Category: Europe

  • MIL-OSI Economics: MPTS 2025 celebrates largest edition ever with record visitor numbers, reveals MBI, a GlobalData company

    Source: GlobalData

    The UK’s most powerful hub for the creative industries united for two days of engaged networking, passionate debate and exceptional insights into AI, the creator economy, production craft and more – helping attendees stay ahead-of-the-curve for the year ahead.

    London, United Kingdom, 21 May 2025 – After two exceptional days of conversation, collaboration and community, the biggest and buzziest MPTS yet welcomed a record 13,000 attendees from 50 countries, uniting the UK’s media and entertainment industry together in the heart of London, like never before. The exhibition is organized by Media Business Insight (MBI) Ltd, a GlobalData company.

    Hosted at London’s Olympia on 14-15 May, the red-hot editorially driven program delivered 100+ free-to-attend sessions across eight theatres, showcasing the insight and passion of more than 350 expert speakers and guest keynotes. The bustling show floor was packed with more than 300 exhibitors and sponsors, showcasing imagination, determination and standout talent of the UK’s creative and technical communities – at a time of both global challenge and immense opportunity.

    Setting the agenda for MPTS, a State of the Nation Production keynote outlined a media and entertainment landscape in which storytellers had to embrace screens, formats and creators of all kinds.

    Kate Beal, CEO, Woodcut Media, asserted: “TV doesn’t exist anymore in the way we knew it.”

    Derren Lawford, CEO, Dare Pictures, said: “We are in the middle of a decade of profound transition, and we are past the tipping point. TV is part of a wider, connected series of industries around the creation and distribution and funding of content.”

    Headliners at MPTS include:

    • Producer and presenter Ross Kemp, who took us on an exhilarating tour of investigative documentaries on the front lines of conflict, drug cartels and organised crime gangs. “They will know in a second if you are not telling the truth,” he said. “I specialize in telling the truth, it is as simple as that.”
    • Georgie Holt, whose company Flight Story produces the world’s second biggest podcast ‘Diary of a CEO’, declared: “We are in the era of the Founder Creator — creators who are now in charge of media content and able to monetise spectacularly outside of traditional gatekeepers.”
    • NFL professional turned American Football broadcaster Jason Bell explained how sports coverage was evolving into the F1 Drive To Survive model, in which athlete personalities and back stories were the keys to growing audiences.
    • Blockbuster editor Eddie Hamilton gave a masterclass about the precision involved in making Top Gun: Maverick and five Mission: Impossible movies with Tom Cruise. He said: “Every nuance is refined hundreds of times. Sometimes we watch a 10-minute scene 40 times in a day, checking to see where your eye is moving in the frame.”

    Diverse representation is a vital sign of the industry’s health and MPTS is proud to set the benchmark to secure equal representation and attendance from the next generation, not only across the program, but also something clearly witnessed across the show floor amongst exhibitors and attendees.

    MPTS also prioritizes the crucial importance of sustainability and, in continuing association with BAFTA albert brought this conversation to the fore with experts including Peter Okell, Sky Studios Elstree; Luke Seraphin, Sky Studios and Claire O’Neill, A Greener Future speaking in the Sustainability Series.

    Sam Street, Marketing Officer, BAFTA Albert commented: “MPTS is a really key moment in our calendar. It is always so great to connect with suppliers, companies, studios and creatives who share our common passion for sustainability within screen industries. It has also been really valuable to curate our sustainability series of panels across this year’s show, we’ve had some really insightful discussions and emphasised the importance of environmental focus throughout the screen industries.”

    We did not need a machine to predict the high demand for news and information about AI. The brand-new ticketed AI Training program and the expanded AI Media Zone drew exceptional attendance, with exhibitors such as Dot Group, Moments Lab and Software. Conversations in these packed-out sessions revolved around the impact of AI from ideation to VFX, featuring real-world insights and discussions on bridging the gap between theory and practice from speakers including Pete Archer, BBC; Jon Roberts, ITN and Damien Viel, Banijay Entertainment.

    With a record number of exhibitors already rebooking for 2026, MPTS continues to prove its value as the UK’s number one event for media and production professionals, where brands, creatives and decision-makers come together to connect, collaborate and grow.

    Jane Shepard, Senior Channel Marketing Manager, Sandisk, said: “MPTS 2025 was a spectacular showcase of innovation, bringing together the brightest minds and cutting-edge technology in the industry. An unforgettable experience for all attendees.”

    Tom Rundle, Application Engineer, Yamaha Music, said: “It has been very busy for us. We have seen a huge mix of customers from the broadcast sector here, but also customers from the other industries which we serve, whether that’s live or theatre who have deliberately come to the show to seek us out to speak to us. Will we be back next year? Yes, absolutely, this is the first year for us, so it was always a bit of a toe in the water, but it’s been vastly more successful than we thought it was going to be.”

    Peter Alderson, Business Manager, Nikon, said: “This is our second year at MPTS, we’ve gone a little bit bigger on our stands, almost doubling it, and I think it’s definitely been worthwhile doing. We’ve partnered with RED, who we recently purchased, and MRMC so it’s making a lovely statement about where we are in the market, and I think we’re in the right place to make that statement here at MPTS.”

    Jennifer Hudson, Marketing Executive, Videndum, said: “This show is really important in our calendar – we attend nearly every year and find so much value in it. We get to meet with so many different professionals within the industry, and this year has been really, really positive for us. We’ve walked away with quite a few leads and made new relationships. It’s a fantastic show, and we would thoroughly recommend anyone thinking about coming and having a stand here to definitely do it – you won’t regret it.”

    Will Pitt, Head of Sales Solutions, Techex, said: “My impression of the show is that it’s been incredibly busy and very positive. Techex particularly specialise in solving some of the headaches that a lot of the broadcast industry is grappling with at the moment, namely, how they transition into an IP-led architecture from a legacy architecture and what that journey looks like. As such, our standards have been packed pretty much throughout the show to come and look at products, but also to come and talk about ideas and lean into what that journey looks like specifically for them. So not a generic journey, but specific to their drivers and their wants and needs in the short and medium term. We particularly like MPTS because it’s London based and many of the engineers that we speak to and collaborate with are based here and therefore it’s an easy journey for them to take half a day, a day out to come and investigate what we have to offer, but also to have those conversations. And so for organisations like WBD or Sky, the BBC, ITV, etc. They can come here quite easily and engage with us, spend some time talking in real life and not over teams or Zoom.”

    Charlotte Wheeler, Event Director, MPTS said: “Without doubt, 2025 was the most stimulating, ahead-of-the-curve MPTS yet. At a time when we are seeing the industry under real pressure from budget cuts to talent shortages and perpetual change, the conversations and connections on the show floor were positive and demonstrated infectious community spirit. The level of attendance and the quality of attendees from across all sectors of the industry was incredible – not just stakeholders in technology but representatives from production and commissioning, the creator economy, those new to the industry and freelancers were all brought together by MPTS under one roof.

    “A huge amount of work goes into making sure that there is equal representation across our extensive conference programme. I am proud that MPTS is one of – if not the – most diverse shows both in terms of attendees and panellists.

    “Thank you to everyone for exhibiting, sponsoring, speaking, attending and engaging with the show to make MPTS such a thrilling success. We are already planning for 2026, which marks MPTS’ 10th edition, so look forward to a landmark celebration!”

    Save the date for MPTS 2026 when we return to Olympia Grand Hall, London on 13 – 14 May 2026.

    The conversation does not stop when the doors close. MPTS is more than just two days a year – it is a connected, year-round community for the broadcast and media industry. From on-demand content to exclusive events, there’s still so much to explore. Stay connected with us: https://www.mediaproductionshow.com/register-interest

    To enquire about exhibiting at our landmark 10th edition, please go to: https://www.mediaproductionshow.com/stand-enquiry

    MBI is the publisher of market-leading titles including Broadcast, Broadcast Sport, Broadcast Tech, KFTV, The Knowledge and Screen International.

     

    MIL OSI Economics

  • MIL-OSI Europe: EU pledges €2.3 billion at European Humanitarian Forum 2025

    Source: European Union 2

    The EU has announced an initial humanitarian pledge of over €2.3 billion to address global crises in 2025. Over 305 million people around the world currently require urgent humanitarian assistance. The EU is now the world’s leading humanitarian donor and a key advocate for humanitarian action.

    MIL OSI Europe News

  • MIL-OSI Europe: The EBA observes that EU Deposit Guarantee Scheme funds to protect depositors against bank failures have reached €79bn

    Source: European Banking Authority

    • All national deposit guarantee schemes (DGS) in the European Union (EU) have reached the envisaged minimum target level.
    • The funds have been built up over a 10-year period through contributions from credit institutions and are directly available to reimburse depositors in the case of a bank failure.
    • The amount of deposits protected by the DGSs increased by 3.2% to €8.6tn from 2023 to 2024.

    The European Banking Authority (EBA) today published end-2024 data related to two key concepts and indicators in the Deposit Guarantee Schemes Directive (DGSD), namely financial means available to, and covered deposits protected by, national deposit guarantee schemes. The EBA publishes this data for each Member State, and on a yearly basis to enhance the transparency and public accountability of DGSs across the EU to the benefit of depositors, markets, policymakers, DGSs and Members States. Following a 10-year build-up phase, the EU DGS funds have reached €79bn of available means in aggregate.

    The DGSD ensures the adequate protection of depositors when banks fail, by guaranteeing that deposits up to a certain level will always be repaid even if the bank holding them fails. Covered deposits are guaranteed up to €100,000 or the equivalent in other currencies per depositor at each bank. The data as of 31 December 2024 shows that, compared to 2023, the amount of covered deposits across the EU further increased by 3.2% to €8.6tn, after increases of 1.7% in 2023 and 2.5% in 2022.

    Furthermore, all banks in the EU have been obliged to contribute to funds held by the DGSs in their jurisdiction for the main purpose of reimbursing depositors within seven days after a bank failure. The deadline for those funds to reach the minimum required target level of usually 0.8% of covered deposits for the first time was 3 July 2024. The end-2024 data shows that all 33 EU DGSs are at or above that target level. In total, funds available to protect deposits in case of bank failures rose by 11.1% to €79bn in 2024. DGSs have in place additional arrangements, to require credit institutions to make additional contributions to the fund and/or to make additional short-term funding available should the need arise.

    The public data includes data for the EU countries, Iceland, Norway and Liechtenstein, which together form the European Economic Area (EEA). The total covered deposits in the EEA amount to €8.8tn and the total available financial means in the EEA funds amount to €81bn at the end of2024.

    Legal basis and background

    The EBA is collecting data on deposit guarantee schemes in accordance with Article 10(10) of the DGSD. As per its Decision EBA/DC/2018/243 from 23 July 2018, the EBA makes this data publicly available on its website.

    Furthermore, in support of the DGSD, the EBA published in December 2021 the Guidelines EBA/GL/2021/17 on the delineation and reporting of AFMs of the DGSs and, thus, expanded the reporting requirements from DGSs to the EBA.

    MIL OSI Europe News

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: New Chair and members of the Joint Nature Conservation Committee appointed

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    News story

    New Chair and members of the Joint Nature Conservation Committee appointed

    Dr David Cooper named as new Chair; Professor Tom Meagher reappointed and Professor Julia Jones confirmed as new member

    Dr David Cooper has been appointed as the Chair of the Joint Nature Conservation Committee (JNCC). The appointment was made in conjunction with the devolved governments and is for a three-year term from 1 June 2025 to 31 May 2028.

    Professor Tom Meagher has been reappointed as an independent member of the Committee. Tom’s term will run for four years until 3 April 2029. 

    Furthermore, Professor Julia Jones has been appointed as an independent member of the Committee. Julia’s term will run for three years until 31 May 2028.

    The new appointments have been made on merit and in accordance with the Governance Code on Public Appointments.

    As the UK’s statutory advisor on nature, the JNCC provides scientific evidence and advice to the devolved governments of the UK, the UK government, and the UK’s Overseas Territories and Crown Dependencies, to help policymakers turn science into action for nature.

    Biographical details

    Dr David Cooper

    • David Cooper is Visiting Fellow at the Oxford Martin School and Honorary Researcher of the Leverhulme Centre for Nature Recovery at the University of Oxford.
    • David has more than 30 years’ experience in international science and policy, including at the Convention on Biological Diversity and the UN Food and Agriculture Organization. As CBD Deputy Executive Secretary and Acting Executive Secretary, he was instrumental in facilitating the development and adoption of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework and related agreements.
    • David has contributed to the work of the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services among other scientific reports and assessments.
    • He has chaired a number of bodies including the Collaborative Partnership on Sustainable Wildlife Management, the Biodiversity Indicators Partnership, and the Inter-agency liaison group on Invasive Alien Species.

    Professor Tom Meagher

    • Tom Meagher has been a member of the JNCC since April 2021. He is Professor of Plant Biology at the University of St Andrews and served as Director of the St Andrews Global Challenges Forum. He was previously a member of the Defra Science Advisory Council and the Natural Environment Research Council.
    • Tom leads an international and interdisciplinary initiative developing novel remote sensing technology to aid the assessment and conservation of plant biodiversity. He has also worked with the British Council, the British Embassy Lima, and government agencies in Peru to promote the establishment of a national botanic garden and plant biodiversity initiative.
    • He has been an active contributor to the Scottish Government’s environmental and conservation science strategy, following his former role as a Trustee of the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh.

    Julia Jones

    • Julia Jones is Professor in Conservation Science at Bangor University and currently holds the Prince Bernhard Chair of International Nature Conservation at Utrecht University.
    • She is a trustee of WWF-UK and is a member of the British Ecological Society and the Society for Conservation Biology. She serves on the advisory board of the Sounds Right initiative, a collaboration between the Museum for the United Nations and the music industry to allow nature to collect royalties from her sounds.
    • She has previously served as the Director of the Low Carbon Energy and Environment Research Network Wales, and on the Welsh committee of the RSPB.

    Updates to this page

    Published 21 May 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: DfE Update: 21 May 2025

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    Correspondence

    DfE Update: 21 May 2025

    Latest information and actions from the Department for Education about funding, assurance and resource management, for academies, local authorities and further education providers.

    Applies to England

    Documents

    Details

    Latest for further education

    Article Title
    Action Declare your subcontracting arrangements for the 2024 to 2025 academic year
    Information Adult funding allocations for 2024 to 2025
    Information Release of Apprenticeship funding rules, 2025 to 2026, Version 1
    Information Earnings adjustment statement (EAS)
    Information New foundation apprenticeships available from 1 August 2025
    Reminder Year-end funding claim for 2024 to 2025

    Latest information for academies

    Article Title
    Action Declare your subcontracting arrangements for 2024 to 2025 academic year
    Reminder Year-end funding claim for 2024 to 2025
    Events and webinars ‘Buying for schools’ summer term webinar schedule is open for bookings
    Events and webinars Academy finance professionals June Power Hour – Budget Forecast Return

    Latest information for local authorities

    Article Title
    Action Declare your subcontracting arrangements for 2024 to 2025 academic year
    Information Consistent financial reporting data collection for 2024 to 2025 is now open
    Information Update on early years 2025 summer term data collection
    Information Earnings adjustment statement (EAS)
    Information New foundation apprenticeships available from 1 August 2025
    Reminder Submit your section 151 (S151) officer assurance return and schools financial value standard (SFVS) assurance statement for 2024 to 2025
    Reminder Year-end funding claim for 2024 to 2025
    Events and webinars ‘Buying for schools’ summer term webinar schedule is open for bookings

    Updates to this page

    Published 21 May 2025

    Sign up for emails or print this page

    MIL OSI United Kingdom

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Consultation launched on proposed changes to transport for post-16 SEND students

    Source: City of Wolverhampton

    Fees for post-16 SEND travel were due to be introduced in 2020 following consultation but halted due to the outbreak of the Covid pandemic.

    Fresh consultation is now being held on the introduction of a charging policy which will require a contribution towards the cost of post-16 SEND travel.

    This would bring the council in line with the approach taken by neighbouring authorities.

    The proposed charges would apply to students moving into post-16 SEND education from September 2025 and those already in post-16 SEND education.

    Any payments would be spread over 3 terms with a reduction for low income families.

    Councillor Qaiser Azeem, the City of Wolverhampton Council’s Cabinet Member for Transport, said: “We are one of the few remaining councils to offer free transport for this age group. Most authorities charge a contribution due to there being no legal requirement to provide post 16 transport.

    “We remain committed to ensuring young people lead independent healthy lives, feel safe and secure and achieve their full potential.

    “While in an ideal world we would not need to consider introducing charges, the proposals to introduce a contribution towards the cost of post-16 SEND travel, align with, or are less than, neighbouring authorities.

    “We would of course work closely with families affected to support them should these changes be introduced.

    “It is important we hear from parents, carers, students, schools and the wider community as part of this consultation, so please take this opportunity to have your say.”

    In line with legislation there is no transport charge for pupils aged 5 to 16 or for adult learners aged 19 to 25.

    The consultation is now live and runs until 13 June. Take part at Consultation on Post 16 SEND Transport Charges – City of Wolverhampton Council – Citizen Space.
     

    MIL OSI United Kingdom

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Sobyanin: Another drone attack attempt on Moscow has been thwarted

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

    Source: Moscow Government – Government of Moscow –

    The Defense Ministry’s air defense forces destroyed another drone flying toward Moscow, Sergei Sobyanin reported on your telegram channel.

    “Emergency services specialists are working at the site of the fallen debris,” the Mayor of Moscow wrote.

    Source: Sergei Sobyanin’s Telegram channel @mos_sobyanin 

    Earlier, the Mayor of Moscow reported that the attack had been repelled three more drones.

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

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

    https: //vv.mos.ru/mayor/tkhemes/12731050/

    MIL OSI Russia News

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: Strengthening protection of World Heritage Archives with JFIT support

    Source: UNESCO World Heritage Centre

    World Heritage site managers and archive specialists throughout South-East Asia are benefitting from a series of capstone activities under the “Safeguarding World Heritage Site Archives” JFIT project, developed in collaboration between CLT and CI sectors.

    Launched in 2023, the project has contributed to conserving important archival collections related to World Heritage by applying global standards on documentary heritage, notably from the Memory of the World programme. Encompassing diverse material such as photographs, maps, restoration plans and digital media, these collections play a crucial role in understanding, protecting and monitoring World Heritage properties.  Made possible through the generous support of the Government of Japan through UNESCO/Japan Funds-in-Trust, the initiative responds to urgent challenges facing archives today.

    In Cambodia, the project has focused on the newest World Heritage property of Koh Ker: Archaeological Site of Ancient Lingapura or Chok Gargyar. Under the auspices of the  National Authority for Preah Vihear, a Standard Operating Procedure is being finalized in order to provide customized guidance for managing the archives of the Koh Ker site.

    In Indonesia, four World Heritage sites will participate in a workshop on “Developing Policies for Disaster Risk Management of Indonesian World Heritage Sites’ Archival Collections” organized collaboratively with the National Archives of the Republic of Indonesia on 3-4 June 2025. The workshop targets policy-making levels at the Ministry of Culture and the World Heritage sites of Prambanan Temple Compounds, Borobudur Temple Compounds, Ombilin Coal Mining Heritage of Sawahlunto, and Cosmological Axis of Yogyakarta.

    In Thailand, UNESCO and the Thai Fine Arts Department joined hands to organize a practical training workshop on “Archives and Record Management for World Heritage Sites” on 22-23 May 2025 at the Historic City of Ayutthaya in Thailand. Led by experts from the National Archives of Thailand, this training is designed to equip cultural World Heritage site managers from Thailand and Lao PDR with knowledge and skills in managing their historic documents.  The workshop is planned to showcase archives activities undertaken at Ayutthaya throughout the project, including an upgraded records management facility holding both paper-based and digital records.

    Finally, the project will also see the upcoming launch of UNESCO’s new manual on World Heritage conservation archives management, which will be available in English along with Baha Indonesia, Chinese, Khmer, Russian and Thai through the coordination of UNESCO Jakarta, UNESCO Beijing, UNESCO Phnom Penh, UNESCO Almaty and UNESCO Bangkok, respectively.


    For further information, please contact:

    Culture Unit, UNESCO Regional Office in Bangkok: culture.bgk@unesco.org 

    MIL OSI United Nations News

  • MIL-OSI Europe: Model OSCE in Andorra: Empowering young professionals to engage in peace and security

    Source: Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe – OSCE

    Headline: Model OSCE in Andorra: Empowering young professionals to engage in peace and security

    From 19 to 21 May, the OSCE Secretariat in collaboration with the Government of Andorra, the US Mission to the OSCE, and University of Andorra co-organized the first-ever Model OSCE in Sant Julià de Lòria, Andorra.
    The three-day event brought together 25 young people with diverse backgrounds from Andorra, Algeria, the United States of America, Japan and Morocco, offering them a unique opportunity to strengthen their soft skills and deepen their understanding of peace and security issues through peer-to-peer learning on multilateralism, international relations and diplomacy.
    The programme featured sessions on the OSCE’s mandate, history, structure, and decision-making processes, as well as its co-operation with OSCE Partners. It also included discussions on Finland’s priorities on 2025 Chairpersonship, the Youth and Security Agenda, the role of women in diplomacy and multilateralism, and hands-on training in negotiation and mediation.
    In her opening remarks, Andorra’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, H.E. Imma Tor Faus emphasized the country’s ongoing support of youth engagement in international affairs: “After hosting the OSCE activities in 2022 focused on Youth and Security, today’s event reaffirms Andorra’s strong and ongoing commitment to the OSCE’s Youth and Security Agenda. We are proud to support the efforts of the Office of the Secretary-General, both politically and financially, to advance this vital work. The Model OSCE reflects the values we stand for and aligns closely with our priority of promoting youth participation in international organizations.”
    Omar Cardentey, Head of Public Affairs for the US. Mission to the OSCE also shared his personal experience in working in the multilateral settings and encouraged young participants to never give up or doubt their ability to make an impact.
    The Model OSCE echoed the motto “nothing about youth without youth”, underscoring the crucial role of young people in building sustainable and peaceful societies.
    One participant, Lisa Cruz Lackner from Andorra, captured the spirit of the event: “Capacity-building initiatives like this are more than trainings. They create a unique space for dialogue, understanding, and mutual learning. When we come together with different experiences, perspectives, and identities, we don’t just learn about the issues—we learn how to listen, negotiate, and collaborate beyond borders. These events empower us not only to understand global challenges, but to see ourselves as part of the solution. In a setting like the Model OSCE, you quickly realize that diversity is not a challenge to overcome—it is the key to building more inclusive, effective and lasting approaches to peace and security.”
    Participants also engaged in exchanges with young diplomats and parliamentarians from Andorra and Malta, gaining firsthand insights into diplomatic careers. The event encouraged collaborative learning and dialogue throughout its session.
    The Model OSCE was held as part of the Extra-budgetary Project “Accelerating the implementation of the Youth and Security Agenda in the OSCE region”, which aims to empower young people to shape a more secure and co-operative future across the OSCE region.

    MIL OSI Europe News

  • MIL-OSI USA: ICYMI: On CNN’s The Arena this Evening, Shaheen Reiterates that Putin is Playing Trump in Ukraine Negotiations, Slams Congressional Republicans’ Proposal to Slash Medicaid to Give Billionaires a Tax Break

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for New Hampshire Jeanne Shaheen

    Published: 05.21.2025

    (Washington, DC) – U.S. Senator Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), Ranking Member of the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee, joined CNN’s The Arena this evening to discuss her questioning of U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio earlier in the day and her belief that Russian President Vladimir Putin is playing President Trump. She also sharply criticized Congressional Republicans’ budget proposal that would gut Medicaid and food assistance benefits to finance tax breaks for billionaires and special interest groups. The interview followed Secretary Rubio’s first testimony to the Senate Foreign Relations Committee since his confirmation hearing in January. Click HERE to watch Senator Shaheen’s interview. 
    Key Quotes from Senator Shaheen: 
    When asked if she feels Secretary Rubio and President Trump are being played by Putin, Shaheen said: “I do, absolutely. And I said that to Secretary Rubio and we heard it again, what the outcome of this phone call between President Trump and Vladimir Putin yesterday was that now Putin is going to bring in a sheet that outlines what they want to see, to end the war in Ukraine, to get them to the table. Well, he’s just playing for time because he thinks the longer he can delay that, we’re going to get disinterested, that we’re going to not want to continue to support Ukraine in this fight. But what he doesn’t understand is that the President and this administration says the biggest threat to America is China, and China and President Xi are watching what the outcome of this war in Ukraine is. And if we are not tough in Ukraine, if we are not tough on Putin, that he knows that we’re not going to be tough on him when he goes after Taiwan. And so that’s a real problem.” 
    On Republicans’ budget proposal, Shaheen said: “Well, it’s clear that the Republicans in the House care more about what Donald Trump thinks than they care about what their constituents think. Because constituents in most of this country don’t want to see massive cuts to the Medicaid program, health care that so many Americans rely on, whether it’s for nursing home care or for people with disabilities, people who get their health insurance through the Medicaid program.” 
    On Republicans threatening cuts to program like Medicaid and SNAP, Shaheen said: “And what they’re actually trying to do with those worker requirements and other changes is to reduce the number of people on Medicaid so they can save money and what they want to do, what they want to do with the money that they’re saving by cutting Medicaid, by cutting food benefits from the Snap program, is to provide a huge tax cut to the wealthiest Americans. 70% of the benefits from the tax cuts are going to go to the wealthiest 1% in this country.” 

    MIL OSI USA News

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Flies, crossbows and comics: novel counter terrorism innovation

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    Case study

    Flies, crossbows and comics: novel counter terrorism innovation

    Nine projects, ranging from whether flies can detect explosives to how comics can reduce radicalism and how much of a risk crossbows are, were showcased.

    More than 100 people attended the third University Innovation Concept event exploring ways in which cutting-edge research, often in unexpected areas, can help fight terrorism. 

    Nine fascinating and thought-provoking projects, ranging from whether flies can detect explosives (yes!) to how comics can reduce radicalism, and how much of a terrorism risk crossbows are, were on display at a showcase at the Open University in Milton Keynes, in which the Accelerated Capability Environment (ACE) was a proud partner. 

    Researchers and delegates were welcomed by Inspector Liam Cahill, Innovation Domain Lead at the Counter Terrorism Research Lab (CTRL), and Open University professors Arosha K Bandara and Eleanor Crabb. Annette Southgate, Head of ACE, then took to the stage to stress the importance of work and innovative collaboration such as this to “getting ahead of some of the people that are trying to cause us harm”. 

    Iain Harrison, Director of Digital, Data, Analysis & Technology at Counter Terrorism Policing, explained the rigorous process, supported by ACE, that began with 62 proposals from 28 different universities, which were then reviewed and whittled down to the nine stimulating ideas on display at the showcase event. 

    Bringing academia and Counter Terrorism Policing together 

    The projects that had been explored over 12 weeks of intensive research were showcased across three themes: 

    THEME ONE: Radicalisation and Interventions 

    First to present were a team from Anglia Ruskin University, on the topic of Exploring the Impact of Critical World Events on Extremist Misinformation Network (2020-24). This involved analysing 240 posts from four major platforms to understand how extremist groups exploit global crises on popular social media platforms, using hashtags and multiple forms of misinformation to amplify uncertainty and try and recruit new audiences. It also looked to pinpoint potential novel ways to intervene in this process. 

    Next up were a team from Cranfield University, analysing how social media content algorithms respond to user interactions within specific topics, to answer the question of Can Social Media Algorithms Radicalise? This pilot was designed to quantify if user behaviours such as watching or liking videos influenced a popular platform’s algorithm, and to what extent. The conclusion was that the algorithm could be influenced to provide more content around a particular theme, but it is not yet clear how long this influence lasts. 

    The final presentation in this first session was from the University of Liverpool, exploring the topic of Graphic Novels to Enable Discussion and Promote Critical Thinking. This project involved creating a 46-page book containing four graphic novels on the topic of radicalisation, supported by front-line intervention practitioners, for use in educational strategies to encourage critical thinking. Comics were chosen because they are already popular worldwide, accessible and engaging as a format, and cheap to produce. 

    THEME TWO: Current Threats, Biosensors and Human Networks 

    After a break, another team from Cranfield University, that had been drawing big crowds in the breakout sessions for the four crossbows on display at their stand, spoke on their research into Crossbows: A Real and Current Threat. Against a background of increasing use of crossbows, which can legally be bought by anyone over the age of 18, in targeted incidents, this set out to examine the hit probability and wounding potential of four different systems, their reload times, and how these compared to current policing response times. The conclusions, from a variety of tests including depth of penetration and discharge rate, concluded that crossbows need to be considered a real and present threat for a marauding terrorist attack, because all of those tested have potential to cause significant injury, especially to unprotected organs. 

    Next up was another project that had the audience buzzing – research from a team at The Open University on Fruit Fly Biosensors: Leveraging Olfactory Responses for Detection of Explosives and Toxic Chemicals. This explored if fruit flies, which have exceptional sensitivity, could be used as biosensors to detect toxins, drug precursors and explosives. The answer was potentially yes – experiments with TNT found that exposure to the explosive led to a gradual but clear increase in fly attraction, indicating that fruit flies can detect it. Preliminary lab data also suggests starving the flies may enhance TNT detection speed. 

    The final project in this session was an explanation of a Dynamic Target Indicator Tool (D-TinT) developed by a team at the University of Exeter. This uses techniques from movement pattern analytics and social network analysis to identify the best indicators of links between nodes in a human network based on movement patterns over time. This enables a statistical and spatial mathematical model to be developed. The Tool also identifies what might be flagged as a vulnerable target – either person or place – which could allow counter terrorism stakeholders to test the impact of possible risk-reduction procedures. 

    THEME THREE: Emerging Technologies 

    The final session of a highly enjoyable day started with a team from Robert Gordon University in Aberdeen talking the audience through their research on Leveraging Artificial Intelligence (AI) to Identify and Prevent Terrorism in Prisons: Legislative Gaps and Technological Solutions. This analysed AI’s role in situational awareness and radicalisation prevention, explored how it could support existing counterterrorism efforts, evaluated legal and ethical readiness for AI to be deployed in this way, and proposed technical and legal reforms to enable the responsible use of AI technologies in prison settings. The conclusion of the research was that AI offers significant potential to enhance security and counter-radicalisation efforts in UK prisons. 

    Next, a scoping study of Augmented Reality and Terrorism was presented by Dr Richard Jones of Edinburgh Law School, part of the University of Edinburgh. Billing augmented reality as a “technology in search of a purpose”, his research explored both potential law enforcement applications, such as head-up real-time navigation and facial recognition of persons of interest, as well as how terrorists could use the same technology, for example to create video footage for propaganda purposes. It also looked at how this technology could evolve in the public domain. The research concluded that feasibility factors include device cost and availability as well as the level of required technological expertise, which is likely to fall, in addition to utility and whether it solves a problem. 

    The final presentation of the day was by a team from the University of Southampton on Exploiting Vulnerabilities in Autonomous Vehicle Systems for Terrorist Activity – Threats to UK Critical National Infrastructure. This focused on identifying vulnerabilities in autonomous vehicle systems amid increasing reliance on connected and automated vehicles, analysing how terrorists could exploit these to disrupt or control them. This could include by hijacking the vehicle controls or causing collisions via manipulating road signs. The conclusion was that proactive risk mitigation is paramount. 

    Following the event, Inspector Cahill said: “The University Innovation Concept (UIC) was conceived with the intention of bringing Counter Terrorism Policing and academia closer together to ensure operational decisions made by experienced and knowledgeable personnel are backed by science and academic rigour. 

    “The one-day showcase was also a fantastic opportunity for attendees to network, learn about ongoing research and potentially take learning back to their operational roles, and feedback has been extremely positive.”  

    Reflecting on the event, Professor Southgate said: “ACE is proud to support policing colleagues find new and creative ways of solving frontline mission problems through partnership with researchers from across a diversity of backgrounds and institutions.

    “Accessing diversity of thought, approach and experience helps us step back and consider more impactful and enduring ways of tackling existing and sometimes long-standing problems. 

    “We are keen to help identify and shine a light on brilliant academic work that can already help solve today’s mission problems; highlighting the difference this makes, help build relationships and continue encouraging our talented academic community to support frontline policing work.”

    Updates to this page

    Published 21 May 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom

  • MIL-OSI Russia: GUU and RUDN University open “Horizons of Opportunities” for foreign students

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

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

    On May 20, 2025, a seminar for foreign students was held at the State University of Management. During the seminar, foreign students were introduced to a unique educational initiative – the Horizons of Opportunities project, developed with the support of the Ministry of Science and Higher Education of the Russian Federation.

    “Horizons of Possibilities” is a program of additional education for foreign students of 2-3 years of bachelor’s degree, 1 year of master’s degree, 1-2 years of postgraduate studies of Russian universities. The program is aimed at identifying and supporting the most promising foreign students who, after graduation, plan to develop cooperation with Russia in the political, informational and business fields.

    Alana Zangieva, a specialist at the RUDN International Youth Center, held a presentation of the Horizons of Possibility project, introducing foreign students of the State University of Management to the main areas of the program’s activities and the conditions for participation in it, as well as successful cases of its graduates from previous years.

    Foreign students of the State University of Management have shown interest in the work of the International School of Humanitarian Cooperation, whose students can gain practical skills for implementing their own business projects with Russia and employment in the Russian labor market.

    In conclusion, the students thanked the speaker for the informative information and wished success to the Horizons of Possibilities program.

    The event was organized by the State University of Management and the International Youth Center of the Peoples’ Friendship University of Russia named after Patrice Lumumba.

    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: IP Fabric Advances Security Posture Assurance with Firewall Discovery and Simulation

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    BOSTON, May 21, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — IP Fabric, the Automated Infrastructure Assurance Platform, today announced advanced firewall management features that close critical security and compliance gaps. The latest release includes firewall filtering simulation, transparent firewall discovery and visualization, enhanced compliance checks and granular access controls. These capabilities give enterprises full visibility into how traffic is encrypted, filtered and enforced — helping teams detect misconfigurations, ensure that every firewall is discovered and modeled, and create triggers to automate responses to risk in partnership with the firewall management systems already in use.

    Up to 20% of a network — including the critical firewalls that block malicious traffic and access — are improperly configured in enterprise companies. IT leaders carry a fiduciary responsibility to ensure infrastructure is secure, compliant and cost-effective, starting with a complete understanding of network assets and behavior. Security assessors and regulatory auditors know this, which is why firewall configurations are integral to controls outlined in global frameworks like NIST, CIS, ISO 27001 and SOC 2. IP Fabric’s latest release shows exactly how all firewalls, segmentation and encrypted traffic behave in the real world to reduce risk created by gaps in defense, strengthen protection and speed audit preparation.

    “Infrastructure defense shouldn’t live in silos, but too often our tools and teams do,” said Pavel Bykov, CEO and co-founder of IP Fabric. “We’re giving IT and security teams a shared, end-to-end understanding of how traffic flows, including how it’s encrypted, filtered and enforced across transparent firewalls and IPSec tunnels. When you can visualize devices, end-to-end paths, misconfigurations and gaps in your defense in context, you can take informed action to strengthen your security posture, prove continuous compliance and avoid unbudgeted costs.”

    Key security and compliance enhancements in IP Fabric 7.2

    1. Modern firewall filtering simulation: See how traffic is allowed or blocked by URLs, threat feeds and domain names.

    2. Transparent firewall discovery and visualization: Visualize Layer 2 firewalls and encrypted tunnels to improve monitoring and detect gaps in defense. Now supporting Palo Alto Networks, FortiGate and Firepower firewalls.

    3. Enhanced compliance and intent checks: Identify all devices in the traffic path, map CVEs to vulnerable assets and run tailored checks to spot misconfigurations faster in support of global security frameworks such as NIST, CIS, ISO 27001 and SOC 2.

    4. Granular user access controls for security extensions: Restrict who can deploy or edit automation scripts to prevent unauthorized changes and support compliance.

    5. Next-generation firewall management: Ensure security posture consistently among firewalls both on-prem and in the public cloud, regardless of vendor. Trigger changes based on up-to-date insights into compliance and network behavior.

    By delivering unparalleled visibility and control into security policies, firewall enforcement and compliance posture, IP Fabric’s latest release empowers enterprises to close security gaps before attackers exploit them.

    For a complete list of features included in IP Fabric 7.2 visit the company blog.

    About IP Fabric
    IP Fabric is the industry’s leading automated infrastructure assurance platform, offering a continuously validated view of cloud, network and security infrastructure to improve stability, security and spend. Within minutes, the platform creates a unified view of devices, state, configurations and interdependencies, normalizing multi-vendor data and revealing operational truth through automated intent checks. By uncovering risks and providing actionable insights, IP Fabric empowers enterprises to accelerate IT and business transformation while reducing costs. Trusted by industry leaders like Red Hat, Major League Baseball and Air France, IP Fabric delivers the foundation for a secure and modern infrastructure.

    Learn more at ipfabric.io and follow the company on LinkedIn.

    Media Contact
    Liesse Jayalath
    ipfabric@lookleftmarketing.com

    A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/90b60f9f-ceea-4df0-8039-81e631394f01

    The MIL Network

  • MIL-OSI: BTCC Exchange Appoints Dan Liu as CEO Ahead of 14th Anniversary Milestone

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    VILNIUS, Lithuania, May 21, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — BTCC, one of the world’s longest-serving cryptocurrency exchanges, today announces the appointment of Dan Liu as its new Chief Executive Officer. Liu, who previously served as Chief Research Officer at BTCC, brings extensive expertise in both traditional finance and cryptocurrency markets to his new role.

    As BTCC approaches its 14th anniversary in June, Dan Liu’s appointment as CEO marks a new chapter for the exchange. Under his leadership, BTCC aims to build upon its legacy as the world’s most established crypto exchange while pursuing sustainable growth. This vision will carry BTCC confidently into the future, elevating the platform beyond traditional security to drive meaningful industry evolution.

    From Research Visionary to CEO

    Since joining BTCC in 2019, Liu has been instrumental in the exchange’s rapid growth and innovation in the cryptocurrency space. As a dynamic young leader, he previously served as Chief Research Officer at the exchange. With his strategic vision over the years, BTCC expanded its services to users from over 160 countries and significantly enhanced its product offerings in both futures and spot trading markets while maintaining high security standards.

    Liu’s forward-thinking approach to market dynamics has made him a sought-after and respected voice in the cryptocurrency space, with regular features in prominent crypto media outlets including Cointelegraph, Markets Insider, and Japanese publication Monthly Digital Assets.

    “I am deeply honored to lead BTCC Exchange at such a pivotal time for both our platform and the broader cryptocurrency ecosystem,” said Liu. “My crypto journey began back in 2013, and that early passion has only grown stronger over the years. As we celebrate our 14th anniversary this year, I’m excited to combine my background in traditional finance with my love for blockchain innovation. We remain committed to bridging these two worlds, continuing to build trust within the community while accelerating our global expansion.”

    Building on Legacy, Focused on Future

    Since joining BTCC in 2019, Liu has guided the exchange through various market conditions while driving innovation and growth. His leadership has positioned BTCC as an industry pioneer across multiple market cycles.

    One of Liu’s most notable contributions was leading the launch of Tokenized Futures, an innovative financial product rarely seen in the industry. This bold step bridged the gap between traditional finance and blockchain technology and positioned BTCC as a forward-thinking exchange.

    Additionally, under Liu’s strategic guidance, BTCC launched its highly successful Copy Trading feature, which has received exceptional user engagement and positive feedback. This feature provides an accessible entry point for those exploring cryptocurrency markets, aligning perfectly with BTCC’s mission of making digital asset trading more inclusive.

    With his academic background in conventional markets, Liu brings valuable analytical skills to the evolving cryptocurrency space. His leadership represents a new approach where trust, transparency, and blockchain technology work together.

    Looking ahead, Liu’s focus is on global expansion while navigating increasingly diverse regulatory standards across markets. “One of my most important missions is educating the general public about cryptocurrency and making trading accessible to everyday users,” Liu explains. To support this vision, he plans to deepen BTCC’s community connections by attending global industry events and creating direct dialogue with users and partners across different markets—insights that will help shape the platform’s future and inform regional strategies.

    Under Liu’s leadership, BTCC Exchange is poised to continue its legacy as one of the most trusted, secure, and innovative cryptocurrency exchanges globally.

    About BTCC

    Founded in 2011, BTCC is one of the world’s longest-serving cryptocurrency exchanges, offering secure and user-friendly trading services to millions of users globally. With a commitment to security, innovation, and community building, BTCC continues to be a trusted platform in the evolving cryptocurrency landscape.

    Website: https://www.btcc.com/en-US

    X: https://x.com/BTCCexchange

    Contact: press@btcc.com

    A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/d56fc540-d6fd-4c6f-ae1a-a3ea93410608

    The MIL Network

  • MIL-OSI Global: Small Boat: this slim, devastating novel about a real migrant shipwreck reminds us of the cruelty of indifference

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Fiona Murphy, Assistant Professor in Refugee and Intercultural Studies, Dublin City University

    There’s a particular kind of story that’s rarely executed well – one without heroes, without lessons, without even the cold comfort of a villain you can confidently point at and say: there, that’s the evil. Vincent Delecroix’s Small Boat – a slim, bruising novel translated with quiet precision by Helen Stevenson – is that kind of story.

    Small Boat, which was shortlisted for the 2025 International Booker Prize, centres on a real horror: the drowning of 27 people in the English Channel on November 24 2021. They were crowded into an inflatable dinghy in the dark, reaching out over crackling radio lines, asking – in French, in English, in Kurdish – for help. They didn’t get it.

    What is known – not imagined in Delecroix’s pages – is that both French and British coastguards received their calls. And both hesitated, passing responsibility back and forth like a poisoned parcel. People died while operators discussed jurisdiction. The Cranston Inquiry, established to examine the failures of that night, is ongoing, its transcripts and testimonies peeling back the layers of bureaucratic neglect.

    Delecroix doesn’t give us the migrants’ stories directly. He focuses instead on a fictional French coastguard operator, a woman who spent that night on the radio, doing (or not doing) what her training, her weariness, her own justifications allowed. In the aftermath, she is questioned – not in a court, but in a room filled with mirrors. She faces a policewoman who looks like her, thinks like her, speaks with her same clipped, professional cadence.

    She listens back to recordings of her own voice on the rescue line promising help that would not come, offering assurances she did not believe. She is left to reckon with the unbearable fact that someone, somewhere (was it her?) spoke the words: “You will not be saved.”




    Read more:
    International Booker prize 2025: six experts review the shortlisted novels


    She isn’t especially monstrous. She’s tired. She’s professional. She has a young daughter at home and an ex-partner who sneers at her work. She runs on the beach to decompress. In one of the novel’s most arresting turns, she compares herself to a mass-produced tin opener: efficient, functional, affectless. Delecroix draws her with enough delicacy that we cannot quite hate her. And that, of course, is far more unsettling.

    Reading Small Boat, I thought – as one inevitably does – of Hannah Arendt’s banality of evil. Not evil as grand spectacle or ideology, but as administration, the quiet conviction that one is simply fulfilling a role. Arendt coined the phrase watching the trial of Adolf Eichmann, one of the chief Nazi organisers of the Holocaust. Eichmann organised the trains but claimed never to have hated the passengers. What Arendt saw was not a monster but a functionary – and that, of course, was the point.

    I thought too about my own work as an anthropologist researching forced displacement across Ireland, Turkey and Australia. I’ve sat with people whose lives are shaped not by violence in its cinematic form, but by violence as policy: the hotel room without a kitchen, the letter that never arrives, the bed that’s taken away with no warning.

    I’ve heard a senior Irish official describe the state’s provision of housing and support for asylum seekers as “sufficient”. Meanwhile people, stateless and waiting, are asked to prove their vulnerability again and again until even their grief is suspect.

    Institutional indifference

    The institutionalisation of indifference: that’s the real story here. The smugness of protocols. The liturgy of duty rosters and shift reports. It wasn’t evil that let those people drown in the Channel – it was ordinary people in warm offices, citing rules, filling forms, following scripts.

    We can see the birth of such indifference in policies like the UK’s abandoned Rwanda plan, which casually proposed outsourcing asylum itself, as if refuge were a commodity.

    Delecroix’s brilliance lies in showing how violence at the border is carried out not by villains, but by workers. By women with mortgages, men on night shifts, people who’ve learned to sort calls for help by urgency, credibility, accent. “Sorting,” the narrator explains, “is perhaps the most important part of the job.” Not all distress calls are equal. And the assumption – always lurking, never spoken – is that some lives are more likely to be saved.

    At one point, the narrator’s colleague Julien answers calls from migrants by quoting Pascal: “Vous êtes embarqués.” You are already embarked. A fatalist shrug disguised as wisdom. As if to say: you should have thought of all this before you left. The shrug does the work of a policy, the quotation the work of a wall.

    And yet, the narrator cannot fully perform indifference. She is haunted by the sea. She remembers loving it as a child. Now, it terrifies her. She feels it watching her, pursuing her, wanting to surge past the shore and swallow the continent whole. She runs along the beach to quiet her mind – a run that is almost the same length as the journey those on the dinghy tried to make.

    If Small Boat has a flaw, it’s that it sometimes flirts with making guilt into its own form of lyricism. But this too may be deliberate. It is easier, perhaps, to feel sorry than to feel implicated. And far easier to narrate moral confusion than to prevent its causes.

    What Delecroix has written is not a redemption story. It’s not a psychological thriller. It is a chamber piece for one voice and many ghosts. There are no grand gestures here. Just small refusals, small failures. And the small, flickering boats of each human life, drifting toward – or away from – one another in the dark.

    In a world ever more brutal towards those who flee war, hunger and despair, Delecroix’s novel is a necessary and merciless indictment. It reminds us that the shipwreck is not theirs alone. It is ours too.

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

    ref. Small Boat: this slim, devastating novel about a real migrant shipwreck reminds us of the cruelty of indifference – https://theconversation.com/small-boat-this-slim-devastating-novel-about-a-real-migrant-shipwreck-reminds-us-of-the-cruelty-of-indifference-255052

    MIL OSI – Global Reports

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Seed sowers sought to explore food potential of Scotland’s underutilised land Nutrition scientists are recruiting an army of seed sowers to help them understand how Scotland could better exploit its underutilised – or “marginal” – lands.

    Source: University of Aberdeen

    Freda Farquharson (left) and Wendy Russell

    Nutrition scientists are recruiting an army of seed sowers to help them understand how Scotland could better exploit its underutilised – or “marginal” – lands.
    Nutrition scientists are recruiting an army of seed sowers to help them understand how Scotland could better exploit its underutilised – or “marginal” – lands.
    Researchers at the university’s Rowett Institute have been very busy filling small packs with dozens of sorrel seeds to send out to participants across the country.
    Now they are appealing for anyone with an interest in taking part in the Wild Edibles Citizen Science project to get in touch and join the community.
    The idea is for as many people as possible to then share their experiences of how they get on nurturing the plants – and then using them in the kitchen.
    A dedicated Facebook group has been set up to share hints and tips and encourage a wider debate about the role wild edibles may play in the future.
    Wild edibles can be cultivated across much of Scotland. They thrive in poorer soils, are more climate resilient than many of our modern crops and have lower water, nutrients and pesticides requirements.
    They are also rich in phytochemicals, compounds that we think help prevent diseases such as cardiovascular disease and some cancers.
    Professor Wendy Russell, who leads the Rowett’s Scottish Government-funded research into sustainable food systems and supply, is spearheading the project.

    Only a small proportion of Scotland can be used to grow mainstream crops, and with increasing urban spread and ambitious plans to protect nature and biodiversity, as well as to reforest and protect our peat bogs, it is important to think about how we use our land.” Professor Wendy Russell

    In an introductory video posted to the Facebook group, Prof Russell said: “We’re really interested in how Scotland uses its underutilised – sometimes called ‘marginal’ – lands.
    “Only a small proportion of Scotland can be used to grow mainstream crops, and with increasing urban spread and ambitious plans to protect nature and biodiversity, as well as to reforest and protect our peat bogs, it is important to think about how we use our land.
    “This citizen science project is an opportunity for us to have a discussion around the use of wild edibles in our food system. Everyone should have a say about these important questions about the way we adapt what we grow and eat in the future and we are looking forward to building a community of seed planters to help grow that conversation.”
    Project co-leader Freda Farquharson told potential recruits: “We are keen to hear as many of your stories as possible – where are you planting the seeds, how are you tending them, how well are they growing, what dishes are you planning to use the sorrel in?”
    The Rowett research led by Prof Russell is showing how nature-based solutions could be pivotal in mitigating and adapting to climate change whilst restoring nature.
    Scotland’s future landscape will look very different, having to accommodate increased urban spread as well as larger areas of afforestation and peatland restoration. There is also an immediate necessity to produce our food in the most efficient and environmentally friendly way possible, but also to be mindful that we restore and enhance important habitats for our precious and unique biota.
    Mainstream agriculture will have to quickly adapt to contribute to meeting Scotland’s climate, biodiversity and heath targets, but we must also identify opportunities for nature-based food solutions as they could be pivotal in mitigating and adapting to climate change whilst restoring nature.
    Participants (UK only) can sign up for their seeds and get more information here: https://www.abdn.ac.uk/rowett/research/wild-edibles/ Or contact the team at: wildedibles@abdn.ac.uk

    Related Content

    MIL OSI United Kingdom

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Island schools to benefit from new speech and language support tools 21 May 2025 Island schools to benefit from new speech and language support tools

    Source: Aisle of Wight

    Children across the Isle of Wight are set to benefit from a new initiative aimed at improving speech, language and communication skills in schools and early years settings.

    The Isle of Wight Council’s Virtual School has invested in a set of Progression Tools developed by Speech and Language UK.

    The tools, along with dedicated training provided by the council’s Schools Speech and Language Support Team, will be provided to every school and setting.

    Covering ages three to 18, the Progression Tools help teachers and staff identify speech and language challenges early — often before they become barriers to learning. They can also be used to track speech and language development over time or following targeted programmes.

    A training event for education providers will take place on Wednesday 18 June, offering practical guidance on how to use the tools to support children more effectively. The training is open to all Island settings, including nurseries, schools, and post-16 providers.

    All settings with a child cared for by the Isle of Wight Council have already received an invitation. Invitations for all other settings will be sent to headteachers or managers after the half-term break.

    If your setting would like to ensure you receive an invitation directly, please email: virtual.school@iow.gov.uk

    Councillor Claire Critchison, Cabinet member for children’s services and education, welcomed the initiative, saying: “This is a fantastic example of how we’re working together across services to give every child the best start in life.

    “Early identification of speech and language needs can make a huge difference to a child’s confidence, learning, and future opportunities.

    “By equipping our schools and early years settings with the right tools and training, we’re not only supporting our most vulnerable children, such as those in care, but also strengthening the overall quality of education across the Island.

    “I’m proud to see our teams leading the way in making sure no child’s needs go unnoticed.”

    The Virtual School, which supports care-experienced children, will also require the use of the Progression Tool as part of Personal Education Plans (PEPs) for children in care, ensuring their needs are identified and addressed as early as possible.

    Carol Payne, deputy chief executive of Speech and Language UK, said: “We’re honoured to be working with the Isle of Wight Council and its dedicated staff to support those children with speech and language challenges.

    “From our research we know there are two million children in the UK with speech and language challenges and our unique tools and training programmes make it easier to identify those children so that they can get the support they need to help them thrive at school, into young adulthood and beyond.”

    The initiative has also been shared with NHS colleagues, who are supportive of the collaborative approach being taken across education and health services.

    As well as designing innovative tools and training for educators Speech and Language UK offers a free advice line and guidance to families to help them support their child’s skills.

    MIL OSI United Kingdom

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Council leaders visit Portakabin HQ to champion local skills and apprenticeships

    Source: City of York

    The Deputy Leader of City of York Council, alongside senior council officers, recently visited the Portakabin head office in York.

    Portakabin, the market leader in the manufacture and construction of modular buildings, is one of York’s largest employers, with over 1,000 people working across its head office and manufacturing facility in the city. The company has proudly called York home for more than 60 years.

    As a globally recognised brand, Portakabin recently welcomed local leaders to its York headquarters to discuss future growth opportunities, the importance of strong public-private partnerships, and to reflect on recent successes, including a thriving apprenticeship scheme that is opening skilled career paths for young people across the region.

    The apprenticeship scheme at Portakabin offers its people development opportunities, with 98% of apprentices offered a full-time career with the company once their apprenticeship completes.

    Apprenticeships range from the required skills for modular building construction such as electrical apprenticeships, to product design, quantity surveying, finance, and marketing.

    Councillor Pete Kilbane, Deputy Leader of the Council with responsibility for Economy and Culture, said:

    I was delighted to accept the invitation from Portakabin to visit their head office and hear about the work taking place to provide skilled and well-paid jobs.

    “York is a fantastic place to do business, we have a highly skilled population, and it is a great place to live.

    “A key priority of this council is for the city to have a fair, thriving, green economy for all, which provides opportunities and well-paid jobs. Portakabin are one of many amazing businesses in York who will help us to achieve that ambition. It was particularly good to hear so much about their apprenticeship schemes and how that is turning into long-term careers for our young people.”

    Dan Ibbetson, CEO at Portakabin said:

    We were delighted to welcome Councillor Pete Kilbane to our Head Office here in York. We are proud to be a York based business, delivering exceptional spaces across the UK and Northern Europe from our home here in Huntington.

    “Our successes are testament to the people that work here, the highly skilled and motivated teams that deliver a meaningful impact both in work and the wider York community. It was a pleasure to give Councillor Kilbane and other senior leaders from the council an insight into the people, community and spaces we deliver here at Portakabin.” 

    For businesses big and small there’s lots of support available to help your business prosper and thrive through the council’s Growth Managers. For more information visit:  https://www.york.gov.uk/GrowYourBusiness or email economicgrowth@york.gov.uk.

    MIL OSI United Kingdom

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Wang Yi to chair third China-Pacific Island Foreign Ministers’ Meeting

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

    Source: People’s Republic of China in Russian –

    Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News

    BEIJING, May 21 (Xinhua) — Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, will chair the third China-Pacific Island Countries Foreign Ministers’ Meeting to be held in Xiamen, east China’s Fujian Province, from May 28 to 29, a Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson said Wednesday. -0-

    MIL OSI Russia News

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Chinese Foreign Minister Meets Afghan Acting Foreign Minister in Beijing /detailed version-1/

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

    Source: People’s Republic of China in Russian – People’s Republic of China in Russian –

    Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News

    BEIJING, May 21 (Xinhua) — Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi met with Acting Afghan Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi in Beijing on Wednesday.

    Wang Yi, also a member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee, welcomed A.H. Muttaqi’s visit, which coincides with the 70th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries. He stressed that China and Afghanistan, as traditional friendly neighbors, always support and understand each other.

    “China respects the independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity of Afghanistan, as well as the independent choice of the Afghan people,” Wang said, stressing that China will continue to support the Afghan government in achieving long-term peace and stability in the country at an early date.

    Wang Yi added that China is willing to work with the Afghan side to develop traditional friendship, strengthen political mutual trust and deepen practical cooperation so as to bring more benefits to the two countries and their peoples, and contribute to regional peace and stability.

    According to him, China is ready to increase cooperation with Afghanistan in the areas of economy and trade, agriculture, energy, mining, poverty reduction, disaster prevention, personnel training, healthcare, law enforcement and security.

    The Chinese side intends to increase imports of high-quality Afghan products and provide all possible support in restoring Afghanistan’s economy and improving the living conditions of its population, the minister said.

    A.H. Muttaqi, in turn, thanked China for its valuable assistance in developing Afghanistan and improving the living conditions of the Afghan people over a long period of time, as well as for its advocacy of justice for Afghanistan in the international arena.

    He stressed that the Afghan government values the traditional friendship between Afghanistan and China, attaches great importance to relations with China in its foreign policy, and will continue to firmly adhere to the one-China principle and firmly oppose interference in China’s internal affairs.

    A. H. Muttaqi noted that the Afghan side is ready to deepen mutual trust with China and contribute to achieving greater positive results in cooperation in various areas. “Afghanistan attaches great importance to China’s security issues and will under no circumstances allow Afghan territory to be used for activities that threaten China’s security,” he stressed.

    Afghanistan is ready to step up cooperation with China in the security sphere, jointly combat violent crimes and ensure security and stability in the region, added A.H. Muttaqi. -0-

    MIL OSI Russia News

  • MIL-OSI Russia: China and ASEAN Complete Negotiations on CAFTA Version 3.0 /Detailed Version-1/

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

    Source: People’s Republic of China in Russian – People’s Republic of China in Russian –

    Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News

    BEIJING, May 21 (Xinhua) — China and 10 ASEAN countries have fully concluded negotiations on the China-ASEAN Free Trade Area (CAFTA) 3.0, the Ministry of Commerce said Wednesday.

    The achievement was announced on Tuesday during a special online meeting of China-ASEAN economy and trade ministers.

    CAFTA 3.0 will send a strong signal in support of free trade and open cooperation, the Commerce Ministry official said, noting that it will bring greater certainty to regional and global trade and play a guiding and exemplary role for different countries in upholding the principles of openness, inclusiveness and mutually beneficial cooperation.

    Negotiations on CAFTA version 3.0, which began in November 2022, were substantially concluded in October 2024 after nine rounds of formal negotiations.

    Version 3.0 contains nine new chapters covering areas such as the digital economy, green economy and supply chain connectivity, according to the ministry.

    CAFTA 3.0 will create an inclusive, modern, comprehensive and mutually beneficial free trade agreement. The new additions will provide the parties with the opportunity to advance regional economic integration in a broader and deeper manner and effectively facilitate the deep integration of their production and supply chains in the new environment.

    Moreover, CAFTA 3.0 will provide important institutional guarantees for the construction of the China-ASEAN mega market, thereby giving a steady impetus to the building of a China-ASEAN community with a shared future and promoting the common prosperity and development of both sides, the MOC noted.

    The parties will actively advance their respective internal signature and ratification procedures with a view to formally signing the CAFTA Modernization Protocol version 3.0 by the end of this year, the department added. -0-

    MIL OSI Russia News

  • MIL-OSI USA: Fool’s Gold: A Hidden Climate Stabilizer

    Source: US State of Connecticut

    On our planet, the cycle and balance of carbon from reservoir to reservoir is a matter of life or death. Carbon moves from the atmosphere to the ocean, to carbon-based life forms, to rocks or sediments, and it can be tied up in any of these reservoirs throughout the process.

    Imbalances within the cycle can have dramatic global impacts. For example, too much carbon in the atmosphere leads to the greenhouse effect and global warming, and too much carbon in the ocean leads to ocean acidification, which compromises conditions for marine life. How does the Earth recover from catastrophic conditions like massive volcanic eruptions?

    Researchers look to extremes in the past to study how the system reacts to imbalances. In their paper published in Nature, researchers from the University of Connecticut, University of Victoria, Yale University, University of British Columbia, and Georgia Institute of Technology detail an overlooked mechanism for how the ocean can help stabilize massive releases of carbon into the atmosphere following volcanic eruptions.

    UConn Department of Earth Sciences assistant professor and the paper’s lead author Mojtaba Fakhraee says a simplified way of imagining the global carbon cycle starts with an eruption of volcanic gases that release carbon into the atmosphere. Those forms of carbon like CO2 may remain in the atmosphere, whereas some can react with other elements to produce chemical species like dissolved inorganic carbon, that would be carried via rivers to the ocean.

    “When the oceanic carbon balances out with the amount of CO2 in the atmosphere, they reach an equilibrium condition where the amount of CO2 in the atmosphere would be proportional to the amount of dissolved carbon species in the ocean,” says Fakhraee.

    However, in times of extreme imbalance, like during climate catastrophes or when huge quantities of CO2 are released into the atmosphere, researchers found that a different type of feedback kicks in.

    “The feedback happens when the ocean loses oxygen, it becomes more basic, and another type of reaction becomes more dominant under low oxygen or anoxic conditions. That reaction is anaerobic respiration, which produces sulfur species,” says Fakhraee.

    The sulfur species formed by the reaction is iron sulfide or pyrite, which is also known as “fool’s gold.” The process has an overall buffering effect that preserves the alkalinity of the water and thus prevents it from becoming more acidic.

    Researchers made this discovery using a coupled global carbon-sulfur cycle model that simulates geochemical processes over the past several hundred million years, including several ocean anoxic events (OAEs) and massive volcanic eruptions that released large amounts of carbon into the atmosphere. They found the production and burial of pyrite during OAEs had a substantial stabilizing effect during times of increased volcanic activity, thus buffering the oceans and playing a significant stabilizing role for millions of years.

    “What it means is, the more you get of this buffering species, the more resistant the ocean becomes to change in pH and ocean acidification. This reaction is important in terms of how the ocean becomes resistant to acidification and changing pH,” says Fakhraee.

    These reactions happen over a very long time, when the oceans of the past periodically experienced huge influxes of volcanic gases, resulting in deoxygenation and anoxic conditions, says Fakhraee, and that is when the models showed the increase in the iron sulfide reaction, increased alkalinity, and climate stabilization.

    “We found it to be quite convincing to see why some of these past oceanic anoxic events were able to recover the way they did,” says Fakhraee. “Anoxic conditions were always thought of as a big problem for the oceans, but on a longer time scale this big problem can actually be a good way for the ocean and the whole earth to survive. Not everything about anoxia and oxygen loss is bad for the Earth system.”

    There are also important implications to the carbon cycle of today, says Fakhraee, when we are seeing deoxygenation in the ocean as atmospheric levels of CO2 increase, but there is a caveat – time.

    “We expect this process of iron sulfide formation to be important as we increase the rate of ocean deoxygenation, which would help regulate and stabilize the CO2 in the atmosphere. But do not make a mistake and think that this will help us with current climate change, because this feedback happens on a longer time scale. Humans would be drastically affected by climate change, but the Earth system has this intriguing feedback that would help the system to recover,” says Fakhraee.

    Although pyrite formation occurs today in some anoxic marine environments, its global impact on ocean alkalinity and carbon sequestration is minimal under current conditions. A significant uptick in this buffering mechanism would require extensive, sustained deoxygenation of the global ocean — conditions that would be catastrophic for most marine life and profoundly disruptive to the Earth’s biosphere.

    “Humans and other life experiencing climate change would be severely impacted over a very short time scale. It’s all about the time scale and then how much oxygen loss happens,” says Fakhraee.

    Another important takeaway from this research that Fakhraee reflects on is the remarkable resilience of the global carbon cycle.

    “All these interconnected processes show where one small change in one part of this whole system would make a large change in another part of the system. It’s intriguing to see how Earth can recover from very severe past experiences that wiped out life on the planet,” says Fahkraee. “Part of the reason that Earth has experienced so many ups and downs in terms of life, and part of the reason there is hope is because there was feedback that helped Earth to recover and allowed for some other life to exist and to evolve. Earth has its own way to survive, but we need to find a way to survive, and we are in danger if we don’t pay enough attention to what’s happening in terms of climate change.”

    MIL OSI USA News

  • MIL-Evening Report: Australia’s Wong condemns ‘abhorrent, outrageous’ Israeli comments over blocked aid

    Asia Pacific Report

    Australia’s Foreign Minister Penny Wong has released a statement saying “the Israeli government cannot allow the suffering to continue” after the UN’s aid chief said thousands of babies were at risk of dying if they did not receive food immediately.

    “Australia joins international partners in calling on Israel to allow a full and immediate resumption of aid to Gaza,” Wong said in a post on X.

    “We condemn the abhorrent and outrageous comments made by members of the Netanyahu government about these people in crisis.”

    Wong stopped short of outlining any measures Australia might take to encourage Israel to ensure enough aid reaches those in need, as the UK, France and Canada said they would do with “concrete measures” in a recent joint statement.


    An agreement has been reached in a phone call between UAE Foreign Minister Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan and his Israeli counterpart Gideon Saar, reports Al Jazeera.

    According to the Palestinian news agency WAM, the aid would initially cater to the food needs of about 15,000 civilians in Gaza.

    It will also include essential supplies for bakeries and critical items for infant care.

    ‘Permission’ for 100 trucks
    Earlier yesterday, a spokesperson for the UN humanitarian office in Geneva said Israel had given permission for about 100 aid trucks to enter Gaza.

    However, the UN also said no aid had been distributed in Gaza because of Israeli restrictions, despite a handful of aid trucks entering the territory.

    “But what we mean here by allowed is that the trucks have received military clearance to access the Palestinian side,” reports Tareq Abu Azzoum from Deir el-Balah, central Gaza.

    “They have not made their journey into the enclave. They are still stuck at the border crossing. Only five trucks have made it in.”

    Israel’s Gaza aid “smokescreen” showing the vast gulf between what the Israeli military have actually allowed in – five trucks only and none of the aid had been delivered at the time of this report. Image: Al Jazeera infographic/Creative Commons

    The few aid trucks alowed into Gaza are nowhere near sufficient to meet Gaza’s vast needs, says the medical charity Doctors Without Borders, known by its French initials MSF.

    Instead, the handful of trucks serve as a “a smokescreen” for Israel to “pretend the siege is over”.

    “The Israeli authorities’ decision to allow a ridiculously inadequate amount of aid into Gaza after months of an air-tight siege signals their intention to avoid the accusation of starving people in Gaza, while in fact keeping them barely surviving,” said Pascale Coissard, MSF’s emergency coordinator in Khan Younis.

    MIL OSI AnalysisEveningReport.nz

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: ‘Shine your light’: responding to challenges facing the charity sector

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    Speech

    ‘Shine your light’: responding to challenges facing the charity sector

    Charity Commission Chief Executive David Holdsworth delivers keynote speech at Charity Times’ Annual Conference 2025.

    Thank you Srabani and good morning everyone / bore da pawb.

    It’s a privilege to be speaking to at this conference for the first time as the Commission’s CEO, after rejoining the organisation last summer.

    I probably don’t need to explain to this audience why I returned to work with the charity sector.

    Current operating environment and challenges 

    The Charity Commission stands at a unique vantage point, where the perspectives of charities, government, the public and donors meet.

    From this position, we see three trends.

    First, an incredibly challenging economic environment for the sector.

    Like other sectors, charities face inflationary pressures and rising operational costs.

    But charities are also dealing with increased demands for their services.

    The cumulative impact of these trends on charities is, in some cases, extremely challenging.

    Second, charities, like other organisations, are contending with rapid technological and social change.

    Some tech innovations, notably in the space of AI, offer tools that can help charities do more with less and increase their impact.

    But looking ahead, these technologies potentially challenge the very role of organisations and institutions in the traditional sense.

    Notably when coupled with changing attitudes, especially among younger people, whose allegiances are increasingly to causes, not ‘bricks and mortar’ or brands and institutions and where technology platforms offer alternatives of direct giving to those in need.  

    Thirdly – global conflicts, geo political shifts and instability. The shocking invasion of Ukraine and conflicts in the middle east have seen demands on and need of charity increase significantly. Whilst at the same time the once seemingly immovable, solid post war geo political system is shifting, creating uncertainty and instability. This makes responding to increased global need more difficult and challenging to navigate.

    Impact and Potential

    Despite those challenges the sector has never been more important – and let’s be clear what charities achieve for society is astonishing, both in terms of scale and impact.

    Based on Annual Returns submitted to the Commission for 2023’s accounts, the sector had an annual income of over £96 billion – up around 7% on the previous year.

    We registered just over 5,000 new charities last year, having assessed a record 9,840 applications – a 9% increase on the previous year.

    And there are around 700,000 trustees who collectively steward the sector though good times and bad, and whose work often goes unrecognised and uncelebrated – though we at the Commission are all too aware of their service and contribution.

    But numbers alone don’t tell of the human impact of charity. Of the positive difference charities make in transforming or enriching communities, our environment, our wildlife, heritage, culture as well as saving and improving countless individual lives.

    It is that impact that charities, their amazing trustees, volunteers and employees have – that we must not lose sight of – nor let the challenges shroud.

    There are so many examples to tell.

    Like the Felix Project which had a landmark year, providing 38 million meals through its network of 1,264 community organisations and schools by growing its network of collaborations. Building on that success it has launched its Multibank, which has seen 1.46 million non-food essential items distributed to try and ensure no Londoner in need goes without.

    Welsh Women’s Aid and its partners helped 739 survivors access refuge-based support. That is life-saving intervention happening every day, across the country – offering not just physical shelter but a sense of home and safety when people need it most.

    That the osprey – that magnificent bird of prey – which was once driven to near extinction in the UK – is now thriving, with over 250 nesting pairs living in Britain today, is thanks to charities.

    And it is thanks to charity that, on average, two lives are saved at sea every single day by RNLI volunteers.  

    Also I know from my last CEO role at the Animal and Plant Health Agency, thanks to animal welfare charities’ campaigning work over decades, the UK now has one of the most advanced legal frameworks protecting animal health and welfare.

    These a just a few examples of what has been made possible by the charity sector.

    Potential and Opportunity

    So whilst I don’t underestimate for one moment the challenges charities face – and which I have seen first hand on my many visits – I would urge you not to let those challenges dim nor shroud the huge impact you are having, everyday.

    I also firmly believe that as Albert Einstein once said:

    in the middle of difficulty lies opportunity.

    Arguably, the bigger the challenge, the greater the opportunity. Ideas previously rejected as too radical; innovation that once felt too big; conversations which felt too challenging can suddenly feel possible – and necessary.

    Take for example, the city I call home, Liverpool. Which is incidentally also the Commission’s main home, where most of our staff are based.

    I grew up in Liverpool in the 1980s. It was a time when the city felt like it had lost its way, with ever increasing challenges and ever dwindling opportunity and resources.

    Today my home city is transformed. And that transformation happened through collaboration – a combination of philanthropic investments, national and local government investment, alongside renewed community action notably in the arts, culture and tourism which acted as catalysts for wider renewal.

    Each individual project mattered, but what made for game-changing transformation was the cumulative impact of collaborative and complementary efforts from a number of actors. And that is true across the sector today.

    Take for example, Fareshare. Working collaboratively, supporting other charities in their network, they’ve helped distribute 92% more food over the last year, and made their budgets go 78% further.

    This resulted in them distributing a whopping 135 million meals, reaching nearly 1 million people.

    If you’ll allow me to return once more to my hometown.

    In late 2024, Zoe’s Place, a hospice in Liverpool which provides care to children, faced an uncertain future. The community of Liverpool, supported by business leaders and politicians, as well as a fellow charity the Institute of our Lady of Mercy, fellow hospice Claire’s Place and regional media collectively rallied to save Zoe’s Place, with the Commission playing a key facilitating role.

    Now, ownership has been transferred to the newly registered Liverpool Zoe’s Place. The charity’s trustees have also finalised plans to build the charity’s new home, securing the continuation of the former charity’s legacy.

    The hospice had been helping families through the unimaginable since 1995 – to see that vital service disappear would have been gutting for the community, and a huge blow to the families who rely on the organisation’s support.

    Instead, by reawakening their community’s passion and pride in the service, the charity will now continue to provide that support for years to come.

    In addition to this kind of public appeal, forging new corporate partnerships is another option being explored by many charities. Indeed, the Charities Aid Foundation estimates that UK businesses contribute around £4 billion to the sector.

    Take one example – a mere stone’s throw from here: national homelessness charity, Shelter.

    The organisation has partnered with clothing brand, Lucy and Yak. Last year they held a successful pop-up shop in Kings Cross, and now, they’ve launched donation boxes in several Lucy and Yak shops across the country encouraging customers to donate clothing.

    Shelter has responded to competition facing charity shops with the rise of preloved selling platforms in an agile and innovative way. Through this partnership, they’ve added a funding stream to their ‘bow’ and potentially reached new supporters.

    But I appreciate that public appeals and new corporate partnerships won’t work for everyone.  

    As a result of the Covid pandemic, many charities needed to re-evaluate their financial resilience and ability to weather further storms – many had dipped into their reserves, while others had little to fall back on.

    With the same desire to ensure services do not come to an end, some charities with similar goals turned to mergers – combining resources to create something more sustainable.

    For example, Community Integrated Care, one of the largest social care providers in the UK, merged with Inspire, a social care provider based in Scotland, in 2023. The charities saw how funding shortfalls, economic pressures and workforce shortages were impacting social care more broadly and chose to secure their future together rather than struggle through apart. And it paid off.

    Community Integrated Care’s income increased by £22 million in the year after the merger, and the charities reported publicly that the merger was a good strategic fit. These charities found strength in unity while continuing to provide that sense of belonging their beneficiaries depend on.

    Mergers are not the answer for all – and I don’t underestimate the work that can be involved in navigating a successful transition. But where you decide a merger is the best way forward, the Commission is on hand.

    Conclusion: strength in collaboration

    I’ve touched upon a few examples today to evidence my underlying confidence in this sector’s collective power. Just as no home is built by a single pair of hands, no lasting social change comes from isolated efforts.

    Our dear late Queen, Elizabeth II, once said:

    On our own, we cannot end wars or wipe out injustice, but the cumulative impact of thousands of small acts of goodness can be bigger than we imagine.

    In the year of the 80th anniversary of Victory in Europe and Victory in Japan we should remember those words and that out of darkness can come something brighter and better than before.

    From the darkness of tyranny, fascism and unfathomable loss came a renewed determination for peace, democracy and equality. That which charities had long fought for then came forward in the form of the NHS, welfare state, expansion of access to higher education, and workers’ rights.

    While the challenges facing society may be less existential, I believe this sector can again play a transformational role across communities, across government, local and national, with businesses and philanthropists to once again tackle our biggest issues with joint purpose.

    There is no greater charity sector in the world than here and my message is clear.

    Keep shining a light, charities.

    Shine a light on your charitable purpose.

    Shine a light of hope, and of refuge to those in need.

    Shine a light on your innovation and impact.

    And always remember that you not only stand on the shoulders of giants, but you too are now building that better brighter future for the next generation.

    Thank you. I look forward to hearing your thoughts, and taking your questions.

    Updates to this page

    Published 21 May 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: UK stands ready to send more aid to Gaza as Minister pledges further support

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    Press release

    UK stands ready to send more aid to Gaza as Minister pledges further support

    Minister for Development announces new UK support for Gaza on first visit in her role to Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories

    • extra UK aid announced today will support organisations on the ground seeking to get food, water and medicine to those who need it
    • Minister Chapman will call Israel’s decision to allow just a basic amount of food into Gaza ‘abominable’ after an ‘indefensible’ 11-week blockade.
    • on her first visit to Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories in her role, the Minister also emphasises the need to release all Israeli hostages held by Hamas and works towards a two-state solution

    Vulnerable Gazans must urgently be given full access to aid, UK Minister for Development, Jenny Chapman said today [Wednesday 21 May] on her first visit to Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories in her role. 

    Following the Government’s calls, together with partners, for restrictions on aid access to be lifted, the UK has announced £4m of new UK humanitarian support for Gazans as the Minister reaffirms the UK’s commitment to driving peace in the region.

    The visit comes the day after Foreign Secretary David Lammy announced new sanctions hitting violent West Bank settlers, paused free trade agreement negotiations with Israel and called the Government of Israel’s actions ‘egregious’ and ‘intolerable’. 

    On her visit the Development Minister will say the limited restart of aid deliveries into Gaza is ‘simply not enough’ and she will urge the Israeli government to allow the unhindered provision of aid. She will say the blockade has been appalling and indefensible, particularly following an IPC report noting the entire population of Gaza is experiencing high levels of acute food insecurity.

    The Minister will announce new UK support during a visit to a Red Crescent centre, highlighting that the UK stands ready to provide the urgent aid to those who desperately need it, while expressing frustration much of it cannot yet reach them.

    Backing up words with action, the new UK support would cover essential medicines and medical supplies for up to 32,000 people, safe drinking water for up to 60,000 people, and food parcels for up to 14,000 people.

    Minister for Development, Jenny Chapman said:

    The lack of aid reaching ordinary Gazans is appalling. The Israeli government’s failure to allow full humanitarian access to aid workers is abhorrent. Far too few trucks are crossing into Gaza. The UN has warned nearly half a million Palestinians, including children, are facing starvation.

    The UK is clear – Israel will not achieve security through prolonging the suffering of the Palestinian people.

    I have heard first hand from aid workers today of the abominable impact of this behaviour on real families. The UK has today pledged new support for Gazans but the brutal reality is most of it is stuck in limbo.

    We need to see an immediate ceasefire, the release of all hostages, a surge of aid, and a path towards long-term peace.

    During the first day of her visit (Wednesday, May 21), Minister Chapman has met with Palestinian Justice Minister Sharhabeel al-Zaeem, and talked to UNRWA representatives on resolving the challenges in getting aid to Palestinian communities.

    Tomorrow, she is due to meet the families of hostages cruelly held by Hamas, where she will highlight the importance of an immediate ceasefire and a negotiated end to the conflict which secures their urgent release. This is the only way to deliver long-term stability in the region, and at home, as part of the Government’s Plan for Change.

    Background

    • The £4 million contribution announced today will be made to the British Red Cross to deliver humanitarian relief in Gaza through their partner the Palestinian Red Crescent Society. This support has been allocated from the £101 million set aside for the Occupied Palestinian Territories (OPTs) in financial year 2025-26, announced during the official visit of Palestinian Prime Minister Mohammed Mustafa to the UK.
    • UK support to the OPTs since October 7, 2023, has so far provided 405,000 patient consultations across Gaza, food aid to at least 647,000 people, and improved water, sanitation and hygiene services to almost 300,000 people. 
    • Photos from the visit will be available on FCDO Flickr
    • See here for the Foreign Secretary’s statement announcing sanctions on West Bank violence network and the pause on negotiations for a free trade agreement.
    • See here for joint statement from the leaders of the UK, France and Canada on the situation in Gaza and the West Bank delivered on 19/05/2025.
    • See here for joint statement from UK and 26 other humanitarian partners delivered on 19/05/2025.

    Media enquiries

    Email newsdesk@fcdo.gov.uk

    Telephone 020 7008 3100

    Email the FCDO Newsdesk (monitored 24 hours a day) in the first instance, and we will respond as soon as possible.

    Updates to this page

    Published 21 May 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Sobyanin opened the Yuzhnoye electric depot of the Zamoskvoretskaya metro line

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

    Source: Moscow Government – Government of Moscow –

    Sergei Sobyanin opened a new electric depot “Yuzhnoye” of the Zamoskvoretskaya line. Its commissioning became the final stage of the formation of the largest in Russia and one of the largest in Europe complexes for the repair, maintenance and operation of metro cars.

    On behalf of the President of the Russian Federation Vladimir Putin, Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin presented the Moscow Metro with the Order “For Valiant Labor”, which recognized the great merits of the metro workforce in strengthening and developing the capital’s transport complex. The award was timed to coincide with the 90th anniversary of the metro.

    In addition, 10 new “Moscow-2024” trains ceremoniously entered the Zamoskvoretskaya line. Together with metro employees and invited guests, Sergei Sobyanin rode on the lead train from the depot to the Krasnogvardeyskaya station.

    “This year, the Moscow Metro turns 90. It is a respectable age, but the Moscow Metro demonstrates a very young, energetic life, developing, adding new lines, new stations, first-class trains, electric depots, developing in a way that probably no other metro in the world is developing. Today, a new electric depot “Yuzhnoye” is being opened, the largest and most modern in Russia. The Zamoskvoretskaya line of the metro is being replenished with 10 new trains, the most modern. This year, in honor of the metro’s anniversary, in honor of its merits, the President of the Russian Federation signed a decree on awarding the Moscow Metro team with the Order for Labor Valor. This is a well-deserved award. The Moscow Metro is the most intensive in the world, the most accurate, the most reliable, the safest, the cleanest and the most beautiful. And the most beloved by Muscovite passengers,” said Sergei Sobyanin.

    The Mayor of Moscow congratulated the entire staff of the capital’s metro, metro builders and everyone who is related to the metro on the award and anniversary.

    The head of the Moscow Metro, Viktor Kozlovsky, in turn, thanked the President of Russia for the award and Sergei Sobyanin for his assistance and constant participation in the development of the metro.

    “I would like to say a huge thank you to the President of our country, Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin, for the high assessment of our work, our many thousands of people, and personally to you, Sergey Semenovich, for your constant participation, for the development of the Moscow Metro. For the work that you do. The Moscow Metro is ready to continue to fulfill any tasks at a high level,” said Viktor Kozlovsky.

    Thanks to the unprecedented construction of new lines and stations, more than 90 percent of Muscovites now live in the service area of the rail frame stations. For comparison: in 2010, this figure was 70 percent. On weekdays, the metro carries more than 8.2 million passengers. The Moscow metro has become a world leader in important indicators. Thus, the accuracy of the schedule is 99.9 percent, the traffic intensity reaches 90-second intervals during rush hours on the most popular lines, a variety of payment methods and customer services are available, which leads to a high level of passenger loyalty.

    Development of the capital’s metro

    In 2010, city residents built most of the routes through the center. As a result, transfer stations here were overloaded almost all day long, and at peak times, passengers managed to get on far from the first train.

    Thanks to the development of the Moscow Metro infrastructure – the opening of new stations and the renewal of rolling stock – every year the trips become faster and more comfortable, many additional transfers and route options appear, the carriages become noticeably freer even during rush hours. There are no more overloaded sections in the metro.

    The first stage of the Moscow metro opened on May 15, 1935. It included 11.2 kilometers of lines and 13 stations – from Sokolniki to Park Kultury with a branch to Smolenskaya. Shortly before that, on November 10, 1934, the Severnoye electric depot began operating.

    Today, together with the Moscow Central Circle (MCC), the metro has 302 stations (271 metro stations and 31 MCC stations), as well as 23 electric depots, including the Brateevo car repair complex.

    Since 2011, 123 stations have been built and reconstructed in Moscow — their total number has increased by almost 1.7 times. New lines have started operating: Nekrasovskaya, Solntsevskaya and Troitskaya. Sokolnicheskaya, Lyublinsko-Dmitrovskaya, Zamoskvoretskaya and a number of other metro lines have been extended. Two new rings (MCC and Big Circle Line) provide convenient transfers and transit along routes without entering the center. In Soviet times, it took almost 40 years to build a network of such a scale.

    More than 130 kilometers of the capital’s metro tunnels were laid in five yearsSergei Sobyanin opened full service on the Troitskaya metro line

    The Moscow Metro employs over 65,000 workers (almost a third of whom are women), with an average age of 43. The company is represented by more than 200 professions and specialties. The metro workforce includes more than 100 dynasties with a total work experience of over 15 thousand years.

    In recent years, the city has been paying special attention to the renewal of its rolling stock. Moscow is the leader among European and American megacities in terms of the rate of renewal of its metro cars. Today, the Moscow Metro fleet has over 6.7 thousand cars of various models, with over 77 percent of them being of the current generation. Since 2010, the average age of metro cars has decreased almost twofold — from 20 to 12 years. By the end of 2025, another 272 Moscow-2024 cars are to be added to the fleet, and in 2030, the share of new trains will be about 90 percent, meaning that modern trains will serve passengers on all metro lines. In addition, the share of domestic components in Moscow-2024 trains has reached almost 95 percent.

    Trains created according to the technical specifications of the Moscow Metro are a standard for the metros of other cities and countries. In addition to the capital of Russia, trains based on the Moscow train are supplied to the metros of four cities – Kazan (Russia), Baku (Azerbaijan), Tashkent (Uzbekistan) and Minsk (Belarus).

    Most trains in the Moscow metro are serviced under a life cycle contract. These are the Oka, Moskva, Moskva-2020 and Moskva-2024 type trains. The manufacturer’s service company is responsible for timely and high-quality maintenance, train diagnostics, washing and daily cleaning, as well as the readiness of the trains to go on the line.

    Electric depot as part of the metro

    In addition to performing their main function – parking, scheduled maintenance and washing of rolling stock, electric depots are the basic enterprises of the Moscow Metro for the repair of electric trains and auxiliary production, and also serve to accommodate personnel and equipment of various services. In fact, the electric depot is the technological heart of the metro.

    Without the construction of new electric depots, the development of the metro is impossible; they are as important a part of the infrastructure as stations and tunnels.

    Since 2011, 13 electric depots have been built and reconstructed as part of the Moscow Metro development program. Thus, eight new ones appeared: Aminyevskoye, Brateevo, Likhobory, Mitino, Nizhegorodskoye, Rudnevo, Solntsevo and Yuzhnoye (Brateevo-2). They service trains on six lines, are equipped with all the necessary equipment and are ready for technical maintenance, periodic and unscheduled repairs of cars. Another five electric depots have been reconstructed. These are Vladykino, Vykhino, Pechatniki, Planernoye and Sokol.

    This year, the city plans to complete construction of the Stolbovo (Salaryevo) depot on the Sokolnicheskaya Line. Three more depots are to appear by 2030: Ilyinskoye for the Rublevo-Arkhangelskaya Line, Biryulevskoye for the Biryulevskaya Line, and Troitskoye for the Troitskaya Line.

    Sergei Sobyanin: The first metro train arrived at the Stolbovo electric depot under constructionWhere trains spend the night: how metro cars are serviced and repaired at the Krasnaya Presnya depot

    Electric depot “Yuzhnoye”

    The Yuzhnoye electric depot is the largest in Russia and one of the largest complexes in Europe for the repair, maintenance and operation of wagons.

    The Zamoskvoretskaya Line is one of the longest and most popular in the Moscow metro. From 24 stations on the green line, you can make 19 transfers to other metro lines, the Moscow Central Circle (MCC) and the Moscow Central Diameters (MCD). More than 880 thousand trips are made on the line every day. At the most popular times, trains run at intervals of 1.6 minutes.

    The last 10 years have been a time of dynamic development of the Zamoskvoretskaya line. From 2015 to 2018, new stations “Tekhnopark”, “Khovrino” and “Belomorskaya” were opened, which improved transport accessibility of five districts of the capital: Khovrino, Levoberezhny, Zapadnoye Degunino, Nagatinsky Zaton and Danilovsky.

    In 2023, new tunnels were built in record time on the Kantemirovskaya-Tsaritsyno section. Last year, the first Moskva-2024 train entered service on the Zamoskvoretskaya Line, which marked the beginning of the rolling stock renewal process.

    Passengers on the Zamoskvoretskaya Line are transported by 78 trains (624 cars), including 30 trains (240 cars) “Moscow-2024”. On May 21, 2025, another 10 of these most modern trains in the world entered service. Thus, more than 50 percent of the rolling stock on the Zamoskvoretskaya Line has been updated. The process on the green line is planned to be completed in 2025-2026. Both modern Russian “Moscow-2024” trains and the newest “Moscow-2026” trains will run on it. More than 1.8 million residents of 21 districts through which the Zamoskvoretskaya Line passes will receive new and modern rolling stock – their trips will become much more comfortable.

    Until 2021, the trains of the Zamoskvoretskaya line were serviced by the Sokol (since 1938), Zamoskvoretskoye (since 1969) and Brateevo (since 2014) electric depots.

    However, in 2021, the Zamoskvoretskoye depot was transferred to service the rolling stock of the Big Circle Line of the metro, and now it fully serves the needs of the BCL, and also temporarily accepts trains of the Troitskaya Line.

    To replace the decommissioned capacities in the south of Moscow, a new electric depot, Yuzhnoye (Brateevo-2), was built next to the existing depot. As a result, the largest in Russia and one of the largest in Europe infrastructure complexes for the maintenance, repair and operation of metro cars was formed.

    “Together with the wagon repair plant, the Yuzhnoye electric depot has surpassed the previous record holder, the Mitino depot, in terms of scale. 46 buildings and structures have been built in Yuzhnoye, and the most modern and technologically advanced equipment has been installed: servicing of trains on the Zamoskvoretskaya line will be fast and high-quality. At the same time, the neighboring wagon repair plant will focus on major and medium repairs of wagons from all over the metro,” Sergei Sobyanin wrote in his

    telegram channel.

    Source: Sergei Sobyanin’s Telegram channel @mos_sobyanin

    In the new Yuzhnoye depot, on a site of 13.6 hectares, buildings and structures with a total area of 77.3 thousand square meters were constructed, including a storage and repair building, a motor depot and an electrical centralization post, a compressor station, a warehouse, an administrative and household building and other structures – a total of 46 buildings for various purposes.

    The total length of the tracks at the Yuzhnoye depot is about 6.2 kilometers, which can be compared with the section between the Krylatskoye and Strogino stations, the longest in the Moscow Metro.

    After reaching its design capacity, the enterprise will create approximately 1.3 thousand jobs.

    Along with the modern carriages, a service company from the manufacturer arrived at the Yuzhnoye depot, which will service the new rolling stock (trains Moscow-2024 and Moscow-2026) under a life cycle contract for 30 years of operation.

    The staff was provided with the most favorable conditions for efficient work and good rest.

    The administrative building has a canteen for 160 people. The locomotive crews’ rest rooms are organized like hotel rooms, and the blocks are equipped with bathrooms. Separate comfortable rooms are provided for female drivers.

    There are currently 130 female drivers and assistant drivers working in the Moscow Metro. In addition, about 50 women are undergoing training in the profession. It is planned that female drivers will soon begin working on the Zamoskvoretskaya Line.

    The medical service includes pre-trip examination rooms, a doctor, a medical psychologist, a treatment room, a vaccination room, and a recovery room.

    There are also a sports hall and a gym with a physical education instructor’s office, an assembly hall and utility rooms (laundry, ironing, storage rooms for special clothing).

    After the commissioning of the Yuzhnoye depot, it took over the functions of servicing the Zamoskvoretskaya line, including the new Moscow-2024 series trains, which began carrying passengers in March 2024.

    At the same time, the Brateevo depot will become the main car repair complex of the Moscow Metro. Its capacity allows repairing the rolling stock of the Zamoskvoretskaya line, as well as carrying out technically complex repairs of cars of the Nomernoy and Rusich types from other metro lines. In total, up to 850 cars, 8.5 thousand wheels and more than 6.4 thousand engines per year – a record for similar facilities in Russia.

    The wagon repair complex will not only be the largest, but also the most modern, with a high level of automation – a conveyor for moving wheel pairs, electric bogies, and CNC machines.

    In terms of its scale, the new infrastructure complex, consisting of the Yuzhnoye depot and a wagon repair plant, has surpassed the previous record holder, the Mitino electric depot, which until now was the largest in Russia in terms of capacity. The total area of the complex is 32.2 hectares. The capacity of the complex allows servicing up to 2.4 thousand wagons per year.

    Main characteristics of the new infrastructure complex

    Depot “Yuzhnoye”:

    — capacity — 34 seats for trains;

    — night storage — 25 places;

    — washing — 12 compositions per day;

    — operational maintenance — 30 trains per day;

    — technical maintenance — four trains per day;

    — turning of wheel pairs — three cars per day;

    — current repairs — three trains per month;

    — jobs — about 1.3 thousand;

    — the total length of the tracks is 6.2 kilometers.

    Wagon repair complex “Brateevo”:

    — capacity — 11 seats for trains;

    — the total length of the tracks is 7.1 kilometers;

    — major repairs — 300 cars per year;

    — average repairs — 550 cars per year;

    — repair of traction electric motors — 6.4 thousand units per year;

    — wheel sets — 8.5 thousand pieces per year;

    — motor-compressors — two thousand pieces per year.

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

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

    https: //vv.mos.ru/mayor/tkhemes/12781050/

    MIL OSI Russia News

  • MIL-OSI Security: Sex offender identified during Met Police Live Facial Recognition operation

    Source: United Kingdom London Metropolitan Police

    The deployment of Live Facial Recognition (LFR) technology by Met Police officers in Southwark helped put a registered sex offender back behind bars.

    LFR is an advanced technology where Met officers position a van equipped with cameras in a pre-agreed location in London.

    These cameras capture live footage of people passing by and compare their faces against a database of wanted offenders. If a match is detected, the system generates an alert. An officer will then review the match and decide if they wish to speak with the individual.

    On the afternoon of Friday, 10 January, a police van with LFR was operating in the Denmark Hill area, when cameras alerted officers to 73-year-old David Cheneler as being a registered sex offender. Upon being stopped by officers, he was found to be with a six-year-old girl.

    Further checks confirmed he was in breach of his Sexual Offences Prevention Order (SOPO), which prevented him from being alone with a child under the age of 14. He was also in possession of a lock knife that was hidden in the buckle of his belt. He was arrested and taken into custody.

    Further enquiries from Met officers established Cheneler had picked the child up from school as a favour for her mother, which he’d also done on two previous occasions after building a relationship with them both over the course of a year.

    This case is another example of how the Met’s use of LFR is protecting communities by helping officers take dangerous offenders off the streets of London.

    The Met is a forerunner in using this technology as part of its commitment to make London safer by harnessing cutting-edge technology and data to identify and apprehend offenders who pose significant risks to our communities.

    Detective Constable Adam Pearce of the Met’s local policing team in south-east London, who led the investigation, said:

    “This is a prime example of how the Met is using technology to remove dangerous offenders from our streets, and Live Facial Recognition remains an important tool in protecting Londoners.

    “Although there were no allegations made towards David Cheneler on this occasion, it’s possible if he hadn’t been identified using this technology, he could have gone on to abuse this child.

    “Her mother was completely unaware of his offending history, and along with her young daughter, were both taken advantage of by Cheneler who abused their trust.”

    Lindsey Chiswick, the Met’s lead for Live Facial Recognition, said:

    “The Met is committed to making London safer, using data and technology to identify offenders that pose a risk to our communities.

    “This is a prime example of the variety of uses for LFR. The tool is not only used to find those wanted, but also to stop people on a watch list who have conditions they must adhere to.

    “These interventions are crucial. Without this technology, Cheneler may have had the opportunity to cause further harm.”

    David Cheneler, 73 (05.04.52), of Lewisham, appeared at Kingston Crown Court on Tuesday, 20 May, where he was sentenced to two years’ imprisonment.

    He pleaded guilty at Wimbledon Magistrates’ Court on Monday, 13 January to breaching the conditions of his SOPO, as well as possessing an offensive weapon.

    The SOPO was originally imposed in 2019 by the courts, following a previous conviction in 2010 for 15 counts of indecent assault on a female under 16 and five counts of gross indecency with a child between 1968 and 1993, for which he served a nine-year prison term.

    Live Facial Recognition enables the Met to take a more precise, intelligence-led approach to tackling crime.

    Each deployment is carefully planned based on operational needs and is guided by data to ensure resources are directed at offenders who pose the greatest threat to our communities.

    MIL Security OSI

  • MIL-OSI Security: UPDATED: Chris Brown charged by the Metropolitan Police Service

    Source: United Kingdom London Metropolitan Police

    A man has been charged following an investigation by detectives in the Metropolitan Police Service.

    Chris Brown, 36 (05.05.89), who is a US National, was charged on Thursday, 15 May with grievous bodily harm with intent.

    He appeared in custody at Manchester Magistrates’ Court on Friday, 16 May. He was remanded in custody to appear at Southwark Crown Court on Friday, 13 June.

    On Wednesday, 21 May he was granted bail by the court.

    The charge relates to an assault, which reportedly took place at a venue in Hanover Square in London, on Sunday, 19 February 2023.

    MIL Security OSI

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Environment Agency secures over £526K in Proceeds of Crime case

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    News story

    Environment Agency secures over £526K in Proceeds of Crime case

    An illegal enterprise in catalytic converters has brought confiscation orders for £526,215.04, at a Proceeds of Crime Award hearing.

    Converters

    The case led by the Environment Agency was concluded at Lincoln Crown Court on Friday 16 May 2025.

    The ruling was made against Long Sutton-based Platinum Group Metals Recycling Ltd and director Edvars Stancik.

    Recorder John Hardy KC ruled that Stancik, 30, had made a benefit of £4,312,925.70 from his criminal activity while his company made a benefit of £4,344,827.60.

    The court heard assets of £495,280.88 were available from the company made up of cash in a bank account and seized catalytic converters.

    Stancik’s only asset was £30,934.16 from equity in a house he sold before his trial, the court was told.

    Recorder Hardy ordered those amounts to be confiscated and ruled that £100,111.65 should be paid to the Environment Agency to cover costs.

    At a previous hearing (4 September 2024), the company and Stancik were found guilty of running an illegal waste site at Long Sutton.

    The court heard that, between December 2019 and September 2021, Stancik, 30, acted as a director of the company and traded in catalytic convertors on a colossal scale. 

    A jury heard that neither Stancik nor his company had obtained an environmental permit before buying and selling thousands of catalytic converters.

    Stancik stored the devices in containers in Long Sutton and were stored in an irresponsible manner giving rise to health risks.

    A warrant for the arrest of Stancik, who is believed to be living in Lithuania, has been issued.  He has been given 3 months to pay or face 5 years in jail.

    The Environment Agency continues to investigate ways of retrieving further proceeds.

    Peter Stark, Environment Agency Enforcement Team Leader, said:

    “Waste criminals should be aware how seriously we take their offending, including the benefit they obtain from their illegal activities.

    “Offenders won’t get away with concealing information or their assets, and due to the EA’s hard work, justice has been served.

    “Waste crime can be a blight on the environment, communities and to legitimate businesses.

    “We will continue to work with professional partners like Lincolnshire Police in this case to prevent, disrupt, investigate, and stop waste offending.

    “If anyone suspects that a company or its directors are doing something wrong, contact our 24/7 hotline on 0800 80 70 60 or report it anonymously to Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.”

    The charges:

    Platinum Group Metals Recycling Ltd.

    • Operating a regulated facility, namely a waste operation, otherwise than in accordance with an environmental permit, contrary to Regulation 12(1)(a) and 38(1)(a) of the Environmental Permitting (England and Wales) Regulations 2016. (Relating to the site at St Thomas Court, Long Sutton).

    • Operating a regulated facility, namely a waste operation, otherwise than in accordance with an environmental permit, contrary to Regulation 12(1)(a) and 38(1)(a) of the Environmental Permitting (England and Wales) Regulations 2016. (Relating to the site at Lime Walk, Long Sutton)

    • Keeping controlled waste contrary to section 33(1)(c) and (6) of the Environmental Protection Act 1990.) (Relating to the site at St Thomas Court, Long Sutton)

    • Keeping controlled waste contrary to section 33(1)(c) and (6) of the Environmental Protection Act 1990. (Relating to the site at Lime Walk, Long Sutton)

    Edvars Stancik

    • Causing a company to operate a regulated facility otherwise in accordance with an environmental permit contrary to Regulation 12(1)(a) and 38(1)(a) by virtue of Regulation 41(1) and 41(3) of the Environmental Permitting (England and Wales) Regulations 2016. (Relating to the site at St Thomas Court, Long Sutton)

    • Causing a company to operate a regulated facility otherwise in accordance with an environmental permit contrary to Regulation 12(1)(a) and 38(1)(a) by virtue of Regulation 41(1) and 41(3) of the Environmental Permitting (England and Wales) Regulations 2016. (Relating to the site at Lime Walk, Long Sutton)

    • Causing a company to commit an offence, contrary to section 33(1)(c), 33(6) by virtue of s157(1) of the Environmental Protection Act 1990. (Relating to the site at St Thomas Court, Long Sutton)

    • Causing a company to commit an offence, contrary to section 33(1)(c), 33(6) by virtue of s157(1) of the Environmental Protection Act 1990. (Relating to the site at Lime Walk, Long Sutton)

    Background Information

    Catalytic converters are components in car exhausts.  They contain small amounts of precious metals contained within a metal case making them valuable.

    However, catalytic converters also contain carcinogenic fibres which, if ingested, can cause serious and irreversible lung disease. 

    The dangerous fibres can attach to shoes and clothing and be transported from one place to another.

     It is therefore extremely important that catalytic converters are handled only under the strict conditions of an environmental permit, supervised by the Environment Agency.

    Updates to this page

    Published 21 May 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom

  • MIL-OSI Global: 19th-century Catholic teachings, 21st-century tech: How concerns about AI guided Pope Leo’s choice of name

    Source: The Conversation – USA – By Nathan Schneider, Assistant Professor of Media Studies, University of Colorado Boulder

    An 1878 photograph of Pope Leo XIII and members of his court, taken by Jules David. Wikimedia Commons

    When Robert Francis Prevost chose the papal name Leo XIV, it could have meant many things. There were 13 Leos before him: The first, Leo the Great, was a fifth-century theologian who helped heal the doctrinal divisions among early Christians; Leo X, a member of the powerful Medici family, helped provoke the Protestant Reformation with his lavish lifestyle and sale of indulgences.

    Two days after his election, the new pope affirmed the most likely inference: that his name was a tribute to the most recent Leo, Pope Leo XIII, who died in 1903. Less obvious, however, was what inspired his choice: the rise of artificial intelligence.

    As the new pope told the College of Cardinals on May 10, 2025, he was inspired by his namesake’s teachings about economic justice during another time of radical technological change. Leo XIII applied Catholic tradition to the Industrial Revolution in a historic encyclical called Rerum Novarum, which became the founding document of modern Catholic economics.

    “In our own day,” Leo XIV said, “the Church offers to everyone the treasury of her social teaching in response to another industrial revolution and to developments in the field of artificial intelligence that pose new challenges for the defense of human dignity, justice and labor.”

    I am a scholar of economic thought around technology and religion, and so the invocation of the previous Leo had immediate resonance for me. What lessons is the current pope drawing from his predecessor? What would Leo XIII say about AI?

    19th-century teachings

    Some might imagine that the answer is some kind of outright rejection. The Catholic Church has a sometimes earned reputation for denouncing the modern world in favor of its centuries-old traditions.

    One aspect of the reign of Leo XIII, who became pope in 1878, was an attack on modern individualism, which he denounced as “Americanism.” But his relationship with modernity was far from simply rejecting it. Leo XIII was the first pope captured on film, for instance, and he blessed the camera that recorded him.

    Leo XIII was the first pope to appear on film.

    In Rerum Novarum, which appeared in 1891, Leo responded to the roiling struggles between Gilded Age capitalists and the industrial workers they systematically exploited. The “teeming masses of the laboring poor” received “a yoke little better than that of slavery itself,” he wrote.

    The 19th-century pope refused to endorse either the capitalists’ wait-and-see promise of progress or the communists’ longing for a dictatorship of the proletariat. Instead, he offered a vision that became the cornerstone of modern Catholic social teaching.

    Leo XIII’s prescription for the Industrial Revolution of his time was to embrace private property, like the capitalists, but to spread it out far more widely among workers. Rerum Novarum contends it is “just and right that the results of labor should belong to those who have bestowed their labor.” If workers become owners, he explained, they can have a part in stewarding the gifts of God.

    Leo XIII’s writings have formed the foundation of modern Catholic social thought.
    L’Illustrazione Italiana via Wikimedia Commons

    The pope further called for public policy that would spread wealth and power in the industrial economy through widespread ownership: “The law, therefore, should favor ownership, and its policy should be to induce as many as possible of the people to become owners.”

    This was a radical position then, as it is now. Following Leo XIII’s call, many Catholics searched for ways to share ownership of industry more widely. This movement gave birth to cooperative businesses around the world, from the North American credit union system to the Mondragon Corporation in the Basque region of Spain, an industrial behemoth owned and governed by its workers.

    But for most of the world, Leo’s plea was forgotten in the capitalist-versus-communist Cold War.

    21st-century tech

    Today, we inhabit yet another Gilded Age. Wealth inequality in the United States has reached similar levels as in Leo XIII’s time, once again thanks to technological disruptions that funnel the benefits to a small elite. AI threatens to put the platform economy on steroids, upending work with the bots that only a few companies can afford to build.

    Policy debates about AI tend to be limited to what the big tech CEOs should or shouldn’t do. The Biden administration was poised to enshrine a few powerful companies as the arbiters of AI, handing them and the government power to determine what is and isn’t ethical. Now, the Trump administration is pulling out all the stops to compete with China. “The AI future is not going to be won by hand-wringing about safety,” Vice President JD Vance, who is Catholic, told a major AI summit soon after taking office. “It will be won by building.”

    Channeling Leo XIII to confront the AI revolution, however, means looking past prevailing ideas, as he did in his time. His teachings suggest that the people who create and use AI should be the ones who actively own and govern it.

    This could take many forms. For instance, already there are workers organizing to shape how AI is deployed in their workplaces. In other contexts, cooperative businesses such as Land O’Lakes have worked with farmer-owners to use the data that farm machines produce to improve their practices. People do not have to be merely passive users of AI tools; when they have well-organized democratic power through unions and co-ops, they can make the technology more accountable to them.

    AI companies themselves can spread ownership and governance more widely. Fears about the dangers that powerful AI could pose if it gets out of hand have already prompted some founders to adopt unusual corporate structures. Anthropic, the company behind the AI assistant Claude, is a public-benefit corporation, which means that it can prioritize long-term social benefit above shareholder profits. OpenAI, the maker of ChatGPT, is owned by a nonprofit – an arrangement that has resisted efforts to turn it into a more conventional kind of company.

    Dario Amodei, CEO and co-founder of Anthropic, middle, speaks on a panel at an event about AI safety in 2024.
    AP Photo/Jeff Chiu

    But these structures still assume that AI’s future should be in the hands of an aristocracy of business and technical elites. Leo XIII, on the other hand, argued that everyone who participates in an enterprise should have a stake in it.

    For AI, that could include not only company employees but also the users who train the models, the communities that share their water and power with data centers, the workers who mine the raw materials for high-performance chips, and the creators who contribute to the systems’ knowledge.

    Early research has suggested that ordinary people are very concerned about turning power over to machines that they do not yet understand. They see consequences of AI in their lives that engineers in Silicon Valley are less likely to consider, from racial discrimination to workplace surveillance. Also, as a wonderful story by the science fiction writer Cadwell Turnbull suggests, people will likely use and trust AI more if they know it is truly accountable to them.

    In January 2025, the Vatican released a document calling for a “renewed appreciation of all that is human” in the age of AI. It warned against what Pope Francis called the “technocratic paradigm”: the mindset that gives up humans’ role as stewards of God’s creation and hands power over to systems, whether they are stock markets or computer programs.

    By taking the name Leo, I believe the new pope is suggesting something similar. The important question is not whether new technologies are good or bad. What matters far more is whether we can learn to share the responsibility of stewardship – whether we can all be partners in what this new industrial revolution is making possible.

    Nathan Schneider identifies as a Roman Catholic.

    ref. 19th-century Catholic teachings, 21st-century tech: How concerns about AI guided Pope Leo’s choice of name – https://theconversation.com/19th-century-catholic-teachings-21st-century-tech-how-concerns-about-ai-guided-pope-leos-choice-of-name-256645

    MIL OSI – Global Reports