NewzIntel.com

Category: Europe

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Chloe’s story of growing up with fostering

    Source: City of Derby

    Chloe McCready grew up in a very special home in Derby. Her parents decided to become foster carers, opening their hearts and home to children who needed love and safety. Chloe was just a young girl when her family’s journey in fostering began, but it shaped her life in amazing ways.

    Her mother had started out as a childminder, but she realised that fostering was her true calling. Chloe’s childhood was filled with the sounds of laughter, tears, and the joyful chaos of having different children come and go. The experience gave Chloe a deep understanding of love, resilience, and empathy.

    “You treat them like you’ve known them forever,” says Chloe. “They become your family, and you give them so much love that it shapes who you are.”

    Chloe remembers the excitement and nervousness she felt whenever a new child arrived. Each child brought their own story, and her family welcomed them with open arms, no matter the circumstances. Even though many of these children had experienced difficult situations, Chloe’s home became a place where they could feel safe and cared for.

    Fostering brought many learning moments. Chloe recalls times when her foster siblings experienced strong emotions. These moments made her feel especially connected to her family and taught her the importance of patience, understanding, and kindness.

    “Fostering teaches your own children really valuable lessons,” Chloe explains. “It helps you learn about empathy, sharing, and understanding others.”

    Her parents made sure Chloe’s voice was heard. They talked openly together about the changes fostering brought to their lives, which made Chloe feel secure and valued.

    “It’s so important to listen to your own birth children,” she says. “They’re experiencing this journey alongside you.”

    As Chloe grew older, the lessons she learned from fostering stayed with her. She witnessed how her family’s love and care helped children heal and grow. Seeing these transformations inspired her to want to help even more children.

    During the lockdown, Chloe’s passion for helping others became even clearer. She saw how difficult things were for a young boy who had been living with her family for years. This experience helped her decide to become a social worker so she could support children like him.

    Now, as a supervising social worker, Chloe uses her personal experiences to help foster carers and children. She understands both the joys and challenges of fostering. Her unique perspective allows her to relate to foster families in a special way. Chloe believes fostering changes lives for the better, not just for the children who come into the home, but for the whole family.

    “I would encourage anyone to look into fostering,” Chloe says with a smile. “It truly enriches lives and creates a loving environment for everyone.”

    Chloe’s story shows how fostering can create strong, lasting bonds. Her journey is a reminder that every child deserves a loving home, and that love has the power to transform lives. Through her work, Chloe continues to make a difference, carrying forward the lessons of compassion, patience, and hope that she learned from her own family’s fostering journey.

    Councillor Paul Hezelgrave, Lead Cabinet Member for Foster for East Midlands, said:

    Chloe’s story is a powerful reminder of how fostering transforms lives. From growing up in a fostering home to becoming a social worker, Chloe’s journey shows the incredible impact of love, empathy, and resilience. Her dedication inspires us all to believe in the power of compassion and the difference one family can make.

    For more information, visit fosterforeastmidlands.org.uk, call 03033 132 950, or email hello@fosterforeastmidlands.org.uk.

    Join us and foster for your local council to make a meaningful difference while keeping children in their local communities.

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Better pay crucial to recruiting more officers

    Source: United Kingdom National Police Chiefs Council

    The National Police Chiefs’ Council (NPCC) has submitted evidence to the Police Remuneration Review Body (PRRB) and the Senior Salaries Review Body (SSRB).

    Police chiefs, whilst recognising the financial context, are calling for an increase in officer pay across all ranks of 3.8% as well as raising the starting salary for constables and reviewing pay scales to match skills and experience.

    These changes together will help with the recruitment and retention of officers and in turn support the Government’s Safer Streets Mission, Neighbourhood Policing Guarantee and its focus on reducing knife crime, anti-social behaviour and violence against women and girls.

    The recommendations, recognising the highly demanding nature of the role, also include wider officer pay structure reform and outline the importance of making policing a competitive career through better pay for all officers.

    Police chiefs have also stressed the importance of adequate funding for all forces to cover any increase, recognising that the ability for forces to absorb additional cost pressures is extremely limited.

    National Police Chiefs’ Council Lead for Pay and Conditions, Assistant Chief Officer Philip Wells, said: “Below market starting salaries for constables and real term pay cuts for officers poses a significant challenge to attracting and retaining talented police officers.

    “To deliver against the Government’s Safer Streets Mission and Neighbourhood Policing Guarantee we need to recruit, build and retain skills, attracting those people with the aptitude but also values and standards we need in policing.

    “Our recommendations recognise the significant financial pressure facing both forces and government, whilst advocating for the critical need for a funded uplift in officer pay which reflects the incredibly challenging nature of the job.”

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Get free advice and support at Help at the Hub day in Lanesfield

    Source: City of Wolverhampton

    Help at the Hub will see a wide variety of city organisations offer advice and information. The event will take place on Tuesday 11 February between 11am and 2pm at Top Hall, Lanesfield Methodist Church, Laburnum Road, WV4 6PG.

    The event has been organised by officers at the council’s Public Protection Scams Team who will be handing out free scams awareness and prevention packs.

    Residents with concerns can speak with advisors from ACCI, Act on Energy, Alzheimer’s Society, Barclays, Carer Support, Cost of Living, Healthwatch, Neighbourhood Safety Co-ordinator, NHS Talking Therapies, Public Protection, Revenue & Benefits, SUIT, The Haven, The Sanctuary Hub, Welfare Rights, West Midlands Police, Wolves Foundation and Wolverhampton Homes.

    Residents are welcome to drop in and speak to any number of the organisations for free help and assistance.

    Councillor Bhupinder Gakhal, City of Wolverhampton Council’s cabinet member for resident services, said: “Incredibly, this is our 17th Help at the Hub event, and they have proven to be a real lifeline for residents.

    “By taking free advice and support out into our communities, we have been able to help people who may otherwise have found it trickier to speak to people in a face to face environment.

    “We know that these past few years have been difficult time for many residents and worries can build up. Please don’t struggle alone, join us on 11 February for a chat about your concerns.”

    Residents do not have to book an appointment but are asked to please be prepared to wait if the event is busy.

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Power of female entrepreneurship set to be celebrated at GoSucceed event

    Source: Northern Ireland – City of Derry

    Power of female entrepreneurship set to be celebrated at GoSucceed event

    3 February 2025

    Celebrating the power of female entrepreneurship and transformation is at the core of an exciting event planned by Derry City and Strabane District Council’s Go Succeed Team to celebrate International Women’s Day.

    Empower Her: Transforming Experiences into Enterprises will take place on Friday, 7th March in the Everglades Hotel from 12-2pm.

    The event will be led by Emer Maguire, whose own journey from science commentator through to musical comedy success is just one of the empowering stories which will feature at the event.

    Throughout the afternoon the audience will hear from amazing female entrepreneurs who’ve turned adversity into success, they will share their journeys of resilience, innovation, and growth.

    The keynote speaker for the event will be the inspirational Patricia Breslin. She will offer the audience invaluable insights on how to transform their experiences into thriving enterprises.

    A single mother of six children, Patricia is also a transformational speaker, counsellor, and the creator of the Who Am I? program, a 12-week journey designed to help individuals rediscover their identity, build resilience, and create a purposeful future.

    With a powerful combination of lived experience and professional expertise, Patricia specialises in guiding individuals who have faced domestic violence, trauma, or life transitions toward healing and empowerment.

    Having overcome her own challenges, including domestic violence, addiction recovery, trauma, bulimia and her personal transformation, Patricia now dedicates her life to helping others break free from limiting beliefs, reclaim their self-worth, and step into their full potential. She is also a TedX speaker, hypnotherapist, and NLP practitioner, using a blend of therapeutic and coaching techniques to inspire lasting change.

    This is a free event, but places are limited. Encouraging people to sign up early, Rachel Gallagher, Business Officer with Derry City and Strabane District Council said: “This is an unmissable opportunity to connect with like-minded women, get inspired, and celebrate the spirit of entrepreneurship – just in time for International Women’s Day.

    “We are delighted to have such strong and inspiring women as Emer and Patricia joining us for the event, and I know their personal stories will give our audience members lots of great tips and ideas which they can use to help boost their business, take the next step forward in their own career or make an important change in their personal life.

    “As well as hearing these powerful testimonies, the Empower Her event will also allow lots of time for networking and making those important connections which we know are so beneficial to small and growing businesses.”

    Tickets for the Empower Her: Transforming Experiences into Enterprises are now available on glistrr. Tickets are free, but please register as soon as possible to secure your place.

    Go Succeed (www.go-succeed.com) is funded by the UK Government and delivered by Northern Ireland’s 11 councils. The service supports entrepreneurs, new starts and existing businesses with easy-to-access advice and support including mentoring, master classes, peer networks, access to grant funding and a business plan, at every stage of their growth journey.

    For further information on the support programmes available to set up and grow your business through Derry City and Strabane District Council visit derrystrabane.com/business.

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Essential work to improve Lendal starts Monday 3 February

    Source: City of York

    Published Friday, 31 January 2025

    Two urgent improvement works are due to begin on Lendal. To ensure the safety of public and workers on site, Lendal will have daily and temporary closures to vehicles.

    Northern Gas Networks will carry out essential work to the roadway on weekdays from Monday 3 February until Friday 14 February 2025. The road will be open for deliveries and access before 10.30am and will be closed to vehicles from 10:30am until 5.00pm, Monday to Saturday.

    Outside those times, metal plates will be laid over the workings, so vehicles can drive along Lendal. Pedestrian access will remain open throughout to ensure access to businesses.

    City of York Council will resurface and improve footways from Monday 24 February for three months until late May 2025, weather permitting. The road will be open before 10.30am and closed to vehicles from 10.30am until 4.00pm each weekday.

    Outside those times, works will be barriered off but access will be maintained. Pedestrian access will remain open throughout. Pathways and cyclist routes will be maintained, where possible, to allow access to any properties and businesses safely. Emergency services will be permitted through the works at all times.

    Work will pause during the busy Easter holiday period from the end of Friday 4 April 2025 and start again on the morning of Tuesday 22 April 2025. Access will be open during that period and the Blake Street barriers will be staffed as usual.

    Blue Badge parking will be suspended on Blake Street, Lendal and St Helen’s Square during the closure periods.

    During these two closures, access for Blue Badge holders will be via Goodramgate, which is used by the vast majority of Blue Badge holders. Blue Badge holders will be able to access and park along Goodramgate, Church Street and Colliergate as usual.

    Councillor Kate Ravilious, Executive Member for Transport at City of York Council, said:

    The decision to pause Blue Badge vehicle access along the Lendal loop has not been taken lightly, but the forthcoming roadworks are essential and the footway repairs will improve accessibility for everyone.

    “We have checked to see if these two periods of work could run alongside each other to minimise disruption. Unfortunately, the access needed for staff and vehicles couldn’t be safely operated.

    “We’re notifying Blue Badge holders, taxi drivers and affected businesses ahead of these temporary closures.”

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI: Caisse Française de Financement Local: EMTN 2025-4

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    Paris, 3 February 2025

    Capitalised terms used herein shall have the meaning specified for such terms in the Caisse Française de Financement Local base prospectus to the €75,000,000,000 Euro Medium Term Note Programme dated 8 July 2024 (the “Base Prospectus”).

    Caisse Française de Financement Local has decided to issue on 5 February 2025 – Euro 50,000,000 Callable Fixed Rate Obligations Foncières due 5 February 2055. 

    The Base Prospectus dated 8 July 2024 and the supplements to the Base Prospectus dated 13 September 2024, 30 September 2024 and 26 December 2024 approved by the Autorité des Marchés Financiers are available on the website of the Issuer (https://www.caissefrancaisedefinancementlocal.fr/), at the registered office of the Issuer: 112-114, avenue Emile Zola, 75015 Paris, France, and at the office of the Paying Agent indicated in the Base Prospectus.

    The Final Terms relating to the issue will be available on the website of the AMF (www.amf-france.org) and of the Luxembourg Stock Exchange (www.bourse.lu), at the office of the Issuer and at the office of the Paying Agent.

    Attachment

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Sixteen people recognised by His Majesty’s Lord- Lieutenant of Gwent

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    The efforts of 16 people, including 3 young cadets from across Gwent have been recognised by the King’s representative for the county.

    Lord-Lieutenant of Gwent Awards. Copyright of RFCA for Wales.

    In recognition of their outstanding service and devotion to duty, 3 people were awarded the Lord-Lieutenant’s Certificate of Merit by Brigadier Robert Aitken CBE CStJ at the awards ceremony at Chapman VC House, Cwmbran, on Thursday 30 January.

    The recipients were Staff Sergeant Paul Carter of 100 Field Squadron, The Royal Monmouthshire Royal Engineers (Militia) and Second Lieutenant Katie Marfell and Sergeant Major Instructor Tyrone Gravell both of Gwent and Powys Army Cadet Force.

    The achievements of the Lord-Lieutenant’s 3 cadets were recognised and celebrated during the event attended by 80 people. 

    Cadet Sergeant Major Robert Lewis and Cadet Sergeant Major Thomas Wilson both of Gwent and Powys Army Cadet Force and Cadet Warrant Officer Megan Hutton of No 1 Welsh Wing RAF Air Cadets outlined to the audience highlights of their time in cadets.

    The role, which lasts for a year, includes attendance with the Brigadier (who acts as the King’s representative) at a number of official engagements such as Remembrance events, Royal visits and parades.

    The 3 were selected for the prestigious Lord-Lieutenant’s cadet role after being put forward for nomination by cadet group leaders and the Reserve Forces’ and Cadets’ Association for Wales.

    The King’s Coronation Medal was also presented to Staff Sergeant Paul Carter, 5 members of Gwent and Powys Army Cadet Force and two members of No 1 Welsh Wing RAF Air Cadets, in recognition of their service. The King’s Coronation Medal is a thank you from the nation for those who were a member of the Armed Forces on 6 May 2023 and had 5 years’ uninterrupted service.

    They were Second Lieutenant Greg McFarlane, Staff Sergeant Instructor Peter Clements, Staff Sergeant Instructor Peter Hire, Staff Sergeant Instructor Kevin Trigg and Sergeant Instructor Clive Scott of Gwent and Powys ACF and Squadron Leader Ken Lavender and Squadron Leader Chris Stubbs of No 1 Welsh Wing RAF Air Cadets.

    Staff Sergeant Peter Hire was also presented with the Cadet Forces’ Medal, which is awarded to members of the Cadet Force for 12 years service. 

    Volunteer service recognition awards were also presented to three members of the Sea Cadet Corps. These were Civilian Instructor Brendyn Metcalfe of Torfaen Sea Cadets for 12 years service, Petty Officer Bryony Duggan of Newport Sea Cadets for six years service and Mr Robin Lawlor of Torfaen Sea Cadets also for six years service. 

    There are nearly 5,000 cadets in Wales who gain skills and qualifications through working with local communities, charities and taking part in a variety of practical activities. 

    The cadet syllabus is delivered by 1,850 volunteering adult Instructors and civilian assistants, who give up their spare time on weeknights and weekends.

    The awards event was organised by the Reserve Forces’ and Cadets’ Association (RFCA) for Wales – an organisation that has supported the Armed Forces for over 100 years.

    Updates to this page

    Published 3 February 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Government sets out plans to target ‘stuck’ schools

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    Education Secretary sets out plan for a new era of school standards.

    Stronger accountability, increased intervention in stuck schools and faster school improvement are at the heart of this government’s plan to give every child the best start in life, the Education Secretary has said today.

    Speaking at the Centre for Social Justice, Bridget Phillipson laid out plans for a new era of school standards building on the reforms of successive governments and delivering on the Prime Minister’s Plan for Change – breaking the link between background and success. 

    This includes an excellent teacher for every classroom, a high-quality curriculum for every school and a core offer of excellence for every parent so that every child can achieve and thrive.  

    The Secretary of State announced new plans to tackle forgotten schools as part of proposals for a significantly strengthened school accountability system that works for parents. 

    There are more than 600 ‘stuck’ schools in England that have received consecutive poor Ofsted judgements, and which are attended by more than 300,000 children. Those attending these schools leave primary school with results 14 percentage points worse on average and secondary school with results a grade per subject worse on average.  

    Plans unveiled by the Education Secretary today provide for a stronger, faster system, spearheaded by an initial £20m investment in new regional improvement teams, known as RISE teams which will prioritise these stuck schools. They will draw up bespoke improvement plans with those schools, with government making up to £100,000 available initially to each school for specialist support. This compares to a £6,000 grant that was available previously for similar schools. 

    In her speech, Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson said: 

    Stuck schools are the new front in the fight against low expectations. 

    I will not accept a system that is content for some to sink, even while others soar.  

    The opportunity to succeed must be the right of every child. 

    We simply can’t allow stuck schools to disappear off the radar. 

    The reforms announced today continue the strong accountability already within the education system since the growth of inspection in the 1990s that has improved school standards.

    The government will continue to use structural intervention – converting to an academy, or moving to a new, strong trust – where Ofsted identifies the most serious concern or does not identify rapid improvement. It has also proposed closer monitoring of schools with the most serious problems to track progress. 

    The government expects the number of schools that receive mandatory intervention – including structural and from RISE teams – to be around double than before, securing swift improvement for children and driving high and rising standards in every part of the country.  

    Leora Cruddas, Chief Executive of the Confederation of School Trust, said:

    There is a lot to be proud of about our school system in England. We are a good school system on a journey to great.

    This is because we have built on the evidence of what works – thirty years of curriculum development, teacher development, accountability, structural reform, and innovation. But the school system does not work for all children: the gap between economically disadvantaged pupils and their peers has widened; the system does not serve children with SEND well; and not enough of our children feel like they belong in our schools. Some of our schools are not on a secure improvement trajectory.

    If we are to build a great school system, then we must design it so that all our children achieve and thrive. We are committed to working with government to design a system that is built on excellence, equity, and inclusion.

    Sir Hamid Patel, Chief Executive of Star Academies, said:

    The Government is right to focus on strong and supportive accountability to deliver high standards and expectations. While we take pride in the significant strengths, achievements, and international reputation of our school system, the entrenched disadvantage gap is a national crisis that requires urgent and persistent action from us all.

    The introduction of RISE Teams to support the work of our outstanding school trusts, along with additional funding for tailored school improvement and enhanced monitoring of schools facing serious performance challenges, will contribute to an aspirational system that benefits all children and families.

    Jon Coles, Chief Executive of United Learning, said:

    Turning around schools which are not doing a good enough job for children is a critical priority for our school system. It is therefore good to see the government’s determination to ensure rapid improvement in a larger number of struggling schools while continuing with structural intervention in the weakest schools by using all the resources and capacity available.

    Jason Elsom, Chief Executive of Parentkind said:

    Parents will welcome efforts to make sure that there are high standards in every classroom.

    Schools will be at the centre of significant social change during the decade ahead and we will need a robust, responsive system that not only recognises when schools are excelling but steps in with meaningful support when they struggle.

    When we engage with parents about school inspections, their message is clear: they want a framework that is firm yet fair, one that places the success and well-being of every child at its core and acknowledges the essential role of parents in making this vision a reality.

    Dr Vanessa Ogden, Chief Executive Mulberry Schools, said:

    We see an ambitious plan announced today that invests in the quality assurance, leadership and resources to build on existing success and improve standards for all. Those schools that need it will get the expert challenge and support required to achieve turnaround. Those that already hold this knowledge can help. Working together in this way, we can ensure that every child gets the great school they deserve – and we can reach higher and further than ever in education, for a thriving economy, regional prosperity and fulfilled secure lives.

    Tom Campbell, Chief Executive Office, E-Act, said:

    I welcome the government investment in support for schools who have been left to struggle in recent years.  The RISE teams and their focus on support rather than intervention makes high quality school improvement available to all schools, irrespective of which trust or LA they are in or which geographical region they are based.

    While RISE teams will immediately prioritise stuck schools, the proposals also set out that they will engage with schools that have concerning levels of pupil attainment, including large year-on-year declines.  

    The teams will also work across all schools providing a universal service, signposting to best practice and bringing schools together to share their knowledge and innovation.  

    The measures today come as Ofsted has unveiled the new report cards which they propose will evaluate schools across nine separate areas.  They also set out proposals for evaluating areas from ‘exemplary’ to ‘causing concern’, holding schools to a higher standard and providing far greater information for parents.  

    School report cards will start to be introduced from this autumn.  

    ENDS 

    • RISE teams abbreviated from ‘Regional Improvement for Standards and Excellence’.

    DfE media enquiries

    Central newsdesk – for journalists 020 7783 8300

    Updates to this page

    Published 3 February 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: 11.5 million file Self Assessment by 31 January deadline

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    Millions of taxpayers filed their Self Assessment tax return for the 2023 to 2024 tax year by the deadline.

    • More than 11.5 million taxpayers filed their Self Assessment tax return by midnight on 31 January.
    • 97.36% of tax returns were filed online.
    • 90.53% of expected filers filed their Self Assessment.

    More than 11.5 million taxpayers beat the Self Assessment deadline to file their tax return for the 2023 to 2024 tax year by 31 January and avoid a £100 late filing penalty, HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) can reveal.

    The number of people who filed their return on deadline day was 732,498, with the most common time being 16:00 to 16:59 when 58,517 people filed. Thousands left submitting their return until the very last minute when 31,442 filed between 23:00 and 23:59.

    HMRC is urging anyone who has missed the deadline to file their tax return now and pay any tax owed. One of the quickest ways to pay is via the free and secure HMRC app. Time to Pay arrangements are available for those who cannot pay their tax bill in full. Late filing and late payment penalties are charged for failure to meet the deadline.

    Myrtle Lloyd, HMRC’s Director General for Customer Services, said:

    Thank you to the millions of people and agents who filed their Self Assessment tax return and paid any tax owed by 31 January. I’m urging anyone who missed the deadline, to submit their return as soon as possible to avoid any further penalties. Search ‘Self Assessment’ on GOV.UK to find out more.

    The penalties for filing a tax return late are:

    • an initial £100 fixed penalty, which applies even if there is no tax to pay, or if the tax due is paid on time
    • after 3 months, additional daily penalties of £10 per day, up to a maximum of £900
    • after 6 months, a further penalty of 5% of the tax due or £300, whichever is greater
    • after 12 months, another 5% or £300 charge, whichever is greater

    There are also additional penalties for paying late – 5% of the tax unpaid at 30 days, 6 months and 12 months. Interest will also be charged on any tax paid late.

    If someone regularly sells goods or provides services through an online platform, they may need to pay tax on their income. Customers can find out more about selling online and paying taxes on GOV.UK by searching ‘online platform income’ or by downloading the HMRC app. The guidance will help them decide if their activity should be treated as a trade and if they need to complete a Self Assessment tax return.

    Further information

    Self Assessment 2025 facts summary:

    • 12,026,540 Self Assessment returns expected
    • 11,509,810 returns received by 31 January. This includes expected returns, voluntary returns and late registrations
    • 10,887,810 expected returns received by 31 January
    • An estimated 1.1 million customers missed the deadline
    • 11,205,810 returns were filed online (97.36% of returns, following adjustments)
    • 304,000 paper tax returns were filed (2.64% of returns, following adjustments)

    Voluntary returns/late registrations are an estimate based on returns received by early January and previous filing behaviour.

    These figures are indicative and may be subject to further adjustments once all figures have been ratified.

    Previous Self Assessment statistics:

    • 11,581,962 returns received for the 2022 to 2023 tax year by 31 January 2024
    • 11,351,289 returns received for the 2021 to 2022 tax year by 31 January 2023

    Updates to this page

    Published 3 February 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: New partnerships with financial sector to unlock growth in UK and overseas

    Source: United Kingdom – Government Statements

    UK Minister for Development announces funding and partnerships to deliver Sustainable Development Goals and domestic growth, in speech at London Stock Exchange.

    • Government to partner with UK financial sector to deliver on the Plan for Change by tackling climate change and driving growth at home.
    • Minister for Development Anneliese Dodds pays tribute to the UK financial services sector, which “powers jobs and growth across the UK”.
    • New funding and partnerships will unlock investment opportunities, as part of a new development approach supporting sustainable economic growth overseas.

    Efforts to address the climate crisis and boost growth in the Global South and at home will be enhanced under a partnership approach between the government and the UK financial sector, the UK’s Minister for Development Anneliese Dodds announced today (Monday 3 February).

    Speaking at the London Stock Exchange, Minister Dodds praised the “expertise, experience and dynamism” of the UK’s financial services sector, and pledged to put this expertise “at the heart of how we meet the opportunities and challenges of our time”, including accelerating delivery of the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). These seek to address global challenges, including poverty, inequality, and climate change, to achieve a better and more sustainable future for all, by 2030.

    Minister Dodds set out how investment in the Global South is an opportunity for UK financial services “to marry investment in the economies and technologies of the future, with the experience and expertise of the City of London”, adding that the government will hold up its end of the bargain by working internationally to reform the global financial system to provide greater opportunity and stability.

    Minister for Development Anneliese Dodds said:

    With businesses and the government working hand in hand to drive investment in the Global South, we can unlock growth, jobs, trade, investment, and pride in our economy overseas and here at home.

    This government is enabling the financial services sector to flourish and use its expertise and depth of capital to invest in the markets and technologies of the future.

    Through partnerships like this, we will deliver on the Plan for Change, drive domestic growth, and create a world free from poverty on a liveable planet.

    The Minister announced up to £100 million for the UK’s flagship public markets programme MOBILIST. This programme will provide businesses focused on delivering the SDGs with the anchor funding and expert advice they need to list on stock exchanges around the world, including in London, allowing them to attract significant sums of additional private investment. 

    This is expected to generate between £400 million and £600 million of new investments in businesses across emerging markets in Asia, Africa, and Latin America. These investments will support economic growth, sustainable development, and climate action in local markets.

    She also celebrated the issuance of the first Climate Investment Fund (CIF) Capital Markets Mechanism (CCMM) bond last month, which raised $500 million (approximately £400 million) for energy and clean technology projects in low- and middle-income countries. The CCMM, launched by the Prime Minister at COP29, is a new financial mechanism to leverage future loan repayments by issuing bonds on capital markets.

    As today’s announcements demonstrate, this government’s modern approach to development focuses on harnessing the power of the private sector in mobilising the finance emerging markets need to grow. This will create future export markets for the UK and new overseas investment opportunities, supporting domestic growth and delivering on the government’s Plan for Change. It will also make the UK safer and more stable by tackling the drivers of conflict, climate crises and economic decline in partner countries.

    UK Climate Minister Kerry McCarthy said: 

    This is a historic moment for tackling the climate crisis, with the first bond raising $500 million to accelerate the global clean energy transition and support the flow of climate finance to developing countries.

    Public finance alone cannot tackle the scale of this challenge, and this mechanism will help leverage the private finance needed to support those on the frontline of a changing climate.

    Its listing in the UK positions London as a green finance capital. By working with partners such as the World Bank the UK can drive the action needed to grow the economy and reap the rewards of net zero.

    Minister Dodds made the announcements during a speech to the UK financial sector, including pension funds, insurers, banks, and development finance organisations, after joining a market opening ceremony at the London Stock Exchange.

    Julia Hoggett, CEO of the London Stock Exchange, added:

    Flows of investment are vital to generating sustainable growth both in the UK and around the world. London’s capital markets have long played a leading role in driving flows of capital to where they need to go, and we welcome the focus on fuelling growth and supporting the just transition to net zero.

    As part of these efforts, we are proud to celebrate the listing of the Climate Investment Funds’ Capital Markets Mechanism on the London Stock Exchange. This pioneering bond issuance programme not only brings a new financing tool to our market but is facilitating critical investment in sustainable and clean assets.

    As part of the speech, the Minister also welcomed a first-of-its-kind report from UK institutional investors, co-led by Mercer, Aviva Investors and the Private Infrastructure Development Group (PIDG) and supported by the Institutional Investors Group on Climate Change (IIGCC), on scaling private capital for climate action in emerging markets, and announced a new taskforce to take its recommendations forward.

    The speech comes a week after British International Investment (BII), which is funded by the FCDO, launched a call for institutional investors to work with them to develop solutions that will boost the flow of private capital into emerging markets, which are often considered too risky by global investors, but can offer attractive investment opportunities for growth, diversification and impact for the climate transition. 

    Tariye Gbadegesin, Chief Executive Officer, Climate Investment Funds, said:

    The UK has long recognized that to transform our energy systems at the scale and speed required, we must deploy public money smartly. That means putting climate finance to work where it’s most needed: investing in promising new technologies and enabling new clean energy markets, to spur private sector interest at scale.

    As a founding member of the Climate Investment Funds and a proud partner in the launch of our next-generation CIF Capital Markets Mechanism today, the UK is demonstrating its commitment to bold new models of public-private partnership for both people and planet.

    Benoit Hudon, Mercer’s UK President and CEO said:

    UK institutional investors, as part of the wider financial and professional services ecosystem are uniquely placed to help finance development projects in emerging markets and developing economies, which will also support UK growth. The report published today, co-led by Mercer, sets out a range of measures the UK Government and finance industry can take to secure the UK’s position as the world’s leading destination for transition finance.

    Background

    The Minister’s full speech will be made available on gov.uk following the event: Search – GOV.UK

    Photos to be available on FCDO Flickr later today.

    About MOBILIST 

    A flagship UK government programme, MOBILIST (Mobilising Institutional Capital Through Listed Product Structures) identifies and invests in scalable, replicable transactions on public markets that help deliver the climate transition and the Sustainable Development Goals. MOBILIST invests capital on commercial terms, delivers technical assistance, conducts research, and builds partnerships to catalyse investment in newly listed products. Since its inception, MOBILIST has invested £87 million in equity and equity commitments, directly mobilising £247.5 million in private capital.

    Examples of initiatives supported by MOBILIST include:

    • Citicore Renewable Energy Company: in June 2024, MOBILIST supported the Philippines in its transition to renewable energy through a £9.9 million local currency investment in the initial public offering (IPO) of Citicore Renewable Energy Corporation (CREC) on the Philippines Stock Exchange, Inc. (PSE), helping to decarbonise the Philippines power generation fleet by rapidly rolling out wind and solar, adding 2.3GW by the end of 2025 and 5GW by 2028. MOBILIST’s investment supported £63.7 million of private investment, a mobilisation ratio of 6.25.
    • Bayfront Infrastructure Capital IV: MOBILIST’s £4 million equity investment in September 2023 into a $410 million securitisation vehicle that listed on the Singapore Stock Exchange and enabled the greening of bank balance sheets in Southeast Asia and attracted international investors into developing countries’ infrastructure. MOBILIST’s investment supported £90.5 million in private investment, a mobilisation ratio of 22.9.

    About the CIF & CCMM

    The Climate Investment Funds (CIF) were launched in 2008 to invest in Emerging Markets and Developing Economies (EMDEs) climate projects. To date, the CIF has leveraged over $64bn from $12.3bn of donor contributions, supporting over 400 projects in over 80 countries. The UK (led by DESNZ) is a leading donor and chairs its Joint Trust Fund Committee.

    The CIF Capital Markets Mechanism (CCMM) was launched by the Prime Minister at COP29, and the bonds were issued on the London Stock Exchange in January 2025. It is a new financial mechanism to leverage future loan repayments (reflows) from previous investments made under the CIF’s Clean Technology Fund (CTF), by issuing bonds on capital markets. 

    Examples of investments made by the CTF include:

    • In South Africa, CTF invested $430.9 million (with co-financing of $2.28 billion). Key achievements include supporting Sub-Saharan Africa’s first large-scale battery storage project and increasing clean energy share in the power grid. This has led to a reduction of 1 million tons of CO2 annually. Notable projects include the KaXu, Xina, and Khi solar plants and the 2023 launch of Africa’s largest battery energy storage system.
    • In Thailand, CTF invested $85.7 million (with co-financing of $1.1 billion). This funding supported over 480MW of solar and wind capacity, reducing 160,000 tons of CO2 annually. Over eight years, wind capacity increased seven-fold, and solar capacity more than doubled. CTF also helped finance the Theppana Wind Power Project and kickstarted the Solar Power Company Group to develop solar farms across northeastern Thailand.

    Media enquiries

    Email newsdesk@fcdo.gov.uk

    Telephone 020 7008 3100

    Contact the FCDO Communication Team via email (monitored 24 hours a day) in the first instance, and we will respond as soon as possible.

    Updates to this page

    Published 3 February 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Debt collection and enforcement services

    Source: United Kingdom – Government Statements

    Advantis take over responsibility for Crown Court means testing (CCMT) debt collection and enforcement services (DCES).

    On Monday 3 February 2025, Advantis Credit Ltd. took over responsibility for Crown Court means testing (CCMT) debt collection and enforcement services (DCES) for the Legal Aid Agency (LAA).

    Advantis were awarded the DCES contract in August 2024, following a competitive procurement process, and have been working with LAA and the previous supplier, Marston Holdings Ltd. over the past six months to mobilise the service and ensure a smooth transition between suppliers.

    Further information

    You can find frequently asked questions (FAQs) about Advantis, including information specific to LAA, at Advantis Credit FAQ.

    Updates to this page

    Published 3 February 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Escalation of violence in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo: G7 foreign ministers’ statement

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments 3

    G7 foreign ministers gave a statement condemning the Rwanda-backed M23 offensive in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo and the capture of Minova, Saké and Goma.

    Joint statement:

    We, the G7 Foreign Ministers of Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom and the United States of America and the High Representative of the European Union, strongly condemn the Rwanda-backed M23 offensive in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo, and in particular, the capture of Minova, Saké and Goma. We urge M23 and the Rwanda Defence Force (RDF) to cease their offensive in all directions. We call for the urgent protection of civilians.

    We also call for an end to all direct and indirect support to the M23 and all non-state armed groups in the DRC. This offensive constitutes a flagrant disregard for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the DRC. We also condemn M23’s intention to continue expansion into South Kivu.

    This latest M23 offensive has led to a dramatic increase in displaced civilians in Goma and across eastern DRC, on top of the displacement of hundreds of thousands of people since the start of the M23 offensive in January. We deplore the devastating consequences of the renewed M23 and RDF offensive, worsening already difficult humanitarian conditions.

    G7 Foreign Ministers call for the rapid, safe and unimpeded passage of humanitarian relief for civilians and reiterate that humanitarian personnel must be provided assurances of safety.

    We urge all parties to return to the negotiating table and honour their commitments under the Luanda Process. We urge the M23 to withdraw from all controlled areas. We also urge all parties to fully commit to a peaceful and negotiated resolution of the conflict.

    We reiterate our full support to the United Nations Organization Stabilization Mission in the DRC (MONUSCO) to protect civilians and stabilize the region and call on all parties to respect its mandate.

    Attacks against peacekeeping personnel are entirely unacceptable. We extend our deepest condolences to the families of the fallen peacekeepers of MONUSCO and the Southern African Development Community Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (SAMIDRC).

    We strongly condemn all attacks against diplomatic missions in Kinshasa. We urge the Congolese authorities to take all appropriate steps to protect diplomats and the premises of diplomatic missions, as is their responsibility in accordance with international law.

    Updates to this page

    Published 2 February 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Thousands of children to be supported thanks to multi-million expansion of innovation in family courts

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    Families, children and victims of domestic abuse will be spared the trauma of going to court thanks to a multi-million-pound expansion of an innovative pilot across Wales and West Yorkshire.

    • Funding boost to benefit up to 8,000 families in Wales and West Yorkshire
    • New data shows “Pathfinder” courts resolve cases quicker – tackling backlogs and shielding children from further trauma
    • Flagship family mediation voucher scheme extended for a year

    The £12.5 million funding boost comes as new figures published today (3 February) show the Pathfinder scheme is resolving cases faster, with family court backlogs reduced by half in pilot areas.

    The Pathfinder pilot works by bringing together local authorities, police and support services to gather and share information on cases as early as possible.

    This saves children and families from having to go through unnecessary and potentially hostile hearings. As part of delivering on its Plan for Change and mission to halve violence against women and girls, the scheme also provides extra support to victims of domestic abuse.

    New figures published today show the approach is working, with cases being resolved 11 weeks quicker, and the backlog of cases reducing by 50 per cent across both Dorset and North Wales.

    Lord Ponsonby, the Minister for Family Justice, said:

    For too long families have been pitted against each other in the court room, or abusers have hijacked proceedings to continue campaigns of cruelty. Children and vulnerable people bear the brunt of this, and it must stop.

    Pathfinder has been welcomed as a less adversarial approach, and early evidence shows it’s working. This is another important step to achieving our promise of halving violence against women and girls.

    A primary focus of the courts is improving information sharing between agencies to allow for more informed decision making, fewer bureaucratic hearings, less time in court and quicker resolution to cases. The courts can also offer specialist support to victims of domestic abuse through Independent Domestic Violence Advisors (IDVAs).

    To further help separating families resolve conflict, the Government’s family mediation vouchers scheme will also be extended to March 2026.

    The programme, which provides £500 to help couples settle issues before they get to court, has provided helped over 37,700 families to date, with early analysis showing 70 per cent of recipients reach a whole or partial agreement thanks to mediation. 

    Since the voucher scheme was introduced in April 2021, the number of applications being made to court has dropped – avoiding thousands of these cases a year, which could save taxpayers millions of pounds.

    There were 50,807 private law applications in 2023, compared to 55,711 in 2020.

    It also saves families, especially children, from a potentially length and damaging court process.

    Domestic Abuse Commissioner Nicole Jacobs said:

    Improving the Family Court is a key priority for my office. It is clear to me that Pathfinder Courts recognize the impact of domestic abuse and consider children’s needs much earlier than in the traditional Family Court.

    I believe this approach is essential to ensuring the protection of victims in the family justice system. I welcome Government’s commitment to this pilot and look forward to seeing its influence on all Family Courts.

    The family mediation voucher scheme was introduced in 2021 as a pilot to help relieve backlogs in the family court caused by the pandemic.

    Further information

    • The Pathfinder pilot launched in Dorset and North Wales in February 2022, it expanded to South East Wales in April 2024, and Birmingham in May 2024.
    • The expansion is set to launch in Mid and West Wales on 3 March, and in West Yorkshire on 3 June.
    • In 2020 The Harm Panel, comprised of experts on the family justice system, was convened to draw together evidence and published a report on private law children cases. It recommended reform to the Child Arrangements Programme (CAP), which is the process that the family court follows when settling disputes between separating parties involving children.
    • The Pathfinder pilot was designed in response to this recommendation to achieve the reform of private law by trialling a more investigative approach which better supports victims of domestic abuse and other harms.
    • The 2023 update on the pilots can be found here: Assessing Risk of Harm to Children and Parents in Private Law Children Cases – https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/1158907/annex-integrated-domestic-abuse-courts.pdf
    • For more information on the impact parental conflict can have on young people and their life chances: What works to enhance interparental relationships and improve outcomes for children? – Early Intervention Foundation (eif.org.uk)
    • Family mediation is a process in which an independent, professionally trained mediator helps parties work out arrangements for children and finances where there is a dispute. For more information on mediation and how it works visit: Home – Family Mediation Council

    Data published today shows:

    Updates to this page

    Published 3 February 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Better protection for victims from domestic abusers

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    Victims of domestic abuse will be better protected as part of a new law ensuring even more abusers face tougher management from police and probation.

    • Closer management of offenders convicted of controlling or coercive behaviour

    • Agencies such as Police and Probation will have a legal duty to work

    • Part of the Government’s Plan for Change and mission to halve violence against women and girls

    Offenders convicted of controlling or coercive behaviour, and sentenced to 12 months or longer, will now be automatically managed under multi-agency public protection arrangements. This means agencies are legally required to cooperate to better manage the risks posed by these serious offenders, recognising the significant harm this kind of offending can cause.  

    For the first time, it puts controlling or coercive behaviour on a par with other domestic abuse offences including threats to kill, attempted strangulation and stalking.

    Evidence shows offenders who are managed under multi-agency public protection arrangements have a reoffending rate less than half of the national average

    The law change means even more domestic abusers will fall under this management, in which agencies are legally required to share any information which indicates increased risk to others, such as former partners or members of the public.

    This is part of the Government’s Plan for Change to take back our streets by protecting women and girls from harassment, aggression and violence and manifesto commitment to target the most prolific and harmful perpetrators using methods previously reserved for terrorist and other violent offenders.

     Minister for Prisons and Probation, Lord James Timpson said:

    Domestic abuse creates fear and isolation, and I will do everything in my power to tackle it and ensure women and girls feel safe in their homes.

    This new approach will put controlling or coercive behaviour on a par with physical violence and will help prevent these despicable crimes.

    Minister for Safeguarding and Violence Against Women and Girls, Jess Philips said:

    Domestic abuse devastates lives and affects more than two million people every year.

    For the first time, under this change to the law, coercive or controlling behaviour is being placed where it belongs – on a par with serious violent offending. This is an important step to recognise the harm caused by all forms of domestic abuse, ensure the most harmful offenders are managed in the right way, and ultimately keep victims safe.

    This Government will crack on with our work to deliver a system that protects victims, supports their journey to justice and holds perpetrators to account – part of our mission under the Plan for Change to halve violence against women and girls in a decade.

    The law change will apply to all offenders who are sentenced to at least 12 months’ imprisonment, including suspended sentences, or given a hospital order for an offence of controlling or coercive behaviour in an intimate or family relationship.

    It was introduced by the Victims and Prisoners Act 2024 and was signed into law after Justice Minister Lord Timpson signed a statutory instrument early this year.

    Previously, those convicted of controlling or coercive behaviour could be actively managed under multi-agency arrangements on a discretionary basis only.

    This measure will put beyond doubt the legal requirement for agencies to work together to assess and manage the risks posed by this group of offenders.

    Chief Executive of Women’s Aid, Farah Nazeer, said:

    Coercive control is a key tool used by perpetrators of domestic abuse, as it isolates survivors and makes them dependent on an abuser.

    Women’s Aid welcomes plans to treat coercive and controlling behaviours seriously, automatically managing those convicted of this form of abuse under the Multi-Agency Public Protection Arrangement (MAPPA).

    It is essential that specialist domestic abuse services, with expertise on abusive behaviours and the impacts on victims and survivors, are routinely included in the MAPPA process if survivors are to be properly protected by this measure.

    This announcement builds on measures already set out by the Government as part of our mission to halve violence against women and girls. This includes launching new Domestic Abuse Protection Orders in select areas to ensure victims of all types of domestic abuse including coercive control, stalking, and violence can seek protection and more abusers face harsher restrictions. 

    Further information:

    • Multi-agency public protection arrangements, known as MAPPA, are the set of arrangements through which the Police, Probation and Prison Services work together with other agencies to manage the risks posed by violent, sexual and terrorist offenders living in the community to protect the public.
    • Research conducted by Anglia Ruskin University indicates that reoffending rates for individuals managed under MAPPA are less than half of the national average. The one-year reoffending rate for MAPPA is 12.2%, while the national overall one-year reoffending rates range between 30.0% and 31.3% during a similar timeframe.

    Updates to this page

    Published 3 February 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Report 03/2025: Derailment of a passenger train at Roudham Heath

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    RAIB has today released its report into the derailment of a passenger train at Roudham Heath, Norfolk, 6 February 2024.

    The train involved in the accident after it had been rerailed.

    R032025_250203_Roudham Heath

    PDF, 10.7 MB, 33 pages

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    Summary

    At around 20:53 on 6 February 2024, a passenger train travelling at 83 mph (134 km/h) through Roudham Heath, Norfolk, struck two trees which had fallen onto the track. As a result, the train derailed and travelled for around 680 metres before coming to a stop.

    One of the 31 passengers on board suffered a minor injury. There were no other injuries to the passengers or staff on the train. The train and infrastructure both suffered damage, and the line was closed for a day while repairs took place.

    The two trees were part of a forest adjacent to the railway that is owned and managed by Forestry England. One of the trees, a twin-stemmed pine tree, fell first, landing on and felling an adjacent oak tree. The pine tree suffered from a loss of root anchorage, primarily because it was standing in highly saturated, sandy soil. Because of the way the pine tree had grown and its proximity to the railway, it was more likely to land over the tracks in the event of it falling. Inspections of the trees by Network Rail and Forestry England had not identified any cause for concern, and so no action had been taken to reduce the likelihood of the tree falling.

    RAIB’s investigation identified that the risk imposed by trees standing in saturated soil was not being effectively managed by either Forestry England or Network Rail. This was an underlying factor to this accident.

    There was no significant deformation of the train’s cab structure following the collision, and an axle-mounted brake disc on the train engaged with one of the rails which helped to contain the train’s path during the derailment.

    Recommendations

    RAIB has made two recommendations, one addressed to Forestry England and one to Network Rail. Both recommendations ask the respective organisations to review their processes for inspecting and managing trees that are within falling distance of the railway, to consider the effects of high soil saturation levels on the risk of trees falling, and to make any appropriate changes.

    Notes to editors

    1. The sole purpose of RAIB investigations is to prevent future accidents and incidents and improve railway safety. RAIB does not establish blame, liability or carry out prosecutions.

    2. RAIB operates, as far as possible, in an open and transparent manner. While our investigations are completely independent of the railway industry, we do maintain close liaison with railway companies and if we discover matters that may affect the safety of the railway, we make sure that information about them is circulated to the right people as soon as possible, and certainly long before publication of our final report.

    3. For media enquiries, please call 01932 440015.

    Newsdate: 3 February 2025

    Updates to this page

    Published 3 February 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Eight new members appointed to the Council for Science and Technology

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    Eight new members have been appointed to the Council that advises the Prime Minister and Cabinet on science and technology.

    Images of the eight new Council members.

    Eight new members have been appointed to the Council for Science and Technology (CST). The Council advises the Prime Minister and the Cabinet on strategic science and technology policy issues that cut across the responsibilities of individual government departments. 

    Professor Dame Angela McLean, the Government Chief Scientific Adviser and Co-Chair of  CST,  said: 

    The eight new members bring extraordinary breadth and depth of experience: from AI and data to chemical engineering and venture capital. I am confident that new members will further invigorate the Council and its ability to provide robust advice on the government’s high-level priorities for science and technology. I look forward to collaborating across a wide range of topics to further embed specialist knowledge of the UK’s strength in science and technology into the heart of government decision-making.

    New members: 

    • Mark Enzer OBE is a Strategic Advisor at Mott MacDonald. He is a Visiting Professor at the University of Cambridge and Imperial College London. 

    • Professor Dame Lynn Gladden DBE is Shell Professor of Chemical Engineering at the University of Cambridge, and former Executive-Chair of the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council. 

    • Priya Lakhani OBE is Founder CEO of CENTURY Tech. She co-founded the Institute for Ethical AI in education. 

    • Avid Larizadeh Duggan OBE is a Senior Managing Director, Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan, Teachers’ Venture Growth. She is a Non-Executive Director on the board of Barclays Bank UK.

    • Professor (Emeritus) Nick McKeown is Senior Fellow at Intel Corporation, Professor (Emeritus) of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science at Stanford University and Visiting Professor of Engineering and Senior Research Fellow at Oxford University. 

    • Professor Sir Nigel Richard Shadbolt is Professor of Computer Science at the University of Oxford and Principal of Jesus College, Oxford. He is Co-Founder and Chair of the Open Data Institute. 

    • Richard Slater is Chief R&D Officer for Unilever. He was previously Senior Vice President R&D, GSK Consumer Healthcare. He is a Non-Executive Director at Future Origins. 

    • Paul Taylor CBE is Director of Morgan Stanley International, Chair of Interrupt Labs Ltd and Chair of Beyond Blue. He is a Non-Executive Director on the Defence Technology and Innovation Board at the Ministry of Defence.  

    See more details on CST and its members.

    Updates to this page

    Published 3 February 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: HSE University Opens Dual Degree Master’s Program with Chinese University RIEM SWUFE

    Translartion. Region: Russians Fedetion –

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

    In January 2025, HSE and Southwestern University of Finance and Economics (SWUFE) signed a cooperation agreement to implement a dual degree master’s program within the Financial Economics program at ICEF and the Master’s in Finance program at SWUFE. This program will allow students to gain a unique educational experience in two countries, combining the best educational traditions of Russia and China. ICEF’s counterpart is the Research Institute of Economics and Management (RIEM), established at SWUFE in 2006 to implement research and educational programs in economics and finance at a high international level.

    ICEF delegation at Southwestern University of Finance and Economics (SWUFE) in Chengdu, China, in October 2024. During the meetings, an agreement was reached to establish the ICEF–RIEM Dual Degree Master’s Program.

    © MIEF

    Features of the program

    The program is based on the principle of mirror mobility: students study for 1-1.5 years in China at RIEM SWUFE and for 1-1.5 years in Russia at ICEF HSE. During their studies, students will gain in-depth knowledge in economics, finance, and data analysis, and will also study the economic and cultural characteristics of both countries.

    To participate in the program, you must successfully complete the first year at your home university and be selected for the double degree program. In the second year, students will study at the partner university and then return to their home university to complete their studies. Master’s theses will be defended separately at each of the universities.

    The programme will be taught in English and will include courses in micro- and macroeconomics, asset valuation and corporate finance. Each university will offer its own unique emphasis: RIEM will focus on the Chinese economy and financial system, and ICEF on quantitative and applied finance and data analysis.

    Upon completion of the program, graduates will receive two diplomas: a Master’s degree from the National Research University Higher School of Economics in Economics and a SWUFE diploma in Economics (specialization in Finance).

    Dean of the Research Institute of Economics and Management RIEM, Professor Yan Dong (graduated with a Master’s degree from the London School of Economics, UK, and received a PhD from the University of Essex, UK) about RIEM:

    “Our institute is very special. From the name, it seems that we are a research institute, but in fact, we are an educational unit. We have about 1,000 undergraduate, graduate and doctoral students. Our institute is special because all of our teachers have obtained their PhD degrees abroad. We have graduates from universities in the United States, Europe, Asia and other countries. All of our teachers are fluent in English, and the language of instruction – the working language in our institute – is English. We have more than 100 foreign students studying at our institute. This is what makes our institute special – it is quite an internationalized institution, and we have teachers who do not speak Chinese at all – they are international specialists.”

    Academic Director of the ICEF Master’s Program “Financial Economics” Maxim Nikitin:

    “Since the creation of the Financial Economics program, its main feature has been its international format. We have sought to integrate international standards and practices into the educational process. Cooperation with one of China’s leading universities in the field of finance, such as SWUFE, is an important step in this direction and expands the geography of our educational interaction. We are pleased that this initiative is based on the principle of equal exchange, which will enrich the programs of both partners, and will also create a new platform for academic exchange and joint projects. We are confident that this partnership will provide our students with access to unique knowledge and skills that will be in demand in the global labor market.”

    Earlier in 2024, HSE ICEF and RIEM SWUFE launched Bachelor’s double degree program in economics and financeCurrently, the first cohort of 2nd year students of ICEF is already successfully studying at SWUFE under this program.

    Graduates of the program will receive a bachelor’s degree in economics from the National Research University Higher School of Economics and a bachelor’s degree in economics from SWUFE.

    Academic Director of the ICEF Bachelor’s Program Oleg Zamkov:

    “ICEF HSE and RIEM SWUFE are a very good match for each other in implementing dual degree programs due to the close financial and economic focus of the programs and the level of updating of the courses. All economic and financial subjects required for ICEF students are also available at SWUFE, and, conversely, ICEF has everything required for students of the partner university.”

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

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: Government expands opportunities for Swedish businesses to help support Ukraine’s reconstruction

    Source: Government of Sweden

    Government expands opportunities for Swedish businesses to help support Ukraine’s reconstruction – Government.se

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    Press release from Ministry for Foreign Affairs

    Published

    The Government has amended the conditions and expanded the framework for special export credit guarantees for doing business with Ukraine. The aim is to enable more businesses to export to Ukraine and thus contribute to the country’s sustainable reconstruction. It should now also be possible to offer guarantees with longer maturities, higher coverage and that cover services. The amendments to the regulation took effect on 1 February. The Government has also expanded the existing framework of SEK 333 million to SEK 555 million. In total, guarantees can be offered to a maximum of SEK 888 million.

    “Swedish businesses both want and are able to contribute more to Ukraine’s reconstruction, but they need support that mitigates the risk. The aim of amending the conditions is to make it easier and safer for Swedish companies to export to Ukraine. This is an important step in Sweden’s contribution to the country’s reconstruction,” explains Minister for International Development Cooperation and Foreign Trade Benjamin Dousa.

    The regulation on special export credit guarantees for Ukraine came into force on 1 April 2024. This means that exporting companies can apply for special export credit guarantees through the Swedish Export Credit Agency to do business that helps support economic and social development and welfare in Ukraine. In 2024, SEK 333 million was set aside for these special export credit guarantees for Ukraine, with this amount subsequently raised in 2025 to SEK 888 million.

    The amendments to the regulation will make it even easier for more companies to export to Ukraine. The maximum maturity of the guarantees has been adjusted from three to four years, with coverage expanded from 80 per cent to a maximum of 95 per cent. The amount that can be granted to businesses that form part of the same group has now been raised from SEK 100 million to SEK 300 million.

    Press contact

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-Evening Report: Troubled road in New Caledonia fully reopens after eight-month closure

    By Patrick Decloitre, RNZ Pacific correspondent French Pacific desk

    The main provincial road linking New Caledonia’s capital, Nouméa, to the south of the main island will be fully reopened to motorists after almost eight months.

    Route Provinciale 1 (RP1), which passes through Saint Louis, had been the scene of violent acts — theft, assault, carjackings — against passing motorists and deemed too dangerous to remain open to the public.

    Instead, since the violent riots that started in mid-May 2024, residents of nearby Mont-Dore had to take special sea ferries to travel to Nouméa, while police and gendarmes gradually organised protected convoys at specific hours.

    The rest of the time, motorists and pedestrians were “filtered” by law enforcement officers, with two “locks” located at each side of the Saint Louis village.

    The troubled road was even fully closed to traffic in July 2024 after tensions and violence in Saint Louis peaked.

    Last Friday, January 31, French High Commissioner Louis Le Franc announced that the RP1 would be fully reopened to traffic from today.

    Gendarme patrols stay
    The French High Commission, however, stressed that the law enforcement setup and gendarme patrols would remain posted “as long as it takes to ensure everyone’s safety”.

    “Should any problem arise, the high commission reserves the right to immediately reduce traffic hours,” a media release warned.

    The RP1’s reopening coincides with the beginning, this week, of crucial talks in Paris between pro-independence, pro-France camps and the French state on New Caledonia’s political future status.

    This article is republished under a community partnership agreement with RNZ.

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: Minister for Foreign Affairs visited Peru

    Source: Government of Sweden

    Minister for Foreign Affairs visited Peru – Government.se

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    Article from Ministry for Foreign Affairs

    Published

    On 30–31 January 2025, Minister for Foreign Affairs Maria Malmer Stenergard visited Peru together with a business delegation. The visit highlights Sweden’s good relations and mutual trade interests with Peru.

    The visit took place in the capital, Lima, and was conducted together with a business delegation in the areas of mining and energy. Ms Malmer Stenergard met with Peru’s Prime Minister Gustavo Adrianzén, Minister of Foreign Affairs Elmer Schialer and Minister of Economy and Finance José Arista. Current foreign policy issues, Swedish-Peruvian trade relations and cooperation in areas such as sustainable mining were included in their discussions.

    Together with Peru’s Vice Minister of Mines and Energy, Ms Malmer Stenergard opened the Sweden-Peru Mining Summit. There are many Swedish businesses operating in Peru, and the Swedish Government sees good opportunities to strengthen cooperation in areas such as trade, mining and green transition.

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Views sought on local Policing and Community Safety Partnership

    Source: Northern Ireland – City of Derry

    Views sought on local Policing and Community Safety Partnership

    3 February 2025

    The Derry and Strabane Policing and Community Safety Partnership (PCSP) is conducting an online survey to gauge the public’s views on community safety and crime concerns.

    The PCSP aims to help make communities safer by focussing on the Policing and Community Safety issues that matter most across the council area, to ensure that the voices of local people are heard and to empower communities to work in partnership to develop solutions. PCSPs work with the community to identify issues of concern in the local area and prepare plans to deliver practical solutions that will help to tackle crime, the fear of crime and anti-social behaviour.

    The Derry and Strabane PCSP works in partnership to identify and co-ordinate the delivery of community safety projects that are innovative, reflect good practices and involve community groups and partners agencies.

    The partnership also operates a Policing Committee comprised of its Elected/ Independent Members with the aim of improving community confidence in policing.

    Encouraging people to give their views, the PCSP Chair, Councillor Martin Reilly, said: “Everyone can play their part in helping to protect their local community and we can work together to tackle the issues more effectively on the ground. This community safety survey is your chance to highlight the issues in your area and help us develop strategies to keep our community safe. It is an opportunity for you to let us know what the PCSP could do for you and your community and where to focus our resources.

    “I would encourage everyone to have their say and take a few minutes to complete the online Community Safety survey. We really appreciate everyone’s input – your voice matters in crime prevention and keeping our community safe”.

    To fill in the online survey just click on this link which will be available until Friday 21st February 2024.

    https://forms.office.com/e/5ydZxcxGFd

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Neighbours’ stand against anti-social behaviour helps council eviction

    Source: City of York

    Following a ruling by a District Judge yesterday, a council tenant has been evicted as his drink and drug-related activities and anti-social behaviour caused misery for his neighbours

    The council was granted a possession order by York County Court to end the tenancy of Dawon Belleh, aged 42 of 8 Oldman Court, Foxwood. Mr. Belleh was evicted yesterday, Thursday 30 January 2025.

    This follows reports from neighbours to the council and police about drink and drug taking and dealing, loud noise and arguments at the apartment, and an endless succession of visitors. The anti-social behaviour in the property and area was a continual source of disruption and concerns for local people, who were worried about its impact on their families.

    City of York Council officers served a legal warning of eviction (a Notice of Intention to Seek Possession) on Mr Belleh, which he breached. This resulted in the council being granted an eviction order (a Suspended Possession Order) by York County Court, to be activated only if further breaches were found.

    Following complaints from neighbours and evidence of loud noise, drink and drug taking, numerous and anti-social visitors, the council returned the case to York County Court. Where, after considering evidence, the Judge granted the Council permission to apply for a warrant of eviction.

    Mr. Belleh asked the court to suspend the warrant of eviction which was refused on 30 January by the District Judge. Council officers then evicted Mr. Belleh, advising him where he could apply for new housing, should he need it.

    Councillor Michael Pavlovic, Executive Member for Housing at City of York Council, said:

    Our tenancy agreements specify that criminal or anti-social behaviour can result in tenancies being ended. Thanks to Mr. Belleh’s neighbours co-operating with the council and police, their evidence and reports ensured that we were able to stop the nuisance they experienced from this tenant. This case sends a clear message we will take action to protect neighbours and free homes to tenants who respect and abide by the tenancy agreements.”

    Sergeant Charlotte Gregory of North Yorkshire Police, added:

    Drug use and anti-social behaviour has a detrimental impact of the quality of life for local people. It’s unacceptable and we’ll use all the powers and resources available to us to take action against those who make other people’s lives a misery.

    “This result is evidence of our joint working with City of York Council and my thanks go to them for their work that has culminated in this eviction. I hope local people are reassured that we will take action and will continue to do so, as part of Project Titan, a York-based operation to tackle drugs and the impact on our communities.”

    Please report anti-social behaviour here or report it to the police on telephone: 101 if a non-emergency.

    Anti-social noise levels can be reported here or by calling telephone: 01904 551525 Monday-Friday 8.30am to 5.00pm, or by calling the Noise Patrol telephone: 01904 551555 from 9.00pm Friday to 3.00am Saturday and between 9.00pm Saturday to 3.00am Sunday.

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: New chief executive Stannard “ambitious” for Manchester

    Source: City of Manchester

    Manchester City Council’s new Chief Executive Tom Stannard starts in the role today, Monday 3 February 2025. 

    Tom becomes only the third Chief Executive in more than 25 years in a city which prides itself on stability and long-term strategic planning. 

    He brings with him considerable experience, having served as Chief Executive in neighbouring Salford City Council for the past four years – overseeing achievements including the transformative regeneration of Salford, an ambitious council housebuilding programme and high-performing children’s services – and held a number of senior posts in a long local government career.  

    Tom is nationally recognised as a leading voice in local government, public service reform and delivering inclusive growth and currently holds the lead chief executive brief for Greater Manchester in the economy, business and international portfolio.   

    He joins the Council at a pivotal moment as it gears up to bring forward the 2025-2035 Our Manchester Strategy which will guide the city in the decade ahead. The new vision will aim to build on the achievements of the 2015-2025 plan, delivering economic growth that benefits everyone – including by addressing inequalities through the Making Manchester Fairer action plan and pursuing ambitious housebuilding and zero carbon programmes.  

    As well as driving forward this long-term strategy, Tom will ensure the Council stays focused on providing high quality day-to-day services and supporting clean, green and vibrant neighbourhoods across the city.  

    Tom will also be the place-based lead for Manchester and its locality health arrangements within the Greater Manchester Integrated Care system.  

    Cllr Bev Craig, Leader of Manchester City Council, said: “Tom brings experience, energy and ideas to this important role for the city and will oversee the delivery of our vision for Manchester’s next decade.  

    “The city is on a positive trajectory, making an impact on the world stage while continuing to improve its neighbourhoods and create opportunities for its residents, and I’m looking forward to working with Tom in the years ahead to take these achievements to the next level.”  

    Tom Stannard, Chief Executive of Manchester City Council, said: “I’m highly ambitious for Manchester and the people who call it home.  

    “I’ve lived and worked in Greater Manchester for much of my career so I know the area well and have a deep personal commitment to it. But at the same time, there’s always more insight to gain and I’m looking forward to getting to know more of those who make up Team Manchester – from the elected members and council staff to partner organisations, businesses and residents who all have a part to play in the city’s success.  

    “This is an incredible job in a remarkable city and I’m delighted to be here to get working on behalf of Manchester and its people.” 

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: The Polytechnic University held a refresher course on the topic “RISC-V Ecosystem”

    Translartion. Region: Russians Fedetion –

    Source: Peter the Great St Petersburg Polytechnic University – Peter the Great St Petersburg Polytechnic University –

    At the end of January, the Higher School of Electronics and Microsystems Engineering of the Institute of Electronics and Telecommunications of SPbPU held a unique advanced training course on the topic “RISC-V Ecosystem: Development and System Programming”.

    The course was devoted to the development of hardware and software for modern extensible open instruction sets and RISC-V processor architectures, which are widely used in rapidly developing areas of information technology, including the Internet of Things and artificial intelligence.

    The course instructors were practicing specialists from SPbPU, ETU “LETI”, SPbSU, MIET, MIEM, UNN with extensive experience in this field, which ensured a high level of training and relevant knowledge for the participants. The audience included representatives of enterprises and universities from St. Petersburg, Moscow, Nizhny Novgorod, Saratov, Voronezh, Krasnoyarsk, Yekaterinburg (more than 10 organizations in total). Classes continued in an intensive mode throughout the week, on the final day, Dmitry Tikhonov, Vice-Rector for Continuing and Pre-University Education at SPbPU, presented the course participants with certificates of advanced training.

    The hardware for the course was deployed and installed with the support of the YADRO group of companies at the joint scientific laboratory “RISC-V Digital Technologies (YADRO-Polytech)”.

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

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: Address of the Holy Father to the participants in the World Leaders Summit on Children’s Rights

    Source: The Holy See

    Address of the Holy Father to the participants in the World Leaders Summit on Children’s Rights, 03.02.2025
    This morning, in the Vatican Apostolic Palace, the World Leaders Summit on Children’s Rights took place. Entitled “Love them and protect them”, the Summit was organized by the Pontifical Committee for World Children’s Day.
    The following is the address delivered by the Pope to the participants in the Summit at its inauguration:

    Address of the Holy Father
    Your Majesty,Dear brothers and sisters, good morning!
    I greet the Secretary of State, the Cardinals and the distinguished participants in this World Leaders Summit on Children’s Rights, entitled “Love them and Protect them”.  I thank you for accepting the invitation and I am confident that, by pooling your experience and expertise, you can open new avenues to assist and protect the children whose rights are daily trampled upon and ignored.
    Even today, too often the lives of millions of children are marked by poverty, war, lack of schooling, injustice and exploitation. Children and adolescents in poorer countries, or those torn apart by tragic conflicts, are forced to endure terrible trials. Nor is the more resource-rich world immune from injustice. Where, thank God, people do not suffer from war or hunger, there are problematic peripheries, where little ones are not infrequently vulnerable and suffer from problems that we cannot underestimate. In fact, to a much greater extent than in the past, schools and health services have to deal with children already tested by many difficulties, with anxious or depressed youngsters, and adolescents drawn to forms of aggression or self-harm. Moreover, a culture of efficiency looks upon childhood itself, like old age, as a “periphery” of existence.
    Increasingly, those who have their whole life ahead of them are unable to approach it with optimism and confidence. It is precisely young people, who are the signs of hope in every society, who struggle to find hope in themselves. This is sad and troubling.  Indeed, “it is sad to see young people who are without hope, who face an uncertain and unpromising future, who lack employment or job security, or realistic prospects after finishing school. Without the hope that their dreams can come true, they will inevitably grow discouraged and listless” (Bull Spes Non Confundit, 12).
    What we have tragically seen almost every day in recent times, namely children dying beneath bombs, sacrificed to the idols of power, ideology, and nationalistic interests, is unacceptable. In truth, nothing is worth the life of a child. To kill children is to deny the future. In some cases, minors themselves are forced to fight under the effect of drugs. Even in countries without war, violence between criminal gangs becomes just as deadly for children, and often leaves them orphaned and marginalized.
    The pathological individualism of developed countries is also detrimental to children.  Sometimes they are mistreated or even put to death by the very people who should be protecting and nurturing them. They fall victim to quarrelling, social or mental distress and parental addictions.
    Many children die as migrants at sea, in the desert or along the many routes of journeys undertaken out of desperate hope. Countless others succumb to a lack of medical care or various types of exploitation. All these situations are different, but they raise the same question: How is it possible that a child’s life should end like this?
    Surely this is unacceptable, and we must guard against becoming inured to this reality. A childhood denied is a silent scream condemning the wrongness of the economic system, the criminal nature of wars, the lack of adequate medical care and schooling. The burden of these injustices weighs most heavily on the least and the most defenceless of our brothers and sisters. At the level of international organizations, this is called a “global moral crisis”.
    We are here today to say that we do not want this to become the new normal. We refuse to get used to it. Certain practices in the media tend to make us insensitive, leading to a general hardening of hearts. Indeed, we risk losing what is noblest in the human heart: mercy and compassion. More than once, I have shared this concern with some of you who represent various religious communities.
    Today, more than forty million children have been displaced by conflict and about a hundred million are homeless. There is also the tragedy of child slavery: some one hundred and sixty million children are victims of forced labour, trafficking, abuse and exploitation of all kinds, including compulsory marriages. There are millions of migrant children, sometimes with families but often alone. This phenomenon of unaccompanied minors is increasingly frequent and serious.
    Many other minors live in “limbo” because they were not registered at birth. An estimated one hundred and fifty million “invisible” children have no legal existence.  This is an obstacle to their accessing education or health care, yet worse still, since they do not enjoy legal protection, they can easily be abused or sold as slaves. This actually happens! We can think of the young Rohingya children, who often struggle to get registered, or the “undocumented” children at the border of the United States, those first victims of that exodus of despair and hope made by the thousands of people coming from the South towards the United States of America, and many others.
    Sadly, this history of oppression of children is constantly repeated. If we ask the elderly, our grandparents, about the war they experienced when they were young, the tragedy emerges from their memories: the darkness – everything is dark during the war, colours practically disappear – and the stench, the cold, the hunger, the dirt, the fear, the scavenging, the loss of parents and homes, abandonment and all kinds of violence. I grew up with the stories of the First World War told by my grandfather, and this opened my eyes and heart to the horror of war.
    Seeing things through the eyes of those who have lived through war is the best way to understand the inestimable value of life. Yet also listening to those children who today live in violence, exploitation or injustice serves to strengthen our “no” to war, to the throwaway culture of waste and profit, in which everything is bought and sold without respect or care for life, especially when that life is small and defenceless. In the name of this throwaway mentality, in which the human being becomes all-powerful, unborn life is sacrificed through the murderous practice of abortion.  Abortion suppresses the life of children and cuts off the source of hope for the whole of society.
    Sisters and brothers, how important it is to listen, for we need to realize that young children understand, remember and speak to us. And with their looks and their silences, too, they speak to us. So let us listen to them!
    Dear friends, I thank you and encourage you, with God’s grace, to make the most of the opportunities afforded by this meeting.  I pray that your contributions will help to build a better world for children, and consequently for everyone!  For me, it is a source of hope that we are all here together, to put children, their rights, their dreams, and their demand for a future at the centre of our concern. Thanks to all of you, and God bless you!

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: Workshop on Population and Housing Censuses

    Source: United Nations Economic Commission for Europe

    30 September – 01 October 2024

    Palais des Nations, Geneva, Switzerland

    General

    62833 _ Report _ 397250 _ English _ 773 _ 428254 _ pdf
    62833 _ Report _ 397250 _ Russian _ 864 _ 428255 _ pdf

    Census plans and experiences

    Understanding users and uses of census data; seeking and acting on stakeholder feedback

    Assessing readiness to adopt administrative sources for or in support of censuses

    Dissemination

    Measuring degrees of urbanization

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: The Importance of Collaboration between Statisticians and Policymakers for the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development

    Source: United Nations Economic Commission for Europe

    National Statistics Offices (NSOs) and Policy departments have had a long-standing relationship where the NSO prepares statistical information to help policy departments make effective policy decisions.  Often, the dialogue between NSOs and policy departments has been limited to the NSO preparing data tables or microdata files for the use of policy makers, with little real communication taking place. 

    However, the enormous amount of data and statistical information required for SDGs coupled with the complex nature of the intersectionality of the SDGs, translates into a need for policy makers and national statistics offices to collaborate and enhance communication to be able to adequately respond to the ambitious nature of the 2030 Agenda.

    This webinar will bring together policy makers and statisticians to discuss how the SDGs have given rise to a deeper level of collaboration.  It will provide opportunity to discuss what works and what does not work from those working on SDG policy and those working to provide the necessary statistics.  It will also provide space to share best practices from real experiences in different countries.

    The webinar was organized by the CES Steering Group on Statistics for SDGs in collaboration with Statistics Canada.

    Keynote speech:

    Mogens Lykketoft – Former Danish Minister of Finance, President of the United Nations General Assembly’s 70th session

    Moderator:

    Cara Williams – IAEG-SDGs Co-chair, SDG statistics focal point, Statistics Canada

    Panelists:

    Cristina Mattson Lundberg – Swedish Ministry of the Environment

    Gabriel Wikström – Sweden’s National Coordinator on the 2030 Agenda

    Viggo Barmen – Swedish Ministry for Foreign Affairs 

    Amit Yagur-Kroll – National focal point for SDG statistics, Israeli Central Bureau of Statistics

    Live Rognerud – SDG data focal point, Statistics Norway

    Olivier Bullion – Director SDG unit, Employment and Social Development Canada

    Renata Bielak – Director SDGs, Statistics Poland

    Presentations:
    Collaboration between statisticians and policy makers for the 2030 Agenda – Sweden

    Broadening the SDG dialogue in Poland – Poland

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: Group of Experts on Measuring Poverty and Inequality

    Source: United Nations Economic Commission for Europe

    28 – 29 November 2024

    Palais des Nations, Geneva, Switzerland

    General

    68812 _ Report _ 398101 _ English _ 773 _ 430040 _ pdf

    A. Social policies, social transfers, and data

    B. Intra-household poverty

    C. Assets-based poverty and inequality

    D. Data sources and methods to complement surveys

    E. Energy poverty

    F. Inequality in consumption

    G. Hard-to-reach population groups

    H. Panel discussion – Drivers for change in poverty statistics

    I. Communicating statistics on poverty and inequality

    J. Work under the Conference of European Statisticians

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: CIPESS meeting of 30 January 2025

    Source: Government of Italy (English)

    30 Gennaio 2025

    A meeting of the Interministerial Committee for Economic Planning and Sustainable Development (CIPESS) was held today, chaired by Vice-President of the Committee and Minister of Economy and Finance Giancarlo Giorgetti, and with the CIPESS Secretary, Undersecretary of State to the Presidency of the Council of Ministers Alessandro Morelli, in attendance. The meeting approved a number of important measures regarding infrastructure and cohesion policy.

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: expert reaction to news that AstraZeneca has scrapped plans for a £450m expansion of a vaccine factory in Merseyside

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    Scientists comment on AstraZeneca scrapping plans for a UK based vaccine plant. 

    Sharon Todd, Chief Executive, Society of Chemical Industry (SCI), said:

    “Today’s news regarding AstraZeneca’s vaccine factory is a real concern for industry, sending out the wrong message at a time government is shaping its new industrial strategy, Invest 2035. 

    “Since 2013 inward FDI in life sciences has grown at a CAGR of 6% (2013-2023) across 18 major countries, however the UK growth in FDI was only 3%, falling way short of most of the other countries, which include France, Germany, Ireland and Singapore. 

    “If life sciences are going to be a major pillar of the UK’s new industrial strategy, then the UK needs to make some bold steps forward to ensure it is competitive for life sciences investments.”

    Declared interests

    The nature of this story means everyone quoted above could be perceived to have a stake in it. As such, our policy is not to ask for interests to be declared – instead, they are implicit in each person’s affiliation.

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –