NewzIntel.com

Category: Europe

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Retired GP completes 88-mile challenge to raise money for Derwent Hill

    Source: City of Sunderland

    A retired GP and celebrated fell runner has successfully completed an 88-mile run from Keswick to Sunderland to raise money for Derwent Hill, the outdoor activity and education centre that profoundly impacted her life during her challenging teenage years.

    Dr. Julie Carter completed her 88-mile, 3-day challenge on Thursday, 10th April, coinciding with her 61st birthday. She crossed the finish line at Sunderland’s Stadium of Light, cheered on by family, friends, colleagues, and young people from local school Dame Dorothy.

    Originally from Sunderland, Julie Carter first visited Derwent Hill over 40 years ago and cites her experiences at the centre as pivotal to her lifelong passion for the great outdoors and giving her the confidence to become a successful GP, champion fell runner, published author and accomplished playwright and actor. 

    Julie is aiming to raise £10,000 to send a class of 30 school children to the centre as a thank you to Derwent Hill for the opportunity she received at just 13 years old and to enable other families who may financially struggle to send their children on residential trips to do so.

    North East businesses are being encouraged to support Julie’s fundraising efforts through donations to the Friends of Derwent Hill. With backing from the registered charity, she aims to raise enough funds to provide a class of young children with a five-day residential stay.

    Speaking of the challenge, Julie said: “For my 60th birthday, I decided to raise money for Derwent Hill and spent months training for this run so to complete it on my 61st birthday is a real milestone for me. Despite the tough terrain, and the long distance testing me, I’m delighted to have completed the challenge. The beautiful scenery and the immeasurable support from the Derwent Hill team, my friends, family, and the local communities in Keswick and Sunderland have really kept me going.

    “Huge thank you to everyone who has donated to my cause already. I am honoured to be able to send some young people to Derwent Hill and give them the change to experience the same activities, views and opportunities as I did. Many children sadly don’t get to take part in such experience due to circumstances and financial limitations but experiences like Derwent Hill can have a profound and lasting impact on young people.  I hope this challenge shows others how much can be achieved and that the young people I am delighted to be able to send to Derwent Hill discover something they didn’t know about themselves like I did.”

    Supported by Together for Children, Julie’s run saw her leave from Derwent Hill in Keswick on Tuesday 8 April, cross moorland and take pathways including the Pennine Way across Teesdale and Weardale before heading towards Chester-le-Street and following the River Wear into Sunderland to complete her challenge.  The 88 miles of the challenge equates to more than three marathons.

    Ray Ross from the Friends of Derwent Hill charity, said: “We’re proud that Derwent Hill has had such a lasting impact on Julie’s life for over 40 years, and honoured that she has taken on this challenge to raise money to send a group of children to the centre. Her resilience and passion are awe-inspiring, and it has been a real privilege to have her support and to watch her complete this journey.

    “The Friends of Derwent Hill have been incredibly supported throughout. We’ve received wonderful comments and donations from local businesses about her efforts, and we’d love to add a bit more to the total. If we can help other children in the same way Derwent Hill helped Julie all those years ago, it will be an amazing legacy for the centre as well as Julie’s efforts. We’re always extremely grateful for donations, large or small so it would be wonderful to hear from anyone else who is interested in donating to The Friends of Derwent Hill.”

    Located on the outskirts of Keswick, Derwent Hill is owned by Sunderland City Council and operated by Together for Children. It welcomes more than 2,600 children each year for residential visits with more than 80% living in and around Sunderland.   The centre also offers a diverse array of development training courses for business of all sizes.

    Simon Marshall, Director of Children’s Services and Chief Executive of Together for Children, added: “Running 88-miles in just three days is a brilliant achievement and I’d like to extend a huge congratulations and thank you to Julie for taking on this challenge on behalf of Derwent Hill. Julie’s story is a very welcome remind about just how much of a difference Derwent Hill can make for young people and her passion and determination is inspiring. We look forward to welcoming the children she has funded to visit the centre in the coming months.”

    Councillor Michael Butler Cabinet Member for Children’s Services, Child Poverty and Skills at Sunderland City Council said:  “Derwent Hill is a wonderful resource to have and one of the only outdoor centres still owned by a local authority in the country and we are particularly proud to welcome over 2,000 children from Sunderland each year to the centre, as well as a whole host of corporate partners. Nothing beats getting out and about in the fresh air and taking on something you didn’t know you could do, and Julie truly epitomises what can be achieved when children are encouraged to try something new and to push themselves.”

    Julie Carter has several writing credits to her name, including Makin a Mackem, Running the Red Line, and The Dreamtime Fell Runner.

    Donations can be made via Friends of Derwent Hill’s JustGiving Page.  For businesses looking to find out more, email derwent.hill@sunderland.gov.uk .

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Executive Committee

    Source: New places to play in Gungahlin

    ATO Executive Committee

    The ATO Executive Committee focuses on the strategic matters that relate to the direction and positioning of the organisation.

    Our Commissioner and Second Commissioners are statutory appointments. The ATO Executive Committee consists of the Commissioner, 3 Second Commissioners and the leads from the operations and technology sections of the ATO.

    For more information about our organisation, see:

    Commissioner and Registrar

    Commissioner of Taxation and Registrar of the Australian Business Register and the Australian Business Registry Services

    Rob Heferen

    Rob Heferen was appointed as the 13th Commissioner of Taxation on 1 March 2024.

    Rob has had a long career in the Australian Public Service, beginning in 1989 as a graduate at the Australian Customs Service. Over 35 years, he’s accumulated diverse experience across policy development and program delivery in a range of portfolios. Rob has represented Australia in international forums including the United Nations (UN), International Energy Agency (IEA) and Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD).

    For almost 20 years, Rob’s interest and expertise in economics and tax policy led him to various roles in the ATO and Commonwealth Treasury. This included leading the Secretariat for the Australia’s Future Tax System Review (the Henry Tax Review) and culminated in his role as Deputy Secretary, Revenue Group at the Commonwealth Treasury between 2011–2016. Here he had responsibility for tax policy, tax legislation and revenue forecasting.

    Rob’s other Senior Executive roles include:

    • Chief Executive Officer of the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare
    • Deputy Secretary of Higher Education, Research and International in the Department of Education, Skills and Employment
    • Deputy Secretary of Energy at the Department of the Environment and Energy (where he served as Australia’s representative on the International Energy Agency’s Governing Board)
    • Deputy Secretary of Indigenous Affairs at the Department of Families, Housing, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs.

    Rob is a proven people leader, with an open, collaborative and authentic style. He has a strong record of achievement in leading organisations to help shape and deliver on Government priorities.

    Rob has a Bachelor of Arts (Hons) and Bachelor of Laws from the University of Tasmania, and a Graduate Diploma of Economics from the Australian National University.

    Second Commissioner – Client Engagement

    Jeremy Hirschhorn

    Jeremy Hirschhorn was appointed to the Second Commissioner role from 16 April 2020. He has overall responsibility for the ATO’s Client Engagement Group, which fosters willing participation in Australia’s tax and super systems through well-designed client experiences.

    Jeremy has more than 20 years’ experience in roles managing complex tax matters.

    As Deputy Commissioner of Public Groups & International from April 2015, Jeremy was responsible for ensuring that the largest Australian and multinational companies were meeting their corporate tax obligations and providing the Australian community with confidence that these large companies were being held to account.

    Jeremy also worked as Chief Tax Counsel, with responsibility for the provision of the ATO’s legal advice in relation to interpretation of the tax and super laws, when he joined the ATO in August 2014.

    Prior to joining the ATO, Jeremy was a senior partner in KPMG’s tax practice.

    Jeremy holds a Bachelor of Commerce and Bachelor of Laws from the University of NSW. He is a Chartered Tax Adviser and Chartered Accountant.

    Second Commissioner Frontline Operations

    David Allen

    David Allen was appointed to the Second Commissioner Frontline Operations role from 1 November 2024. In this role, David leads the Frontline Operations Group which is responsible for a broad range of the ATO’s taxpayer services for all segments of the community.

    These include:

    • processing all payments, activity statements, income tax returns, superannuation lodgments and other forms
    • administering the Tax File Number register, Australian Business Register and Director ID Services.

    David joined the ATO in 2010 as an Assistant Commissioner in Public Groups & Internationals – working in Capital Gains Tax risk, Internationals. In 2016, he was the ATO’s delegate to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation Development (OECD) based in Paris.

    In 2018, David was promoted to Deputy Commissioner and established the Enterprise Strategy and Design (ESD) business line – which takes the leadership role in working with business areas to shape the ATO’s strategic direction, risk management, planning and reporting, as well as internal audit and design.

    Prior to joining the ATO, David held senior roles in different tiers of the public service including Commonwealth, United Kingdom, NSW and local government.

    David has a degree in Engineering and a Masters of Business Administration from Australian Graduate School of Management.

    Second Commissioner for Law Design and Practice

    Kirsten Fish

    Kirsten has overall responsibility for the ATO’s law practice, including law interpretation, public advice and guidance, independent dispute prevention, litigation and resolution, and the ATO’s contribution to policy and law design.

    The Law Design and Practice Group serves the community, government and clients by ensuring the tax and super laws are informed, understood, administered and applied with confidence and integrity and is respected and trusted as the authoritative voice of the Commissioner on matters of law and revenue analysis.

    Kirsten joined the ATO in 2014 and the ATO’s Chief Tax Counsel from 2015, one of the highest legal authorities within the ATO, leading the Tax Counsel Network and providing technical leadership in relation to significant tax issues, cases and rulings. Kirsten was acting Second Commissioner for 12 months before being formally appointed to the role in October 2021.

    Prior to joining the ATO, Kirsten was a tax Partner at Clayton Utz with a focus on the financial services industry and providing finance and investment transaction advice.

    Kirsten holds a Bachelor of Commerce (Accounting), Bachelor of Laws (First Class Honours) and Masters of Law (Tax).

    Chief Operating Officer

    Jacqui Curtis

    The Chief Operating Officer (COO) leads the ATO’s Enterprise Strategy and Corporate Operations functions.

    These functions include Strategic Planning, Governance, Finance, Corporate, Risk Management, People, Integrity, Change Management and Design for the organisation. In this role, Jacqui is a member of the ATO Executive, responsible for shaping and setting strategic direction and oversight implementation.

    The COO position gives greater strength and integration to our corporate positioning, and ensures we are well positioned for Australian Public Service (APS)-wide reforms of corporate and shared services, and that our planning, governance and risk management is strategic and sensible. The COO brings together an integrated picture of our people and resource management and ensure we have the right capability and culture to meet our strategic intent.

    This position has a role in managing the relationship with key stakeholders like our scrutineers.

    All of these underpin our ability to deliver on a better client and staff experience. 

    Prior to the COO role, Jacqui joined the ATO in September 2013 as Deputy Commissioner ATO People and was responsible for delivering an enterprise-wide human resource management service which supports ATO employees in providing a sustainable, open and accountable workplace. Jacqui was also responsible for leading the Reinvention Program Management Office and the change management driving this key reform.

    Before joining the ATO, Jacqui was General Manager of the People Capability Division with Services Australia, where she led the department’s leadership and change, people development, workforce planning and research functions. Jacqui has also worked for the Australian Public Service Commission, where she was responsible for delivering integrated people development, SES and APS-wide leadership and talent, change management, strategic recruitment, communications, and learning and development. She also has extensive international experience.

    Jacqui holds an Executive Masters in Public Administration from the Australian National University and is a Fellow of Australian Human Resource Institute, and was appointed Adjunct Professor University of Canberra in 2018.

    In October 2019, Jacqui was appointed the inaugural Head of the APS HR Professional Stream.

    Chief Information Officer

    Mark Sawade

    Mark Sawade was appointed to the Chief Information Officer role from 11 March 2025.

    In this role Mark has overall responsibility for the ATO’s Enterprise Solutions and Technology Group, who work to ensure we maintain a contemporary, secure and reliable technology environment that supports tax, super and registry systems into the future.

    Mark has nearly 25 years’ experience in the Australian Public Service, primarily in Information and Communication Technology (ICT) leadership roles. Preceding his appointment at the ATO, Mark was the Chief Information Officer at the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry, where he led and delivered a range of digital transformation initiatives.

    In 2019, Mark led the School Funding and Data Collection division in the Department of Education, where he delivered significant reform that focused on increased use of government data in the calculation of school funding entitlements.

    Mark has also held ICT senior executive leadership roles in a number of public sector agencies, including at the Department of Education, Australian Bureau of Statistics, ComSuper and the Department of Immigration and Border Protection.

    Mark holds a Bachelor of Computer and Information Science from the University of South Australia.

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Why it matters for European security if an American no longer commands Nato troops – by a former Trident sub commander

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Andrew Corbett, Senior Lecturer in Defence Studies, King’s College London

    Gen Christopher Cavoli is due to come to the end of his term as Supreme Allied Commander Europe (Saceur) this summer. Since 1951, this post has been filled by American four-star officers, admirals or generals.

    But Cavoli might be the last American in the role, at least for a while. The Trump administration is considering relinquishing this important post as part of a cost-saving US Armed Forces command restructuring exercise and, potentially, as a step back from its leading role in European security since the 1950s. In parallel, the UK and German defence ministers have taken over chairing this week’s Ukraine Defence Contact Group, a gathering of defence ministers from 30 countries, which has previously been chaired by the US defense secretary.

    Cavoli said, during a hearing in the Senate this month, that it would be problematic if the US steps back from its leadership role in Nato. Previous heads of the Nato command have agreed. They’re not wrong. Removing the American Saceur position is not an internal matter like replacing senior officers serving in US posts who do not fit a particular political profile. It would have profound effects on Nato’s military capability and immediately significant and tangible repercussions for alliance deterrence strategy.

    An enemy’s perception of the military capability of Nato forces is a fundamental element of its deterrence strategy. Replacing a US Supreme Commander with a European would inject significant uncertainty into perceptions of US commitment to Nato and could critically undermine that perception of coherent military strength. It would be made to work, but Nato’s deterrence posture would be less convincing, and this is especially important given European concerns about Russian aggression in the region.

    It is not clear yet how the Trump administration’s view of Nato will evolve. Public statements advocating support for Nato contradict private views expressed by his cabinet in the notorious Signal-gate chat. Previous US president, Joe Biden, viewed allies as an unrivalled strength. Trump seems to care little about the impact of his decisions on his allies. Deleting the US Saceur post would emphasise that interpretation and weaken Nato deterrence at a critical moment in its relations with Russia.

    What’s the history?

    Trump is not the first US president to make a foreign policy shift away from Europe. President Barack Obama announced a pivot to Asia in November 2011. This focus on China as a “pacing threat” offering major challenges to the US has persisted.

    It manifests itself under Trump as a transactional demand on European allies to contribute more to Nato so the US can release resources to focus on the Pacific, potentially redeploying personnel and capabilities there. Trump has never concealed his disdain for Nato, often wondering what its benefit for the US was. Much of this rhetoric may be for his domestic audience, but it negatively affects international perceptions of Nato’s power.

    The idea of a European Saceur has also been proposed before, including by former US secretary of state Henry Kissinger in 1984. That proposal was made at a low point of the cold war and Kissinger’s rationale was political. European military leadership would force European political leaders to acknowledge their responsibilities for Nato nuclear policy.

    Cavoli questioned by US senators.

    Political control of military force is, of course, important for any democratic state. Saceur reports to the North Atlantic Council (the NAC, Nato’s highest body) which comprises ambassadors from every member country. Its chair, the secretary-general, is always a European (or Canadian), and the deputy secretary-general is always an American.

    The highest level of military command authority, the ability to organise and employ commands and forces to accomplish assigned missions, is known in the US as Combatant Command (COCOM). Most Nato states retain the COCOM equivalent but delegate the next lower level of command; Operational Command (OPCOM) to Nato commanders.

    Issues at stake

    US domestic law requires COCOM to be exercised over US forces – but only by US officers. This authority cannot be delegated. An American Supreme Commander Europe exercises operational command over all forces assigned to Nato, but a European leader in the same role could exercise only a much more restrictive level of authority over assigned US forces. There is dispensation for an exception to this to meet an attack on Nato, but not for training exercises. Unity of command is challenging enough in multi-national operations, even after 75 years of training, so this is a major obstacle.

    Another issue is that the authority to release all US nuclear weapons is retained by the US president. Accordingly, every key post in the Nato nuclear operations chain is held by a US official. A Nato request for a nuclear strike is made to the US president through Saceur. It is not clear how this would work if Saceur were no longer American. This is one of the major potential obstacles ahead of any decision to move the command to a European.

    And here’s another. In a crisis, Nato would plan to deploy 30 army divisions (of 15,000 personnel each), 30 squadrons of fighter aircraft and 30 combat warships from across the alliance within 30 days. Any Supreme Commander Europe would have to command international forces numbering hundreds of thousands of personnel. There are very few (if any) European officers who could credibly claim to be suitably experienced to replace Cavoli. No British officer has commanded even one deployed division since the 2003 invasion of Iraq.

    But by the summer if Cavoli is replaced by a European, Nato needs to have most of these thorny issues resolved, or at least come up with plans on how to do so, or create significant risks for European security. For now, this is not looking simple at all.

    Andrew Corbett 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. Why it matters for European security if an American no longer commands Nato troops – by a former Trident sub commander – https://theconversation.com/why-it-matters-for-european-security-if-an-american-no-longer-commands-nato-troops-by-a-former-trident-sub-commander-254122

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Final call to residents to register to vote

    Source: City of Norwich

    Have You Registered To Vote?

    Published on Friday, 11th April 2025

    A final call has made to residents in Bowthorpe, Sewell and Mancroft to register to vote before the 11:59pm deadline tonight (Friday 11 April) ahead of four council by-elections on Thursday 1 May.

    A final call has made to residents in Bowthorpe, Sewell and Mancroft to register to vote before the 11:59pm deadline tonight (Friday 11 April) to ensure they don’t lose their voice ahead of the four council by-elections scheduled for Thursday 1 May.

    Four seats are up for election, three are for city councillors in:

    • Bowthorpe ward
    • Sewell ward
    • Mancroft ward

    One seat is also up for election for Norfolk County Council in Mancroft division.

    Some key election dates are as follows:

    The details of candidates who are standing are available on the council’s website.

    Residents can check the location of their polling station (open from 7am till 10pm on election day as normal) on their poll card which will have been delivered recently. If you did not receive a poll card and you were expecting to, please contact the elections team at elections@norwich.gov.uk.

    The count scheduled to take place overnight and the results announced in the early hours of Friday 2 May.

    For any further information on the upcoming council by-elections, please visit www.norwich.gov.uk/elections2025, or contact the elections team at elections@norwich.gov.uk.

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Good Night, and Good Luck: why AP’s battle for press freedom echoes the theme of George Clooney’s new play

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Colleen Murrell, Chair of the Editorial Board, and Full Professor in Journalism, Dublin City University

    George Clooney’s role as a veteran TV reporter in the play Good Night, and Good Luck has received general acclaim after the play opened on Broadway last week. A New York Times review proclaimed that it “makes Edward Murrow a saint of sane journalism for a world that still needs one”.

    This theatre production is an adaptation of Clooney and Grant Heslov’s 2005 film of the same name, and it takes the audience back to the 1950s when CBS News journalist Edward Murrow took on populist and high-profile senator, Joseph McCarthy.

    McCarthy had become an influential and feared figure after holding a series of public hearings where people were charged, often on very little evidence, of being communists and infiltrating government departments.

    Many people lost their jobs, and journalists and academics were often targeted. Murrow’s programmes showcased spurious cases of overreach, which earned him McCarthy’s wrath. This courageous TV journalism exposed McCarthy’s methods and helped bring about the senator’s eventual downfall.

    It is impossible not to see the parallels with the current parlous state of press freedom in the US. A week before the play opened, Clooney was interviewed on CBS News and said: “When the other three estates fail, when the judiciary and the executive and the legislative branches fail us, the fourth estate has to succeed.”

    And this feels highly significant as earlier this week a federal judge issued an injunction against a decision by Donald Trump’s government which effectively restricted a news organisation’s ability to operate. Judge Trevor McFadden, a Trump appointee, said that a news organisation (Associated Press) could not be punished for its editorial decisions.

    He declared: “Under the First Amendment, if the Government opens its doors to some journalists – be it the Oval Office, the East Room or elsewhere – it cannot then shut those doors to other journalists because of their viewpoints.” However, the government has already announced it is appealing McFadden’s ruling.

    Ed Murrow’s famous newscast on Joseph McCarthy.

    AP has been barred from the Oval Office and the presidential aircraft Air Force One since February 11, after it said it would continue to use the geographical locator the “Gulf of Mexico” rather than accede to Trump’s executive order that it be renamed the “Gulf of America”. But this was always about more than the Gulf of Mexico, it was about the right for media organisations to choose their own words and content.

    AP then attempted to overturn the exclusion order through an injunction. McFadden initially held off granting this injunction, and a further hearing on March 27 resulted in lengthy testimony from AP staff about the financial and editorial costs caused by its lack of access to the White House.

    Some newspaper coverage is hailing the granting of this injunction as a major victory for media freedom, with the Guardian, in words that echo Edward Murrow, proposing that “standing up for one’s principles may not be just a gesture made in vain”.

    And yet this remains just a temporary injunction and the full court case in which AP is suing three senior members of the White House: press Secretary Karoline Leavitt, chief of staff Susie Wiles and deputy chief of staff Taylor Budowich has yet to play out.

    Judge McFadden even sounded a note of caution regarding his ruling: “It does not bestow special treatment upon the AP. Indeed the AP is not necessarily entitled to the ‘first in line every time’ permanent press pool access it enjoyed under the White House Correspondents’ Association. But it cannot be treated worse than its peer wire services either.”

    Rising challenge for journalism

    Pressures on journalists have definitely ramped up in the past few months. During the hearing on March 27, AP’s White House correspondent Zeke Miller claimed that he had noticed a new “softening of tone and tenor” of the questions posed to the president and was surprised by the increase in off-topic questions at the expense of topical “news of the day” questions.

    George Clooney at the launch of the new Broadway play Good Night, and Good Luck.

    There certainly appears to be an increased number of what Australians call “Dorothy Dixer” questions, where friendly politicians or journalists ask soft questions of the government or questions designed to distract from the difficult news of the day.

    And it is clear that journalists who are considered friendly are getting priority treatment. When Brian Glenn, chief White House correspondent for the cable network Real America’s Voice, was chosen to ask a question of Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky in the now-infamous White House conference on February 28, he served up a question about why the Ukrainian leader was not wearing a suit.

    A query that just happened to be very helpful to the tone that Trump wanted to create in that meeting. A seasoned AP journalist would never have asked such a bizarre and unnecessary question.

    Questions about press freedom will be tackled next at a forum organised by the Columbia Journalism School and the New York Times later this month. The forum, The Fight for Global Press Freedom, proposes that “press freedom stands at a historic crossroads”.

    Holding this forum shows courage in the wake of Columbia University potentially losing federal funding to the tune of US$400 million dollars (£305 milllion). Federal government administrators claim this was in response to pro-Palestinian protests and “the school’s failure to protect Jewish students from discrimination”. Negotiations between the university and funders are ongoing.

    As the world’s trade negotiators, university administrators and journalists decide whether or not to hold the line and stand up to a bullying president, perhaps the words of Edward Murrow might hold the key. In 1954 McCarthy attacked Murrow, accusing him incorrectly of communist sympathies.

    In his reply, Murrow argued that in so doing McCarthy had “proved again that anyone who exposes him, anyone who does not share his historical disregard for decency and human dignity and the rights guaranteed by the constitution must be either a communist or a fellow traveller”.

    AP’s fight back against its White House ban and its consequent chilling effect on media freedom could be the start of a new era of standing up to Trump, and damn the consequences. Let’s hope it’s not just the dying refrain of a once powerful not-for-profit legacy media organisation.

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

    – ref. Good Night, and Good Luck: why AP’s battle for press freedom echoes the theme of George Clooney’s new play – https://theconversation.com/good-night-and-good-luck-why-aps-battle-for-press-freedom-echoes-the-theme-of-george-clooneys-new-play-254136

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Clinical Trials regulations signed into law

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    Press release

    Clinical Trials regulations signed into law

    12-month roll-out begins today for the biggest regulatory shake up of clinical trials in 20 years

    New regulations for running clinical trials in the UK have now been signed into law. A 12-month roll-out begins today (11 April) to deliver the most significant update to UK clinical trials regulation in two decades – with the aim of strengthening patient safety, accelerating approvals, enabling innovation and helping more people benefit from taking part in vital research.

    First laid in Parliament in December 2024, the updated regulations are designed to put participants firmly at the centre of how trials are run, while supporting a faster, more streamlined approvals, making it easier to test new treatments in the UK.

    The MHRA is committed to implementing a flexible and risk-proportionate regulation of clinical trials, which accelerates patient access to potentially life-saving medicines without compromising safety.

    This follows new analysis of clinical trial applications submitted to the MHRA over recent years, highlighting where there are opportunities for accelerating medical breakthroughs.

    The new regulations will take full effect from 10 April 2026, following the 12-month implementation period starting this week. They were developed by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA), in partnership with the Health Research Authority (HRA), and shaped by feedback from patients, researchers, doctors, and industry.

    The reforms will:

    • Put patients and their safety are at the focus of all clinical trials and bring the benefits of clinical trials to everyone.
    • Cut duplication and unnecessary delays, while maintaining robust oversight of the safety of trials.
    • Create a proportionate and flexible regulatory environment, reducing bureaucracy for lower-risk trials.
    • Cement the UK as a destination for international trials.
    • Provide a framework that is streamlined, agile and responsive to innovation.

    By reducing red tape and simplifying approvals, the new framework supports the Prime Minister’s target to reduce the time from application to first participant from 250 to 150 days. It will speed up research and reduce the time it takes for promising treatments to reach patients, without compromising on safety.

    These reforms will help ensure the UK remains an attractive place to conduct global research, while continuing to protect trial participants through robust oversight.

    The Combined Review – a system that lets researchers apply for ethics and regulatory approval in one go – and notification scheme for some clinical trial initial applications and amendments will now be written into law as part of the changes.

    Work to bring in the new rules will continue over the coming months, backed by updated guidance and ongoing engagement with trial sponsors and researchers.

    Lawrence Tallon, MHRA Chief Executive, said:

    “These new regulations are a key step towards a stronger, more responsive and risk-proportionate clinical trials system that works better for patients. They will help ensure people in the UK can benefit sooner from safe, carefully assessed research into new potentially life-saving medicines, while maintaining the highest standards of participant safety.

    “By streamlining how trials are approved and run, we are making the UK a more attractive place to deliver high-quality, innovative research. I’d like to thank colleagues across the MHRA, HRA, government, industry and the clinical research community who helped shape these changes. We’ll continue to work closely with our partners through the implementation period.”

    Janet Messer, Director of Approvals Service at the Health Research Authority, said:

    “This is an important milestone in improving how clinical trials are set up and run in the UK. By embedding Combined Review in law, and strengthening the focus on transparency and proportionality, these changes reflect our commitment to making it easier to do high-quality research that people can trust.

    “We’ve worked closely with patients, researchers and partners across the system to ensure the new regulations protect participants, while reducing unnecessary burden.

    “In the coming months we’ll be publishing guidance to accompany the new regulations to support researchers through the transition period and beyond, so more people can benefit from taking part in safe, well-run research.”

    Notes to editors

    1. The legislation will be updated here in due course: The Medicines for Human Use (Clinical Trials) (Amendment) Regulations 2024

    2. First-ever MHRA analysis of UK clinical trial applications finds new opportunities to drive medical breakthroughs for patients – GOV.UK

    3. Patients, the NHS and the Life Sciences sector set to benefit from new clinical trials framework being laid in parliament today – GOV.UK

    4. Prime Minister turbocharges medical research – GOV.UK

    5. The MHRA is responsible for regulating all medicines and medical devices in the UK by ensuring they work and are acceptably safe.  All our work is underpinned by robust and fact-based judgements to ensure that the benefits justify any risks.

    6. The MHRA is an executive agency of the Department of Health and Social Care.

    7. For media enquiries, please contact the newscentre@mhra.gov.uk, or call on 020 3080 7651.

    Updates to this page

    Published 11 April 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: expert reaction to study suggesting potential patient harms associated with use of AI medical outcome-prediction models

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    A study published in Patterns looks at potential patient harms linked to the use of AI medical outcome prediction models. 

    Professor Peter Bannister, Fellow and Healthcare expert at the Institution of Engineering and Technology said:

    “AI is trained on real-world data which include biases as well as the desired potential to enable better decisions. In the case of healthcare, there is a risk that if AI is widely used for clinical decision making, it may further marginalise groups who already have poor access to treatments. An example would be for patients where AI predicts they have a low survival rate, which means they are then not offered potentially lifesaving treatments.

    “This paper proves that in many clinical decision-making processes, relying only on AI’s ability to accurately predict symptoms can sometimes lead to worse outcomes for those patients. While the authors make it clear there are further, more complex scenarios that need to be studied, this work reinforces the need for AI technologies that are used in real-world settings to be assessed in a “whole system” approach, where the overall health outcome of the patient is used to decide whether the AI is contributing to improved care.”

     

    Professor Ibrahim Habli, Research Director, Centre for Assuring Autonomy, University of York, said:

    “The study warns us about the risks of relying too much on one technology and judging it only by its accuracy, without considering who it’s for and in what situations. For AI to be used safely in healthcare, it needs to fit into the real-world practices of doctors and the specific needs of patients. The study is encouraging in that it focuses on AI safety, especially as it follows a recently published White Paper ‘Avoiding the AI off switch’ highlighting the need for AI to be a benefit, not a liability to both clinicians and patients. Treating patients is a process that changes over time, depending on their needs and available treatments. Focusing only on accuracy and outcomes can be misleading and even dangerous. AI might also show bias, such as against people with disabilities or rare diseases, making it safer for some people but not for everyone.”

    Prof Ian Simpson, Professor of Biomedical Informatics, University of Edinburgh, said:

    When asked how widely are these outcome prediction AI models used in the NHS/NHS Scotland right now?

    “It’s reasonable to say that AI OPMs are not that widely used at the moment in the NHS/NHS Scotland. Decision support tends to be used more in association with medical hardware systems that were very early adopters of ML techniques, i.e. things like MRI machines. Here they tend to be used in parallel with existing clinical management policies and often either for assisting diagnostics and/or speeding up processes like image segmentation.

    “Whilst diagnostics can fall foul of the issues raised in the paper, it’s not quite the same as the scenarios they explore in that it’s deterministic and following clinical decisions would likely be made using existing processes. Issues here tend to be more performance oriented i.e. false positives (over diagnosis) and false negatives (incorrect or missing diagnosis). These are the metrics that are currently scrutinised in approval processes. So, in short, the issues raised in this paper are in my opinion not quite so acute for diagnostics as currently deployed.”

    Professor Ewen Harrison, Professor of Surgery and Data Science and Co-Director of Centre for Medical Informatics at the University of Edinburgh, said:

    “Artificial intelligence and computer algorithms are increasingly used in medicine to help make difficult decisions. While these tools promise more accurate and personalised care, this study highlights one of a number of concerning downsides: predictions themselves can unintentionally harm patients by influencing treatment decisions.

    “Say a hospital introduces a new AI tool to estimate who is likely to have a poor recovery after knee replacement surgery. The tool uses characteristics such as age, body weight, existing health problems, and physical fitness.

    “Initially, doctors intend to use this tool to decide which patients would benefit from intensive rehabilitation therapy. However, due to limited availability and cost, it is decided instead to reserve intensive rehab primarily for patients predicted to have the best outcomes. Patients labelled by the algorithm as having a “poor predicted recovery” receive less attention, fewer physiotherapy sessions, and less encouragement overall.

    “As a result, these patients indeed experience slower recovery, higher pain, and reduced mobility, seemingly confirming the accuracy of the prediction tool. In reality, however, it was the reduced support and resources – triggered by the algorithm’s predictions – that contributed to their poor outcomes. The model has thus created a harmful self-fulfilling prophecy, with accuracy metrics wrongly interpreted as evidence of its success.

    “These are real issues affecting AI development in the UK. The researchers emphasise that hospitals and policymakers need to carefully monitor how predictive algorithms are actually used in practice. Doing so can help ensure that AI-driven decisions genuinely benefit patients, rather than inadvertently harming those who most need help.”

     

    Prof Ian Simpson, Professor of Biomedical Informatics, University of Edinburgh, said:

    “This is an important and timely study adding to emerging evidence that the long established dependence on predictive performance when evaluating AI models is not sufficient to support their deployment in healthcare settings. This study undertakes a formal theoretical approach to explore the relationship between model performance (how well a model predicts) and model calibration (how reliable the probabilities of those predictions are) in both pre- and post- model deployment scenarios. The study finds that, even in simple settings, models that have good performance and calibration properties could lead to worse patient outcomes if deployed.

    “Intuitively, it would seem that implementing models with the best performance would be desirable, if not essential, however these models are typically trained on historical data. This bakes in relationships so that any future change in treatment from the historical process which changes a patient outcome favourably would paradoxically result in a drop in model performance during deployment. This could result in positive changes in treatment decisions leading to the withdrawal of the model due to a drop in performance below an acceptable level despite it leading to an improvement in patient outcomes. One of the interesting findings in this study is that drops in model performance on deployment could actually be evidence of a model performing well and that where models do not change performance upon deployment it may mean that the model is in fact not effective at all; it simply reinforces existing practice.

    “The authors find that over a wide range of settings there is risk of “self-fulfilling prophecy” where the historical training used to develop models hard-wires decisions or worse actively disadvantages groups of patients for whom treatment changes from the established process would be beneficial. They posit a scenario where patients with a fast-growing tumour receive a decision not to undergo palliative radiotherapy based on the poor survival time predicted by the model. Patients with slower growing tumours are recommended for treatment as the model predicts a longer survival time, justifying the side-effects of the treatment. However in this scenario radiotherapy is ineffective for slow growing tumours, but highly effective for aggressive ones; the model supports exactly the wrong outcome.

    “This work, building on findings by others in recent years, provides further evidence for a need to shift focus from predictive performance to an explicit consideration of the effects on patient outcomes of changes in treatment choice. The gold-standard for such are long-established in healthcare; randomised control trials designed to directly measure the effectiveness of new interventions in deployment. Regulation for AI tools is evolving rapidly around the world, but these are primarily focussed on performance both pre- and post- deployment which, as this study shows, fails to capture their effectiveness in practice and risks reinforcing bias from historical data.

    “Whilst at first glance this work might seem alarming it is in fact a very encouraging development highlighting essential considerations for how to evaluate and use AI models in healthcare. These deepen our understanding of how to improve their safety and clinical effectiveness and, crucially, emphasises the importance of randomised control trials and deep integration of clinical knowledge into model development.”

     

    Dr Catherine Menon, Principal Lecturer at the University of Hertfordshire’s Department of Computer Science, said:

    “This study presents results that show the risks of doctors using AI prediction models to make treatment decisions. This happens when AI models have been trained on historical data, where the data does not necessarily account for such factors as historical under-treatment of some medical conditions or demographics. These models will accurately predict poor outcomes for patients in these demographics. This creates a “self-fulfilling prophecy” if doctors decide not to treat these patients due to the associated treatment risks and the fact that the AI predicts a poor outcome for them. Even worse, this perpetuates the same historic error: under-treating these patients means that they will continue to have poorer outcomes. Useof these AI models therefore risks worsening outcomes for patients who have typically been historically discriminated against in medical settings due to factors such as race, gender or educational background.

    “This demonstrates the inherent importance of evaluating AI decisions in context, and applying human reasoning and assessment to AI judgements. AIs might be accurate, but they can only understand a limited subset of the entire landscape around treatment decisions. This has important real-world implications because it shows that human oversight and sound ethical assessment of AI models is necessary if treatment decisions are going to be made based on the predictions of these AI models. Use of AI without human oversight in this context risks embedding further discrimination and disenfranchisement into medical systems.

    “This also has important real-world implications beyond the medical domain. Uses of AI such as the “homicide prediction project” highlighted in https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2025/apr/08/uk-creating-prediction-tool-to-identify-people-most-likely-to-kill may also lead to the same result. Certain demographics which have historically been over-policed and are over-represented within the justice system may suffer from the same AI-predicted poorer outcomes as those discussed within this medical study. This demonstrates the wider power of such predictive AI models, and the necessity to fully understand their training and scope before using them.”

    Dr James N. Weinstein, Innovation and Health Equity, Microsoft Research, Health Futures, said:

    “While prediction models are often praised for their accuracy, this research highlights a critical flaw: even well-performing models can lead to harmful self-fulfilling prophecies when used for treatment decisions. It’s essential to evaluate these models based on their real-world impact on patient outcomes rather than just predictive accuracy. Emphasizing “informed choice,” where medical decisions are guided by a patient’s values and preferences, is crucial to ensure that treatment and outcome decisions evolve with the patient’s condition over time.”

    References:

    Patient-Reported Data Can Help People Make Better Health Care Choices, William B. Weeks, MD and Dr. James N. Weinstein. September 21, 2015: Harvard Business Review

    Effects of Viewing an Evidence-Based Video Decision Aid on Patients’ Treatment Preferences for Spine Surgery, Jon D. Lurie, MD, MS, Kevin F. Spratt, PhD, Emily A. Blood, MS, Tor D. Tosteson, ScD, Anna N. A. Tosteson, ScD, and James N. Weinstein, DO, MS, Dartmouth Medical School, Hanover, NH, USA   Spine (Phila Pa 1976). August 15, 2011; 36(18): 1501–1504. doi: 10.1097/BRS.0b013e3182055c1e.

    GenAI and Patient Choice: A New Era of Informed Healthcare, Dr. Peter Bonis and Dr. Jim Weinstein. February 28, 2025: Patient Safety & Quality Healthcare

    ‘When accurate prediction models yield harmful self-fulfilling prophecies’ by Wouter A.C. van Amsterdam et al. was published in Patterns at 16:00 UK time Friday 11 April 2025. 

    DOI: 10.1016/j.patter.2025.101229

    Declared interests

    Prof Ewen Harrison: EMH receives grant funding from the NIHR, Wellcome Leap, UKRI and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation

    Prof Ian Simpson: I have consulted for, and received funding from, pharmaceutical companies including UCB and AstraZeneca. I also lead the UKRI AI Centre for Doctoral Training in Biomedical Innovation that has many industry partners.

    Dr Jim Weinstein: employee of Microsoft Research which is a research subsidiary of Microsoft.

    For all other experts, no reply to our request for DOIs was received.

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI Security: NATO Secretary General urges continued support at Ukraine Defence Contact Group meeting

    Source: NATO

    On Friday (11 April 2025) NATO Secretary General, Mark Rutte participated in a meeting of the Ukraine Defence Contact Group (UDCG) at NATO headquarters. The meeting was hosted by the UK Defence Secretary, John Healey, and the German Minister of Defence, Boris Pistorius.

    Speaking to Defence Ministers gathered for the event, the Secretary General welcomed that the UDCG has provided tens of billions of euros in military assistance, helping to support Ukraine with the means to defend itself against Russia’s aggression. Much of the support generated by donors is now delivered through the NATO Security Assistance and Training for Ukraine (NSATU) command in Wiesbaden. Mr Rutte applauded European Allies for stepping up their military aid to Ukraine in 2025 and encouraged nations to continue their contributions, including through NATO’s Comprehensive Assistance Package (CAP) for Ukraine. He underlined the importance of sustained support to Ukraine as efforts to negotiate a just and lasting peace continue.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: Sciences Po hosts the Paris Dialogue on the Future of Higher Education

    Source: Universities – Science Po in English

    Luis Vassy (Sciences Po), Shalini Randeria (CEU), Cornelia Woll (Hertie School), Daniel Jutras (University of Montreal), Paris Dialogue on the Future of Higher Education, 10 April 2025. (credits: Clara Dufour / Sciences Po)

    At a time of rapidly evolving political and geopolitical context, coupled with structural transformations related to new technologies and ecological transition, higher education is at a crossroads.

    We are in a historically significant moment for education, a moment to reflect and engage on the role of universities. Over the past year, following 7 October 2023 and the conflict in Gaza, a question has been critical for universities : should we take positions ? How can we protect freedom of expression for our communities (students, professors, researchers) and our core mission of science and knowledge transmission at once ?

    Jeremy Perelman, Vice-President for International Affairs, Sciences Po

    In response, many leading academic institutions around the world are faced with the need to:

    •  re-emphasise their foundational role in and value for democratic societies,
    • clarify the core principles of academic freedom and freedom of speech within universities,
    • defend their economic and institutional models.

    To explore these pressing challenges, Sciences Po hosted the first Paris Dialogue on the Future of Higher Education on 10 April.

    Following the recent publication of a report and the adoption by Sciences Po of its doctrine on institutional positioning, this first edition closed with a public roundtable on the protection of academic freedoms as a key challenge for the future of higher education, involving presidents and provosts of 5 leading international academic institutions.

    (credits: Clara Dufour / Sciences Po)

    I am very grateful for Sciences Po to have initiated this dialogue, because our common mission of producing and disseminating new knowledge relies heavily on collaboration. In recent months, we have faced similar challenges, which makes this discussion particularly valuable. At my own university, our faculty senate adopted a position that prevents the institution from making official statements on political or social issues. My view is that generating new knowledge requires a wide diversity of perspectives, rather than adherence to any form of institutional orthodoxy. Ideas that eventually prove to be true often appear unorthodox – even heretical – at first. This is precisely why it is essential to allow all viewpoints to be expressed. Suppressing ideas hinders scientific progress and the advancement of knowledge.

    Jennifer Martinez, Provost, Stanford University

    Over the past year, all universities have reached roughly the same conclusion, and I feel quite confident that it is the right position, even though it can be difficult to uphold. At its heart, this position is about preserving everyone’s freedom – the freedom to teach, to learn, to exchange ideas, to express oneself, and to conduct research. If the university, as an institution, adopts an official stance, our scholars and students who hold differing views may find their ability to express those opinions constrained. Universities are a special kind of institution with a unique role in society, and this role must be protected by ensuring the conditions in which our communities can freely exchange ideas and perspectives.

    Larry Kramer, President, London School of Economics

    In this panel of universities, we find that many of our challenges are shared. We have an educational mission, and we firmly believe that there is nothing more important than this: the task of reinventing leadership – leadership that is responsible and accountable. If you, as students, want to bring about change in the world, if you want to make a real difference, you must be able to share your ideas. Our role – our mission of supreme interest – is to create the processes and conditions that allow you to express your views and share your knowledge. What we produce as universities holds huge value. And the only way to defend that value is to start fighting for our universities with the same urgency and determination we would show in defending any vital asset – one that can be lost or destroyed. We must prevent the destruction of the most precious thing we create: knowledge.

    Cornelia Woll, President, Hertie School of Governance

    Universities’ involvement in public affairs should be limited to defending academic freedom and upholding the university’s core mission. This creates space within the institution for all viewpoints to be expressed and for all conversations to take place – something that is vital to the health of our academic communities. Academic freedom stands on two pillars: institutional restraint and the protection of free expression for individuals. These two principles go hand in hand, enabling our communities of scholars and students to teach, learn, and conduct research freely.

    Daniel Jutras, Rector, University of Montreal

    Historically, our university was forced to relocate twice due to autocratic regimes that did not respect academic freedom. We therefore understand the need to protect ourselves from political agendas within our own countries. I think we also need to think about academic freedom internationally : it is our responsibility to safeguard our students and researchers when they are abroad. Academic freedom includes ensuring that our academic communities are free to study and conduct research across borders. One of our students was recently imprisoned in Egypt for social media posts critical of the regime. The university intervened and secured his release, but I fear that in the years ahead, we will see more such cases. We must begin to think and act collectively to develop stronger legal protections for academic freedom on an international scale.

    Shalini Randeria, Rector, Central European University 

    A university is a marketplace of ideas. Ideas must be able to express themselves and circulate freely, to challenge the prevailing consensus and go towards progress. Any stance taken by the institution may have the unintended effect of altering the freedom of expression of those whose opinions diverge from the official line. Protecting academic freedom is essential not only to protect academics or academic institutions but also to guarantee the quality of research, its open, critical inquisitiveness – even when it’s uncomfortable –  and the many benefits it brings to society. 

    Luis Vassy, President, Sciences Po

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: World Parkinson’s Day: EU project uses AI to improve diagnosis and care

    Source: European Union 2

    Parkinson’s disease affects more than one million people in the EU and this number is expected to double by 2030, primarily due to an aging population. 

    To mark World Parkinson’s Day, HaDEA interviewed Prof. Leontios Hadjileontiadis, coordinator of AI-PROGNOSIS, a Horizon Europe research and innovation project aiming to advance Parkinson’s disease diagnosis and care through novel predictive models combined with digital biomarkers from everyday devices, such as smartphones and smartwatches. 

    Prof. Hadjileontiadis, tell us more about AI-PROGNOSIS. 

    AI-PROGNOSIS is focused on improving Parkinson’s disease diagnosis and care through predictive models driven by artificial intelligence (AI) and digital biomarkers from everyday devices. The project aims to enhance early detection, predict disease progression and optimise treatment responses, thereby personalising patient care. By leveraging data from smartphones and smartwatches, AI-PROGNOSIS offers valuable insights into individual risk and treatment efficacy, ultimately improving the quality of life for those with Parkinson’s disease. 

    What can you tell us about your project’s use of AI? Have you encountered any challenges in integrating your solutions in broader healthcare systems?  

    The lack of interoperability with legacy electronic health record systems has made integrating AI tools into existing clinical workflows difficult. Many healthcare institutions still use outdated systems not designed to support advanced AI technologies. Building trust and acceptance among healthcare professionals and patients has also been a challenge. There is often scepticism about the accuracy and reliability of AI models and concerns about the potential for AI to replace human roles in healthcare. Overcoming these concerns requires continuous education and demonstration of the AI tools’ benefits and reliability.  

    Navigating the complex regulatory landscape for AI in healthcare has added to the challenges. Ensuring that AI tools meet all legal and ethical standards is essential for their adoption and use. Additionally, accessing existing datasets has been difficult due to data ownership and sharing restrictions, which limit the amount of data available for training AI models. Recruiting patients for studies and trials has also been challenging, as it requires significant time and resources to ensure a diverse and representative sample. 

    These challenges underscore the importance of a collaborative and adaptive approach in developing and implementing AI solutions in healthcare, ensuring they are both effective and widely accepted. 

    Could you elaborate on this collaborative and adaptive approach?  

    AI-PROGNOSIS has adopted a comprehensive and inclusive approach to identify the needs of key stakeholders, including patients, healthcare professionals, and researchers. The project emphasises continuous engagement and collaboration with these groups to ensure the tools developed are user-friendly and meet their needs. 

    This includes: 

    • Multidisciplinary workshops: AI-PROGNOSIS organises workshops bringing together experts from various fields to discuss and refine project goals and methodologies; 
    • Patient involvement: Patients are actively involved in the design and testing phases, providing valuable feedback on usability and functionality; 
    • Input from health professionals: Regular consultations with doctors and therapists help tailor the AI tools to clinical workflows and practical needs; 

    • Input from the external advisory board: Expert guidance on the ethical implementation, strategic integration, industry perspectives and impactful application of AI-PROGNOSIS output in Parkinson’s disease research and care. 

    This collaborative and iterative approach ensures that AI-PROGNOSIS remains aligned with the real-world needs of its stakeholders, enhancing its impact on Parkinson’s diagnosis and care.  

    Having consulted with numerous stakeholders, can you give us an example of how this feedback has been used? 

    For example, in one of the focus groups that we ran, healthcare professionals shared how challenging it was to be informed about their patients’ changing symptoms across the course of the illness. This insight helped us develop the mAI-Insights application, which allows healthcare professionals to receive frequent updates and alerts about their patients’ symptoms.* 

    With the project running until 2027, how important is the EU’s financial support throughout the project life cycle? 

    The support of EU funding is crucial for our project. It provides financial resources for extensive research, developing advanced AI models, and integrating digital biomarkers from everyday devices. EU funding under the Horizon Europe programme also facilitates collaboration among multidisciplinary European teams, ensuring that the project benefits from diverse expertise and perspectives. Additionally, this support helps navigate regulatory challenges and promotes the adoption of innovative solutions in healthcare systems. Without EU funding, achieving the project’s ambitious goals and significantly impacting Parkinson’s diagnosis and care would be much more challenging. 

    *The project also features two other applications: mAI-Health for persons with suspected Parkinson’s to track their personalised risk and mAI-CARE for persons with diganosed Parkinson’s to track symptoms, disease progression and treatment efficacy. 

    Background

    Horizon Europe is the research and innovation programme of the EU for the period 2021-2027. The aims of Cluster 1 ‘Health’ include improving and protecting the health and well-being of citizens of all ages by generating new knowledge, developing innovative solutions and integrating where relevant a gender perspective to prevent, diagnose, monitor, treat and cure diseases. Horizon 2020 (H2020) was the EU’s multiannual funding programme between 2014 and 2020.

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: EU strikes deal on new toy safety rules to better protect children’s health

    Source: European Union 2

    The agreed draft legislation comes in response to a number of emerging challenges, such as risks relating to digital toys and the surge in online shopping.

    On Thursday evening, Parliament and Council negotiators reached a provisional agreement on new EU toy safety rules to enhance the protection of children’s health and development. The deal strengthens the role of economic operators in improving toy safety, and clarifies requirements for safety warnings and the digital product passport (DPP). It expands the list of prohibited substances in toys.

    Ban on harmful chemicals

    In addition to the existing prohibition of carcinogenic, mutagenic, or reproductive toxic (CRM) substances, the agreed text also bans chemicals that pose particular risks to children, such as endocrine disruptors, substances harmful to the respiratory system, and chemicals that are toxic for the skin and other organs. At Parliament’s insistence, the new rules will ban the intended use of per- and polyfluorinated alkyl substances (PFASs) and the most dangerous types of bisphenols. Allergenic fragrances will be banned in toys for children under 36 months and in toys meant to be placed in the mouth.

    Safety assessment

    Before placing a toy on the market, manufacturers will have to carry out a safety assessment on all potential hazards − chemical, physical, mechanical, and electrical. The assessment will also have to test toys’ flammability, hygiene, and radioactivity, and take children’s specific vulnerabilities into account. For example manufacturers should, where appropriate, ensure that digital toys do not pose risks to children’s mental health − as requested by Parliament negotiators.

    Economic operators and online marketplaces

    The agreed rules clarify the obligations of economic operators, such as manufacturers, importers, and distributors. This also includes fulfillment service providers (companies responsible for storing, packaging, and dispatching toys). Changes were also introduced to align the agreed text with other legislation, such as the General Product Safety Regulation, the Ecodesign framework and the Digital Services Act.

    The text clarifies requirements for online marketplaces, reflecting their growing role in the sale and promotion of toys. For example, marketplaces will have to design their platforms so as to allow sellers to display the CE mark, safety warnings, and a link (such as a QR code) to the digital product passport, to be visible before the purchase is completed.

    Digital product passport

    All toys sold in the EU will have to bear a clearly visible digital product passport (DPP) showing compliance with the relevant safety rules. The DPP will enhance the traceability of toys and make market surveillance and customs checks simpler and more efficient. It will also offer consumers easy access to safety information and warnings, via a QR code, for example.

    Quote

    Rapporteur Marion Walsmann (EPP, Germany) said: “Although we already have the safest toys in the world in the European Union, one in five products categorised as dangerous and withdrawn from the market by the EU was a toy. It was therefore very important to revise the 2009 Toy Safety Directive. We are reducing the risks posed by hazardous chemicals in toys and ensuring better labelling, including in online retail. We have also future-proofed the regulation: the Commission will be able to react more quickly to new scientific findings on chemical substances.. The new Toy Safety Regulation sends out a strong signal: for the protection of our children, fair competition and for Europe as a business location.”

    Next steps

    Parliament and the Council have concluded an “early second reading agreement” (the negotiation took place after Parliament’s first reading was adopted in plenary). The Council is now expected to adopt this agreement formally, and Parliament will then have to endorse the text in plenary, in second reading.

    The regulation will enter into force 20 days after its publication in the EU Official Journal. Member states will then have 54 months to comply with the provisions.

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Government extends ban on personal meat imports to protect farmers from foot and mouth

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    Press release

    Government extends ban on personal meat imports to protect farmers from foot and mouth

    Ban on personal imports of meat and dairy products extended to cover all EU countries to safeguard the UK food system and farmers against food and mouth disease

    The Government has taken measures to prevent the spread of foot and mouth disease (FMD) following a rising number of cases across Europe.   

    From tomorrow (Saturday 12th April), travellers will no longer be able to bring cattle, sheep, goat, and pig meat, as well as dairy products, from EU countries into Great Britain for personal use, to protect the health of British livestock, the security of farmers, and the UK’s food security.    

    This includes bringing items like sandwiches, cheese, cured meats, raw meats or milk into Great Britain – regardless of whether it is packed or packaged or whether it has been bought at duty free.   

    Whilst FMD poses no risk to humans and there are no cases in the UK, it is a highly contagious viral disease of cattle, sheep, pigs and other cloven-hoofed animals such as wild boar, deer, llamas and alpacas, and the outbreak on the continent presents a significant risk to farm businesses and livestock.  

    FMD can cause significant economic losses due to production shortfalls in the affected animals, as well as loss of access to foreign markets for animals, meat and dairy.       

    The Government has already banned personal imports of cattle, sheep and other ruminants and pig meat as well as dairy products, from Germany, Hungary, Slovakia and Austria earlier this year in response to confirmed outbreaks of FMD in those countries.

    Today’s new EU-wide restrictions better safeguard the UK against the changing disease risk, and provide clear rules for travellers, helping them to comply with the regulations. The new restrictions apply only to travellers arriving in Great Britain, and will not be imposed on personal imports arriving from Northern Ireland, Jersey, Guernsey, or the Isle of Man.  

    Farming Minister Daniel Zeichner said:

    This government will do whatever it takes to protect British farmers from foot & mouth.   

    That is why we are further strengthening protections by introducing restrictions on personal meat and dairy imports to prevent the spread of the disease and protect Britain’s food security.

    UK Deputy Chief Veterinary Officer for international and trade affairs Dr Jorge Martin-Almagro said: 

    Following the detection of foot and mouth disease in EU countries resulting in a rising risk of introduction into Great Britain, we have extended restrictions on the personal imports of food products that pose a risk in FMD transmission.   

    Robust contingency plans are already in place to manage the risk of this disease to protect farmers and Britain’s food security. This biosecurity measure combined with all others we have implemented are critical to limit the risk of FMD incursion.   

    I would urge livestock keepers to continue exercising the upmost vigilance for signs of disease, ensure scrupulous biosecurity is maintained and to report any suspicion of disease immediately to the Animal and Plant Health Agency.

    Information for travellers entering the UK

    From Saturday 12 April, it will be illegal for travellers from all EU countries entering Great Britain to bring items like sandwiches, cheese, cured meats, raw meats or milk into the country. This is regardless of whether it is packed or packaged or whether it has been bought at duty free.   

    Detailed information is available for the public which [sets out a limited set of exemptions from these rules](https://www.gov.uk/bringing-food-into-great-britain](https://www.gov.uk/bringing-food-into-great-britain). For example, a limited amount of infant milk, medical foods and certain composite products like chocolate, confectionery, bread, cakes, biscuits and pasta continue to be allowed.  

    Those found with these items will need to either surrender them at the border or will have them seized and destroyed. In serious cases, those found with these items run the risk of incurring fines of up to £5,000 in England.  

    Information for animal keepers

    There are currently no cases of FMD in the UK, though the UK Chief Veterinary Officer is urging livestock keepers to remain vigilant to the clinical signs of FMD following an incursion of the disease in Germany, followed by an unrelated incursion affecting Hungary and Slovakia.   

    If you’re an animal keeper, read about how to spot foot and mouth disease and report it.       

    If you’re an importer or exporter, read about the import restrictions for foot and mouth disease.

    Clinical signs to be aware of vary depending on the animals, but in cattle the main signs are sores and blisters on the feet, mouth and tongue with potentially a fever, lameness and a reluctance to feed. In sheep and pigs, signs tend to manifest with lameness with potential for blistering.         

    While horses and companion animals are not susceptible to FMD, hay feed or straw bedding, if sourced from an infected area, could act as a fomite and therefore also prevented from entering GB.     

    Maintaining good biosecurity is essential to protecting the health and welfare of herds and critical to preventing the spread of diseases such as FMD and preventing an outbreak spreading.       

    Foot and mouth disease is a notifiable disease and must be reported. If you suspect foot and mouth disease in your animals, you must report it immediately by calling:   * 03000 200 301 in England   * 0300 303 8268 in Wales         * your local  Field Services Office in Scotland  

    For more information, visit the import, export pages for EU trade.

    Updates to this page

    Published 11 April 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Liverpool to remember Hillsborough anniversary

    Source: City of Liverpool

    A minute’s silence will be held in Liverpool to mark the 36th anniversary of the Hillsborough tragedy.

    The silence will be observed on Tuesday 15 April at 3.06pm -the exact time at which the fateful match was stopped – in memory of the 97 people who lost their lives. Following the silence, a bell will toll 97 times in tribute to each victim, and then an instrumental version of You’ll Never Walk Alone will be played.

    Taking place in Exchange Flags (behind Liverpool Town Hall) it will be led by the Lord Mayor of Liverpool, Councillor Richard Kemp CBE who will be joined by Leader of Liverpool City Council, Councillor Liam Robinson and City Council Chief Executive, Andrew Lewis.

    Members of the public are encouraged to gather in the location to show their respect.

    On the day, Liverpool Town Hall will be open to the public from 2pm to 4pm to allow people to see a special Freedom of the City plaque which is engraved with the names of the 97 fans who lost their lives as a result of the disaster. The honour was bestowed on the 96 in September 2016, and Andrew Devine’s name was added in May 2022 after becoming the disaster’s 97th victim.

    Flags will also be flown at half-mast from civic buildings across the city and the Town Hall will also light up red in the evening.

    The Exchange Flags tribute will be livestreamed on Liverpool City Council’s Facebook and Instagram channels from 3pm.

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Senior councillors in Leeds to consider local community services review report

    Source: City of Leeds

    Executive board meeting to be held on Wednesday 23 April

    Senior councillors in Leeds will consider an update report on ongoing work to enhance local community services and maximise the use of council buildings at a meeting later this month.

    At the meeting of the council’s executive board at Civic Hall on Wednesday 23 April, councillors will discuss the report which forms part of the council’s ongoing commitment to continuously assess and review all services to ensure they are being delivered as effectively as possible in the face of ongoing significant financial challenges.

    The report details the current positions regarding ongoing service reviews concerning mental health hubs for adults, Little Owls nurseries and children’s centres.

    Leeds City Council currently manages three buildings delivering mental health day support and another three buildings for people with complex needs. Due to changes in how services are being delivered across the wider community, especially following the pandemic, there is less need for people to attend these buildings.

    At the mental health hubs, nearly half of those receiving support do not access the building and as a result the hubs only open two or three days a week for groups or support sessions, although even on these days the capacity available is not being fully used.

    At the complex needs centres attendance has also been gradually declining, with an average capacity use of 58 per cent since the pandemic.

    To allow these services to be delivered more efficiently and to make better use of the buildings concerned, the council is proposing to move the three mental health hubs into the complex needs centres to become integrated community hubs for adults. There are no proposed changes to the level of support offered to people.

    The complex needs centres offer greater accessibility and are of a good standard and this change would see the Stocks Hill Mental Health Support Hub move to join the Calverlands Complex Needs Centre in Horsforth, Lovell Park Mental Health Support Hub join the Wykebeck Complex Needs Centre, and Vale Circles Mental Health Support Hub join the Laurel Bank Complex Needs Centre in Middleton.

    Consultation has been carried out with service users and stakeholders. Careful planning has also been undertaken to design individualised support to help people transition to the new sites or to other local community locations where services can be delivered.

    The integration of services from six buildings to three would deliver savings of around £500,000 this year, while the vacated buildings at Lovell Park and Vales Circles would be made available for sale for a capital receipt to help the council meet its savings requirement of over £100million this year.

    If executive board approves the proposed change, the mental health hub day services would relocate from next month with the integrated community hubs in full operation from June.

    The report also gives an update regarding the review of Little Owls nurseries and children’s centres. Following a market-sounding exercise undertaken for 12 Little Owls nurseries, the potential delivery through schools or alternative providers is being progressed. Interested parties are engaging in an assessment process which will include considering the need for, or use of, existing buildings. If alternative provision cannot be secured for any of the 12 nurseries, the council will retain and continue to deliver the service itself. This position will be clarified by the end of July.

    On children’s centres, the report details the timeline for proposals to improve the range, effectiveness and integration of services at the 56 centres managed by Leeds City Council or partners. Consultation will be undertaken in the summer with all interested parties, and a report on future proposals is expected to be considered by the executive board in September.

    The changing role of community centres is also explained in the report, broadening their remit to offer an increasingly wide range of services and support for all ages and becoming multi-use community spaces rather than just buildings, enabling them to be accessed more fully by the wider community.

    Community asset transfers are also being considered as an option for some community buildings where it is considered appropriate and with viable interest in them being run and managed at a local level.

    The council-managed Leeds libraries service continues to offer an increasing range of services, while the report also outlines the potential for leisure centres to also host additional services offering greater flexibility to their local communities.

    Leeds City Council deputy leader and executive member for resources Councillor Debra Coupar said:

    “The council is firmly committed to continuously reviewing all our services, and how and where they are delivered to ensure they are effective and meeting the needs of residents and the communities they serve.

    “Where we can make changes to improve the quality, range and accessibility of our services and to make them more integrated it makes sense to do that, while also helping to make sure our buildings and estate are being well used, maintained and are welcoming environments for people of all ages to want to use and visit.

    “Our proposed change to mental health day support provision will provide a transformative boost, with the integrated community hubs for adults bringing services and people together under one roof and all the associated benefits that synergy entails. We are committed to doing everything we can to make the transition as smooth as possible, while also being able to dispose of underperforming buildings to help with the significant financial challenge we face this year.”

    To see the report being considered by the executive board visit Council and democracy (item 9).

     

    ENDS

     

    For media enquiries please contact:

    Leeds City Council communications and marketing,

    Email: communicationsteam@leeds.gov.uk

    Tel: 0113 378 6007

     

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: “The ability to endure is a sign of a successful leader”: an open lecture by the Chairman of the State Duma Defense Committee Andrey Kartapolov was held at the State University of Management

    Translartion. Region: Russians Fedetion –

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

    On April 11, 2025, the Chairman of the State Duma Defense Committee Andrei Kartapolov visited the State University of Management with a visit and an open lecture for students.

    The first item on the program of his stay at the State University of Management was a tour of the university, during which the distinguished guest visited the Pre-University, the Media Center, the Scientific Library, and the Engineering Project Management Center, in which the deputy showed particular interest.

    The Director of the Center, Vladimir Filatov, spoke in detail about the activities of the division, in particular about the inter-university design bureau, thanks to the work in which students are introduced to the corporate environment of enterprises while still studying and thus avoid the subsequently uncomfortable period of adaptation at their first job after graduation.

    Rector of the State University of Management Vladimir Stroyev noted that it is difficult for universities to fulfill various orders from manufacturers on their own, but the network structure of the student design bureau allows them to quickly find the necessary specialists.

    Andrey Kartapolov was presented with prototypes of unmanned aerial vehicles being developed at the State University of Management, including a compact interceptor drone, test flights of which were shown on a computer screen. Vladimir Filatov also told and showed on video a new project of the State University of Management Engineers – an autonomous cargo transporter based on a UAZ vehicle. This project was presented to the public movement “People’s Front”, where it attracted interest with its large format. The Chairman of the State Duma Defense Committee was also interested in the project, gave several recommendations regarding the design characteristics in demand at the SVO, and asked the rector to inform him when the project would be ready for demonstration.

    The second point of the visit program was a conversation with the management of the State University of Management. Rector Vladimir Stroyev briefly told about the history of the university, which traces its origins to the Aleksandrovsky Commercial School, founded in 1880, which was a great discovery for the guest. Vladimir Vitalyevich also told about the Soviet system of engineering and economic education, which has again become in demand and is actively reviving at the State University of Management.

    Continuing the topic of industry education, Vladimir Stroev spoke about his visit yesterday to the Tyumen Industrial University and the cooperation agreement signed there.

    “Old methods of training specialists often do not meet modern requirements. Now we do not have time to revive some of our laboratories or create new ones, so we are actively developing network cooperation programs, using the infrastructure of colleagues. In the regions, this scheme is also very attractive, because the Moscow university takes on part of the funding. And in Moscow, students from the regions study only one year, do not have time to start a family and settle down, return to finish their studies and work at home, but at the same time they retain business and personal connections in the capital,” the rector of the State University of Management outlined the advantages of network programs.

    An open lecture by Andrey Kartapolov took place in PA-21, the Olympiada Vasilievna Kozlova auditorium.

    As an introduction, the deputy told the students about the activities of the State Duma, which consists of 450 deputies from 5 factions working in 32 different committees. The main task of the Defense Committee since February 2022 is to ensure all the needs of the SVO participants and their families. At the moment, 130 new laws have been adopted in this direction, the last of which equalizes the rights and benefits of participants in a special military operation and participants in counter-terrorism operations, which includes the operation in the Kursk region, which is in its final stage.

    Next, Andrei Valerievich discussed the international situation, the disintegration of the world order established after World War II, NATO’s expansion to the east, China’s industrial development, and the latest news.

    “Donald Trump has added some drive to the situation. We see how cheerfully and casually the trade war is going on now,” the lecturer joked. “I envy you, you live in interesting times. Take, for example, the development of artificial intelligence, which is changing life around us so rapidly. According to scientists’ forecasts, by 2030, thanks to this technology, life will change beyond recognition.”

    The lecture was concluded with a Q&A session. Here are some of them:

    — Can you compare the positions of Deputy Minister of Defense and the head of the State Duma Defense Committee? Which was easier?

    Andrey Kartapolov: “Service is service, no matter what position you hold. The higher the position, the higher the responsibility. You, as managers, must understand this – the bosses are always held accountable. On the merits of the issue, I can say that there is more independence and fewer regulations in the State Duma.”

    — Please give some advice to future managers.

    Andrey Kartapolov: “Giving advice is not the most rewarding occupation. I can only say that the winner of the marathon is not the one who lifts his legs beautifully, but the one who knows how to be patient. The ability to be patient is a sign of a successful leader.”

    — Where is the conflict with Ukraine heading from an economic point of view?

    Andrey Kartapolov: “Moving towards victory. The victors write history and judge the vanquished, and we cannot allow ourselves to be judged. We will achieve our goal when Ukraine is no longer ruled by the Nazi regime, there will be no NATO bases and discrimination against the Russian-speaking population. At the moment, we already have four new regions where we need to restore infrastructure, roads, hospitals, schools, mines, industry – many economic tasks. And there, qualified managers will be needed at enterprises.”

    Subscribe to the TG channel “Our GUU” Date of publication: 11.04.2025

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

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Sen. Kenya Wicks Finishes First Legislative Session

    Source: US State of Georgia

    ATLANTA (April 11, 2025) — Sen. Kenya Wicks (D–Fayette), who represents Georgia’s 34th Senate District, spoke about her first legislative session under the Gold Dome. As a freshman senator, Wicks described the 2025 Legislative Session as “an incredible experience” and expressed her deep gratitude for the mentorship and support from Democratic leadership and colleagues.

    “This session, I introduced Senate Bills 190, 236, and 273 and co-authored SB 26 and SB 85. I also was proud to introduce Senate Resolution 141, which dedicated a road for former Senator Valencia Seay. I would not have been unable to do this without my team and the incredible mentorship and support I received from Democratic leadership and my colleagues. Together, we passed a state budget including $19.5 million for student mental health support and additional funding to expand access to the HOPE Scholarship.”

    Sen. Wicks continued by speaking on her plans for the interim and thanking her constituents. “Constituent services remain at the forefront of my priorities—alongside veterans’ affairs, seniors’ rights, workforce development, education and economic growth. I’m committed to continuing the fight for the people of District 34 and all Georgians. To my constituents, thank you for trusting me to be your voice. I came to the Gold Dome ready to work, and I’m just getting started.”

    ####

    Sen. Kenya Wicks represents the 34th Senate District, which includes portions of Clayton and Fayette Counties. She may be reached by email at Kenya.Wicks@senate.ga.gov.

    For all media inquiries, please reach out to SenatePressInquiries@senate.ga.gov.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Four men jailed over the murder of a man in east London

    Source: United Kingdom London Metropolitan Police

    Four men have been sentenced in relation to the murder of a man in Newham.

    It follows a Met investigation that saw one of the perpetrators extradited back from Europe.

    Anselam Senaj, 26, was killed after being stabbed in the back of a car in East Ham at around 22:10hrs on Saturday, 11 November 2023.

    At the Old Bailey today (Friday, 11 April) four men were sentenced, as follows:

    [A] Muhammad Saqib Khan, 24 (21.01.01), of Walton Road, Manor Park, was jailed for life, with minimum term of 26 years for murder.

    [B] Muhammad Samiyul Miah, 19 (04.02.06) of Jack Cornwell Street, Manor Park, was jailed for life, to serve a minimum of 25 years in prison for murder.

    Their sentences also included terms for possession of a knife.

    [C] Ibrahim Naim, 18 (21.07.06), of Clacton Road, East Ham was sentenced to ten and a half years for manslaughter.

    [D] Zain Ali, 22 (27.03.03), of Poulett Road, East Ham, was sentenced to 14 years for manslaughter.

    Detective Sergeant Brett Hagen, who led the Met’s investigation, said: “Anselam Senaj was killed in a brutal cold-blooded assault which lasted seconds, but was so severe he died at the scene.

    “Our team conducted a thorough and detailed investigation which led to the arrest of three of the suspects within two weeks of the attack.

    “We’d like to thank our partner agencies who helped us ensure the arrest of the final suspect, and bring the case to trial to secure justice for Anselam.

    “Our thoughts remain as always with Anselam’s friends and family as they move forward with their life, safe in the knowledge his attackers are behind bars where they belong.”

    During a 14-week trial, the court heard the gang of men used a stolen vehicle to stop the taxi Anselam was travelling in and attacked him in the back seat at the junction of Victoria Avenue and Grangewood Street.

    Despite the efforts of emergency services, he died at the scene.

    The Met’s Specialist Crime Command issued warrants at various addresses in London on 22 November 2023, which led to the arrest of Miah, Ali and Naim who were all charged with murder that night.

    They forensically analysed the clothes worn by Anselam and the suspects, as well as downloading phone conversations between the men which all pointed to drug dealing.

    The team then identified Khan, who had fled to Amsterdam after the killing, as a further suspect and instigated an international manhunt to bring charges against him.

    After extensive enquiries by the Met’s investigative team and following work with international law enforcement partners, Khan was arrested on 4 December 2023 by Dutch authorities.

    On 12 January 2024, he was returned to the UK and taken into custody, after being extradited from the Netherlands, where he was charged with murder and possession of a knife.

    Khan and Miah were both convicted of the murder and possession of a knife at the Old Bailey on Monday, 13 January.

    Naim and Ali were both convicted of manslaughter at the same trial.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Video: UK House of Lords recalled to consider British Steel

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

    The House of Lords will meet from noon on Saturday 12 April.

    Members will consider legislative proposals to ensure the continued operation of British Steel blast furnaces is safeguarded.

    Find out more https://www.parliament.uk/business/news/2025/april/house-of-lords-recalled-on-saturday-12-april/

    Catch-up on House of Lords business:

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

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

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

    #HouseofLords #UKParliament

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6mqLYiXnijI

    MIL OSI Video –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: The results of the XVI Universiade of the State University of Management have been summed up

    Translartion. Region: Russians Fedetion –

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

    From March 17 to April 10, 2025, the State University of Management hosted the Universiade among 6 institutes in 11 sports disciplines.

    More than 200 students from our university took part in the competition.

    The leaders in individual disciplines were:

    For the second year in a row, IOM beat everyone in mini-football; IUPSiBK swam the fastest; The score in basketball matches was on IOM’s side; IIS won among girls in volleyball, and IEF among boys; IUPSiBK became the most artistic in aerobics; IGUiP became the masters of rackets in badminton; IUPSiBK thought out the team strategy for tug-of-war better; IM took the greatest weight in the bench press; IEF demonstrated miracles of dexterity in table tennis; IIS (CS 2), IGUiP (Valorant), IIS (DOTA 2) skated their disciplines excellently in e-sports.

    The overall standings for the Universiade were distributed as follows:

    1st place – IUPSiBK 2nd place – IGUiP 3rd place – IEF 4th place – IOM 5th place – IIS 6th place – IM

    Congratulations to the Institute of Personnel Management, Social and Business Communications for confident and unconditional sports leadership. We thank all participants for their beautiful play and will to win.

    We look forward to the next sports competitions and new achievements!

    Subscribe to the TG channel “Our GUU” Date of publication: 11.04.2025

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

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: UNFPA Launches The Equalizer Challenge to Scale Women’s Health Innovations

    Source: United Nations Population Fund

    New York, 11 April 2025 – UNFPA, the United Nations sexual and reproductive health agency, in collaboration with MIT Solve, IE University, and Women of Wearables, is announcing the launch of The Equalizer Challenge: Scaling Women’s Health Innovations. This innovation challenge, enabled by the generous support from the Governments of Germany and Luxembourg, will support women-led enterprises in moving their projects beyond the pilot stage and achieving meaningful, scalable impact on women’s health. 

    Women’s health remains critically underfunded. “Every minute, at least two women die globally from breast or cervical cancer or pregnancy-related complications due to inequitable access to healthcare,” says Dr. Natalia Kanem, Executive Director of UNFPA.

    Despite the severity of these issues, only 1% of global healthcare research and innovation funding addresses female-specific conditions beyond oncology. Even more alarmingly, only 0.2% of research and development funding focuses on sexual and reproductive health in developing countries, despite its critical role in determining lifelong well-being. Gender biases persist in technology and healthcare design, reinforcing the need for inclusive, impactful solutions. The Equalizer Challenge seeks to bridge this gap by investing in innovations that reach underserved communities, leaving no one behind.

    The challenge provides catalytic funding alongside a six-month capacity development programme featuring biweekly coaching, expert mentorship, and direct connections to global health and investment networks. Whether through medical devices, digital health platforms, personalized medicine, or breakthrough solutions addressing health conditions unique to women, this challenge seeks bold, women-led innovations that don’t just push boundaries but break through them, reshaping the future of care.

    More information on eligibility and how to apply is available here.

    APPLY NOW!

    About UNFPA 

    UNFPA is the United Nations sexual and reproductive health agency. UNFPA’s mission is to deliver a world where every pregnancy is wanted, every childbirth is safe and every young person’s potential is fulfilled. UNFPA calls for the realization of reproductive rights for all and supports access to a wide range of sexual and reproductive health services, including voluntary family planning, quality maternal health care and comprehensive sexuality education.

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: Council of Europe – Conversation between the Minister and the Secretary General of the Council of Europe (11 Apr. 2025)

    Source: France-Diplomatie – Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Development

    Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs Jean-Noël Barrot spoke on April 11 with the Secretary General of the Council of Europe, Alain Berset.

    The Minister reaffirmed France’s pride at hosting an organization whose founding mission since 1949 has been to ensure respect for human rights, democracy and the rule of law in all its 46 Member States.

    The Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs hailed the European Pact on Democracy, a new initiative launched by the Secretary General. He underscored the importance of safeguarding the integrity of the election process, a cornerstone of our democracies. The Minister and Secretary General addressed the challenge posed by foreign interference and information manipulation for our democratic societies. France is fully engaged in combating these threats, in full compliance with the rule of law and the freedom of expression, for which the Council of Europe and European Court of Human Rights serve as vital guarantors.

    The Minister applauded the Council of Europe’s role in fostering the democratic resilience and reconstruction of Ukraine, which has been a victim of Russia’s war of aggression for the past three years, and for its fight against impunity and for the reparation of damages. The Minister and Secretary General discussed the imperative need to bring home the Ukrainian children forcibly displaced by Russia.

    Lastly, the Minister and the Secretary General discussed the implementation of France’s decision to extend the European Social Charter to our Overseas Territories.

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: OSCE Presence supports Albanian State Police with informative sessions on new covert sources management model

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

    Headline: OSCE Presence supports Albanian State Police with informative sessions on new covert sources management model

    As part of its long-standing support to the Albanian State Police (ASP) in implementing intelligence-led policing, the OSCE Presence in Albania organized a series of informative sessions on the new covert sources management model from 7 to 11 April 2025. Delivered by a contracted OSCE expert with extensive law enforcement experience and an ASP expert, the sessions took place in Lezha, Fier, Elbasan and Tirana, gathering representatives from all 12 local police directorates across the country.
    These sessions mark a significant step in strengthening the ASP’s operational capacity to manage covert sources in line with international standards and the officially adopted Standard Operating Procedures. The workshops provided guidance to police officers, focusing on the practical implementation of the new model, tailored to Albania’s evolving law enforcement context.
    The sessions are the culmination of nearly a decade of dedicated efforts by the OSCE Presence, which began in 2016 with the first assessments of covert sources handling practices. Following the establishment of the dedicated Unit within the ASP’s Criminal Police Department in 2020 and the official approval of Standard Operating Procedures in 2023, these informative sessions provided further support to the consolidation and implementation of the new model.
    By reinforcing best practices and standardizing procedures nationwide, the OSCE Presence’s initiative ensures a sustainable and professional approach to covert sources management, further embedding intelligence-led policing as a strategic framework for policing in Albania.

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Tory crony peerages underline need to scrap House of Lords

    Source: Scottish Greens

    11 Apr 2025 Scottish Independence

    The House of Lords is an undemocratic relic.

    More in Scottish Independence

    Reports that former Tory Ministers Michael Gove and Alister Jack are to be given peerages and jobs for life underline why we urgently need to scrap the House of Lords, say the Scottish Greens.

    The Party’s co-leader, Lorna Slater, said:

    “The House of Lords is an archaic and embarrassing relic of an institution. Its very existence is an affront to democracy.

    “It has no legitimacy whatsoever and is already stuffed full of donors, cronies and former politicians.

    “Michael Gove and Alister Jack both supported and implemented policies that did a huge amount of damage, from a Brexit that has cost jobs and hiked up prices to the hostile environment policies that punished refugees and a series of cuts that fell on people with the least.

    “The problem is much bigger than any individual. It is the system that has allowed unelected peers to have so much influence for so long. It is ridiculous for us to be ruled by people that we have no way to remove.

    “One of the many advantages of independence would be the chance to finally abolish the undemocratic House of Lords.”

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Ending Trump’s terrible trade war

    Source: Liberal Democrats UK

    The Liberal Democrats may use the information you provide, including your political opinions, to further our objectives and share it with our elected representatives. Any data we gather will be used in accordance with our privacy policy: libdems.org.uk/privacy. You can exercise your rights and withdraw your consent to future communications by contacting us: data.protection@libdems.org.uk or: DPO, Lib Dems, 1 Vincent Square, SW1P 2PN.

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Winners of the All-Russian Student Olympiad in the Construction Field of Study Announced

    Translartion. Region: Russians Fedetion –

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

    SPbGASU summed up the results of the All-Russian Student Olympiad in the training area 08.03.01 “Construction”, dedicated to the 80th anniversary of the Victory in the Great Patriotic War. The award ceremony for the winners took place in the Academic Council Hall on April 11.

    The dean of the construction faculty of SPbGASU Andrey Nikulin addressed the participants with a welcoming speech: “We want to see our guys as leaders, successful people who have solved all the problems. This is the natural desire of any mentor – for their students to be the first. Today we will award half of the participants: every second will receive a diploma and gifts from sponsors. Those who did not make it into the prize winners – look where to become better, more organized, more purposeful. Forward movement should be in overcoming difficulties. And no obstacles can stop you!”

    Representatives of partner companies introduced their products.

    Sergey Turitsyn, Commercial Director of Yalux Group LLC, gave a lecture on the activities of the company, which produces unplasticized PVC sheets.

    Tatyana Andreeva, event manager for the St. Petersburg branch of JSC TD Vostok-Service, called on students to pay close attention to safety issues in their future professional activities.

    Irina Letunovskaya, marketing specialist at the Association “Consortium “Kodeks”, spoke about what useful things teachers and students can learn with the help of the services “TechExpert” and “Kodeks”.

    Olga Garipova, a specialist in the HR department of LSR Group, invited students to internships and then to work.

    The places were distributed as follows.

    First place – Timur Abdullin (Kazan State University of Architecture and Civil Engineering).

    Second place – Alexander Martynov (Tyumen Industrial University).

    Third place – Ilyas Valitov (Kazan State University of Architecture and Civil Engineering).

    The winners shared their impressions of the competition.

    Ilyas Valitov is sure: simply memorizing the material is not very effective. Knowledge is absorbed better in practice. When I solved several problems, the physical meaning of the formula becomes clear. “I knew that the test part would have questions on history, on the Great Patriotic War. This is my favorite topic, I love and know history. Since it was unknown what kind of questions there would be, I deepened my knowledge,” said Ilyas.

    Timur Abdullin, a student at the Kazan State University of Architecture and Civil Engineering and winner of the Olympiad, admitted that it was difficult during the preparation. “Since the Olympiad included a wide range of topics, it was unclear what to tackle first, what to study, where to brush up on knowledge, and what could be ignored. I prepared hard for both the intra-university round, where there was also great competition, and for the final stage. And, apparently, I made the right accents. It was not so difficult at the Olympiad itself.”

    The students’ mentors shared their opinions on the benefits of the event.

    Alla Grishina, Associate Professor of the Department of Construction Production and Geotechnics at Perm National Research Polytechnic University, member of the jury: “There are “stars”, whom we saw today at the awards ceremony, who really showed themselves in both the humanities part of the test and in technical problems. Looking at such students, it is easier to work – because very often we, teachers, are placed in a strict framework so that we focus on unsuccessful students. And they completely forget about the successful ones, the successful ones. When you see such students at Olympiads, conferences, project competitions – it inspires you to work further. You understand that everything is not in vain. Such events are important first of all for teachers – to get inspired, to get a charge for new achievements. For students, this is also great. To test yourself, to remember what you studied, to meet other guys, to see a beautiful city.”

    Leonid Gilev, head of the Department of Building Structures and Construction Production at the Ural State Transport University, member of the appeals committee: “Any competition is always useful. Firstly, to feel what you are like. Secondly, to see how prepared other students are, to compete, to feel the excitement. We try to participate in these events. In my lectures I say: whoever wants to participate, raise your hands. They do. If someone has done sports, they understand what it is.”

    Full list of winners and prize winners

    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: MYT Netherlands Parent B.V. (“Mytheresa”) receives final regulatory clearance to acquire YOOX NET-A-PORTER (“YNAP”) from Richemont, with closing planned for 23 April 2025

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    MYT Netherlands Parent B.V. (“Mytheresa”) receives final regulatory clearance
    to acquire YOOX NET-A-PORTER (“YNAP”) from Richemont, with closing planned for 23 April 2025 

    11 April 2025 – Today, Mytheresa (NYSE:MYTE) received the unconditional merger control clearance from the European Commission for the acquisition of YNAP from Richemont (SWX:CFR), through its subsidiary Richemont Italia Holding S.P.A.. Mytheresa and Richemont have now received all other necessary approvals from regulatory authorities and plan to close the transaction on 23 April 2025.

    On 7 October 2024, Mytheresa and Richemont signed binding agreements for the acquisition by Mytheresa of 100% of the share capital of YNAP from Richemont, aiming to build a leading global multi-brand digital luxury group. The receipt of all necessary regulatory approvals is the final step for the completion of the transaction. Under the umbrella of “LuxExperience B.V.”, which the combined company will be named following the acquisition, the brands Mytheresa, NET-A-PORTER, MR PORTER, YOOX and THE OUTNET will offer highly curated and strongly differentiated selections of the most prestigious brands for luxury customers with unprecedented reach and relevance.

    Michael Kliger, Chief Executive Officer of Mytheresa, said, “We are truly excited to have received all required regulatory clearances to finalize the acquisition of YOOX NET-A-PORTER. We will become one of the leading global, digital luxury platforms for true luxury enthusiasts through having multiple, highly distinguished storefronts, all under the umbrella of LuxExperience. We will generate significant synergies by using a joint back-of-house platform, but most importantly because we will have one of the most relevant overall value propositions for global luxury shoppers and brands. Today marks a significant milestone in our success story as we enter a new and exciting phase for both Mytheresa and all YNAP brands, which is expected to create significant value for our customers, brand partners and shareholders.”

    Martin Beer, Chief Financial Officer of Mytheresa, added: “The acquisition of YNAP fulfills Mytheresa´s ambition to build a leading online luxury group worth around 3 billion Euros GMV per annum. In the medium term, our goal for LuxExperience will be to grow to a 4 billion Euros GMV per annum business with >8% Adj. EBITDA margin. While the consolidation of YNAP will initially dilute our EBITDA margin at group level we are uniquely prepared to achieve a fundamental transformation and return the YNAP businesses to profitability. The restructuring is expected to take 24 to 36 months and is well funded with a net cash position of 555 million Euros at closing. We will fully leverage Mytheresa’s operational excellence, proprietary technology and proven ability to execute large-scale projects.”

    Johann Rupert, Chairman of Richemont, said: “We look forward to LuxExperience’s future success, as the receipt of this clearance paves the way for both the Mytheresa and YNAP teams, their brand partners and customers alike to fully benefit from the enhanced value propositions and expanded global reach offered by the combined businesses.”

    At transaction closing, Mytheresa will issue new shares to Richemont representing 33% of Mytheresa’s fully diluted share capital after issuance of the consideration shares. At the same time, Richemont will sell YNAP with a cash position of €555m and no financial debt to Mytheresa, which will become YNAP’s sole shareholder. Richemont will also provide a 6-year €100m revolving credit facility to YNAP. Upon transaction closing, Burkhart Grund, Chief Financial Officer of Richemont, will join Mytheresa Supervisory Board as new Board member.

    Mytheresa, NET-A-PORTER and MR PORTER will continue to offer differentiated, but complementary, multi-brand offering for luxury customers. The three individual store brands will maintain their own brand’s identities while sharing central infrastructure resources jointly. At the same time, the off-price division, consisting of YOOX and THE OUTNET, will be separated from the luxury division for a much simpler and more efficient operating model.

    With regulatory clearance received, Mytheresa and Richemont will now move forward with the final steps required to complete the transaction. A further announcement will be made at transaction closing. Further details on integration plans will be shared in due course. 

    Forward-looking statements

    This press release contains “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of Section 27A of the U.S. Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the U.S. Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. All statements other than statements of historical fact or relating to present facts or current conditions included in this press release are forward- looking statements. Forward-looking statements give Mytheresa’s current expectations and projections relating to the proposed transaction and the operation of the combined companies; its financial condition, results of operations, plans, objectives, future performance and business, including statements relating to financing activities, future sales, expenses, and profitability; future development and expected growth of our business and industry; our ability to execute our business model and our business strategy; having available sufficient cash and borrowing capacity to meet working capital, debt service and capital expenditure requirements for the next twelve months; and projected capital spending. You can identify forward-looking statements by the fact that they do not relate strictly to historical or current facts. These statements may include words such “anticipate,” “believe,” “continue,” “could,” “estimate,” “expect,” “intend,” “may,” “ongoing,” “plan,” “potential,” “predict,” “project,” “should,” “will,” “would,” or the negative of these terms or other comparable terminology, although not all forward-looking statements contain these words. The forward-looking statements contained in this press release are based on assumptions that Mytheresa has made in light of its industry experience and perceptions of historical trends, current conditions, expected future developments and other factors it believes are appropriate under the circumstances. As you read and consider this press release, you should understand that these statements are not guarantees of performance or results. They involve risks, uncertainties (many of which are beyond Mytheresa’s control) and assumptions. Although Mytheresa believes that these forward-looking statements are based on reasonable assumptions, you should be aware that many factors could affect its actual operating and financial performance and cause its performance to differ materially from the performance anticipated in the forward-looking statements. Mytheresa believes these factors include, but are not limited to: the occurrence of any event, change or other circumstances that could give rise to the termination or abandonment of the proposed transaction; the expected timing and likelihood of completion of the proposed transaction with Richemont; the risk that the remaining conditions to closing the proposed transaction may not be satisfied in a timely manner or at all; the risk that the proposed transaction and its announcement could have an adverse effect on the ability of YNAP to retain customers and retain and hire key personnel and maintain relationships with their brand partners and customers and on their operating results and businesses generally; the risk that problems may arise in successfully integrating the businesses of YNAP and Mytheresa, which may result in the combined company not operating as effectively and efficiently as expected; the risk that the combined company may be unable to achieve cost-cutting synergies or that it may take longer than expected to achieve those synergies; Mytheresa’s ability to effectively compete in a highly competitive industry; Mytheresa’s ability to respond to consumer demands, spending and tastes; general economic conditions, including economic conditions resulting from deteriorating geopolitical and macroeconomic conditions, such as the recent global trade war that escalated after the U.S. imposed tariffs on countries across the globe, and the adoption of retaliatory tariffs by those countries, that may adversely impact consumer demand; Mytheresa’s ability to acquire new customers and retain existing customers; consumers of luxury products may not choose to shop online in sufficient numbers; the volatility and difficulty in predicting the luxury fashion industry; Mytheresa’s reliance on consumer discretionary spending; and Mytheresa’s ability to maintain average order levels and other factors. Should one or more of these risks or uncertainties materialize, or should any of these assumptions prove incorrect, Mytheresa’s actual operating and financial performance may vary in material respects from the performance projected in these forward-looking statements.

    Mytheresa undertakes no obligation to update any forward-looking statements made in this press release to reflect events or circumstances after the date of this press release or to reflect new information or the occurrence of unanticipated events, except as required by law.

    The achievement or success of the matters covered by such forward-looking statements involves known and unknown risks, uncertainties and assumptions. If any such risks or uncertainties materialize or if any of the assumptions prove incorrect, Mytheresa’s results could differ materially from the results expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements it makes.

    You should not rely upon forward-looking statements as predictions of future events. Forward-looking statements represent Mytheresa’s management’s beliefs and assumptions only as of the date such statements are made.

    Further information on these and other factors that could affect Mytheresa’s financial results is included in filings it makes with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) from time to time, including the section titled “Risk Factors” in its annual report on Form 20-F and on Form 6-K (reporting its quarterly results). These documents are available on the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov and on the SEC Filings section of the Investor Relations section of our website at: https://investors.mytheresa.com.

      
    About non-IFRS financial measures and operating metrics

    Adjusted EBITDA margin is a non-IFRS financial measure that we calculate as net income before finance expense (net), taxes, and depreciation and amortization, adjusted to exclude Other transaction-related, certain legal and other expenses and Share-based compensation expense. Adjusted EBITDA Margin is a non-IFRS financial measure which is calculated in relation to net sales.

    We are not able to forecast net income (loss) on a forward-looking basis without unreasonable efforts due to the high variability and difficulty in predicting certain items that affect net income (loss), including, but not limited to, Income taxes and Interest expense and, as a result, are unable to provide a reconciliation to forecasted Adjusted EBITDA.

    Gross Merchandise Value (GMV) is an operative measure and means the total Euro value of orders processed, either as principal or as agent. GMV is inclusive of merchandise value, shipping and duty. It is net of returns, value added taxes, applicable sales taxes and cancellations. GMV does not represent revenue earned by us. We use GMV as an indicator for the usage of our platform that is not influenced by the mix of direct sales and commission sales. The indicators we use to monitor usage of our platform include, among others, active customers, total orders shipped and GMV.

    About Mytheresa

    Mytheresa is one of the leading luxury multi-brand digital platforms shipping to over 130 countries. Founded as a boutique in 1987, Mytheresa launched online in 2006 and offers ready-to-wear, shoes, bags and accessories for womenswear, menswear, kidswear as well as lifestyle products and fine jewelry. The highly curated edit of up to 250 brands focuses on true luxury brands such as Bottega Veneta, Brunello Cucinelli, Dolce&Gabbana, Gucci, Loewe, Loro Piana, Moncler, Prada, Saint Laurent, The Row, Valentino, and many more. Mytheresa’s unique digital experience is based on a sharp focus on high-end luxury shoppers, exclusive product and content offerings, leading technology and analytical platforms as well as high quality service operations. The NYSE listed company reported € 913.6 million GMV in fiscal year 2024 (+7% vs. FY23). For more information, please visit https://investors.mytheresa.com/.

    “LuxExperience” will be the trade name for LuxExperience B.V. a Dutch company with limited liability, upon completion of the renaming of MYT Netherlands Parent B.V.

    About Richemont

    At Richemont, we craft the future. Our unique portfolio includes prestigious Maisons distinguished by their craftsmanship and creativity. Richemont’s ambition is to nurture its Maisons and businesses and enable them to grow and prosper in a responsible, sustainable manner over the long term.

    Richemont operates in three business areas: Jewellery Maisons with Buccellati, Cartier, Van Cleef & Arpels and Vhernier; Specialist Watchmakers with A. Lange & Söhne, Baume & Mercier, IWC Schaffhausen, Jaeger-LeCoultre, Panerai, Piaget, Roger Dubuis and Vacheron Constantin; and Other, primarily Fashion & Accessories Maisons with Alaïa, Chloé, Delvaux, dunhill, G/FORE, Gianvito Rossi, Montblanc, Peter Millar, Purdey, Serapian as well as Watchfinder & Co. In addition, Richemont operates NET-A-PORTER, MR PORTER, THE OUTNET, YOOX and the OFS division. Find out more at https://www.richemont.com/.

    Richemont ‘A’ shares are listed on the SIX Swiss Exchange, Richemont’s primary listing, and are included in the Swiss Market Index (‘SMI’) of leading stocks. The ‘A’ shares are also traded on the Johannesburg Stock Exchange (JSE), Richemont’s secondary listing.

    About YOOX NET-A-PORTER (YNAP)

    YNAP is a world leading online luxury and fashion retailer, with a distinctive offering including multi-brand in-season online stores NET-A-PORTER and MR PORTER, and multi-brand off-season online stores YOOX and THE OUTNET.

    Uniquely positioned in the high growth online luxury sector, YNAP has a client base of c.4 million high-spending customers and over 900 million visitors worldwide. The Group has offices and operations in the United States, Europe, Middle East, Japan, mainland China and Hong Kong SAR, China. It delivers to over 170 countries around the world. 

    Investor Relations Contacts
    Mytheresa.com GmbH
    Stefanie Muenz
    phone: +49 89 127695-1919
    email: investors@mytheresa.com

    Media Contacts for public relations
    Mytheresa.com GmbH
    Sandra Romano
    mobile: +49 152 54725178
    email: sandra.romano@mytheresa.com

    Media Contacts for business press
    Mytheresa.com GmbH
    Lisa Schulz
    mobile: +49 151 11216490
    email: lisa.schulz@mytheresa.com

    Media Contacts for business press
    BOC Consult GmbH
    Ruediger Assion
    mobile: +49 176 2424 7691
    email: ruediger.assion@boc-consult.com

    Richemont Contacts
    Investor / analyst enquiries: +41 22 721 30 03; investor.relations@cfrinfo.net
    Media enquiries: +41 22 721 35 07; pressoffice@cfrinfo.net; richemont@teneo.com

    Source: MYT Netherlands Parent B.V.

    Click here for a printer-friendly version in English (PDF)

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: Remarks by Paschal Donohoe following the Eurogroup meeting of 11 April 2025

    Source: Council of the European Union

    Remarks by Eurogroup President Paschal Donohoe after the Eurogroup meeting on the need for a unified response to global economic changes, policy coordination within the euro area and an increased urgency for ongoing projects such as the digital euro, the savings and investment union and trade diversification.

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Westminster Council teams up with English National Opera to bring joy to care home residents | Westminster City Council

    Source: City of Westminster

    Westminster City Council is ensuring everyone has access to the city’s remarkable culture on offer by teaming up with English National Opera (ENO) who have been performing in care homes across the city. 

    The project, funded by the council, was aimed at bringing high-quality music and art to residents who encounter physical, social and economic barriers to participation or access to culture.

    Across the month of March, ENO’s musicians and singers have entertained residents in eight care settings in Westminster. They put on activities including singalong workshops using familiar and beloved opera repertoire, a craft activity for people to make their own flower brooch, as well as the opportunity to try on costumes and hats from recent ENO productions.

    Classical music is known to improve people’s mental health, their breathing and boosts their mood.

    One resident, Deborah, from Beachcroft Care Home said:

    “It was so nice to hear such beautiful voices, the singing was superb.

    “It was really nice for some of the elderly people here that have got Alzheimer’s and that sort of thing, it was nice to see them actively being involved and to have a chilled afternoon where we were entertained was absolutely lovely.”

    Westminster City Council Cabinet Member for Ecology and Culture, Cllr Ryan Jude, said: 

    “It’s so touching to see English National Opera bring such light and joy to the residents of our care settings in Westminster.

    “Our city is brimming with culture, and it’s important there are no barriers to people enjoying what’s on offer on their doorstep. Through our culture fund, we’re ensuring that every person in Westminster, irrespective of age and ability, has the chance to explore the rich culture all around us.”

    Annilese Miskimmon, ENO’s Artistic Director, said:

    “We are delighted to be working with Westminster City Council to deliver our new ENO in the Community programme.

    “Key funding from the council has allowed ENO to bring live music into the community and to people who otherwise may be unable to access it through ENO Engage – our learning and participation department, opera singers and the Chorus and Orchestra of ENO.

    “Classical music brings human connection, mental health and wellbeing benefits and we are excited to see the impact the programme has across the borough.”

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Salford volunteers step up for the Great British Spring Clean

    Source: City of Salford

    • 1,091 bags of litter collected across more than 80 clean-ups
    • Nearly 1,000 people took part, including residents, schools, businesses and community groups
    • Volunteers were supported with equipment from Salford Rangers and new Litter Picking Lockers

    Nearly 1,000 volunteers – including residents, schools, businesses and community groups – took part in this year’s Great British Spring Clean in Salford. Together, they got involved in more than 80 litter picks and collected over 1,000 bags of rubbish from streets, parks, and green spaces across the city.

    Organised clean-ups were supported by the Salford Ranger Team, who also provided litter-picking equipment. Volunteers could also access tools and supplies through Salford’s new Litter Picking Lockers – storage hubs in local parks designed to help people get involved all year round. 

    Councillor Barbara Bentham, Lead Member for Neighbourhoods, Environment and Community Safety at Salford City Council, said: “It’s been fantastic to see so many people getting involved in this year’s Great British Spring Clean. Whether it was a few hours with colleagues, a school litter pick, or a community clean-up – every effort has made a difference. I want to say a huge thank you to everyone who gave up their time to help make Salford a cleaner, greener place to live.”

    The Great British Spring Clean may be over, but residents are still encouraged to become a Salford Litter Hero and help keep their local area clean. If you’d like to get involved in future clean-ups or borrow equipment from a Litter Picking Lockers, head to www.salford.gov.uk/litterheroes.

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    Date published
    Friday 11 April 2025

    Press and media enquiries

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Senior councillors set for major update on Elland Road

    Source: City of Leeds

    Senior councillors are to be briefed on a major regeneration vision which could see Leeds United’s iconic Elland Road home become one of the country’s largest football stadiums.

    At a meeting of Leeds City Council’s executive board, members will be updated on a package of ambitious proposals that would transform a key part of south Leeds.

    These include an imminent planning application from Leeds United to increase their famous ground’s capacity to up to 56,500, a move that, if approved, would see it join the ranks of the nation’s elite sporting venues.

    Land immediately surrounding the stadium is owned by Leeds City Council, meaning agreements will need to be in place between the council and the club before any expansion can begin.

    A report to the executive board details the vast potential of the club’s upcoming application in the context of the wider Elland Road area, comprising around 30 acres of council-owned land which could be transformed and regenerated, with billions of pounds of investment then being unlocked.

    With a potential Mass Rapid Transit link for south Leeds, the report outlines a unique opportunity for Elland Road to become a year-round destination, potentially giving a huge boost to the local economy while supporting the council’s broader inclusive growth ambitions.

    As well as the stadium redevelopment, long term plans for the wider south Leeds area include the potential of British Library North at Temple Works, the Holbeck Sports Hub and Heart of Holbeck, which will include the renewal of the local high street, transformation of a local community centre and the delivery of improvements to traditional terraced homes.

    These projects sit alongside existing economic hubs at the White Rose Shopping Centre and White Rose Park.

    At the upcoming meeting, members will be asked to note the huge potential of the Elland Road regeneration project and to approve the start of legal agreements to dispose of council land to Leeds United Football Club, which would be needed for stadium enhancement.

    The executive board will also be asked to approve that the council enter into a Memorandum of Understanding with the Leeds United’s development partner Lowy Family Group.

    Members will be asked to consider an initial period of collaboration with LFG on the wider regeneration potential and strategy for 30 acres of council owned land around the stadium.

    LFG is an investor in the owners of LUFC, 49ers enterprises, and Peter Lowy, one of the principals of LFG, is a board member of the club.

    Members are also being asked to approve steps to refresh the council’s vision for the future regeneration of land adjacent to an expanded stadium, and to prepare for a future public consultation on the proposals, which will enable people in the area to have their say.

    Councillor James Lewis, leader of Leeds City Council, said: “Elland Road and Leeds United are part of the heart and soul of the city, and the club deserves a stadium befitting of its special status and incredible fans.

    “Naturally we’re keen to support this however we can, and to work closely with the club to ensure they are in the best possible position to achieve their ambitions and build a bigger, brighter future for the club, their supporters and sport in the city.

    “From a wider perspective, the regeneration of the Elland Road area also represents one of the city’s most exciting development opportunities for a generation, which would revitalise a huge area of Leeds and potentially bring hundreds of millions of pounds into our local economy.

    “Local residents will be fully consulted throughout the planning process and we’re keen to ensure their voices are heard and that they get the chance to inform the project at each stage.

    “We want to do all that we can to maximise this incredible opportunity and put everything we can in place, including our MoU with the club’s development partner LFG, to facilitate what could represent a genuine game changer for Leeds.”

    The council’s executive board will meet on April 23. For more details and to view a full copy of the report, please visit: South Leeds Regeneration Cover Report 110425.pdf.

    ENDS

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –