NewzIntel.com

Category: European Union

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Council launches consultation on extending city’s Smoke Control Area

    Source: City of York

    Residents and businesses are being invited to share their views on a proposal to expand York’s existing Smoke Control Area to cover all areas within council boundaries.

    In a Smoke Control Area, it is an offence to emit smoke from a chimney of a building. Correctly seasoned wood, timber or logs should only be burnt in a Defra approved appliance and authorised ‘smokeless’ fuels must be used in any other appliances that are not Defra approved.

    Most residential areas within York’s outer ring road and Haxby and Wigginton, are already included within York’s Smoke Control Area. 

    The new proposal to expand the area across York will not ban people from burning solid fuel. Instead, it will require all residents and businesses to take responsibility for the fuel they burn – to minimise smoke and air pollution and improve health and wellbeing.

    Houseboats are not covered by the existing Smoke Control Areas and are not proposed to be covered by the expanded area. Garden bonfires, outdoor barbecues, chimineas and firepits are also not covered by Smoke Control Area rules.

    The Council has previously consulted on measures to improve local air quality and reduce the impact of burning solid fuels such as wood (AQAP4). Burning of wood contributes to a type of pollution called fine particulate matter (PM2.5) both inside and outside the home. Around a third of PM2.5 emissions in York are caused by burning wood for heating. 

    Cllr Jenny Kent, Executive Member for Environment and Climate Emergency, said:

    “Everyone can be affected by air pollution, but children, older people and those with heart and lung conditions are especially at risk.

    “We are committed to improving the health and wellbeing of the local community and improving local air quality is one way in which we are working to achieve this.

    Cllr Steels-Walshaw, Executive Member for Public Health, said:

    “Emissions of fine particulate matter present in smoke are particularly harmful to health as their size means they can get deep into the lungs and enter the bloodstream to be transported around the body.

    “Expanding the Smoke Control Area will provide cleaner air for all and provide a level playing field across the city.”

    Any complaints of chimney smoke will be investigated in line with the Council’s current enforcement policy, which initially requires the Council to provide advice on the use of suitable appliances and fuels. Residents struggling with the cost of heating will be signposted to advice on accessing financial and practical help on heating their homes.

    Following advice, Council officers can issue penalties of up to £300 where they witness the emission of smoke from a chimney in a Smoke Control Area. Those found to be selling or buying unauthorised fuel for use in an appliance that’s not approved by Defra can also face fines of up to £1,000.

    Stakeholders have until 3 June to submit their views on the proposals 

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Is backing Welsh independence the same as being a nationalist? Not necessarily

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Robin Mann, Reader in Sociology, Bangor University

    Over the past few years, support for Welsh independence has grown in ways not seen before. A recent poll commissioned by YesCymru, a pro-independence campaign group, found that 41% of people who’ve made up their minds on the issue would now vote in favour of independence.

    The striking finding is that the number jumps to 72% among 25-to-34 year olds. Meanwhile older generations, particularly those aged 65 and up, remain firmly in the “no” camp, with 80% opposed.

    This does seem a big shift in public mood. But does it mean Wales is becoming more nationalist? Not exactly.

    The relationship between constitutional attitudes and nationalism is complicated, as research by myself and colleagues shows. Many people back independence for reasons that have less to do with feeling strongly Welsh or waving flags, and more to do with wanting better decision-making closer to home.

    During 2021, as part of a broader research project on Welsh people’s views on the COVID pandemic and vaccination, we spoke to people from different ages, backgrounds and locations. Some were vaccinated, others weren’t. Some had voted in elections while others hadn’t voted in years, if ever.

    Many people we talked to felt the Welsh government had done a better job than Westminster at handling the pandemic. They saw the decisions made in Wales – like keeping stricter rules in place when England relaxed theirs – as more sensible, more caring, and more in line with what they personally wanted from a government. And with that came a confidence that Wales could handle even more control over its own affairs.

    Historically, Welsh nationalism was tightly linked to the Welsh language and culture. Self-government was always a part of the conversation, but not necessarily the main driver. That started changing in the late 20th century.

    In 1979, Wales voted against devolution. In 1997, it narrowly voted in favour. After that, things slowly began to shift. And now, more than 25 years into devolution, support for some form of self-government is the mainstream view. Independence is no longer such a fringe idea.

    Interestingly, younger generations are far more open to it – and many of them aren’t what you’d typically think of as nationalists. They may not speak Welsh or see themselves as “political” in the traditional sense. Their support often comes from practical concerns about the economy, democracy and how decisions are made.

    External events like Brexit have clearly played a role. In fact, the YesCymru campaign was formed just before the EU referendum in 2016. Independence support surged afterwards, especially among Remain voters.

    Many saw the Brexit fallout, as well as austerity, as proof that Westminster didn’t reflect their values or priorities. This showed how disruptive events can reshape the way people see their place within the UK.

    Independence without nationalism?

    One of the more surprising findings in our research – echoed in the 2025 polling – is that support for independence doesn’t always come from people who are politically engaged or pro-devolution. In fact, some support came from people who hadn’t voted in years, or felt completely disillusioned with the political system.

    They expressed their support for independence through statements like: “They [the Welsh government] all need to go, but if I pay tax in Wales I want it to stay in Wales and be spent here.”

    We also found a lot of people sitting on the fence. They weren’t against independence, but they had big questions about it. Would it mean isolation? Would it lead to more division?

    One person told us: “I’m a little bit nationalistic, but I didn’t want the UK to leave the EU. So why would I want Wales to leave the UK?” Another said: “I don’t believe in borders, but I do think the Welsh government should run things.”

    These aren’t black-and-white views. People’s feelings about independence – and nationalism – are often full of contradictions. And this reflects the wider truth that ordinary political views are often messy. Most of us don’t live in the extremes, and this is a good thing.

    What’s also worth noting is that nationalism takes many forms. Some people who strongly oppose Welsh independence do so from a very rightwing populist-nationalist perspective, where calls to abolish the Senedd (Welsh parliament) sit alongside demands for hard borders and less immigration. So, the assumption that “independence equals nationalism” isn’t always true – and nor is the reverse.

    Could independence really happen?

    Wales isn’t alone in debating big questions about its future. In places such as Scotland, Catalonia and Flanders, political and economic crises can fuel movements for independence. In all these cases, trust in central government and a desire for more local fiscal control have played a major role.

    For Wales, the question often comes back to the economy. While faith in Wales’s ability to govern is growing, many still worry whether an independent Wales could stand on its own financially. And for a lot of undecided voters, that remains the sticking point. For this reason, granting Wales more powers through devolution might do more to stave off demands for independence than anything else.



    Read more:
    Devolving justice and policing to Wales would put it on par with Scotland and Northern Ireland – so what’s holding it back?

    But the conversation is shifting. Support for independence is no longer just about nationalist grievances. It’s about how people want to be governed, and about trust and responsiveness.

    So, does supporting Welsh independence make you a nationalist? Not necessarily. For many, it’s not about nationalism at all.

    Robin Mann receives funding from the Economic and Social Research Council and the British Academy. He is a Reader in Sociology at Bangor University and also Co-director of the Wales Institute of Social and Economic Research and Data (WISERD).

    – ref. Is backing Welsh independence the same as being a nationalist? Not necessarily – https://theconversation.com/is-backing-welsh-independence-the-same-as-being-a-nationalist-not-necessarily-254354

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Africa: Powering the Future: Energy Leaders to Tackle Africa’s Grid Challenges at Invest in African Energy (IAE) 2025

    Source: Africa Press Organisation – English (2) – Report:

    PARIS, France, April 22, 2025/APO Group/ —

    As Africa faces a sharp rise in electricity demand driven by population growth, industrialization and rapid urban expansion, the continent’s power sector is at a critical juncture. At Invest in African Energy (IAE) 2025, taking place next month in Paris, a high-level panel on Revolutionizing Power Generation in Africa will bring together industry leaders to examine how a multi-pronged energy strategy can transform the continent’s electrification landscape.

    Moderated by Paul Hickin, Chief Economist & Editor in Chief at Petroleum Economist, the panel will feature Jerome Bertheau, Executive Vice President of Global Projects at BW Energy; Christoffer Ek, Director of Decarbonization Services at Wärtsilä Energy; and Silvia Macri, Director at S&P Global Commodity Insights. The conversation will explore a blended approach to power generation – integrating renewable and conventional energy sources, grid and off-grid solutions, and cutting-edge storage technologies – to chart a realistic pathway toward sustainable energy access in Africa, while addressing the urgent need for scalable, resilient and inclusive energy solutions.

    IAE 2025 (https://apo-opa.co/3Rqu3RJ) is an exclusive forum designed to facilitate investment between African energy markets and global investors. Taking place May 13-14, 2025 in Paris, the event offers delegates two days of intensive engagement with industry experts, project developers, investors and policymakers. For more information, please visit www.Invest-Africa-Energy.com. To sponsor or participate as a delegate, please contact sales@energycapitalpower.com.

    Africa’s current power generation capacity falls short of its development needs, with more than 600 million people lacking access to electricity. While renewables like solar and wind are gaining traction, the transition to sustainable energy requires a balanced and diversified energy mix, with gas-to-power playing an increasingly important role.

    In Namibia, BW Energy is advancing its flagship Kudu gas-to-power project, which will supply up to 885 MW of electricity using gas from the offshore Kudu field, helping to strengthen both national energy security and regional grid stability. Meanwhile, with projects including the Sandiara gas-to-power plant in Senegal and the Soyo II combined-cycle plant in Angola, among others, African nations are advancing large-scale integrated gas projects to tap into underutilized reserves and support their electrification agendas.

    As such, the Revolutionizing Power Generation in Africa session will explore how flexible power solutions can be integrated with renewable energy technologies to enhance grid stability and support the transition to cleaner, more reliable energy systems. As a key developer in the drive towards grid stability, Wärtsilä Energy is powering Africa’s mining and industrial sectors with projects including a 17 MW plant in Senegal, a 50 MW captive power plant in Nigeria, O&M contracts in Zambia and Madagascar and maintenance of power plants in Morocco. These efforts highlight the growing importance of hybrid and modular energy systems in meeting Africa’s evolving electricity needs, which will be discussed at the upcoming forum.

    MIL OSI Africa –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Human trafficking-fueled fraud ring dismantled in joint Côte d’Ivoire-Ghana operation

    Source: Interpol (news and events)

    22 April 2025

    LYON, France – Two suspected traffickers have been arrested and 33 people rescued from a criminal network that sequestered victims and forced them into exploitative pyramid schemes.

    The successful operation was carried out by police in Côte d’Ivoire, following a joint investigation with Ghanaian authorities and support from INTERPOL.

    The case was brought to the attention of police in Ghana by the father of two victims who had been lured through fake job ads online. His daughters had paid nearly USD 9,000 to travel to Canada for work via a recruiter that used a Canadian phone number, giving the employment offer a sense of legitimacy.

    In reality, the victims had been trafficked to Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire for the purpose of exploitation where they were held against their will. Under physical and psychological coercion, including threats and abuse, they were forced to perpetuate the scam by enrolling new victims using popular multi-level marketing platforms.

    To conceal the exploitation from friends and family, the organizers provided victims with Canadian contact details and prevented them from speaking openly about the situation. Victims were taken to upmarket shops or luxury hotels in Abidjan and made to pose for photos to falsely suggest a life of comfort abroad.

    An investigation was launched in Ghana after one victim escaped the captors and returned home, alerting families and giving crucial information to police.

    Thanks to a police cooperation agreement between Western African countries that enables free cross-border movement for criminal investigations, the escaped victim returned to Côte d’Ivoire to give vital evidence. As a key witness, the individual was able to provide intelligence for the rescue operation. The relatives of victims still held captive were also assisted with travel to Abidjan to give additional information to local forces.

    Côte d’Ivoire – Victims were kept in harsh conditions

    Throughout the investigation INTERPOL acted as a coordinator between the two countries, facilitating the organization of raids on two key locations in February 2025. The successful mission, carried out by specialized agencies in Côte d’Ivoire, resulted in two arrests and the release of 33 victims.

    The rescued victims, who came from four different countries—Benin, Burkina Faso, Ghana and Togo—were referred to a local NGO for assistance and care. The main suspect was arrested and handed over to Ghanaian authorities for legal proceedings.

    Valdecy Urquiza, INTERPOL Secretary General said:

    “This success involving Côte d’Ivoire and Ghana is an excellent example of how important police cooperation is when it comes to fighting human trafficking scams. Because of their joint efforts, victims have been saved and those responsible are now facing justice. INTERPOL will continue supporting our member countries’ work to bring down these criminal networks and put an end to human trafficking in all its forms.”

    Youssouf Kouyate, Director General of the Côte d’Ivoire National Police said:

    “Our close cooperation with INTERPOL and Ghanaian police was pivotal to the achievements of this operation and is a testament to the strength of our regional partnerships. I would like to commend the bravery of the victims who came forward to assist in this investigation and to reaffirm our commitment to pursuing and dismantling the networks that perpetrate these crimes.”

    Scams on the rise: What to look out for

    Exploitative pyramid schemes are a growing threat in West and Central Africa, often following similar patterns to the case outlined above. Victims are typically promised employment or educational opportunities abroad and persuaded to pay upfront fees for travel or administration costs.

    Once ensnared by human traffickers, their personal documents are confiscated and they are often subjected to a horrific range of abuses, including forced labour, extortion, physical violence or sexual exploitation. To bring in new victims they are regularly forced to target their own friends, family or personal acquaintances, preying on trust to expand the scheme.

    INTERPOL urges the public to be extremely cautious when approached about work or study opportunities, even when introduced by a personal contact. Some of the red flags to look out for include:

    • Requests for personal information or money – One of the clearest signs of a scam is a request for payment or investment during the application, interview or onboarding process. You should never have to part with your money to receive a legitimate offer.
    • Pressure tactics – Scammers may create urgency by setting short deadlines or claiming the offer will go to someone else if you don’t respond quickly. Genuine recruiters will allow you time to consider the opportunity.
    • Too-good-to-be-true offers – Is the offer vague or poorly explained? Did you receive it without a thorough interview? Are the salary or conditions unusually generous? Compare it with similar offers. If it seems too good to be true, it probably is.
    • Online presence – In the past, a simple online search could often expose a scam through its amateur website or unprofessional communication. Today, many criminal groups set up convincing companies or imitate well-known brands, often with a polished digital presence.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI: Teads Celebrates Major Milestone as CTV HomeScreen Powers 1,500 Campaigns

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    NEW YORK, April 22, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — The new Teads (NASDAQ: OB), the omnichannel outcomes platform for the open internet, today announced a significant milestone for CTV HomeScreen (formerly CTV Native), an immersive way for advertisers to reach audiences on exclusive experiences at incremental moments of high attention. Since its launch in 2023, 1,500 CTV HomeScreen campaigns have been run by premium brands globally, including Cartier, Nestlé, and Air France.

    As brands prioritize omnichannel strategies, CTV HomeScreen enables advertisers to place content directly on the first screen consumers see when turning on their connected televisions. By integrating within the operating systems of major television manufacturers such as LG and Hisense, Teads’ CTV HomeScreen ads provide brands with access to audiences that may not otherwise be reachable through ad-supported tiers on streaming platforms. CTV HomeScreen ads deliver high levels of attention through impactful, unique creative experiences. Teads’ programmatic advertiser platform, Teads Ad Manager (TAM) enables brands to connect the moments of the consumer journey across all screens — creating a continuity of advertising experiences from CTV to web and app.

    “By placing high-impact native ads directly on smart TV home screens, we provide brands with premium, brand-safe placements that capture superior attention at the moment of content discovery,” said Jeremy Arditi, Co-President, Chief Business Officer of the Americas. “This approach ensures brands own the first moment on TV screens, maximizing both visibility and engagement in an uncluttered environment.”

    Over the past year, Teads has strengthened its CTV offering through expanded access to premium HomeScreen inventory, including exclusive partnerships with VIDAA US and LG Ad Solutions covering 330 million TV screens worldwide, in over 50 countries. In addition to Homescreen, TAM enables advertisers to reach audiences across more than 7,000 CTV apps globally, optimizing performance through CTV instream video campaigns.

    “The partnership between LG and Teads unlocks a powerful value proposition for advertisers,” said Serge Matta, President of Global Ad Sales at LG Ad Solutions. “From the moment a viewer powers on their TV, they’re met with stunning creatives, brought to life by Teads. It’s a seamless blend of innovation and scale.”

    Capturing Audience Attention at Scale

    CTV HomeScreen placements are displayed on the first screen viewers see when they turn on their smart TVs. This enhances ad effectiveness and extends audience reach beyond traditional commercial breaks. According to TVision (2024), viewers often spend time browsing for content—up to 10 minutes—before encountering ad clutter, making this window a high-attention moment. In fact, 74% of attention goes to the first ad seen on the home screen.

    In 1,500 CTV HomeScreen campaigns, Teads has helped brands like Cartier, Nestlé, Air France, Bvlgari, and Nissan deliver impactful moments that drive measurable engagement. Cartier’s first-ever 3D CTV HomeScreen campaign generated over 12 million impressions, while Air France saw a 22% increase in recommendation intent by securing premium placements on Smart TV home screens. In addition, Nestlé achieved a 9% lift in ad recall, leveraging Teads’ high-attention CTV HomeScreen formats to enhance brand impact.

    “This initiative showcases how advertising innovation and precise data can strengthen brand image and consumer engagement. Teads’support in this campaign allowed us to combine exclusive formats with rigorous measurement, demonstrating real value for the brand,” said Catherine Masson, Director of Brand Media Strategy and Media Buying at Air France.

    Now Available in Teads Ad Manager

    Brands can now seamlessly combine CTV HomeScreen with mobile and desktop formats within a single buying platform, making it easier to plan, execute, and optimize omnichannel campaigns and ensuring a more cohesive, data-driven approach to audience engagement.

    With real-time attention measurement, contextual targeting, and planning and insight tools, Teads Ad Manager offers advertisers an all-in-one solution to maximize impact across every screen. This latest integration reflects Teads’ commitment to future-proofing CTV advertising by delivering premium placements, innovative ad formats, and advanced measurement tools.

    Teads was recently announced as a finalist in the Best CTV Ad Tech Platform category by the Digiday Streaming and Video Awards. For more information on Teads’ CTV HomeScreen solutions, visit https://thenewteads.com/.

    About The New Teads
    Outbrain Inc. (Nasdaq: OB) and Teads S.A. combined on February 3, 2025 and are operating under the new Teads brand. The new Teads is the omnichannel outcomes platform for the open internet, driving full-funnel results for marketers across premium media. With a focus on meaningful business outcomes, the combined company ensures value is driven with every media dollar by leveraging predictive AI technology to connect quality media, beautiful brand creative, and context-driven addressability and measurement. One of the most scaled advertising platforms on the open internet, the new Teads is directly partnered with more than 10,000 publishers and 20,000 advertisers globally. The company is headquartered in New York, with a global team of nearly 1,800 people in 36 countries.

    For more information, visit https://thenewteads.com/.

    Forward-Looking Statements

    This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the federal securities laws, which statements involve substantial risks and uncertainties. Forward-looking statements may include, without limitation, statements generally relating to possible or assumed future results of our business, financial condition, results of operations, liquidity, plans and objectives, and statements relating to our recently completed acquisition (the “Acquisition”) of TEADS, a private limited liability company (société anonyme) incorporated and existing under the laws of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg (“Teads”). You can generally identify forward-looking statements because they contain words such as “may,” “will,” “should,” “expects,” “plans,” “anticipates,” “could,” “intends,” “guidance,” “outlook,” “target,” “projects,” “contemplates,” “believes,” “estimates,” “predicts,” “foresee,” “potential” or “continue” or the negative of these terms or other similar expressions that concern our expectations, strategy, plans or intentions or are not statements of historical fact. We have based these forward- looking statements largely on our expectations and projections regarding future events and trends that we believe may affect our business, financial condition, and results of operations. The outcome of the events described in these forward-looking statements is subject to risks, uncertainties and other factors including, but not limited to: the ability of Outbrain to successfully integrate Teads or manage the combined business effectively; our ability to realize anticipated benefits and synergies of the Acquisition, including, among other things, operating efficiencies, revenue synergies and other cost savings; our due diligence investigation of Teads may be inadequate or risks related to Teads’ business may materialize; unexpected costs, charges or expenses resulting from the Acquisition; the outcome of any securities litigation, stockholder derivative or other litigation related to the Acquisition; our ability to raise additional financing in the future to fund our operations, which may not be available to us on favorable terms or at all; the volatility of the market price of our common stock and any drop in the market price of our common stock following the Acquisition; our ability to attract and retain customers, management and other key personnel; overall advertising demand and traffic generated by our media partners; factors that affect advertising demand and spending, such as the continuation or worsening of unfavorable economic or business conditions or downturns, instability or volatility in financial markets, and other events or factors outside of our control, such as tariffs and trade wars, U.S. and global recession concerns, geopolitical concerns, including the ongoing war between Ukraine-Russia and conditions in Israel and the Middle East, supply chain issues, inflationary pressures, labor market volatility, bank closures or disruptions, the impact of challenging economic conditions, political and policy changes or uncertainties in connection with the new U.S. presidential administration, and other factors that have impacted and may further impact advertisers’ ability to pay; our ability to continue to innovate, and adoption by our advertisers and media partners of our expanding solutions; the potential impact of artificial intelligence (“AI”) on our industry and our need to invest in AI-based solutions; the success of our sales and marketing investments, which may require significant investments and may involve long sales cycles; our ability to grow our business and manage growth effectively; our ability to compete effectively against current and future competitors; the loss or decline of one or more of our large media partners, and our ability to expand our advertiser and media partner relationships; conditions in Israel, including the sustainability of the recent cease-fire between Israel and Hamas and any conflicts with other terrorist organizations or countries; our ability to maintain our revenues or profitability despite quarterly fluctuations in our results, whether due to seasonality, large cyclical events, or other causes; the risk that our research and development efforts may not meet the demands of a rapidly evolving technology market; any failure of our recommendation engine to accurately predict attention or engagement, any deterioration in the quality of our recommendations or failure to present interesting content to users or other factors which may cause us to experience a decline in user engagement or loss of media partners; limits on our ability to collect, use and disclose data to deliver advertisements; our ability to extend our reach into evolving digital media platforms; our ability to maintain and scale our technology platform; our ability to meet demands on our infrastructure and resources due to future growth or otherwise; our failure or the failure of third parties to protect our sites, networks and systems against security breaches, or otherwise to protect the confidential information of us or our partners; outages or disruptions that impact us or our service providers, resulting from cyber incidents, or failures or loss of our infrastructure; significant fluctuations in currency exchange rates; political and regulatory risks in the various markets in which we operate; the challenges of compliance with differing and changing regulatory requirements, including with respect to privacy; the timing and execution of any cost-saving measures and the impact on our business or strategy; and the risks described in the section entitled “Risk Factors” and elsewhere in the Annual Report on Form 10-K filed for the year ended December 31, 2024and in subsequent reports filed with the SEC. Accordingly, you should not rely upon forward-looking statements as an indication of future performance. We cannot assure you that the results, events and circumstances reflected in the forward-looking statements will be achieved or will occur, and actual results, events, or circumstances could differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements. The forward-looking statements made in this press release relate only to events as of the date on which the statements are made. We may not actually achieve the plans, intentions or expectations disclosed in our forward-looking statements and you should not place undue reliance on our forward-looking statements. We undertake no obligation and do not assume any obligation to update any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or circumstances after the date on which the statements are made or to reflect the occurrence of unanticipated events or otherwise, except as required by law.

    Media Contact

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    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Canada’s new immigration policy favours construction workers but leaves the rest behind

    Source: The Conversation – Canada – By Shiva S. Mohan, Research Fellow, Canada Excellence Research Chair in Migration & Integration program, Toronto Metropolitan University

    Migrant workers have long been recognized as essential to Canada’s economy. But that recognition rarely translates into meaningful inclusion. As Canada embarks on new immigration reforms, persistent inequalities continue to define who truly belongs, and who remains excluded.

    In March, the federal government announced a new national pathway to permanent residence for up to 6,000 out-of-status construction workers.

    Although framed as a recognition of essential labour, the new program highlights a deeper reality: Canada’s immigration reforms continue to prioritize business and industry needs. In this instance, those needs are in housing and construction.

    This selective approach reveals deeper patterns in Canada’s immigration system, often described as a hierarchy of deservingness. This framework assigns greater value to certain types of labour, while sidelining others. This sidelining is often based on race, gender and class and limits access to recognition and rights for all essential workers.

    Former Immigration Minister Marc Miller estimated that between 300,000 and 600,000 out-of-status people were living in Canada as of 2024. The new construction worker pathway, while important for some, will address only a tiny fraction of this population.



    Read more:
    A national caregiving strategy is coming — what could it mean for Canadians?

    Political and industry priorities

    With a federal election on the horizon, the construction worker pathway is as much a political move as a policy reform.

    The program expands on a pilot that granted permanent residence to approximately 1,365 people and their families in the Greater Toronto Area before closing in December 2024.

    The current national rollout of the program reflects public and industry pressure to address Canada’s housing crisis. Housing has become a top priority for governments across the country.

    Developers and industry groups, such as the Canadian Home Builders’ Association, have long lobbied for faster housing construction and more skilled trades workers. Their advocacy, combined with widespread concern over affordability, made it politically attractive to prioritize construction labour rather than implement broader regularization efforts.

    But this approach exposes who is left out. Sectors like caregiving, domestic work and agriculture, largely dominated by racialized and feminized labour continue to be excluded from clear and inclusive pathways to status.

    Canada’s low-wage economy has historically depended on the labour of racialized and immigrant women. Migrants in these sectors, often work in private or hidden spaces, making their labour less visible and politically legible.

    Caregiving and domestic work in Canada have historically been undervalued. It is often framed as natural extensions of women’s roles and systematically marginalized in immigration policy through programs like the Live-in Caregiver Program.

    Fragmented, insufficient system

    Research confirms that Canada’s approach remains fragmented and insufficient. As part of my work with MIrreM, an international project studying irregular migration and regularization policies, we found that Canadian programs are often small, sector-specific and constrained by narrow eligibility criteria.

    New federal government Home Care Worker Immigration pilots offer another highly competitive pathway to residency.

    But these programs remain narrowly targeted, restricted and quickly capped, with application limits often reached on the same day they open. They also provide little relief for the many out-of-status caregivers already living and working in Canada.

    Other countries have demonstrated that large-scale, inclusive reforms are possible, offering Canada a model to follow.

    Spain’s 2005 regularization program successfully granted legal status to 700,000 people. The Spanish assessment recognized employment records, community ties and long-term residence. This model shows that broad, fair regularization strategies can balance administrative efficiency with political feasibility.

    Meanwhile, Canada’s fragmented reforms exclude most out-of-status critical workers. And it leaves them without any sustainable pathway to status, prolonging their vulnerability and insecurity.



    Read more:
    Personal support workers are the backbone of health care but the bottom of the power structure

    A comprehensive immigration strategy needed

    Canada urgently needs a transparent, fair and scaleable immigration strategy. It must be one that values people’s contributions, not just the immediate needs of businesses.

    Cleaners, caregivers, farm labourers, food service workers and others deserve the same recognition and opportunity as those in construction.

    A comprehensive regularization strategy would not only uphold dignity and fairness. It would also strengthen Canada’s economy, improve labour protections and promote social inclusion.

    As Canadians prepare to head to the polls, the incoming government faces a critical choice.

    It can continue with piecemeal, politically convenient reforms that leave most out-of-status workers behind. Or it can commit to a broad, rights-based regularization strategy that recognizes the full social fabric of those who sustain this country.

    Shiva S. Mohan 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. Canada’s new immigration policy favours construction workers but leaves the rest behind – https://theconversation.com/canadas-new-immigration-policy-favours-construction-workers-but-leaves-the-rest-behind-253792

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Secretary of State letter in response to the Child Safeguarding Panel National Review

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    Correspondence

    Secretary of State letter in response to the Child Safeguarding Panel National Review

    A letter from the Secretary of State for Education, Bridget Phillipson, to the Chair of the Child Safeguarding Practice Review Panel.

    Applies to England

    Documents

    Secretary of State letter to Annie Hudson: 16 April 2025

    PDF, 164 KB, 3 pages

    Details

    A letter from the Secretary of State for Education, Bridget Phillipson, to the Chair of the Child Safeguarding Practice Review Panel, Annie Hudson, in response to the National review into child sexual abuse within the family environment.

    Updates to this page

    Published 16 April 2025

    Sign up for emails or print this page

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI Economics: Secretary-General of ASEAN receives the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Estonia

    Source: ASEAN

    Secretary-General of ASEAN, Dr. Kao Kim Hourn, this afternoon received H.E. Margus Tsahkna, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Estonia, at the ASEAN Headquarters/ASEAN Secretariat. During the meeting, both sides shared insights on advancing ASEAN-Estonia relations in mutually beneficial areas, both bilaterally and within the ASEAN-EU framework.

    The post Secretary-General of ASEAN receives the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Estonia appeared first on ASEAN Main Portal.

    MIL OSI Economics –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: No fires – strict warnings for all city parks

    Source: City of Stoke-on-Trent

    Hanley Park fire damage

    Published: Tuesday, 22nd April 2025

    It follows a spate of deliberate fires sparked in Hanley Park, which has led to damage and endangered wildlife habitats.

    Stoke-on-Trent City Council is teaming up with Staffordshire Fire and Rescue to remind visitors to parks and outdoor spaces of the dangers of starting fires.
     

    It follows a spate of deliberate fires sparked in Hanley Park, which has led to damage and endangered wildlife habitats.

    The most recent vandalism at Hanley Park included a “dead” hedge row being set on fire.
    These structures are carefully built by the park’s team and dedicated volunteers to increase biodiversity and create habitats for wildlife. They play a vital role in supporting birds, insects and small mammals – and in making the park a thriving, natural space for everyone to enjoy.

    Councillor Amjid Wazir OBE, cabinet member for city pride, enforcement and sustainability at Stoke-on-Trent City Council, said: “This kind of reckless damage isn’t just dangerous, it undoes hours of hard work aimed at protecting and improving our local environment.

    “Parks are meant to be a place to get lost in nature, to relax, or to exercise and to spend time with friends and family.

    “The most recent dry spell has also made the land more prone to fires. Please talk to your children, even friends and family members about the importance of looking after nature.

    “Our Park’s Team work tirelessly in all weathers, year in and year out to ensure not only visitors have the best visit, but that nature is thriving. Let’s not undo that hard work.

    “Bin your rubbish, make sure cigarettes are extinguished and binned and remember, absolutely no fires or BBQs in the parks.”
     

    Visitors are also reminded to respect the plants and flower beds throughout the parks. Hanley Park hosts award-winning displays each year; however, recently flowers have been picked and thrown across the floor.

    Station Manager Ant Ball, from Staffordshire Fire and Rescue Service, said: “We are urging the public to take extra care when enjoying outdoor spaces, especially as warmer weather increases the risk of accidental fires.
     

    “Fires not only cause significant damage to our natural environment, but also place a considerable strain on emergency resources that may be needed elsewhere.
     

    “We are asking members of the public to refrain from lighting bonfires or barbecues in public spaces such as parks and open countryside. These activities can quickly become dangerous and get out of control, particularly in dry or windy conditions.
     

    “Visitors are reminded to always dispose of rubbish responsibly using the bins provided, and to ensure cigarettes are fully extinguished before discarding them.
     

    “We thank the public for their cooperation in keeping our communities and green spaces safe.” 

    Inspector Rebecca Price, from the Stoke-on-Trent South local policing team, said: “Vandalism at parks in the city will not be tolerated and we are working hard to catch those responsible.
     

    “Our PCSOs are regularly patrolling the area to keep visitors safe. We would also like to remind people that we hold a weekly police surgery at Hanley Park every Saturday and would urge local residents to talk to us about their concerns.”

    For more information on fire safety, please visit: Don’t be Blamed for the Flames
    and https://www.staffordshirefire.gov.uk/your-safety/safety-outside/grass-fire-prevention/

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI: Admiral Group agrees to sell its U.S. motor business to JC Flowers

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    Admiral Group agrees to sell its U.S. motor business to JC Flowers

    Admiral Group plc announces that it has entered into an agreement to sell its U.S. motor insurance business, including Elephant Insurance Company and Elephant Insurance Services (“Elephant”), to J.C. Flowers & Co. (“J.C. Flowers”), a global private investment firm dedicated to investing in the financial services industry, for an undisclosed cash consideration (before customary adjustments and transaction and related expenses) representing approximately the net asset value of Elephant. The transaction is subject to regulatory approval and is expected to close in Q4 2025.

    Headquartered in Richmond, Virginia, Elephant Insurance offers U.S. customers simple and affordable car insurance. The company’s tools allow customers to find the best protection for their needs and budget, with tools that are easy to use and understand.

    Costantino Moretti, Head of International Insurance, Admiral Group said: 
    “In Elephant, we have built a business with a great foundation, and selling the company to J.C. Flowers is the right decision to ensure its future success. J.C. Flowers and Elephant have a shared ambition for generating growth and value. This partnership will allow the business to continue to deliver the high-quality insurance products and services that US motorists need.”

    “This is a good outcome not only for Elephant and its employees, but also the Group and our shareholders. This transaction will enable us to focus on the opportunities we see for delivering long-term sustainable growth in our businesses in the UK and Mainland Europe.”

    Eric Rahe, Managing Director and Co-President, J.C. Flowers said:
    “J.C. Flowers has a long, distinguished history of investing in the insurance industry, and we will leverage our experience to help Elephant Insurance generate new opportunities as a standalone company. We are excited to partner with the Elephant team as the business enters this new stage of development.”

    Alberto Schiavon, CEO of Elephant Insurance said: “We are very excited to be joining forces with J.C. Flowers. This partnership will enable us to benefit from their extensive expertise which will play a critical role for the next phase of our growth strategy and add value for our customers, whilst maintaining our distinctive culture.”

    ENDS

    Notes to Editors
    Admiral’s corporate broker, BofA Securities, is acting as exclusive financial advisor and Sidley Austin LLP as legal advisor to Admiral Group in connection with this transaction. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods, A Stifel Company, is acting as exclusive financial advisor and Debevoise & Plimpton LLP as legal advisor to J.C. Flowers in connection with this transaction.

    Enquiries

    Media:
    For Admiral:
    Addy Frederick
    addy.frederick@admiralgroup.co.uk
    +44 (0) 7500 171 810

    Analysts and investors:
    Diane Michelberger
    diane.michelberger@admiralgroup.co.uk
    +44 (0) 7881 305 063

    For J.C. Flowers:
    Jennifer Hurson
    Lambert by LLYC
    jhurson@lambert.com

    About Admiral Group
    Admiral Group plc is a leading FTSE 100 Financial Services company offering motor, household, travel and pet insurance as well as personal lending products. Established in 1993 in the UK, the Group now has offices in Canada, France, Gibraltar, India, Italy, Spain, and the US.

    About J.C. Flowers & Co
    J.C. Flowers is a leading private investment firm dedicated to investing globally in the financial services industry. Founded in 1998, the firm has invested more than $18 billion of capital, including co-investment, in 67 portfolio companies in 18 countries across a range of industry subsectors including banking, insurance and reinsurance, specialty finance, business and insurance services, wealth management and capital markets, payments and software. With approximately $4 billion of assets under management, J.C. Flowers has offices in New York, London and Palm Beach. For more information, please visit www.jcfco.com.

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: Correction to stock exchange release: Siili Solutions Plc: Business review, 1 January – 31 March 2025

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    Correction to stock exchange release: Siili Solutions Plc: Business review, 1 January – 31 March 2025

    Siili Solutions Plc Stock exchange release 22 April 2025 at 14:10 EEST

    This is a correction to the stock exchange release published by Siili Solutions Plc on 22 April 2025 at 9:30 am by which the company published its business review for the period 1 January – 31 March 2025. In the key figures table there was “Total full-time employees and subcontractors (FTE) at the end of the period” instead of two separate key figures “Number of full-time employees (FTE) at the end of the period” and “Number of full-time subcontractors (FTE) at the end of the period”.

    The corrected release is stated below as a whole and the revised report is attached to this release.

    Q1 2025 for Siili: Siili continued AI strategy implementation and actions for profitability improvements, revenue at the previous year’s level

    January-March 2025

    • We completed the acquisition of a majority stake in Intergrations Group Oy
    • We launched an Advisory service to accelerate our clients’ digital business and use of artificial intelligence
    • We adjusted our competence profile to match our strategy and the current market situation
    • The revenue for the first quarter was EUR 29.9 (29.8) million, representing increase of 0.3% year on year. Organically, revenue decreased by 1.6% from the comparison period.
    • Adjusted EBITA for the first quarter was EUR 1.3 (1.6) million, which corresponds to 4.2% (5.3%) of revenue
    EUR million Q1/2025 Q1/2024
    Revenue 29.9 29.8
    Revenue growth, % 0.3% -11.3%
    Organic revenue growth, % -1.6% -11.3%
    Share of international revenue, % 27.1% 27.7%
    Adjusted EBITA 1.3 1.6
    Adjusted EBITA, % of revenue 4.2% 5.3%
    EBITA 1.2 1.4
    EBIT 0.9 1.1
    Earnings per share, EUR 0.05 0.07
    Number of employees at the end of the period 957 973
    Average number of employees during the period 950 990
    Number of full-time employees (FTE) at the end of the period 931 950
    Number of full-time subcontractors (FTE) at the end of the period 144 137

    Outlook of 2025

    Revenue for 2025 is expected to be EUR 108-130 million and adjusted EBITA EUR 4.7-7.7 million.

    CEO Tomi Pienimäki:

    The first quarter of this year was challenging for Siili as the sluggish market conditions prevailed, and we took concrete steps to improve the profitability of our operations. However, many positive developments also occurred during the initial months of the year while we focused with determination on the implementation of our strategy.

    The Group’s revenue in January-March amounted to just under EUR 30 million, broadly at the previous year’s level. Adjusted EBITA for the first quarter amounted to EUR 1.3 million, 4.2% of revenue. Profitability came in slightly weaker than last year, in line with our expectations. However, when comparing to the previous year’s result, it is worth noting that the adjusted EBITA for the comparison period was improved by the temporary layoffs implemented during Q1 2024.

    During the initial months of the year, we have seen encouraging developments in the market, with our customers moving from testing artificial intelligence to firm transition programmes. In March, we launched a new Advisory service to accelerate our customers’ digital business and adoption of AI.

    An example of how we support our customers on their AI journey is an AI-assisted training programme we delivered for Alma Media at the beginning of the year. It is a tailored solution that helps Alma Media to integrate AI seamlessly into its operations and culture.

    Siili also worked with Varma to modernise a key system. The objective of the modernisation was to simplify the maintenance of the system and improve its scalability and development potential, ensuring it continues to meet Varma’s business needs reliably into the future. The work was carried out in stages and in close cooperation with the client, ensuring the continuous operability of the system.

    During the opening months of the year, we have also built new cooperation networks that allow extensive utilisation of Siii’s expertise. In March, Siili was accepted as a member in the Digital Defence Ecosystem, which brings together Finland’s leading technology companies to support national defence capabilities and the security of supply. Siili also became an NVIDIA partner earlier this year as part of the NVIDIA Partner Network (NPN), which significantly supports us in bringing scalable, production-ready AI solutions to our customers.

    In February–March, we adjusted our competence profile to align with the strategy we released last year, and current market conditions. Following change negotiations started in February, we will reduce 25 roles from Siili Finland’s functions and 8 from Siili Auto Finland. Actions affecting personnel are always difficult for the organisation, but we believe these adjustments will strengthen Siili’s competitiveness and profitability. With these measures, we estimate that we will achieve a total of 2.2 million euros in annual cost savings.

    To strengthen Siili’s competence profile, we concluded the acquisition of a majority stake in Integrations Group Oy at the beginning of the year. Integrations Group is now part of Siili, and the collaboration has started strongly. We continue to strengthen our competence profile in line with the strategy also through recruitment and human resources development.

    I want to thank all our customers and partners for the past few months, but above all, I extend my thanks to the Siili team for their commitment and outstanding work during the quarter.

    —

    This is not an interim report under IAS 34. The company complies with the half-yearly reporting requirements of the Securities Markets Act and publishes business reviews for the first three and nine months of the year, which present key information on the company’s financial performance. The financial information presented in this business review is unaudited.

    Further information:
    CEO Tomi Pienimäki
    Tel: +358 40 834 1399, email: tomi.pienimaki(at)siili.com
    CFO Aleksi Kankainen
    Tel: +358 40 534 2709, email: aleksi.kankainen(at)siili.com

    Distribution:
    Nasdaq Helsinki Ltd
    Main media
    www.siili.com/en

    Siili Solutions in brief:
    Siili Solutions Plc is a forerunner in AI-powered digital development. Siili is the go-to partner for clients seeking growth, efficiency and competitive advantage through digital transformation. Our main markets are Finland, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, and Germany. Siili Solutions Plc’s shares are listed on the Nasdaq Helsinki Stock Exchange. Siili has grown profitably since its founding in 2005. www.siili.com/en

    Attachment

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: One year until Making Tax Digital for Income Tax launches

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    Press release

    One year until Making Tax Digital for Income Tax launches

    Making Tax Digital for Income Tax starts in April 2026 for sole traders and landlords with qualifying income over £50,000.

    • Making Tax Digital for Income Tax goes live on 6 April 2026 – supporting the government’s Plan for Change to deliver economic growth
    • Eligible taxpayers encouraged to sign up to a testing programme now to get ahead of the changes
    • Digital record-keeping will deliver time-saving benefits for taxpayers

    There is less than a year to go until sole traders and landlords with an income over £50,000 will be required to use Making Tax Digital (MTD) for Income Tax.

    The launch on 6 April 2026 marks a significant and ultimately time-saving change in how these individuals will need to keep digital records and report their income to HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC).

    By keeping digital records throughout the year, sole traders and landlords can save hours previously spent gathering information at tax return time – allowing them to spend more time focusing on their business activities and in turn, driving economic growth as part of the government’s Plan for Change.

    Quarterly updates will spread the workload more evenly throughout the year, bring the tax system closer to real-time reporting and help businesses stay on top of their finances and avoid the last-minute rush.

    HMRC is urging eligible customers to sign up to a testing programme on GOV.UK and start preparing now. Agents can also register their clients via GOV.UK.

    James Murray MP, Exchequer Secretary to the Treasury, said:

    MTD for Income Tax is an essential part of our plan to transform the UK’s tax system into one that supports economic growth.

    By modernising how people manage their tax, we’re helping businesses work more efficiently and productively while ensuring everyone pays their fair share.

    This is a crucial step in this government’s decade of national renewal and our Plan for Change, as we clear away barriers that hold back growth.

    Craig Ogilvie, HMRC’s Director of Making Tax Digital, said:

    MTD for Income Tax is the most significant change to the Self Assessment regime since its introduction in 1997. It will make it easier for self-employed people and landlords to stay on top of their tax affairs and help ensure they pay the right amount of tax.

    By signing up to our testing programme now, self-employed people and landlords will be able to familiarise themselves with the new process and access dedicated support from our MTD Customer Support Team, before it becomes compulsory next year.

    From April 2026, individuals with qualifying income above £50,000 will need to keep digital records, use MTD-compatible software and submit quarterly summaries of their income and expenses to HMRC. These digital requirements will help businesses save time through more efficient record-keeping, reduce errors in tax calculations, and provide a clearer picture of their tax obligations throughout the year.

    Qualifying income includes gross income from self-employment and property before any tax allowances or expenses are deducted. Those with qualifying income above £30,000 will also be required to use MTD for Income Tax from April 2027. The threshold will then decrease to £20,000 from April 2028.

    The phased introduction of MTD for Income Tax follows the successful implementation of MTD for VAT, which now helps more than two million businesses reduce errors and save time on their tax affairs. Businesses which joined the MTD for VAT testing phase were better prepared for the move to quarterly reporting.

    An independent report published in 2021 found that 69% of mandated businesses experienced at least one benefit from MTD for VAT, while 67% reported that it reduced the potential for mistakes in their record keeping.

    Further information

    MTD was first introduced for VAT-registered businesses in April 2019, with all qualifying businesses required to join from April 2022.

    Penalties for late quarterly updates will not apply during the testing phase, providing an ideal opportunity to get used to the new process without risk.

    Around 780,000 self-employed individuals and landlords will be required to use MTD for Income Tax from April 2026, with a further 970,000 joining from April 2027.

    More information on MTD for Income Tax

    More information on finding compatible software

    Updates to this page

    Published 22 April 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI: Sydbank share buyback programme: transactions in week 16

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    Company Announcement No 16/2025

    		 Peberlyk 4
    6200 Aabenraa
    Denmark

    Tel +45 74 37 37 37
    Fax +45 74 37 35 36

    Sydbank A/S
    CVR No DK 12626509, Aabenraa
    sydbank.dk
    22 April 2025  

    Dear Sirs

    Sydbank share buyback programme: transactions in week 16
    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

    503,000

    		  

    209,570,180.00
    14 April 2025
    15 April 2025
    16 April 2025
    17 April 2025 (public holiday)
    18 April 2025 (public holiday)    		 22,000
    20,000
    18,000
    –
    –    		 396.85
    408.14
    408.08
    –
    –    		 8,730,700.00
    8,162,800.00
    7,345,440.00
    –
    –
    Total over week 16 60,000   24,238,940.00
    Total accumulated during the
    share buyback programme

    563,000

    		  

    233,809,120.00

    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 3,947,697 own shares, equal to 7.23% of the Bank’s share capital.

    Yours sincerely
            
    Mark Luscombe        Jørn Adam Møller
    CEO        Deputy Group Chief Executive

    Attachment

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: UK-Ukraine TechBridge Industry Third Steering Board Communiqué

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    News story

    UK-Ukraine TechBridge Industry Third Steering Board Communiqué

    The Industry Steering Board for UK-Ukraine TechBridge met on 20 March 2025.

    The Industry Steering Board for the UK-Ukraine TechBridge met on 20th March 2025. The meeting was hybrid with UK board members attending from techUK’s office, 10 St Bride Street, London, EC4A 4AD and Ukrainian board members from British Embassy Kyiv. 

    The meeting was co-chaired by Ukrainian Deputy Minister for Digital Transformation Oleksandr Bornyakov and UK Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Services, Small Business and Exports Gareth Thomas MP. 

    The Board meeting was attended by: 

    Vladimir Mnogoletniy CEO Genesis
    Valery Krasovsky CEO Sigma Software
    Marta Romaniak VP Avenga
    Andrew Pavliv CEO N-iX
    Liam Maxwell Director, Government Transformation Amazon Web Services
    Matt Evans Director of Markets techUK
    Eric van der Kleij Co-founder EdenBase
    Simon Godfrey Senior Director of External Engagement & Business Growth BT

     The Board reviewed progress under the UK-Ukraine TechBridge initiative over the last six months, noting key achievements such as the significant investment generated by Ukrainian SMEs who developed their knowledge of UK markets during participation in the UK-Ukraine TechBridge Investment Accelerator.  

    The discussions focused on fostering deeper UK-Ukraine collaboration in technology while exploring opportunities for strengthening public-private partnerships. Core themes addressed included: 

    • Enhancing connections between UK and Ukrainian businesses. 

    • Driving investment and trade through platforms like Code.UA. 

    • Promoting technology innovations through future TechBridge events. 

    Deputy Minister Bornyakov shared plans for Ukrainian representation at London Tech Week, including a Ukraine Pavilion.  

    Follow-up actions were identified, including preparations for London Tech Week and Lviv IT Arena, promotion of Code.UA as a platform for connecting UK businesses with Ukrainian IT companies, and facilitating sponsorships for upcoming events. The Board remains committed to leveraging the UK-Ukraine TechBridge to drive innovation, trade, and investment. 

    The Board will reconvene within the next six months. 

    Updates to this page

    Published 22 April 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Independent review turns to tackling Britain’s biggest crime

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    News story

    Independent review turns to tackling Britain’s biggest crime

    Jonathan Fisher KC has begun work on part 2 of his Independent Review of Disclosure and Fraud Offences.

    Photo: Getty Images

    Better protections for the British public against fraud, and tougher enforcement against the perpetrators, will be the goals of the first independent review carried out in 40 years into the UK’s fraud laws.

    Jonathan Fisher KC has begun work on part 2 of his Independent Review of Disclosure and Fraud Offences which marks the first independent review of fraud legislation in the UK since 1986. During this time, the nature and scale of fraud has evolved considerably, with fraud now constituting over 40% of all offences recorded by the Crime Survey for England and Wales.

    Where Lord Roskill’s 1986 review focused mostly on the serious fraud committed by corporate entities, the huge increase in fraud offences over the last decade has come at the expense of ordinary consumers and small businesses, targeted by highly organised gangs, many of them based overseas.

    The resulting harm to society is severe, with fraud against individuals in England and Wales alone recently estimated to cost more than £6.8 billion every year.

    Fraud has also been transformed by the impact of modern technology, with the increasing use of artificial intelligence to create scambots, deepfakes, and websites impersonating established businesses and public authorities. Fraud gangs have the ability to target tens of thousands of Britons every hour through social media, email and telephone, and only need to persuade a small fraction of those individuals to fall for their scams in order to make millions of pounds.

    The Home Office will place these emerging threats at the heart of its new, expanded fraud strategy to be published later this year, but it will also be vital to have the independent analysis provided by Jonathan Fisher KC to inform the response required from government, law enforcement and industry. And with international cooperation to disrupt threats a key national security commitment within its Plan for Change, the government is also building a united global response as part of its strategy to tackle fraud.

    Part 2 of the Fisher Review will therefore examine the largest challenges faced by law enforcement in bringing criminals committing fraud offences to justice in England and Wales. Specifically, it will consider key issues in each following stage of the fraud life cycle:

    • detection and reporting
    • disruption
    • investigation
    • prosecution and offences
    • courts
    • penalties
    • rehabilitation

    This follows the publication of part 1 of Jonathan Fisher KC’s review, Disclosure in the Digital Age, which recommended a range of measures to modernise the disclosure system and free up police time, and which is now being taken forward by the Home Office, the Ministry of Justice and the Attorney General’s Office.

    Fraud Minister Lord Hanson said:

    Fraud is a crime which can devastate lives, and I am determined to do everything possible to bring these criminals to justice.

    I welcome Jonathan Fisher KC’s review which will help us expand our knowledge base about how to better detect, disrupt and deter fraudsters and deliver a swifter justice for the victims, as part of our Plan for Change.

    The government is determined to continue our fight against this appalling crime, and I look forward to the outcome of this important review.

    Attorney General Lord Hermer KC said:

    Fraud is one of the most pernicious crimes. The criminals driving these schemes are using ever more sophisticated tactics to scam their victims. It is crucial that our criminal justice system keeps pace. 

    Fraud doesn’t discriminate against age, gender or sex and it leaves victims suffering financial loss and emotional distress. I welcome this independent review of fraud and look forward to considering any findings as part of our Plan for Change.

    Independent Review Chair, Jonathan Fisher KC said:

    With the advances in digital technology, it has become much easier for fraudsters to avoid detection, and indeed prosecution, outright.

    This review aims to scrutinise the main challenges in detecting, investigating, and prosecuting fraud offences, and what can be done to better equip law enforcement to deliver swifter justice for victims.

    I am greatly appreciative of the criminal justice system-wide engagement since the launch of this independent review and for the continued encouragement as I turn my focus to examine fraud offences.

    Updates to this page

    Published 22 April 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: UK-Ukraine TechBridge Industry Second Steering Board Communiqué

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    News story

    UK-Ukraine TechBridge Industry Second Steering Board Communiqué

    The Industry Steering Board for UK-Ukraine TechBridge met on 20 March 2025.

    The Industry Steering Board for the UK-Ukraine TechBridge met on 20th March 2025. The meeting was hybrid with UK board members attending from techUK’s office, 10 St Bride Street, London, EC4A 4AD and Ukrainian board members from British Embassy Kyiv. 

    The meeting was co-chaired by Ukrainian Deputy Minister for Digital Transformation Oleksandr Bornyakov and UK Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Services, Small Business and Exports Gareth Thomas MP. 

    The Board meeting was attended by: 

    Vladimir Mnogoletniy CEO Genesis
    Valery Krasovsky CEO Sigma Software
    Marta Romaniak VP Avenga
    Andrew Pavliv CEO N-iX
    Liam Maxwell Director, Government Transformation Amazon Web Services
    Matt Evans Director of Markets techUK
    Eric van der Kleij Co-founder EdenBase
    Simon Godfrey Senior Director of External Engagement & Business Growth BT

     The Board reviewed progress under the UK-Ukraine TechBridge initiative over the last six months, noting key achievements such as the significant investment generated by Ukrainian SMEs who developed their knowledge of UK markets during participation in the UK-Ukraine TechBridge Investment Accelerator.  

    The discussions focused on fostering deeper UK-Ukraine collaboration in technology while exploring opportunities for strengthening public-private partnerships. Core themes addressed included: 

    • Enhancing connections between UK and Ukrainian businesses. 

    • Driving investment and trade through platforms like Code.UA. 

    • Promoting technology innovations through future TechBridge events. 

    Deputy Minister Bornyakov shared plans for Ukrainian representation at London Tech Week, including a Ukraine Pavilion.  

    Follow-up actions were identified, including preparations for London Tech Week and Lviv IT Arena, promotion of Code.UA as a platform for connecting UK businesses with Ukrainian IT companies, and facilitating sponsorships for upcoming events. The Board remains committed to leveraging the UK-Ukraine TechBridge to drive innovation, trade, and investment. 

    The Board will reconvene within the next six months. 

    Updates to this page

    Published 22 April 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: First new affordable homes completed on former eyesore pub site in Bilston

    Source: City of Wolverhampton

    The Happy Wanderer pub on Green Lanes was subject to arson attacks and anti social behaviour since closing in 2017 due to poor trade.

    It was demolished by the previous owner in September 2021, with the site aligned to City of Wolverhampton Council’s Vacant Properties Taskforce work to bring derelict sites back into use.

    Black Country Housing Group (BCHG) seized the opportunity to purchase the land for affordable housing to rent, with Keon Homes constructing 13, 2 and 3 bedroom houses, and 6, 1 bedroom flats.

    This week, the first 9 houses were handed over to BCHG ready for the first tenants to move in at the end of this month.

    Mayor of Wolverhampton, Councillor Linda Leach, was invited to see the first of the finished homes alongside City of Wolverhampton Council Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for City Housing, Councillor Steve Evans.

    Councillor Evans said: “This is a prime example of the work we are doing through our vacant properties taskforce to bring derelict sites back into use to create a better environment for all.

    “Our planners worked hard with the previous owners of this site, encouraging them to make it safe and remove the risk of further anti social behaviour for the benefit of the local community in Bilston.

    “We were delighted to see Black Country Housing Group and Keon Homes come on board to progress the site for much needed affordable housing and seeing the first completed homes being handed over is great for everyone; supporting residents and boosting the local economy.”

    Black Country Housing Group Chief Executive Designate, Adrian Eggington, said: “We are pleased to have built 19 brand new homes in Bilston, Wolverhampton, working in partnership with Keon Homes and City of Wolverhampton Council, supported by grant funding from Homes England.

    “The mixture of 1, 2 and 3 bedroom affordable rented homes provide high quality, much needed homes which are highly energy efficient, giving the new occupiers a comfortable and affordable living experience as well as reducing overall environmental impact. Our new customers are thrilled to be moving in over the next few weeks.”

    Jim Woodsford, Planning and Pre-Development Manager at Keon Homes, said: “Providing much needed affordable homes on an otherwise redundant site is fantastic news for the area, especially given the site’s previous issues of anti social behaviour.

    “We have worked with the planning team at Wolverhampton Council from an early design inception stage to create a family friendly development that we can all be proud of. Delivering affordable family homes is at the very heart of what we do at Keon Homes and we hope future residents enjoy the fruits of everyone’s hard work.”

    The development has also been supported by West Midlands Police’s Secured by Design (SBD) initiative to meet high standards in preventing crime.

    West Midlands Police Force Design Out Crime & Crime Reduction Manager, Mark Silvester, said: “Bilston Green Lanes is another fantastic new housing development and is testament to the support and collective work we have done with Wolverhampton Council, highlighting their continued dedication to creating safe and sustainable communities within the city.

    “Secured by Design offers numerous benefits by focusing on integrating security measures from the outset of building projects, leading to reduced crime rates, increased public confidence, and cost effective solutions.”

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: ‘Stay home, save lives’: New research shows Covid restrictions had no effect on behaviour People did not alter their behaviour to follow enhanced local restrictions during the pandemic and they may have been more effective if based around factors other than just Covid-19 cases according to new research from the University of Aberdeen.

    Source: University of Aberdeen

    People did not alter their behaviour to follow enhanced local restrictions during the pandemic and they may have been more effective if based around factors other than just Covid-19 cases according to new research from the University of Aberdeen.
    People did not alter their behaviour to follow enhanced local restrictions during the pandemic and they may have been more effective if based around factors other than just Covid-19 cases according to new research from the University of Aberdeen.
    The study published in Translational Behavioral Medicine looked at people’s behaviour during the Covid-19 pandemic in Scotland.  
    The team examined adherence to restrictions introduced during the pandemic including social distancing, mask-wearing, staying at home and hand washing.  
    They compared people’s behaviours before and after local restrictions were implemented. They also compared behaviours of those living in areas with increased restrictions to those living in areas without.  
    Results showed that people did not change their behaviour when restrictions were tightened and that applied to all behaviours including social distancing and mask wearing. 
    They also found people in high or low restriction areas behaved no differently to each other.   
    Led by Dr Chantal den Daas, Senior Lecturer in Health Psychology, in collaboration with the Covid Health and Adherence Research in Scotland (CHARIS) project, the team interviewed individuals across Scotland at random from March to November 2020, to get a representative sample of the Scottish population.  
    The respondents answered questions about their behaviours from the past week, including if they had left their home, if they had adhered to the two-metre social distancing rule, if they had worn a mask in a shop or on public transport and if they washed their hands as soon as they got home.  
    Dr den Daas said: “When local restrictions were introduced in 2020 due to an increase in Covid-19 case numbers, we thought we would see a change in behaviour after they were implemented. But this was not what we found. 
    “It is really important to build an understanding of what could have been done differently and how we can effectively influence public behaviour in the future should we be faced with another public health crisis.  
    “This research provided insight on the type of information we should aim to collect in future pandemics, to see if we can find better measures to predict cases, examine the need for restrictions and the effect of any restrictions put in place.  
    “Future research in acute outbreaks should assess behaviour and beliefs about the virus, risk on an ongoing basis and identify the need for intervention even before cases rates start to go up.” 

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Government launches Financial Services Competitiveness Programme22 April 2025 The Government of Jersey has launched its Financial Services Competitiveness Programme, a major strategic initiative aimed at strengthening Jersey’s position as a globally attractive and forward-looking… Read more

    Source: Channel Islands – Jersey

    22 April 2025

    The Government of Jersey has launched its Financial Services Competitiveness Programme, a major strategic initiative aimed at strengthening Jersey’s position as a globally attractive and forward-looking International Finance Centre (IFC). 

    This comprehensive programme is designed to support and enhance Jersey’s financial and related professional services (FRPS) sector – the Island’s largest employer and the most significant contributor to tax revenues that fund public services. It brings together several government departments, the Jersey Financial Services Commission (JFSC), Jersey Finance, Digital Jersey, and representatives from across the financial and professional services industry.  

    The Financial Services Competitiveness Programme will deliver clear, actionable recommendations focused on improving Jersey’s regulatory and business environment, enhancing its global positioning, and preparing the sector for future opportunities and challenges.  

    The programme is governed by a Ministerial Working Group, chaired by the Minister for External Relations with responsibility for Financial Services, Depuy Ian Gorst, with the Chief Executive Officer, Dr Andrew McLaughlin, acting as the Senior Responsible Officer. They will be supported by a cross-government team of officials. 

    Deputy Ian Gorst said: “Jersey’s financial services industry is a key growth engine of our economy. It is central to Jersey’s prosperity and our ability to reinvest in and regenerate the Island. Through the Financial Services Competitiveness Programme, we are setting out a bold, coordinated plan to ensure Jersey remains an attractive, agile, and forward-looking International Finance Centre. 

    “This initiative shows that we are not content to stand still – we are proactively investing in the Island’s future, and working in partnership across government, industry, and the regulator to deliver sustainable, long-term success. 

    “Jersey has a proud 60-year history as a trusted, stable, and innovative IFC. However, global economic shifts, regulatory changes, tax policy evolution, Brexit, post-pandemic recovery, and rapid technological advancement mean that IFCs around the world – including Jersey – must continuously adapt to stay competitive. The Financial Services Competitiveness Programme is Jersey’s response: a future-focused, evidence-led strategy to sustain and expand the Island’s most vital economic sector.” 

    Programme structure and key workstreams 

    The programme is built around four core workstreams, which will be managed in a phased approach.  

    • International Tax Strategy – Led by Revenue Jersey, this will focus on maintaining Jersey’s strong position through a forward-looking tax policy. 
    • Business & Regulatory Environment – Led jointly by the Government and the JFSC, this aims to improve the ease of doing business, delivering quick-win reforms as well as medium- and long-term changes to enhance the Island’s appeal to global investors. 
    • External Growth Strategy – A global market analysis to inform Jersey’s external engagement strategy, identifying future value pools and Jersey’s competitive ​positioning, led by the Government with expert support from Jersey Finance Ltd. 
    • Future Competitiveness & Regulation – Bringing together insights from all workstreams, this phase will culminate in a report by an independent panel of global experts. 

    The first phase, which is underway already, will focus on improvements to Jersey’s business and regulatory environment. This will involve making positive changes to improve the ease of doing business and to help maintain and grow the Island’s FRPS sector as it competes in the market today. As recent global economic volatility has demonstrated, it is more important than ever that Jersey invests in optimising its business and regulatory environment to increase its competitive edge. 

    The Government will publish a report on progress in delivering the programme together with an action plan on next steps in spring 2026. 

    Industry engagement 

    The Government will engage regularly with stakeholders through: 

    • Industry events and “roundtable” discussions 
    • Updates at Financial Services Advisory Board meetings 
    • Briefings for States Members and Scrutiny Panels 
    • Ongoing consultation and feedback channels 

    Stakeholders are encouraged to engage with the programme team via growthfs@gov.je. 

     

    More information is available on the Government of Jersey website: Financial services competitiveness programme 

    ​

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Proposal for additional SEND provision for Isle of Wight children 22 April 2025 Proposal for additional SEND provision for Isle of Wight children

    Source: Aisle of Wight

    The Isle of Wight Council is seeking to expand its SEND provisions across the Island.

    The proposed additional SEND provision will help manage an increase in the number of children (with an education health and care plan (EHCP)) and ensure we are able to meet the needs of children requiring specialist provision).

    The proposed programme seeks to provide specialist education placement for additional children from September 2025 and beyond.

    Subject to approval from Cabinet on Thursday 24 April, a consultation period will begin on Friday 2 May and will run until Monday 9 June 2025.

    This report, being presented to Cabinet seeks approval to consult on the following expansion of places:

    • Expansion of places at Medina House School from 138 places to 168, with 30 places being provided at a satellite provision located at the site of the former Chillerton & Rookley Primary School, Chillerton IOW.
    • Expansion of the resourced provision at Hunnyhill Primary School from 8 places to 12 places for children for Social Emotional and Mental Health (SEMH).
    • Expansion of the resourced provision at Brading CE Primary School from 8 places to 12 places for children with Autism Spectrum (AS) and/or Complex Learning.
    • Expansion of the resourced provision at The Bay CE Primary School (Secondary site) from 15 places to 20 places for children with Autism Spectrum (AS).
    • Expansion of Lionheart School from 60 places to 120 places, with 60 places for children with complex high anxiety mental health (Non- EHCP/Section 19 children) being provided at the Cowes Primary School site, Cowes (subject to closure on the 31/8/2025).
    • Expansion of St Georges School from 208 places to 228 places, with 40 places being provided at the satellite site located in East Cowes.
    • Creation of a new 12 place primary resourced provision at Brighstone CE Primary School for children with Autism Spectrum (AS) and/or Speech Language Communication Need (SLCN).

    Ashley Whittaker, Strategic Director of Children’s Services said: ‘‘The additional SEND places are essential for us to develop and improve our education offering across the Island. Contrary to the declining birth rate, the Island has seen a significant growth in the need for additional special educational needs provision.’’

    ‘‘Without adequate support, children with SEND may struggle to access the curriculum, leading to gaps in their learning and development. This can result in lower academic achievement and hinder their ability to develop essential life skills

    Should we move ahead to consultation the notices will be published on Friday 2 May. The consultation will be accessible online . Details of the consultation are to be shared with all schools across the Island to ensure a full engagement in the process and meetings held at all schools named.

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Road closures announced for Vaisakhi parade

    Source: City of Leicester

    THOUSANDS of people are due to take part in a major annual Sikh parade through Leicester later this month.

    The Nagar Kirtan procession – which marks the Sikh festival of Vaisakhi – will take place on Sunday 27 April.

    Around 10,000 people are expected to join the parade, along with thousands of spectators lining the route, which runs this year runs from the Guru Nanak Gurdwara, at Holy Bones, into the city centre and back.

    The event will require some rolling road closures, for a short time only, along the procession route.

    This year’s route is: Holy Bones (departing at around 11.30am), Vaughan Way Slip Road, St Nicholas Circle, Southgates, Friar Lane, Berridge Street, Millstone Lane, Bowling Green Street, Bishop Street, part of Granby Street, Gallowtree and High Street, returning to Holy Bones at around 2pm.

    St Nicholas Circle is due to be closed to traffic for up to three hours from 11.30am, with well signposted diversions in place. Southgates underpass will remain open to traffic during the parade.

    Motorists are advised to expect delays as the procession passes through the city centre. Advanced warning signs will be in place in the days before the event.

    Bus operators will also make any necessary adjustments as the procession passes along the route. Passengers for bus services that normally pick up and drop off in St Nicholas Circle are advised to use city centre stops while the Nagar Kirtan parade is taking place.

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Marstacimab approved to treat patients aged 12 years and above (weighing at least 35 kg) with haemophilia A or B

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    Press release

    Marstacimab approved to treat patients aged 12 years and above (weighing at least 35 kg) with haemophilia A or B

    As with all products, the MHRA will keep its safety under close review.

    The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) has approved the medicine marstacimab (Hympavzi) to prevent or reduce bleeding in patients 12 years of age and older weighing at least 35kg with haemophilia A and B. This medicine is the first of its kind to work by targeting a protein in the blood clotting process.  

    Haemophilia A and B are inherited bleeding disorders caused by a lack of factor VIII (haemophilia A) or factor IX (haemophilia B) which are proteins required for blood to clot and to stop bleeding.  

    Some patients with haemophilia can develop factor VIII or factor IX inhibitors (antibodies in the blood that act against replacement factor VIII or factor IX medicines and prevent them from working properly). Marstacimab is used in people who have not developed inhibitors (proteins made by the body’s natural defenses) against factor VIII or factor IX. 

    Marstacimab recognises and attaches to TFPI, a protein that prevents blood from clotting too much and decreases how well it works. This promotes the formation of thrombin (a protein that plays a crucial role in blood clotting when there is an injury or damage to the body) and therefore helps to increase clotting and stop bleeding in patients with haemophilia.       

    Julian Beach, MHRA Interim Executive Director, Healthcare Quality and Access, said:

    Keeping patients safe and enabling their access to high quality, safe and effective medical products are key priorities for us.  

    This new type of treatment demonstrates our commitment to enabling access to safe, innovative and effective medicines. We’re assured that the appropriate regulatory standards for the approval of this medicine have been met. 

    As with all products, we will keep its safety under close review.

    Marstacimab is given as an injection under the skin once weekly, using a pre-filled syringe or pen. Patients or carers can inject the medicine themselves after appropriate training.  

    This approval is supported by evidence from a main study that evaluated marstacimab in 116 adults and adolescents 12 years and older with severe haemophilia A or B without inhibitors. In the study, marstacimab significantly reduced the annualized bleeding rate (ABR) for treated bleeds during the 12-month active treatment period, demonstrating non-inferiority and statistical superiority compared to routine factor-based prophylaxis.  

    The most common side effects of the medicine (which may affect more than 1 in 10 people) are headache, high blood pressure and itching (pruritus). 

    As with any medicine, the MHRA will keep the safety and effectiveness of marstacimab under close review.  Anyone who suspects they are having a side effect from this medicine are encouraged to talk to their doctor, pharmacist or nurse and report it directly to the Yellow Card scheme, either through the website (https://yellowcard.mhra.gov.uk/) or by searching the Google Play or Apple App stores for MHRA Yellow Card.  

    ENDS  

    Notes to editors   

    1. The new marketing authorisation was granted on 17 April 2025 to Pfizer Limited. 

    2. More information can be found in the Summary of Product Characteristics and Patient Information leaflets which will be published on the MHRA Products website within 7 days of approval.   

    3. For more information about haemophilia, visit: https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/haemophilia/ 

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

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

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

    Updates to this page

    Published 22 April 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Brazilian teak plantation investments boss banned after customers lost more than £8.5 million

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    Press release

    Brazilian teak plantation investments boss banned after customers lost more than £8.5 million

    Director banned following Insolvency Service investigation into sale of investment bonds

    • Guy Conroy was a director of Green IS Group Limited and GIS Forestry Limited, which offered customers the opportunity to invest in teak trees on plantations in Brazil 

    • Conroy allowed Green IS Group and GIS Forestry to mislead their customers, breaching contractual obligations in the process 

    • At least £8.525 million was owed to investors when the companies went into liquidation in March 2022 

    The director of two companies which claimed to run teak plantations in Brazil has been banned after investors lost more than £8.5 million. 

    Guy Conroy, 57, was the director of Green IS Group Limited and GIS Forestry Limited which offered customers the opportunity to invest in teak trees on its plantations. 

    Conroy allowed the companies to provide misleading information to customers telling them their investments were secured and there were safeguards to protect their money. 

    However, at least 250 investors were owed millions of pounds when the companies went into liquidation in 2022. 

    Conroy, of Upper Richmond Road, London, has been disqualified as a company director for 11 years. 

    Ann Oliver, Chief Investigator at the Insolvency Service, said: 

    Green IS Group and GIS Forestry traded in a manner which was completely unacceptable and not in the public interest. 

    Guy Conroy was a director of both these companies. He allowed them to mislead investors who lost out on millions of pounds as a result of his actions. 

    Conroy’s conduct is not what we would expect of company directors which is why we have taken steps to remove him from the corporate arena until March 2036.

    Both Green IS Group and GIS Forestry generally sold bonds for £5,000 each with a fixed term between two and 10 years and interest rates of between 8% and 11%.  

    At the end of each bond’s term, they were to be redeemed by the companies, repaying the initial investment amount to the customer. 

    Customers thought they were buying rights to teak trees or saplings on plantations in Brazil, but the companies selling the bonds did not have the correct ownership rights. 

    No debenture over Green IS Group’s assets was ever registered at Companies House and security over GIS Forestry’s assets was only registered in October 2020 despite the company issuing bonds from December 2014. 

    Investors lost out on at least £8.525 million as a result of these investments.  

    The majority of investors were based in the UK and the largest claim from a creditor in the liquidation process was £636,000. 

    Both Green IS Group and GIS Forestry were placed into compulsory liquidation on the same day in March 2022 following winding-up petitions from creditors. 

    The Secretary of State for Business and Trade accepted a disqualification undertaking from Conroy, and his ban started on Thursday 27 March 2025. 

    It prevents him from being involved in the promotion, formation or management of a company, without the permission of the court. 

    The liquidator has also obtained records and met with Conroy and the other directors in an attempt to identify and recover company assets. 

    Further information 

    Updates to this page

    Published 22 April 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Coventry Railway Station improvements to 1960s skylights

    Source: City of Coventry

    A project to replace the skylights at Coventry Railway Station has now been completed thanks to a £600,000 investment from Avanti West Coast, Network Rail and the Railway Heritage Trust.

    The work saw all 27 skylights – which were over 60 years old – on platform 1 replaced, as well as new wayfinding signage installed throughout the station to improve the experience for customers.

    Built in the 1960s, the previous skylights were at the end of their lifespan as well as being extremely dirty with no means to maintain.

    Each new structure, which enables more natural light through, consists of eight panels that can be individually removed to be cleaned. Furthermore, access points to the roof have been installed at either end of platform 1 to ensure that the maintenance of the new skylights can be easily carried out. New energy-efficient LED lighting has been situated alongside the skylights to reduce energy consumption at the station.

    The skylights and signage work are part of an ongoing transformation at the Avanti West Coast managed station. In 2022, the £82million purpose-built new look main building and multi-storey car park with a connecting footbridge to all four platforms opened.

    Cllr Naeem Akhtar, Cabinet Member for Housing and Communities at Coventry City Council, said:

    “We welcome this latest investment in Coventry Station, which continues to build on the significant improvements made in recent years.

    “It’s great to see upgrades like these enhance the station’s architectural heritage while also meeting modern-day needs. The new skylights and signage absolutely strike that balance, helping to improve the customer experience while preserving the unique character of the station.”

    Over the last three years, the customer experience has been further improved with the opening of retail outlets in the new station building, and the installation of a new courtyard area on platform 1 for customers to use whilst they wait for their trains.

    In addition, Avanti West Coast also worked with the Railway Heritage Trust to renovate the station’s unique tiled walls, whilst also providing a more prominent display for the old steam train nameplate ‘City of Coventry’.

    Dean Duthie, Engineering and Infrastructure Director at Avanti West Coast, said:

    “Walking along Platform 1, the work has made a remarkable difference where customers will see a more vibrant look and feel from the natural light streaming through the new skylights.

    “Coventry station boasts a rich railway history and has always been an important gateway to the city. It is undergoing a huge transformation to ensure that rail customers are given the best experience possible through easy accessibility, availability of shops, simple wayfinding and a relaxing atmosphere.”

    Federica Labanca, Principal Route Engineer at Network Rail Central route, said:

    “We’re really pleased to have been able to support this fantastic station improvement project for passengers.

    “At Network Rail, we take great pride in working with our industry partners to preserve and enhance Britain’s iconic railway stations whilst making sure they meet the needs of the modern-day passenger.

    “We hope that regular station users and visitors to the city enjoy the new station experience for many years to come.”

    Tim Hedley-Jones, Director of The Railway Heritage Trust said:

    “Our twentieth century railway heritage is just as important as that dating from the nineteenth century. Network Rail and Avanti West Coast are to be congratulated on looking after this iconic Grade II listed station so well.

    “Having clear natural light and visible signage for passengers waiting for trains is an important part of the customer experience and we are pleased to have supported this work with three grant awards”.

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI China: China restores Belgium-sized grasslands annually

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

    BEIJING, April 22 — China has been steadily promoting grassland restoration in recent years, with an annual restoration of over 46 million mu (about 30,667 square kilometers) of grassland, an area comparable to the land area of Belgium.

    Li Yongjun, an official with the National Forestry and Grassland Administration, told a press conference that the central government has invested a total of 110 billion yuan (about 15.26 billion U.S. dollars) in supporting grassland protection and restoration during the 14th Five-Year Plan (2021-2025) period.

    Forestry and grassland authorities across the country have intensified efforts to combat illegal activities such as grassland reclamation and unauthorized occupation. Since 2018, local authorities have investigated nearly 50,000 cases of grassland destruction, transferring over a thousand suspected criminal cases to judicial authorities.

    Thanks to the country’s persistent efforts, the ecological quality of grasslands has experienced a historic shift from “general degradation” in the early years of this century to the current “overall improvement,” Li said.

    However, the official warned, the country still faces a challenging task in grassland restoration. Most of China’s grasslands are located in arid, semi-arid, cold and high-altitude areas with harsh natural conditions.

    “Currently, around 70 percent of the grasslands are still suffering from different degrees of degradation, and the situation of grassland protection and restoration remains serious,” he said.

    Li added that forestry and grassland departments will continue to step up efforts in grassland protection and restoration, and further enhance the modernization level of the grassland governance system and governance capacity.

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Change of His Majesty’s Ambassador to the Netherlands: Chris Rampling

    Source: United Kingdom – Government Statements

    Press release

    Change of His Majesty’s Ambassador to the Netherlands: Chris Rampling

    Mr Chris Rampling has been appointed His Majesty’s Ambassador to the Kingdom of the Netherlands in succession to Ms Joanna Roper CMG. Mr Rampling will take up his appointment during July 2025.

    Curriculum vitae           

    Full name: Christopher Maxwell Rampling

    Date Role
    2023 to 2024 FCDO, Director-General (acting) Defence & Intelligence
    2020 to 2024 FCDO, National Security Director
    2018 to 2020 Beirut, Her Majesty’s Ambassador
    2014 to 2018 Brussels, UK Permanent Representation to the EU, Foreign Policy, Defence and Development Counsellor
    2013 to 2014 FCO, Head Corporate Services Programme
    2013 Secondment to The Prince’s Trust
    2009 to 2013 Amman, Deputy Head of Mission
    2007 to 2009 FCO, Deputy Head, Counter Proliferation Department
    2005 to 2007 FCO, Team Leader, Turkey Team
    2003 Jerusalem, Political and Press Officer
    2002 to 2005 Tripoli, Political and Press Officer
    2000 to 2002 Pre-posting training (including Arabic language training, Cairo)
    1999 to 2000 FCO, Desk officer, Turkey/Malta
    1999 Joined FCO
    1996 to 1999 Private sector (Insurance)

    Media enquiries

    Email newsdesk@fcdo.gov.uk

    Telephone 020 7008 3100

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

    Updates to this page

    Published 22 April 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Homes fit for heroes: Raft of new measures to improve military family housing

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    Press release

    Homes fit for heroes: Raft of new measures to improve military family housing

    Living conditions for families in military housing will be transformed under a new Consumer Charter, as Defence Secretary John Healey promised to “stop the rot” in military housing.

    Defence Secretary John Healey visits military housing

    • New Consumer Charter for families in military homes, delivering on the government’s Plan for Change.
    • Measures will include higher move-in standards, more reliable repairs, renovation of the worst homes, and a named housing officer for every family – all in place before the one-year anniversary of 36,000 military homes being brought back into public ownership.
    • Pledge comes alongside the announcement of an independent, expert team appointed to help deliver a rapid Defence Housing Strategy – with work already underway.

    The Charter will be part of a new Defence Housing Strategy, to be published later this year, which will set out further plans to improve the standard of service family homes across the country.

    Under the Charter, basic consumer rights, from essential property information and predictable property standards, to access to a robust complaints system, will be rapidly introduced. These will be underpinned by new, published satisfaction figures, putting forces families front and centre.

    The wider Defence Housing Strategy – overseen by the Defence Secretary and the Minister for Veterans and People, Al Carns – will also turbocharge the development of surplus military land, creating opportunities for Armed Forces homeownership. It will further support the delivery of affordable homes for families across Britain as part of the government’s Plan for Change.

    It follows the Government’s landmark deal, completed in January, to bring back 36,000 military homes into public ownership, reversing a 1996 sale described by the Public Accounts Committee as “disastrous”, and saving the taxpayer £600,000 per day by eliminating rental payments to a private company.

    The announcement follows the Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer’s pledge to deliver “homes for heroes” and means that under this government, support will be there for veterans at risk of homelessness. This included removing local connection tests for veterans seeking social housing, meaning as of November, veterans will have access to the housing support they need.

    Defence Secretary, John Healey MP, said:

    Our Armed Forces serve with extraordinary dedication and courage to keep us safe. It is only right that they and their families live in the homes they deserve.

    For too long, military families have endured substandard housing without the basic consumer rights that any of us should expect in our homes. That must end and our new Consumer Charter will begin to stop the rot and put families at the heart of that transformation.

    We cannot turn around years of failure on forces housing overnight, but by bringing 36,000 military homes back into public ownership, we’ve already taken greater control and are working at pace to drive up standards. This is about providing homes fit for the heroes who serve our nation, and I’m determined to deliver the decent, affordable housing that our forces families have every right to expect.

    The new Consumer Charter will include the following commitments: 

    • A strengthened move-in standard so families can have confidence that the home they are moving into will be ready on time and will be clean and functional.

    • Improved, clearer information for families ahead of a move, including photographs and floor plans of all homes when a family applies for housing.

    • More reliable repairs, including an undertaking to complete urgent repairs within a set timeline consistent with Awaab’s Law, and a new online portal for service personnel to manage repairs.

    • Raising the minimum standard of forces family housing with a new programme of works targeted at the worst homes, with up to 1,000 refurbished as a downpayment on the broader programme of renewal to be set out in the Defence Housing Strategy.

    • Better and clearer communication for families, including a named housing officer for every service family who they can contact for specific housing related queries.

    • A new, simpler complaints process that will shorten the process to two stages in line with industry best practice, so that service personnel and families have a quicker resolution, backed up by the new Armed Forces Commissioner.

    • Modernising policies to allow more freedom for families to make improvements, giving them a greater sense of pride in their homes.

    These improvements will be in place by the one-year anniversary of the announcement to buy back military homes last December, with final detail to be set out in the Defence Housing Strategy following consultation with military personnel and their families.

    Many of the commitments in the Charter will be achieved by driving better performance – and better value for the taxpayer – from existing suppliers of maintenance and support for service family housing.

    The new standards will be underpinned by new published customer satisfaction measures and enhanced accountability so families can have confidence in the improvements being made. This will sit alongside an independently conducted stock survey, as recommended by the Kerslake review of military housing which was published last year.

    The Defence Housing Strategy will be driven by an independent review team whose members have been announced today, and which will be chaired by former Member of Parliament and housing expert Natalie Elphicke Ross OBE, drawing on expertise from industry and forces families.

    In the meantime, the Defence Secretary and the Minister for Veterans and People have instructed the MOD to immediately plan improvements for the new Consumer Charter, as part of a short-term action plan to enhance the family homes after years of neglect.

    Natalie Elphicke Ross, Chair of the Defence Housing Strategy Review said:

    Our pride in our armed forces must include pride in our military homes. Delivering better housing, boosting home ownership opportunities for service personnel and improving the experiences of service families will be at the heart of our work.

    David Brewer, Chief Operating Officer of the Defence Infrastructure Organisation, said:

    We are dedicated to making changes that will bring real improvements to the lives of families living in military homes and the plans set out in the new charter are an important step towards doing this.

    The advisory team, announced today, brings together an exceptional group of individuals, who through their expertise and experience will help ensure our housing strategy maximises benefits, not just to families living in military homes, but to communities and industry more widely.

    Antony Cotton MBE said:

    Our Armed Forces community are the backbone of our society, so improving the standard of service family housing is essential if we are to continue to retain and recruit the soldiers, sailors and aviators that protect us selflessly, every day. I welcome this consumer charter as a starting point to give our military families an improved service, and homes they deserve.

    Background

    The members appointed to the Defence Housing Strategy review team are: 

    • Chair, Natalie Elphicke Ross OBE, Director and Head of Housing at The Housing & Finance Institute. Previously Natalie chaired the New Homes Quality Board on standards and redress for customers of new build homes, co-chaired the Elphicke-House Report 2015 on the role of local authorities in housing supply and served as an expert adviser on the development of the national strategy for estate regeneration. A former law firm partner specialising in housing finance, Natalie’s experience includes advising central and local governments, lenders, developers and housing associations on financing, structuring and delivering homes across all tenures.

    • Bill Yardley, Chair of McCarthy Stone Shared Ownership Limited. Bill serves as Chair of a regulated residential development company and is a Non- Executive Director at the Defence Infrastructure Organisation, in the Houses of Parliament and at the Surrey Property Group Limited. He has previously worked at board level in the public and private sectors in residential development, regulated housing, property investment, education and the NHS and has been a public member of Network Rail and chaired a charity. Bill has also served as a Crown Representative and on the Government Construction Board.

    • Cat Calder, Housing Specialist, Army Families Federation. Cat is a housing professional with over 13 years of experience advocating for improved living conditions for families in military accommodation. She has held key positions within the Army Families Federation and has direct experience of military housing, having previously lived in service family accommodation for a number of years.

    • Nigel Holland, former Divisional Chair, Taylor Wimpey and Non-Executive Director of The Riverside Group. Formerly a Divisional Chair of Taylor Wimpey, one of the UK’s largest residential developers. Nigel is also a Non-Executive Director of The Riverside Group, a major provider of affordable housing, care and support services in England and Scotland, with more than 75,000 homes in management. He has a wealth of experience in the homebuilding industry, leading large-scale developments in the UK and overseas. 

    • Alex Notay, Chair and Commissioner, Radix Big Tent Housing Commission. Alexandra is an internationally recognised expert on housing, placemaking and ESG. She has 20 years’ strategic advisory and investment experience across four continents and in August 2024 took over as Chair of the Radix Big Tent Housing Commission. Until July 2024 she was Placemaking and Investment Director at Thriving Investments, the fund and asset management arm of Places for People Group, overseeing a UK-wide residential strategy.

    • James Hall, Housing and Land, Greater London Authority. James has over a decade’s experience in housing and development, working with the public, private and not-for-profit sectors. He worked extensively on strategy, policy and communications in Westminster and Whitehall, and most recently worked at the Greater London Authority on housing policy and delivery.

    Updates to this page

    Published 18 April 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: The Cathedral of Christ the Savior, the Victory Monument and others. We remember the iconic works of Zurab Tsereteli

    Translartion. Region: Russians Fedetion –

    Source: Moscow Government – Government of Moscow –

    The outstanding sculptor, President of the Russian Academy of Arts (RAA) Zurab Tsereteli was born on January 4, 1934 in Tbilisi. The boy began to draw in early childhood, pencils were given to him by his uncle, the famous Georgian artist Georgiy Nizharadze. He also taught him to appreciate nature, to notice the beauty around him. Famous artists David Kakabadze, Lado Gudiashvili, Sergo Kobuladze gathered in Nizharadze’s studio, they talked a lot about art. According to Zurab Konstantinovich’s memoirs, as a child he understood little of their conversations, but he was very interested in listening and observing.

    Tsereteli graduated from the Tbilisi State Academy of Arts (now the Apollon Kutateladze Tbilisi State Academy of Arts) in 1958, specializing in monumental painting. There he studied (and called it a great fortune) with the artist Vasily Shukhaev, whom he considered a brilliant draftsman and an outstanding teacher. After completing his studies, he began working as an artist-architect at the Institute of History, Archaeology and Ethnography of the Georgian Academy of Sciences (now the Ivane Javakhishvili Institute of History and Ethnology).

    In the 1960s, he was a senior master of the design workshop of the Tbilisi Art and Production Plant of the Art Fund of Georgia and the chief artist of the resorts of Georgia (he decorated buildings in Sukhumi, Gagra, Pitsunda, Borjomi). In 1967, Zurab Tsereteli’s first personal exhibition took place.

    In the 1970s and 1980s, he was the chief artist of the USSR Ministry of Foreign Affairs. In 1979, Tsereteli was elected a corresponding member of the USSR Academy of Arts. In 1980, he was appointed chief artist of the XXII Olympic Games in Moscow. Since 1992, he has held the post of president of the Moscow International Foundation for Assistance to UNESCO. Since 1997, he has headed the Russian Academy of Arts.

    Zurab Tsereteli’s first solo exhibition in Moscow was held in 1998, and he dedicated it to his late wife Inessa Andronikashvili. In 2007, his exhibition was held at UNESCO headquarters (Paris). Tsereteli’s solo exhibitions were also held in Palermo, Rome, Ancona (2011), Zurich (2014), Verona (2016), Cannes (2017) and many other cities around the world. In September 2023, Tsereteli’s exhibition “More Than Life” was held in China.

    Zurab Konstantinovich initiated the creation of the Moscow Museum of Modern Art (1999) and donated his personal collection of 20th century works to the new institution. In 2001, he opened the Zurab Tsereteli Art Gallery in Moscow.

    The Legacy of Zurab Tsereteli

    The artist’s most important works are probably familiar to almost all residents and guests of Moscow. In particular, he worked on the reconstruction of the Cathedral of Christ the Savior. Zurab Tsereteli called himself a believer – he became acquainted with church art during numerous expeditions to Georgia, and this experience, according to him, seriously helped him in his work.

    The artist was responsible for the sculptural part of the bronze obelisk as part of the Victory Memorial Complex on Poklonnaya Hill — in an interview, he said that this work would always be in his heart as a special stage in his life. In 1996, a sculptural composition appeared in the Moscow Zoo, which the zoo’s management called the “Tree of Fairy Tales”. The famous monument to Peter I on the artificial island at the division of the Moscow River and the Vodootvodny Canal was erected in 1997. That same year, Zurab Tsereteli developed the overall artistic and design solution for Manezhnaya Square.

    The sculptor’s monumental works adorn cities in different countries. Among the most famous are “Happiness for Children of the World” (Brockport, USA, 1979), “Good Conquers Evil” (New York, 1990), “Birth of a New Man” (Seville, Spain, 1995), monuments to Nikolai Gogol (Rome, 2002), Saint Nicholas the Wonderworker (Bari, Italy, 2003), Princess Olga (Pskov, 2003), Pope John Paul II (Ploermel, France, 2006), Marina Tsvetaeva (Saint-Gilles-Croix-de-Vie, France, 2012), a monument dedicated to the fight against international terrorism (Bayonne, USA, 2006), the compositions “Saint George” (Tbilisi, 2005) and “Fathers of the European Union”. (Metz, France, 2012).

    People’s Artist of the USSR (1980) and the Russian Federation (1994), he was awarded many other awards and honorary titles: the Lenin Prize (1976), USSR State Prizes (1970, 1981-1982), the State Prize of the Russian Federation in Literature and Art (1995), the Order of Merit for the Fatherland of the 3rd (1996), 2nd (2006), 1st (2010) and 4th (2014) classes, the Order of Friendship of Peoples (1994). Zurab Tsereteli was awarded, in particular, the Picasso Gold Medal (2007), the Order of the Legion of Honor (2010) and Carl Faberge (2016).

    The sculptor’s daughter and grandson also connected their lives with art. According to Zurab Konstantinovich, he always tried to support their interest in creativity. Elena Tsereteli is a graphic artist, academician of the Russian Academy of Arts, Vasily Tsereteli is an artist, vice-president of the Russian Academy of Arts, executive director of the Moscow Museum of Modern Art.

    Zurab Tsereteli worked fruitfully almost until the very last days of his life – according to him, even when busy with administrative tasks, he always found time to approach the canvas or go to the foundry, and he carried an album and an ink pen with him everywhere. In an interview, the artist noted that all his works are about love – for the world, people, life.

    Among his recent creations are a monument to Alexander Pushkin (Apatity, 2017), a bust of the first President of Russia Boris Yeltsin (Moscow, 2018), monuments to dancer Rudolf Nureyev (Kazan, 2018), writer Alexander Solzhenitsyn (Kislovodsk, 2018), scientist Zhores Alferov (Saint Petersburg, 2019) and poet Andrei Dementyev (Moscow, 2020), a bust of Alexander Nevsky (Saint Petersburg, 2021), and a monument to composer Tikhon Khrennikov (Yelets, 2023).

    The artist passed away on April 22, 2025.

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

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

    https: //vv.mos.ru/nevs/ite/152973073/

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI: Recording of LHV Group’s 22 April investor webinar

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    To give an overview of the 2025 Q1 financial results, LHV Group organised an investor meeting webinar on 22 April. An overview of the company’s progress was given by Madis Toomsalu, Chairman of the Management Board of LHV Group and Meelis Paakspuu, CFO of LHV Group.

    The live coverage was followed by 33 participants, the live feed of the presentation was broadcast over Zoom.

    Recording of the investor meeting (in Estonian) is available at: https://youtu.be/hwWkBQPaXHk

    LHV Group is the largest domestic financial group and capital provider in Estonia. LHV Group’s key subsidiaries are LHV Pank, LHV Varahaldus, LHV Kindlustus, and LHV Bank Limited. The Group employs over 1,160 people. As at the end of March, LHV’s banking services are being used by 465,000 clients, the pension funds managed by LHV have 113,000 active customers, and LHV Kindlustus is protecting a total of 174,000 clients. LHV Bank Limited, a subsidiary of the Group, holds a banking licence in the United Kingdom and provides banking services to international financial technology companies, as well as loans to small and medium-sized enterprises.

    Priit Rum
    Communications Manager
    Phone: +372 502 0786
    Email: priit.rum@lhv.ee 

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Speech by SCST at Asia Cultural Co-operation Forum+ 2025 – Ministerial Panel (English only)

    Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

    Speech by SCST at Asia Cultural Co-operation Forum+ 2025 – Ministerial Panel (English only) 
    Honourable ministers, heads of delegations, Consul Generals, distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen,
     
    Good afternoon. Just now I was so eager to welcome you that I almost jumped on stage myself. On behalf of the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR), I would like to extend our warmest welcome to all of you to the Asia Cultural Co-operation Forum+ (ACCF+) 2025. May I take this opportunity to extend my gratitude to Mr Gao Zheng, Vice Minister of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism of the People’s Republic of China, who will be delivering a speech for us in a short moment. 
     
    This year’s ACCF+ has received an unprecedented participation of senior delegations from 17 countries in the region, with five of the countries sending delegations to join this Forum for the first time. Your active participation and unwavering support not only sustains the continued success of this Forum, but also reaffirms Hong Kong’s unique position as an international hub for arts and culture, as well as the “super connector” for bridging countries across Asia and beyond, for meaningful cultural exchanges.
     
    The theme of this year’s Forum is “Connect, Create, Engage: Bridging Cultures for All”. I trust you would agree with me that this is something that we, as cultural ministers and government leaders, need to seriously contemplate at this point in time. The world has undergone rapid and vigourous changes since the last ACCF held in 2022, and these changes are multifaceted, especially when we are now entering a volatile age of geopolitical tension and tariff wars. What impacts the arts and cultural development of a place most is undoubtedly the amplified diversity through technology. We should all recognise that technological advancement is something inevitable, so instead of resisting it, we should adopt a people-oriented approach to embrace it. And to achieve this, my strategy is to connect more with people, to create more for people and to engage more people. After all, culture is from people, and is about people.
     
    Situated right in the heart of Asia, with a convergence of diverse cultures and global connections, Hong Kong is blessed with unique advantages to play the important role as a “super connector” between China, our motherland, and the rest of the world.  With the clear support in China’s National 14th Five‑Year Plan, we have been striving to develop Hong Kong into an East-meets-West centre for international cultural exchanges. Together with the competitive edge in the commercial sector, Hong Kong is also the largest art trading centre in Asia. All these have been written on the name card of Hong Kong now. We will surely work hard to make our name card more shiny and promote our strengths, but more importantly, we will make good use of these attributes to build connections with our friends in the region and the rest of the world. This is why Hong Kong is taking a leadership role in hosting this renowned event once again, and presenting various large-scale forums and summits, such as the Museum Summit organised last month by the Leisure and Cultural Services Department in partnership with The Guimet ‑ National Museum of Asian Arts in France, which received a record-high total registration of over 7 000 participants. One-third of them were non-Hong Kong registrants, from 39 countries. These achievements boost not only our confidence in consolidating our role, but Hong Kong’s attractiveness to draw in new arts and cultural ideas and collaboration opportunities. As a melting pot of Chinese and Western cultures, Hong Kong’s potential could only be fully unleashed with the constant stimuli from the rest of the world.
     
    Good connections is a solid foundation. With it, we can create more for our people. For the sake of arts and cultural development in Hong Kong, my priorities now go to creating space, opportunities, and more importantly an ecosystem. The cultural landscape in Hong Kong is much broadened with the full operation of the world-class West Kowloon Cultural District and the state-of-the-art Kai Tak Sports Park which was opened last month. The recent Coldplay concert hosting over 200 000 audience members coming from all over the world is a strong testimony of Hong Kong’s strong capability in staging world-class events. So, we will definitely work hard to make good use of the space with sufficient quality content. 
     
    Apart from attracting mega events and world-class artists to Hong Kong, we will also create opportunities for our home-grown artists and talent to shine. On this, we are taking bold steps to develop new initiatives that provide such a platform, an example of which is the inaugural Hong Kong Performing Arts Expo (HKPAX) launched in 2024 that brought together arts institutions and practitioners from around the world. The HKSAR Government has already committed to supporting the second edition of HKPAX in the 2025-26 Budget Speech. The Forum today will undoubtedly serve as another precious platform in connecting partners, fostering exchanges and co-operation, and engaging cultural communities with constructive and inspirational thoughts and initiatives.
     
    Currently, Hong Kong is home to a number of globally acclaimed galleries, auction houses and art fairs. Hong Kong’s low tax rate and thriving art fairs have attracted art lovers from around the world to participate in Hong Kong’s art trading events. These qualities have contributed to the emergence of Hong Kong’s art trading and auction market, making Hong Kong one of the world’s top three art trading centres. As you know, Art Basel Hong Kong has developed into a prominent international event for visual arts since its debut in Hong Kong in 2013.  
     
    The advancement in infrastructure and enrichment of platforms have worked together to create a more pluralistic cultural environment, allowing space and conditions for industry building and the integrated development of culture, sports and tourism. The achievements did not happen by accident. This is one of the four strategic directions in the Blueprint for Arts and Culture and Creative Industries Development that we promulgated in November 2024 to enhance the ecosystem for the arts, culture and creative industries. Along this direction, we will continue to improve infrastructure, promote cross-sectoral and cross-genre collaborations, nurture talent, and more importantly, to collaborate with all sectors of society for the better future of arts and cultural development. 
     
    Very soon, my dear friends, you will be sharing your constructive and inspirational experiences and opinions for fostering arts and cultural growth at this Ministerial Panel. I look forward to learning from the immense interflow of ideas and insightful discussions that will ensue. On behalf of the Government of Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, I would like to once again express my heartfelt gratitude for your honourable presence at ACCF+ 2025. Your participation and contribution is deeply meaningful to us and to the enhancement of people-to-people bonding in the region. 
     
    Thank you very much.
    Issued at HKT 16:45

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    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –