The road was temporarily closed last week for an emergency repair to the gas main.
However, further investigation has revealed that an entire 600-metre length of the gas main needs to be replaced.
Due to its location in the middle of the road, it would be dangerous to operate a contraflow system while engineers are working.
We appreciate the inconvenience this will cause for many motorists but these works by SGN are vital for ensuring the safety and reliability of the gas supply.
As the local authority, we will be looking to bring forward any other works scheduled for this road so they can happen concurrently, reducing inconvenience for motorists.
Diversions will be put in place, and there will be changes to public transport to assist commuters during this period.
Stagecoach Service 57/57A will be impacted by this closure. Dundee and Perth bound services will operate between Meigle and Blairgowrie Wellmeadow via the A94 – Coupar Angus – A923. Services will not operate via Rattray, New Alyth & Alyth.
Passengers from Rattray will require to access Service 57/57A at Blairgowrie Wellmeadow.
Passengers from New Alyth & Alyth will be linked to Service 57/57A at Meigle by a shuttle bus operating a reduced timetable.
Blairgowrie Freedom Coach will operate the earlier morning commuter journeys on Mondays to Saturdays for the six-week period, while Stagecoach will undertake off peak journeys during the day and the early evening journeys. No late evening journeys or Sunday shuttle service will operate.
For further information on the shuttle service, please contact Stagecoach (Blairgowrie) tel: 01250 872772.
School transport will operate as normal on the morning of Monday 17 February, and the Council’s Public Transport Unit will be liaising with schools, operators and families affected by the closure to put in revised arrangements for the Monday afternoon journeys onwards. These arrangements will be the same to those put in place last week.
A dire displacement crisis is escalating in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo as M23 rebels make headway while aid routes are cut off, UN humanitarians warned on Friday.
“The crisis is worsening as people flee to areas where humanitarian aid cannot reach due to insecurity,” UN refugee agency (UNHCR) spokesperson Eujin Byun told reporters in Geneva.
The development comes a day after the top UN aid official in the country Bruno Lemarquis warned that a shortage of humanitarian routes was threatening the aid operation in the region.
Advance on Bukavu
The rebels, who seized North Kivu province’s capital Goma late last month, are advancing towards Bukavu, the capital of South Kivu, following a short-lived lull in fighting.
Ms. Byun said that in South Kivu, more than half of the aid groups providing critical support to survivors of sexual violence “report being unable to reach those in need due to insecurity and continuous displacement”.
Meanwhile, in North Kivu, “the destruction of health facilities, including mortuaries, and overcrowded hospitals increase the risk of spreading infectious diseases, including cholera, malaria, and measles,” she said.
The UNHCR spokesperson also highlighted the fact that “heavy artillery shelling and looting” have destroyed 70,000 emergency shelters around Goma and Minova in North and South Kivu provinces, leaving some 350,000 internally displaced people (IDPs) “once again without a roof over their heads”.
While some 100,000 displaced people have attempted to return to their home areas – where they are met with damage to their homes and a lack of essential services – many remain stranded, Ms. Byun said.
Deadly remnants
Unexploded ordnance left over from the fighting is another obstacle to their safe return.
Ms. Byun warned of the possibility that those people “will be displaced once again”.
The UNHCR spokesperson stressed that most of the 28 IDP sites around Goma are now destroyed. The agency’s concern in terms of aid access is that the road from Goma to Bukavu has been cut off, she said.
Ms. Byun also recalled that the airport in Goma is “still not functioning for humanitarian aid”.
“Since violence has spread to South Kivu, this supply line is our biggest concern,” she added.
With the rebels pushing towards Bukavu, the UN’s Mr. Lemarquis expressed worry on Thursday about the fate of South Kivu’s main airport some 20 miles from the province’s capital, which until recently was the “main lifeline” for bringing in humanitarian personnel.
Mpox spread
Meanwhile, the spokesperson for the UN World Health Organization (WHO), Christian Lindmeier, highlighted the “heavy” impact of the hostilities on the mpox response, “particularly in Goma and the adjacent area” as the fighting spread southwards.
He stressed that the DRC is “the worst-affected country for mpox”, with Kivu being the epicentre of the highly infectious clade 1b outbreak.
Due to the rapid spread of the clade 1b strain, in August last year WHO moved to declare mpox once again a “public health emergency of international concern”, for the second time after a global outbreak of the virus made headlines in 2022.
Earlier this month, WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said that before the latest violence in eastern DRC, mpox cases had been stabilizing. But the recent fighting has forced patients to flee treatment centres, increasing transmission risks.
“Out of 143 confirmed mpox patients in isolation units in Goma and around, 128 fled in fear for their lives,” Mr. Lindmeier said, stressing that only 15 patients remain in isolation.
“That’s of course dangerous for everybody around,” he insisted.
Mr. Lindmeier added that some health facilities in the area had been looted, health workers had fled, and people were unable to access healthcare because of the security situation.
Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News
HARBIN, Feb. 14 — Chinese Premier Li Qiang on Friday met with Mongolian Prime Minister Luvsannamsrai Oyun-Erdene in Harbin, capital city of northeast China’s Heilongjiang Province.
Oyun-Erdene is here for the closing ceremony of the 9th Asian Winter Games.
China and Mongolia are friendly neighbors connected by mountains and rivers, said Li, noting that close cooperation and joint development are in the common interests of both sides.
China is willing to work with Mongolia to further implement the important consensus reached by the two heads of state, firmly grasp the right direction for the development of bilateral ties, consolidate political mutual trust, carry forward the traditional friendship, deepen mutually beneficial cooperation and bring more benefits to the two peoples, Li said.
Li added that China is ready to strengthen the synergy of development strategies and policy coordination with Mongolia, maintain the positive momentum of bilateral cooperation, and boost cooperation in traditional fields such as mineral, energy, connectivity and infrastructure, as well as expand cooperation in emerging areas such as artificial intelligence and green development.
Li called on both sides to deepen cooperation in fields such as culture, education and tourism, support youth exchanges, and consolidate public support for friendship between the two countries.
China is ready to work with Mongolia and other Asian countries to uphold the common values of peace, unity and cooperation, closely coordinate and cooperate with each other, practice genuine multilateralism, jointly safeguard regional peace, stability and development, and better safeguard common interests, the premier noted.
Oyun-Erdene extended his warm congratulations to China for successfully hosting the 9th Asian Winter Games, emphasizing that the event would further promote Asian values and amplify Asian voices.
Noting that Mongolia and China are eternal neighbors, he said developing long-term, stable and friendly relations with China is Mongolia’s primary foreign policy focus.
Oyun-Erdene said Mongolia firmly adheres to the one-China policy and looks forward to making joint efforts with China to strengthen high-level exchanges and strengthen the connection between Mongolia’s development strategy and the Belt and Road Initiative.
Mongolia is ready to deepen practical cooperation with China in fields such as economy and trade, connectivity, energy, resources and infrastructure, and push comprehensive strategic partnership to a higher level, Oyun-Erdene added.
NASHVILLE – A U.S. Immigration Customs and Enforcement investigation with the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation led to a four-count indictment which was unsealed in the Middle District of Tennessee charging eight defendants, with ties to the Tren da Aragua (TdA) gang, with various offenses stemming from their involvement with a transnational commercial sex enterprise.
“The success of this operation to stop Tren da Aragua operating in our communities is a significant step forward in our ongoing battle against human trafficking and transnational organized crime,” said ICE Homeland Security Investigations Nashville Special Agent in Charge Rana Saoud. “This investigation exemplifies the importance of collaboration among local, state, and federal agencies in ending these crimes in our communities. Human exploitation leaves a trail of suffering in its wake.”
The defendants, Yilibeth del Carmen Rivero-De Caldera, 51, Kleiver Daniel Mota-Rivero, 35, Yuribetzi Del Valle Gomez Machuca, 39, Wilmarys Del Valle Manzano Solorzano, 22, Frankyanna Del Valle Romero-Rivero, 30, Endrik Alexander Morales-Rivero, 25, Jesus Enrique Castillo Rodriguez, 24, Ariannys Beatriz Gutierrez-Carrillo, 24; all of Venezuela, operated an illegal commercial sex and sex trafficking enterprise out of Nashville motels from July 2022 through March 2024, according to court documents.
The defendants facilitated the victims’ arrival into the United States and used online commercial sex websites to post advertisements and internet or cellular communications to conduct illicit criminal activities, according to the indictment.
“This indictment demonstrates our commitment to stop human trafficking whenever and wherever we find it, and to hold those involved accountable” said acting U.S. Attorney for the Middle District of Tennessee Robert E. McGuire. “We are coming after transnational criminal organizations like TdA, but this case shows that we will also do whatever it takes to stop those who would traffic women and girls no matter who is behind their suffering.”
“We will not allow TdA – or any criminal organization – to get a stronghold in Tennessee,” said Tennessee Bureau of Investigations Director David Rausch. “We are thankful for our local, state, and federal partners who joined us in investigating this case, and we stand prepared to continue aggressively investigating human trafficking in our state, holding traffickers and buyers accountable and helping victims take their first steps toward becoming survivors.”
A grand jury in the Middle District of Tennessee previously returned the four-count indictment charging all eight defendants for roles in facilitating the recruiting of young women from impoverished parts of Venezuela and other South and Central American countries, and their transportation across the U.S. southern border and state lines to engage in commercial sex in the Nashville area.
Three of the defendants, Yilibeth del Carmen Rivero-De Caldera, Kleiver Daniel Mota-Rivero, and Yuribetzi Del Valle Gomez Machuca, are additionally charged with sex trafficking conspiracy for conspiring to use force, fraud, and coercion to compel the women into engaging in commercial sex acts for the defendants’ profit that include invoking alleged ties to the Venezuelan gang TdA and its reputation for violence. The indictment further charges defendant Kleiver Daniel Mota-Rivero with one count of possession of a firearm by an illegal alien.
Mother and son defendants Rivero-De Caldera and Mota-Rivero are charged with conspiring to impose a coercive debt scheme upon the victims to compel them to continue engaging in commercial sex acts until the defendants deemed their debts repaid. Defendants Rivero-De Caldera and Mota-Rivero previously were arrested and detained on state charges relating to their conduct.
The defendants face a maximum penalty of life in prison if convicted of conspiracy to commit sex trafficking. Conspiracy to commit interstate transportation for purposes of prostitution carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison, and conspiracy to commit interstate and foreign travel or transportation in aid of racketeering enterprises carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison.
Mota-Rivero also faces a maximum penalty of 15 years in prison if convicted of possession of a firearm by an illegal alien.
In addition to ICE HSI Nashville and TBI, the FBI, the DEA, the Metropolitan Nashville Police Department, Shelbyville Police Department, U.S. Secret Service, and additional federal, state, and local Organized Crime and Drug Enforcement Task Force partners who coordinated related law enforcement operations across multiple jurisdictions assisted in this investigation.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Brooke K. Schiferle for the Middle District of Tennessee and Trial Attorneys Lindsey Roberson and Jessica Arco of the Civil Rights Division’s Human Trafficking Prosecution Unit are prosecuting the case.
To report any information about human trafficking, child sexual abuse, or the trafficking in child sexual abuse material contact the ICE Tip Line at 1-866-347-2423.
Five men who targeted shops across Barnet have been convicted as part of the Met’s continued drive to bring London’s most prolific shoplifters to justice.
Officers in Colindale made 18 arrests in the space of just four days and secured 85 charges.
They identified the 15 worst affected shops across the borough that were repeatedly targeted over the past six months. They worked with staff and security teams to streamline the way they gathered evidence to identify persistent offenders.
The operation was carried out between Thursday, 30 January and Sunday, 2 February.
In one case, officers spotted a man wanted for a string of thefts in the area acting suspiciously by the Co-op on East Barnet Road at 07:30hrs on Saturday, 1 February, before heading inside.
This led to them carrying out a carefully coordinated sting to arrest the offender, who was tackled to the ground by the exit as he attempted to make off on an electric scooter with a bag of stolen meat.
The incident was caught on CCTV and the footage recovered as part of the investigation.
Gavin Fonti, 44 (20.12.81), of no fixed address, was charged with theft from the store, as well as a further five counts of theft from a nearby BP Garage on Great North Road.
He appeared at Willesden Magistrates Court on Monday, 3 February, where he was sentenced to 20 weeks in prison.
Sergeant Dave Salmon, from the Colindale Emergency Response Policing Team, said:
“This is an excellent example of neighbourhood policing at its best, and thanks to the awareness and quick-thinking of our officers, we’ve been able to remove more prolific shoplifters from our streets.
“We know shoplifting has a significant impact on businesses and shop staff, as well as members of the public. It often fuels other crime and anti-social behaviour, so we’ve taken a proactive approach with the worst affected stores.
“This is not only building stronger relationships between Safer Neighbourhood officers and local businesses, but also instilling more trust and confidence in local policing.”
This work is another example of the steps the Met is taking to remove the worst offending shoplifters across the capital.
Elsewhere in London, recent enforcement activity in Lambeth has led to 11 of the 14 most prolific shoplifters in the area serving prison terms, while in Homerton, officers have made 15 arrests relating to more 50 crimes since September 2024, of which six people are currently serving prison terms.
Those sentenced alongside Fonti for offences in the Barnet area were:
Craig Buttery, 36 (18.04.89), of no fixed address, was charged with 22 thefts and two breaches of a Community Banning Order, and will serve four months behind bars.
Geoff Kilday, 49 (01.11.76), of no fixed address, has been handed a 12-week prison sentence after being charged with one count of theft.
Mohammed Bey, 52 (13.11.73), of Creighton Avenue, Muswell Hill, was charged with one count of theft and given a 12-week suspended sentence for 12 months.
While Leon Day, 42 (02.08.1983), of no fixed address, was sentenced to 24 weeks’ imprisonment after being charged with 21 counts of theft.
TORONTO, Feb. 14, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Blockmate Ventures Inc (TSX.V: MATE) (OTCQB: MATEF) (FSE: 8MH1) (“Blockmate” or the “Company”) is pleased to announce that its majority-owned subsidiary, Hivello Holdings Ltd (“Hivello”) has secured a strategic investment from Tony G.
Tony G led a strategic investment into Blockmate on December 17, 2024. And as per Hivello’s release below, Tony G has followed on with a direct investment into Hivello directly.
Below is the press release from Hivello:
Hivello Secures Strategic Investment from Antanas “Tony G” Guoga to Scale Decentralized Compute
London & Amsterdam, February 13, 2025 –Hivello, a DePIN aggregator that enables users to earn by monetising idle computer resources across multiple decentralised networks, has announced a strategic investment from Antanas Guoga (Tony G), a well-known blockchain investor, entrepreneur, and advocate for decentralized infrastructure.
Antanas Guoga, widely known as Tony G, is a seasoned investor, entrepreneur, and advocate for blockchain innovation. As the chairman and major shareholder of TSXv-listed Sol Strategies Inc., a Canadian-based investment firm specializing in blockchain, AI, and decentralized technologies, Tony G has been instrumental in backing high-growth Web3 startups.
His strategic investments have helped scale multiple blockchain projects, with Sol Strategies recently surpassing a $500 million market capitalization. Beyond his role in the private sector, Tony G has a history of championing digital innovation in public policy. As a former Member of the European Parliament (MEP), he was a strong advocate for technological advancement, pushing for clearer blockchain regulations and greater adoption of decentralized solutions. His global network and deep understanding of the intersection between policy, technology, and finance make him a valuable partner for companies shaping the future of Web3.
Recognizing Hivello’s role in the future of DePIN, Tony G’s investment underscores his belief in DePIN as a major growth sector in Web3. His support will help accelerate Hivello’s expansion, enabling more users to seamlessly contribute to decentralized infrastructure while earning rewards. With his backing, Hivello is positioned to become a key player in the next generation of blockchain-powered compute networks.
“Hivello is tackling one of the biggest challenges in DePIN—bridging complex infrastructure with everyday users,” said Tony G. “Their platform makes it incredibly easy for anyone to participate in and benefit from the decentralized economy. I see huge potential in their approach and am excited to support their journey.”
“Tony G’s investment is a strong validation of Hivello’s vision to simplify and scale decentralized physical infrastructure networks,” said Domenic Carosa, Co-Founder of Hivello. “His deep expertise in blockchain and infrastructure scaling, combined with his ability to back high-growth projects, will help accelerate our mission to make DePIN accessible to millions of users worldwide.”
(ENDS)
About Hivello Hivello is a DePIN aggregator that enables users to earn by monetising idle computer resources across multiple decentralised networks. The Swiss-based HVLO Association will issue the $HVLO token under license from Hivello Holdings Ltd.
For more information about Hivello and to stay updated on its developments, visit www.hivello.com
About Blockmate Ventures Inc. Blockmate Ventures is a venture creator focussing on building fast-growing technology businesses relating to cutting-edge sectors such as blockchain, AI and renewable energy. Working with prospective founders, projects in incubation can benefit from the Blockmate ecosystem that offers tech, services, integrations and advice to accelerate the incubation of projects towards monetization. Recent projects include Hivello (download the free passive income app at www.hivello.com) and Sunified, digitising solar energy.
The leadership team at Blockmate Ventures have successfully founded successful tech companies from the Dotcom era through to the social media era. Learn more about being a Blockmate at: www.blockmate.com.
Blockmate welcomes investors to join the Company’s mailing list for the latest updates and industry research by subscribing at https://www.blockmate.com/subscribe.
ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Justin Rosenberg, CEO Blockmate Ventures Inc justin@blockmate.com (+1-580-262-6130)
Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release
Forward-Looking Information This news release contains “forward-looking statements” or “forward-looking information” (collectively, “forward-looking statements”) within the meaning of applicable securities legislation. All statements, other than statements of historical fact, are forward-looking statements and are based on the assumptions, expectations, estimates and projections as of the date of this news release. Forward-looking statements are subject to a variety of known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that could cause actual events or results to differ from those expressed or implied by forward-looking statements contained herein. There can be no assurance that such statements will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Raindrop disclaims any obligation to update any forward-looking statements, whether because of new information, future events or otherwise, except as may be required by applicable securities laws. Readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements.
MENLO PARK, Calif., Feb. 14, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Robinhood Markets, Inc. (“Robinhood”) (NASDAQ: HOOD) today reported select monthly operating data for January 2025:
Funded Customers at the end of January were 25.5 million (up approximately 310 thousand from December 2024, up approximately 2 million year-over-year).
Assets Under Custody (AUC) at the end of January were $204 billion (up 6% from December 2024, up 99% year-over-year). Net Deposits were $5.6 billion in January, translating to a 35% annualized growth rate relative to December 2024 AUC. Over the last twelve months, Net Deposits were $52.3 billion, translating to an annual growth rate of 51% relative to January 2024 AUC.
Equity Notional Trading Volumes were $144.7 billion (down 3% from December 2024, up 144% year-over-year). Options Contracts Traded were 166.6 million (up 2% from December 2024, up 57% year-over-year). Crypto Notional Trading Volumes were $20.4 billion (down 32% from December 2024, up over 200% year-over-year).
Margin balances at the end of January were $8.3 billion (up 5% from the end of December 2024, up 131% year-over-year).
Total Cash Sweep balances at the end of January were $26.3 billion (up 1% from the end of December 2024, up 57% year-over-year).
Total Securities Lending Revenue in January was $25 million (down 11% from December 2024, up 108% year-over-year).
January 2025
December 2024
M/M Change
January 2024
Y/Y Change
(M – in millions, B – in billions)
Funded Customer Growth (M)
Funded Customers
25.5
25.2
+1%
23.5
+9%
Assets Under Custody (AUC) ($B)
Total AUC
$203.7
$192.9
+6%
$102.4
+99%
Net Deposits
$5.6
$5.3
NM
$3.8
NM
Trading
Trading Days (Equities and Options)
20
21
(5%)
21
(5%)
Total Trading Volumes
Equity ($B)
$144.7
$149.8
(3%)
$59.3
+144%
Options Contracts (M)
166.6
163.7
+2%
106.2
+57%
Crypto ($B)
$20.4
$30.2
(32%)
$5.9
+246%
Daily Average Revenue Trades (DARTs) (M)
Equity
2.6
2.8
(7%)
1.7
+53%
Options
1.1
1.0
+10%
0.7
+57%
Crypto
0.9
1.0
(10%)
0.3
+200%
Customer Margin and Cash Sweep ($B)
Margin Book
$8.3
$7.9
+5%
$3.6
+131%
Total Cash Sweep
$26.3
$26.1
+1%
$16.8
+57%
Gold Cash Sweep
$25.6
$25.4
+1%
$16.1
+59%
Non-Gold Cash Sweep
$0.7
$0.7
–
$0.7
–
Total Securities Lending Revenue ($M)
$25
$28
(11%)
$12
+108%
For definitions and additional information regarding these metrics, please refer to Robinhood’s full monthly metrics release, which is available on investors.robinhood.com.
The information in this release is unaudited and the information for the months in the most recent fiscal quarter is preliminary, based on Robinhood’s estimates, and subject to completion of financial closing procedures. Final results for the most recent fiscal quarter, as reported in Robinhood’s quarterly and annual filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”), might vary from the information in this release.
About Robinhood
Robinhood Markets, Inc. (NASDAQ: HOOD) transformed financial services by introducing commission-free stock trading and democratizing access to the markets for millions of investors. Today, Robinhood lets you trade stocks, options, futures (which includes options on futures, swaps, and event contracts), and crypto, invest for retirement, and earn with Robinhood Gold. Headquartered in Menlo Park, California, Robinhood puts customers in the driver’s seat, delivering unprecedented value and products intentionally designed for a new generation of investors. Additional information about Robinhood can be found at www.robinhood.com.
Robinhood uses the “Overview” tab of its Investor Relations website (accessible at investors.robinhood.com/overview) and its Newsroom (accessible at newsroom.aboutrobinhood.com), as means of disclosing information to the public in a broad, non-exclusionary manner for purposes of the SEC Regulation Fair Disclosure (Reg. FD). Investors should routinely monitor those web pages, in addition to Robinhood’s press releases, SEC filings, and public conference calls and webcasts, as information posted on them could be deemed to be material information.
“Robinhood” and the Robinhood feather logo are registered trademarks of Robinhood Markets, Inc. All other names are trademarks and/or registered trademarks of their respective owners.
NEW YORK, Feb. 14, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Virtual Investor Conferences, the leading proprietary investor conference series, today announced the presentations from the Metals & Mining Virtual Investor Conference, held February 12th and 13th are now available for online viewing.
The company presentations will be available 24/7 for 90 days. Investors, advisors, and analysts may download investor materials from the company’s resource section.
Select companies are accepting 1×1 management meeting requests through February 17th
To facilitate investor relations scheduling and to view a complete calendar of Virtual Investor Conferences, please visit www.virtualinvestorconferences.com.
February 12th
February 13th
About Virtual Investor Conferences®
Virtual Investor Conferences (VIC) is the leading proprietary investor conference series that provides an interactive forum for publicly traded companies to seamlessly present directly to investors.
Providing a real-time investor engagement solution, VIC is specifically designed to offer companies more efficient investor access. Replicating the components of an on-site investor conference, VIC offers companies enhanced capabilities to connect with investors, schedule targeted one-on-one meetings and enhance their presentations with dynamic video content. Accelerating the next level of investor engagement, Virtual Investor Conferences delivers leading investor communications to a global network of retail and institutional investors.
Source: The Conversation – UK – By Stephen Clear, Lecturer in Constitutional and Administrative Law, and Public Procurement, Bangor University
It has been less than a month since Donald Trump retook the Oval Office. But with dozens of executive orders, every day has brought substantial change.
While Trump claims he has a democratic mandate to cut government waste, it is the unelected Elon Musk who has been behind the most radical changes. Musk, the world’s richest man, joined the US government as head of the new Department of Government Efficiency (Doge), which Trump established by executive order.
Want more politics coverage from academic experts? Every week, we bring you informed analysis of developments in government and fact check the claims being made.
Their actions have not been without legal challenge. A judge issued a temporary order restricting Musk from accessing the Treasury’s files due to the risk of exposing sensitive data. In response, Trump has expanded Musk’s power further, instructing government officials to cooperate with Doge.
A key question for the UK is whether something similar could happen here. In theory, the answer is yes – but it would be difficult for anybody to enact.
There have been ongoing concerns, including some raised by the current government, around the size of the UK government and the budget deficit. Politicians from the Reform party are already saying that Britain needs to adopt a Musk-style approach to cut government waste.
Compared to other systems of government, UK prime ministers have almost unparalleled power to change existing, and establish new, government departments as they see fit. So it would be well within the gift of the prime minister to establish a new department like Doge – though there could be limits to its power to change things like national spending, given the need for budgetary approval by parliament.
There is also plenty of precedent for private citizens like Musk to work in the UK government. This could be as a special adviser: a temporary “political” civil servant who advises the government and is appointed under the Constitutional Reform and Governance Act 2010. Previous examples include Alastair Campbell (Tony Blair’s spokesman) and Dominic Cummings (Boris Johnson’s senior adviser). While cabinet ministers hire their special advisers, the prime minister approves all appointments.
Alternatively, civilians can be brought more directly into government as ministers. Under constitutional convention, a member of the UK government is a member of either the Commons or Lords. Someone who is not an elected politician can be appointed to the Lords (and a ministerial role) by the prime minister. Rishi Sunak did this when he made David Cameron foreign secretary, as did Keir Starmer with businessman-turned-minister for prisons James Timpson.
There have even been debates in recent years over whether this convention of government ministers needing to be members of parliament can be dispensed with, given it lacks legal enforcement. But this raises questions about how you afford parliament opportunities to scrutinise the work of such ministers, if they are not even in the Lords.
However, the kind of actions that Trump and Musk are currently undertaking could not strictly pan out the same way under the UK’s constitutional arrangements.
While it does not have executive orders in the same way as the US, there are means for the UK government to administratively act without passing legislation through parliament.
The government’s power can be exercised through orders in council via the monarch. These can either be via statutory orders (where the power has been granted through an act of parliament) or prerogative powers.
The prerogative refers to powers that government ministers have, which do not require the consent of parliament. For example, to enter international treaties or wars, or the ability to call an election.
The monarch also retains some prerogative powers – for example, to appoint or dismiss a prime minister, and to summon or prorogue (end a session of) parliament. But by convention, the monarch fulfils these functions in a ceremonial and symbolic capacity – without input in the decisions. In reality, they merely follow the advice of the prime minister on these matters.
Importantly, prerogative powers can only be used when legislation does not exist to the contrary – and the UK government cannot arbitrarily change prerogative powers or create new ones.
President Trump signals that there is more to come from Doge.
One way a Musk-style takeover would struggle in the UK is if a proposed change affected primary legislation and left it redundant. It has been established since 1610 that prerogative powers cannot be used to change or make law without parliament.
Should this happen, the courts can intervene. This was tested in Miller 1, the legal case over whether the prime minister alone had the power to leave the EU, or whether parliamentary approval was needed. It was decided that the government could not rely on its prerogative powers to trigger Brexit without parliament’s approval, as this would change primary law.
And, as was clear when it came to Boris Johnson’s decision to prorogue parliament, the Supreme Court will nullify government action which it deems unconstitutional.
In this sense, it is a well-established common law principle that judges will rely on the rule of law to check what the government is doing, and would view parliament as never truly intending to pass any law which would exclude that oversight. Any attempt to legislate to block courts from having that check would be an unconstitutional violation.
Here, the UK has the advantage of a strong independence of the courts. Since 2006, judicial appointments have been the responsibility of an independent commission. There is also a separate, independent selection process for the Supreme Court. This effectively bars the prime minister from changing the composition of the courts in the same way the US president can.
What if parliament went rogue?
Some may be minded that, if a reformist government had a majority in parliament and existing laws were preventing change in the UK, then it could easily change the law through an act of parliament. This was the risk of the now-defunct Rwanda plan, where the government effectively tried, through legislation, to overrule the Supreme Court and send asylum seekers to Rwanda.
Should this have continued, it would probably have faced legal challenges at the European court of human rights. Here is where efforts to remove the UK from the European convention on human rights, or to repeal the Human Rights Act, would have become consequential.
Of course, even with the strongest majorities, backbench MPs do not always vote with their government, and would be less likely to do so if the leader was attempting to do something extreme, unprincipled and unconscionable.
We would be in relatively uncharted constitutional waters if the prime minister then ignored a Supreme Court ruling. But while rarely used, there are mechanisms available to parliament in such cases to use motions of no confidence in the government to instigate change to the executive.
Unless the law is radically changed, the machinery of parliament, with the checks and balances of the Supreme Court, would make a US-style overhaul challenging – if not, theoretically, impossible. But while it is not codified into one text, the UK does still have a constitution and the safeguards that come with it – as well as hundreds of years of convention to back it up.
Stephen Clear 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.
If the object of your affection were to suggest that a “platonic” relationship might be of more interest to them, your heart might sink a little. The common understanding of Platonic love, so called after the ancient Greek philosopher Plato, is that it indicates a relationship of strong affection from which sex is excluded. But there’s potentially much more to the concept of Platonic love than the absence of romantic or physical passion.
The term is derived from Plato’s writing on the topic of love in the Symposium, a work composed in the early fourth century BC. It’s set at a dinner party in Athens that supposedly took place much earlier in 416 BC, when a playwright called Agathon won first prize for his tragic drama.
Agathon threw a party – symposium in Greek means “drinking together” – where everyone over-indulged. So the following night the partygoers, including the philosopher Socrates, decided that instead of drinking they would give speeches in praise of the god of love, Eros (whence comes the word “erotic”).
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In the course of the party, the comic poet Aristophanes offers a humorously extravagant story about the origins of love:
Once upon a time human beings were duplicates of what we are today, with four arms, four legs, and two faces. These double-humans came in three types, male-male, female-female, and male-female. They were over-powerful beings who threatened the gods – so Zeus decided to split them in half. Now we’re just halves of a whole, and each half desperately seeks its matching half in a quest for completion. This is what we mean by love.
Humour aside, Aristophanes’ tale accounts for both sexual orientation and why human beings may feel incomplete alone.
There’s great thoughtfulness and variety in the Symposium. In addition to this comic representation of love as literally “seeking our other half”, Plato reports four speeches given by participants, followed by a presentation by Socrates, and finally an extended contribution by the flamboyant Alcibiades, who bursts in late on the gathering.
For ancient Greeks, love was literally divine. The notion that love is a god (Eros) or goddess (Aphrodite) distinguishes many of the speeches in the Symposium. Another culturally distinctive feature is that the party consists entirely of men, who tacitly acknowledge that love is to be thought of as homoerotic.
In ancient Athens, heterosexual relations were rarely seen to involve an intellectual dimension. Women and girls were generally not educated, so the notion of intellectual engagement as a component of a relationship was something reserved for love between men, although Plato’s propositions about love don’t exclude (as Aristophanes’ tale shows) love between the sexes or between women.
In Plato’s day, Athens’ rival city Thebes had established a unit of warriors, the Sacred Band, consisting of 150 pairs of male lovers. The first speaker, the young aristocrat Phaedrus, argues that an army of this kind will be invincible, because men will always strive to show courage in front of the partner they love.
He takes sexual love for granted in arguing that love “inspires lovers to act nobly in matters of life and death”. The following speaker, Pausanias, makes a distinction between true love and sex, insisting that the latter should be reserved for committed relationships.
Other speakers offer more abstract views of love – as a force of universal harmony, or (as Agathon argues) a stimulus to artistic creativity. Socrates then offers to “tell the truth about love”, recounting how Diotima (a fiction evidently based on a real woman, Aspasia of Miletus) had taught him that love begins with physical desire but leads on to “higher” forms such as love of knowledge, beauty, and truth.
The final speech is given by the drunken latecomer to the party, the playboy politician Alcibiades, famously beloved of Socrates. The most handsome youth of his day, he describes how he once tried in vain to seduce the older man. Socrates was not interested because – as he argued a true lover should be – he was keener on improving the young man’s soul through philosophy than being gratified by his body.
Properly understood, then, Platonic love is not about the negation of passion but about its elevation and transformation. This means it cannot be simply narcissistic. Aristophanes’ myth of the original human beings seeking a similar matching half is challenged by Socrates’ doctrine.
Love’s aim, we eventually learn, is not to complete us, but to inspire us to grow creatively in relation to another person. Not to guide us to love our mirror image, but to lead us to educate and be educated by another person to become the highest version of ourselves.
This invites us to think about relationships in terms of shared aspirations. From this point of view, Platonic love means focusing on what lies beyond the relationship itself, on the ideals that connect those who truly love each other.
In practice, one might conclude, the highest form of love is a partnership in which two people are united by a common creative quest. Such love is not passionless, but a powerful force that begins with physical desire but ends with its transcendence.
To love Platonically is to see in another person not just what they are, but what they may be inspired to become, and to climb together toward something greater than one might attain alone.
Seen in this light, the quest for our “matching half” proposed by Aristophanes, if only in jest, cannot be the answer. And though we may not be wholly satisfied with any of the views expressed in the dialogue, the aim of the Symposium is surely to invite us to continue the conversation.
Armand D’Angour 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.
Austerity is an unusual economic concept. While it is one of the economic terms that attracts the most interest from the public, it remains controversial in policy debates. Advocates argue that reducing government deficits through spending cuts and tax increases restores confidence and stabilises economies. Critics, however, warn that these policies just deepen downturns.
My recent research, using data from 16 countries over several decades, provides new evidence supporting the second view. That is, austerity has significant and persistent negative effects on employment and the size of an economy (measured by GDP), with the damage lasting more than 15 years.
A common defence of austerity is that while it may slow growth in the short term, it ultimately strengthens economies by reducing debt and making room for private-sector expansion. But my findings challenge this assumption.
I analysed episodes of austerity, defined as large fiscal contractions (reduced state spending or large tax increases) across a variety of advanced economies. What I found was the negative impact on GDP remains substantial even after a decade and a half. On average, GDP is more than 5.5% lower 15 years after a large austerity shock than would have been expected if there had been no austerity, based on statistical estimates.
Beyond GDP, austerity has a lasting impact on labour markets (the number of jobs on offer and people available to do them). My research shows that large fiscal contractions lead to a significant drop in the total number of hours worked, which is a key indicator of labour market health.
This is a crucial finding, as policymakers often assume that labour markets will adjust quickly after an economic shock. Instead, results suggest employment levels (which is best measured by the total number of hours worked by everyone in the labour force) remain depressed for more than a decade after major austerity measures.
One reason for this is the connection between investment and employment. When governments cut spending, firms delay investments. This, in turn, lowers productivity growth and reduces job creation.
If businesses anticipate that the economy will remain weak for a long time, they adjust their hiring and investment strategies. This can reinforce a cycle of stagnation. My results suggest that, on average, an austerity shock generates a reduction of 4% in the total worked hours and 6% in the capital stock (the value of physical assets like buildings and machines used to produce goods and services) after 15 years.
The effects of an austerity shock on countries’ GDP:
UK: A case study
Perhaps one of the most striking real-world examples of the long-term effects of austerity is the UK. Following the 2008 global financial crisis, the UK government implemented sweeping austerity measures starting in 2010. These policies were framed as necessary to reduce the budget deficit and restore investor confidence. Spending cuts affected key areas, including welfare, healthcare, education and local government services like social housing, roads and leisure facilities.
The 2010 coalition government brought in more than £80 billion of cuts to public spending.
But here’s a conundrum. The UK’s fiscal deficit (the difference between what it spent and what it raised in taxes) after the implementation of these policies was greater than before the austerity cuts. The deficit in 2023/2024 was 5.7% of GDP, while in 2007/2008, it was 2.9%.
What is evident is that these measures are associated with stagnant wages, weakened public services and sluggish GDP growth. Productivity growth has remained weak, and long-term economic damage is evident in underfunded infrastructure and an increasingly fragile NHS.
More than a decade later, real earnings have barely recovered to pre-crisis levels. The past 15 years have been the worst for income growth in generations, with working-age incomes growing by only 6% in real terms from 2007 to 2019, compared to higher growth rates in countries including the US, Germany and Ireland.
My findings contribute to a growing body of research challenging the longstanding view that shocks like austerity have only short-run effects. Traditionally, models assume that economies return to their long-run growth paths after temporary disruptions. But recent evidence, including my research, suggests that demand shocks can have persistent effects on supply by reducing investment and participation in the labour force.
In the wake of the COVID pandemic, many governments responded with generous financial support, temporarily reversing the austerity-driven policies of the previous decade. The strong recovery in some economies suggests that government spending can play a crucial role in sustaining long-run growth. On the other hand, a return to austerity measures could once again lead to prolonged stagnation.
What should policymakers take away from this? First, the assumption that austerity is a path to long-term prosperity needs to be re-evaluated. While reducing excessive public debt might be important, the economic costs of large and rapid cuts to spending can far outweigh the benefits.
Second, policymakers should recognise that timing matters. Gradual adjustments to spending, when really necessary, should be accompanied by measures to support investment and employment in order to reduce the likelihood of causing long-term harm.
Finally, economic policy should prioritise long-term growth over short-term deficit reduction. Governments facing tough spending choices should explore alternative approaches – things like progressive taxation and targeted public investment. And when cuts are needed, they should avoid implementing them during periods of economic recession.
Austerity is often framed as a necessary sacrifice for future prosperity. As governments consider fiscal strategies in an era of rising debt and economic uncertainty, they should take heed of austerity’s long-run costs. The evidence suggests that a more balanced approach – one that prioritises investment and economic stability – may be the wiser path forward.
Guilherme Klein Martins 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.
Abuja (Agenzia Fides) – The extension of the application of Islamic law (Sharia) in the States of Nigeria where there are religiously mixed families was the warning expressed by Fr. Lawrence Chukwunweike Emehel, Director of the Department of Mission and Dialogue of the Catholic Secretariat of Nigeria (CSN), during a press conference yesterday, February 13.”The Constitution allows the application of Sharia in personal matters, but its implementation must be handled with caution to avoid the exclusion of other religious groups,” said Fr. Emehel.The priest warned that favoring one religious group over another could have a destabilizing effect, especially in the southwest, where families often have members of different faiths living together.The issue was raised in the context of a controversy that has erupted in southwest Nigeria over the establishment of Sharia commissions in the region, with Muslim leaders stressing their right to self-determination and non-Muslim groups expressing concern over the potential impact of such Muslim commissions.It all started late last year when a Muslim group in the town of Oyo, in southwestern Oyo State, announced its intention to establish a Sharia committee in the area.The Supreme Council for Sharia in Nigeria (SCSN, Oyo branch) announced it would indefinitely postpone the inauguration scheduled for January 11, following protests that have erupted since then. At the heart of the controversy is the distinction between Sharia courts and Sharia commissions. According to Muslim leaders, Sharia panels are not courts but arbitration committees that regulate civil matters such as marriage, divorce, inheritance and disputes over contractual agreements between Muslims. “The desire to enforce Sharia stems from dissatisfaction with the current system, but it is crucial to ensure that any legal reform promotes integration and respect for religious diversity. We must recognize that Nigerians do not live in isolation and no law should hinder or restrict others in their practices. Our national identity and the constitutional guarantee of religious freedom must not be undermined,” concluded Fr. Emehel in this regard.During the press conference, the emergence of another concern on the part of the Nigerian Bishops was underlined: that of the spread among young people of forms of neo-paganism linked to materialism and the thirst for easy money. “To combat the allure of corruption and neo-paganism, we must focus on the formation of consciences. Without a solid moral foundation, people have difficulty distinguishing between right and wrong. The family remains the cornerstone of society: if we want to combat the “get rich quick” mentality, we must instill values of honesty, hard work and dignity in work, starting from the home, schools and places of worship”, said Fr. Michael Banjo, Secretary General of the CSN. (L.M.) (Agenzia Fides, 14/2/2025)
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Buedu (Agenzia Fides) – “Our mission in Sierra Leone is gradually growing, as is the number of Christians and small communities. People continue to come and live their faith with great enthusiasm and participation,” says Father Peddy Sinda, of the Society of African Missions (SMA), responsible for the mission of St. John the Baptist in Buedu, Kailahun district, diocese of Kenema.“Most of the villages where we serve do not have a church or oratory,” explains the missionary. “Since many elderly people can no longer walk to the parish, we have just opened a new mission station. However, we have been subject to theft and intrusion due to the exposed location of the mission house.”The St. John the Baptist Catholic Church-Buedu Mission opened its doors on December 13, 2020 and was entrusted to the SMA Fathers. The mission serves more than 27 villages, of which only six have a place of worship (oratory). “Fowa, in the Kailahun district, is one of the villages that does not have one. Its population, mostly of Kissi ethnicity, has about 273 Catholics, including men, women and children, some already baptized and confirmed.”“This municipality has great potential to become a ‘Christian city’,” says Father Sinda, who has just returned from the inauguration of the new SMA mission in the diocese of Bo, where the missionaries have opened their third evangelization territory in Sierra Leone. However, despite the growth of faith, many faithful must travel almost eight miles every Sunday to attend Mass at the Buedu church, a distance impossible to cover for the sick and elderly. “They are mainly farmers and can barely afford one meal a day. They long for a place of worship,” underlines Father Sinda.The pastoral activities of the SMA missionaries in this region include the administration of the sacraments, visiting the sick and the elderly, school pastoral care – with five primary schools and one secondary school – youth support programs, training of community prayer leaders, animation of the Holy Childhood, programs for the emancipation of women and raising awareness in the community. (AP) (Agenzia Fides, 14/2/2025)
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Imphal (Agenzia Fides) – “With the resignation of the Prime Minister, we find ourselves in a political stalemate and we must wait and see. The situation in which Manipur finds itself today is very complex and it is not easy to find a solution. It is necessary to continue efforts to activate a path of dialogue that involves all possible actors, at the local level, at the level of the central government, at the level of the representation of civil society and the communities in conflict”, said Archbishop Linus Neli of Imphal, capital of the Indian state of Manipur, on the situation in the north-eastern Indian state, which is in a state of polarization between the two communities of the Meitei and Kuki-zo, who started an inter-ethnic conflict in May 2023. While on the ground the provisional solution was to divide the conflicting parties into isolated and strictly separate areas, “efforts to activate dialogue with a negotiating table and mediators,” explains the Archbishop. Now the political earthquake is leading to a situation of uncertainty and stalemate: “The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), which governs Manipur, will have to find another politician to appoint as Prime Minister. In the meantime, the administration is temporarily subordinate to the central government in Delhi. Now we have to wait and see, and the situation will become even more complicated,” notes Archbishop Neli. If the BJP fails to appoint a new Prime Minister due to internal disputes, the state parliament could be dissolved and new elections held. Biren Singh, a member of the BJP and Prime Minister of Manipur for two terms, resigned due to growing disagreements within his own party, mainly related to the handling of the ethnic conflict between the Meitei and Kuki communities. The political crisis in Manipur is unfolding against a backdrop of ongoing ethnic violence, which continues to displace thousands of people in precarious conditions. After months of clashes, sporadic outbreaks of violence involving armed groups in both factions continue to occur despite the massive deployment of security forces sent by the central government.The local Catholic community, which has believers in both the Meitei and Kuki communities, is calling for “a clear orientation towards peace,” said Archbishop Neli, who, along with other religious leaders, is personally involved in organizations and forums ready to participate in any initiative for dialogue and mediation. “We are in the Jubilee Holy Year and the theme is hope: our hope is that a concrete step of reconciliation can take place this year,” he concludes. “The most important thing is a common will. Let us pray and hope that the Lord will accompany us on this path of rapprochement and pacification.” (PA) (Agenzia Fides, 14/2/2025)
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by Gianni ValenteDamascus (Agenzia Fides) – Her name is Hind Aboud Kabawat, she teaches at American universities and is the only Christian in the seven-member committee (five men and two women) tasked with preparing the announced “National Conference of Syria”, which will begin the process of drafting a new constitution and defining the new institutional structure of the Middle Eastern country.The seven members of the committee were chosen by the self-proclaimed “interim” president Ahmad al-Sharaa. Under the name Abu Muhammad Jolani, al-Sharaa led for years “Hayat Tahrir al Sham”, an Islamist group that played a leading role in the group of armed militias that joined forces to fight the Assad regime, which collapsed in December last year.By including Hind Kabawat in the committee that is supposed to help pave the political path to a constitution and elections, the current rulers in Syria want to send a signal that concretely confirms their declared open and inclusive attitude towards the local Christian communities. And a look at the professional profile of the Syrian-Canadian professor reveals details about the criteria of the geopolitical strategies of the new Syrian leadership. Hind Kabawat, a Catholic, has two children – a boy and a girl – and comes from an interdenominational Christian family: a Greek Catholic father, a Greek Orthodox mother. Her CV is full of outstanding references, which also attest to her constant commitment to initiatives and institutions supporting interreligious dialogue and strategies for mediation, pacification and the promotion of women in Syria, which has been torn apart by conflict and atrocities in recent years.Hind Kabawat studied economics at the University of Damascus and obtained a second degree in law from the Arab University of Beirut. She continued her academic training with a master’s degree in international relations from the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University (near Boston, Massachusetts) and certificates in conflict resolution and negotiation strategies from the universities of Toronto and Harvard.The Syrian-born professor heads the Interfaith Peacebuilding program at the Center for World Religions, Diplomacy and Conflict Resolution (CRDC) at George Mason University (Virginia) and was deputy head of the Geneva office of the Syrian Negotiations Commission, formerly known as the High Negotiations Committee (HNC).In her role at the then HNC, Hind Kabawat had already participated in the eight rounds of Geneva peace talks on Syria in 2017. Her skills were therefore known in networks and bodies outside Syria that dealt with the situation in Syria. Hind Kabawat was also involved in the creation of the “Tastakel” center, an educational center for women dedicated to promoting non-violence and dialogue to resolve conflict situations.The spokesman for the preparatory committee for the conference on national dialogue, Hassan Dagheim, said in an interview with the official Syrian news agency “SANA” that the committee would work to ensure that all social, ethnic, cultural and religious realities in Syria are represented and that the diversity of the various Syrian provinces is respected. At the same time, with regard to the appointment of Hind Kabawat, local analysts are wondering what significance the contribution of a Christian woman has in a committee in which the radical Islamist component seems to be predominant.As in Aleppo, many local councils of professional associations (doctors, lawyers, etc.) have recently been reorganized, and the new organizational charts are predominantly made up of people linked to “Hayat Tahrir al Sham” and other influential groups in post-Assad Syria.As early as the end of August 2022, the Islamist militiamen of “Hayat Tahrir al Sham” had again allowed the celebration of a mass in a church that had been closed for ten years in the area of Idlib province under their control (see Fides, 6/9/2022). The leader of the jihadist group al-Jolani himself had “guaranteed” the celebration of the mass in the Armenian Apostolic Church “Saint Anne” near the village of Yacoubia in the northwest of Idlib. Dozens of Christians of various denominations took part in the liturgical celebration in the holy site, which previously served as a refuge for refugees. Pictures of the celebration were distributed by the Islamist militias themselves. In the previous weeks, Muhammad al-Jolani had told representatives of the Christian communities who were still in then villages of Qunaya, Yacoubia and al-Jadida, announced his intention to “protect” their liturgical celebrations and to guarantee them the gradual return of the land previously confiscated from the Christian owners. Even then, al-Jolani’s move had provoked mixed reactions. Other Salafist groups such as “Hurras al Din” had accused al-Jolani of making the province of Idlib “less Muslim”. Other analysts saw the initiative as part of a strategy by this Islamist group to make its declared “moderate turn” known internationally. Militiamen of the “Hayat Tahrir al Sham” emphasized the need to “open a new chapter” and reaffirm that Islam does not prohibit non-Muslims – including Christians – from practicing their faith freely.In 2013, al-Jolani himself was still classified as a “global terrorist” by the US State Department. In 2022, Aaron Y. Zelin wrote in an analysis of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, published at the time on the website of the Washington Institute for Near East Policy, that al-Jolani was “no longer just the leader of a terrorist group or a rebel group” but should be seen as a representative of a change that also includes a change in attitude towards the United States. Zelin also reported that Hayat Tahrir al-Sham allegedly used secret channels to convey the following message to US officials: “We want to be your friends. We are not terrorists. We are only fighting against Assad. We are not a threat to you”. (GV) (Agenzia Fides, 14/2/2025)
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Scotland’s longest continuous running boat race will celebrate its 30th contest when Aberdeen’s two universities battle it out along the River Dee next month.
Taking place on Saturday 15 March, the Aberdeen Boat Race will see the top crews from both Robert Gordon University (RGU) and University of Aberdeen face off to claim city bragging rights.
The nation’s answer to the famous Oxford-Cambridge rivalry takes in 3.5km of the River Dee, beginning by the Bridge of Dee before crossing the finishing line at Aberdeen Boat Club and the respective university boathouses.
Setting this year’s race day apart from any other, there will also be a special 500m double skull contest that will see RGU’s Principal and Vice Chancellor Steve Olivier join forces with Sports President Abhishek Kumar as they take on Aberdeen University’s Tonis Tilk, Vice President for Activities, and Dr Heather May Morgan, Dean for Enterprise and Innovation.
Professor Steve Olivier said: “The 30th Aberdeen Boat Race provides a great opportunity to not only support the sporting prowess of our students but also celebrate the city and make the most of what’s on offer in Aberdeen.
“I look forward to the event and wish good fortune to all of those involved. If you can make it, it would be great to see a strong crowd lining the banks and bridges to encourage each crew over the finish line.”
Leaders of each crew are looking forward to the challenge that awaits them. For RGU, Laura Stewart is President of the University’s Boat Club as well as a fourth year Business with Marketing student. She said: “The build up to race day is on and I’m excited to see how the crews match up against each other. With a few different races throughout the day, it should shape up to be an entertaining event for all to come and watch.
“We’re currently training hard to try and win back the title. Aberdeen University’s had a few years in a row so winning on the 30th occasion would be something special. I’m excited to see everyone down at the river cheering on the crews.”
Her counterpart is Katharina Kusserow, President of the Aberdeen University Boat Club and third year PhD researcher in Medical Sciences. She added: “I am excited for the crews to race and celebrate the 30th Aberdeen Boat Race. We have trained hard in the run up to the day and will do our best to defend the title. We’re really grateful for all our supporters and can’t wait to feel that encouragement on the day.”
The day promises to bring together the communities of both universities with the north-east’s public and I encourage everyone to come along and show their support for this very special event.” Professor George Boyne, Principal and Vice-Chancellor of the University of Aberdeen
Professor George Boyne, Principal and Vice-Chancellor of the University of Aberdeen, said: “This year marks a significant milestone as the Aberdeen Boat Race has now been a major highlight in the city’s sporting calendar for 30 years.
“Every year students from the two universities give it their all and their sporting excellence is evident on the water. The day promises to bring together the communities of both universities with the north-east’s public and I encourage everyone to come along and show their support for this very special event.”
The event at Aberdeen Boat Club will include both a second crew race and an alumni boat race. The head-to-head standing for the main race makes for pleasant reading for University of Aberdeen who take a 21-8 lead into the 30th contest.
The showpiece race will also bring the curtain down on the final event of this year’s Granite City Challenge, where sports clubs from both city universities compete against each other in 40+ contests.
This year’s race has gained sponsorship from neospace, a flexible workspace and wellness facility on Riverside Drive adjacent to the River Dee and the route that the crews will take.
Scott Paton, Managing Director, said: “neospace is proud to sponsor the Aberdeen Boat Race, a fantastic local event just steps from our door. With wellness at the heart of our ethos, we’re excited to support competitors with NeoGym’s state-of-the-art training facilities.”
Both universities are partners alongside Scottish Rowing to comprise University Rowing Aberdeen, a rowing programme established in 2012 that presents Aberdeen-based students the opportunity to learn to row, train, compete and fulfil their ambitions within the sport.
The Aberdeen Boat Race, which first began in 1996, regularly attracts crowds to the River Dee. Hot refreshments will be available within the Aberdeen Boat Club boathouse.
Today (Friday 14 February) marks an exciting milestone as the first turf is cut for a state-of-the-art standalone nursery on the Ferryhill School site in Aberdeen.
The new nursery is Phase 1 in a two-phase project which is part of Aberdeen City Council’s wider suitability improvement initiative to create an enhanced learning environment for nursery and primary school-aged children in the Ferryhill area.
Councillor Martin Greig, Convener of the Education and Children’s Services Committee, said: “It’s great to get the shovel in the ground so that this major upgrade project at Ferryhill School can begin. I am delighted that the school will benefit from a new nursery building as well as significant refurbishment and extension work.
“The considerable investment of £17.1m by Aberdeen City Council will really improve the learning environment for the pupils for generations to come. The excellent new facilities will enhance the opportunities to support and care for the young people. It is a place where they can be inspired to be creative and adventurous.”
Councillor Jessica Mennie, Vice-Convener of Education and Children’s Services Committee, said: “I share the excitement and anticipation of Ferryhill School pupils and staff as work begins on their new nursery ahead of major improvement works to the school building.”
The nursery will address the limitations of the existing provision and provide significantly upgraded facilities for pupils and staff. The construction work is being undertaken by Morrison Construction North with local architects Mackie Ramsay Taylor responsible for the design work.
Designed with modern learning and play in mind, the nursery will feature a large, open-plan, and well-lit playroom and covered external spaces, seamlessly connecting indoor and outdoor environments to offer year-round access to play and learning areas. The building is designed to achieve high environmental standards, reflecting the Council’s and architects’ commitment to sustainability.
The nursery building will meet high energy-efficiency standards, showcasing a commitment to sustainability. Heated by air-source heat pumps and powered in part by rooftop photovoltaic panels, it will be an example of responsible design.
The construction work is expected to be finished this summer with pupils set to move into their new nursery in August 2025.
Ferryhill Nursery will be completed as work begins on Phase 2, which will see Ferryhill School handed over to Morrison Construction at the start of the summer to begin a major refurbishment and extension of the building.
The Ferryhill School improvements will mean greater flexibility and better use of space across the whole school site; a modern dining facility providing a much improved experience for the pupils and staff, and facilitate any future free school meals expansion; a double-court PE hall, which conforms with Sport Scotland guidance; and the improved nursery provision including direct access to the outdoors.
Mike Bruce, Managing Director, Morrison Construction North, said: “Morrison are delighted to be involved in the construction of Ferryhill Nursery, these works will involve the Nursery, playing field and the attenuation system for the Primary School extension due to start this summer. As ever we will be using local Sub Contractors, with our own labour planned to complete the kit frame which is due to start next month.”
Bruce Ballance, Director, Mackie Ramsay Taylor Architects, said: “This project marks a significant milestone in Mackie Ramsay Taylor’s broader vision to create an innovative, sustainable, and community-focused educational setting.
“While the first phase is the state-of-the-art standalone nursery, future phases will include the extension of the primary school and the creation of a central landscaped area, further enhancing the educational environment. We look forward to the positive impact this development will have on the school community.”
Ferryhill School Nursery pupils at the turf-cutting ceremony expressed their excitement about the new facilities.
Three-year-old Brian said he is looking forward to watching the “Builders making our nursery, building the walls.”
Four-year-old Rosie added that she is looking forward to “Playing in the big sandpit in the new garden.”
While Henley, also four, said she is looking forward to “Our new nursery with its new big playroom.”
During Phase 2 of the project, the pupils and staff at Ferryhill School will temporarily relocate to the vacant Walker Road School building, to ensure uninterrupted learning.
Councillor Martin Greig, Convener of the Education and Children’s Services Committee; Allister McKechnie, Architect, Mackie Ramsay Taylor Architects; Mike Bruce, Managing Director, Morrison Construction North; Councillor Jessica Mennie, Vice-Convener of Education and Children’s Services Committee; with Ferryhill School Nursery pupils, Henley, Brian and Rosie.
Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments 3
First-of-its-kind international defence trade mission to Kyiv deepens industry ties between Ukraine and its allies
The UK and allies have deepened industry ties with Ukraine by leading a first-of-its-kind international defence trade mission to Kyiv this week.
Led by the Minister for the Armed Forces, the trade delegation, which included Norway and The Netherlands, met with Ukrainian ministers, officials, and industry partners to strengthen strategic partnerships and enhance defence cooperation in support of Ukraine.
This was the fifth trade mission to Ukraine by Britain’s Task Force HIRST, but the first in conjunction with allies, setting a blueprint for future trade missions to be international as the norm.
Following the visit, UK companies have agreed to work more closely with Ukrainian partners, agreeing to new commitments that will build on previous agreements and boost their capabilities.
Despite a significant Russian airstrike targeting Kyiv on Wednesday morning this week, which killed one innocent civilian, the trade mission went ahead successfully, highlighting that the UK and our Allies will not be intimidated by Putin’s brutal tactics.
With firms across the UK ramping up defence production to meet Ukraine’s requirements, support for Ukraine will directly boost the UK defence sector, create UK jobs, and deliver on this Government’s growth agenda and Plan for Change.
Minister for the Armed Forces, Luke Pollard MP said:
The UK is continuing to lead the way on global support for Ukraine. By strengthening defence industry ties with allies, we are providing Ukraine with the firepower it needs on the battlefield, whilst bolstering our own defence industrial base —creating jobs and driving investment.
Our partnerships with The Netherlands, Norway, and Ukraine will help build resilient supply chains to ensure we put Ukraine in the strongest possible position to achieve a just and lasting peace through strength.
We will stand with our allies to support Ukraine for as long as it takes.
The Minister, along with officials from the Ministry of Defence and Department for Business and Trade, attended meetings focused on continuing to develop the industrial relationship with Ukraine, boosting their capabilities on the battlefield, whilst supporting growth back in the UK.
The Ministry of Defence set up Task Force HIRST to drive increases in UK, Ukrainian and allies’ industrial capacity to support the Armed Forces of Ukraine, as well as national military resilience.
Kevin Craven, CEO of ADS said:
Our continued industrial partnership with the Ukraine will be pivotal if we are to strengthen our collective security. It is an honour for ADS and our members to work in such close collaboration with Ukraine.
UK support to Ukraine has, at its heart, the knowledge that helping Ukraine is protecting our values and way of life.
The visit coincided with the NATO meeting of defence ministers, where the Defence Secretary announced a new £150 million package of military aid to Ukraine.
The £150 million package includes thousands of drones, dozens of battle tanks and more than 50 armoured and protective vehicles to be deployed to Ukraine by the end of spring, building on the thousands of pieces of equipment the UK has already given to Ukraine.
In a boost to the UK’s economy, the package also includes a multi-million-pound contract with UK defence firm Babcock, who will train Ukrainian personnel to maintain and repair crucial equipment such as Challenger 2 tanks, self-propelled artillery, and combat reconnaissance vehicles inside Ukraine. Through this agreement, equipment can be serviced and returned to the frontline quicker.
This is part of the UK’s unprecedented £4.5 billion pledge for Ukraine this year, its highest-ever level.
The Government is clear that the security of the UK starts in Ukraine and is therefore committed to Ukraine’s long-term security as a foundation for the government’s Plan for Change.
February 13, 2025Cincinnati, OH, United StatesEnforcement and Removal
CINCINNATI — U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement arrested Ciro Teodoro-Rivera, a criminal alien from Mexico with a conviction for sexual imposition and aggravated assault, in Cincinnati Feb. 10.
“The arrest and removal of illegal alien sex offenders remains a top priority for our agency,” said ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations Detroit Field Office Director Robert Lynch. “Our communities should not be a safe haven for these bad actors.”
Teodoro remains in ICE custody pending his removal.
Members of the public can report immigration crimes or suspicious activity by dialing the ICE Tip Line at 866-DHS-2-ICE (866-347-2423) or completing the online tip form.
Learn more about ICE Detroit’s mission to increase public safety in our Michigan and Ohio communities on X, formerly known as Twitter, at @ERODetroit and @HSIDetroit
Feb. 14, 2025 Release Number 20250214-01 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
TAMPA, Fla. — The Cessation of Hostilities Implementation “Mechanism” met for the fifth time in Naqoura today. UNIFIL hosted the meeting, with the United States serving as chair. They were joined by France, the Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF), and the Israeli Defense Forces. The attendees conducted military technical planning for the transfer of all remaining villages in the Southern Litani Area to full LAF control prior to Feb. 18.
“We have made significant progress over the last few months, and I am confident that LAF will control all population centers in the Southern Litani Area before next Tuesday. However, it is important to remember that the Cessation of Hostilities arrangements have many components in the 13 paragraphs, and we will continue to assist with the implementation of all of these principles, even beyond the 18th of February. The Mechanism will stay focused, continuing its work with all parties until implementation is fully achieved,” said Major General Jasper Jeffers, US Mechanism Co-chair.
VANCOUVER, British Columbia, Feb. 14, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Dominion Lending Centres Inc. (TSX:DLCG) (“DLCG” or the “Corporation”) is pleased to announce that its Board of Directors has declared a cash dividend of $0.03 per class “A” common share that will be payable on March 14, 2025 to shareholders of record as of February 28, 2025. The dividend will be designated as an “eligible dividend” for Canadian income tax purposes.
About Dominion Lending Centres Inc.
Dominion Lending Centres Inc. is Canada’s leading network of mortgage professionals. DLCG operates through Dominion Lending Centres Inc. and its three main subsidiaries, MCC Mortgage Centre Canada Inc., MA Mortgage Architects Inc. and Newton Connectivity Systems Inc., and has operations across Canada. DLCG extensive network includes over 8,000 agents and over 500 locations. Headquartered in British Columbia, DLC was founded in 2006 by Gary Mauris and Chris Kayat.
DLCG can be found on X (Twitter), Facebook and Instagram and LinkedIn @DLCGmortgage and on the web at www.dlcg.ca.
Contact information for the Corporation is as follows:
Eddy Cocciollo President 647-403-7320 eddy@dlc.ca
James Bell EVP, Corporate and Chief Legal Officer 403-560-0821 jbell@dlcg.ca
NEITHER THE TSX EXCHANGE NOR ITS REGULATION SERVICES PROVIDER (AS THAT TERM IS DEFINED IN THE POLICIES OF THE TSX EXCHANGE) ACCEPTS RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE ADEQUACY OR ACCURACY OF THIS RELEASE.
FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. , Feb. 14, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — via IBN — FAVO Capital, Inc. (OTC: FAVO), a private credit firm providing alternative financing solutions to small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs), today announced that it has filed a Form S-1 registration statement with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) in connection with its planned uplisting to the Nasdaq Capital Market.
This filing marks a significant milestone in FAVO Capital’s strategy to expand its market presence, increase liquidity, and broaden access to institutional investors. The uplisting is expected to enhance the company’s ability to scale its funding operations and strengthen its balance sheet as it continues to deliver innovative private credit solutions to SMBs.
“Filing our S-1 is a key step in our journey toward Nasdaq,” said Shaun Quin, President of FAVO Capital. “This transition represents our commitment to transparency, financial discipline, and long-term value creation. Uplisting will allow us to expand our investor base and accelerate growth as we continue serving small and medium-sized businesses with flexible financing solutions.”
Use of IPO Proceeds
FAVO Capital intends to use proceeds from the offering to strengthen its balance sheet, reduce high-cost debt, and support strategic growth initiatives. By lowering borrowing costs and improving capital efficiency, the company aims to accelerate profitability, enhance liquidity, and expand its market presence while continuing to invest in technology-driven underwriting and operational scalability.
“Our strategy is focused on sustainable long-term growth,” said Glen Steward, Chief Strategy Officer of FAVO Capital. “We have built a strong foundation and positioned the company for scalability. With our IPO proceeds, we plan to optimize our financial structure while continuing to expand our market reach, gain significant market share, and grow our syndication partnerships.”
Growth Strategy & Market Positioning
FAVO Capital specializes in private credit solutions, including the purchase of future receipts, lines of credit, and asset-backed loans. Since its inception, the company has syndicated over $1 billion in capital and supported more than 20,000 businesses. Its technology-driven focus, continued development of its proprietary customer service relationship (CRM) platform, and core funding model, provide a competitive advantage in the rapidly growing alternative lending sector.
“This filing is a testament to the company’s growth and implementation to date,” said Vincent Napolitano, CEO of FAVO Capital. “I am proud of what the team has achieved. Our long-term financial roadmap prioritizes debt reduction, operational efficiency, and expanding our footprint as a leader in private credit. This uplisting is a major step forward in our commitment to delivering shareholder value.”
The number of shares to be offered and the price range for the proposed offering have not yet been determined. The offering is subject to market conditions, SEC review, and approval of Favo Capital’s listing application by Nasdaq.
This press release does not constitute an offer of any securities for sale.
FAVO Capital, Inc. (OTC: FAVO) is a private credit firm specializing in alternative financing solutions for small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) across the United States. Since its inception, FAVO Capital has syndicated over $1 billion in funding and supported more than 20,000 businesses. FAVO Capital is committed to financial transparency, sustainable growth, and empowering SMBs with flexible funding solutions. Headquartered in Fort Lauderdale, FL, the company also has operations in New York and the Dominican Republic. For more information, visit www.favocapital.com.
Forward-Looking Statements
This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. These statements include, but are not limited to, projections, estimates, and expectations regarding future trends, financial performance, and operational strategies. Forward-looking statements are often identified by words such as “expects,” “anticipates,” “intends,” “believes,” “plans,” “seeks,” “estimates,” “may,” “will,” “should,” or similar expressions.
These statements are based on the company’s current beliefs, expectations, and assumptions and are subject to significant risks, uncertainties, and changes in circumstances that could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied. Factors that may cause such differences include, but are not limited to, market conditions, regulatory developments, competition, economic conditions, and the company’s ability to execute its business strategy.
Actual results may differ materially from those anticipated, and investors are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements. The company undertakes no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements to reflect events, circumstances, or changes in expectations after the date of this press release, except as required by law.
Company Contact: FAVO Capital, Inc. 4300 N University Drive D-105 Lauderhill, FL 33351
Investor Relations: Scott McGowan InvestorBrandNetwork (IBN) Phone: 310.299.1717 ir@favocapital.com
FORT WAYNE, Ind., Feb. 14, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Franklin Electric Co., Inc. (NASDAQ: FELE) Fort Wayne, Indiana, USA-based Franklin has signed a definitive agreement to acquire Barnes de Colombia S.A., a leading manufacturer and distributor of industrial and commercial pumps based in Cota, Cundinamarca, Colombia. This acquisition aligns with Franklin Electric’s long-term growth and diversification goals, providing significant opportunities for expansion in Latin America.
Barnes de Colombia, also operating under the WDM brand in certain countries including the US, is headquartered near Bogotá, Colombia. It has two manufacturing facilities and over eight stocking locations in Colombia, as well as assembly facilities in Mexico, Brazil, and Argentina, and local warehouses in Guatemala, Panama, Ecuador, Peru, and Chile.
The acquisition enhances Franklin Electric’s product portfolio and market presence in key Latin American regions. Barnes de Colombia’s strong market position in Colombia and established operations in Mexico, Argentina, Brazil, and other Latin American countries is expected to help accelerate Franklin´s growth in the region. This acquisition supports Franklin Electric’s strategic goals of diversifying its product line and enhancing supply chain resilience while leveraging Barnes de Colombia’s robust distribution network and customer relationships.
“We are thrilled to welcome Barnes de Colombia to the Franklin Electric family,” said Joe Ruzynski, CEO of Franklin Electric. “This acquisition not only strengthens our presence in the high-growth Latin American markets but also enhances our ability to serve our customers with an expanded portfolio of innovative and high-quality products. Barnes’ approximately 400 team members and manufacturing and foundry capabilities will enhance our operating footprint materially and we are excited for these new team members and operations to contribute meaningfully to our growth and success. Together, we will continue to rely on our Key Factors for Success – quality, availability, service, innovation and cost – to deliver outstanding value to our customers.”
The acquisition is subject to customary closing conditions, including Colombian antitrust clearance. Franklin Electric expects the acquisition to close on or about March 1, 2025.
Seale & Associates provided investment banking services to Barnes de Colombia and its owners in connection with the acquisition. Garrigues (Colombia and Mexico) provided legal counsel to Franklin Electric, and Brigard Urrutia provided legal counsel to Barnes de Colombia.
“Safe Harbor” Statement under the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Any forward-looking statements contained herein, including those relating to market conditions or the Company’s financial results, costs, expenses or expense reductions, profit margins, inventory levels, foreign currency translation rates, liquidity expectations, business goals and sales growth, involve risks and uncertainties, including but not limited to, risks and uncertainties with respect to general economic and currency conditions, various conditions specific to the Company’s business and industry, weather conditions, new housing starts, market demand, competitive factors, changes in distribution channels, supply constraints, effect of price increases, raw material costs, technology factors, integration of acquisitions, litigation, government and regulatory actions, the Company’s accounting policies, future trends, epidemics and pandemics, and other risks which are detailed in the Company’s Securities and Exchange Commission filings, included in Item 1A of Part I of the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ending December 31, 2023, Exhibit 99.1 attached thereto and in Item 1A of Part II of the Company’s Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q. These risks and uncertainties may cause actual results to differ materially from those indicated by the forward-looking statements. All forward-looking statements made herein are based on information currently available, and the Company assumes no obligation to update any forward-looking statements.
Contact: Jeff Taylor Franklin Electric Co., Inc. 260.824.2900
HONG KONG, Feb. 14, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Infini is redefining the fintech landscape by seamlessly integrating crypto solutions into traditional banking. With a vision to empower users through secure, intuitive, and innovative financial services, Infini is revolutionizing how individuals engage with digital assets.
Bridging Web2 and Web3: The Genesis of Infini
Founded in 2024 by a team of financial experts and tech innovators—Crypto Whale Christian Li and Tech Lead Ryan Sun—Infini was created to make financial empowerment accessible to all. Headquartered in Hong Kong, the company has secured financial licensing and compliance partnerships, ensuring a seamless experience for users worldwide who seek to bridge Web2 and Web3.
Infini’s core mission is to introduce yield-generating opportunities to traditional finance users, enabling seamless crypto payments and earnings while lowering barriers to entry.
Rapid Growth and Expanding Ecosystem
Since its inception, Infini has experienced exponential growth. In just six months, the platform has achieved a remarkable 500% Compound Monthly Growth Rate (CMGR) in Monthly Active Users (MAUs). This success stems from Infini’s user-first approach, cutting-edge technology, and comprehensive financial tools tailored for payments, investments, and wealth management.
Unlocking the Power of Crypto for Everyday Use
Infini enables users to leverage their crypto holdings for real-world transactions. Through strategic partnerships with leading payment gateways, users can seamlessly deposit and withdraw stablecoins (USDT/USDC) into their Infini accounts. Whether shopping online or making in-store purchases, Infini facilitates instant crypto-to-fiat conversions, ensuring frictionless global accessibility without reliance on traditional banking infrastructures.
Infini Earn: Smart Investment Opportunities
Infini Earn allows users to generate yield on their account balances through an optimized delta-neutral strategy, offering an average return of 10% APY. By providing a secure and accessible way to earn passive income, Infini bridges the gap between traditional finance and crypto, empowering individuals to take full control of their wealth without intermediaries.
Introducing the Infini Card: A Crypto-Enabled Debit Solution
A standout feature of Infini is the Infini Card, a Visa/Mastercard-enabled prepaid debit card linked to Infini Earn and the broader payment ecosystem. This card allows users to spend their stablecoin balances at global merchants, just like a traditional debit card.
How It Works:
Simple Application: Users can sign up at Infini’s platform by providing basic personal information, paying a one-time activation fee, and depositing stablecoins.
Instant Access: The card is ready for use immediately. Spending limits can be increased through Know Your Customer (KYC) verification.
Key Benefits:
Earn While You Spend: Infini balances continue to generate yield even as users make purchases.
Secure & Compliant: Custodial security and anti-money laundering (AML) compliance are ensured by Cobo, an ISO 27001-certified partner.
No Barriers to Entry: Users can start with as little as $1, making crypto earnings accessible to retail investors without complex learning curves.
Global Acceptance: Accepted worldwide at Visa and Mastercard merchants, including Apple Pay and Google Pay integrations.
Instant Crypto-to-Fiat Conversion: Transactions are seamlessly converted at the point of sale, providing a frictionless payment experience.
A User-Centric Approach to Fintech Innovation
Infini continuously evolves its platform based on user feedback, refining transaction speeds, security measures, and support services. A dedicated customer support team is available via email and live chat, offering personalized assistance for transactions, account management, and investment insights.
As fintech and crypto landscapes rapidly evolve, Infini is at the forefront, delivering integrated, user-friendly financial solutions. Whether you are a seasoned crypto enthusiast or a newcomer exploring digital assets, Infini provides a seamless platform that blends the reliability of traditional finance with the innovation of crypto.
LONDON, Feb. 14, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — NordVPN, a leading cybersecurity company, underwent an independent assurance engagement at the end of 2024. Seeking to maintain a high level of trust and transparency, NordVPN commissioned Deloitte Audit Lithuania, one of the market-leading Big Four firms, to conduct an assurance report on the configuration of its IT systems, supporting infrastructure, and no-logs claims.
For the fifth time in NordVPN’s history, an independent team of researchers verified that the company’s no-logs statement is accurate and aligns with its privacy claims.
“The trust we earn from our customers underscores everything we do in the cybersecurity industry. It’s a currency that’s hard to acquire and one we never take for granted. To maintain that trust, we not only strive each year to innovate and develop world-leading cybersecurity products, but we also fully commit to our promise not to monitor or record our users’ online traffic. Having this assurance reaffirmed by independent, globally respected researchers for the fifth time demonstrates that privacy isn’t just a buzzword at NordVPN — it’s in our DNA,” says Marijus Briedis, CTO at NordVPN.
During the engagement process, Deloitte’s practitioners interviewed NordVPN’s employees and inspected server infrastructure, and technical logs. They had access to NordVPN services from November 18 until December 20, 2024 and reviewed privacy relevant configuration settings and deployment processes of standard VPN, Double VPN, Onion Over VPN, obfuscated servers, and P2P servers.
Deloitte Audit Lithuania conducted the assessment in accordance with the International Standard on Assurance Engagements 3000 (Revised) (ISAE 3000), established by the International Auditing and Assurance Standards Board (IAASB) with the aim of examining NordVPN’s IT system configuration and management.
NordVPN’s first independent no-log engagement was completed in 2018, followed by second, third, and fourth assessments in 2020, 2022, and 2023, showing the company’s continuous commitment to privacy.
The full no-logs assurance engagement report is available to all NordVPN users, after logging in to their Nord Account user control panel.
ABOUT NORDVPN
NordVPN is the world’s most advanced VPN service provider, chosen by millions of internet users worldwide. The service offers features such as dedicated IP, Double VPN, and Onion Over VPN servers, which help to boost your online privacy with zero tracking. One of NordVPN’s key features is Threat Protection Pro™, a tool that blocks malicious websites, trackers, and ads and scans downloads for malware. The latest creation of Nord Security, NordVPN’s parent company, is Saily — a global eSIM service. NordVPN is known for being user friendly and can offer some of the best prices on the market. This VPN provider has over 6,400 servers covering 111 countries worldwide. For more information, visit https://nordvpn.com.
Source: Traditional Unionist Voice – Northern Ireland
The following article by TUV leader and North Antrim MP Jim Allister recently appeared in the News Letter.
Magical Thinking in Whitehall and Brussels
Newsletter readers may well recall my article of 14thJanuary in which I explained why I would force a vote on the Official Control Amendment Regulations later that day. A debate in the House of Lords on 29thJanuary has since shed further light on the innovative aspect of these regulations, which should be understood by all unionists as we approach 24 February when the Government will begin to apply new aspects of the Irish Sea Border on goods moving from Northern Ireland to Great Britain.
On the one hand, in accommodating the GB side of the Irish Sea border, these regulations are implicated in giving effect to all the border difficulties with which we are increasingly familiar, the disenfranchisement of 1.9 million UK citizens, not just in relation to one law, or 300 laws, but 300 areas of law, and all the attendant economic disruption and disinheritance that arises from the EU disrespecting the territorial integrity of the UK.
On the other hand, however, the regulations present a new difficulty for the Government. The justification for the construction of the Irish Sea Border was the need to avoid having Border Control Posts on the UK-ROI land border. Its champions claimed that this was required by the Belfast Agreement notwithstanding the fact that the text of the Agreement says no such thing, and notwithstanding the fact that insisting on their alternative Irish Sea border solution has made them the instigators of the biggest reversal of democracy in the history of the western world, violating three central provisions of the Belfast Agreement. The Regulations, however, make provision for the border to be moved to the Irish Sea, while dispensing with infrastructure on the border by means of allowing checks to take place away from Border Control Posts and making provision for inland Border Control Posts located away from the border, (see regulations 14, 7, 11, 16 and 17).
In doing so, they remove the justification for moving the customs and phytosanitary (SPS) border from the international border. Speaking in the Lords on 29 January, Baroness Hayman confirmed:
‘The instrument (the Regulations) also provides the power to allow for inland border control posts …’
She further stated, in an attempt to placate concerns about this move:
‘…this instrument only provides provision to be made for documentary, identity and physical controls to be undertaken at places other than border control posts or control points, and that we have robust, evidence-based risk modelling that can place SPS into categories based on the inherent risk that the product poses to animal, food, biosecurity and public health.’
The use of the word ‘only’ in this instance is interesting because the checks that take place at border control posts are documentary, identity and physical checks!
The political implications of, first, moving the border to the Irish Sea, supposedly on the basis that we could not have a hard border across the island of Ireland, only to then make provision for that border without infrastructure, were then spelt out very clearly by Baroness Hoey and Lord Morrow but the minister did not respond.
Had the Minister attempted to defend this arrangement she might have said that while the UK is content to have a border with no hard infrastructure for goods moving from the Republic and wider EU into the UK, the EU is not prepared to have such a border with respect to goods moving the from Northern Ireland into the Republic. Now that the new regulations are in place, though, demonstrating the option of a better way, this is an increasingly weak defence.
Going forward the Government has to explain why, knowing: i) that such a solution is workable, and ii) that the proportion of goods entering the Republic from Northern Ireland in 2020 was tiny (only worth 0.003% of EU GDP in 2020), they agree with a border ‘solution’ that is giving the EU the right to both make Northern Ireland an EU colony in 300 areas of laws and then imposing a hard border interrupting a far greater flow of goods from one part of the UK, GB, to another, NI. This is not only absurdly disproportionate but also deeply dishonourable, sacrificing key aspects of the citizenship of its own people and disrespecting the territorial integrity of the UK.
In this the EU also faces real difficulties. Given its stated commitment to democracy in both its accession criteria, requiring that candidate countries demonstrate the ‘stability of institutions guaranteeing democracy, the rule of law, human rights and respect for and protection of minorities’, and in its aid policy, why is the EU needlessly threatening the stability of our democratic institutions? Its intervention is both instigating the most pompous act of colonial disenfranchisement since democracy became a norm of western society and the removal of cross community consent, the most important political protection for minorities – in certain critical contexts.
Quite apart from demonstrating that far from representing ‘magical thinking’, running a border, while removing hard infrastructure from that border, constitutes government policy, the Official Controls Amendment Regulations remind us that the first such solution was advanced to give effect to Brexit by the EU itself. Mutual Enforcement was developed by Sir Jonathan Faull who served as EU Commission ‘Director General of the Task Force for Strategic Issues related to the UK Referendum’, together with Prof JH Weiler and Prof Daniel Sarmiento. Providing a means of delivering Brexit that protects the integrity of both the UK and the EU Single Markets without a hard border, Mutual Enforcement presents the solution proposed by my EU Withdrawal Bill currently before Parliament.
Instead of pressing ahead with the further needless division of our country into two with the arrival of the red lane parcels border on 31st March, the Government should adopt my Bill.
Police appealed for information to locate Adam Glanville who had been reported missing and was believed to be with his mother Karima Mahmoud.
We are pleased to confirm that Adam was located safe and well on 13 February and is now with family.
Karima Mahmoud, 44, was in breach of a court order and is due to appear at the Central Family Court on Monday, 17 February.
We also appealed for assistance to trace two men who were involved in an altercation with another man at the time Adam and his mother were last seen together in Richmond on 3 June 2024.
Both these men, aged in their 50s, have been traced and arrested on suspicion of child abduction. They have both been bailed pending further enquiries.
A third man, also aged in his 50s, was arrested on suspicion of child abduction – he has been bailed pending further enquiries.
We thank the media for their assistance in publicising our appeals in relation to this case and now that Adam has been located and the two men identified, we ask that all images are removed from circulation.
Abusing an infrastructure of legal businesses, the criminal network is believed to have managed the illegal trafficking and disposal of the waste from the countries of origin, mainly Italy, to the destination in Croatia. To that end, the criminal network relied on legal companies in Italy, as well as transport companies and other legitimate businesses in Italy and Croatia. Laboratory…
SHENZHEN, CHINA, Feb. 14, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — In February 11th 2025, with a Corporate Sustainability Assessment (CSA) score of 61, surpassing 93% of global peers, China Medical System Holdings Limited (“CMS” or the “Group”) has been included in the S&P Global Sustainability Yearbook 2025 (the “Yearbook 2025”). This marks the Group’s first inclusion in the global edition of S&P Global Sustainability Yearbook (the “Yearbook”), following the S&P Global Sustainability Yearbook (China Edition) inclusion for consecutive two years.
Since its launch in 2008, the Yearbook’s professionalism and authority have been highly recognized by global ESG investors and other stakeholders. The Yearbook aims to identify outstanding companies in sustainable development from each industry. 7,690 companies across 62 industries were assessed, while only 780 stood out and were included in the Yearbook 2025. The inclusion in the Yearbook 2025 represents a high recognition of sustainable development practices of CMS.
CMS has been actively responding to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) for years, by integrating ESG governance into its corporate strategy and formulating an ESG strategy covering various dimensions in operation. The Group continues to invest in innovation to enhance the accessibility of advanced diagnostic and treatment technologies, and actively take its social responsibilities to create greater value at the business, industry, and societal levels. The Group’s sustainability performance has also been recognized by several authoritative ESG rating institutions. The Group’s MSCI ESG rating has been maintained at “AA”; the Hong Kong Quality Assurance Agency (HKQAA) sustainability rating is in the top 10% of the industry; and the Sino-Securities Index ESG rating is “AA”.
In the future, with its ESG vision of “becoming a world-leading sustainable pharmaceutical enterprise”, CMS will strengthen its practices in corporate governance, social contributions, and environmental protection, working together with all stakeholders to promote sustainable development and contribute to the realization of a more habitable planet.
About CMS CMS is a platform company linking pharmaceutical innovation and commercialization with strong product lifecycle management capability, dedicated to providing competitive products and services to meet unmet medical needs.
CMS focuses on the global first-in-class (FIC) and best-in-class (BIC) innovative products, and efficiently promotes the clinical research, development and commercialization of innovative products, enabling the continuous transformation of scientific research into clinical practices to benefit patients.
CMS deeply engages in several specialty therapeutic fields, and has developed proven commercialization capabilities, extensive networks and expert resources, resulting in leading academic and market positions for its major marketed products. CMS continues to promote the in-depth development of its advantageous specialty fields and expand business boundaries. While strengthening the competitiveness of the cardio-cerebrovascular/gastroenterology business, CMS independently operates its dermatology and medical aesthetics business, and ophthalmology business, aiming to gain leading positions in specialty therapeutic fields, whilst enhancing the scale and efficiency. At the same time, CMS has expanded its business territory to the Southeast Asian market, striving to become a “bridgehead” for global pharmaceutical companies to enter the Southeast Asian market, further escorting the sustainable and healthy development of the Group.
CMS Disclaimer and Forward-Looking Statements This press release is not intended to promote any products to you and is not for advertising purposes. This press release does not recommend any drugs, medical devices and/or indications. If you want to know more about the diagnosis and treatment of specific diseases, please follow the opinions or guidance of your doctor or other medical and health professionals. Any treatment-related decisions made by healthcare professionals should be based on the patient’s specific circumstances and in accordance with the drug package insert.
This press release which has been prepared by CMS does not constitute any offer or invitation to purchase or subscribe for any securities, and shall not form the basis for or be relied on in connection with any contract or binding commitment whatsoever. This press release has been prepared by CMS based on information and data which it considers reliable, but CMS makes no representation or warranty, express or implied, whatsoever, and no reliance shall be placed on, the truth, accuracy, completeness, fairness and reasonableness of the contents of this press release. Certain matters discussed in this press release may contain statements regarding the Group’s market opportunity and business prospects that are individually and collectively forward-looking statements. Such forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance and are subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and assumptions that are difficult to predict. Any forward-looking statements and projections made by third parties included in this press release are not adopted by the Group and the Company is not responsible for such third-party statements and projections.