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Category: Europe

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Scientists from the National Research University Higher School of Economics – Saint Petersburg will begin to teach artificial intelligence emotions

    Translartion. Region: Russians Fedetion –

    Source: State University Higher School of Economics – State University Higher School of Economics –

    In 2025, the Natural Language Laboratory of the National Research University Higher School of Economics — St. Petersburg, under the leadership of Dmitry Ryumin, a candidate of technical sciences, will develop technologies that will allow AI not only to understand words, but also to recognize emotions, gestures, and personal characteristics of a person. Initially, the department focused exclusively on the analysis of text data. However, according to Dmitry Ryumin, now only one modality is of little interest to anyone. “Look at the current developments — everyone wants to record something with their voice, and upload a picture, and analyze a video, and work with text,” the scientist comments.

    Dmitry Ryumin came to the HSE in St. Petersburg from the St. Petersburg Federal Research Center of the Russian Academy of Sciences, where he holds the position of senior research fellow at the Laboratory of Speech and Multimodal Interfaces. “I was invited for the SP4 project (strategic projects), and then offered to head the Natural Language Laboratory. Today, ten people work in the laboratory – from undergraduate students to candidates of science. I would like to expand the team to 20-30 people, so that the laboratory could be divided into related groups. For example, one group deals with avatars, another – with emotions, and then they can be combined to create emotional avatars,” the head shares his plans.

    Why do neural networks need emotions?

    Under the leadership of Dmitry Ryumin, the HSE-St. Petersburg laboratory will focus on several promising areas related to multimodal technologies.

    “Imagine a system that simultaneously analyzes a person’s voice, facial expressions, and gestures. Assessing a person’s personal qualities and recognizing emotions can be useful, for example, when hiring,” the scientist explains. The technology allows determining how well a job seeker fits the job. “We record an interview with a candidate and analyze not only the content of the answers, but also how they speak, what emotions they show, how they gesture. This gives a more complete picture of a person. For example, openness, sociability, and resistance to stress are important for a manager. The system can analyze whether a candidate’s voice trembles, how clearly they express their thoughts, and provide a description to help HR in recruiting personnel,” comments Dmitry Ryumin.

    Another promising area is personalized advertising. The neural network will be able to evaluate the user’s emotional state and tailor contextual ads to him. If he is sad, it will show one type of content, if he is happy, another.

    Emotional avatar technologies will find application in virtual spaces and conferences. “Last year, large international conferences created virtual spaces where participants who could not come physically entered virtual rooms through their avatars. If these avatars are made more emotional, with realistic facial expressions and gestures, the interaction experience will be much better,” the scientist notes. There is also an entertainment direction – movement transfer. “Imagine: I upload a short video in which I am simply in a room and make ordinary movements. The system analyzes and creates a digital model of me. Then I upload another video, where, for example, a professional dancer performs a break dance. The technology replaces the dancer with me, and the result is a realistic video where I masterfully dance a break dance. Similar technologies are actively developing around the world. Large research centers and companies offer various approaches to solving this problem,” explains Dmitry Ryumin.

    There is potential for using multimodal artificial intelligence in the field of psychological support. “We can try to recognize not only short-term emotions, but also long-term conditions, such as anxiety disorders, emotional burnout, or cognitive impairment. Of course, there are ethical issues and problems with obtaining data for training systems, but the direction is very promising,” says Dmitry Ryumin.

    Another area of development is voice assistants for smart homes. According to the scientist, bimodal recognition is most relevant in this case, since many people would prefer to maintain the privacy of their living space and would not want to connect cameras. “The analysis will be carried out mainly based on speech, which we can convert into text. This approach allows us to work with two modalities simultaneously. I have several voice assistants installed at home. And I regularly encounter a problem: the system does not always correctly interpret speech commands. Sometimes, in one minute, the assistant can change its “mood” or manner of response several times, which, frankly speaking, is irritating,” the head of the laboratory summarizes.

    The task of researchers who train large language and generative models is to make the decision-making process of a neural network transparent. According to the head of the laboratory, explainable artificial intelligence is a direction that has been actively developing in recent years.

    By receiving a decoding of the model’s “train of thought”, any professional can critically evaluate the result obtained: agree with something, question something. This creates an opportunity for feedback and objectivity in decision-making.

    How to teach a neural network to recognize emotions?

    Modern research into multimodal models requires powerful technology, cross-disciplinary specialists and large amounts of data.

    Computing base. Dmitry Ryumin has been working with neural networks for more than eight years. According to him, the main emphasis used to be on RAM and the processor, but today the central role is played by graphic accelerators (GPU). The power and number of available video cards directly determine the speed of training neural network models, the number of possible experiments and the volume of processed data.

    “Therefore, it is important not only to conduct research, but also to develop the computing base. For example, supercomputer of the Higher School of Economics we see how these resources affect the quality of scientific experiments. It is especially valuable to involve students, starting from the undergraduate level, in working with such systems — to teach them how to interact with high-performance computing clusters, to give them the opportunity to train models of varying complexity. This creates a continuous educational chain: students who have mastered working with advanced equipment can subsequently be involved in research work in laboratories.”

    Working with databases. Teaching large language models to recognize and reproduce emotions is a complex, multi-stage process. And neural networks are now taking part in it. For example, open AIs help automate data collection and annotation: they quickly collect texts with a given emotional coloring. “This radically reduces labor costs compared to traditional manual tagging, when you had to hire people for painstaking work. A general trend is noticeable: many research teams are trying to adapt models to work with emotions. Despite the fact that such attempts are not yet ideal and the models continue to make mistakes, the direction is actively developing,” says Dmitry Ryumin.

    Cross-disciplinary research. Modern research in the field of multimodal models involves interdisciplinarity. Thus, Dmitry Ryumin is now launching a joint project within the framework of the “Fundamental Research Program” with Laboratory of Social and Cognitive Informatics in modeling cognitive and affective processes and human states. “By combining our departments and laboratories, we are creating a strong interdisciplinary platform for the development of affective technologies. Such cooperation is extremely valuable: our fellow sociologists, although not specializing directly in training neural network models, including large language and generative models, bring deep theoretical expertise. Their knowledge becomes a fundamental basis for training our models,” says the head of the Natural Language Laboratory.

    The Natural Language Laboratory welcomes undergraduate and graduate students who are knowledgeable in programming, linguistics, psychology, and sociology.

    Natural Language Laboratory is an interdisciplinary researcher in machine learning and natural language processing, studying fundamental properties of language, computation, and learning that can contribute to a better understanding of language in general.

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

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Government unlocks export growth opportunities for New Zealand dairy businesses

    Source: New Zealand Government

    The Government’s commitment to growing the value of New Zealand’s dairy exports has taken a major step forward with the passing of a key Bill in Parliament, Agriculture Minister Todd McClay announced today.

    “The Dairy Industry Restructuring (Export Licences Allocation) Amendment Bill, which passed its third reading today, modernises New Zealand’s dairy export quota system, creating new opportunities for growth and boosting farmgate returns,” Mr McClay says.

    “New Zealand’s dairy farmers and processors produce world-class products, but outdated rules have restricted export growth. This law unlocks greater access to lucrative overseas markets and ensures the quota system reflects the diversity of our dairy industry.”

    New Zealand currently administers dairy export quotas for the Dominican Republic, the European Union, Japan, the United Kingdom, and the United States.

    “The Bill introduces vital changes to better support businesses of all sizes, and it shifts quota allocation from the proportion of milk solids a company collects from farmers to a system based on export performance,” Mr McClay says.

    “It also reserves portions of quotas for exporters who are currently ineligible — ensuring fairer access across the industry.

    “And importantly, it now includes quota for sheep, goat, and deer milk processors, unlocking new export opportunities and revenue streams.”

    Mr McClay says the Bill directly supports the Government’s ambitious goal of doubling the value of New Zealand’s exports in 10 years.

    The commencement date for the Bill is 1 May 2025.

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI China: MOFA sincerely thanks Belgian Chamber of Representatives for adopting resolution backing Taiwan and highlighting fact that UNGA Resolution 2758 takes no position on Taiwan

    Source: Republic of Taiwan – Ministry of Foreign Affairs

    MOFA sincerely thanks Belgian Chamber of Representatives for adopting resolution backing Taiwan and highlighting fact that UNGA Resolution 2758 takes no position on Taiwan

    • Date：2025-03-21
    • Data Source：Department of European Affairs

    March 21, 2025  

    No. 079  

    The Chamber of Representatives of Belgium adopted a resolution on March 20 expressing concern over the growing threat of China to Taiwan. It passed with an overwhelming majority of 126 votes in favor, none against, and 13 abstentions. The resolution called on the government of Belgium to condemn through diplomatic channels China’s increasingly aggressive stance toward Taiwan and to demand that China alleviate tensions, end all provocations, and respect the status quo across the Taiwan Strait. It further noted that United Nations General Assembly Resolution 2758 did not take a position on Taiwan, and urged the Belgian government to clarify this fact at the United Nations. 

     

    In addition, the resolution advocated for the Belgian government to work with European partners to play an active role in the Taiwan Strait and the Indo-Pacific region, and pursue an economic agreement with Taiwan at the European Union-level to strengthen supply chain resilience. It also called on all levels of government in Belgium to collectively foster economic, scientific, and cultural cooperation with Taiwan; support Taiwan’s participation in the World Health Organization, the International Civil Aviation Organization, the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change, and other international organizations; and continue to enhance civil society and media exchanges with Taiwan to jointly combat disinformation. 

     

    The resolution was introduced by Representative Els Van Hoof, Co-president of the Belgium-Taiwan Parliamentary Friendship Group. The Belgian Chamber of Representatives adopted Taiwan-friendly resolutions in November 2015 and July 2020. This latest resolution was the first to condemn China’s threats against Taiwan and the first to be passed by the current Belgian parliament since it opened last July, which was of special significance to the advancement of Taiwan-Belgium relations. 

     

    Minister of Foreign Affairs Lin Chia-lung thanks the Belgian Chamber of Representatives for its support and emphasizes that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs will build on the existing solid foundation to steadily deepen substantive exchanges and friendly cooperation between Taiwan and Belgium. (E) 

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: 2025 Rohingya Joint Response Plan: UK statement

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    Speech

    2025 Rohingya Joint Response Plan: UK statement

    2025 Rohingya Joint Response Plan: UK statement. Delivered by the UK’s Human Rights Ambassador, Eleanor Sanders.

    The United Kingdom would like to extend our heartfelt thanks to Bangladesh for its generous hospitality in hosting so many Rohingya refugees since 2017.

    We also wish to express our deep appreciation to all the humanitarian partners, their staff and the volunteers on the ground, who have provided vital assistance in this ongoing crisis.

    The UK remains steadfast in our commitment to supporting the Rohingya people while they remain in Bangladesh. Since 2017, we have provided £405 million for the Rohingya and host communities in Bangladesh. We have also contributed £105 million to the response in Rakhine, with £52 million of this supporting Rohingya and other Muslim minorities.

    Through our role as penholder at the Security Council, the UK convened four meetings on Myanmar last year, and one earlier this year, to engage with key stakeholders and ensure continued attention on the crisis.

    In November, our Minister for the Asia Pacific visited Bangladesh, where she reiterated the UK’s unwavering support for Bangladesh and the Rohingya people.

    So we are also pleased to welcome this year’s Joint Response Plan, aimed at assisting both the Rohingya refugees and the vulnerable host community members living in Bangladesh. We continue to see it as important that we target our support to ensure protection of the most vulnerable.

    We recognise the immense challenges that Bangladesh faces in hosting such a large refugee population, including the pressures on security and infrastructure in the camps. The UK is committed to:

    • Continuing our partnership with Bangladesh and our international partners to find sustainable solutions,
    • Working with Bangladesh to offer the Rohingya refugees greater self-reliance,
    • Improving the safety and security of the camps,
    • Coordinating with international partners to achieve the maximum impact with the resources available.

    As this crisis continues to evolve, we will continue to do everything we can to support those in need, while actively working towards a safe, dignified, and sustainable future for the Rohingya people.

    Thank you.

    Updates to this page

    Published 26 March 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI: Stabilization Notice – Pre Stab – Ontex

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    [26/03/2025]

    Not for distribution, directly or indirectly, in or into the United States or any jurisdiction in which such distribution would be unlawful.

    [ONTEX]

    Pre-stabilisation Period Announcement

    BNP Paribas (contact: Stanford Hartman telephone: 0207 595 8222 hereby gives notice, as Stabilisation Coordinator, that the Stabilisation Manager(s) named below may stabilise the offer of the following securities in accordance with Commission Delegated Regulation EU/2016/1052 under the Market Abuse Regulation (EU/596/2014).

    The securities:1  
    Issuer: Ontex
    Guarantor (if any): N/A
    Aggregate nominal amount: TBC
    Description: EUR 5yr
    Offer price: TBC
    Other offer terms: N/A
    Stabilisation:  
    Stabilisation Manager(s) BNP Paribas, Goldman Sachs, HSBC, BBVA, Commerzbank, Credit Agricole, ING
    Stabilisation period expected to start on: 26/03/2025
    Stabilisation period expected to end no later than: 03/05/2025
    Existence, maximum size and conditions of use of over‑allotment facility: The Stabilisation Manager(s) may over‑allot the securities to the extent permitted in accordance with applicable law.
    Stabilisation trading venue: OTC

    In connection with the offer of the above securities, the Stabilisation Manager(s) may over‑allot the securities or effect transactions with a view to supporting the market price of the securities during the stabilisation period at a level higher than that which might otherwise prevail. However, stabilisation may not necessarily occur and any stabilisation action, if begun, may cease at any time. Any stabilisation action or over‑allotment shall be conducted in accordance with all applicable laws and rules.

    This announcement is for information purposes only and does not constitute an invitation or offer to underwrite, subscribe for or otherwise acquire or dispose of any securities of the Issuer in any jurisdiction.

    This announcement and the offer of the securities to which it relates are only addressed to and directed at persons outside the United Kingdom and persons in the United Kingdom who have professional experience in matters related to investments or who are high net worth persons within Article 12(5) of the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 (Financial Promotion) Order 2005 and must not be acted on or relied on by other persons in the United Kingdom.

    In addition, if and to the extent that this announcement is communicated in, or the offer of the securities to which it relates is made in, the UK or any EEA Member State before the publication of a prospectus in relation to the securities which has been approved by the competent authority in the UK or that Member State in accordance with Regulation (EU) 2017/1129 (the “Prospectus  Regulation”) (or which has been approved by a competent authority in another Member State and notified to the competent authority in the UK or that Member State in accordance with the Prospectus Regulation), this announcement and the offer are only addressed to and directed at persons in the UK or that Member State who are qualified investors within the meaning of the Prospectus Regulation (or who are other persons to whom the offer may lawfully be addressed) and must not be acted on or relied on by other persons in the UK or that Member State.

    This announcement is not an offer of securities for sale into the United States. The securities have not been, and will not be, registered under the United States Securities Act of 1933 and may not be offered or sold in the United States absent registration or an exemption from registration. There will be no public offer of securities in the United States. 

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: Bitget Shifts Gears with Porsche Cup Brasil Sponsorship with Driver Flávio Sampaio

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    VICTORIA, Seychelles, March 26, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Bitget, the leading global cryptocurrency exchange, is set to accelerate its presence in the motorsport world as the official sponsor of Driver Flávio Sampaio for the Porsche Cup Brasil 2025. The partnership, which kicks off with the season’s opening race in April 2025, symbolizes the convergence of the on-going financial evolution, and the adrenaline-fueled world of motorsport.

    The collaboration sets Bitget with Porsche’s legacy of precision and speed, creating a partnership that resonates with both crypto enthusiasts and motorsport fans. The sponsorship of driver Flávio Sampaio in the 2025 Porsche Carrera Cup Brazil season is supported by Bitget’s mission of bringing together sports and crypto.

    The championship kicked off on March 22nd and 23rd at the Velocitta in Mogi Guaçu and will continue through November, with the final stage scheduled for the 8th and 9th in Interlagos, São Paulo. With its support for Flávio, Bitget becomes the first crypto exchange to participate in the competition and will have its own car in Latin America’s largest Grand Touring category.

    In the past, Bitget also had a successful partnership with Argentina’s star Lionel Messi from 2022 to 2024 and previously sponsored Juventus’ women’s football team in Italy. Currently, it also supports other major sports projects, such as Turkish athlete Buse Tosun Çavuşoğlu (world wrestling champion), Samet Gümüş (gold medalist in boxing), and İlkin Aydın (national volleyball team athlete).

    Flávio Sampaio, commented on the partnership, saying, “I am very excited about this partnership with Bitget and hope to help spark interest among motorsport fans in the world of cryptocurrencies. The profile of sports fans often has similarities with that of crypto investors. I believe we can create an interesting connection between these two worlds.”

    Flávio Sampaio began his career in karting at the age of 12 and competed in major state and national championships until 2001. In 2007, he was invited to participate in Stock Jr., the feeder category for Stock Car. In 2008, he joined ATW Racing in Stock Light. In 2010, he was invited to compete in the Mini Cooper Challenge category, and in 2014, he moved to the GT3 Challenge.

    This partnership is a Porsche 911 GT3 Cup wrapped in Bitget’s signature black-and-cyan livery, embodying the exchange’s commitment to speed, reliability, and performance. With a roaring 510CV engine, the car serves as a metaphor for Bitget’s high-performance trading engine, designed to deliver unmatched efficiency and results.

    “This partnership isn’t just about speed on the track—it’s about accelerating innovation in the crypto space,” said Gracy Chen, CEO at Bitget. “We find that Flavio’s sportsmanship also dwells on the same principles that drive Bitget: strategy, adaptability, and high-performance execution. Aligning with a motorsport professional for a series known for its precision and competitiveness allows us to engage with an audience that values both technological advancement and calculated risk-taking.”

    The Porsche Cup Brasil is the ideal setting for Bitget to engage with a discerning audience, since it draws Brazil’s top motorsport aficionados and sports-centric enthusiasts. Among the unique experiences attendees will have is access to the Paddock Terrace, where timing screens and real-time race radios provide an immersive perspective of the action. Bitget’s VIP visitors will also be able to meet drivers, tour the pit lane, and take part in Porsche Experience Rides where they will ride shotgun with professional drivers in Bitget-branded helmets.

    Brazil is experiencing a notable surge in cryptocurrency adoption, with over 40 million users, which positions the country as a key market for Bitget’s expansion. By partnering with Driver Flávio Sampaio in the Porsche, Bitget strengthens its local presence and reinforces its global reputation as the top emerging crypto brand. The sponsorship shows Bitget’s ability to connect with diverse audiences, from crypto traders to motorsport enthusiasts, through shared values of innovation and performance.

    As engines roar and markets surge, Bitget, and Porsche Cup Brasil are set to redefine what it means to blend speed with substance. This partnership merges excitement and anticipation, driving the future of finance and motorsport with Bitget set to lead.

    About Bitget

    Established in 2018, Bitget is the world’s leading cryptocurrency exchange and Web3 company. Serving over 100 million users in 150+ countries and regions, the Bitget exchange is committed to helping users trade smarter with its pioneering copy trading feature and other trading solutions while offering real-time access to Bitcoin price, Ethereum price, and other cryptocurrency prices. Formerly known as BitKeep, Bitget Wallet is a world-class multi-chain crypto wallet that offers an array of comprehensive Web3 solutions and features including wallet functionality, token swap, NFT Marketplace, DApp browser, and more.

    Bitget is at the forefront of driving crypto adoption through strategic partnerships, such as its role as the Official Crypto Partner of the World’s Top Football League, LALIGA, in EASTERN, SEA and LATAM markets, as well as a global partner of Turkish National athletes Buse Tosun Çavuşoğlu (Wrestling world champion), Samet Gümüş (Boxing gold medalist) and İlkin Aydın (Volleyball national team), to inspire the global community to embrace the future of cryptocurrency.

    For more information, visit: Website | Twitter | Telegram | LinkedIn | Discord | Bitget Wallet

    For media inquiries, please contact: media@bitget.com

    Risk Warning: Digital asset prices are subject to fluctuation and may experience significant volatility. Investors are advised to only allocate funds they can afford to lose. The value of any investment may be impacted, and there is a possibility that financial objectives may not be met, nor the principal investment recovered. Independent financial advice should always be sought, and personal financial experience and standing carefully considered. Past performance is not a reliable indicator of future results. Bitget accepts no liability for any potential losses incurred. Nothing contained herein should be construed as financial advice. For further information, please refer to our Terms of Use.

    A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/aeb5ea1c-7b55-47c1-879e-64bebd0cae6d

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Investing in Scotland’s natural resources

    Source: Scottish Government

    Funding to help local authorities restore biodiversity.

    Local authorities will directly receive £10 million to support new, or to enhance existing, approaches to restoring biodiversity through the Nature Restoration Fund (NRF).

    More than £55 million has been awarded via the NRF since its launch in 2021 for projects delivering habitat and species restoration, coastal and marine initiatives and control of invasive non-native species.

    Acting Minister for Climate Action, Dr Alasdair Allan said:

    “Biodiversity is the variety of life on Earth, and is essential for sustaining the ecosystems that provide us with food, fuel, health, wealth, and other vital services. We know there is an urgent need to act decisively to address the twin crises of biodiversity loss and climate change together.

    “Just like climate change, the loss of species and degradation of our natural environment is an existential threat to humanity. We have a vision for a future where Scotland’s natural environment is restored and supports thriving communities and wildlife alike.

    “The Nature Restoration Fund is a vital mechanism to support projects across Scotland on land and at sea – that address the twin crises and restore our natural environment and supports a whole-of society approach to achieving these goals.”

    The Edinburgh Process strand of the NRF provides funding direct to Local Authorities to deliver nature restoration projects in their communities, sitting alongside the NRF strand administered by NatureScot. This latest allocation will bring the total allocated to Local Authorities through the Edinburgh Process strand to £32 million, since 2021.

    The NRF aims to help local authorities and their partners protect and restore Scotland’s biodiversity on land and sea.

    The Fund has five strategic themes that will be delivered across all the funding streams:

    • Habitat and species restoration: Management for enhancement and connectivity
    • Freshwater restoration, including restoration of natural flows in rural catchments
    • Coastal and marine initiatives which promote restoration, recovery, enhancement or resilience
    • Control of invasive non-native species (INNS) impacting on nature
    • Urban: Enhancing and connecting nature across, and between, towns and cities

    The Edinburgh Process strand seeks to deliver the five strategic priorities through sub-national delivery. This approach can deliver multiple benefits like supporting health and well-being, green jobs, air and water quality improvements in addition to supporting nature recovery.

    NatureScot Chair Colin Galbraith said:

    “The Nature Restoration Fund is helping environmental groups, communities and local authorities across Scotland take vital action for Scotland’s nature now.

    “It’s crucial that we do everything we can to respond to the twin crises of nature loss and climate change. With this kind of support, we can make a positive and lasting difference that will put our land, seas and wildlife back on the road to recovery. This is not only good for nature, but good for people too as we all benefit from a healthy and thriving natural world.”

    The Scottish Government’s Strategic Framework for biodiversity, including the Scottish Biodiversity Strategy to 2045 and Delivery Plan to 2030, published in November 2024, sets out our ambition and plans to halt the loss of nature by 2030 and make significant progress to restoring nature by 2045.

    Background

    Global biodiversity framework: Edinburgh Process – information – gov.scot

    Scottish Biodiversity Strategy to 2045 – gov.scot

    Biodiversity: delivery plan 2024 to 2030 – gov.scot

    Scottish Government Nature Restoration Fund (NRF) | NatureScot

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Contractor secured to build new facility for adults with learning disabilities

    Source: City of Plymouth

    A new facility for adults with complex needs and learning disabilities in Plymouth is one step closer to becoming a reality, following the appointment of the building contractors.

    CGI showing how the new facility will look

    Devon Contractors has been awarded a £9 million contract to build the facility, following a Council decision signed this week.

    The facility, which will be based on the site of a former Council depot on Outland Road, will offer both a day service and respite care, with seven en-suite bedrooms, seven self-contained flats and accommodation for support staff.

    A wide range of communal spaces will be available to customers, including activity rooms, dining facilities, a quiet room, a TV lounge and a sensory room.

    The facility will also offer a Changing Places toilet which will be open for public use, with equipment such as hoists, curtains, adult-sized changing benches and space for carers to meet the needs of people with disabilities.

    When it opens, the facility will replace the services currently offered at The Vine in Whitleigh and Colwill Lodge in Estover.

    Councillor Mary Aspinall, Cabinet Member for Health and Adult Social Care, said: “This is going to be fantastic for adults with learning disabilities and their families, providing a modern, purpose-built environment where they can receive the help and support they need.  

    “Our priority is to make Plymouth a great place to live for all of our residents and I’m really pleased that we’ve now appointed Devon Contractors and can move forward with building this vitally important facility.”

    The Council has invested a total of £12.8 million into the project. Devon Contractors will start work on site later this year, with the new building due to open during summer 2026.

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Enjoy the great outdoors this spring by becoming a Derby Parks volunteer

    Source: City of Derby

    As spring approaches, do you want to make new friends, get out in the fresh air, learn new skills or get a bit more exercise? You can do all this and more by becoming a Derby Parks Volunteer!

    Working closely with the Council’s Parks team, the volunteers carry out conservation work and improvements to parks and green spaces across the city to ensure they’re preserved for the public to enjoy.

    The group’s chairperson Peter Marshall, from Littleover, has been a member for almost 10 years. He went along to a session after hearing about the group from a friend and never looked back.

    Peter said:

    I had been retired for some time and my wife was volunteering at the Royal Derby. A friend told me he had been volunteering with a group at Sinfin Local Nature Reserve, doing all sorts of conservation and maintenance. I turned up for a session and have been volunteering ever since.

    I was made welcome by the group from the beginning and really enjoy being part of it, you get a sense of belonging. We have several long-term members who have clocked up over 10 years and are still going.

    There are so many benefits – it’s great to be outdoors, learn new skills and get some exercise. There’s a great variety of tasks to get involved with and you can do as much or as little as you can. It’s very satisfying to see what we’ve achieved at the end of the day. We also have plenty of breaks for tea and biscuits!

    A group of volunteers hard at work

    Peter added:

    Our tasks take us to parks and green spaces all around the city. I’ve discovered places that were unknown to me, even one quite close to where I live. Some of the projects I remember fondly are pond lining at Chaddesden Park, building bridges at Allestree Park and step building at Chellaston brick works.

    If it sounds like something you’d like to get involved with, come along and join us to try it for yourself. Anyone turning up on a task day will be joining a group of like-minded individuals from diverse backgrounds, all with a common aim.

    The volunteers have a dedicated task leader to link the group with the Council’s Parks team. Regular meetings take place to keep the group up to date with plans and developments across the parks.

    Councillor Ndukwe Onuoha, Derby City Council Cabinet Member for Streetpride, Public Safety and Leisure, said:

    Derby’s parks are a treasure. Derby Parks Volunteers work closely with the Council’s teams to keep them vibrant and enjoyable spaces for everyone to enjoy. Why not come along and enjoy the great outdoors while making new friends? By lending a hand, you can help our green spaces thrive.

    To start out, new volunteers will need sturdy waterproof footwear and clothing to suit the season – volunteers work in all weathers! Volunteers are provided with all the necessary tools and PPE.

    For more information go to the Derby Parks Volunteers website or check out the group’s Facebook page.

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: From Art to Science. The Best Educational Programs for Children in Moscow

    Translartion. Region: Russians Fedetion –

    Source: Moscow Government – Government of Moscow –

    Modern education goes far beyond school lessons. Museums, cultural centers and scientific sites offer many exciting programs that help children develop creativity, interest in science, history, literature and art. The best educational programs for children in Moscow in a variety of areas are in the mos.ru article.

    Art: developing visual acuity and creative potential

    Museums and art studios actively support interest in fine arts from an early age. In classes in the art studio “Classics” of the Museum of Moscow Children will get acquainted with the history of world art – from cave painting to modern street art. Each lesson includes a theoretical part and a practical master class – a real excursion into art history, understandable to a child.

    The State A.S. Pushkin Museum has prepared regular classes for children aged six to eight years from the series “Artist’s Studio. Cities and Crafts”. Participants will learn about the history of folk toys and Russian crafts, and will learn techniques of traditional painting and sculpting applied art objects. On the course “Fairy tale around us” Children aged five or six will discuss famous fairy tales and, under the guidance of an artist, draw magical animals.

    History: Exploring the Past with Interactive Programs

    Historical programs of Moscow museums provide children with a unique opportunity to immerse themselves in the past and learn more about the culture and life of different eras. The Tsaritsyno Museum-Reserve hosts several interactive classes for budding historians: “Introduction to Tsaritsyn” (6 ), “Catherine II” (3 ), “Once upon a time” (3) Each of them, in a theatrical form, immerses even the youngest guests in the history of the country.

    The Museum of Moscow is open for family fun Exhibition “History of Moscow” with an amazing museum collection: archaeological finds, ancient clothing, weapons, household items, old books and other authentic monuments of the past.

    The Moscow Museum of Archaeology has organized a program for family leisure. Course “Entertaining Archeology” will tell about the history of the development of medieval Moscow. For lovers of practical classes, a “Archaeological Workshop” program. Everyone can feel like a real archaeologist and examine authentic objects from different eras.

    Science: Understanding the world through experimentation and research

    Studying natural sciences and technology is becoming a priority for many schoolchildren. Moscow museums and educational centers pay special attention to developing and maintaining interest through exciting experiments. The Darwin Museum has cycle “Life under the microscope”– children explore the microworld, study DNA, insect jaws and life in a drop of water.

    Nature lovers, such as bird watchers, can attend an interactive ecology class “Riddles of Moscow Birds”The children will learn whether birds can nest on concrete poles, how birds live in the capital, and much more.

    Literature: love of reading and the Russian language

    City libraries offer exciting formats that are sure to spark children’s interest in reading. A renewed club is starting work in Zelenograd Administrative Okrug on the formation of a reading culture “Chitalkin”. On weekends, children aged five to six can pretend to be librarians, writers, literary critics, illustrators and readers at the Children’s Book Playground.

    Immersive readings await children in SAO “Visiting the Book Fairy”. During the lesson, you will be able to depict your impressions and emotions on paper to the sounds of classical music. Children aged seven to 10 years old living in the southwest of the capital are invited to the meeting to the Book Laboratory club. They will hear excerpts from different works, take part in discussions and will be able to take the book home.

    In the library-reading room named after I.S. Turgenev, as part of the All-Russian Children’s Book Week, which runs from March 22 to 30, there will be Master class “Read – sculpt – play”. And in the North-West Administrative District in library #244 Young guests will be able to meet writers, illustrators and publishers, attend master classes on creating book miniatures, images and bookmarks, take part in literary readings “Bedtime Stories” and do much more.

    Anyone over the age of seven has a unique opportunity to practice oratory at the State Museum of A.S. Pushkin. As part of cycle “The Art of Speech” Teacher and theater and film actress Ulyana Chilindina will help improve articulation, eliminate accent, and also master the basics of speech improvisation.

    Music: developing musical ear and taste

    Music is an integral part of development, Moscow concert halls and cultural centers provide children with the opportunity to get acquainted with the classics and the work of modern performers. For example, the Museum of Moscow offers program “World Music” for children aged six to 11. Young listeners will explore the music of different countries and nations, gain experience playing musical instruments and engage in rhythmic tasks together with their parents.

    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.

    Please Note; This Information is Raw Content Directly from the Information Source. It is access to What the Source Is Stating and Does Not Reflect

    https: //vv.mos.ru/nevs/ite/151813073/

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Land Reform Bill must correct vast historic wrong

    Source: Scottish Greens

    26 Mar 2025 Climate

    Land is power.

    More in Climate

    The Scottish Government’s Land Reform Bill must advance efforts to overturn Scotland’s vastly unequal historic land ownership and allow more of our land to be managed in a way that delivers for people and planet, say the Scottish Greens.

    With the Bill set to be debated for the first time at Stage One today, Scottish Green MSP Ariane Burgess has urged the government to work with her and community campaigners to ensure it is as robust as possible.

    Ms Burgess is calling for meaningful powers to break up the big estates and empower communities to buy and transform the land around them. The Highlands and Islands MSP is also seeking changes that will ensure large estates are managed for the public’s benefit, including tackling the climate crisis.

    The Bill, which began as a result of the Bute House Agreement that brought the Greens into government, is meant to ensure large landowners are legally required to produce land management plans, and engage with local communities over how it is used, including on vital issues like restoring nature, and reducing the impacts of climate change.

    With half of Scotland’s land owned by less than 1% of people, our land distribution is some of the most unequal in Europe.

    Ms Burgess said:

    “Land is power, and this Bill has the potential to be a huge step forward for rural communities and in addressing the historic wrongs that continue to block the fairer distribution of Scotland’s land today.

    “Our country should belong to all of us. We need to ensure that landowners are using their land in ways that benefit our communities, our nature and our environment.

    “At its heart, land reform is about challenging power and empowering our communities. From our cities to our countryside and from our hills to our iconic rivers and our beautiful coastlines, huge swathes of Scotland are owned by a very small number of extremely wealthy people.

    “It is over 20 years since Scotland introduced community right to buy laws, but one of the biggest barriers to community ownership is the complex process for communities to register their interest to buy land when it becomes available. This includes small parcels of land that could be used for self-build housing, community orchards or new community enterprises.

    “That’s why it’s vital that this Bill goes much further in delivering robust powers that will allow us to break up big estates that come up for sale and to manage them for the wider public benefit.

    “These kinds of changes will make community ownership a far more viable and affordable option for many communities and give them more of a stake in their future.

    “By diversifying how we use our land we can tackle the impacts of climate change and nature loss and secure a thriving biodiversity and more rural jobs in Scotland.”

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Labour must tax wealthy, not cut vital services

    Source: Scottish Greens

    26 Mar 2025 Finance

    Austerity is a choice.

    More in Finance

    The UK Government’s Spring Statement will be a test of Labour’s morals, says Scottish Greens co-leader Lorna Slater MSP.

    Ms Slater has urged the party to tax the super-rich with wealth taxes to boost our green industries, undo the cruel cuts that have been inflicted and build a fairer society for people and planet.

    According to research from the Tax Justice Network, a 1% annual wealth tax on net assets over £10 million could raise almost £10 billion a year while only impacting the richest 0.4% of the population.

    Polling from Oxfam shows that two-thirds of Scots back increasing taxes for the rich, which would raise far more money than any ‘savings’ made through cuts.

    Ms Slater said:

    “The assault on social security and public services is not inevitable. It is a political choice.

    “Labour is choosing to punch downwards and punish the most vulnerable rather than taxing the super-rich who have seen their incomes soaring while millions of people have been unable to make ends meet

    “This is one of the wealthiest societies there has ever been, but so much of that wealth is being hoarded by a small number of very rich people and corporations.

    “By properly taxing wealth, we can do far more to tackle poverty, improve healthcare, invest in public services and create better, happier and healthier communities.”

    Ms Slater added:

    “Labour promised change, but it was one of the most dishonest election campaigns in history.

    “You can’t undo the catastrophic impact of 14 years of Tory rule with even more cuts.

    “Every Labour MP faces a moral test. Will they back wealth taxes on the super rich, or will they back plans which they know will plunge even more of their constituents into poverty?”

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: TRA widens review of UK’s steel defences

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    News story

    TRA widens review of UK’s steel defences

    The TRA has  expanded the scope of its review of the steel safeguard measure to ensure new concerns raised by the UK steel industry are fully considered.

    The TRA has today (Wednesday 26 March) expanded the scope of its review of the steel safeguard measure to ensure new concerns raised by the UK steel industry are fully considered. 

    UK Steel, the trade association for the UK steel industry, submitted evidence to the TRA earlier this month that there have been changes in circumstance that may warrant a change to the current tariff rate quotas imposed. The TRA has therefore decided to examine this new evidence as part of a review already underway into the developing countries excepted from the safeguard measure. This will mean a solution can be found in a timely and efficient manner. 

    UK Steel’s submission noted that the quotas of certain categories of steel (namely categories 4, 7 and 13) are being dominated and exhausted by individual countries. The TRA has also acquired other data which indicates that there are other categories whose residual quotas have been exhausted early in the quarter (categories 5, 16, 17 and 21).  

    The submission also noted that there has been a decline in global demand for steel, both in the UK and globally, including China, where demand has fallen by 3%. The submission points to a fall in demand in the UK, and notes that demand has contracted by 16% between 2018 and 2023. UK Steel claims that against this backdrop, the current safeguard measure does not offer adequate protection to UK industry.  

    The TRA will therefore consider whether the tariff rate quotas to which certain steel products are subject should be varied. 

    Once the TRA has concluded its review of the tariff rate quota, it will publish an intended recommendation, allow interested parties to comment, before submitting a final recommendation to the Secretary of Business and Trade.  

    As a result of the expanded matters being considered in the review, interested parties can now register their interest or provide updated submissions via the TRA’s public file before 9 April 2025. 

    Notes to editors: 

    • The Trade Remedies Authority is the UK body that investigates whether new trade remedy measures are needed to counter unfair import practices and unforeseen surges of imports.
    • Trade remedy investigations were carried out by the EU Commission on the UK’s behalf until the UK left the EU. A number of EU trade remedy measures of interest to UK producers were transitioned into UK law when the UK left the EU and the TRA has been reviewing these to assess whether they are suitable for UK needs.
    • UK industries concerned about imports have been able to submit applications for a new trade remedy measure since January 2021. These applications are considered by the TRA to see if there are grounds for an investigation.

    Updates to this page

    Published 26 March 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: RSH publishes regulatory judgements for seven landlords

    Source: United Kingdom – Government Statements

    Press release

    RSH publishes regulatory judgements for seven landlords

    The Regulator of Social Housing has today published regulatory judgements for seven housing associations.

    Following programmed inspections, Cross Keys Homes, LiveWest Homes, Midland Heart, and Thirteen Housing Group all received C1/G1/V1 gradings. Places for People Group received C1/G1/V2 gradings.

    As well as its G1/V2 gradings, Together Housing Group received a C2, meaning that there are some weaknesses in its delivery of the outcomes of the consumer standards and improvement is needed, specifically in relation to the outcomes in our Safety and Quality Standard.  

    Together Housing Group needs to demonstrate progress in the delivery of the remainder of its programme of physical inspections to fill remaining gaps in understanding the condition of its homes including on decent homes standard compliance.   

    RSH’s inspection also identified improvement needed in reporting arrangements for landlord health & safety in relation to the level of detail provided on remedial actions.  

    Cross Keys Homes was regraded from a V2 to V1 and RSH was assured that financial plans are consistent with, and support, its financial strategy. It retained its G1 grading. 

    Cross Keys also evidenced that it has an adequately funded business plan, sufficient security in place to support its financial plans, and forecasts that it will continue to meet its financial covenants under a wide range of adverse scenarios. 

    Following a two-year period of intensive engagement, RSH has now given Rochdale Boroughwide Housing a G2 grading for governance and removed a previous regulatory notice.  

    Through this engagement RSH has sought assurance that Rochdale Boroughwide Housing’s new leadership team has strengthened the way the organisation is run, to address the failings which led to Awaab Ishak’s tragic death and improve its service to tenants. 

    A G2 grading means Rochdale Boroughwide Housing meets RSH’s governance requirements overall but needs to make improvements to ensure progress continues. RSH will continue to actively engage with the provider and monitor its ongoing improvement plan.   

    RSH also removed regulatory notices for Babergh District Council and Mid-Suffolk District Council. 

    The other providers – LiveWest Homes, Midland Heart, Places for People Group and Thirteen Housing Group – retained their previous governance and financial viability gradings. 

    Kate Dodsworth, Chief of Regulatory Engagement at RSH, said: 

    “Even landlords which receive the highest gradings still have room for improvement. As we enter the second year of our inspection programme, we are looking for evidence of a proactive approach to meeting the outcomes of our standards. 

    “All landlords should aim for G1. Strong governance is fundamental to delivering more and better homes, improving services to tenants while having robust finances.” 

    Notes to Editors 

    1. On 1 April 2024 RSH introduced new consumer standards for social housing landlords, designed to drive long-term improvements in the sector. It also began a programme of inspections for all large social landlords (those with over 1,000 homes) over a four-year cycle. The changes are a result of the Social Housing Regulation Act 2023 and include stronger powers to hold landlords to account. More information about RSH’s approach is available in its document Reshaping Consumer Regulation. 

    2. More information about RSH’s responsive engagement, programmed inspections and consumer gradings is also available on its website. 

    3. RSH promotes a viable, efficient and well-governed social housing sector able to deliver more and better social homes. It does this by setting standards and carrying out robust regulation focusing on driving improvement in social landlords, including local authorities, and ensuring that housing associations are well-governed, financially viable and offer value for money. It takes appropriate action if the outcomes of the standards are not being delivered.

    4. For general enquiries email enquiries@rsh.gov.uk. For media enquiries please see our Media Enquiries page.

    Updates to this page

    Published 26 March 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: UK House Price Index for January 2025

    Source: United Kingdom – Government Statements

    Press release

    UK House Price Index for January 2025

    The UK HPI shows house price changes for England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.

    The January data shows:

    • on average, house prices have risen by 0.2% since December 2024
    • there has been an annual price rise of 4.9% which makes the average property in the UK valued at £269,000

    England

    In England the January data shows, on average, house prices rose by 0.2% since December 2024. The annual price rise of 4.8% takes the average property value to £291,000.

    The regional data for England indicates that:

    • London experienced the most significant monthly increase with a movement of 2.3%
    • Yorkshire and the Humber saw the greatest monthly price fall, with a fall of -0.6%
    • the North East experienced the greatest annual price rise, up by 9.1%
    • London saw the lowest annual price growth, with a rise of 2.3%

    Price change by region for England

    Region Average price January 2025 Annual change % since January 2024 Monthly change % since December 2024
    East Midlands £241,000 6.2 -0.4
    East of England £339,000 3 -0.2
    London £564,000 2.3 2.3
    North East £161,000 9.1 -0.1
    North West £210,000 6.8 -0.1
    South East £386,000 4.5 0.5
    South West £307,000 2.7 0.1
    West Midlands £245,000 5.3 0
    Yorkshire and the Humber £203,000 5.9 -0.6

    Repossession sales by volume for England

    The lowest numbers of repossession sales in November 2024 were in the East Midlands and East of England.

    The highest number of repossession sales in November 2024 was in London.

    Repossession sales November 2024
    East Midlands 1
    East of England 1
    London 13
    North East 12
    North West 12
    South East 6
    South West 2
    West Midlands 7
    Yorkshire and the Humber 4
    England 61

    Average price by property type for England

    Property type January 2025 January 2024 Difference %
    Detached £473,000 £453,000 4.4
    Semi-detached £286,000 £270,000 5.9
    Terraced £242,000 £228,000 5.8
    Flat/maisonette £225,000 £221,000 2
    All £291,000 £278,000 4.8

    Funding and buyer status for England

    Transaction type Average price January 2025 Annual price change % since January 2024 Monthly price change % since December 2024
    Cash £278,000 4.1 0.2
    Mortgage £297,000 5.1 0.2
    First-time buyer £245,000 5.3 0.1
    Former owner occupier £354,000 4.2 0.4

    Building status for England

    Building status* Average price November 2024 Annual price change % since November 2023 Monthly price change % since October 2024
    New build £438,000 22.7 9.5
    Existing resold property £284,000 2.3 -0.7

    *Figures for the 2 most recent months are not being published because there are not enough new build transactions to give a meaningful result.

    London

    London shows, on average, house prices decreased by 2.3% since December 2024. House prices have shown an annual price increase of 2.3%, meaning the average price of a property is £564,000.

    Average price by property type for London

    Property type January 2025 January 2024 Difference %
    Detached £1,147,000 £1,115,000 2.9
    Semi-detached £714,000 £684,000 4.4
    Terraced £638,000 £613,000 4
    Flat/maisonette £449,000 £446,000 0.7
    All £564,000 £551,000 2.3

    Funding and buyer status for London

    Transaction type Average price January 2025 Annual price change % since January 2024 Monthly price change % since December 2024
    Cash £602,000 0.3 3.3
    Mortgage £556,000 2.9 2
    First-time buyer £484,000 2.4 1.9
    Former owner occupier £699,000 2.2 2.8

    Building status for London

    Building status* Average price November 2024 Annual price change % since November 2023 Monthly price change % since October 2024
    New build £590,000 18.7 8.6
    Existing resold property £550,000 0 -1.7

    *Figures for the 2 most recent months are not being published because there are not enough new build transactions to give a meaningful result.

    Wales

    Wales shows, on average, house prices rose by 0.9% since December 2024. An annual price increase of 6% takes the average property value to £210,000

    There were 4 repossession sales for Wales in October 2024.

    Average price by property type for Wales

    Property type January 2025 January 2024 Difference %
    Detached £331,000 £314,000 5.2
    Semi-detached £208,000 £195,000 6.5
    Terraced £166,000 £156,000 6.2
    Flat/maisonette £131,000 £125,000 5.1
    All £210,000 £198,000 6

    Funding and buyer status for Wales

    Transaction type Average price January 2025 Annual price change % since January 2024 Monthly price change % since December 2024
    Cash £210,000 5.6 1.5
    Mortgage £209,000 6.1 0.5
    First-time buyer £180,000 6.4 0.6
    Former owner occupier £251,000 5.5 1.1

    Building status for Wales

    Building status* Average price November 2024 Annual price change % since November 2023 Monthly price change % since October 2024
    New build £375,000 23.3 9.4
    Existing resold property £206,000 3 0.6

    *Figures for the 2 most recent months are not being published because there are not enough new build transactions to give a meaningful result.

    UK house prices

    UK house prices rose by 4.9% in the year to January 2025, up from the revised estimate of 4.6% in the 12 months to December 2024. On a non-seasonally adjusted basis, average house prices in the UK increased by 0.2% between December 2024 and January 2025, compared with a decrease of 0.1% from the same period 12 months ago (December 2023 and January 2024).

    The UK Property Transactions Statistics showed that in January 2025, on a seasonally adjusted basis, the estimated number of transactions of residential properties with a value of £40,000 or greater was 95,000. This is 14.4% higher than a year ago (January 2024). Between December 2024 and January 2025, UK transactions decreased by 1% on a seasonally adjusted basis.

    House price monthly increase was highest in London where prices increased by 2.3% in the year to January 2025. The highest annual growth was in the the North East, where prices increased by 9.1% in the year to January 2025.

    See the economic statement.

    The UK HPI is based on completed housing transactions. Typically, a house purchase can take 6 to 8 weeks to reach completion. As with other indicators in the housing market, which typically fluctuate from month to month, it is important not to put too much weight on one month’s set of house price data.

    Access the full UK HPI

    Background

    1. We publish the UK House Price Index (HPI) on the second or third Wednesday of each month with Northern Ireland figures updated quarterly. We will publish the February 2025 UK HPI at 9:30am on Wednesday 16 April 2025. See calendar of release dates.
    2. We have made some changes to improve the accuracy of the UK HPI. We are not publishing average price and percentage change for new builds and existing resold property as done previously because there are not currently enough new build transactions to provide a reliable result. This means that in this month’s UK HPI reports, new builds and existing resold property are reported in line with the sales volumes currently available.
    3. The UK HPI revision period has been extended to 13 months, following a review of the revision policy (see calculating the UK HPI section 4.4). This ensures the data used is more comprehensive.
    4. Sales volume data is available by property status (new build and existing property) and funding status (cash and mortgage) in our downloadable data tables. Transactions that require us to create a new register, such as new builds, are more complex and require more time to process. Read revisions to the UK HPI data.
    5. Revision tables are available for England and Wales within the downloadable data in CSV format. See about the UK HPI for more information.
    6. HM Land Registry, Registers of Scotland, Land & Property Services/Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency and the Valuation Office Agency supply data for the UK HPI.
    7. The Office for National Statistics (ONS) and Land & Property Services/Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency calculate the UK HPI. It applies a hedonic regression model that uses the various sources of data on property price, including HM Land Registry’s Price Paid Dataset, and attributes to produce estimates of the change in house prices each month. Find out more about the methodology used from the ONS and Northern Ireland Statistics & Research Agency.
    8. We take the UK Property Transaction statistics  from the HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) monthly estimates of the number of residential and non-residential property transactions in the UK and its constituent countries. The number of property transactions in the UK is highly seasonal, with more activity in the summer months and less in the winter. This regular annual pattern can sometimes mask the underlying movements and trends in the data series. HMRC presents the UK aggregate transaction figures on a seasonally adjusted basis. We make adjustments for both the time of year and the construction of the calendar, including corrections for the position of Easter and the number of trading days in a particular month.
    9. UK HPI seasonally adjusted series are calculated at regional and national levels only. See data tables.
    10. The first estimate for new build average price (April 2016 report) was based on a small sample which can cause volatility. A three-month moving average has been applied to the latest estimate to remove some of this volatility.
    11. The UK HPI reflects the final transaction price for sales of residential property. Using the geometric mean, it covers purchases at market value for owner-occupation and buy-to-let, excluding those purchases not at market value (such as re-mortgages), where the ‘price’ represents a valuation.
    12. HM Land Registry provides information on residential property transactions for England and Wales, collected as part of the official registration process for properties that are sold for full market value.
    13. The HM Land Registry dataset contains the sale price of the property, the date when the sale was completed, full address details, the type of property (detached, semi-detached, terraced or flat), if it is a newly built property or an established residential building and a variable to indicate if the property has been purchased as a financed transaction (using a mortgage) or as a non-financed transaction (cash purchase).
    14. Repossession sales data is based on the number of transactions lodged with HM Land Registry by lenders exercising their power of sale.
    15. For England, we show repossession sales volume recorded by government office region. For Wales, we provide repossession sales volume for the number of repossession sales.
    16. Repossession sales data is available from April 2016 in CSV format. Find out more information about repossession sales.
    17. We publish CSV files of the raw and cleansed aggregated data every month for England, Scotland and Wales. We publish Northern Ireland data on a quarterly basis. They are available for free use and re-use under the Open Government Licence.
    18. HM Land Registry is a government department created in 1862. Its vision is: “A world-leading property market as part of a thriving economy and a sustainable future.”
    19. HM Land Registry’s purpose is: “We protect your land ownership and provide services and data that underpin an efficient and informed property market.”
    20. HM Land Registry safeguards land and property ownership valued at £8 trillion, enabling over £1 trillion worth of personal and commercial lending to be secured against property across England and Wales. The Land Register contains more than 26.5 million titles showing evidence of ownership for more than 89% of the land mass of England and Wales.
    21. For further information about HM Land Registry visit www.gov.uk/land-registry.
    22. Follow us on @HMLandRegistry, our blog, LinkedIn and Facebook.

    Contact

    Press Office

    Trafalgar House
    1 Bedford Park
    Croydon
    CR0 2AQ

    Email HMLRPressOffice@landregistry.gov.uk

    Phone (Monday to Friday 8:30am to 5:30pm) 0300 006 3365

    Mobile (5:30pm to 8:30am weekdays, all weekend and public holidays) 07864 689 344

    Updates to this page

    Published 26 March 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Independent research shows high parent support for Ofsted’s report card proposals

    Source: United Kingdom – Government Statements

    Press release

    Independent research shows high parent support for Ofsted’s report card proposals

    YouGov surveyed parents on new inspection report cards and found a majority support Ofsted’s proposals. In a speech to Parentkind, Sir Martyn Oliver said the new approach will drive ever higher standards for children.

    • Two thirds (67%) of parents surveyed by YouGov said they prefer Ofsted’s proposed new report cards to current inspection reports
    • 86% of parents said it is easy to understand the information on the report cards and 84% found the use of colour coding useful
    • Two thirds of parents (66%) said they support Ofsted continuing to grade schools on a scale

    In tandem with the current consultation on improving education inspection, Ofsted recently commissioned YouGov to independently survey parents’ views of the proposals for report cards. In a speech to Parentkind today (26 March 2025), Ofsted’s Chief Inspector, Sir Martyn Oliver, will describe the headline results.

    The online poll of 1,090 parents found that 79% of those surveyed said they already trust what Ofsted says about a school in inspection reports, and 66% support Ofsted continuing to grade schools on a scale (10% said they were opposed).

    On the proposals currently out for consultation, 78% of parents surveyed agreed the information in report cards would be useful to them, and the same proportion said the new cards would make it easy to compare schools. Meanwhile, 86% said report cards were easy to understand and 84% found the use of colour coding helpful. Overall, two thirds of participants (67%) said they prefer the new report cards over current inspection reports, while just 15% said they preferred the current reports.

    When asked which of the 11 proposed evaluation areas for schools they considered to be the most useful, approximately half of parents ranked behaviour and attitudes highest (51%), followed closely by personal development and well-being (48%), then safeguarding (41%) and achievement (35%).

    In his speech to Parentkind today, Ofsted’s Chief Inspector, Sir Martyn Oliver, is expected to say:

    The changes we’re proposing will do things differently. We will report on a much wider range of areas. Things that matter to parents. Things like behaviour, achievement, attendance, teaching and the curriculum, leadership and governance, and inclusion – really looking in detail at how schools make sure their pupils all have a sense of belonging, especially those who are disadvantaged, vulnerable, or have special educational needs. For each area, parents will be able to see a clear grade, and a description of what we found when we inspected the school. 

    Report cards will help give a more balanced picture of schools. Because the best schools aren’t perfect and have areas where they could do better, and the schools which might be seen as ‘weaker’ will have aspects of their work that they do really well. In that way a school’s report card will be much closer to a child’s school report. Going back to my art teacher days, the one-word grade paints a monochrome picture of a school, we want to paint it in colour.

    Sir Martyn will conclude:

    Above all, we hope this approach will drive ever higher standards for children. It will give schools an independent and expert assessment of what they’re doing well and where they could improve. It will validate, assure, and celebrate their hard work, and shine a light on how they can do even better. 

    And it will help parents meaningfully engage with the school on the issues that need attention. Sometimes, it may validate your concerns, other times it may reassure you that an individual experience is not the norm.

    Of course, what I’ve set out today are our proposals, they are not set in stone. I’m sure there are things that could be better. Things we could refine. But we are encouraged that parents seem to support the broad approach that we have set out.

    The full results of the YouGov research will be published alongside Ofsted’s response to the consultation in early summer.

    Press office

    8.30am to 6pm Monday to Friday 0300 013 0415

    Notes to editors

    1. Parentkind is one of the UK’s largest federated charities. It has supported parents and schools to build strong and supportive school communities for almost 70 years and has a network of more than 23,500 schools, parent teacher associations (PTAs) and parent councils.

    2. The total sample size for the survey was 1,090 parents. Fieldwork was undertaken between 5 to 11 March 2025. The survey was carried out online. The figures have been weighted by age, marital status, social grade, gender and region. It’s representative of all parents in England (aged 18+ and excluding parents in education).

    Updates to this page

    Published 26 March 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Students of the Faculty of Economics and Management learned about ways to digitize military events and their heroes

    Translartion. Region: Russians Fedetion –

    Source: Saint Petersburg State University of Architecture and Civil Engineering – Saint Petersburg State University of Architecture and Civil Engineering –

    Dmitry Kutovoy with a portrait of a SVO participant in 3D

    As part of patriotic education for students of the Faculty of Economics and Management, a seminar “Heroes” was held, during which students listened to a lecture by Dmitry Kutovoy, a specialist in working with youth in the section “Theory and Practice of Search Work” of the teenage and youth club “Unconquered Frontier” of the Krasnoselsky District of St. Petersburg. He is the founder of the Civic-Patriotic Center “Victory”, the commander of the youth search squad “Ligovsky”, a deputy of the seventh convocation of the Uritsk municipal district, the winner of the grant project for the preservation of the historical heritage of Russia “That which is impossible to forget” and the project “Through the Ages”, a competition for the provision of a subsidy from the Committee on Youth Policy, the winner and prize-winner of the regional stage of the Professional Skills Competition. He was awarded the badge of distinction “For contribution to the perpetuation of the memory of those who died defending the Fatherland.”

    “Our club has been involved in the patriotic direction, including educational activities in educational institutions and search work, for ten years now. Over these years, we have seen that many methods of perpetuating memory have become outdated, so we decided to diversify them in order to keep up with the times and achieve greater understanding and interest among the younger generation. To this end, the club members have developed digital projects that have been well received by young people,” said Dmitry Kutovoy.

    “About the War” is one of such projects. Its essence lies in the preparation and digitalization of information about exhibits transferred by search engines to patriotic museums of educational institutions. Thus, museums receive labels with a QR code, by clicking on which you can read informative articles about the exhibits.

    Another project is “What is Impossible to Forget”. It is about perpetuating memorials, which are now presented in the digital environment. The lecturer recalled that in 1941, the German army planned to capture Leningrad through the Krasnoselsky District, and the district was on the front line of the city’s defense until the blockade was lifted. Fierce battles took place here. This explains the large number of memorials in these places. However, today many representatives of the younger generation do not know who they are for. This project helps to educate them in this direction.

    “Each memorial is presented in a 3D model and has its own authentic tragic story. For example, in Polezhaevsky Park there is a mass grave known as the grave with children. Three unknown soldiers and two children are buried there – residents of the village of Klinovo, who died on September 18, 1941, during the battle for this village. These are 16-year-old Kolya Tikhomirov and 14-year-old Sonya Lyashkevich. They ran out to meet our soldiers and immediately came under fire: the Red Army soldiers and Kolya died on the spot, his brother Tolya was seriously wounded and was treated in the hospital until 1944. Sonya died in the evening of the same day from her wounds. This project is a clear example of perpetuating the memory of events and people,” Dmitry Kutovoy emphasized.

    The “Through the Ages” project was initially dedicated to presenting military uniforms from different eras in 3D models. The authors of the project put them on, they were scanned and brought into the digital environment. Now the project has been expanded with SVO fighters: club members travel to new regions and scan them. This is how a digital 3D model of a person of real size is obtained. The model can be reduced and printed, including on a 3D printer. The soldier statues presented by the lecturer are printed digital copies of real people.

    Another project is called “No Statute of Limitations”. It is being implemented in cooperation with the Investigative Committee. Its goal is to identify new facts of the genocide of the Soviet people during the war, in particular, the shooting of civilians in Pavlovsk in 1942. Due to technical reasons, their remains have not yet been found, but the remains of nine Red Army defenders of the city have been raised. One of them has a living daughter, she is 100 years old. For further study, the remains are scanned to clarify the causes of death, the places where the bullets hit. Based on this knowledge, it is possible to partially recreate their appearance.

    “All projects are a good method of studying historical facts with explanations. Sponsors, deputies, grants and state subsidies help us create them. This once again emphasizes the understanding of the importance of our work at all levels,” the lecturer concluded.

    First-year student Daniil Li believes that the lecture was interesting and informative. “We were shown new ways of perpetuating the memory of those killed during the Great Patriotic War and history in general using new technologies and digital solutions. I learned how and why historical information, memorials, and soldiers’ uniforms are digitized: using a barcode, you can find comprehensive information on a topic of interest at any time. This is important for all generations of our country,” he noted.

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    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: The Tretyakov Gallery site at VDNKh will join the educational campaign “Total Dictation” for the first time

    Translartion. Region: Russians Fedetion –

    Source: Moscow Government – Government of Moscow –

    For the first time, the Tretyakov Gallery site in Pavilion No. 1 “Central” at VDNKh will join the annual educational event “Total Dictation”.

    The country’s main exhibition has been providing venues for this event for several years now. Traditionally, the dictation can also be written in the Worker and Kolkhoz Woman pavilion and the Cosmonautics and Aviation center. Participants must register, and to enter the sites you must present a passport or other identification document.

    This year, the author of the text, consisting of four parts, is writer and screenwriter Marina Moskvina. It will be dictated in different time zones on April 5 at city venues and as part of an online marathon. The broadcast will take place from the federal territory of Sirius, which was chosen as the capital of the Total Dictation campaign in 2025.

    At VDNKh, the dictation will be conducted at 2:00 pm by playwright, writer, and presenter Valery Pecheikin, science popularizer, journalist Grigory Tarasevich, and a representative of one of the Moscow theater workshops.

    50 people will take part in the event at the site in Pavilion No. 1 “Central”, 250 people at the “Worker and Kolkhoz Woman” pavilion, and 350 people at the “Cosmonautics and Aviation” center.

    Total Dictation is an annual educational event for everyone, the purpose of which is to test knowledge of the Russian language and show the importance of literate speech for each person. A unique text is created every year by famous writers. Anyone can participate in the event. The first event “Total Dictation” took place on March 11, 2004.

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    https: //vv.mos.ru/nevs/ite/151809073/

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: EBA identifies payment fraud, indebtedness and unwarranted de-risking as key issues affecting consumers in the EU

    Source: European Banking Authority

    The European Banking Authority (EBA) published today the 9th edition of its biennial Consumer Trends Report for 2024/25. The Report has identified payment fraud, indebtedness, and unwarranted de-risking as the most important issues affecting EU consumers. The Report is based on information provided by the national authorities of the 27 EU Member States, selected national and EU consumer associations, EU industry associations, national ombudsmen, as well as quantitative data from a variety of sources, including for the first time the EBA’s new Retail Risk Indicators, which the EBA publishes separately since 2022 with a view to identify potential consumer harm.

    The Report concludes that payment fraud is still the most significant issue for EU consumers. This also reflects the emergence of new types of fraud, such as social engineering techniques. In this type of scams, payers are manipulated into making a payment to the fraudsters, who have adapted their techniques to elude the application of the strong customer authentication requirements imposed by EU law.

    Indebtedness emerges as the second most relevant issue, with a significant rise of what is commonly referred to as ‘Buy-Now-Pay-Later’ credit and other types of small, fast, accessible and short-term credit. Inadequate creditworthiness assessment practices of lenders and poor disclosure of pre-contractual information are found to be key drivers to indebtedness.

    Unwarranted de-risking is the third most relevant issue, with more consumers facing increased difficulties in opening and retaining payment accounts, access to which is a prerequisite for residents in the EU to be able to participate in the EU economy. This issue materialises in the form of refused onboarding of new and the offboarding of existing consumers and seems to be affecting mostly specific categories of vulnerable consumers, i.e., migrants, refugees, the homeless, cross-border workers, and individuals with poor financial histories.

    Following these findings, the EBA will consider which actions to take in 2025/26 to address the topical issues identified in 2024/25 and with the aim of further enhancing consumer protection across the EU.

    Legal basis and background

    The Consumer Trends Report 2024/25 has been developed in fulfilment of the EBA’s mandate set out in Article 9(1) of its founding Regulation, which requires the Authority to take a leading role in promoting transparency, simplicity and fairness in the market for consumer financial products or services across the internal market, including by collecting, analysing and reporting on consumer trends.

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Problems to solve and crafts to create this Easter at The D-Day Story

    Source: City of Portsmouth

    This Easter, there’s a wide range of exciting activities for families to take part in down at The D-Day Story on Southsea seafront.

    Do you know your LCT from your BARV or your LCVP from your DUKW?  Find out this Easter – from hands-on experiments, to creative crafts, the museum’s family holiday activity programme is inspired by Landing Craft Tank (LCT) 7074, which is based outside the museum on Clarence Esplanade.

    Operation: Spies and Lies returns to the museum this Easter. Do you have what it takes to complete the challenges to find the mystery object? The challenge will take you around the museum, learning more about the objects and people involved in D-Day. Complete all the puzzles to claim your sticker and get an exclusive free D-Day backpack to take home.

    Plus you can also take part in our family trail Resist!, which is inspired by the French Resistance and their role during D-Day. Work together as a team to find and solve clues and puzzles on board LCT 7074 and throughout the museum. The trail is perfect for family groups and is  available every day, just ask at the front desk.

    Councillor Steve Pitt, Leader of Portsmouth City Council, said: “We are really pleased to be able to offer such a wealth of educational activities during the holidays at The D-Day Story. It’s the perfect opportunity to get the family together for some Easter fun.”

    Events will be running throughout the Easter break with all activities included in the admission price. No need to book, but sessions can be very popular, so visitors are advised to arrive early.

    Find out more about specific event days via our website: Events – The D-Day Story, Portsmouth

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: The capital will host the Red Square Basketball Cup

    Translartion. Region: Russians Fedetion –

    Source: Moscow Government – Government of Moscow –

    On March 29 and 30, the Gostiny Dvor will host the 3×3 basketball festival “Red Square Cup”. Over the course of two days, 3,000 participants from more than 700 teams will compete here.

    The geography of the cup includes at least 50 cities of Russia: athletes will come from Kaliningrad, Yekaterinburg, Norilsk, Khabarovsk and other parts of the country. The sports program of the event covers different age groups and is intended for participants from seven years and older.

    The competition will be watched by 10 thousand spectators. One of the leading tournaments of the festival will be the Red Square Cup of the same name, in which the strongest teams of Russia will take part. Among them are players of the Russian national 3×3 basketball team, silver medalists of the 2020 Olympic Games Alexander Zuev and Stanislav Sharov, as well as five-time champions of Russia Yuri Bespalov and Vladislav Meleshkin. In addition, over the weekend, Gostiny Dvor will host a mass 3×3 basketball tournament (age categories from 14 years and up) and a children’s 3×3 basketball cup (from seven to 14 years old).

    The festival will also feature another competition — a slam dunk contest. The most famous athletes always fill the stands with spectacular slam dunks. The event will also feature an original slam dunk contest called “Streetball Russia” and other entertainment.

    A large-scale entertainment program has been prepared for participants and guests. The events will be divided into thematic zones, such as an art space, a basketball post office, a territory of slot machines, a photo zone and a photo booth with instant printing.

    Entry to the festival is free.

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    https: //vv.mos.ru/nevs/ite/151788073/

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: The “Show Moscow!” competition will help you get points in the “City of Tasks” project

    Translartion. Region: Russians Fedetion –

    Source: Moscow Government – Government of Moscow –

    Participants of the online tourist route competition “Show Moscow!” can receive city points in the project “City of Tasks”To do this, you need to send your own route around the capital via the online application form on the portal “Russpass. Business”, take a screenshot and attach it to the progress report on the project website or application “City of Tasks”.

    For this, the participant will receive 790 points of the city loyalty program “Million Prizes”, which can be used to receive discounts in stores and cafes, top up the transport card “Troika” or donated to charity. It is important that both the application and the profile on the “City of Tasks” website contain the same contact information: phone number and email address.

    Applications for the “Show Moscow!” contest will be accepted until May 13. Anyone who loves the capital can participate, there are no restrictions on age or profession. The goal of the project is to create new tourist routes for the city, as well as to increase the interest of residents and professional guides in the development of regional tourism.

    Participants are offered a choice of five walking themes: history and culture, transport, sports, ecology, architecture. An expert jury will select the five most creative routes. And in each of the 12 administrative districts of the capital, one winner will be determined based on the results of online voting in the project. “Active Citizen”.

    The results will be announced on July 31, 2025. The best routes will be published in the Russpass-magazine with the authorship indicated. The winners will receive diplomas and memorable gifts from the organizers and partners of the competition.

    The online competition “Show Moscow” is in line with the initiatives of the national project “Tourism and Hospitality” and is being implemented with the aim of popularizing professions in this area and replenishing the capital’s tourism portfolio with new, non-standard and accessible routes for travelers.

    There are about three thousand tour guides working in Moscow, and about 500 excursions are held daily. Moscow City Tourism Committee comprehensively supports the excursion community. In the capital, tour guides and guide-interpreters are certified in a convenient online format, and they are also invited to excursions to unique city sites that are closed to the general public. It is the guides who form the first impressions of the capital for tourists. The “Show Moscow!” competition is held to popularize the profession.

    Project “City of Tasks” has been operating since January 2022. With its help, Muscovites can monitor the work of city services, participate in environmental, cultural, sports and other activities. At present, participants have already completed more than 2.7 million tasks. The project is being developed by the State Institution “New Management Technologies” and the Moscow Department of Information Technology.

    Applications are now being accepted for participation in the online tourist route competition “Show Moscow!”

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    https: //vv.mos.ru/nevs/ite/151803073/

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Contemporary art exhibition “Art Russia” opens in the metro

    Translartion. Region: Russians Fedetion –

    Source: Moscow Government – Government of Moscow –

    The capital’s metro has prepared a new exhibition for passengers together with the contemporary art fair “Art Russia”. This was reported by the Deputy Mayor of Moscow for Transport and Industry Maxim Liksutov.

    You can see the exhibition in the passage between the Big Circle and Sokolnicheskaya metro lines at the Prospekt Vernadskogo station and in the lobby of the escalator gallery at the Vorobyovy Gory station.

    “We are developing the Moscow Metro as a cultural venue on behalf of Sergei Sobyanin. Exhibitions, concerts and other events are regularly held here, and participants in the projects

    “Music in the subway” And “Art in the Metro” share their creativity with passengers. This time, everyone will be able to visit the “Art Russia” exhibition, which presents photographs of paintings by contemporary artists from all over the country,” noted Maxim Liksutov.

    Among the works are “Game in the Night” by Vlad Loktev, “Time for Fun” by Elena Romanovskaya, “Daytime Promenade” by Vyacheslav Krivtsov, “In the Eyes of the Beholder” by Dasha Pustovoit, “Silence” by Margarita Ivanova, “Full Moon” by Irina Zaitseva. In addition, passengers will see photographs of paintings by other authors, such as Anatoly Akuye, Oleg Mikhailov, Elizaveta Vasilenko, Tatyana Kirikova. The exhibition can be visited until April 7 inclusive.

    Reproductions of paintings selected for the Art Russia contemporary art fair are being exhibited at the Moscow Metro sites for the fourth time. Art Russia is the largest Russian contemporary art fair and international art forum, which appeared in 2020. The events annually bring together gallery owners and independent artists, collectors and art market experts at one site in the center of Moscow. Over the past six years, 134 galleries and 741 artists have been represented at the fair, and more than 150 thousand people have visited it during this time.

    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.

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    https: //vv.mos.ru/nevs/ite/151772073/

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: An autonomous Europe in times of geopolitical tension: the role of the financial system | Guest contribution in the Handelsblatt

    Source: Deutsche Bundesbank in English

    The world has been turned on its head and Germany’s economy is stagnating. But in times of geopolitical tensions, a strong German economy is critically important for an autonomous Europe. Public investment will rise sharply now that the special funds have been adopted. While this will unleash positive growth effects, it won’t be enough to significantly expand the economy over a medium to long-term horizon. The German economy itself needs to get match fit to compete internationally – by becoming more agile, more digitalised and more innovative. To achieve this, it is also going to require a great deal more private investment, and that means mobilising vast swathes of private capital. A strong European financial ecosystem is critically important for an autonomous Europe that can be relied on in turbulent geopolitical times.
    In this context, “autonomous” means a European real economy capable of obtaining funding via the European financial ecosystem and reducing its dependencies on non-European sources of capital. Bearing this in mind, a strong financial centre in Germany and Europe is crucially important, as is a more robust capital market culture.
    Germany’s potential growth – a measure of the country’s trend rate of growth – is languishing at a multi-year low. Compared with an average of 1.4% of gross domestic product (GDP) between 2011 and 2019, it is a mere 0.4% today.
    At the same time, Germany is Europe’s number one location for patent applications, and also ranks among the leading countries worldwide on this score – fifth, to be precise. However, much of Germany’s innovation is playing out in sectors characterised by lower growth potential, one of which is the automotive sector.
    What is more, China has emerged as more than just a strong rival in these middle technology sectors, as they are known. Overcapacities in the Chinese economy, including in the car industry, are also rippling out to the European market, exacerbating the competition and price wars further still.
    Why the United States is a high tech leader
    When it comes to high tech sectors boasting strong potential growth, there’s no getting around the United States. Much of this success is down to the fact that capital (including venture capital, which is all important for funding innovation) is far easier to mobilise in US markets. While 0.8% of GDP gets invested in venture capital in the United States, it is only 0.19% in Germany. Incentives would make sense here. In Italy, pension funds benefit from tax relief if they invest 5% or 10% in venture capital funds. Generally speaking, it is important to make it easier for firms to access financing via capital markets. Fingers crossed, then, that measures like the ones envisaged in Germany under the second Future Financing Act (Zukunftsfinanzierungsgesetz II) will be taken up again. These include, for example, making it easier for firms to go public and improving the general tax rules for investment in growth and innovation capital. 
    There are a great many growth markets offering a wealth of opportunities for German firms, like cleantech, pharmaceuticals, bioscience or artificial intelligence. In this respect, it is very welcome to see businesses, associations and government team up as part of the WIN Initiative (Growth and Innovation Capital for Germany) to channel up to €12 billion into the venture capital ecosystem. 
    Sweden: four times more IPOs than Germany
    But what Germany needs besides more venture capital activity is funded pensions. Sweden is a great example of how important this can be for capital markets. That Nordic country, with a population of roughly ten million, has seen 474 IPOs in total since 2015. Germany, with its much larger population, has had just 115. Sweden ranks first in the EU in the number of SME IPOs.
    This striking capital market culture is due, in part, to the country’s funded pension scheme, introduced back in the 1990s. Since its launch, Sweden’s AP7 pension fund has generated an average return of more than 10%. The Netherlands also has an adequate pension system, which is mainly built around capital-funded occupational pensions.
    There are many more countries I could mention that have taken similarly successful measures. A common feature is that two effects come about. First, as society ages, these models take the pressure off government budgets.
    Second, a country’s economy benefits from the capital market activities of its own population, which smooths the domestic funding of innovation and growth.
    German households were holding €9 trillion in capital at the end of last September – that’s a huge amount of potential investment. At present, though, only 17% of the population aged 14 and over hold shares, equity funds or ETFs.
    A strong capital market would benefit the domestic economy, the general public and government alike. It would enable the economy to be funded by the region, for the region, and add substantially to Europe’s autonomy. The general public would get better provision for their old age, one that is furthermore placed on a broader footing. Also, the pressure on government budgets would be reduced, which will be significant in view of the rising expenditure burden.
    In times of distinct geopolitical uncertainty, it is important for Germany and Europe to be autonomous. The capital market has a key role to play in this regard.

    MIL OSI

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI: Temenos continues to top ESG ratings from Dow Jones, S&P Global, Sustainalytics and CDP

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    GRAND-LANCY, Switzerland, March 26, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Temenos (SIX: TEMN), a global leader in mission-critical solutions for financial institutions, today announced that it has been recognized once again as a global sustainability leader by the top ESG ratings agencies.

    Temenos achieved the top score in the Software industry for the third year running in the 2024 Dow Jones Best-in-Class Indices (DJBICI) and was once again the only software company to be awarded a top 1% distinction in the S&P Global Sustainability Yearbook. Temenos was also classified as low risk in the Sustainalytics ESG Risk Rating Report and rated A- for climate by the Carbon Disclosure Project (CDP).

    These strong results from a range of respected organizations reflect Temenos’ ongoing commitment to sustainability, ESG disclosure and transparency, as well as the environmental benefits of its efficient software.

    Jean-Pierre Brulard, CEO, Temenos, commented: “We’re proud to be recognized once again for our leadership in sustainability with some of the highest ratings in the industry from a host of well-respected organizations, including Dow Jones and S&P Global. Our clients choose to work with us because we understand how crucial ESG is. Through our market-leading core banking suite, our best-in-class modular solutions and enhanced point solutions, Temenos is modernizing the banking industry, giving banks the power to operate reliably and sustainably.”

    By migrating banking operations to Temenos on the cloud or as SaaS, banks can significantly reduce their environmental impact. This is further enabled by Temenos’ end-to-end Enterprise Services, launched in 2024, which help banks to quickly deploy software solutions and take advantage of a leaner, agile and more efficient banking system.

    In May 2024, Temenos set a sustainability benchmark for cloud-native core banking with Microsoft. This showed the advances in Temenos’ leaner and more sustainable architecture to handle the variable demands of digital transactions while supporting banks to meet their sustainability goals. From a 2021 baseline and validated by GoCodeGreen, Temenos has reduced the carbon impact of its software by over 50%.

    Temenos is also helping clients measure, improve and report on the carbon footprint of their operations with the Carbon Emissions Calculator.

    Temenos is the only software company to be included in both the World and Europe DJBICI in 2024, with an overall score of 83 out of 100, its highest yet and the best of the 343 companies assessed in the industry. Temenos is one of 780 companies included in the S&P Global Sustainability Yearbook out of 7,690 assessed, and the only software company to rank among the top 1% of scores globally. The company also achieved the second-best ESG risk rating in Sustainalytics out of 374 companies assessed in the Enterprise and Infrastructure Software sub-industry.

    About Temenos
    Temenos (SIX: TEMN) is the world’s leading platform for banking, serving clients in 150 countries by helping them build new banking services and state-of-the-art customer experiences. Top performing banks using Temenos software achieve cost-income ratios almost half the industry average and returns on equity 2x the industry average. Their IT spend on growth and innovation is also 2x the industry average.

    For more information, please visit www.temenos.com.

    Media Contacts
     
    Scott Rowe & Michael Anderson
    Temenos Global Public Relations
    Tel: +44 20 7423 3857
    Email: press@temenos.com     		 Gabriel Goonetillake
    Temenos Team at Edelman Smithfield
    Tel: +44 7813 407710
    Temenos@EdelmanSmithfield.com 
       

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: HUMAN Drives Momentum in EMEA with Key Leadership Appointments and Channel Expansion to Drive Growth

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    NEW YORK, March 26, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — HUMAN Security, a leading cybersecurity company committed to safeguarding every step of the customer’s online journey by defending against bots, fraud, and digital risk, today announced key leadership appointments and channel expansion to strengthen its commitment to clients and partners across the UK, France, and Germany. These investments underscore HUMAN’s dedication to further bolstering its go-to-market (GTM) strategy and expanding its regional presence in EMEA.

    “HUMAN’s commitment to EMEA is stronger than ever as we scale our operations and deepen our partnerships,” said Chris Scanlan, CRO at HUMAN. “With Mark Phillips, a long-standing HUMAN employee, promoted to Vice President of Sales, EMEA, and Bal Lakha joining as Head of Channel Partnerships, EMEA, we are accelerating our efforts to protect organisations from bots and fraud while delivering a seamless data journey and client experience. As we continue investing in our next growth stage, their expertise in cybersecurity sales and strategic alliances will be instrumental in strengthening our partner ecosystem, expanding our product capabilities, and driving impactful, scalable solutions for our clients across the region.”

    Mark Phillips, Vice President of Sales, EMEA, brings over 25 years of industry experience, including over two decades in cybersecurity. Phillips has a proven track record of success at leading security firms such as FireEye, Trend Micro, and Malwarebytes. Most recently, he served as Vice President of Global Sales Engineering at Bitdefender, leading worldwide technical sales initiatives. Phillips will oversee sales and presales teams across EMEA in his new role at HUMAN, shaping the region’s GTM strategy. With deep expertise and a commitment to innovation, he remains focused on empowering HUMAN’s customers and delivering impactful solutions that protect organisations across the EMEA region.

    Bal Lakha, Head of Channel Partnerships, EMEA, is an accomplished Global Sales and Partner Alliances leader with deep expertise in network security, managed security services, and partner management. Currently spearheading Channel Partnerships – EMEA at HUMAN, Lakha has held pivotal roles at FireEye, Forescout, and Cybereason, where he successfully drove strategic alliances and revenue growth. With proven performance in cybersecurity sales, he remains focused on building high-impact global partnerships and advancing innovative security solutions that strengthen HUMAN’s market presence.

    The leadership announcements come on the heels of several global milestones for HUMAN:

    • $50+ Million Growth Funding: This latest investment accelerates platform growth, integrating advanced AI techniques to enhance digital account protection and media security solutions, including defences against click fraud and advertising integrity for platforms, agencies, and brands.
    • Announced HUMAN Advantage Program: The new programme offers high rewards and margins through a three-tier structure, designed to stay in tune with evolving market economics and centered on three key factors: annualised bookings, training, and retention.
    • Recognition in The Forrester Wave™: Bot Management Software, Q3 2024: HUMAN was named a Leader, achieving top scores in nine categories, including “Detection Models,” “Mobile App and API Protection,” and “Vision.”
    • Voice of the Customer: HUMAN was ranked the #1 vendor in all G2 Grids for Bot Detection and Mitigation in both 2024 and 2025.

    The Human Defense Platform solves enterprise-wide pain points through its product offerings across the entire customer journey:

    • Advertising Protection: Protects programmatic inventory from bots, fraud, malvertising, and ad quality violations, ensuring brand reputation and revenue by fostering a trusted buying experience.
    • Application Protection: Protects against account takeover, scraping, transaction abuse, fake interactions, and client-side supply chain attacks by fostering a trusted application environment where users feel safe to interact and transact.
    • Account Protection: Protects accounts from automated credential stuffing and brute force account takeover attacks, fake accounts used by fraudsters to exploit platforms and services, and remediates accounts that have been compromised.

    HUMAN customers leveraging The Human Defense Platform include some of the world’s foremost online travel planning and booking services, top-tier e-commerce platforms, and global insurance leaders such as Allianz Technology. HUMAN’s solutions have earned widespread acclaim from major enterprises, including those in the railroad and transportation sectors, citing “great defence against bot attacks” and affirming that “HUMAN has a very good rate of identifying malicious requests.” An IT Security & Risk leader from the travel and hospitality industry states in a Gartner Peer Insights review that “HUMAN is one of the best anti bot protection service you can find”.

    About HUMAN
    HUMAN is a leading cybersecurity company committed to protecting the integrity of the digital world. We ensure that every digital interaction, transaction, and connection is authentic, secure, and human. The Human Defense Platform safeguards the entire customer journey with high-fidelity decision-making that defends against bots, fraud, and digital threats. Each week, HUMAN verifies 20 trillion digital interactions, providing unparalleled telemetry data to enable rapid, effective responses to even the most sophisticated threats. Recognised by our customers as a G2 Leader, HUMAN continues to set the standard in cybersecurity. To ensure your digital connections are trusted, visit www.humansecurity.com

    Contact information:
    Masha Krylova, Director of Communications
    press@humansecurity.com

    A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/deb9d109-f546-4c8a-b41b-74dad285775d

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: Atos selected by the UK Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs as its future end user services provider

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    Press Release

    Atos selected by the UK Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs as its future end user services provider

    Five-year contract worth £150m to deliver transformational end user services to Defra’s 34,000 colleagues across the UK

    London, United Kingdom, March 26, 2025 – Atos, a global leader in digital transformation, today announces that it has been selected by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) to transform service desk and end user services into a single coherent, agile service.

    The five-year contract, worth £150m, will improve quality and efficiency of DEFRA’s service desk, which manages 34,000 users, through continuous innovation of modern technologies including AI, ML, analytics and automation.

    The Atos solution will also make DEFRA’s service the most environmentally friendly and sustainable UK government digital workplace solution available today. Working with partners, Atos will repair, refurbish, remanufacture and re-issue hardware first, ensure minimal packaging and shipments for delivery and donate disused devices to charities and third-party social enterprises.

    Michael Herron, Head of UK&I, Atos Group, “We are delighted to be working with DEFRA on their end user services enabling their team to concentrate on the important work they deliver.”

    “We have a track-record of success in this area providing best-in-class services supported by cutting-edge technology platforms that focus on people, planet and productivity.”

    Atos provides end-to-end employee experience solutions through digital collaboration and productivity tools, as well as intelligent customer care services. Atos’ sustainable digital workplace suite includes more than 20 “Tech for Good” services and solutions, encompassing social value and accessibility criteria as well as data analytics and user interfaces.

    In March 2024, Gartner positioned Atos as a Leader in its 2024 Magic Quadrant for Outsourced Digital Workplace Services (ODWS) for the eighth consecutive year.

    ***

    About Atos

    Atos is a global leader in digital transformation with circa 78,000 employees and annual revenue of circa €10 billion. European number one in cybersecurity, cloud and high-performance computing, the Group provides tailored end-to-end solutions for all industries in 68 countries. A pioneer in decarbonization services and products, Atos is committed to a secure and decarbonized digital for its clients. Atos is a SE (Societas Europaea) and listed on Euronext Paris.

    The purpose of Atos is to help design the future of the information space. Its expertise and services support the development of knowledge, education and research in a multicultural approach and contribute to the development of scientific and technological excellence. Across the world, the Group enables its customers and employees, and members of societies at large to live, work and develop sustainably, in a safe and secure information space.

    Press contacts

    Global – Isabelle Grangé | isabelle.grange@atos.net | +33 (0) 6 64 56 74 88

    UK&I – Tessa David | tessa.david.external@atos.net | +44 (0)7947 755 911

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    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Information on changes to the Pubs Code Adjudicator’s website

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    News story

    Information on changes to the Pubs Code Adjudicator’s website

    This information is from the PCA on upcoming changes to the website.

    In the coming weeks, the PCA will be making improvements to how we share news, updates, and important information. Subscribers may receive automated email notifications from gov.uk about these updates.

    Updates to this page

    Published 26 March 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Shortlisting panel meet to review nominations for Portsmouth’s superstar educators

    Source: City of Portsmouth

    A group of education professionals in Portsmouth have come together to shortlist the city’s superstar educators in 11 award categories for the Teach Portsmouth Awards.

    The Teach Portsmouth Awards return on Thursday 12 June at Guildhall to celebrate the achievements of school and college staff. In December, parents/carers nominated educators as part of the people’s choice award category. Over 100 nominations were received, breaking a new record.
    In January, other award categories opened, with senior school staff nominating their colleagues.

    Councillor Nick Dorrington, Cabinet Member for Children, Families and Education at Portsmouth City Council said:

    “The Teach Portsmouth Awards have reached an all-important milestone with local education professionals meeting to decide on a shortlist and winner in each category.

    “These professionals have worked as teachers, senior leaders, governors and early year’s specialists within the community and understand the education landscape. I can’t wait to celebrate everyone’s achievements at the event.”

    Five education professionals attended the shortlisting session to review the supporting statements for each category. Through discussion, each submission was scored against category criteria before a consensus was reached.

    Bernadette Castellano, membership secretary of the Portsmouth district and branch at the National Education Union (NEU) said:

    “I have been part of the shortlisting panel for the Teach Portsmouth Awards since the very beginning. Each entry is inspirational and worthy of an award, but we must whittle them down into a shortlist and overall winner.

    “We deliberated for some time to create a shortlist for each category. It is always so uplifting to be part of this event.”

    James Doherty, principal at UTC Portsmouth said:

    “It’s an absolute pleasure to be part of the shortlisting panel two years in a row. We carefully reviewed the submissions and have been struck by the incredible achievements of practitioners across the city. I look forward to attending the awards ceremony in June.”

    School and college staff who have been put forward for a long service award will not be shortlisted; they will automatically receive a trophy at the gala in recognition for 20 years of service.

    The shortlist for the Teach Portsmouth Awards will be revealed in May with the winners announced at the ceremony in June. For more information on the Teach Portsmouth Awards, please visit www.teachportsmouth.co.uk/awards.

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: We invite you to the creative competition Brand Education

    Translartion. Region: Russians Fedetion –

    Source: State University of Management – Official website of the State –

    The Institute of Marketing invites you to participate in the traditional student competition Brand Education.

    The competition has become a reflection of the global and domestic economy’s aspirations for responsible consumption and sustainable development. It brings together creative students and high school students interested in developing professional competencies in the field of creating and promoting sustainable brands.

    To participate in the first stage of the competition, you must register before April 7 and send your project work to brandeducation@yandex.ru.

    Competition directions and nominations:

    University brand promotion: media activity – promoting the university in the digital environment (posting press releases, maintaining social media pages, etc.); television activity – videos about the university, department, etc.; advertising activity – posting posters, distributing leaflets, leaflets and other advertising materials; PR activity – positioning the university in online and offline media, strengthening its reputation, interacting with target audiences. Social entrepreneurship: civic initiatives, socially significant projects, development of volunteerism and volunteer work; environmental projects; Internet startups aimed at developing universities; sustainable business development projects. Initiatives of the year: green technologies in the organization’s infrastructure; sustainable packaging in the culture of responsible consumption; sustainable design and environmental responsibility; creative poster for social advertising.

    Participants of the competition can indicate one or several nominations when registering. The jury will evaluate the projects and publish a list of the lucky ones who made it to the finals on April 17.

    The second stage (final) of the competition will be held from April 18 to 30 in person at the Department of Services Marketing and Brand Management of the Institute of Marketing.

    Details about the competition are available on the Brand Education Telegram channel https://t.me/brand_education.

    The competition is organized by the Department of Services Marketing and Brand Management of the Institute of Marketing, which traditionally studies the problems of forming and developing sustainable brands, and trains specialists in the field of their design and capitalization.

    Subscribe to the TG channel “Our GUU” Date of publication: 03/26/2025

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

    MIL OSI Russia News –