A man has been sentenced to life in prison for the murder of Robert Weston in Harrow, following an investigation by the Met’s Specialist Crime Command.
Jaden Sheriff, 20 (22.01.05) of Forston Street, Hackney, was sentenced at the Old Bailey on Friday, 14 February to life with a minimum term of 19 years’ imprisonment.
Detectives launched a murder investigation after police were called at 14:05hrs on Monday, 26 February 2024 to Hamilton Crescent, Harrow following reports that a man had been stabbed.
Robert, a Hackney resident, was found with two stab wounds, including one to the heart. Despite the best efforts of the emergency services, he was pronounced dead at the scene.
Detective Inspector Devan Taylor, who led the investigation into the murder, said:
“Robert was just 37-years-old when he lost his life in this senseless attack, killed by someone who should have been a friend and neighbour.
“Jaden Sheriff now has to spend the rest of his life knowing he killed a man.
“No amount of time will make up for the pain Robert’s family have endured at losing their loved one.
“They have conducted themselves with great dignity throughout the trial and our thoughts remain with them as they continue to process what happened.”
In initial interviews with officers, Sheriff claimed he accidentally stabbed Robert in self-defence, alleging he had pulled a knife on him.
However, witnesses gave police a different account, saying Sheriff had set upon Robert following a dispute.
Forensic evidence revealed his wounds could only have been caused by a deliberate stabbing to the chest.
Investigators obtained phone records, which showed Robert had called 999 to complain about Sheriff just three days before he was stabbed.
He told police that he’d been “threatened” in his own house after an argument with the Sheriff; a statement which was used at trial to illustrate the spiralling relationship between the two men, culminating in murder just days later.
Officers worked quickly to arrest Sheriff the day after the incident.
He was arrested on suspicion of murder on Tuesday, 27 February 2024 and subsequently charged with murder and possession of an offensive weapon in the early hours of Thursday, 29 February 2024.
He was found guilty of murder by a jury at the Old Bailey on Thursday, 30 January.
Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments
Latest round of Reach for the Sky programme awarded £810,000 to 16 organisations across the UK.
£810,000 of new government funding to help young people start a career in aviation by breaking down barriers to opportunity
with the air transport and aerospace sector contributing £20 billion to the UK economy, investment in the next generation of professionals will secure long-term economic growth and deliver on the government’s Plan for Change
Reach for the Sky scheme has now provided £2.3 million to 37 organisations, reaching 100,000 people across the country, from Cornwall to Carlisle
The Aviation Minister has today (17 February 2025) launched the latest round of funding to encourage more young people into a career in aviation, helping to secure long term economic growth and ensuring the sector has the workforce needed for the future.
Now in its third round, the government’s Reach for the Sky programme will see £810,000 awarded to 16 organisations across the UK, from Cornwall to Newcastle.
The successful scheme, which totals £2.3 million, has now delivered funding to 37 outreach organisations and reached 100,000 people across the country.
Supporting young people to pursue careers such as pilots, navigators and controllers also aligns with the government’s ambition to go further and faster to kickstart growth. As part of the drive to build up aviation capacity at Heathrow and across the sector – from increased travel options to more UK homegrown aviation jobs – expansion in the sector plays a crucial part in unlocking economic prosperity.
Reach for the Sky aims to break down barriers to opportunity and form the next generation of aviators, particularly by supporting young people from disadvantaged backgrounds who may not have considered a career in the sector before.
Funding will help organisations deliver events, interactive workshops, taster days, mentorship schemes and educational initiatives with schools, universities and career professionals.
Aviation Minister, Mike Kane, said:
As part of our Plan for Change, we are breaking down barriers to opportunity so that every young person has the chance to pursue their dreams.
Programmes like Reach for the Sky turn ambition into reality, helping to inspire young people and introducing them to the benefits of a career in the skies.
I look forward to seeing the achievements of the next generation of aviators.
With Office for National Statistics (ONS) data showing that young people from disadvantaged households are more likely to feel they do not have as much of a chance in life, programmes like Reach for the Sky help break down barriers to opportunity and expand horizons for underserved, hard-to-reach groups.
This year’s recipients of the DfT-funded scheme include SaxonAir, The King’s Trust and Employers and Educators, amongst others.
SaxonAir, who have been successful in previous rounds, offer a range of scholarships, volunteering programmes and events for people of all backgrounds.
One of their main initiatives is the INSPIRE programme, delivered in partnership with Business In The Community (BITC) at West Earlham Infant School. It aims to make the aviation industry inclusive for individuals of all ages, abilities, and backgrounds.
The initiative is already making a tangible difference, with teachers at West Earlham Infant School in Norwich reporting a surge in enthusiasm for aviation among pupils following a recent visit.
Hannah Colledge, HR and Wellbeing Coordinator at SaxonAir, said:
Our INSPIRE Outreach Programme is designed to spark a passion for aviation from as young as 5 years old offering tailored activities that align with different age groups and connect appropriately to the curriculum.
With support from the Reach for the Sky funding, we can extend our reach, ensuring that young people from all backgrounds have the chance to experience aviation firsthand.
By breaking down barriers and bringing aviation opportunities to underrepresented communities, we are reinforcing our commitment to a more diverse and inclusive aviation sector.
Graham, the father of a student at Aylsham High School, Norwich, said:
[My son] really enjoyed the INSPIRE event and loved the opportunity to see what goes on behind the scenes in the aviation industry. His ambition is to be a pilot, but this event opened his eyes into other possibilities of work with and around aircraft. Thank you for providing him with this rare opportunity.
Education and Employers Charity helps young people discover their future by bringing inspiration from the world of work into school. Reach for the Sky funding helps them connect aviation professionals with young people to deliver careers events and provide training across the UK.
Speaking about one of these events, a pupil at Ealing Fields High School, Josh from London said:
I’ve wanted to be a pilot for a long time and the opportunity to listen to a pilot tell his story and career path was really impactful. At the end I was lucky enough to speak to him 1:1 and this really helped me with my questions. Since meeting with him I’ve made the most of opportunities and even visited a flight simulator. The talk was so impactful.
The Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) is responsible for delivering the Reach for the Sky programme on behalf of DfT.
Sophie Jones, Head of Organisational Capability and STEM Sponsor at the CAA, said:
The aerospace sector provides many jobs and opportunities for development, and with the innovation and growth currently taking place, it is all the more vital for young people to join the industry.
The Reach for the Sky Challenge fund provides support for outreach programmes that inspire the next generation, from all backgrounds, to pursue careers in aviation and aerospace, ensuring that the UK continues to be at the forefront of innovation and development.
As the UK’s aviation regulator, we are proud to inspire the next generation’s journey into this fantastic industry through our STEM programme, funded by the Department for Transport.
On November 5, 2024, as millions of Americans headed to the polls, billionaire Elon Musk posted a video on his social media platform X depicting a caravan of Amish individuals travelling via horse and buggy to vote for Donald Trump. The following day, in response to a post expressing gratitude to the Amish for their contribution to Trump’s victory, Musk wrote: “The Amish may very well save America! Thank goodness for them. And let’s keep the government out of their lives.” Musk’s tweets underscore the growing prominence of religion in US politics and the Republican party’s efforts to integrate the Amish into its electorate.
The Amish and their vote in US history
The Amish are a Protestant religious community rooted in early European Anabaptist movements. They accept technological advancements selectively, adhering to a distinct way of life marked by simple living, plain dress and a focus on community, distinguishing between what strengthens their social bonds and what might compromise their spiritual path. The Amish are a tiny minority in the US: in 2022, there were approximately 373,620 individuals in a population of around 330 million–slightly more than one in 1,000 Americans. They are predominantly concentrated in the election swing states of Pennsylvania and Ohio, which partly explains Republicans’ interest in courting their support.
Traditionally, the Amish mainly abstain from voting unless they feel compelled to protect their religious freedoms, preserve their way of life or address critical moral issues. Historically, such instances of electoral participation have occurred only three times.
The first instance dates back to the 1896 presidential election, when the Republican nominee, William McKinley, campaigned on a platform centred on industrial corporate interests. These interests diverged significantly from those of the Amish, who aligned instead with Democrat William Bryan’s policies advocating for small farmers and the defense of rural America.
Amish political engagement resurfaced during the 1960 presidential election, which featured Republican Richard Nixon vs Democrat John F. Kennedy. The Amish viewed Kennedy as an ally of the Catholic church, an institution they viewed as intolerant. Consequently, they supported Nixon, a Quaker, whom they saw as a defender of a Protestant America.
The most recent instances of notable Amish participation occurred amid the presidential election campaigns of Republican George W. Bush in 2000 and 2004. This phenomenon, dubbed “Bush Fever,” saw unprecedented Amish voter turnout. In 2000, 1,342 out of 2,134 registered Amish voters in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania–which has one of the largest Amish communities in the US–cast ballots, achieving a turnout rate of 63%. By 2004, Amish voter registration had increased by 169%, with 21% of eligible adults being registered. This mobilization was spearheaded by Chet Beiler, the son of Amish parents who left the community when he was three. Leveraging his heritage and fluency in Pennsylvania German, a traditional language spoken in many Amish communities, Beiler developed a voter registration strategy targeting the Amish to support Bush’s re-election campaign.
The religious factor in US politics
To understand the Republican party’s interest in the Amish, one must examine the increasing centrality of religion in US politics. This phenomenon persists despite a growing number of Americans identifying as non-religious or less religious.
In the US political context, religion extends beyond faith to encompass cultural identity and social cohesion. Scholars often describe this phenomenon as “Christianism,” a form of nationalism that is bound together by a belonging to Christianity and that emerges, as a form of reaction, within the culture wars. Consequently, a political platform emphasizing Christian principles and rural values has the potential to galvanize segments of the electorate. This dynamic is exemplified by Musk’s tweets about the Amish. Within some parts of the Republican electorate, the Amish are perceived as “guardians of lost values,” embodying a vision of an untainted rural America defined by traditional family structures and an agrarian work ethic. This narrative has been further amplified by Amish PAC, a political action committee established in Virginia in 2016 to rally support for Trump through religiously framed identity politics that advocate for traditional values and oppose abortion rights.
The influence of religion within the Republican party is further underscored by the ascendancy of the Christian right, a political movement that emerged in the late 1970s. Though not a monolithic entity, it is composed of individuals–primarily evangelical Christians–seeking to shape US politics based on a conservative interpretation of biblical principles and societal values.
Legislation and the Amish
Some Republicans have advocated for legislation favourable to the Amish, such as former US representative Bob Gibbs, who won election in the Amish-dominated congressional district of Holmes County, Ohio. In December 2021, Gibbs introduced legislation to allow people with specific religious beliefs such as the Amish, who view photography as a form of idolatry, to be exempt from a requirement of possessing identification documents featuring their photographs “to purchase a firearm from a federally licensed firearms dealer.” In the same month, Gibbs also proposed another bill to benefit the Amish, which would have allowed them to opt out of social security and Medicare wage deductions if they were employed by non-Amish-owned companies.
Earlier in 2021, the conservative-majority Supreme Court resolved a longstanding dispute between the Amish of Lenawee County, Michigan and local authorities, ruling in favour of the Amish. The issue at the heart of the case concerned wastewater management. Following their religious principles, the Amish typically avoid using modern inventions such as septic systems, and the Amish in Lenawee County used a management method considered noncompliant by health officials. This case followed similar ones involving other Amish communities in Ohio, Minnesota and Pennsylvania. Legal disputes such as these could be leading the Amish to form a more positive view of the Republican party and Trump, both for their advocacy of “less government” and for positioning themselves as defenders of religious freedom.
The Amish and the 2024 presidential election
According to the online news source Anabaptist World, media reports suggested that the 2024 presidential election saw a surge in voter registrations among the Amish in Pennsylvania, allegedly contributing to Trump’s victory in the state. The alleged surge was reportedly driven by a reaction to federal legal actions against an Amish farmer accused of selling raw dairy products across state lines, which resulted in cases of Escherichia (E.) coli.
However, official data from Lancaster County–where the principal Amish settlement in Pennsylvania is located–challenge claims of a massive Amish turnout. The increase in Trump’s vote share in the state, from 48.84% in 2020 to 50.37% in 2024, primarily occurred in urban and suburban areas. For example, by the time the Associated Press declared that Trump had won Pennsylvania, his vote share in Philadelphia had improved by three percentage points. Key suburban counties such as Bucks, Monroe and Northampton, which former president Joe Biden won in 2020, had swung in his favour. And the Republican had also performed better in the Philadelphia-area suburbs of Delaware and Chester counties. These regions, with few Amish residents, experienced substantial shifts, while districts with larger Amish populations saw only modest gains for Trump.
While the Amish did not become a significant component of Trump’s electoral coalition, voters in some Amish communities may have grown more sympathetic to his candidacy. More importantly, members of the religious group serve as a potent symbol of mobilization and propaganda for the Republican party amid the intensifying polarization of US politics.
Daniele Curci ne travaille pas, ne conseille pas, ne possède pas de parts, ne reçoit pas de fonds d’une organisation qui pourrait tirer profit de cet article, et n’a déclaré aucune autre affiliation que son organisme de recherche.
Source: The Conversation – UK – By Dafydd Townley, Teaching Fellow in International Security, University of Portsmouth
The US public’s commitment to sending its sons and daughters to war has declined in recent years. Polls suggest that US involvement in modern conflicts is more likely to be viewed as mistaken than in the early and middle parts of the 20th century. Today, around 47% of Americans consider the Iraq war a mistake, and 43% feel the same about the war in Afghanistan.
Recent announcements by the US president, Donald Trump, about the possibility of using US forces as part of his Gaza strategy is unlikely to improve those figures.
On February 4, Trump proposed that the US effectively take control of the Gaza Strip and rebuild the area into what he has called the riviera of the Middle East.
When he was asked at a press conference whether he would be willing to use US troops to secure the region, Trump answered that “as far as Gaza is concerned, we’ll do what is necessary. If it’s necessary, we’ll do that. We’re going to take over that piece that we’re going to develop it”.
Trump walked back on that initial claim of the use of military personnel just days later, stating that the US military force would be unnecessary. “The Gaza Strip would be turned over to the United States by Israel at the conclusion of fighting,” adding that “No soldiers by the U.S. would be needed! Stability for the region would reign!” But others have suggested a US military presence would have to be involved.
Putting US troops on the ground would fly in the face of current American public opinion. In a survey taken on February 12, only a quarter of those polled supported the prospect of US troops being sent to the region, and just over half (52%) of Republicans disapproved of the plan.
Less than 25% of Americans supported the US taking ownership of the Gaza Strip, while 62% showed opposition to it. Less than half (46%) of Republican voters polled expressed support while only 10% of Democrats showed any kind of enthusiasm for the initiative, according to the poll.
Of those polled, the majority said they opposed all of Trump’s plans to expand US-controlled territory, whether that was the Panama Canal, Greenland, Canada, or Gaza.
The lack of support from the US public in deploying troops overseas has been constant since the withdrawal from Afghanistan in 2021 – and the American public appears to be questioning US military involvement in world affairs more generally.
In a poll taken by foreign policy thinktank Defense Priorities in February 2024, 56% of respondents were “very worried” or “somewhat worried” that the presence of US troops in Syria could escalate into a broader conflict in the region. Of those that opposed a US military presence in Syria, 66% felt that it was a waste of resources.
And just last September, a Pew Research Center poll revealed that 75% of those polled were worried about the Israel-Hamas conflict expanding in the region and US troops becoming more directly involved.
Recruitment ad for the US Marines.
This lack of public support for US military involvement abroad, as well as the poor recent record of recruitment into the military, may be informing Trump’s negotiations in both Gaza, and over the Ukraine war.
While the US public shows high levels of respect for those who serve in the military, around 80% of American teenagers are not interested in military service, while 55% of adults and 67% of parents are not likely to recommend it as a career to teenagers.
The US has tried numerous recent initiatives, including offering substantial bonuses to entice recruits to join up, but without much success. The army, navy and air force all failed to reach their target recruitment numbers in 2023.
This week Trump opened early discussions with Vladimir Putin, and latterly Kyiv, over proposals for a Ukraine peace deal. In a meeting with European defense ministers in Brussels on February 12, the new US defense secretary Pete Hegseth ruled out the participation of US troops in any peacekeeping mission in Ukraine, although in an interview with the Wall Street Journal on February 13 vice-president JD Vance did not rule out using the military.
Hegseth also said that the US was planning to pull back from its role in European security, sparking high levels of concern from many European leaders.
Some Republican senators have not been particularly supportive of Trump’s Ukraine proposals, especially those that have backed Ukraine over the last three years.
In an interview, Senate armed services chair, Roger Wicker, said that “there are good guys and bad guys in this war, and the Russians are the bad guys. They invaded, contrary to almost every international law, and they should be defeated. And Ukraine is entitled to the promises that the world made to it.” Republican Senator Mike Rounds joined Wicker in demanding that: “Russia be recognised for the aggressor that they are.”
There’s a similar level of concern on Trump’s Gaza plan – even from Trump’s close allies in the party. Rand Paul, the libertarian senator for Kentucky, suggested this idea flew in the face of Trump’s foreign policy proposals espoused during the campaign.
“I thought we voted for America First. We have no business contemplating yet another occupation to doom our treasure and spill our soldiers’ blood,” he wrote on X.
It is unlikely that the majority of Republican voters would be supportive of Trump’s Gaza initiative (or sending troops to Ukraine). This is partly because of the demands that it would make on the federal government – but also because of the necessity of using armed forces to implement it.
Trump’s recent controversial executive orders have barely damaged his early job approval ratings. But the deployment of armed forces to Gaza or Ukraine runs counter to a long-term significant decline in public support for US overseas military intervention and that might be a step too far for many voters.
Dafydd Townley 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.
Source: The Conversation – UK – By Aimee Grant, Senior Lecturer in Public Health and Wellcome Trust Career Development Fellow, Swansea University
New research looks at the experiences of autistic women during pregnancy and childbirth.Zhuravlev Andrey/Shutterstock
Childbirth is often described as one of life’s most profound experiences, but for many, it can be fraught with anxiety, pain and trauma.
Autism is a lifelong neurotype, which affects around 3% of people. It is linked to differences in communication and sensory processing.
Women have historically been underdiganosed with autism, diagnosed at an older age and misdiagnosed. This may explain why very little research has been conducted on the experiences of autistic women during pregnancy and childbirth – an oversight we have aimed to address in our new research.
There are issues affecting maternity services across the nations of the UK. Last year, almost half of maternity services in England were rated as “needing improvement” or “inadequate” by England’s health service regulator, the Care Quality Commission. They also noted that communication with women – especially those from marginalised groups – could lead to fear, anxiety and having a negative birth experience.
Following reviews of baby deaths in Scotland, inspections of maternity services are underway, with units given no prior notice. Likewise, following the death of a baby, an independent review of maternity services in Northern Ireland recommended widespread changes and additional funding to make services safe. While a review of maternity services in Wales reported that services are generally good and safe, issues have been identified in some health boards.
In a medical context, “informed consent” means that a person understands what will happen during a test or treatment, and that they are aware that they can say “no” to having it. We know that in English maternity units, there are sometimes issues with women not being given the information needed for them to give informed consent.
What we found
Our research aimed to understand barriers to good maternity care for autistic people. We asked 193 autistic people from across the UK who had been pregnant to tell us what happened during their care in an online survey. It’s important to note that half of our participants weren’t aware they were autistic when they gave birth.
Most participants told us they felt they had to “mask”, or act as though they weren’t autistic, to try to get better maternity care. Despite this, more than half said they felt they weren’t listened to by maternity staff. Almost half also said they felt staff misunderstood them and that they were unsupported.
Worryingly, more than a third didn’t understand explanations from healthcare professions about their examinations and treatments. Nearly half said they weren’t given the choice to say no to having examinations, including vaginal examinations. This means that many of our participants weren’t able to give informed consent to the treatment they received.
Another concerning issue was that some participants’ pain during childbirth was untreated. And ten people told us that they could tell they were on the verge of giving birth, but were not believed by maternity staff.
When sharing their stories, most of our participants felt that staff didn’t understand autistic people, including how they communicate and experience pain. While autistic people feel pain at the same level as non-autistic people, they often show it differently, including having fewer outward signs of pain.
Our participants also acknowledged there were issues in how maternity systems are designed, with staff appearing to have too much work to understand the needs of the individual pregnant person and change the care they give accordingly.
Altogether we found that autistic people’s needs were not met during maternity care, with lack of consent, breached trust and safety issues common. Many of the issues we asked participants about are known to be linked to birth trauma. Our study provides initial support for a hypothesis that rates of birth trauma may be higher in autistic people.
Also, autistic women are at much greater risk of sexual assault compared to non-autistic peers, with one study reporting nine in ten had been victims. Research shows that sexual abuse survivors can be re-traumatised during birth.
Participants told us that they did not have their questions about pregnancy and birth answered by maternity staff, and that this caused anxiety. So, we have worked with the autistic organisations Autistic Parents UK and Autistic UK alongside autistic maternity professionals and parents to create 114 short videos to answer their questions. They are available in English and Welsh, and are already being used by some NHS trusts.
UK maternity services urgently need to become more autism-friendly. Things that may help include seeing the same midwife every time and having longer appointments, so that all questions can be answered.
It’s also important for maternity staff to receive training in how to best support autistic people, which has been developed by autistic people. This is already available in England but not in the other UK nations. That should be introduced as a matter of urgency.
Aimee Grant receives funding from the Wellcome Trust, Medical Research Council and the Morgan Advanced Studies Institute. She is a non-executive director of Disability Wales.
Kathryn Williams receives funding for her PhD from the Economic and Social Research Council. She is a Director of Autistic UK CIC.
Catrin Griffiths 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.
Source: The Conversation – UK – By Aimee Ambrose, Professor of Energy Policy, Member of Fuel Poverty Evidence and Trustee of the Fuel Poverty Research Network, Sheffield Hallam University
How we keep warm at home accounts for 17% of the UK’s greenhouse gas emissions. The UK cannot reach net zero emissions, and end its contribution to climate change, without ending its reliance on natural gas as the dominant source of heating.
As elsewhere in Europe, heat pumps (which use electricity to draw heat out of the air or ground and circulate it indoors) are regarded as the best way to reduce carbon emissions. But are people ready to ditch their gas boilers?
My colleagues and I spent three years researching what people need, want and expect from their heating systems by asking 300 people in eight settlements across the UK, Finland, Sweden and Romania about their experiences of trying to keep warm at home. These memories ranged from as early as 1945 to the present day.
Among the four countries we studied, the uptake of heat pumps is most sluggish in the UK and Romania. In Sweden, heat pumps are an established technology, used to heat homes outside of dense urban areas that tend to be served by heat networks, where a boiler is shared by multiple dwellings and heat pumped to each home through pipes.
Successive oil crises accelerated the roll-out of electric heating in Sweden during the 1970s. Our participants credited widespread trust in the Swedish government at the time for the successful adoption of heat pumps.
Relatively low trust in the government makes it more difficult to increase heat pump uptake in the UK, a problem shared by Romania, where, low trust in the government follows decades of communist rule during which energy could be cut off to maintain supply to industries.
When coal was king and stoves were guilt-free
We found that there were strong attachments to high-carbon fuels in many of the communities we studied – even where people were committed to a future with low-carbon energy.
In former coalfields, such as Rotherham in south Yorkshire and Jiu Valley in south-west Romania, people spoke wistfully of the coal industry which provided jobs, housing and plentiful fuel for heating and cooking, except during industrial disputes. The coal fire was where most of our participants let their minds linger.
The subsequent move to natural gas heating for most UK households, which started in the 1960s, failed to evoke the same enthusiasm. People did acknowledge the benefits of being able to heat the whole home evenly with gas central heating and remembered feeling glad to no longer have to clean out the grate, but this was a less remarkable era in home heating. Participants talked about it in less detail, for less time and with less enthusiasm.
Many of our Finnish participants, despite having heat pumps or connection to a district heating network, wanted to continue burning wood at home. This treasured practice brought a sense of wellbeing. The intense pleasure of the fireside created a sense of homeliness and enabled cultural traditions such as cooking on a wood fire, plus the multi-sensory experience of a wood-fired sauna.
Some participants worried about being considered an “environmental criminal” for driving a diesel car, but regarded burning wood as more socially acceptable. Outside of cities, plots of woodland are inherited in some families. Gathering firewood was a ritual many enjoyed and didn’t want to give up.
More affluent participants in the UK also valued their wood burning stoves – a growing trend essentially borrowed from Scandinavian neighbours. Those we interviewed in Sweden also prized their wood burners but usually only in the homes or cabins where they holidayed.
Thermal delight
In 1979, US architect Lisa Heschong’s concept of “thermal delight” held that building designers were forgetting the importance of enabling pleasure through heat. Our research participants had not forgotten, however, and confirmed that we seek the most joyous route to warming our bodies.
While the necessary speed of the net zero transition entails a clean sweep that substitutes fossil-fuelled heating for low-carbon, electric alternatives, our research shows that this may be unappealing to many households.
The people we met wanted heating options to reflect different needs and preferences. Our participants valued central heating for bringing their houses to a consistent temperature, but this did not preclude a desire for the radiant heat of the log burner on some days. They also wanted the option of plugging in a portable, electric heater when they only needed to heat one room.
They enjoyed the contrast between the intense warmth of the fireside and a cool bedroom and many regarded an even heat throughout the home as “uninviting” – something that met their needs but not their desires. The experience of different eras of home heating had taught them the value of flexibility and variety, which makes a “clean sweep” to electric heating unattractive.
These findings do not mean that heat pumps are doomed. Indeed, heat pumps have a lot to offer in terms of reducing heating emissions. What we found does indicate a need for multiple ways to heat the home within scenarios for reaching net zero emissions.
The transition from coal to gas heating is within living memory in the UK. AstroStar/Shutterstock
Partly, this calls for innovation in home heating technology. There is really no place for burning solid fuels in a net zero future, but a concerted effort between heating researchers, designers and technologists could create a beautiful heat source that acts as a focal point, and offers something akin to the multi-sensory joy of the fireside.
The findings also indicate the need to change how heating transitions are talked about by the government and energy companies. Away from an implacable duty to switch heating sources and the need for efficiency, and towards the joy and abundance of a heat source that (in the case of heat pumps) offers four times the heat output for the same energy input as a gas boiler.
The best way to sell the low-carbon heating transition is locally, where the kinds of attachments and allegiances to heat that we have uncovered are best appreciated and understood. Local authorities are typically best placed to do that.
Don’t have time to read about climate change as much as you’d like?
Aimee Ambrose receives funding from The Collaboration for the Humanities and Social Sciences in Europe (CHANSE) and The Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC).
The integration of ITA Airways into the Lufthansa Group is making further progress: Miles & More members can now also earn Points for their frequent flyer status on ITA Airways flights in addition to miles. By Points, Qualifying Points and – in Business Class – HON Circle Points, they will have even more opportunities to obtain or achieve Lufthansa Group frequent flyer status in future. The number of Points is awarded on ITA Airways flights according to the same system as for the other Lufthansa Group airlines and the co-issuing Miles & More airline partners.
ITA Airways has been a member of the Lufthansa Group since January 17, 2025, offering passengers additional benefits and improvements. Miles & More members already have the opportunity to earn and redeem miles on ITA Airways flights. In addition, members of Volare, the frequent flyer program of ITA Airways, can also earn and redeem Volare Points on Lufthansa, SWISS, Austrian Airlines and Brussels Airlines. The offer to qualify for Lufthansa Group status on flights with ITA Airways with immediate effect is another important step in the collaboration.
“It is great to see how quickly the integration of ITA Airways into the Lufthansa Group is progressing,” says Dieter Vranckx, Chief Commercial Officer of the Lufthansa Group. “This is a significant strategic step as loyalty is a key success factor of this integration, since we can offer seamless benefits and an even more comprehensive offering to our loyal passengers.”
“I am delighted for the most loyal customers of the Lufthansa Group airlines, which now also includes ITA Airways. For them, the new opportunity to earn Points for Lufthansa Group frequent flyer status is a great benefit,” says Caroline Drischel, Senior Vice President Customer Journey Lufthansa Group. “This gives our frequent flyers more opportunities to achieve or maintain their status – and thus enjoy exclusive benefits.”
Welcome promotion for members: earn up to 6,000 additional miles
The addition of ITA Airways flights to the Lufthansa Group airlines route network will give customers greater choice and more flexibility. Starting with the summer flight schedule on March 30, more than 100 flight connections will initially share their flight numbers and can thus be combined more easily. Also from March 30, ITA Airways passengers will also be able to visit and use the approximately 130 lounges of the Lufthansa Group and its partners during their travels. The lounges of ITA Airways will also be open to Lufthansa Group passengers from this date. ITA Airways is scheduled to officially join the Star Alliance in the first half of 2026.
50% of 1200 tied tenants have now been interviewed as part of the The PCA’s Annual Tied Tenant Survey 2025.
The PCA’s Annual Tied Tenant Survey 2025 has now reached the halfway point with 50% of the target of 1200 tied tenants already interviewed. The independent research company, Ipsos, has engaged with tied tenants from the six pub companies operating within the Pubs Code (Admiral, Greene King, Marston’s, Punch, Star and Stonegate).
Fiona Dickie, Pubs Code Adjudicator, said “The survey allows us to understand the views and opinions of tied tenants on important topics, such as their relationship with their pub company and their understanding of their Pubs Code rights. Gathering these insights from tied tenants is important as it allows for comparisons between the pub companies and helps to inform the work we carry out in the coming year. I would like to encourage any tied tenant who has the opportunity to participate, to do so. If you get a call from Ipsos, please take part as your voice can make a real difference.”
The survey is expected to remain open until approximately mid-March.
Source: The Conversation – Canada – By Daphne Rena Idiz, Postdoctoral fellow, Department of Arts, Culture and Media, University of Toronto
Overly expository dialogue, repeating plot points and lots of voice-overs to narrate action help distracted viewers along.(Shutterstock)
Netflix knows we’re on our phones while we watch TV. Recent articles discuss Netflix’s or streamers’ requests for creatives to produce content optimized for casual viewing, meaning intentionally scripted for distracted viewers.
I first encountered the concept of “second-screen shows” — created with distracted viewing in mind — in 2022.
At the time, I was doing interviews with producers, showrunners, screenwriters and directors who had worked on European Netflix originals (due to confidentiality, they have been given pseudonyms here). Two of my interviewees described what they saw as very unusual feedback coming from Netflix executives: make a show that the audience can follow without looking at the screen.
Recipe for a ‘second-screen show’
So, how exactly do you make a second-screen show?
One of my interviewees, Eleven, said that Netflix explicitly labels certain series “second-screen shows” and develops them as such. Another, Tokyo, shared their experience encountering similar directives:
“[Netflix] basically said, ‘What you need to know about your audience here is that they will watch the show, perhaps on their mobile phone, or on a second or third screen while doing something else and talking to their friends, so you need to both show and tell, you need to say much more than you would normally say. […] You need your audience to understand what’s going on, even if they’re not looking at the screen.’”
These series are designed around the viewing behaviours of their target audience, described by my interviewees as “younger” and “young adult” viewers.
As Eleven explained, a Netflix executive would talk about how “in this show, we have to make sure that the points come through, even though kids are watching TikTok while they watch it.”
Because Netflix knows a certain target audience will be “second-screening” these series, the streamer wants the show’s writing to facilitate this practice. Concretely, this means overly expository dialogue, repeating plot points and adding lots of voice-overs to narrate the action and help the distracted viewer follow along.
Other sources cite examples where screenwriters were told to have characters announce what they’re doing and make the show less distracting from the viewer’s “primary screen” (their phone).
Eleven joked about how if a character was sad, Netflix would ask to include a line of dialogue for the character saying, “I’m sad” with tears streaming down their face, while rain pours, and mournful violins play in the background.
Here, the golden rule of screenwriting “show, don’t tell,” is cast aside for “show and tell” (and tell again). Joking aside, they reflected: “It saddens me, on behalf of great storytelling traditions.”
The revival of casual viewing
But are second-screen shows really the final nail in the coffin for prestige TV? The idea of casual or background viewing is not new.
There is a long history of content targeting the distracted viewer. (Shutterstock)
From soap operas to sitcoms to reality TV, there is a long history of content targeting the distracted viewer.
Sometimes we’re just tired and need an easy watch. But these types of series are a far cry from the era of HBO-style Netflix, hyping itself as the home of quality TV, a place where showrunners could find unprecedented creative freedom.
There is still a time and place for complex storytelling. But data suggests
that over half of viewers in many national markets — including in India, the United Arab Emirates, Australia, the United States, Britain and Denmark — are periodically checking their phones while watching TV. And Netflix is creating shows that enable this ritual.
‘Cult’ of data
Netflix’s strategy has always hinged on a granular understanding of its users. Netflix collects a huge amount of data on its subscribers and their viewing behaviors: what they’re watching, how, when, where and on what device. This information is used by teams of data scientists to not only improve Netflix’s personalization but also to help with decisions about what content to develop and how.
Yet research suggests Netflix has really cultivated the “myth of big data,” flip-flopping over the years about how much data influences the creative process of Netflix productions.
Geralt, another producer I interviewed, described how “whenever you talk to the algorithm people and the data people at Netflix, it feels like a cult. They talk about the algorithm like it’s a god, like ‘Well the algorithm tells us…’”
One part of the content strategy
With that said, it’s critical to take blanket statements about Netflix’s operations with a grain of salt.
Recent articles about “second screen” productions focused on the U.S. context, and my research did not seek to determine how many Netflix productions are made this way.
Second-screen shows, it seems, are one part of this strategy.
Outlook for storytellers
It’s clear that viewing behaviours are driving changes in storytelling. But for screenwriters today, second-screen shows are only a symptom of bigger problems.
Between a shrinking drama market and the competition for attention from platforms like YouTube and TikTok, streamers are investing a lot less in content than they used to. They’re also much more risk-averse with these investments.
Even before now, producing for streamers brought its own set of challenges.
Writer advocates with the 2023 TV writers strikes highlighted how streaming introduced new and exciting formats for TV writing, but also a new kind of precarity. And concerns continue to loom around how AI might impact creativity, career sustainability and IP rights.
Last year, the Canadian Media Producers Association joined production organizations around the world in issuing a call for streaming regulation that underscores independence, IP rights and fair remuneration.
The next time you’re watching a Netflix show and feel the urge to scroll during another repetitive voice-over, the question is: Are some shows written like this because the audience is disengaged, or is the audience disengaged because shows are written like this?
Daphne Rena Idiz 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.
An aerial view of Shark Island and the town of Lüderitz in Namibia. (Black Court Studios)
In September 2025, Namibia will host the Global African Hydrogen Summit. The Namibian government has ambitions to turn the country into a leading producer of green hydrogen for export to markets in Europe and elsewhere. However, the lands and waters now regarded as being essential to Europe’s energy transition are tied to traumatic memories of colonial violence; especially the ocean, which is the final resting place for thousands of Namibians.
As countries around the world transition to renewable energy, an inconspicuous peninsula in Namibia known as Shark Island is positioned to play a key role in the production of so-called “green” hydrogen, which is a proposed alternative to fossil fuels.
However, the peninsula and its waters are at risk of being compromised by proposed port expansions to support the transportation of green hydrogen. Shark Island, near the town of Lüderitz, is now a campsite for tourists.
But Shark Island is also called Death Island, and it was a concentration camp and a site of genocide during German colonial rule from 1884 to 1915. The concentration camp has since been destroyed, leaving little evidence of the violence that occurred there. However, recent international investigations highlight what many Namibians have known and worked on for generations.
During the genocide, those who were not immediately killed were sent to concentration camps, where they were forced to perform manual labour, such as working on railways and harbours. This occurred across Namibia, including on the coast: in Swakopmund and Lüderitz alone, more than 1,550 Nama died.
The research agency Forensic Architecture has digitally reconstructed the camps and identified evidence of burial places. On Shark Island, they demonstrate that the port expansion “poses further imminent risk to the site.”
Attention has been given to the land-based component of green hydrogen projects including the multinational joint venture, Hyphen Energy. But the ocean, which Namibia’s development projects also interact with, is often overlooked as a space of memory, justice and relations. This is in part due to colonial and apartheid histories that erased or excluded people from the coasts and oceans.
During colonial rule, German colonizers incarcerated Namibians offshore aboard ships. They also threw the bodies of those who had died in the concentration camp into the ocean. The local saying “the sea will take you” highlights how the ocean is involuntarily tied to memories of death and trauma.
Namibians have not forgotten the violence that occurred on the land and at sea. Local groups are restoring grave sites and establishing memorials. The discussion of recognition, justice and equitable rights and access to the coast and ocean are important for Namibia’s communities and the decedents of those killed during the genocide.
Waves of energy colonialism
Green hydrogen has a central role in global decarbonization ambitions. Namibia is considered an “export production site” for Europe’s future hydrogen economy. This is due to its solar and wind potential, and access to the ocean.
Hydrogen can only be produced in Namibia if the infrastructure exists to enable it. For example, hydrogen requires the industrial and transportation infrastructure to get it to international markets. To meet these demands, the Namibian Ports Authroity is proposing port expansions in the city of Walvis Bay and Lüderitz, where expansion could have implications for Shark Island and its waters.
Campaigners in Namibia are demanding the government and industry halt the expansion plans on Shark Island, and meaningfully engage with reconciliation. Among them is the Windhoek-based Black Court Studio, where Natache Iilonga, co-author of this article, is the creative director.
These proposed developments signal the continued European dominance in Namibia’s blue and green economy projects. They enable energy colonialism, where the push for green energy continues colonial injustices. European countries and industry perpetuate ecological, social and cultural harm to satisfy their own climate change agendas.
Projects and partnerships between Namibia and European countries like Germany are emblematic of (neo)colonial power relations. While these projects propose to foster co-operation, they also continue to dispossess communities from their lands and waters, and erase environmental and cultural relations.
Through “development assistance,” the German government and non-governmental organizations continue to influence economic projects in Namibia, while avoiding discussion of meaningful reparations for colonial crimes.
The land and ocean are not merely passive witnesses to colonial violence. Black Court Studio incorporates the ocean as a dynamic participant in the conversation about these violent histories, and justice and healing. Through community exercises and counter-mapping, the studio explores people’s socio-cultural relations with the ocean.
Together, the studio’s interventions are beginning to resituate previously erased and forgotten connections with Shark Island. This work also highlights cultural and spiritual relations with the ocean that persist despite this dispossession.
Namibia’s ocean and coasts are not empty spaces to be exploited for the benefit of Europe’s energy future. A deeper understanding of histories, and present day connections, provide lessons for meaningful reconciliation.
Natache Iilonga is a practicing architect with Iilonga Architects Inc and the co-founder of Black Court Studios Namibia.
Rosanna Carver 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.
Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments
The Prime Minister spoke to the Prime Minister of Norway Jonas Gahr Støre this morning.
The Prime Minister spoke to the Prime Minister of Norway Jonas Gahr Støre this morning.
The Prime Minister began by setting out his aims for the informal meeting of European leaders taking place later today in Paris to discuss the situation in Ukraine.
Ensuring Ukraine is in the strongest possible position is paramount, and they both agreed that all international leaders must come together to ensure Euro-Atlantic security.
The Prime Minister reiterated that this is a once in a generation moment for our national security and there could be no talks about Ukraine, without Ukraine.
Source: United Kingdom – Prime Minister’s Office 10 Downing Street
The Prime Minister spoke to the Prime Minister of Norway Jonas Gahr Støre this morning.
The Prime Minister spoke to the Prime Minister of Norway Jonas Gahr Støre this morning.
The Prime Minister began by setting out his aims for the informal meeting of European leaders taking place later today in Paris to discuss the situation in Ukraine.
Ensuring Ukraine is in the strongest possible position is paramount, and they both agreed that all international leaders must come together to ensure Euro-Atlantic security.
The Prime Minister reiterated that this is a once in a generation moment for our national security and there could be no talks about Ukraine, without Ukraine.
Residents are to be asked to have their say on multi-million-pound plans to transform three town centres.
A total of £6 million in Government funding is being spent to carry out public realm improvements in Tunstall, Burslem and Stoke.
The aim is to help attract extra footfall, boost business activity and tap into the heritage of each of the towns.
In Tunstall, proposals include better connecting key areas of the town like the High Street, Tower Square, Butterfield Place and Alexandra Park shopping area and creating a high-quality public space for the town focussed on Tower Square and the Clock Tower.
In Burslem, the proposed public realm work will focus on the Queen Street area, which is the location of several Listed Buildings including Burslem School of Art and the Wedgwood Institute. The scheme will improve the historic Conservation Area with natural stone paving and new tree planting to create an attractive environment, encouraging more people into the town centre.
In Stoke, the money is to be centred on improving the public square on South Wolfe Street – adjacent to Stoke library – to create a vibrant community space for regular outdoor events, including street markets and live music events.
Public consultations will take place over the next few weeks and will give people the chance to have their say on their priorities. Feedback will help shape the work, which will start later this year.
The consultation events are:
Burslem – Burslem School of Art – Friday, 21 February (10am to 4pm) and Saturday, 22 February (10am to 2pm).
Tunstall – Tunstall Indoor Market – Friday, 7 March (10am to 4pm) and Saturday, 8 March (10am to 2pm).
Stoke – Stoke Indoor Market – Friday, 7 March (10am to 4pm) and Saturday, 8 March (10am to 2pm).
The work will complement other Government-funded projects taking place in and around the towns, such as the £3.5 million former Tunstall Library building development; a £20 million transformation of the Spode site in Stoke; and multi-million-pound investment to preserve, protect and bring into use Burslem’s historic buildings – including The Wedgwood Institute and Burslem Indoor Market.
Councillor Finlay Gordon-McCusker, cabinet member for Transport, Infrastructure and Regeneration at Stoke-on-Trent City Council, said: “We really want as many people as possible to feedback on these exciting plans which will help to breathe new life into Burslem, Stoke and Tunstall town centres.
“The regeneration proposals we have set out will improve the economic viability of the towns, help better link key parts of the towns and are being developed to complement the other exciting project work taking place.
“So, it is vital to hear residents’ priorities for spending the money and to use these ideas to shape the final plan ready for work to start later this year.”
More details on the proposals will be added here closer to the consultation events: www.stoke.gov.uk/publicrealm
The Step Up To Social Work programme at City of York Council is now open for recruitment, enabling aspiring social workers to apply for a place on the training course.
The Step Up To Social Work programme at City of York Council opens for recruitment today [17 February] until 25 March.
Step Up To Social Work is a 14-month, full-time training programme for talented graduates and career changers to become the next generation of child and family social workers supporting vulnerable children, young people and families. It is designed for people who want to become a social worker but do not have a degree in social work. Successful applicants train through a combination of academic study and hands on social work experience in a local authority.
Applicants eligible for the programme, which includes financial support alongside training, will be individuals with experience of working with vulnerable children, young people, families or adults, and who can demonstrate emotional resilience and potential for success.
Step Up To Social Work aims to attract applicants from a diverse range of backgrounds and aims to have a workforce that represents the society that we serve.
City of York Council is looking for four recruits as part of the scheme.
Cllr Claire Douglas, Leader of City of York Council said:
Social work is a challenging and incredibly fulfilling profession, which really does change lives for the better.
“People may not know exactly what being a social worker involves but we have lots of experienced professionals who can explain the role for those who want to learn more. I’d encourage anyone who’s wondered about social work to get in touch and find out how being a social worker can benefit children and families in York. And for those who join us, we have fantastic, dedicated, and enthusiastic social work teams in who will support and guide you every step of the way.”
Isabelle Trowler, Chief Social Worker for Children and Families, said:
It is excellent to see the quality of the hundreds of graduates who qualify as social workers through the Step Up programme, and I’m encouraged to see them start out on a long-term career in social work. Our profession is highly challenging, but highly rewarding, and Step Up is developing a highly skilled workforce ready to make a genuine positive impact on people’s lives.
The Step Up programme is backed by the Department for Education to support 700 individuals to enter the social work profession in local authorities across England in 2026. This funding will support individuals with training costs and a bursary of £21,995 over the duration of the programme to support them whilst in training.
This will be the ninth cohort of Step Up since 2010, the programme has successfully supported over 2,900 social workers to enter the profession across England.
Trained security staff who provide support on Leeds’s streets have received a special commendation for their work after saving a woman’s life earlier this year.
The street marshals are out in the city centre most Friday and Saturday nights offering support and assistance to anyone who needs it between 3pm and 3am.
During a shift in January they responded to a call about a woman in need, and as they approached her they discovered she was not in a good state of mind and at risk. The marshals quickly intervened with care and compassion and supported her until the police and ambulance arrived.
At a Night Safe Leeds partnership street briefing on Friday night (14 February), the street marshals received a commendation from the council for their outstanding contributions to public safety and for averting many potentially serious situations.
The street marshals are an integral part of Night Safe Leeds, an initiative bringing together all the on-street support available to people who live, work and visit the city centre, and raising awareness of how to stay safe.
As they patrol the streets in high vis orange jackets, the marshals provide reassurance to the public, look out for vulnerable people to offer help, and step in to diffuse situations before they escalate.
They are operationally contactable via the Business Against Crime in Leeds (BACIL) radio system, which links into the Safer Leeds LeedsWatch CCTV control room, West Yorkshire Police, British Transport Police, Street Support, the Women’s Night Safe Space, Youth Services, Angels of Freedom and other organisations who are offering support on the streets.
Councillor Mary Harland, Leeds City Council’s executive member for communities, customer service and community safety, said: “We launched the Night Safe Leeds initiative to spread the word on the measures you can take to keep yourself safe when you’re out and about in the city centre. Any form of anti-social behaviour and crime is unacceptable, and we want people to feel safe and be safe whatever time of day or night they are out in Leeds.
“This commendation is so well deserved by the street marshals, they are doing a vital job in supporting our residents and visitors. Nightlife is a big part of what makes Leeds the place that it is and if something doesn’t feel right, there is support around.”
Simon Hodgson, Leeds City Council’s head of community safety, said: “The street marshals are a truly valued part of Night Safe Leeds. They’ve really shown how important their work is, not only during this incident but also in diffusing situations so people get home safely. Positive feedback from the hospitality and retail sector also indicates their value in supporting people’s safety.”
The street marshals are employed by Controlled Space, a Yorkshire-based security service. They are fully SIA licensed and undertake rigorous training in de-escalation techniques, safeguarding, and vulnerability of people, including the safety of women and risks associated with drug and/or alcohol use.
The street marshals are funded by the UK Shared Prosperity Fund (UKSPF). The service is being delivered by Leeds City Council and BACIL in partnership with the West Yorkshire Combined Authority, who administer UKSPF funds locally.
Previously unseen sketches and gags by comedy great Eric Morecambe, together with his personal items have come back to his home district.
At a recent, prestigious auction The Lancaster City Museums team was delighted to acquire items from the comedy legend’s personal collection – thanks to local donations.
Eric Morecambe was a leading figure in British comedy, boasting a lengthy career. In a 2002 BBC poll, he was recognised as one of the top 40 Greatest Britons, surpassing notable figures like David Beckham and Henry VIII. He derived his stage name from his hometown, Morecambe.
Forty years after his passing in 1984, a wide array of items from the family home he shared with his wife, Joan, were auctioned off, offering an intimate look into the public and private life of a man who, alongside his comedy partner Ernie Wise, entertained millions over the years.
Lancaster City Museums faced stiff competition from high-profile bidders like Robbie Williams, who purchased Eric’s iconic glasses and pipe for £20,000.
But, thanks to generous donations from local residents, who contribute to a fund for acquiring and maintaining items in the collection, the museum successfully bought a selection of papers from Eric’s private study.
The items include Eric’s school reports featuring some candid remarks from his mother on the back, Eric’s license to perform as a child entertainer which was issued by the Morecambe and Heysham Council, as well as previously unseen documents, all handwritten by Eric, which contained numerous gag and sketch ideas, including an opening sketch for the Morecambe and Wise Show.
Councillor Nick Wilkinson, Lancaster City Council’s Cabinet member with responsibility for theatres, museums and visitor information, said: “We are delighted to welcome Eric Morecambe’s treasured objects back to his home town, where they will take pride of place in our museum.
“These items, deeply rooted in his legacy, offer a unique glimpse into the life of a comedy legend who brought joy to millions and we are proud to provide a space where visitors can connect with the man behind the laughter.”
Eric’s license for being a child entertainer and one of his school reports are now on display at the Lancaster Maritime Museum and it is hoped that the remaining items will be exhibited in the future so that people can remind themselves just what a comedic legend this local hero was.
The annual European Parliamentary Week will take place on Monday and Tuesday, bringing MEPs together with MPs from member states and EU candidate countries.
European Parliament President Roberta Metsola will open the event on Monday at 14.30, together with the Marshals of Poland’s Sejm and Senate, Szymon Hołownia and Małgorzata Kidawa-Błońska, respectively.
Over the event’s two days, participants will discuss the overarching economic, budgetary, and social issues facing Europe and will delve more specifically into the following themes:
The economic and monetary affairs committee meeting will focus on:
The future of Banking Union and Capital Markets Union;
Creating an ecosystem for European investments.
The employment and social affairs committee meeting will focus on:
AI and the labour market with a focus on changing working condition;
The role of social and employment policies in the EU’s reviewed economic governance framework.
The budgetary affairs committee meeting will focus on:
Bridging the competitiveness gap: how to increase synergies between the national budgets and the post-2027 Multiannual Financial Framework;
European Public Goods: how to identify and finance them?
‘You can’t trust Labour’. It was an oft made comment during the latter year’s of Tony Blair’s premiership; particularly because of his role in dragging the UK into the Iraq war on the basis of a lie.
But it took six years for that phrase to become common usage. With the current Westminster Labour government of Keir Starmer it’s only taken six months.
:wilted_flower: Before the Westminster election, Labour promised to save Grangemouth – they’ve broken that promise. :point_down: pic.twitter.com/coS3gDL2l0
…a private company Labour will financially support when it comes to a football stadium in England and a refinery in Belgium!
Labour Government promises to back Ineos owners Old Trafford project and has also been given a £600million loan guarantee by the UK Labour Government for a refinery in Belgium.
Even a letter he wrote to Starmer was signed by only one other Scottish Labour MP. So much for Scottish Labour MPs standing up for Scotland.
But those two examples are just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to Labour promises.
Take the WASPI women pensioners; betrayed so often by the Tories and now by Labour. As leader of the opposition, Starmer promised to “do something about it”, saying he understood their anger at having “the goalposts moved”.
Then there’s the winter fuel payment for pensioners. In the run up to voting in July 2024 Starmerrailed against the Tories about how pensioners suffered under the Tories and promised them security.
You would think such a level of untrustworthy behaviour would be more than enough after seven months; but there’s more that specifically affects Scotland.
And there’s a range of issues where that group of MPs have been subdued when it comes to putting Scotland at the heart of Starmer’s government.
In August 2024 Rachel Reeves pulled funding for an £800 million computer at Edinburgh University with a Labour source saying the project made “little strategic sense.”
Yet by January Keir Starmer was announcing that his government had arranged £14 billion of investment in various AI projects.
At the end of January Rachel Reeves announced her plans for growth in the UK … which amounted to a concentration of UK government assistance between the cities hosting the UK’s two elitist universities.
The absence for similar assistance for Scotland was notable despite claiming it would deliver to “all corners of the UK“:
Labour have announced they are investing taxpayer money to drive growth “across the UK”.
Take CCS, or Carbon Capture & Storage; since the 2014 independence referendum the North East of Scotland has been repeatedly promised that Westminster would invest millions in it.
Rachel Reeves eventually announced funding for Carbon Capture & Storage … in Teesside and Merseyside. No Scottish Labour MP or MSP has even mentioned this slap in the face to Scotland.
And Anas Sarwar’s latest gambit just raises more questions about trust in Labour. He’s now pledging to protect SNP policies like free tuition, free prescriptions and the Scottish Child Payment.
After months of accusing the SNP government of ’18 years of failure’ he’s now saying it has been 18 years of “successes”.
But why should anyone trust what many see as a panicked announcement by Anas Sarwar?
On several occasions Labour’s Holyrood group of MSPs have voted against SNP government budgets which contained those policies. Even now they are not supporting the SNP budget containing those policies.
A previous Scottish Labour leader notoriously called those policies a ‘something for nothing‘ culture which should end.
Anas Sarwar’s health spokesperson, Jackie Baillie, is on record as saying prescription charges should “absolutely” be abolished.
As for tuition fees it was only in February 2024 that Sarwar’s finance spokesperson, Michael Marra, said backdoor tuition fees, like endowments, would have to be considered.
And let’s not forget the behaviour of Anas Sarwar’s boss, Keir Starmer. In 2020 he promised Labour members in the party leadership election that he would “support the abolition of tuition fees”.
Yet by September 2023 he claimed it would be ‘impossible‘ to abolish tuition fees … despite the fact that is the reality in Scotland.
And let’s not forget which party first introduced tuition fees – whose policy they ultimately are.
Just weeks before the 1997 election Tony Blair pledged: “Labour has no plans to introduce tuition fees for higher education.”
It all just shows how the people of Scotland don’t and can’t trust any promise by Scottish Labour. Like a branch office they will always follow their bosses in Westminster.
There’s only one party that Scots can trust to stand up and speak for Scotland. Speak out about Westminster ignoring your communities when it comes to investment. To vote for the benefit of Scotland’s pensioners, families and workers – the SNP.
Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments
John McFall has been cleared to become the first person with a physical disability to take part in a mission to the International Space Station (ISS).
John McFall
The former Paralympian and surgeon has been medically certified to undertake a long-duration mission, the European Space Agency has announced.
John, who lost his leg in a motorbike accident when he was 19, was selected to take part in ESA’s Fly! Feasibility study in 2022, to look at the challenges of getting an astronaut with a disability to the ISS.
The study concluded in late 2024 and successfully demonstrated it is technically feasible to fly someone with a physical disability, like John’s, on a six-month mission to the ISS as a fully integrated crew member. The end of the feasibility study marks the start of the next phase: Fly! Mission Ready.
John McFall said:
It’s great that we can say after a huge amount of work in the last 18 months that we have demonstrated that it’s technically possible for someone with a disability like mine to fly on a long duration mission. And now we’re progressing to the next phase and what we want to do is realise that opportunity to fly, so moving forward, we’re moving into the Mission Ready phase.
The Mission Ready phase is an important step in moving forward to realise a potential flight opportunity. This phase will include looking at hardware certification and moving further down that process. We’re going to be looking at what potential science could be conducted on the International Space Station should I get the opportunity to fly and importantly we’re looking towards medical certification for me to fly on a long duration mission.
One of the roles of an astronaut is to do important science in microgravity whilst working in space and it’s really my hope that if I get the chance to fly we realise what we do in space, the things we learn, the problems we solve, the technology that we develop has a trickle-down effect and benefits people here on earth in wider society.
This progression to the Mission Ready phase is a really important milestone in the history of human spaceflight.
Liz Johns, Interim Head of Space Exploration at the UK Space Agency, said:
It is fantastic to see that John and the team at ESA have proved it is technically possible for someone with a physical disability like his to live and work on the International Space Station.
This is ground-breaking work that no other space agency has done before. Now we are looking forward to supporting John during the next phase: Fly! Mission Ready. This is an essential step towards the first long-term mission for an astronaut with a physical disability.
Daniel Neuenschwander, ESA Director of Human and Robotic Exploration, said there were three main elements of the Mission Ready phase; the type of scientific research activities that would be conducted on a mission; the qualification of the prosthesis and the medical certification.
John is currently taking part in ESA Astronaut Reserve training at the European Astronaut Centre in Germany, along with the UK’s Meganne Christian. Rosemary Coogan graduated from astronaut basic training in April 2024 and is currently training with NASA in the US.
Source: United Kingdom – Prime Minister’s Office 10 Downing Street
Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s article in the Telegraph on Ukraine.
We are facing a once-in-a-generation moment for the collective security of our continent. This is not only a question about the future of Ukraine – it is existential for Europe as a whole.
Securing a lasting peace in Ukraine that safeguards its sovereignty for the long term is essential if we are to deter Putin from further aggression in the future.
To achieve it, Europe and the United States must continue to work closely together – and I believe the UK can play a unique role in helping to make this happen, just as we did this past week in stepping in to convene and chair the Ukraine Defence Contact Group.
First, Europe must step up further to meet the demands of its own security. So I am heading to Paris with a very clear message for our European friends. We have got to show we are truly serious about our own defence and bearing our own burden. We have talked about it for too long – and president Trump is right to demand that we get on with it.
As European nations, we must increase our defence spending and take on a greater role in Nato. Non-US Nato nations have already increased defence spending by 20 per cent in the past year, but we must go further.
Russia is still waging war and Ukraine is still fighting for its freedom, which is why we must not relent in our efforts to get the kit Ukrainians need for their fighters on the front line. While the fighting continues, we must put Ukraine in the strongest possible position ahead of any talks.
The UK is ready to play a leading role in accelerating work on security guarantees for Ukraine. This includes further support for Ukraine’s military, where the UK has already committed £3 billion a year until at least 2030. But it also means being ready and willing to contribute to security guarantees to Ukraine by putting our own troops on the ground if necessary.
I do not say that lightly. I feel very deeply the responsibility that comes with potentially putting British servicemen and women in harm’s way. But any role in helping to guarantee Ukraine’s security is helping to guarantee the security of our continent, and the security of this country.
The end of this war, when it comes, cannot merely become a temporary pause before Putin attacks again.
But second, while European nations must step up in this moment – and we will – US support will remain critical and a US security guarantee is essential for a lasting peace, because only the US can deter Putin from attacking again. So I will be meeting president Trump in the coming days and working with him and all our G7 partners to help secure the strong deal we need.
We must be clear that peace cannot come at any cost. Ukraine must be at the table in these negotiations, because anything less would accept Putin’s position that Ukraine is not a real nation.
President Zelensky and the Ukrainian people have shown the most extraordinary resilience and made such great sacrifices in the defence of their nation. We cannot have another situation like Afghanistan, where the US negotiated directly with the Taliban and cut out the Afghan government. I feel sure that president Trump will want to avoid this too.
While Nato membership may take time, we should continue to support Ukraine’s irreversible path to joining the alliance.
We should also show greater strength in applying economic pressure. Putin’s economy is feeling the strain – he is worried about his energy revenues and his financial sector.
Working together, the US, Europe and all our G7 allies should seek to go further on the oil price cap, the Shadow Fleet, the sanctioning of oil giants, and going after those banks that are enabling the evasion of sanctions.
These crucial days ahead will determine the future security of our continent. As I will say in Paris, peace comes through strength. But the reverse is also true. Weakness leads to war.
This is the moment for us all to step up, and the UK will do so because it is the right thing to do for the values and freedoms we hold dear, and because it is fundamental to our own national security.
Birmingham City Council is launching a targeted outreach campaign to support vulnerable pension-age residents aged 70-79, ensuring they receive the financial assistance they are entitled to.
Many older residents may be missing out on vital support, with Pension Credit not only increasing income to help with living and housing costs but also unlocking additional benefits such as the Winter Fuel Payment, Council Tax Reduction and free TV licences (for those over 75) and discounts on services like NHS dental costs and glasses. The Council aims to identify and contact eligible residents, raise awareness of available benefits, and provide direct support to help them access financial assistance.
The initiative will begin with outreach to 20 residents via letters and SMS, followed by an assessment of engagement levels. A second phase will expand the outreach to an additional 30 pensioners. The Council will also evaluate whether residents require in-person support, such as home visits or assistance with completing benefit applications.
Beyond financial support, this initiative will explore other needs of pension-age residents, ensuring they can access wider council services, community support, and technology assistance if required. A strengths-based approach will be used, empowering residents to make informed decisions about their entitlements.
Birmingham City Council urges all residents aged 70-79 who need support for Pension Credit or any other benefit support to get in touch. The outreach campaign is part of a wider commitment to reducing financial hardship and ensuring older residents can live with dignity and security.
Councillor Nicky Brennan, Cabinet Member for Social Justice, Community Safety and Equalities, said: “Too many older residents are missing out on vital financial support that could significantly improve their quality of life. This initiative is about making sure they receive the help they are entitled to, ensuring no one is left behind.
“By proactively reaching out, we are not only increasing awareness of Pension Credit but also identifying other support needs to help our pension-age citizens live with dignity and security. I encourage anyone who thinks they may be eligible to get in touch—this support is here for you.”
For more information or to check eligibility contact Birmingham City Council’s Contact Centre on 0121 216 3030 or visit the Council’s website.
Housing Benefit, Winter Fuel Payment, Council Tax Reduction, and a free TV licence if you are aged 75 or over.
Nobody should be harassed when accessing healthcare.
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Scottish Green MSP Gillian Mackay has written to the US Ambassador to the UK, Jane D Hartley, urging her to issue a statement correcting the record after Vice President JD Vance’s misinformation about safe access zones in Scotland.
Ms Mackay introduced the bill that secured 200 metre wide safe access zones, or buffer zones, around abortion service providers to stop the intimidating anti-choice protests that were taking place across Scotland. Private prayer at home has never been impacted by this Act.
In a speech last week, VP Vance claimed that people in Scotland were told that private prayer in their own homes would be against the law within a safe access zone and that people were encouraged to report anyone they thought guilty of “thought crime.” This has never been true.
Ms Mackay said:
“What JD Vance said about my Safe Access Zones Act was completely wrong. He either knows nothing about it and chose to speak about it anyway or he knew exactly what he was doing and was happy to lie about it.
“Either way, he has misrepresented the bill and spread dangerous misinformation about the laws in Scotland, and that needs to be corrected.
“I hope that the US embassy will correct the record both for Mr Vance and, more importantly, for the millions of people who will have seen his false and grossly misleading claims.”
Ms Mackay added:
“The politics that JD Vance and Donald Trump represent are everything I’m against. They have eroded and undermined reproductive rights and pursued a racist and far right agenda.
“They have shown a total disregard for the truth, whether it is the conspiracy theories they have peddled about the 2020 election or the misleading claims that have been made about my Act. It is time for political leaders everywhere to stand up to them.”
Text of Gillian Mackay’s letter to the US embassy.
Dear Ambassador Hartley
I am writing to you following Vice President JD Vance’s claims that people in Scotland were told that private prayer in their own homes would be against the law within a safe access zone and that people were encouraged to report anyone they thought guilty of “thought crime.” This is not true.
It was my Act that established safe access zones in the first place, in order to stop the intimidation and harassment which was taking place outside abortion service providers across Scotland.
The letter that VP Vance referenced does not mention private prayer and does not suggest it would be criminalised. Nobody in Scotland has been arrested for privately praying in their own home.
This was something that was scrutinised a lot in the committee process and I would have expected the Vice President to familiarise himself with the background before speaking about it.
As the US government’s representative in the UK, I urge you to correct the record and release a statement making clear that nobody is at risk of arrest for private prayer in their home and never has been, and clarifying that what VP Vance said does not represent the views of the US Embassy.
Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments
Investigation into a fatal accident involving a child at Bourneview footpath crossing, Kenley, London Borough of Croydon, 23 January 2025.
Bourneview footpath crossing (courtesy of British Transport Police).
At around 08:04 on 23 January 2025, a child was struck by a train and fatally injured while crossing the railway on Bourneview footpath crossing, situated between Whyteleafe and Kenley in the London Borough of Croydon. The train involved was travelling at about 50 mph (80 km/h) at the time of the accident.
Bourneview footpath crossing provides access for pedestrians between two residential areas of Kenley. The crossing has gates on either side of the railway and is provided with signage which instructs users how to cross.
Our investigation will determine the sequence of events that led to the accident and will include consideration of:
the factors which may have affected the decisions and actions of the child as they used the crossing
any previous incidents at Bourneview footpath crossing and how these may be relevant to this accident
the management of risk at this crossing and Network Rail’s wider strategy for assessing and mitigating risks at footpath crossings
any relevant underlying factors
Our investigation is independent of any investigation by the railway industry or by the industry’s regulator, the Office of Rail and Road.
We will publish our findings, including any recommendations to improve safety, at the conclusion of our investigation. This report will be available on our website.
You can subscribe to automated emails notifying you when we publish our reports.
Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s article in the Telegraph on Ukraine.
We are facing a once-in-a-generation moment for the collective security of our continent. This is not only a question about the future of Ukraine – it is existential for Europe as a whole.
Securing a lasting peace in Ukraine that safeguards its sovereignty for the long term is essential if we are to deter Putin from further aggression in the future.
To achieve it, Europe and the United States must continue to work closely together – and I believe the UK can play a unique role in helping to make this happen, just as we did this past week in stepping in to convene and chair the Ukraine Defence Contact Group.
First, Europe must step up further to meet the demands of its own security. So I am heading to Paris with a very clear message for our European friends. We have got to show we are truly serious about our own defence and bearing our own burden. We have talked about it for too long – and president Trump is right to demand that we get on with it.
As European nations, we must increase our defence spending and take on a greater role in Nato. Non-US Nato nations have already increased defence spending by 20 per cent in the past year, but we must go further.
Russia is still waging war and Ukraine is still fighting for its freedom, which is why we must not relent in our efforts to get the kit Ukrainians need for their fighters on the front line. While the fighting continues, we must put Ukraine in the strongest possible position ahead of any talks.
The UK is ready to play a leading role in accelerating work on security guarantees for Ukraine. This includes further support for Ukraine’s military, where the UK has already committed £3 billion a year until at least 2030. But it also means being ready and willing to contribute to security guarantees to Ukraine by putting our own troops on the ground if necessary.
I do not say that lightly. I feel very deeply the responsibility that comes with potentially putting British servicemen and women in harm’s way. But any role in helping to guarantee Ukraine’s security is helping to guarantee the security of our continent, and the security of this country.
The end of this war, when it comes, cannot merely become a temporary pause before Putin attacks again.
But second, while European nations must step up in this moment – and we will – US support will remain critical and a US security guarantee is essential for a lasting peace, because only the US can deter Putin from attacking again. So I will be meeting president Trump in the coming days and working with him and all our G7 partners to help secure the strong deal we need.
We must be clear that peace cannot come at any cost. Ukraine must be at the table in these negotiations, because anything less would accept Putin’s position that Ukraine is not a real nation.
President Zelensky and the Ukrainian people have shown the most extraordinary resilience and made such great sacrifices in the defence of their nation. We cannot have another situation like Afghanistan, where the US negotiated directly with the Taliban and cut out the Afghan government. I feel sure that president Trump will want to avoid this too.
While Nato membership may take time, we should continue to support Ukraine’s irreversible path to joining the alliance.
We should also show greater strength in applying economic pressure. Putin’s economy is feeling the strain – he is worried about his energy revenues and his financial sector.
Working together, the US, Europe and all our G7 allies should seek to go further on the oil price cap, the Shadow Fleet, the sanctioning of oil giants, and going after those banks that are enabling the evasion of sanctions.
These crucial days ahead will determine the future security of our continent. As I will say in Paris, peace comes through strength. But the reverse is also true. Weakness leads to war.
This is the moment for us all to step up, and the UK will do so because it is the right thing to do for the values and freedoms we hold dear, and because it is fundamental to our own national security.
DTEP funding is advancing innovation in defence through collaboration with higher-tier partners
Congratulations to Rotherham based engineering company Magtec
The Small and Medium-sized Enterprise (SME) will collaborate with an experienced higher-tier partner in the defence sector
The Defence Technology Exploitation Programme (DTEP) boosts defence innovation while supporting the technology supply chain
Rotherham based SME Magtec has been awarded funding through the latest rounds of the Defence Technology Exploitation Programme (DTEP). They will collaborate with a higher-tier supplier who will mentor them over the duration of a forthcoming defence project. They will receive a government grant worth 50 percent of the project value with the aim of developing innovative new solutions that meet UK defence challenges and increase capability in the UK defence supply chain.
Magtec is a leading UK designer, manufacturer and integrator of electric and hybrid drive systems for customers in the defence, rail and commercial sectors. The company is a member of the British Army’s programme to develop technologies for battlefield electrification and holds an Armed Forces Covenant Bronze Award in the Employer Recognition Scheme. Founded in 1992, Magtec is privately owned and headquartered at a bespoke design and manufacturing facility in Rotherham, South Yorkshire.
The firm was recently visited by Secretary of State for Defence John Healey MP who described Magtec as “deeply impressive” and said that they have the “long established manufacturing skills and creative flair to improve the battlefield performance and the environmental performance of military vehicles.”
The DTEP programme, which seeks to improve the competitiveness of the UK Defence supply chain, is sponsored by the MOD’s Directorate of Industrial Strategy and Exports (DISE) and delivered through the Defence and Security Accelerator (DASA), Innovate UK, and ADS.
Congratulations to Magtec
Magtec’s innovative Permanent Magnet Motors (PMM) will provide superior power to submarine systems with significantly reduced size and weight. This will in turn reduce maintenance costs substantially while increasing submarine availability and operational capacity. Magtec will be working with higher tier partner MacTaggart Scott on developing and producing the PMM.
Andy Sloan, Engineering Director at Magtec said:
“We are delighted to have won funding from the Defence and Security Accelerator and to be collaborating with MacTaggart Scott. Our team is developing permanent magnet motor technology for submarines, reducing weight, space, heat and noise and making the Silent Service even quieter. As a UK-based company, we are proud to be strengthening our sovereign capability.”
The SDA Supplier Management Team said:
“Magtec have previous defence development experience, therefore easing their learning and journey into becoming a potential defence supplier for the Submarine Enterprise. The product they offer will be bespoke, offering the many advantages as stated, and others besides.”
DTEP’s funding for Magtec highlights the MOD’s commitment to fostering innovation and strengthening the UK defence supply chain through strategic SME partnerships.
Learn more about DASA’s funding opportunities here.
Source: State University of Management – Official website of the State –
On February 13-14, 2025, the XXII International Forum “Gas of Russia 2025” was held in Moscow, organized by the Union of Oil and Gas Industry Organizations “Russian Gas Society”. Advisor to the Rector’s Office of the State University of Management Sergey Karseka took part in it.
The Gas of Russia Forum is a specialized event that annually brings together professionals and experts in the gas industry, heads of Russian government bodies, the largest Russian and foreign oil and gas companies, representatives of industry science and higher education institutions. The main goal is a professional discussion of the most pressing issues of the development of the Russian gas industry in the context of events on the global energy market.
The key theme of the XXII Forum is the development strategy of the industry and overcoming the main challenges.
During the event, the participants discussed the following issues: – training personnel for the oil and gas industry in modern conditions; – strategy for the development of the oil and gas industry for 10 years; – improving legislation in the interests of the development of the industry; – challenges and solutions to technological problems of the industry.
Greetings to the Forum were sent by Deputy Prime Minister of the Russian Federation Alexander Novak and Minister of Energy of the Russian Federation Sergey Tsivilev.
The main moderator was the President of the Russian Gas Society, the President of the Union of Employers of the Oil and Gas Industry, and the First Deputy Chairman of the State Duma Committee on Energy, Pavel Zavalny.
At the opening of the event, State Secretary – Deputy Minister of Energy of the Russian Federation Anastasia Bondarenko noted that by 2029, the Russian economy’s need for personnel will grow to 3.1 million people.
“At present, the task is to formulate a forecast in the structure of needs for specialists,” the deputy minister concluded.
In his speech during the session “HR Podium: Open Dialogue between Employers and Students,” Sergey Karseka outlined a wide range of topics and areas of potential cooperation between the State University of Management and oil and gas universities and enterprises.
“It is very important to train specialists, but without basic knowledge of the fundamentals of management, the efficiency of managers in the oil and gas industry will be reduced. On this path, the State University of Management offers its assistance and cooperation in solving the personnel problems facing employers,” noted Sergey Ivanovich.
Specific issues of cooperation and details of the implementation of joint projects were discussed with key representatives of the oil and gas and energy industries: Marina Voronina, Head of the Oil and Gas Academy project of the Russian Gas Society, Yulia Dunayevskaya, Head of the HR Department of Gazprom Transgaz Moscow LLC, and Violetta Kiushkina, Head of the Department of Energy Security and Infrastructure of the Russian Energy Agency of the Ministry of Energy of Russia. Of particular interest was the experience of the State University of Management in interaction with other ministries: Violetta Kiushkina invited the university experts to participate in the working events of the Ministry of Energy, noting the lack of management expertise and alternative approaches when discussing important industry issues.
Subscribe to the TG channel “Our GUU” Date of publication: 02/17/2025
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.
Source: Government of the Russian Federation – An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.
Denis Manturov visited the International Defense Industry Exhibition IDEX-2025 in Abu Dhabi
February 17, 2025
Denis Manturov visited the International Defense Industry Exhibition IDEX-2025 in Abu Dhabi
February 17, 2025
The T-90MS tank with unique tactical and technical characteristics at the IDEX-2025 defense industry exhibition in Abu Dhabi
February 17, 2025
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Denis Manturov visited the International Defense Industry Exhibition IDEX-2025 in Abu Dhabi
First Deputy Prime Minister of Russia Denis Manturov, who heads the Russian delegation to the UAE, visited the international conference and exhibition of the defense industry IDEX 2025 in Abu Dhabi. The Russian exposition was also visited by Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi Khaled bin Mohammed Al Nahyan.
This year, the Russian exposition, the total area of which exceeds 2 thousand square meters, will feature a record number of new weapons, military and special equipment from 40 leading domestic companies. Some models are being demonstrated abroad for the first time. For example, the T-90MS tank in an updated appearance based on the experience of real combat operations, which has unique tactical and technical characteristics. Among the world premieres are also the Pantsir-SMD-E air defense missile and gun system with new guided missiles for destroying UAVs, the Kub-1-1E and Kub-2-2E loitering munitions, and the Kornet-EM ATGM with a remote control and a Bulat guided missile. The Lancet-E loitering munition and the Berezhok combat compartment are being presented in the Middle East for the first time.
“We selected the most high-tech models that have proven their performance in real combat. The Russian models presented here are different from the others shown at the exhibitions in that they can interact in a complex, successfully resist and defeat the equipment of competitors, who are also present at the exhibition, in real combat,” Denis Manturov noted.
At IDEX 2025, Russian helicopter manufacturers presented a line of helicopters for the effective work of emergency services. Among them are the latest modification of the Ka-32A11M firefighting helicopter, the Mi-38 helicopter with a high-comfort cabin, as well as the Ansat in two versions: ambulance and police.
Please note: This information is raw content directly from the source of the information. It is exactly what the source states and does not reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.
Source: Novosibirsk State University – Novosibirsk State University – NSU, together with the Gorchakov Fund, has opened the application process for an internship program for foreign specialists in the areas of “Artificial Intelligence in Medicine” and “Modern Quantum and Information Technologies in Electronics and Photonics”.
The last day to submit applications is March 20, 2024, 23:59 Moscow time.
Date: June 1–29, 2025.
Foreign specialists conducting scientific and practical activities in areas corresponding to the internship programs are allowed to participate in the competition.
The organizers provide:
travel from the applicant’s place of residence to Novosibirsk and back; accommodation for the entire period of the scientific and educational event; visa support; a stipend for the duration of the program in the amount of 30,000 rubles.
Participants pay:
medical insurance; meals for the duration of the scientific and educational school.
Heads of scientific and educational directions:
Artificial Intelligence in Medicine: Evgeny Nikolaevich Pavlovsky, Head of the Laboratory of Streaming Data Analytics and Machine Learning Faculty of Mechanics and Mathematics of NSU. Modern quantum and information technologies in electronics and photonics: Artur Grigorievich Pogosov, Head of the Department of General Physics Physics Department of NSU.
More detailed information about the program, conditions and registration form – on the InteRussia website.
Please note: This information is raw content directly from the source of the information. It is exactly what the source states and does not reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.
Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments
Government appoints new members to the Low Pay Commission, Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service and Central Arbitration Committee.
The Government has today (Monday 17 February 2025) confirmed the appointment and reappointment of members of the Low Pay Commission (LPC), Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service (Acas) and Central Arbitration Committee (CAC) since June 2024.
The LPC, the independent body that advises the government about the National Living Wage and National Minimum Wage, has reappointed several members to the Commission. These include:
Worker Member: Simon Sapper
Employer Members: Matthew Fell and Louise Fisher.
Independent Members: Jonathan Wadsworth and Dr Patricia Rice.
Last month Janet Williamson was also appointed as a Worker Member for a three-year term.
Danny Mortimer was also appointed for his first term as a Worker Member of the Acas Council, whilst Michael Clancy’s term was extended by six months. Further reappointments include:
Worker Members: Roy Rickhuss and Christina McAnea
Employer Members: Matthew Percival and Jayne Haines
Independent Members: Ben Summerskill, Ijeoma Omambala and Simon Lewis.
The CAC, independent authority that handles specific issues relating to trade unions and employers, also had a number of reappointments made. These are:
Four Deputy Chairs: Laura Prince, Naeema Choudry, Lisa Gettins and Stuart Robertson
Eight Worker Members: Steve Gillan, Ian Hanson, Paul Moloney, Paul Morley, Claire Sullivan, Joanna Brown and Nicholas Childs.
Seven Employer Members: David Cadger, Mustafa Faruqi, Richard Fulham, Martin Kirke, Sean McIlveen, Kieran Grimshaw and Alastair Kelly.
Employment Rights Minister Justin Madders said:
These three organisations are crucial to the government’s mission to grow the economy and Make Work Pay.
I welcome all of the new appointments and look forward to working with them to help protect the rights of workers across the country.
Source: Peter the Great St Petersburg Polytechnic University – Peter the Great St Petersburg Polytechnic University –
The Polytechnic University became the venue and co-organizer of the All-Russian scientific and practical conference “Innovative approaches in urban development: science, education, practice”. The event was organized jointly with the Committee for Urban Development Policy of the Leningrad Region and the Research Institute for Advanced Urban Development with the support of the Ministry of Construction and Housing and Communal Services of the Russian Federation, the Russian Academy of Architecture and Construction Sciences (RAASN) and the Government of the Leningrad Region. This large-scale event became a platform for constructive dialogue between representatives of government bodies, the scientific community and business structures.
The conference participants were addressed with welcoming speeches by the First Deputy Minister of Construction and Housing and Utilities of the Russian Federation Alexander Lomakin, Director of the Department of Urban Development and Architecture of the Ministry of Construction of Russia Vladimir Kalinkin, President of the Russian Academy of Architecture and Construction Sciences (RAACS) Dmitry Shvidkovsky, Vice President of RAACS for Urban Development Mikhail Shubenkov, Deputy Chairman of the Government of the Leningrad Region for Construction and Housing and Utilities Evgeny Baranovsky, Special Representative of the Governor of St. Petersburg for Economic Development Anatoly Kotov and Chairman of the North-West Territorial Branch of the Russian Academy of Architecture and Construction Sciences (NWTO RAACS) Mikhail Mamoshin.
The first day of the conference was devoted to the discussion of a comprehensive approach to master planning. Participants, including representatives of the Russian Ministry of Construction, RAASN, and businessmen shared their experiences and analyzed the use of master plans in the Leningrad Region.
During the event, a cooperation agreement was signed between the Polytechnic University and the Leningrad Region Committee for Urban Development Policy. The signatures were put by SPbPU Rector Andrey Rudskoy and the Committee Chairman Igor Kulakov. The document is aimed at joint work, support for the project and scientific activities of students and university staff in the region’s municipalities, as well as for students to undergo educational practice at organizations in the Leningrad Region. Igor Kulakov noted that it is necessary to involve students in solving practical problems that the regional committee for urban development policy is working on.
The plenary session was attended by representatives of the Ministry of Construction of Russia, the Russian Academy of Architecture and Construction Sciences (RAACS), the Committee for Urban Development Policy of the Leningrad Region (KGP LO), the Committee for Urban Development and Architecture of St. Petersburg, the Government of the Leningrad Region, the State Institution “Urban Development of Territories of the Leningrad Region”, the Research Institute of Urban Development, the Research Institute of Urban Planning of Moscow, St. Petersburg Polytechnic University, Moscow Architectural Institute, National Research University Moscow State University of Civil Engineering, St. Petersburg State University of Architecture and Civil Engineering, National Research University ITMO, RANEPA, as well as specialists from leading design organizations and architectural bureaus.
Director of the Department of Urban Development and Architecture of the Ministry of Construction of Russia Vladimir Kalinkin presented a report entitled “Integration of Master Planning into Russian Legislation.”
Master planning is a new tool that urban planning specialists will have to work with, noted Yevgeny Baranovsky, Deputy Chairman of the Leningrad Region Government for Construction and Housing and Public Utilities, in his speech.
Director of the Civil Engineering Institute Marina Petrochenko and Director of the Higher School of Design and Architecture ISI Margarita Perkova spoke about the trends and prospects for the development of the Urban Planning direction at SPbPU.
At the Polytechnic University, the priorities in student training are interdisciplinarity, digitalization in the industry and practical training, which is based on long-term cooperation agreements with industry government agencies and leading design bureaus and research institutes, Marina Vyacheslavovna emphasized.
Chief Architect of the Leningrad Region, Associate Professor of the Higher School of Design ISI Sergey Lutchenko presented a report “Analysis of the Use of the Master Planning Tool in the Territory of the Leningrad Region”. Director of the Research Institute for Advanced Urban Development Pavel Spirin examined urban planning documentation as a tool for strategic development of the territory.
The second day of the conference was held in an atmosphere of active exchange of experience and search for advanced solutions. Representatives of design organizations, leading universities of the country and authoritative experts discussed digitalization in urban development and architecture. Participants shared practical developments, prospects for the implementation of digital technologies and analyzed successful cases.
The audience was interested in the report by the Director of the Institute of Historical and Cultural Heritage Marina Petrochenko, in which she, together with the Deputy Chairperson of the KGIOP of St. Petersburg Alexandra Komissarova, spoke about the experience of creating digital twins and the prospects for using technologies when working with cultural heritage sites.
The topic of artificial intelligence was reflected in the report by Sergey Mityagin, Director of the Institute of Design and Urban Studies of the St. Petersburg National Research University of Information Technologies, Mechanics and Optics. Acting Director of the Research Institute of Urban Development Nadezhda Zykova presented a report entitled “The system of monitoring and digitalization of the master plan as a tool for integrated development of the territory”. Professor of RANEPA Revekka Vulfovich considered the problems of interaction between cities and rural areas during the development of master plans and strategic documents for the development of rural areas. Olga Druzina presented a report entitled “Draft revision of the Code of Practice 42.13330 “Urban Development. Planning and Development of Urban and Rural Settlements”.”
Of particular interest was the panel discussion “Urban planning: science, education, practice”, moderated by Margarita Perkova, Director of the Higher School of Design and Architecture of the Institute of Civil Engineering. The speakers included Mikhail Shubenkov, Chairman of the Federal Educational and Methodological Association for the UGS “Architecture”, Ekaterina Voznyak, Dean of the Faculty of Architecture of St. Petersburg State University of Architecture and Civil Engineering, and Nina Danilina, Head of the Department of Urban Planning at Moscow State University of Civil Engineering. They shared their experience in training urban planners and their vision of the further development of higher education in urban planning. Academicians from Samara and Volgograd, Elena Akhmedova and Galina Ptichnikova, joined the discussion via videoconference.
A highlight of the conference was the project session “Development of the fore-project “Concept of block development of the Leningrad region site” from the Setl Group holding. Four teams of polytechnic students together with leading architects and urban planners of St. Petersburg developed and presented their concepts of block development of the Leningrad region site. The project was prepared jointly with the Setl Group holding. The concepts were defended before an authoritative jury. The team led by the honored architect of the Russian Federation, corresponding member of the Russian Academy of Architecture and Construction Sciences Maxim Atayants won. All participants received memorable prizes from the holding.
Setl Group has announced an open architectural competition to develop a concept for a residential quarter in the picturesque part of the village of Novosaratovka in the Vsevolozhsk district. The winner will have the opportunity to implement their project. 15 Russian architectural bureaus and workshops will offer ideas for creating a comfortable and modern environment until April 2. The selection of finalists by an expert council will last until April 10. The concepts will be defended and the winner will be announced on April 29.
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.
