Source: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) State Crime Alerts (c)
Four Defendants Arrested in Three U.S. States, Along With the Seizure of More Than 350 Kilograms of Methamphetamine, 100 Kilograms of Cocaine, and Four Firearms
Matthew Podolsky, the Acting United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York; James E. Dennehy, the Assistant Director in Charge of the New York Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (“FBI”); and Francis J. Russo, the Director of Field Operations for the New York Field Office of U.S. Customs and Border Protection, announced today the unsealing of an Indictment charging seven defendants with narcotics trafficking and firearms offenses. The case is assigned to U.S. District Judge Edgardo Ramos.
Since at least in or about October 2023, SHEHNAZ SINGH, a/k/a “SHAWN,” along with his co-conspirators, AMRITPAL SINGH, a/k/a “AMRIT,” a/k/a “Bal,” AMRITPAL SINGH, a/k/a “CHEEMA,” TAKDIR SINGH, a/k/a “ROMY,” SARBSIT SINGH, a/k/a “SABI,” and GURLAL SINGH (“GURLAL”), operated a transnational conspiracy to import cocaine into the U.S. from Colombia and distribute the drug in cities across the U.S. and into Canada. Beginning in or about April 2024, a subset of these conspirators—led by ROMY and SABI, and joined by co-conspirators including FERNANDO VALLADARES, a/k/a “FRANCO”—stole a cache of cocaine from their original co-conspirators and agreed to distribute it out of, among other places, hotels in New York City. Members of the two armed drug trafficking conspiracies hunted each other down, brandished a firearm, and threatened the lives of each other and innocent family members.
Four defendants are in custody after arrests made on the morning of February 26, 2025. Searches of various of the defendants’ residences and vehicles conducted at the time of arrest resulted in the seizure of four firearms, approximately 391 kilograms of methamphetamine, and approximately 109 kilograms of cocaine. CHEEMA was arrested in the Eastern District of California and was presented before U.S. Magistrate Judge Christopher D. Baker and detained; ROMY and SABI were arrested in the Northern District of Ohio and were presented before U.S. Magistrate Judge James E. Grimes Jr. and detained; and FRANCO was arrested in the Eastern District of New York, presented before U.S. Magistrate Judge Henry J. Ricardo, and released on certain conditions. AMRIT and GURLAL are in custody in Pennsylvania after prior arrests. SHAWN remains at large.
Acting U.S. Attorney Matthew Podolsky said: “For more than a year, Shehnaz Singh and his associates not only imported dangerous drugs to sell across the United States but also armed themselves with deadly weapons and endangered communities here in New York City and around the country. This week, we and our law enforcement partners halted that dangerous activity and took drugs and guns off the street. I commend the career prosecutors of the Southern District of New York, and our partners at the Federal Bureau of Investigation and U.S. Customs and Border Protection, for their tireless efforts to disrupt this dangerous distribution network and to keep communities safe for our country and our neighbors, too. We hope that today’s charges bring accountability to those who push drugs and use violence to protect their criminal organizations.”
CBP Director of Field Operations Francis J. Russo said: “Every day our CBP officers and law enforcement partners relentlessly pursue the most vicious and brutal criminal drug organizations in the world who do business globally and right here in our local communities and neighborhoods. We will not stop until networks such as this one and their criminal facilitators are off the street and brought to justice. CBP will continue its unwavering commitment to keeping Americans safe from the dangers of drugs and the violence they often bring.”
According to the allegations contained in the Indictments, other court filings, and statements made during court proceedings:[1]
Since at least in or about October 2023, a group of conspirators led by SHAWN—a Canada-based drug trafficker who holds himself out as a corrupt police officer—operated a drug trafficking organization that imported cocaine into the U.S., transported it to stash houses and other distribution sites using networks of trucking companies and drivers, and sold it in communities across the U.S. and into Canada (the “Original Cocaine Conspiracy”). AMRIT and CHEEMA, served as, among other things, SHAWN’s enforcers, and helped operated the drug trafficking organization by safekeeping and distributing cocaine while armed with guns.
Members of the Original Cocaine Conspiracy imported cocaine into the U.S. from Colombia and delivered the drug to coconspirators in the midwestern U.S., including a vacant home used by AMRIT and others in Indiana. From there, the cocaine was distributed across the U.S. and to Canada, including through and to California, Michigan, Indiana, Ohio, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and New York. This cross-border trade, from Colombia to the U.S. and Canada, was lucrative. As AMRIT described it: “It costs roughly about two, four, or five thousand dollars per [kilo in Colombia]. When it reaches America, it’s worth twelve to thirteen thousand. When it reaches Canada, it’s thirty thousand.” In total, this organization was moving more than 600 kilograms of cocaine and methamphetamine a week.
Beginning in or about April 2024, a subset of the Original Cocaine Conspiracy’s members—ROMY and SABI—stole a large cache of cocaine from their co-conspirators in the Original Cocaine Conspiracy and worked with others, including FRANCO—to distribute the stolen cocaine from, among other places, two hotels in New York City (the “Stolen Cocaine Conspiracy”). After a co-conspirator (“CC-1”) crashed a truck carrying approximately 10 kilograms of the group’s cocaine and abandoned his cargo, members of the Original Cocaine Conspiracy announced plans to travel to New York with weapons to reclaim their stolen drugs and serve vengeance on members of the Stolen Cocaine Conspiracy and their families. As AMRIT put it: “We need our stuff. We aren’t letting anyone go. We are going to kill them all.” The day before arriving in New York City, AMRIT and CHEEMA, took photos of themselves displaying weapons over a large cache of stacked cocaine.
Once in New York, AMRIT and CHEEMA threatened members of the Stolen Cocaine Conspiracy and their family members with violence. In just one such incident, at a meeting in front of a home on suburban Long Island, AMRIT thrust a handgun into CC-1’s teenage brother’s neck while demanding to know the location of the stolen cocaine.
While executing arrests of certain of the defendants and searches of various residences and vehicles, law enforcement agents seized four firearms, approximately 391 kilograms of methamphetamine, and approximately 109 kilograms of cocaine. CHEEMA was stopped while fleeing a residence in Bakersfield, California, and arrested in possession of a loaded handgun. Three additional firearms were seized from residences or vehicles belonging to or controlled by ROMY and SABI in Cleveland, Ohio, where agents also seized approximately 391 kilograms of methamphetamine and approximately 109 kilograms of cocaine. The seized firearms and narcotics are shown below.
Cocaine intercepted en route to ROMY and SABI
Methamphetamine seized from SABI’s residence
* * *
A chart containing the charges and minimum and maximum penalties each defendant faces is attached. The statutory minimum and maximum penalties are prescribed by Congress and are provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendants would be determined by a judge.
Mr. Podolsky praised the outstanding investigative work of the FBI and CBP. Mr. Podolsky further thanked the New York City Police Department, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Ohio, the Cleveland Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (“OCDETF”) Strike Force, the Cleveland Division of Police, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of California, the FBI’s Sacramento Field Office and Bakersfield Resident Agency, the FBI’s Cartel, Gang, Narcotics, & Laundering Task Force, the Cleveland Division of Police Coast Guard Investigative Service, and the Bakersfield (Calif.) Police Department, for their assistance and cooperation in the investigation.
This prosecution is part of an OCDETF operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles criminal organizations using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
This case is being handled by the Office’s Narcotics Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorneys William C. Kinder and Justin Horton are in charge of the prosecution.
The charges in the Indictments are merely accusations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Defendant
Age
Charges
Minimum and Maximum Sentences
SHEHNAZ SINGH, a/k/a “Shawn”
34
Cocaine distribution conspiracy; using, carrying, and possessing firearms during and in relation to, or in furtherance of, a drug trafficking crime
Minimum of 10 years and a maximum of life in prison (cocaine distribution conspiracy); minimum of five consecutive years in prison and a maximum of life (firearms offense)
AMRITPAL SINGH, a/k/a “Amrit,” a/k/a “Bal”
30
Cocaine distribution conspiracy; brandishing a firearm during and in relation to a drug trafficking crime
Minimum of 10 years and a maximum of life in prison (cocaine distribution conspiracy); minimum of seven consecutive years in prison and a maximum of life (firearms offense)
AMRITPAL SINGH, a/k/a “Cheema”
26
Cocaine distribution conspiracy; using, carrying, and possessing firearms during and in relation to, or in furtherance of, a drug trafficking crime
Minimum of 10 years and a maximum of life in prison (cocaine distribution conspiracy); minimum of five consecutive years in prison and a maximum of life (firearms offense)
TAKDIR SINGH, a/k/a “Romy”
33
Cocaine distribution conspiracy; using, carrying, and possessing firearms during and in relation to, or in furtherance of, a drug trafficking crime
Minimum of 10 years and a maximum of life in prison (cocaine distribution conspiracy); minimum of five consecutive years in prison and a maximum of life (firearms offense)
SARBSIT SINGH, a/k/a “Sabi”
32
Cocaine distribution conspiracy; using, carrying, and possessing firearms during and in relation to, or in furtherance of, a drug trafficking crime
Minimum of 10 years and a maximum of life in prison (cocaine distribution conspiracy); minimum of five consecutive years in prison and a maximum of life (firearms offense)
GURLAL SINGH
29
Cocaine distribution conspiracy; using, carrying, and possessing firearms during and in relation to, or in furtherance of, a drug trafficking crime
Minimum of 10 years and a maximum of life in prison (cocaine distribution conspiracy); minimum of five consecutive years in prison and a maximum of life (firearms offense)
FERNANDO VALLADARES, a/k/a “Franco”
36
Cocaine distribution conspiracy
Minimum of 10 years and a maximum of life in prison
[1] As the introductory phrase signifies, the entirety of the text of the Indictments and the description of the Indictments set forth herein constitute only allegations, and every fact described should be treated as an allegation.
Source: United States Senator Ben Ray Luján (D-New Mexico)
WSJ: “Economists say American importers and businesses will likely pass along the cost of tariffs to consumers, meaning individuals are likely to see higher prices at grocery stores and car dealerships.”
POLITICO: “The agriculture industry will take a major hit from the new 25 percent duties on Mexico and Canada that went into effect at midnight.”
Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senator Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.), a member of the Senate Committee on Finance, issued the following statement on President Trump imposing sweeping tariffs against Canada, Mexico, and China:
“President Trump’s reckless Trade War will lead to higher prices for New Mexicans on groceries, energy, cars, electronics, and more. Instead of strengthening our economy, he’s putting American jobs and businesses at risk while pushing the Tax Scam 2.0 for the wealthy and gutting essential programs. These tariffs could cost American families up to $2,000 a year in higher prices.
“We’ve seen this before. During his first term, President Trump’s tariffs cost the agriculture industry billions of dollars. Now, our farmers and ranchers are once again paying the price. Despite President Trump’s claims, it’s American families and businesses who will bear the brunt of these tariffs.
“President Trump is doing nothing to lower costs for hardworking Americans.”
Fact sheets on New Mexico trade with Canada, Mexico, and China are available HERE.
Headline: AI-powered sales journeys: Personalization for exceptional customer experiences
Personalized customer engagement is no longer just an advantage; it’s an expectation. Sales teams are increasingly tasked with delivering real-time, tailored interactions across multiple touchpoints, all while managing a growing number of prospects and customers. The challenge is maintaining that high level of personalization without overwhelming the team or losing the quality of engagement.
We see that many businesses encounter significant challenges when attempting to scale personalized interactions to meet the needs of a diverse and growing customer base. Traditional methods that worked well with smaller datasets and pipelines simply can’t keep up with the demands of a modern, fast-paced sales environment. Companies are looking for better ways to manage and orchestrate customer journeys to deliver relevant, personalized experiences at every stage.
Microsoft Dynamics 365 Sales
Elevate your customer experiences by personalizing them at scale.
The complexity of personalizing at scale
Using outdated CRM systems or doing things manually often means sales teams have to send out generic messages that don’t really connect with individual customers. This makes the engagement feel off, and opportunities slip through the cracks.
The main issue here is that most systems don’t provide real-time insights into what customers are doing. Without up-to-date data, sales teams end up reacting to customer actions instead of anticipating them. As the number of leads grows, it’s nearly impossible to maintain the kind of deep engagement needed to really connect with customers at every stage.
Orchestrating seamless customer journeys with Microsoft AI-driven insights
AI helps companies take a proactive approach to personalizing customer journeys. By analyzing customer behaviors in real-time and delivering actionable recommendations, AI gives sales teams the insights they need to anticipate customer needs and offer solutions before prospects even ask for them.
Beyond insights, AI orchestrates the entire customer journey, helping to ensure that interactions across channels are cohesive and relevant. Whether a prospect first interacts with a brand through email, social media, or a sales meeting, AI helps to ensure that their journey is connected, personalized, and moves them further down the funnel.
Dynamics 365 optimizes every step of the customer journey
Let’s explore how AI-powered insights optimize key stages of the sales journey, enabling sales teams to focus on high-value tasks while still delivering tailored customer experiences.
Enhancing customer interactions with Microsoft 365 Copilot
Effective customer interactions are built on understanding the customer’s history, preferences, and current pain points. However, gathering that information can be tedious and fragmented when done manually, leading to inconsistent and incomplete preparation.
With AI-generated opportunity summaries, sales teams can walk into every meeting fully prepared. Real-time insights about the customer’s journey—including previous interactions, product interests, and engagement history—help to ensure that each interaction is tailored to the customer’s needs. Instead of scrambling to piece together information, sales teams can focus on building relationships and delivering value from the outset.
Investec is a great example here. By using Microsoft 365 Copilot for Sales, they have been able to improve their client relationships while saving about 200 hours a year. This allows them to redirect efforts from routine tasks towards providing a personalized customer experience.
Streamlining post-sale engagement and follow-ups
Maintaining customer satisfaction post-sale is critical for retention, but many organizations struggle with post-sale engagement. Inconsistent follow-ups or delayed CRM system updates lead to disengaged customers and missed upsell opportunities.
AI-powered systems automate the process, ensuring timely follow-ups and engagement reminders. For example, sales reps can receive real-time notifications when a customer interaction is needed—whether it’s a check-in call, a product recommendation, or a renewal reminder. This automation helps to ensure that no opportunity falls through the cracks, supporting teams to strengthen customer relationships and increase long-term value.
Just look at the work that Lynk & Co is doing to transform car usage by offering flexible options for customers to buy, borrow, or subscribe to vehicles. Using Microsoft Dynamics 365 customizable tools, they were able to quickly build an infrastructure that could create unique processes and drive highly personalized experiences.
Creating a cohesive, multi-channel experience
We know that customers engage across multiple channels—email, phone, social media, webinars, and more. Managing these touchpoints individually often results in a fragmented customer journey. Customers can feel disconnected from the brand if interactions on different platforms don’t align.
AI-powered tools help orchestrate seamless interactions across channels, ensuring that customers receive consistent messaging regardless of how they choose to engage. Whether it’s a follow-up after a demo, a personalized offer via SMS, or an email post-webinar, AI helps to ensure that the message is both relevant and timely. Sales teams can manage more channels without sacrificing personalization, improving the customer experience and keeping prospects engaged.
An interesting story here is Zurich Insurance Group. To optimize processes and handle increasing customer data, they chose Microsoft solutions, including Dynamics 365 Customer Insights, to help them find new ways to reach customers and shape customer journeys. As a result, they’ve been able to increase their lead quality by over 40%.
AI’s role in optimizing customer journeys
By continuously analyzing real-time customer behavior, AI provides sales teams with recommendations on what to do next—whether that’s sending a follow-up email, scheduling a demo, or offering a personalized discount.
For sales leaders, this means moving beyond surface-level engagement to deep, data-driven interactions that anticipate customer needs. Rather than reacting to each customer interaction as it happens, AI supports proactive strategies that keep prospects moving smoothly through the sales funnel.
Microsoft Dynamics 365 and Microsoft Copilot: Delivering personalization at scale
The challenges of scaling personalization can be daunting, but solutions like Dynamics 365 and Copilot allow businesses to turn customer data into actionable strategies, delivering relevant, personalized interactions from the first touchpoint to post-sale follow-up.
With Dynamics 365 and Copilot, organizations are experiencing the following benefits: 1
15% increase in revenue per customer journey.
75% time savings on customer journey development.
50% reduction in physical marketing spend.
Here’s how Dynamics 365 addresses the key challenges of scaling personalized engagement:
Natural language data exploration. Sales teams can instantly access customer insights by asking questions in simple language, such as “Which customers are nearing their renewal date?”. This streamlines data access and empowers quick, targeted action.1
Segment creation with Query Assist. Easily create customer segments by describing desired traits, helping sales teams target high-value groups with precision.2
AI-assisted journey creation. Define customer journey goals in plain language, and Copilot builds personalized journeys across channels, boosting engagement and conversions.3
Content generation and refinement. Quickly draft messages or emails with Copilot, using tone and key point inputs to tailor content. This speeds up customer response and helps to ensure alignment with brand goals.4
AI can scale personalized customer engagement
When talking to customers, it is recommended that businesses consider personalizing engagement across their large pipelines. This can indeed be a major challenge, but with AI-powered tools like Dynamics 365 and Copilot, sales teams can effortlessly maintain meaningful, personalized interactions at every stage of the customer journey. By turning data into actionable insights, AI empowers companies to create proactive and tailored experiences that drive both loyalty and growth. Using AI allows you to scale engagement without sacrificing the personal touch, making it a valuable investment for enhancing customer relationships.
Access the resources below to get started on your AI journey today. You can also stay connected on LinkedIn with more information about innovation and AI transformation.
Learn more about how to personalize at scale with Microsoft Dynamics 365.
Sources:
1 “Dialog with Data.” Microsoft Dynamics 365 Customer Insights Documentation. Microsoft, Inc., 2024.
Corporate Vice President, Business Applications, Commercial Solution Area
Jonathan Hunt is Microsoft’s Corporate Vice President, Business Applications. In this role, Hunt’s focus is on helping Microsoft’s customers and partners successfully navigate their digital transformation by harnessing the power of technology to understand their data, their customers, and their systems – and to achieve more within an ethical, inclusive, and secure framework. Hunt has spent 20+ years helping organizations scale through technology, process, and change management. Prior to joining Microsoft, he led Go-to-Market Strategy & Operations for Databricks and spent 11 years at Salesforce, most recently serving as COO, North America. Hunt has a wealth of knowledge and experience in optimizing and scaling Go-to-Market models, building high-performing teams and strategic partnerships, and driving business growth, both regionally and globally. Hunt lives in the San Francisco Bay area and enjoys spending time outdoors with his wife and three children. He is an aspiring runner and cyclist and enjoys seeking adventures in the backcountry when time permits.
As conflict rages across Sudan, armed men are raping and sexually assaulting children, including some infants as young as one, according to the UN children’s agency (UNICEF).
Data from gender-based violence service providers in Sudan reveals the scale of the horror: more than 220 reported cases of child rape since the start of 2024.
“Children as young as one being raped by armed men should shock anyone to their core and compel immediate action,” said UNICEF Executive Director Catherine Russell.
But these figures only scratch the surface, as survivors and their families often remain silent due to stigma, lack of services and fear of retribution from armed groups.
A war crime unfolding
Sexual violence is being weaponised in Sudan’s conflict, putting millions of children at risk.
The brutal reality of this violence, and the fear of falling victim to it, is pushing women and girls to leave their homes and families, only to face further dangers.
UNICEF reports that girls often end up in informal displacement sites with scarce resources, where the risk of sexual violence is high. Of the reported child rape survivors, 66 per cent are girls.
Meanwhile, boys face their own difficulties. With deep-seated stigma, reporting sexual assault presents its challenges, making it harder to seek help and access services.
Shockingly, 16 of the survivors were under five years old, including four one-year-olds.
“This is an abhorrent violation of international law and could constitute a war crime,” Ms. Russell underscored. “It must stop.”
Efforts on the ground
UNICEF is working with partners to establish safe spaces that provide gender-based violence services for survivors.
The agency is training frontline workers, including social workers and psychologists to provide community-based services across Sudan as well as address harmful social norms and practices.
A call to action
UNICEF is calling on all parties to the conflict to uphold their obligations under international law, protect civilians – especially children – and ensure humanitarian workers can safely deliver aid.
Stronger data systems are deemed critical, both to improve the humanitarian response and to hold perpetrators accountable.
“Widespread sexual violence in Sudan has instilled terror in people, especially children,” Ms. Russell warned. “These scars of war are immeasurable and long-lasting.”
Without urgent action, Sudan’s sexual violence crisis will only deepen, leaving a lasting and devastating legacy.
LOS ANGELES — An illegal alien from Guatemala was arrested on a four-count indictment alleging he led one of the largest human smuggling organizations in the United States. The ring allegedly smuggled approximately 20,000 illegal immigrants from Guatemala to destinations nationwide over a five-year span. The defendant held some victims in stash houses as hostages and is responsible for the deaths of seven illegal immigrants — including a 4-year-old child — who were killed in a November 2023 car accident in Oklahoma. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, the U.S. Border Patrol and the Inglewood Police Department are investigating the matter.
“These arrests illuminate the dangers and victimization associated with aliens attempting to unlawfully enter our country,” said ICE Homeland Security Investigations Los Angeles acting Special Agent in Charge John Pasciucco. “Every day, similar human smuggling organizations put profits ahead of safety in these reckless and illegal endeavors. ICE Los Angeles and our partners are committed to continue identifying and dismantling these organizations so no further lives are lost and our borders are secure.”
Eduardo Domingo Renoj-Matul aka Turko, 51, of the Westlake neighborhood near downtown Los Angeles, was arrested Feb. 28 with his alleged right-hand man, Cristobal Mejia-Chaj, 49, also of the Westlake neighborhood. The defendants were arraigned the same day and ordered to stand trial April 22. A federal magistrate judge also ordered them jailed without bond.
Renoj-Matul allegedly led one of the largest human smuggling organizations in the United States, moving approximately 20,000 illegal immigrants from 2019 through July 2024.
Also charged in the indictment are Helmer Obispo-Hernandez aka Xavi, 41, a lieutenant in the criminal organization who is a fugitive, and Jose Paxtor-Oxlaj, 44, a driver for the smuggling organization who is incarcerated in Oklahoma in connection with the fatal November 2023 car accident.
All the defendants are Guatemalan nationals who are or were illegally living in the United States at the time of the alleged offenses.
All four defendants are charged with one count of conspiracy to bring aliens to the United States, transporting aliens in the United States, and harboring aliens in the United States for private financial gain and resulting in death.
Additionally, Renoj-Matul and Mejia-Chaj are charged with two counts of hostage-taking. Obispo-Hernandez and Paxtor-Oxlaj also are charged with one count of transporting aliens in the United States for private financial gain and resulting in death.
A separate federal criminal complaint filed March 2 charges Obispo-Hernandez with threatening to cut off the heads of an ICE task force officer and members of his family. The threats were allegedly made to the federal law enforcement office Feb. 28 in the wake of search warrants being executed at Obispo-Hernandez’s residence.
“These smuggling organizations have no regard for human life and their conduct kills,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Joseph T. McNally. “Their members pose a danger to the public and law enforcement. We must vigorously enforce our immigration laws so that these organizations cannot operate. The indictment and arrests here have dismantled one of the country’s largest and most dangerous smuggling organizations. This work saves lives, and the members of the organization will now face significant consequences.”
According to the indictment returned Feb. 25 and unsealed Feb. 28, the Renoj-Matul transnational criminal organization operated for at least a dozen years and specialized in smuggling illegal immigrants from Guatemala to the United States, the transportation and movement of those illegal immigrants within the United States — especially between Phoenix and Los Angeles — and harboring, concealing and shielding of illegal immigrants within the United States.
Renoj-Matual was assisted by associates in Guatemala who solicited illegal immigrants to come to the United States, accepted payment of between $15,000 and $18,000 for each illegal immigrant smuggled into the United States, and coordinated the illegal immigrants’ journeys from Guatemala to the United States.
Mexican smuggling organizations transported the aliens through Mexico and across the U.S.-Mexico border in Arizona, where they were held in stash houses and eventually picked up by Renoj-Matul’s lieutenants. The illegal immigrants then — for an additional fee — were transported and moved to various destinations in the United States, including Los Angeles. The immigrants who had not paid their fees were held hostage in a stash house in the Westlake neighborhood near downtown Los Angeles.
Renoj-Matul directed that the transportation of proceeds from human smuggling be transported from Los Angeles to Phoenix, where they were given to the Mexican smuggling organization to pay the expenses incurred by Renoj-Matul’s transnational criminal organization.
In November 2023, Paxtor-Oxlaj caused a car accident in Elk City, Oklahoma, while he was smuggling illegal immigrants from New York to Los Angeles. That car accident resulted in the deaths of seven passengers in the vehicle he drove. Of the seven people killed, three were minors, including a 4-year-old child.
Paxtor-Oxlaj was arrested in connection with the accident and was charged in the Western District of Oklahoma with being an illegal alien found in the United States following removal. He previously had been removed from the U.S. to Guatemala in 2010 and did not have legal permission to reenter the United States.
The indictment further alleges that, from April 2024 to July 2024, Renoj-Matul and Mejia-Chaj held hostage two Guatemalan nationals smuggled into the United States who had not paid smuggling fees. The defendants allegedly threatened to kill the victims until third parties paid for their release.
An indictment contains allegations that a defendant has committed a crime. Every defendant is presumed to be innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in court.
If convicted of all charges, the defendants each face a statutory maximum sentence of death or life imprisonment.
Also arrested Feb. 28 was Rolando Gomez-Gomez aka Chaka, 39, of South Los Angeles, who is charged with one count of being an illegal alien found in the United States following removal, and Juan Lopez Garcia aka Boxer, 41, of Downtown Los Angeles, who was arrested on a civil removal matter. Both defendants are alleged lieutenants in the Renoj-Matul transnational criminal organization.
Assistant U.S. attorneys Shawn J. Nelson and Elia Herrera of the International Narcotics, Money Laundering and Racketeering Section are prosecuting this case. Assistant U.S. attorney Tara B. Vavere of the Asset Forfeiture and Recovery Section is handling the asset forfeiture portion of this case.
Anyone with information related to human smuggling are encouraged to call the ICE Tip Line at 866-DHS-2-ICE (866-347-2423).
Learn more about ICE HSI’s mission to protect the U.S. economy in your community on X at @HSILosAngeles.
A report to senior councillors outlines the good progress being made on the council’s ambitious Connecting Leeds transport strategy, but highlights that more needs to be done and more funding allocated to meet its aims.
The report to the council’s Executive Board provides an update on progress on the Connecting Leeds transport strategy. Its vision is for Leeds to be a city where you don’t need a car, and where everyone has an affordable, accessible and zero carbon choice in how they travel, and since 2018 more than three quarters of a billion pounds has been invested in the city’s highways and transport network through the Connecting Leeds programme.
The Connecting Leeds transport strategy’s initial action plan 2020 -2024 has delivered some key successes including:
Major highway improvements including the Armley Gyratory and the completion of the East Leeds Orbital Route, increasing road capacity to support changes in the city centre, along with other improvements to key transport corridors including the A647 and Outer Ring Road between Horsforth and Rodley.
Launching our Vision Zero Strategy which aims to eliminate all fatalities and serious injuries on Leeds roads by 2040. The number of people killed or seriously injured on Leeds roads has reduced since its launch.
Transforming City Square and wider public realm in the city centre, including the Headrow, Vicar Lane and the Corn Exchange, creating safer pedestrian-friendly spaces.
The launch of Leeds City Bikes, the largest e-bike scheme in the UK which will see further roll-out later this year.
The Stourton Park & Ride has experienced continued growth since opening in late 2021, alongside the existing sites at Elland Road and Temple Green, and more than 90 electric buses are now serving the city’s busiest routes. Around 10,000 cars are taken off city roads each week with consistently over 20,000 passengers per week using the services and further improvements planned later in the year.
Improvements and significant funding in Leeds City Rail Station, with a significant increase in passenger numbers and footfall exceeding pre-pandemic levels. Local rail stations have experienced similar growth.
Fewer car commuters into the city centre since 2021, reducing congestion and improving local air quality.
These successes have led to increasing numbers of people walking through the city centre, along with rising bus passenger numbers.
Overall city centre footfall for the whole of 2024 increased by 1.3% compared to 2023, which in turn was up by 2.7% on 2022. Footfall at Leeds City Rail Station has also increased by 12% in 2024 compared to 2023, and with the city centre seeing significant and continued investment in its retail and hospitality offer it is hoped that footfall will keep rising and further boost the city’s economy.
There has also been a 4.1% reduction in car mileage across the city since 2019, and a 6% year-on-year increase of public electric vehicle charging points.
New Action Plan launched to 2027
Some measures within the initial action plan are ongoing or still progressing, and are being taken forward with the launch of a new action plan which details our ambitions and activities up to 2027.
This includes major schemes such as Dawson’s Corner and Stanningley Bypass, which has only recently secured c£36m government funding, the A660 improvements and the Lawnswood Roundabout scheme, along with more active travel and cycling schemes.
The council will continue to support the West Yorkshire Combined Authority to progress the mass transit scheme and to implement bus reforms, and will continue its partnership work to deliver the Vision Zero strategy regionally.
The challenges of delivering these measures is reflected in progress against the strategy’s ambitions. Although overall carbon emissions have reduced since 2019, the latest figures suggest that they have begun rising again and may reach pre-pandemic levels, so the council is still facing challenges to meet its net-zero targets by 2030.
There was a significant decrease in motorists driving into the city centre between 2022 and 2023, and although this trend has not continued during the last year the number remains below 2022’s levels.
Across the city the amount of HGV and LGV traffic is growing which is likely to relate to online shopping and home delivery trends.
Councillor Jonathan Pryor, Deputy Leader of Leeds City Council and Executive Member for Economy, Transport and Sustainable Development, said: “We have made significant progress towards our vision of creating a city where you don’t need to own a car, and we are proud of our achievements so far.
“Our places are becoming more people-friendly, inclusive and welcoming, we are delivering infrastructure which is fit for the 21st century, and we are encouraging more people to use active and sustainable travel methods and public transport.
“We have big ambitions for our city and we recognise that progress towards these hasn’t been easy. We’ve faced significant challenges along the way and there is much to do. When the council adopted this very ambitious strategy it was made with the knowledge that this would be underpinned by significant funding over a sustained period. Investment levels have been good in recent years and there is a need to maintain these in the coming years so we can achieve our goals alongside delivering general transport improvements.
“By launching our new action plan to 2027 we are making clear how we will ensure we achieve our vision for everyone who lives, works and visits our city, working closely with our partners and the West Yorkshire Combined Authority.”
Exploring new funding opportunities
The report states that the ‘current level of funding is insufficient to cover all aspects’ of the new action plan. As a result, the council will be looking for alternative funding to deliver these activities, and will be looking to work with partners including the combined authority, the Department for Transport and the private sector to achieved its shared objectives.
As part of this, the council is exploring the possibility of introducing a workplace parking levy to generate revenue which would used as local contributions to major transport investments, principally mass transit.
Such a levy could charge city centre businesses for parking places they offer for staff use, with revenue ring-fenced to support significant transport improvements.
The report is seeking agreement to carry out exploratory work including surveys around how a workplace parking levy could potentially be applied in Leeds city centre. This would include engaging with key partners and businesses in the first instance, and developing a rationale around which premises should be exempt from the scheme such as the city’s hospitals which employ round-the-clock shift workers delivering a vital emergency service.
Following this exploratory work, should the council intend to proceed with the introduction of a workplace parking levy a further report would be submitted to executive board for approval.
Should this be granted, a business case would need to be submitted to the Department for Transport and approved by the Secretary of State.
Source: United States Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco Firearms and Explosives (ATF)
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – David Eric West II, 43, of Parkersburg, was sentenced today to seven years and eight months in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, for possession with intent to deliver quantities of methamphetamine and fentanyl.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on April 8, 2024, law enforcement officers conducted a traffic stop of a vehicle driven by West near Parkersburg. Officers found quantities of methamphetamine and fentanyl in the vehicle and a Taurus G3C 9mm pistol on West’s person. West admitted that he possessed the controlled substances and intended to distribute them in and around the Southern District of West Virginia.
Acting United States Attorney Lisa G. Johnston made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the Parkersburg Police Department.
United States District Judge Thomas E. Johnston imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorney JC MacCallum prosecuted the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:24-cr-135.
Source: United States Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco Firearms and Explosives (ATF)
BECKLEY, W.Va. – Grover D. Jordan, 57, of Charmco, was sentenced today to three years and one month in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, for being a felon in in possession of a firearm.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on January 18, 2023, law enforcement conducted a traffic stop of a vehicle driven by Jordan in Fayetteville. Jordan admitted that he possessed three firearms discovered during the traffic stop: a Taurus model PT1911 .45-caliber pistol, an Armi Galesi model 9 6.35mm pistol, and a Beretta model 3032 Tom Cat .32-caliber pistol with a removed, altered or obliterated serial number.
Jordan also admitted that he possessed a Smith & Wesson .38-caliber revolver discovered during an August 20, 2023 traffic stop by law enforcement of a motorcycle he was operating in Charmco. Jordan further admitted that he possessed a Dupont electric generator, which is explosive material under federal law, discovered during the traffic stop.
Federal law prohibits a person with a prior felony conviction from possessing a firearm or ammunition. Jordan knew he was prohibited from possessing a firearm because of his prior felony convictions for two counts of wanton endangerment in Raleigh County Circuit Court on March 15, 2019.
Jordan has a long criminal history that also includes numerous other convictions for such offenses as grand larceny, domestic battery, DUI, and possession of controlled substances.
Acting United States Attorney Lisa G. Johnston made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Fayetteville Police Department, the Greenbrier County Sheriff’s Office and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF).
Chief United States District Judge Frank W. Volk imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorneys Brian D. Parsons and Justin Marlowe prosecuted the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 5:24-cr-29.
Source: The White House
Elissa Slotkin will respond to President Donald J. Trump’s Joint Address to Congress tonight. Senator Slotkin stands opposed to President Trump’s agenda to lower costs, bring back manufacturing, and secure our borders.
Slotkin voted against overturning Biden’s tailpipe emissions rule, a rule that would force automakers to sell more electric vehicles, killing auto manufacturing jobs. President Trump stood up for American consumers and autoworkers and repealed this de facto electric vehicle mandate.
Slotkin voted against congressional disapproval of Biden’s EPA rule seeking to limit tailpipe emissions.
The House Budget Committee called the regulation “a de facto ban on the sale of gas-powered and traditional hybrid vehicles.”
Research shows that EV mandates would kill thousands of jobs:
America First Policy Institute: New Report Exposes Biden-Harris’s Proposed EV Mandates to Cost 200,000 American Jobs
“The Midwest will suffer the most, with Michigan (-37,000), Indiana (-24,000), and Ohio (-21,000) facing the highest job losses.”
A UAW study from 2019 projected that EVs would kill 35,000 jobs at its plants.
Slotkin has repeatedly voted for open borders. President Trump has moved swiftly to secure our borders with attempted crossings in February at the lowest number ever recorded.
In May 2023, Slotkin voted against the H.R. 2, the Secure the Border Act.
In February 2019, Slotkin voted to terminate President Trump’s declaration of an emergency at the southern border.
In March 2019, Slotkin again voted again to terminate the declaration in an attempt to override President Trump’s veto.
In July 2024, Slotkin voted against a resolution “Strongly condemning the Biden Administration and its Border Czar, Kamala Harris’s, failure to secure the United States border.”
Slotkin said, “I don’t believe that anyone really thinks a wall from sea to shining sea is needed to make us safer.”
Slotkin is just another out-of-touch politician that wants to hollow out American manufacturing and let criminals flood into our communities.
LAREDO, Texas – A Texas woman was charged with conspiring to transport, attempting to transport and transporting two illegal alien minors illegally in the United States for financial gain following an investigation conducted by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Laredo Office. ICE worked this case in coordination with U.S. Border Patrol Laredo Sector.
Jovanna Netzay Diaz, 31, from Dallas, is expected to make her initial appearance before U.S. Magistrate Judge Renee Harris Toliver in Dallas. She will then be expected in Laredo federal court shortly thereafter.
A federal grand jury returned the three-count indictment Feb. 19 which was unsealed upon her arrest Feb. 27.
According to court documents, the charges allege that on Oct. 26, 2024, Diaz arrived at the Border Patrol checkpoint in Laredo. Upon initial inspection, authorities allegedly observed a blanket moving between the second and third row of the vehicle. Law enforcement soon found one minor underneath the blanket and another concealed on the floorboard of the vehicle’s front passenger seat, according to the charges. The minors were allegedly determined to be nine-year-old twins, who were nationals and citizens of Mexico with no familial connection to Diaz.
If convicted, Diaz faces up to 10 years in federal prison as well as a $250,000 maximum possible fine.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Melissa A. Lopez from the Southern District of Texas is prosecuting the case.
An indictment is a formal accusation of criminal conduct, not evidence. A defendant is presumed innocent unless convicted through due process of law.
Sometimes AI isn’t as clever as we think it is. Researchers training an algorithm to identify skin cancer thought they had succeeded until they discovered that it was using the presence of a ruler to help it make predictions. Specifically, their data set consisted of images where a pathologist had put in a ruler to measure the size of malignant lesions.
It extended this logic for predicting malignancies to all images beyond the data set, consequently identifying benign tissue as malignant if a ruler was in the image.
The problem here is not that the AI algorithm made a mistake. Rather, the concern stems from how the AI “thinks”. No human pathologist would arrive at this conclusion.
These cases of flawed “reasoning” abound – from HR algorithms that prefer to hire men because the data set is skewed in their favour to propagating racial disparities in medical treatment. Now that they know about these problems, researchers are scrambling to address them.
Recently, Google decided to end its longstanding ban on developing AI weapons. This potentially encompasses the use of AI to develop arms, as well as AI in surveillance and weapons that could be deployed autonomously on the battlefield. The decision came days after parent company Alphabet experienced a 6% drop in its share price.
This is not Google’s first foray into murky waters. It worked with the US Department of Defense on the use of its AI technology for Project Maven, which involved object recognition for drones.
When news of this contract became public in 2018, it sparked backlash from employees who did not want the technology they developed to be used in wars. Ultimately, Google did not renew its contract, which was picked up by rival Palantir instead.
The speed with which Google’s contract was renewed by a competitor led some to note the inevitability of these developments, and that it was perhaps better to be on the inside to shape the future.
Such arguments, of course, presume that firms and researchers will be able to shape the future as they want to. But previous research has shown that this assumption is flawed for at least three reasons.
The confidence trap
First, human beings are susceptible to falling into what is known as a “confidence trap”. I have researched this phenomenon, whereby people assume that since previous risk-taking paid off, taking more risks in the future is warranted.
In the context of AI, this may mean incrementally extending the use of an algorithm beyond its training data set. For example, a driverless car may be used on a route has not been covered in its training.
This can throw up problems. There is now an abundance of data that driverless car AI can draw on, and yet mistakes still occur. Accidents like the Tesla car that drove into a £2.75 million jet when summoned by its owner in an unfamiliar setting, can still happen. For AI weapons, there isn’t even much data to begin with.
Second, AI can reason in ways that are alien to human understanding. This has led to the paperclip thought experiment, where AI is asked to produce as many paper clips as possible. It does so while consuming all resources – including those necessary for human survival.
Of course, this seems trivial. After all, humans can lay out ethical guidelines. But the problem lies in being unable to anticipate how an AI algorithm might achieve what humans have asked of it and thus losing control. This might even include “cheating.” In a recent experiment, AI cheated to win chess games by modifying system files denoting positions of chess pieces, in effect enabling it to make illegal moves.
But society may be willing to accept mistakes, as with civilian casualties caused by drone strikes directed by humans. This tendency is something known as the “banality of extremes” – humans normalise even the more extreme instances of evil as a cognitive mechanism to cope. The “alienness” of AI reasoning may simply provide more cover for doing so.
Third, firms like Google that are associated with developing these weapons might be too big to fail. As a consequence, even when there are clear instances of AI going wrong, they are unlikely to be held responsible. This lack of accountability creates a hazard as it disincentivises learning and corrective actions.
The “cosying up” of tech executives with US president Donald Trump only exacerbates the problem as it further dilutes accountability.
Tech moguls like Elon Musk cosying up to the US president dilutes accountability. Joshua Sukoff/Shutterstock
Rather than joining the race towards the development of AI weaponry, an alternative approach would be to work on a comprehensive ban on it’s development and use.
Although this might seem unachievable, consider the threat of the hole in the ozone layer. This brought rapid unified action in the form of banning the CFCs that caused it. In fact, it took only two years for governments to agree on a global ban on the chemicals. This stands as a testament to what can be achieved in the face of a clear, immediate and well-recognised threat.
In fact, banning the use and development of certain types of weapons has precedent – countries have after all done the same for biological weapons. The problem lies in no country wanting another to have it before they do, and no business wanting to lose out in the process.
In this sense, choosing to weaponise AI or disallowing it will mirror the wishes of humanity. The hope is that the better side of human nature will prevail.
Akhil Bhardwaj 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.
Source: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) (video statements)
On this episode of Inside the FBI, we’ll discuss this ongoing case and explain how investigators are working to solve this disappearance, 20 years later. We’ll also get to know who Danielle and Richard were before they vanished and detail how you can help the Bureau figure out what happened to them.
For a full transcript and additional resources, visit fbi.gov/news/podcasts.
You can also learn more about Danielle and Rich, as well as view their pictures, at fbi.gov/missing. And if you have any information that could help us solve this case and bring closure to the victims’ families—whether you recall seeing Danielle and Rich at a South Philly bar on February 19, 2005, or spotted the couple or their black 2001 Dodge Dakota truck afterwards—we encourage you to call the FBI Philadelphia Field Office at 215-418-4000.
The FBI is offering a reward of up to $15,000 for information leading to the arrest and conviction of anyone involved in the disappearance of Danielle Imbo and Richard Petrone.
—————————————————
Subscribe to Inside the FBI wherever you get your podcasts:
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4H2d3cg…
Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast…
Google Podcasts: https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0…
More ways to follow us: https://inside-the-fbi.transistor.fm/…
Follow us on social media:
X: https://twitter.com/fbi
Facebook: https://facebook.com/FBI
Instagram: https://instagram.com/fbi
YouTube: youtube.com/user/fbi
ATLANTA, March 04, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — nuVizz, a provider of transportation management solutions and last-mile delivery technology, today announced its recognition as a Representative Vendor in the 2025 Gartner® Market Guide for Vehicle Routing and Scheduling1. This is the second consecutive year that nuVizz is recognized as a Representative Vendor in Gartner’s VRS Market Guide.
nuVizz was also recognized as a Representative Vendor in the 2024 Gartner Market Guide for Last-Mile Delivery Technology Solutions.
The report says, “Gartner defines a vehicle routing and scheduling (VRS) solution as an application that creates vehicle routes and schedules, considering multiple constraints and service requirements while minimizing transportation fleet costs and mileage. VRS creates repeatable scheduled static routes and/or dynamic routes based on inputs (orders, deliveries and pickups), rules and constraints for meeting objectives. Transportation delivery fleets include both full truckload and last mile. VRS solutions are capable of running both scenario modeling analysis to support fleet sizing, delivery window optimization, long-term planning and tactical optimization for execution of deliveries.”
nuVizz’s AI- and ML-powered last-mile TMS platform serves shippers with large delivery networks, last-mile delivery fleets, carriers, LSPs, and agents, optimizing both B2B and B2C deliveries. By analyzing data and real-time conditions, nuVizz can route and schedule last-mile deliveries and streamline delivery progress updates through real-time notifications.
The report goes on to note, “Vendors are also optimizing other aspects of the transportation operation, such as driver and fleet utilization and address validation. Routing algorithms can process new data inputs to provide more accurate, optimal routing, resulting in near-real-time operation control and visibility. Examples of the new data inputs include historical and predicted traffic patterns, weather or detention times at distribution centers, and customers preferences and their delivery options.”
nuVizz recently announced its new AI assistant, Vizzard, which helps dispatchers select ideal algorithms to optimize routes, improve vehicle utilization, and reduce mileage based on delivery demand patterns, as well as provide intelligent address correction and validation. nuVizz empowers users to optimize last-mile operations with predictive analytics, real-time alerts, and omnichannel supply chain visibility.
“For fleets, drivers and shippers to thrive in the evolving supply chain landscape, they need intelligent, adaptable technology that enables seamless orchestration and optimization of deliveries in real-time,” said nuVizz CEOGuru Rao. “We believe that being recognized in Gartner’s VRS Market guide underscores our commitment to providing innovative solutions that empower logistics operators to enhance efficiency, visibility, and the overall last-mile experience for their customers.”
Gartner® adds, “Routing algorithms are one of the components that define and differentiate VRS solutions from other transportation solutions. Vendors keep adding more capabilities that enhance the optimization options provided. In order to maximize the use of the different routing options (static, dynamic or real-time routing), vendors are adding options to outsource transportation to external fleets, such as parcel couriers, on-demand fleets and full truckload carriers. This has created an opportunity for VRS to have specialized solutions for the complexity to support each routing type.”
Gartner® subscribers can access the full report here.
Disclaimer Gartner does not endorse any vendor, product or service depicted in its research publications, and does not advise technology users to select only those vendors with the highest ratings or other designation. Gartner research publications consist of the opinions of Gartner research organization and should not be construed as statements of fact. Gartner disclaims all warranties, express or implied, with respect to this research, including any warranties of merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose.
GARTNER is a registered trademark and service mark of Gartner, Inc. and/or its affiliates in the U.S. and internationally and are used herein with permission. All rights reserved.
About nuVizz nuVizz lights the way to better delivery and transportation logistics. From the first mile to the last mile-and everything in between – we’re trailblazers in supply chain optimization and digitization. Infinitely flexible, the nuVizz SaaS platform drives visibility, control, cost savings, and a better customer experience across the fulfillment lifecycle.
Our single-minded mission: simple, sustainable transportation solutions for every business on the planet. Go further, grow faster. For more information, visit nuvizz.com.
PUBLIC OPENING POSITION DISCLOSURE/DEALING DISCLOSURE BY A PERSON WITH INTERESTS IN RELEVANT SECURITIES REPRESENTING 1% OR MORE Rule 8.3 of the Takeover Code (the “Code”)
1.KEY INFORMATION
(a)Full name of discloser:
Rathbones Group Plc
(b)Owner or controller of interests and short positions disclosed, if different from 1(a): The naming of nominee or vehicle companies is insufficient. For a trust, the trustee(s), settlor and beneficiaries must be named.
(c)Name of offeror/offeree in relation to whose relevant securities this form relates: Use a separate form for each offeror/offeree
Warehouse REIT Plc
(d)If an exempt fund manager connected with an offeror/offeree, state this and specify identity of offeror/offeree:
(e)Date position held/dealing undertaken: For an opening position disclosure, state the latest practicable date prior to the disclosure
03/03/2025
(f)In addition to the company in 1(c) above, is the discloser making disclosures in respect of any other party to the offer? If it is a cash offer or possible cash offer, state “N/A”
No
2.POSITIONS OF THE PERSON MAKING THE DISCLOSURE
If there are positions or rights to subscribe to disclose in more than one class of relevant securities of the offeror or offeree named in 1(c), copy table 2(a) or (b) (as appropriate) for each additional class of relevant security.
(a)Interests and short positions in the relevant securities of the offeror or offeree to which the disclosure relates following the dealing (if any)
Class of relevant security:
1p Ordinary Shares
Interests
Short positions
Number
%
Number
%
(1)Relevant securities owned and/or controlled:
69,220,080
16.29%
(2)Cash-settled derivatives:
(3)Stock-settled derivatives (including options) and agreements to purchase/sell:
TOTAL:
69,220,080
16.29%
All interests and all short positions should be disclosed.
Details of any open stock-settled derivative positions (including traded options), or agreements to purchase or sell relevant securities, should be given on a Supplemental Form 8 (Open Positions).
(b)Rights to subscribe for new securities (including directors’ and other employee options)
Class of relevant security in relation to which subscription right exists:
Details, including nature of the rights concerned and relevant percentages:
3.DEALINGS (IF ANY) BY THE PERSON MAKING THE DISCLOSURE
Where there have been dealings in more than one class of relevant securities of the offeror or offeree named in 1(c), copy table 3(a), (b), (c) or (d) (as appropriate) for each additional class of relevant security dealt in.
The currency of all prices and other monetary amounts should be stated.
(a)Purchases and sales
Class of relevant security
Purchase/sale
Number of securities
Price per unit
1p Ordinary Shares
Sale
7,400
82.152p
1p Ordinary Shares
Sale
31,380
82.2896p
1p Ordinary Shares
Sale
9,362
82.4524p
1p Ordinary Shares
Sale
10,500
82.551p
1p Ordinary Shares
Sale
11,500
82.612p
(b)Cash-settled derivative transactions
Class of relevant security
Product description e.g. CFD
Nature of dealing e.g. opening/closing a long/short position, increasing/reducing a long/short position
(d)Other dealings (including subscribing for new securities)
Class of relevant security
Nature of dealing e.g. subscription, conversion
Details
Price per unit (if applicable)
1p Ordinary Shares
Internal transfer from Discretionary to Execution-Only
5,500
1p Ordinary Shares
Internal transfer from Discretionary to Execution-Only
2,500
1p Ordinary Shares
Internal transfer from Discretionary to Execution-Only
6,500
1p Ordinary Shares
Internal transfer from Discretionary to Execution-Only
10,925
4.OTHER INFORMATION
(a)Indemnity and other dealing arrangements
Details of any indemnity or option arrangement, or any agreement or understanding, formal or informal, relating to relevant securities which may be an inducement to deal or refrain from dealing entered into by the person making the disclosure and any party to the offer or any person acting in concert with a party to the offer: Irrevocable commitments and letters of intent should not be included. If there are no such agreements, arrangements or understandings, state “none”
None
(b)Agreements, arrangements or understandings relating to options or derivatives
Details of any agreement, arrangement or understanding, formal or informal, between the person making the disclosure and any other person relating to: (i)the voting rights of any relevant securities under any option; or (ii)the voting rights or future acquisition or disposal of any relevant securities to which any derivative is referenced: If there are no such agreements, arrangements or understandings, state “none”
None
(c)Attachments
Is a Supplemental Form 8 (Open Positions) attached?
No
Date of disclosure:
04/03/2025
Contact name:
Callum Ridley – Compliance Department
Telephone number:
0151 243 7037
Public disclosures under Rule 8 of the Code must be made to a Regulatory Information Service.
The Panel’s Market Surveillance Unit is available for consultation in relation to the Code’s disclosure requirements on +44 (0)20 7638 0129.
Liverpool City Council has announced several amendments to the experimental parking zone surrounding Everton Stadium as well as a number of improvements to the area, since the new venue’s first test event.
The zone, introduced under an Experimental Traffic Regulation Order (ETRO), went live two weeks ago today (on Monday, 17 February) to coincide with Everton FC’s inaugural match at the stunning waterfront stadium at Bramley Moore-Dock.
Based on feedback from businesses and residents in the city’s North Docks community, as well as initial findings from that historic event, the Council will now implement changes to its operation.
The proposed amendments include:
Applications for more than 10 business permits will be accepted on a case-by-case basis. Note: Business permits cost £50 each. Resident and visitor permits are free.
Safety-focussed enforcement of the zone on the second stadium test event, on Sunday, 23 March. (This will allow more time for businesses and residents to apply for permits and for the Council to investigate the level of appropriate enforcement during events.)
The one-hour limited waiting restriction will be extended to two hours, where possible.
Permit parking will be introduced in the Pumpfields area (i.e. the Blackstock Street, Paul Street, Pall Mall and Chisenhale Street areas.)
The process to modify the ETRO to implement these initial recommendations (including new signage) will begin to be enacted within the next three months.
The ETRO enables the Council to make these changes flexibly in the light of experience and analysis of their impact on a day-to-day basis. Further changes may also be made following the further two stadium Test Events, in March and May, and throughout the 18-month process up to August 2026.
In response to feedback from businesses, the Council will also explore the scope for on-street pay and display parking bays in key locations to identify options, where possible, for longer-stay parking.
A further series of improvements, identified from the first test event, will also now be implemented, including:
A review of the event traffic management plan on road closures ahead of the second test event. This is to ensure closures are enacted and communicated more effectively.
Improvements to Street Lighting on walking routes to and from the stadium.
Improved pedestrian wayfinding signage between Sandhills station and City Centre stations and the stadium.
Temporary signage to shuttle bus and taxi rank locations.
Following these amendments and improvements, the Council’s Highways team will continue to monitor the impact of the ETRO to determine whether this has positively assisted businesses, visitors, and public opinion and if other amendments are required.
When and where do the ETRO measures apply? The new measures introduced in the zone, which radiates out via a 30-minute walk from the stadium, operate between the hours of 10am to midnight each day. North of Boundary Street, the zone is operative 1 August to 30 June. South of Boundary Street it is operative 12 months of the year. This is except for the Great Homer Street area, which operates 8am to midnight all year round. The ETRO is to run until August 2026, but Liverpool City Council will be seeking to review and amend the measures within the first six months before the new football season begins in August. The measures can be made permanent before August 2026, subject to agreement.
What about Blue Badge holders? Blue Badge holders can park for as long as they need to within the permit parking areas in the experimental zone, and for up to three hours on a yellow line (unless a loading ban is in place). Badge holders can also park on yellow lines, unless there is a loading restriction, but they will need to clearly display their badge and blue parking clock as well as ensuring the vehicle is not causing an obstruction. For Blue Badge holders wishing to attend a football match at the stadium, Everton FC is in the process of exploring how it enhances its current parking offer to complement other transport arrangements such as the free shuttle bus service for disabled fans.
Cllr Liam Robinson, Leader of Liverpool City Council, said: “Since the Experimental Parking Zone went live on the day of Everton’s first test event, the Council has been listening to all the feedback and analysing what we can do to make improvements.
“We understand the concerns being raised by businesses, residents and fans and we’ve wasted no time in assessing the necessary amendments that can be introduced as quickly as possible.
“The measures that can be amended to alleviate concerns on issues like waiting times and number of permits will be considered as a priority. The major concerns from the first event around road closures and street lighting are also being addressed to ensure they are remedied by the second test event at the end of March.
“We are also working closely with colleagues at the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority, Merseytravel and Merseyrail on their plans for public transport provision and we are in in active dialogue with them and Everton to ensure changes and improvements are made.”
Cllr Dan Barrington, Cabinet Member for Transport and Connectivity, said: “Given this is an experimental zone and we are in the test event stage, lessons are being learned all the time.
“I want to reassure everyone the Council is actively looking to make the necessary improvements to help businesses, residents and fans as much as possible, especially as we build up to the final test event in May and then the start of the new football season in August.
“The Council is keen to continue talking to businesses to explain the process and to hear how the measures and amendments are impacting their staff and customers and how we can work together to make improvements quickly.
“A key aim of the Experimental Zone is tackling the problem of commuter parking 365 days a year, as well as illegal and unsafe parking on double yellow lines and pavements. These issues impact the area all year round and it’s vital we get this right to support its economic development and to tackle congestion, especially as more businesses set up here and more residential schemes are developed.”
CLARKSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – Cedrick Dion Tyron Griffin, age 26, of Detroit, Michigan, was sentenced to 168 months in federal prison for possession with intent to distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl.
According to court documents and statements made in court, the Fairmont Police Department was investigating a shooting that led them to Griffin. A search of his Morgantown apartment, his vehicle, and a hotel room in his name resulted in the seizure of $28,000, 144 grams of fentanyl, more than 1,100 grams of methamphetamine, and a firearm. Griffin has a criminal history that includes obstructing/assault on a police officer, attempted murder, wanton endangerment, malicious wounding, drug trafficking and witness intimidation.
Griffin will also serve four years of supervised release following his prison sentence.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Brandon Flower prosecuted the case on behalf of the government.
The Three Rivers Drug Task Force, a HIDTA-funded initiative, investigated.
Chief U.S. District Judge Thomas S. Kleeh presided.
NOTE: The following is a statement from Premier Tim Houston.
Donald Trump is a short-sighted man who wields his power just for the sake of it, not having any consideration for the destructive impact of his decisions on both Canadians and Americans.
It is impossible to properly describe the uncertainty and chaos that President Trump’s threat of tariffs and now actually imposing tariffs has caused for Canadians.
And now, as President Trump proceeds with his illegal 25 per cent tariffs, Nova Scotia will respond.
We will immediately limit access to provincial procurement for American businesses. They can no longer bid on provincial business. We are also actively seeking options to cancel existing contracts and reject bids outright until President Trump removes his unlawful tariffs.
We will double the cost of tolls at the Cobequid Pass for commercial vehicles from the United States, effective immediately.
And we will direct the Nova Scotia Liquor Corp. to once again remove all alcohol from the United States from their shelves, effective today. We know this was an effective response the first time and hurt American producers who rely on Canadian markets.
We will also take any step we can to support Nova Scotians through this incredibly difficult time. As part of Budget 2025-26, we added a contingency fund to respond to U.S. tariffs. It is too early to determine exactly what specific funding is necessary, but we will communicate to Nova Scotians as we better understand the economic impacts and the federal government’s plans to support Nova Scotians.
We introduced legislation designed to break down barriers to interprovincial trade. We must be open for business in Canada. We hope all provinces and territories immediately endorse and pass corresponding legislation.
We are also working on a trade action plan to help businesses engage in global trade, increase their global competitiveness and drive investment growth and have issued a call to action to develop our valuable natural resources.
I can tell you that we worked hard to avoid a repeat of Trump’s tax. We know tariffs are bad for people and businesses on both sides of the border.
Unfortunately, some people need to touch the hot stove to learn, and while we cannot control or predict their behaviour, we can control how we respond.
I want to thank Nova Scotians who have already responded with your wallet. You’re choosing to be Nova Scotia loyal and support local and Canadian businesses. You’re choosing to travel in our beautiful province and country rather than south of the border. You’re cheering loudly and proudly for our Canadian teams and athletes.
These choices and actions are significant. It is important that we stand together, united and strong.
That’s why we will continue to work with the federal government as it designs and implements counter-tariffs.
We are a government of action, and I continue to stand with you. My focus is entirely on protecting the interest of hard-working Nova Scotians and their families – in these times of uncertainty, that is one constant you can continue to count on.
Industry analyst firm ranks HERE as the top location platform for the eighth consecutive year, citing AI-powered mapping innovations, strategic partnerships and customer-centric solutions
Location data identified as crucial for global automotive industry’s development of Software-Defined Vehicles, Advanced Driver Assistance Systems and Automated Driving functions
Amsterdam – HERE Technologies has been recognized as the industry leader in Counterpoint’s 2024 Location Platform Effectiveness Index, ranking first among 27 evaluated vendors, including Google, TomTom and Mapbox. The annual report underscores HERE’s continued leadership in map data quality, AI-powered location intelligence and customer-centric solutions.
Driving the Future of AI-Powered Mapping for Enterprises Counterpoint’s analysis highlights HERE’s continued leadership in digital mapping, with the company leading across eight out of ten categories, including Customers, Partnerships, AI Capabilities and Data Platform.
The 2024 report also highlighted HERE’s open-platform strategy and privacy-first approach. The company’s collaboration with AWS was noted as a key factor in enabling scalable, flexible data integrations for enterprises. HERE automates the processing of data from vehicle cameras, sensors, LiDAR, satellite, aerial imagery, and IoT sources, significantly reducing manual processing time while ensuring fresh, high-fidelity map data.
“HERE continues to lead the location platform industry by combining AI-powered automation with high-quality map data,” said Mohit Sharma, Senior Research Analyst for Automotive at Counterpoint. “The company’s investments in AI, particularly its integration with AWS and the launch of HERE AI Assistant, demonstrate a forward-thinking approach that sets it apart.” Sharma added, “HERE’s real-time mapping capabilities, privacy-centric platform, and ability to scale AI-powered solutions across industries solidified its position as the top-ranked location platform in 2024.”
Mapping as the Foundation for Software-Defined Vehicles The company earned top scores for continuous innovations and utilization of AI to power its mapmaking and sensor fusion capabilities for the era of software-defined vehicles (SDV). The unified mapping architecture delivered by HERE enables rapid AI-powered map updates, ensuring that vehicles receive fresh and reliable data. The automotive industry’s shift toward SDVs has further underscored the importance of real-time mapping. Dynamic maps are no longer just about navigation; they are about safety and enabling ADAS, EV routing and automated driving technologies.
In 2024, the HERE HD Live Map reinforced its market position by helping to power leading SAE Level 3 automated driving systems deployed by Mercedes-Benz and BMW. Currently, more than 53 million vehicles, from numerous car brands, depend on HERE map data for ADAS and automated driving applications.
“As the automotive industry accelerates toward SDVs and real-time, AI-powered capabilities, HERE continues to provide the most advanced and scalable mapping solutions in the market,” said Mike Nefkens, CEO of HERE Technologies. “We are proud to be recognized by Counterpoint for the eighth consecutive year, underscoring our commitment to innovation and delivering to customers the highest quality, up-to-date, and intelligent location data available.”
Beyond automotive, Counterpoint highlights the continued growth of HERE in enterprise location services, transportation, logistics and mobility.
About HERE Technologies HERE has been a pioneer in mapping and location technology for 40 years. Today, HERE’s location platform is recognized as the most complete in the industry, powering location-based products, services and custom maps for organizations and enterprises across the globe. From autonomous driving and seamless logistics to new mobility experiences, HERE allows its partners and customers to innovate while retaining control over their data and safeguarding privacy. Find out how HERE is moving the world forward at https://www.here.com/
ORLANDO, Fla., March 04, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Electrify Expo, North America’s largest electric vehicle (EV) and technology festival, today announced that Can-Am will join its first stop in Orlando on March 22 and 23. Attendees will get an exclusive chance to experience the highly-anticipated Can-Am Pulse and Origin electric motorcycles, which are designed to be simple and fun, regardless of riding experience. These demos, along with all other brands at Electrify Expo, are included in the price of the entry ticket, which can be purchased online or in person.
“Can-Am bringing its all-new Pulse and Origin motorcycles to Electrify Expo Orlando—and offering attendees the world’s first public demo rides on the motorcycle—is a major moment for the industry,” said BJ Birtwell, CEO and Founder of Electrify Expo. “This is exactly the kind of hands-on experience that shifts perceptions and drives adoption towards going electric on two-wheels.”
Can-Am will showcase its entire lineup of electric motorcycles to the Orange County Convention Center, where attendees with a valid motorcycle license will have the unique opportunity to feel the thrill of instant acceleration, nimble handling, and a silent ride. In addition to demos, Can-Am will also have experts on site to interact with attendees and discuss the brand’s focus on innovation and ushering in the next generation of electric vehicle riders.
“Electrify Expo is the perfect platform to give attendees the chance to experience Can-Am electric motorcycles,” said Elsa Vilarinho, Director of Global Brand Strategy at Can-Am. “Our bikes are built from the ground up to offer an incredible urban riding experience, merging pulsating performance with style and sophistication. These demos will show riders firsthand how Can-Am is positioning itself to be a global leader in the electric motorcycle industry.”
Can-Am joins a star-studded list of manufacturers including Tesla, Ford, Toyota, Kawasaki and many others leveraging a one-of-a-kind, pressure-free experience to try out the hottest EV technology on the market.
For more information and to purchase tickets to Electrify Expo, visit www.electrifyexpo.com. Media interested in attending may request credentials by emailing ee@skyya.com.
About Electrify Expo Electrify Expo is North America’s largest electric vehicle (EV) and technology festival, where consumers come to shop and experience all things electric. The festival showcases the industry’s leading brands and exciting startups through hands-on activations, demos and experiences spanning EVs, micromobility, solar energy, charging solutions, powersports, automotive aftermarket, and connected home technology, providing attendees with immersive learning opportunities and memorable interactions. From high-powered demo courses to engaging education zones, Electrify Expo offers a unique festival vibe for consumers to reshape what they think they know about EVs. In 2025, Electrify Expo’s nationwide tour will visit Orlando, Phoenix, Dallas, Los Angeles, Seattle, San Francisco, Chicago and New York. To stay up to date on the latest news and announcements from Electrify Expo, visit www.electrifyexpo.com and follow on Facebook, Instagram and YouTube.
MILWAUKEE, March 04, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Artisan Partners Asset Management Inc. (NYSE: APAM, the “Company”) announced today the appointment of Jason Gottlieb, current President of the Company, to succeed Eric Colson as Chief Executive Officer, and the appointment of Mr. Colson as Executive Chair of the Company, each effective following the Company’s 2025 annual meeting of stockholders on June 4, 2025. At that time, it is expected that Mr. Gottlieb will be elected to the Company’s Board of Directors, and Mr. Colson will become Chair of the Board, assuming the role from Stephanie DiMarco who will transition to Lead Independent Director.
Mr. Gottlieb joined Artisan Partners in October 2016 as a Managing Director of Investment Operations. He was promoted to Chief Operating Officer of Investments and Executive Vice President in February 2017 and President in January 2021. Prior to joining the firm, Mr. Gottlieb was a partner and managing director at Goldman Sachs where he was a leader in Goldman Sachs’ Alternative Investment & Manager Selection Group and a portfolio manager on the Goldman Sachs Multi-Manager Alternatives Fund.
Mr. Colson said, “Appointing Jason as CEO is the culmination of our long-term leadership succession plan and the natural evolution of his current responsibilities. Given his proven track record of leadership and management along with his strategic contributions to the Company over time, our Board of Directors and I have tremendous confidence in Jason’s ability to lead Artisan. I look forward to my continued partnership with Jason and the senior management team in my new role as an active and engaged Executive Chair.”
“I am honored to have the opportunity to lead this world-class investment organization, further expand our multi-asset investment platform and drive the growth of our business,” added Mr. Gottlieb. “We believe we are well positioned to seize the right opportunities to grow our business and continue to deliver successful outcomes for our clients, employees and shareholders.”
About Artisan Partners Artisan Partners is a global investment management firm that provides a broad range of high value-added investment strategies in growing asset classes to sophisticated clients around the world. Since 1994, the firm has been committed to attracting experienced, disciplined investment professionals to manage client assets. Artisan Partners’ autonomous investment teams oversee a diverse range of investment strategies across multiple asset classes. Strategies are offered through various investment vehicles to accommodate a broad range of client mandates.
Certain statements in this release are “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the federal securities laws. Statements regarding future events and our future performance, as well as management’s current expectations, beliefs, plans, estimates or projections relating to the future, are forward-looking statements within the meaning of these laws. These forward-looking statements are only predictions based on current expectations and projections about future events. These forward-looking statements are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties, and there are important factors that could cause actual results, level of activity, performance, actions or achievements to differ materially from the results, level of activity, performance, actions or achievements expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements. These factors include: the loss of key investment professionals or senior management, adverse market or economic conditions for whatever reason, poor performance of our investment strategies, change in the legislative and regulatory environment in which we operate, operational or technical errors or other matters that cause damage to our reputation, and other factors disclosed in the Company’s filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including those factors listed under the caption entitled “Risk Factors” in Item 1A of the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2024, filed with the SEC on February 25, 2025, as such factors may be updated from time to time. Our periodic and current reports are accessible on the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov. The Company undertakes no obligation to update any forward-looking statements in order to reflect events or circumstances that may arise after the date of this release.
In 2025, Beamr plans to leverage the strong market validation it has gained in numerous meetings with prospective customers across key target markets, as well as participation in major events with industry leaders
Herzliya, Israel, March 04, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Beamr Imaging Ltd. (NASDAQ: BMR), a leader in video optimization technology and solutions, today issued a Letter to Shareholders from Sharon Carmel, Chief Executive Officer.
Dear Shareholders:
As we look toward a promising and exciting year ahead, I am proud to reflect on Beamr’s achievements throughout 2024, including our financial results and strong cash position for 2024, our recent accomplishments so far in Q1 2025, and look forward to our plans for Q2 2025. We believe that during 2025, Beamr will capitalize on the significant validation it has created in 2024 and convert prospects in the sales funnel into significant revenue growth in the next quarters.
2024 Highlights
Beamr Cloud and AI workflows
On February 20, 2024, we launched the Beamr Cloud SaaS solution, which enables high-efficiency, high-quality and scalable video processing at attractive pricing. Our new video cloud service, accelerated by GPUs, offers more capabilities than we initially expected, which include easy and cost-effective video standards modernization from AVC to HEVC and AV1.
Following the launch of Beamr Cloud, throughout the year, we continued to strengthen our relationships with industry leaders, such as NVIDIA, to highlight the benefits and features of using our technology in real time with AI video workflows.
In Q2 2024, we successfully executed on our product development plan, and the first AI video capabilities were integrated into Beamr Cloud. The AI video enhancements allow automatic caption and transcription generation for videos in multiple languages. Incorporating these AI features was a first step in augmenting Beamr Cloud with cutting-edge services.
We incorporated customer feedback by enhancing Beamr Cloud’s core functionality, making it ready for adoption at scale, which includes:
Giving users more control over the compression process using custom presets; and
Adding packaging for streaming.
Furthermore, we plan to continue introducing improvements to Beamr Cloud, making it easier to use and allow customers higher configurability and flexibly using the service.
Collaborations with Industry Giants
In 2024, Beamr highlighted its market presence by participating in eight leading trade shows and conferences, including ACM Mile High Video, GTC, NAB, SIGGRAPH, Oracle CloudWorld, IBC ,Demuxed and AWS re:Invent.
In IBC, Beamr showcased a demo of live video optimization at 4K and up to 60 frames per second (4Kp60). In SIGGRAPH, we presented with Oracle Cloud Infrastructure (OCI) an optimized production of large, high-quality, high-resolution videos rendered from 3D design.
During these events, Beamr executives delivered high-impact presentations to hundreds of industry professionals, showcasing our innovative technology and expanding SaaS solutions. Furthermore, we held over 100 face-to-face meetings with existing and prospective customers. These efforts focused on differentiating Beamr in the video market and highlighting the value of our high-quality, high-efficiency, GPU-accelerated SaaS offerings to key and prospective customers in emerging markets, such as Media & Entertainment, User-Generated content and Internet-of-Things.
Oracle Cloud Infrastructure (OCI)
Beamr Cloud was launched on OCI in June 2024. OCI is the second cloud service that provides to its customers Beamr’s GPU-based video optimization services, following AWS.
David Hicks, Oracle’s group vice president, Worldwide ISV Cloud Business Development commented: “Beamr’s commitment to innovation with the Oracle Cloud and quality execution helps our mutual customers receive cloud-enabled, automated, and scalable video processing solutions ready to meet critical business needs.”.
The collaboration with OCI has opened up access to customers of both companies to the newest generation of GPUs, and preliminary testing showed the potential for increased video processing speed by up to 30%. Alongside the enhanced service on a second cloud platform, Beamr has achieved “Powered by Oracle Cloud Expertise” status and was chosen as one of OCI’s AI innovators.
Fundraising Activities
Following our initial public offering on Nasdaq in March 2023, in February 2024, we raised gross proceeds of $13.8 million in an underwritten offering. At the end of 2024, we had $16.4 million in cash and cash equivalents.
2025: Capitalizing on Market Validation and Materializing the Sales Funnel into Significant Revenues
Market Validation: Amazon Web Services – ISV Accelerate
In Q1 2025, Beamr joined the AWS ISV Accelerate program, a global co-sell initiative for Amazon Web Services (AWS) partners. As an Independent Software Vendor (ISV) in the program, Beamr demonstrates strong alignment with AWS’s go-to-market strategies and initiatives. Beamr had progressed from listing on AWS Marketplace to becoming an ISV Accelerate Member in just three months.
In order to achieve the high bar to ISV Accelerate program, Beamr was required to have 10 opportunities with AWS and go through a Foundational Technology Review (FTR), which validates that our solution is well-architected and using best practices specific to our SaaS.
The AWS ISV program offers key benefits to drive visibility and co-selling opportunities. By joining, Beamr can expand sales operations through the AWS sales organization and the AWS Marketplace, driving increased growth for Beamr Cloud – the video optimization service that is seamlessly connected with AWS S3 cloud storage service. For example, AWS Account Managers are eligible for incentives when selling Beamr Cloud through AWS Marketplace. They also gain exposure to ISVs through solution partner recommendation engines.
AI Video Webinar
In January 2025, Beamr hosted a webinar titled: “The Future of AI Video – From Infrastructure to Experience”. The webinar featured Richard Kerris, VP of Media & Entertainment at NVIDIA, Jeffrey Schick, VP Strategic Client Engagement Media & Entertainment at Oracle and myself. The webinar discussed the platforms and technologies that drive the AI video revolution, and explored the opportunities and challenges of AI -powered media content.
Webinar hosted by Beamr about AI video
Keynote to Industry Leaders
In February 2025, Beamr participated in the ACM Mile-High-Video, and I presented a keynote titled: “Is the Future of Video Processing Destined for GPU?”. The ACM Mile-High-Video conference is a flagship video formats and streaming event, held annually in Denver, and organized by engineers and researchers from both industry and academia.
This month, Beamr will participate in NVIDIA GTC 2025, with my session discussing the evolution of video compression and the ability to efficiently enhance videos with AI-driven capabilities in real-time during video transcoding, utilizing GPU acceleration.
CEO Sharon Carmel presenting keynote at ACM Mile-High Video 2025
SaaS planning for 2025 – from Capabilities to Solutions
In 2025, we plan to introduce more solutions, as part of our evolving strategy – to further develop our technology, enhance Beamr Cloud’s video workflows and introduce more AI-driven capabilities. This is all based on the numerous meetings we have conducted with prospective customers, as well as on the events we held and attended by industry leaders providing valuable feedback.
The key target markets we are focused on include:
Media & entertainment
User-generated content
Internet of things – autonomous vehicles, and other machine learning-driven industries; and
All identified markets that rely on video as a core component of their business operations can benefit from our offering of GPU-accelerated, high-quality and AI-driven video pipelines, whether deployed via cloud platforms, such as AWS and OCI, private cloud environments for enterprises, or on-premises infrastructure.
In addition, we plan to continue to advancing our core capabilities and maintain leadership in AI video. Some of the planned core capabilities include:
Increasing subjective and objective video quality, and
Turning lower resolution videos to high resolution videos using super resolution.
We anticipate a strong year ahead, with expanded participation in top industry events, increased customer and partner collaborations, and a deeper commitment to strategic partnerships.
In just the first two months of 2025, Beamr has taken its partnership with AWS to the next level, to a co-sale level, has hosted industry leading companies in its own event and has been chosen to present its technology and achievements at leading industry conferences. We believe this validation shows the recognition that Beamr has achieved in the market.
The plan for the upcoming quarters and the rest of 2025 is to capitalize on the strong industry recognition and sales pipeline that we have been developing, and we are expecting significant growth in our revenues in 2025 from our existing sales funnel.
2024 Financial Results
Regarding our financial results for 2024:
Revenues increased by $0.15 million or 5% to $3.06 million for the year ended December 31, 2024, from $2.9 million for the year ended December 31, 2023. The increase was primarily due to transactions with new customers versus other transactions that were terminated.
Cost of revenues increased by $0.14 million to $0.24 million the year ended December 31, 2024, compared to $0.1 million for the year ended December 31, 2023. The increase was primarily due to the amortization of internal-used software costs.
Research and development expenses increased by $1.06 million, or 58% to $2.9 million for the year ended December 31, 2024, from $1.8 million for the year ended December 31, 2023. The increase was primarily due to an increase of $0.4 million in salaries, due to increased personnel and an increase of $0.48 million in professional fees due to additional sub-contractors and cloud costs.
Selling and marketing expenses increased by $0.31 million, or 88% to $0.67 million for the year ended December 31, 2024, from $0.36 million in 2023. The increase was primarily due to an increase in personnel and an increase in conference costs.
General and administrative expenses increased by $0.96 million, or 64% to $2.4 million for the year ended December 31, 2024, from $1.5 million in 2023. The increase was primarily due to increased personnel, increase in professional fees related to public company requirements and increased travel expenses to conferences.
Financing expenses, net decreased by $0.3 million, or 141% to ($0.09) million for the year ended December 31, 2024, from $(0.2) million in 2023. The decrease was primarily due to changes in fair value of liabilities offset by interest income on bank deposits.
Net loss for the year ended December 31, 2024 was $3.3 million or $0.22 basic net loss per ordinary share, compared to a net loss of $0.7 million, or $0.06 basic net loss per ordinary share, in the year ended December 31, 2023.
Beamr ended 2024 with $16.4 million in cash and cash equivalents, compared to $6.1 million as of December 31, 2023.
In closing, 2024 represented a year of significant progress for Beamr as we executed on our plan by releasing and upgrading Beamr Cloud with AI video processes and workflows, participating in top industry events and increasing our customer and partner collaborations. Importantly, with our cash position at the end of 2024, we continue to have the financial flexibility to both accelerate the growth of our existing business and pursue compelling business development opportunities, a process we are actively engaged in.
A copy of Beamr’s annual report on Form 20-F for the year ended December 31, 2024 has been filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission at https://www.sec.gov/ and posted on Beamr’s investor relations website at https://www.investors.beamr.com/. Beamr will deliver a hard copy of its annual report, including its complete audited consolidated financial statements, free of charge, to its shareholders upon request at investorrelations@beamr.com.
About Beamr
Beamr (Nasdaq: BMR) is a world leader in content-adaptive video optimization and modernization. The company serves top media companies like Netflix and Paramount. Beamr’s inventive perceptual optimization technology (CABR) is backed by 53 patents and won the Emmy® award for Technology and Engineering. The innovative technology reduces video file size by up to 50% while guaranteeing quality.
Beamr Cloud is a high-performance, GPU-based video optimization and modernization service designed for businesses and video professionals across diverse industries. It is conveniently available to Amazon Web Services (AWS) and Oracle Cloud Infrastructure (OCI) customers. Beamr Cloud enables video modernization to advanced formats such as AV1 and HEVC, and is ready for video AI workflows. For more details, please visit www.beamr.com
Forward-Looking Statements
This press release contains “forward-looking statements” that are subject to substantial risks and uncertainties. Forward-looking statements in this communication may include, among other things, statements about Beamr’s strategic and business plans, technology, relationships, objectives and expectations for its business, the impact of trends on and interest in its business, intellectual property or product and its future results, operations and financial performance and condition, including its expectations for significant revenue growth in 2025. All statements, other than statements of historical fact, contained in this press release are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements contained in this press release may be identified by the use of words such as “anticipate,” “believe,” “contemplate,” “could,” “estimate,” “expect,” “intend,” “seek,” “may,” “might,” “plan,” “potential,” “predict,” “project,” “target,” “aim,” “should,” “will” “would,” or the negative of these words or other similar expressions, although not all forward-looking statements contain these words. Forward-looking statements are based on the Company’s current expectations and are subject to inherent uncertainties, risks and assumptions that are difficult to predict. Further, certain forward-looking statements are based on assumptions as to future events that may not prove to be accurate. For a more detailed description of the risks and uncertainties affecting the Company, reference is made to the Company’s reports filed from time to time with the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”), including, but not limited to, the risks detailed in the Company’s annual report filed with the SEC on March 4, 2025 and in subsequent filings with the SEC. Forward-looking statements contained in this announcement are made as of the date hereof and the Company undertakes no duty to update such information except as required under applicable law. investorrelations@beamr.com
Aviva Canada data reveals a 76% rise in claim fraud investigations in 2024.
Auto-related incidents accounted for 67% of all claim fraud investigations during the past year.
Bad actors are capitalizing on Artificial Intelligence (AI) and technology for their malicious activities and Canadians are urged to keep vigilant.
TORONTO, March 04, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — From auto theft to AI-generated documents and beyond, fraud continues to be one of the more pressing issues facing Canadian consumers and businesses in 2025.
As Fraud Prevention Month kicks off, new data from Aviva Canada has revealed a 46% increase in claim fraud detection – and a staggering 76% rise in fraud investigations – in 2024. Auto-related incidents alone accounted for two-thirds (67%) of all claim fraud investigations during the past year. Advancements in AI and its use by individuals to falsify information are expected to be on the rise in 2025.
“People are getting more sophisticated and innovative in their approaches when engaging in potentially fraudulent activity, making it increasingly difficult for the average Canadian to spot,” says Jamie Lee, Head of Financial Crime and Fraud, Aviva Canada. “Insurance fraud costs Canadians $1 billion per year in added premiums. It’s vital for Canadians to stay educated on the rising trends to better protect themselves.”
Five Emerging Fraud Trends to Watch in 2025 The methods used by bad actors are constantly evolving, so it’s important for Canadians to stay current on emerging trends. Aviva Canada’s data shows five types of fraud that are growing in the Canadian market:
Vehicle Theft and ReVINing – Vehicle thefts remain above pre-pandemic levels, with a 58% increase in investigations in the latter half of 2024. Stolen vehicles are often shipped overseas, or their VIN numbers altered and resold to unsuspecting Canadian buyers with false documentation. With the tightening of Canada-US borders, more stolen vehicles could remain in Canada, increasing the likelihood of Canadians buying a stolen vehicle from online public marketplaces.
Staged Auto Accidents – Increasing in numbers and complexity, staging false auto accidents is a trend on the rise across Canada. Aviva Canada saw a 47% increase in the number of staged accidents caught in Q4 2024. This type of scam could be linked to organized crime groups operating in Canada.
AI-Enabled Falsified or Forged Documents – The use of technology AI to edit or falsify documents is increasingly evident in investigations. This technology is frequently seen in both staged claims and opportunistic fraud, where it is used to create false claims or inflate legitimate claims, such as personal and commercial property contents claims, by supporting them with false invoices.
Ghost Brokers – People posing as licensed insurance brokers to sell fake policies or manipulate information to secure lower premiums is a growing concern in Canada, often leaving unsuspecting consumers without valid coverage. Consumers should be extra vigilant when purchasing insurance. They are encouraged to check their provincial registries to ensure the person they’re dealing with is properly licensed and confirm proof of insurance directly with the insurer.
Policy Misrepresentation – Individuals may misrepresent or omit key information from their insurance policies such as their true address, the intended use of a vehicle or property, or not disclosing major construction or renovations being done. These incidents can unfortunately lead to honest customers paying disproportionately higher premiums.
“Fraud impacts Canadians not only financially, but also mentally and emotionally,” adds Lee. “Fraud costs everyone and drives up insurance premiums. At Aviva Canada, we are continuing to work with law enforcement and industry stakeholders to better protect Canadians from fraud.”
For tips and more information on how to protect yourself or to report fraud, you can visit Aviva Canada’s Fraud Hub.
Media Contact: Kelsie Ludlow Communications Specialist Tel: 437-331-7209 Email: Kelsie.ludlow@aviva.com
About Aviva Canada
Aviva Canada is one of the leading property and casualty insurance groups in the country, providing home, automobile, lifestyle, and business insurance to 2.5 million customers coast to coast. A subsidiary of UK-based Aviva plc, we have the financial strength, scale and are a trusted insurance provider globally for more than 325 years.
Headline: Thales reports its 2024 full-year results
Share this article
Order intake: €25.3 billion, up 9% (+6% on an organic basis1)
Sales: €20.6 billion, up 11.7% (+8.3% on an organic basis)
Adjusted EBIT2: €2,419 million, up 13.4% (+5.7% on an organic basis)
Adjusted net income, Group share2: €1,900 million, up 7%
Consolidated net income, Group share: €1,420 million, up sharply by 39%
Free operating cash flow from continuing operations2,3: €2,142 million, up 9%
Free operating cash flow2: €2,027 million, stable against 2023
Dividend4of €3.70 per share, representing 40% of Adjusted net income, Group share
Non-financial performance: steady progress towards medium to long-term targets
2025 objectives:
Book-to-bill5above 1
Organic sales growth of between +5% and +6%, corresponding to sales between €21.7 billion and €21.9 billion
Adjusted EBIT margin between 12.2% and 12.4%
Thales’s Board of Directors (Euronext Paris: HO) met on March 3, 2025 to review the 2024 financial statements6.
“2024 was once again a year of strong profitable growth for Thales. Thales, a world leader in advanced technologies in Defence, Aerospace, Cybersecurity and Digital, maintained excellent sales momentum throughout the year, achieving a record order intake of more than €25 billion. The record order book provides unprecedented visibility for all our activities. Sales exceeded the €20 billion mark with organic growth of 8.3%, above expectations. Defence activities, underpinned by an ongoing increase in the Group’s production capacity, the technological excellence of our products and the commitment from all our colleagues, contributed in particular to this performance. Thales also demonstrated once again its ability to generate profitable growth, with an increase in EBIT in absolute terms and as a percentage, reflecting the strength of its operating leverage. Thanks to its unique business model based on world-class products, systems and services, Thales generated free operating cash flow of more than €2 billion. Non-financial performance was also remarkable in 2024. The validity of our CSR strategy was acknowledged as Thales joined the CAC 40 ESG index in 2024. This historic performance is the result of the unfailing commitment of our 83,000 employees, and I would like to thank them sincerely for their dedication to our clients. We are starting 2025 with confidence and determination and a positive outlook for the vast majority of our activities. Thales presented its new strategic roadmap in November 2024. By drawing on its unique leadership positions serving growing markets and its ability to innovate and anticipate technological breakthroughs, the Group affirms its ambition to deliver accelerated, profitable and sustainable growth over the coming years, starting in 2025.” Patrice Caine, Chairman & Chief Executive Officer
Key figures
Order intake for the 2024 financial year increased by 9% compared with 2023 at €25,289 million and by +6% on an organic basis (i.e. at constant scope and exchange rates). Commercial performance was once again supported by strong demand in the Defence segment and by continued sustained momentum in the Aerospace segment. As at 31 December 2024, the consolidated order book amounted to nearly €51 billion, a record level, up by nearly €5.4 billion compared with the end of 2023.
Sales totaled €20,577 million, up 11.7% from 2023 (+8.3% in organic growth). This robust growth reflects in particular the solid performance of the Defence business throughout the year.
Adjusted EBIT7 stood at €2,419 million in 2024 (11.8% of sales), compared with €2,132 million (11.6% of sales) in 2023, an increase of 13.4% (+5.7% organic change).
At €1,900 million, Adjusted net income,Group share7 was up +7% compared to 2023.
Consolidated net income, Group share, stood at €1,420 million, up sharply by +39% from 2023. This increase can be explained notably by the recognition in 2023 of a non-current and non-recurring expense linked to the implementation of insurance coverage for the Group’s commitments under the Thales UK Pension Scheme. These commitments were transferred to Rothesay at the end of 2023.
Free operating cash flow from continuing operations7,9 amounted to €2,142 million, compared with €1,968 million in 2023. Including the contribution of discontinued operations, free operating cash flow7 amounted to €2,027 million, compared with €2,026 million in 2023. Calculated on the basis of the scope of continuing operations, the cash conversion ratio of Adjusted net income, Group share, into operating free cash flow was 114%. This once again exceptional performance, which saw the cash conversion ratio exceed 100% for the fifth consecutive year, reflects the excellent momentum of new orders, the phasing effects on cash inflows related to contracts’ execution and the continued Group’s mobilization of its CA$H! plan aimed at optimizing this conversion ratio.
In this context, the Board of Directors decided to propose the payment of a dividend of €3.70 per share, corresponding to a payout ratio of 40% of the Adjusted net income, Group share. An interim dividend of €0.85 per share was paid on December 5, 2024. The balance of €2.85 will be paid on May 22, 2025.
Order intake
Order intake for the 2024 financial year totaled €25,289 million, up 9% from 2023 in total change and up +6% at constant scope and exchange rates11. For the fourth consecutive year, the order intake was more than 20% higher than sales (book-to-bill). Thebook-to-bill ratio was 1.23, flat against 2023, and 1.28 excluding the Cyber & Digital business, where the order intake is structurally very close to sales.
In 2024, Thales signed 35 large orders with a unit value of over €100 million, representing a total of €8,674 million:
Four large orders booked in Q1 2024:
The entry into force of the third phase of the order placed by Indonesia in 2022 for the purchase of 42 Rafale aircraft (18 aircraft and support services);
Phased contract with the French Defence Procurement Agency (DGA) to develop the next generation of sonars to equip French nuclear-powered ballistic-missile submarines (SSBN);
Order of an aerial surveillance system for a military customer in the Middle East;
Second tranche of the contract signed in 2023 between France and Italy for the production of 400 ASTER B1NT ground-to-air missiles.
Eight large orders booked in Q2 2024:
Order for a next generation cloud native “FLYTEDGE” InFlight Entertainment System for a major worldwide airline;
Order by SKY Perfect JSAT to Thales Alenia Space of JSAT-31, a new generation of satellite reconfigurable in orbit using Space INSPIRE technology;
Exomars 2028, a contract signed between industrial prime contractor Thales Alenia Space and the European Space Agency (ESA) to relaunch the European space mission dedicated to the exploration of the Red Planet;
Order of two new F126 frigates by the German Navy. This additional contract brings the number of F126 frigates acquired by the German Navy to six in the past four years;
Order by the Dutch Ministry of Defence of seven additional Ground Master 200 multi-mission compact radars;
Service contract for the maintenance of the Royal Australian Navy fleet;
Order by an Asian customer of latest-generation Ground Master 400 Alpha long-range air surveillance radars;
Order by France’s Joint Munitions Command (SiMu) of tens of thousands of 120mm rifled ammunition.
Seven major orders recorded in Q3 2024:
Notification by the DGA of the second tranche of the development of the future RBE2 XG radar for the Rafale F5;
Order for the supply of anti-submarine warfare systems for the first phase of the construction of six HUNTER-class frigates for the Royal Australian Navy;
Order for the renovation of an air traffic management system;
Order from the UK Ministry of Defence for the supply of Lightweight Multi-role Missiles (LMM) to strengthen Ukraine’s air defence capabilities;
Order of LMM for the British armed forces;
Order for the supply of Ground Fire multifunction radar and engagement modules following France’s acquisition of seven SAMP/T NG air defence systems;
Order for the supply of communications, vetronics, navigation and optronics equipment for vehicles in the French Army’s SCORPION program.
Sixteen large orders booked in Q4 2024:
Order for the supply of a satellite for the European Space Agency’s EnVision scientific mission to understand the planet Venus;
Contract amendment signed with OHB System for the payload of the third satellite of the European CO2M mission focused on CO2 emissions generated by human activity;
Amendment to the contract with the European Space Agency for the development of the ESPRIT communications and refueling module for the future lunar space station, Gateway;
Order for the development of the world’s first quantum key distribution (QKD) system from geostationary orbit, in collaboration with Hispasat;
Contract with the Mohammed Bin Rashid Space Centre to develop the Emirates Airlock Module on board the future lunar space station Gateway;
Entry into force of the contract for the supply of 12 Rafale to Serbia;
Order from Naval Group for the supply of equipment for the submarine delivery contract in the Netherlands;
Order under the AJISS contract to provide In-Service Support to Royal Canadian Navy ships;
Order for the development and production of 430 new-generation MICA-NG interception, combat and self-defence missile seekers;
Order from the UK Ministry of Defence for the development and preparation of large-scale production of STARStreak HVMs (High Velocity Missiles) for the armed forces;
Order from the French Air Navigation Services Directorate (DSNA) aimed at improving the 4-Flight air traffic management system;
Amendment to the CONTACT contract with the DGA providing the armed forces with a range of software-defined radios designed for collaborative combat;
Order from the UK Ministry of Defence to ensure the permanence and maneuverability of the Royal Navy’s operational communications;
Order from the DGA as part of the SYRACUSE IV program to equip the French army’s SCORPION vehicles with Thales’ secure satellite communications solution;
Order from the DGA for the design, delivery and maintenance of a resilient communication system;
Order from the DGA to produce an encryption key management and distribution system and key injector for the Ministry of the Armed Forces.
With a total amount of €16,615 million, order intake with a unit value of less than €100 million continued to record favorable momentum.
Geographically12, order intake in mature markets amounted to €19,010 million, very close to that recorded in 2023, which though included the £1.8 billion MSET contract in the United Kingdom. Sales momentum elsewhere was also solid, particularly in the rest of Europe (up by 16% on an organic basis) and in Australia and New Zealand (up by 13% on an organic basis). Order intake in emerging markets was up sharply in 2024, amounting to €6,279 million (+39% at constant scope and exchange rates) thanks to continued strong momentum in the Near and Middle East (with an organic increase of 80%).
Order intake in the Aerospace segment totaled €6,434 million compared to €5,606 million in 2023 (+14% at constant scope and exchange rates). This solid growth reflects several trends.
The different segments of the Avionics market continued to record sustained demand in 2024;
The Space business posted sustained growth in order intake, including five orders with a unit value of more than €100 million recorded in the fourth quarter, four of which in OEN (Observation, Exploration & Science and Navigation) activities.
At December 31, 2024, the segment’s order book stood at €10.5 billion, up 13% from 2023.
At €14,723 million compared to €13,944 million in 2023, order intake in the Defence segment set a new record (+5% at constant scope and exchange rates). The book-to-bill ratio was 1.34, above 1.2 for the sixth consecutive year. This high level is explained by continued strong demand in all activities, with twenty-seven contracts with a unit value of more than €100 million recorded in 2024. The segment’s order book reached a new record at €39.2 billion (up 12%), corresponding to 3.6 years of sales, offering strong visibility for the years ahead.
At 4,032 million, order intake in the Cyber & Digital segment was structurally very close to sales as most business lines in this segment operate on short sales cycles. The order book is therefore not significant.
Sales
Note: full-year 2023 figures have been restated to reflect the transfer of cyber civil activities from the Defence segment to the Cyber & Digital segment.
Sales for the 2024 financial year totaled €20,577 million, compared to €18,428 million in 2023, up 11.7% in total change and 8.3% in organic terms (at constant scope and exchange rates14), driven in particular by the robust performance of the Defence segment.
Geographically15, sales recorded solid growth in both mature markets (+7.9% in organic terms) and emerging markets (+9.6% in organic terms), driven by double-digit growth in Asia.
Sales in the Aerospace segment totaled €5,471 million, up 4.8% from 2023 (+2.9% at constant scope and exchange rates). Momentum in this segment reflects contrasting trends:
The Avionics business posted mid-single digit organic growth in 2024, notably driven by strong momentum in both original equipment activities and aftermarket services, with a return to pre-Covid levels in air traffic. However, as expected, the fourth quarter was impacted by delays in aircraft deliveries to airlines, which postponed in-flight entertainment (IFE) sales;
As expected, sales were almost flat in the Space business. The telecommunications segment continued to be impacted by structurally lower demand in the geostationary satellite market. Conversely, trends remain positive for OEN activities.
Sales in the Defence segment totaled €10,969 million, up 13.9% from 2023 (+13.3% at constant scope and exchange rates). This strong growth came against a backdrop of steady growth in the Group’s production capacity, enabling it to meet high demand in all product lines. Growth was notably driven by land and air systems, such as tactical vehicles and systems or surface radars. The fourth quarter of 2024 also benefited from favorable cut-off effects.
At €4,024 million, sales in the Cyber & Digital segment increased by 1.4% at constant scope and exchange rates (and +14.8% in total change including the positive scope effect of the acquisitions of Imperva and Tesserent). This moderate organic sales growth reflects different trends depending on the activities:
Strong momentum continued for cyber businesses, including a strong performance from Imperva;
Against a high comparison basis in 2023, payment services sales were impacted by destocking by our customers in North America;
Lastly, the digitalization of secure connectivity solutions maintained its strong growth. Sales generated in fully digital connectivity solutions (including eSIMs and on-demand connectivity platforms) recorded double-digit organic growth and accounted for more than half of sales of this secure connectivity solutions business in 2024.
Results
For 2024, the Group posted Adjusted EBIT16 of €2,419 million, or 11.8% of sales, compared to €2,132 million (11.6% of sales) in 2023.
The Aerospace segment recorded Adjusted EBIT of €391 million (7.2% of sales), compared with €369 million (7.1% of sales) in 2023. The segment’s Adjusted EBIT margin is driven by the Avionics business, which posted a double-digit margin and improving, including the contribution of Cobham AeroComms. However, Space activities weighed on the segment’s margin, recording as expected a negative Adjusted EBIT margin in 2024 resulting from several factors: an expected increase in R&D spending, restructuring costs linked to the adaptation plan announced in March 2024 and the impact of inflation not reflected on past contracts.
Adjusted EBIT for the Defence segment amounted to €1,432 million, compared with €1,270 million in 2023 (an increase of +13.0% at constant scope and exchange rates). The margin for this segment was stable at 13.1%, compared to 13.2% in 2023.
At €585 million (14.5% of sales), Adjusted EBIT in the Cyber & Digital segment recorded solid growth in both value and margin. The improvement in profitability was notably due to the successful integration of Imperva and the robust margin on payment services and secure connectivity solutions for mobile networks in highly competitive markets.
Naval Group’s contribution to the Group’s Adjusted EBIT amounted to €93 million in 2024, compared with €91 million in 2023.
At -€166 million, compared with €2 million in 2023, net financial interest increased sharply, as expected. This increase was mainly linked to the substantial rise in debt following the acquisitions made in 2023. Other adjusted financial income16 stood at €35 million in 2024 versus -€37 million in 2023, reflecting the exceptional positive impact of dividends on non-consolidated affiliates and foreign exchange gains. The adjusted financial expense on pensions and other long-term employee benefits16 improved significantly (-€49 million compared with -€76 million in 2023), reflecting the removal of the interest expense following the transfer of UK pension obligations in December 2023.
At €21 million, compared with €105 million in 2023, the Adjusted net income, Group share, from discontinued operations16 was in line with trends in the Transport business, which was sold on May 31, 2024.
As a result, Adjusted net income, Group share16 was €1,900 million, compared to €1,768 million in 2023, after an adjusted income tax charge16 of -€427 million, compared to -€370 million in 2023. At 20.4% in 2024 compared to 20.1% in 2023, the effective tax rate was stable.
The Adjusted net income, Group share, per share16 amounted to €9.24, up 9% from 2023 (€8.48).
Consolidated net income, Group share, stood at €1,420 million, up 39% from 2023. This increase can be explained notably by the recognition in 2023 of a non-current and non-recurring expense linked to the implementation of insurance coverage for the Group’s commitments under the Thales UK Pension Scheme.
Financial position at December 31, 2024
Free operating cash flow17 amounted to €2,027 million compared to €2,026 million in 2023. It included a contribution of €2,142 million from continuing operations and -€116 million from discontinued operations. For continuing operations, the cash conversion ratio of Adjusted net income, Group share, into free operating cash flow was 114%.
The net balance of acquisitions and disposals of subsidiaries and affiliates amounted to €359 million. Under its acquisition strategy, the Group completed two major operations in 2024:
The acquisition (on April 2, 2024) of Cobham Aerospace Communications, a leading supplier of cutting-edge technologies enabling flexible, integrated and more-autonomous avionics systems, based primarily in the United States and generating sales of approximately $200 million in 2023 (see press releases dated July 12, 2023 and April 2, 2024);
The sale (on 31 May 2024) to Hitachi Rail of the Transport business, a global leader in rail signaling and train control systems, telecommunications and supervision systems, and fare collection solutions (see press releases dated August 4, 2021 and May 31, 2024). This business generated sales of €1,822 million in 2023.
As part of the share buyback program covering a maximum of 3.5% of the capital announced in March 2022 and completed in March 2024, 1,245,757 shares were repurchased during 2024, representing 0.6% of the share capital, for €176 million. The Group repurchased a total of 7,469,396 shares under this program, 3.5% of the share capital.
At December 31, 2024, net debt amounted to €3,044 million compared with €4,190 million at December 31, 2023. This decrease reflects the impact of free operating cash flow generation, acquisitions and disposals for -€359 million (€3,464 million in 2023), the payment of €708 million in dividends (€634 million in 2023), new lease liabilities for €143 million (€166 million in 2023) and the share buyback program.
Equity, Group share amounted to €7,515 million, compared with €6,830 million at December 31, 2023. This increase reflects the positive contribution of consolidated net income, Group share (€1,420 million) less the dividend payout (-€708 million) and share buybacks (-€176 million).
Non-financial performance
In line with its corporate purpose of “Building a future we can all trust”, Thales has set itself the ambition in terms of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR): to contribute to a safer, greener and more inclusive world. First, the Group will seek to maximize the contribution of its portfolio of solutions to the planet and society. Secondly, Thales has set itself ambitious targets on three main priorities:
The fight against global warming;
Strengthening gender diversity at all levels;
The implementation of the best standards in terms of ethics and compliance.
In terms of the fight against global warming, scope 1 & 2 CO2 emissions fell by 56.8% in 2024 compared to 2018 and scope 3 emissions fell by 24.7% compared to 2018. The Group has thus achieved its 2030 targets ahead of schedule for the second consecutive year. The absolute value reduction targets for carbon footprint remain relevant for 2030 given the Group’s growth prospects. To raise employee awareness to climate change and its impacts on society and on the Group, a voluntary training named “Thales Climate Passport” was deployed in 2024 with the aim of training 50% of managers. Over 67.4% of managers, representing around 35,000 employees, completed this training course in 2024, demonstrating the great success of this training.
With regard to strengthening diversity, Thales has set itself an ambitious target for 2026 to have 75% of management committees with at least 4 women. Thus, at the end of 2024, 61.5% of the Group’s management committees had at least 4 women, compared to 52.6% at the end of 2023. The highest levels of responsibility comprised 21.1% women at the end of 2024[1]; a performance in line with the Group’s trajectory to reach the set goal of 22.5% by 2026 (compared to 20.4% at the end of 2023 and 16.6% at the end of 2018).
In the area of ethics and compliance, 100% of employees concerned by the 2024 anti-corruption training campaign have been trained, demonstrating the Group’s continuous commitment to train all employees potentially exposed to risk situations. In 2024, the ISO 37001 certification “Anti-bribery management systems” was renewed for 3 years and extended to Germany, Australia, and New Zealand after Canada and the United States in 2023, and the United Kingdom and the Netherlands in 2022. Thus, in 2024, the revenue generated by certified entities represents 64% of the Group’s revenue (vs. 58% in 2023).
[1] Percentage of women in the total workforce: 27.4%.
Proposed dividend
The Board of Directors decided to propose to the shareholders, who will convene at the Annual General Meeting on May 16, 2025, the payment of a dividend of €3.70 per share. This corresponds to a payout ratio of 40% of the Adjusted net income, Group share, per share.
If approved, the ex-dividend date will be May 20, 2025, and the payment date will be May 22 2025. This dividend will be paid fully in cash and will amount to €2.85 per share, after deducting the interim dividend of €0.85 per share paid in December 2024.
Outlook
Thales is embarking on 2025 with confidence, bolstered by good visibility in the vast majority of its activities.
In 2025, the Avionics business will be driven by both the original equipment and aftermarket services activities, the continued growth of the Cobham AeroComms business, and the gradual recovery of the IFE business. In the Space business, the outlook remains positive, particularly in the Observation, Exploration & Science, Navigation and military telecommunications activities. However, the structural weakness of demand in the geostationary satellite market will dampen the growth of this activity. Thales will continue to implement its cost adaptation plan, with the objective of an Adjusted EBIT margin of 7%+ in the Space business in 2028.
The Defence segment, which enjoys a record order book, will be further supported by strong demand in 2025, against a backdrop of increasing military spending, particularly in the geographical areas where the Group operates. With the increase in its production capacity over the past several years and a portfolio of premium solutions incorporating differentiating leading technologies, Thales is ideally positioned to meet its customers’ needs.
Lastly, the Cyber and Digital segment will benefit from positive momentum in 2025, supported by Thales’ unique positioning and leadership. The continued development of Imperva will strengthen the differentiating value proposition in cybersecurity activities in order to take advantage of the buoyant environment. The payment services business is also expected to gradually return to growth.
The Group expects net investment expenses to slightly exceed €700 million in 2025 (after €617 million in 2024) to meet the need to increase production capacity, particularly in the Defence business.
As a result, Thales sets the following targets for 2025:
A book-to-bill ratio above 1;
Organic sales growth of between +5% and +6%, corresponding to sales in the range of €21.7 billion to €21.9 billion;
An Adjusted EBIT18 margin between 12.2% and 12.4%, up 40 to 60 basis points from 2024.
The Group also expects to maintain a high cash conversion ratio of between 95% and 100% in 2025.
Note: assuming no new major disruptions of macroeconomic and geopolitical context; including tariff increase.
Impact of new tax measures in France
Following the adoption of the 2025 budget, which introduces various tax changes, the impacts for the Thales Group are as follows:
An additional tax expense of ~€80 million related to the temporary additional corporate tax charge, giving rise to an additional tax of 41.2% in 2025, resulting in an overall tax rate of 36.13% (instead of the current rate of 25.83%);
~€8 million in taxes payable on share cancellations made in October 2024 as part of the share buyback program.
The temporary additional contribution to corporate tax for Naval Group could have a negative impact of around €8 million on Thales’ Adjusted EBIT in 2025.
These different impacts will represent an equivalent cash outflow in 2025.
****
This press release contains certain forward-looking statements. Although Thales believes that its expectations are based on reasonable assumptions, actual results may differ significantly from the forward-looking statements due to various risks and uncertainties, as described in the Company’s Universal Registration Document, which has been filed with the French financial markets authority (Autorité des marchés financiers – AMF).
1 In this press release, “organic” means “at constant scope and exchange rates”. See note on methodology on page 18 and calculation on page 23.
2 Non-GAAP financial indicators, see definitions in the appendices, page 18. The title “EBIT” has been amended to “Adjusted EBIT”, in accordance with ESMA’s recommendation.The definition remains unchanged.
3 Operating free cash flow from continuing operations, excluding the Transport activity sold on May 31, 2024.
4 Proposed to the Annual General Meeting on May 16, 2025.
5 Ratio of order intake to sales.
6 As at the date of this press release, the verification process on the sustainability information is ongoing. With the exception of the possible impact of the conclusions of this process, the audit procedures have been carried out. The audit report will be issued following the Board of Directors’ meeting on April 2, after the finalization of the procedures related to sustainability information.
7 Non-GAAP financial indicators, see definitions in the appendices, page 18.
8 Proposed to the Annual General Meeting on May 16, 2025.
9 Free operating cash flow from continuing operations, excluding the Transport activity sold on May 31, 2024.
10 Mature markets: Europe, North America, Australia, New Zealand; emerging markets: all other countries. See table on page 22.
11 Taking into account a currency effect of €49 million and a net scope effect of €625 million.
12 See table on page 22.
13 Mature markets: Europe, North America, Australia, New Zealand; emerging markets: all other countries. See table on page 22.
14 The calculation of the organic change in sales is shown on page 23.
15 See table on page 22.
16 Non-GAAP financial indicator, see definition in the appendices, page 18 and calculation, pages 20 and 21.
17 Non-GAAP financial indicator, see definition in the appendices, page 18.
18 The title “EBIT” has been amended to “Adjusted EBIT”, in accordance with ESMA’s recommendation.The definition remains unchanged.
Noon Briefing by Stéphane Dujarric, Spokesperson for the Secretary-General.
Highlights:
– Secretary-General/Cairo Summit
– Gaza
– Occupied Palestinian Territory
– Syria
– Ukraine
– Democratic Republic of the Congo
– Human Rights
– Haiti
– Bangladesh
– Resident Coordinator – Madagascar
– World Wildlife Day
– Briefings
GAZA
Also, you will have seen that yesterday, in a statement we released, the Secretary-General urged all parties to make every effort to prevent a return to the hostilities in Gaza. He calls for humanitarian aid to flow back into Gaza immediately and for the release of all hostages.
Tom Fletcher, our Emergency Relief Coordinator, said that Israel’s decision to halt aid into Gaza is indeed alarming. He added that international humanitarian law is clear: we must be allowed access to deliver vital lifesaving aid. We need to get aid in and the hostages out, he said.
Earlier on the weekend, on Saturday, the Secretary-General, in a statement in which he noted that thousands of trucks carrying life-saving assistance had entered Gaza during the past six weeks, with aid having reached nearly every person in the Strip. And that statement was shared with you.
And he added that as Ramadan – a time of peace and reflection – begins, he calls on all sides to spare no efforts to end all violence. The UN stands ready to support all such endeavours.
OCCUPIED PALESTINIAN TERRITORY
And on the ground, since yesterday, the Kerem Shalom, Erez and Zikim crossings have been closed for cargo. This means that vital humanitarian assistance, including thousands of tents, remains undelivered.
The Spokesman told reporters that every weekday in this room, we have been very clear and provided updates from our colleagues from the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs on how the ceasefire has allowed ourselves and our partners to scale up the delivery of life-saving assistance to the people of Gaza. The ceasefire has provided the opportunity to distribute food, to distribute water, as well as shelter assistance and medical aid, allowing nearly everyone in Gaza to receive food parcels.
Our humanitarian partners tell us that following the closure of the crossings into Gaza yesterday, flour and vegetable prices increased more than 100-fold. Partners are currently assessing the stocks that are currently available within the Gaza Strip.
Full Highlights: https://www.un.org/sg/en/content/noon-briefing-highlight?date%5Bvalue%5D%5Bdate%5D=03%20March%202025
India’s security apparatus must remain adaptive to emerging threats such as cyber warfare, hybrid warfare, space-based challenges, and transnational organised crime: Raksha Mantri Shri Rajnath Singh Advanced systems & technologies must be leveraged not only for security operations but also for disaster management & humanitarian relief: RM
“It is not enough for security agencies and technology developers to take the lead. Every citizen should know how to respond in times of crisis”
Posted On: 04 MAR 2025 2:27PM by PIB Delhi
Raksha Mantri Shri Rajnath Singh inaugurated the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) – Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) Collaboration Conference-Cum-Exhibition on ‘Advanced Technologies for Internal Security and Disaster Relief Operations’ at DRDO Bhawan, New Delhi on March 04, 2025. Organised by the Directorate of Low Intensity Conflict (DLIC) under DRDO, the two-day conference aims to equip Central Armed Police Forces (CAPFs) officers with the latest advancements in technology to address challenges in their operations. The event provided a platform for the exchange of ideas and collaboration to strengthen India’s internal security and disaster response framework.
Addressing the gathering, Shri Rajnath Singh highlighted the growing complexities in global security and the increasing overlap between internal and external threats. “Security challenges in the modern world are evolving rapidly, and the overlap between internal and external security is increasing. It is imperative that our institutions break silos and work collaboratively to ensure a strong, secure, and self-reliant India,” he stated. He stressed that India’s national security must be viewed holistically, integrating efforts across different security agencies and leveraging the latest technological advancements.
Shri Rajnath Singh underscored that India’s security apparatus must remain adaptive to emerging threats such as cyber warfare, hybrid warfare, space-based challenges, and transnational organised crime. He noted that India’s internal security is not just about managing conventional threats like terrorism, separatist movements, and left-wing extremism but also about preparing for unconventional threats that can destabilise the nation’s economic and strategic interests. “The adversaries of today do not always come with traditional weapons; cyber-attacks, misinformation campaigns, and space-based espionage are emerging as new-age threats that require advanced solutions,” he stated.
“DRDO has played a pivotal role in enhancing India’s defence capabilities, and its contributions to internal security are equally commendable. From small arms and bulletproof jackets to surveillance and communication systems, DRDO’s innovations are empowering our security forces,” Raksha Mantri underlined. He urged DRDO and MHA to work together to create a common list of scalable products that can be jointly developed and deployed in a time-bound manner. “Our security forces require the best tools and technologies to remain ahead of the curve. It is encouraging to see DRDO’s focus on modernisation, with products like small arms, surveillance equipment and drone systems either inducted or undergoing evaluation for deployment in internal security agencies,” he highlighted.
Shri Rajnath Singh recalled his tenure as Home Minister, highlighting how the collaboration between security agencies and scientific institutions led to significant technological advancements. He cited examples of DRDO-developed technologies such as the corner shot weapon system, INSAS rifles, IED jammer vehicles and riot control vehicles, which were effectively integrated into the operations of CAPFs.
Shri Rajnath Singh also spoke about the importance of leveraging technology not just for security but also for disaster management and humanitarian relief. “The role of technology is not just in defence but also in ensuring peace and social welfare. Advanced systems like bulletproof jackets, drones, surveillance equipment and anti-drone technologies must be leveraged not only for security operations but also for disaster management and humanitarian relief,” he said. He cited the increasing frequency of natural calamities like cyclones, avalanches, earthquakes & cloud bursts and underscored the critical need for advanced rescue tools. He mentioned that the use of technologies such as thermal imaging cameras, drone-based detection systems, and victim locating devices can significantly reduce casualties and damage.
Referring to the recent avalanche in Mana, Uttarakhand, Raksha Mantri lauded the use of advanced rescue equipment in saving lives and reducing the impact of the disaster. He threw light on the fact that although disasters are tragic in themselves, their impact can be minimised with the use of advanced technology and how, in the recent avalanche, technologies like rotary rescue saws, thermal imaging, victim locating cameras, avalanche rods, and drone-based detection systems played a crucial role in saving lives.
Highlighting the importance of public awareness in disaster management, Shri Rajnath Singh called for greater involvement of civil society in disaster preparedness. “Today, India is a prospering nation, and disaster management must become an integral part of our preparedness. It is not enough for security agencies and technology developers to take the lead; we must also educate the general public. Every citizen should know how to respond in times of crisis,” he urged.
Raksha Mantri also stressed the need for focused conferences on specific security challenges faced by different regions of the country. “Security threats in India are not uniform. The issues faced in the Northeast due to insurgencies are different from those in Naxal-affected areas or border regions. Similarly, urban security concerns are different from those in rural areas. We need to organise dedicated conferences that focus on region-specific challenges and solutions,” he said.
As part of the event, the Transfer of Technology (ToT) of the ASMI 9x19mm Machine Pistol was handed over by DRDO to Lokesh Machinery Tool, marking a step forward in the ‘Aatmanirbhar Bharat’ initiative. Shri Rajnath Singh also inaugurated an exhibition showcasing DRDO-designed technologies developed in collaboration with the Indian defence industry, highlighting achievements in indigenisation. Three significant documents were also released to strengthen cooperation and technological advancements in internal security and disaster management. These include:
1. Compendium of DRDO Products for Internal Security
2. Compendium of DRDO Products for Police Operations
3. Compendium of DRDO Products for Disaster Relief Operations
The conference includes seven technical sessions focusing on key areas such as Left-Wing Extremism, border management, advanced weapon technologies, drone & counter-drone solutions, disaster management, policing & crowd control, and futuristic communication technologies.
Secretary DDR&D and Chairman DRDO Dr Samir V Kamat during the conference stated that more than 100 products from DRDO developed technologies have been or soon will be inducted into various agencies of MHA. He further mentioned that the technologies which DRDO develops for the services are also being utilised in internal security as well as disaster relief operations. Chief of the Army Staff General Upendra Dwivedi, Secretary (Border Management) MHA Shri Rajendra Kumar, Secretary (Defence Production) Shri Sanjeev Kumar, DG (Production, Coordination & Services Interaction) Dr Chandrika Kaushik, senior officials from Ministry of Defence and MHA were also present on the occasion.
Mexico is grappling with rising risks stemming from strained relations with the US during President Donald Trump’s second term. Trump’s “America First” policies, including a proposed 25% tariff on Mexican goods, pose a significant threat to Mexico’s export sector and could disrupt North American supply chains. Weak domestic demand is also expected to further hinder Mexico’s economic growth. Against this backdrop, Mexico’s GDP growth is forecast to slow to 1.1% in 2025, down from 1.5% in 2024 and 3.2% in 2023, according to GlobalData, a leading data and analytics company.
GlobalData’s latest report, “Macroeconomic Outlook Report: Mexico”, reveals that domestic demand in Mexico is expected to remain subdued due to a rising unemployment rate. Real household consumption expenditure growth is projected to decline to 1.8% in 2025, down from 2.0% in 2024 and 4.3% in 2023. Meanwhile, the unemployment rate is forecast to increase to 3% in 2025, compared to 2.7% in 2024 and 2.8% in 2023.
Mexico’s central bank, Banco de México, reduced the key policy rate six times since March 2024. The most recent cut occurred in February 2025, when the Governing Board lowered the overnight interbank interest rate by 50 basis points to 9.5%, driven by easing inflationary pressures. Inflation in January 2025 dropped to a four-year low of 3.6%.
Gayatri Ganpule, Economic Research Analyst at GlobalData, comments: “Mexico’s economic growth in 2025 is likely to encounter significant challenges, including uncertainty under a new US presidency and evolving global geopolitical dynamics. The US policy shifts, such as tariffs and immigration reforms, are expected to adversely impact trade and remittances. Investor sentiment may be further weakened by controversial judicial reforms, while Pemex’s financial struggles under revised energy policies could add to the economic strain. Additionally, rising public debt poses a risk of losing the nation’s investment-grade rating. As such, strategic actions will be essential to ensure stability.”
In terms of sectors, mining, manufacturing, and utility activities contributed 26.2% to Mexico’s gross value added (GVA) in 2024, followed by wholesale, retail, and hotels business activities (23.9%), and financial intermediation, real estate, and business activities (16.2%). In nominal terms, the three sectors are forecast to grow by 6.5%, 7.6%, and 7.4%, respectively, in 2025, compared to an estimated 6.8%, 8%, and 7.8% growth in 2024.
Ganpule adds: “The external sector is expected to face challenges as proposed tariff measures could sharply increase costs, disrupt the automotive and agriculture industries, and threaten millions of jobs across North America. Additionally, potential retaliatory actions from Mexico, as warned by President Claudia Sheinbaum, could further strain trade relations.”
According to GlobalData analysis using data from ITC Trade Map, vehicles and auto parts accounted for 27.6% of Mexico’s total exports to the US in 2023, followed by 19.5% for electrical machinery and 17.4% for nuclear reactors, boilers, and mechanical appliances. Trump’s proposed tariff could severely impact these sectors, disrupting trade and supply chains.
Ganpule continues: “The automotive industry, Mexico’s largest exporter, faces significant risks. Major automakers like Ford, Volkswagen, Toyota, Honda, General Motors, and Stellantis operate large manufacturing plants in Mexico, and tariffs could threaten exports, production, and investment stability.”
Beyond autos, Mexico’s state-owned oil company, Pemex, relies heavily on the US for its sales and could see revenue declines. In consumer goods, companies like Controladora Mabe (home appliances) and Becle (tequila producer) are particularly vulnerable, with a hefty share of their revenues coming from US sales. The agribusiness sector could also feel the impact, affecting firms such as Grupo Bimbo, Sigma Alimentos, Gruma, and Arca Continental, though their US operations may provide some buffer.
Mexico’s 2025 budget prioritizes fiscal discipline, aiming to reduce the budget deficit to 3.9% of GDP from 5.9% in 2024. The government plans significant spending cuts across sectors like defense, security, and the environment while focusing on achieving a primary budget surplus to ensure fiscal sustainability alongside economic growth and social development.
Mexico ranked 82nd out of 153 nations in the GCRI Q4 2024 update, with an overall risk score of 57.8, placing it in the medium-risk category (scores between 40 and 60). This indicates a higher risk than the North American average of 43.8 and the global average of 55.0.
Ganpule concludes: “Mexico’s economic trajectory depends on proactive fiscal policies, investment climate improvements, and strategic international negotiations. Strengthening trade alliances with other global partners and fostering domestic innovation will be crucial in mitigating external risks and ensuring long-term growth.”
Attributable to Detective Sergeant Mark Leathem, Thames CIB:
Police have today made an arrest in relation to two aggravated robberies in the Waikato East area.
On Friday 28 February, Police were alerted to four people entering a commercial premises on Tararu Road at around 5:10am with their faces covered.
Three were armed with a machete, a metal pole and a crowbar.
The group assaulted an employee and targeted cash and cigarettes, before fleeing the area in a vehicle.
The employee received minor injuries and is being provided support.
On Monday 3 March, four people entered a premises on Kerepehi Town Road, where they have also had their faces covered and threatened an employee with weapons.
Thankfully, in this instance, the employee was not injured, however they are shaken by the incident. They are being provided support.
They targeted cigarettes, tobacco, and vapes, then fled the scene in a vehicle.
After making initial enquiries and conducting scene examinations, Waikato East CIB launched an investigation to identify and locate the persons responsible for the incidents.
Today, Police executed a series of search warrants in the Thames area, supported by the Waikato Armed Offenders Squad.
As a result, a 17-year-old was arrested and is due to appear in Hamilton Youth Court on Wednesday 5 March.
A 20-year-old man was also located and arrested on unrelated warrants to arrest.
Police continue to investigate the two aggravated robberies and are working hard to identify and hold those responsible to account.
AMY GOODMAN:And the Oscars were held Sunday evening. History was made in the best documentary category.
SAMUEL L. JACKSON: And the Oscar goes to ‘No Other Land’.
AMY GOODMAN:The Palestinian-Israeli film No Other Land won for best documentary. The film follows the struggles of Palestinians in the occupied West Bank community of Masafer Yatta to stay on their land amidst violent attacks by Israeli settlers aimed at expelling them. The film was made by a team of Palestinian-Israeli filmmakers, including the Palestinian journalist Basel Adra, who lives in Masafer Yatta, and the Israeli journalist Yuval Abraham.
Both filmmakers — Palestinian activist and journalist Basel Adra, who lives in Masafer Yatta, and Israeli journalist Yuval Abraham — spoke at the ceremony. Adra became the first Palestinian filmmaker to win an Oscar.
BASEL ADRA: Thank you to the Academy for the award. It’s such a big honor for the four of us and everybody who supported us for this documentary.
About two months ago, I became a father. And my hope to my daughter, that she will not have to live the same life I am living now, always fearing — always — always fearing settlers’ violence, home demolitions and forceful displacements that my community, Masafer Yatta, is living and facing every day under the Israeli occupation.
‘No Other Land’ reflects the harsh reality that we have been enduring for decades and still resist as we call on the world to take serious actions to stop the injustice and to stop the ethnic cleansing of Palestinian people.
YUVAL ABRAHAM: We made this — we made this film, Palestinians and Israelis, because together our voices are stronger.
We see each other — the atrocious destruction of Gaza and its people, which must end; the Israeli hostages brutally taken in the crime of October 7th, which must be freed.
When I look at Basel, I see my brother. But we are unequal. We live in a regime where I am free under civilian law and Basel is under military laws that destroy his life and he cannot control.
There is a different path: a political solution without ethnic supremacy, with national rights for both of our people. And I have to say, as I am here: The foreign policy in this country is helping to block this path.
And, you know, why? Can’t you see that we are intertwined, that my people can be truly safe if Basel’s people are truly free and safe? There is another way.
It’s not too late for life, for the living. There is no other way. Thank you.
Israeli and Palestinian documentary ‘No Other Land’ wins Oscar. Video: Democracy Now!
Mobile World Congress (MWC) 2025 officially opened in Barcelona on March 3, bringing together industry leaders and technology enthusiasts at the world’s largest mobile technology exhibition. Samsung Electronics stole the spotlight with dynamic experience zones centered around the Galaxy S25 series — offering a glimpse into the future of AI-driven mobile experiences — alongside a dedicated space for next-generation network solutions.
▲ View of the MWC 2025 venue, Fira Gran Via
With over 110,000 attendees expected at MWC 2025, the streets of Barcelona buzzed with excitement even before the event’s official opening. Amid the growing anticipation, large advertisements showcasing the Galaxy S25 series were prominently displayed throughout the venue. Samsung Newsroom stopped by the booth to explore Samsung’s AI-driven innovations and cutting-edge hardware that are advancing mobile technology.
▲ Samsung advertisements surround Fira Gran Via.
A True AI Companion: New Mobile Experiences With Galaxy S25 Series
At the Fira Gran Via exhibition hall, Samsung set up a sprawling 1,745-square-meter booth highlighting the Galaxy S25 series and unveiling new possibilities for the future of mobile experiences. A massive 41-meter-wide LED screen brought Galaxy AI’s vision to life.
▲ Entrance to Samsung’s booth
Inside interactive zones, attendees experienced the Galaxy S25 series’ AI, camera and performance innovations firsthand — including AI-powered personalized insights, enhanced photography and editing tools and high-performance gaming.
▲ Visitors try out the Galaxy S25 series.
Health Solution: Revolutionizing Wellness With Intelligence
The booth presented AI-powered personalized health insights in the Health Solution zone, a more secure smart home experience with SmartThings in the Home Solution zone and Samsung’s commitment to security and sustainability in the Galaxy Foundation zone.
In the Health Solution zone, attendees learned how Samsung Health helps users manage their daily health with ease. A standout feature was Now Brief on the Galaxy S25, delivering a personalized Energy Score along with insights into the user’s previous night’s sleep and current condition. Through the Sleep details page in Samsung Health, users can review a comprehensive analysis of their sleep including duration, sleep stages and blood oxygen levels. Additionally, the Sleep environment report evaluates factors such as room brightness, temperature and humidity to help users optimize their sleep quality.
“Galaxy AI is really changing the way we manage our health,” said one visitor after experiencing Samsung’s personalized health management approach that analyzes each individual’s health and interests to provide tailored guidance.
▲ Health Solution zone
Home Solution: Creating a Smarter, More Secure Home
In the Home Solution zone, attendees explored an enhanced smart home experience powered by SmartThings and Knox Matrix. With 3D Map View on the Galaxy Tab S10, users could visualize and manage connected smart home devices through an interactive floor plan of their home. Other SmartThings AI features on display included automated routines tailored to user preferences, fall detection alerts for elderly family members and detailed energy consumption reports to promote more efficient usage.
To ensure a secure smart home experience, Knox Matrix safeguards the entire ecosystem. Attendees observed how connected devices leverage Knox Matrix to autonomously detect threats, implement protective measures and notify users.
▲ Home Solution zone
Galaxy Foundation: A Commitment to Security and Sustainability
At the Galaxy Foundation zone, Samsung showcased its advancements in security and sustainability for Galaxy devices. Notably, Galaxy users are able to control how their data is handled — choosing between on-device processing or via the cloud as well as enabling or disabling personalized features. Additionally, the Galaxy S25’s on-device AI analyzes personal data through the Personal Data Engine while ensuring robust security with Knox Vault.
▲ A wall explains Samsung Knox.
Samsung highlighted its commitment to sustainability initiatives focused on reducing carbon emissions. Through innovative recycling technology, the batteries in the Galaxy S25 series repurpose cobalt extracted from discarded Galaxy devices. Attendees were impressed by the use of recycled fishing nets to create smartphone components and Ocean Mode, a camera setting developed for capturing footage of coral reefs underwater to support marine conservation efforts.
▲ A wall describes Samsung’s sustainability efforts, including resource circulation and marine conservation activities.
Next-Generation Network Solutions: AI-Powered Innovations in 5G and Beyond
In a separate, invitation-only exhibit, Samsung introduced its AI-optimized and software-centric network innovations — demonstrating the future of mobile communications.
Global telecommunication operators and B2B clients were drawn to the Samsung CognitiV Network Operations Suite (NOS), a set of diverse AI-powered network automation applications providing lifecycle management of the network from planning, deployment, operation to optimization. Another key focus was AI Energy Saving Manager, an AI-powered solution that analyzes traffic patterns to maintain network quality while reducing energy consumption by up to 35%.
▲ Entrance to Samsung’s networks-focused booth
Other key highlights included Samsung’s collaboration with Hyundai Motor Company to introduce the industry’s first 5G Reduced Capability (RedCap) technology for use in mass-production vehicle manufacturing. A lineup of high-performance network chipsets and various base station solutions were on display as well.
▲ A display illustrates Samsung Cognitiv NOS.
Samsung’s presence at MWC 2025 reinforced its commitment to innovation — setting new standards for AI-driven user experiences and advanced network solutions while shaping the future of mobile technology.
A new low-altitude economy research institute has been launched in Mianyang in southwest China’s Sichuan Province, marking a strategic move to drive the development of low-altitude industries in the country’s vast western region, according to China Low Altitude Economic Alliance.
The China (Mianyang) Science and Technology City Low-Altitude Economy Research Institute was inaugurated on Sunday. It is jointly established by 14 entities, including Sichuan Jiuzhou Investment Holding Group Co., Ltd., Southwest University of Science and Technology, and leading commercial unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) company JOUAV. The institute aims to foster technological innovation and industry integration in this rapidly emerging sector.
It brings together the strengths of government, industry, academia, research and application in Mianyang, a city known for its strong scientific and technological foundation.
With its solid technological base, comprehensive industrial support and diverse application scenarios, Mianyang is poised to become a leading “city of low altitude” in western China, noted Luo Jun, executive director of the alliance.
Speaking at the institute’s launch ceremony, Luo said that Mianyang will join the national low-altitude transportation network pilot program, which aims to integrate drones and air mobility systems into a unified traffic management framework.
The institute’s establishment aligns with China’s broader strategy to advance the low-altitude economy, encompassing UAVs, urban air mobility, and other emerging sectors.
In his keynote speech, Xiang Jinwu, an academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering, described the low-altitude economy as an important engine for economic transformation and upgrading in the new era.
Mianyang should leverage the institute as a platform to drive innovation, foster industrial clustering, and serve as a demonstration site for low-altitude economy applications.
Moving forward, the institute will focus on key technological breakthroughs and the transformation of research outcomes while striving to become a leading hub for low-altitude economy innovation in western China and beyond.
