NewzIntel.com

Category: Europe

  • MIL-OSI Global: A Palestinian-Israeli film just won an Oscar − so why is it so hard to see?

    Source: The Conversation – USA – By Drew Paul, Associate Professor of Arabic, University of Tennessee

    Left to right: Basel Adra, Rachel Szor, Hamdan Ballal and Yuval Abraham pose with their Oscars for ‘No Other Land’ at the 2025 Academy Awards. Maya Dehlin Spach/Getty Images

    For many low-budget, independent films, an Oscar win is a golden ticket.

    The publicity can translate into theatrical releases or rereleases, along with more on-demand rentals and sales.

    However, for “No Other Land,” a Palestinian-Israeli film that just won best documentary feature at the 2025 Academy Awards, this exposure may not translate into commercial success in the U.S. That’s because the film has been unable to find a company to distribute it in America.

    “No Other Land” chronicles the efforts of Palestinian townspeople to combat an Israeli plan to demolish their villages in the West Bank and use the area as a military training ground. It was directed by four Palestinian and Israeli activists and journalists: Basel Adra, who is a resident of the area facing demolition, Yuval Abraham, Hamdan Ballal and Rachel Szor. While the filmmakers have organized screenings in a number of U.S. cities, the lack of a national distributor makes a broader release unlikely.

    Film distributors are a crucial but often unseen link in the chain that allows a film to reach cinemas and people’s living rooms. In recent years it has become more common for controversial award-winning films to run into issues finding a distributor. Palestinian films have encountered additional barriers.

    As a scholar of Arabic who has written about Palestinian cinema, I’m disheartened by the difficulties “No Other Land” has faced. But I’m not surprised.

    The role of film distributors

    Distributors are often invisible to moviegoers. But without one, it can be difficult for a film to find an audience.

    Distributors typically acquire rights to a film for a specific country or set of countries. They then market films to movie theaters, cinema chains and streaming platforms. As compensation, distributors receive a percentage of the revenue generated by theatrical and home releases.

    The film “Soundtrack to a Coup D’Etat,” another finalist for best documentary, shows how this process typically works. It premiered at the Sundance Film Festival in January 2024 and was acquired for distribution just a few months later by Kino Lorber, a major U.S.-based distributor of independent films.

    The inability to find a distributor is not itself noteworthy. No film is entitled to distribution, and most films by newer or unknown directors face long odds.

    However, it is unusual for a film like “No Other Land,” which has garnered critical acclaim and has been recognized at various film festivals and award shows. Some have pegged it as a favorite to win best documentary at the Academy Awards. And “No Other Land” has been able to find distributors in Europe, where it’s easily accessible on multiple streaming platforms.

    So why can’t “No Other Land” find a distributor in the U.S.?

    There are a couple of factors at play.

    Shying away from controversy

    In recent years, film critics have noticed a trend: Documentaries on controversial topics have faced distribution difficulties. These include a film about a campaign by Amazon workers to unionize and a documentary about Adam Kinzinger, one of the few Republican congresspeople to vote to impeach Donald Trump in 2021.

    The Israeli-Palestinian conflict, of course, has long stirred controversy. But the release of “No Other Land” comes at a time when the issue is particularly salient. The Hamas attacks of Oct. 7, 2023, and the ensuing Israeli bombardment and invasion of the Gaza Strip have become a polarizing issue in U.S. domestic politics, reflected in the campus protests and crackdowns in 2024. The filmmakers’ critical comments about the Israeli occupation of Palestine have also garnered backlash in Germany.

    Locals attend a screening of ‘No Other Land’ in the village of A-Tuwani in the West Bank on March 14, 2024.
    Yahel Gazit/Middle East Images/AFP via Getty Images

    Yet the fact that this conflict has been in the news since October 2023 should also heighten audience interest in a film such as “No Other Land” – and, therefore, lead to increased sales, the metric that distributors care about the most.

    Indeed, an earlier film that also documents Palestinian protests against Israeli land expropriation, “5 Broken Cameras,” was a finalist for best documentary at the 2013 Academy Awards. It was able to find a U.S. distributor. However, it had the support of a major European Union documentary development program called Greenhouse. The support of an organization like Greenhouse, which had ties to numerous production and distribution companies in Europe and the U.S., can facilitate the process of finding a distributor.

    By contrast, “No Other Land,” although it has a Norwegian co-producer and received some funding from organizations in Europe and the U.S., was made primarily by a grassroots filmmaking collective.

    Stages for protest

    While distribution challenges may be recent, controversies surrounding Palestinian films are nothing new.

    Many of them stem from the fact that the system of film festivals, awards and distribution is primarily based on a movie’s nation of origin. Since there is no sovereign Palestinian state – and many countries and organizations have not recognized the state of Palestine – the question of how to categorize Palestinian films has been hard to resolve.

    In 2002, The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences rejected the first ever Palestinian film submitted to the best foreign language film category – Elia Suleiman’s “Divine Intervention” – because Palestine was not recognized as a country by the United Nations. The rules were changed for the following year’s awards ceremony.

    In 2021, the cast of the film “Let It Be Morning,” which had an Israeli director but primarily Palestinian actors, boycotted the Cannes Film Festival in protest of the film’s categorization as an Israeli film rather than a Palestinian one.

    Film festivals and other cultural venues have also become places to make statements about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and engage in protest. For example, at the Cannes Film Festival in 2017, the right-wing Israeli culture minister wore a controversial – and meme-worthy – dress that featured the Jerusalem skyline in support of Israeli claims of sovereignty over the holy city, despite the unresolved status of Jerusalem under international law.

    Israeli Culture Minister Miri Regev wears a dress featuring the old city of Jerusalem during the Cannes Film Festival in 2017.
    Antonin Thuillier/AFP via Getty Images

    At the 2024 Academy Awards, a number of attendees, including Billie Eilish, Mark Ruffalo and Mahershala Ali, wore red pins in support of a ceasefire in Gaza, and pro-Palestine protesters delayed the start of the ceremonies.

    As he accepted his award, “No Other Land” director Yuval Abraham called out “the foreign policy” of the U.S. for “helping to block” a path to peace.

    Even though a film like “No Other Land” addresses a topic of clear interest to many Americans, I wonder if the quest to find a U.S. distributor just got even harder.

    This article has been updated to clarify that the film was a collaborative effort between Palestinian and Israeli filmmakers. It has also been updated to reflect the film’s win at the 2025 Academy Awards.

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

    – ref. A Palestinian-Israeli film just won an Oscar − so why is it so hard to see? – https://theconversation.com/a-palestinian-israeli-film-just-won-an-oscar-so-why-is-it-so-hard-to-see-249233

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: How Holocaust films are changing as we lose the survivor generation

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Barry Langford, Professor of Film Studies, Royal Holloway University of London

    The Holocaust is fast receding from living memory. Some 300 Auschwitz survivors were present at the 70th anniversary commemorations of the camp’s liberation in 2015. This year, just 50 attended, all of whom were children in 1945.

    Even before this generation began to pass on, researchers of the Holocaust had begun to study the ways that memory of these events have been shaped, manipulated, or indeed fabricated. Film scholar Alison Landsberg’s influential concept of “prosthetic memory” focused attention on the ways in which film, literature and other art forms can supplement or even substitute for the experiences of those who lived through historical events.

    Approaching the moment when such supplements must become the sole means for future generations to understand the Holocaust, it seems no accident that half a dozen films released in 2023 and 2024 made Holocaust memory – and its complexities – an explicit element of their narratives.

    Three of these films incorporate scenes filmed on location in Poland at former Nazi death camps. Perhaps the most unexpected example is The Zone of Interest (2023). A brief documentary sequence filmed at the modern-day Auschwitz museum concludes director Jonathan Glazer’s meticulous (though highly stylised) recreation of the idyllic domestic life of camp commandant Rudolf Höss and his family.



    Read more:
    The Zone of Interest: new Holocaust film powerfully lays bare the mechanisms of genocide

    It’s the only sequence that crosses the otherwise impermeable boundary separating the Höss family compound from the camp itself. It might be interpreted as a kind of reality check for the audience – a reminder that yes, this all did really happen. But that seems an improbably ingenuous stance for so intelligent a filmmaker.

    More plausibly, the sequence is a reflexive extension of the film’s interrogation of the strategies by which atrocity can be held at arm’s length, or “managed”.

    Höss (Christian Friedel) and his wife Hedwig (Sandra Hüller) manage this by fabricating a “perfect” bourgeois home, while ignoring the constant soundtrack of barked orders, shots and screams from the other side of their garden wall.

    As we watch them, we are naturally appalled and repelled by their callous dissociation. Yet in the contemporary Auschwitz sequence, Glazer asks whether modern habits of Holocaust “consumption” don’t risk an all-too-similar disavowal.

    Looking for something good? Cut through the noise with a carefully curated selection of the latest releases, live events and exhibitions, straight to your inbox every fortnight, on Fridays. Sign up here.

    In the museum sequence we see Polish cleaners at work, wiping down the glass of the vitrines in which the infamous heaps of shoes and human hair are displayed, and mopping the floor of the Auschwitz I gas chamber (itself a postwar reconstruction).

    This site of unimaginable violence is now a museum where the material evidence of mass murder is carefully preserved and curated for tourists. Perhaps not altogether unlike a historical recreation such as The Zone of Interest.

    ‘Managing’ Holocaust memory

    Tourists are the protagonists of Treasure (2024), directed by Julia von Heinz, and A Real Pain (2024), written and directed by Jesse Eisenberg.

    These films centre on survivors and their descendants travelling to modern Poland, ostensibly to commemorate their destroyed families. But it seems that, perhaps inevitably, more pressing and immediate personal issues override these acts of remembrance.



    Read more:
    A Real Pain is a subtle but powerful exploration of remembrance culture and personal trauma

    A Real Pain, for example, centres on two cousins, dutiful family man David (Eisenberg) and mercurial, possibly bipolar Benji (Kieran Culkin). The pair join a “Holocaust tour” in honour of their late grandmother, a Polish-Jewish survivor, including a visit to Maidanek.

    Clip from A Real Pain.

    Dutifully and sombrely, the cousins view the barracks, the gas chamber and the vast pile of human ashes. Afterwards, however, only Benji lapses into inconsolable sobs. Is his grief an authentic reaction to the horror, a mark of his greater emotional connection? Is it histrionically excessive, performative attention-seeking? Or is it that the unfathomable tragedy of European Jewry allows Benji to access his own private agony.

    If it’s the latter, is such an appropriation of the Holocaust somehow an “illegitimate” response? According to whom? Eisenberg’s deft traumedy leaves it up to us to decide.

    Yet more ambiguous is the epilogue to Brady Corbett’s acclaimed The Brutalist (2024). The film retrospectively interprets the professional career of its protagonist, fictitious Hungarian-Jewish architect and Holocaust survivor László Tóth (Adrian Brody) as a response to the tragedy.



    Read more:
    The Brutalist: an architect’s take on a film about one man’s journey to realise his visionary building

    Addressing the 1980 Venice Biennale, Tóth’s daughter declares that through his creations her father worked through the trauma of his experiences in the camps. A Holocaust memorial is among the designs briefly glimpsed in the display of Tóth’s work.

    The trailer for The Brutalist.

    The scene aptly captures the ways in which public discourses around the Holocaust crystallised from the 1980s onward.

    In the immediate postwar period, as The Brutalist shows, the Holocaust was a rarely discussed, even shameful, topic outside of survivor communities. But with the onset of postmodernism, the Holocaust came increasingly to be understood as the defining episode in 20th-century European history, more even than the second world war itself.

    The meanings of trauma

    As all these films show, the ways that the Holocaust is commemorated today are far uncontested. For example, One Life (2023), the biopic of British rescuer Nicholas Winton, straightforwardly endorses mainstream assumptions about the value of remembrance.



    Read more:
    What One Life gets wrong about Nicholas Winton and the Kindertransport story

    By contrast, in the documentary The Commandant’s Shadow (2024), Holocaust survivor Anita Lasker-Wallfisch is almost dismissive of what she clearly sees as her daughter’s superfluous preoccupation with a past trauma best forgotten.

    The Brutalist is more ambiguous still. At one level, traumatic memory may help explain Tóth’s difficult character and relationships in the preceding three hours of the film. Yet at the same time, almost nothing in his words or actions hitherto has suggested the Holocaust is his predominant focus. Nor does Tóth make this claim himself. Stricken mute following a stroke, he can only listen as his daughter offers this account of his work.

    Is it true? Or is it imposing a neat, culturally approved meaning onto the complexities of a messy, damaged life?

    Together, these films make a strong case that in the “post-testimony” era, we must not only keep remembering the Holocaust, but reflect constantly on how and why we do so.

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

    – ref. How Holocaust films are changing as we lose the survivor generation – https://theconversation.com/how-holocaust-films-are-changing-as-we-lose-the-survivor-generation-250687

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: How Jeff Bezos brought the Washington Post’s global reputation into question

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Colleen Murrell, Full Professor in Journalism, Dublin City University

    The Washington Post still conjures up, for some, the promise of fiercely independent investigative journalism that can unseat a corrupt president. In what became one of the biggest stories of the 20th century, Richard Nixon (1969-74) was forced to resign the presidency in 1974, halfway through his second term, following an investigation by Post reporters Carl Bernstein and Bob Woodward.

    After months of work the reporting team linked Nixon and his campaign staff to illegal donations, and to the bugging and sabotage of political opponents including a break-in at the offices of the Democratic National Committee in the Watergate building, Washington DC. Their work won a Pulitzer prize.

    This kicked off decades of investigative journalism and breaking stories that has cemented the Post’s global reputation.

    So the recent memo by billionaire owner of the Post, Jeff Bezos, declaring that the newspaper’s opinion section will now be restricted to pieces supporting “personal liberties and free markets” (and not opposing viewpoints) came as a shock not only to loyal liberal readers and to some journalists, but also to those who see the Post as a bastion of media freedom. Bezos said on X that differing opinions can be “left to be published by others”.

    The decision by Bezos prompted the opinion editor David Shipley to resign and Elon Musk to tweet “Bravo, @JeffBezos!” The paper’s newly appointed economics reporter Jeff Stein also took to X to respond to Bezos’s tweeted memo by calling it a “massive encroachment” by his new boss.

    He added: “I still have not felt encroachment on my journalism on the news side of coverage, but if Bezos tries interfering with the news side I will be quitting immediately and letting you know.” Some sources suggest that the Post has lost 75,000 digital subscribers since the decision was announced.

    The trailer for the film All the President’s Men, based on reporting from the Washington Post.

    To many the Post’s reputation was already becoming tarnished. Bezos rocked his readership back in October 2024 when he refused to endorse a candidate in the presidential election for the first time in 36 years.

    According to the paper the decision led to 250,000 readers cancelling their subscriptions. Woodward and Bernstein said the decision “ignores the Washington Post’s own overwhelming reportorial evidence on the threat Donald Trump poses to democracy”.

    And so it came as no surprise at Trump’s inauguration that Bezos could be seen seated prominently beside his fellow tech billionaires Meta’s Mark Zuckerberg, X’s Elon Musk and Google’s Sundar Pichai.

    But is all lost? The Washington Post has always had its share of bold and outspoken reporters and commentators and, on Friday, Post columist Dana Milbank wrote a strongly worded opinion piece in which he said that readers were worried that Bezos’s words, “are cover for a plan to turn this into a MAGA-Friendly outlet”.

    He added: “If we as a newspaper, and as a country, are to defend [Bezos’s] twin pillars, then we must redouble our fight against the single greatest threat to ‘personal liberties and free markets’ today: Donald Trump.”

    Jeff Bezos brings in new rules on what can and cannot be published in the Washington Post’s opinion pages.

    Has this latest move by Bezos simply made clear an editorial position which is ordinarily inferred but not made explicit? Will reporters be free to conduct investigations into Amazon’s work practices while at the same time extolling free market objectives? As yet no one knows for sure.

    Coverage changes?

    In January the newspaper’s Pulitzer prize-winning cartoonist, Ann Telnaes, resigned after the Post refused to publish a satirical cartoon of a group of tech and media billionaires (that included Bezos and Meta boss Mark Zuckerberg) laying bags of cash before a statue of Trump.

    Telnaes described the refusal to publish as “dangerous for a free press”. Ironically it was David Shipley who claimed at the time that he had decided against publication due to “repetition”, rather than because the cartoon mocked Bezos.

    Nevertheless, Post reporters have continued to focus national coverage on the wide-ranging effects of Trump’s executive orders, the sacking of senior military leaders and Doge’s culling of resources and jobs in the public sector. Neither has it escaped the new administration’s changes to media access.

    On February 7 the Department of Defense announced the Post would be removed from its office in the Pentagon’s “Correspondents Corridor” along with CNN, plus the New York Times, NPR and NBC which were evicted earlier to make room for pro-Trump media organisations.

    The Post today

    In 2024, the Post took home three Pulitzer prizes for journalism, including one for David E. Hoffman “for a compelling and well-researched series on new technologies and the tactics authoritarian regimes use to repress dissent in the digital age, and how they can be fought”.

    The past few years have been financially bruising for the paper and in 2023 the paper announced it had lost US$77 million (£69 million). In its latest round of cuts in January this year it laid off 100 employees.

    Back when Bezos took over the paper in August 2013 the New York Times quoted a fellow tech entrepreneur, Redfin CEO Glenn Kelman, as saying in a now prophetic line: “It used to be that in Silicon Valley we just built the platforms and someone else wrote the content. But that is changing. The lines have been blurred for a long time, and this is just another step in that process.”

    Twelve years on the “broligarchy” may not be writing the content, but is it restricting it? In these uneasy times in Washington there appears to be a growing erosion of press freedom as the new administration moves to limit access to the White House for mainstream media such as the Associated Press in favour of pro-Trump media.

    Whether the Post will come down on the side of press freedom or is banking on an eventual post-Trump bump to stem its declining sales is unclear.

    Colleen Murrell received funding from Irish regulator Coimisiún na Meán (2021-4) for research for the annual Reuters Digital News Report Ireland.

    – ref. How Jeff Bezos brought the Washington Post’s global reputation into question – https://theconversation.com/how-jeff-bezos-brought-the-washington-posts-global-reputation-into-question-251172

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Trump and Zelensky: when face-to-face diplomacy goes wrong it can be disastrous – especially if the whole world is watching

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Marcus Holmes, Professor of Government; Faculty Affiliate, Global Research Institute, William & Mary

    When it is poorly executed, face-to-face diplomacy reinforces hostility, erodes relationships and makes diplomatic successes even harder. That is exactly what happened during the now notorious White House meeting on February 28 between the US president, Donald Trump, the vice-president, J.D. Vance, and the Ukrainian president, Volodymyr Zelensky.

    Instead of a productive diplomatic exchange, the meeting descended into a highly unusual public spectacle.

    Instead of culminating in the signing of a deal that would offer Ukraine some measure of security, the meeting left Zelensky shaken and isolated, and US support for Ukraine looking even more uncertain than it had done before. The Russian president, Vladimir Putin, meanwhile, was handed a clear political win.

    When leaders meet in person, it is possible for them to gain a deeper understanding of each other’s intentions, constraints and red lines – things that don’t always come through in official statements or diplomatic cables. This kind of direct engagement has historically played a key role in defusing tensions, clarifying positions and opening the door to future negotiations.

    The best example was in the Reagan-Gorbachev summits of the second half of the 1980s. This handful of meetings between the two leaders deepened their personal relationship, playing a key role in ending the cold war.

    Diplomatic meetings, particularly high-stakes ones, should serve at least one of three purposes. First, they should be opportunities for each side to clarify its intentions, priorities and bottom lines – even if no agreement is reached.

    There might be openings for future engagement, keeping diplomacy alive. And, at the very least, face-to-face diplomacy should enable parties to prevent escalation or any deterioration in relationships.

    By these measures, the meeting between Trump and Zelensky was a failure. Rather than probing positions and potential paths forward for ending the war in Ukraine, Trump and Vance used the meeting to publicly berate and belittle Zelensky.

    “Have you said thank you once?” Vance demanded, framing Ukraine’s survival as a matter of gratitude rather than strategic interest. Meanwhile Trump bluntly told Zelenskyy, “You’re not winning this”, dismissing Ukraine’s resilience and reinforcing doubt about the war effort.

    He went on to belittle the Ukrainian president further, saying, “You’ve talked too much” – a deliberate move to undercut Zelensky’s standing in the moment.

    These were not the words of partners working toward a resolution or seeking common ground. This was a power play, an example of what some have termed a “domination ritual” – designed to make clear that Ukraine is in no position to set terms.

    Zelensky is not the first leader to walk out of a face-to-face meeting with a brutally clear sense of the reality ahead. A historical parallel comes from a summit in 1961 between the then US president, John F. Kennedy, and the Soviet premier, Nikita Khrushchev, in Vienna.

    US president John F. Kennedy meets with Soviet leader, Nikita Khrushchev, in June 1961, just prior to the Vienna summit.
    CIA/Wikimedia Commons

    Kennedy later admitted that Khrushchev “beat the hell out of me”, leaving him convinced that tensions with the Soviet Union would escalate. “It’s going to be a cold winter,” he remarked afterwards.

    Sure enough, within months the two superpowers were embroiled in a crisis over Berlin, and then a year later, Khrushchev tested Kennedy’s resolve by deploying medium-range ballistic missiles to Cuba, triggering the most dangerous confrontation of the nuclear age so far.

    But there was a crucial difference: Kennedy and Khrushchev’s bruising exchange happened behind closed doors. Zelensky was forced to experience his own Vienna moment in front of the cameras. Trump and Vance ensured that their disdain for Ukraine’s position was publicly performed, making it even harder for Zelensky to recover politically – both at home and abroad.

    The diplomatic fallout: a gift to Russia

    Meetings like this don’t just shape the dynamics in the room – they send signals to allies, adversaries and the international system. And in this case, the biggest winner was Putin.

    This was a propaganda victory for the Russians, which will have given the Kremlin the encouragement that Ukraine is losing support from its most powerful western backer.

    For Ukraine, this was a major strategic setback. Zelensky desperately needed reassurances about a US security guarantee – instead, he left the meeting publicly weakened, making his already difficult job far harder in Kyiv and across Europe.

    But it was also incredibly damaging for US diplomacy. America’s credibility as a reliable ally has taken an enormous hit at a time when its reliability was already being questioned by its friends in Europe and Asia. If the US treats a wartime partner, what message does that send to other allies who might someday need Washington’s support?

    Face-to-face diplomacy still matters

    Interpersonal meetings, especially ones that are broadcast to the world, shape relationships in ways that extend far beyond policy. They can build – or erode –trust, define power dynamics and send signals that can strengthen or weaken alliances.

    Kennedy left Vienna shaken, but at least he left with clarity about Khrushchev’s view of him. Zelensky, too, now understands the new reality of US support. But unlike Kennedy, he was humiliated on live television, which will make it harder to rebuild relationships.

    Face-to-face diplomacy is one of the most powerful tools world leaders have – when used correctly. But it only works when they use it to solve problems rather than, as we saw with Trump and Vance, perform for the cameras.

    What happened in the Oval Office was not diplomacy – it was a spectacle. And the world took notice.

    The authors do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

    – ref. Trump and Zelensky: when face-to-face diplomacy goes wrong it can be disastrous – especially if the whole world is watching – https://theconversation.com/trump-and-zelensky-when-face-to-face-diplomacy-goes-wrong-it-can-be-disastrous-especially-if-the-whole-world-is-watching-251277

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Conclusion of UK presidency of the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance: Lord Pickles’ speech

    Source: United Kingdom – Government Statements

    Speech

    Conclusion of UK presidency of the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance: Lord Pickles’ speech

    International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance Chair Lord Pickles spoke about the UK’s achievements over the past year and handed over the presidency to Israel.

    In February 1980, I first watched a sunrise over Jerusalem. Whenever I’ve returned to this wonderful city over the past 45 years, I still feel that feeling of warmth and wonderment. 

    As we stand at the Crossroads of Generations, there is no better place on Earth to draw together the future of remembrance.

    The UK presidency aimed to bring out the best in the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA), engender confidence in difficult times, and, above all, to strengthen the organisation. 

    During our year, following a general election, Britain’s government changed from the Conservatives to Labour. There were many disagreements on political issues during the campaign, but there was complete unity on the need to fight antisemitism and to further Holocaust education and remembrance.

    Both governments were clear that our presidency would put the interest of IHRA and remembrance before narrow national interest. I hope you agree that we have met those responsibilities.

    Those of us who attended the poignant 80th-anniversary ceremony of the liberation of Auschwitz-Birkenau in January know that we will never see the like again. Ten years from now, at the 90th anniversary, it is unlikely there will be Holocaust survivors to speak.

    We are now the custodians of their memory. We must remember and tell the truth. We must uphold our founding document, the Stockholm Declaration, which is as relevant today as 25 years ago.

    IHRA is a consensus organisation, which can be frustrating at times. But there is an upside – it requires the skills of listening and debate. IHRA is not a place for the repetition of prepared statements, it is a place where experts speak the truth to government.

    One feature of the past year was bringing remembrance closer to local communities. The ‘My Hometown’ initiative asked young people to research what happened in their towns during the Holocaust. It showed them that history is not distant – it is personal.

    The ‘Holocaust in 80 Objects’ project used artefacts to tell the stories of victims and survivors. It reminded us that the Holocaust is not just statistics – it is millions of individual interlocking lives.

    Under our leadership, the IHRA-UNESCO Capacity Building Training expanded. It now includes diplomatic networks and embassy staff. Those shaping international discourse must understand the dangers of Holocaust distortion.

    This work has left a lasting impact – embedding Holocaust memory into education, public policy, and diplomacy. The move to new technologies that allows memory preservation will ensure that future generations can still connect with survivor voices.

    I hope Israel can build on the AI conference we hosted in London. We must unlock the potential of AI, if we don’t our opponents certainly will.

    IHRA is the only international organisation focusing on Holocaust remembrance, education and research. That is worth holding on to. To remain relevant, we must be adequately resourced.

    I am grateful that the Israeli presidency has pledged there will be proposals to make our finances sustainable when we meet in Jerusalem in June.

    I wish Israel a successful presidency. With Dani at the helm and with the support of Ruty and Yossi, Richelle, and Rob Rozette, I look forward to 2025 with confidence.

    Finally, I wish for 3 things. As the United Kingdom passes the flickering torch of Holocaust remembrance to Israel:

    • may its light shine bright over Jerusalem
    • may it illuminate the Crossroads of the Generations
    • may it show us the right path

    Updates to this page

    Published 3 March 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: At a time of war, nations must stop global order from crumbling: UN rights chief

    Source: United Nations 2

    “Our world is going through a period of turbulence and unpredictability, reflected in growing conflict and divided societies,” Türk told the Human Rights Council.

    “We cannot allow the fundamental global consensus around international norms and institutions, built painstakingly over decades, to crumble before our eyes.”

    The weapons of war

    Presenting his global update covering more than 30 countries, the High Commissioner described as “outrageous” the fact that legal safeguards for non-combatants were being repeatedly ignored.

    “Civilians are deliberately attacked. Sexual violence and famine are used as weapons of war,” Mr. Türk said. “Humanitarian access is denied, while weapons flow across borders and circumvent international sanctions. And humanitarian workers are targeted. In 2024, a record 356 humanitarian workers were killed while providing aid to people in some of the world’s most appalling crises.”

    Unbearable price

    In Sudan, the High Commissioner once again condemned devastating bomb attacks launched in heavily built-up areas with total impunity, by the parties to the conflict.

    All the while, the world’s worst humanitarian catastrophe deepens, threatening regional stability, he maintained: “Civilians are paying an unbearable price, in a naked struggle for power and resources. All countries must use their influence to apply pressure on the parties and their allies, to stop the war, embark on an inclusive dialogue, and transition to a civilian-led Government.”

    Ukraine’s people need peace

    Turning to Ukraine, whose future material support from the United States appeared unclear following televised disagreements between Presidents Trump and Zelensky at a White House meeting on Friday, Mr. Türk opposed any peace deal that excluded Ukraine.

    “Three years since the full-scale Russian invasion, people continue to suffer appallingly…Any discussions about ending the war must include Ukrainians and fully respect their human rights. Sustainable peace must be based on the United Nations Charter and international law.”

    Civilian casualties in Ukraine rose by 30 per cent between 2023 and 2024, the High Commissioner continued, as he accused Russia’s armed forces of systematically targeting Ukraine’s energy infrastructure with coordinated strikes, causing widespread disruptions to essential services.

    “Relentless attacks with aerial glide bombs, long-range missiles and drones have placed civilians in a state of constant insecurity and fear,” Mr. Türk noted.

    Ukrainian prisoners also continue to face summary executions and “widespread and systematic torture” by Russian forces, he continued.

    Gaza ceasefire focus

    In the Occupied Palestinian Territory, the UN rights chief insisted that the fragile ceasefire holds in Gaza “and becomes the basis for peace”.

    He also insisted that aid deliveries into Gaza should resume immediately, just as Israel announced a halt to aid flowing into the shattered enclave, having proposed extending the first phase of the ceasefire which ended at the weekend and which would allow Israeli troops to stay in Gaza.

    UN aid chief Tom Fletcher responded with alarm to the Israeli decision, insisting that the ceasefire “must hold”.

    In an online appeal, he added: “International humanitarian law is clear: We must be allowed access to deliver vital lifesaving aid. We can’t roll back the progress of the past 42 days. We need to get aid in and the hostages out.”

    Back in the Council, Mr. Türk explained that the Gaza had been “razed” by constant Israeli bombardment in response to the “horrific” Hamas-led attacks on Israel that sparked the war in October 2023. “Any solution to the cycles of violence must be rooted in human rights, including the right to self-determination, the rule of law and accountability. All hostages must be freed; all those detained arbitrarily must be released; and humanitarian aid into Gaza must resume immediately.”

    West Bank alert

    Reflecting deep concerns by humanitarians and the human rights community about Israeli military raids on Palestinian settlements in the West Bank, the UN High Commissioner insisted that Israel’s “unilateral actions and threats of annexation in the West Bank, in violation of international law, must stop”.

    Mr. Türk also condemned the use of “military weapons and tactics, including tanks and airstrikes, against Palestinians”. Equally worrying was “the destruction and emptying of refugee camps, the expansion of illegal settlements, the severe restrictions on movement and the displacement of tens of thousands of people”.

    DR Congo devastation

    Turning to the conflict in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo, the High Commissioner underscored that entire communities in North and South Kivu had been devastated.

    “In the past five weeks, thousands of people have reportedly been killed during attacks by the M23 armed group, backed by the Rwandan Armed Forces, in intense fighting against the Armed Forces of the DRC and their allies,” the UN rights chief said, pointing to reports of rape, sexual slavery and summary executions.

    “More than half a million people have been forced to flee this year, adding to almost 7.8 million people already displaced in the country,” Mr. Türk said. “The violence must stop, violations by all parties must be investigated, and dialogue must resume.”

    © WFP/Michael Castofas

    More than half a million people have been forced to flee DR Congo this year.

    Deadliest year in Myanmar

    Moving on to the ongoing escalation of violence in Myanmar sparked by the military coup on 1 February 2021, the UN rights chief noted that 2024 was the deadliest year for civilians since the junta takeover.

    “The military ramped up brutal attacks on civilians as their grip on power eroded, with retaliatory airstrikes and artillery shelling of villages and urban areas…and the forcible conscription of thousands of young people,” he said, before calling for the supply of arms and finance to the country’s military’s to be “cut decisively”.

    Haiti spiral

    The UN rights chief also expressed deep concerns about chronic lawlessness and heavily armed clashes in Haiti involving gangs that humanitarians warned last week recruit children as young as eight. More than 5,600 people were killed last year and thousands more were injured or kidnapped, Mr. Türk told the Human Rights Council.

    “Full implementation of the Security Council‘s arms embargo and support to the Multinational Security Support Mission are crucial to resolving this crisis,” he insisted.

    Yemen

    On Yemen, the High Commissioner noted that amid ongoing hostilities, nearly 20 million Yemenis need humanitarian support. Mr. Türk also expressed his outrage at the death of a UN World Food Programme colleague in detention earlier this month. “All 23 UN staff – including eight colleagues from my own Office – who are arbitrarily detained by the Houthis must be released immediately.”

    In a half-hour address to the Council that traditionally highlights the most worrying emergencies in the world and the need to tackle their root causes, the UN rights chief issued a call for greater global solidarity and accountability for crimes as a way to push back against those who would violate fundamental freedoms.

    “We all have a responsibility to act – through our consumption habits, our social media use, and our political and social engagement,” he told the Council’s 47 Member States.

    “We can trace a clear line between the lack of accountability for airstrikes on hospitals in Syria in the 2010s, attacks on healthcare facilities in Yemen, and the destruction of health systems in Gaza and Sudan,” he continued.

    Toys of tech oligarchs

    Equally alarming is the rise of unelected and unregulated “tech oligarchs” who reflect the new global power dynamic, Mr. Türk warned, before urging governments to fulfil their primary purpose of protecting their people from unchecked power.

    Today’s tech oligarchs “have our data: they know where we live, what we do, our genes and our health conditions, our thoughts, our habits, our desires and our fears…And they know how to manipulate us,” the High Commissioner insisted.

    Electioneering tactics

    “I have followed recent election campaigns in Europe, North America and beyond with increasing trepidation. Single-issue soundbites devoid of substance oversimplify complex issues and are often based on scapegoating, disinformation, and dehumanization,” he continued.

    “Dehumanization is a well-worn step towards treating an entire group as outsiders, unworthy of the basic rights we all enjoy. It is a dangerous precursor to hate and violence and must be called out whenever it occurs.”

    UN Human Rights Council/Marie Bambi

    Volker Türk, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, presents his latest report on the obligation to ensure accountability and justice in the Occupied Palestinian Territory.

    Toxic influence on gender equality

    The High Commissioner also voiced his concern about the resurgence of toxic ideas about masculinity and efforts to glorify gender stereotypes, especially among young men.

    To blame for this are “misogynistic influencers” with millions of followers on social media who “are hailed as heroes”, Mr. Türk said.

    Online and offline, their ideas push back against gender equality and result in “violence and hateful rhetoric against women, women’s rights defenders, and women politicians”, the High Commissioner continued. 

    In a message of solidarity with people who have been left “feeling alienated and abandoned” by such malign influences, Mr. Türk insisted that the United Nations was by their side. “Your concerns are our concerns, because they are about human rights: to education, to health, to housing, to free speech, and access to justice. Human rights are about people’s daily concerns for their families and their future. We must cherish the values of respect, unity and solidarity; and work together for a safer, more just, more sustainable world. We can and will persevere,” he concluded.

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

  • MIL-OSI Video: UK Lords Science and Technology Committee talk maths education with Lynne McClure and Conrad Wolfram

    Source: United Kingdom UK House of Lords (video statements)

    Find out more, including who else is taking part https://committees.parliament.uk/event/23543/formal-meeting-oral-evidence-session/

    Catch-up on House of Lords business:

    Watch live events: https://parliamentlive.tv/Lords
    Read the latest news: https://www.parliament.uk/lords/

    Stay up to date with the House of Lords on social media:

    • Twitter: https://twitter.com/UKHouseofLords
    • Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/UKHouseofLords/
    • Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/UKHouseofLords
    • Flickr: https://flickr.com/photos/ukhouseoflords/albums
    • LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-house-of-lords
    • Threads: https://www.threads.net/@UKHouseOfLords

    #HouseOfLords #UKParliament #StateOpening

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uk6j9otfBRo

    MIL OSI Video –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Young people invited to apply for Mayor’s Bursary

    Source: Northern Ireland – City of Derry

    Young people invited to apply for Mayor’s Bursary

    3 March 2025

    The Mayor of Derry City and Strabane District Council, Councillor Lilian Seenoi Barr, has announced the launch of a Young Person’s Bursary – a £500 contribution aimed at supporting the growth and development of one young person with a talent or skill they wish to nurture but who may lack the financial means to do so.

    The bursary is open to young people across the entire Derry City and Strabane District Council area and is designed to offer a helping hand to someone from a low-income, socially disadvantaged, or vulnerable background.
    It could support the development of artistic abilities such as music or drama or help a young person build employability skills that will benefit their future.

    Speaking at the launch, Mayor Barr expressed her enthusiasm for providing meaningful support to a young person with ambitions to grow and thrive.
    “The Young Person’s Bursary is a small but important contribution, a hand up to help a young person in our community develop their potential. Whether it’s a creative talent like music or drama or an employability skill they wish to strengthen, this bursary is about allowing them to build their confidence, enhance their abilities, and pursue their dreams.
    “Engaging with young people and giving them a voice has been a key focus of my Mayoral year, and I’m delighted to offer this support. While applications must come from organisations that support children and young people aged 0-18 years from disadvantaged backgrounds within the Derry City and Strabane District Council area, they must specifically nominate the individual young person who will benefit from the bursary.
    “Individual young people cannot apply directly but are encouraged to reach out to the organisations they are involved with to express their interest in being considered. Schools can also apply. I hope this bursary will empower the successful candidate to overcome challenges, build their skills, and become more actively involved in their local community.”

    The Mayor has recorded a video message to invite young people to apply that can be viewed on her social media pages.
    For more information on the criteria and details on how to apply visit here
    The deadline for applications is Friday March 28th 2025.

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: National campaign supports LGBTQ+ community to consider fostering or adoption

    Source: City of Leicester

    A NATIONAL campaign is calling for people from the LGBTQ+ community to consider becoming foster carers or adoptive parents.

    More children than ever require fostering or adoption in Leicester, and LGBTQ+ Adoption & Fostering Week, which launches today (3 March), celebrates the contribution of the LGBTQ+ community whilst also highlighting the possibilities for future foster carers or adopters.

    Led by LGBTQ+ adoption and fostering peer support charity New Family Social and supported locally by Leicester City Council and Family Adoption Links Leicester, this year’s campaign aims to encourage more members of the LGBTQ+ community to consider fostering or adoption.

    Despite members of the LGBTQ+ community already accounting for a high percentage of adopters and foster carers, there is still an urgent need for more people to come forward for both adoption and fostering in the city.

    Family Adoption Links Leicester currently has 16 children awaiting adoption, and with over 600 children and young people in the care of Leicester City Council, the need to recruit foster carer households for some of the most vulnerable children in Leicester is vital.

    One-year-old Archie is just one child in foster care awaiting an adoptive family. His social worker said: “Archie has the biggest smile and such a cheeky face, he is described as a dream to look after, a happy and bright baby who is very laid back.”

    Many other children in Leicester are seeking short-term or long-term foster homes or adoptive families.

    If you are hoping to grow your family through adoption or fostering, the city council holds regular information events where you can find out more. The next fostering event takes place tomorrow, 4 March, from 6pm-8pm. For more information and to book, please visit Leicester City Council Fostering | Eventbrite.

    For adoption, there is an information event on Wednesday 5 March at 6.30pm. For more information, please visit www.familyadoptionlinks.org.uk.

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Coventry supports Covid-19 Day of Reflection

    Source: City of Coventry

    Coventry is marking the Covid-19 National Day of Reflection on Sunday 9 March with a large pavement artwork, placed inside the Cathedral Ruins.

    It will offer members of the public the opportunity to spend a moment of reflection on the impact of the pandemic on their families, the city, nationally and its devastating effect across the world.

    The artwork will provide a beautiful, quiet space for private thoughts and shared experiences.

    The installation will be unveiled by the Deputy Leader of Coventry City Council and other invited guests, including representatives from University Hospitals Coventry and Warwickshire (UHCW) NHS Trust, in the ruins of Coventry Cathedral.

    Deputy Leader of Coventry City Council, Cllr Abdul Salam Khan said, “The pandemic affected all communities and residents, and as we always do in this city, we all stood together to support those who suffered at this challenging time.

    “As a city we came together to reach out in any way we could to support vulnerable members of our community and anyone who needed help. I’m proud that the city played a leading role in the roll-out of the vaccines and the hope and support it provided to people during such a momentous time.”

    “I hope this piece of art gives a place of peace and quiet reflection to anyone who feels they would like to come and have a few moments to reflect on what was a challenging and worrying time for us all.”

    UHCW NHS Trust was awarded the Freedom of the City by the council in July 2022 as a thank you for the efforts of its staff in supporting Coventry through the pandemic, including delivering the world’s first Covid-19 vaccine in December 2020.

    The pavement artwork will be in place for one day with the Cathedral Ruins being open during normal daytime opening hours of 10am to 4pm.

    Local street artist, Katie O, has been commissioned to produce the artwork which will be secular and reflect the human experience of loss and the city’s role in tackling the pandemic. 

    Katie O, said: “I’m grateful for the opportunity to mark this important day. I think lockdown showed us how the arts can play a powerful part in connecting with people, our emotions and community. Showing compassion and empathy is an important gift to share. I hope the artwork speaks to people who lost loved ones, who struggled mentally, and physically, and reminds us we are united through our care and love for others.” 

    Later in the day, Coventry Cathedral will be conducting a themed Evensong at 4pm.

    Sunday 9 March 2025 is a national Covid Day of Reflection.

    People are invited to:

    • remember and commemorate those who lost their lives since the pandemic began
    • reflect on the sacrifices made by many, and on the impact of the pandemic on us all
    • pay tribute to the work of health and social care staff, frontline workers and researchers
    • appreciate those who volunteered and showed acts of kindness during this unprecedented time

    Find more information on the Covid-19 Day of Reflection.

    Monday, 3rd March 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI Canada: Prime Minister announces Dennis King as Canada’s next Ambassador to Ireland

    Source: Government of Canada – Prime Minister

    The Prime Minister, Justin Trudeau, today announced that Dennis King has been appointed as Canada’s next Ambassador to Ireland.

    Mr. King is a proud Islander with a proven track record of public service. As Premier of Prince Edward Island, he helped drive progress on key priorities such as health care, education, economic development, and job creation. He also navigated the province through significant challenges, including natural disasters and the COVID‑19 pandemic.

    Canada and Ireland are close friends and partners. As Ambassador, Mr. King will advance our shared priorities, including strengthening transatlantic security, growing our economies, reducing emissions, expanding trade and investment, and building a better future for people on both sides of the Atlantic.

    Quote

    “I congratulate Dennis King on his appointment as Canada’s Ambassador to Ireland. With his years of experience in public service, including as the Premier of Prince Edward Island, I am confident that he will serve Canada well and make the strong partnership between our two countries even stronger.”

    Quick Facts

    • Canada is represented in Ireland by an embassy in Dublin. In Canada, Ireland is represented by an embassy in Ottawa and consulates in Vancouver and Toronto.
    • Over 4.4 million Canadians, or 12 per cent of the population, claim at least partial Irish ancestry, making Irish the third-largest ethnic group in Canada.

    Biographical Note

    Associated Link

    MIL OSI Canada News –

  • MIL-OSI Economics: Huawei’s Yang Chaobin: AI-Centric Network Solution Helps Carriers Seize AI Opportunities Mar 03, 2025

    Source: Huawei

    Headline: Huawei’s Yang Chaobin: AI-Centric Network Solution Helps Carriers Seize AI Opportunities
    Mar 03, 2025

    [Barcelona, Spain, March 3, 2025] At the Huawei Product & Solution Launch during MWC Barcelona 2025, Yang Chaobin, Huawei’s Director of the Board and CEO of the ICT Business Group, launched the company’s AI-Centric Network solution.
    According to Yang, the emergence of high-quality, low-cost, and open-source AI models will give rise to a wide range of new innovation in applications and accelerate the advent of an intelligent world.
    Advancements in AI will transform society at three levels. It will enable a truly individualized experience for consumers, drive intelligent collaboration in organizations, and lay the groundwork for more inclusive intelligence for everyone.
    Yang Chaobin, Huawei’s Director of the Board and CEO of the ICT Business Group, speaking at the Huawei Product & Solution Launch

    As for the ICT industry, while evolving technology and a more diverse range of application scenarios will create unprecedented growth opportunities, they will also raise the bar for network infrastructure. To make the most of these opportunities, carriers need to make sweeping breakthroughs in network bandwidth, latency, coverage, and O&M.
    “Huawei’s AI-Centric Network solution is designed to address these needs,” said Yang. “It revolutionizes network capabilities to enable all-domain connectivity. It will power a shift towards application-oriented O&M, and will reshape telecom service and business models to take full advantage of new opportunities presented by AI.”
    AI-centric networks – A four-layered approach
    Yang expanded on the challenges carriers face moving forward, explaining how Huawei’s solution can help them better prepare for a surge of new AI-powered applications.
    All-domain connectivity. With more in-depth collaboration between AI and networks, carriers will be able to optimize resource orchestration for routing, bandwidth, and so on. This will provide intelligent applications with universal network access, ultra-high uplink and downlink, and SLA assurance.
    Application-oriented O&M. Advances in AI applications will give rise to more complex service scenarios and massively diverse experience requirements. This will necessitate a shift from traditional, resource-oriented network O&M to a more application-oriented approach. Huawei’s Telecom Foundation Model supports predictive and proactive O&M, experience optimization based on application-level awareness, and tailored, more fine-grained operations. Carriers will be able to significantly enhance the efficiency of network O&M while taking user experience to entirely new levels.
    Enhanced AI-to-X services. At the individual user level, AI-centric networks can deliver the right experience for different AI scenarios by assigning the exact levels of bandwidth, latency, and reliability needed. At the organizational level, they can break through bottlenecks in capacity and response times configured for person-to-person interactions, evolving networks to support person-to-agent and even agent-to-agent interactivity. And at the societal level, AI-centric networks will enable ubiquitous connectivity to speed up AI adoption in public services like education and healthcare, providing more inclusive value for communities around the world.
    Innovative business models. Finally, different experience requirements will give carriers the opportunity to explore new business models that monetize a broader range of metrics. Essentially, AI-centric networks will allow carriers to go beyond traditional traffic-based monetization and start monetizing experience itself. This will unleash the full potential of connectivity and open up new revenue streams.
    “We need to join hands and work together across the telecom industry,” Yang Chaobin concluded. “By exposing network capabilities, collaborating with different industries, and engaging in scenario-specific innovation, we can make the most of new growth opportunities in the age of AI, and bring the world one step closer to a brighter, more intelligent future.”
    MWC Barcelona 2025 is held from March 3 to March 6 in Barcelona, Spain. During the event, Huawei will showcase its latest products and solutions at stand 1H50 in Fira Gran Via Hall 1.
    In 2025, commercial 5G-Advanced deployment will accelerate, and AI will help carriers reshape business, infrastructure, and O&M. Huawei is actively working with carriers and partners around the world to accelerate the transition towards an intelligent world.
    For more information, please visit: https://carrier.huawei.com/en/events/mwc2025

    MIL OSI Economics –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: The GUU team beat the Moscow Hockey Academy

    Translartion. Region: Russians Fedetion –

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

    The State University of Management hockey team won an important victory over the Moscow Hockey Academy team!

    The exciting meeting ended with a score of 9:3. This result allowed our team to rise to 3rd place in the National Student Hockey League standings!

    The following contributed to the victory: defenders Maxim Lykhin and Vladimir Nikitin – the first goal for the team, forward Stanislav Akhayan, who scored twice and made an assist, defender Alexander Arsentyev – the author of an assist hat-trick, as well as Ilya Babkin, Mikhail Gubin and Timofey Katkov.

    Defender Pavel Afanasyev, who previously played in the Youth Hockey League, made a bright debut. He scored the seventh goal against MAKH and was also named the best player of the match.

    Subscribe to the TG channel “Our GUU” Date of publication: 03.03.2025

    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 –

  • MIL-OSI: Jeito Capital announces significant participation in $187 million Series A financing for Callio Therapeutics to advance innovative multi-payload ADC programs designed to maximize therapeutic benefit for cancer patients

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    Jeito Capital announces significant participation in $187 million Series A financing for Callio Therapeutics to advance innovative multi-payload ADC programs designed to maximize therapeutic benefit for cancer patients

    • Callio Therapeutics is a biotechnology company developing multi-payload ADCs with technology and programs exclusively in-licensed from Singapore-based Hummingbird Bioscience
    • Investment will contribute to achieve clinical proof-of-concept for
      Callio’s HER-2-targeted dual-payload ADC and a second undisclosed ADC program
    • Jeito’s investment reinforces its commitment to cutting-edge oncology innovations addressing treatment resistance and improving patient outcomes

    Paris, March 3rd2025 – Jeito Capital (“Jeito”), a global leading independent Private Equity fund dedicated to biopharma, announced today its significant participation in the $187 million (€180.2 million1) Series A financing round in Callio Therapeutics (“Callio”), a newly launched biotechnology company focused on realizing the promise of multi-payload antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs) to improve cancer therapy.

    Callio Therapeutics was founded by Frazier Life Sciences to develop next-generation multi-payload antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs) based on technology and programs exclusively in-licensed from Singapore-based Hummingbird Bioscience. The company is led by co-founder and CEO Piers Ingram, PhD, alongside a founding management team with deep expertise in ADC development bringing experience from leading biotechnology and biopharmaceutical companies (including Hummingbird Bioscience, ProfoundBio, Silverback Therapeutics, SeaGen, Medarex, and Genentech).

    The $187 million Series A financing was led by Frazier Life Sciences with significant participation from Jeito alongside an investment syndicate including Novo Holdings A/S Omega Funds, ClavystBio, Platanus, Norwest, Pureos Bioventures, SEEDS Capital and EDBI. The strength of this syndicate underscores the broad confidence in Callio’s innovative ADC platform and its potential to reshape cancer therapy.

    Callio Therapeutics will use the proceeds from the Series A financing to achieve clinical proof-of-concept for its HER2-targeted dual-payload ADC and a second undisclosed ADC program, all designed to maximize therapeutic benefit for cancer patients by overcoming the limitations of single-payload therapies. By enabling the targeted delivery of rational drug combinations to tumor cells, Callio’s approach has the potential to significantly enhance efficacy and address resistance mechanisms.

    Rachel Mears, Partner at Jeito will join Callio’s Board of Director as Board member.

    Through this investment, Jeito reinforces its commitment to supporting transformative oncology innovations that address key resistance mechanisms in cancer treatment. Callio’s differentiated multi-payload ADC platform aligns with Jeito’s investment thesis of backing high-potential biopharma companies developing next-generation therapies with the potential for global leadership.

    Dr Rafaèle Tordjman, MD, PhD, Founder and CEO of Jeito Capital said: “We are pleased to support Callio Therapeutics as it advances its differentiated multi-payload ADC platform to address some of the biggest challenges in oncology. As long-standing investors in this therapeutic area, we recognize the quality and potential of Callio’s approach to overcome resistance mechanisms and improve outcomes for patients with hard-to-treat cancers. At Jeito, we believe that strategic collaboration and bold innovation are key to accelerating the next generation of targeted therapies, and we look forward to working alongside the Callio team to bring these advances to patients in need. “

    Rachel Mears, Parner at Jeito Capital added: “Callio is a highly innovative company that benefits from an experienced management team and deep expertise in oncology, where new therapies remain highly needed for those suffering from various forms of cancer. We look forward to collaborating with Callio’s team through our collective knowledge and expertise in both ADC and oncology with the ambition to go faster to patients with high unmet needs. “

    Piers Ingram, PhD, co-founder and Chief Executive Officer of Callio Therapeutics concluded: “We are delighted to be launching Callio Therapeutics with this very strong syndicate of investors. Multi-payload ADCs have the potential to enable the targeted delivery of rational drug combinations to cancer cells, and may provide significantly enhanced efficacy. This new generation of ADC therapies may meaningfully improve outcomes for patients.”

    About Jeito Capital
    Jeito Capital is a global leading Private Equity fund with a patient benefit driven approach that finances and accelerates the development and growth of ground-breaking medical innovation. Jeito empowers and supports managers through its expert, integrated, multi-talented team and through the investment of significant capital to ensure the growth of companies, building market leaders in their respective therapeutic areas with accelerated patients’ access globally, especially in Europe and the United States. Jeito Capital has €534 million under management and a rapidly growing portfolio of investments. Jeito Capital is based in Paris with a presence in Europe and the United States.
    For more information, please visit www.jeito.life or follow us on LinkedIn or X.

    About Callio Therapeutics
    Headquartered in Seattle and Singapore, Callio Therapeutics is focused on realizing the promise of multi-payload antibody-drug conjugates to transform cancer patient outcomes. The company is developing next-generation, multi-payload antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs) that feature differentiated payload and linker technologies that enable targeted delivery of multi agents to tumor cells to maximize therapeutic benefit. Callio Therapeutics’ lead program is a HER2-targeted dual-payload ADC. Callio Therapeutics was created by Frazier Life Sciences, a longstanding investment firm focused on innovative therapeutics, based on ADC technology and programs exclusively in-licensed from Hummingbird Bioscience. For more information , please visit www.calliotx.com and follow Callio Therapeutics on LinkedIn.

    Contacts:
    Jeito Capital                                        
    Rafaèle Tordjman, Founder & CEO
    Jessica Fadel, EA
    Tel: +33 6 33 44 25 47

    Maior
    Stéphanie Elbaz – Tel: +33 6 46 05 08 07

    ICR Healthcare
    Mary-Jane Elliott / Davide Salvi / Kris Lam
    Jeito@icrhealthcare.com
    Tel: +44 (0) 20 3709 5700

    1EUR/USD exchange rate: 1 EUR = 1.0377 USD date February 7, 2025 (source: Banque de France)

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: Cegedim: Termination and implementation of a new liquidity contract

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

         

    PRESS RELEASE

    Cegedim: Termination and implementation of a new liquidity contract

    Boulogne-Billancourt, France, March 3, 2025

    Cegedim (ISIN Code: FR0000053506) terminated the previous liquidity contract with Kepler Cheuvreux on February 28, 2025.
    As of that date, the following assets were booked to the liquidity account:
    •        10,259 Cegedim shares
    •        64,286.78 euros

    Cegedim announces that it has entrusted Rothschild Martin Maurel with the implementation of a liquidity and market surveillance contract for its ordinary shares, with effect from March 3, 2025, and for a period of one year, tacitly renewable. This contract has been drawn up in accordance with current regulations, and in particular AMF Decision 2021-01 of 22 June 2021. It complies with the code of conduct of the Association Française des Marchés Financiers (AMAFI).

    The purpose of this agreement is for Rothschild Martin Maurel to act as a market maker for Cegedim shares on the regulated market of Euronext Paris in order to promote the liquidity of transactions and the regularity of the listing of Cegedim shares.

    The resources allocated to its implementation are:
    •        10,259 Cegedim shares
    •        64,286.78 euros

    This contract will be suspended in the cases provided for in article 5 of the AMF Decision; or at the request of Cegedim for technical reasons (e.g., the counting of shares with voting rights before a general meeting or the counting of shares with dividend rights before the coupon is detached) for a period defined by Cegedim.

    About Cegedim:
    Founded in 1969, Cegedim is an innovative technology and services group in the field of digital data flow management for healthcare ecosystems and B2B, and a business software publisher for healthcare and insurance professionals. Cegedim employs nearly 6,700 people in more than 10 countries and generated revenue of over €654 million in 2024.
    Cegedim SA is listed in Paris (EURONEXT: CGM).
    To learn more please visit: www.cegedim.fr
    And follow Cegedim on X: @CegedimGroup, LinkedIn, and Facebook.

    Aude Balleydier
    Cegedim
    Media Relations
    and Communications Manager

    Tel.: +33 (0)1 49 09 68 81
    aude.balleydier@cegedim.fr

    		 Damien Buffet
    Cegedim
    Head of Financial
    Communication

    Tel.: +33 (0)7 64 63 55 73
    damien.buffet@cegedim.com

    		 Céline Pardo
    Becoming RP Agency
    Media Relations Consultant

    Tel.:        +33 (0)6 52 08 13 66
    cegedim@becoming-group.com

    		  

    Attachment

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Defense News: Undersea Warriors: NATO Demonstrates Deep Collaboration in Anti-Submarine Warfare During Exercise Dynamic Manta 25

    Source: United States Navy

    Dynamic Manta builds on the success of previous iterations, incorporating new tactics, technologies and operational insights, ensuring NATO’s forces remain at the forefront of undersea warfare. The exercise prepares NATO submarine crews to respond and adapt to any type of threat below the surface.

    Hosted by Italy, the exercise was planned by NATO Allied Maritime Command (MARCOM) based in Northwood, UK. Commander Submarines NATO, US Navy Rear Admiral Bret Grabbe, said this is the largest and most complex submarine exercise to take place in the Mediterranean Sea.

    “Exercises like Dynamic Manta help NATO maintain the edge when it comes to anti-submarine warfare,” he said. “By practising coordinated operations against both conventional and advanced undersea threats, NATO continues to demonstrate its commitment to safeguarding the strategic waterways that connect member states.”

    For only the third time since the exercise began in 2013, submarine assets will also work with Allied maritime Special Operations Forces (SOF), consolidating interoperability with this critical asset. The capability of Allied SOF teams to cooperate with Allied submarines from different nations represents a force multiplier for NATO. For this iteration of the exercise, a Greek SOF team will make a landing from an Italian submarine to conduct its mission.

    The aim of Dynamic Manta is to provide all participants with complex and challenging warfare training to enhance interoperability and proficiency in anti-submarine and anti-surface warfare skills. Each participating unit will have the opportunity to conduct a variety of submarine warfare operations. The submarines will take turns hunting and being hunted, closely coordinating their efforts with the air and surface participants.

    The exercise plan to involve units, sailors and airmen from nine NATO nations.

    The submarines belong to the navies of France, Greece, Italy, Türkiye and the United States, with NATO Submarine Command (COMSUBNATO) exercising operational control on several, as required by the exercise scenario.

    Maritime Patrol Aircraft (MPA) from Canada, Germany, Greece, Portugal, Türkiye, the United Kingdom and the United States are also planning to take part, alongside Maritime Patrol Helicopters (MPH) from France, Italy and the US, supported by surface ships from Greece, Italy, Spain, Türkiye and the US.

    Standing NATO Maritime Group 2 (SNMG2) is taking part, commanded by Turkish Navy Rear Admiral H. Ilker Avci.

    As the host nation, Italy is providing support in Catania and Augusta Harbors, the naval helicopter base in Catania, Naval Air Station Sigonella, as well as support from Augusta Naval Base.

    Representing Italy during the exercise as the host nation guest is Rear Adm. Alberto Tarabotto, Commanding Officer, 4th Naval Division.

    There are two sister ASW training events as part of NATO’s continuous submarine warfare training and cooperation.  Exercise Dynamic Mongoose which takes place in the cold waters of the North Atlantic, and Playbook Merlin which takes place in the shallow waters of the Baltic Sea.

    Dynamic Manta is one of nearly a dozen MARCOM-led maritime exercises held each year in addition to numerous national exercises, which increase readiness in defense of the Alliance.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: European Day for Victims of Terrorism event – speakers announced

    Source: Traditional Unionist Voice – Northern Ireland

    Every year since the Madrid bombings in 2004 across Europe one day in March has been set aside as a Memorial Day to the victims of terrorist attacks. Following his election to the Assembly Jim Allister hosted events at Stormont to mark the occasion. His successor as TUV MLA for North Antrim, Timothy Gaston, is continuing the tradition.

    Over the years, there have been highly successful events attended by victims of Republican and Loyalist terrorism from across Northern Ireland, Great Britain, the Republic and continental Europe.

    This year’s event to mark European Day for Victims of Terrorism will be held in the Senate Chamber in Parliament Buildings at 11am on Monday 10th March with refreshments available from 10:30am.

    The press are very welcome to attend.

    Timothy Gaston explained:

    “The event will take the form of a minute of silence in memory of murdered victims, followed by three victims telling their stories so that we might hear some of the untold accounts of the consequences of terrorism, both republican and loyalist.

    “I believe this will be a worthwhile effort and in previous years I received very positive feedback from those who attended. It is but right that one of the regions of Europe most savagely ravaged by terrorism should mark this important day. I am pleased that we will hear from a cousin of Dougald McCaughey, one of the three Scottish soldiers murdered in particularly brutal circumstances in on 10th March 1971 meaning the event will take place on the anniversary of these brutal murders.

    “I am thankful for the South East Fermanagh Foundation and Ulster Human Rights Watch for making this event possible and for Assembly colleagues Mike Nesbitt and Patsy McGlone without whose co-sponsorship this event would not be taking place”.

    This year’s event will include contributions from four speakers. Their details are provided by SEFF and UHRW.

    1. Caroline D’Eath
    Daughter of Gerald D’Eath
    22nd May 1975

    Gerald was a 31-year-old Roman Catholic civilian murdered by a UVF bomb. He was married with four children and a machine operator who was from, Braeside in Dungannon.

    Gerald had been working on the building site of a new Christian Brothers school for several months and died on the site when a UVF bomb exploded. He was working as a bricklayer at the time.

    Pics provided by the family:

    Gerald D’Eath with his daughters before his death.

    Second picture is with his loving late wife Margaret.

    2. David McCaughey

    Cousin of Dougald McCaughey who was murdered by Provisional IRA terrorists alongside John and Joseph McCaig

    Three Scottish soldiers – 10th March 1971

    The soldiers were unarmed members of the 1st Battalion, Royal Highland Fusiliers.
    Dougald McCaughey, 23, was murdered along with brothers John, 17 and Joseph McCaig, 18 respectively. All three men were from Scotland.

    They were murdered when off-duty and in civilian clothes, having been lured from a city-centre bar in Belfast, driven to a remote location, and shot.

    Family, former colleagues, and friends of the three Scottish soldiers continue to fight for justice for three young men, who were much loved by many, David is a key driver in The Three Scottish Soldiers campaign group.

    3. Pamela Wilson
    Daughter of Const. David Dorsett RUC GC
    14th January 1973

    David Dorsett and Mervyn Wilson who were murdered by Provisional IRA terrorists.

    David was 37-years-old and originally from Wolverhampton and had served in the Royal Navy and the Bristol Constabulary.

    In 1967, he joined the RUC. His wife was from Londonderry. It was his son’s 8th birthday on the day he was murdered. He also had a 10-year-old daughter and an 8-month old baby girl.

    A bomb exploded beneath their car on Harbour Square.

    Both officers were serving with the force’s Traffic Branch and had been stationed at the nearby Victoria RUC station.

    Two other police officers who were in the car were also injured.

    4. Colette Murray

    Colette Murray was aged 47 years when her brother Cyril was shot dead by Loyalist terrorists on the 8th of July 1992 in the family home where they both had lived for 29 years. Their late parents and two other siblings had lived there with the latter both moving out on getting married. Cyril and Colette had put the house up for sale and were in the process of moving to a new bungalow in Randalstown which they were having built and which was ready for occupation ten days after the incident.

    Cyril Murray was a law-abiding citizen who had taught in a primary school in Belfast. He was well regarded in educational circles as an inspirational teacher and many past pupils had fond memories of him.

    The terrorists later stated it was a case of mistaken identity.

    Two individuals were later convicted and sentenced. As a result of the 1998 Belfast Agreement these individuals would only have served a minimum of 4 years and a maximum of 8 years for their heinous crimes.

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: New community shop opens for Wolverhampton residents

    Source: City of Wolverhampton

    Residents in Bushbury and surrounding areas will have the new community shop on their doorstep after it’s relocation from Low Hill Community centre. Anyone in the city will be able to reduce the cost of their weekly shop by popping in for a wide range of food from fresh fruit and vegetables to store cupboard items and fresh bread.

    It’s the latest community shop to join the city wide network, which also includes the flagship shop and Pomegranate Café at the Queen’s Building in Victoria Square in the city centre.

    Shoppers can save a lot of money every week on groceries by using the community shops instead of major supermarkets.

    The council helped create the shops with an initial investment from the government’s Household Support Fund and provides on-going support, but they are run day to day by staff and volunteers at community centres and hubs.

    Leader of the City of Wolverhampton Council, Councillor Stephen Simkins said he was glad the council had been able to work with the community to create this new shop.

    ‘These shops are for everyone who lives in Wolverhampton and have already helped many residents across the city save so much money on their weekly food bills over the last few years.

    ‘The council is committed to the future of community shops, as they really do offer a way for people to do the best for their families in these difficult times. They also help our local economy, which helps everyone in the city in the long-term.

    ‘This is just one of the many ways as a council we’re trying to help our citizens deal with the on-going challenges of the high cost of living. Food remains the number one item in regards to cost of living, with which residents need our help.’

    Kim Payne, WV10 Consortium Partnership manager said: ‘Opening a community shop here at Fifth Avenue will be a fantastic source of support for local people that will complement other services provided here at the community centre by Bushbury Hill Estate Management board and WV10 Consortium.

    ‘Please drop by and see what’s on offer, we’ll have plenty of fresh produce and seasonal deals as well as every day essentials for healthy and tasty meals.’

    For more information visit WV10 Consortium and for more details about other community shops across the city and other cost of living support available from the council check out our web pages.

    Pocket to Plate is another key project the council developed to help residents provide nutritious and tasty food for themselves and their families on a budget.

    Community chefs Prince and Simon, who both work out of Fifth Avenue, also join forces with self-taught cook and tiktok star Mitch Lane every Thursday to release new recipes and how to cook them as part of Pocket to Plate.

    Follow @pocketoplate now on Instagram, tiktok and youtube to view the latest and keep an eye out for them using produce from the shop to inspire your next home-cooked meal.      

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI: Alliance Memory to Feature Latest Innovations at Embedded World 2025

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    KIRKLAND, Wash., March 03, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Alliance Memory will display its expanded product portfolio at Embedded World 2025, taking place March 11-13 at the Nuremberg Exhibition Centre in Nuremberg, Germany. In Stand 3A-215, the company will introduce its new 32Mb fast SRAM, DDR4 and LPDDR4X SDRAMs, and high-density Serial NOR Flash devices, all of which enhance device performance with higher density, low power consumption, and rapid data transfer rates to meet the needs of modern applications.

    “Our latest offerings underscore our commitment to meeting the evolving needs of the market with memory solutions that boost efficiency and reliability,” said David Bagby, president and CEO of Alliance Memory. “The new 32Mb fast SRAM, advanced DDR4 and LPDDR4X SDRAMs, and our high-capacity Serial NOR Flash devices are designed to provide our customers with the performance they require for today’s competitive technology landscape.”

    FEATURED PRODUCTS

    32Mb Fast SRAM: Alliance Memory’s newly introduced 32Mb fast SRAM in a 48-ball FBGA package provides a wide power supply range and fast access times, making it ideal for a variety of high-speed applications.

    DDR4 SDRAMs: The company has expanded its CMOS DDR4 SDRAM offerings with 8Gb, 16Gb, and 32Gb devices that combine fast clock speeds up to 1600MHz and transfer rates up to 3200MT/s. The DDR4 SDRAM are available in 78-ball and 96-ball FBGA packages.

    LPDDR4X SDRAM: For mobile and high-performance applications, the new 16Gb LPDDR4X device features increased clock speeds and higher data rates in a 200-ball FBGA package.

    High-Density Serial NOR Flash Devices: New additions to the Serial NOR Flash family include 128Mb, 256Mb, and 512Mb densities, offering flexible, high-performance memory solutions for a broad range of applications, from mobile PCs to connectivity modules.

    To schedule an appointment with Alliance Memory at Embedded World 2025 or for more information about the company’s new products, please contact Bob Decker at bob.decker@redpinesgroup.com.

    About Alliance Memory
    Alliance Memory is a worldwide provider of critical and hard-to-find memory ICs for the communications, computing, consumer electronics, medical, automotive, and industrial markets. The company’s product range includes flash, DRAM, and SRAM memory ICs with commercial, industrial, and automotive operating temperature ranges and densities from 64Kb to 128GB. Privately held, Alliance Memory maintains headquarters in Kirkland, Washington, and regional offices in Europe, Asia, Canada, and South America. More information about Alliance Memory is available online at www.alliancememory.com.

    Agency Contact:
    Bob Decker
    Redpines
    +1 415 409 0233
    bob.decker@redpinesgroup.com

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: STMicroelectronics announces new capabilities of NB-IoT and geolocation module, now certified for Deutsche Telekom networks

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    STMicroelectronics announces new capabilities of NB-IoT and geolocation module, now certified for Deutsche Telekom networks

    • The ST87M01 module now adds Wi-Fi positioning feature for robust geolocation indoors and in dense urban areas and discloses its adherence to Remote SIM Provisioning ecosystem
    • Certification by Deutsche Telekom expands access to customers across Europe

    Geneva, Switzerland, March 3, 2025 – STMicroelectronics (NYSE: STM), a global semiconductor leader serving customers across the spectrum of electronics applications, has announced that its ST87M01 NB-IoT and geolocation module adds new, extended functionalities and is now fully certified for connection to Deutsche Telekom (DT) networks.

    The ST87M01 module, NB-IoT release 15 certified, combines connectivity and geolocation capabilities in a single small package. Compliant with the 3GPP and regional standards such as the EU Radio Equipment Directive (RED), the module contains optional GSMA-compliant embedded SIM with secure element and GNSS receiver. With the latest updates, the ST87M01 now adds Wi-Fi positioning that enables robust geolocation indoors and in dense urban areas where GNSS positioning may be compromised.

    The ST87M01 module combined with the ST’s ST4SIM-300 embedded SIM is also suitable for Remote SIM Provisioning, adherent to GSMA SGP.32 standard, which lets users switch between different mobile network operators without a physical SIM card change.
    Completing the DT test program is the latest in a series of successful demonstrations with many mobile network operators and confirms the compliance with stringent performance and efficiency criteria for the ST87M01.

    “Certification by Deutsche Telekom is an important differentiator for our NB-IoT and geolocation module, which accredits us to customers throughout the entire European region,” said Domenico Arrigo, General Manager, Application Specific Product Division, STMicroelectronics. “This achievement attests to the highest standards of performance and behavior on the network and efficient use of connectivity.”

    “We have tested the STMicroelectronics ST87M01 module according to stringent proprietary and industry standards, developed to ensure safe, reliable, and efficient connections. The results confirm that this NB-IoT module is suitable and fully certified for high-volume IoT projects on Deutsche Telekom networks,” said Uday Patil, Head of IoT Devices & Services, Deutsche Telekom.

    The ST87M01 module is also approved by the Global Certification Forum (GCF), which promotes interoperability of mobile and IoT products.

    For more information, please go to www.st.com/st87m01.

    ST87M01 demonstrations at Mobile World Congress and embedded world 2025

    ST will showcase the ST87M01 module and its new features at the upcoming Mobile World Congress in Barcelona (Hall 7, A61) and embedded world event in Nuremberg (Hall 4A, 148) in March 2025.

    Demonstrating powerful IoT use cases, ST will highlight Remote SIM Provisioning (RSP) compliant with the GSMA’s SGP.32 specification that caters specifically for mass deployment of IoT devices. The demonstration will show how device owners can provision and activate new mobile network operator (MNO) profiles, seamlessly and securely, using an intuitive dashboard application. The ability to switch easily between different cellular networks delivers tremendous convenience for different IoT applications, giving users flexibility to choose their mobile network operator and switch remotely without physically replacing the SIM card in the final product.

    In addition, demonstrating the latest Wi-Fi positioning capability will show how the ST87M01 can determine its own location accurately based on proximity to registered Wi-Fi access points. Wi-Fi positioning compares unique identifiers with the access point database to determine geographic location, with accuracy comparable to GNSS. This capability allows continuous and accurate geolocation in places where GNSS signals may be unavailable, such as factories or offices, shopping malls, covered parking, or multi-level roadways.

    About STMicroelectronics
    At ST, we are 50,000 creators and makers of semiconductor technologies mastering the semiconductor supply chain with state-of-the-art manufacturing facilities. An integrated device manufacturer, we work with more than 200,000 customers and thousands of partners to design and build products, solutions, and ecosystems that address their challenges and opportunities, and the need to support a more sustainable world. Our technologies enable smarter mobility, more efficient power and energy management, and the wide-scale deployment of cloud-connected autonomous things. We are on track to be carbon neutral in all direct and indirect emissions (scopes 1 and 2), product transportation, business travel, and employee commuting emissions (our scope 3 focus), and to achieve our 100% renewable electricity sourcing goal by the end of 2027.

    Further information can be found at www.st.com.

    INVESTOR RELATIONS
    Jérôme Ramel
    EVP Corporate Development & Integrated External Communication
    Tel: +41.22.929.59.20
    jerome.ramel@st.com

    MEDIA RELATIONS
    Alexis Breton
    Corporate External Communications
    Tel: +33.6.59.16.79.08
    alexis.breton@st.com

    Attachments

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: Extension of the term of office of a Member of the Management Board of Bigbank AS 

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    The supervisory board of Bigbank AS has decided on 28 February 2025 to extend the term of office of Martin Länts, Ken Kanarik and Ingo Põder as the members of the management board of Bigbank AS for another 3 years, beginning from the end of the previous term until 15 March 2028.

    The management board of Bigbank AS will continue with five members: Martin Länts (Chairman of the management board), Ken Kanarik, Argo Kiltsmann Ingo Põder and Mart Veskimägi.

    Bigbank AS (www.bigbank.eu), with over 30 years of operating history, is a commercial bank owned by Estonian capital. As of 31 January 2025, the bank’s total assets amounted to 2.9 billion euros, with equity of 273 million euros. Operating in nine countries, the bank serves more than 168,000 active customers and employs over 500 people. The credit rating agency Moody’s has assigned Bigbank a long-term bank deposit rating of Ba1, along with a baseline credit assessment (BCA) and an adjusted BCA of Ba2.

    Argo Kiltsmann
    Member of the Management Board
    Telephone: +372 5393 0833
    E-mail: argo.kiltsmann@bigbank.ee
    www.bigbank.ee 

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI Global: We need to switch to heat pumps fast – but can they overcome this problem?

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Jack Marley, Environment + Energy Editor, UK edition

    StockMediaSeller/Shutterstock

    People in the UK need to adopt heat pumps and electric vehicles as fast as they once embraced refrigerators, mobile phones and internet connection according to a new report by the Climate Change Committee (CCC).

    This government watchdog says the next 15 years will be critical for decarbonising the UK, one of the world’s largest (and earliest) carbon polluters. Eighty-seven percent of its climate-heating emissions must be eliminated by 2040 to keep the country on track for net zero emissions by mid-century, per the report. The majority (60%) of these cuts are expected to come via a single source: electricity.

    This roundup of The Conversation’s climate coverage comes from our award-winning weekly climate action newsletter. Every Wednesday, The Conversation’s environment editor writes Imagine, a short email that goes a little deeper into just one climate issue. Join the 40,000+ readers who’ve subscribed.

    Out of possible alternatives to a fossil fuelled economy, electrification has emerged as the favoured solution of experts at the CCC.

    Ran Boydell, an associate professor in sustainable development at Heriot-Watt University, agrees. “Home boilers will very soon move into the realm of nostalgia,” he says.



    Read more:
    UK ban on boilers in new homes rules out hydrogen as a heating source

    The reason why heat pumps are increasingly touted as the future of home heating – and not retooled boilers that burn hydrogen instead of methane – is efficiency.

    Boydell points out that green hydrogen fuel is made using electricity from solar and wind farms. We could eliminate emissions a lot quicker, he argues, if that electricity went directly to heat pumps instead.

    Electricity can be turned into a fuel – or power appliances directly.
    Piyaset/Shutterstock

    “This is because you end up with only two-thirds of the energy in the hydrogen that you started with from the electricity,” he says.

    Likewise, battery-powered vehicles have an advantage that has allowed them to race ahead of hydrogen fuel cells to comprise almost a fifth of all new vehicles sold in the UK in 2024.

    “An electric vehicle can be recharged wherever there is access to a plug socket,” say Tom Stacey and Chris Ivory, supply chain experts at Anglia Ruskin University. “The infrastructure that exists to support hydrogen vehicles is limited in comparison and will require extensive investment to introduce.”



    Read more:
    The days of the hydrogen car are already over

    If the route to zero emissions is largely settled, we need to travel it quickly.

    Electric dreams

    One of the fastest energy transitions in history occurred over a decade in South Korea, according to energy system researchers James Price and Steve Pye (UCL). Between 1977 and 1987, the generation of electricity from oil in the east Asian country collapsed – from roughly 7 million gigawatt-hours to nearly 7,000 – and was replaced with, among other sources, nuclear power.

    There are historic analogues for the rapid shift necessary to arrest climate change. But a zero-carbon power sector, which the UK government aims to achieve by 2030, is just the start.



    Read more:
    For developing world to quit coal, rich countries must eliminate oil and gas faster – new study

    “Wind and solar, which provide more than 28% of the UK’s electricity, will soon overtake gas as the main generation source as more wind farms come online,” say energy system modeller Andrew Crossland and engineer Jon Gluyas, both of Durham University.

    “But successive governments have failed to achieve the same result in homes and communities where so much high-carbon gas is burned, despite their decarbonisation being critical to net zero.”



    Read more:
    Is Britain on track for a zero-carbon power sector in six years?

    Crossland and Gluyas note that solar panels, batteries and heat pumps can be installed “in days” to rapidly cut emissions, and that doing so would create “skilled jobs across the country”. As things stand, however, it would also present a severe challenge to the grid.

    Mechanical engineer Florimond Gueniat of Birmingham City University predicts that converting UK transport to battery power wholesale would require expanding grid capacity by 46% – the equivalent of erecting 5,800 skyscraper-sized wind turbines. And that’s even accounting for the greater efficiency of electric vehicles, which waste less of the energy we put into them compared with oil-powered cars.



    Read more:
    Switching to electric vehicles will push the power grid to the brink

    A massive upgrade to the electricity network is needed, and ordinary people have a part to play. Charging cars could serve as batteries that grid operators draw from during a supply pinch. The same goes for the power generated by solar panels on top of houses.

    “Such policies in Germany have … already offset 10% of the national demand,” says Gueniat.

    Getting to net zero requires the public’s involvement. But some of the CCC’s advice may be difficult to swallow. Not least the implication that people will have to eat 35% less meat and dairy in 2050 compared with 2019.



    Read more:
    The UK must make big changes to its diets, farming and land use to hit net zero – official climate advisers

    So are people ready for a world that runs on electrons alone? Aimee Ambrose, a professor of energy policy at Sheffield Hallam University, thinks heat pumps will struggle to compete with the inviting warmth of wood stoves and coal fires. Over three years she spoke with hundreds of people in the UK, Finland, Sweden and Romania and found strong attachments to high-carbon fuels even among people committed to solving climate change.

    The allure of the wood stove is hard to ignore.
    Jaromir Chalabala/Shutterstock



    Read more:
    Heat pumps have a cosiness problem

    Human behaviour is the most difficult variable for experts who study climate change to model. There will certainly be drawbacks to abandoning fossil fuelled conveniences at breakneck speed. Yet, there are bound to be benefits too – some of which might only materialise once we get going.

    In mid-April 2020, while much of humanity was under some form of lockdown to halt the spread of COVID-19, atmospheric chemist Paul Monks of the University of Leicester was marvelling at the sudden drop in air pollution, which kills millions of people each year and is predominantly caused by burning coal, oil and gas.

    “If there is something positive to take from this terrible crisis, it could be that it’s offered a taste of the air we might breathe in a low-carbon future,” he said.



    Read more:
    Coronavirus: lockdown’s effect on air pollution provides rare glimpse of low-carbon future

    – ref. We need to switch to heat pumps fast – but can they overcome this problem? – https://theconversation.com/we-need-to-switch-to-heat-pumps-fast-but-can-they-overcome-this-problem-249658

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Governments can keep raiding takeaways and nail bars, but businesses will still employ undocumented migrants

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Aida Hajro, Chair in International Business, University of Leeds, and Founding Co-Director of Migration, Business & Society, University of Leeds

    hxdbzxy/Shutterstock

    The UK is far from the only country to be caught in a heated debate over its migration system and border security. Unfortunately, it is unlikely to get its response right, because the UK debate ignores a fundamental truth: migration trends largely follow economic cycles and labour demand.

    It is well-documented that immigration increases during periods of economic growth and declines during downturns. Furthermore, Brexit has aggravated the UK’s labour shortages – a pinch being felt across nearly every work sector.

    Nearly 40% of UK businesses have not been able to grow or take advantage of new opportunities because of these labour shortages.

    Public discussions, including recent news coverage, tend to focus on border control and enforcement while overlooking the economic realities that shape migration. Past and present UK governments have largely failed to address the fact that migration is driven by the needs of UK businesses – and is often facilitated by informal recruitment systems, due to the lack of efficient legal migration channels.

    Our recent research backs up the idea that demand for labour is a major driver of both documented and undocumented (also known as “irregular”) immigration. Despite not being legally allowed to work, undocumented migrants are still sought after because of the shortages.



    Read more:
    Irregular, not illegal: what the UK government’s language reveals about its new approach to immigration

    Efforts to “crack down” on irregular migration often fail because businesses – especially in sectors like agriculture, healthcare, construction and the service industry – continue to rely on these workers. So without addressing labour shortages and recruitment practices, policies to restrict migration won’t work.

    But who bears the cost of migration? It’s not the UK government.

    Like most countries, the UK requires prospective workers to obtain a work visa while they are still in their country of origin. Getting this paperwork done is costly and complicated. A worker needs to apply, certify translations of the required documents, in some cases undergo a medical examination, cover travel expenses, pay the visa application fee, and show proof that they have enough personal savings to support themselves in the UK.

    For example, Nepalese workers pay around £6,000 to emigrate to Europe. This can amount to four years of wages for low-income workers there.

    To get to the UK, many rely on licensed recruitment agencies, known as “sponsors”. However, neither these sponsors nor the employers who desperately need workers are legally required to cover the costs of migration. For instance, the UK’s seasonal worker scheme, designed to provide much-needed labour for agriculture, does not require employers to pay for visa fees or recruitment expenses.

    This is a major weakness in the system, as it leaves the burden of migration costs on prospective workers – people who are ready to take on low-paid and seasonal jobs that UK citizens often avoid. To pay their way, many of these workers borrow from private money-lenders in their home countries, whose monthly interest rates can be excessive. Unsurprisingly, some turn to people smugglers.

    These smugglers often operate a business model that offers shortcuts for entering the UK, frequently making false promises about the length of employment and wages on offer. Studies show that most migrants are aware of the severe risks involved in using these illicit services, yet they still do due to the lack of better alternatives.

    The Employer Pays Principle

    Crossing the Channel is not the primary source of undocumented migration into the UK. The main issue is people overstaying legally granted visas, as the renewal process is complex and costly.

    It is no secret in the business world that migrant workers are exposed to significant costs just to access employment. To address this, the Institute for Human Rights and Business – a UK-based thinktank – introduced the Employer Pays Principle (EPP). This asserts that the costs of migration should be paid not by the workers but by employers. Leading corporations in the UK including Unilever, Morrisons, Waitrose and IHG Hotels & Resorts have adopted EPP.

    However, embracing this principle can be much more challenging for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). The more-than-800 premises, including nail salons and takeaways, raided across the UK in January 2025 are unlikely to have the human resources and financial means to cover migration costs for the workers they need. Issuing civil penalty notices and demanding that SMEs pay £60,000 per worker if found liable will not solve the problem of undocumented workers.

    In general, punitive policies do not stop migration. They simply make it more precarious for already vulnerable people.

    And the government’s social media campaigns in countries like Vietnam and Albania, aimed at discouraging people from illegal travel to the UK, are also unlikely to work. The EU tried similar policies between 2015 and 2019 at a cost of nearly €45 million (£37 million) – and they largely failed.

    The UK government has run campaigns aimed at discouraging would-be migrants from Vietnam.

    To prevent undocumented migration, firms in need of workers should take responsibility for covering the actual costs of migration. Large firms should be legally required to do so, while for SMEs, the UK government could consider ways to improve access to financing and advisory services. It should also consider incentives and rewards for companies that have voluntarily adopted the EPP or introduced other good practices.

    Important next steps

    It is possible to estimate the cost of responsibly recruiting a migrant worker from a specific country to the UK. Providing clear and open access to this information would be another important step towards facilitating legal migration routes. After all, universities, consultancies and non-governmental organisations are collecting this data. Cross-sector partnerships could save time and money.

    Social media campaigns should prioritise educating potential migrants about UK immigration laws and their rights. This would be more valuable than focusing on the risks of undocumented journeys.

    It is also crucial to evaluate whether educational campaigns are more effective than those aimed at deterring migration. The government should remain open to abandoning any overseas social media campaigns that don’t demonstrate cost-effectiveness.

    The solution starts with accepting the realities of migration and acknowledging labour market forces. Then, creating the right regulatory environment will reduce the human cost of irregular migration, while supporting UK businesses to find the workers they need.

    The authors do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

    – ref. Governments can keep raiding takeaways and nail bars, but businesses will still employ undocumented migrants – https://theconversation.com/governments-can-keep-raiding-takeaways-and-nail-bars-but-businesses-will-still-employ-undocumented-migrants-250947

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: GOP lawmakers commit to big spending cuts, putting Medicaid under a spotlight – but trimming the low-income health insurance program would be hard

    Source: The Conversation – USA – By Paul Shafer, Assistant Professor of Health Law, Policy and Management, Boston University

    Speaker of the House Mike Johnson addresses the media on Feb. 25, 2025, after the House narrowly passed his budget resolution calling for big spending cuts.
     Kayla Bartkowski/Getty Images

    Efforts by Republicans in Congress to make steep spending cuts have stirred widespread concerns that the federal government may trim expenditures on Medicaid even though President Donald Trump has previously indicated that he’s unwilling to do that. This public health insurance program covers around 72 million people – about 1 in 5 Americans.

    The Conversation U.S. asked Paul Shafer and Nicole Huberfeld, Boston University health policy and law professors, to explain why cutting Medicaid spending would be difficult and what the consequences might be.

    What is Medicaid’s role in the health care system?

    Created in 1965 along with Medicare, the public health insurance program for older Americans, Medicaid pays for the health care needs of low-income adults and children, including more than 1 in 3 people with disabilities. It also covers more than 12 million who qualify for both Medicare and Medicaid because they are both poor and over 65.

    In addition, this safety net program pays the health care costs of more than 2 in 5 U.S. births. Medicaid is a joint federal/state program, driven by federal funding and rules, with the states administering it.

    The Affordable Care Act was supposed to make nearly all U.S. adults under age 65 without children who earn up to 138% of the federal poverty level eligible for Medicaid. Prior to the 2010 landmark health care reform law, adults without children in most states could not get Medicaid coverage. The Supreme Court, however, made this change optional for states.

    So far, 40 states – as well as Washington, D.C. – have participated in Medicaid expansion. The program’s growth has reduced the number of Americans without health insurance and narrowed coverage gaps for people of color and those with low-wage jobs who typically do not get employer-sponsored coverage.

    Hundreds of studies have found that Medicaid expansion has improved access to care and the health of the people who gained coverage, while reducing mortality and bolstering state economies, among other positive outcomes.

    Ten states haven’t expanded Medicaid yet. Two of them, Georgia and Mississippi, have seriously considered doing so.

    Bishop Ronnie Crudup Sr., center, seen in May 2024, has called for the Mississippi Legislature to expand Medicaid in the state.
    AP Photo/Rogelio V. Solis

    Why are you concerned about Medicaid’s funding?

    A memo circulated among House Republicans in January 2025 included a menu of up to US$2.3 trillion in Medicaid cuts over 10 years. A House budget blueprint, approved in a 217-215 vote on Feb. 25, which fell largely along party lines, indicated that the Republican majority was instead aiming to reduce Medicaid spending by $880 billion over a decade.

    To be clear, GOP lawmakers didn’t say they planned to do that.

    Instead, they told the committee that oversees Medicaid and Medicare to identify cuts of that magnitude. Experts agree that slashing Medicare spending would be harder to pull off because Trump has made it clear he considers it off-limits, but at times he has suggested he might be open to trimming Medicaid. Trump says he supports the budget plan the House approved.

    In an interesting coincidence, Medicaid itself costs around $880 billion a year between federal and state government spending. That suggests Republicans are aiming for an approximately 10% cut.

    How does the program work?

    If you’re eligible for Medicaid, by law you can enroll in the program at any time and get health insurance coverage.

    If you require treatment for a condition Medicaid covers, whether it’s breast cancer or the flu, that happens with no – or low – out-of-pocket costs. Being enrolled in Medicaid means your medical treatment is covered and cannot be denied for budgetary reasons. The federal government contributes a share of what states pay for the health care of residents who enroll, but it can’t decide how much to spend on Medicaid – states do.

    The federal match rate is linked to the per capita income of each state. That means a state with lower per capita income gets a higher federal match, with all states getting at least 50%. For states that participate in the Medicaid expansion, the federal match is 90% across the board for that population.

    A dozen states have so-called trigger laws on their books that could automatically revoke Medicaid expansion if this enhanced match rate is lowered.

    How can the federal government reduce its Medicaid spending?

    The federal government could simply adjust the match rate, shifting more of the cost of Medicaid to states. But prior proposals have suggested a larger change, either through per capita caps or block grants.

    Per capita caps would place a per-person cap on federal funding, while block grants would place a total limit on how much the federal government would contribute to a state’s costs for Medicaid each year. In turn, the states would likely cover fewer people, reduce their benefits, pay less for care, or some combination of such cost-cutting measures.

    Either per capita caps or block grants would require a massive transformation in how Medicaid operates.

    The program has always provided open-ended funding to states, and both states and beneficiaries rely on the stability of federal funds to make the program work. Imposing caps or block grants would force states to contribute significantly more money to the program or cut enrollment drastically. Assuming a substantial cut in federal funding for Medicaid, millions could lose health insurance coverage they cannot afford to get elsewhere.

    Speaker Mike Johnson said that per capita caps and changing the federal match rates are not on the table, but they were included in the earlier House Republican memo detailing potential cuts.

    House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, a New York Democrat, flanked by his fellow House Democrats, criticizes the House Republicans’ budget bill at the U.S. Capitol on Feb. 25, 2025.
    Saul Loeb/AFP via Getty Images

    What else could happen?

    Another idea many Republicans say they support is to add what are known as “work requirements.” The first Trump administration approved state proposals for Medicaid beneficiaries to complete a minimum number of hours of “community engagement” in activities like work, job training, education or community service to enroll and maintain Medicaid eligibility. This is despite the fact that the majority of Medicaid enrollees already work, are disabled, are caregivers for a loved one, or are in school.

    Some politicians argue that making people work to receive Medicaid benefits would help them transition to employer-based coverage, so adding that restriction may sound like common sense. However, the paperwork this requires can lead to lots of working people getting kicked out of the program and is very costly to implement. Also, job training programs, volunteering and education, unless in a degree program, generally don’t come with health insurance coverage, making this reasoning faulty.

    When Arkansas implemented Medicaid work requirements in 2018, despite the majority of enrollees already working, about 18,000 people lost coverage. The policy was poorly understood, and enrollees had trouble reporting their work activity. What’s more, the employment of low-income adults didn’t grow.

    Is Medicaid vulnerable to waste or fraud?

    Medicaid already spends less than Medicare or private health insurance per beneficiary. That includes spending on doctors, hospitals, medications and tests.

    The Government Accountability Office – an independent, nonpartisan government agency – has estimated that preventing payments which shouldn’t be made, or overpayments, could lead to $50 billion in federal savings per year. The GAO cautions that “not all improper payments are the result of fraud.” This significant sum is still nowhere near the scale of the cuts Republicans apparently want to make.

    Would Medicaid spending cuts be popular?

    That’s very unlikely.

    Polling and focus groups show that Medicaid is quite popular.

    More than half of Americans say that the government spends too little on Medicaid, and only 15% say spending is too high.

    We believe if Medicaid cuts were to be openly debated that members of Congress would be inundated with calls from constituents urging their lawmakers to oppose them. That is what happened in 2017, when the first Trump administration tried and failed to repeal the Affordable Care Act.

    Should Medicaid be cut by anything close to $880 billion over the next decade, we’d expect to see millions of America’s poorest and most vulnerable people kicked out of the program and wind up uninsured. But that would only be the beginning of their problems. Uninsured people are more likely to wait too long before seeing a doctor when they get sick or injured, leading to worse health outcomes and widening the gaps in health between haves and have-nots.

    Paul Shafer receives research funding from the National Institutes of Health, Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, and Department of Veterans Affairs. The views expressed in this article are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the position or policy of these agencies or the United States government.

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

    – ref. GOP lawmakers commit to big spending cuts, putting Medicaid under a spotlight – but trimming the low-income health insurance program would be hard – https://theconversation.com/gop-lawmakers-commit-to-big-spending-cuts-putting-medicaid-under-a-spotlight-but-trimming-the-low-income-health-insurance-program-would-be-hard-250998

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Dr Penelope Dash confirmed as new Chair of NHS England 

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    Press release

    Dr Penelope Dash confirmed as new Chair of NHS England 

    Dr Penelope Dash has been appointed by the government as the next chair of NHS England

    Wes Streeting, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, has today confirmed Dr Penny Dash will be the new Chair of NHS England.

    Dr Dash is currently the Chair of the NHS North-West London Integrated Care Board and is leading a major review into the regulation of health and social care quality in England. Her interim report, published last year, shone a light on the scale of the failure at the Care Quality Commission, and sparked the appointment of new leadership to turn around the health and care regulator.

    A former NHS doctor, senior partner at McKinsey and Company working on healthcare globally, and Head of Strategy at the Department of Health and Social Care, Dr Dash has a wealth of experience in the public, private and government sectors.  

    As Chair of NHS England, she will be drawing on her vast knowledge in these fields to focus on rebuilding the NHS as part of the government’s 10 Year Health Plan. 

    She was selected following an open public appointment process to appoint a successor to Richard Meddings, who is due to step down next month.

    Health and Social Care Secretary Wes Streeting said: 

    I am delighted to confirm Dr Penny Dash as the new Chair of NHS England. She is a radical reformer, with the skills and experience we need to help fix our broken NHS and make it fit for the future.

    I look forward to working with her as we continue to tackle the waiting list backlog, unleash innovation in health services, and support our healthcare staff to deliver the timely care patients deserve.

    I would also like to thank Richard Meddings for his dedicated service, helping to guide the NHS through the aftermath of the pandemic.

    Dr Penny Dash said: 

    I am honoured to have been appointed the new Chair of NHS England. 

    I am excited to start working with my NHS colleagues and the government to accelerate the process of renewal and rebuilding to make sure the NHS continues to serve the needs of its communities and its staff.

    The 10 Year Health Plan is a once-in-a-generation opportunity to shape the NHS to take on the challenges of the future and I look forward to playing my part.

    Dr Dash was confirmed as the government’s preferred candidate in February. The Secretary of State took the final decision following a hearing with the Health and Social Care Committee on 26 February 2025.

    This appointment is a four-year term and begins 1 April 2025.

    Updates to this page

    Published 3 March 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: 93.7% York pupils get first choice of Secondary School

    Source: City of York

    Published Monday, 3 March 2025

    Secondary school admission figures for entry in September 2025 published today [3 March] reveal that 93.7% per cent of York children have been allocated their first preference of school

    Parents and carers who applied online can find out where their child has been allocated a place by logging into their parent portal account today via www.york.gov.uk/SecondarySchoolAdmissions.

    Parents who made written applications will receive a letter confirming their admission arrangements. Anyone who didn’t receive their first choice of school will also receive written confirmation.

    This year’s admissions figures, compared with last year’s are outlined below:

    2024

    2025

    Quantity

    %

    Quantity

    %

    1st Preference

    1809

    93.6%

    1794

    93.7%

    2nd Preference

    80

    4.1%

    78

    4.1%

    3rd Preference

    18

    0.9%

    12

    0.6%

    4th Preference

    2

    0.1%

    3

    0.2%

    5th Preference

    0

    0.0%

    1

    0.1%

    Non Preference

    23

    1.2%

    26

    1.4%

    Total

    1932

    100%

    1914

    100.0%

    Councillor Bob Webb, Executive Member for Education, Children and Young People, at City of York Council, said:

    Moving on to secondary school is an exciting time and I’m pleased that the vast majority of students in York have got into their first choice of school. I wish all the students moving on in September the best of luck. I know that York schools are committed to supporting your transition into big school.”

    Parents or carers whose children may be eligible for free school meals – one of a number of benefits that come with applying for the pupil premium – should apply through their online account at www.york.gov.uk/parentportal

    Assistance with school uniform costs for September may also available to pupils starting years 7 to 10 who are entitled to receive benefit based free school meals at non-academy schools. Further information about this, and who could be able to get free school meals, is available at www.york.gov.uk/FreeSchoolMeals

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Just One Day success

    Source: City of Leeds

    The Lord Mayor of Leeds Charity Appeal ‘Just One Day’ has been hailed a ‘great success’, after returning last Thursday (27 February) with the theme of ‘one day to play’.

    The event runs all year, but features a day where schools, universities, businesses and the public can spend the day, or any time they can spare, participating in fun activities to raise money for the Lord Mayor’s charity. 

    This year, the Lord Mayor, Councillor Abigail Marshall Katung, chose the Leeds Community Foundation as her charity. 

    Leeds Community Foundation is an independent grant maker, collaborator, and leader that brings together organisations and individuals to invest in communities, building a fairer Leeds for everyone. The foundation’s funding helps community organisations to continue and expand their work, so they can reach more people and have a greater impact in our communities. 

    Together with her deep support for the Leeds Community Foundation, the Lord Mayor is passionate about improving mental health for children and young people in Leeds and believes that play is one way to do this.

    The Lord Mayor of Leeds, Councillor Abigail Marshall Katung, said: “Just One Day is a fantastic event raising much-needed funds for a local charity that does incredible work with community organisations throughout the city. 

    “We are thrilled to be working with Child Friendly Leeds this year to deliver the theme of ‘just one day to play’. Play is something that we have decided to prioritise because of its importance to the development of children and young people. Having the support of Child Friendly Leeds in Just One Day and to have specially developed lesson plans and resources has enhanced the event and brought the whole Leeds community together.

    “It’s been fabulous to watch the children playing and learning and the event has been a real success for all those who participated. 

    “Anyone can participate in Just One Day at any time of year. I encourage everyone, adults, and children alike, to take some playtime, get involved and raise money for a fantastic charity.”

    As a part of the day, the Lord Mayor visited two schools, Lane End Primary and Blenheim Primary, that recognise the importance of play, making their normal lessons more playful by adding extra playtime and dressing up just for fun! 

    The children at Lane End Primary donated to come to school wearing comfy clothes and be ready to add play into their curriculum. They had the opportunity to give feedback on their playful learning and how their school could be improved for play, which the headteacher plans to take to school governors.

    Lane End Primary headteacher, Jane Hopwood, said: “Lane End Primary School believes in the power of learning through play. 

    “Our children loved meeting the Lord Mayor and have been inspired to be playful throughout the day.  We’ve been problem solving, creating, and building outside in the sunshine at dinner time.  Staff and children also explored how to improve play in school and across the city and hope to invite the Lord Mayor back so she can hear our ideas.”

    Blenheim Primary also took part in the day. They turned their normal lessons into playful ones, creating nonsense poetry and poems about play which they read out to the Lord Mayor in a play-themed assembly.

    At lunchtime at the Civic Hall, the Lord Mayor attended a free food event provided by the charity, Rapid Relief Team, with the Leeds Community Foundation, where those taking food were asked to donate to Just One Day in place of payment.

    To find out more about how to take part in ‘Just One Day’ or to donate, please visit www.leeds.gov.uk/justoneday.

    To find out more about how Child Friendly Leeds is prioritising play in the city please visit Play | Child Friendly Leeds. To learn how to take part in ‘Just One Day’ or to donate, please visit www.leeds.gov.uk/justoneday.

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: “Focusing on Technology”: Academic Council Discusses How to Develop Science at HSE

    Translartion. Region: Russians Fedetion –

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

    Meeting Academic Council of the National Research University Higher School of Economics February 26 was dedicated to science. The participants of the meeting discussed the results of the university’s scientific activities, the work of the postgraduate school and dissertation councils through the prism of the priorities of the country’s scientific and technological policy. In addition, a competition was held to fill the positions of professors and teachers.

    HSE Rector Nikita Anisimov gave a report on the scientific activities of HSE. He emphasized that HSE has established itself as a research university and that the further development of science should be inextricably linked with the tasks facing the country. They have been defined in key documents of the last two years, including decrees of the President of Russia on national goals, priority areas of scientific and technological development and the most important science-intensive technologies and other strategic development documents.

    In his report, Nikita Anisimov noted that changes that facilitate the integration of HSE into solving technological leadership problems are already underway at the university – in particular, new institutes and laboratories have been opened, partnerships with industry have been expanded, etc.

    It is important that HSE has managed to maintain the high quality of fundamental research. This is confirmed by the university’s position among Russian universities in terms of the number of scientific articles of the 1st level of the national “White List” indexed in databases: HSE ranks 2nd. The rector emphasized that this is the result of the motivation system created at the university – academic bonuses. Thus, in 2020, 1,050 employees received academic bonuses, in 2024 – 1,139.

    The rector noted that the volume of R&D at the university in 2024 amounted to more than 8.5 billion rubles, since 2020 it has grown by more than 3 billion rubles. HSE is among the top 3 universities in terms of R&D in Russia. The main topics of research and development at HSE are economic and social-humanitarian areas. To increase the contribution of the university team to solving the problems of technological leadership, the share of STEM topics in the HSE fundamental research program has been increased to 45% in 2026.

    While maintaining HSE’s integration into global science, the next step in the development of scientific activity is to concentrate efforts on technologies that are in demand by the state, society and business. It is necessary to move from individual research to large projects, from isolated fundamental research to full-cycle interdisciplinary projects, from integration into the global agenda to participation in its formation. “It is important for us that the scientific schools and teams of the university intensify their interaction with their industrial partners as much as possible,” the rector added.

    Head of the Academic Council Commission for the Organization of Scientific Research, Dean Faculty of Economic Sciences Sergey Pekarsky supported the theses proposed by the rector. In his opinion, everything that the university has achieved in recent years is important not only to preserve, but also to critically rethink and reconfigure in order to respond to modern challenges.

    About the activity postgraduate studies at the National Research University Higher School of Economics said Vice-Rector Sergey Roshchin. Currently, the university has 1,317 postgraduate students, including 142 foreigners, 59 programs in 72 scientific specialties, 23 postgraduate schools. The unified track “Master’s degree – postgraduate study” is being successfully implemented. The effectiveness of postgraduate study (the share of those who defended their theses on time from the number of those accepted in the corresponding year) varies across faculties and subject schools, and it needs to be increased to 30% in 2026, including by increasing the responsibility of departments for the result.

    First Vice-Rector Vadim Radaev spoke about the dissertation councils of the National Research University Higher School of Economics. There are 21 dissertation councils at the HSE, including 369 permanent members, while dissertations are reviewed by committees consisting of 900 scientists, including 620 external ones. The number of defenses has increased from 71 in 2020 to 180 in 2024. The speaker described the new criteria for assessing the publications of applicants and members of dissertation councils introduced by the Higher Attestation Commission, and the corresponding adjustments that are coming at the National Research University Higher School of Economics.

    The Academic Council meeting also held a competition for filling the positions of the teaching staff in the form of a secret ballot. Based on the results of the vote, a decision is made on whether to elect or not to the position; its results will be announced in the near future. Before the vote, Vice-Rector Alexey Koshel spoke about the main trends of the competition, and the head of the Academic Council Commission on Personnel and Awards Marina Oleshek reported on the results of its work and presented final recommendations. During the discussion, Vadim Radaev recommended paying more attention to the fight against grade inflation, and his position was supported by the Rector.

    Nikita Anisimov, HSE Academic Director Yaroslav Kuzminov and HSE President Alexander Shokhin presented honorary certificates from the Russian Ministry of Education and Science:

    Olga Afanasyeva, Deputy Dean Faculty of Creative Industries;

    To Daniel Karabekyan, Director of academic development;

    Igor Osipov, Deputy Director for operation and maintenance of buildings and structures;

    Natalia Malykhina, Acting Senior Director of HR;

    Rimma Pogodina, senior lecturer at the Faculty of Creative Industries;

    To Lyudmila Kuzmina, Associate Professor MIEM.

    Maxim Shkurnikov, Deputy Dean, received a letter of gratitude from the Russian Ministry of Education and Science Faculty of Biology and Biotechnology. The honorary title “Honorary Lawyer of the City of Moscow” was awarded to Irina Bogdanovskaya, professor Faculty of Law.

    Director MIEF Sergey Yakovlev and his deputy Oleg Zamkov received HSE medals “Recognition – 25 years of successful work”, and employees Faculty of Computer Science Associate Professor Maxim Rakhuba and Senior Lecturer Sergei Samsonov received the “Young Scientist” badge.

    Nikita Anisimov congratulated his colleagues, awarded the medal of the Order “For Merit to the Fatherland” of the 2nd degree and awarded the title “Honored Worker of Higher Education of the Russian Federation” in January, as well as Vice-Rector Victoria Panova, in February received Badge of the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

    “Attention to people, assessment of their personal merits and the merits of those groups in which they have succeeded and received these awards is the most important part of the university’s life,” the rector concluded.

    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 Europe: ASIA/INDIA – Bangalore, the Eucharist chapel desecrated: monstrance with the consecrated host stolen

    Source: Agenzia Fides – MIL OSI

    Monday, 3 March 2025

    Bangalore (Agenzia Fides) – Last weekend, numerous Catholic faithful took part in prayers of reparation in the churches of Bangalore, the capital of the southern Indian state of Karnataka, after the desecration of the Eucharistic chapel of St. Anthony’s Church in the Uttarhalli district a few days ago.According to the archdiocese, unknown persons entered the liturgical room on February 25 and stole the monstrance, which contained a consecrated host. The police, who were immediately alerted, are now investigating to find the stolen monstrance, which, according to the archdiocese of Bangalore, is not made of precious metal.The concern of the entire People of God, meanwhile, is the Eucharistic bread that was in the monstrance. The fear is that the host has been desecrated. For this reason, Archbishop Peter Machado requested rites and prayers of reparation, which were joined by many faithful. (F.B.) (Agenzia Fides, 3/3/2025)
    Share:

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: ASIA/CHINA – Lent in the Catholic community in Beijing: a daily work of charity

    Source: Agenzia Fides – MIL OSI

    Monday, 3 March 2025

    Beijing (Agenzia Fides) – The parish of the Cathedral of the Diocese of Beijing invites the Catholic faithful, as “pilgrims of hope” in the Holy Year, to a “daily work of charity for the entire Lent (from March 5 to April 20, 2025).”The invitation, published today, March 3, on the parish’s app, states: “From March 5 (Ash Wednesday) we begin Lent, a precious journey of conversion, prayer and love. In keeping with the theme of the Jubilee – which Pope Francis proposes in the Bull ‘Spes non confundit’ – we, as pilgrims of hope, are launching the campaign ‘A daily work of charity’, inviting everyone to carry out simple and concrete acts of charity during Lent, because “every small act of kindness is a seed of hope; the fast we will observe in the coming weeks will blossom like a flower of love at Easter”.The Bishop of the Diocese of Guangzhou, Joseph Gan Junqiu, also published his pastoral letter for Lent 2025 today, entitled ‘Come and see’ (John 1:39). Referring to ‘Spes non confundit’, Bishop Gan stressed that this year is also the diocesan year of evangelization and that “the first aspect of evangelization is our personal sanctification”. “Lent is a time of hope that reminds us of the graces of the sacrament of baptism: purification, renewal and rebirth,” said the bishop. “As the pastor of this diocese, in the year of jubilee and evangelization, I invite everyone: ‘Come and see’. In this way, during Lent, we can set out on the journey of everyday life, where Christ teaches us how to live, where he gives us strength and hope.” (NZ) (Agenzia Fides, 3/3/2025)
    Share:

    MIL OSI Europe News –