Source: Securities and Exchange Commission
We make markets work better.
Founded to help our country respond to the Great Depression, we’re the agency that protects investors from misconduct, promotes fairness & efficiency in the securities markets, and facilitates capital formation for those looking to hire, innovate, and grow.
Source: Securities and Exchange Commission
When the Commission instituted tabular executive compensation disclosure in 1992,[1] then-Chairman Richard C. Breeden championed an easily comprehensible disclosure regime centered around a graphical presentation of total executive compensation with comparisons against compensation of executives in peer firms and against the issuer’s performance.[2]
In the intervening years, disclosure requirements have been expanded to focus more and more on variations of components of compensation, rather than on total compensation. While it is undisputed that these requirements, and the resulting disclosure, have become increasingly complex and lengthy, it is less clear if the increased complexity and length have provided investors with additional information that is material to their investment and voting decisions.
It is important for the Commission to engage in retrospective reviews of its rules to ensure that they continue to be cost-effective and result in disclosure of material information without an overload of immaterial information. As part of this review of its executive compensation requirements, the SEC will host a roundtable with representatives from public companies and investors, as well as other experts in this field.
Commission staff will provide further details about the roundtable’s agenda and speakers before the event. As the staff develops that agenda, I have asked them to consider the questions outlined below. I also welcome and encourage members of the public to provide their views on these questions, either in advance of or after the roundtable.
Executive compensation decisions: setting compensation and making investment and voting decisions
Executive compensation disclosure: past, present, and future
Executive compensation hot topics: exploring the challenging issues
Members of the public who wish to provide their views on executive compensation disclosure requirements may submit comments electronically or on paper. Please submit comments using one method only. Information that is submitted will become part of the public record of the roundtable and posted on the SEC’s website. All comments received will be posted without change. Persons submitting comments are cautioned that we do not redact or edit personal identifying information from comment submissions. You should submit only information that you wish to make publicly available. All submissions should refer to File Number 4-855, and the file number should be included on the subject line if email is used.
Electronic Comments:
Use the SEC’s Internet submission form or send an email to rule-comments@sec.gov with “4-855” included in the subject line.
Paper Comments:
Send paper comments to Vanessa Countryman, Secretary, Securities and Exchange Commission, 100 F Street, N.E., Washington, D.C. 20549-1090.
Source: European Central Bank
Washington, D.C., 16 May 2025
In my remarks today I will focus on how the ECB communicates its monetary policy decisions, with a particular emphasis on the integration of risks and uncertainty into the monetary policy decision-making process.[1][2]
Monetary policy meetings take place over two days. On Wednesday afternoon, there are presentations by ECB Executive Board members: Isabel Schnabel reports on the latest financial market developments and I review the global environment and the latest economic, monetary and financial developments in the euro area. This is followed by a general discussion of these topics by Governing Council members. On Thursday morning, I present a proposal for the monetary policy decision, which is then discussed by the Governing Council. After the monetary policy decision is made (typically by consensus), the monetary policy statement is finalised by the Governing Council, concluding the Thursday morning session.
In the afternoon, a press release announcing the decision is published at 2:15 p.m. While this press release was quite succinct in the past, a summary explanation for the decision is now included, and — for the quarterly meetings — the main elements of the staff macroeconomic projections are reported.
At the opening of the press conference at 2:45 p.m., President Lagarde reads out the monetary policy statement. The opening section matches the press release, while further sections go into more detail on economic activity, inflation, the risk assessment and monetary and financial developments. This is followed by a question-and-answer session. After the press conference, the quarterly forecast meetings also see the publication of a staff article that explains the new set of macroeconomic projections. About two weeks later, the Economic Bulletin is published, containing summaries of the preparatory analysis that was made available to the Governing Council prior to the meeting. An account of the meeting is published about a month after the meeting.
The aim of the monetary policy statement is not only to explain the immediate decision but also to update the underlying narrative in terms of the overall orientation of the monetary stance, the main forces shaping the dynamics of the economy and the inflation process, the evolving risk assessment and monetary and financial developments. The discipline of limiting the length of the monetary policy statement (it was about 1,500 words in April) puts a premium on identifying the main issues that the Governing Council wishes to emphasise. At the same time, this length offers room for a sufficiently broad survey of these themes to underpin the monetary policy decision. Naturally, at the quarterly meetings, there is also considerable external interest in the details of the new staff macroeconomic projections: it makes sense to publish the staff article after the press conference. In that way, the initial focus in the monetary policy statement and the press conference is on the Governing Council’s overall assessment of the situation, whereas the technical details of the staff work follow thereafter.
The publication of the meeting account summarises the presentations by Isabel and myself and the ensuing discussions among the members of the Governing Council. The account includes a section entitled “Monetary policy considerations and policy options” that provides the main features of the monetary policy proposal that I presented at the meeting. This typically includes considerations of how risk factors were taken into account in the proposal.[3] Especially since the Governing Council’s monetary policy decisions are typically consensual, the summary of the discussion provides valuable insights into the range of views expressed at the meeting.
Taken together, the press release, the MPS, the press conference, the staff macroeconomic projections article, the Economic Bulletin and the meeting accounts provide a phased sequence of public information releases that helps external audiences to understand how we make our monetary policy decisions. In addition, in pursuing a multi-layered approach to public communication, a visual monetary policy statement is also released, which explains the monetary policy decision in short and easy-to-understand language, accompanied by a set of infographics to illustrate the main messages.[4]
These decision materials are complemented by speeches and interviews by Executive Board and Governing Council members. The publication of an array of analytical contributions by staff (through the Economic Bulletin, the ECB Blog, working papers and occasional papers) also helps improve understanding of monetary policy formation, including in relation to the staff projections, which form a key analytical input into monetary policy meetings.
In view of this rich information set, would it be a game changer if the Governing Council additionally published its conditional assessment of the most likely future rate path, as practised by some other central banks? Putting aside the logistical challenge of forming a consensus on the conditional future rate path among the twenty-six members of the Governing Council, it is my view that such an exercise would create unwarranted expectations about the future rate path. Moreover, it would distort the monetary policy decision-making process in view of the potential reputational costs associated with deviations of actual decisions from the previously-flagged path.[5] Procedurally, publishing a conditional rate path would also be awkward in the context of a staff-led projections exercise that is based on the market rate path.
More fundamentally, publishing a conditional baseline for the future rate path would not well capture the sensitivity of future rate decisions to the evolving macroeconomic environment and shifts in the risk assessment. As part of the meeting preparations, the staff analyse a family of plausible future rate paths and it would convey excessive confidence if any one candidate rate path were to be singled out. In particular, staff simulation exercises show the sensitivity of rate paths to both the point-in-time macroeconomic projections and various underlying assumptions that underpin model-based optimal rate paths as well as “robust” rate paths that seek to minimise the risk of a policy error across a range of plausible scenarios. Importantly, all such rate path analyses are sensitive to the assumptions made about the preferences of policymakers.[6] Even if the rate path simulation exercises are highly valuable inputs into the internal development of the monetary policy proposal, it is preferable to take a meeting-by-meeting approach and focus the public communication on the immediate decision.[7]
At the same time, to improve external understanding of how we make decisions, it is helpful set out the criteria guiding the reaction function to the main risk factors prevailing at any point in time.[8] This provides “reaction function” guidance in terms of the key inputs driving monetary policy decisions.[9] For instance, during the disinflation process over the last two years, the Governing Council has highlighted that measures of underlying inflation and the incoming evidence on the strength of monetary policy transmission were especially important in guiding decisions, in addition to the “standard” role of the inflation outlook (comprising both the baseline and the risks around it). The prominence of these specific risk proxies reflected the high uncertainty about the intrinsic persistence of the inflation surge (such that measures of underlying inflation provided important insights into the persistent component of inflation) and, similarly, the high uncertainty about the impact of the exceptionally fast pace of the cumulative rate hiking over 2022-2023 (such that monitoring the evidence on the strength of monetary transmission was crucial). Since both inflation persistence and the strength of monetary transmission are first order influences on the calibration of the rate path, the prominence given to these factors in our public communication have helped market participants to understand that the incoming information along these dimensions is central to our data-dependent monetary policy decisions. Looking to the future, the exact articulation of reaction function guidance should be periodically updated in line with the evolving risk environment: there is unlikely to be a fixed, timeless list of risk proxies.
The risk assessment section of the monetary policy statement provides additional signals regarding the factors that might shape future rate decisions. The meeting-by-meeting list of upside and downside risks to growth and inflation help to shape market pricing of future rate decisions: as the evolution of these risks become more or less prominent between meetings, market participants can revise their views. Naturally, this risk assessment is informed by considerable staff analysis that identifies and calibrates material threats to the growth and inflation projections.
Finally, alternative scenarios have been included in the staff macroeconomic projections exercise in the context of specific risk constellations. These include the onset of the pandemic in early 2020, the unjustified invasion of Ukraine by Russia in early 2022 and the elevation of geopolitical tensions in the Middle East in autumn 2023. In the near term, the ongoing uncertainty about US tariff policies means that alternative scenarios will also be included in the June macroeconomic projections exercise. These staff exercises are valuable in conveying the scale of revisions to the projected inflation and output paths that would be triggered under the realisation of the alternative scenarios.[10]
In providing the risk assessment in the monetary policy statement and by staff publishing alternative macroeconomic projection scenarios in the context of specific risk constellations, there is extensive communication on how different risk factors might shape future decisions. Some might wish that the Governing Council lays out specific policy responses to these various risk profiles in order to “fill out” the distribution of future rate paths. However, as outlined above, the rich information set that is attached to each monetary policy decision together with reaction function guidance provides a sufficient foundation for market participants to assess how the realisation of various risks could affect the future rate path.
An additional potential application of scenario analysis is to construct a limited set of specific “curated” alternative scenarios by combining selected alternative calibrations of the primary economic and financial judgements underpinning the baseline projections. Publishing such alternative scenarios can be helpful in conveying the difficult choices embedded in making forecasts and in capturing possible differences in policy preferences across policymakers. From a communications perspective, this can be particularly helpful in systems where policymakers have a collective responsibility to endorse the published forecast but retain individual responsibility in casting votes.
Since the ECB relies on a staff-led projections exercise and has a strong preference for consensual decisions, the set of considerations in publishing such curated scenario analyses is different. In making sure monetary policy decisions are robust to non-baseline realisations, it is also not clear whether such a curated approach would be superior to a “many scenario” internal staff analysis (possibly augmented by machine learning algorithms) that explores robustness across the many combinations of shocks and modelling choices that are considered at each meeting. In addition, if the aim is to capture the main risk concerns of policymakers, selecting a limited set of curated alternative scenarios (out of very many possible scenarios) for each meeting would be logistically taxing for a twenty-six member Governing Council. A basic concern is that the selected curated scenarios might turn out to have shined the spotlight on risk factors that proved to be immaterial and might give the impression that the risk analysis was too narrow in scope.
In any event, the specific methods used to convey how risks and uncertainty are incorporated into the monetary policy decision-making process are less important than the underlying commitment to articulate that policy decisions not only take into account the baseline but also the surrounding risk environment. Moreover, there is an active research agenda in academia and policy organisations on how best to incorporate uncertainty into monetary policy decisions and monetary policy communications: as this research bears fruit over time, central banks should adapt their practices.[11]
In these remarks, I have focused on how we currently communicate our monetary policy decisions and the associated decision-making framework. How best to integrate risk and uncertainty into our monetary policy decisions and our communication is a key topic for our ongoing assessment of our monetary policy strategy.[12] We will publish our updated strategy in the second half of the year.
Source: European Asylum Support Office
The EUAA has published updated figures on asylum applications lodged in the EU+. In March, the 29 EU+ countries received around 67 000 asylum applications. These latest data suggest an ongoing shift to a new asylum landscape in the EU+, one in which Syrians are no longer the top nationality seeking international protection, and Germany is no longer the main destination of asylum seekers.
The fall of the regime of Bashar al-Assad in Syria on 8 December 2024 may be the beginning of a sea change in the asylum landscape of the EU+, according to newly released analysis from the European Union Agency for Asylum (EUAA). In March 2025, the EU+ received around 67 000 asylum applications, which is part of an ongoing decreasing trend that began in October 2024.
After a decade during which they were almost always the top citizenship seeking protection in the EU+; in March, Syrians (3 300) lodged the fewest monthly applications on record outside of the early months of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, decreasing by almost 80 % compared to October 2024. Venezuelans (8 900), however, continued to lodge increasing numbers of asylum applications in the EU+; this is likely owed both to economic and political instability in Venezuela, as well as restrictive asylum policies in the United States of America.
Applications from Afghans (7 400) remained stable, though the figure was much decreased from a previous peak in October 2023. Though eligible for temporary protection in the EU, Ukrainians (3 400) continued to lodge increasing numbers of asylum applications, up by 77 % compared to March 2024. Another notable shift saw Bangladeshis (3 300) lodging slightly more applications than Syrians in March 2025.
The above trends directly impacted which EU+ countries received the most asylum applications. In March, Spain (14 000) received the most applications in the EU+, with three fifths of applications there being lodged by Venezuelans. Italy (13 000) received the second most applications, though these are still down by 16 %, year-over-year. In fact, Bangladeshis lodged around 85% of their applications in Italy. France (13 000) received about three quarters of applications lodged by Congolese nationals and nearly all applications from Haitian nationals. A significant share of Ukrainians also applied there. Greece (4 600) continued to receive increasing asylum applications from Afghan nationals.
The changing asylum landscape is increasingly reflected in the number of applications that are pending a decision at first instance in the EU+. As of the end of March 2025, the number of such cases stood at a stable, but high, level of 955 000. Syrians (113 000), Venezuelans (105 000) and Colombians (88 000) were awaiting the most first instance decisions. Among the citizenships with the most cases awaiting decisions, the biggest year-on-year increases occurred for Ukrainians (+ 66 %), Venezuelans (+ 58 %), Peruvians (+ 33 %) as well as Bangladeshis (+ 25 %). When accounting for asylum applications that are pending at higher administrative or judicial instances, based on data provided by Eurostat, the EUAA estimates that there were approximately 1.3 million asylum cases pending across the EU+ at the end of February 2025.
In the first quarter of 2025, the EU+ recognition rate – which is the proportion of decisions granting refugee status or subsidiary protection – stood at 25 %, down by about 15 percentage points from previous monthly levels in 2024. This decline was mainly driven by a sharp drop in decisions issued to Syrian applicants, as most EU+ countries have paused processing their applications until the situation in Syria is clearer.
Under the Pact on Migration and Asylum, which was agreed one year ago, EU countries may subject certain categories of applicants to a border procedure, and must accelerate the examination of their applications (with initial decisions to be taken within 12 weeks). One indicator is if the applicant comes from a country of origin with a low recognition rate (≤ 20 %) in the previous year. In March 2025, some 53 % of applications were lodged by such citizenships,consistent with previous months, suggesting that a large share of asylum applications lodged in the EU+ may be unfounded or inadmissible.
US Senate News:
Source: United States Senator for Arkansas Tom Cotton
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASEContact: Caroline Tabler or Patrick McCann (202) 224-2353May 16, 2025
Cotton, Colleagues Introduce Legislation to Bring Effective Regulation to Horse Racing
Washington, D.C. — Senator Tom Cotton (R-Arkansas) today introduced the Racehorse Health and Safety Act (RHSA), which protects the health and welfare of racing horses and improves the integrity and safety of horse racing. Congressman Clay Higgins (Louisiana-03) has introduced companion legislation in the House.
“The RHSA will provide horse owners and racetracks flexibility, while also bringing safe and effective regulation to the horseracing industry,” said Senator Cotton.
“Government overreach is impacting industries across our nation with rules in places where they have no business being,” said Congressman Higgins. “The well-intentioned disaster of HISA proved that enforcing uniformed rules in horse racing plagues the industry with confusion and disruption. This legislation is rooted in science and draws from industry experts. It is of horsemen, by horsemen, and for horsemen. We must push back against federal oppression and protect the horse racing industry and the beautiful animals we love.”
Full text of the legislation may be found here.
The Racehorse Health and Safety Act would:
Repeal the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Act (HISA);
Grant states the right to enter into the interstate compact, which is a contract between multiple states to develop nationwide rules governing scientific control and racetrack safety for horse racing;
Establish the Racehorse Health and Safety Organization (RHSO), which will regulate the horse racing industry;
Establish three Scientific Medication Control Committees (SMCCs) to draft recommended rules for each breed.
US Senate News:
Source: United States Senator for Arkansas Tom Cotton
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASEContact: Caroline Tabler or Patrick McCann (202) 224-2353May 16, 2025
Cotton, Boozman, and Westerman to Driscoll: Bureaucratic Hostility Towards Pine Bluff Arsenal Will Undercut President Trump’s Agenda
Washington, D.C. — Senators Tom Cotton (R-Arkansas), John Boozman (R-Arkansas), and Congressman Bruce Westerman (Arkansas-04) today sent a letter to Army Secretary Dan Driscoll, expressing opposition to plans to potentially downsize the Pine Bluff Arsenal that run contrary to President Trump’s agenda of accelerating munitions manufacturing in America. Closing the Pine Bluff Arsenal would not only circumvent current law, it would ultimately result in a waste of taxpayer dollars and deepen America’s dependence on foreign countries to meet our military’s needs.
In part, the lawmakers wrote:
“We appreciate your efforts through the Army Transformation Initiative to make the Army more lethal and more efficient, but the directive to potentially downsize Pine Bluff Arsenal—which is based on old, hidebound, bureaucratic recommendations—misses the mark and sets those goals back.”Full text of the letter may be found here and below.
The Honorable Daniel DriscollSecretary of the Army101 Army PentagonWashington, DC 20310-0101
Secretary Driscoll,
We write to express our opposition to and disappointment with your directive to potentially downsize Pine Bluff Arsenal. As you may know, current law prohibits the Army from closing the arsenal, but your directive in effect evades this prohibition. Perhaps worse, the directive would undercut President Trump’s goal of accelerating munitions manufacturing in America, which we strongly support and foresee in Pine Bluff Arsenal’s future. As longtime supporters of the Army who would prefer to continue to work cooperatively with the Army on its priorities, we urge you to reverse immediately this ill-advised decision based on stale, years-old, bureaucratic plans—the exact kind of thinking President Trump was elected to upend.
Though we agree with the Army Transformation Initiative’s broad goals to make the Army more efficient and more lethal, a downsizing at Pine Bluff Arsenal wouldn’t advance these goals. Secretary Hegseth directed the Army “to generate the ammunition stockpiles necessary to sustain national defense.” Unfortunately, the defense industrial base—including the Army’s arsenals—is too small, riddled with supply-chain issues, and often dependent on foreign sources for key materials. Neither the Army’s arsenals nor the larger defense industrial base can meet the munitions needs of our forces and allies. As we’ve explained for years—well before your appointment as secretary—the Army needs to use fully the resources it already owns, like Pine Bluff Arsenal, to meet these needs.
Pine Bluff Arsenal is a solution for these challenges, not some redundant or outdated relic. While it’s true that the arsenal is under-used, that’s because the Army bureaucracy has repeatedly resisted our proposals to expand its operations. Pine Bluff Arsenal is the only site in America that produces vital white-phosphorous ammunition. Further, we have long advocated that the Army use Pine Bluff Arsenal to produce materials like, for instance, nitrocellulose and RDX—both key components of our munitions, but also chokepoints in the supply chain. The arsenal already has access to critical utilities, a significant transportation network, and proximity to raw materials and loading facilities to supply the Army’s needs.
The Army has never offered persuasive explanations for its bureaucratic hostility to expanding operations at Pine Bluff Arsenal. We’ve heard from the Army that commercial facilities or building new facilities are a less expensive, more efficient alternative to using the current arsenals for its munition needs. But this argument is far-fetched. Though commercial industry plays a role, recent experience has proven the extreme difficulty of acquiring sufficient quantities of 155mm rounds because commercial production lines have little to no room for expansion. Likewise, building a new ammunition plant from scratch is an expensive, time-consuming endeavor—at least four years and around a half a billion dollars. For instance, the necessary and overly complicated environmental permits alone can take years.
By contrast, Pine Bluff Arsenal offers inherent advantages over any commercial site—advantages that likely cut in half the timeline for munitions production. The arsenal not only has the type and amount of land necessary to handle dangerous explosives, but also has the existing workforce with deep and irreplaceable expertise. Further, Pine Bluff Arsenal has operated in this space for decades and successfully navigated the burdensome environmental requirements. As we have before, we continue to insist that abandoning these advantages in favor of a speculative new commercial production line or, even worse, to buy ammunition from foreign sources is reckless and a waste of taxpayer money.
We’ve also heard from the Army that its plan results in cost savings, but this argument doesn’t hold water either. Army Materiel Command may appear to save a little money up front by downsizing Pine Bluff from its current capacity or even closing it, but those costs will have to shift to another site to produce white phosphorus. The Army answers that those costs might decrease because of unspecified, magical “efficiencies”—a strange claim since no other site in America produces white-phosphorus ammunition. But any supposed savings from “efficiencies” would likely be dwarfed by the long-term costs of shutting down arsenal operations, safely disposing of explosive materials, conducting environmental remediation, and maintaining perpetual site security. While not gaining much on the munitions front, the Army would add needless costs to operate a virtual ghost town. To be frank, it appears that Army Materiel Command bureaucrats want to shift the costs off their books and onto other Army commands. But that doesn’t result in savings for the Army or the taxpayer, nor does it improve the Army’s munitions crisis.
We appreciate your efforts through the Army Transformation Initiative to make the Army more lethal and more efficient, but the directive to potentially downsize Pine Bluff Arsenal—which is based on old, hidebound, bureaucratic recommendations—misses the mark and sets those goals back. We request an in-person briefing no later than May 22 from you and General George about this matter and how we can collaboratively ensure that Pine Bluff Arsenal will advance President Trump’s munitions goals and continue to contribute to our national security for years to come.
As we noted, we’ve long worked with the Army to support its priorities in the NDAA and the appropriations process, and lately to advance promptly its civilian nominees toward confirmation. We hope this cooperation can continue and grow, rather than be impaired by an unwise decision about the future of Pine Bluff Arsenal.
Sincerely,
Cc: Secretary of Defense, Deputy Secretary of Defense, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Chief of Staff of the Army
US Senate News:
Source: United States Senator Peter Welch (D-Vermont)
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senators Peter Welch (D-Vt.), Ashley Moody (R-Fla.), and Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.) this week introduced the Tax Relief for Victims of Crimes, Scams, and Disasters Act, bipartisan legislation to give relief to those who have been victims of fraud, scams, thefts, accidents, and other personal casualty losses. The Senators’ bill would reinstate the tax deduction for personal casualty and theft losses and ensure victims of scams, robberies, storms, and fires do not have to pay taxes on stolen assets and further wipe out their hard-earned savings and financial security.
“It’s outrageous that folks scammed out of their life’s savings are hit with large tax bills. I’m proud to introduce this bill to reinstate this important tax deduction to provide crucial financial relief to those victimized by scams and theft,” said Senator Welch. “Vermont experienced catastrophic floods in July of 2023 and 2024. We know firsthand that victims of floods, storms, and fires go through so much—the last thing they should worry about is being penalized for a natural disaster.”
“As hurricane season is around the corner, I will continue supporting policies that protect Floridians from scammers and fraudsters,” said Senator Moody. “My Tax Relief for Victims of Crimes, Scams and Disasters Act will provide commonsense tax relief for victims, often seniors, who have been financially devastated by scams, crimes or destruction from disasters. This legislation will help folks get back on their feet when they experience hardship. When I was Attorney General of Florida, I made sure to fight for Floridians who fell victim to scams, and I will continue bringing this fight to D.C. so that folks have the protections they need.”
“When Wisconsinites fall victim to a fraud or scam, the last thing they should have to worry about is being slapped with an unexpected tax bill once tax season rolls around,” said Senator Baldwin. “I am proud to work with my Republican and Democratic colleagues to introduce this commonsense bill to help make sure if someone is down and out, they have one less thing to worry about than being hit with a tax bill.”
“The Elder Justice Coalition commends Senators Baldwin, Moody and Welch for introducing the Tax Relief for Victims of Crimes, Scams, and Disasters Act,” said Bob Blancato, National Coordinator of the Elder Justice Coalition. “It is unconscionable that older scam victims who lose hundreds of thousands of dollars face the compounded misery of having to pay taxes on the money lost. Scams are rampant in this nation and serve to exploit the most vulnerable older adults. We hope Senator Baldwin’s bill can be made part of a future tax package. Tax relief for scam victims is tax fairness.”
“The Financial Services Institute (FSI) is proud to support the Tax Relief for Victims of Crimes, Scams and Disasters Act,” said Dale Brown, President & CEO of Financial Services Institute. “Owing taxes on stolen retirement funds makes an already painful situation worse. Main Street Americans cannot afford to lose their life savings, which they rely upon for a financially secure retirement. This bill will provide some relief to victims and mitigate damages as they work with their trusted financial advisor to recover losses and regain their financial footing.”
“With widespread financial fraud and scams impacting many Americans’ retirement security and financial livelihoods, CFP Board enthusiastically supports this critical piece of legislation that would lessen the impact of financial loss. We look forward to seeing this bill get to the finish line,” said Erin Koeppel, Managing Director of Government Relations and Public Policy Counsel at CFP Board.
Until 2018, the federal government allowed victims of crimes and unexpected, uninsurable disasters to deduct these losses from their taxes with a provision called the Casualty and Theft Loss Deduction. Today, scam victims and homeowners are on the hook for tens or hundreds of thousands of dollars in federal taxes unless their misfortunes meet a narrow set of criteria.
The growing sophistication of cybercriminal networks has led to a rapid proliferation in fraud for the past five years. In 2024 alone, American taxpayers reported $16.6 billion in cyber fraud to the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). The average victim of elder fraud lost $83,000. Natural disasters are also on the rise during a period of increasing insurance premiums and unexpected claim denials.
Without a reinstatement of the casualty and theft loss deduction, Americans who are victims of theft and non-federally declared disasters will continue to face hefty federal tax bills that the IRS is obligated to enforce.
The Tax Relief for Victims of Crimes, Scams, and Disasters Act:
Reinstates the tax deduction for personal casualty loss and provides retroactive coverage to taxpayers who suffered losses in the years that followed.
Ensures that victims who suffered losses since 2017 are able to file an amended tax return accounting for their personal casualty loss.
Companion legislation will be introduced in the U.S. House by Representatives Jamie Raskin (D-MD-08) and Greg Steube (R-FL-17).
The legislation is endorsed by the AARP, The Elder Justice Coalition, the National Association of Consumer Advocates, AICPA-CIMA, National Association of Enrolled Agents, National Association of Realtors, American Land Title Association, CFP Board, Investment Advisers Association, Financial Services Institute, Aspen Institute Financial Security Program, Association of Mature American Citizens, National Association of Government Defined Contribution Administrators, Operation Shamrock, and SPARK Institute.
As a member of the U.S. House of Representatives, Senator Welch voted against the 2017Republican tax bill, which repealed a tax deduction previously available to victims of scams, thefts, accidents, and other property casualty losses. In turn, reporting has revealed a pattern of Americans ending up with a tax bill after losing money through scams, thefts, and other similar events.
Learn more about the Tax Relief for Victims of Crimes, Scams, and Disasters Act.
Read and download the full text of the bill.
Source: Government of India
Source: Government of India (4)
Source: Government of India
Source: Government of India (4)
Source: Traditional Unionist Voice – Northern Ireland
TUV leader Jim Allister MP has strongly criticised the Assisted Dying Bill, warning it would overturn the fundamental principles of medicine, erode protections for the most vulnerable, and place coercive pressure on those already burdened by illness.
Mr Allister, who had prepared to speak during the recent debate but was unable to do so due to time constraints, said:
“This Bill represents a grotesque and dangerous contradiction. On the one hand, the state spends millions on suicide prevention. On the other, this Bill would turn doctors into agents of death and the state into a facilitator of suicide. It upends the settled moral equilibrium of our society.
“We tell the healthy that suicide is a tragedy to be averted — but this Bill would offer the terminally ill a poison potion, not a palliative care doctor. It doesn’t promote care; it promotes surrender.”
“The rejection of over 40 protective amendments at Committee Stage is very telling. The sponsors of this Bill rejected safeguards at every turn. They opposed even the requirement to prove a person has the mental capacity to make such a grave decision. Patients with dementia could qualify during brief moments of lucidity — despite the legal test under the Mental Capacity Act demanding far more than that.
“Even a person with Down Syndrome could find themselves offered assisted suicide by their doctor. That is not compassion — it is moral abdication. The rejection of amendments to protect minors and vulnerable adults speaks volumes.
“It is now being openly suggested that assisted suicide could save £60 million in healthcare costs. What message does that send to the sick and elderly who already feel like a burden? That their death is not only acceptable, but economically preferable?
“Doctor shopping is made easy under this legislation, and the so-called oversight panel has no power to compel evidence or even assess the patient directly. It’s a hollow safeguard.
“This Bill is not about choice — it is about coercion, abandonment, and death. It asks us to stop protecting the vulnerable and start facilitating their deaths. We must choose where we stand — for life, or for death. For care, or for killing. I urge every right-thinking MP to reject this shameful Bill.”
Translation. Region: Russian Federal
Source: Saint Petersburg State University of Architecture and Civil Engineering – Marina Malyutina opens the “Challenge Fair”
Students of SPbGASU responded to the challenges of the construction industry in an unusual event. On May 13, the Center for Student Entrepreneurship and Career held the “Challenge Fair” at our university for the first time.
Experts from five partner companies set real-life tasks for the students. Over the course of an hour, five teams, under the guidance of their mentors, generated solutions and then presented them to the experts and spectators. In addition, the Challenge Fair featured a Contact Wall, where any student, teacher or company representative could leave information about themselves: contact details, description of an idea or project (if any), who or what they were looking for.
SPbGASU – a growth point for technological entrepreneurship
Vice-Rector for Youth Policy Marina Malyutina spoke about how SPbGASU students are taught innovative entrepreneurial thinking. According to Marina Viktorovna, technological entrepreneurship is a certain challenge for students who want more than just to master the curriculum, they want to develop in the professional sphere.
Experience has shown that our students are capable of technological entrepreneurship: SPbGASU took third place in the TechnoPiter accelerator, and for the second year the university has been developing the Startup as a Diploma project, within the framework of which final qualification theses are defended.
Marina Viktorovna emphasized: “The Challenge Fair” is a “bridge” to the fact that next year some of the participants want to defend their final qualification work in the startup format. This is necessary for the university, which is focused on practice, and this is necessary for the industry. Graduates who think boldly and innovatively are extremely in demand.
Challenges from partner companies
Chief designer of the company “Project Institute No. 2” Andrey Poklad suggested that students think about the idea of a foundation for heavy production on soft soil. The expert told about a real construction project – a one-story industrial building, which is being designed in the Krasnodar region, for which an alternative design solution for the foundation should be developed.
How to create a roofing structure that will tell you when cracks, leaks or moisture appear in it? This question was asked by Rockwool employees: Flat Roofing Development Specialist Anna Lyubimtseva and Leading Design Engineer Andrey Petrov. The speakers proposed developing a concept of “smart” thermal insulation for roofs.
General Director of the Gensey company Artur Roshchupkin invited students to develop a project for a multifunctional public transport stop for the historical center of St. Petersburg, which should be in harmony with the architecture of the city’s historical buildings. The speaker drew attention to the current problem of the lack of public toilets in the center, especially at night. Tourists are left without amenities. In addition, the existing glass stops do not fit well into the architecture.
Ilya Voilokov, a specialist in technical support at INSOLAR and associate professor of the construction organization department, called for assessing the possibility of using heat pumps as the main or backup heating source in a residential complex. Although heat pumps are already used in private homes, they are rarely used in low-rise buildings, especially complex ones.
Dmitry Gladkovsky, Director of the Project Management Unit at GloraX, set a challenge for students: to create an automated documentation verification system. Developers face the problem of checking large volumes of working documentation for compliance with design standards. Manual verification requires a staff of experts, time-consuming work, and is subject to the human factor, which leads to errors and losses. An automated verification system based on a neural network could solve this problem, but its creation is difficult due to the lack of a training documentation base. Existing projects are not yet effective enough for widespread use.
Innovative solutions from students
The Blue Team’s response to the challenge from Design Institute No. 2 was a dynamic borehole filled with crushed stone or concrete mixture.
The Purple Team responded to Rockwool’s challenge by proposing to use sensors that consist of a capsule with a piston filled with a silica gel-type material that expands when in contact with water.
The “red” team responded to the challenge of the “Gensei” company and presented the idea of a multifunctional public transport stop, which consists of a restroom and a waiting area. It includes a baby changing room, containers for separate waste collection, vending machines, an SOS panic button and much more.
The Green Team responded to the challenge from INSOLAR and presented a plan for a residential complex of twenty houses, each with a thermal circuit for the recovery of human heat.
The “orange” team responded to the task from the GloraX company and offered to check the already created digital models of buildings that the developer has.
New challenges lie ahead
When asked if they liked this format of the event, the students answered with a unanimous “yes!” Many expressed a desire to participate again.
Marina Malyutina summed up the results, expressing confidence that in collaboration with partners the university will develop a practice-oriented approach and move forward.
Please note: This information is raw content directly from the source of the information. It is exactly what the source states and does not reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.
Source: Government of Canada News
Montreal, May 16, 2025 – This morning, on behalf of the National Film Board of Canada (NFB), Government Film Commissioner and NFB Chairperson Suzanne Guèvremont argued for the need to include cultural elements in the definition of Canadian programming. She also spoke to the vital role that documentary film plays in Canada.
These remarks were made to the Canadian Radio-Television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) as part of its hearings on the definition of Canadian programming. The hearings are taking place in Ottawa and run until May 27, 2025.
According to Ms. Guèvremont, “A modern Canadian content policy must not abandon the very thing that gives our stories meaning: cultural elements. They reflect our creativity, diversity and uniqueness. Removing cultural elements creates invisibility.”
Here is a summary of her presentation:
In favour of clear and unambiguous cultural criteria for works that receive public funding
Longform documentary must be considered nationally significant programming
In conclusion, Ms. Guèvremont said, “We cannot wait to redefine Canadian content. Let us move forward. Not with caution, but with conviction!”
Agendas for the public hearings, taking place May 14 to May 27, 2025, are available here:
https://crtc.gc.ca/broadcast/eng/hearings/2025/ag14_05.htm
Hearings are broadcast live and recordings are available:
Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission | CRTC or CRTC Hearings | CPAC.ca
– 30 –
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Curator’s perspective | Director’s notes
Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Marcy Kaptur (OH-09)
Wauseon, OH – Congresswoman Marcy Kaptur (OH-09) announced the award of $342,000 from the US Department of Transportation’s Airport Infrastructure Grant (AIG) program to Fulton County. The funds will support Phase 1 of a critical airport infrastructure project at Fulton County Airport (USE), further advancing economic resilience and connectivity for NW Ohio.
“This is a strategic and forward-looking investment in the of our region’s transportation network,” said Congresswoman Marcy Kaptur (OH-09). “Fulton County Airport’s has a growing role in supporting general aviation, regional commerce, and emergency response in our region. This award is more than a transportation upgrade – it’s an investment in our local workforce, small businesses, and the future of aviation in Northwest Ohio. As our communities work to modernize and grow, targeted federal investment like this ensures that rural and regional airports are not left behind, and are instead positioned to lead our communities into the future.”
“The Fulton County airport is an active, vibrant airport with over 30 based aircraft, a growing flight school offering flight training to students from all over Northwest Ohio, and is a base for a Life Flight helicopter,” said Jeff Rupp, President of the Fulton County Board of Commissioners. “We have had a waiting list for hangar space for many years and with this grant, we will be able build hangars for six additional aircraft. The Fulton County Commissioners wish to express our sincere appreciation to Congresswoman Kaptur for securing this grant which will benefit the county!”
The project includes the design of a new sponsor-owned hangar to generate long-term revenue and support airport sustainability, and the replacement of the airport’s Automated Weather Observing System (AWOS), which has reached the end of its operational life. The project reflects a commitment to modernizing regional infrastructure and ensuring safety, efficiency, and long-term economic growth.
# # #
Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Marcy Kaptur (OH-09)
Washington, DC – Today, Representatives Marcy Kaptur (OH-09), and Pat Fallon (TX-04) introduced the Federal Cyber Workforce Training Act of 2025, a bipartisan bill which would require the National Cyber Director to submit to Congress a plan to establish an institute within the Federal Government to serve as a centralized resource and training center for Federal cyber workforce development.
“The cyber threats against our nation are serious. This bipartisan legislation will help us to mount a defense against malign actors by bolstering, and enhancing cyber training,” said Congresswoman Marcy Kaptur (OH-09). “This bipartisan legislation developed with Congressman Fallon seeks to modernize cyber workforce development through streamlined onboarding training — raising the bar for the Departments of Homeland Security and Defense. Our objective is to develop a framework to foster the highest levels of excellence in cybersecurity for professionals serving on the frontlines to safeguard our nation.”
“This legislation modernizes our approach to building a robust cyber workforce by streamlining onboarding with hands-on, role-specific training and sets high standards via DHS and DOD collaboration,” said Congressman Pat Fallon (TX-04). “By fostering sustainable career paths and bolstering recruitment with specialized talent management modules, we are taking necessary steps to fortify our defenses against escalating cyber threats.”
Specifically, this legislation aims to:
1. ENSURE BETTER ONBOARDING: Provides modularized work role-specific training, including hands-on learning and skill-based assessments, to prepare personnel from a wide variety of academic and professional backgrounds to perform effectively in federal cyber work roles.
2. SET STANDARDS: Coordinate with the DHS/DOD /Others to develop work role-specific curriculum for the training required above.
3. MAINTAIN SUSTAINABLE CAREER TRACK: Prioritize entry-level positions in the provision of curriculum and training but should also include curriculum development and training for federal cyber workers seeking transition to mid-career positions and may include upskilling and reskilling efforts.
4. BOLSTER RECRUITING: Consider developing a specific module to familiarize and train appropriate federal government talent management personnel in the unique challenges in recruiting and hiring personnel for federal cyber workforce roles.
# # #
Source: US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
Note: The expiration time in the watch graphic is amended if the watch is replaced, cancelled or extended.Note: Click for Watch Status Reports.
SEL0
URGENT – IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
Severe Thunderstorm Watch Number 260
NWS Storm Prediction Center Norman OK
1005 AM EDT Fri May 16 2025
The NWS Storm Prediction Center has issued a
* Severe Thunderstorm Watch for portions of
Delaware
Far Eastern Maryland
New Jersey
Far Eastern Pennsylvania
Coastal Waters
* Effective this Friday morning and afternoon from 1005 AM until
500 PM EDT.
* Primary threats include…
Scattered large hail and isolated very large hail events to 2
inches in diameter possible
Scattered damaging wind gusts to 70 mph possible
SUMMARY…Thunderstorms continue to strengthen as they move into
more of eastern PA and eastern MD. Destabilization is expected
downstream, with the resulting combination of instability and shear
supportive of supercells capable of large hail and damaging gusts.
The severe thunderstorm watch area is approximately along and 55
statute miles east and west of a line from 15 miles northwest of
Trenton NJ to 45 miles south of Dover DE. For a complete depiction
of the watch see the associated watch outline update (WOUS64 KWNS
WOU0).
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS…
REMEMBER…A Severe Thunderstorm Watch means conditions are
favorable for severe thunderstorms in and close to the watch area.
Persons in these areas should be on the lookout for threatening
weather conditions and listen for later statements and possible
warnings. Severe thunderstorms can and occasionally do produce
tornadoes.
&&
OTHER WATCH INFORMATION…CONTINUE…WW 259…
AVIATION…A few severe thunderstorms with hail surface and aloft to
2 inches. Extreme turbulence and surface wind gusts to 60 knots. A
few cumulonimbi with maximum tops to 500. Mean storm motion vector
27035.
…Mosier
SEL0
URGENT – IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
Severe Thunderstorm Watch Number 260
NWS Storm Prediction Center Norman OK
1005 AM EDT Fri May 16 2025
The NWS Storm Prediction Center has issued a
* Severe Thunderstorm Watch for portions of
Delaware
Far Eastern Maryland
New Jersey
Far Eastern Pennsylvania
Coastal Waters
* Effective this Friday morning and afternoon from 1005 AM until
500 PM EDT.
* Primary threats include…
Scattered large hail and isolated very large hail events to 2
inches in diameter possible
Scattered damaging wind gusts to 70 mph possible
SUMMARY…Thunderstorms continue to strengthen as they move into
more of eastern PA and eastern MD. Destabilization is expected
downstream, with the resulting combination of instability and shear
supportive of supercells capable of large hail and damaging gusts.
The severe thunderstorm watch area is approximately along and 55
statute miles east and west of a line from 15 miles northwest of
Trenton NJ to 45 miles south of Dover DE. For a complete depiction
of the watch see the associated watch outline update (WOUS64 KWNS
WOU0).
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS…
REMEMBER…A Severe Thunderstorm Watch means conditions are
favorable for severe thunderstorms in and close to the watch area.
Persons in these areas should be on the lookout for threatening
weather conditions and listen for later statements and possible
warnings. Severe thunderstorms can and occasionally do produce
tornadoes.
&&
OTHER WATCH INFORMATION…CONTINUE…WW 259…
AVIATION…A few severe thunderstorms with hail surface and aloft to
2 inches. Extreme turbulence and surface wind gusts to 60 knots. A
few cumulonimbi with maximum tops to 500. Mean storm motion vector
27035.
…Mosier
Note: The Aviation Watch (SAW) product is an approximation to the watch area. The actual watch is depicted by the shaded areas.
SAW0
WW 260 SEVERE TSTM DE MD NJ PA CW 161405Z – 162100Z
AXIS..55 STATUTE MILES EAST AND WEST OF LINE..
15NW TTN/TRENTON NJ/ – 45S DOV/DOVER DE/
..AVIATION COORDS.. 50NM E/W /32ESE ETX – 8NNE SBY/
HAIL SURFACE AND ALOFT..2 INCHES. WIND GUSTS..60 KNOTS.
MAX TOPS TO 500. MEAN STORM MOTION VECTOR 27035.
LAT…LON 40437397 38477444 38477649 40437606
THIS IS AN APPROXIMATION TO THE WATCH AREA. FOR A
COMPLETE DEPICTION OF THE WATCH SEE WOUS64 KWNS
FOR WOU0.
Watch 260 Status Report Message has not been issued yet.
Note: Click for Complete Product Text.Tornadoes
Probability of 2 or more tornadoes
Low (10%)
Probability of 1 or more strong (EF2-EF5) tornadoes
Low ( 65 knots
Low (20%)
Hail
Probability of 10 or more severe hail events
Mod (40%)
Probability of 1 or more hailstones > 2 inches
Mod (30%)
Combined Severe Hail/Wind
Probability of 6 or more combined severe hail/wind events
High (70%)
For each watch, probabilities for particular events inside the watch (listed above in each table) are determined by the issuing forecaster. The “Low” category contains probability values ranging from less than 2% to 20% (EF2-EF5 tornadoes), less than 5% to 20% (all other probabilities), “Moderate” from 30% to 60%, and “High” from 70% to greater than 95%. High values are bolded and lighter in color to provide awareness of an increased threat for a particular event.
Source: Council of the European Union
The EU issued a statement on the International Day Against Homophobia, Biphobia and Transphobia condemning discrimination and violence and reaffirming its strong commitment to respect, protect and fulfill the full and equal enjoyment of all human rights by all LGBTI persons.
Source: United Kingdom London Metropolitan Police
UPDATE: On Friday, 16 May at the Old Bailey, Shakeil Thibou was given a life sentence. He must serve a minimum of 29 years, less the 261 days he has spent on remand, before he will be eligible for release.
The press release issued following his conviction is below.
A man who was caught on camera stabbing a mother in front of her three-year old daughter at last year’s Notting Hill Carnival has been found guilty of murder.
Cher Maximen, who was 32, was with friends and her daughter just off the Carnival parade route on Sunday, 25 August 2024 when she was caught up in a fight involving multiple men. She was stabbed and died in hospital six days later.
On Wednesday, 9 April at the Old Bailey, Shakeil Thibou, 20 (29.05.04), of Masbro’ Road, Hammersmith and Fulham, was convicted of Cher’s murder, attempted GBH with intent and possession of an offensive weapon.
Detective Chief Inspector Alex Gammampila, from the Met’s Specialist Crime Command, said: “My heart goes out to Cher’s family and friends. She was a loving mother who went to Notting Hill Carnival to enjoy what should have been a carefree day in the company of friends and her young daughter. Her life was ended in the most senseless way.
“In stark contrast, Shakeil Thibou went to Carnival not to be part of the celebration, but to engage in violence. Why else would he have arrived armed with a large knife and seeking confrontation?
“His dangerous actions took Cher’s life and narrowly avoided killing a second man too.
“The investigation team has worked diligently and tirelessly to build a case against him. Their work has made sure Cher’s family and friends have been able to get justice.
“They had to go through the pain of witnessing her final moments throughout the trial. I commend their bravery and the dignified way they have handled this tragedy. I hope that today’s result brings some small amount of closure for them.”
Vyleen Maximen, Cher’s grandmother, said: “Cher, my first born grandchild, my friend. I held you in my arms when you were born. 32 years of loving, of laughing, playing, crying and holidaying with you. I will no longer have that pleasure ever again. Not seeing you get married or have more children.
“Life will never be the same. Ever. We just have to live life, the best that we can and I will raise your daughter Cher, until my last breath. I will never hear your key opening my front door and shouting ‘Hello Nanny’.”
TJ Jacobs, relative of Cher and Godmother to Cher’s daughter, said: “We would like to express our deepest gratitude to the jury for helping ensure justice is served for our beloved Cher Maximen – affectionately known to us as Princess Cher, Ri Ri, Churbs, Churburt, Cher Bear and Bear.
“What happened to us has completely turned our lives upside down. Losing Cher has filled our hearts with immeasurable sadness.
“Cher was pure magic – radiant, loving, passionate, and kind. She brought creativity, style and flawless flair to everything she did. She was a dedicated mother, a devoted granddaughter, niece, sister, and friend. This senseless act of violence has cut short a life that had so much more to offer the world and was only just beginning to blossom. Like many young adults, life hadn’t always been easy for Cher, but she was just discovering who she was and who she could become.
“Even when life felt unfair, Cher remained kind, caring, and a fierce protector of those she loved – qualities that were evident even in her final moments. Her smile lit up every corner of every room, and her laugh echoed through hallways. Her journey was an example of resilience against the odds, showing that no matter the challenges, young people can emerge with strength, determination, and the will to strive for better.
“We will never recover from this loss, but we are determined to ensure that Cher’s daughter – now being raised by her beloved great-grandmother (Cher’s much-loved grandmother), along with her village of aunties, uncles, and Godparents – receives the love, support, and care she needs as we navigate life without her. Cher’s four-year-old daughter was her everything – her reason, her drive, and now her legacy. Cher’s unwavering devotion to her role as a mother was evident to all who knew her.
“Our family is devastated, but we would like to extend our heartfelt gratitude to the emergency responders, medical professionals, and law enforcement officers involved in this case.
“Knife crime continues to devastate communities across the UK. The government must urgently address the root causes – the systemic failures in education, children’s services, youth services, mental health services impacting the many disengaged and disenfranchised young people. Offering them the tools to overcome challenges rather than fall victim to them. This is not just about reducing crime; it’s about saving lives, restoring hope, and building safer, stronger communities.”
The court heard that Cher had spent the afternoon with her daughter and her friends among a crowd in Golborne Road which was just off the parade route.
Just before 18:00hrs, a fight broke out in the crowd. CCTV and police officers’ body worn video footage shown during the trial shows Shakeil attempting to stab a man in the abdomen. Cher was caught up in the melee and knocked to the floor, grabbing onto Shakeil’s coat as she tried to get back to her feet.
In an effort to defend herself and her daughter, Cher kicked out and was stabbed in the groin as she did so, falling to the ground.
Officers rushed to her aid and provided emergency medical treatment until the arrival of paramedics. She was transported to hospital in a critical condition but despite the efforts of medical teams she died on Saturday, 31 August.
Video footage showed that moments before Cher was stabbed, Shakeil’s brothers – Sheldon Thibou and Shaeim Thibou, along with an unidentified male, fought with one man. Sheldon can be seen wielding an illegal stun gun. An officer who intervened to try to break up the fight was assaulted by both brothers.
The three brothers and an associate fled the scene, but CCTV footage recovered during the investigation showed that Shakeil, when leaving carnival was captured on CCTV changing his outer clothing with an associate and calmly making his way out of the area.
An investigation started immediately after the incident, with officers running images captured on bodyworn video cameras through facial recognition software, revealing a match for Sheldon and Shaeim Thibou. Further research identified Shakeil.
A significant manhunt was launched which saw officers search a number of addresses across west London.
Shakeil was found lying on the floor under a sleeping bag when officers found him in the early hours of Tuesday, 27 August. During a search of the address they found a distinctive bag he’d been seen wearing on footage captured at Carnival.
His jacket had been discarded at the scene after it came off in the struggle. It was sent for forensic testing and DNA found on it was a 1 in a billion match for Shakeil – further proof that he had committed the stabbing.
Detectives would also spend weeks trawling through hundreds of additional hours of CCTV and body worn video footage, as well as messages on mobile phones recovered at the time of the brothers’ arrest.
This helped to further establish a watertight case that Shakeil and his brothers were at Carnival at the time of Cher’s murder.
Sheldon Thibou, 25 (23.01.00), of Star Road, Hammersmith and Fulham and Shaeim Thibou, 22 (20.02.03), of Charleville Road, Hammersmith and Fulham stood trial alongside their brother.
Sheldon was found guilty of violent disorder. He had also previously pleaded guilty to the possession of an illegal stun gun.
Sheldon and Shaeim were both found guilty of assaulting an emergency worker.
Shakeil and Shaeim will be sentenced at the Old Bailey on Friday, 16 May.
Sheldon will be sentenced in due course at a court that is yet to be confirmed.
TJ Jacobs and Vyleen Maximen added:
“We would also like to say a special thank you to:
“Police officers Alex Gammampila, Charlotte Carter, Andy Miller, Kevin Newton, Dan Hobbs and Dave Davies.
“Emma Currie and Peter Hutton from the Crown Prosecution Service.
“Prosecuting Counsel Edward Brown KC and Phillip McGhee.
“Sharon Macaulay, Ravandeep Khela and Wendy Rixon from Taylor Rose Solicitors.
“Barrister Oliver Wooding from St John’s Chambers.
“Gulizar Candemir from the Children’s Team at Freeman Solicitors.
“Barrister Alison Brooks from Staple Inn Chambers.
“These individuals have supported us tirelessly throughout this unimaginable experience. Their efforts and dedication have been a source of comfort during this dark and painful time.”
Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News
Lingjiatan Site Museum in China’s Anhui opens for trial operation
Source: United States Navy
Thirty African nations have wrapped up two-weeks of intense training during Exercise Obangame Express 2025 (OE25), strengthening regional collaboration and reaffirming their commitment to maritime security in the Gulf of Guinea and the Atlantic Ocean off Africa’s western coast. This year’s exercise focused on enhancing regional coordination, expanding maritime awareness, and enhancing operational readiness.
Source: City of Plymouth
Prepare your picnics, buckets and spades – Plymouth’s ‘beach bus’ will be making a welcome return this upcoming May half term.
Beach lovers and visitors will once again be able to take the number 54 bus straight to Bovisand, which overlooks Plymouth Sound.
Operated by Stagecoach South West, the service will run daily between Saturday 24 May and Sunday 1 June. It will then return for the summer holiday, running daily from Saturday 26 July to Sunday 31 August.
The bus will depart from the city centre every hour from 10am until 6pm (except 2pm), returning from Bovisand hourly from 10.28am until 6.28pm (except 2.28pm). It will depart from and drop off at Stop A10 on Royal Parade.
The service, financially supported by the Council, will give people the chance to enjoy a great day out at the beach or take walks along the South West Coast Path.
Councillor John Stephens, Cabinet Member for Strategic Planning and Transport said: “The Bovisand bus is a popular and convenient way to get to the beach and we’re really pleased to be able to bring it back for another year. One of Plymouth’s priorities is providing direct routes to key locations and this service will enable residents and visitors to enjoy Bovisand and the wider National Marine Park throughout the summer.”
For more information on the Bovisand bus service please visit the Stagecoach South West website.
Source: City of Norwich
Published on Friday, 16th May 2025
For the first time, our garages can now officially be used for general storage as well as for parking vehicles, and there are currently 169 available.
If you are looking for a garage to rent in a convenient part of the city, we can offer lots of choice. Perhaps you need to free up some space or declutter your house? If so, you can now store items such as furniture, carpets, toys and tools in our garages.
Anyone can rent one of our garages at a competitive rate of £31.78 per week and there are discounts available so please see our website for details.
Important restrictions remain to keep garage sites safe for everyone. Items that must not be stored include:
Garages also cannot be used as workshops, charging stations or living spaces.
Councillor Beth Jones, cabinet member for housing, said:
” We know that many people are looking for extra storage space, whether that’s to free up a spare room, keep tools secure, or simply declutter. By allowing garages to be used for storage, we hope to offer a practical and affordable solution that suits a range of needs across the city.”
For more information or to apply for a garage, visit: www.norwich.gov.uk/garagepolicy.
Source: World Food Programme
Harare, Zimbabwe – The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) and the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) today signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to formalise their collaboration on integrating food and nutrition assistance with sexual and reproductive health rights (SRHR) and gender-based violence (GBV) services, in Zimbabwe.
The memorandum aims to strengthen a shared commitment to break the cycle of poverty and inequality in Zimbabwe by focusing on food-insecure districts across the country, leveraging on WFP’s distribution networks and UNFPA’s health expertise. WFP will provide logistics and distribution platforms for UNFPA’s SRHR/GBV services, including family planning and maternal health care at food distribution points, enabling efficient use of resources.
“No woman should choose between feeding her family and accessing life-saving sexual reproductive health and rights services,” said Ms Miranda Tabifor, UNFPA Representative in Zimbabwe. “Empowering women and girls is central to breaking the cycle of poverty. This collaboration ensures they have access to both the food they need to survive and critical sexual and reproductive health and GBV services they need to thrive.”
WFP food distribution points are conveniently situated near vulnerable populations, ensuring accessibility and community engagement, making it easier and more convenient for communities to access essential and lifesaving SRHR services.
“Food insecurity and health are deeply intertwined,” said Barbara Clemens WFP Country Representative and Director in Zimbabwe. “By integrating SRHR and GBV services into food distributions, we are not just saving lives, we’re empowering women and girls, which is the essence of sustainable development. This partnership is a blueprint for the UN’s ‘Delivering as One’ principle.”
The partnership supports Zimbabwe’s Ministry of Health, Ministry of Public Service, Labour and Social Welfare, Ministry of Women’s Affairs, and Zimbabwe National Family Planning Council in adopting a national integrated model. This model directly advances SDGs 2 (Zero Hunger), 3 (Good Health), and 5 (Gender Equality) through joint monitoring and reporting, contributing to the National Development Strategy 1.
The MoU comes with a solid foundation of successful collaboration between the two agencies in Zimbabwe. WFP and UNFPA have previously partnered to provide monthly food baskets (cereal, pulses, oil, and super cereal) to mothers at Maternity Waiting Homes, ensuring proper nutrition before childbirth. At the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, UNFPA innovated to maintain SRHR services through WFP’s distribution networks.
Source: Securities and Exchange Commission
Thank you, Pedro, for your kind introduction and thank you, ladies and gentlemen, for joining us today as we dive into an essential aspect of our regulatory framework – economic analysis.
In order to keep the compliance folks here at the SEC happy, I must first note that the views I express here today are my own and do not necessarily reflect those of the full Commission or of my fellow Commissioners.
Considering the ongoing changes in financial landscapes, the need for thorough economic analysis of the Commission’s actions becomes increasingly important. High-quality economic analysis is an essential part of any SEC rulemaking. It is critical that a rule’s potential benefits and costs be considered in ensuring that it is in the public’s interest. It also helps that it happens to be the law.
From Pedro’s introduction, you can see that this is my third tour of duty at the SEC – having previously served from 1990-1994 on the staff of former Chairmen Richard Breeden and Arthur Levitt, as a Commissioner from 2002-2008, and now as Chairman.
This is a unique moment to come back here to lead the agency, as opportunities abound to facilitate capital formation when the investment environment and the capital markets are undergoing significant change.
During my tenure as Commissioner, I often emphasized the need for rigorous economic analysis. As Chairman, I aim to ensure that those principles are the bedrock upon which our sound regulatory policies are built. It is important for us as an agency to ensure that thorough and unbiased economic analysis is not being overshadowed by any driving desire to implement regulatory measures that impose unnecessary burdens on our markets.
Before we act, we first must identify a problem to be solved and propose a resolution that is tailored to solve it – rather than create a solution in search of an unidentified problem.
The SEC, in its regulatory capacity, is tasked to balance investor protection with promoting capital formation and market efficiency. In years past, the Commission has unfortunately demonstrated a tendency to prioritize regulatory expansion over meticulous economic analysis, potentially jeopardizing this delicate balance.
For example, in some of the Commission’s recent economic analysis, the adopting releases have stated, “Where possible, we have attempted to quantify these economic effects . . . however, we are unable to reliably quantify the potential benefits and costs of the final rul[e].”[1]
Going forward, we must show our work so that the public understands what we are proposing and why. We must show that we have considered the potential effects of our rules, including the negative ones.
Robust economic analysis of our regulatory initiatives helps us to do just that. It provides us with a framework to assess the potential unintended consequences of new regulations.
In choosing when and how to regulate our markets we should be cognizant to measure twice and cut once. Otherwise, we risk damaging our markets and unnecessarily adding costs to issuers and investors.
Like it or not, we operate in a global environment. There are alternatives, and investors can vote with their feet and pocketbooks. Our job at the SEC is to ensure that we maintain a market that is the best in the world for investors and for issuers. You cannot have one without the other.
As I have said before, regulation is a bit like golf.[2] It requires careful, precise strokes, and meticulous analysis of shot selection to achieve the intended result. For instance, if you choose the wrong club, or swing too hard, you risk overshooting the green.[3] In the end, your short game of precision is most often the crucial factor to sink the ball in the hole.
As we navigate the complexities of modern financial markets, we must continually refine our methodologies while adapting to new challenges.
I am thankful that you all are here to help us to enrich our understanding of markets and market dynamics. By incorporating diverse perspectives and a wide range of research, we enhance the robustness of our analyses and ensure that our regulatory measures are well-informed.
We value the research that you do.
It is a new day at the SEC, and I look forward to engaging with you all as we promote policies that foster economic growth and strengthen confidence in our markets.
Before I turn it over to our first panel, I would like to thank everyone who contributed to the success of this event, especially the organizers, Amy Edwards and Vlad Ivanov from the Division of Economic and Risk Analysis, Kathleen Hanley from Lehigh University, and Pedro Matos from the University of Virginia.
Thank you.
Source: US Immigration and Customs Enforcement
LAREDO, Texas — U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, in coordination with federal, state and local law enforcement agencies, conducted a targeted worksite enforcement operation at a business and two construction sites in South Texas. The one-day operation, aimed at bolstering public safety, resulted in the arrest of 31 individuals for immigration-related violations.
During the operation, ICE Homeland Security Investigations conducted records checks and found that several of those arrested had prior criminal convictions. Offenses included aggravated criminal sexual assault, bodily harm, possession of a controlled substance, probation violations, evading arrest, transporting noncitizens, domestic violence/strangulation, terroristic threats against family or household members, possession of prohibited weapons in a weapons-free zone, unauthorized use of a vehicle, and evading arrest or detention in the United States.
The individuals arrested were citizens of Mexico, Honduras and El Salvador, and illegally present in the United States. All have been transferred to ICE custody and are pending removal proceedings.
Federal law requires employers to verify the identity and employment eligibility of all individuals they hire, using the Employment Eligibility Verification Form I-9. ICE uses the I-9 inspection program to promote compliance with these requirements, as part of a broader strategy to address and deter the employment of unauthorized workers. These inspections are among the federal government’s most effective tools to enforce U.S. employment laws.
HSI’s worksite enforcement strategy includes leveraging the agency’s full range of investigative capabilities. Worksite investigations often uncover additional criminal activity such as alien smuggling, human trafficking, money laundering, document fraud, worker exploitation, and substandard wages or working conditions.
This investigation was conducted by HSI with support from ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations; the Drug Enforcement Administration; the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; U.S. Border Patrol; U.S. Customs and Border Protection’s Office of Field Operations; CBP Air and Marine Operations; the Webb County Sheriff’s Office; the Zapata County Sheriff’s Office; and the Laredo Police Department.
Members of the public can report crimes or suspicious activity by calling the ICE Tip Line at 866-DHS-2-ICE (866-347-2423) or by completing the online tip form.
For more information about HSI San Antonio and its public safety efforts in Central and South Texas, follow HSI San Antonio on X at @HSI_SanAntonio.
Source: US State of North Carolina
Headline: ICYMI: Governor Stein Announces More Than 700 New Jobs Coming to North Carolina
ICYMI: Governor Stein Announces More Than 700 New Jobs Coming to North Carolina
lsaito
This week Governor Josh Stein and the North Carolina Department of Commerce announced two new economic development projects, bringing more than 700 jobs to North Carolina. Genentech and Prolec GE build on North Carolina’s strong reputation in the life sciences and advanced manufacturing industries. Governor Stein and Secretary Lee Lilley also attended the Select USA Investment Summit in Maryland to highlight North Carolina’s attractive business environment and encourage companies to expand their operations in the state.
“I am excited to see that more than 700 new jobs are coming to North Carolina,” said Governor Josh Stein. “Companies recognize that our strong economy and talented workforce are an asset to their operations, and that is why they are eager to invest here.”
“Genentech and Prolec GE’s investments in North Carolina demonstrate our state’s high-powered business climate,” said Commerce Secretary Lee Lilley. “Our state’s investments in our workforce and infrastructure are paying off, and companies see the value in calling North Carolina home.”
Governor Stein announced this week that Genentech, one of the world’s premier biotechnology companies, will invest $700 million to build a new manufacturing plant in Holly Springs, creating 420 jobs. The average salary for new positions will be $119,833 as compared to the average wage in Wake County of $76,643, although wages vary depending on the position. This project is expected to grow North Carolina’s economy by more than $3 billion. For every dollar the state invests it is projected to receive $3.30 in state revenue.
The Governor also announced that Prolec-GE Waukesha, Inc., one of the nation’s largest manufacturers of power transformers, will add 330 new jobs as it invests $140 million to build a second manufacturing facility in Goldsboro. This project will build a new state-of-the-art manufacturing plant at the company’s existing site to support a growing demand for power grid capacity across the country. Although wages vary by position, the average salary for new positions will be $71,912. This project is expected to grow North Carolina’s economy by more than $1.05 billion. For every dollar the state invests it is projected to receive $2.06 in state revenue.
Governor Stein is committed to creating a North Carolina that is safer and stronger with opportunity for everyone. North Carolina was recently ranked in the top 10 states for economy and growth by U.S. News and World Report, with the 7th best economy and the 5th best growth in the nation. The Governor’s budget proposal seeks to continue that progress by investing $256 million in workforce development and including free community college for students pursuing credentials in high-demand fields. In 2025, the State of North Carolina has announced more than 2,600 new jobs facilitated by grants and incentives.
Source: Government of Italy (English)
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16 Maggio 2025
The President of the Council of Ministers, Giorgia Meloni, is attending the sixth European Political Community (EPC) summit in Tirana today. Upon her arrival, President Meloni addressed journalists at a doorstep and went on to deliver a speech during the plenary session.
Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)
VANCOUVER, British Columbia, May 16, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Interfield Global Software Inc.(the “Company”) announces that, further to its news release dated February 18, 2025, that the common shares of the Company (“Common Shares”) have been delisted from the Cboe Canada Exchange (the “Cboe”) as of the close of trading on May 12, 2025. The Company will remain a reporting issuer in Alberta, British Columbia and Ontario, and continues to work toward listing the Common Shares on the Canadian Securities Exchange (the “CSE”).
Failure to File Cease Trade Order Update
The Company also announces that due to delays in filing its annual audited financial statements, chief executive officer and chief financial officer certifications of the annual filings, accompanying management discussion and analysis and annual information form for the year ended December 31, 2024 (collectively, the “Annual Filings”), the Company anticipates that it will be delayed in filing its consolidated interim financial reports for the three months ended March 31, 2025 (the “Interim Filings”). On April 4, 2025, as a result of the delay in the Company completing the Annual Filings, the British Columbia Securities Commission as the principal regulator of the Company issued a failure-to-file cease trade order to the Company under National Policy 11-207 Failure-To-File Cease Trade Orders And Revocations In Multiple Jurisdictions.
The delay is a result of the Company’s auditors requiring additional time to complete their audit, which is required to be completed before the Interim Filings can be completed. The Company’s management continues to work diligently with its auditors, to complete the Annual Filings and expects to complete the Annual Filings on or before June 15, 2025. The Company expects that it will complete the Interim Filings contemporaneously with the Annual Filings.
The Company confirms that, other than as disclosed in prior press releases and material change reports, there have been no material business developments since the filing on November 12, 2024 of the Company’s consolidated interim financial reports for the period ended September 30, 2024. There are no insolvency proceedings involving the Company.
Abhi Joint Venture Update
Further to its news releases dated November 18, 2024, January 21, 2025 and February 18, 2025, the Company announces that it has made further progress towards the completion of its joint venture with Abhi Fintech Ltd. (“Abhi”), pending which Abhi and Interfield Solutions have extended the term of their previously announced MOU until October 31, 2025.
About Abhi
Abhi is a prominent fintech company, earning recognition as one of the Future 100 companies in the UAE. It was also the first to receive the Technology Pioneer 2023 Award by the World Economic Forum, making fintech history in the MENAP region. Abhi offers a comprehensive suite of products and services, including EWA, payroll solutions, and SME financing.
About Interfield Global Software Inc.
The Company is an unlisted reporting issuer and operates out of Dubai, U.A.E through its wholly owned subsidiary, Interfield Software Solutions LLC (“Interfield Solutions”).
Interfield Solutions is a software company that services numerous industrial segments worldwide including oil and gas, mining and renewables. Interfield Solutions has two operating divisions, E-commerce and Software as a Service. Equipment Hound, the company’s flagship product of its E-commerce division, is an industrial equipment marketplace that connects buyers and suppliers around the globe. Equipment Hound manages a catalogue of equipment from various suppliers and provides procurement solutions for buyers. It includes features such as requests for quotes, logistics support and third-party verification. ToolSuite, the company’s flagship product of its Software as a Service division, is a cloud based data collection and management platform that digitizes industrial processes and provides real-time auditable data for clients.
ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS
“Harold Hemmerich”
Harold Hemmerich, Chief Financial Officer & Director
Phone: +971 50 558 8349
Forward-Looking Statements Disclaimer and Reader Advisory
This news release contains “forward-looking information” within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities legislation. All statements, other than statements of historical fact, included herein are forward-looking information. In particular, this news release contains forward-looking information regarding: the filing of the Annual Filings and Interim Filings, including the timing for the filing of the Annual Filings and Interim Filings and the proposed listing of the Common Shares on the CSE. There can be no assurance that such forward-looking information will prove to be accurate, and actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such forward-looking information. This forward-looking information reflects the Company’s current beliefs and is based on information currently available to the Company and on assumptions the Company believes are reasonable. These assumptions include, but are not limited to the ability of the Company to complete the Annual Filings in the noted timeframe. Forward-looking information is subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause the actual results, level of activity, performance or achievements of the Company to be materially different from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking information. Such risks and other factors may include, but are not limited to: general business, economic, competitive, political and social uncertainties; general capital market conditions and market prices for securities; delay or failure to receive board or regulatory approvals; the actual results of future operations; competition; changes in legislation affecting the Company; the timing and availability of external financing on acceptable terms; long-term capital requirements and future developments in the Company’s markets and the markets in which it expects to compete; or loss of key individuals. A description of additional risk factors that may cause actual results to differ materially from forward-looking information can be found in the Company’s disclosure documents on the SEDAR+ website at www.sedarplus.com. Although the Company has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in forward-looking information, there may be other factors that cause results not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended. Readers are cautioned that the foregoing list of factors is not exhaustive. Readers are further cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking information as there can be no assurance that the plans, intentions or expectations upon which they are placed will occur. Forward-looking information contained in this news release is expressly qualified by this cautionary statement. The forward-looking information contained in this news release represents the expectations of the Company as of the date of this news release and, accordingly, is subject to change after such date. However, the Company expressly disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking information, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as expressly required by applicable securities law.
No securities regulatory authority has either approved or disapproved the contents of this news release. The Cboe Canada Exchange does not accept responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this news release.
Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)
SINGAPORE, May 16, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — As Bitcoin prices soar past the historic $100,000 mark and global tariff tensions ease, market sentiment has turned decisively bullish. Analysts now predict a period of heightened volatility, where massive price swings are expected. For traders seeking to amplify their returns during this phase, high-leverage derivatives have become the preferred tool — and BexBack is leading the way.
What Is 100x Leverage and Why It Matters Now?
In simple terms, 100x leverage means a trader can control $100,000 worth of crypto with just $1,000 in capital. During periods of volatility, even a 1% price move can result in 100% profit or loss — providing a powerful tool for seasoned traders to maximize upside with minimal capital.
Example: If BTC moves from $100,000 to $101,000 (a 1% increase)
However, with higher potential rewards come higher risks, so proper risk management is essential.
Double Your Capital with BexBack’s 100% Deposit Bonus
To help traders unlock the full potential of leveraged trading, BexBack is offering a 100% deposit bonus:
This gives traders a bigger buffer against liquidation and the ability to open larger positions with the same capital.
Why Trade Futures on BexBack?
BexBack has rapidly gained popularity among crypto traders due to its innovative features and user-friendly approach:
Who Is BexBack?
BexBack is a next-generation cryptocurrency derivatives exchange headquartered in Singapore, with offices in Hong Kong, Japan, the U.S., and the U.K. It currently serves over 500,000 users worldwide. With its focus on speed, security, simplicity, and trader empowerment, BexBack is becoming the platform of choice for traders looking to profit in both bull and bear markets.
Don’t Miss the Moment — Trade the Bull Run with Power
If you’ve been waiting to enter the market or scale your trading, now is the time. With Bitcoin surpassing $100K and volatility on the rise, BexBack gives you the tools to trade fast, trade smart, and trade big — all with unmatched flexibility.
Register today, claim your 100% deposit bonus and $50 welcome bonus, and experience the adrenaline of high-leverage crypto futures trading.
Website: www.bexback.com
Contact: business@bexback.com
Contact:
Amanda
business@bexback.com
Disclaimer: This content is provided by BexBack. The statements, views, and opinions expressed in this content are solely those of the content provider and do not necessarily reflect the views of this media platform or its publisher. We do not endorse, verify, or guarantee the accuracy, completeness, or reliability of any information presented. We do not guarantee any claims, statements, or promises made in this article. This content is for informational purposes only and should not be considered financial, investment, or trading advice.Investing in crypto and mining-related opportunities involves significant risks, including the potential loss of capital. It is possible to lose all your capital. These products may not be suitable for everyone, and you should ensure that you understand the risks involved. Seek independent advice if necessary. Speculate only with funds that you can afford to lose. Readers are strongly encouraged to conduct their own research and consult with a qualified financial advisor before making any investment decisions. However, due to the inherently speculative nature of the blockchain sector—including cryptocurrency, NFTs, and mining—complete accuracy cannot always be guaranteed.
Neither the media platform nor the publisher shall be held responsible for any fraudulent activities, misrepresentations, or financial losses arising from the content of this press release. In the event of any legal claims or charges against this article, we accept no liability or responsibility. Globenewswire does not endorse any content on this page.
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Photos accompanying this announcement are available at
https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/73f0f943-b3d1-4704-81c9-7d34d1b89461
https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/4d6b1a9c-f30b-4199-9c98-7e506c337f44
https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/4dd67d09-2355-464b-88ba-b2268f670d0b
https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/df470d7f-840e-4646-930d-6149f0297a7e
https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/0f50e696-bf42-41e1-b97e-0ae60370dfee
https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/fe424fb9-64b3-4277-8289-e1fa9b89a410
Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)
8.3
PUBLIC OPENING POSITION DISCLOSURE/DEALING DISCLOSURE BY
A PERSON WITH INTERESTS IN RELEVANT SECURITIES REPRESENTING 1% OR MORE
Rule 8.3 of the Takeover Code (the “Code”)
1. KEY INFORMATION
| (a) Full name of discloser: | Rathbones Group Plc |
| (b) Owner or controller of interests and short positions disclosed, if different from 1(a): The naming of nominee or vehicle companies is insufficient. For a trust, the trustee(s), settlor and beneficiaries must be named. |
|
| (c) Name of offeror/offeree in relation to whose relevant securities this form relates: Use a separate form for each offeror/offeree |
Primary Health Properties Plc |
| (d) If an exempt fund manager connected with an offeror/offeree, state this and specify identity of offeror/offeree: | |
| (e) Date position held/dealing undertaken: For an opening position disclosure, state the latest practicable date prior to the disclosure |
15/05/2025 |
| (f) In addition to the company in 1(c) above, is the discloser making disclosures in respect of any other party to the offer? If it is a cash offer or possible cash offer, state “N/A” |
Yes – Assura Plc |
2. POSITIONS OF THE PERSON MAKING THE DISCLOSURE
If there are positions or rights to subscribe to disclose in more than one class of relevant securities of the offeror or offeree named in 1(c), copy table 2(a) or (b) (as appropriate) for each additional class of relevant security.
(a) Interests and short positions in the relevant securities of the offeror or offeree to which the disclosure relates following the dealing (if any)
| Class of relevant security: | 12.5p Ord | |||
| Interests | Short positions | |||
| Number | % | Number | % | |
| (1) Relevant securities owned and/or controlled: | 71,538,319 | 5.35% | ||
| (2) Cash-settled derivatives: | ||||
| (3) Stock-settled derivatives (including options) and agreements to purchase/sell: | ||||
|
TOTAL: |
71,538,319 | 5.35% | ||
All interests and all short positions should be disclosed.
Details of any open stock-settled derivative positions (including traded options), or agreements to purchase or sell relevant securities, should be given on a Supplemental Form 8 (Open Positions).
(b) Rights to subscribe for new securities (including directors’ and other employee options)
| Class of relevant security in relation to which subscription right exists: | |
| Details, including nature of the rights concerned and relevant percentages: |
3. DEALINGS (IF ANY) BY THE PERSON MAKING THE DISCLOSURE
Where there have been dealings in more than one class of relevant securities of the offeror or offeree named in 1(c), copy table 3(a), (b), (c) or (d) (as appropriate) for each additional class of relevant security dealt in.
The currency of all prices and other monetary amounts should be stated.
(a) Purchases and sales
| Class of relevant security | Purchase/sale | Number of securities | Price per unit |
| 12.5p Ordinary Shares | Sale | 2,800 | 98.62p |
| 12.5p Ordinary Shares | Sale | 25,880 | 99.1403p |
| 12.5p Ordinary Shares | Sale | 42,645 | 99.1403p |
| 12.5p Ordinary Shares | Sale | 10,588 | 99.0289p |
| 12.5p Ordinary Shares | Sale | 8,000 | 99.122p |
(b) Cash-settled derivative transactions
| Class of relevant security | Product description e.g. CFD |
Nature of dealing e.g. opening/closing a long/short position, increasing/reducing a long/short position |
Number of reference securities | Price per unit |
(c) Stock-settled derivative transactions (including options)
(i) Writing, selling, purchasing or varying
| Class of relevant security | Product description e.g. call option | Writing, purchasing, selling, varying etc. | Number of securities to which option relates | Exercise price per unit | Type e.g. American, European etc. |
Expiry date | Option money paid/ received per unit |
(ii) Exercise
| Class of relevant security | Product description e.g. call option |
Exercising/ exercised against | Number of securities | Exercise price per unit |
(d) Other dealings (including subscribing for new securities)
| Class of relevant security | Nature of dealing e.g. subscription, conversion |
Details | Price per unit (if applicable) |
4. OTHER INFORMATION
(a) Indemnity and other dealing arrangements
| Details of any indemnity or option arrangement, or any agreement or understanding, formal or informal, relating to relevant securities which may be an inducement to deal or refrain from dealing entered into by the person making the disclosure and any party to the offer or any person acting in concert with a party to the offer: Irrevocable commitments and letters of intent should not be included. If there are no such agreements, arrangements or understandings, state “none” |
| None |
(b) Agreements, arrangements or understandings relating to options or derivatives
| Details of any agreement, arrangement or understanding, formal or informal, between the person making the disclosure and any other person relating to: (i) the voting rights of any relevant securities under any option; or (ii) the voting rights or future acquisition or disposal of any relevant securities to which any derivative is referenced: If there are no such agreements, arrangements or understandings, state “none” |
| None |
(c) Attachments
| Is a Supplemental Form 8 (Open Positions) attached? | No |
| Date of disclosure: | 16/05/2025 |
| Contact name: | Chinwe Enyi – Compliance Department |
| Telephone number: | 0151 243 7053 |
Public disclosures under Rule 8 of the Code must be made to a Regulatory Information Service.
The Panel’s Market Surveillance Unit is available for consultation in relation to the Code’s disclosure requirements on +44 (0)20 7638 0129.
The Code can be viewed on the Panel’s website at.
Source: GlobalData
ICON retains lead as most active CRO in Q1 2025, reveals GlobalData
Posted in Pharma
ICON maintains its place as the most active contract research organization (CRO) for Q1 2025 and Russia keeps its spot with the most clinical trials initiated in Europe despite the ongoing war with Ukraine, according to a report by GlobalData, a leading data and analytics company.
GlobalData’s latest report “Q1 2025 Clinical Trials: CRO, Sponsor & Country Winners,” reveals that France moved up its position from fourth place in Q1 2024 to second in the region.
Kathryn Kinch, Pharma Product Manager at GlobalData, comments: “AstraZeneca led among large- and mega-cap sponsors of drug trials. Oncology trials dominated the landscape, making up the largest share of new trials, with solid tumors as the most studied indication and pain leading in central nervous system research.”
The report also identifies the top 10 trial sites in North America, Europe, and the rest of the world based on the number of trials initiated. On a global scale, oncology was the leading therapeutic area of focus. 1,513 oncology-related clinical trials were either launched or scheduled to commence in Q1 2025. Following closely behind, central nervous system (CNS) diseases accounted for 1,421 trials, reflecting a robust commitment to addressing complex neurological challenges.
However, the quarter did see a slight dip in both oncology and CNS trials compared to the previous year, where 1,573 and 1,438 trials were recorded, respectively. Within oncology, solid tumors dominated the landscape with 1,194 trials, while pain management emerged as the most studied indication in the CNS category, boasting 671 trials.
The CRO Activity and Intel report is published on a quarterly basis. The data presented in this report reflects the database as of April 10, 2025.