Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments
A message to schools and college leaders written by Sir Ian Bauckham, Ofqual’s Chief Regulator.
A message to schools and college leaders detailing important information and resources available for summer exams and assessments.
Source: City of Leeds
Two million spring and summer plants are being potted by a state-of-the-art robot at The Arium, in preparation for being planted across the city.
The Leeds City Council-run garden centre and plant nursery is the largest local authority nursery in the country. Most of the plants they sell are grown in the massive 19,000 square metre glasshouses on the premises, and the site provides flowers and plants to be displayed across Leeds.
How they manage to get millions of plants ready to bring springtime to the city is thanks to the state-of-the-art potting robot that has been in place since 2017. Working wirelessly, the robot lifts young plants from their seed tray and pots them into their final tray in one action.
The plants will soon be in bloom across Leeds in the city’s parks, roundabouts and flowerbeds.
Several hundreds of thousands of plants are also sold to the public at the nursery every year, which is home to a café with a view over the growing space, and a large play area. The play area, very popular with younger visitors, hosts a showstopper castle with a double tower, bridge and multiple levels.
Leeds City Council has been running a plant nursery since 1956, initially at the Red Hall Nursery in Whinmoor. As the nursery’s national reputation grew it helped Leeds become one of the most floral cities in the UK, but this also meant the site reached growing capacity. In October 2017, the site relocated to its new home on the outskirts of Thorner and rebranded as The Arium. They can now keep up with demand from local residents, the city’s own flower displays, as well as grow plants for other local authorities, universities and hospitals.
The glasshouse growing areas are not open to the public, however the site offers guided tours during the last two weeks of April and first week in May, and for two weeks in September. They also host workshops where visitors can learn skills such as designing a hanging basket and making a Christmas wreath.
Councillor Mohammed Rafique, Leeds City Council’s executive member for climate, energy, environment and green space, said: “Leeds is quite unique in having the local authority run a brilliant plant nursery and garden centre, and we are very proud of it. The glasshouses are an impressive sight to behold and I’d recommend booking in for a tour if you get a chance.
“The Arium is a way for people to invest back in their city when they shop for their homes and gardens and that is very special.”
Read more about the Arium at https://www.theariumleeds.co.uk/. To book a guided tour of the glasshouses, email arium@leeds.gov.uk.
ENDS
Source: The Holy See
At 10.30 today, Second Sunday of Easter or Divine Mercy Sunday, on the second day of the Novendiali, a Eucharistic Celebration in memory of the Roman Pontiff Francis was held on the parvis of Saint Peter’s Basilica, presided over by His Eminence Cardinal Pietro Parolin.
On the second day of the Novendiali, a special invitation was extended to the employees and faithful of Vatican City. It was also attended by many teenagers gathered in Rome for the Jubilee dedicated to them. According to official data, approximately 200,000 faithful were present.
The following is the homily delivered by His Eminence Cardinal Pietro Parolin during the course of the Eucharistic Celebration:
Homily of His Eminence Cardinal Pietro Parolin
Dear brothers and sisters,
The risen Jesus appears to his disciples while they are in the Upper Room where they have fearfully shut themselves in, with the doors locked (Jn 20:19). Their state of mind is disturbed and their hearts are full of sadness, because the Master and Shepherd they had followed, leaving everything behind, has been nailed to the cross. They experienced terrible things and feel orphaned, alone, lost, threatened and helpless.
The opening image that the Gospel offers us on this Sunday can also well represent the state of mind of all of us, of the Church, and of the entire world. The shepherd whom the Lord gave to his people, Pope Francis, has ended his earthly life and has left us. The grief at his departure, the sense of sadness that assails us, the turmoil we feel in our hearts, the sense of bewilderment: we are experiencing all of this, like the apostles grieving over the death of Jesus.
Yet, the Gospel tells us that it is precisely in these moments of darkness that the Lord comes to us with the light of the resurrection, to illuminate our hearts. Pope Francis reminded us of this since his election and often repeated it to us, placing at the centre of his pontificate that joy of the Gospel which, as he wrote in Evangelii Gaudium, “fills the hearts and lives of all who encounter Jesus. Those who accept his offer of salvation are set free from sin, sorrow, inner emptiness and loneliness. With Christ joy is constantly born anew” (n. 1).
The joy of Easter, which sustains us in this time of trial and sadness, is something that can almost be touched in this square today; you can see it etched above all in your faces, dear children and young people who have come from all over the world to celebrate the Jubilee. You come from so many places: from all of the dioceses of Italy, from Europe, from the United States to Latin America, from Africa to Asia, from the United Arab Emirates… with you here, the whole world is truly present!
I address a special greeting to you, with the desire to make you feel the embrace of the Church and the affection of Pope Francis, who would have liked to meet you, to look into your eyes, and to pass among you to greet you.
In light of the many challenges you are called to confront – I think, for example, of the technology and artificial intelligence that characterise our age in a particular way – never forget to nourish your lives with the true hope that has the face of Jesus Christ. Nothing will be too great or too challenging with him! With him you will never be alone or abandoned, not even in the worst of times! He comes to meet you where you are, to give you the courage to live, to share your experiences, your thoughts, your gifts, and your dreams. He comes to you in the face of those near or far, a brother and sister to love, to whom you have so much to give and from whom so much to receive, to help you to be generous, faithful and responsible as you move forward in life. He wants to help you to understand what is most valuable in life: the love that encompasses all things and hopes all things (cf. 1 Cor 13:7).
Today, on the Second Sunday of Easter, Dominica in Albis, we celebrate the Feast of Divine Mercy.
It is precisely the Father’s mercy, which is greater than our limitations and calculations, that characterised the Magisterium of Pope Francis and his intense apostolic activity. Likewise the eagerness to proclaim and share God’s mercy with all – the proclamation of the Good News, evangelisation – was the principal theme of his pontificate. He reminded us that “mercy” is the very name of God, and, therefore, no one can put a limit on his merciful love with which he wants to raise us up and make us new people.
It is important to welcome as a precious treasure this principle on which Pope Francis insisted so much. And – allow me to say – our affection for him, which is being manifested in this time, must not remain a mere emotion of the moment; we must welcome his legacy and make it part of our lives, opening ourselves to God’s mercy and also being merciful to one another.
Mercy takes us back to the heart of faith. It reminds us that we do not have to interpret our relationship with God and our being Church according to human or worldly categories. The good news of the Gospel is first and foremost the discovery of being loved by a God who has compassionate and tender feelings for each one of us, regardless of our merits. It also reminds us that our life is woven with mercy: we can only get back up after our falls and look to the future if we have someone who loves us without limits and forgives us. Therefore, we are called to the commitment of living our relationships no longer according to the criteria of calculation or blinded by selfishness, but by opening ourselves to dialogue with others, welcoming those we meet along the way and forgiving their weaknesses and mistakes. Only mercy heals and creates a new world, putting out the fires of distrust, hatred and violence: this is the great teaching of Pope Francis.
Jesus shows us this merciful face of God in his preaching and in the deeds he performs. Furthermore, as we have heard, when he presents himself in the Upper Room after the resurrection, he offers the gift of peace and says: “If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained” (Jn 20:23). Thus, the risen Lord directs his disciples, his Church, to be instruments of mercy for humanity for those willing to accept God’s love and forgiveness. Pope Francis was a shining witness of a Church that bends down with tenderness towards those who are wounded and heals with the balm of mercy. He reminded us that there can be no peace without the recognition of the other, without attention to those who are weaker and, above all, there can never be peace if we do not learn to forgive one another, showing each another the same mercy that God shows us.
Brothers and sisters, precisely on Divine Mercy Sunday we remember our beloved Pope Francis with affection. Indeed, such memories are particularly vivid among the employees and faithful of Vatican City, many of whom are present here, and whom I would like to thank for the service they perform every day. To you, to all of us, to the whole world, Pope Francis extends his embrace from Heaven.
We entrust ourselves to the Blessed Virgin Mary, to whom he was so devoted that he chose to be buried in the Basilica of Saint Mary Major. May she protect us, intercede for us, watch over the Church, and support the journey of humanity in peace and fraternity. Amen.
Source: United Kingdom London Metropolitan Police
Met detectives have named a man who died in a stabbing in south-west London as they charge a man with murder.
Harpal Singh Roopra, 38, died after being found with stab wounds in Ellerman Avenue, Twickenham, at 23:39hrs on Saturday, 26 April.
His family continue to be supported by specially trained officers.
George Luka, 45 (28.12.79), of Ellerman Avenue, Twickenham, was charged on Monday, 28 April with murder. He will appear in custody at Wimbledon Magistrates’ Court later this morning.
Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)
|
Company Announcement No 17/2025 |
Peberlyk 4 6200 Aabenraa Denmark Tel +45 74 37 37 37 Sydbank A/S |
| 28 April 2025 |
Dear Sirs
Sydbank share buyback programme: transactions in week 17
On 26 February 2025 Sydbank announced a share buyback programme of DKK 1,350m. The share buyback programme commenced on 3 March 2025 and will be completed by 31 January 2026.
The purpose of the share buyback programme is to reduce the share capital of Sydbank and the programme is executed in compliance with the provisions of Regulation (EU) No 596/2014 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 16 April 2014 and Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2016/1052 of 8 March 2016, collectively referred to as the Safe Harbour rules.
The following transactions have been made under the share buyback programme:
| Number of shares | VWAP | Gross value (DKK) | |
| Accumulated, most recent Announcement |
563,000 |
233,809,120.00 |
|
| 21 April 2025 (public holiday) 22 April 2025 23 April 2025 24 April 2025 25 April 2025 |
– 18,000 16,000 15,000 15,000 |
– 404.00 414.74 413.21 416.52 |
– 7,272,000.00 6,635,840.00 6,198,150.00 6,247,800.00 |
| Total over week 17 | 64,000 | 26,353,790.00 | |
| Total accumulated during the share buyback programme |
627,000 | 260,162,910.00 |
All transactions were made under ISIN DK 0010311471 and effected by Danske Bank A/S on behalf of Sydbank A/S.
Further information about the transactions, cf Article 5 of Regulation (EU) No 596/2014 of the European Parliament and of the Council on market abuse and Commission delegated regulation, is available in the attachment.
Following the above transactions, Sydbank holds a total of 4,011,289 own shares, equal to 7.34% of the Bank’s share capital.
Yours sincerely
Mark Luscombe Jørn Adam Møller
CEO Deputy Group Chief Executive
Attachment
Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)
Press Release
Atos announces the appointment of Marie de Scorbiac as Head of Investor Relations and CSR
Paris, France – April 28, 2025 – Atos Group today announces the appointment of Marie de Scorbiac as head of investor relations and CSR. Her mission will be to define and implement the Atos Group’s financial reporting strategy and develop its relations with shareholders, investors and financial analysts. She will also oversee Atos’s CSR strategy in favor of a secure and decarbonized digital world, creating sustainable value for all its stakeholders.
Before joining Atos, Marie de Scorbiac was vice president of investor relations, public affairs, sustainability, and group financial planning and analysis. She was notably responsible for investor relations and CSR at Adevinta, the global leader in online classifieds for consumer goods, mobility, real estate and employment.
From 2011 to 2019, Marie de Scorbiac was head of investor relations and financial communication of listed companies in Paris: Areva and then Elior Group.
With a master’s degree in economic and social information from the University of Paris Dauphine, Marie started her career as a financial analyst at Thomson and Deutsche Bank.
Philippe Salle, chairman and chief executive officer of Atos Group, said: “I am delighted to welcome Marie to the Atos Group management team. Her expertise and in-depth knowledge of financial markets will be key in developing and consolidating our relationships with the financial community. I wanted to bring investor relations and CSR under the same department, as I am convinced of the positive impact of Atos’s social and environmental commitment on its long-term performance.”
***
About Atos
Atos is a global leader in digital transformation with c. 74,000 employees and annual revenue of c. € 10 billion. European number one in cybersecurity, cloud and high-performance computing, the Group provides tailored end-to-end solutions for all industries in 68 countries. A pioneer in decarbonization services and products, Atos is committed to a secure and decarbonized digital for its clients. Atos is a SE (Societas Europaea) and listed on Euronext Paris.
The purpose of Atos is to help design the future of the information space. Its expertise and services support the development of knowledge, education and research in a multicultural approach and contribute to the development of scientific and technological excellence. Across the world, the Group enables its customers and employees, and members of societies at large to live, work and develop sustainably, in a safe and secure information space.
Press contact | globalprteam@atos.net
Attachment
Source: United Kingdom – Government Statements
Government to cut school uniform costs for around 4.2 million children, saving families an estimated £73 million per year.
Parents of over four million children are set to benefit from lower school uniform costs, new government analysis has found.
As the government’s landmark Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill proceeds in the House of Lords this week, analysis shows new laws will wipe over £70 million off the cost of uniform for families across the country.
It comes as a new survey shows a third of parents are still worried about uniform costs, with one in five schools said to have actually increased the number of branded items required over the past year.
While currently schools are required to ‘limit’ the number of branded items they require, today’s survey shows almost half are not doing so.
Parents are having to pay £442 on average to kit a child out for secondary school, and £343 for primary school, putting unnecessary financial pressure on families.
To cut those costs for families and break down barriers as part of the government’s Plan for Change, new proposed laws will limit the number of branded, typically more expensive, items schools can require to three – excluding ties.
Lowering uniform costs is just one of the measures in the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill, which will strengthen safeguards for vulnerable children, put more money back in parents’ pockets including through free breakfast clubs, and bring every school up to the standard of the best.
Education Secretary, Bridget Phillipson, said:
Looking smart at school shouldn’t cost the earth, and no parent should be forced to choose between buying family essentials and a school shirt or tie.
Alongside our free breakfast clubs, these new laws will save parents hundreds of pounds a year, and make sure family finances have no bearing on children’s time at school.
This bill is about keeping children safe, saving parents money and bringing every school up to the standard of the best, so we can break down barriers to opportunity and deliver our Plan for Change.
The new uniform laws will save parents £50 a year in their back-to-school shop, which alongside the measure to introduce free breakfast clubs in all schools, will put £500 back into the pockets of parents.
Today’s analysis shows parents of an estimated 4.2 million pupils across 8,000 schools will have more flexibility to choose where they purchase their school uniform with the introduction of the cap.
Uniform can create a sense of identity and pride for pupils but it can also be a source of anxiety and in some cases even impacts school attendance.
Lynn Perry MBE, CEO of Barnardo’s, said:
Barnardo’s welcomes the cap to the number of branded uniform items required by schools. It cannot be right that children are going to school wearing ill-fitted clothes or shoes due to the high cost of uniforms – but, as high prices continue to impact families, it’s yet another essential item that parents are struggling to afford.
We look forward to seeing even bolder action in the upcoming child poverty strategy to tackle the number of children growing up in poverty.
Existing statutory guidance on school uniform means all schools must consider and aim to minimise the cost on parents – but the new cap on branded items will take this even further.
This government is determined to deliver on its Plan for Change to break the link between background and success – because a child’s background should not be what shapes their future.
DfE media enquiries
Central newsdesk – for journalists 020 7783 8300
Source: United Kingdom UK Parliament (video statements)
The Petitions Committee has scheduled a debate relating to the use of dogs in scientific and regulatory procedures.
Irene Campbell MP has been asked by the Committee to open the debate. The Government will send a Minister to respond.
Read the petition:
https://petition.parliament.uk/petitions/705384
Find petitions you agree with, and sign them: https://petition.parliament.uk/
What are petition debates?
Petition debates are ‘general’ debates which allow MPs from all parties to discuss the important issues raised by one or more petitions, and put their concerns to Government Ministers.
Petition debates don’t end with a vote to implement the request of a petition. This means that MPs will not vote on the issues raised in the petition at the end of the debate.
The Petitions Committee can only schedule debates on petitions to parliament started on petition.parliament.uk
Find out more about how petition debates work: https://committees.parliament.uk/committee/326/petitions-committee/content/194347/how-petitions-debates-work/
Stay up-to-date
Follow the Committee on Twitter for real-time updates on its work: https://www.twitter.com/hocpetitions
Thumbnail image ©UK Parliament / Jessica Taylor
Source: Traditional Unionist Voice – Northern Ireland
Mid Ulster TUV submitted the complaint below to the Local Government Ombudsman over the weekend:
Dear Commissioner,
I write to lodge a formal complaint regarding the conduct of Councillor Eugene McConnell, Chairman of Mid Ulster District Council.
I contend that Councillor McConnell breached multiple requirements of the Code of Conduct for Councillors through (i) his attendance at an Easter Republican event commemorating notorious IRA terrorist Jim Lynagh, and (ii) his subsequent use of the chair at a council meeting to suppress legitimate debate and criticism of his conduct.
1. Attendance at an event honouring Jim Lynagh
On Easter Sunday, Councillor McConnell attended an event in Carrickmore, during which he was photographed standing beside a banner commemorating Jim Lynagh.
Photographic evidence is available at the following link: https://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/politics/dup-anger-as-sinn-fein-council-chair-joins-party-leader-in-honouring-notorious-ira-man-jim-lynagh/a1626780166.html. A copy can be supplied if required.
Jim Lynagh was a senior IRA terrorist linked to:
• The murders of Sir Norman Stronge (Stormont Speaker) and his son James Stronge;
• The murders of RUC Reservist William James Clements and Constable George Gilliland;
• The attempted bombing and armed assault on Loughgall RUC station, during which he was killed.
Given this record, Councillor McConnell’s attendance at, and active participation in, a commemoration of Lynagh was wholly incompatible with his duty to act in the public interest, promote good community relations, and uphold respect for all sections of the community.
2. Conduct in the Council Chamber
When the matter of his attendance was raised in the Council Chamber, Councillor McConnell used his position as Chairman to shut down discussion.
I contend that by doing so he:
• Acted in a situation of direct conflict of interest;
• Failed to exercise objectivity or accountability;
• Abused the authority of his role to suppress legitimate criticism.
3. Breaches of the Code of Conduct
I respectfully submit that Councillor McConnell’s conduct breached the following provisions of the Northern Ireland Local Government Code of Conduct for Councillors:
• 3.3 Public Duty: Failed to act in the interests of the community as a whole.
• 3.3 Objectivity: Failed to exercise objective judgement, particularly when presiding over discussion relating to his own actions.
• 3.3 Accountability: Avoided proper accountability for his conduct by preventing debate.
• 3.3 Leadership: Damaged public trust and confidence in his office and in Mid Ulster District Council.
• 3.3 Equality: Failed to show respect for all sections of the community, especially victims of IRA terrorism and those with different political views.
• 3.3 Promoting Good Relations: His actions were not conducive to fostering respect, equality, and trust.
Further, I request that the Commissioner formally investigate breaches of the following Rules of General Conduct:
4.1(b), 4.2, 4.5, 4.8, 4.10, 4.11, 4.12, 4.13, and 4.14.
4. Conclusion
In view of the seriousness of the issues raised, I respectfully request that this complaint be fully investigated and that appropriate action be taken if breaches of the Code are found.
Yours faithfully,
Glenn Moore
Traditional Unionist Voice (TUV)
Source: United Kingdom London Metropolitan Police
Detectives investigating the murder of Michael O’Donnell in Southall have charged a man.
The 66-year-old was found dead after officers were called to a residential property in Samara Drive at 10:56hrs on Wednesday, 23 April.
A 54-year-old man arrested in connection with the incident has now been charged.
Christopher Donnelly, 54 (11.04.71), of Samara Drive, Southall, was charged on Sunday, 27 April with murder and fraud by false representation.
He will appear in custody at Westminster Magistrates Court on Monday, 28 April.
A 28-year-old woman who was arrested on suspicion of murder has been bailed pending further enquiries.
Michael’s family continue to be supported by officers and have been informed of this development.
Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)
EXOSENS DELIVERS STRONG REVENUE GROWTH IN Q1 2025 IN A DYNAMIC DEFENSE MARKET ENVIRONMENT
FULLY ON TRACK TO 2025 GUIDANCE
HIGHLIGHTS
OUTLOOK
Mérignac (France), 28 April 2025 – Exosens (EXENS; FR001400Q9V2), a high-tech company focused on providing mission and performance-critical amplification, detection and imaging technologies, today publishes its revenue and adjusted gross margin for the first quarter of 2025.
“After a very successful 2024, which marked a turning point in our trajectory and saw us exceed our IPO guidance, we are proud to start 2025 with a strong Q1 performance, confirming the positive momentum across our core markets. Regarding our Defense-related activities, demand remains high amid increasing geopolitical tensions and sustained investment from NATO countries and Tier-1 allies. This solid start of the year demonstrates the strength of our positioning and our ability to execute. Amplification continues to be a key growth engine, supported by accelerating demand and increased capacity, while our Detection & Imaging segment is on track to deliver solid like-for-like growth, progressively improving over the course of the year.
Supported by strong fundamentals , and solid operational performance, we are fully confident in our ability to deliver our 2025 objectives and continue creating long-term value for all stakeholders.” commented Jérôme Cerisier, CEO of Exosens.
Strong revenue performance in Q1 2025 in a dynamic defense market environment
| Q1 2024 | Q1 2025 | Change | Like-for-like | ||
| In €m | In €m | In €m | In % | In % | |
| Amplification | 63.3 | 81.7 | +18.4 | +29.1% | +29.3% |
| Detection & Imaging | 24.2 | 24.0 | (0.2) | (1.0)% | (13.0)% |
| Eliminations & Other | (0.8) | (0.7) | +0.1 | n/a | n/a |
| Total revenue | 86.7 | 104.9 | +18.3 | +21.1% | +18.0% |
Exosens delivered strong revenue performance in Q1 2025, demonstrating its ability to continue its sustained growth trajectory. Consolidated revenue amounted to €104.9 million, which represented a growth of +21.1% (+€18.3 million) compared to Q1 2024. On a like-for-like basis, revenue grew by +18.0% year-over-year, driven by continued strong momentum in Defense end-markets.
Amplification revenue amounted to €81.7 million in Q1 2025, marking a significant growth of +29.1% (+€18.4 million) compared to Q1 2024, reflecting higher sales volumes due to increased production capacity and growing demand of image intensifier tubes for Defense night vision applications.
Reflecting this dynamic market environment, Exosens has continued benefiting from its position as the strategic supplier of NATO and Tier-1 allies, which have continued to ramp up their procurement of night vision systems on the back of the need for armies to enhance their night fighting capabilities. This positive trend was particularly noticeable in Europe with a number of major business wins, notably in Eastern and Northern Europe.
Detection and Imaging revenue amounted to €24.0 million in Q1 2025, representing a small decline of -1.0% compared to Q1 2024. The first semester revenue contribution for Detection & Imaging is typically lower due to seasonality. On a like-for-like basis, D&I revenue was down -13.0% (-€3.1 million), mainly due to Telops, the Group’s Canadian-based imaging system business. Telops was temporarily impacted by US tariff uncertainties and reductions in federal science funding, which resulted in softer demand from US customers, as well as by delays in securing certain export licenses. Excluding Telops, D&I revenue grew by around +16% year-over-year and was broadly stable on a like-for-like basis.
Exosens continued to see robust demand across its key high-growth markets, particularly in Nuclear and Defense & Surveillance.
The Group expects D&I like-for-like growth to resume and accelerate throughout the remainder of the 2025 fiscal year, supported by solid underlying end-market trends.
On the M&A front, Exosens closed on 13thMarch 2025 the acquisition of Noxant, a specialist in high-performance cooled infrared cameras. Noxant’s range of high-performance MWIR cooled camera cores provides complementary capabilities that meet the increasing demand for advanced infrared solutions, particularly for drone-based Defense and Surveillance applications where camera integration is required. Meaningful synergies are expected with Exosens’ imaging business leveraging its technologies portfolio and worldwide commercial reach.
The Group has started Noxant’s integration process, which is expected to be finalized by end-June. Q1 2025 revenue and adjusted gross margin do not include any contribution from this acquisition.
Otherwise, the closing of the acquisition of NVLS, a specialist in man-portable night vision and thermal devices, is expected to occur during Q2 2025, pending customary clearances and approvals.
Adjusted gross margin up +28.1% in Q1 2025
| Q1 2024 | Q1 2025 | Change | ||||
| In €m | % of sales | In €m | % of sales | In €m | In % | |
| Amplification | 29.2 | 46.2% | 40.8 | 49.9% | +11.6 | +39.5% |
| Detection & Imaging | 11.8 | 48.9% | 11.8 | 49.3% | (0.0) | (0.1)% |
| Eliminations & Other | 0.0 | n/a | 0.0 | n/a | n/a | n/a |
| Adjusted gross margin | 41.1 | 47.4% | 52.6 | 50.1% | +11.5 | +28.1% |
Exosens recorded a strong increase in adjusted gross margin at Group level, mainly driven by higher sales volumes, improved yields and favorable product mix. The Group’s adjusted gross margin stood at €52.6 million in Q1 2025, reflecting a growth of +28.1% (+€11.5 million) compared to Q1 2024. As a percentage of consolidated revenue, adjusted gross margin was 50.1% in Q1 2025, representing an improvement of 270 basis points year-on-year.
Adjusted gross margin for the Amplification segment reached €40.8 million in Q1 2025, recording a growth of +39.5% (+€11.6 million) compared to Q1 2024. Margin rate increased by 370 basis points to 49.9% in Q1 2025, driven by the strong growth in sales volume with increased production capacity, improved yields and favorable product mix.
Adjusted gross margin for the Detection and Imaging segment amounted to €11.8 million in Q1 2025, stable compared to Q1 2024. Margin rate improved by 50 basis points to 49.3% in Q1 2025, despite lower revenue, driven by better yields, effective cost control, and supply chain synergies.
Evolution of corporate governance
The Board of Directors of Exosens, at its meeting on 25 April 25, proposed to the upcoming annual combined General Meeting on 23 May to appoint Bpifrance Investissement as a director.
This nomination of Bpifrance Investissement, represented by Ms. Dorianne Bonfils as permanent representative, for a seat on the Board of Directors is aligned with Bpifrance Participations’ increased investment in Exosens’ share capital.
Following the exercise of the call option on Exosens shares granted by HLD as part of Exosens’ IPO, Bpifrance Participations acquired an additional 2.7% stake in the share capital and voting rights on 25 April 2025 and now ranks as Exosens’ second-largest shareholder, holding 7.2% of the share capital and voting rights, behind the HLD Group.
At its meeting on 25 April 2025, the Board of Directors, following the recommendation of Exosens’ Nominations and Compensation Committee, and after evaluating its independence according to the AFEP-MEDEF code criteria, confirmed Bpifrance Investissement’s status as an independent director, should it be appointed by the Company’s General Meeting.
Outlook for 2025 and the 2024-2026 period confirmed
Exosens expects a continued strong performance in 2025, with revenue growth in the high-teens and adjusted EBITDA growth in the low twenties compared to 2024.
The Group expects a high-teens 2024-2026 adjusted EBITDA CAGR and a cash conversion1ratio in the range of 70%-75% over the period, taking into account capacity investment in Europe and in the US.
Furthermore, the Group intends to pursue its growth strategy, at a pace consistent with historical trend, while maintaining a leverage ratio2of around 2x.
Financial calendar
About Exosens
Exosens is a high‐tech company, with more than 85 years of experience in the innovation, development, manufacturing and sale of high‐end electro‐optical technologies in the field of amplification, detection and imaging. Today, it offers its customers detection components and solutions such as travelling wave tubes, advanced cameras, neutron & gamma detectors, instrument detectors and light intensifier tubes. This allows Exosens to respond to complex issues in extremely demanding environments by offering tailor‐made solutions to its customers. Thanks to its sustained investments, Exosens is internationally recognized as a major innovator in optoelectronics, with production and R&D carried out on 11 sites, in Europe and North America, and with over 1,800 employees. Exosens is listed on compartment A of the regulated market of Euronext Paris ﴾Ticker: EXENS – ISIN: FR001400Q9V2﴿. Exosens is a member of Euronext Tech Leaders segment and is also included in several indices, including the SBF 120, CAC All-Tradable, CAC Mid 60, FTSE Total Cap and MSCI France Small Cap. For more information: www.exosens.com.
Investor relations
Laurent Sfaxi, l.sfaxi@exosens.com
Media relations
Brunswick Group, exosens@brunswickgroup.com
APPENDIX
Definitions
Like-for-like growth is the revenue growth achieved by the Group excluding currency impact and scope effect, which corresponds to the revenue recorded during period “n” by all the companies included in the Group’s scope of consolidation at the end of period “n-1” (excluding any contribution from the companies acquired after the end of period “n-1”), compared with revenue achieved during period “n-1” by the same companies. Like-for-like growth for the first quarter of 2025 therefore excludes the contribution of Centronic and LR Tech, acquired by the Group in July 2024 and September 2024, respectively.
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Attachment
Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments
A study published in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine looks at ultra-processed foods (UPFs) and premature mortality.
Prof Nita Forouhi, Professor of Population Health and Nutrition, MRC Epidemiology Unit, University of Cambridge, said:
“There are limitations to this paper, including the points the authors themselves raised. Nonetheless, evidence on the ‘health harms of UPF’ are accumulating and this paper does add to that body of evidence, and UPFs are unlikely to be healthful.
“We already know that correlation does not necessarily mean causation. But well conducted observational studies with long term prospective cohort data are often the best we are going to get realistically; we will not get randomised controlled trials (RCTs) of behaviours awaiting death or chronic disease events, and RCTs have their own biases and limitations, particularly for behavioural factors (different to taking medication vs placebo studies). So we should not ignore such findings, especially as the current research has reported consistently similar associations in several countries which increases the degree of confidence.
“In addition to the 8 countries they included for their population attributable fraction (PAF) estimates (Australia, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Mexico, UK, USA), it would have been useful if they had also included the countries that provided the results on associations of UPFs with mortality but were not included (e.g. France, Italy, Spain).”
Prof Kevin McConway, Emeritus Professor of Applied Statistics, Open University, said:
“I’d be pretty cautious about the details and specific numerical estimates in this paper, for reasons I’ll explain. Also, some of the terminology in the paper and the press release appears, in my opinion, much more definite about what’s causing what than the evidence in the paper merits. That’s partly because some of the technical wording, even though it’s standard in this kind of research, doesn’t mean quite the same as it means in ordinary English.
“The problems of interpretation arise because the studies involved are observational, but they go further than that. The researchers have to make mathematical assumptions about exactly how UPF consumption is correlated with mortality risk, and even though they base these assumptions on data, there is at least one issue (described later). And in calculating what’s known as the attributable epidemiological burden, or population attributable fraction, of UPF consumptions, the researchers may appear to be making a simple comparison, but in fact it’s a lot more complicated than you might think.
“The data that the paper draws on for its conclusions, about consumption of UPFs and mortality, is all observational. The researchers are not reporting any new data here – they are taking data from previous studies, and population estimates for the countries concerned, and putting it all together. Nothing at all wrong with that – in fact in general it’s a good idea to review studies of the same things from different times and places, to see what overall picture emerges.
“The seven studies that the authors of this paper used, to find an overall pooled estimate of the association between UPF consumption and all-cause mortality, are all themselves observational. Again there’s nothing wrong with that – it’s pretty difficult, indeed impossible in most cases, to do a study linking diet to long-term health outcomes that is not observational. Such a study would have to allocate different individuals to different diets, and somehow ensure that they stuck to these diets for many years. So instead, researchers record what people eat, and then follow them up for a long time and record if and when they die.
“This all means that it’s impossible, for any one study like that, to be sure whether differences in mortality between people who consume different UPF amounts are actually caused by differences in their UPF consumption. There are bound to be many other differences between groups who consume different UPF amounts, in terms of other details of their diet, their lifestyle, their economic position, their sex and age, and so on. These differences might be, in part or in whole, the reason for the differences in the risk of early death. In other words, each individual study can find a correlation, an association, but can’t say for sure whether the association between UPF consumption and mortality is one of cause and effect. It might be, or it might not.
“The researchers in each of the studies reviewed in this new paper obviously are aware of this, and they all made statistical adjustments to allow for differences in other factors (though in different ways in different studies). But that doesn’t make the problem disappear – you still can’t be sure from any study of this kind exactly what’s causing what.
“The fact that the new paper puts together data from seven different observational studies does again help somewhat with the issue of what’s causing what, but it can’t deal with it entirely. There have been many criticisms of interpretation of observational studies involving UPFs and health outcomes, some of them on the basis that UPFs are defined in rather different ways by different writers, or on the grounds that the mechanisms by which UPFs might actually cause ill health haven’t been established clearly enough.
“I’m certainly not saying that there is no association between UPF consumption and ill health – just that it’s still far from clear whether consumption of just any UPF at all is bad for health, or of what aspect of UPFs might be involved.
“Then there are particular aspects of this new study that make the interpretation more complicated than it would be for other observational studies of UPFs and health.
“The authors begin by estimating the nature of the association between the consumption of UPFs and the risk of premature death. That is, they aren’t just trying to see whether high levels of UPF consumption are correlated with higher mortality. They want to know something more precise – exactly how much does the risk of dying increase, for every additional 10 per cent of a person’s calorie intake that comes from UPFs. (Again, no assumption here that the increase in risk is all caused by UPFs.) That sounds fine, but it involves assuming a particular mathematical form for the association (in the light of the data).
“After that, the authors use the estimate of that association between UPF consumption and risk of early death to calculate estimates of the population fraction of premature deaths (ages 30-69) attributable to UPF consumption, for 8 different countries including the UK. They use that to calculate estimates of the number of additional deaths in each of the 8 countries attributable to UPF consumption, and some of those numbers look pretty large.
“This is done by taking data on the number of people in different groups (defined by age and sex) in each country. This is then used to calculate how many would be expected to die at current levels of UPF consumption (using data from the estimate of the association between UPF consumption and premature death in all the studies that were put together in the first part of the work, so not just for the UK for example). Finally this is compared with the number that would be expected to die in a theoretical population where nobody consumes (or ever consumed) UPFs. No such population exists, not in a whole country, so this calculation has to be based on a statistical model. Then the deaths attributable to UPF consumption is the difference between these two expected numbers of deaths.
“What this sounds like, for the UK in 2018-19 for example, is that there would have been almost 18,000 fewer deaths of people aged between 30 and 69, if nobody in the country had consumed any UPFs (ever). However, that’s very far from the whole story, for a lot of reasons.
“First, it doesn’t mean that, because the studies involved are observational, and as the authors of the new paper rightly point out, there could be factors that could not be adjusted for in the original studies, that are involved in causes of early death. That’s why it’s called a population attributable fraction, rather than something even more definite, like population fraction caused by UPFs. Technically, it can’t mean that we know we could save those lives just by changing UPF consumption.
“But it’s deeper than that. There isn’t a whole population in the UK or in the other seven countries in the study, where nobody ever consumed any UPFs. So the comparison is being made between an estimate for current UPF consumption levels and an estimate for a theoretical population that can’t exist. Even if somehow all UPFs were banned today, it would take many decades before there was a population where nobody had ever consumed UPFs.
“And even if somehow we did get to that position, well, people have to eat something, and if they aren’t getting their calories from UPFs, they would need to get them from something else. They might well not get them all in the same way that people who consume very few UPFs do today. We just can’t tell.
“So it’s not the case that we could save 18,000 premature deaths annually in the UK by taking action to reduce UPF consumption. This doesn’t mean that taking such actions wouldn’t reduce early deaths – just that we can’t tell how much the reduction might be, or when it would occur, or how much longer the individuals concerned might have lived – not from the calculations in this paper.
“I have some other concerns.
“Several of the authors of the new paper collaborated on a previous paper, published in 2023 (reference 17 in the new paper, which is the reference given for the model used in the new paper for estimates of attributable deaths). The 2023 paper uses similar methodology to make an estimate of the premature deaths attributable to UPFs in Brazil in 2019. This uses similar data on the association between UPF consumption and premature mortality, from a systematic review and meta-analysis, to what’s used in the new paper, except that there are three additional studies reviewed in the new paper. The estimate is only for Brazil, and is 57,000 deaths in a year. The estimate for Brazil in the new paper is just over 25,000 deaths in a year.
“The big difference between the 2023 and the 2025 estimates for Brazil seems to be very largely because of a different assumption made in the two papers about the mathematical form of the association between UPF consumption and death risk. (In the jargon, they use a log-linear model in the 2023 paper but a linear model in the 2025 paper.) The new estimate is based on more data from more countries – but the big difference does emphasise the importance of mathematical modelling assumptions. Data can throw light on what assumptions are appropriate, but don’t tie things down very firmly at all in a situation like this.
“Finally, the systematic review and meta-analysis in the new paper is missing some of the technical details that one normally sees in this kind of work. The paper is very unclear on how the researchers chose the studies they included in their review, which after all drives all the estimates of attributable deaths. The authors write that studies were selected ‘on the basis of recently published systematic reviews’. That’s not normally the way it’s done, and in any case three of the included studies were not mentioned in the systematic reviews that are referred to in the new paper. I don’t know where the researchers got them. They may well be perfectly respectable studies – I haven’t had time to look at them – but really the authors of the new paper should have been much clearer about what they were doing, if we are to be confident about their conclusions. Also it’s usual in a systematic review to give some assessment of the quality of the research studies that were included, and that just isn’t done here. None of this increases trust in how the work was done.”
Dr Nerys Astbury, Associate Professor – Diet & Obesity, Nuffield Department of Primary Health Care Sciences, University of Oxford, said:
“Here Nilson and colleagues report findings from a study reporting associations between consumption of Ultra Processed Foods (UPF), defined by the NOVA classification system, and premature mortality.
“This study combines evidence on dietary intake of UPF from Columbia, Brazil, Australia, Canda, United Kingdom and USA and reports that for each 10% increase in proportion of UPF in the diet there was a 3% increase in all-cause mortality. The authors then used a mathematical formula to estimate the population attributable fraction, which is an estimate of the number of deaths which could be prevented if the exposure (consumption of UPF) was eliminated. It is important to note this does not mean that these deaths were caused by UPF consumption. The methods of this study simply cannot determine this.
“It’s been established for some time including in the Global Burden of Disease Consortium that consuming diets higher in energy, fat and sugar can have detrimental effects on health, including premature mortality. This study adds to the body of evidence on the association between UPF and ill health and disease. However, many UPF tend to be high in these nutrients, and studies to date have been unable to determine with certainty whether the effects of UPF are independent of the already established effects of diets high in foods which are energy dense and contain large amounts of fat and sugar.
“The authors of the study conclude that advice to reduce UPF consumption should be included in national dietary guideline recommendations and in public policies. However, rushing to add recommendations on UPF to these recommendations is not warranted based on this study in my opinion. Many national dietary guidelines and recommendations already advise the reduction of consumption of energy dense high-fat high-sugar foods, which typically fall into the UPF group. Adding additional recommendations based on UPF could cause consumer confusion – some foods may be considered unhealthy by nutrient standards, but not so by NOVA classification (and vice versa).
“This study and other similar studies that have explored the association between UPF and diet related disease, have used the NOVA classification system invented by Dr Carlos Monteiro (an author on this paper). In my view the NOVA system which defines foods according to different levels of food processing has many limitations, including arbitrary definitions and overly broad food categories, the over-emphasis of food ingredients opposed to the processing per se and the difficult practical application of the system in accurately classifying foods. This is especially notable when attempting to classify foods from dietary data collected in large cohort studies, as in this study.
“More research is needed to ascertain a causal link between UPF and disease and to establish the mechanisms involved.”
Dr Stephen Burgess, statistician in the MRC Biostatistics Unit, University of Cambridge, said:
“This study assesses observational associations rather than interventions, and so it is not able to make reliable causal claims. That is to say, it shows that individuals who consume higher levels of ultraprocessed foods have greater risk of premature mortality, rather than showing that increasing your consumption of ultraprocessed foods would increase your mortality risk. However, the similarity of findings across populations is notable, as consistent associations were seen in a variety of contexts, including those where high consumption of ultraprocessed foods is a sign of relative wealth and those where it is a sign of relative deprivation. This type of research cannot prove that consumption of ultraprocessed foods is harmful, but it does provide evidence linking consumption with poorer health outcomes. It is possible that the true causal risk factor is not ultraprocessed foods, but a related risk factor such as better physical fitness – and ultraprocessed foods is simply an innocent bystander. But, when we see these associations replicated across many countries and cultures, it raises suspicion that ultraprocessed foods may be more than a bystander.”
‘Premature Mortality Attributable to Ultraprocessed Food Consumption in 8 Countries’ by Eduardo A.F. Nilson et al. was published in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine at 05:05 UK time on Monday 28 April 2025.
DOI: 10.1016/j.amepre.2025.02.018
Declared interests
Prof Nita Forouhi: “No conflicts of interest to declare.”
Prof Kevin McConway: “Previously a Trustee of the SMC and a member of its Advisory Committee.”
Dr Nerys Astbury: “No conflicts.”
Dr Stephen Burgess: “No relevant conflict of interest to declare.”
Translation. Region: Russian Federal
Source: Novosibirsk State University – Novosibirsk State University –
A graduate gave an open public lecture “Novosibirsk residents to the front” at Novosibirsk State University Humanitarian Institute of NSU, Honorary Archivist of the Russian Federation, Leading Archivist of the State Archives of the Novosibirsk Region Igor Samarin. He spoke about the creation of the 133rd Rifle (later the 18th Guards Insterburg) Division in Novosibirsk in 1939 and its combat path during the Great Patriotic War, as well as about the formation of the 1st Siberian Volunteer Division. It was in its ranks that Mikhail Perevozchikov, Olga Zhilina, Boris Bogatkov, whose names are given to streets in Novosibirsk, fought.
“Breakthrough Division”
This is what the 133rd Rifle Division (later the 18th Guards Insterburg) was called during the Great Patriotic War. The division covered itself with unfading glory in the Battle of Moscow in late 1941 – early 1942, in the Rzhev-Sychevka offensive operation, in the Oryol and Vitebsk-Orsha offensive operations, in the East Prussian offensive operation, as a result of which the city of Insterburg and the city of Koenigsberg, considered impregnable, were captured. The “breakthrough division” ended its combat path by capturing the seaport – the Pillau fortress.
The 133rd separate rifle division was formed in the military town of Novosibirsk in 1939 according to the order of the Military Council of the Siberian Military District dated September 8. It was formed on the basis of the 78th and 71st rifle divisions and their assigned personnel, living in the settlements of Altai and Siberia.
— The division’s fighters received the news of the beginning of the Great Patriotic War at the summer camps in the vicinity of Biysk, where they were training. Early in the morning of June 22, 1941, there was a parade dedicated to the opening of military training. After the parade, sports competitions began. They were interrupted by a government radio message about the attack of Nazi Germany on the Soviet Union. After 2-3 hours, rallies were held in all regiments. And the next day, by order of the Siberian Military District command, all personnel of the 133rd Division regiments returned to winter quarters. Only one day was allocated for training to be sent to the front. At night, the fighters received combat equipment. In 24 hours, ammunition, weapons, camouflage, draft power and transport were collected, — said Igor Samarin.
The division was immediately thrown into defensive battles near Moscow, which went into a counteroffensive by winter. On July 5, 1941, the 2nd Battalion of the 133rd Division arrived at the destination station of Vyazma. After a long march, the battalion occupied a defensive line on the Dnieper River. The battalion was advanced by the lead detachment 70 km. On July 7, 1941, the 133rd Division, having unloaded at Vyazma station and joined the 24th Army, moved to the concentration area and took up defensive positions on the eastern bank of the Dnieper River. From July 10, it participated in the Battle of Smolensk.
On September 1, 1941, by order of the General Command, the 133rd Rifle Division was transferred to the Velikiye Luki direction, to the area of the city of Andreapol in the Kalinin region, where it became part of the 22nd Army of Major General V.A. Yushkevich. Two days later, units of the 133rd Rifle Division, having arrived in the concentration area of the Soblago-Pena station, went out to occupy a new line of defense. The division fought fierce battles in the area of Mosty, Vitbino, Zhabero, Okhvat, where, having inflicted significant damage on the enemy, it delayed his advance from the eastern side. In this area, it advanced 10-12 km through fighting and liberated about 20 settlements. And on September 30, 1941, the great battle of Moscow began. It is divided into two periods: defensive (September 30 – December 4, 1941) and counteroffensive (December 5–6, 1941 – January 7–8, 1942), which then grew into a general offensive of our troops in the Western (Moscow), Northwestern and Southwestern directions (January 7–10 – April 20, 1942).
In January – early March 1942, the 133rd Rifle Division fought as part of the 49th Army. As a result of battles and offensive actions, units of the division liberated 88 settlements.
On March 17, 1942, for the heroism, discipline and exemplary performance of combat missions in the fight against German fascism, the 133rd Separate Rifle Division was transformed into the 18th Guards Rifle Division by order of the People’s Commissar of Defense of the USSR No. 78 of March 17, 1942, and on May 3 of the same year, by Decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet, the division was awarded the Order of the Red Banner for successful combat operations against the Nazi invaders.
From March 20, 1942 to February 9, 1943, the division fought heavy defensive battles on the 15 km long Sukov line (the villages of Novo-Sukovka and Sukovka), nicknamed “Little Sevastopol”.
Igor Samarin illustrated the story of the combat path of the “Breakthrough Division” with a vivid presentation with pictures of priceless archival documents and frontline photographs. Among them is the division’s combat log, which, in addition to the advances of the combat unit and the awards received by the soldiers and commanders, also contains information about losses. In January 1942 alone, the division, numbering 12-13 thousand people, lost 2,725 soldiers and officers, in February – 2,534, and in March – 4,314.
— At that time, positional warfare was being waged on this section of the front. There was no large-scale offensive or large-scale defense, but there were fierce battles — the so-called “trench warfare.” The division’s fighters drew off enemy forces that, under other conditions, could have replenished the enemy army rushing to Moscow. If “trench warfare” had not been waged on some sections of the front, there would have been no decisive attacks and breakthroughs on others. However, this division participated not only in heavy positional battles, otherwise it would not have been called a “breakthrough division.” It had many heroic attacks and assaults on enemy fortifications, but its most striking feat was the capture of Königsberg. Not only does this city stand on a hill, it is also surrounded by high medieval fortress walls. An impregnable stronghold. But our fighters did what seemed impossible, — explained Igor Samarin.
Photographs and documents from the State Archives of the Novosibirsk Region contain evidence of the exploits of the fighters of the “Breakthrough Division”. The lecturer showed the audience photo portraits of its heroes. Among them was Private Ikram Tashmetov, who initiated the sniper movement in the division and personally destroyed 105 fascists – an enemy company – in 9 months. Another sniper, Sergeant Ivan Saenko, destroyed 240 German soldiers and officers from February 1942 until the end of the war. This fact is confirmed by a certificate issued to him by the commander of the unit in which he served his military career.
The grandson of the legendary hero of the civil war Vasily Chapaev, Alexander, also served in the division as an artillery squad commander. His photo was published in a front-line newspaper, which has been preserved in the archives to this day.
A photo of the orchestra of the 18th Guards Rifle Division has also survived. At the beginning of the war, the divisional orchestra consisted of 30 people and was led by Mikhail Kazakov. Three regimental brigades were created on the basis of the divisional orchestra, which operated directly on the front line. They gave concerts in dugouts and bunkers, even if there were only 10-15 spectators and the performances took place in several stages. The repertoire of the divisional orchestra was not limited to bravura marches. It was wide and varied, including classical works.
The division also had its own newspaper, “Defense of the Motherland,” and printed leaflets. It even had its own artist, Ivan Titkov. His pencil drawings have been perfectly preserved to this day. The subjects were varied: our soldiers on the offensive, on defense, on reconnaissance, during rest hours, and captured enemy soldiers.
Volunteers
The 1st Siberian Volunteer Division of Siberian Warriors was created in July 1942 on the initiative of the Novosibirsk Regional Committee of the All-Union Communist Party (Bolsheviks). Subsequently, it was named the 150th Rifle Division, then became the 22nd Guards Riga Division. It was in this famous division that our fellow countrymen fought, after whom streets in Novosibirsk are named – Mikhail Perevozchikov, Olga Zhilina, Boris Bogatkov.
— In the summer of 1942, the enemy was still strong and was gathering new forces for an offensive on the Caucasus, Moscow, and Stalingrad. In these conditions, volunteer divisions began to form in many regions of our country. Novosibirsk Oblast was no exception. This initiative was formalized and sent to Joseph Stalin. His consent was received a few days later, on July 2. And already on July 4, the first application was submitted. And by July 7, there were already 2,723 of them. By July 22, 5,410 privates and 715 junior officers were accepted into the volunteer division, and another 984 people from the regular junior staff arrived. In total, the division at that time numbered 7,179 soldiers and junior officers. And the recruitment of volunteers did not end there, — said Igor Samarin.
The first commander of the division was Nikolai Guz. The lecturer showed the audience a unique document – his award sheet for the Order of the Red Banner, stored in the Central Archive of the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation, and said that Nikolai Olimpievich was an outstanding officer. He commanded the 345th Rifle Division, which participated in the defense of Sevastopol (the division was completely destroyed, but the banner was saved), was the commander of the 150th Rifle Volunteer Division named after Stalin, and then the 22nd Guards Rifle Division and the 338th Rifle Division. Cavalier of the Order of the Red Banner and the Order of the Patriotic War, 1st degree.
— The party leadership of the Novosibirsk region was given the task of not just creating a volunteer division, but also providing it with comprehensive assistance and replenishment. That it would fully assist and replenish it, which was done with great dedication and efficiency, — noted Igor Samarin.
Among the volunteers was Mikhail Perevozchikov. Since he was the secretary of the Novosibirsk regional committee of the Komsomol, he had a deferment, but nevertheless, Mikhail Georgievich persistently sought to get to the front. He went to the front as a volunteer and died in a fierce battle with the fascists near the city of Bely on November 25, 1942, repelling an enemy tank attack. A street in the Zaeltsovsky district of Novosibirsk is named after him.
One of the streets in the Central District of Novosibirsk is named after Olga Zhilina, who was one of the first girls to apply to be included in the 22nd Volunteer Division.
— The life of this amazing woman is shrouded in mystery. The exact date of her birth is unknown, only the year — 1914. Olga Vasilievna was born in Kolyvan, and as a child, she lost her parents and was taken into the care of her aunts, who took her to Novosibirsk. Today, employees of the State Archives of the Novosibirsk Region have tried to establish her date of birth. To do this, they turned to the registers of Orthodox churches in Kolyvan. From 1914, only two churches out of three that existed at that time have preserved registers. Olga Zhilina’s birth and baptism were not recorded in them. The third register could not be found, — the lecturer said.
Olga graduated from high school, studied at the workers’ faculty, but did not graduate. For some time she worked as a saleswoman in a store, and then mysteriously ended up in the personnel department of the regional party committee. Then – in the personnel department of the NKVD administration for the Novosibirsk region, and then she even headed the military department in the Central district party committee. In addition, Olga Zhilina was engaged in shooting, showing excellent results, was fond of sports, ran cross-country, and studied German. She, like Mikhail Perevozchikov, also had an “iron” exemption, but nevertheless, she preferred to take nursing courses and become a front-line medical instructor.
During her two years at the front as a medical battalion instructor, Olga Zhilina suffered eight wounds, carrying the wounded out of the heaviest battles. At the same time, she was also a sniper and has killed enemy soldiers and officers.
On October 8, 1944, in the area of the village of Bumbieri near Riga, she carried 17 wounded soldiers out of a burning barn set on fire by the Nazis. She was mortally wounded there. But even here there were mysteries. Later, an eyewitness to these events was found. The woman said that Olga Zhilina came out of the ill-fated barn alive, but with two wounds. She refused to have her wounds bandaged. Then they went together to the front line to carry the wounded from the battlefield. And it was there that Olga Vasilyevna was killed.
Olga Zhilina received 4 military awards for her military exploits, including the Order of the Red Star, the Order of the Red Banner, the Medal for Military Merit, and the Order of the Patriotic War, 1st degree, posthumously.
The young Novosibirsk poet Boris Bogatkov also fought in the 22nd Siberian Volunteer Division. His poems began to be published in 1940 in the magazine “Sibirskie Ogni”. In 1941, he volunteered for the front, but after a concussion he was evacuated to Novosibirsk. In 1942, despite the doctors’ prohibitions, he returned to the front. He died a year later in the Smolensk region, raising his platoon to attack. According to eyewitnesses, at that moment his platoon was going at the enemy with his song. He was only 20 years old.
Boris Bogatkov was posthumously awarded the Order of the Patriotic War, 1st class. A street, school and library in Novosibirsk are named after him.
“Novosibirsk residents to the front”
Novosibirsk residents made a significant contribution to the Victory in the Great Patriotic War not only on the battlefields, but also in the deep rear. They provided assistance to the residents of Leningrad – they sent trains with butter, clothes, food and everything necessary.
– “Novosibirsk Komsomolets” – the so -called columns of tanks and squadrons of planes, and there were six of them. The State Archive of the Novosibirsk Region stores amazing documents-signature sheets on raising funds for the construction of the second squadron “Novosibirsk Komsomolets” among students of grades 2-3 of schools of the Suzunsky district. Children gave their pocket money, saying about adults who donated their savings. There are cases when people who were awarded the Stalin Prize, all of it were given to the defense fund without a trace, or sent to the construction of the Novosibirsk Komsomolets air squadron or “for their homeland!”. Industrial enterprises, collective farms, state farms, various labor collectives participated in financing the construction of combat aircraft and tanks. Also, 24 guards mortars of BM-13 Katyusha were built at the expense of the workers, which were transferred to the 4th Guards mortar Sevastopol Regiment, over which our region took patronage. The submarine “Novosibirsk Komsomolets” was also completed with folk money. The construction of the submarine began before the war, and it was intended to be sent to the Black Sea Fleet, but for some reason the work was discontinued. The Novosibirsk made an initiative to raise money to complete the construction and proposed transferring the submarine to the Northern Fleet. With the assistance of the Komsomol regional committee and a large -scale response by the population, the necessary amount was collected. The submarine was completed, the name “Novosibirsk Komsomolets” was given to her and sent by rail to the Northern Fleet base to the city of Polar. The delegation of the Novosibirsk Komsomol members was present on August 10, 1943 at a rally on the occasion of the transfer of the Novosibirsk Komsomolets to the Northern Fleet sailors. In total, this boat made 4 military campaigns, according to official figures, one transport was sunk, but the boat crew itself claimed that 2 enemy ships of a large displacement were destroyed. Since then, there is always a submarine with the name “Novosibirsk Komsomolets” in the Northern Sea Fleet, ”said Igor Samarin.
During the war, Novosibirsk lived by one motto: “Everything for the front, everything for victory.” Igor Samarin voiced some data collected with historians and archival employees to justify assigning Novosibirsk the title of “City of Labor Valor.” This information is impressive: Novosibirsk defense enterprises produced almost a third of the shells (about 125 million) and a quarter of the combat fighters (more than 15 and a half thousand). Collective and state farms of the Novosibirsk region prepared more than 1 million 750 thousand tons of grain and more than 70 thousand tons of meat for the state, transferred almost 4 thousand cars and tractors, about 28 thousand horses for the needs of the front.
Igor Samarin accompanied his lecture with vivid presentations with photos of unique and rare documents from the State Archives of the Novosibirsk Region and the archives of the Novosibirsk Military Historical Scientific Society, which was perceived by the audience with particular interest, especially since the majority of them were undergraduate and graduate students in the field of History, as well as employees of the Humanities Institute of NSU.
Please note: This information is raw content directly from the source of the information. It is exactly what the source states and does not reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.
Source: Success Tutoring
The global tutoring revolution has arrived in New Zealand. Success Tutoring, Australia’s fastest growing and most innovative education and tutoring franchise, has officially opened its first centre in Papanui, Christchurch, marking the beginning of a bold global expansion into New Zealand, the United States, Canada, Singapore and the United Kingdom.
“This is an incredibly exciting time for our company and for tutoring globally,” Success Tutoring founder and CEO, Michael Black said.
“We have redefined how students learn in Australia and now we’re bringing that same energy and innovation to the world, starting right here in Christchurch.”
Success Tutoring breaks away from the traditional one-size-fits-all tutoring model. Instead, it delivers a highly flexible, student-first approach, giving families unlimited access to personalised sessions through a subscription model that fits modern life.
It’s more than academic support, it’s about building confidence, curiosity and a mindset for success.
“Our students aren’t just lifting grades, they’re unlocking their potential,” Black said.
“We’ve helped kids significantly improve their academic results, earn scholarships, get into selective schools and most importantly, feel proud of themselves again.”
Results from across the Australian network in 2024 were outstanding with Success Tutoring seeing strong academic improvements in Math and English, scholarships and school-entry success for many students and the majority of students reported significant boosts in confidence and self-esteem.
The Christchurch launch is being led by powerhouse pair Abhishek Gupta (Abhi) and Jalvanti Bhanderi (Jayvee), franchisees with a powerful combination of business smarts, education experience and passion for youth development.
Gupta, with a master’s in economics and a background in banking, consulting and teaching, has spent years empowering learners. Bhanderi, who grew up in Nairobi and speaks four languages, brings a background in accounting, operations and people-focused leadership.
“We’re not just running a tutoring centre, we’re creating a space where young people can grow, be inspired and realise what they’re capable of,” Gupta said.
Bhanderi added that they have seen the gap, the average student who gets left behind. Success Tutoring is here in New Zealand to give all students the tools and support to soar.
As the brand goes global, Success Tutoring is also offering a life-changing business opportunity for passionate tutors and entrepreneurs. With a turnkey system, national marketing and world-class support, the franchise model is designed to deliver exceptional results for students as well as franchise business owners.
“The majority of Success Tutoring franchises are cashflow-positive from day one, deliver high profit margins and rapid growth potential and boast purpose-driven ownership backed by proven national systems,” Black said.
“This is a business where your success is measurable in both income and impact. It’s a model that delivers for students, for families and for the people who run it.”
With Christchurch opening and already accepting bookings, Success Tutoring is actively recruiting new franchisees across New Zealand, from Auckland to Queenstown, looking for people who want to change lives and build a business with heart.
“We’re on a mission to empower the next generation and we’re calling on visionary leaders to join us,” Black said.
“If you want to inspire, uplift and grow a business that matters, there’s never been a better time.”
About Success Tutoring
Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments 2
Reform of NHS App stops 1.5 million hospital appointments being missed, with 87% of hospitals now offering services through NHS App.
Millions of patients are benefiting from greater choice and flexibility in the way they access healthcare as the Prime Minister welcomes a major milestone in the roll out of the NHS App today.
Latest data shows 1.5 million appointments have been saved thanks to the Government’s accelerated rollout of the NHS App, which helps patients access treatment more conveniently so that it fits around their lives, rather than the other way round.
Making sure patients get greater power over how and when they can book their treatments and appointments is at the heart of the government’s plans to end hospital backlogs and improve care through the Plan for Change.
Users can manage appointments, view prescriptions, access their GP health record, and receive notifications at the touch of a button, reducing stress on healthcare services and providing easier access to information and services.
The government has exceeded its first target under the plan to increase the number of hospitals allowing patients to view appointment information via the App up to 85% by the end of March – reaching 87%, up from 68% in July 2024.
Prime Minister Keir Starmer said:
Our NHS has been stuck in the dark ages – held back by old fashioned systems where patients are struggling for appointments and unable to access their own data.
We saw during the pandemic how apps can totally transform everyday access to health services. So there’s no excuse for the lack of progress in the NHS we’ve inherited.
NHS reform has to come through better use of tech – it’s the fuel we need to power change.
As we deliver our Plan for Change to end hospital backlogs, I want to see more and more people having the option to use the app, so that everyone benefits from more control and choice over their treatment.
Measures to expand the use of the App were set out earlier this year in the government’s Elective Reform Plan, which set out how patients will be offered a wider choice of providers and an easier, quicker way to book appointments.
The move comes as the government steps up the use of health data to accelerate the discovery of life-saving drugs and improve patient care. Earlier this month, the Prime Minister announced an investment alongside Wellcome Trust of up to £600 million to create a new health data research service. This will transform access to NHS data by providing a secure single access point to national-scale data sets, slashing red tape for researchers and boosting the UK’s world leading life sciences sector.
Health Secretary Wes Streeting said:
This government is determined to get our NHS fixed and fit for the future – and this is just one of the innovative ways through the Plan for Change that we’re helping patients, cutting waiting lists and saving taxpayers money all at the same time.
By putting the latest technology into the hands of patients so they can access services quicker, we’re freeing up more time for doctors and nurses to focus on treating people and getting waiting lists down.
This government is doing things differently. Every missed appointment and wasted staff hour saved means another patient getting the care they need as we drive a digital NHS revolution through our Plan for Change.”
Since July, the increased use of existing app features have saved almost 5.7 million hours of staff time including 1.26 million clinical hours across care settings – together with the 1.5 million missed appointments avoided, the NHS App has helped save the equivalent of £622 million.
The app has spared staff from tasks such as managing appointments, completing questionnaires, ordering repeat prescriptions and taking patient details, freeing up frontline staff to focus directly on patient care and treatment.
And new analysis shows patients are getting faster treatment, with trusts that offer services through the app and patient online systems cutting waiting times for more elective care patients than those who do not.
Trusts who use the app’s key features saw a 3-percentage point increase in the number waiting less than 18 weeks in November 2024. This would equate to up to 211,000 more treatments meeting the 18 week target over the same time period if expanded to all hospitals across the country.
With more patients able to access correspondence digitally through the App, almost 12 million fewer paper letters have been sent by hospitals since July – saving £5.2million in postage costs. Forecasts for this year show the use of in-app notifications for planned care will prevent the need for 15.7million SMS messages – saving the NHS a further £985,000.
To assist elderly and more vulnerable patients, the NHS is now offering the public support in how to access online health services including the NHS App at 1,400 libraries across England.
Dr Vin Diwakar, NHS national clinical transformation director, said:
The NHS App is leading the way in switching from analogue to digital services, empowering over 37 million users with faster access to information and slashing waiting times.
With services now live in 87% of hospitals it is also boosting NHS productivity, cutting the number of missed appointments and freeing up almost 5.7 million staff hours since July alone.
Saffron Cordery, interim chief executive of NHS Providers, said:
Any innovations that give patients more control over their care, reduce the risk of missed appointments and free up valuable staff time so that they can focus on patients are a step in the right direction.
While it’s really positive that even more hospitals are now offering services through the NHS App, trust leaders know that not everyone has access to or feels comfortable using technology. That’s why it’s welcome that alongside paper letters and phone calls, the NHS is offering more support to help elderly and more vulnerable patients access online health services including via the NHS App.
Planned NHS App upgrades are set to include the ability for patients to choose from a wide range of providers through the app; book tests at convenient locations, such as their local community diagnostic centre; and receive test results quickly through the app before choosing the next step.
The app drive is part of the government’s wider ambitions to shift NHS services from analogue to digital and cut waiting lists under its Plan for Change. With a total of three million additional appointments already delivered six months early, the government is exceeding its own targets and driving down waiting lists at pace, which have fallen for six months in a row and by 219,000 since July.
The milestone follows the government’s announcement that 4.5 million tests, checks and scans were carried out in Community Diagnostic Centres (CDCs) between July and February, a 50% increase on the previous year. Alongside this, NHS waiting lists in the areas with the highest economic inactivity have been slashed by almost 50,000 between October and February – a number larger than Stamford Bridge stadium.
Dr John Dean, Clinical Vice President of the Royal College of Physicians, said:
We welcome the continued rollout and improvements to the NHS app with the aim of putting patients in control of their own health. A focus on incrementally building functionality in the NHS App to support patients to manage their own healthcare will lead to better more connected digital systems that work better for staff and patients, freeing up time and increasing productivity.
We are keen to work closely with NHS England and the government to ensure that the NHS App is rolled out and improved in ways that most benefit patients and clinicians. It is also vital that we ensure sufficient mitigations are put in place so that those without access to the app are not excluded from accessing the same quality of patient care.
Rachel Power, Chief Executive of the Patients Association, said:
It’s very encouraging to see how digital tools like the NHS App are giving patients greater power over their healthcare, from managing appointments to accessing important health information. The NHS figures showing 1.5 million prevented missed appointments and 1.7 million staff hours saved demonstrate just how transformative this innovation can be.
While this digital progress is vital and the 20% increase in hospital participation is welcome, we must also ensure no one is left behind. Digital access remains a barrier for many, so we welcome the initiative providing support for online health services at 1,400 libraries across England. This kind of practical support needs to remain a key priority as services continue to modernise.
Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments 3
Survivors of domestic abuse across North Wales will be better protected due to the further expansion of Domestic Abuse Protection Orders.
From today, victims in North Wales – as well as their friends, families or support workers – can apply for Domestic Abuse Protection Orders (DAPO) in the family court at Caernarfon, Prestatyn or Wrexham. Police can also apply on their behalf in the magistrates’ court for protection against abusers. This comes as the Government reiterates its commitment to halve violence against women and girls in a decade as part of its Plan for Change.
Domestic Abuse Protection Orders build on existing police powers, providing stronger protection for victims including forcing perpetrators to stick to strict exclusion zones wearing GPS tags and attending substance misuse or mental health interventions.
Unlike current schemes, these orders cover all types of domestic abuse – including physical, controlling, or coercive behaviour, economic abuse and stalking – and can be issued by all courts. There will also be no maximum duration for these orders, compared to the 28-days current protection orders offer.
In the year to March 2024, North Wales Police granted 462 Domestic Violence Protection Notices and made over 350 applications under Clare’s Law to help protect victims of domestic abuse. These figures show why more flexible, streamlined tools like Domestic Abuse Protection Orders will further help victims.
Today marks the second expansion after the successful launch in Greater Manchester, three London boroughs (Croydon, Bromley and Sutton) and with the British Transport Police in November 2024 – with orders also rolled out across Cleveland in March. Between 27 November and 31 March, over 100 Domestic Abuse Protection Orders have been secured in Greater Manchester alone, with the police dealing with 45 breaches and jail time handed down to some of those who breached the order.
Since then, there have been multiple convictions for breach of an order with some perpetrators already behind bars. A maximum sentence for a breach of a Domestic Abuse Protection Orders is five years in prison.
Minister for Victims and Violence Against Women and Girls, Alex Davies-Jones, said:
The pilot of DAPOs is already helping a number of victims across England, ending the cycle of abuse trapping them in their own homes. I am now pleased to be expanding this to selected areas in my home country of Wales.
Launching initially in North Wales, the rollout will continue to protect even more victims, and this helps to contribute to our Plan for Change.
These orders work, and it’s imperative that victims – predominantly women – in pilot areas know where and how to access them. If you’re experiencing abuse, contact your local family court, police, or your support worker today to help access a DAPO for the safety you deserve.
Minister for Safeguarding and Violence Against Women and Girls, Jess Phillips, said:
Time and time again, victims of domestic abuse tell me their safety has been compromised by a system that fails to protect them properly. That’s why these new domestic abuse protection orders are not paper promises – they are real, practical tools that track abusers through electronic tagging, creating exclusion zones, and mandating attendance at behaviour change programmes.
Rolling out these orders to North Wales marks an important step in gathering more valuable insight as we work towards wider expansion across the country. This is how we’ll deliver on our mission to halve violence against women and girls within a decade – through concrete actions that truly protect victims and hold perpetrators to account.
Secretary of State for Wales Jo Stevens said:
The UK Government is working to make our communities safer, and it is vital that we reduce violence against women and girls to achieve this goal.
These new orders provide stronger protection for victims of domestic abuse, simplify their access to help and ensure court powers are more stringent than ever before.
We are delivering change for people across the country and victims of appalling violence across North Wales will now have the protection they deserve.
Jenny Hopkins, Chief Crown Prosecutor for Cymru-Wales, said:
Domestic Abuse Protection Orders are another vital way for our prosecutors to protect victims of these terrible crimes.
We can ask the court for an order if someone is convicted, or if they are acquitted, and will be looking to prosecute anybody who breaches that order.
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Cora Fox, Associate Professor of English and Health Humanities, Arizona State University
What is “happiness” – and who gets to be happy?
Since 2012, the World Happiness Report has measured and compared data from 167 countries. The United States currently ranks 24th, between the U.K. and Belize – its lowest position since the report was first issued. But the 2025 edition – released on March 20, the United Nations’ annual “International Day of Happiness” – starts off not with numbers, but with Shakespeare.
“In this year’s issue, we focus on the impact of caring and sharing on people’s happiness,” the authors explain. “Like ‘mercy’ in Shakespeare’s ‘Merchant of Venice,’ caring is ‘twice-blessed’ – it blesses those who give and those who receive.”
Shakespeare’s plays offer many reflections on happiness itself. They are a record of how people in early modern England experienced and thought about joy and satisfaction, and they offer a complex look at just how happiness, like mercy, lives in relationships and the caring exchanges between people.
Contrary to how we might think about happiness in our everyday lives, it is more than the surge of positive feelings after a great meal, or a workout, or even a great date. The experience of emotions is grounded in both the body and the mind, influenced by human physiology and culture in ways that change depending on time and place. What makes a person happy, therefore, depends on who that person is, as well as where and when they belong – or don’t belong.
Happiness has a history. I study emotions and early modern literature, so I spend a lot of my time thinking about what Shakespeare has to say about what makes people happy, in his own time and in our own. And also, of course, what makes people unhappy.
“Happiness” derives from the Old Norse word “hap,” which meant “fortune” or “luck,” as historians Phil Withington and Darrin McMahon explain. This earlier sense is found throughout Shakespeare’s works. Today, it survives in the modern word “happenstance” and the expression that something is a “happy accident.”
But in modern English usage, “happy” as “fortunate” has been almost entirely replaced by a notion of happiness as “joy,” or the more long-term sense of life satisfaction called “well-being.” The term “well-being,” in fact, was introduced into English from the Italian “benessere” around the time of Shakespeare’s birth.
The word and the concept of happiness were transforming during Shakespeare’s lifetime, and his use of the word in his plays mingles both senses: “fortunate” and “joyful.” That transitional ambiguity emphasizes happiness’ origins in ideas about luck and fate, and it reminds readers and playgoers that happiness is a contingent, fragile thing – something not just individuals, but societies need to carefully cultivate and support.
For instance, early in “Othello,” the Venetian senator Brabantio describes his daughter Desdemona as “tender, fair, and happy / So opposite to marriage that she shunned / The wealthy, curled darlings of our nation.” Before she elopes with Othello she is “happy” in the sense of “fortunate,” due to her privileged position on the marriage market.
Later in the same play, though, Othello reunites with his new wife in Cyprus and describes his feelings of joy using this same term:
…If it were now to die,
‘Twere now to be most happy, for I fear
My soul hath her content so absolute
That not another comfort like to this
Succeeds in unknown fate.
Desdemona responds,
The heavens forbid
But that our loves and comforts should increase
Even as our days do grow!
They both understand “happy” to mean not just lucky, but “content” and “comfortable,” a more modern understanding. But they also recognize that their comforts depend on “the heavens,” and that happiness is enabled by being fortunate.
“Othello” is a tragedy, so in the end, the couple will not prove “happy” in either sense. The foreign general is tricked into believing his young wife has been unfaithful. He murders her, then takes his own life.
The seeds of jealousy are planted and expertly exploited by Othello’s subordinate, Iago, who catalyzes the racial prejudice and misogyny underlying Venetian values to enact his sinister and cruel revenge.
“Othello” sheds light on happiness’s history – but also on its politics.
While happiness is often upheld as a common good, it is also dependent on cultural forces that make it harder for some individuals to experience. Shared cultural fantasies about happiness tend to create what theorist Sara Ahmed calls “affect aliens”: individuals who, by nature of who they are and how they are treated, experience a disconnect between what their culture conditions them to think should make them happy and their disappointment or exclusion from those positive feelings. Othello, for example, rightly worries that he is somehow foreign to the domestic happiness Desdemona describes, excluded from the joy of Venetian marriage. It turns out he is right.
Because Othello is foreign and Black and Desdemona is Venetian and white, their marriage does not conform to their society’s expectations for happiness, and that makes them vulnerable to Iago’s deceit.
Similarly, “The Merchant of Venice” examines the potential for happiness to include or exclude, to build or break communities. Take the quote about mercy that opens the World Happiness Report.
The phrase appears in a famous courtroom scene, as Portia attempts to persuade a Jewish lender, Shylock, to take pity on Antonio, a Christian man who cannot pay his debts. In their contract, Shylock has stipulated that if Antonio defaults on the loan, the fee will be a “pound of flesh.”
“The quality of mercy is not strained,” Portia lectures him; it is “twice-blessed,” benefiting both giver and receiver.
It’s a powerful attempt to save Antonio’s life. But it is also hypocritical: Those cultural norms of caring and mercy seem to apply only to other Christians in the play, and not the Jewish people living alongside them in Venice. In that same scene, Shylock reminds his audience that Antonio and the other Venetians in the room have spit on him and called him a dog. He famously asks why Jewish Venetians are not treated as equal human beings: “If you prick us, do we not bleed?”
Shakespeare’s plays repeatedly make the point that the unjust distribution of rights and care among various social groups – Christians and Jews, men and women, citizens and foreigners – challenges the happy effects of benevolence.
Those social factors are sometimes overlooked in cultures like the U.S., where contemporary notions of happiness are marketed by wellness gurus, influencers and cosmetic companies. Shakespeare’s plays reveal both how happiness is built through communities of care and how it can be weaponized to destroy individuals and the fabric of the community.
There are obvious victims of prejudice and abuse in Shakespeare’s plays, but he does not just emphasize their individual tragedies. Instead, the plays record how certain values that promote inequality poison relationships that could otherwise support happy networks of family and friends.
Pretty much all objective research points to the fact that long-term happiness depends on community, connections and social support: having systems in place to weather what life throws at us.
And according to both the World Happiness Report and Shakespeare, contentment isn’t just about the actual support you receive but your expectations about people’s willingness to help you. Societies with high levels of trust, like Finland and the Netherlands, tend to be happier – and to have more evenly distributed levels of happiness in their populations.
Shakespeare’s plays offer blueprints for trust in happy communities. They also offer warnings about the costs of cultural fantasies about happiness that make it more possible for some, but not for all.
Cora Fox has received funding from an NEH grant for activities not directly related to this research.
– ref. ‘I were but little happy, if I could say how much’: Shakespeare’s insights on happiness have held up for more than 400 years – https://theconversation.com/i-were-but-little-happy-if-i-could-say-how-much-shakespeares-insights-on-happiness-have-held-up-for-more-than-400-years-198583
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jeffrey Fields, Professor of the Practice of International Relations, USC Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences
Negotiators from Iran and the United States are set to meet again in Oman on April 26, 2025, prompting hopes the two countries might be moving, albeit tentatively, toward a new nuclear accord.
The scheduled talks follow the two previous rounds of indirect negotiations that have taken place under the new Trump administration. Those discussions were deemed to have yielded enough progress to merit sending nuclear experts from both sides to begin outlining the specifics of a potential framework for a deal.
The development is particularly notable given that Trump, in 2018, unilaterally walked the U.S. away from a multilateral agreement with Iran. That deal, negotiated during the Obama presidency, put restrictions on Tehran’s nuclear program in return for sanctions relief. Trump instead turned to a policy that involved tightening the financial screws on Iran through enhanced sanctions while issuing implicit military threats.
But that approach failed to disrupt Iran’s nuclear program.
Now, rather than revive the maximum pressure policy of his first term, Trump – ever keen to be seen as a dealmaker – has given his team the green light for the renewed diplomacy and even reportedly rebuffed, for now, Israel’s desire to launch military strikes against Tehran.
The turn to diplomacy returns Iran-US relations to where they began during the Obama administration, with attempts to encourage Iran to curb or eliminate its ability to enrich uranium.
Only this time, with the U.S. having left the previous deal in 2018, Iran has had seven years to improve on its enrichment capability and stockpile vastly more uranium than had been allowed under the abandoned accord.
As a long-time expert on U.S. foreign policy and nuclear nonproliferation, I believe Trump has a unique opportunity to not only reinstate a similar nuclear agreement to the one he rejected, but also forge a more encompassing deal – and foster better relations with the Islamic Republic in the process.
There are real signs that a potential deal could be in the offing, and it is certainly true that Trump likes the optics of dealmaking.
But an agreement is by no means certain. Any progress toward a deal will be challenged by a number of factors, not least internal divisions and opposition within the Trump administration and skepticism among some in the Islamic Republic, along with uncertainty over a succession plan for the aging Ayatollah Khamenei.
Conservative hawks are still abundant in both countries and could yet derail any easing of diplomatic tensions.
There are also decades of mistrust to overcome.
It is an understatement to say that the U.S. and Iran have had a fraught relationship, such as it is, since the Iranian revolution of 1979 and takeover of the U.S. embassy in Tehran the same year.
Many Iranians would say relations have been strained since 1953, when the U.S. and the United Kingdom orchestrated the overthrow of Mohammad Mossadegh, the democratically elected prime minister of Iran.
Washington and Tehran have not had formal diplomatic relations since 1979, and the two countries have been locked in a decadeslong battle for influence in the Middle East. Today, tensions remain high over Iranian support for a so-called axis of resistance against the West and in particular U.S. interests in the Middle East. That axis includes Hamas in Palestine, Hezbollah in Lebanon and the Houthis in Yemen.
For its part, Tehran has long bristled at American hegemony in the region, including its resolute support for Israel and its history of military action. In recent years that U.S. action has included the direct assaults on Iranian assets and personnel. In particular, Tehran is still angry about the 2020 assassination of Qassem Soleimani, the head of the Quds Force of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.
Standing atop these various disputes, Iran’s nuclear ambitions have proved a constant source of contention for the United States and Israel, the latter being the only nuclear power in the region.
The prospect of warmer relations between the two sides first emerged during the Obama administration – though Iran sounded out the Bush administration in 2003 only to be rebuffed.
U.S. diplomats began making contact with Iranian counterparts in 2009 when Undersecretary of State for Political Affairs William Burns met with an Iranian negotiator in Geneva. The so-called P5+1 began direct negotiations with Iran in 2013. This paved the way for the eventual Iran nuclear deal, or Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), in 2015. In that agreement – concluded by the U.S., Iran, China, Russia and a slew of European nations – Iran agreed to restrictions on its nuclear program, including limits on the level to which it could enrich uranium, which was capped well short of what would be necessary for a nuclear weapon. In return, multilateral and bilateral U.S. sanctions would be removed.
Many observers saw it as a win-win, with the restraints on a burgeoning nuclear power coupled with hopes that greater economic engagement with the international community that might temper some of Iran’s more provocative foreign policy behavior.
Yet Israel and Saudi Arabia worried the deal did not entirely eliminate Iran’s ability to enrich uranium, and right-wing critics in the U.S. complained it did not address Iran’s ballistic missile programs or support for militant groups in the region.
When Trump first took office in 2016, he and his foreign policy team pledged to reverse Obama’s course and close the door on any diplomatic opening. Making good on his pledge, Trump unilaterally withdrew U.S. support for the JCPOA despite Iran’s continued compliance with the terms of the agreement and reinstated sanctions.
So what has changed? Well, several things.
While Trump’s withdrawal from the JCPOA was welcomed by Republicans, it did nothing to stop Iran from enhancing its ability to enrich uranium.
Meanwhile, Saudi Arabia, eager to transform its image and diversify economically, now supports a deal it opposed during the Obama administration.
In this second term, Trump’s anti-Iran impulses are still there. But despite his rhetoric of a military option should a deal not be struck, Trump has on numerous occasions stated his opposition to U.S. involvement in another war in the Middle East.
In addition, Iran has suffered a number of blows in recent years that has left it more isolated in the region. Iranian-aligned Hamas and Hezbollah have been seriously weakened as a result of military action by Israel. Meanwhile, strikes within Iran by Israel have shown the potential reach of Israeli missiles – and the apparent willingness of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to use them. Further, the removal of President Bashar al-Assad in Syria has deprived Iran of another regional ally.
Tehran is also contending with a more fragile domestic economy than it had during negotiations for JCPOA.
With Iran weakened regionally and Trump’s main global focus being China, a diplomatic avenue with Iran seems entirely in line with Trump’s view of himself as a dealmaker.
With two rounds of meetings completed and the move now to more technical aspects of a possible agreement negotiated by experts, there appears to be a credible window of opportunity for diplomacy.
This could mean a new agreement that retains the core aspects of the deal Trump previously abandoned. I’m not convinced a new deal will look any different from the previous in terms of the enrichment aspect.
There are still a number of potential roadblocks standing in the way of any potential deal, however.
As was the case with Trump’s meetings with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un during his first term, the president seems to be less interested in details than spectacle. While it was quite amazing for an American leader to meet with his North Korean counterpart, ultimately, no policy meaningfully changed because of it.
On Iran and other issues, the president displays little patience for complicated policy details. Complicating matters is that the U.S. administration is riven by intense factionalism, with many Iran hawks who would be seemingly opposed to a deal – including Secretary of State Marco Rubio and national security adviser Mike Waltz. They could rub up against newly confirmed Undersecretary of Defense for policy Elbridge Colby and Vice President JD Vance, both of whom have in the past advocated for a more pro-diplomacy line on Iran.
As has become a common theme in Trump administration foreign policy – even with its own allies on issues like trade – it’s unclear what a Trump administration policy on Iran actually is, and whether a political commitment exists to carry through any ultimate deal.
Top Trump foreign policy negotiator Steve Witkoff, who has no national security experience, has exemplified this tension. Tasked with leading negotiations with Iran, Witkoff has already been forced to walk back his contention that the U.S. was only seeking to cap the level of uranium enrichment rather than eliminate the entirety of the program.
For its part, Iran has proved that it is serious about diplomacy, previously having accepted Barack Obama’s “extended hand.”
But Tehran is unlikely to capitulate on core interests or allow itself to be humiliated by the terms of any agreement.
Ultimately, the main question to watch is whether a deal with Iran is to be concluded by pragmatists – and then to what extent, narrow or expansive – or derailed by hawks within the administration.
Jeffrey Fields receives funding from the Carnegie Corporation of New York.
– ref. In talking with Tehran, Trump is reversing course on Iran – could a new nuclear deal be next? – https://theconversation.com/in-talking-with-tehran-trump-is-reversing-course-on-iran-could-a-new-nuclear-deal-be-next-254770
Source: Government of Sweden
Poland, which holds the EU presidency in the spring of 2025, has invited Minister for Education Johan Pehrson and his counterparts in other EU countries to an informal meeting of the Competitiveness Council (COMPET). The meeting will take place on March 10-11.
Source: Government of Sweden
SEK 25 billion to strengthen military defence; an additional SEK 16.5 billion to increased 2025 ‘Ukraine framework’; and a SEK 96 million package of targeted measures to counter hybrid threats. These are the proposals the Government will present in the forthcoming Spring Amending Budget. The Government and the Sweden Democrats have also agreed on a funding model to ensure that Sweden is able meet to a new, higher NATO spending target.
Source: Government of Sweden
On December 12, 2024, the Swedish Government decided on an Action Plan against racism and hate crimes. With this Action Plan, the Swedish Government is taking important steps forward in its work to safeguard equal rights and opportunities for all by intensifying efforts to make Sweden a country free from racism and hate crime.
Source: Council of the European Union
European Council President António Costa met with the President of Bulgaria, Rumen Radev in Sofia. In his opening remarks, he highlighted the key role Bulgaria plays within the EU and praised the country for its recent achievements, namely the accession to Schengen area and the progress towards adopting the euro.
Source: Council of the European Union
European Council President António Costa met with the Prime Minister of Bulgaria, Rossen Jeliazkov in Sofia. During a press conference following their meeting, President Costa outlined the programme for his official visit to Bulgaria over the following two days, which will focus notably on competitiveness and European defence.
Source: Africa Press Organisation – English (2) – Report:
KAMPALA, Uganda, April 27, 2025/APO Group/ —
Uganda has officially declared the end of the Ebola disease outbreak, which was confirmed on 30 January 2025 by Uganda’s Ministry of Health. The outbreak infected 14 people, two of whom were probable (not confirmed by laboratory tests) and caused four deaths (including two probable).
Disease outbreaks, such as Ebola, Marburg, and yellow fever, are not new in Uganda. The country has faced multiple outbreaks and, in doing so, has built a resilient health system capable of detecting and containing outbreaks rapidly. With active support from the World Health Organization (WHO) and other partners, this outbreak again demonstrated Uganda’s capacity to deal with such challenges.
The latest Ebola disease outbreak occurred in the bustling, highly mobile city of Kampala. In many places, such an announcement could have triggered widespread panic. But, within 72 hours of confirmation, the Ministry of Health, actively supported by the WHO and health partners, activated its response mechanisms. Rapid response teams were deployed on the ground, identifying contacts to the confirmed patient, collecting samples for testing, setting up treatment units, and educating the community about Ebola prevention.
Similarly, within 24 hours of notification, the WHO Deputy Director General and Executive Director for Emergencies, Dr Mike Ryan, was in Uganda to guide WHO’s strategic and operational support to the response.
“The outbreak occurring in an urban setting is of significant concern to us, given past experiences. In this outbreak, every minute is of the essence, and we must set up rapidly to avert a potential disaster,” said Dr Mike Ryan upon arrival in the country.
WHO mobilized 129 national and international staff to support the response. They brought a wealth of technical expertise, ensuring that WHO’s input was present at every critical stage.
The impact of these efforts was quickly evident. On 14 March 2025, the last confirmed patient was discharged, and 534 contacts had been successfully identified and followed up daily. This is no mean achievement given the area in which the outbreak occurred. It is a testament to Uganda’s strengthened capacity to detect and respond to disease outbreaks in line with the International Health Regulations (2005) (IHR), for which WHO is the principal custodian.
Uganda has now completed the 42-day mandatory countdown without a confirmed Ebola case. During this critical period, WHO worked closely with the Ministry of Health to conduct active case search and mortality surveillance to ensure that no potential chains of transmission went undetected.
It’s important to acknowledge the groundwork that made this rapid response possible. WHO’s presence on the ground through its regional hubs and prior technical leadership in helping Uganda develop a multisectoral preparedness and response plan were pivotal. These provided clear direction for all responding actors, enabling effective coordination, optimizing resource allocation, and preventing duplication.
Another key enabler was the swift deployment by WHO of 165 multidisciplinary Rapid Response Team members (RRTs) to hotspot districts. These members strengthened local capacity for alert management, case investigation, and contact tracing, even in remote areas. Backed by WHO’s technical training and tools, the RRTs worked hand in hand with district teams to ensure that no case went undetected. This strong collaboration helped halt the further spread of the disease.
Special attention was also given to border health. With the international imperative to prevent cross-border transmission, health workers were rapidly reoriented, thermal scanners were deployed, and screening protocols were enforced at 13 key entry points, especially at Entebbe International Airport.
The laboratory response was equally robust. Over 1500 samples were collected, transported, and tested, with national labs rising to the challenge. Thanks to WHO’s prior technical support, Uganda had the capacity to manage samples under strict biosafety and quality standards. Laboratory teams at the Uganda Virus Research Institute and Central Public Health Laboratories handled the workload professionally and efficiently, earning praise for their quick turnaround.
At the heart of the response was a courageous and well-prepared case management team. Equipped with WHO Ebola supplies designed to protect health workers and support clinical care, they treated patients with professionalism and care. Of the 12 confirmed cases, two patients succumbed, while the rest were successfully treated and reintegrated into their communities. Two probable cases were identified after their death, therefore not managed in the treatment center.
WHO-supported 78 Emergency Medical Teams (EMTs) further reinforced case management efforts. These highly trained and well-equipped teams ensured the safe transportation and treatment of patients across affected regions, delivering high-quality care at every step.
For the second time in an Ebola outbreak caused by the Sudan virus in Uganda, WHO deployed anthropologists, risk communication experts, and community engagement teams. These specialists worked directly with communities to address stigma, mistrust, and misinformation, while providing real-time public health information. Their efforts were instrumental in gaining trust and reinforcing safety practices.
Despite the absence of a licensed vaccine against the Sudan virus, candidate vaccines are in various phases of clinical trials, recommended by the independent WHO candidate vaccine prioritisation working group. Within four days of the government’s declaration of the outbreak, a randomized clinical trial for vaccine safety and efficacy using the ring vaccination approach was launched. In addition, the administration of Remdesivir treatment under the Monitored Emergency Use of Unregistered and Experimental Interventions (MEURI) protocol was initiated.
Ecological studies aimed at identifying the source of infection were initiated and are continuing. These are important because they help to anticipate risks of outbreaks as well as ensure health systems are well prepared and ready to detect outbreaks early and respond effectively.
Behind the scenes, coordination and partner engagement played crucial roles. WHO was responsible for aligning resources, reducing duplication, and maximizing impact. Through its coordination role, WHO mapped out key stakeholders and facilitated effective resource use at all levels of the response.
No successful outbreak response is complete without adequate financial backing. So far, WHO has mobilized and utilized US $6.2 million for this response. This support, along with in-kind contributions of essential medicines, supplies, and equipment, has been vital in maintaining the momentum of operations.
WHO acknowledges and deeply appreciates all partners who contributed through the WHO Contingency Fund for Emergencies (CFE), including: Germany, Norway, Ireland, Canada, France, New Zealand, Kuwait, Portugal, Philippines, Republic of Korea, Switzerland, Estonia, and the WHO Foundation. Thanks to the United Kingdom, the Republic of Ireland, the Netherlands, the European Commission – Health Emergency Preparedness and Response (HERA), International Development Research Centre (IDRC), European Commission – European Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid Operations (DG ECHO) and the African Public Health Emergency Fund (APHEF) for supporting WHO’s interventions.
As the situation in Uganda stabilizes, this outbreak highlights three clear lessons: early preparedness saves lives, rapid response is critical, and WHO’s support remains vital, not only for Uganda, but for global health security.
Source: The Conversation – Canada – By Ashika Niraula, Senior Research Associate, Canada Excellence Research Chair in Migration & Integration Program, Toronto Metropolitan University
Skilled migrants and international students are leaving the United States for Canada in growing numbers. A March 2025 report by Statistics Canada reveals a sharp rise in the numbers of American non-citizen residents moving to Canada. Reasons given are largely restrictive U.S. immigration policies, visa caps and long wait times for green cards.
This is a shift from earlier decades when American-born citizens dominated the trend. By 2019, nearly half of those making the move were U.S. non-citizen residents.
Since U.S. President Donald Trump’s election win and early days in office, Google searches by American residents on how to move to Canada, New Zealand and Australia have surged.
Several high-profile academics have relocated to Canadian universities amid growing concerns over threats to academic freedom.
British Columbia recently announced plans to launch landmark policies to streamline the credential recognition process for internationally trained health-care professionals, particular American doctors and nurses.
Skilled talent like health-care professionals, researchers and engineers are essential to building innovative, future-ready economies. But attracting them requires staying competitive in an increasingly global bid for talent.
In this global race for talent, Canada and Australia need to offer not only efficient immigration pathways but also faster credential recognition and better integration support.
Yet both nations find themselves walking a tightrope. Once both celebrated as welcoming destinations for global talent, each country has experienced recent immigration restrictions and growing anti-immigration sentiments, undermining those reputations.
Read more:
Canada at a crossroads: Understanding the shifting sands of immigration attitudes
What can these countries learn from each other to stay competitive and benefit from this talent flow?
Research from Toronto Metropolitan University’s Migration and Integration Program shows Canada’s appeal for skilled migrants is rooted in a mix of practical and aspirational factors. This includes a combination of high living standards, the promise of better career prospects, more accessible permanent residency pathways and a broadly welcoming society.
But for migrants in Canada, these goals are becoming harder to attain.
Since the pandemic, Canada’s immigration approach has shifted. During the early COVID-19 years, Canada was praised for its inclusive response, including recognizing immigrants as essential to economic recovery. Temporary workers, including essential workers, international student graduates and French-speaking immigrants, were offered new routes to permanent residency through a federal program.
However, since 2024, Canada has taken a more cautious approach.
New policy changes that target international students and cut temporary and permanent migration numbers have tarnished Canada’s global reputation as a welcoming place.
While permanent residency is still more accessible than in the U.S., skilled migrants are increasingly questioning whether the wait for permanent residency is worth it.
Australia faces similar dilemmas. In late 2023, the government launched a new migration strategy to address critical workforce shortages in construction, tech and health care. The Skills in Demand visa promised faster processing and clearer pathways to permanent residency for workers in priority sectors.
Yet a recent report by the Grattan institute warns that tighter eligibility rules risk excluding much-needed talent, potentially weakening Australia’s competitiveness.
Growing visa delays are also noted to be an additional barrier that may deter both prospective migrants and employers.
Migration data often tells a story of numbers, categories and eligibility thresholds. However, the human stories behind the numbers reveal deep systemic issues and missed opportunities. One recurring issue is the widespread phenomenon of deskilling.
In both Canada and Australia, many skilled migrants often find themselves working in jobs far below their qualifications.
These experiences are part of a pattern that affects not only individuals but also national economies, which lose out on the full potential of their skilled workforce.
Credential recognition systems are opaque, inconsistent and frequently biased.
Another overlooked issue is that many skilled migrants do not move alone. People arrive with spouses, children and sometimes elderly parents.
Yet immigration and settlement systems in both countries are largely structured around individual economic migrants rather than families. In Canada, for instance, federally funded settlement services are mainly geared toward supporting only permanent residents.
Many spouses, particularly women, face even greater barriers to employment. Issues also include things like high fees for visa processing for parents. Other considerations include children who may struggle with schooling and identity in unfamiliar environments.
Housing shortages and high costs in major urban centres compound these challenges, pushing newcomers into unaffordable living conditions.
All this contributes to growing disillusionment. Migrants initially drawn to Canada or Australia as alternatives to unwelcoming environments elsewhere may choose to still come, but it doesn’t mean they will stay.
Read more:
Canada halts new parent immigration sponsorships, keeping families apart
The experiences of skilled migrants in Canada and Australia show that attracting talent is only half the battle. The real challenge is in retention and integration.
Many countries like Germany, Japan, South Korea and some Gulf states have begun offering more competitive pathways to immigration along with promises of a work-life balance, streamlined visa programs and competitive salaries. This means skilled migrants are increasingly mobile.
Read more:
The states want a bigger say in skilled migration – but doing that actually leaves them worse off
Australia has made strides in streamlining visa categories and targeting sectoral needs, while Canada has built a strong narrative around inclusion and multiculturalism.
However, there is a need to combine Australia’s responsiveness and Canada’s inclusive ethos to build resilient migration systems.
In an era defined by geopolitical uncertainties, countries can no longer afford to treat skilled migrants as temporary fixes or just economic inputs. They are people with aspirations, with families and with dreams.
They must be seen and supported as future citizens. To build future-ready migration systems Canada must:
Ensure transparency and consistency in immigration pathways to reduce uncertainties caused by policy reversals and lengthy processing times.
Improve credential recognition and career support to help skilled migrants, including temporary residents, transition into roles that match their qualifications.
Develop regional settlement strategies to address where migrants settle and ensure equitable access to services, job markets and housing, especially outside major cities.
Adopt inclusive, intersectional policies that consider gender, race and class in shaping the migrant experience, including support for spouses, children and aging parents.
Foster collaborative and responsive policymaking. This involves connecting researchers, employers, community organizations and migrants to inform policy making.
For Canada, the challenge ahead is clear. It’s not just about opening the door. It’s about making sure that once here, migrants have the support, rights and opportunities to walk through that door — and thrive.
Ashika Niraula works as a Senior Research Associate at the Canada Excellence Research Chair in Migration & Integration Program at Toronto Metropolitan University. The Skilled Migrant Decision Making Under Uncertainty project has received financial support from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council Insight Grant (435-2021-0752) and from the wider program of the Canada Excellence Research Chair in Migration and Integration at Toronto Metropolitan University.
Iori Hamada 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. Skilled migrants are leaving the U.S. for Canada — how can the north gain from the brain drain? – https://theconversation.com/skilled-migrants-are-leaving-the-u-s-for-canada-how-can-the-north-gain-from-the-brain-drain-254435
Source: The Conversation – Canada – By Valerie Oosterveld, Professor, Faculty of Law, and Western Research Chair in International Criminal Justice, Western University
In the last two weeks of February, humanitarian agencies reported 895 cases of conflict-related rape as M23 rebels advanced through the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). According to a United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees official, this was an average of more than 60 rapes a day.
Read more:
M23’s capture of Goma is the latest chapter in eastern Congo’s long-running war
UNICEF officials reported similarly grim figures. Between Jan. 27 and Feb. 2, 2025, the number of rape cases treated across 42 health facilities in DRC jumped five-fold, with 30 per cent of these cases being children.
While immediate responses are needed to stop the violence, provide health care to the survivors and assist the displaced, the pursuit of justice also plays a critical role.
Investigative bodies, including the International Criminal Court (ICC), are increasingly using technology to investigate conflict-related sexual violence. In a recent research project, my team interviewed experts who specialize in conflict-related sexual violence investigations around the world. The research was supported by XCEPT, a conflict research program funded by the United Kingdom’s Department for International Development.
The ICC’s chief prosecutor, Karim Khan, visited DRC at the end of February and met with sexual violence survivors. The ICC has the mandate to investigate rape, sexual slavery and other gender-based violence amounting to genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes. The office had reactivated investigations in October 2024.
Investigators start by speaking to survivors, following guidelines such as the 2023 Policy on Gender-Based Crimes or the Global Code of Conduct for Gathering and Using Information About Systematic and Conflict-Related Sexual Violence. The Global Code of Conduct is known as the Murad Code after Nobel Peace Prize recipient and advocate Nadia Murad.
In our research, we found that survivors of conflict-related sexual violence are connecting with investigators through various technologies, such as directly using encrypted apps like Signal. Survivors also go through civil society organizations equipped to take video or electronic statements — Yazda, for example, which works with Yazidi survivors of ISIS crimes in northern Iraq — or via portals like the ICC’s OTPLink. The UN’s Commissions of Inquiry also encourage and receive email submissions.
International courts and investigative bodies are also analyzing open-source information on conflict-related sexual violence, such as videos, photos and statements posted on online platforms. Guided by the Berkeley Protocol on Digital Open Source Investigations, this information can be useful to support witness statements, place alleged perpetrators at the scene of the violations and link incidents into a pattern of similar violence.
For example, the UN Independent International Commission of Inquiry on Syria described how ISIS used the encrypted app Telegram and other online platforms to buy and sell captured Yazidi women and girls across the Iraq-Syria border to sustain its sabaya (sexual slavery) system.
In Ukraine, our study found that the main technology-related concern in open-source data gathering is identifying AI-created and other artificially generated images, specifically designed and planted in the public domain as a form of disinformation or to compromise investigations.
Conflict-related sexual violence is often perpetrated indoors which makes certain technologies like satellite or drone imagery less useful. However, other forms of technology have proven to be beneficial in Ukraine’s investigations. In particular, face and voice recognition software have supported efforts to identify alleged perpetrators.
While Ukraine’s experience points to some successes, investigations into sexual violence committed by ISIS in northern Iraq have been hampered. This is partly due to the lack of automated translation software in the Yazidi language to facilitate the transcription and translation of testimonies.
This speaks to the importance of developing software to translate minority languages spoken in armed conflict zones.
Survivors have expressed concerns about the turn to the digital. They fear that their identities and experiences may be revealed through hacking or poor data handling, which could put them at risk of reprisals from perpetrators or their accomplices. It could also lead to stigmatization and ostracization in some communities, undoing survivors’ efforts to rebuild their lives.
To address these concerns, international courts and investigative bodies have adopted data protection protocols. However, the lack of a standardized framework for the use of technology in the investigation of conflict-related sexual violence remains a significant concern for the investigators we interviewed.
Such a framework would incorporate best practices in supporting survivors providing evidence, tracking and preserving open source information and developing new technological applications.
If there is to be justice for survivors of conflict-related rape in DRC and elsewhere, technology — provided it is used with great sensitivity — will likely be an important and timely aid.
Valerie Oosterveld received funding for this research from the UK’s Cross-Border Conflict Evidence, Policy, and Trends (XCEPT) research programme.
– ref. Investigators are increasingly using technology in conflict-related sexual assault cases – https://theconversation.com/investigators-are-increasingly-using-technology-in-conflict-related-sexual-assault-cases-249227
Source: United Kingdom – Government Statements
Thousands of patients are securing appointments quicker every day as part of the government’s drive to build an NHS fit for the future.
Thousands of patients are seeing tangible benefits from the government’s Plan for Change, with the latest health data showing significant improvements in access to care.
Tens of thousands of patients up and down the country are already getting their appointments more quickly thanks to the government’s Plan for Change to reform the NHS and drive forward national renewal.
By slashing waiting lists and delivering improvements across the NHS in record time—including delivering three million additional appointments six months early—the government is exceeding its own targets and driving down waiting lists at a rapid pace. This has resulted in a six-month decline and a 219,000 reduction since July.
Around 4.5 million tests, checks and scans were carried out in Community Diagnostic Centres (CDCs)—many of which are conveniently located on local high streets—between July and February, a 50% increase on the previous year.
This equates to 18,000 more checks being delivered every day for patients to diagnose some of the biggest killers, including cancer and heart disease.
As well as opening more CDCs to bring care closer to people’s homes, the government is going further and faster by significantly expanding the number of CDCs open 12 hours a day, seven days a week—making it easier for people to get their tests and appointments done at a time that suits them.
Backed by almost £26 billion investment at the Budget, the Plan for Change is driving forward reform of the NHS to put an end to the misery for many people who have had to put their lives on hold while stuck on waiting lists, delivering the change people voted for.
Alongside action to rebuild the NHS, the Plan for Change is also focused on growing the economy to improve living standards across the country.
The government is already putting more pounds in people’s pockets by freezing fuel duty, boosting the minimum wage by up to £1,400 a year, and protecting working people with no rise in their national insurance, income tax, or VAT. Living standards are growing at their fastest rate in two years, and the Spring Statement showed people will be, on average, over £500 a year better off.
Earlier this month, we outlined plans for a Neighbourhood Policing Guarantee, which aims to put 13,000 more officers into neighbourhood policing roles by 2029—an increase of more than 50%. This will help restore people’s trust in local policing.
To ensure that working people can benefit from clean, secure, homegrown energy, we have set up Great British Energy in Aberdeen to catalyse private investment and announced its first major project: installing solar panels on 200 schools and 200 NHS sites, which will cut energy bills.
Through the Plan for Change, we are working to give every child the best start in life and break down barriers to opportunity. This week, thousands of children started attending the first 750 free breakfast clubs, providing them with a healthy start to the day, giving parents 30 minutes of free childcare, and helping them save up to £450 a year.
Restoring economic stability and driving growth is fundamental to the Plan for Change. The OBR has confirmed that the economy will grow every year from 2026 and that our planning reforms will lead to a 0.2% increase in GDP, worth £6.8 billion.
Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster Pat McFadden said:
Through our Plan for Change, we are getting on with the job of rebuilding our country and improving the public services we all rely on.
It’s already making a difference in people’s lives as we put police back on the beat, get more teachers in classrooms, and this week launched free breakfast clubs in hundreds of schools.
The latest data shows our approach is delivering real change, with tens of thousands more patients getting the right care and waiting lists falling faster in areas where there are higher numbers of people out of work. And this is just the start.
The government is also working at pace to slash NHS waiting lists in areas with the highest economic inactivity. The scheme, known as the Further Faster 20 programme, is part of plans to reduce the number of people unable to work due to long-term sickness, which is at its highest level since the 1990s.
The programme sees teams made up of clinical leads from across trusts, as well as national specialists, driving innovative practices. It has resulted in a total of almost 50,000 cases being removed from waiting lists in these areas since October. 35% of the national reduction in the overall waiting list has come from the 20 hospitals involved in the scheme, which has fallen faster than the national average.
Minister for Elective Care Karin Smyth said:
This government made a promise to the British public to reverse more than a decade of soaring waiting times and poor access to patient care—and through our Plan for Change, we are starting to turn the tide across every part of the country—with our crack teams already having a transformative impact.
This is a long road, but with tens of thousands more patients getting care that works for them and waiting lists falling faster in areas of high joblessness, we are getting the NHS back on its feet so it delivers for patients once again.
This is only the start. From bringing patient care closer to home, to ending the 8 am scramble for a GP appointment, this government is determined to transform our NHS to make it fit for the future.
One example of the Future Faster 20 programme is the Trafford Elective Hub, where the team have been running super-charged theatre lists that see almost twice the number of patients seen as standard theatre lists.
The hub also runs super clinics at weekends, providing one-stop shops to treat 100 patients at a time. The hub also has employment advisers on hand to help patients get back to work faster.
Miss Toli Onon, Joint Chief Medical Officer at Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust said:
The Trafford Elective Hub exemplifies innovative approaches to reducing waiting lists, such as High Performance theatre lists which are designed to optimise surgical productivity by refining the surgical pathway and minimising inefficiencies.
By enhancing the productivity and efficiency of our elective services, we are demonstrating a sustainable and effective model for the future that benefits more patients.
Other initiatives include Super Clinics. These Super Clinics, which can serve up to 100 patients over weekends, streamline care by providing multiple services in one visit and include employment advisors to help patients return to work faster.
Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments
The list of local authorities Serco shared on its website for landlords is not a Home Office list and is not a list of existing or future asylum accommodation.
A Home Office spokesperson said:
The list of local authorities Serco shared on its website for landlords is not a Home Office list, nor is it a list of any existing or future asylum accommodation.
Serco is one of several companies contracted by the previous government 6 years ago to provide dispersal asylum accommodation in different regions and this list simply appears to reflect the geographical list of local authorities covered by the Serco contracts at that time.
We are restoring order to the asylum system and cutting costs to taxpayers by reducing the number of people we are required to accommodate through a rapid increase in asylum decision-making and the removal of more than 24,000 people with no right to be in the UK.
Background information:
we have no role in Serco communications and understand the page has now been removed
the Home Office has a statutory obligation under the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999 to ensure asylum seekers are not left destitute while their claims are processed
Source: United Kingdom London Metropolitan Police
Met officers have made an arrest after a man died after being found injured in south-west London.
The Met was called at 23:39hrs on Saturday, 26 April to reports of a man found injured in Ellerman Avenue, Twickenham.
Officers responded with paramedics and provided first aid to a 38-year-old man found with stab wounds. Despite their efforts, he died at the scene.
His next of kin have been informed and will be supported by specially trained family liaison officers.
A 47-year-old man was arrested at the scene on suspicion of murder. He remains in custody at a south London police station.
Detective Chief Inspector Sarah Lee, who is leading the investigation from the Met’s Specialist Crime Command, said:
“A team of detectives are working to piece together the circumstances that resulted in this tragic incident. Our thoughts are with the victim’s family at this difficult time.
“Officers will remain in the area throughout the day as they carry out further enquiries and gather evidence. Anyone with concerns or information about what happened should speak to them.”
Anyone with information or people with dashcam footage that could assist the investigation team is asked to call 101 quoting CAD 8005/26Apr.
To remain anonymous contact the independent charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.
Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments
People illegally posing as immigration lawyers and advisers will face fines of up to £15,000 through new measures in the Border Security, Asylum and Immigration Bill.
Fake immigration lawyers offering rogue ‘advice’ to migrants on how to lodge fraudulent asylum claims will be weeded out through tough new powers in the government’s milestone Border Security, Asylum, and Immigration Bill.
Currently, giving immigration advice without proper registration with the Immigration Advice Authority (IAA), or recognised legal regulatory body, is a criminal offence which can lead to jail time, but the IAA will be given new powers to also hit these fraudulent firms and individuals posing as immigration advisers with fines of up to £15,000.
Growing evidence has shown how these fake lawyers are acting as middlemen for those trying to abuse the immigration system in a bid to stay in the UK, or trying to cash in on people’s desperation, providing poor quality or outright fraudulent immigration advice.
The new laws will also close a loophole that allows someone currently banned from giving immigration advice to continue giving advice under “supervision” – ensuring people banned from providing immigration advice cannot set up shop elsewhere.
The crackdown on fake immigration advisers is part of this government’s action to create an asylum system where the rules are respected and strictly enforced. It builds on a surge in illegal working enforcement activity and targets those exploiting vulnerable migrants who undermine the security of our immigration system.
These changes will be tabled as amendments to the Border Security, Asylum and Immigration Bill, which will tackle criminality across the spectrum by empowering law enforcement with counter-terror style powers to go after vile people smuggling gangs who continue to put lives at risk for cash.
Minister for Border Security, Dame Angela Eagle, said:
Shameless individuals offering immigration advice completely illegally must be held to account.
That is why we are introducing these tough financial penalties for rogue firms and advisers, better protecting the integrity of our immigration system as well as vulnerable people in genuine need of advice, as we restore order to our asylum system through the Plan for Change.
This will build on the vital work of the Immigration Advice Authority in regulating the immigration advice sector.
These fake lawyers and advisers are finding new ways to target victims. The IAA has found cases where individuals are using social media to trick people. For example, a case in October 2024 saw Sukhwinder Singh Kang sentenced at Southwark Crown Court after posing as a registered Level 3 immigration adviser with fake qualifications.
Kang targeted people using Facebook support groups for migration advice, despite having little to no immigration knowledge. He claimed he could sort visa applications with his ‘special access’ to the Home Office, scamming his victims out of thousands of pounds in advance fees and taking personal identity documents. Kang even went so far as to set up weekly payments, make up fictional staff that were supposedly handling these applications and give out a fake professional premises address.
When each of the victims realised that their applications were going nowhere, Kang gave a range of excuses from family emergencies to delivery issues and offered full refunds that never arrived.
The Border Security, Asylum and Immigration Bill will give the IAA brand new powers to hold their registered advisers and organisations to account.
Similar to legal regulators, the watchdog will be able to immediately suspend advisers suspected of carrying out the most flagrant abuse of the immigration system or harming vulnerable people seeking advice. These faster and earlier interventions aim to stop rogue advisers in their tracks.
The IAA will also be able to compel former advisers to take part in complaint investigations about their past conduct if they are no longer registered. This move will prevent rogue operators from attempting to avoid investigation through simply leaving their role.
These powers will bolster work already taking place by the Home Office’s expert Professional Enabler Disruptions team (PED) which helps root out this sort of criminality. For example, in November 2024, the team uncovered a London-based rogue lawyer was directly submitting hundreds of immigration applications with zero knowledge of the law firm that was meant to be ‘supervising’ them. These applications were bound to fail, wasting caseworkers’ time, and impacting people’s legitimate applications. Thanks to PED’s work, legal regulatory bodies have now launched an investigation.
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