.
    • Cohering Integrated Air and Missile Defence activity through the European Sky Shield Initiative, NATO’s Multinational Procurement Initiatives, and the UK’s DIAMOND initiative.

    Uncrewed Aerial Systems and Future Connectivity: The UK and Germany will work jointly, in close co-ordination with Allies and partners, to develop and employ Uncrewed Aerial and Offboard Air Systems to ensure interoperability between Future Combat Air Systems. We will do this in the short term through:

    • Joint integration of common missile systems into drone fleets to enhance precision strike capabilities, drawing benefit from each nations’ previous experience, e.g. the integration of Brimstone to UK Uncrewed Air Systems.
    • Sharing plans on integration of capabilities between Current and Future Combat Air Systems, to enable development of interoperable offboard systems.

    And in the medium term through:

    • Joint exploration and development of cross-system Combat Cloud capabilities across aircraft fleets.
    • Joint exploration and development of new Maritime Uncrewed Air System capabilities.
    • Joint exploration and development of common offboard systems compatible with respective Future Combat Air Systems to enable, inter alia, data sharing, to support interoperability and integration of those systems.
    • Supporting implementation of NATO-agreed common standards to ensure connectivity and collaboration between fighter aircraft, reinforcing inter-generation and (un)crewed teaming.

    Strengthening the Eastern Flank through a new Land Strategic Partnership: Using our Forward Land Forces and shared enduring commitment to NATO’s eastern flank as a catalyst, the UK and Germany will work to strengthen NATO by developing doctrine, uncrewed systems, and enabling capabilities to transform our land forces; sustaining continuous land-based deterrence within Europe. We will do this in the short term through:

    • Working jointly in the Armour Capability Coalition to drive innovation in the land domain, through support to Ukraine.
    • Working jointly with Canada and the Baltic States, including through the 3+3 format, to rapidly transform the capability and effectiveness of our respective Forward Land Forces and tap the full potential of synergies of the Forward Land Forces in the Baltic States
    • Co-ordination of UK and German exercises between the Forward Land Forces, with the goal of combined exercises.
    • Working together to tackle the challenges in the shortage of NATO Corps troops across the Alliance. Equipping, training, and exercising the German-British Amphibious Engineer Battalion 130 in Minden to fulfil tasks as one entity within the NATO Force Model.
    • Fostering a deep Industrial Partnership between UK and German Defence Industries, including assisting respective prime contractors wishing to expand production facilities in each other’s countries. Our will to develop industrial co-operation is illustrated by developing plans between the UK MOD and Rheinmetall for a new barrel factory to be opened in the UK, further strengthening the defence industrial links between the UK and Germany.
    • Close collaboration in the BOXER User Group, conducting regular consultations on the “strategic pipeline”, and joint exploration of new capabilities and variants, striving for a closer exchange of BOXER In-Service-Experience topics, and close co-operation in the area of BOXER training and operation. Beyond BOXER, we will pursue joint procurement and through-life capability management initiatives around land vehicles.

     And in the medium term through:

    • Joint development of common offboard systems for Future Ground Combat Systems to support interoperability between those systems, in co-ordination with Allies and Partners
    • Joint development of military doctrines for future land warfighting, supported by Artificial Intelligence and Emerging Disruptive Technologies.

    Undersea Co-operation in the Northern Seas: The UK and Germany will work jointly to strengthen UK-German naval co-operation with a focus on the North Atlantic and North Sea. We will aim to establish and share a clear and concise picture of underwater activity, significantly contributing to the protection of Critical Undersea Infrastructure and Sea Lines of Communications. We will do this in the short term through:

    • Co-ordination of combined and joint operations in the North Atlantic, in close co-operation with Allies and partners, focussing on Anti-Submarine Warfare with ships, submarines, and aircraft. We will enable forward deployments of each other’s units and goods between our countries when required.
    • Episodic deployments of German P-8A Poseidon Maritime Patrol Aircraft in the UK to support interoperability and collaborative Anti-Submarine Warfare operations in the North Atlantic, following their entry into service.
    • Joint development of common training for our Maritime Patrol Aircraft crews.
    • Promoting a common co-operative procurement of the UK’s Lightweight Torpedo STINGRAY MOD 2 for our Maritime Patrol Aircraft.
    • Contributing to the strengthening of NATO’s work strand on Critical Undersea Infrastructure.

    And in the medium term through: 

    • Exploring new offboard undersea surveillance capabilities to improve detection of adversary activity and support the protection of Critical Undersea Infrastructure, supported by Artificial Intelligence and Emerging Disruptive Technologies.

    In addition, we are committed to working together for as long as it takes to support and enable Ukraine to counter Russian aggression. Our combined will is unequivocal, we will continue to ensure Ukraine has the military capabilities it requires. Our specialist teams and our Defence Industries will work ever more closely to ensure that Ukraine will prevail and achieve a fair and lasting peace. In the short term, we will collectively provide Ukraine with a new offensive capability, supporting fitting German donated Sea King Helicopters with modern missile systems. In the longer term, we will work increasingly closely through the Capability Coalitions for Ukraine using the lessons learnt there to continuously develop our co-operation. The UK will increase its support to the German and Polish-led Armour Coalition, Germany will support the UK and Latvian led drone coalition.

    Through our agreed mechanisms, enhanced dialogue, and increased political leadership, we will drive co-operation for decades to come. We will regularly review the content and our collaboration. We will consistently raise our ambitions to meet tomorrow’s threats wherever they come from: on Land, at Sea, or in the Air, in Space or in the Cyber domain; and irrespective of whether these threats are caused by hostile actors or are a result of natural disasters or Climate Change.

    We will confront such threats across all domains and between each of our Armed Forces and joint organisations, with co-operation in Cyber, Communications, and Information Systems forming the backbone and connective tissue required to embark on such an ambitious programme of work.

    John Healey Boris Pistorius
    Secretary of State for Defence of the United Kingdom Federal Minister of Defence of the Federal Republic of Germany

    UK-Germany Trinity House Agreement on Defence

    Updates to this page

    Published 23 October 2024

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI: TransUnion Announces Third Quarter 2024 Results

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    • Exceeded third quarter 2024 financial guidance for revenue and earnings
    • Accelerated revenue growth to 12 percent, driven by U.S. Financial Services, Insurance, Consumer Interactive and International, while executing on technology modernization and transformation program savings
    • Voluntarily prepaid $25 million in debt, bringing total prepayments to $105 million in 2024
    • Raising 2024 financial guidance, we now expect to deliver 9 percent revenue growth for the year

    CHICAGO, Oct. 23, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — TransUnion (NYSE: TRU) (the “Company”) today announced financial results for the quarter ended September 30, 2024.

    Third Quarter 2024 Results

    Revenue:

    • Total revenue for the quarter was $1,085 million, an increase of 12 percent (12 percent on a constant currency basis), compared with the third quarter of 2023.

    Earnings:

    • Net income attributable to TransUnion was $68 million for the quarter, compared with a loss of $319 million for the third quarter of 2023. Diluted earnings per share was $0.35, compared with a loss per share of $1.65 in the third quarter of 2023. Net income attributable to TransUnion margin was 6.3 percent, compared with a loss of 32.9 percent in the third quarter of 2023. Our third quarter 2023 net income (loss) attributable to TransUnion, diluted loss per share and net income (loss) attributable to TransUnion margin were impacted by a $414 million non-cash goodwill impairment expense for our United Kingdom reporting unit in the period.
    • Adjusted Net Income was $205 million for the quarter, compared with $177 million for the third quarter of 2023. Adjusted Diluted Earnings per Share was $1.04, compared with $0.91 in the third quarter of 2023.
    • Adjusted EBITDA was $394 million for the quarter, compared with $356 million for the third quarter of 2023, an increase of 11 percent (11 percent on a constant currency basis). Adjusted EBITDA margin was 36.3 percent, compared with 36.8 percent in the third quarter of 2023.

    “In the third quarter, TransUnion exceeded financial guidance,” said Chris Cartwright, President and CEO. “U.S. Markets grew by double-digits against stable market conditions, driven by mortgage strength, improving non-mortgage financial services, accelerating insurance growth and large breach remediation wins. Our International segment delivered double-digit organic constant currency revenue growth across India, Latin America, Asia Pacific and Africa.”

    “We continue to progress well against our transformation program. We now expect to capture $85 million of operating expense savings in 2024, driven by strong execution against our operating model optimization to expand our Global Capability Center network. Additionally, our technology modernization is accelerating our pace of innovation with several new capabilities and products launched in the quarter, powered by OneTru.”

    “We are raising our 2024 guidance and now expect to deliver 9 percent revenue growth, reflecting third quarter outperformance, stronger mortgage volumes and broad-based strength across the portfolio.”

    Third Quarter 2024 Segment Results

    U.S. Markets:

    U.S. Markets revenue was $848 million, an increase of 12 percent compared with the third quarter of 2023.

    • Financial Services revenue was $367 million, an increase of 17 percent compared with the third quarter of 2023.
    • Emerging Verticals revenue was $307 million, an increase of 3 percent compared with the third quarter of 2023.
    • Consumer Interactive revenue was $174 million, an increase of 21 percent compared with the third quarter of 2023.

    Adjusted EBITDA was $320 million, an increase of 9 percent compared with the third quarter of 2023.

    International:

    International revenue was $242 million, an increase of 11 percent (12 percent on a constant currency basis) compared with the third quarter of 2023.

    • Canada revenue was $39 million, an increase of 7 percent (9 percent on a constant currency basis) compared with the third quarter of 2023.
    • Latin America revenue was $33 million, an increase of 7 percent (13 percent on a constant currency basis) compared with the third quarter of 2023.
    • United Kingdom revenue was $58 million, an increase of 6 percent (4 percent on a constant currency basis) compared with the third quarter of 2023.
    • Africa revenue was $17 million, an increase of 12 percent (10 percent on a constant currency basis) compared with the third quarter of 2023.
    • India revenue was $68 million, an increase of 21 percent (23 percent on a constant currency basis) compared with the third quarter of 2023.
    • Asia Pacific revenue was $26 million, an increase of 11 percent (11 percent on a constant currency basis) compared with the third quarter of 2023.

    Adjusted EBITDA was $110 million, an increase of 14 percent (15 percent on a constant currency basis) compared with the third quarter of 2023.

    Liquidity and Capital Resources

    Cash and cash equivalents was $643 million at September 30, 2024 and $476 million at December 31, 2023.

    For the nine months ended September 30, 2024, cash provided by operating activities was $579 million, compared with $444 million in 2023. The increase in cash provided by operating activities was primarily due to improved operating performance, partially offset by employee separation payments and a penalty paid for the early termination of a facility lease, both of which were in connection with our operating model optimization program. For the nine months ended September 30, 2024, cash used in investing activities was $195 million, compared with $231 million in 2023. The decrease in cash used in investing activities was due primarily to prior year investments in non-consolidated affiliates and lower capital expenditures. For the nine months ended September 30, 2024, capital expenditures were $199 million, compared with $213 million in 2023. Capital expenditures as a percent of revenue represented 6% and 7% for the nine months ended September 30, 2024 and 2023, respectively. For the nine months ended September 30, 2024, cash used in financing activities was $220 million, compared with $375 million in 2023. The decrease in cash used in financing activities was primarily due to a decrease in debt prepayments.

    Fourth Quarter and Full Year 2024 Outlook

    Our guidance is based on a number of assumptions that are subject to change, many of which are outside of the control of the Company, including general macroeconomic conditions, interest rates and inflation. There are numerous evolving factors that we may not be able to accurately predict. There can be no assurance that the Company will achieve the results expressed by this guidance.

        Three Months Ended December 31, 2024   Twelve Months Ended December 31, 2024
    (in millions, except per share data)   Low   High   Low   High
    Revenue, as reported   $ 1,014     $ 1,034     $ 4,161     $ 4,181  
    Revenue growth1:                
    As reported     6 %     8 %     9 %     9 %
    Constant currency1, 2     6 %     8 %     8 %     9 %
    Organic constant currency1, 3     6 %     8 %     8 %     9 %
                     
    Net income attributable to TransUnion   $ 65     $ 77     $ 284     $ 295  
    Net income attributable to TransUnion growth     n/m       n/m       238 %     243 %
    Net income attributable to TransUnion margin     6.4 %     7.4 %     6.8 %     7.1 %
                     
    Diluted Earnings per Share   $ 0.34     $ 0.39     $ 1.45     $ 1.51  
    Diluted Earnings per Share growth   n/m       n/m       237 %     243 %
                     
    Adjusted EBITDA, as reported5   $ 360     $ 375     $ 1,488     $ 1,503  
    Adjusted EBITDA growth, as reported4     10 %     15 %     11 %     12 %
    Adjusted EBITDA margin     35.5 %     36.2 %     35.8 %     36.0 %
                     
    Adjusted Diluted Earnings per Share5   $ 0.92     $ 0.98     $ 3.87     $ 3.93  
    Adjusted Diluted Earnings per Share growth     14 %     21 %     15 %     17 %
    1. Additional revenue growth assumptions:
      1. The impact of changing exchange rates is expected to have an insignificant impact for Q4 2024 and FY 2024.
      2. There is no impact from recent acquisitions for Q4 2024 and FY 2024.
      3. The impact of mortgage is expected to be approximately 5 points of benefit for Q4 2024 and approximately 4 points of benefit for FY 2024.
    2. Constant currency growth rates assume foreign currency exchange rates are consistent between years. This allows financial results to be evaluated without the impact of fluctuations in foreign currency exchange rates.
    3. Organic constant currency growth rates are constant currency growth excluding inorganic growth. Inorganic growth represents growth attributable to the first twelve months of activity for recent business acquisitions. There is no impact from recent business acquisitions in Q4 2024 and FY 2024.
    4. Additional Adjusted EBITDA assumptions:
      1. The impact of changing foreign currency exchange rates is expected to have an insignificant impact for Q4 2024 and FY 2024.
    5. For a reconciliation of the above non-GAAP financial measures to the most directly comparable GAAP financial measures, refer to Schedule 7 of this Earnings Release.

    Earnings Webcast Details

    In conjunction with this release, TransUnion will host a conference call and webcast today at 8:30 a.m. Central Time to discuss the business results for the quarter and certain forward-looking information. This session and the accompanying presentation materials may be accessed at http://www.transunion.com/tru. A replay of the call will also be available at this website following the conclusion of the call.

    About TransUnion (NYSE: TRU)

    TransUnion is a global information and insights company with over 13,000 associates operating in more than 30 countries. We make trust possible by ensuring each person is reliably represented in the marketplace. We do this with a Tru™ picture of each person: an actionable view of consumers, stewarded with care. Through our acquisitions and technology investments we have developed innovative solutions that extend beyond our strong foundation in core credit into areas such as marketing, fraud, risk and advanced analytics. As a result, consumers and businesses can transact with confidence and achieve great things. We call this Information for Good® — and it leads to economic opportunity, great experiences and personal empowerment for millions of people around the world.

    http://www.transunion.com/business 

    Availability of Information on TransUnion’s Website

    Investors and others should note that TransUnion routinely announces material information to investors and the marketplace using SEC filings, press releases, public conference calls, webcasts and the TransUnion Investor Relations website. While not all of the information that the Company posts to the TransUnion Investor Relations website is of a material nature, some information could be deemed to be material. Accordingly, the Company encourages investors, the media and others interested in TransUnion to review the information that it shares on http://www.transunion.com/tru.

    Forward-Looking Statements

    This earnings release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These statements are based on the current beliefs and expectations of TransUnion’s management and are subject to significant risks and uncertainties. Actual results may differ materially from those described in the forward-looking statements. Any statements made in this earnings release that are not statements of historical fact, including statements about our beliefs and expectations, are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements include information concerning possible or assumed future results of operations, including our guidance and descriptions of our business plans and strategies. These statements often include words such as “anticipate,” “expect,” “guidance,” “suggest,” “plan,” “believe,” “intend,” “estimate,” “target,” “project,” “should,” “could,” “would,” “may,” “will,” “forecast,” “outlook,” “potential,” “continues,” “seeks,” “predicts,” or the negatives of these words and other similar expressions.

    Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those described in the forward-looking statements, or that could materially affect our financial results or such forward-looking statements include:

    • macroeconomic effects and changes in market conditions, including the impact of inflation, risk of recession, and industry trends and adverse developments in the debt, consumer credit and financial services markets, including the impact on the carrying value of our assets in all of the markets where we operate;
    • our ability to provide competitive services and prices;
    • our ability to retain or renew existing agreements with large or long-term customers;
    • our ability to maintain the security and integrity of our data;
    • our ability to deliver services timely without interruption;
    • our ability to maintain our access to data sources;
    • government regulation and changes in the regulatory environment;
    • litigation or regulatory proceedings;
    • our ability to effectively manage our costs;
    • our efforts to execute our transformation plan and achieve the anticipated benefits and savings;
    • our ability to remediate existing material weakness in our internal control over financial reporting and maintain effective internal control over financial reporting and disclosure controls and procedures;
    • economic and political stability in the United States and international markets where we operate;
    • our ability to effectively develop and maintain strategic alliances and joint ventures;
    • our ability to timely develop new services and the market’s willingness to adopt our new services;
    • our ability to manage and expand our operations and keep up with rapidly changing technologies;
    • our ability to acquire businesses, successfully secure financing for our acquisitions, timely consummate our acquisitions, successfully integrate the operations of our acquisitions, control the costs of integrating our acquisitions and realize the intended benefits of such acquisitions;
    • our ability to protect and enforce our intellectual property, trade secrets and other forms of unpatented intellectual property;
    • our ability to defend our intellectual property from infringement claims by third parties;
    • geopolitical conditions and other risks associated with our international operations;
    • the ability of our outside service providers and key vendors to fulfill their obligations to us;
    • further consolidation in our end-customer markets;
    • the increased availability of free or inexpensive consumer information;
    • losses against which we do not insure;
    • our ability to make timely payments of principal and interest on our indebtedness;
    • our ability to satisfy covenants in the agreements governing our indebtedness;
    • our ability to maintain our liquidity;
    • share repurchase plans; and
    • our reliance on key management personnel.

    There may be other factors, many of which are beyond our control, that may cause our actual results to differ materially from the forward-looking statements, including factors disclosed in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2023, and any subsequent Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q or Current Report on Form 8-K filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission. You should evaluate all forward-looking statements made in this report in the context of these risks and uncertainties.

    The forward-looking statements contained in this earnings release speak only as of the date of this earnings release. We undertake no obligation to publicly release the result of any revisions to these forward-looking statements to reflect the impact of events or circumstances that may arise after the date of this earnings release.

    For More Information

    TRANSUNION AND SUBSIDIARIES
    Consolidated Balance Sheets (Unaudited)
    (in millions, except per share data)

        September 30,
    2024    		   December 31,
    2023
    Assets        
    Current assets:        
    Cash and cash equivalents   $ 643.2     $ 476.2  
    Trade accounts receivable, net of allowance of $18.2 and $16.4     798.4       723.0  
    Other current assets     228.2       275.9  
    Total current assets     1,669.8       1,475.1  
    Property, plant and equipment, net of accumulated depreciation and amortization of $858.3 and $804.4     181.5       199.3  
    Goodwill     5,184.5       5,176.0  
    Other intangibles, net of accumulated amortization of $3,055.8 and $2,719.8     3,356.9       3,515.3  
    Other assets     661.1       739.4  
    Total assets   $ 11,053.8     $ 11,105.1  
    Liabilities and stockholders’ equity        
    Current liabilities:        
    Trade accounts payable   $ 319.4     $ 251.3  
    Short-term debt and current portion of long-term debt     66.5       89.6  
    Other current liabilities     609.8       661.8  
    Total current liabilities     995.7       1,002.7  
    Long-term debt     5,134.9       5,250.8  
    Deferred taxes     481.8       592.9  
    Other liabilities     120.2       153.2  
    Total liabilities     6,732.6       6,999.6  
    Stockholders’ equity:        
    Common stock, $0.01 par value; 1.0 billion shares authorized at September 30, 2024 and December 31, 2023, 201.4 million and 200.0 million shares issued at September 30, 2024 and December 31, 2023, respectively, and 194.9 million and 193.8 million shares outstanding as of September 30, 2024 and December 31, 2023, respectively     2.0       2.0  
    Additional paid-in capital     2,524.3       2,412.9  
    Treasury stock at cost, 6.6 million and 6.2 million shares at September 30, 2024 and December 31, 2023, respectively     (333.0 )     (302.9 )
    Retained earnings     2,312.6       2,157.1  
    Accumulated other comprehensive loss     (289.5 )     (260.9 )
    Total TransUnion stockholders’ equity     4,216.4       4,008.2  
    Noncontrolling interests     104.8       97.3  
    Total stockholders’ equity     4,321.2       4,105.5  
    Total liabilities and stockholders’ equity   $ 11,053.8     $ 11,105.1  
     

    TRANSUNION AND SUBSIDIARIES
    Consolidated Statements of Operations (Unaudited)
    (in millions, except per share data)

        Three Months Ended
    September 30,    		   Nine Months Ended
    September 30,
         2024     2023     2024     2023 
    Revenue   $ 1,085.0     $ 968.7     $ 3,147.0     $ 2,876.9  
    Operating expenses                
    Cost of services (exclusive of depreciation and amortization below)     448.7       368.8       1,261.7       1,136.8  
    Selling, general and administrative     305.7       290.8       922.1       867.7  
    Depreciation and amortization     133.6       131.3       400.5       391.1  
    Goodwill impairment     —       414.0       —       414.0  
    Restructuring     40.5       —       66.8       —  
    Total operating expenses     928.6       1,205.0       2,651.0       2,809.6  
    Operating income (loss)     156.4       (236.3 )     495.9       67.3  
    Non-operating income and (expense)                
    Interest expense     (66.6 )     (72.7 )     (203.2 )     (217.2 )
    Interest income     7.8       5.0       19.9       15.1  
    Earnings from equity method investments     4.7       3.7       14.0       11.7  
    Other (expense) and income, net     (5.4 )     8.7       (26.2 )     (16.3 )
    Total non-operating income and (expense)     (59.6 )     (55.4 )     (195.4 )     (206.8 )
    Income (loss) from continuing operations before income taxes     96.8       (291.7 )     300.5       (139.5 )
    Provision for income taxes     (24.9 )     (22.2 )     (68.9 )     (60.1 )
    Income (loss) from continuing operations     71.9       (313.9 )     231.6       (199.6 )
    Discontinued operations, net of tax     —       (0.5 )     —       (0.7 )
    Net income (loss)     71.9       (314.4 )     231.6       (200.3 )
    Less: net income attributable to the noncontrolling interests     (3.9 )     (4.3 )     (13.4 )     (11.9 )
    Net income (loss) attributable to TransUnion   $ 68.0     $ (318.8 )   $ 218.2     $ (212.2 )
                     
    Basic earnings (loss) per common share from:                
    Income (loss) from continuing operations attributable to TransUnion   $ 0.35     $ (1.65 )   $ 1.12     $ (1.09 )
    Discontinued operations, net of tax     —       —       —       —  
    Net income (loss) attributable to TransUnion   $ 0.35     $ (1.65 )   $ 1.12     $ (1.10 )
    Diluted earnings (loss) per common share from:                
    Income (loss) from continuing operations attributable to TransUnion   $ 0.35     $ (1.65 )   $ 1.11     $ (1.09 )
    Discontinued operations, net of tax     —       —       —       —  
    Net income (loss) attributable to TransUnion   $ 0.35     $ (1.65 )   $ 1.11     $ (1.10 )
    Weighted-average shares outstanding:                
    Basic     194.6       193.4       194.3       193.3  
    Diluted     197.0       193.4       196.3       193.3  
                                     

    As a result of displaying amounts in millions, rounding differences may exist in the table above.

    TRANSUNION AND SUBSIDIARIES
    Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows (Unaudited)
    (in millions)

        Nine Months Ended September 30,
         2024    2023
    Cash flows from operating activities:        
    Net income (loss)   $ 231.6     $ (200.3 )
    Less: Discontinued operations, net of tax     —       0.7  
    Income (loss) from continuing operations     231.6       (199.6 )
    Adjustments to reconcile net income (loss) to net cash provided by operating activities:        
    Depreciation and amortization     400.5       391.1  
    Goodwill impairment     —       414.0  
    Loss on repayment of loans     2.6       3.0  
    Deferred taxes     (94.1 )     (101.3 )
    Stock-based compensation     85.6       72.9  
    Loss on early termination of lease     40.5       —  
    Other     17.9       13.1  
    Changes in assets and liabilities:        
    Trade accounts receivable     (88.9 )     (104.2 )
    Other current and long-term assets     31.4       (42.4 )
    Trade accounts payable     44.2       16.9  
    Other current and long-term liabilities     (92.8 )     (19.7 )
    Cash provided by operating activities of continuing operations     578.5       443.8  
    Cash used in operating activities of discontinued operations     —       (0.2 )
    Cash provided by operating activities     578.5       443.6  
    Cash flows from investing activities:        
    Capital expenditures     (198.7 )     (213.2 )
    Proceeds from sale/maturities of other investments     —       63.9  
    Purchases of other investments     —       (43.7 )
    Investments in nonconsolidated affiliates     (5.9 )     (36.9 )
    Proceeds from the sale of investments in nonconsolidated affiliates     3.8       —  
    Payment related to disposal of discontinued operations     —       (0.5 )
    Other     5.7       (0.1 )
    Cash used in investing activities     (195.1 )     (230.5 )
    Cash flows from financing activities:        
    Proceeds from term loans     934.9       —  
    Repayments of term loans     (927.9 )     —  
    Repayments of debt     (141.0 )     (310.9 )
    Debt financing fees     (13.5 )     —  
    Proceeds from issuance of common stock and exercise of stock options     24.5       23.1  
    Dividends to shareholders     (61.7 )     (61.4 )
    Employee taxes paid on restricted stock units recorded as treasury stock     (30.1 )     (17.6 )
    Distributions to noncontrolling interests     (4.7 )     (8.5 )
    Cash used in financing activities     (219.5 )     (375.3 )
    Effect of exchange rate changes on cash and cash equivalents     3.1       (2.2 )
    Net change in cash and cash equivalents     167.0       (164.4 )
    Cash and cash equivalents, beginning of period     476.2       585.3  
    Cash and cash equivalents, end of period   $ 643.2     $ 420.9  
     

    As a result of displaying amounts in millions, rounding differences may exist in the table above.

    TRANSUNION AND SUBSIDIARIES
    Non-GAAP Financial Measures

    We present Consolidated Adjusted EBITDA, Consolidated Adjusted EBITDA Margin, Adjusted Net Income, Adjusted Diluted Earnings per Share, Adjusted Provision for Income Taxes, Adjusted Effective Tax Rate and Leverage Ratio for all periods presented. These are important financial measures for the Company but are not financial measures as defined by GAAP. These financial measures should be reviewed in conjunction with the relevant GAAP financial measures and are not presented as alternative measures of GAAP. Other companies in our industry may define or calculate these measures differently than we do, limiting their usefulness as comparative measures. Because of these limitations, these non-GAAP financial measures should not be considered in isolation or as substitutes for performance measures calculated in accordance with GAAP, including operating income, operating margin, effective tax rate, net income attributable to the Company, diluted earnings per share or cash provided by operating activities. Reconciliations of these non-GAAP financial measures to their most directly comparable GAAP financial measures are presented in the tables below.

    We present Consolidated Adjusted EBITDA, Consolidated Adjusted EBITDA Margin, Adjusted Net Income, Adjusted Diluted Earnings per Share, Adjusted Provision for Income Taxes and Adjusted Effective Tax Rate as supplemental measures of our operating performance because these measures eliminate the impact of certain items that we do not consider indicative of our cash operations and ongoing operating performance. These are measures frequently used by securities analysts, investors and other interested parties in their evaluation of the operating performance of companies similar to ours.

    Our board of directors and executive management team use Adjusted EBITDA as an incentive compensation measure for most eligible employees and Adjusted Diluted Earnings per Share as an incentive compensation measure for certain of our senior executives.

    Under the credit agreement governing our Senior Secured Credit Facility, our ability to engage in activities such as incurring additional indebtedness, making investments and paying dividends is tied to our Leverage Ratio which is partially based on Adjusted EBITDA. Investors also use our Leverage Ratio to assess our ability to service our debt and make other capital allocation decisions.

    Consolidated Adjusted EBITDA

    Management has excluded the following items from net income attributable to TransUnion in order to calculate Adjusted EBITDA for the periods presented:

    • Discontinued operations, net of tax, as reported on our Consolidated Statements of Operations. We exclude discontinued operations, net of tax because we believe it does not reflect the underlying and ongoing performance of our business operations.
    • Net interest expense is the sum of interest expense and interest income as reported on our Consolidated Statements of Operations.
    • Provision for income taxes, as reported on our Consolidated Statements of Operations.
    • Depreciation and amortization, as reported on our Consolidated Statements of Operations.
    • Stock-based compensation is used as an incentive to engage and retain our employees. It is predominantly a non-cash expense. We exclude stock-based compensation because it may not correlate to the underlying performance of our business operations during the period since it is measured at the grant date fair value and it is subject to variability as a result of performance conditions and timing of grants. These expenses are reported within cost of services and selling, general and administrative on our Consolidated Statements of Operations.
    • Operating model optimization program represents employee separation costs, facility lease exit costs, and other business process optimization expenses incurred in connection with the transformation plan discussed further in “Results of Operations – Factors Affecting Our Results of Operations” in our Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2024. We exclude these expenses as we believe they are not directly correlated to the underlying performance of our business. Further, these costs will vary and may not be comparable during the transformation initiative as we progress toward an optimized operating model. These costs are reported primarily in restructuring and selling, general and administrative on our Consolidated Statements of Operations.
    • Accelerated technology investment includes Project Rise and the final phase of our technology investment announced in November 2023. Project Rise was announced in February 2020 and was originally expected to be completed in 2022. Following our acquisition of Neustar in December 2021, we recognized the opportunity to take advantage of Neustar’s capabilities to enhance and complement our cloud-based technology already under development as part of Project Rise. As a result, we extended Project Rise’s timeline to 2024 and increased the total estimated cost to approximately $240 million. In November 2023, we announced our plans to further leverage Neustar’s technology to standardize and streamline our product delivery platforms and to build a single global platform for fulfillment of our product lines. The additional investment is expected to be approximately $90 million during 2024 and 2025 and represents the final phase of the technology investment in our global technology infrastructure and core customer applications. We expect that the accelerated technology investment will fundamentally transform our technology infrastructure by implementing a global cloud-based approach to streamline product development, increase the efficiency of ongoing operations and maintenance and enable a continuous improvement approach to avoid the need for another major technology overhaul in the foreseeable future. The unique effort to build a secure, reliable and performant hybrid cloud infrastructure requires us to dedicate separate resources in order to develop the new cloud-based infrastructure in parallel with our current on-premise environment by maintaining our existing technology team to ensure no disruptions to our customers. The costs associated with the accelerated technology investment are incremental and redundant costs that will not recur after the program has been completed and are not representative of our underlying operating performance. Therefore, we believe that excluding these costs from our non-GAAP measures provides a better reflection of our ongoing cost structure. These costs are primarily reported in cost of services and therefore do not include amounts that are capitalized as internally developed software.
    • Mergers and acquisitions, divestitures and business optimization expenses are non-recurring expenses associated with specific transactions (exploratory or executed) and consist of (i) transaction and integration costs, (ii) post-acquisition adjustments to contingent consideration or to assets and liabilities that occurred after the acquisition measurement period, (iii) fair value and impairment adjustments related to investments and call and put options, (iv) transition services agreement income, and (v) a loss on disposal of a business. We exclude these expenses as we believe they are not directly correlated to the underlying performance of our business operations and vary depending upon the timing of such transactions. These expenses are reported in costs of services, selling, general and administrative and other income and (expenses), net, on our Consolidated Statements of Operations.
    • Net other adjustments principally relate to: (i) deferred loan fee expense from debt prepayments and refinancing, (ii) currency remeasurement on foreign operations, (iii) other debt financing expenses consisting primarily of revolving credit facility deferred financing fee amortization and commitment fees and expenses associated with ratings agencies and interest rate hedging, (iv) legal and regulatory expenses, net, and (v) other non-operating (income) expense. We exclude these expenses as we believe they are not directly correlated to the underlying performance of our business and create variability between periods based on the nature and timing of the expense or income. These costs are reported in selling, general and administrative and in non-operating income and expense, net as applicable based on their nature on our Consolidated Statements of Operations.

    Consolidated Adjusted EBITDA Margin

    Management defines Consolidated Adjusted EBITDA Margin as Consolidated Adjusted EBITDA divided by total revenue as reported.

    Adjusted Net Income

    Management has excluded the following items from net income attributable to TransUnion in order to calculate Adjusted Net Income for the periods presented:

    • Discontinued operations, net of tax (see Consolidated Adjusted EBITDA above).
    • Amortization of certain intangible assets presents non-cash amortization expenses related to assets that arose from our 2012 change in control transaction and business combinations occurring after our 2012 change in control. We exclude these expenses as we believe they are not directly correlated to the underlying performance of our business operations and vary dependent upon the timing of the transactions that give rise to these assets. Amortization of intangible assets is included in depreciation and amortization on our Consolidated Statements of Operations.
    • Stock-based compensation (see Consolidated Adjusted EBITDA above).
    • Operating model optimization program (see Consolidated Adjusted EBITDA above).
    • Accelerated technology investment (see Consolidated Adjusted EBITDA above).
    • Mergers and acquisitions, divestiture and business optimization (see Consolidated Adjusted EBITDA above).
    • Net other is consistent with the definition in Consolidated Adjusted EBITDA above except that other debt financing expenses and certain other miscellaneous income and expense that are included in the adjustment to calculate Adjusted EBITDA are excluded in the adjustment made to calculate Adjusted Net Income.
    • Total adjustments for income taxes relates to the cumulative adjustments discussed below for Adjusted Provision for Income Taxes. This adjustment is made for the reasons indicated in Adjusted Provision for Income Taxes below. Adjustments related to the provision for income taxes are included in the line item by this name on our consolidated statement of operations.

    Adjusted Diluted Earnings Per Share

    Management defines Adjusted Diluted Earnings per Share as Adjusted Net Income divided by the weighted-average diluted shares outstanding.

    Adjusted Provision for Income Taxes

    Management has excluded the following items from our provision for income taxes for the periods presented:

    • Tax effect of above adjustments represents the income tax effect of the adjustments related to Adjusted Net Income described above. The tax rate applied to each adjustment is based on the nature of each line item. We include the tax effect of the adjustments made to Adjusted Net Income to provide a comprehensive view of our adjusted net income.
    • Excess tax expense (benefit) for stock-based compensation is the permanent difference between expenses recognized for book purposes and expenses recognized for tax purposes, in each case related to stock-based compensation expense. We exclude this amount from the Adjusted Provision for Income Taxes in order to be consistent with the exclusion of stock-based compensation from the calculation of Adjusted Net Income.
    • Other principally relates to (i) deferred tax adjustments, including rate changes, (ii) infrequent or unusual valuation allowance adjustments, (iii) return to provision, tax authority audit adjustments, and reserves related to prior periods, and (iv) other non-recurring items. We exclude these items because they create variability that impacts comparability between periods.

    Adjusted Effective Tax Rate

    Management defines Adjusted Effective Tax Rate as Adjusted Provision for Income Taxes divided by Adjusted income from continuing operations before income taxes. We calculate adjusted income from continuing operations before income taxes by excluding the pre-tax adjustments in the calculation of Adjusted Net Income discussed above and noncontrolling interest related to these pre-tax adjustments from income from continuing operations before income taxes.

    Leverage Ratio

    Management defines Leverage Ratio as net debt divided by Consolidated Adjusted EBITDA for the most recent twelve-month period including twelve months of Adjusted EBITDA from significant acquisitions. Since the Leverage Ratio is calculated on a trailing twelve month basis, prior period goodwill impairment is excluded as this expense may not directly correlate to the underlying performance of our business operations during that period and may vary significantly between periods. Net debt is defined as total debt less cash and cash equivalents as reported on the balance sheet as of the end of the period.

    This earnings release presents constant currency growth rates assuming foreign currency exchange rates are consistent between years. This allows financial results to be evaluated without the impact of fluctuations in foreign currency exchange rates. This earnings release also presents organic constant currency growth rates, which assumes consistent foreign currency exchange rates between years and also eliminates the impact of our recent acquisitions. This allows financial results to be evaluated without the impact of fluctuations in foreign currency exchange rates and the impacts of recent acquisitions.

    Free cash flow is defined as cash provided by operating activities less capital expenditures and is a measure we may refer to.

    Refer to Schedules 1 through 7 for a reconciliation of our non-GAAP financial measures to the most directly comparable GAAP financial measure.

    SCHEDULE 1
    TRANSUNION AND SUBSIDIARIES
    Revenue and Adjusted EBITDA growth rates as Reported, CC, and Organic CC
    (Unaudited)

        For the Three Months Ended September 30, 2024 compared with
    the Three Months Ended September 30, 2023    		   For the Nine Months Ended September 30, 2024 compared with
    the Nine Months Ended September 30, 2023
        Reported   CC Growth1   Organic CC
    Growth2    		   Reported   CC Growth1   Organic CC
    Growth2
    Revenue:                        
    Consolidated   12.0 %   12.2 %   12.2 %   9.4 %   9.4 %   9.4 %
    U.S. Markets   12.5 %   12.5 %   12.5 %   8.4 %   8.4 %   8.4 %
    Financial Services   17.1 %   17.1 %   17.1 %   13.5 %   13.5 %   13.5 %
    Emerging Verticals   3.3 %   3.3 %   3.3 %   4.0 %   4.0 %   4.0 %
    Consumer Interactive   21.4 %   21.3 %   21.3 %   6.0 %   6.0 %   6.0 %
    International   11.3 %   12.1 %   12.1 %   13.4 %   13.5 %   13.5 %
    Canada   6.8 %   8.6 %   8.6 %   11.5 %   12.7 %   12.7 %
    Latin America   7.2 %   12.7 %   12.7 %   11.8 %   10.9 %   10.9 %
    United Kingdom   6.0 %   3.7 %   3.7 %   4.9 %   2.5 %   2.5 %
    Africa   12.3 %   9.5 %   9.5 %   8.3 %   10.4 %   10.4 %
    India   21.5 %   23.1 %   23.1 %   25.4 %   27.0 %   27.0 %
    Asia Pacific   11.1 %   11.5 %   11.5 %   13.6 %   14.2 %   14.2 %
                             
    Adjusted EBITDA:                        
    Consolidated   10.5 %   10.9 %   10.9 %   10.9 %   11.0 %   11.0 %
    U.S. Markets   9.0 %   9.0 %   9.0 %   8.2 %   8.2 %   8.2 %
    International   13.9 %   15.3 %   15.3 %   17.4 %   17.9 %   17.9 %
    1.  Constant Currency (“CC”) growth rates assume foreign currency exchange rates are consistent between years. This allows financial results to be evaluated without the impact of fluctuations in foreign currency exchange rates.
       
    2.  We have no inorganic revenue or Adjusted EBITDA for the periods presented. Organic CC growth rate is the CC growth rate less the inorganic growth rate.

    SCHEDULE 2
    TRANSUNION AND SUBSIDIARIES
    Consolidated and Segment Revenue, Adjusted EBITDA, and Adjusted EBITDA Margin (Unaudited)
    (dollars in millions)

      Three Months Ended
    September 30,    		   Nine Months Ended
    September 30,
       2024    2023    2024    2023
    Revenue:              
    U.S. Markets gross revenue              
    Financial Services $ 367.2     $ 313.7     $ 1,077.6     $ 949.6  
    Emerging Verticals   307.2       297.3       913.1       877.9  
    Consumer Interactive   173.7       143.1       455.1       429.4  
    U.S. Markets gross revenue $ 848.1     $ 754.0     $ 2,445.9     $ 2,256.9  
                   
    International gross revenue              
    Canada $ 39.4     $ 36.9     $ 115.9     $ 103.9  
    Latin America   33.5       31.2       100.9       90.2  
    United Kingdom   57.8       54.5       168.6       160.7  
    Africa   17.1       15.2       48.0       44.3  
    India   68.2       56.1       202.8       161.8  
    Asia Pacific   25.6       23.1       77.1       67.9  
    International gross revenue $ 241.6     $ 217.1     $ 713.3     $ 628.9  
                   
    Total gross revenue $ 1,089.6     $ 971.2     $ 3,159.2     $ 2,885.8  
                   
    Intersegment revenue eliminations              
    U.S. Markets $ (2.8 )   $ (1.0 )   $ (7.4 )   $ (4.6 )
    International   (1.9 )     (1.5 )     (4.8 )     (4.3 )
    Total intersegment revenue eliminations $ (4.7 )   $ (2.5 )   $ (12.3 )   $ (8.9 )
                   
    Total revenue as reported $ 1,085.0     $ 968.7     $ 3,147.0     $ 2,876.9  
                   
    Adjusted EBITDA:              
    U.S. Markets $ 319.9     $ 293.7     $ 920.9     $ 850.9  
    International   110.5       97.0       318.1       271.0  
    Corporate   (36.7 )     (34.5 )     (110.6 )     (104.3 )
    Adjusted EBITDA Margin:1              
    U.S. Markets   37.7 %     38.9 %     37.6 %     37.7 %
    International   45.7 %     44.7 %     44.6 %     43.1 %
    1.  Segment Adjusted EBITDA Margins are calculated using segment gross revenue and segment Adjusted EBITDA. Consolidated Adjusted EBITDA Margin is calculated using total revenue as reported and consolidated Adjusted EBITDA.
      Three Months Ended
    September 30,    		   Nine Months Ended
    September 30,
       2024     2023     2024    2023 
    Reconciliation of Net income (loss) attributable to TransUnion to consolidated Adjusted EBITDA:              
    Net income (loss) attributable to TransUnion $ 68.0     $ (318.8 )   $ 218.2     $ (212.2 )
    Discontinued operations, net of tax   —       0.5       —       0.7  
    Income (loss) from continuing operations attributable to TransUnion $ 68.0     $ (318.3 )   $ 218.2     $ (211.5 )
    Net interest expense   58.9       67.8       183.3       202.1  
    Provision for income taxes   24.9       22.2       68.9       60.1  
    Depreciation and amortization   133.6       131.3       400.5       391.1  
    EBITDA $ 285.4     $ (97.0 )   $ 870.8     $ 441.8  
    Adjustments to EBITDA:              
    Stock-based compensation   33.8       27.0       85.7       73.3  
    Goodwill impairment1   —       414.0       —       414.0  
    Mergers and acquisitions, divestitures and business optimization2   7.3       (6.0 )     17.1       24.5  
    Accelerated technology investment3   21.8       16.3       58.6       53.5  
    Operating model optimization program4   47.3       —       86.4       —  
    Net other5   (2.0 )     1.8       9.7       10.6  
    Total adjustments to EBITDA $ 108.3     $ 453.1     $ 257.5     $ 575.8  
    Consolidated Adjusted EBITDA $ 393.7     $ 356.1     $ 1,128.4     $ 1,017.6  
                   
    Net income (loss) attributable to TransUnion margin   6.3 %     (32.9 )%     6.9 %     (7.4 )%
    Consolidated Adjusted EBITDA margin5   36.3 %     36.8 %     35.9 %     35.4 %
                                   

    As a result of displaying amounts in millions, rounding differences may exist in the tables above and footnotes below.

     1.  During the three and nine months ended September 30, 2023, we recorded a goodwill impairment of $414.0 million related to our United Kingdom reporting unit in our International segment.
     2.  Mergers and acquisitions, divestitures and business optimization consisted of the following adjustments:
          Three Months Ended
    September 30,    		   Nine Months Ended
    September 30,
           2024    2023     2024    2023 
      Transaction and integration costs   $ 3.6   $ 5.8     $ 7.0   $ 21.0  
      Fair value and impairment adjustments     —     (10.7 )     0.8     0.8  
      Post-acquisition adjustments     3.7     —       9.4     5.1  
      Transition services agreement income     —     (1.1 )     —     (2.4 )
      Total mergers and acquisitions, divestitures and business optimization   $ 7.3   $ (6.0 )   $ 17.1   $ 24.5  
     3.  Represents expenses associated with our accelerated technology investment to migrate to the cloud. There are three components of the accelerated technology investment: (i) building foundational capabilities, which includes establishing a modern, API-based and services-oriented software architecture, (ii) the migration of each application and customer data to the new enterprise platform, including the redundant software costs during the migration period, as well as the efforts to decommission the legacy system, and (iii) program enablement, which includes dedicated resources to support the planning and execution of the program. The amounts for each category of cost are as follows:
          Three Months Ended
    September 30,    		   Nine Months Ended
    September 30,
          2024   2023   2024   2023
      Foundational Capabilities   $ 9.9   $ 8.0   $ 25.0   $ 27.7
      Migration Management     11.0     7.2     29.9     21.9
      Program Enablement     0.9     1.1     3.8     3.9
      Total accelerated technology investment   $ 21.8   $ 16.3   $ 58.6   $ 53.5
     4.  Operating model optimization consisted of the following adjustments:
          Three Months Ended
    September 30,    		   Nine Months Ended
    September 30,
           2024    2023    2024    2023
      Employee separation   $ —   $ —   $ 24.7   $ —
      Facility exit     40.5     —     42.1     —
      Business process optimization     6.8     —     19.6     —
      Total operating model optimization   $ 47.3   $ —   $ 86.4   $ —
     5.  Net other consisted of the following adjustments:
          Three Months Ended
    September 30,    		   Nine Months Ended
    September 30,
           2024     2023     2024     2023 
      Deferred loan fee expense from debt prepayments and refinancing   $ 0.1     $ 1.0     $ 9.2     $ 3.1  
      Other debt financing expenses     0.5       0.3       1.6       1.5  
      Currency remeasurement on foreign operations     (1.7 )     0.8       (0.4 )     6.5  
      Other non-operating (income) expense     (0.8 )     (0.3 )     (0.7 )     (0.5 )
      Total other adjustments   $ (2.0 )   $ 1.8     $ 9.7     $ 10.6  
     6.  Consolidated Adjusted EBITDA margin is calculated by dividing Consolidated Adjusted EBITDA by total revenue.


    SCHEDULE 3
    TRANSUNION AND SUBSIDIARIES
    Adjusted Net Income and Adjusted Diluted Earnings Per Share (Unaudited)
    (in millions, except per share data)

        Three Months Ended
    September 30,    		   Nine Months Ended
    September 30,
        2024   2023   2024   2023
    Income (loss) from continuing operations attributable to TransUnion   $ 68.0     $ (318.3 )   $ 218.2     $ (211.5 )
    Discontinued operations, net of tax     —       (0.5 )     —       (0.7 )
    Net income (loss) attributable to TransUnion   $ 68.0     $ (318.8 )   $ 218.2     $ (212.2 )
                     
    Weighted-average shares outstanding:                
    Basic     194.6       193.4       194.3       193.3  
    Diluted     197.0       193.4       196.3       193.3  
                     
    Basic earnings (loss) per common share from:                
    Income (loss) from continuing operations attributable to TransUnion   $ 0.35     $ (1.65 )   $ 1.12     $ (1.09 )
    Discontinued operations, net of tax     —       —       —       —  
    Net income (loss) attributable to TransUnion   $ 0.35     $ (1.65 )   $ 1.12     $ (1.10 )
    Diluted earnings (loss) per common share from:                
    Income (loss) from continuing operations attributable to TransUnion   $ 0.35     $ (1.65 )   $ 1.11     $ (1.09 )
    Discontinued operations, net of tax     —       —       —       —  
    Net income (loss) attributable to TransUnion   $ 0.35     $ (1.65 )   $ 1.11     $ (1.10 )
                     
    Reconciliation of Net income (loss) attributable to TransUnion to Adjusted Net Income:                
    Net income (loss) attributable to TransUnion   $ 68.0     $ (318.8 )   $ 218.2     $ (212.2 )
    Discontinued operations, net of tax     —       0.5       —       0.7  
    Income (loss) from continuing operations attributable to TransUnion   $ 68.0     $ (318.3 )   $ 218.2     $ (211.5 )
    Adjustments before income tax items:                
    Amortization of certain intangible assets1     71.5       72.1       214.9       221.2  
    Stock-based compensation     33.8       27.0       85.7       73.3  
    Goodwill impairment2     —       414.0       —       414.0  
    Mergers and acquisitions, divestitures and business optimization2     7.3       (6.0 )     17.1       24.5  
    Accelerated technology investment3     21.8       16.3       58.6       53.5  
    Operating model optimization program4     47.3       —       86.4       —  
    Net other5     (2.1 )     1.8       8.6       9.6  
    Total adjustments before income tax items   $ 179.6     $ 525.2     $ 471.3     $ 796.0  
    Total adjustments for income taxes6     (43.1 )     (29.5 )     (112.9 )     (85.2 )
    Adjusted Net Income   $ 204.5     $ 177.4     $ 576.6     $ 499.3  
                     
    Weighted-average shares outstanding:                
    Basic     194.6       193.4       194.3       193.3  
    Diluted     197.0       194.6       196.3       194.8  
                     
    Adjusted Earnings per Share:                
    Basic   $ 1.05     $ 0.92     $ 2.97     $ 2.58  
    Diluted   $ 1.04     $ 0.91     $ 2.94     $ 2.56  
        Three Months Ended
    September 30,    		   Nine Months Ended
    September 30,
        2024   2023   2024   2023
    Reconciliation of Diluted earnings (loss) per share from Net income (loss) attributable to TransUnion to Adjusted Diluted Earnings per Share:                
    Diluted earnings (loss) per common share from:                
    Net income (loss) attributable to TransUnion   $ 0.35     $ (1.65 )   $ 1.11     $ (1.10 )
    Discontinued operations, net of tax     —       —       —       —  
    Income (loss) from continuing operations attributable to TransUnion   $ 0.35     $ (1.65 )   $ 1.11     $ (1.09 )
    Adjustments before income tax items:                
    Amortization of certain intangible assets1     0.36       0.37       1.09       1.14  
    Stock-based compensation     0.17       0.14       0.44       0.38  
    Goodwill impairment2     —       2.13       —       2.13  
    Mergers and acquisitions, divestitures and business optimization3     0.04       (0.03 )     0.09       0.13  
    Accelerated technology investment4     0.11       0.08       0.30       0.27  
    Operating model optimization program5     0.24       —       0.44       —  
    Net other6     (0.01 )     0.01       0.04       0.05  
    Total adjustments before income tax items   $ 0.91     $ 2.70     $ 2.40     $ 4.09  
    Total adjustments for income taxes7     (0.22 )     (0.15 )     (0.57 )     (0.44 )
    Adjusted Diluted Earnings per Share   $ 1.04     $ 0.91     $ 2.94     $ 2.56  
     

    Each component of earnings per share is calculated independently, therefore, rounding differences exist in the table above.

     1.  Consists of amortization of intangible assets from our 2012 change-in-control transaction and amortization of intangible assets established in business acquisitions after our 2012 change-in-control transaction.
     2.  During the three and nine months ended September 30, 2023, we recorded a goodwill impairment of $414.0 million related to our United Kingdom reporting unit in our International segment.
     3.  Mergers and acquisitions, divestitures and business optimization consisted of the following adjustments:
          Three Months Ended
    September 30,    		   Nine Months Ended
    September 30,
          2024   2023   2024   2023
      Transaction and integration costs   $ 3.6   $ 5.8     $ 7.0   $ 21.0  
      Fair value and impairment adjustments     —     (10.7 )     0.8     0.8  
      Post-acquisition adjustments     3.7     —       9.4     5.1  
      Transition services agreement income     —     (1.1 )     —     (2.4 )
      Total mergers and acquisitions, divestitures and business optimization   $ 7.3   $ (6.0 )   $ 17.1   $ 24.5  
     4.  Represents expenses associated with our accelerated technology investment to migrate to the cloud. There are three components of the accelerated technology investment: (i) building foundational capabilities which includes establishing a modern, API-based and services-oriented software architecture, (ii) the migration of each application and customer data to the new enterprise platform, including the redundant software costs during the migration period, as well as the efforts to decommission the legacy system, and (iii) program enablement, which includes dedicated resources to support the planning and execution of the program. The amounts for each category of cost are as follows:
          Three Months Ended
    September 30,    		   Nine Months Ended
    September 30,
          2024   2023   2024   2023
      Foundational Capabilities   $ 9.9   $ 8.0   $ 25.0   $ 27.7
      Migration Management     11.0     7.2     29.9     21.9
      Program Enablement     0.9     1.1     3.8     3.9
      Total accelerated technology investment   $ 21.8   $ 16.3   $ 58.6   $ 53.5
     5.  Operating model optimization consisted of the following adjustments:
          Three Months Ended
    September 30,    		   Nine Months Ended
    September 30,
          2024   2023   2024   2023
      Employee separation   $ —   $ —   $ 24.7   $ —
      Facility exit     40.5     —     42.1     —
      Business process optimization     6.8     —     19.6     —
      Total operating model optimization   $ 47.3   $ —   $ 86.4   $ —
     6.  Net other consisted of the following adjustments:
          Three Months Ended
    September 30,    		   Nine Months Ended
    September 30,
          2024   2023   2024   2023
      Deferred loan fee expense from debt prepayments and refinancing   $ 0.1     $ 1.0   $ 9.2     $ 3.1
      Currency remeasurement on foreign operations     (1.7 )     0.8     (0.4 )     6.5
      Other non-operating (income) and expense     (0.5 )     —     (0.2 )     —
      Total other adjustments   $ (2.1 )   $ 1.8   $ 8.6     $ 9.6
     7.  Total adjustments for income taxes represents the total of adjustments discussed to calculate the Adjusted Provision for Income Taxes.

    SCHEDULE 4
    TRANSUNION AND SUBSIDIARIES
    Adjusted Provision for Income Taxes and Adjusted Effective Tax Rate (Unaudited)
    (dollars in millions)

      Three Months Ended
    September 30,    		   Nine Months Ended
    September 30,
      2024   2023   2024   2023
    Income (loss) from continuing operations before income taxes $ 96.8     $ (291.7 )   $ 300.5     $ (139.5 )
    Total adjustments before income tax items from Schedule 3   179.6       525.2       471.3       796.0  
    Adjusted income (loss) from continuing operations before income taxes $ 276.4     $ 233.5     $ 771.8     $ 656.5  
                   
    Reconciliation of Provision for income taxes to Adjusted Provision for Income Taxes:              
    Provision for income taxes   (24.9 )     (22.2 )     (68.9 )     (60.1 )
    Adjustments for income taxes:              
    Tax effect of above adjustments   (41.8 )     (27.9 )     (108.5 )     (90.1 )
    Eliminate impact of excess tax (benefit) expense for stock-based compensation   (2.3 )     0.7       (1.4 )     2.7  
    Other1   0.9       (2.2 )     (3.0 )     2.2  
    Total adjustments for income taxes $ (43.1 )   $ (29.5 )   $ (112.9 )   $ (85.2 )
    Adjusted Provision for Income Taxes $ (68.0 )   $ (51.7 )   $ (181.8 )   $ (145.3 )
                   
    Effective tax rate   25.7 %     (7.6 )%     22.9 %     (43.1 )%
    Adjusted Effective Tax Rate   24.6 %     22.2 %     23.6 %     22.1 %
                                   

    As a result of displaying amounts in millions, rounding differences may exist in the table above.

      1.  Other adjustments for income taxes include:
          Three Months Ended
    September 30,    		   Nine Months Ended
    September 30,
          2024   2023   2024   2023 
      Deferred tax adjustments   $ 3.8     $ (0.2 )   $ (1.4 )   $ 0.6  
      Valuation allowance adjustments     (2.3 )     (1.9 )     (2.1 )     (0.8 )
      Return to provision, audit adjustments, and reserves related to prior periods     (1.2 )     1.4       1.2       2.6  
      Other adjustments     0.7       (1.6 )     (0.7 )     (0.3 )
      Total other adjustments   $ 0.9     $ (2.2 )   $ (3.0 )   $ 2.2  
     

    SCHEDULE 5
    TRANSUNION AND SUBSIDIARIES
    Leverage Ratio (Unaudited)
    (dollars in millions)

        Trailing Twelve
    Months Ended
    September 30, 2024
    Reconciliation of Net income attributable to TransUnion to Consolidated Adjusted EBITDA:    
    Net income attributable to TransUnion   $ 224.2
    Net interest expense     248.6
    Provision for income taxes     53.6
    Depreciation and amortization     533.8
    EBITDA   $ 1,060.2
    Adjustments to EBITDA:    
    Stock-based compensation   $ 113.0
    Mergers and acquisitions, divestitures and business optimization1     27.2
    Accelerated technology investment2     75.6
    Operating model optimization program3     164.0
    Net other4     14.4
    Total adjustments to EBITDA   $ 394.3
    Leverage Ratio Adjusted EBITDA   $ 1,454.5
         
    Total debt   $ 5,201.4
    Less: Cash and cash equivalents     643.2
    Net Debt   $ 4,558.2
         
    Ratio of Net Debt to Net income attributable to TransUnion     20.3
    Leverage Ratio     3.1

    As a result of displaying amounts in millions, rounding differences may exist in the table above.

    1.  Mergers and acquisitions, divestitures and business optimization consisted of the following adjustments:
          Trailing Twelve
    Months Ended
    September 30, 2024
      Transaction and integration costs   $ 16.9  
      Fair value and impairment adjustments     10.3  
      Post-acquisition adjustments     0.1  
      Transition services agreement income     (0.1 )
      Total mergers and acquisitions, divestitures and business optimization   $ 27.2  
    2.  Represents expenses associated with our accelerated technology investment to migrate to the cloud. There are three components of the accelerated technology investment: (i) building foundational capabilities which includes establishing a modern, API-based and services-oriented software architecture, (ii) the migration of each application and customer data to the new enterprise platform including the redundant software costs during the migration period, as well as the efforts to decommission the legacy system, and (iii) program enablement, which includes dedicated resources to support the planning and execution of the program. The amounts for each category of cost are as follows:
          Trailing Twelve
    Months Ended
    September 30, 2024
      Foundational Capabilities   $         33.0        
      Migration Management             37.5        
      Program Enablement             5.1        
      Total accelerated technology investment   $         75.6        
    3.  Operating model optimization consisted of the following adjustments:
          Trailing Twelve
    Months Ended
    September 30, 2024
      Employee separation   $         96.6        
      Facility exit             45.5        
      Business process optimization             21.9        
      Total operating model optimization   $         164.0        
    4.  Net other consisted of the following adjustments:
          Trailing Twelve
    Months Ended
    September 30, 2024
      Deferred loan fee expense from debt prepayments and refinancings   $ 15.4  
      Other debt financing expenses     2.3  
      Currency remeasurement on foreign operations     (2.2 )
      Other non-operating (income) and expense     (1.2 )
      Total other adjustments   $ 14.4  
       

    SCHEDULE 6
    TRANSUNION AND SUBSIDIARIES
    Segment Depreciation and Amortization (Unaudited)
    (in millions)

      Three Months Ended September 30,   Nine Months Ended September 30,
       2024    2023    2024    2023
                   
    U.S. Markets $ 99.3   $ 99.3   $ 299.4   $ 292.3
    International   33.4     31.0     98.1     95.5
    Corporate   1.0     1.1     3.0     3.3
    Total depreciation and amortization $ 133.6   $ 131.3   $ 400.5   $ 391.1
     

    As a result of displaying amounts in millions, rounding differences may exist in the table above.

    SCHEDULE 7
    TRANSUNION AND SUBSIDIARIES
    Reconciliation of Non-GAAP Guidance (Unaudited)
    (in millions, except per share data)

      Three Months Ended December 31, 2024   Twelve Months Ended December 31, 2024
      Low   High   Low   High
    Guidance reconciliation of Net income attributable to TransUnion to Adjusted EBITDA:              
    Net income attributable to TransUnion $ 65     $ 77     $ 284     $ 295  
    Interest, taxes and depreciation and amortization   216       219       868       872  
    EBITDA $ 281     $ 296     $ 1,152     $ 1,167  
    Stock-based compensation, mergers, acquisitions divestitures and business optimization-related expenses and other adjustments1   79       79       336       336  
    Adjusted EBITDA $ 360     $ 375     $ 1,488     $ 1,503  
                   
    Net income attributable to TransUnion margin   6.4 %     7.4 %     6.8 %     7.1 %
    Consolidated Adjusted EBITDA margin2   35.5 %     36.2 %     35.8 %     36.0 %
                   
    Guidance reconciliation of Diluted earnings per share to Adjusted Diluted Earnings per Share:              
    Diluted earnings per share $ 0.34     $ 0.39     $ 1.45     $ 1.51  
    Adjustments to diluted earnings per share1   0.58       0.58       2.42       2.42  
    Adjusted Diluted Earnings per Share $ 0.92     $ 0.98     $ 3.87     $ 3.93  
     

    As a result of displaying amounts in millions, rounding differences may exist in the table above.

    1. These adjustments include the same adjustments we make to our Adjusted EBITDA and Adjusted Net Income as discussed in the Non-GAAP Financial Measures section of our Earnings Release.
    2. Consolidated Adjusted EBITDA margin is calculated by dividing Consolidated Adjusted EBITDA by total revenue.

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Designing Defence’s next generation multi-satellite system

    Source: United Kingdom – Government Statements

    Dstl scientific expertise and advice is at the heart of the Ministry of Defence’s ambitions in space.

    Scientists from the Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (Dstl) are at the forefront of designing and developing Defence’s next generation satellite constellation – a system that will bring giant leaps in operational advantage to the armed forces. 

    We have developed new collaborative ways of working with both Space Command and Defence Equipment and Support (DE&S) to deliver the next generation multi-satellite system to support greater global surveillance and intelligence for military operations – known as the ISTARI programme.

    ISTARI will cost £968 million and involves the development of a constellation (group) of satellites to deliver global intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance and to send data and information rapidly to decision makers across the globe. A series of operational capability demonstrator missions will first be carried out to test the concept.

    Dstl is leading the initial constellation design and development. Using our evidence-based decision-making and systems engineering we are working with DE&S to jointly deliver the missions and bring them into service for Space Command.

    Taking a multi-disciplinary approach enables more rapid decision-making and sharing of best practice across technical, programmatic and operational disciplines. It enables defence to ask the right questions and make the right decisions to develop and deliver capability effectively and efficiently.

    Tyche: MOD’s first sovereign Intelligence Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR) satellite

    Space Command’s first satellite, Tyche, launched in August aboard SpaceX Falcon 9. Dstl provided technical assurance to Tyche, which was built by UK industry.

    Space Command’s first satellite, Tyche

    Tyche is an electro-optical imaging satellite capable of collecting images of the ground, and short image sequences of ground locations, to detect moving objects. It also possesses an additional on-board processor for immediate processing of data collected, including the ability to upload Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning algorithms for data reduction.

    Tyche will be able to communicate with commercial data relays in geostationary orbit to reduce data latency and increase opportunities for tasking.

    A key aspect to the experimentation Tyche will deliver will be the opportunity to demonstrate how the satellite interfaces with the wider emerging MOD space architecture.

    Goonhilly Earth Station: new communications ground stations in Cornwall

    Dstl is also building on the existing ground facilities to enhance space operations. In conjunction with the National Security Strategic Investment Fund (NSSIF), 2 new remote ground stations have been installed at Goonhilly Earth Station (GES) in Cornwall to expand Dstl’s space-to-ground capability and enable increase experimentation.

    Goonhilly Satellite Earth Station (Credit: Shutterstock)

    The powerful 3.9m Safran Legion antennas, to be operated by Dstl, complement Dstl’s Hermes ground station and will track satellites and download Intelligence Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR) data – vital to demonstrating the ISTARI concept.

    Dstl is also working with Goonhilly to tailor and assess the suitability of an open standard for booking and scheduling of remote ground terminals within a network; this will broker access between multiple end users.

    Dstl’s in-house expertise is vital to these missions as we help build Defence’s next generation space capability, which will be vital to ensure operational advantage on the frontline. Find out more about our space defence science and technology capability.

    Updates to this page

    Published 23 October 2024

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: Written question – Reintroduction of German border controls – E-002115/2024

    Source: European Parliament

    16.10.2024

    Question for written answer  E-002115/2024
    to the Commission
    Rule 144
    Jean-Paul Garraud (PfE)

    In September 2024, Germany announced that it was reinstating checks at all its borders to tackle illegal immigration, a major policy issue for Olaf Scholz’s socialist government and for the German people. This announcement came two weeks after the Solingen attack, for which the Islamic State claimed responsibility and which left three people dead and eight injured at a local festival. The investigation revealed that the terrorist, a Syrian who had arrived in Germany at the end of 2022, was subject to an expulsion order and should have been returned to Bulgaria, where his arrival in the EU had been registered.

    Although Member States can ask the Commission for six-month exemptions in the event of a threat to internal security, as Germany has done, this decision contradicts, in theory, the rules of the Schengen area and of free movement within the European Union.

    A Commission spokesperson pointed out that any border controls must be exceptional, necessary and proportionate.

    • 1.Does the Commission think an attack that killed three people warrants exceptional measures?
    • 2.Does the Commission see the reintroduction of border controls within the EU as a sign that the EU’s external borders are completely permeable?
    • 3.As the Commission wishes to limit internal border controls, does it intend to increase Frontex’s budget in order to tighten checks at the EU’s external borders?

    Submitted: 16.10.2024

    Last updated: 23 October 2024

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: MOTION FOR A RESOLUTION on the draft Commission implementing decision authorising the placing on the market of products containing, consisting of or produced from genetically modified cotton COT102 pursuant to Regulation (EC) No 1829/2003 of the European Parliament and of the Council – B10-0145/2024

    Source: European Parliament

    Committee on the Environment, Public Health and Food Safety
    Members responsible: Martin Häusling, Biljana Borzan, Anja Hazekamp

    B10‑0145/2024

    European Parliament resolution on the draft Commission implementing decision authorising the placing on the market of products containing, consisting of or produced from genetically modified cotton COT102 pursuant to Regulation (EC) No 1829/2003 of the European Parliament and of the Council (D098499/04 – 2024/2835(RSP))

    The European Parliament,

    – having regard to the draft Commission implementing decision authorising the placing on the market of products containing, consisting of or produced from genetically modified cotton COT102 pursuant to Regulation (EC) No 1829/2003 of the European Parliament and of the Council (D098499/04),

    – having regard to Regulation (EC) No 1829/2003 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 22 September 2003 on genetically modified food and feed[1], and in particular Article 7(3) and Article 19(3) thereof,

    – having regard to the vote of the Standing Committee on Plants, Animals, Food and Feed referred to in Article 35 of Regulation (EC) No 1829/2003, on 8 July 2024, at which no opinion was delivered, and the vote of the Appeal Committee on 3 September 2024, at which again no opinion was delivered,

    – having regard to Article 11 of Regulation (EU) No 182/2011 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 16 February 2011 laying down the rules and general principles concerning mechanisms for control by Member States of the Commission’s exercise of implementing powers[2],

    – having regard to the opinion adopted by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) on 10 May 2023, and published on 26 June 2023[3],

    – having regard to its previous resolutions objecting to the authorisation of genetically modified organisms (‘GMOs’)[4],

    – having regard to Rule 115(2) and (3) of its Rules of Procedure,

    – having regard to the motion for a resolution of the Committee on the Environment, Public Health and Food Safety,

    A. whereas, on 31 March 2017, Syngenta Crop Protection NV/SA, based in Belgium, submitted, on behalf of Syngenta Crop Protection AG, based in Switzerland, an application to the national competent authority of Germany for the placing on the market of foods, food ingredients and feed containing, consisting of or produced from genetically modified cotton COT102 (the ‘GM cotton’), in accordance with Articles 5 and 17 of Regulation (EC) No 1829/2003 (‘the application’); whereas the application also covered the placing on the market of products containing or consisting of the GM cotton for uses other than food and feed, with the exception of cultivation;

    B. whereas, on 10 May 2023, EFSA adopted a favourable opinion, which was published on 10 May 2023, concluding that the GM cotton is as safe as its non-GM comparator and the tested non-GM cotton varieties with respect to potential effects on human and animal health and the environment;

    C. whereas the GM cotton contains genes producing insecticidal proteins (‘Bt toxins’) and an antibiotic resistance marker gene (‘ARMG’);

    D. whereas cottonseed oil may be used in the production of a wide variety of food products such as dressings, mayonnaise, fine bakery wares, chocolate spreads and chips; whereas consumption of cottonseed flour is the most likely way in which humans could be exposed to the two proteins resulting from the genetic modification; whereas cotton is commonly used in animal feed in the form of undelinted seeds and meal;

    Outstanding questions concerning Bt toxins

    E. whereas the toxicity of the Bt toxins was assessed on the basis of feeding studies using only isolated Bt proteins produced by bacteria; whereas little significance can be attributed to toxicological tests conducted with proteins in isolation, due to the fact that Bt toxins in GM crops, such as maize, cotton and soybeans, are inherently more toxic than isolated Bt toxins; whereas this is because protease inhibitors (PI), present in the plant tissue, can increase the toxicity of the Bt toxins by delaying their degradation; whereas this phenomenon has been demonstrated in a number of scientific studies, including one conducted for Monsanto which showed that even the presence of extremely low levels of PI enhanced the toxicity of Bt toxins up to 20-fold[5];

    F. whereas this enhanced toxicity is not taken into account in EFSA risk assessments, even though it is relevant for all Bt plants approved for import or cultivation in the Union; whereas risks to humans and animals that consume food and feed containing Bt toxins and which arise from this enhanced toxicity due to the interaction between PI and Bt toxins cannot, therefore, be ruled out;

    G. whereas a number of studies show that side effects have been observed that may affect the immune system following exposure to Bt toxins and that some Bt toxins may have adjuvant properties[6], meaning that they can increase the allergenicity of other proteins with which they come into contact;

    Bt crops: effects on non-target organisms

    H. whereas, unlike the use of insecticides, where exposure is at the time of spraying and for a limited time afterwards, the use of Bt GM crops leads to continuous exposure of the target and non-target organisms to Bt toxins;

    I. whereas the assumption that Bt toxins exhibit a single target-specific mode-of-action can no longer be considered correct and effects on non-target organisms cannot be excluded[7];

    J. whereas an increasing number of non-target organisms are reported to be affected in many ways; whereas 39 peer-reviewed publications that report significant adverse effects of Bt toxins on many ‘out-of-range’ species are mentioned in a recent overview[8];

    Reducing dependency on imported feed

    K. whereas one of the lessons from the COVID-19 crisis and the still ongoing war in Ukraine is the need for the Union to end the dependencies on some critical materials; whereas in the mission letter to Commissioner-delegate Christophe Hansen, Commission President Ursula von der Leyen asks him to look at ways to reduce imports of critical commodities[9];

    Inclusion of ARMG

    L. whereas the GM cotton produces the APH4 protein, which is used as an ARMG and which deactivates the activity of the antibiotic hygromycin B;

    M. whereas Article 4(2) of Directive 2001/18/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council[10] requires that ‘GMOs which contain genes expressing resistance to antibiotics in use for medical or veterinary treatment are taken into particular consideration when carrying out an environmental risk assessment, with a view to identifying and phasing out antibiotic resistance markers in GMOs which may have adverse effects on human health and the environment’ and sets a deadline of 2004, beyond which they should not be placed on the Union market;

    N. whereas Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) No 503/2013[11] states that it is now possible to develop GMOs without the use of ARMGs […] the applicant should therefore aim to develop GMOs without the use of ARMGs;

    O. whereas several Member States raised critical comments regarding the use of ARMGs, including that, in the face of the current crisis concerning antibiotic resistance, it would be wise to implement the precautionary principle, especially in the present case where the application of the ARMG is completely unnecessary and the removal of the ARMG from the plant genome possible; whereas one Member State’s competent authority gave the authorisation an unfavourable opinion based on the presence of the ARMG in the genome of the GM cotton;

    P. whereas the European Medical Agency has confirmed there are no products containing hygromycin B authorised for therapeutic, prophylactic or any other medical uses in humans or animals in the Member States and there are no central authorisations for human or veterinary use for medicinal products that contain hygromycin B11; whereas the EFSA opinion states that ‘the GMO Panel considers that the risk assessment may need to be updated in case products containing hygromycin B or other substrates of the APH4 enzyme obtain future market approval in the EU’; whereas, however, hygromycin B is used in veterinary products which are sold outside the Union;

    Q. whereas the Parliament has, on at least one previous occasion, objected to the import of GM crops which contained ARMGs[12];

    R. whereas antimicrobial resistance poses a threat to global health, food security, and achieving the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals, and drug-resistant infections know no borders[13];

    Member State competent authority and stakeholder comments

    S. whereas Member States submitted many critical comments to EFSA during the three-month consultation period[14] including that cultivation of the GM cotton on agricultural fields is to be considered as deliberate contamination of natural environments with antibiotic resistance genes, as well as that the information provided on molecular characterisation, composition and toxicology is insufficient and therefore EFSA’s conclusions of equivalence of the GM cotton with conventional cotton in terms of food and feed safety is premature;

    T. whereas Regulation (EC) No 1829/2003 states that GM food or feed must not have adverse effects on human health, animal health or the environment, and requires the Commission to take into account any relevant provisions of Union law and other legitimate factors relevant to the matter under consideration when drafting its decision; whereas such legitimate factors should include the Union’s commitments to tackle antimicrobial resistance;

    Undemocratic decision-making

    U. whereas, in its eighth term, Parliament adopted a total of 36 resolutions objecting to the placing on the market of GMOs for food and feed (33 resolutions) and to the cultivation of GMOs in the Union (three resolutions); whereas, in its ninth term, Parliament adopted 38 objections to the placing GMOs on the market;

    V. whereas despite its own acknowledgement of the democratic shortcomings, the lack of support from Member States and the objections of Parliament, the Commission continues to authorise GMOs;

    W. whereas no change of law is required for the Commission to be able not to authorise GMOs when there is no qualified majority of Member States in favour in the Appeal Committee[15];

    X. whereas the vote on 8 July 2024 of the Standing Committee on Plants, Animals, Food and Feed referred to in Article 35 of Regulation (EC) No 1829/2003 delivered no opinion, meaning that the authorisation was not supported by a qualified majority of Member States; whereas the vote on 3 September 2024 of the Appeal Committee again delivered no opinion;

    1. Considers that the draft Commission implementing decision exceeds the implementing powers provided for in Regulation (EC) No 1829/2003;

    2. Considers that the draft Commission implementing decision is not consistent with Union law, in that it is not compatible with the aim of Regulation (EC) No 1829/2003, which is, in accordance with the general principles laid down in Regulation (EC) No 178/2002 of the European Parliament and of the Council[16], to provide the basis for ensuring a high level of protection of human life and health, animal health and welfare, and environmental and consumer interests, in relation to GM food and feed, while ensuring the effective functioning of the internal market;

    3. Calls on the Commission to withdraw its draft implementing decision and to submit a new draft to the committee;

    4. Reiterates its call on the Commission not to authorise the placing on the market of any GM plants containing genes which confer antimicrobial resistance; notes that authorisation would be in violation of Article 4(2) of Directive 2001/18/EC which calls for a phase out of ARMGs which may have adverse effects on human health or on the environment;

    5. Welcomes the fact that the Commission finally recognised, in a letter of 11 September 2020 to Members, the need to take sustainability into account when it comes to authorisation decisions on GMOs[17]; expresses its deep disappointment, however, that, since then the Commission has continued to authorise GMOs for import into the Union, despite ongoing objections by Parliament and a majority of Member States voting against;

    6. Urges the Commission, again, to take into account the Union’s obligations under international agreements, such as the Paris Climate Agreement, the United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity and the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals; reiterates its call for draft implementing acts to be accompanied by an explanatory memorandum explaining how they uphold the principle of ‘do no harm’[18];

    7. Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Council and the Commission, and to the governments and parliaments of the Member States.

     

     

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: Press release – Press conference: rapporteur Victor Negrescu on the EU budget 2025

    Source: European Parliament

    The rapporteur for the 2025 EU budget will hold a press conference on Wednesday at 13:30 following the plenary vote on the EP’s stance on the EU budget for 2025.

    Who? Victor Negrescu (S&D, Romania), general rapporteur for the EU budget 2025 (for section III – Commission)

    When? Wednesday, 23 October, 13:30

    Where? DAPHNÉ CARUANA GALIZIA ROOM – STRASBOURG – WEISS N-1/201

    Journalists online wishing to actively participate and ask questions, please connect via Interactio by using this: https://ep.interactio.eu/uw5m-71vf-mi2k

    You can also follow the press conference online via webstreaming.

    Parliament is set to vote on Wednesday for a budget that focuses on improving people’s lives, boosting competitiveness, and addressing current challenges.

    In their draft position, to be debated in plenary on Tuesday and voted on by MEPs on Wednesday, the Budget Committee set the overall level of appropriations for the 2025 draft budget at almost €201 billion in commitment appropriations, and at €153.5 billion in payment appropriations. MEPs increased funding for programmes vital in addressing health challenges, helping young people, supporting agriculture, boosting climate action, managing migration and security needs, and strengthening EU support for neighbouring regions amidst global geopolitical and humanitarian crises.

    Details are available in the press release on the recent vote on the budgetary figures (7 October) and in the corresponding budgetary resolution adopted a week later (14 October).

    Information for the media – Use Interactio to ask questions

    Interactio is only supported on iPad (with the Safari browser) and Mac/Windows (with the Google Chrome browser).

    When connecting, enter your name and the media you are representing in the first name / last name fields.

    For better sound quality, use headphones and a microphone. Interpretation is only possible for interventions with video.

    Journalists who have never used Interactio before are asked to connect 30 minutes before the start of the press conference to perform a connection test. IT assistance can be provided if necessary.

    When connected, open the chat window (upper right corner) to be able to see the service messages.

    For more details, check the connection guidelines and recommendations for remote speakers.

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: Written question – Addressing the impact of the housing crisis on teachers and other categories of public servants in Greece – E-001890/2024

    Source: European Parliament

    Question for written answer  E-001890/2024/rev.1
    to the Commission
    Rule 144
    Elena Kountoura (The Left), Konstantinos Arvanitis (The Left), Nikos Pappas (The Left), Nikolas Farantouris (The Left)

    Greece faces a steadily worsening housing crisis that is affecting all its citizens, especially workers in critical parts of the public service sector such as teachers, doctors, nurses, firefighters, police officers and members of the armed services. The problem is acute in tourist areas and on the islands, where the cost of living is disproportionately high, there is a serious shortage of available housing and rents have skyrocketed with the rapid rise in short-term rentals.

    What is more, civil servants’ salaries are still low and are not sufficient to cover the increased cost of housing[1]. This state of affairs has direct consequences for the functioning of critical public services, as workers are discouraged from serving in remote and island areas[2], creating gaps in sectors such as education, health and security.

    As the Commission has announced the first-ever European Affordable Housing Plan[3], can it answer the following questions:

    • 1.What European financial instruments can the Member States use to assist public servants such as teachers, doctors, nurses, firefighters and police officers facing difficulties in finding affordable housing – especially in tourist and remote areas of Greece?
    • 2.Does it intend to support the Member States, such as Greece, with targeted programmes or financial resources to address the housing crisis that is affecting public servants in key sectors such as education, health and public security owing to the rise in housing prices and short-term rentals?

    Submitted: 1.10.2024

    Last updated: 23 October 2024

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: Latest news – Confirmation hearing of the Commissioner-designate Hadja Lahbib on 6 November 2024 – Committee on Women’s Rights and Gender Equality

    Source: European Parliament

    On 6 November 2024, the designated candidate Commissioner for Preparedness and Crisis Management; Equality, Hadja Lahbib, will be heard by the LIBE/ENVI/DEVE/FEMM committees.

    During the confirmation hearing, the commissioner-designate will give an opening speech and then answer questions by committee members. More detailed information, including the candidates’ portfolios, the procedure, the schedule, the latest news and a live webstreaming during and record after the hearing, can be found on the dedicated webpage.

    Commissioners-designate hearings:

    https://elections.europa.eu/european-commission/en/

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: Written question – Unfair competition for plant protection products – E-002072/2024

    Source: European Parliament

    15.10.2024

    Question for written answer  E-002072/2024
    to the Commission
    Rule 144
    Mireia Borrás Pabón (PfE)

    On 19 September 2024, Parliament adopted two objections to the Commission’s proposal to apply the same plant protection criteria to EU products and products imported from third countries. Under the current legislation, despite the fact that third-country products containing certain levels of these chemicals are to be allowed to enter the EU – following an impact study showing that they are not harmful – the chemicals continue to be banned for our farmers.

    This is further proof that, far from protecting European farmers, the Commission is actually permitting unfair competition, thereby undermining the sovereignty and integrity of our producers.

    In view of this:

    • 1.Does the Commission intend to continue to present proposals that impose limitations on our farmers and livestock breeders that put them at a disadvantage in relation to third countries?
    • 2.Given that the European Parliament has rejected its proposal for a regulation on the sustainable use of plant protection products and amending Regulation (EU) 2021/2115, will the Commission put forward a new proposal that takes account of the views of the primary sector without promoting a political agenda based on climate fanaticism?

    Submitted: 15.10.2024

    Last updated: 23 October 2024

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: Written question – ‘REspect!’ – first censorship agency in Germany under the Digital Services Act – E-002057/2024

    Source: European Parliament

    14.10.2024

    Question for written answer  E-002057/2024
    to the Commission
    Rule 144
    Christine Anderson (ESN), Petr Bystron (ESN)

    On 1 October 2024, the German Federal Network Agency (Bundesnetzagentur) approved the first trusted flagger within the meaning of the Digital Services Act. The ‘REspect!’ hotline of the Baden-Württemberg Youth Foundation received this approval[1]. One of the prerequisites for trusted flaggers required by the Federal Network Agency is that online platforms be independent[2]. However, the organisation REspect! receives funding from Baden-Württemberg, Bavaria and the federal programme ‘Demokratie leben!’ (Living Democracy!) and would probably not be viable without these grants.

    Appointment and monitoring are carried out by the Federal Network Agency, which operates under the authority and directives of the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs. The Federal Minister and the Head of the Federal Network Agency are members of the Bündnis 90/Die Grünen party.

    • 1.What are the legal requirements under the DSA to ensure the independence of a trusted flagger from the state, in particular with regard to freedom of expression and the rule of law?
    • 2.How is it ensured that the approval of trusted flaggers is not subject to party-political preferences of a national ministry?
    • 3.What is the Commission’s assessment of the reliance of trusted flaggers on public funding, and should such independence also be required by law?

    Supporters[3]

    Submitted: 14.10.2024

    • [1] https://www.bundesnetzagentur.de/SharedDocs/Pressemitteilungen/DE/2024/20240927_DSC_TrustedFlagger.html
    • [2] https://www.dsc.bund.de/DSC/DE/4TrustedF/start.html
    • [3] This question is supported by Members other than the authors: René Aust (ESN), Marc Jongen (ESN), Tomasz Froelich (ESN), Markus Buchheit (ESN), Hans Neuhoff (ESN), Arno Bausemer (ESN), Alexander Sell (ESN), Siegbert Frank Droese (ESN), Anja Arndt (ESN), Irmhild Boßdorf (ESN)
    Last updated: 23 October 2024

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: EIB Investment Survey 2024: More than 60% of European companies have invested in climate mitigation and adaptation and more than 70% in their digital transformation

    Source: European Investment Bank

    • EU businesses lead way in investments in climate mitigation and adaptation, with 61% having already invested and 53% planning to do so.
    • Use of advanced digital technologies on the rise as 74% of European firms embrace advanced technologies to enhance competitiveness.
    • Faced with trade shocks, firms are investing in more resilient and secure supply chains.

    Companies in the European Union weathered relatively well the health, price and trade shocks of the last four years and have increased their ambitions for green and digital transformation, according to a survey by the European Investment Bank (EIB).  

    The EIB’s Investment Survey 2024 , released today at the World Bank-IMF Annual Meetings in Washington, paints a picture of leadership of EU businesses in the green transition and the reinforcement of their supply chains in the face of heightened geopolitical risks and supply-chain disruptions.

    Many firms in Europe are satisfied with their investment levels over the past three years and are committed to tackling climate change and embracing digital technologies, the survey shows. It covers a total of around 12,000 companies in all EU countries as well as a comparison sample in the United States.

    While the share of EU companies expecting to increase rather than decrease investment has halved to a net balance of 7% in 2024, compared with last year, businesses in Europe continue to outpace their US counterparts and lead in investments to slash emissions that cause climate change or cope with the impact of severe weather. The latest Investment Survey shows that 61% of EU firms have invested in tackling climate change, compared to 56% in 2023 and 53% in 2022. The green transition impose transformation, but also brings opportunities. More than a quarter of EU firms –27%– view the transition to a net-zero economy, as an opportunity over the next five years.

    “The commitment of EU firms to the green and digital transitions illustrates the potential of the European economy,” said EIB President Nadia Calviño. “The survey confirms that public-private partnership is at the heart of strategic investments to sustain the competitiveness, security and autonomy of the EU in global markets.”

    Around 90% of EU and US firms have taken measures to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Key strategies adopted include investment in waste reduction and recycling and energy efficiency. EU companies are more likely than US ones to have enacted sustainable transport options, opted for renewable-energy generation and set emissions-reduction targets. One in three EU companies –34%– sees the green transition as a business risk compared with 42% in the US. 

    In the EU, 37% of total investments by businesses are directed towards intangible assets such as research, skills and know-how, highlighting a strategic focus on innovation and digital solutions.74% of EU businesses reported using digital technologies, marking a 4% increase from last year. Meanwhile, the US continues to lead at 81%.

    Looking ahead to the next three years, however, many European companies are prioritising replacement investments over capacity expansion, with only 26% of EU firms planning to expand operations in the next three years compared with 47% of US firms.

    “The focus of EU companies on innovation is welcome and must be supported”, added EIB President Nadia Calviño. “That is why the EIB Group is working on new Action Plan to reinforce the integration of Europe´s Capital Markets and thereby channel private savings into productive investment in Europe”.

    The business environment remains a concern for firms in the European Union and the United States, with lack of skilled labour and uncertainty about the future as one of the key concerns in both regions. Business investment is still hindered by high energy costs, which pose significant obstacles for 46% of EU businesses.

    The majority (60%) of EU exporters report that they still have to comply with different standards and consumer protection rules from one Member State to the next, highlighting that market fragmentation persists.

    “European firms are making strides in addressing both climate change and the digital transformation,” said EIB Chief Economist Debora Revoltella. “But boosting EU investment requires a less fragmented EU single market.”

    The survey also underscores the importance of robust supply chains. Concerns about trade disruptions have eased compared to last year, but firms did not see improvements in terms of new regulations, tariffs or trade restriction. EU companies are well integrated into global trade and substantially benefited from it in the past. In a new world with rising geopolitical tensions, EU firms are reacting by enhancing the resilience of their supply chains in looking at economic security and efficiency.

    The 2024 report serves policymakers, economists and business leaders by providing insights into the investment landscape and identifying actions needed to foster economic growth and resilience. For more information and the full report, visit our website here.

     Background information

    The European Investment Bank (EIB) is the long-term lending institution of the European Union and is owned by its Member States. It provides finance and expertise for projects that contribute to the EU’s policy objectives. The EIB works closely with public and private-sector partners to support sustainable investment, job creation, economic growth and innovation across Europe.

    On October 7th, European Union Finance ministers have welcomed an Action Plan to be deployed by the European Investment Bank (EIB) Group, to support the development of the EU’s Capital Markets Union. One key objective of the Action Plan is closing the funding gap throughout the company and innovation cycle; the EIB Group plans to scale up support for the EU venture capital and private equity markets, to help retain the most innovative scale-ups in Europe.

    About the report

    The EIB Group Survey on Investment, which has been carried out since 2016, is a unique annual survey of some 12,000 firms. Data for the latest edition was collected in mid-2024 from companies in all EU Member States. The survey also includes a sample of businesses in the United States. The survey collects data on company characteristics and performance, past investment activities and future plans, sources of finance, financing hurdles and other business challenges such as climate change, digitalisation and international trade.

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: JOINT MOTION FOR A RESOLUTION on the urgent need to revise the Medical Devices Regulation – RC-B10-0123/2024/REV1

    Source: European Parliament

    Peter Liese
    on behalf of the PPE Group
    Tiemo Wölken
    on behalf of the S&D Group
    Ruggero Razza
    on behalf of the ECR Group
    Andreas Glück
    on behalf of the Renew Group
    Ignazio Roberto Marino
    on behalf of the Verts/ALE Group

    European Parliament resolution on the urgent need to revise the Medical Devices Regulation

    (2024/2849(RSP))

    The European Parliament,

    – having regard to the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union, and in particular Article 168 thereof,

    – having regard to Regulation (EU) 2017/745 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 5 April 2017 on medical devices, amending Directive 2001/83/EC, Regulation (EC) No 178/2002 and Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009 and repealing Council Directives 90/385/EEC and 93/42/EEC[1] (MDR),

    – having regard to Regulation (EU) 2017/746 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 5 April 2017 on in vitro diagnostic medical devices and repealing Directive 98/79/EC and Commission Decision 2010/227/EU[2] (IVDR),

    – having regard to Regulation (EU) 2023/607 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 15 March 2023 amending Regulations (EU) 2017/745 and (EU) 2017/746 as regards the transitional provisions for certain medical devices and in vitro diagnostic medical devices[3],

    – having regard to Regulation (EU) 2020/561[4], Regulation (EU) 2022/112[5], Regulation (EU) 2023/607 and Regulation (EU) 2024/1860[6] extending the implementation periods of Regulation (EU) 2017/745 and Regulation (EU) 2017/746,

    – having regard to the Commission’s proposal for a regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council amending Regulations (EU) 2017/745 and (EU) 2017/746 as regards the transitional provisions for certain medical devices and in vitro diagnostic medical devices (COM(2023)0010),

    – having regard to the European Medicines Agency’s 2023 Annual Report and its review on market access and safety concerns for medical devices,

    – having regard to Rule 136(2) and (4) of its Rules of Procedure,

    A. whereas medical devices and in vitro diagnostic medical devices play a crucial role in high-quality healthcare, directly affecting the health, safety and well-being of millions of patients across the EU;

    B. whereas approximately 500 000 different medical devices are available on the EU market, covering a broad range of technologies, from contact lenses to pacemakers, and serving different purposes, including diagnosis, prevention, treatment, rehabilitation and improving the quality of life of patients and the work of healthcare professionals and carers;

    C. whereas disparities in access to medical devices persist across Member States, affecting patient care and leading to health inequalities; whereas such disparities underscore the need for improved availability and affordability of crucial devices;

    D. whereas the MDR and IVDR were adopted to strengthen the regulatory framework for medical devices and in vitro diagnostic medical devices, as a response to several high-profile scandals with unsafe medical equipment, with the purpose of ensuring higher standards of safety, transparency and clinical performance while also fostering innovation in the sector;

    E. whereas the MDR and IVDR introduced more robust requirements for clinical evaluations, post-market surveillance and vigilance reporting, promoting transparency in the approval and monitoring processes;

    F. whereas despite these aims, significant challenges have been encountered in implementing the MDR and the IVDR, not only leading to delays but also resulting in failures to achieve certification and approval of medical devices and in vitro diagnostic medical devices, particularly impacting small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), as well as resulting in shortages of medical devices and in vitro diagnostic medical devices, thus restricting patient access to innovative and life-saving therapeutic and diagnostic technologies;

    G. whereas many stakeholders, in particular small and medium-sized manufacturers, notified bodies and healthcare providers, have reported difficulties in navigating the complex regulatory procedures under the current MDR and IVDR framework, with potential risks posed to the continuous availability of life-saving medical devices and critical in vitro diagnostic tests in the EU;

    H. whereas the transitional periods for the implementation of the MDR and IVDR have been extended on numerous occasions to address issues including the capacity of notified bodies and to allow industry more time to adapt to new rules in order to prevent devices being withdrawn from the EU market;

    I. whereas due to a lack of harmonised procedures across notified bodies in the EU, among other things, manufacturers can in some instances face unpredictable timelines for certification and market access, which creates unpredictability, alongside inconsistency in decisions and a lack of transparency in relation to the work of the notified bodies;

    J. whereas there is a need for the regulatory frameworks to better accommodate innovative devices that address unmet medical needs and provide better prioritisation and fast-track pathways;

    K. whereas the Commission initiated non-legislative actions to support the transition to the MDR and IVDR, focusing in particular on the availability of medical devices on the market, the preparedness of notified bodies, the development of orphan and paediatric devices, SME support and the waiving of fees for scientific advice in critical areas where, despite these measures, financial and administrative challenges persist, particularly in the orphan and paediatric sectors;

    L. whereas the deadlines for implementing the MDR and IVDR have been extended multiple times to help the industry adapt to new regulations, to prevent market withdrawals and to ensure the continuous supply of devices; whereas these extensions were critical in maintaining public health protection during the COVID-19 pandemic;

    M. whereas since the adoption of the MDR and IVDR, the Commission has also introduced new provisions regarding the European Database on Medical Devices (EUDAMED) and a notification system for market interruptions or supply discontinuation;

    N. whereas it is important to ensure that patients and healthcare professionals have access to all relevant documents and decisions taken by the notified bodies;

    1. Calls on the Commission to propose, by the end of Q1 2025, delegated and implementing acts to the MDR and the IVDR to address the most pressing challenges and bottlenecks in the implementation of the legislative frameworks and to propose the systematic revision of all relevant articles of these regulations, accompanied by an impact assessment, to be conducted as soon as possible;

    2. Calls on the Commission to make full use of legislative and non-legislative tools to resolve issues of divergent interpretation and of practical application to streamline the regulatory process, improve transparency, and eliminate unnecessary administrative work for notified bodies and manufacturers, particularly SMEs, without compromising patient safety;

    3. Deplores the risk of shortages of medical devices and the lack of access to certain medical devices and in vitro diagnostics in parts of the EU; stresses that access to and quality of healthcare, including medical devices and in vitro diagnostics, should not depend on where in the EU a patient is located;

    4. Encourages the notified bodies to ensure that there are sufficient resources to meet the market demand in a timely manner; in this regard, calls on the Commission and the Member States to enhance support and cooperation to ensure that the notified bodies have the optimal capacities and capabilities to fully implement the regulatory framework;

    5. Advocates the creation of transparent and binding timelines, including clock stops for procedural steps in conformity assessment by notified bodies, thus creating predictability and certainty for manufacturers regarding the market access procedure and its duration within the EU;

    6. Calls for transparency in notified bodies’ fees and fee structures, to allow economic operators to compare notified bodies and make informed choices, ensuring that fees remain a fair compensation for the public service provided;

    7. Stresses the need to eliminate the unnecessary re-certification of products, and underlines that certain product updates or adjustments should not necessarily lead to an entire re-certification of the product; stresses the need to harmonise such provisions and ensure consistency across the EU; calls for cooperation between the competent authorities and advisory bodies responsible for other regulatory frameworks, and stresses the need for products to be classified correctly and consistently;

    8. Strongly calls on the Commission to consider fast-track and prioritisation pathways for the approval of innovative technologies in areas of unmet medical need and for devices linked to health emergencies;

    9. Highlights the need to establish a clear working definition of ‘orphan device’, as determined by the Medical Device Coordination Group in the MDR and IVDR, to facilitate the adoption of harmonised measures across the EU; additionally calls for a robust system to prevent misuse through artificial ‘orphanisation’;

    10.  Calls for the introduction of adapted rules for orphan and paediatric medical devices, without compromising patient safety, and emphasises the need for more efficient conformity assessment procedures tailored to medical devices and in vitro diagnostics serving relatively small markets, such as products for the treatment of children or rare diseases;

    11. Calls on the Commission to facilitate the collection of clinical data from existing national registries for small patient groups treated or diagnosed with orphan and paediatric devices, in compliance with the protection of personal data; recognises the challenges faced by various SMEs in adapting to the legal frameworks; invites the Member States and the Commission to develop specific measures to support SMEs, including the provision of model application documents and forms, regulatory guidance and other assistance to reduce the costs and complexity of the regulatory frameworks;

    12. Calls on the Commission to continuously monitor the availability of devices, particularly the last remaining devices of particular types, and to take appropriate action to keep them available in the EU market; in this regard, calls for an urgent full implementation of EUDAMED, which will enable information about medical devices and manufacturers to be processed to enhance transparency, provide better access to information for the public and healthcare professionals, and enhance coordination between Member States;

    13. Emphasises that any new rules or changes to existing rules must come with an appropriate transition period to allow all stakeholders sufficient time to adjust to the changes;

    14. Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Council, the Commission and the governments and parliaments of the Member States.

     

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Shetland residents have their say about population decline across island communities Shetland residents have supported a new research project looking at ways to help make the islands’ population sustainable.

    Source: University of Aberdeen

    Survey responses can still be returned by post and online until 5 NovemberShetland residents have supported a new research project looking at ways to help make the islands’ population sustainable.
    More than 450 households took part in a study investigating changing population dynamics and the role policy and place-based interventions can play to help create and maintain healthy and balanced populations in Shetland and other Scottish island communities.
    The project is led by Marcus Craigie, a PhD student based at the University of Aberdeen, supervised by academics in the Department of Geography and Environment at the School of Geosciences and The James Hutton Institute. Marcus’ research is funded by the Economic and Social Research Council.
    Marcus, who grew up in Orkney, said: “I am delighted by the support shown by local communities during fieldwork in August and September and with the response rates to surveys distributed across Unst, Bressay, Burra and Trondra, and Walls and Sandness.
    “It is vitally important that the challenges and opportunities associated with retaining existing residents and attracting new and returning residents – for example, transport, housing and jobs – are considered in a way that is geographically nuanced and to do this, we need people to have their say.”
    Over 450 surveys have already been returned but, from discussions in the community, Marcus says he is aware others were filled out but may not have been returned or were left in places the restrictions of his role prevent him from accessing.
    “From chatting to local residents, I know that a number left their surveys ready to be collected inside their front doors but I wasn’t able to enter someone’s home and collect in this way without prior permission from the homeowner,” he added.
    “The survey will help increase awareness of the Shetland context in Scotland-wide discussions about island population change and support policy recommendations for national and local government, so we want the best representation possible. I am hugely grateful to everyone who has taken the time to share their views, and it would be a real shame not to collect any responses which either missed the initial deadline for collection or were left for collection in this way.”
    If anyone has already received an invitation to take part in the survey and has a completed response that was not collected it may be returned by 5 November 2024 to: Marcus Craigie, Doctoral Candidate, Geography and Environment, School of Geosciences, University of Aberdeen, St Mary’s, Elphinstone Road, Aberdeen, AB24 3UF.
    An opportunity to complete and submit a response online at https://bit.ly/ShetlandSurvey using the participant ID on the invitation to participate also remains available until 5 November 2024.

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: BLOG | Sowing the seeds for future investment, collaboration and economic growth

    Source: City of Liverpool

    Key representatives from the Liverpool City Region are currently on a trade mission to the United States. Liverpool City Council Leader, Cllr Liam Robinson, outlines why the visit is vital for the city’s future economic success...

    One of Liverpool’s key strengths is that, thanks to our maritime, music and sporting heritage, we are known around the world.

    No matter whether you are in Boston, or Botswana, mentioning the city’s name means instant recognition – usually linked to our history as a place of emigration, the city that gave birth to The Beatles, and is home to two Premiership football clubs.

    It is a useful ‘foot in the door’ when you want to have conversations with the right people about driving trade and investment.

    That is why I am delighted that ‘Team Liverpool City Region’ are currently on a high-level mission to the United States aimed at driving tens of millions of pounds of long-term investment, trade and tourism to the Liverpool City Region.

    Liverpool has a rich shared history with the United States and was the exit port for millions of people emigrating to America during the 19th and early 20th centuries.

    The delegation includes senior representatives from the city region’s Health and Life Sciences sector, including the University of Liverpool and Health Innovation North West Coast, as well as leaders from our hugely successful cultural, museums and events sectors.

    They are taking part in a packed schedule of meetings with civic and business leaders aimed at promoting our city region as a place that is ready to do investment deals, and is a must-visit destination for tourists.

    The United States is already the Liverpool City Region’s largest export market worth £1.8bn a year.

    Total trade between the city region and the US is worth £2.5bn, and Liverpool is the UK’s largest western-facing port, handling 45% of the UK’s trade from the US.

    But we believe there are huge opportunities to do more.

    The trade mission is all about sowing the seeds for future investment, collaboration and economic growth.

    We know our city region is a great place to live, work and visit – but it is vital that, in an increasingly competitive world, we do all we can to spread that message around the globe.

    Photo credit: Stratus Imagery

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: IFFI 2024 celebrates Australia’s Rich Film Traditions and Vibrant Cinema Culture

    Source: Government of India

    IFFI 2024 celebrates Australia’s Rich Film Traditions and Vibrant Cinema Culture

    Australia to be the “Country of Focus” at the 55th edition of the International Film Festival of India

    Australia-India Co-Production Panel to explore collaboration opportunities at ‘Film Bazaar’

    Academy award winning Cinematographer John Seale to host Master Class at IFFI 2024

    Posted On: 23 OCT 2024 3:05PM by PIB Mumbai

    #IFFIWood, 23rd October 2024

    The Ministry of Information & Broadcasting is proud to announce that Australia has been nominated as the “Country of Focus” at the 55th edition of the International Film Festival of India (IFFI), to be held in Goa from 20th November to 28th November 2024. This special recognition aims to celebrate the dynamic contributions of Australian cinema to the global film industry, highlighting its rich storytelling traditions, vibrant film culture and innovative cinematic techniques.  India & Australia are already parties to an Audio Visual Co-production Treaty.

     

     

    Country of Focus at IFFI

    The “Country of Focus” segment is a key feature of IFFI, offering a dedicated showcase of a nation’s best contemporary films. Australia’s diverse cultural background and globally acclaimed filmmakers have had a lasting impact on cinema, making it a fitting selection for this year. This inclusion reflects the strengthening collaboration between the Indian and Australian film industries.

    Showcase of Australian Films

    IFFI will present a carefully curated selection of seven Australian films, offering a diverse blend of genres, from critically acclaimed dramas to powerful documentaries, visually stunning thrillers, and light-hearted comedies. These films will showcase the unique cultural identity of Australia, reflecting the vibrant spectrum of stories from its indigenous and contemporary communities.

    Participation in Film Bazaar

    Film Bazaar, the largest South Asian film market held alongside the International Film Festival of India (IFFI), will see a sizeable Australian participation with a strong delegation from Screen Australia, State Screen Commissions and also Ausfilm, the agency promoting Australia as a filming destination. They will showcase their offerings including Australian locations and incentives at the special Film Office exhibition area. The Film Bazaar will also see a Producers’ delegation with upto six producers receiving funding from the Australian Government to attend Film Bazaar and explore co-production opportunities. There will also be a special Australian Co-production Day at the Film Bazaar where filmmaker delegates from both the countries will be given an opportunity to network. Film Bazaar has also selected the Australian project Home Before Night as one of its official entries in the Co-Production Market.

     

    Australia-India Film Co-Production Panel

    In line with the growing collaboration between the Indian and Australian film industries, a dedicated panel discussion in the Knowledge Series will focus on co-production opportunities between the two countries. Featuring producers and industry experts, the panel will explore the creative and logistical aspects of co-productions and highlight successful ventures.

    Master Class by Cinematographer John Seale

    A major attraction will be a Cinematography Master Class led by Academy Award-winning cinematographer John Seale, known for his work on iconic films such as Mad Max: Fury Road and The English Patient. This session will delve into his artistic journey and offer invaluable technical insights to budding filmmakers and enthusiasts.

    The 55th IFFI is set to be an exhilarating celebration of world cinema, bringing together an eclectic mix of films from across the globe, stimulating panel discussions, engaging workshops, and exclusive screenings. This year’s “Country of Focus” spotlight on Australia is sure to enhance IFFI’s mission of fostering cultural exchange and promoting cinematic art that transcends borders.

    Founded in 1952, the International Film Festival of India is one of Asia’s most significant film festivals, serving as a platform for filmmakers worldwide to present their works. Held annually in Goa, IFFI attracts directors, producers, actors, and film enthusiasts to celebrate the finest in world cinema.

                                                   

     

    PIB IFFI CAST AND CREW | Dharmendra/ Rajith/ Kshitij/ Nikita/ Sriyanka/ Priti IFFI 55 – 3

    Follow us on social media:  @PIBMumbai     /PIBMumbai     /pibmumbai   pibmumbai[at]gmail[dot]com   /PIBMumbai     /pibmumbai

     

     

     

     

    (Release ID: 2067309) Visitor Counter : 88

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Government of India, under the leadership of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, to commemorate 150th birth anniversary of Sardar Patel with a two-year-long nationwide celebration from 2024 to 2026 to honor his monumental contributions

    Source: Government of India

    Government of India, under the leadership of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, to commemorate 150th birth anniversary of Sardar Patel with a two-year-long nationwide celebration from 2024 to 2026 to honor his monumental contributions

    Announcing the decision Union Home Minister Shri Amit Shah says, this celebration will serve as a testament to Sardar Patel’s remarkable achievements and the spirit of unity that he epitomized

    Sardar Patel Ji’s enduring legacy as the visionary behind the establishment of one of the world’s most robust democracies and his pivotal role in unifying India from Kashmir to Lakshadweep remains indelible

    Posted On: 23 OCT 2024 3:20PM by PIB Delhi

    Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation, Shri Amit Shah has announced that the Government of India, under the leadership of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, will commemorate 150th birth anniversary of Sardar Patel with a two-year-long nationwide celebration from 2024 to 2026.

    Announcing this decision in a post on X platform, Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation said that “Sardar Patel Ji’s enduring legacy as the visionary behind the establishment of one of the world’s most robust democracies and his pivotal role in unifying India from Kashmir to Lakshadweep remains indelible. To honor his monumental contributions, the government of India, under the leadership of PM Shri Narendra Modi Ji, will commemorate his 150th birth anniversary with a two-year-long nationwide celebration from 2024 to 2026. This celebration will serve as a testament to his remarkable achievements and the spirit of unity that he epitomized.”

    *****

    RK / VV / RR / PS

    (Release ID: 2067316) Visitor Counter : 96

    Read this release in: Hindi

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –