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Category: Vehicles

  • MIL-OSI Security: Middle District Of Florida Prosecutors Charge 56 Defendants With Illegal Reentry During First Quarter Of 2025

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    Tampa, FL – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announced today that federal prosecutors charged 56 defendants with illegal reentry into the United States during the first quarter of fiscal year 2025, ending on December 31, 2024. During this same period, more than 50 additional defendants were sentenced for charges relating to or including illegal reentry.

    “This effort continues my office’s long-standing commitment to enforcing the laws setting forth requirements for entry into the United States,” said U.S. Attorney Roger B. Handberg. “Over the past three fiscal years, we have increased our number of immigration prosecutions by 69%. We will continue to work with our local, state, and federal law enforcement partners to aggressively investigate and federally prosecute anyone who illegally enters our borders.”

    Q1 FY 2025 Case Highlights

    United States v. Rodriguez-Acevedo 

               In October 2024, Juan Rodriguez-Acevedo was sentenced to three years and ten months in federal prison for illegal reentry into the United States after removal following a conviction for committing an aggravated felony. According to court documents, Rodriguez-Acevedo is a native and citizen of Mexico. In 2007, he was convicted of possession with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of methamphetamine. Due to his conviction for an aggravated felony, Rodriguez-Acevedo received a permanent ban from the United States and was deported to Mexico in 2018 after his release from federal prison. In 2019, Rodriguez-Acevedo was encountered by law enforcement in Texas. He had crossed the border illegally and was prosecuted for illegal reentry following his removal after a conviction for commission of an aggravated felony. He was again deported to Mexico in 2021 after his release from federal prison. In March 2024, law enforcement officers with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement arrested Rodriguez-Acevedo during enforcement activities in Lake City. Rodriguez-Acevedo admitted to law enforcement that he had again unlawfully reentered the United States in June 2023.   

    United States v. German Altamirano-Hernandez

               In October 2024, German Altamirano-Hernandez was sentenced to two years and six months in federal prison for illegal reentry into the United States by a previously deported alien. According to court documents, Altamirano-Hernandez is a native and citizen of Mexico who had been granted voluntary removal from the United States 10 times between 1999 and 2002 after it was determined he was illegally in the United States. In 2005, he was encountered by law enforcement in New Mexico and was prosecuted for illegal entry into the United States, then was deported to Mexico later that year. In 2013, he was encountered by law enforcement in Florida and was convicted of illegal reentry into the United States by a previously deported alien. He was deported to Mexico in 2015 after his release from federal prison. In 2019, Altamirano-Hernandez was encountered by law enforcement in Arizona, after having crossed the border illegally, and was prosecuted a third time for illegal reentry into the United States. He was again deported to Mexico in 2020 after his release from federal prison. In March 2024, Altamirano-Hernandez was encountered by deputies with the Flagler County Sheriff’s Office when they conducted a traffic stop on the car he was driving. During the stop, Altamirano-Hernandez provided deputies with a false name and a fraudulent identification card. During a search of his car, deputies found multiple forms of fraudulent identification. After confirming Altamirano-Hernandez’s identity, he was arrested. Altamirano-Hernandez admitted to law enforcement that he had again unlawfully reentered the United States.

    United States v. Ochoa

    In October 2024, Ramon Ochoa was sentenced to 18 months in federal prison for illegal reentry into the United States after deportation, consecutive to another sentence he is serving in the Florida Department of Corrections. According to court documents, Ochoa is a Mexican citizen who entered the United States illegally in 2008 and again in 2014. He was removed from the United States on both occasions, most recently in May 2014. In 2017, Ochoa again entered the United States without permission from appropriate government officials, and he remained until he was arrested in Polk County in May 2019. United States Customs and Border Protection officials were alerted to the fact that Ochoa was in custody in the Polk County Jail under the name Samuel Santana-Ortuno and was charged with trafficking in methamphetamine. Ochoa admitted to a Border Patrol agent that his true name is Ramon Ochoa and he did not have any documents allowing him to enter the United States. Ochoa was later sentenced in state court to seven years’ imprisonment for his state drug-trafficking offense.

    United States v. Hernandez-Casiano

               In November 2024, Daniel Hernandez-Casiano was sentenced to 18 months in federal prison for illegal reentry by a deported alien. According to court documents, Hernandez-Casiano was found in the United States on January 9, 2024, after being arrested and convicted on state charges for possession of fentanyl and operating a motor vehicle without a valid license. Hernandez-Casiano was previously removed from the United States to Mexico on three separate occasions.

    United States v. Ramirez-Ramirez

               In December 2024, Gustavo De Jesus Ramirez-Ramirez was sentenced to two years and three months in federal prison for illegal reentry into the United States by a previously deported alien. According to court documents, Ramirez-Ramirez was arrested on November 11, 2022, in Jacksonville after he rappelled from a hole in the ceiling of a business and then drilled through three adjacent business walls and into a jewelry store. He later pleaded guilty in state court to burglary of a dwelling with damage and burglary of a structure. After his arrest, it was also discovered that Ramirez-Ramirez was present in the United States illegally. Ramirez-Ramirez has two previous deportations, one of which followed a prior conviction for illegal reentry into the United States in October 2014. 

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: St. John’s — RCMP NL warns of dangerous substance seized for first time in St. John’s

    Source: Royal Canadian Mounted Police

    RCMP Federal Policing – Eastern Region is warning the public of a dangerous substance that was seized in St. John’s on December 17, 2024. On January 30, 2025, a drug analysis, completed by Health Canada, confirmed the substance as mixture of fentanyl and medetomidine, a highly-potent Central Nervous System Depressant tranquilizer, intended for veterinary use.

    On December 17, 2024, as part of an ongoing RCMP investigation, RCMP Federal Policing – Eastern Region and the RCMP Emergency Response Team, along with the Royal Newfoundland Constabulary’s Weapons and Drug Enforcement Unit, arrested 39-year-old Joseph Reardon for drug trafficking on the parking lot of a commercial property on Frecker Drive in St. John’s. Following his arrest, a vehicle on the parking lot was searched. Police located and seized cocaine, oxycodone, methylphenidate, a quantity of suspected fentanyl and a sawed-off shot gun.

    A laboratory report received on January 30, 2025, confirmed the substance as a mixture of fentanyl and medetomidine. According to Health Canada, this is a first-time seizure of medetomidine in this province. Medetomidine is a veterinary tranquilizer approved for surgical use in animals and is not safe for human consumption. Mixing this substance with fentanyl, which on its own is highly potent and dangerous, makes this an extremely lethal combination.

    An image of the fentanyl/medetomidine mixture that was seized is attached. It is possible that there is more of this substance present in the province. Drug users should make themselves familiar with this substance and avoid consumption.

    As a result of this investigation, Reardon is charged with the following criminal offences:

    • Possession for the purpose of trafficking cocaine
    • Possession for the purpose of trafficking oxycodone
    • Possession for the purpose of trafficking methylphenidate
    • Possession for the purpose of trafficking fentanyl
    • Careless use of a firearm – two counts
    • Unsafe storage of a firearm – two counts
    • Possession of a weapon for a dangerous purpose – four counts
    • Unauthorized possession of a firearm
    • Unauthorized possession of a firearm knowing its possession is unauthorized
    • Possession of a prohibited firearm
    • Possession of a weapon obtained by crime
    • Removing a serial number from a firearm
    • Possession of a firearm/ammunition while prohibited – six counts
    • Breach of a court release order – five counts

    Those who choose to use opioids or other dangerous substances should never do so alone and should plan and prepare for opioid overdose by carrying a Naloxone kit. Please call 811 to find your nearest location for a free naloxone kit or visit https://www.gov.nl.ca/hcs/naloxonekits/.

    If you have information on fentanyl or other illicit or dangerous opioids, RCMP NL’s Federal Policing – Eastern Region wants to hear from you. To report information, please call 709-772-5422.

    RCMP Federal Policing – Eastern Region targets criminal activity involving national security, transnational and serious organized crime and cybercrime throughout the entire province of Newfoundland and Labrador.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Fighting Vehicle Theft and Fraudulent Auto Sales

    Source: US State of New York

    Governor Kathy Hochul announced today that the New York State Department of Motor Vehicles helped consumers recover more than $11 million in stolen vehicles, stolen parts, services and lost titles, in 2024.

    “New Yorkers who buy a car or who have one repaired, need to know that New York will stand up for them and protect them,” Governor Hochul said. “We work diligently to assist customers and the DMV works with dealers and repair shops to bring consumers satisfaction. If issues cannot be resolved, swift enforcement action is taken.”

    DMV Commissioner Mark J.F. Schroeder said, “We take great pride in assisting customers when they need help, whether that is getting a title from a dealer that went out of business, working with clients and automotive businesses to address issues with a repair job, or recovering stolen vehicles. Customers should know that if they need assistance, they have friends at the DMV who will help them.”

    Last year, the DMV recovered 303 stolen vehicles — valued at $8,353,334 at the time of their theft — and $91,979 in stolen parts. As car thefts remain an ongoing issue across the country, DMV warned consumers last October about the dangers of car sales scams through online sites like Facebook Marketplace, and reminded car buyers to be vigilant when purchasing a vehicle online.

    In addition to recovering stolen vehicles and parts, the DMV also helped consumers recoup vehicle titles, services and refunds valued at more than $3 million from dishonest auto dealers and repair shops.

    Following the investigation of consumer complaints, the DMV took actions against auto dealers and repair shops for selling vehicles without disclosing significant defects to the buyer, for charging consumers for repairs that were never completed, or charging consumers for repairs they did not need. In total, 474 customers benefited from these efforts and were provided refunds or vehicle repairs valued at $1.48 million. In addition, the DMV helped car buyers recover 67 titles for vehicles valued at more than $1.56 million when the auto dealerships they bought them from suddenly closed or withheld the title from the rightful owner.

    A certificate of title for a vehicle is what establishes a person or business as the legal owner. Without a title, a vehicle owner is unable to transfer ownership, remove a lien, or provide proof of ownership necessary to take out a loan on the vehicle or file an insurance claim.

    State Senator Leroy Comrie said, “Vehicle theft and fraudulent auto sales continue to impact hardworking New Yorkers, and it is essential that we take strong action to protect consumers. The DMV’s efforts to recover stolen vehicles, prevent scams and hold dishonest businesses accountable, are critical steps in ensuring fairness and security for all vehicle owners. I commend Governor Hochul and the DMV for their commitment to combating auto theft and fraud, and I remain committed to supporting initiatives that enhance consumer protections and keep our communities safe.”

    State Senator Rachel May said, “For many New Yorkers, a vehicle is a lifeline that helps with daily activities like commuting to work, getting kids to school or practice, and managing errands like grocery shopping. When someone’s vehicle is stolen, it disrupts their entire routine, making even the simplest tasks a challenge. That’s why it’s important to recognize the commendable efforts of the New York State Department of Motor Vehicles in recovering hundreds of stolen vehicles last year. By supporting these efforts, we can ensure a safer environment for everyone and some peace, knowing the DMV is watching out for us.”

    State Senator Jeremy Cooney said, “Vehicle theft and fraudulent auto sales continue to impact hardworking New Yorkers, and it is essential that we take strong action to protect consumers. The DMV’s efforts to recover stolen vehicles, prevent scams and hold dishonest businesses accountable are critical steps in ensuring fairness and security for all vehicle owners. I commend Governor Hochul and the DMV for their commitment to combating auto theft and fraud, and I remain committed to supporting initiatives that enhance consumer protections and keep our communities safe.”

    Assemblymember William Magnarelli said, “Protecting consumers is a valuable component of the many services the DMV provides. I want to thank Governor Hochul for her support in providing resources to crackdown on auto thefts and to help New Yorkers recover their stolen property. These investments are paying off and are providing the protection New Yorkers deserve.”

    While most businesses are professionally and responsibly run, customers who believe they have faced unfair charges or poor work can file a complaint about a DMV-regulated business on the DMV website. DMV also helps businesses and offers information on their rights if faced with a complaint in the  Guide for Facilities. DMV also provides guidance when bringing a vehicle in for repairs.

    DMV urges customers to deal only with a registered repair shop. Customers should look for a green and white “Registered State of New York Motor Vehicle Repair Shop” sign outside the shop and a valid New York State Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) registration certificate inside.

    An online guide to finding a DMV-regulated business is available on the agency’s website.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Columbus man sentenced to 17 years in prison for 4 armed robberies of postal carriers

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    COLUMBUS, Ohio – A Columbus man was sentenced in U.S. District Court today to 204 months in prison for four armed robberies of Postal carriers. 

    Thierno S. Bah, 22, of Columbus, used firearms and robbed postal carriers of their U.S. Postal Service keys on four occasions between December 2022 and May 2023. He was arrested in August 2023.

    “Seventeen years in federal prison is a serious consequence in line with the seriousness of this type of violent crime. We have held numerous individuals accountable in the Southern District of Ohio in recent years for their crimes against United States Postal Service carriers who are simply doing their jobs. As a result of our focused efforts and the vigorous investigations by our federal law enforcement partners, we’ve seen a decrease in new assaults,” said U.S. Attorney Kenneth L. Parker.

    Bah, who is also known as “Wopo” and “Wopoonese,” worked with others to steal service keys, which are then used to steal mail from USPS receptacles (a process known as “fishing”). Individuals then “cook” the mail by washing personal and business checks and other financial instruments to reflect new payees and new payment amounts. Bah and others would then recruit third parties to deposit the newly washed checks in their own accounts and split the profit.       

    The thefts occurred in Central Ohio on:

    • Dec. 29, 2022
    • Jan. 3, 2023 (two separate robberies on this date)
    • May 11, 2023

    Bah pleaded guilty in November 2023 and admitted to using a handgun to rob a postal carrier in German Village on Dec. 29, 2022. Bah pointed the handgun at the victim’s stomach and demanded his vehicle and service keys.

    On Jan. 3, 2023, Bah pushed a postal carrier into her mail truck while she was sorting mail in the back of the truck on East Columbus Street. He then pushed a gun into the victim’s side before stealing her keys.

    Later that day, Bah committed another armed postal robbery, this time in Whitehall. Bah approached the victim and pushed the handgun into her stomach before stealing her personal car keys and the USPS service keys.

    On May 11, 2023, Bah robbed a Postal worker at the Post Office Retail Store on West Broad Street. Bah approached the victim while she was outside on a break. Bah asked the victim for her keys, and when she asked, “What keys?” he pistol-whipped her in the head with his handgun. Bah forcibly accompanied the victim into the post office to retrieve her service keys.

    Kenneth L. Parker, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio; Elena Iatarola, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Cincinnati Division; Lesley Allison, Inspector in Charge, U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS); Columbus Police Chief Elaine Bryant; Westerville Police Chief Charles Chandler; and Whitehall Police Chief Mike Crispen announced the sentence imposed today by U.S. District Judge Algenon L. Marbley. Assistant United States Attorney Noah R. Litton is representing the United States in this case.

    # # #

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Culver City Man Agrees to Plead Guilty to Recklessly Crashing Drone into Super Scooper Firefighting Aircraft During Palisades Fire

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    LOS ANGELES – A Culver City man agreed to plead guilty to recklessly operating a drone that crashed into and damaged a Super Scooper firefighting aircraft fighting the Palisades Fire earlier this month, the Justice Department announced today.

    Peter Tripp Akemann, 56, has agreed to plead guilty to one count of unsafe operation of an unmanned aircraft. This morning federal prosecutors filed a criminal information charging Akemann with the misdemeanor offense that carries a prison sentence of up to one year in federal prison.

    In a plea agreement also filed this morning, Akemann agreed to plead guilty to the criminal offense and admitted to his reckless and illegal conduct in flying the drone that posed an imminent safety hazard to the Super Scooper crew. As a result of the drone collision, the firefighting aircraft was taken out of service for a period of time and was not able to continue its firefighting mission. As part of the plea agreement, Akemann agreed to pay full restitution to the Government of Quebec, which supplied the plane, and an aircraft repair company that repaired the plane. Akemann also agreed to complete 150 hours of community service in support of the 2025 Southern California wildfire relief effort.

    “This defendant recklessly flew an aircraft into airspace where first responders were risking their lives in an attempt to protect lives and property,” said Acting United States Attorney Joseph T. McNally. “This damage caused to the Super Scooper is a stark reminder that flying drones during times of emergency poses an extreme threat to personnel trying to help people and compromises the overall ability of police and fire to conduct operations. As this case demonstrates, we will track down drone operators who violate the law and interfere with the critical work of our first responders.”

    “Lack of common sense and ignorance of your duty as a drone pilot will not shield you from criminal charges,” said Akil Davis, the Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI’s Los Angeles Field Office. “Please respect the law, respect the FAA’s rules and respect our firefighters and the residents they are protecting by keeping your drone at home during wildfires.”

    Akemann is expected to make his initial appearance this afternoon in United States District Court in downtown Los Angeles. 

    According to the plea agreement, while the wildfire was burning in and around Pacific Palisades on January 9, Akemann drove to the Third Street Promenade in Santa Monica and parked his vehicle on the top floor of the parking structure. He then launched a drone and flew it towards Pacific Palisades to observe damage caused by the Palisades Fire.

    Akemann flew the drone at least 2,500 meters (more than 1.5 miles) toward the fire and lost sight of the drone. As Akemann was flying the drone, it collided with a Government of Quebec Super Scooper carrying two crewmembers attempting to fight the blaze. The impact caused an approximately 3-inch-by-6-inch hole in the left wing. After landing, maintenance personnel identified the damage and took the aircraft out of service for repairs.

    At the time of the collision, the Federal Aviation Administration had issued temporary flight restrictions that prohibited drone operations near the Los Angeles County wildfires that erupted earlier this month.

    As a result of the collision, the Government of Quebec and an aircraft repair company incurred costs of at least $65,169 to repair the plane.

    The FBI investigated this matter. The Department of Transportation’s Office of Inspector General, the Federal Aviation Administration, the Los Angeles Fire Department, and the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (CALFIRE) provided substantial assistance.

    Assistant United States Attorneys Kedar S. Bhatia and Ian V. Yanniello of the Terrorism and Export Crimes Section are prosecuting this case.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Armored Truck Robber Sentenced To More Than 11 Years

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    Tampa, FL – U.S. District Judge Thomas P. Barber has sentenced Jorge Serrano Espinoza (20, Clearwater) to 11 years and 3 months in federal prison for Hobbs Act robbery and brandishing a firearm during and in relation to the robbery. Espinoza was convicted at trial on September 11, 2024.   

    According to evidence presented at trial, on the morning of June 9, 2023, Espinoza, James Battle, and Carlos Keanu Smith met for the purposes of robbing an armored truck. They followed the armored truck along its route from Pinellas County to eastern Hillsborough County before reaching a gas station in Ellenton. Florida Department of Transportation toll records showed the vehicle following seconds behind the targeted armored truck that morning. Surveillance video showed the vehicle also following the armored truck to other locations before conducting the robbery at the gas station in Ellenton. As the driver returned to the armored truck, Battle and Smith approached pointing pistols at the victim, forcing him to the ground. Espinoza served as the lookout. The trio stole more than $150,000 from the armored truck. 

    Battle was previously sentenced to 10 years in federal prison. Smith was previously sentenced to 9 years in prison. 

    This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Manatee County Sheriff’s Office. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Michael R. Kenneth. The forfeiture is being handled by Assistant United States Attorney James A. Muench.

    This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Global: The Austin 7 is back – a short history of the iconic British car that changed the automotive industry

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Tom Stacey, Senior Lecturer in Operations and Supply Chain Management, Anglia Ruskin University

    In perhaps one of the greatest brand comeback stories in automotive since the Fiat 500 in 2007, British car company Austin announced the return of the Austin Arrow.

    Its name is an unashamed reference to one of the most memorable Austin 7 models – first introduced in the 1920s the Arrow was the original “everyman sportscar”, before the muscle cars (think of the Dodge Challenger) of the US became popular in the 1960s. Now reimagined as an electric Vehicle (EV), the Arrow is designed and made in the UK and aims to be to 2020s consumers what the original was 90 years ago.

    A number of cars are synonymous with the British car industry. In fact, as a small nation, Britain punches above its weight when it comes to classic automobile brands – The Mini, the Range Rover, London black cabs, James Bond’s Aston Martins, and even the London red bus. However, if one car can be credited for creating the dawn of the motor vehicle in the UK, it would be the diminutive Austin 7.

    The car was created in the 1920s at the time when Austin was struggling. New laws were pushing manufacturers to produce smaller, less powerful cars. But Austin’s board of directors didn’t support a cheap, small car with low profit margins. Austin was known for its larger, luxury products.

    However, Sir Herbert Austin and his 18-year-old apprentice Stanley Edge decided to secretly create a small car. Thank god they didn’t heed the board, because they ended up creating the greatest democratising automotive product Britain had ever seen (until they repeated it with the Austin Mini).

    The reason why products such as the Austin 7 come to define their period is rarely due to their technical prowess or exhilarating performance – it’s because they bring to the masses a technology that is both useful and traditionally seen as out of reach.

    The Austin 7 was a bit like the iPhone. There were smartphones that came before it, like the Sony Ericsson p800. However, these were considered expensive and out of reach for the average consumer. The Iphone did the same thing but at a cheaper price and so came to be the definitive smartphone.

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    With the Austin 7, Herbert Austin’s team applied the key lessons from Ford’s Model T – creating a simple, modestly powered car with just enough features for mass appeal while incorporating clever design elements that earned the respect of car enthusiasts.

    When the Austin 7 was unveiled in July 1922, it was priced at just £165, when an Austin 20 was between £600 and £700. At a time when the average British worker earned around £5 per week, the only real affordable car had been Ford’s basic and utilitarian Model T at around £250.

    The 7’s ingenious design was the key to its success. With a shared base frame for the car, it could be a four-seater family car, a stylish coupe, or even a racing car.

    This cheap, tiny car not only was a legend in its own right and familiar around the world, but it influenced other legends too.

    Colin Chapman, the founder of Lotus Cars, based his first Lotus 1 on the Austin 7. What is less known is that German car manufacturer BMW built Austin 7s under licence in the 1920s and 30s but called them “Dixis”. Nissan did the same in Japan in the pre-war period. Such licensing deals helped set up both manufacturers’ future success as the powerhouses they are today.

    Austin 7s were produced all over Europe, Asia and even in Australia. The 7 was also produced in the US as the “American Bantam” and its design contributed to the “Willy’s Jeep”, one of the US’s most famous vehicles.

    Ultimately, the beginning of the second world war marked the end of Austin 7 production as the Austin factory at Longbridge, near Birmingham, needed to be repurposed to produce munitions. When the war ended, tastes for vehicles had changed and factories started to produce more modern designs, and not those from the 1920s, marking the end of a British automotive icon in 1939.

    Now it’s back, thanks to the engineer John Stubbs who bought the Austin brand after noticing the brand and trademarks were available. The rights to these had been owned by the Nanjing Automobile Group, which bought MG Rover when it collapsed in 2005. However, Nanjing had let these lapse and Stubbs bought them for £170 in 2015.

    The new Essex-based Austin Motor Company aims to recreate this classic brand, tugging at the heartstrings of those looking nostalgically at Britain’s automotive heyday. The announcement featured images of fun, cheap (£31,000) and light cars driving around the B-roads of Britain, or perhaps being taken to a racetrack for an amateur competition, harking back to earlier days. However, this car is thoroughly modern, featuring an electric motor.

    The new Austin Arrow is not meant to be the usable “everyman” car the original 7 was. For starters, to be compliant with quadricycle (a micro car with less than 6kW of power and an unladen mass no more than 425 kg) legislation it is limited to 60mph as a top speed and the range will be a maximum of 100 miles on one charge.

    However, as that fun, racy, open-top car that it’s predecessors were, it very much captures the spirit of the original Austin 7 Arrow.

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

    – ref. The Austin 7 is back – a short history of the iconic British car that changed the automotive industry – https://theconversation.com/the-austin-7-is-back-a-short-history-of-the-iconic-british-car-that-changed-the-automotive-industry-248712

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: DeepSeek claims to have cured AI’s environmental headache. The Jevons paradox suggests it might make things worse

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Peter Howson, Assistant Professor in International Development, Northumbria University, Newcastle

    William Stanley Jevons also invented an early computer. University of Manchester Libraries / wiki, CC BY-SA

    AI burns through a lot of resources. And thanks to a paradox first identified way back in the 1860s, even a more energy-efficient AI is likely to simply mean more energy is used in the long run.

    For most users, “large language models” such as OpenAI’s ChatGPT work like intuitive search engines. But unlike regular web-searches that find and retrieve data from anywhere along a global network of servers, AI models return data they’ve generated from scratch. Like powering up a nuclear reactor to use a calculator, this tailored process is very inefficient.

    One study suggests the AI industry will be consuming somewhere between 85 and 134 terrawatt-hours (TWh) of electricity by 2027. That’s a similar amount of energy as the Netherlands consumes each year. One prominent researcher predicts that by 2030, over 20% of all electricity produced in the US will be feeding AI data centres (huge warehouses filled with computers).

    Big tech firms have always claimed to be heavy investors in wind and solar energy. But AI’s appetite for 24/7 power means most are developing their own nuclear options. Microsoft even plans to revive the infamous Three Mile Island power plant, scene of America’s worst ever civil nuclear accident.

    Despite Google’s ambitious target of being carbon neutral by 2030, the company’s AI developments mean its emissions have climbed 48% in the past few years. And the computing power needed to train these models increases tenfold each year.

    However, Chinese start-up DeepSeek claims to have created a fix: a model that matches the performance of established US rivals like OpenAI, but at a fraction of the cost and carbon footprint.

    An environmental game changer?

    DeepSeek has created a powerful open-source, relatively energy-lite model. The company claims it spent just US$6 million renting the hardware needed to train its new R1 model, compared with over $60 million for Meta’s Llama, which used 11 times the computing resources.

    DeepSeek uses a “mixture-of-experts” architecture, a machine-learning method that allows the model to scale up and down depending on the complexity of prompts. The company claims its model can also store more data and be trained without the need for huge amounts of expensive processor chips.

    Compared with its US rivals, DeepSeek promises to do more with less.
    Chitaika / shutterstock

    In reaction, US chip manufacturing and energy stocks plummeted following investor concerns that AI companies would rethink their energy-intensive data centre developments. As the world’s largest supplier of specialist AI processors, Nvidia saw its share price fall by US$589 billion, the biggest one-day loss in Wall Street history.

    Paradoxically, as well as upsetting the performance of US tech stocks, improving the energy efficiency of AI platforms could actually worsen the industry’s environmental performance as a whole.

    With tech stocks crashing, Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella tried to bring a longer-term perspective: “Jevons paradox strikes again!” he posted on X. “As AI gets more efficient and accessible, we will see its use skyrocket, turning it into a commodity we just can’t get enough of.”

    The Jevons paradox

    The idea that energy efficiency isn’t always a good thing for Earth’s resources has been around for well over a century. In 1865, a young Englishman named William Stanley Jevons wrote “The Coal Question”, a book in which he suggested that Britain’s place as an industrial superpower might soon come to an end, due to its rapidly depleting coal reserves.

    But to Jevons, frugality was not the solution. He argued: “It is wholly a confusion of ideas to suppose that the economical use of fuel is equivalent to a diminished consumption. The very contrary is the truth.”

    According to Jevons, any increase in resource efficiency generates an increase in long-term resource consumption, rather than a decrease. Because greater energy efficiency has the effect of reducing energy’s implicit price, it increases the rate of return – and demand.

    Jevons offered the example of the British iron industry. If technological advancements helped a blast furnace produce iron with less coal, profits would rise and new investment in iron production would be attracted. At the same time, falling prices would stimulate additional demand. He concluded: “The greater number of furnaces will more than make up for the diminished [coal] consumption of each.”

    More recently, the economist William Nordhaus applied this idea to the efficiency of lighting since the dawn of human civilisation. In a paper published in 1998, he concluded that in ancient Babylon, the average labourer might need to work more than 40 hours to purchase enough fuel to produce the equivalent amount of light emitted by a modern lightbulb for one hour. But by 1992, an average American would need to work for less than half a second to produce the same.

    Throughout time, efficiency gains haven’t reduced the energy we expend on lighting or shrunk our energy consumption. On the contrary, we now generate so much electric light that areas without it have become tourist attractions.

    Warming and lighting our homes efficiently, driving our cars, mining Bitcoin and, indeed, building AI models are all subject to the same so-called rebound effects identified in the Jevons paradox. And this is why it will be impossible to ensure a more efficient AI industry actually leads to an overall reduction in energy use.

    A Sputnik moment

    In the 1950s, the US was horrified when the Soviets launched Sputnik, the first space satellite. The emergence of a more efficient rival caused America to allocate more resources to the space race, not less.

    DeepSeek is Silicon Valley’s Sputnik moment. More efficient AI will probably mean more distributed and powerful models, in an arms race that is no longer made up only of US tech giants. AI offers superpower status, and the floodgates may now be fully open for the UK and other global competitors, as well as China.

    What’s for certain is that in the long term, the AI industry’s appetite for energy and other resources is only going to increase.

    Peter Howson has received research funding from the British Academy.

    – ref. DeepSeek claims to have cured AI’s environmental headache. The Jevons paradox suggests it might make things worse – https://theconversation.com/deepseek-claims-to-have-cured-ais-environmental-headache-the-jevons-paradox-suggests-it-might-make-things-worse-248720

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Dartmouth — Nova Scotia RCMP Collision and Reconstruction Service interview on seatbelt use

    Source: Royal Canadian Mounted Police

    Cpl. Ford and Cpl. Durette of the RCMP’s Collision and Reconstruction Service recently sat down with CBC to discuss their role in investigating collisions and the impact of vehicle occupants failing to wear seatbelts.

    https://www.cbc.ca/player/play/video/9.6621874

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Canada: Millions of Fentanyl Doses Seized in Saskatchewan Traffic Stop

    Source: Government of Canada regional news

    Released on January 31, 2025

    Saskatchewan continues to see significant results from the strong partnerships that exist between the RCMP and the Ministry of Corrections, Policing and Public Safety’s Provincial Protective Services (PPS). Together, the RCMP’s specialized policing teams and the PPS’s Conservation Officer Service and Saskatchewan Highway Patrol (SHP) officers are targeting illicit drugs, weapons and human trafficking cases near the border and across the province.  

    During a proactive patrol on January 28, 2025, the RCMP and Saskatchewan Highway Patrol officers conducted a traffic stop in the Swift Current area. During a vehicle search, officers located eight kilograms of fentanyl hidden under a spare tire. As a result of the investigation, two occupants in the vehicle were charged with trafficking and possession for the purpose of trafficking.

    “Thank you to the Saskatchewan RCMP, Saskatchewan Highway Patrol, conservation officers and all of our policing partners for their service to the people of Saskatchewan,” Premier Scott Moe said. “This seizure of fentanyl is another significant outcome we are seeing from our investments in the Saskatchewan RCMP and the Provincial Protective Services as they tackle crime and prevent harmful drugs from reaching our communities.” 

    “By removing illicit drugs and illegal weapons from our streets, our policing partners at the Saskatchewan RCMP and the Provincial Protective Services are helping to keep Saskatchewan communities safe,” Corrections, Policing and Public Safety Minister Tim McLeod said. “Our partnership with the RCMP plays an important role in addressing critical issues, whether it is supporting border security or combating organized crime, we work together to ensure community safety.”

    On January 9, 2025, RCMP’s Roving Traffic Unit and Saskatchewan Highway Patrol officers were doing proactive patrols and conducted a traffic stop. As a result of an investigation, officers located and seized approximately 1,551 lbs of illicit cannabis and a sum of cash from inside a large cargo van. An adult male was arrested and charged with trafficking and possession for the purpose of trafficking.

    “RCMP officers and employees across Saskatchewan remain dedicated to the safety and security of the people and communities we serve, despite an increase in complex crimes paired with resourcing challenges we face,” Saskatchewan RCMP Assistant Commissioner Commanding Officer Rhonda Blackmore said. “Look at this month alone, investigators removed significant quantities of drugs from our streets. We have collaborated with partner agencies on multiple serious investigations. I am exceptionally proud to lead such a fantastic team.”

    Since January 6, 2025, PPS officers and the RCMP have also conducted high-visibility patrols near the SK-US border, including this week’s collaborative enforcement effort north of the Regway border crossing. These enforcement efforts ensured a strong presence near our border focused on commercial vehicle safety, traffic safety and compliance as part of the Saskatchewan Border Security Plan. In addition to the concerted work of RCMP, PPS officers have dedicated 750 hours to patrolling southern border routes, smaller communities and remote areas, with more than 270 vehicles being inspected, one firearm seized and over 80 provincial tickets issued. 

    -30-

    For more information, contact:

    MIL OSI Canada News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Travel Advisory: RIDOT to Reduce I-295 Travel Lanes for Bridge Replacement Project in Smithfield and Cumberland

    Source: US State of Rhode Island

    Starting on Monday night, February 3, RIDOT will reduce the number of travel lanes on both directions of I-295 at the Douglas Avenue overpass in Smithfield from three lanes to two lanes as it begins a rapid bridge project to replace the Douglas Pike Bridge in Smithfield and the Diamond Hill Road Bridge in Cumberland. Both bridges carry traffic over I-295.

    Only the low-speed lane will be closed. No on-ramps or exits will be closed. The closures will be in place for approximately 10 months. RIDOT has implemented other lane reductions along the northern half of I-295 for bridge work and has not observed any significant traffic congestion from the temporary closures. The schedule is as follows:

    February 3: The low-speed lane in both directions of I-295 will be closed at the Douglas Pike Bridge at Exit 15. In the week following the traffic pattern change, RIDOT will install temporary barriers for the closure.

    Approximately Late February: The low-speed lane in both directions of I-295 will be closed at the Diamond Hill Road Bridge at Exit 22. In the week following the traffic pattern change, RIDOT will install temporary barriers for the closure. RIDOT will announce the exact closure date in the near future.

    The rapid bridge construction approach will save motorists up to two years of lane closures and shifts associated with conventional construction. During a series of four, 14-day periods this summer and fall, RIDOT will shift traffic on the bridges, placing all traffic on one side of the bridge while demolishing and replacing the other side. The process will be repeated until both bridges are completely replaced, with the goal of having all traffic on new structures by the end of the year. The entire $63.5 million project will be finished in spring 2026.

    The Douglas Pike Bridge is actually two separate structures, both built in 1971. One is rated as structurally deficient and the other is only 1 point away from being rated as deficient. It carries more than 22,400 vehicles per day. The Diamond Hill Road Bridge is rated as structurally deficient and carries more than 17,400 vehicles per day. It was built in 1963.

    All construction projects are subject to changes in schedule and scope depending on needs, circumstances, findings, and weather.

    The replacement of these bridges is made possible by RhodeWorks. RIDOT is committed to bringing Rhode Island’s infrastructure into a state of good repair while respecting the environment and striving to improve it. Learn more at www.ridot.net/RhodeWorks.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Dmitry Chernyshenko met with scientists and assessed developments in eliminating the consequences of emergencies in the Black Sea

    Translartion. Region: Russians Fedetion –

    Source: Government of the Russian Federation – An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.

    Dmitry Chernyshenko met with scientists and assessed developments in eliminating the consequences of emergencies in the Black Sea

    January 31, 2025

    Dmitry Chernyshenko met with scientists and assessed developments in eliminating the consequences of emergencies in the Black Sea

    January 31, 2025

    Dmitry Chernyshenko met with scientists and assessed developments in eliminating the consequences of emergencies in the Black Sea

    January 31, 2025

    Dmitry Chernyshenko met with scientists and assessed developments in eliminating the consequences of emergencies in the Black Sea

    January 31, 2025

    Dmitry Chernyshenko met with scientists and assessed developments in eliminating the consequences of emergencies in the Black Sea

    January 31, 2025

    Dmitry Chernyshenko met with scientists and assessed developments in eliminating the consequences of emergencies in the Black Sea

    January 31, 2025

    Dmitry Chernyshenko met with scientists and assessed developments in eliminating the consequences of emergencies in the Black Sea

    January 31, 2025

    Dmitry Chernyshenko met with scientists and assessed developments in eliminating the consequences of emergencies in the Black Sea

    January 31, 2025

    Dmitry Chernyshenko met with scientists and assessed developments in eliminating the consequences of emergencies in the Black Sea

    January 31, 2025

    Previous news Next news

    Dmitry Chernyshenko met with scientists and assessed developments in eliminating the consequences of emergencies in the Black Sea

    During a working visit to Anapa, Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Chernyshenko met with scientists and assessed innovative developments and technological solutions for eliminating the consequences of an emergency situation (ES) in connection with an oil spill in the Black Sea.

    The Deputy Prime Minister emphasized that, on the instructions of President Vladimir Putin, a government commission headed by Deputy Prime Minister Vitaly Savelyev has been created to coordinate the process of eliminating the consequences of the fuel oil spill. A separate direction on science is led by Minister of Science and Higher Education Valery Falkov.

    “Scientists said an important thing: they do not compete in technology, but complement each other and find symbiosis. Cooperation is extremely important, because President Vladimir Putin instructed us to develop technologies for the future so that we can quickly respond and help others. It is also necessary to solve current issues. Now we are faced with the task of defining clear steps for testing developments and scaling them in real conditions,” said Dmitry Chernyshenko.

    At the experimental site, the Tyumen Industrial University demonstrated a technology for cleaning water areas using magnetically sensitive materials introduced by mobile means, including UAVs. Both ready-made powders and industrial waste are used.

    The Institute of Control Sciences of the Russian Academy of Sciences presented an autonomous robot for monitoring the surface, underwater and in the air. The robot detects objects using AI, conducts additional examination and can be used for environmental monitoring and other purposes.

    Sibur and the Chemistry Department of Lomonosov Moscow State University demonstrated samples of polyurethane foams and fibers to improve fuel oil collection using polymer networks and sorption materials.

    Kuban State University and Bauman Moscow State Technical University presented the results of research on the use of biopreparations and bacteria for the decomposition of fuel oil in the soil. For the additional purification of sands, it is planned to use oxidative methods and biopreparations.

    Tomsk State University presented the “Aeroshup” technology, based on the flotation principle. Air bubbles separate pollutants from the bottom of a reservoir, raising them to the surface for further collection. It is planned to adapt the technology to marine conditions using a remotely operated unmanned underwater vehicle (ROV) for work at depths of up to 100 m.

    Deputy Minister of Science and Higher Education Denis Sekirinsky noted that, on the instructions of the Government, the existing scientific and technical groundwork is being analyzed, and interaction with the operational headquarters is underway. The interdepartmental working group formed in the Ministry from leading scientists, business representatives and interested executive authorities works on a permanent basis, providing the necessary consultations to the Ministry of Emergency Situations, the Ministry of Transport, the Ministry of Natural Resources and the Federal Service for Supervision of Natural Resources.

    “Today we presented key scientific and technical developments that we are beginning to test and apply to solve problems of eliminating the consequences of the accident. This experience will certainly be useful in the future if a similar incident occurs in one or another part of the world,” said Denis Sekirinsky.

    Krasnodar Region Governor Veniamin Kondratyev noted that a working group was created at the regional level, which included leading research centers of the region, Moscow and Sevastopol. In total, there are about 40 scientists, representatives of production and scientific enterprises and associations. Experts have already reviewed 84 proposals for cleaning contaminated sand and recycling petroleum products.

    “Among the solutions that have already been tested is the development of Skoltech scientist Vladimir Kalyaev, who was one of the first to arrive in the region – in Anapa, more than 10 km of protective sand embankments have already been covered with absorbent fabric. In the village of Voskresensky, an industrial installation called “Grokhot” is operating at the temporary accumulation site for oil-contaminated sand, and mechanized seeders are used on the beaches. We need to find a technology as soon as possible that will allow us to clean the soil in the beach area as efficiently as possible,” said Veniamin Kondratyev.

    In addition, Dmitry Chernyshenko held a meeting on the development and implementation of scientific solutions aimed at eliminating the consequences of an emergency situation in connection with an oil spill in the Black Sea.

    It was attended by the Governor of Krasnodar Krai Veniamin Kondratyev, Deputy Minister of Natural Resources and Environment Maxim Korolkov, Deputy Minister of Science and Higher Education Denis Sekirinsky, Vice President of the Russian Academy of Sciences Stepan Kalmykov, heads of scientific organizations and universities.

    The participants discussed the status of the implementation of the Government’s instruction on organizing the work on selecting promising solutions to eliminate the short-term and long-term consequences of oil spills. The heads of scientific organizations also heard reports on technologies for monitoring and forecasting the state of fuel oil pollution.

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

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Colchester County — Colchester County District RCMP charge man wanted on province-wide arrest warrant after he flees police

    Source: Royal Canadian Mounted Police

    At approximately 10 a.m. on January 30,Colchester County District RCMP observed a vehicle in Lower Truro associated to a man who was wanted in relation to intimate partner violence related offences, and who has pending charges for multiple firearms offences.

    Officers attempted a traffic stop on Hwy. 236 in Lower Truro. The vehicle didn’t stop and continued at a high rate of speed. Officers followed the vehicle. The RCMP Emergency Response Team (ERT) and Nova Scotia Department of Natural Resources and Renewables (DNRR) air services were called in to assist.

    Responding officers deployed spike belts on Hwy. 236 then on Hwy. 215 in East Hants to stop the vehicle. The suspect vehicle was damaged but was able to continue fleeing police.

    From Hwy. 215, the suspect vehicle accessed the shoulder of Hwy. 102 then traveled northbound in the southbound lanes. With the assistance of DNRR air services, the vehicle was observed attempting to turn around and head south in the southbound lane.

    At this time, the vehicle was intercepted on Hwy. 102 between Exit 11 and Exit 12 by the RCMP ERT and Police Dog Services. Officers safely arrested the driver, 38-year-old Stephen Joseph “Dakota” Maloney, and the passenger.

    Officers learned the passenger was a victim; they were released from custody. Maloney reported minor injuries and was transported to hospital by EHS.

    “We understand how unsettling it must’ve been for those travelling along Hwy. 102 and witnessed the suspect vehicle driving erratically in the wrong direction,” says Supt. Sean Auld, Officer in Charge of Support Services. “Our officers continually assessed the situation from a public safety perspective, and working in collaboration with DNRR, officers relied on their training to safely stop the vehicle and arrest the offender.”

    Maloney has been charged with:

    • Flight from Peace Officer
    • Dangerous Operation
    • Operation While Prohibited
    • Forcible Confinement
    • Failure to Comply with Order

    He appeared in Truro Provincial Court on January 30 and was remanded into custody pending future court appearances.

    The investigation, led by the Colchester County District RCMP with assistance of RCMP Police Dog Services, is ongoing.

    Anyone with information about the incident is asked to contact Colchester County District RCMP at 902-893-6820. To remain to remain anonymous, call Nova Scotia Crime Stoppers, toll-free, at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477), submit a secure web tip at www.crimestoppers.ns.ca, or use the P3 Tips app.

    File # 2025-134744

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: U.S. Attorney’s Office Secures 15-Year Sentence for Deadly 2022 DWI Crash that Killed Three People

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    ALBUQUERQUE – A Laguna man was sentenced to 15 years in federal prison for a fatal DWI crash on the Laguna Pueblo in 2022 that killed three members of the same family.

    There is no parole in the federal system.

    According to court documents, on August 7, 2022, Cody Allen Charlie, 38, an enrolled member of the Pueblo of Laguna, was driving intoxicated at 116 miles per hour while using his cell phone when he crashed into another vehicle on Interstate 40, near mile marker 130. The impact caused the other vehicle to veer off the interstate and onto the shoulder, where it rolled over. All three occupants of that vehicle were killed in the crash. Instead of providing help to his victims, Charlie left his wrecked vehicle and ran from the scene.

    Upon his release from prison, Charlie will be subject to five years of supervised release. He must also make full monetary restitution to the victims of his crimes. As part of his supervised release, Charlie will be subject to alcohol and substance-abuse monitoring, and he must also complete mental-health and substance-abuse programs. As a convicted felon, Charlie is no longer permitted to own or possess a firearm.

    U.S. Attorney Alexander M.M. Uballez made the announcement today.

    The Bureau of Indian Affairs investigated this case with assistance from the Laguna Police Department and New Mexico State Police. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Brittany DuChaussee and Zachary C. Jones are prosecuting the case.

    # # #

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Harbour Grace — Update: Drug impaired driving charges laid against Harbour Grace man

    Source: Royal Canadian Mounted Police

    After colliding with a police vehicle in Carbonear on September 13, 2024, lab results recently received for 20-year-old Mitchell Cox support an additional charge of drug impaired driving.

    Cox was originally arrested on September 13, 2024, for dangerous operation and flight from police after he fled from Harbour Grace RCMP at an attempted traffic stop on Lower Southside Road in Carbonear. Cox collided with a police vehicle during his attempt to evade police. Officers suspected he was impaired by drugs at the time of the collision.

    Following his arrest, he was transported to Carbonear General Hospital where samples of his blood were obtained and sent for a drug analysis. Late this month, the toxicology report was received, with results supporting an additional charge of drug impaired driving.

    In addition to charges of flight from police and dangerous operation, Cox is now charged with impaired operation by drug and failing to comply with conditions of a release order. His licence is now suspended.

    His next court appearance is scheduled to take place on March 26, 2025.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI USA: USGS: Value of U.S. mineral production edged up in 2024

    Source: US Geological Survey

    Reston, Va. — The overall value of U.S. mineral production edged up by $1 billion in 2024 to $106 billion, according to the U.S. Geological Survey’s annual Mineral Commodity Summaries. Record prices for gold and silver buoyed the total, more than compensating for a 40 to 60 percent fall in the value of U.S. production of critical minerals used to make lithium-ion batteries.    

    Prices for the battery materials, principally cobalt, lithium and nickel, fell due to oversupply by dominant producers including China. The report also highlights the overall importance of nonfuel minerals to American industries including aerospace, electronics and construction. These industriesrepresented$4.08 trillion in value in 2024, a 4% increase over 2023, and nearly one-seventh of the U.S. economy.   

    The 30th annual Mineral Commodity Summaries report prepared by the USGS National Minerals Information Center is a comprehensive source of nonfuel mineral commodity data for the world. It includes information on the domestic industry structure, government programs, tariffs, reserves, world production and five-year salient statistics for 90 nonfuel mineral commodities that are important to U.S. national security and the economy. It also identifies events, trends and issues in the domestic and international minerals industries that impact production and consumption.  

    “We are excited to release the 30th edition of the Mineral Commodity Summaries. For decades, leaders in industry and government have relied on the objective, robust data and analysis provided in this report to help make business decisions and determine national commerce, security, and intelligence policy surrounding minerals,” said Sarah Ryker, acting director of the USGS. “The USGS leads Federal coordination on the Nation’s mineral supply chains and informs our partners from our rich data. We continue to add new data and analysis to the Mineral Commodity Summaries and develop new ways to shed light on mining, minerals and our economy’s need for them.”  

    In 2024, the metal sector had another year of decreasing prices attributed to oversupply in the global market. There were notable reductions in prices from dominant producing countries including China. The value of U.S. production of many of the metals required to make lithium-ion batteries used in phones, power tools and vehicles, such as cobalt, lithium and nickel, fell sharply by 40% to60% from 2023 levels. The drop in value was caused by both the fall in prices and a resulting decrease in U.S. production. The largest decreases in metal production quantities, in descending order, were nickel, cobalt, platinum, palladium and cadmium. The reduction in prices caused some domestic mining projects to delay operations or stop processing material.   

    Other key highlights of the report are detailed analysis of tariff and trade changes in 2024 affecting mineral commodities. These include U.S. tariffs on China’s exports of goods containing critical minerals in response to acts, policies and practices, and China’s export ban on antimony, gallium and germanium exports to the U.S.    

    In 2024, the U.S. was 100% reliant on imports for 12 of the 50 minerals on the List of Critical Minerals, unchanged from 2023, and the number of critical minerals where the U.S. is more than 50% reliant on imports fell from 29 to 28.  However, the drop in nickel imports doesnot necessarily signal a strengthened domestic supply chain – it was driven by decreased U.S. industrial consumption of nickel.   

    Gold and silver, however, had the highest prices on record in 2024. In 2024, the estimated U.S. production value of gold increased by 9% despite a decrease in the estimated quantity of gold produced. The estimated production value of gold accounted for 11% of the total estimated value of U.S. nonfuel mineral commodity production. Prices for some other commodities such as antimony and germanium also increased significantly owing to export restrictions put in place by China. 

    The $106 billion worth of nonfuel mineral commodities produced by U.S. mines in 2024 included ferrous and nonferrous metals as well as industrial minerals and natural aggregates. The estimated value of U.S. production of all industrial minerals in 2024 was $72.1 billion, which was about 68% of the total value of U.S. mine production. Crushed stone was the leading nonfuel mineral commodity domestically produced in 2024, accounting for 24% of the total value of U.S. mine production. 

    U.S. metal mine production in 2024 was estimated to be valued at $33.5 billion, a slight increase from $33 billion in 2023. The principal contributors to the total value of metal mine production in 2024 were gold, 35%; copper, 30%; iron ore, 16%; zinc, 7%; and molybdenum, 5%.  

    Domestically, a total of $48 billion of metals and mineral products were recycled in 2024, including metals such as copper, gold, iron and steel scrap and platinum-group elements. This amount represented a slight increase in value compared with that in 2023. 

    Fourteen mineral commodities produced in the U.S. were valued at more than $1 billion each. These commodities were, in order of value, crushed stone, construction sand and gravel, gold, cement, copper, iron ore, industrial sand and gravel, lime, soda ash, salt, zinc, phosphate rock, molybdenum and helium. 
     
    The report also details progress from investments in the domestic minerals base. In fiscal year 2024 alone, the USGS Earth Mapping Resources Initiative distributed more than $57 million across 39 States to fund geoscience data collection and mapping in partnership with State geological surveys, data preservation programs, and scientific interpretation efforts to identify areas of the country with potential for the occurrence of critical minerals.  

    Under the Energy Act of 2020, the USGS maintains the List of Critical Minerals, added a critical minerals section to the annual Mineral Commodity Summaries, conducts a nationwide mapping effort – the Earth Mapping Resources Initiative – in partnership with state geological surveys, and is assessing domestic critical mineral resources. 

    The USGS delivers unbiased science and information to improve understanding of mineral resource potential, production, consumption and how minerals interact with the environment. The USGS National Minerals Information Center collects, analyzes and disseminates current information on the supply of, and the demand for, minerals and materials in the U.S. and about 180 other countries. This information is essential in planning for, and mitigating impacts of, potential disruptions to mineral commodity supply due to both natural hazards and human-caused events. 

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Benin: An African Pioneer

    Source: IMF – News in Russian

    Benin: An African Pioneer

    January 31, 2025

    Innovation and a strong reform drive have strengthened Benin’s resilience to regional and global challenges and supported progress toward meeting the Sustainable Development Goals.

    Benin faced a number of negative spillovers in 2022: a deteriorating regional security situation at its northern border, the lingering scars of COVID-19, and higher living costs amid the war in Ukraine. To help counter those headwinds, the country tapped IMF support, including a $650 million blended Extended Fund Facility (EFF) and Extended Credit Facility (ECF) arrangement, complemented by a $200 million Resilience and Sustainability Facility (RSF) in 2023. Development partners’ confidence in the country’s reform program has been reflected in budget support consistently exceeding expectations. Moreover, Benin was among the first countries to re-access the international capital market last year, following a two-year hiatus, with several sovereign credit rating upgrades in recent years.  

    Despite challenges, there are promising signs of economic transformation. Among other achievements, growth has been strong, fiscal adjustment is proceeding while allowing for a significant increase in social spending, and efforts to strengthen governance are gaining ground.

    Following the combined Fifth Review of the ongoing EFF/ECF arrangement and Second Review of the RSF, IMF Country Focus discussed the country’s economic performance with Romuald Wadagni, Senior Minister of State of Economy and Finance for Benin, and Constant Lonkeng, IMF Mission Chief for Benin.

    How is the current reform program affecting the daily lives of Beninese people?

    Finance Minister Wadagni: First and foremost, our ongoing reform program has allowed us to navigate an episode of severe and repeated shocks, with technical and financial support from our development partners. As a result, our economy has shown remarkable resilience, with growth averaging more than 6.5 percent in recent years.

    Economic resilience is helping harness the potential of Benin’s people. A key focus of our reform program is enhancing human capital, as articulated under our people-centric Government Action Program (PAG 2021–26).

    Our Integrated School Feeding Program currently provides free meals to students in 95 percent of elementary schools in rural areas (more than 1.3 million children), with full coverage targeted this year. Lower education is now tuition-free for girls across all of Benin’s 77 communes (estimated 2 million girls), with an ongoing pilot to extend to upper secondary school. We are also putting emphasis on technical education and vocational training to prepare our large youth population to seize job opportunities in high value-added activities.  

    More broadly, our flagship Insurance for Human Capital Enhancement (ARCH) seeks to foster social resilience through various programs including micro-credits, access to healthcare, and pensions. The social registry—established early on under the EFF/ECF with World Bank technical support—is an essential tool for targeting our support to the most vulnerable.  

    How has IMF engagement supported the authorities’ policy agenda?

    IMF Mission Chief Lonkeng: One key design consideration of Benin’s IMF-supported program was balancing financing and fiscal adjustment in a shock-prone environment. Considering Benin’s established track record in macroeconomic management, we opted for a flexible design—a vote of confidence from the IMF.  

    Frontloaded financing supported the country’s appropriately strong counter-cyclical policy response to severe shocks—the IMF disbursed more than 40 percent of the total financing envelope of about 400 percent of Benin’s quota in the first 6 months of the 42-month program to smooth out fiscal adjustment. The EFF/ECF was subsequently complemented by an RSF (120 percent of Benin’s quota) to help enhance the country’s overall socio-economic resilience.  

    The authorities have since been re-building policy space, with domestic revenue mobilization being a key part of this effort and, more broadly, the cornerstone of the authorities’ reform program. A frontloaded tax policy reform under the program complemented efforts to digitalize the tax system to boost revenue collection. As the chart shows, Benin’s tax-to-GDP ratio increased by more than 2 percentage points during 2022–24, far exceeding the average improvement of other countries in this timeframe. 

    There are promising signs of economic transformation. How are you achieving this and what lessons did you learn along the way?

    Finance Minister Wadagni: We first conducted an in-depth diagnostic of our economic and financial situation about a decade ago. We then embarked on a first wave of reforms to lay the foundations for structural transformation, cognizant of the fact that sound public finances, reliable energy, and infrastructure—including digital—are key prerequisites for sustained economic expansion.  

    The ongoing second wave of reforms seek to consolidate our initial achievements and climb up value chains by processing commodities locally. The Glo-Djigbé Industrial Zone—which is dedicated to the local transformation of agricultural products including cotton, cashews, and soybeans—plays a strategic role in this regard. We intend to further develop the zone and, more broadly, pursue the structural transformation of our economy, including through continued modernization and enhanced resilience of agriculture. We will also step up investment in unlocking Benin’s tourism potential and modernizing the Port of Cotonou.

    In doing all of the above, we will expand the social safety nets to reach as many vulnerable people as possible. A key lesson from our experience so far is that sound governance is critical in economic transformation.  

    Benin innovated with the issuance of the first Social Development Goal (SDG) bond in the region – and is now extending this framework to catalyze private climate finance. Can you elaborate?

    Finance Minister Wadagni: We developed an SDG bond framework around the country’s social and climate priorities as an integral part of our development finance strategy. The framework was initially used to issue a €500 million SDG bond in 2021, a first in the region. It has since facilitated the financing of key social and energy transition projects. We intend to leverage the SDG bond framework to catalyze financing for climate change adaptation, resilient agriculture, sustainable ecosystem management, and the energy transition.

    Relatedly, we secured climate financing pledges from our partners during the recent COP29, following the climate finance roundtable that we co-convened in Cotonou with the IMF and the World Bank.

    What has been the key to program engagement in your view, and what do you see as the main challenges ahead?   

    IMF Mission Chief Lonkeng: First and foremost, program ownership has been key. Benin has an established tradition of public consultation around the country’s reform agenda—under the National Development Plan and the Government Action Program. The Fund-supported program therefore had a solid homegrown foundation to build on.  

    Going forward, continued expansion of the tax base, drawing on the country’s recently developed medium-term revenue strategy, would help fund Benin’s large development needs (the country’s median age is 18), and improve the country’s capacity to carry debt and preserve debt sustainability.  

    On the structural front, a continued move away from the traditional transit-centered growth model—supported by a balanced social contract—would foster private sector job creation in higher value-added activities for the large youth population. Enhancing resilience to climate change and maintaining the digitalization drive would also support overall socio-economic resilience in the long-term. All of this would help raise the living standards of the Beninese in a sustained and inclusive manner.

    https://www.imf.org/en/News/Articles/2025/01/31/cf-benin-an-african-pioneer

    MIL OSI

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI: KH Group Plc’s Shareholders’ Nomination Board’s proposals for the composition and remuneration of the Board of Directors

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    KH Group Plc
    Stock Exchange Release
    31 January 2025 at 4.45 p.m. EET

    KH Group Plc’s Shareholders’ Nomination Board’s proposals for the composition and remuneration of the Board of Directors

    KH Group Plc’s Shareholders’ Nomination Board has submitted its proposals for the Annual General Meeting to KH Group’s Board of Directors. The Shareholders’ Nomination Board makes its proposals unanimously. The Annual General Meeting is planned to be held on Tuesday, 6 May 2025. The company will publish the notice to convene the Annual General Meeting at a later time.

    Proposal on Board Composition

    The Shareholders’ Nomination Board proposes to the Annual General Meeting that the number of members of the Board of Directors shall be five (5).

    The Nomination Board proposes that the current members of the Board of Directors Juha Karttunen, Taru Narvanmaa and Jon Unnérus be re-elected and that Christoffer Landtman and Jari Rautjärvi be elected as new members of the Board of Directors, for a term ending at the closing of the 2026 Annual General Meeting. Of the current Board members, Kati Kivimäki and Timo Mänty have indicated that they are not available for re-election. According to the Articles of Association of KH Group, the Board of Directors elects a Chair from among its members.

    All persons nominated as members of the Board of Directors have given their consent to the election. The Nomination Board considers all the nominees to be independent of the company and of the significant shareholders of the company.

    CVs, photographs and the evaluation regarding the independence of the current members of the Board of Directors are presented on the company’s website at https://khgroup.com/en/investors/corporate-governance/board-of-directors/. Presentations of the proposed new members of the Board of Directors Christoffer Landtman and Jari Rautjärvi are attached to this stock exchange release.

    Remuneration of the members of the Board of Directors

    The Shareholders’ Nomination Board proposes to the Annual General Meeting that the monthly remuneration for the Board of Directors remain unchanged, so that the Chairman of the Board of Directors be paid as remuneration EUR 3,550 per month and each member of the Board of Directors EUR 2,300 per month. The Nomination Board further proposes that the travel expenses of the members of the Board of Directors be compensated in accordance with the company’s travel policy and that each of the members of the Board of Directors shall have the right to abstain from receiving remuneration.

    Earnings-related pension insurance contributions are paid voluntarily for the paid remuneration.

    Composition of the Shareholders’ Nomination Board

    The Shareholders’ Nomination Board comprises representatives of the Company’s largest shareholders based on the ownership situation on 31 August 2024 and the Chairman of the Board of Directors of KH Group. The members of the Nomination Board are: Simon Hallqvist (Preato Capital AB), Mikko Laakkonen, Johanna Takanen and Juha Karttunen, Chairman of the Board of Directors of KH Group.

    KH GROUP PLC
    Juha Karttunen
    Chairman of the Board of Directors

    FURTHER INFORMATION:
    Chairman of the Board of Directors Juha Karttunen, +358 40 555 4727

    DISTRIBUTION:
    Nasdaq Helsinki Oy
    Main media
    www.khgroup.com

    KH Group Plc is a Nordic conglomerate operating in business areas of KH-Koneet, Indoor Group and Nordic Rescue Group. We are a leading supplier of construction and earth-moving equipment, furniture and interior decoration retailer as well as rescue vehicle manufacturer. The objective of our strategy is to create an industrial group around the business of KH-Koneet. KH Group’s share is listed on Nasdaq Helsinki.

    Attachments

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI Economics: Benin: An African Pioneer 

    Source: International Monetary Fund

    Benin: An African Pioneer

    January 31, 2025

    Innovation and a strong reform drive have strengthened Benin’s resilience to regional and global challenges and supported progress toward meeting the Sustainable Development Goals.

    Benin faced a number of negative spillovers in 2022: a deteriorating regional security situation at its northern border, the lingering scars of COVID-19, and higher living costs amid the war in Ukraine. To help counter those headwinds, the country tapped IMF support, including a $650 million blended Extended Fund Facility (EFF) and Extended Credit Facility (ECF) arrangement, complemented by a $200 million Resilience and Sustainability Facility (RSF) in 2023. Development partners’ confidence in the country’s reform program has been reflected in budget support consistently exceeding expectations. Moreover, Benin was among the first countries to re-access the international capital market last year, following a two-year hiatus, with several sovereign credit rating upgrades in recent years.  

    Despite challenges, there are promising signs of economic transformation. Among other achievements, growth has been strong, fiscal adjustment is proceeding while allowing for a significant increase in social spending, and efforts to strengthen governance are gaining ground.

    Following the combined Fifth Review of the ongoing EFF/ECF arrangement and Second Review of the RSF, IMF Country Focus discussed the country’s economic performance with Romuald Wadagni, Senior Minister of State of Economy and Finance for Benin, and Constant Lonkeng, IMF Mission Chief for Benin.

    How is the current reform program affecting the daily lives of Beninese people?

    Finance Minister Wadagni: First and foremost, our ongoing reform program has allowed us to navigate an episode of severe and repeated shocks, with technical and financial support from our development partners. As a result, our economy has shown remarkable resilience, with growth averaging more than 6.5 percent in recent years.

    Economic resilience is helping harness the potential of Benin’s people. A key focus of our reform program is enhancing human capital, as articulated under our people-centric Government Action Program (PAG 2021–26).

    Our Integrated School Feeding Program currently provides free meals to students in 95 percent of elementary schools in rural areas (more than 1.3 million children), with full coverage targeted this year. Lower education is now tuition-free for girls across all of Benin’s 77 communes (estimated 2 million girls), with an ongoing pilot to extend to upper secondary school. We are also putting emphasis on technical education and vocational training to prepare our large youth population to seize job opportunities in high value-added activities.  

    More broadly, our flagship Insurance for Human Capital Enhancement (ARCH) seeks to foster social resilience through various programs including micro-credits, access to healthcare, and pensions. The social registry—established early on under the EFF/ECF with World Bank technical support—is an essential tool for targeting our support to the most vulnerable.  

    How has IMF engagement supported the authorities’ policy agenda?

    IMF Mission Chief Lonkeng: One key design consideration of Benin’s IMF-supported program was balancing financing and fiscal adjustment in a shock-prone environment. Considering Benin’s established track record in macroeconomic management, we opted for a flexible design—a vote of confidence from the IMF.  

    Frontloaded financing supported the country’s appropriately strong counter-cyclical policy response to severe shocks—the IMF disbursed more than 40 percent of the total financing envelope of about 400 percent of Benin’s quota in the first 6 months of the 42-month program to smooth out fiscal adjustment. The EFF/ECF was subsequently complemented by an RSF (120 percent of Benin’s quota) to help enhance the country’s overall socio-economic resilience.  

    The authorities have since been re-building policy space, with domestic revenue mobilization being a key part of this effort and, more broadly, the cornerstone of the authorities’ reform program. A frontloaded tax policy reform under the program complemented efforts to digitalize the tax system to boost revenue collection. As the chart shows, Benin’s tax-to-GDP ratio increased by more than 2 percentage points during 2022–24, far exceeding the average improvement of other countries in this timeframe. 

    There are promising signs of economic transformation. How are you achieving this and what lessons did you learn along the way?

    Finance Minister Wadagni: We first conducted an in-depth diagnostic of our economic and financial situation about a decade ago. We then embarked on a first wave of reforms to lay the foundations for structural transformation, cognizant of the fact that sound public finances, reliable energy, and infrastructure—including digital—are key prerequisites for sustained economic expansion.  

    The ongoing second wave of reforms seek to consolidate our initial achievements and climb up value chains by processing commodities locally. The Glo-Djigbé Industrial Zone—which is dedicated to the local transformation of agricultural products including cotton, cashews, and soybeans—plays a strategic role in this regard. We intend to further develop the zone and, more broadly, pursue the structural transformation of our economy, including through continued modernization and enhanced resilience of agriculture. We will also step up investment in unlocking Benin’s tourism potential and modernizing the Port of Cotonou.

    In doing all of the above, we will expand the social safety nets to reach as many vulnerable people as possible. A key lesson from our experience so far is that sound governance is critical in economic transformation.  

    Benin innovated with the issuance of the first Social Development Goal (SDG) bond in the region – and is now extending this framework to catalyze private climate finance. Can you elaborate?

    Finance Minister Wadagni: We developed an SDG bond framework around the country’s social and climate priorities as an integral part of our development finance strategy. The framework was initially used to issue a €500 million SDG bond in 2021, a first in the region. It has since facilitated the financing of key social and energy transition projects. We intend to leverage the SDG bond framework to catalyze financing for climate change adaptation, resilient agriculture, sustainable ecosystem management, and the energy transition.

    Relatedly, we secured climate financing pledges from our partners during the recent COP29, following the climate finance roundtable that we co-convened in Cotonou with the IMF and the World Bank.

    What has been the key to program engagement in your view, and what do you see as the main challenges ahead?   

    IMF Mission Chief Lonkeng: First and foremost, program ownership has been key. Benin has an established tradition of public consultation around the country’s reform agenda—under the National Development Plan and the Government Action Program. The Fund-supported program therefore had a solid homegrown foundation to build on.  

    Going forward, continued expansion of the tax base, drawing on the country’s recently developed medium-term revenue strategy, would help fund Benin’s large development needs (the country’s median age is 18), and improve the country’s capacity to carry debt and preserve debt sustainability.  

    On the structural front, a continued move away from the traditional transit-centered growth model—supported by a balanced social contract—would foster private sector job creation in higher value-added activities for the large youth population. Enhancing resilience to climate change and maintaining the digitalization drive would also support overall socio-economic resilience in the long-term. All of this would help raise the living standards of the Beninese in a sustained and inclusive manner.

    MIL OSI Economics –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Pavement parking ban in Edinburgh hailed a success one year on

    Source: Scotland – City of Edinburgh

    The benefits of the pavement parking ban have been praised by Guide Dogs Scotland and Living Streets Edinburgh.

    The Council previously worked with these organisations to lobby for the introduction of controls in Scotland.

    Earlier this week (January 29) marked a full year since enforcement began against parking on pavements, at dropped kerb crossing points and double parking.

    We introduced these rules to make our streets safer for pedestrians and road users. Pavement parking particularly impacts people who use wheelchairs and mobility, those who are blind or partially sighted and people pushing prams or buggies. This practise also damages pavements, which are expensive to repair and become a trip hazard for everyone.

    Parking attendants have the powers to issue Penalty Charge Notices (PCN) to vehicles parked on pavements, some verges, at crossing points or double parked. A parking ticket will be issued at the national level of £100 but reduced to £50 if paid within the first 14 days. This follows a similar process to existing parking tickets issued in Edinburgh.

    You can find out more about these rules and report incorrectly parked vehicles on our website.

    Up to 26 January 2025 there had been 5,153 PCNs issued for footway parking, 1,612 for dropped kerb parking and 1,629 for double parking.

    Since enforcement began there has been an overall decreasing trend in PCN fines being issued for pavement parking – with the exception of the busier summer months.

    Transport and Environment Convener, Councillor Stephen Jenkinson said:

    Since we first introduced these changes one year ago, we’ve seen many residents and visitors modify their parking habits accordingly, with the problem of pavement parking disappearing in many streets across our city. The overall gradual decrease in PCN fines for pavement parking also shows we’re headed in the right direction, ultimately we want to see zero fines.  

    Every driver is responsible for parking their vehicle considerately, and where this would not cause an obstruction to the pavement or road. We brought the pavement parking ban in to provide a safe and accessible environment for everyone, especially those with sight impairments, mobility issues or pushing buggies. We’ve also heard from many people who really appreciate clearer, wider pavements and who no longer need to walk on the road as a result of the ban.

    I’m proud that we took this decision to make our streets as safe and accessible as possible – and that local authorities across Scotland are now looking to Edinburgh’s lead and implementing schemes of their own.

    Transport and Local Access Forum Convener, Councillor Kayleigh O’Neill said:

    The pavement parking ban has been so well received in Edinburgh, and I am so grateful to everyone who has played a part in making that happen. Strong awareness, resident co-operation and Council enforcement has meant that disabled people, elderly people, those with buggies and prams, all have an easier time getting around.

    So many streets that have been blighted in the past are now free and accessible for people who move around the city like me who uses a power wheelchair. Pavements are for people and the enforcement of this ban reinforces that. It is great to also see that Glasgow has followed us and are beginning enforcement on their city streets from January 29.

    Policy and Campaigns Manager at Guide Dogs Scotland, Mike Moore said:

    One year on from the enforcement of pavement parking restrictions in Edinburgh, people with sight loss say it has made a real difference. By keeping pavements clear, the new rules have helped to ensure that people in the capital can get out and about safely, without the fear of being forced on to the road by inconsiderate parking.

    We welcome the start of enforcement in Glasgow this week, which marks an important step towards a consistent approach across Scotland. With both of Scotland’s largest cities now taking action, we hope to see continued progress by local authorities to make our streets safer and more accessible for all pedestrians.

    Living Streets Edinburgh Group Convener, David Hunter said:

    The City of Edinburgh Council deserves credit not only for being the first in Scotland to apply the national ban on pavement parking, but also for adopting a “no streets exempt” policy.

    This been the most significant change to make Edinburgh a safer and more attractive city for pedestrians since the introduction of widespread 20mph speed limits.

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI China: From motorcycles to C919 jets — China’s travel rush evolution

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

    GUANGZHOU, Jan. 31 — After completing his final delivery, truck driver Zhou Qiang boarded flight CZ8233 back home for Spring Festival celebrations, eager to experience his maiden trip on China’s domestically developed C919 aircraft.

    Once aboard the plane, he could not resist snapping photos to share with his family later. “The seats are very comfortable with plenty of legroom. I can even cross my legs,” Zhou said. The flight from the southern city of Guangzhou to Chengdu, capital of southwest China’s Sichuan Province, cut his travel time from at least seven hours by train to just two and a half hours this year.

    China is currently in the midst of its annual 40-day Spring Festival travel rush, known as chunyun, a period that sees hundreds of millions of people traveling for family reunions.

    As the country’s airlines of China Eastern, Air China and China Southern have added the C919 aircraft to their fleets, this homegrown aircraft model has been involved in chunyun — with 16 such jets in service this year.

    The Civil Aviation Administration of China has forecast that the number of air passengers during this year’s chunyun is likely to exceed 90 million, potentially setting a new record.

    “Unlike in the past, when many braved the cold by traveling home on motorcycles, more and more fellows now choose high-speed trains or planes,” Zhou noted.

    Until about a decade ago, the sight of migrant workers riding motorcycles from the economic hub of the Pearl River Delta to labor-export regions like Guangxi, Guizhou, Yunnan and Sichuan was an iconic phenomenon during chunyun.

    Huang Xiaoyan and her husband were among them, enduring a grueling 30-hour journey on two wheels from Foshan, Guangdong Province, to their rural home in south China’s Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region.

    “It was freezing, especially when it rained. The road was slippery and very risky,” recalled Huang, who works in the plastic manufacturing industry.

    Guangdong’s official figures show that such motorcycle brigades had peaked at 1.1 million trips during the Spring Festival travel season of 2013, before declining in 2014. This decline coincided with the launch of high-speed rail lines connecting Guangdong with regions like Guizhou and Guangxi.

    This year, railways are expected to handle over 510 million passenger trips, averaging 12.75 million daily — a 5.5-percent increase from 2024, while road trips are forecast to reach 7.2 billion.

    Huang said growth in the incomes of migrant workers has resulted in fewer being willing to endure the hardship and danger of riding motorcycles home. Over the past three years, she and her brother have driven home in his car.

    “Almost no one I know rides motorcycles home now,” Huang added.

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI: Celebrating 40 Years of the Nasdaq-100 Index® (NDX®)

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    The combined value of all investment products tracking the NDX® ecosystem globally exceeds $500 billion

    94 Exchange Traded Products track NDX® in over 20 countries across 6 continents

    NEW YORK, Jan. 31, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Nasdaq, Inc. (Nasdaq: NDAQ) proudly marks the 40th anniversary of the Nasdaq-100 Index® (NDX®), the world’s preeminent large-cap growth benchmark. Since its inception on January 31, 1985, the index has redefined innovation and transformed the global investment landscape. Over the past four decades, it has evolved into a powerful symbol of growth, resilience, and the groundbreaking spirit of its constituent companies, shaping industries, inspiring entrepreneurs and investors worldwide.

    The Nasdaq-100 Index® tracks 100 of the largest, non-financial companies listed on the Nasdaq Stock Market. These companies have an enduring legacy of disruption in their respective markets, empowering growth and prosperity across the globe. The index has delivered a 14.25% compound annualized return since its inception, allowing investors around the world to share in that success. This exceptional performance underscores the transformative power of these businesses and their ability to drive long-term value for investors through public markets.

    The Nasdaq-100® has had over 500 members, with six original members still in the index today: Apple, Micron Technology Inc., Intel Corporation, KLA Corporation, PACCAR, and Costco Wholesale Corporation. When the Nasdaq-100® first launched, the median market capitalization of a company in the NDX® was $455 million and the average market capitalization was $580 million. As of December 31, 2024, the median market capitalization of a company in the NDX® was $74 billion, and the average market capitalization was $268 billion.

    Driving the Innovation Economy Through Research and Development

    The companies in the Nasdaq-100® have a history of accelerating change. As a driving force of innovation and economic growth, they spend between 600-1,200% more on research and development compared to companies residing in broad-based US large cap equity indexes1. Moreover, companies that invest more in research and development have delivered above-average performance across much of the 21st century2, and proven to be resilient over time through different market environments.

    “AMD congratulates Nasdaq on celebrating 40 years of the Nasdaq-100 Index,” said Dr. Lisa Su, Chair and Chief Executive Officer, AMD. “We share Nasdaq’s commitment to growth and innovation to deliver value for our stakeholders and are proud to stand alongside the trailblazing companies within this elite group. We look forward to continuing our collaboration with Nasdaq to drive technological and economic advancements in the years to come.”

    “Over the past 40 years, the Nasdaq-100 Index® has grown into a powerful embodiment of innovation, resilience, and unparalleled growth. By providing investors with access to the groundbreaking companies shaping the global economy, the index has not only fueled innovation but also enabled the creation of generational wealth,” said Adena Friedman, Chair and CEO at Nasdaq. “From trendsetting startups to global industry giants, the index is a testament to Nasdaq’s unwavering commitment to support companies at all stages of their journey. As we celebrate this significant milestone, we are not only honored by the extraordinary achievements of the companies within the index, but also reaffirm our mission to champion innovation, empower growth and support the companies and investors that shape the future of markets worldwide.”

    “Today we celebrate the 40th anniversary of the Nasdaq-100 Index®, a globally recognized benchmark of the companies accelerating our economy,” said Emily Spurling, Senior Vice President and Global Head of Indexes at Nasdaq. “This milestone marks a significant moment in our journey as a transparent, rules-based index provider. By creating access to the value chain of leading technology companies across multiple industries, NDX® empowers investors to support and benefit from the next generation of innovation, ensuring they are at the forefront of transformative growth.”

    The Expansive Nasdaq-100® Global Ecosystem

    The characteristics, strength, and significance of the Nasdaq-100® have generated considerable investor demand for access to the index. Subsequently, a global financial ecosystem has developed around NDX®, enabling investors to gain exposure through various investment vehicles tailored to market participants worldwide.

    The combined value of all products tracking the NDX® ecosystem globally exceeds $500 billion. Among the investment vehicles growing at an accelerated rate are Exchange Traded Products, with 94 different Nasdaq-100® products currently trading in over 20 countries across 6 continents. The first and largest of these is the Invesco QQQ ETF, which is the second most liquid ETF in the US and has served as a foundational financial product by providing investors with access to the Nasdaq-100®3.

    “Congratulations to Nasdaq on the 40th anniversary of the Nasdaq-100 Index®,” said Brian Hartigan, Global Head of ETFs and Index Investments, Invesco. “The evolution of the Nasdaq-100 Index® and Invesco QQQ mirrors the growth and development of technology and innovation, positioning the QQQ as one of the most important large-cap growth strategies with an ever-growing investment audience.  We are happy that the long-standing Nasdaq and Invesco collaboration continues to contribute to success of the innovative Nasdaq-100 Index®.”

    Beyond Exchange Traded Products, the NDX® ecosystem has also experienced large scale growth and evolution in other asset classes, including index options and futures. From 2023 to 2024 index options that tracked NDX® have seen a 39.5% volume increase in contracts. Additionally, CME’s Nasdaq 100® futures have seen their average notional value traded daily exceed $200 billion in 20244. These products provide investors with additional avenues to gain exposure to the index, while continuing to trade in ways that are familiar, cost effective, or provide risk management abilities.

    Nasdaq Global Indexes has been creating innovative, market-leading, transparent indexes since 1971. Today, there are over 10,000 indexes that span geographies, asset classes, and diverse families. The indexes are tracked by financial product sponsors across a wide spectrum of investable products and for asset managers to measure risk and performance. Nasdaq also provides exchange listing, custom index, and design solutions to financial organizations worldwide.

    To celebrate the occasion, Nasdaq will host a special closing bell ceremony on Friday, January 31, 2025, commemorating this moment with its long-time clients and partners.

    To learn more about the Nasdaq-100® ecosystem, click here.

    About Nasdaq
    Nasdaq (Nasdaq: NDAQ) is a global technology company serving corporate clients, investment managers, banks, brokers, and exchange operators as they navigate and interact with the global capital markets and the broader financial system. We aspire to deliver world-leading platforms that improve the liquidity, transparency, and integrity of the global economy. Our diverse offering of data, analytics, software, exchange capabilities, and client-centric services enables clients to optimize and execute their business vision with confidence. To learn more about the company, technology solutions and career opportunities, visit us on LinkedIn, on X @Nasdaq, or at www.nasdaq.com.

    Nasdaq Media Contacts:

    The information contained above is provided for informational and educational purposes only, and nothing contained herein should be construed as investment advice, either on behalf of a particular financial product or an overall investment strategy. Neither The Nasdaq OMX Group, Inc. nor any of its affiliates makes any recommendation to buy or sell any financial product or any representation about the financial condition of any company or fund. Statements regarding Nasdaq’s proprietary indexes are not guarantees of future performance. Actual results may differ materially from those expressed or implied. Past performance is not indicative of future results. Investors should undertake their own due diligence and carefully evaluate companies before investing. ADVICE FROM A SECURITIES PROFESSIONAL IS STRONGLY ADVISED. 

    -NDAQG- 

    1 Refers to the S&P 500, Nasdaq US 500 Large Cap Index, and other indexes comprised of the largest few hundred companies listed in the US weighted by market cap.
    2 Refers to https://indexes.nasdaqomx.com/docs/NDX%20Extended%20Presentation.pdf.
    3 According to Nasdaq ETF Intel as of January 28, 2025.
    4 Refers to https://www.cmegroup.com/openmarkets/equity-index/2024/The-Growth-of-Tech-and-25-Years-of-Nasdaq-Futures.html.

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI Africa: Mission 300: Significant new donor pledges in support of the Sustainable Energy Fund for Africa announced on margins of the Africa Energy Summit

    Source: Africa Press Organisation – English (2) – Report:

    DAR ES SALAAM, Tanzania, January 31, 2025/APO Group/ —

    Denmark, the United Kingdom, Spain and France have unveiled new or additional contributions to the Sustainable Energy Fund for Africa, demonstrating strong support for the African Development Bank (www.AfDB.org)-managed fund as it expands energy access across Africa, including through the Mission 300 partnership. Another new donor – Japan –joined in December 2024 with a $5 million contribution under AGIA (https://apo-opa.co/3Eju6LT). 

    SEFA is a multi-donor Special Fund that provides catalytic finance to unlock private sector investments in renewable energy and energy efficiency. It aims to contribute to universal access to affordable, reliable, sustainable, and modern energy services for all in Africa in line with the New Deal on Energy for Africa and Mission 300. 

    Mission 300 (https://apo-opa.co/4hDAJqx), an ambitious new partnership of the African Development Bank Group, the World Bank Group and other development partners, aims to provide access to electricity to an additional 300 million Africans by 2030.  

    France, a new donor to SEFA, will provide €10 million. Denmark, the UK and Spain will increase existing contributions by DKK 100 million (€13.4 million), £8.5 million (€10.13) and €3 million, respectively.  

    France’s contribution will bolster the Africa Green Infrastructure Alliance (AGIA) (https://apo-opa.co/4aHQE4M), a platform of the African Development Bank, Africa 50 and other partners that will develop transformative sustainable infrastructure projects for investment.  

     These contributions come as SEFA enjoyed its best year on record in 2024, with $108 million approved for 14 projects. SEFA now boasts a portfolio of over $300 million in highly impactful investments and technical assistance programmes, which is expected to unlock up to $15 billion in investments and deliver approximately 12 million new electricity connections. 

    Denmark’s Acting State Secretary for Development Policy, Ole Thonke, said: “Africa is endowed with enormous untapped potential for renewable energy, which can fuel green industrialisation. The latest Danish financial contribution to SEFA will focus on the newly established Africa-led Accelerated Partnership for Renewables in Africa (APRA), further supporting the continent’s ambitious development and climate goals.” 

    “We are halfway through this decisive decade to achieve the sustainable development goals and get on track to tackle climate change,” said Rachel Kyte, UK Special Representative for Climate, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office. “Achieving our collective goals of reliable, affordable and clean power is a golden thread that links economic growth, greater investment, strengthened resilience and climate ambition. By accelerating the roll-out of clean power, the UK and Mission 300 are putting green and inclusive growth at the heart of our partnerships with Africa. Our announcement of an additional £8.5 million in UK funding for the AfDB’s SEFA will mobilise the much-needed private sector investment so that more Africans can access clean power right across the continent.” 

    Inés Carpio San Román, Alternate Governor of Spain for the African Development Bank, said, “We are pleased that Spain has decided to renew its support for the SEFA fund with a contribution of €3 million. This reaffirms our commitment to the crucial sector of renewable energy, which plays a key role in fostering sustainable development across Africa.” 

    “As a strong supporter of Africa’s green infrastructure investments with financial tools that mobilise private finance, France is proud to contribute €10 million to the AGIA through SEFA,” stated Bertrand Dumont, Director General of the French Treasury and Governor for France at the African Development Bank. “This very first contribution is our first step towards reinforcing Africa’s sustainable development and accelerating the continent’s path to a low-carbon economy. By investing in green infrastructure in Africa, we are investing for the future.”  

    Dr Daniel Schroth, Director of Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency at the African Development Bank, said, “We welcome the new commitments from donors whose support underscores the impactful work of SEFA. These contributions are essential in enabling SEFA to fulfil its role as a key delivery vehicle for Mission 300 at this pivotal moment.” 

    MIL OSI Africa –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Denis Manturov held a session on the use of artificial intelligence to enhance the combat capabilities of weapons and control systems

    Translartion. Region: Russians Fedetion –

    Source: Government of the Russian Federation – An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.

    Denis Manturov, Dmitry Chernyshenko, Deputy Minister of Defense Alexey Krivoruchko and representatives of the Ministry of Industry and Trade, the Ministry of Digital Development, Communications and Mass Media of Russia, members of the board of the military-industrial complex, heads of military command bodies, representatives of defense industry enterprises and the People’s Defense Industry Complex at a session on the use of artificial intelligence to increase the combat capabilities of weapons and control systems

    January 31, 2025

    Denis Manturov, Dmitry Chernyshenko and Deputy Minister of Defense Alexey Krivoruchko at a session on the use of artificial intelligence to enhance the combat capabilities of weapons and control systems

    January 31, 2025

    Denis Manturov and Dmitry Chernyshenko visited the Military Innovation Technopolis (VIT) “ERA”

    January 31, 2025

    Denis Manturov and Dmitry Chernyshenko visited the Military Innovation Technopolis (VIT) “ERA”

    January 31, 2025

    Samples of unmanned aircraft systems for intercepting air targets

    January 31, 2025

    Samples of unmanned aircraft systems for intercepting air targets

    January 31, 2025

    Previous news Next news

    Denis Manturov, Dmitry Chernyshenko, Deputy Minister of Defense Alexey Krivoruchko and representatives of the Ministry of Industry and Trade, the Ministry of Digital Development, Communications and Mass Media of Russia, members of the board of the military-industrial complex, heads of military command bodies, representatives of defense industry enterprises and the People’s Defense Industry Complex at a session on the use of artificial intelligence to increase the combat capabilities of weapons and control systems

    A strategic session was held at the Military Innovation Technopolis (VIT) “Era” under the leadership of First Deputy Prime Minister Denis Manturov.

    The event was attended by Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Chernyshenko, Deputy Minister of Defense Alexey Krivoruchko, representatives of the Ministry of Industry and Trade and the Ministry of Digital Development, members of the board of the Military-Industrial Commission, heads of military command bodies, representatives of enterprises of the defense industry complex and the national defense industry complex.

    During the meeting, issues of the influence of artificial intelligence on increasing the combat effectiveness of units in combat zones and increasing the combat capabilities of weapons, equipment, and control systems were considered.

    “All leading countries of the world are aware of the growing role of artificial intelligence technologies, big data processing and cloud computing, having included their development among their strategic priorities. In fact, we can talk about another race of technological competition, comparable to the arms race and space exploration programs. Russia as a whole is following in the wake of global trends. Russian companies are developing technological products, including large language models, computer vision, machine learning, based on neural network tools. Most of the existing and planned developments have dual-use potential. Our task is to use them in solving applied military problems,” Denis Manturov noted.

    Artificial intelligence is used for automatic processing and analysis of intelligence data, can improve information support for combat operations, increase the ability to predict threats and the course of conflict development. Digital technologies are the basis for the mass introduction of robotic systems and swarm interaction of unmanned aerial vehicles.

    “Artificial intelligence is a breakthrough and fast technology that is important for both civilian and military needs. In the coming years, we will increase the volume of funding for AI research. We plan to accumulate these resources within the framework of a single AI research program. It is planned to allocate 5% of the state budget for funding scientific research in the field of AI and 15% of the state budget for funding research in other areas, but with the mandatory use of AI tools. Consolidation of these resources in the field of AI and training of specialists are extremely important for achieving technological sovereignty and other goals set by the President of Russia,” said Dmitry Chernyshenko.

    “It is also important to use the capabilities of AI analytics for a deep analysis of the conflict in Ukraine and further training of domestic intelligent systems,” Denis Manturov emphasized.

    The session participants discussed the formation of information and computing systems for the trusted use of elements of artificial intelligence for military purposes, as well as the experience of transitioning to a new generation of drones on neuroprocessors.

    An exhibition of new samples and technologies developed by residents of innovative scientific and technological centers and innovative development funds of the Russian Federation was opened for the participants of the strategic session. A number of samples using AI technologies were selected by the Main Directorate for Innovative Development of the Ministry of Defense of Russia together with the People’s Front for use in the special military operation zone.

    In particular, control modules for receiving video images, analyzing, capturing and automatically tracking targets, semi-autonomous underwater robotic systems (RTS) for reconnaissance, technical control of underwater objects, delivery and manipulation of cargo in difficult underwater conditions, unified consoles for simultaneous control of a group of RTS (several unmanned boats, ground-based RTS or a swarm of UAVs) were presented.

    Manufacturers also presented universal flight controller control units based on technical vision. In particular, in complex electronic environments, these devices retain full functionality of video analytics and allow you to hit a target when you lose control of the drone or return to the base on your own.

    In addition, the participants of the strategic session considered unmanned aircraft systems for intercepting air targets. Interceptor control systems with artificial intelligence allow for automatic detection and capture of targets for subsequent neutralization with a net, special pellets or kinetic damage.

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

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI: POET Engaged by Global Financial Services Leader to Develop Custom Optical Engine

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    TORONTO, Jan. 31, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — POET Technologies Inc. (“POET” or the “Company“) (TSX Venture: PTK; NASDAQ: POET), a leader in the design and implementation of highly-integrated optical engines and light sources for Artificial Intelligence networks, announces that it has signed an agreement to develop a novel optical engine for use in a high-frequency securities trading operation for a global capital markets firm. High-frequency trading (“HFT”) is a type of automated trading that uses powerful computers to execute a large number of trades in fractions of a second.

    The multi-phase project is a pioneering effort to increase the speed and decrease the latency inherent in current transceiver solutions utilized by securities trading operations. The first phase of the project will begin immediately with POET designing prototypes of POET Optical Interposer–based transceiver engines built to meet the customer’s specification. Subsequent phases include building additional prototypes and, if successful, production optical engines customized for this application.

    “We are delighted to have embarked on this ambitious project with a global leader in HFT,” commented Raju Kankipati, Chief Revenue Officer of POET. “This project generates revenue for POET this year and demonstrates the versatility of the POET Optical Interposer and the entry into a new, related market space by the Company.”

    About POET Technologies Inc.
    POET is a design and development company offering high-speed optical modules, optical engines and light source products to the artificial intelligence systems market and to hyperscale data centers. POET’s photonic integration solutions are based on the POET Optical Interposer™, a novel, patented platform that allows the seamless integration of electronic and photonic devices into a single chip using advanced wafer-level semiconductor manufacturing techniques. POET’s Optical Interposer-based products are lower cost, consume less power than comparable products, are smaller in size and are readily scalable to high production volumes. In addition to providing high-speed (800G, 1.6T and above) optical engines and optical modules for AI clusters and hyperscale data centers, POET has designed and produced novel light source products for chip-to-chip data communication within and between AI servers, the next frontier for solving bandwidth and latency problems in AI systems. POET’s Optical Interposer platform also solves device integration challenges in 5G networks, machine-to-machine communication, self-contained “Edge” computing applications and sensing applications, such as LIDAR systems for autonomous vehicles. POET is headquartered in Toronto, Canada, with operations in Allentown, PA, Shenzhen, China, and Singapore. More information about POET is available on our website at www.poet-technologies.com.

    Forward-Looking Statements
    This news release contains “forward-looking information” (within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities laws) and “forward-looking statements” (within the meaning of the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995). Such statements or information are identified with words such as “anticipate”, “believe”, “expect”, “plan”, “intend”, “potential”, “estimate”, “propose”, “project”, “outlook”, “foresee” or similar words suggesting future outcomes or statements regarding any potential outcome. Such statements include the Company’s expectations with respect to the success of the Company’s product development efforts, the performance of its products, operations, meeting revenue targets, and the expectation of continued success in the financing efforts, the capability, functionality, performance and cost of the Company’s technology as well as the market acceptance, inclusion and timing of the Company’s technology in current and future products and expectations regarding its successful development of high-frequency trading solutions and its penetration of the Artificial Intelligence hardware markets.

    Such forward-looking information or statements are based on a number of risks, uncertainties and assumptions which may cause actual results or other expectations to differ materially from those anticipated and which may prove to be incorrect. Assumptions have been made regarding, among other things, the completion of its development efforts with its securities trading partner, the ability to build working prototypes to the customer’s specifications, and the size, future growth and needs of Artificial Intelligence network suppliers. Actual results could differ materially due to a number of factors, including, without limitation, the failure to produce working prototypes on time and within budget, the failure of Artificial Intelligence networks to continue to grow as expected, the failure of the Company’s products to meet performance requirements for AI and datacom networks, operational risks in the completion of the Company’s projects, the ability of the Company to generate sales for its products, and the ability of its customers to deploy systems that incorporate the Company’s products. Although the Company believes that the expectations reflected in the forward-looking information or statements are reasonable, prospective investors in the Company’s securities should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements because the Company can provide no assurance that such expectations will prove to be correct. Forward-looking information and statements contained in this news release are as of the date of this news release and the Company assumes no obligation to update or revise this forward-looking information and statements except as required by law.

    Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.
    120 Eglinton Avenue, East, Suite 1107, Toronto, ON, M4P 1E2- Tel: 416-368-9411 – Fax: 416-322-5075

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: Answer to a written question – Safeguarding the automotive industry in Europe – E-002243/2024(ASW)

    Source: European Parliament

    The Commission wants to ensure that the EU remains a global leader in the automotive industry, preserving jobs and manufacturing capacity in Europe.

    The Commission will develop an industrial action plan for the automotive industry, covering the entire value chain, from securing critical supply chains to ensuring affordability, from infrastructure for refuelling and recharging, to fully exploiting automation and data, while supporting the industry on its path towards decarbonisation.

    Public support has been substantial in creating a nascent battery industry in Europe. In particular, the Commission approved two Important Projects of Common European Interest (IPCEIs) for batteries[1], providing EUR 6 billion in funding; EUR 180 million have been allocated to the battery sector through the Innovation Fund[2], with an additional EUR 3 billion announced for the next three years; and the co-programmed battery European partnership under Horizon Europe[3], Batt4EU[4], is investing up to EUR 925 million in battery research and innovation activities.

    The Commission remains committed to continuing this support to further strengthen the sector and ensure its future ability to compete with global players.

    Regarding autonomous vehicles, the EU industry is at a good stage of technology development and the EU established a regulatory framework for the sale of autonomous vehicles[5], but such vehicles cannot easily access roads across Europe.

    The Commission will continue to support funding for research and development, update the EU regulatory framework for autonomous vehicles and support Member States towards the update of their national road transport frameworks, to ensure the legality of automated driving and the possibility to deploy them at scale.

    • [1] IPCEI on Batteries and IPCEI European Battery Innovation (EuBatIn): https://www.ipcei-batteries.eu/
    • [2] https://climate.ec.europa.eu/eu-action/eu-funding-climate-action/innovation-fund_en
    • [3] https://research-and-innovation.ec.europa.eu/funding/funding-opportunities/funding-programmes-and-open-calls/horizon-europe_en; https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/HTML/?uri=CELEX:32021R0695
    • [4] https://bepassociation.eu/
    • [5] https://eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/reg_impl/2022/1426/oj

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI: Brookfield Business Partners Reports 2024 Year End Results

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    BROOKFIELD, News, Jan. 31, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Brookfield Business Partners (NYSE: BBU, BBUC; TSX: BBU.UN, BBUC) announced today financial results for the year ended December 31, 2024.

    “Our business had another successful year in 2024. We generated over $2 billion from our capital recycling initiatives, acquired two market-leading operations and achieved solid financial results,” said Anuj Ranjan, CEO of Brookfield Business Partners. “The enhanced strength of our balance sheet and substantial liquidity provides us optionality to meaningfully advance our capital allocation priorities with a focus on increasing the intrinsic value of our business for our unitholders.”

           
      Three Months Ended
    December 31,    		   Year Ended
    December 31,
    US$ millions (except per unit amounts), unaudited   2024       2023       2024       2023  
    Net income (loss) attributable to Unitholders1 $ (438 )   $ 1,423     $ (109 )   $ 1,405  
    Net income (loss) per limited partnership unit2 $ (2.02 )   $ 6.57     $ (0.50 )   $ 6.49  
               
    Adjusted EBITDA3 $ 653     $ 608     $ 2,565     $ 2,491  
                                   

    Net loss attributable to Unitholders for the year ended December 31, 2024 was $109 million (loss of $0.50 per limited partnership unit) compared to net income of $1,405 million ($6.49 per limited partnership unit) in the prior year. Net loss attributable to Unitholders includes a one-time non-cash expense at our healthcare services operation, combined with provisions at our construction operation. Prior year included net gains primarily related to the sale of our nuclear technology services operation.

    Adjusted EBITDA for the year ended December 31, 2024 was $2,565 million compared to $2,491 million for the year ended December 31, 2023, reflecting improved performance of operations and tax benefits recorded at our advanced energy storage operation. Prior year results included $308 million of contribution from operations which have been sold.

    Operational Update

    The following table presents Adjusted EBITDA by segment:

      Three Months Ended
    December 31,    		   Year Ended
    December 31,
    US$ millions, unaudited   2024       2023       2024       2023  
    Industrials $ 306     $ 222     $ 1,247     $ 855  
    Business Services   217       227       832       900  
    Infrastructure Services   160       184       606       853  
    Corporate and Other   (30 )     (25 )     (120 )     (117 )
    Adjusted EBITDA $ 653     $ 608     $ 2,565     $ 2,491  

    Our Industrials segment generated Adjusted EBITDA of $1,247 million in 2024, compared to $855 million in 2023. Current year results included $371 million of tax benefits at our advanced energy storage operation. Strong underlying performance at our advanced energy storage operation and growing contribution from water and wastewater services offset reduced performance at our engineered components manufacturing operation due to weak market conditions. Prior year results included contribution from disposed operations including our Canadian aggregates production operation which was sold in June 2024.

    Our Business Services segment generated Adjusted EBITDA of $832 million in 2024, compared to $900 million in 2023. Strong performance at our residential mortgage insurer was primarily offset by the impact of a cyber incident at our dealer software and technology services operation and reduced performance at our construction and healthcare services operations during the year. Prior year results included contribution from our road fuels operation which was sold in July 2024.

    Our Infrastructure Services segment generated Adjusted EBITDA of $606 million in 2024, compared to $853 million in 2023. Prior year results included $236 million of contribution from our nuclear technology services operation which was sold in November 2023. Current year results benefited from improved performance of offshore oil services, offset by reduced contribution at work access services.

    The following table presents Adjusted EFO4 by segment:

      Three Months Ended
    December 31,    		   Year Ended
    December 31,
    US$ millions, unaudited   2024       2023       2024       2023  
    Adjusted EFO          
    Industrials $ 193     $ 115     $ 935     $ 492  
    Business Services   142       181       641       636  
    Infrastructure Services   78       1,790       287       2,070  
    Corporate and Other   (83 )     (77 )     (331 )     (335 )

    Adjusted EFO for the year ended December 31, 2024 included $306 million in net gains primarily related to the dispositions of our road fuels operation and Canadian aggregates production operation, the sale of public securities and the deconsolidation of our payment processing services operation. Infrastructure Services Adjusted EFO reflected the impact of the prior year disposition of our nuclear technology services operation. Prior year results included $2,006 million in after-tax net gains primarily related to the sale of our nuclear technology services operation.

    Strategic Initiatives

    • Advanced Energy Storage Operation
      In January, our advanced energy storage operation raised $5 billion of new first lien debt – $4.5 billion of the proceeds are not required in the business and therefore were used to fund a special distribution to owners, of which Brookfield Business Partners’ share was approximately $1.2 billion. This represented a multiple of 1.5x of our initial equity investment and we still own our entire share of the business.
    • Offshore Oil Services
      In January, we completed the previously announced sale of our offshore oil services’ shuttle tanker operation. Cash proceeds to Brookfield Business Partners for the sale of its interest after the repayment of debt are expected to be approximately $250 million.
    • Unit Repurchase Program and Capital Deployment
      We are allocating up to $250 million of capital to accelerate the repurchase of Brookfield Business Partners’ securities under our existing and future normal course issuer bids (NCIB).

      In January, we completed the acquisition of Chemelex, a leading manufacturer of electric heat tracing systems, through a carve-out from a larger industrial company for total enterprise value of $1.7 billion. Brookfield Business Partners invested $212 million for an approximate 25% economic interest in the business, with the balance funded by institutional partners.

    Liquidity

    We ended the year with approximately $1.3 billion of liquidity at the corporate level including $91 million of cash and liquid securities, $25 million of remaining preferred equity commitment from Brookfield Corporation and $1.2 billion of availability on our corporate credit facilities. Pro forma for announced and recently closed transactions, corporate liquidity is $2.7 billion.

    Distribution

    The Board of Directors has declared a quarterly distribution in the amount of $0.0625 per unit, payable on March 31, 2025 to unitholders of record as at the close of business on February 28, 2025.

    Additional Information

    The Board has reviewed and approved this news release, including the summarized unaudited consolidated financial statements contained herein.

    Brookfield Business Partners’ Letter to Unitholders and the Supplemental Information are available on our website https://bbu.brookfield.com under Reports & Filings.

       
    Notes:  
    1 Attributable to limited partnership unitholders, general partnership unitholders, redemption-exchange unitholders, special limited partnership unitholders and BBUC exchangeable shareholders.
    2 Net income (loss) per limited partnership unit calculated as net income (loss) attributable to limited partners divided by the average number of limited partnership units outstanding for the three and twelve months ended December 31, 2024 which were 74.3 million and 74.3 million, respectively (December 31, 2023: 74.3 million and 74.5 million, respectively).
    3 Adjusted EBITDA is a non-IFRS measure of operating performance presented as net income and equity accounted income at the partnership’s economic ownership interest in consolidated subsidiaries and equity accounted investments, respectively, excluding the impact of interest income (expense), net, income taxes, depreciation and amortization expense, gains (losses) on acquisitions/dispositions, net, transaction costs, restructuring charges, revaluation gains or losses, impairment expenses or reversals, other income or expenses, and preferred equity distributions. The partnership’s economic ownership interest in consolidated subsidiaries and equity accounted investments excludes amounts attributable to non-controlling interests consistent with how the partnership determines net income attributable to non-controlling interests in its IFRS consolidated statements of operating results. The partnership believes that Adjusted EBITDA provides a comprehensive understanding of the ability of its businesses to generate recurring earnings which allows users to better understand and evaluate the underlying financial performance of the partnership’s operations and excludes items that the partnership believes do not directly relate to revenue earning activities and are not normal, recurring items necessary for business operations. Please refer to the reconciliation of net income (loss) to Adjusted EBITDA included elsewhere in this news release.
    4 Adjusted EFO is the partnership’s segment measure of profit or loss and is presented as net income and equity accounted income at the partnership’s economic ownership interest in consolidated subsidiaries and equity accounted investments, respectively, excluding the impact of depreciation and amortization expense, deferred income taxes, transaction costs, restructuring charges, unrealized revaluation gains or losses, impairment expenses or reversals and other income or expense items that are not directly related to revenue generating activities. The partnership’s economic ownership interest in consolidated subsidiaries excludes amounts attributable to non-controlling interests consistent with how the partnership determines net income attributable to non-controlling interests in its IFRS consolidated statements of operating results. In order to provide additional insight regarding the partnership’s operating performance over the lifecycle of an investment, Adjusted EFO includes the impact of preferred equity distributions and realized disposition gains or losses recorded in net income, other comprehensive income, or directly in equity, such as ownership changes. Adjusted EFO does not include legal and other provisions that may occur from time to time in the partnership’s operations and that are one-time or non-recurring and not directly tied to the partnership’s operations, such as those for litigation or contingencies. Adjusted EFO includes expected credit losses and bad debt allowances recorded in the normal course of the partnership’s operations. Adjusted EFO allows the partnership to evaluate its segments on the basis of return on invested capital generated by its operations and allows the partnership to evaluate the performance of its segments on a levered basis.
       

    Brookfield Business Partners is a global business services and industrials company focused on owning and operating high-quality businesses that provide essential products and services and benefit from a strong competitive position. Investors have flexibility to invest in our company either through Brookfield Business Partners L.P. (NYSE: BBU; TSX: BBU.UN), a limited partnership or Brookfield Business Corporation (NYSE, TSX: BBUC), a corporation. For more information, please visit https://bbu.brookfield.com.

    Brookfield Business Partners is the flagship listed vehicle of Brookfield Asset Management’s Private Equity Group. Brookfield Asset Management is a leading global alternative asset manager with over $1 trillion of assets under management.

    Please note that Brookfield Business Partners’ previous audited annual and unaudited quarterly reports have been filed on SEDAR+ and EDGAR and are available at https://bbu.brookfield.com under Reports & Filings. Hard copies of the annual and quarterly reports can be obtained free of charge upon request.

    For more information, please contact:

    Conference Call and 2024 Earnings Webcast Details

    Investors, analysts and other interested parties can access Brookfield Business Partners’ 2024 results as well as the Letter to Unitholders and Supplemental Information on our website https://bbu.brookfield.com under Reports & Filings.

    The results call can be accessed via webcast on January 31, 2025 at 10:00 a.m. Eastern Time at BBU2024Q4Webcast or participants can pre-register at BBU2024Q4ConferenceCall. Upon registering, participants will be emailed a dial-in number and unique PIN. A replay of the webcast will be available at https://bbu.brookfield.com.

     
    Brookfield Business Partners L.P.
    Consolidated Statements of Financial Position
     
      As at
    US$ millions, unaudited December 31, 2024   December 31, 2023
                         
    Assets                    
    Cash and cash equivalents         $ 3,239             $ 3,252  
    Financial assets           12,371               13,176  
    Accounts and other receivable, net           6,279               6,563  
    Inventory and other assets           5,728               5,321  
    Property, plant and equipment           13,232               15,724  
    Deferred income tax assets           1,744               1,220  
    Intangible assets           18,317               20,846  
    Equity accounted investments           2,325               2,154  
    Goodwill           12,239               14,129  
    Total Assets         $ 75,474             $ 82,385  
                         
    Liabilities and Equity                    
    Liabilities                    
    Corporate borrowings         $ 2,142             $ 1,440  
    Accounts payable and other           16,691               18,378  
    Non-recourse borrowings in subsidiaries of Brookfield Business Partners           36,720               40,809  
    Deferred income tax liabilities           2,613               3,226  
                         
    Equity                    
    Limited partners $ 1,752         $ 1,909    
    Non-controlling interests attributable to:          
    Redemption-exchange units   1,644           1,792    
    Special limited partner   —           —    
    BBUC exchangeable shares   1,721           1,875    
    Preferred securities   740           740    
    Interest of others in operating subsidiaries   11,451           12,216    
          17,308           18,532  
    Total Liabilities and Equity   $ 75,474         $ 82,385  
     
    Brookfield Business Partners L.P.
    Consolidated Statements of Operating Results
     
    US$ millions, unaudited Three Months Ended
    December 31,    		   Year Ended
    December 31,
      2024       2023       2024       2023  
               
    Revenues $ 7,427     $ 13,405     $ 40,620     $ 55,068  
    Direct operating costs   (6,008 )     (12,209 )     (34,883 )     (50,021 )
    General and administrative expenses   (324 )     (336 )     (1,267 )     (1,538 )
    Interest income (expense), net   (752 )     (858 )     (3,104 )     (3,596 )
    Equity accounted income (loss), net   35       48       90       132  
    Impairment reversal (expense), net   (991 )     (780 )     (981 )     (831 )
    Gain (loss) on acquisitions/dispositions, net   —       4,477       692       4,686  
    Other income (expense), net   (360 )     (344 )     (573 )     (178 )
    Income (loss) before income tax   (973 )     3,403       594       3,722  
    Income tax (expense) recovery          
    Current   (158 )     (171 )     (646 )     (775 )
    Deferred   23       252       947       830  
    Net income (loss) $ (1,108 )   $ 3,484     $ 895     $ 3,777  
    Attributable to:          
    Limited partners $ (150 )   $ 488     $ (37 )   $ 482  
    Non-controlling interests attributable to:          
    Redemption-exchange units   (141 )     457       (35 )     451  
    Special limited partner   —       —       —       —  
    BBUC exchangeable shares   (147 )     478       (37 )     472  
    Preferred securities   13       17       52       83  
    Interest of others in operating subsidiaries   (683 )     2,044       952       2,289  
     
    Brookfield Business Partners L.P.
    Reconciliation of Non-IFRS Measures
     
    US$ millions, unaudited  Three Months Ended December 31, 2024
        Business Services       Infrastructure Services       Industrials       Corporate and Other       Total  
                         
    Net income (loss)   $ (955 )   $ (72 )   $ (31 )   $ (50 )   $ (1,108 )
                         
    Add or subtract the following:                    
    Depreciation and amortization expense     223       228       328       —       779  
    Impairment reversal (expense), net     690       1       300       —       991  
    Gain (loss) on acquisitions/dispositions, net     —       —       —       —       —  
    Other income (expense), net1     312       4       47       (3 )     360  
    Income tax (expense) recovery     28       9       115       (17 )     135  
    Equity accounted income (loss), net     (4 )     (12 )     (19 )     —       (35 )
    Interest income (expense), net     233       166       313       40       752  
    Equity accounted Adjusted EBITDA2     25       47       17       —       89  
    Amounts attributable to non-controlling interests3     (335 )     (211 )     (764 )     —       (1,310 )
    Adjusted EBITDA   $ 217     $ 160     $ 306     $ (30 )   $ 653  
     Notes:  
     1 Other income (expense), net corresponds to amounts that are not directly related to revenue earning activities and are not normal, recurring income or expenses necessary for business operations. The components of other income (expense), net include $407 million related to a provision for payment of a litigation settlement at our dealer software and technology services operation, $116 million of net gains on the sale of property, plant and equipment and other assets, $57 million related to provisions recorded at our construction operation, $52 million of business separation expenses, stand-up costs and restructuring charges, $27 million of net gains on debt modification and extinguishment, $16 million of net revaluation gains and $3 million in transaction costs.
     2 Equity accounted Adjusted EBITDA corresponds to the Adjusted EBITDA attributable to the partnership that is generated by its investments in associates and joint ventures accounted for using the equity method.
     3 Amounts attributable to non-controlling interests are calculated based on the economic ownership interests held by the non-controlling interests in consolidated subsidiaries.
     
    Brookfield Business Partners L.P.
    Reconciliation of Non-IFRS Measures
         
    US$ millions, unaudited Year Ended December 31, 2024
        Business Services       Infrastructure Services       Industrials       Corporate and Other       Total  
                         
    Net income (loss)   $ (169 )   $ (347 )   $ 1,654     $ (243 )   $ 895  
                         
    Add or subtract the following:                    
    Depreciation and amortization expense     961       888       1,355       —       3,204  
    Impairment reversal (expense), net     686       (11 )     306       —       981  
    Gain (loss) on acquisitions/dispositions, net     (608 )     —       (84 )     —       (692 )
    Other income (expense), net1     365       32       164       12       573  
    Income tax (expense) recovery     75       6       (341 )     (41 )     (301 )
    Equity accounted income (loss), net     (4 )     (23 )     (63 )     —       (90 )
    Interest income (expense), net     972       701       1,279       152       3,104  
    Equity accounted Adjusted EBITDA2     79       168       61       —       308  
    Amounts attributable to non-controlling interests3     (1,525 )     (808 )     (3,084 )     —       (5,417 )
    Adjusted EBITDA   $ 832     $ 606     $ 1,247     $ (120 )   $ 2,565  
    Notes:  
    1 Other income (expense), net corresponds to amounts that are not directly related to revenue earning activities and are not normal, recurring income or expenses necessary for business operations. The components of other income (expense), net include $407 million related to a provision for payment of a litigation settlement at our dealer software and technology services operation, $251 million related to provisions recorded at our construction operation, $168 million of net revaluation gains, $158 million of business separation expenses, stand-up costs and restructuring charges, $108 million of net gains on the sale of property, plant and equipment and other assets, $52 million of net gains on debt modification and extinguishment, $50 million of other income related to a distribution at our entertainment operation, $35 million in transaction costs and $100 million of other expenses.
    2 Equity accounted Adjusted EBITDA corresponds to the Adjusted EBITDA attributable to the partnership that is generated by its investments in associates and joint ventures accounted for using the equity method.
    3 Adjusted EBITDA that is attributable to non-controlling interests in consolidated subsidiaries.
     
    Brookfield Business Partners L.P.
    Reconciliation of Non-IFRS Measures
     
    US$ millions, unaudited Three Months Ended December 31, 2023
        Business Services       Infrastructure Services       Industrials       Corporate and Other       Total  
                         
    Net income (loss)   $ 51     $ 3,744     $ (264 )   $ (47 )   $ 3,484  
                         
    Add or subtract the following:                    
    Depreciation and amortization expense     287       257       347       —       891  
    Impairment reversal (expense), net     650       33       97       —       780  
    Gain (loss) on acquisitions/dispositions, net     (566 )     (3,902 )     (9 )     —       (4,477 )
    Other income (expense), net1     (24 )     46       317       5       344  
    Income tax (expense) recovery     18       (10 )     (68 )     (21 )     (81 )
    Equity accounted income (loss), net     (6 )     (22 )     (20 )     —       (48 )
    Interest income (expense), net     259       225       336       38       858  
    Equity accounted Adjusted EBITDA2     17       51       17       —       85  
    Amounts attributable to non-controlling interests3     (459 )     (238 )     (531 )     —       (1,228 )
    Adjusted EBITDA   $ 227     $ 184     $ 222     $ (25 )   $ 608  
    Notes:  
    1 Other income (expense), net corresponds to amounts that are not directly related to revenue earning activities and are not normal, recurring income or expenses necessary for business operations. The components of other income (expense), net include $247 million loss related to the reclassification of our graphite electrode operations as a financial asset, $96 million of net gains on debt extinguishment/modifications, $80 million of business separation expenses, stand-up costs and restructuring charges, $37 million in transaction costs and $76 million of other expenses.
    2 Equity accounted Adjusted EBITDA corresponds to the Adjusted EBITDA attributable to the partnership that is generated by its investments in associates and joint ventures accounted for using the equity method.
    3 Adjusted EBITDA that is attributable to non-controlling interests in consolidated subsidiaries.
     
    Brookfield Business Partners L.P.
    Reconciliation of Non-IFRS Measures
     
    US$ millions, unaudited Year Ended December 31, 2023
        Business Services       Infrastructure Services       Industrials       Corporate and Other       Total  
                         
    Net income (loss)   $ 602     $ 3,616     $ (245 )   $ (196 )   $ 3,777  
                         
    Add or subtract the following:                    
    Depreciation and amortization expense     1,045       1,174       1,373       —       3,592  
    Impairment reversal (expense), net     656       (13 )     188       —       831  
    Gain (loss) on acquisitions/dispositions, net     (720 )     (3,916 )     (50 )     —       (4,686 )
    Other income (expense), net1     (138 )     (90 )     396       10       178  
    Income tax (expense) recovery     245       (6 )     (218 )     (76 )     (55 )
    Equity accounted income (loss), net     (25 )     (51 )     (56 )     —       (132 )
    Interest income (expense), net     1,031       1,051       1,369       145       3,596  
    Equity accounted Adjusted EBITDA2     61       183       63       —       307  
    Amounts attributable to non-controlling interests3     (1,857 )     (1,095 )     (1,965 )     —       (4,917 )
    Adjusted EBITDA   $ 900     $ 853     $ 855     $ (117 )   $ 2,491  
    Notes:  
    1 Other income (expense), net corresponds to amounts that are not directly related to revenue earning activities and are not normal, recurring income or expenses necessary for business operations. The components of other income (expense), net include $446 million of net gains on debt modification and extinguishment, $247 million loss related to the reclassification of our graphite electrode operations as a financial asset, $246 million of business separation expenses, stand-up costs and restructuring charges, $116 million in transaction costs, $93 million of net revaluation gains and $108 million of other expenses.
    2 Equity accounted Adjusted EBITDA corresponds to the Adjusted EBITDA attributable to the partnership that is generated by its investments in associates and joint ventures accounted for using the equity method.
    3 Adjusted EBITDA that is attributable to non-controlling interests in consolidated subsidiaries.
       

    Brookfield Business Corporation Reports 2024 Year End Results

    Brookfield, News, January 31, 2025 – Brookfield Business Corporation (NYSE, TSX: BBUC) announced today its net income (loss) for the year ended December 31, 2024.

      Three Months Ended
    December 31,    		   Year Ended
    December 31,
    US$ millions, unaudited   2024       2023       2024       2023  
               
    Net income (loss) attributable to Brookfield Business Partners $ (396 )   $ 454     $ (888 )   $ 519  

    Net loss attributable to Brookfield Business Partners for the year ended December 31, 2024 was $888 million compared to net income of $519 million in 2023 which included net gains primarily related to the sale of our nuclear technology services operation. Current year results included $208 million of remeasurement loss on our exchangeable and class B shares that are classified as liabilities under IFRS. As at December 31, 2024, the exchangeable and class B shares were remeasured to reflect the closing price of $23.42 per unit.

    Dividend

    The Board of Directors has declared a quarterly dividend in the amount of $0.0625 per share, payable on March 31, 2025 to shareholders of record as at the close of business on February 28, 2025.

    Additional Information

    Each exchangeable share of Brookfield Business Corporation has been structured with the intention of providing an economic return equivalent to one unit of Brookfield Business Partners L.P. Each exchangeable share will be exchangeable at the option of the holder for one unit. Brookfield Business Corporation will target that dividends on its exchangeable shares will be declared and paid at the same time as distributions are declared and paid on the Brookfield Business Partners’ units and that dividends on each exchangeable share will be declared and paid in the same amount as distributions are declared and paid on each unit to provide holders of exchangeable shares with an economic return equivalent to holders of units.

    In addition to carefully considering the disclosures made in this news release in its entirety, shareholders are strongly encouraged to carefully review the Letter to Unitholders, Supplemental Information and other continuous disclosure filings which are available at https://bbu.brookfield.com.

    Please note that Brookfield Business Corporation’s previous audited annual and unaudited quarterly reports have been filed on SEDAR+ and EDGAR and are available at https://bbu.brookfield.com/bbuc under Reports & Filings. Hard copies of the annual and quarterly reports can be obtained free of charge upon request.

     
    Brookfield Business Corporation
    Consolidated Statements of Financial Position
     
      As at
    US$ millions, unaudited December 31, 2024   December 31, 2023
                           
    Assets                      
    Cash and cash equivalents         $ 1,008             $ 772  
    Financial assets           353               224  
    Accounts and other receivable, net           3,229               3,569  
    Inventory, net           52               61  
    Other assets           627               737  
    Property, plant and equipment           2,480               2,743  
    Deferred income tax assets           197               221  
    Intangible assets           5,966               6,931  
    Equity accounted investments           198               222  
    Goodwill           4,988               5,702  
    Total Assets         $ 19,098             $ 21,182  
                           
    Liabilities and Equity                      
    Liabilities                      
    Accounts payable and other         $ 5,276             $ 4,818  
    Non-recourse borrowings in subsidiaries of Brookfield Business Corporation           8,490               8,823  
    Exchangeable and class B shares           1,709               1,501  
    Deferred income tax liabilities           988               1,280  
                           
    Equity                      
    Brookfield Business Partners $ (59 )       $ 880      
    Non-controlling interests   2,694           3,880      
          2,635         4,760  
    Total Liabilities and Equity   $ 19,098       $ 21,182  
     
    Brookfield Business Corporation
    Consolidated Statements of Operating Results
     
    US$ millions, unaudited Three Months Ended
    December 31,    		   Year Ended
    December 31,
      2024       2023       2024       2023  
    Continuing operations          
    Revenues $ 2,209     $ 1,946     $ 8,208     $ 7,683  
    Direct operating costs   (2,041 )     (1,749 )     (7,568 )     (6,794 )
    General and administrative expenses   (107 )     (78 )     (326 )     (268 )
    Interest income (expense), net   (212 )     (206 )     (832 )     (878 )
    Equity accounted income (loss), net   2       2       8       3  
    Impairment reversal (expense), net   (689 )     (599 )     (691 )     (606 )
    Gain (loss) on acquisitions/dispositions, net   —       —       —       87  
    Remeasurement of exchangeable and class B shares   (9 )     (392 )     (208 )     (264 )
    Other income (expense), net   (469 )     44       (666 )     126  
    Income (loss) before income tax from continuing operations   (1,316 )     (1,032 )     (2,075 )     (911 )
    Income tax (expense) recovery          
    Current   (8 )     (5 )     (50 )     (167 )
    Deferred   42       1       198       95  
    Net income (loss) from continuing operations $ (1,282 )   $ (1,036 )   $ (1,927 )   $ (983 )
    Discontinued operations          
    Net income (loss) from discontinued operations   —       3,885       —       3,812  
    Net income (loss) $ (1,282 )   $ 2,849     $ (1,927 )   $ 2,829  
    Attributable to:          
    Brookfield Business Partners $ (396 )   $ 454     $ (888 )   $ 519  
    Non-controlling interests   (886 )     2,395       (1,039 )     2,310  


    Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-looking Statements and Information

    Note: This news release contains “forward-looking information” within the meaning of Canadian provincial securities laws and “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of applicable Canadian and U.S. securities laws. Forward-looking statements include statements that are predictive in nature, depend upon or refer to future events or conditions, include statements regarding the operations, business, financial condition, expected financial results, performance, prospects, opportunities, priorities, targets, goals, ongoing objectives, strategies and outlook of Brookfield Business Partners, as well as regarding recently completed and proposed acquisitions, dispositions, and other transactions, and the outlook for North American and international economies for the current fiscal year and subsequent periods, and include words such as “expects”, “anticipates”, “plans”, “believes”, “estimates”, “seeks”, “intends”, “targets”, “projects”, “forecasts”, “views”, “potential”, “likely” or negative versions thereof and other similar expressions, or future or conditional verbs such as “may”, “will”, “should”, “would” and “could”.

    Although we believe that our anticipated future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements and information are based upon reasonable assumptions and expectations, investors and other readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements and information because they involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors, many of which are beyond our control, which may cause the actual results, performance or achievements of Brookfield Business Partners to differ materially from anticipated future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements and information. These beliefs, assumptions and expectations can change as a result of many possible events or factors, not all of which are known to us or are within our control. If a change occurs, our business, financial condition, liquidity and results of operations and our plans and strategies may vary materially from those expressed in the forward-looking statements and forward-looking information herein.

    Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those contemplated or implied by forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to: the cyclical nature of our operating businesses and general economic conditions and risks relating to the economy, including unfavorable changes in interest rates, foreign exchange rates, inflation and volatility in the financial markets; global equity and capital markets and the availability of equity and debt financing and refinancing within these markets; strategic actions including our ability to complete dispositions and achieve the anticipated benefits therefrom; the ability to complete and effectively integrate acquisitions into existing operations and the ability to attain expected benefits; changes in accounting policies and methods used to report financial condition (including uncertainties associated with critical accounting assumptions and estimates); the ability to appropriately manage human capital; the effect of applying future accounting changes; business competition; operational and reputational risks; technological change; changes in government regulation and legislation within the countries in which we operate; changes to U.S. laws or policies, including changes in U.S. domestic economic policies and foreign trade policies and tariffs; governmental investigations; litigation; changes in tax laws; ability to collect amounts owed; catastrophic events, such as earthquakes, hurricanes and pandemics/epidemics; cybersecurity incidents; the possible impact of international conflicts, wars and related developments including terrorist acts and cyber terrorism; and other risks and factors detailed from time to time in our documents filed with the securities regulators in Canada and the United States including those set forth in the “Risk Factors” section in our annual report for the year ended December 31, 2024 to be filed on Form 20-F.

    Statements relating to “reserves” are deemed to be forward-looking statements as they involve the implied assessment, based on certain estimates and assumptions, that the reserves described herein can be profitably produced in the future. We qualify any and all of our forward-looking statements by these cautionary factors.

    We caution that the foregoing list of important factors that may affect future results is not exhaustive. When relying on our forward-looking statements and information, investors and others should carefully consider the foregoing factors and other uncertainties and potential events. Except as required by law, we undertake no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements or information, whether written or oral, that may be as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

    Cautionary Statement Regarding the Use of a Non-IFRS Measure

    This news release contains references to a Non-IFRS measure. Adjusted EBITDA is not a generally accepted accounting measure under IFRS and therefore may differ from definitions used by other entities. We believe this is a useful supplemental measure that may assist investors in assessing the financial performance of Brookfield Business Partners and its subsidiaries. However, Adjusted EBITDA should not be considered in isolation from, or as a substitute for, analysis of our financial statements prepared in accordance with IFRS.

    References to Brookfield Business Partners are to Brookfield Business Partners L.P. together with its subsidiaries, controlled affiliates and operating entities. Unitholders’ results include limited partnership units, redemption-exchange units, general partnership units, BBUC exchangeable shares and special limited partnership units. More detailed information on certain references made in this news release will be available in our Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations in our annual report for the year ended December 31, 2024 to be filed on Form 20-F.

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Rail fare hikes will cause misery for workers and commuters

    Source: Scottish Greens

    31 Jan 2025 Transport End Peak Rail Fares

    Inflation-busting increases are inaccessible and unaffordable for everyone.

    More in Transport

    Rail travel must be accessible and affordable for all, says Scottish Green MSP Mark Ruskell, following the announcement that ScotRail fares will increase by an inflation-busting 3.8% from April 1st.
     
    When in government the Scottish Greens secured a landmark scheme to remove peak rail fares for 12 months, with the SNP reintroducing them last year.
     
    The Greens have joined trade unions in calling for cheaper public transport through ending peak rail fares and introducing a £2 bus fare cap, to ensure that cleaner, greener travel is more available, affordable and accessible for all.
     
    In this year’s budget the Scottish Greens secured  the regional trial of a £2 bus fare cap beginning in January 2026, a move that they want to see extended across the country.
     

    The Scottish Greens’ spokesperson for transport, Mark Ruskell MSP, said:

    “These hikes will cause misery for commuters. If we want rail to be the first and best option for regular journeys then it has to be affordable and accessible for all.
     
    “When the Scottish Greens were in government we secured the removal of peak rail fares, only for the SNP to bring them back as soon as we were out of the room.
     
    “With household budgets being stretched to their limits, workers and regular commuters across our country are looking to find the cheapest ways to travel. These hikes will only deter people from using trains.
     
    “If we want safer and cleaner communities and less cars on our roads then we need to cut the cost of public transport. That is how we will encourage more commuters to leave their cars at home and hop on the train or bus, while benefiting people and planet.”

    Mr Ruskell added:

    “It was right to take ScotRail into public ownership, but we have a long way to go in building a modern and affordable rail network.
     
    “It shouldn’t have to cost a fortune to get to work, to hospital appointments or even to explore Scotland. We must end peak rail fares and stop financially penalising those who have no say on when they have to travel.”

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Anti-terrorist training held at Polytechnic University

    Translartion. Region: Russians Fedetion –

    Source: Peter the Great St Petersburg Polytechnic University – Peter the Great St Petersburg Polytechnic University –

    On January 30, the Polytechnic University held a training session aimed at practicing anti-terrorist protection of university facilities and territories.

    The Polytechnic University regularly holds events related to civil defense, prevention and elimination of emergency situations, as well as anti-terrorist protection and fire safety.

    This time, the training was attended by employees of the Civil Security Department of SPbPU and employees of the security organization “U-Piter”. The head of the Civil Security Department, Oleg Savoshinsky, was the head of the event.

    Participants worked out algorithms for actions when committing or threatening to commit terrorist crimes in two scenarios: “placing an explosive device” and “attack by an unmanned aerial vehicle.”

    The goals and objectives were fully achieved. Following the exercise, the SPbPU management highly appreciated the actions of the university staff and employees.

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

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Fuel for California Fires

    Source: NASA

    When hurricane-force winds whipped through Los Angeles County in early January 2025, the hills had ample fuels available to feed a wildland fire. Back-to-back wet years in California led to grasses and chaparral accumulating in the mountains and foothills. Then, warm, dry weather in Los Angeles during the last eight months of 2024 left the vegetation primed to burn.
    On January 7, blazes spread quickly in the hills of Pacific Palisades and Eaton Canyon. Santa Ana winds pushed the fires down hills and into neighborhoods, and the two fires eventually covered 37,000 acres (150 square kilometers). Most of the fire spread in the first day after ignition, a characteristic of “fast fires.” These destructive events are usually propelled by strong winds and burn in the autumn or winter when fuels are exceptionally dry.
    Researchers at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) noted that several factors contributed to the severity of the fires, including a buildup of vegetation between 2022 and into 2024, followed by very warm and dry conditions in summer 2024. The rapid swing from wet to dry—dubbed “hydroclimate whiplash”—can amplify the risk of wildland fires and has become more common in the 21st century.
    From 2022 to early 2024, Southern California received above-average precipitation, said Gavin Madakumbura, a postdoctoral researcher at UCLA. The 2022-2023 water year, which runs from October through September, saw unrelenting atmospheric rivers that delivered torrential rain to California. Much of the 2023-2024 water year was also wet, and rainfall totals for both periods, measured in downtown LA, were nearly twice the long-term average (1877-2024).
    The ample rain allowed vegetation to build up, which is apparent in the map above. It shows a satellite-based index of plant health, or “greenness,” over the meteorological summer before the fires. This metric, known as the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI), is based on data collected by the Landsat satellites.
    The map indicates that many parts of Los Angeles County were 30 percent greener than average in summer 2024 (compared to a record from 1991 to 2020). That July, the National Interagency Fire Center warned that “herbaceous fuel loadings” were above normal throughout California, and in some hilly areas, were twice the normal amount.

    Conditions shifted in the last half of 2024. According to Madakumbura and colleagues, the Los Angeles region received no significant rain between May 2024 and early January 2025, which dried out the accumulated vegetation. On January 4, 2025, the Los Angeles Times reported that the downtown area had only one instance in the previous eight months when rainfall exceeded a tenth of an inch—the threshold considered helpful for reducing wildfire risk by keeping plants from drying out. That made it the second-driest May to January on a record that goes back to 1877.
    The landscape’s dryness was made worse by heatwaves that struck the U.S. Southwest in June and July 2024, either breaking or tying temperature records in several cities in California.
    The map above shows moisture relative to normal in the top 40 inches (100 centimeters) of soil, in the “root zone,” on January 7, 2025, the day the Palisades and Eaton fires ignited. The data are from NASA’s SPoRT (Short-term Prediction Research and Transition) Center at Marshall Space Flight Center. The soil moisture in much of Southern California was in the bottom 2 percent of historical records (1981-2013) for that day.
    “This is historically low soil moisture,” said Jonathan Case, a meteorologist with NASA SPoRT who has studied how moisture conditions can contribute to fire risk.
    SPoRT’s Land Information System (SPoRT-LIS) provides 3-kilometer resolution gridded soil moisture products in near real-time to support regional and local modeling and is used by the U.S. Drought Monitor to track drought conditions across the country.
    NASA Earth Observatory images by Michala Garrison, using Landsat data from the U.S. Geological Survey and soil moisture data from NASA’s Short-term Prediction Research and Transition (SPoRT) Center. Story by Emily Cassidy.

    MIL OSI USA News –