NewzIntel.com

Category: European Union

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Education Committee approves New School for Tornagrain

    Source: Scotland – Highland Council

    The Highland Council’s Education Committee has approved a proposal to create a new primary school to serve the Tornagrain housing development, east of Inverness.

    The decision follows a statutory consultation exercise undertaken in the autumn of 2024.

    Education Committee Chair, Cllr John Finlayson said, “I’m delighted that the Committee has approved the recommendation to create a new primary school for Tornagrain. There is a clear need to address the steadily rising roll at Croy Primary, which will not have the capacity to accommodate the number of children from new housing developments in the area.

    “A great deal of work is required to progress the detailed design, planning process and construction of the new school and the conclusion of the Tornagrain consultation represents an important step forward in this process.”

    The Education Committee’s recommendation will be presented for formal Council approval when the Full Council meets on 27 March 2025.

    27 Feb 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Duror Primary School closure consultation update

    Source: Scotland – Highland Council

    The Highland Council’s Education Committee met yesterday (Wednesday 26 February 2025) to consider a report on the future of Duror Primary School.  The original recommendation had been to close due to the falling school roll, but this was changed on the day following a Motion from the Committee Chair seeking Members’ agreement to continue to keep the school open.

    The decision follows a statutory consultation undertaken during 2024.

    Education Committee Chair, Cllr John Finlayson said: “The Council’s proposal to close Duror Primary School was made on the basis that only two children currently attend the school.  However, new information has been presented since the report was published about a potential future increase in the school roll and this has made it possible to withdraw the original recommendation to close. Having engaged with the community in recent weeks and seen at first hand the good work that the school is doing in terms of additional activities involving the wider community I am really pleased we have been able to review the position and delighted that the Education Committee unanimously endorsed my motion.  I hope that children will continue to attend Duror Primary School for many years to come.”

    The Education Committee’s recommendation will be placed before the full Highland Council at its meeting on 27 March 2025.

    27 Feb 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Achievement of Curriculum for Excellence Levels update

    Source: Scotland – Highland Council

    The Highland Council’s Education Committee met yesterday (Wednesday 26 February 2025) and noted the Council’s continuing commitment to improving attainment and achievement at all stages through a range of strategic initiatives.    

    Education Committee Chair, Cllr John Finlayson said: “2023/24 data shows that Highland is one of the most improved authorities in Scotland across all primary measures and the rate and trajectory of improvement is positive, identifying that the strategic approach being taken is having a sustained impact. The improvement over the last 2 years is particularly impressive and I would like to thank all staff and young people that have worked so hard to make this happen.

    “Whilst we recognise that attainment has improved, there is still work to be done.  We remain ambitious to continue and where possible, accelerate, this rate of improvement to ensure that all of our young people are supported to achieve their full potential.  To support this aim, we will be engaging with stakeholders in the development of our 5 year vision for education in Highland to underpin our raising attainment action plan.

    “Our schools continue to face challenges in relation to supporting the health & wellbeing of learners, including factors relating to the cost-of-living and post-pandemic issues impacting pupils’ school attendance.  The Local Authority is currently seeking views from secondary stage pupils and the parents/carers of children who struggle attending secondary school on a regular basis.  I encourage those impacted by low school attendance to fill out the short survey. The feedback collated will help us to better understand the challenges facing families and will inform the approaches taken to help our young learners to attend, achieve and succeed at school.”

    The survey is anonymous and will run from Monday 24 February until Friday 14 March 2025.

    The secondary surveys for both parents and pupils are available here:

    Parent survey on attendance: https://forms.office.com/e/vYZvATHXtC

    Pupil survey on attendance : https://forms.office.com/e/QgeMqY21UT

    27 Feb 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Highland Council celebrates record-breaking School Leaver Destinations for 2023/2024

    Source: Scotland – Highland Council

    The Highland Council is delighted to announce a significant increase in positive destinations for school leavers in the academic year 2023/2024. An impressive 96.5% of Highland leavers have secured a positive destination, up 1.2% from last year. Nationally, positive destinations have dropped by 0.2% to 95.7%.

    This year, Highland has seen an increase in the number of school leavers, with a total of 2,632 students. This rise aligns with the national trend of increasing school leaver numbers across Scotland. Of these, 40.3% have successfully transitioned into employment, including Modern and Graduate Apprenticeships, placing Highland second only to Orkney in employment as a positive destination.

    Key Highlights:

    • Record School Leaver Destinations: 96.5% of school leavers have achieved positive destinations, reflecting a significant increase from the previous year.
    • Employment Success: 40.3% of school leavers have entered employment, including Modern and Graduate Apprenticeships, ranking Highland second in Scotland.

    The Highland Council’s strategic focus on youth development and employment readiness has been instrumental in these achievements. The “Workforce of the Future” plan aims to equip young people with the skills and opportunities needed to thrive in a dynamic job market.

    Education Committee Chair, Cllr John Finlayson, said:  “We are thrilled with the outstanding results achieved by our school leavers this year. The increase in positive destinations is a testament to the hard work of our students, educators, and the supportive community. We remain committed to fostering an environment where every young person can succeed and contribute to the future workforce.

    “The Highland Council continues to prioritise initiatives that support young people’s transition from education.  We are committed to building effective partnerships with employers, trainers, colleges and universities and building cross sector career pathways and skills packages while also aligning the school curriculum towards the economic opportunities available, to ensure a bright and prosperous future for the region.”

    27 Feb 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI Economics: New administration can create a stronger AI tech export rule

    Source: Microsoft

    Headline: New administration can create a stronger AI tech export rule

    A high-stakes race is underway that will determine which country will supply the technology that powers the world’s emerging AI economy. Vice President Vance got it right at the recent AI Summit in Paris, emphasizing the need to focus on AI opportunities, pursue lighter regulations, and prioritize bringing American AI to the world. However, a last-minute Biden administration regulation, if left unchanged, risks undermining America’s ability to succeed.  

    The Biden administration’s interim final AI Diffusion Rule caps the export of essential American AI components to many fast-growing and strategically vital markets. As drafted, the rule undermines two Trump administration priorities: strengthening U.S. AI leadership and reducing the nation’s near trillion-dollar trade deficit. Left unchanged, the Biden rule will give China a strategic advantage in spreading over time its own AI technology, echoing its rapid ascent in 5G telecommunications a decade ago.    

    As a company, we support the need to protect national security by preventing adversaries from acquiring advanced AI technology. And there are important elements in the rule that should be retained. For example, the rule’s qualitative provisions would ensure that AI technology components are deployed in certified, secure, and trusted datacenters. This avoids shipments of advanced chips to entities that do not meet these standards and thereby helps reduce the risk of chip diversion to China. Similarly, the rule rightly imposes strict requirements on these trusted datacenter operators to protect against chip diversion and to ensure that advanced AI services cannot be used by adversaries.  

    There is an important opportunity to further strengthen these provisions, including by ensuring the Commerce Department has the resources it will need to put the Rule into effect. This can help both expedite approval processes for companies and strengthen enforcement, including against unlawful chip diversion. 

    But a significant problem remains. Namely, the Biden rule goes beyond what’s needed. It puts many important U.S. allies and partners in a Tier Two category and imposes quantitative limits on the ability of American tech companies to build and expand AI datacenters in their countries. This includes many American friends, such as Switzerland, Poland, Greece, Singapore, India, Indonesia, Israel, the UAE, and Saudi Arabia. These are countries where we and many other American companies have significant datacenter operations.  

    This Tier Two status is undermining one of the essential requirements needed for a business to succeed—namely, confidence by our customers that they will be able to buy from us the AI computing capacity that they will need in the future. Customers in Tier Two countries now worry that an insufficient supply of critical American AI technology will restrict their opportunities for economic growth.  

    The unintended consequence of this approach is to encourage Tier Two countries to look elsewhere for AI infrastructure and services. And it’s obvious where they will be forced to turn. If left unchanged, the Diffusion Rule will become a gift to China’s rapidly expanding AI sector.  

    All this comes at precisely the time when the American tech sector wants to invest in AI computing capacity at an unprecedented level. Our own company’s plans are illustrative. This year alone, Microsoft will spend $80 billion to build AI infrastructure around the world, with more than half of this total on U.S. soil. As this reflects, the solid majority of our computing power will remain in the United States.   

    But our ability to continue growing and investing at this level, including in the United States, depends in important part on exporting our technology services. This requires building AI infrastructure in other countries, so AI services can be accessed and used with low latency by local enterprises and consumers. Ironically, the Diffusion Rule discourages what should be regarded as an American economic opportunity—the export of world-leading chips and technology services. 

    The potentially negative impact on American economic growth doesn’t stop there. As the tech sector invests billions of dollars to build datacenters around the world, we are developing global supply chains that combine international and American suppliers of more traditional manufactured goods. I saw this first-hand when I was in Warsaw last week to announce with Prime Minister Donald Tusk a $700 million expansion of Microsoft’s datacenter infrastructure in Poland. Among the beneficiaries are American workers manufacturing advanced electrical generators in Lafayette, Indiana, so they can be shipped to Poland. 

    The irony could not be clearer. At the very moment when the Trump administration is pressing Europe to buy more American goods, the Biden Diffusion Rule leaves the leaders of partners like Poland asking why they have been relegated to Tier Two status and an uncertain ability to buy more American AI chips in the future. 

    This puts the opportunity for the Trump administration in bold relief. It can take an overly complex rule that requires 41 pages in the Federal Register and right-size it. Make it simpler. Stop relegating American friends and allies into a second tier that undermines their confidence in ongoing access to American products. Eliminate the quantitative caps that would interfere with a well-functioning economic market. And keep what matters most, such as the qualitative security standards and AI use restrictions that protect national security. 

    We need to recognize the obvious. America’s AI race with China begins at home. It’s founded on the ability of innovative American firms to bring manufactured goods and technology services to like-minded countries around the world. We’re prepared to invest. What we need now is an AI diffusion rule that gives us the ability to do so. 

    Tags: AI diffusion rule, AI economy, supply chains

    MIL OSI Economics –

  • MIL-Evening Report: NZ’s barriers to economic growth: short-term thinking, political concentration and policy flip-flops

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Kate Nicholls, Senior Lecturer, School of Social Sciences and Public Policy, Auckland University of Technology

    Hagen Hopkins/Getty Images

    Economic growth took centre stage during Prime Minister Christopher Luxon’s recent State of the Nation speech.

    Yet in amongst the discussion and criticism of the government’s plans, many have got locked into a one-dimensional debate centred on reducing regulation to encourage economic growth.

    This ignores a deeper discussion on the actual sources of New Zealand’s economic growth in the 21st century and, potentially, what we need to do to shift from one model of growth to another.

    What drives growth?

    Emerging partly out of the 2007–09 global financial crisis, thinking about economic growth has become dominated by something known as the growth model framework.

    The framework contrasts countries such as Germany that base their growth on exports – partly through wage restraint – with those in which growth is led by consumption. This group includes the United Kingdom, the United States and New Zealand.

    New Zealand’s growth model

    How can this framework be used to understand economic growth in our local context?

    New Zealand’s economy is dominated by domestic demand – with the service industry making up around two-thirds of the gross domestic product, putting us squarely in the consumption-led camp.

    Local analysts have often reflected on the drivers and pitfalls of this growth model, revolving as it does around property investment and related industries such as banking and insurance.

    And yet, this is not how we tend to think of ourselves at all.

    Whether aspirational or wishful thinking, countless political speeches and policy documents refer to New Zealand as something of an export platform, a trading nation, or a (potential) knowledge-based innovator on the world stage.

    New Zealand has long viewed itself as an export economy. But economic indicators tell a different story.
    Kritsana Laroque/Shutterstock

    The politics of New Zealand’s growth model

    It is also difficult to imagine a New Zealand political leader standing up to announce how proud they are to be overseeing a service and consumption-driven economy.

    In fact, it could be argued the past couple of decades have represented a series of failures to shift the growth model from where we are to where we want to be.

    What is more, many of the barriers to doing so are political rather than strictly economic.

    The growth model perspective identifies not only the varied national growth strategies but also the coalition of political and business groups that support each model.

    Possible – but difficult – change

    Shifts in national growth models can occur. But doing so requires forging a consensus around a new or evolving growth model through political institutions or through the expansion of the growth coalition’s base to include new economic players including, in some cases, trade unions.

    Ireland, for example, underwent a major shift from the late 1980s toward a growth model infused with foreign direct investment. This happened, in part, through social partnership, where most aspects of public policy were negotiated between state, business and organised labour, along with some input from the community and voluntary sector. It was also due to an overwhelmingly centrist political culture and it’s structure of government.

    Sweden’s gradual shift toward more information-technology intensive manufacturing and the Netherlands’ to business services and finance, representing more balanced or mixed growth models, can also be traced to consensus-driven politics.

    Barriers to change

    Back in Aotearoa New Zealand, we face a series of political barriers to similar change.

    Above all, politics in New Zealand is notably short-term in nature, driven by a host of factors including the three-year electoral term. There is also an absence of an Irish or Swedish-style social partnership-type tradition in which key societal groups are included in policy negotiations that survive changes of government.

    Compounding this, power in New Zealand politics is still concentrated in the hands of the incumbent government despite the adoption of the mixed member proportional (MMP) system. This means a considerable degree of ideological yo-yoing and policy flip-flops.

    Most difficult perhaps is finding a way to override entrenched economic interests with a vested interest in the status quo.

    For example, while there is widespread support for a capital gains tax in New Zealand, implementing one has proven out of political reach.

    This is likely due, in part, to the oversized role that property plays in our economy, but also because we lack consensus-forging institutions through which to channel a will to change.

    Somehow broadening the base of support may help to address this issue, as will ensuring that the government is able to exercise its own autonomy – connected to economic interests yet able to rise above rather than relying on them to make change happen.

    Kate Nicholls 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. NZ’s barriers to economic growth: short-term thinking, political concentration and policy flip-flops – https://theconversation.com/nzs-barriers-to-economic-growth-short-term-thinking-political-concentration-and-policy-flip-flops-249007

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Conditions imposed on weekly protest in Swiss Cottage

    Source: United Kingdom London Metropolitan Police

    The Met has confirmed conditions have been imposed on a long-running protest in Swiss Cottage.

    The static protest in Finchley Road, at the junction of Eton Avenue, has been taking place on a weekly basis on Friday’s since October 2023.

    From Friday, 28 February the protest, organised by the International Jewish Anti-Zionist Network (IJAN), must take place within a designated area in Kings Cross.

    The decision to impose these conditions has been made with a view to minimising serious disruption to the community in the Swiss Cottage area.

    Superintendent Jack Rowlands, who is responsible for the policing operation across Camden and Islington, said:

    “Our role is to ensure all those exercising their right to protest can do so without incident and without causing serious disruption to the lives of the wider community.

    “We have imposed conditions under the Public Order Act on when and where this protest can take place. I would ask anyone attending to make themselves aware of these conditions as to breach them, or to incite others to do so, is a criminal offence.”

    The conditions state:

    – Any person participating in the IJAN protest must remain in the area shaded on the attached map outside Kings Cross Station, Euston Road, London, on the pavement between the bus stop and pedestrian crossing.

    – The assembly must finish by 19:30hrs.

    Officers will be in attendance and we would encourage people to speak to them if they have concerns. They are there to ensure everyone is kept safe.

    If you want to report anything suspicious you can call 101 or 999 in an emergency.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Thousands of fish released to restock Cheshire river

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    Press release

    Thousands of fish released to restock Cheshire river

    A total of 4,000 fish, including chub dace and roach, have been released into the River Weaver at two key locations in Cheshire.

    The team preparing to stock the fish.

    The restocking aims to help replenish populations after two pollution incidents in October 2023, which sadly led to the loss of thousands of fish.

    The two key locations include Mill Island Weir and downstream in “The Willows” area.

    Restocking is done where natural population numbers have been depleted or to create new fisheries and opportunities for anglers. It occurs in winter because water temperatures are low and this minimises any stress on the fish, giving them the best possible survival rates.

    An image of the team restocking fish into the River Weaver

    February is a good time to introduce the fish into rivers, as it enables them to acclimatise to their new surroundings, ahead of their spawning season in the spring.

    Fish also play a critical role in sustaining a river’s finely-balanced eco-system, so the wider natural environment will also get a helping hand, as a result of the restocking.

    James Grosscurth, Fisheries Officer for the Environment Agency in Greater Manchester, Merseyside and Cheshire, said:

    Sometimes our native fish populations need a helping hand, particularly following pollution incidents.

    After careful and consistent monitoring, increased agricultural site inspections and enforcement and an enhanced officer presence upstream of Nantwich Lake, we were pleased to confirm that the water quality in the River Weaver can provide a healthy habitat for thousands of new recruits.

    This first restocking will form part of a three-year program, funded by rod licence income, to encourage natural recovery. Our thanks go to Nantwich Angling Society who have been working tirelessly, alongside our officers, to help make this happen.

    All of the fish introduced to the Weaver have been reared at the Environment Agency’s National Coarse Fish Farm in Calverton, Nottinghamshire.

    Every year, the Environment Agency stocks almost half a million fish of nine different species into England’s rivers. Being the principal supply of coarse fish for 32 years, the fish farm plays a crucial role to help improve fisheries around the country.

    Close up of fish entering the river during restocking.

    Fisheries officers use data from national surveys to identify where there are problems with poor breeding, issues with survival rates, or where numbers have been impacted following a pollution incident.

    These surveys help the officers ensure that fish are released into the right locations and where the need is greatest as well as supporting angling clubs to boost local fishing spots.

    Fisheries Officers inspect rod licences 24/7 throughout the North West, and work continually on cases of illegal fishing and other associated fisheries crime. Fishing illegally can result in a fine of up to £2,500, and offenders can also have their fishing equipment seized.

    It’s easy to buy a rod fishing licence online. Get yours here: Buy a rod fishing licence: When you need a licence – GOV.UK

    illegal fishing and other offences can be reported to the Environment Agency’s Incident Hotline on 0800 807060.

    Updates to this page

    Published 27 February 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Perpetrators of coercive behaviour have sentences increased

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    Press release

    Perpetrators of coercive behaviour have sentences increased

    Two violent offenders who subjected women to campaigns of abuse have their jail terms increased by Court of Appeal following intervention from Solicitor General

    Macauley Nesfield, 28, from Eastfield, had his jail term increased by the Court of Appeal on 26 February, and Bilal Rasheed has his sentence increased on 16 January. 

    Both decisions from the Court of Appeal followed references by the Solicitor General after the original sentences for controlling and coercive behaviour were considered unduly lenient.

    The Court heard that Nesfield carried out a sustained campaign of abuse against a woman which included smacking, punching, throwing objects, grabbing by the throat, dragging by the hair and brandishing a knife.

    Nesfield was sentenced in December 2024 for one count of Controlling or coercive behaviour, one count of Assault occasioning actual bodily harm, and one count of Unlawful wounding.

    He also received a five-year restraining order. On 26 February 2025, following a referral of his original sentence to the Court of Appeal by Lucy Rigby KC MP, Nesfield had his sentence increased to three years’ imprisonment.

    Bilal Rasheed repeatedly abused a woman and was controlling or coercive towards her.

    He was sentenced in August 2024 for one count of controlling or coercive behaviour in an intimate family relationship, one count of sending a malicious communication, and one count of criminal damage.

    The Court of Appeal quashed his original jail term for coercive and controlling behaviour and increased it to three years.

    The Solicitor General Lucy Rigby KC MP said:

    I welcome the Court’s decision to increase these sentences.

    This Government is committed to tackling violence against women and girls and we will continue to use all tools at our disposal to protect victims and put perpetrators behind bars.

    Updates to this page

    Published 27 February 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Four people sentenced in Hounslow murder investigation

    Source: United Kingdom London Metropolitan Police

    Four people have been jailed for a total of 48 and a half years following a Met Specialist Crime investigation into the murder of a man in Hounslow.

    Ben Laing, 23 (22.05.00), of De Brome Road, Feltham and Durra Abdi, 19 (27.02.04), of Western Avenue, Acton were both imprisoned for 22 years for fatally stabbing Tyreece Scott.

    Laing was also sentenced for being involved in the supply of drugs, while Abdi’s custodial sentence included possession of a bladed article.

    Two others were sentenced for perverting the course of justice.

    Reda Mohamed, 24 (09.01.01) of Linslade Close, Hounslow was jailed for four and a half years whilst Morgan Allen, 29 (09.01.96) of Reeve St, Feltham was jailed for two years which was suspended for 18 months.

    In a trial which started on Tuesday, 26 November at the Old Bailey, the jury heard that shortly before 01:00hrs on Tuesday, 16 January 2024, Tyreece was stabbed to death on Hibernia Road, a quiet residential street in Hounslow.

    Despite the efforts of emergency services, the 24-year-old died as a result of a stab wound to the chest a short time later.

    The prosecution told the jury the murder happened against a background of drug dealing, with a dispute over dealing on other people’s territory.

    Detectives worked around the clock to identify the suspects, and Laing and Abdi were arrested at Stansted Airport after landing back in the UK on Friday, 19 January. They were charged with murder two days later.

    Officers gathered a large amount of CCTV material which was then painstakingly examined, and enabled them to match a bag carried by Abdi at the scene of the murder to one he was carrying when he was arrested.

    Once specialist investigators had possession of the defendants’ mobile phones, they were able to recover all sorts of material including notes, text conversations and other data, including website searches of “Hounslow stabbing” on Abdi’s phone which provided vital evidence during the trial.

    Detective Inspector Paul Fagence, who led the investigation, said:

    “Drug dealing is an ugly business which has cost Tyreece his life.

    “The case is a tragic reminder of how the supply of drugs has devastating consequences on communities.

    “While there was no evidence to suggest Tyreece knew the defendants, it was the combination of CCTV, mobile phones and ANPR technology which checks vehicles of interest which helped us build a compelling case against these defendants.

    “Our thoughts remain, as ever, with Tyreece’s friends and family. We hope they can now find a level of peace to move forward with their lives.”

    All four defendants were convicted of their crimes at the Old Bailey on Friday, 10 January.

    As part of our A New Met for London plan, tackling knife crime and violence is a top priority for the Met, while officers are working alongside communities to crack down on individuals who supply drugs and seek to cause harm in London.

    You can visit Fearless for advice and discover real stories about people who turned their lives around after being involved in knife crime as well as places you can go for further help and support.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Millions have now taken action to access their eVisa

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    News story

    Millions have now taken action to access their eVisa

    Published statistics show millions have accessed their eVisa, as an extension to the period expired immigration documents can be used for travel is confirmed.

    Over 4 million UK visa holders have successfully created an account to access their eVisa, according to Home Office statistics published today. An estimated 600,000 people are yet to switch from their physical document to an eVisa.

    Securing our borders is a key part of the government’s Plan for Change and eVisas are a key part of delivering a border and immigration system which is more digital and streamlined. This change will enhance the experience of people using the system, and increase the immigration system’s security and efficiency.

    To support a continued smooth transition to eVisas, and ensure no one is disadvantaged, the Home Office is extending the ‘grace period’ announced in December 2024. We committed to keep this transitional measure under review and we are extending the end date from 31 March 2025 to 1 June 2025.

    This allows people with a biometric residence permit (BRP) or EUSS biometric residence card (BRC) that expired on or after 31 December 2024, and who continue to hold underlying immigration status, to continue to use their expired document for international travel up to and including 1 June 2025.

    From the 2 June 2025, expired BRPs and EUSS BRCs will no longer be acceptable evidence of immigration status when travelling to the UK. 

    Minister for Migration and Citizenship, Seema Malhotra MP said:

    Today’s encouraging eVisa statistics show that a significant majority of the immigration status holders who needed to take action have done so.

    We continue to listen carefully to feedback, and our confirmation that expired immigration documents can be used for travel until June this year will help to further ensure the transition to eVisas continues to be as smooth as possible.

    Those yet to create an account to access their eVisa are encouraged to do so as soon as possible, to make the most of the benefits of using an eVisa and join the millions – including all EU Settlement Scheme (EUSS) status holders – who already have an eVisa. It is free, and straightforward for those who hold physical and paper documents to create a UKVI account to access their eVisa.

    People with indefinite leave to remain (ILR, also known as settlement) who use an ink stamp or vignette in a passport to prove their rights can continue to use their documents as they do today, including for travel, but are encouraged to make the switch to an eVisa to take advantage of the benefits it brings.

    We had previously estimated the number of BRP holders who need to create an account to access their eVisa at over 4 million, but this number is hard to establish accurately given the daily fluctuations in this data. This is because of people’s leave expiring, people leaving the country before their leave expires, or leave being cancelled or curtailed.

    Since the first eVisa statistics publication in December 2024, we have carried out further analysis and quality assurance to enhance our understanding of who has not yet acted, though the data is presented in same format for clarity.

    A number of people who created a UKVI account already had one created as part of their visa application, and therefore now have 2 UKVI accounts – although only one eVisa. This should not cause issues for those people, but it does mean that the published data includes a number of duplicate accounts. To maintain consistency, we are continuing to publish data on eVisa account creation numbers, recognising that this contains duplicates.

    However, we are also clarifying our revised estimate of the numbers of immigration status holders who still need to access their eVisa, which we anticipate to be approximately 600,000 BRP holders. This number will decrease as people’s leave expires and they leave the UK.

    Further information can be found in our eVisa factsheet.

    Updates to this page

    Published 27 February 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Shipping movement planned for Royal Parade

    Source: City of Plymouth

    Three converted shipping containers are to be installed on the north side of Royal Parade to act as temporary bus shelters.

    The containers are roughly the same size as a double shelter and will have bench seating, lighting together with ramps and handrails and the first two will be put into position early next week.

    They will stay in place until the new bigger shelters will be installed as part of the Royal Parade improvement scheme.

    The containers will be installed early in the morning, so there will be no disruption to bus services. They will be outside

    • Dingles between bus stops A15 and A16
    • Debenhams near bus stop A20
    • Poundland near bus stop A13.

    Some benches will also be installed beneath the canopy along Royal Parade so that people have more places to sit while they wait for their buses.

    Councillor Mark Coker, Cabinet Member for Strategic Planning and Transport said: “I instructed officers to leave no stone unturned in finding some temporary shelter for bus users on this side of Royal Parade.

    “As a bus user myself I was really unhappy with the shelters being removed in winter, but as cabinet member for transport understood that we were left with very little option as the contract had ended with the old providers and we were simply not in a position to start the new improvement scheme.

    “This solution is a little unusual, but it is practical and can be in place relatively quickly.”

    A total of 12 shelters have been removed by old providers JC Decaux and the plan is for Clear Channel to install 15 bigger shelters along this key route with upgraded seating and more space for wheelchair users and pushchairs as part of the Royal Parade Bus Improvement scheme.

    However, contract negotiations for the main scheme works are still ongoing, which has meant no shelters on Royal Parade between Courtenay Street and St Andrews Cross. The work is expected to start later in the Spring.

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Increases made to higher education grants27 February 2025 The Minister for Education and Lifelong Learning, Deputy Rob Ward, has signed a Ministerial order which increases the funding for a number of grants for higher education students from 1 September 2025.… Read more

    Source: Channel Islands – Jersey

    27 February 2025

    The Minister for Education and Lifelong Learning, Deputy Rob Ward, has signed a Ministerial order which increases the funding for a number of grants for higher education students from 1 September 2025. 

    These changes contribute towards one of this Government’s top strategic priorities, to ‘increase the provision of lifelong learning and skills development’, by implementing sustainable higher education student finance. 

    For most grants, the amount a student can receive depends on household income thresholds. These thresholds will increase by 5.2%. The increase has been based on the economic assumptions on average incomes in Jersey published by the Fiscal Policy Panel in 2024. 

    The income threshold to receive: 

    1. the maximum maintenance grant will increase from £50,000 to £52,600 
    2. the maximum tuition grant will increase from £110,000 to £115,720 
    3. the clinical component grant will increase from £100,000 to £105,200 
    4. a grant to attend an interview will increase from £50,000 to £52,600 
    5. a grant for specialist equipment for a student with a disability will increase from £90,000 to £94,680. 

    Maintenance grants will receive an uplift of 2.5%, based on the *Consumer Price Index for December 2024 published by the Office for National Statistics. The maximum maintenance grant will increase from £8,915 to £9,138. 

    Tuition fee grants will increase by 3.1% to align with the new higher cap in England and Wales. The new maximum tuition grant will increase from £9,250 to £9,535. 

    Deputy Ward said: ‘It is important we continue to review the support we have available for our students to continue their education post the age of 18. 

    ‘These changes ensure we are in line with increases to the cost of living and will help to reduce any cost-based barriers that may prevent our young people from continuing their studies, particularly when the majority of our young adults study in the UK and so living at home to reduce those costs isn’t an option.’

    ​*As most students study in the UK, that is where the majority of their maintenance money is spent.

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Reminder for residents after council takes action over unauthorised building work

    Source: City of Leeds

    Leeds City Council has reminded local residents of the need to abide by planning laws after taking enforcement action against two rule-breaking homeowners.

    One of the owners was hit with financial penalties running into tens of thousands of pounds following the separate cases, which both relate to unauthorised building work at domestic properties in Leeds.

    In the first case, planning permission was granted in 2017 for side and rear extensions to a property in the Rawdon Road area of Horsforth but once work started it became clear that what was taking shape differed substantially – in design elements and size – from the approved plans.

    This, the council noted, meant the finished development had an unacceptable impact on the character and appearance of the area.

    Following an unsuccessful application by the owner for retrospective planning permission that would have allowed the extensions to remain as built, the council served an enforcement notice that required them to be modified or removed.

    After the owner failed to comply with this notice, the council brought a prosecution which culminated in a hearing at Leeds Crown Court.

    Following a guilty plea, the owner was fined £17,000 and ordered to pay the council’s costs, which were in excess of £19,000.

    The property is now under different ownership but, despite the successful prosecution, the extensions are still in place.

    The council has therefore made clear to the new owner that they must be modified – so they are in line with the approved 2017 plans – or removed.

    In the second case, an outbuilding was constructed next to a property in the Selby Road area of Garforth in 2020 without the proper planning permission being obtained.

    An application for retrospective permission was refused in 2022 on the grounds that the outbuilding – due to its position and size – was causing harm to the openness of an area that sits within Leeds’s green belt.

    An enforcement notice served by the council in March last year required the outbuilding to be dismantled and the resulting material removed from the site.

    An appeal by the homeowner against the notice was dismissed by the Planning Inspectorate in October, with the council successfully applying for a full award of costs. The total amount payable has yet to be decided. The outbuilding, meanwhile, has been demolished.

    Councillor Jonathan Pryor, Leeds City Council’s deputy leader and executive member for economy, transport and sustainable development, said:

    “The council takes its duties as the planning authority for Leeds extremely seriously, with investigations into potential regulation breaches being conducted as quickly and effectively as possible.

    “Where it is considered appropriate for us to do so, we will use our enforcement powers to protect the character and appearance of the city and maintain public confidence in the planning system.

    “The cases in Horsforth and Garforth have been long-running and complex, and I would like to thank officers involved for the diligence and determination they have shown.

    “We hope the results will act as a reminder to people in Leeds that breaches of planning regulations can have significant and costly consequences.”

    Matters that can be investigated by the council’s planning enforcement service include developments without planning permission, developments that fail to comply with agreed permission, unauthorised changes of use and unauthorised work on buildings of special architectural or historic interest.

    People with concerns about a possible breach of planning regulations can contact the council by e-mailing planning.enforcement@leeds.gov.uk. Further information about the authority’s enforcement work can be found here.

    ENDS

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Colombia wants to ban Pablo Escobar and other narco-themed merchandise – here’s why

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Ross Bennett-Cook, PhD Researcher, Carnegie School of Sport, Leeds Beckett University

    When you think of Colombia, what images come to mind? For some, it may be coffee or perhaps the country’s diverse landscapes and cultures. For many others, it will be cartels, crime and cocaine.

    Colombia’s history as a drug trafficking hub plays a major role in attracting visitors to the country – a form of travel known as “dark tourism”. But the Colombian government and much of the population are desperate to shake off this sordid association.

    A new bill going through Colombia’s congress is proposing to ban the sale of souvenirs that depict notorious drug lord Pablo Escobar and other convicted criminals. The proposed law would mean fines for those who violate the rules, and a temporary suspension of businesses.

    Colombia became a major producer of cocaine in the 1970s, fuelled by demand in North America. Led by Escobar, the Medellín cartel dominated this trade, controlling roughly 80% of the cocaine supply to the US.

    In 1988, Time magazine famously dubbed Medellín the “most dangerous city” in the world. Car bombings, assassinations, kidnap and torture became part of everyday life. In a failed attempt to assassinate presidential hopeful César Gaviria in 1989, Escobar was even behind the bombing of a commercial flight that killed all 107 passengers and crew onboard.

    By 1991, the homicide rate in Medellín was a shocking 381 for every 100,000 inhabitants, with 7,500 people murdered in the city that year alone. In comparison, there were a total of 107 homicides in London in 2024.

    Nowadays, Medellín is much more peaceful. Since Escobar’s death in 1993, its homicide rate has dropped by 97% due to increased security crackdowns and peace deals between the narco gangs.

    Colombia now has a booming tourism industry, breaking records for its highest number of visitors in 2024. Medellín has even become a trendy location for digital nomads due to its exciting nightlife, stunning landscape and excellent weather.

    A tourist poses for a picture in the Comuna 13 neighbourhood of Medellín.
    Anamaria Mejia / Shutterstock

    Yet, when I visited Colombia in 2024, it was hard not to become infatuated by Escobar. His face is everywhere: on key rings, magnets, mugs and t-shirts, while you often see lookalikes posing for photographs. Even airports – the last place I would expect to be associated with drugs – stock Escobar souvenirs.

    A quick look on TripAdvisor’s “best things to do in Medellín” shows Museum Pablo Escobar at number one. Almost every tour in the city is related to the notorious cartel leader, including visits to the neighbourhoods he controlled (and often terrorised), his hideout spots, and the location of his final shootout with the police.

    Narco tourism’s boom can be largely attributed to the huge popularity of Narcos, a critically acclaimed series on Netflix that dramatised the life of Escobar. But shows such as Narcos have been criticised by some experts for glorifying the cartel lifestyle – focusing on money, glamour and sex rather than the harsh realities of life within Colombia’s drug trade.

    According to dark tourism researcher Diego Felipe Caicedo, popular media related to narco culture often portrays cartel members as heroes managing to defeat the class structure established by the elite capitalist system.

    This has resulted in a dissonant heritage of people like Escobar. To some, he is a Robin Hood-type figure who built houses and gave to the poor. To others, he is an evil figure and vicious murderer. And while Escobar did use some of his fortune to improve deprived neighbourhoods, many saw this as a tactic to buy loyalty and mask his criminal activity.

    The romanticism of Escobar angers many in Colombia who hate the idea of a murderous drug tycoon being the most recognised image of the country. In a city where almost every family knows of someone affected by the violent consequences of the drug trade, victims in Medellín now live with reminders plastered across storefronts, vendor stalls and tourist’s t-shirts.

    Yet those who rely on this souvenir trade are furious at the possibility of restrictions. In many developing tourist destinations, selling souvenirs is an accessible way of benefiting from tourism and can act as a gateway out of poverty.

    The souvenir trade is one of supply and demand – vendors are only selling Escobar souvenirs because they are the most popular. So, perhaps the focus should be on changing the attitudes and interests of tourists, rather than penalising the vendors.

    Controlling the narrative

    Camille Beauvais, a researcher of Colombian history, suggests it is up to local authorities to take control of the narrative through commemoration and education. This could follow the example of the anti-mafia museum in Palermo, Italy, which is designed to recognise the courage of the city and its people in standing up to criminal activity.

    Attempts like this could steer tourists away from sensationalist tours to a more nuanced and historically accurate representation of this turbulent time. But the Colombian authorities have, up to now, tried to ignore this important period in the country’s history.

    It was only in 2022 that the Colombia Truth Commission released an official report on the root causes of violence in Colombia, including governmental and international failures in tackling narcotraffickers.



    Read more:
    Dark tourism: why atrocity tourism is neither new nor weird

    However, some groups in Colombia have already tried to develop an alternate narrative. In 2019, the NGO Colombia ConMemoria (Colombia Remembers) created an online “Narcostore”, a fake souvenir website full of Escobar-themed products.

    When visitors clicked to purchase the item, they were redirected to video testimonies of those affected by the drugs trade, many of whom had lost friends or relatives to Escobar’s terror. The site reached 180 million visitors worldwide.

    Narco tourism does not seem to be disappearing. Fascination with true crime, drugs and cartels is as popular as ever. But perhaps these tourists should take a moment to consider how they might feel, if someone who had murdered their loved ones became a souvenir fridge magnet for people to remember their country by.

    Ross Bennett-Cook 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. Colombia wants to ban Pablo Escobar and other narco-themed merchandise – here’s why – https://theconversation.com/colombia-wants-to-ban-pablo-escobar-and-other-narco-themed-merchandise-heres-why-249916

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Foreign Secretary statement on Thailand’s deportation of 40 Uyghur Muslims to China

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    Press release

    Foreign Secretary statement on Thailand’s deportation of 40 Uyghur Muslims to China

    The Foreign Secretary made a statement following Thailand’s decision to deport 40 Uyghur Muslims to China.

    Foreign Secretary David Lammy said: 

    The UK disagrees in the strongest terms with Thailand’s decision to deport 40 Uyghur Muslims to China. This is despite Thailand’s international obligations in relation to non-refoulement and the well-documented ongoing human rights violations in Xinjiang.  

    The UK calls for the human rights of this group to be upheld, and we urge China to implement the wider recommendations of the Office of the High Commissioner of Human Rights in relation to Xinjiang.

    Notes: 

    • In 2022, the independent and authoritative Xinjiang Assessment conducted by the Office of the High Commissioner of Human Rights concluded that the extent of arbitrary and discriminatory detention of members of Uyghur and other predominantly Muslim groups may constitute international crimes, in particular crimes against humanity.

    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 27 February 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI: Viridien Announces its Q4 & Full Year 2024 Results

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    Paris (France), February 27th, 2025, 17h45 CET

    2024: A YEAR OF OVERACHIEVEMENTS

    2025: ON TRACK TO DELIVER c.$100 MILLION NET CASH FLOW

      Q4 FY1
    Revenue2 $339M $ 1,117M (-1%)
    Adjusted EBITDA3 $157M $455M (+14%)
    Net Cash-Flow $27M $56M (+73%)

    Sophie Zurquiyah, Chief Executive Officer of Viridien, said:

    “In 2024, we met our revenue and exceeded our profitability and cash generation targets driven by strong commercial successes at Geoscience, a dynamic performance at Earth Data in both our key basins and prospective regions and the continued focus on operational efficiency at Sensing & Monitoring.

    In 2025, Viridien will continue strengthening its technology leadership in its core markets while further developing its New Businesses. We anticipate continued improvements thanks to Geoscience’s record high backlog, Earth Data’s solid pipeline of projects and the termination of contractual fees for vessel commitments, and Sensing & Monitoring’s progress towards their restructuring plan.

    In this context, we confirm with confidence our target of c.$100 million of net cash generation and balance sheet deleveraging.”

    2024 Highlights2

    • Group2
      • IFRS figures: Revenue, EBITDA and Net Income of respectively $1,211 million, $516 million, $51 million. $427 million, $216 million, $29 million in Q4.
      • Overall stable group revenue at $1,117 million.
      • Strong growth at Digital, Data & Environment (DDE) with $787 million revenue (+17%). Consistent momentum for Geoscience (GEO) driven by our preferred advanced technology and numerous commercial successes at Earth Data (EDA).
        • Sensing & Monitoring (SMO) revenue was $330 million, with no mega crews during the year.
        • 33% revenue growth for New Businesses, exceeding our 30% target.
      • Group adjusted EBITDA3 of $455 million. DDE Adjusted EBITDA of $458 million, up 25% driven by the strong performance of both GEO and EDA. SMO adjusted EBITDA of $35 million (vs $56 million) already reflecting the positive impact of the restructuring effort.
      • Net Cash flow of $56 million, including $(75) million contractual fees from vessel commitments, exceeding our initial Net Cash flow target of “reaching a similar level as 2023” (ie. $32 million).
      • Key milestones of our financial roadmap delivered during the year: improved credit rating in Q2, revolving credit facility extended in Q3 and implementation and increase of the bond buyback program in Q3 and Q4.
      • Net debt at $921 million ($974 million in December 2023) and liquidity at $392 million (including $90 million undrawn RCF).  
    • Digital, Data and Energy Transition (DDE)
      • Revenue at $787 million was up 17% with strong growth at GEO (+20%) and EDA (+14%). Q4 revenue, $238 million (+19%).
      • Adjusted EBITDA at $458 million was up 25%. Profitability impacted by $(54) million in penalty fees from vessel commitments vs $(44) million in 2023. Q4 EBITDA $150 million (+28%).         $(12) million penalty vs $(13) million in Q4 2023.
        • Geoscience:
          • Revenue at $404 million (+20%). $107 million in Q4 (+10%).
          • GEO performance continues to be driven by technology differentiation. Order intakes, +89% in 2024, +155% in Q4, benefited from best-in-class imaging technology which the industry requires to solve subsurface challenges, increased activity in the Middle East and the renewal of long-term contracts for Dedicated HPC Processing Centers (DPCs).
    • New Businesses in GEO confirm the positive market dynamics in Carbon Sequestration with several projects in Norway, US Gulf and in Asia Pacific, as well as in Minerals & Mining with the award of programs in Australia and Oman. Alliance signed with Baker Hughes to offer high-quality and fully integrated Carbon Capture and Sequestration solutions to clients.
    • Earth Data:
      • Revenue at $383 million (+14%). $131 million in Q4 (+27%).
      • Prefunding revenue grew to $205 million (+6%). 81% of Capex. After-Sales grew to $178 million (+25%) in a flat market.
      • $252 million Capex, including the large Laconia Ocean Bottom Nodes (OBN) project in the US Gulf, the North Viking Graben streamer survey in Norway, and numerous global reprocessing projects.
      • New Businesses in EDA completed the mining project in Southeast Arizona and delivered several Carbon Sequestration projects in the North Sea, US Gulf and Asia.
    • Sensing and Monitoring (SMO)
      • Revenue at $330 million was down 27%, following delivery of “mega crew” systems in 2023.        $100 million in Q4 (-16%).
      • Adjusted EBITDA at $35 million was down 37%. $18 million in Q4 (+104%).
      • Q4 EBITDA performance shows that the restructuring plan is on track to achieve expected cost reductions and operational flexibility.
      • New Businesses in SMO represented 17% of revenue and experienced strong momentum with deliveries for the geothermal market and infrastructure monitoring.
    • Market trends
      • E&P Capex environment expected to be stable year-on-year in 2025, as the longer-term energy industry upcycle extends.
      • Evolving Industry Trends:
        • Offshore exploration gaining momentum in key regions like the US Gulf, Brazil, Norway as well as frontiers areas such as the Equatorial Margin and the East Mediterranean Sea.
        • Middle East growth expected with investments in advanced imaging and digital solutions.
        • Demand expected to be strong for High-end geophysical technologies, such as OBN and Full Waveform Inversion (FWI), that mitigate risks and optimize field development.
      • New Businesses:
        • Continued market growth potential in CSS with new imaging contracts and project pipeline driven by most Oil & Gas operators investing to reduce carbon emissions and address societal pressures.
        • Increased interest from the Minerals & Mining sector for subsurface characterization.
        • Infrastructure Monitoring market consistently increasing by double digits annually across various sectors.
        • Digital solutions / HPC markets expanding rapidly fueled mainly by the explosion of AI applications.
    • New reporting KPI for EDA
      • Starting in Q1 2025, we will change the reporting KPIs for EDA:
        • To align with market practice, Revenue split between Prefunding and After-sales will no longer be reported.
    • Cash EBITDA (i.e. EBITDA – Capex) will be reported to provide more clarity on our financial performance. ($97 million and $75 million in 2023 and 2024 respectively, excluding penalty fees from vessel commitments).
    • Full year 2025 financial outlook
      • In 2025, based on a stable E&P Capex environment, performance is expected to be driven by:
        • Geoscience: growth backed by industry leading technology and strong backlog.
    • Earth Data: stronger Cash EBITDA KPI, with end of vessel commitment penalty fees.
      • Sensing & Monitoring: further savings expected from the restructuring plan.
      • New Businesses: growth and first year positive contribution to the group’s profitability.
    • Financial objective: net cash flow of c.$100m.
    • Viridien will continue to focus on cash flow generation and deleveraging. Thanks to 2024 financial performance and the favorable debt market, our bond refinancing could be realized in 2025, before our previous Q1 2026 indication.
    • Full Year 2024 Conference call
      • The press release and the presentation will be available on our website www.viridiengroup.com at 5:45 pm (CET).
      • An English language analysts conference call is scheduled today at 6.00 pm (CET).
      • Participants should register for the call here to receive a dial-in number and code, or participate via the live webcast from here.
      • A replay of the conference call will be made available the day after for a period of 12 months in audio format on the Company’s website.

    The Board of Directors met on February 27, 2025 and approved the consolidated financial statements ending December 31, 2024. The Statutory Auditors are in the process of issuing a report with an unqualified opinion.

    About Viridien:

    Viridien (www.viridiengroup.com) is an advanced technology, digital and Earth data company that pushes the boundaries of science for a more prosperous and sustainable future. With our ingenuity, drive and deep curiosity we discover new insights, innovations, and solutions that efficiently and responsibly resolve complex natural resource, digital, energy transition and infrastructure challenges. Viridien employs around 3,400 people worldwide and is listed as VIRI on the Euronext Paris SA (ISIN ISIN: FR001400PVN6).

    Contact:

     VP Corporate Finance

    Jean-Baptiste Roussille
    jean-baptiste.roussille@viridiengroup.com

    Q4 & FY 2024- Financial Results

    Key Segment P&L figures
    (In million $)    		 2023
    Q4    		 2024
    Q4    		 Var.
    %    		 2023
    FY    		 2024
    FY    		 Var.
    %    		  
     
    Exchange rate euro/dollar 1,07 1,09 2% 1,08 1,09 1%  
    Segment revenue 320 339 6% 1 125 1 117 (1%)  
    DDE 201 238 19% 672 787 17%  
    Geoscience 98 107 10% 335 404 20%  
    Earth Data 103 131 27% 337 383 14%  
    Prefunding 62 49 (20%) 194 205 6%  
    After-Sales & other 41 82 99% 143 178 25%  
    SMO 119 100 (16%) 453 330 (27%)  
    Land 42 55 32% 176 157 (10%)  
    Marine 66 29 (56%) 230 117 (49%)  
    Beyond the core 11 16 45% 48 56 17%  
    Segment EBITDA 122 128 5% 400 422 5%  
    Adjusted * Segment EBITDA 121 157 30% 400 455 14%  
    DDE 117 150 28% 367 458 25%  
    SMO 9 18 – 56 35 (37%)  
    Corporate and other (5) (11) – (24) (38) (59%)  
    Segment operating income 15 33 – 138 113 (18%)  
    Adjusted* Segment Opinc 14 89 – 138 173 25%  
    DDE 21 89 – 140 206 47%  
    SMO (1) 11   24 4 (83%)  
    Corporate and other (6) (11) – (26) (38) (44%)  
    *Adjusted for non-recurring charges and gains.              
    Other KPI
    (In million $)    		 2023
    Q4    		 2024
    Q4    		 Var.
    %    		 2023
    FY    		 2024
    FY    		 Var.
    %    		  
     
    Geoscience Backlog 184 351 90% 184 351 90%  
    Total Capex (42) (81) (92)% (232) (285) (23)%  
    Industrial capex (8) (4) 51% (44) (17) 61%  
    R&D capex (4) (5) (5)% (17) (16) 7%  
    Earth Data (Cash) (29) (72) – (171) (252) (47)%  
    Earth Data Cash predunding rate 210% 68%   113% 81%    
    EDA Library net book value* 458 456 (0)% 458 456 (0)%  
    Liquidity 422 392   422 392    
    o.w. undrawn RCF 95 90   95 90    
    Gross debt* (1 301) (1 223)   (1 301) (1 223)    
    o.w. accrued interests (20) (18)   (19) (18)    
    o.w. lease liabilities (103) (125)   (103) (125)    
    Net debt* 974 921   974 921    
    Net debt*/Segment adjusted EBITDA        x2.4 x2.0    
    *Post IFRS15/16              
    Consolidated IFRS Income Statements
    (In million $)    		 2023
    Q4    		 2024
    Q4    		 Var.
    %    		 2023
    FY    		 2024
    FY    		 Var.
    %    		  
     
    Exchange rate euro/dollar 1,07 1,09   1,08 1,09    
    Revenue 265 427 61% 1 076 1 211 13%  
    EBITDA 68 216 – 351 516 47%  
    Operating Income (11) 49 – 119 143 21%  
    Equity from Investment (3) (1) 47% (2) (0) 77%  
    Net cost of financial debt (20) (24) (20%) (95) (97) (2%)  
       Other financial income (loss) (2) 5 – (4) 4 –  
       Income taxes 11 1 (94%) (14) (13) 3%  
    Net Income / Loss from continuing operations (25) 29 – 4 36 –  
    from discontinued operations 10 0 (100%) 12 15 20%  
    Net income / (loss) (15) 29 – 16 51 –  
    Shareholder’s net income / (loss) (15) 29 – 13 50 –  
    Basic Earnings per share in $ 0,00 0,00   1,81 6,97    
    Diluted Earnings per share in € 0 0,00   1,80 6,93    
    Cash Flow items
    (In million $)    		 2023
    Q4    		 2024
    Q4    		 Var.
    %    		 2023
    FY    		 2024
    FY    		 Var.
    %    		  
     
    Segment EBITDA 122 128 5% 400 422 5%  
    Income Tax Paid 9 (2) – 6 (12) –  
    Change in Working Capital & Provisions 21 30 42% 3 48 –  
    Other Cash Items 1 (0) – 1 (1) –  
    Cash provided by Operating Activity 153 155 1% 410 457 11%  
    Earth Data Capex (29) (72) – (171) (252) (47%)  
    Industrial Capex & Dev. Costs (13) (9) 32% (61) (33) 46%  
    Acquisitions and Proceeds of Assets 5 6 24% 3 7 –  
    Cash from Investing Activity (37) (75) – (229) (278) -22%  
    Paid Cost of Debt (44) (43) 2% (91) (86) 6%  
    Lease Repayement (19) (12) 36% (57) (56) 2%  
    Asset Financing 1 (0) – 22 (1) –  
    Cash from Financing Activity (63) (56) 11% (126) (142) -13%  
    Discontinued Operations Acquisitions (6) 3 – (23) 19 –  
    Net Cash Flow 48 27 -43% 32 56 73%  
    Financing cash flow (2) (49)   (6) (69)    
    Forex and other 7 (12)   3 (11)    
    Net increase/(decrease) in cash 52 (34)   29 (25)    

     CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS – December 31st, 2024

    6.1 2023-2024 Viridien consolidated financial statements

    6.1.1 CONSOLIDATED STATEMENT OF OPERATIONS

    In millions of US$ Notes December 31
    (1)        2024 2023
    Operating revenues 18, 19 1,211.3 1,075.5
    Other income from ordinary activities   0.1 0.3
    Total income from ordinary activities   1,211.4 1,075.8
    Cost of operations   (871.2) (817.4)
    Gross profit   340.2 258.4
    Research and development expenses – net 20 (17.8) (26.1)
    Marketing and selling expenses   (37.1) (36.1)
    General and administrative expenses   (82.9) (75.8)
    Other revenues (expenses) – net 21 (58.9) (1.4)
    Operating income 19 143.5 119.0
    Cost of financial debt – gross   (109.4) (103.3)
    Income from cash and cash equivalents   12.3 8.0
    Cost of financial debt – net 22 (97.2) (95.3)
    Other financial income (loss) 23 3.7 (3.8)
    Income (loss) before income taxes and share of income (loss) from companies accounted for under the equity method   50.1 19.9
    Income taxes 24 (13.4) (14.0)
    Net income (loss) before share of net income (loss) from companies accounted for under the equity method   36.6 5.9
    Net income (loss) from companies accounted for under the equity method 8 (0.5) (2.0)
    Net income (loss) from continuing operations   36.1 3.9
    Net income (loss) from discontinued operations 5 14.7 12.3
    Consolidated net income (loss)   50.8 16.2
    Attributable to:      
    Owners of Viridien S.A   49.8 12.9
    Non-controlling interests   1.0 3.3
    Weighted average number of shares outstanding (a) 29 7,150,958 7,131,286
    Weighted average number of shares outstanding adjusted for dilutive potential ordinary shares (a) 29 7,184,713 7,171,894
    Net income (loss) per share (in US$)      
    (1)        – Base (a)   6.97 1.81
    (2)        – Diluted (a)   6.93 1.80
    Net income (loss) from continuing operations per share (in US$)      
    (3)        – Base (a) $ 4.91 0.08
    (4)        – Diluted (a) $ 4.89 0.08
    Net income (loss) from discontinued operations per share (in US$)      
    (5)        – Base (a) $ 2.06 1.72
    (6)        – Diluted (a) $ 2.05 1.72

    (a) As a result of the July 31, 2024 reverse share split, the calculation of basic and diluted earnings per shares for 2023 has been adjusted retrospectively. Number of ordinary shares outstanding has been adjusted to reflect the proportionate change in the number of shares.

    The accompanying notes are an integral part of the consolidated financial statements.

    Consolidated statement of comprehensive income (loss)

    In millions of US$ December 31
    (2)        2024 (a) 2023 (a)
    Net income (loss) from consolidated statement of operations 50.8 16.2
    Other comprehensive income to be reclassified in profit (loss) in subsequent period:    
    Net gain (loss) on cash flow hedges 0.4 2.0
    Variation in translation adjustments (23.0) 14.2
    Net other comprehensive income to be reclassified in profit (loss) in subsequent period (1) (22.7) 16.2
    Other comprehensive income not to be classified in profit (loss) in subsequent period:    
    Net gain (loss) on actuarial changes on pension plan 3.6 (4.6)
    Net other comprehensive income not to be reclassified in profit (loss) in subsequent period (2) 3.6 (4.6)
    Total other comprehensive income (loss) for the period, net of taxes (1)+(2) (19.1) 11.6
    Total comprehensive income (loss) for the period 31.8 27.8
    Attributable to:    
    Owners of Viridien S.A 31.3 25.1
    Non-controlling interests 0.5 2.7
    (a) Including other comprehensive income related to discontinued operations which is not material.

    The accompanying notes are an integral part of the consolidated financial statements.

    6.1.2 CONSOLIDATED STATEMENT OF FINANCIAL POSITION

    In millions of US$ Notes (3)        Dec 31, 2024 Dec 31, 2023
    ASSETS      
    Cash and cash equivalents 28 301.7 327.0
    Trade accounts and notes receivable, net 3, 18 339.9 310.9
    Inventories and work-in-progress, net 4 163.3 212.9
    Income tax assets 24 22.9 30.8
    Other current assets, net 4 74.0 92.1
    Assets held for sale, net 5 24.5 –
    Total current assets   926.2 973.7
    Deferred tax assets 24 43.6 29.9
    Other non-current assets, net 16 8.9 6.8
    Investments and other financial assets, net 7 25.7 22.7
    Investments in companies accounted for under the equity method 8 1.1 2.2
    Property plant & equipment, net 9 220.6 206.1
    Intangible assets, net 10 535.4 579.7
    Goodwill, net 11 1,082.8 1,095.5
    Total non-current assets   1,918.1 1,942.9
    TOTAL ASSETS   2,844.3 2,916.6
    LIABILITIES AND EQUITY      
    Financial debt – current portion 13 56.9 58.0
    Trade accounts and notes payable 3 120.9 86.4
    Accrued payroll costs   84.5 89.1
    Income taxes payable 24 20.4 12.5
    Advance billings to customers   19.2 24.0
    Provisions – current portion 16 19.7 8.7
    Other current financial liabilities 14 0.5 21.3
    Other current liabilities 12 182.5 250.3
    Liabilities associated with non-current assets held for sale 5 2.4 –
    Total current liabilities   507.0 550.3
    Deferred tax liabilities 24 18.4 24.3
    Provisions – non-current portion 16 28.8 30.1
    Financial debt – non-current portion 13 1,165.6 1,242.8
    Other non-current financial liabilities 14 – 0.5
    Other non-current liabilities 12 1.7 4.3
    Total non-current liabilities   1,214.5 1,302.0
    Common stock (a) 15 8.7 8.7
    Additional paid-in capital   118.7 118.7
    Retained earnings   1,036.5 980.4
    Other Reserves   55.2 27.3
    Treasury shares   (20.1) (20.1)
    Cumulative income and expense recognized directly in equity   (1.1) (1.4)
    Cumulative translation adjustments   (113.3) (90.8)
    Equity attributable to owners of Viridien S.A.   1,084.7 1,022.8
    Non-controlling interests   38.1 41.5
    Total Equity   1,122.8 1,064.3
    TOTAL LIABILITIES AND EQUITY   2,844.3 2,916.6
    (a) Common stock: 11,215,501 shares authorized and 7,165,465 shares with a nominal value of €1.00 outstanding at December 31, 2024.

    The accompanying notes are an integral part of the consolidated financial statements.

    6.1.3 CONSOLIDATED STATEMENT OF CASH FLOWS

    In millions of US$ Notes December 31
    (4)        2024 2023
    OPERATING ACTIVITIES      
    Consolidated net income (loss) 1, 19 50.8 16.2
    Less: Net income (loss) from discontinued operations 5 (14.7) (12.3)
    Net income (loss) from continuing operations   36.1 3.9
    Depreciation, amortization and impairment 1, 19, 28 124.7 91.5
    Impairment and amortization of Earth Data surveys 1, 10, 28 261.4 153.1
    Amortization and depreciation of Earth Data surveys, capitalized 10 (16.6) (15.4)
    Variance on provisions   14.3 (2.6)
    Share-based compensation expenses   3.4 2.8
    Net (gain) loss on disposal of fixed and financial assets   (3.7) (1.7)
    Share of (income) loss in companies recognized under equity method   0.5 2.0
    Other non-cash items   (0.3) 5.2
    Net cash flow including net cost of financial debt and income tax   419.8 238.8
    Less: Cost of financial debt   97.2 95.3
    Less: Income tax expense (gain)   13.4 14.0
    Net cash flow excluding net cost of financial debt and income tax   530.4 348.1
    Income tax paid – Net (a)   (12.4) 5.5
    Net cash flow before changes in working capital   518.0 353.6
    Changes in working capital   (61.2) 54.7
    – Change in trade accounts and notes receivable   (128.4) 51.8
    – Change in inventories and work-in-progress   28.1 49.2
    – Change in other current assets   10.5 (9.9)
    – Change in trade accounts and notes payable   26.8 (5.4)
    – Change in other current liabilities   1.8 (31.0)
    Net cash flow from operating activities   456.7 408.3
    INVESTING ACTIVITIES      
    Total capital expenditures (tangible and intangible assets) net of variation of fixed assets suppliers and excluding Earth Data surveys) 9 (32.9) (60.9)
    Investments in Earth Data surveys 10 (252.1) (171.1)
    Proceeds from disposals of tangible and intangible assets 28 6.8 0.4
    Proceeds from divestment of activities and sale of financial assets 28 – 6.2
    Dividends received from investments in companies under the equity method   0.5 –
    Acquisition of investments, net of cash & cash equivalents acquired 28 – (1.9)
    Variation in other non-current financial assets 28 (8.2) (5.2)
    Net cash-flow used in investing activities   (286.0) (232.5)
    FINANCING ACTIVITIES      
    Repayment of long-term debt 13, 28 (59.4) (1.8)
    Total issuance of long-term debt 13, 28 0.1 23.9
    Lease repayments 13, 28 (55.7) (57.0)
    Financial expenses paid 13, 28 (85.6) (90.7)
    Net proceeds from capital increase:      
    – from shareholders:   – 0.1
    – from non-controlling interests of integrated companies   – –
    Dividends paid and share capital reimbursements:   – –
    – Equity attributable to owners of Viridien S.A.   – –
    – to non-controlling interests of integrated companies   (3.8) (0.9)
    Net cash-flow from (used in) financing activities   (204.4) (126.4)
    Effect of exchange rate changes on cash   (11.0) 2.6
    Net cash flows incurred by discontinued operations 5 19.3 (23.0)
    Net increase (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents   (25.3) 29.0
    Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of year   327.0 298.0
    Cash and cash equivalents at end of period   301.7 327.0
    (a) Includes a cash inflow of US$6 million in 2024 and US$32 million in 2023 for the research tax credit in France.

    The accompanying notes are an integral part of the consolidated financial statements.

    6.1.4 CONSOLIDATED STATEMENT OF CHANGES IN EQUITY

    In millions of US$, except for share data Number of shares issued (a) Share capital Additional paid-in capital Retained earnings Other reserves Treasury shares Income and expense recognized directly in equity Cumu-lative translation adjust-ment Viridien S.A. – Equity attributable to owners of Viridien S.A. Non-controlling interests Total equity
    Balance at January 1, 2023 7,123,573 8.7 118.6 967.9 50.0 (20.1) (3.4) (102.4) 1,019.3 39.5 1,058.8
    Net gain (loss) on actuarial changes on pension plan (1)       (4.6)         (4.6)   (4.6)
    Net gain (loss) on cash flow hedges (2)             2.0   2.0   2.0
    Net gain (loss) on translation adjustments (3)               14.8 14.8 (0.6) 14.2
    Other comprehensive income (1)+(2)+(3)   – – (4.6) – – 2.0 14.8 12.2 (0.6) 11.6
    Net income (loss) (4)       12.9         12.9 3.3 16.2
    Comprehensive income (1)+(2)+(3)+(4)   – – 8.3 – – 2.0 14.8 25.1 2.7 27.8
    Exercise of warrants 238   0.1           0.1   0.1
    Dividends                 – (1.0) (1.0)
    Cost of share based payment 12,951     2.6         2.6   2.6
    Transfer to retained earnings of the parent company                 –   –
    Variation in translation adjustments generated by the parent company         (22.7)       (22.7)   (22.7)
    Changes in consolidation scope and other       1.6       (3.2) (1.6) 0.3 (1.3)
    Balance at December 31, 2023 7,136,763 8.7 118.7 980.4 27.3 (20.1) (1.4) (90.8) 1,022.8 41.5 1,064.3

    (a) Pro forma following Reverse Share Split (see note 2 – Significant events, acquisitions and divestitures).

    In millions of US$, except for share data Number of shares issued (b) Share capital Additional paid-in capital Retained earnings Other reserves Treasury shares Income and expense recognized directly in equity Cumu-lative translation adjust-ment Viridien S.A. – Equity attributable to owners of Viridien S.A. Non-controlling interests Total equity
    Balance at January 1, 2024 7,136,763 8.7 118.7 980.4 27.3 (20.1) (1.4) (90.8) 1,022.8 41.5 1,064.3
    Net gain (loss) on actuarial changes on pension plan (1)       3.6         3.6   3.6
    Net gain (loss) on cash flow hedges (2)             0.4   0.4   0.4
    Net gain (loss) on translation adjustments (3)               (22.5) (22.5) (0.6) (23.0)
    Other comprehensive income (1)+(2)+(3)   – – 3.6 – – 0.4 (22.5) (18.5) (0.6) (19.1)
    Net income (loss) (4)       49.8         49.8 1.0 50.8
    Comprehensive income (1)+(2)+(3)+(4)   – – 53.4 – – 0.4 (22.5) 31.3 0.5 31.8
    Exercise of warrants                      
    Dividends                 – (3.8) (3.8)
    Cost of share based payment 24,703     2.7         2.7   2.7
    Transfer to retained earnings of the parent company                 –   –
    Variation in translation adjustments generated by the parent company         28.0       28.0   28.0
    Changes in consolidation scope and other                      
    Balance at December 31, 2024 7,161,465 8.7 118.7 1,036.5 55.2 (20.1) (1.1) (113.3) 1,084.7 38.1 1,122.8

    (b) Reverse Share Split: Pursuant to a delegation from the Combined General Meeting of shareholders of May 15, 2024, and a sub-delegation from the Board of Directors held on the same day, a reversed share split has been implemented, on July 31, 2024, on the basis of 1 new share of €1.00 nominal value for 100 old shares of €0.01 nominal value.

    The accompanying notes are an integral part of the consolidated financial statements.

    1All variations refer to the same period last year
    2Unless otherwise stated, all figures and comments are referring to “Segment” (i.e. pre-IFRS 15), as defined in the 2023 and 2024 Universal Registration Documents’ glossaries, under section 8.7
    3Adjusted for non-recurring items

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  • MIL-OSI: A dual challenge for the battery industry: ramping up production while innovating game-changing chemistries for the future

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    Press contact: 
    Florence Lièvre  
    Tel.: +33 1 47 54 50 71  
    Email: florence.lievre@capgemini.com

    A dual challenge for the battery industry: ramping up production while innovating game-changing chemistries for the future

    • Battery innovation is fueling industry transformation, but overcoming current production ramp-up challenges will be crucial for European and US manufacturers
    • Lithium-ion batteries currently dominate due to their proven performance, scalability, and well-established supply chain, while next-generation batteries are gaining traction
    • 76% of manufacturers will need to upgrade or build new production lines to support the future generation of battery cells

    Paris, February 27, 2025 – The Capgemini Research Institute’s report ‘The battery revolution: Shaping tomorrow’s mobility and energy’, published today, shows that batteries are transforming existing industries and enabling the emergence of new business models. However, despite the surging demand for Electric Vehicles (EVs) and energy-storage solutions, the future of batteries depends on overcoming a series of complex challenges across the entire value chain, from securing sustainable raw materials and optimizing manufacturing processes to advancing recycling capabilities.

    According to the new report, the battery industry is reaching an inflection point, driven on the one hand by the need for higher energy density, faster charging times, improved safety, greater sustainability, and, on the other, the need for manufacturers to reduce costs.

    While batteries are playing a critical role in decarbonizing carbon-intensive mobility and driving the renewable energy transition1, the industry is facing series of challenges that have wide ranging implications for scaling production, gigafactory industrialization and ramp-up, economic viability, and supply chain constraints.

    Battery technology is constantly evolving to improve performance and reduce costs
    While almost all (98%) battery manufacturers surveyed produce lithium-ion batteries (using liquid electrolyte), the industry is actively exploring alternative chemistries to support electric mobility and accelerate energy storage. Amongst them, solid-state batteries (using solid electrolyte), represent a major shift in battery technology, primarily for EVs. They answer the need for improved performance owing to their potentially higher energy densities, faster charging times, and improved safety compared with traditional lithium-ion batteries.

    “Innovation is driving a sustainable and competitive battery industry, with advancements in technologies and alternative chemistries improving performance and longevity. At this transformative time, while European and North American manufacturers are navigating production ramp-ups and exploring next generation of batteries, a solid and scalable digital foundation will be crucial for the industry’s future,” said Pierre Bagnon, Global Head of Intelligent Industry Accelerator at Capgemini. “Data and digital technologies can enhance the entire battery value chain, optimizing lifecycle management from quality control to waste management and recycling. Equally, collaboration within an innovation ecosystem that brings together all players and regulators is vital to continue the industry’s journey towards a battery-driven sustainable future.”

    Advances will enable new business models but not without challenges
    According to the survey, batteries are enabling new business models in the mobility industry to make EVs accessible to a broader range of consumers: a majority (around 64%) of mobility players are exploring battery swapping; nearly two-thirds of automotive organizations are considering battery-leasing and over half Battery-as-a-Service (BaaS) model that allows EV owners to lease or rent their batteries, rather than buy them. However, the success of these business models depends heavily on the implementation of standards, battery performance notably regarding longevity, adequate infrastructure, and economies of scale.

    In the energy and utilities sector, two in five organizations say they are integrating batteries with renewable energy systems to optimize energy storage and usage, with most of them (69%) currently offering or planning to offer BaaS solutions. However, key challenges remain; while a battery is considered an expensive asset, the electricity it stores is relatively cheap. Furthermore, most organizations emphasize the lack of robust grid infrastructure and advanced control systems (65%); the need for multiple battery types to facilitate both short-term and long-term storage solutions (61%) and for open performance standards to ensure reliability and transparency (59%).

    Beyond the automotive and energy sectors, multiple industries are rapidly integrating batteries into their operations: three in five of the organizations surveyed stated that battery innovation will impact fleet operators and heavy transportation in the next 5-10 years. Disruptions are also expected in aviation and shipping. Innovations in these industries include battery-powered eVTOLs (Electric Vertical Take-off and Landing), heavy-duty vehicles, and electric ships on short sea routes.

    Overcoming production ramp-up challenges with scalable digital foundations
    The battery industry is facing a number of complex and pressing challenges. Over half of battery manufacturers cite time required to build and ramp up gigafactories and difficulties in securing a stable supply chain for battery components and materials (respectively 59% and 53%). Uncertainty, around economic viability and profitability, appears as a key concern to scaling production.

    The scarcity of experienced talent also represents a significant challenge for the battery industry, with 60% of organizations facing skills shortages in both battery technology and manufacturing. Expertise gaps extend beyond specialized skills and encompass data scientists and manufacturing engineers who can analyze and correlate production data with battery performance, enabling process optimization and defect reduction.

    While batteries are key to decarbonizing carbon-intensive mobility and driving the renewable energy transition, only one in three battery manufacturers surveyed have taken meaningful steps toward establishing a sustainable circular economy.

    A majority (67%) of respondents acknowledge that data and digital technologies are crucial to the industry’s future. However, digitalization among battery manufacturers is currently low, at just 17% and data usage remains minimal in sustainability-related fields. In Europe, a Digital ‘battery passport’2, setting high environmental standards for battery production and recycling, will enable suppliers and OEMs to make informed decisions by considering the complete lifecycle of battery manufacturing.

    To read the full report: LINK

    Report Methodology
    The Capgemini Research Institute surveyed 750 senior executives from large battery, automotive, and energy and utilities organizations across 15 countries in North America, Europe, and APAC. The survey findings are complemented by in-depth discussions with 22 experts from battery, automotive, and energy and utilities sectors. The organizations surveyed are significant players in their respective segments, including battery manufacturers with annual revenue exceeding $50 million; energy and utilities firms with revenues over $1 billion (except those from Sweden and Norway, whose revenue exceeds $500 million); and automotive manufacturers with revenue above $1 billion (excluding two- and three- wheeler original equipment manufacturers [OEMs] with revenue over $300 million). The global survey was conducted in September-October 2024.

    About Capgemini
    Capgemini is a global business and technology transformation partner, helping organizations to accelerate their dual transition to a digital and sustainable world, while creating tangible impact for enterprises and society. It is a responsible and diverse group of 340,000 team members in more than 50 countries. With its strong over 55-year heritage, Capgemini is trusted by its clients to unlock the value of technology to address the entire breadth of their business needs. It delivers end-to-end services and solutions leveraging strengths from strategy and design to engineering, all fueled by its market leading capabilities in AI, generative AI, cloud and data, combined with its deep industry expertise and partner ecosystem. The Group reported 2024 global revenues of €22.1 billion.

    Get The Future You Want | www.capgemini.com

    About the Capgemini Research Institute
    The Capgemini Research Institute is Capgemini’s in-house think-tank on all things digital. The Institute publishes research on the impact of digital technologies on large traditional businesses. The team draws on the worldwide network of Capgemini experts and works closely with academic and technology partners. The Institute has dedicated research centers in India, Singapore, the United Kingdom and the United States. It was ranked #1 in the world for the quality of its research by independent analysts for six consecutive times – an industry first.

    Visit us at https://www.capgemini.com/researchinstitute/

    1 According to IEA, batteries account for 90% of the Net Zero Emissions by 2050 Scenario (NZE Scenario), with 60% of CO2 emissions reductions to be made in the energy sector by 2030 associated with batteries – Source: IEA, “Batteries and secure energy transitions,” April 2024.
    2 From February 2027, EVs sold within the EU must be equipped with ‘battery passports’ that provide detailed information on battery composition, including sources of key materials, carbon footprint, and recycled content.

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  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: weeHoloCam: DASA Funding Transforms Marine Biology with Revolutionary Underwater Imaging

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    Case study

    weeHoloCam: DASA Funding Transforms Marine Biology with Revolutionary Underwater Imaging

    The University of Aberdeen has developed a state-of-the-art underwater holographic camera with DASA support, enabling rapid real-time analysis of marine life in impressive detail

    From Ship-Sized to Hand-Held

    • DASA funding and Dstl technical advice has helped the University of Aberdeen develop the world’s most compact and lightweight underwater holographic camera – the weeHoloCam
    • The holographic camera has vastly improved processing speed – what previously took months can now be done in hours
    • Added AI integration enables the automatic classification of millions of marine particles in real-time
    • The weeHoloCam’s evolution spans two DASA projects, the first focused on developing the camera and processor, the second project added AI classification capabilities

    Plankton might be microscopic, but their importance to the planet is huge. These marine organisms produce half the world’s oxygen, form the foundation of ocean food chains, and play a crucial role in carbon absorption from the atmosphere. Marine biologists study plankton to better understand how the ocean’s food web is changing, and how climate change affects marine life. However, this process has always been a challenge – as traditional sampling methods are time-consuming and logistically difficult.

    This was the reality for marine biologists until the University of Aberdeen, with DASA funding in 2019, revolutionised underwater imaging with their weeHoloCam.

    “The holographic camera we used in the past was big in size and weighed more than 100 kilograms, making it very difficult to transport and deploy,” explains Dr. Thangavel Thevar from the School of Engineering, University of Aberdeen. “Now, with DASA funding, we have developed a very small version of the same that is 60 cm long and weighs just 3.5 kilograms – the frame for the camera is actually heavier than the camera itself!”

    Technical Innovation

    The weeHoloCam’s innovative design features two cylinders – one housing a pulse laser and optics while the other containing a sensor, mini-PC and electronics. “The camera can detect particles that are present between its windows, covering approximately 12 cm cube of water,” explains Dr. Thevar. “Within this volume, we can capture incredibly detailed holograms of particles as small as 50 microns.”

    Breaking Speed Barriers

    Using this advanced system, the team unlocked new capabilities in underwater imaging. “For example, in a single 3-hour dive, you can capture up to 200,000 holograms,” says Dr. Thevar. “Previously, processing each hologram took about two minutes, which meant 200,000 holograms will take more than 9 months to process.”

    Using Field Programmable Gate Array (FPGA) technology, the team dramatically reduced the processing time. “We’ve taken the processing time down from two minutes to just two seconds per hologram. What would have taken 100 days now takes just one day.”

    Adding AI Intelligence

    Building on this, the University of Aberdeen embarked on a second project with DASA in 2022 to make the process even quicker by integrating an AI classification system for the particles. “As engineers, we needed to make this useful for biologists,” explains Dr. Thevar. “When you’re dealing with millions of individual images from hundreds of thousands of holograms, manual classification becomes incredibly time consuming.”

    The new AI classifier automatically labels the images in real-time. As soon as a hologram is recorded through the camera, it’s processed and classified automatically.

    Real-World Applications and Impact

    The weeHoloCam has been deployed more than 20 times across various marine environments, including regular work with Marine Scotland. “We hope to support their weekly vessel deployments for plankton monitoring,” explains Dr. Thevar. “While traditional net sampling provides valuable data, our holographic camera adds crucial information about vertical depth distribution that nets can’t capture. This complementary approach gives us unprecedented insight into marine health.”

    The system has even attracted media attention, featuring on BBC’s One Show during a deployment in Loch Ness. “While we did not find Nessie we were afforded a rare opportunity to study plankton in a freshwater situation which was a first for us,” says Dr. Thevar.

    Loch Ness holographic camera hunt

    From a defence and security standpoint, the WeeHoloCam project addresses a critical challenge in marine operations: monitoring microscopic sea life in real-time. This capability is essential for predicting harmful algal blooms and tracking changes in marine biomass that can affect underwater optical systems.

    The innovation delivers two key advantages:

    • Its compact size enables deployment on the growing fleet of Unmanned Underwater Vehicles, dramatically increasing measurement coverage
    • Its advanced AI algorithms automatically classify micro-organisms, significantly reducing the manual analysis time needed to produce biological tactical assessments

    End of DASA project trial

    In October 2024, at the end of their DASA project, the University of Aberdeen demonstrated their subsea holographic camera to technical Dstl partners. The lab-based trials proved highly successful. The team showcased the system’s real-time classification capabilities, using both previously collected sea-trial data and live samples containing tiny jellyfish. The demonstration highlighted the intuitive user interface, which allows operators to easily select and group different marine organisms for analysis, from bubbles to dinoflagellates (a planktonic single-celled organism) and copepods (a group of very small crustaceans).

    Future Horizons

    The team is now running at full capacity with several exciting developments:

    • Tackling sea lice detection in salmon farms, despite the challenging nature of identifying these sparse, elusive parasites
    • A new funded project to permanently deploy a system for harmful micro-jellyfish detection
    • Exploring mounting the technology on autonomous underwater vehicles
    • Supporting carbon transport research by tracking organic matter movement in oceans

    The DASA Difference

    The University of Aberdeen credits DASA’s support for the project’s success. “Working with DASA has been a very positive experience,” notes Dr. Thevar. “It’s always a two-way conversation where we help each other. They’ve pushed us forward, whether through commercialisation ideas or project development, and have been instrumental in providing further leads to follow.”

    “From studying plankton populations to tracking carbon transport in our oceans, this technology is helping us understand our marine environments in ways we never could before,” concludes Dr. Thevar. “And with each new application we discover, the value of DASA’s early investment becomes even more apparent.”

    Updates to this page

    Published 27 February 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: President Meloni meets with Joel Kaplan at Palazzo Chigi

    Source: Government of Italy (English)

    27 Febbraio 2025

    The President of the Council of Ministers, Giorgia Meloni, met today with Meta’s Chief Global Affairs Officer, Joel Kaplan, at Palazzo Chigi, as part of a series of meetings to discuss topics linked to the technological transition and the development of artificial intelligence. During the meeting, the potential to enhance existing activities in Italy and explore new investment opportunities was also discussed.

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: ASIA/CHINA – The life of Matteo Ricci is being studied in the Beijing parish he founded 420 years ago

    Source: Agenzia Fides – MIL OSI

    Beijing (Agenzia Fides) – The parish of the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception of the Diocese of Beijing (known as Nan Tang, the “church of the South”) continues the communal reading of the biography of Matteo Ricci, in paper and digital version. The initiative is part of the rich program to celebrate the 420th anniversary of the founding of the Church by the great Jesuit missionary from Macerata (Italy), and is also part of the parish’s activities in the Holy Year of Hope.According to the official “Wechat” account of the parish, today, February 27, the parish read the eighth chapter “Shanhai Yudi Quantu”. The chapter deals with the first known map of the world in Chinese history, including the American continent, drawn up in Zhaoqing in 1584 by Father Ricci himself in collaboration with Chinese scientists. The parish reading group has recorded the book as an audio file and made it available online so that parishioners can listen to the chapters read at any time of the day.Carried by the light of the faith that Father Ricci professed and testified to 420 years ago, the parishioners of the Beijing Cathedral, dedicated to the Immaculate Conception, are experiencing the Jubilee of Hope and, at the same time, the year in which they commemorate the founding of their parish. The special Jubilee Year began on January 14 with a solemn Eucharistic liturgy that combined the Jubilee celebrations of the Holy Year 2025 and the 420th anniversary of the founding. This day was also celebrated as the “Day of the Saints” of the Diocese of Beijing, in particular remembering the figures of Blessed Odorico da Pordenone (1286-1331), Blessed James Zhou Wenmo (martyr in Korea in 1795) and Venerable Matteo Ricci, as the diocese reports in a Vademecum entitled “Pilgrims of Hope and Builders of Peace”.In his homily, Father Peter Zhao Jianmin spoke of the three figures who have marked the life of the diocese. Of Father Matteo Ricci, he says: “He travelled far to bring the flame of faith to this land. His wisdom, courage and devotion touched us all deeply…”, while the parish priest, Zhang Hongbo, had Pope Francis’s papal Jubilee bull “Spes non confundit” distributed again in the church during the official announcement of the opening of the 420th anniversary of the founding of the church.On Saturday, December 28, the opening of the Jubilee of Hope took place in the Diocese of Beijing. All priests and nuns as well as a large number of lay people from the Diocese of Beijing had gathered in the forecourt of the Cathedral dedicated to the Holy Savior, where Bishop Joseph Li Shan and the Coadjutor Bishop Matthew Zhen Xuebin presided over the solemn service to mark the beginning of the Jubilee Year in the capital of the People’s Republic of China. Everyone listened in silence to the public reading of large passages from “Spes non confundit” and then marched in procession through the Holy Door, singing the “Prayer of the Saints” and receiving a copy of the Bull. (NZ) (Agenzia Fides, 27/2/2025)
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  • MIL-OSI Europe: AFRICA/DR CONGO – There are three versions of today’s attack in Bukavu

    Source: Agenzia Fides – MIL OSI

    Thursday, 27 February 2025

    Kinshasa (Agenzia Fides) – “We know that there are several dead, but we do not know how many,” confirm church sources in Bukavu to Fides. There, today, February 27, an explosion occurred during a rally organized by the “new authorities” installed by the M23, the rebel movement that took over the capital of the Congolese province of South Kivu on February 16.”Who did this? There are three versions so far. The first, reported by a local, speaks of a suicide bomber who wanted to blow himself up along with the convoy of M23 leaders, but the bomb exploded late while the convoy was passing by, killing innocent people,” the source said.The second version reports that the meeting organized by Corneille Nangaa, coordinator of the AFC (Alliance of the Congo River, the political wing of the M23), ended tragically when a violent confrontation between an M23 soldier and some civilians escalated.The incident occurred after a tense exchange of blows and fierce criticism between supporters of Corneille Nanga and a group of young resistance fighters who had denounced speeches by the AFC coordinator that they considered to be deceitful. As tensions escalated, an M23 soldier who was present at the meeting threw a grenade into the crowd, causing general panic.The explosion left several people dead and injured others, some seriously.Finally, there is the version reported by Radio France International (RFI), according to which two explosions occurred two minutes after the end of Corneille Nangaa’s rally. Perhaps the bombs were placed near the loudspeakers. And of course, the M23 accuses Kinshasa of being behind the attack. (L.M.) (Agenzia Fides, 27/2/2025)
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  • MIL-OSI: Lloyds Bank plc: 2024 Form 20-F Filed

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    LONDON, Feb. 27, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Lloyds Bank plc announces that on 27 February 2025 it filed its Annual Report on Form 20-F for the year ended 31 December 2024 with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

    A copy of the Form 20-F is available through the ‘Investors’ section of our website at www.lloydsbankinggroup.com and also online at www.sec.gov

    Shareholders can receive hard copies of the complete audited financial statements free of charge upon request. Printed copies of the 2024 Lloyds Bank plc Annual Report on Form 20-F can be requested from Investor Relations by email to investor.relations@lloydsbanking.com

    -END-

    For further information:  
       
    Investor Relations  
    Douglas Radcliffe  +44 (0)20 7356 1571
    Group Investor Relations Director  
    douglas.radcliffe@lloydsbanking.com  
       
    Corporate Affairs  
    Matt Smith +44 (0)20 7356 3522
    Head of Media Relations  
    matt.smith@lloydsbanking.com  
       

    FORWARD LOOKING STATEMENTS

    This document contains certain forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 21E of the US Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and section 27A of the US Securities Act of 1933, as amended, with respect to the business, strategy, plans and/or results of Lloyds Bank plc together with its subsidiaries (the Lloyds Bank Group) and its current goals and expectations. Statements that are not historical or current facts, including statements about the Lloyds Bank Group’s or its directors’ and/or management’s beliefs and expectations, are forward looking statements. Words such as, without limitation, ‘believes’, ‘achieves’, ‘anticipates’, ‘estimates’, ‘expects’, ‘targets’, ‘should’, ‘intends’, ‘aims’, ‘projects’, ‘plans’, ‘potential’, ‘will’, ‘would’, ‘could’, ‘considered’, ‘likely’, ‘may’, ‘seek’, ‘estimate’, ‘probability’, ‘goal’, ‘objective’, ‘deliver’, ‘endeavour’, ‘prospects’, ‘optimistic’ and similar expressions or variations on these expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements. These statements concern or may affect future matters, including but not limited to: projections or expectations of the Lloyds Bank Group’s future financial position, including profit attributable to shareholders, provisions, economic profit, dividends, capital structure, portfolios, net interest margin, capital ratios, liquidity, risk-weighted assets (RWAs), expenditures or any other financial items or ratios; litigation, regulatory and governmental investigations; the Lloyds Bank Group’s future financial performance; the level and extent of future impairments and write-downs; the Lloyds Bank Group’s ESG targets and/or commitments; statements of plans, objectives or goals of the Lloyds Bank Group or its management and other statements that are not historical fact and statements of assumptions underlying such statements. By their nature, forward-looking statements involve risk and uncertainty because they relate to events and depend upon circumstances that will or may occur in the future. Factors that could cause actual business, strategy, targets, plans and/or results (including but not limited to the payment of dividends) to differ materially from forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to: general economic and business conditions in the UK and internationally (including in relation to tariffs); acts of hostility or terrorism and responses to those acts, or other such events; geopolitical unpredictability; the war between Russia and Ukraine; the conflicts in the Middle East; the tensions between China and Taiwan; political instability including as a result of any UK general election; market related risks, trends and developments; changes in client and consumer behaviour and demand; exposure to counterparty risk; the ability to access sufficient sources of capital, liquidity and funding when required; changes to the Lloyds Bank Group’s or Lloyds Banking Group plc’s credit ratings; fluctuations in interest rates, inflation, exchange rates, stock markets and currencies; volatility in credit markets; volatility in the price of the Lloyds Bank Group’s securities; natural pandemic and other disasters; risks concerning borrower and counterparty credit quality; risks affecting defined benefit pension schemes; changes in laws, regulations, practices and accounting standards or taxation; changes to regulatory capital or liquidity requirements and similar contingencies; the policies and actions of governmental or regulatory authorities or courts together with any resulting impact on the future structure of the Lloyds Bank Group; risks associated with the Lloyds Bank Group’s compliance with a wide range of laws and regulations; assessment related to resolution planning requirements; risks related to regulatory actions which may be taken in the event of a bank or Lloyds Bank Group or Lloyds Banking Group failure; exposure to legal, regulatory or competition proceedings, investigations or complaints; failure to comply with anti-money laundering, counter terrorist financing, anti-bribery and sanctions regulations; failure to prevent or detect any illegal or improper activities; operational risks including risks as a result of the failure of third party suppliers; conduct risk; technological changes and risks to the security of IT and operational infrastructure, systems, data and information resulting from increased threat of cyber and other attacks; technological failure; inadequate or failed internal or external processes or systems; risks relating to ESG matters, such as climate change (and achieving climate change ambitions) and decarbonisation, including the Lloyds Bank Group’s or the Lloyds Banking Group’s ability along with the government and other stakeholders to measure, manage and mitigate the impacts of climate change effectively, and human rights issues; the impact of competitive conditions; failure to attract, retain and develop high calibre talent; the ability to achieve strategic objectives; the ability to derive cost savings and other benefits including, but without limitation, as a result of any acquisitions, disposals and other strategic transactions; inability to capture accurately the expected value from acquisitions; and assumptions and estimates that form the basis of the Lloyds Bank Group’s financial statements. A number of these influences and factors are beyond the Lloyds Bank Group’s control. Please refer to the latest Annual Report on Form 20-F filed by Lloyds Bank plc with the US Securities and Exchange Commission (the SEC), which is available on the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov, for a discussion of certain factors and risks. Lloyds Bank plc may also make or disclose written and/or oral forward-looking statements in other written materials and in oral statements made by the directors, officers or employees of Lloyds Bank plc to third parties, including financial analysts. Except as required by any applicable law or regulation, the forward-looking statements contained in this document are made as of today’s date, and the Lloyds Bank Group expressly disclaims any obligation or undertaking to release publicly any updates or revisions to any forward-looking statements contained in this document whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. The information, statements and opinions contained in this document do not constitute a public offer under any applicable law or an offer to sell any securities or financial instruments or any advice or recommendation with respect to such securities or financial instruments.

    This information is provided by RNS, the news service of the London Stock Exchange. RNS is approved by the Financial Conduct Authority to act as a Primary Information Provider in the United Kingdom. Terms and conditions relating to the use and distribution of this information may apply. For further information, please contact rns@lseg.com or visit www.rns.com.

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: Mizar Expands On-Chain Trading with AI and Automation

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    LONDON, Feb. 27, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — After success in centralized exchange (CEX) trading, Mizar, the automated trading platform backed by Nexo, KuCoin, and other notable traders, is expanding its focus to decentralized exchanges (DEX), bringing advanced trading tools on-chain.

    Since launching its DEX trading products in 2024, Mizar has seen strong results, particularly on Base and BNB Chain, where traders in the Mizar Alpha Program report millions in net profits within months. With Solana integration on the horizon, the community is anticipating even more opportunities.

    Mizar aims to replicate the seamless, feature-rich experience of CEX trading on DEXs. “Our goal is to enhance the on-chain trading experience—delivering the same ease and efficiency as Binance, but on decentralized platforms like Raydium” said Francesco Ciuci, CEO of Mizar.

    The platform already offers an intuitive, high-performance trading terminal that simplifies meme-coin and token trading. Users can trade directly from the Mizar app or via the Mizar Telegram bot, which features a fast, user-friendly mini-app interface.

    Beyond execution, Mizar is looking to revolutionize on-chain trading through AI and automation. “There’s so much untapped data on-chain that the potential for AI and automation is enormous. In a few years, I believe most on-chain crypto trading will be managed by bots and AI agents” said Ciuci. “We envision Mizar as an AI-powered platform that can either handle everything for users or recommend optimal strategies using advanced AI models.”

    This vision is already evident in Mizar’s current offerings. The platform provides free AI-powered analytics, helping traders discover new tokens, identify smart wallets, and spot potential scam tokens. Its advanced trading bots take automation further, allowing users to capitalize on market volatility, copy-trade others wallets, and execute trades directly from Telegram chats.

    With cutting-edge technology, AI-driven tools, and a strong community, Mizar is positioning itself as a key player in on-chain trading. As the platform continues to expand and refine its offerings, traders can expect a constantly evolving suite of smart tools designed to optimize success in the decentralized market.

    About Mizar

    Mizar is a next-generation trading platform that empowers users with advanced automation tools and AI, for seamless trading across both CEX and DEX markets. With a commitment to innovation and user success, Mizar is redefining the landscape of crypto trading for the modern investor.

    A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/ae946eca-f6e8-4aed-bbdd-31ea59201250

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Cheylesmore Manor House open its doors for people to experience the beauty of the venue

    Source: City of Coventry

    People dreaming of a unique and affordable wedding or ceremony are invited to an exclusive “Sneak a Peak” Open Day at Cheylesmore Manor House on Saturday 8 March, from 10am to 1pm.

    Nestled in the heart of Coventry, this award-winning, historical venue is a true hidden gem, offering bespoke and beautiful settings for unforgettable celebrations.

    Visitors will be welcomed with a complimentary glass of fizz or soft drink as they explore the stunning 14th-Century manor, a venue that blends rich heritage with a warm and intimate atmosphere. You will be greeted by some of our expert team of ceremony coordinators and a Registrar, plus a professional toastmaster will be on hand, to offer guided tours, answer questions, and provide valuable advice on booking, legal requirements, and personalising your ceremony.

    Cheylesmore Manor House is renowned for its affordability without compromising on elegance. Whether you’re planning a grand wedding or a simple, intimate ceremony, our passionate team is dedicated to making your day truly special.

    Councillor Abdul Salam Khan, Cabinet Member for Events, expressed enthusiasm for the event: “Cheylesmore Manor House is one of Coventry’s most treasured historical buildings, and it’s wonderful to see it creating unforgettable moments for couples. This free to attend Open Day is a fantastic opportunity for people to explore the venue, meet our dedicated team, and see how they can celebrate their special day in a truly unique and affordable setting.”

    Couples will have the opportunity to see first-hand how the lovely venue can transform their special day into a lifelong memory. From the perfect setting to expert advice, this Open Day is a must-visit for those looking to say “I do” in a truly enchanting venue.

    In addition, on the day, a number of other local businesses will be promoting how they can help add the personal bespoke touches to your ceremony or wedding even more special.

    Please let us know if you plan or want to attend the day, as this will assist in planning the day, just email ceremonyco-ordinator@coventry.gov.uk and we look forward to seeing you on the day. However, don’t worry if you decide at the last minute to attend, the staff will still be around to welcome you for a look around, so you can discover why Cheylesmore Manor House is one of Coventry’s best-kept secrets for weddings and ceremonies.

    Cheylesmore Manor is based in Manor House Drive, in Coventry city centre and the postcode is CV1 2ND.

    Full details about the venue.

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Officer sentenced for causing death by careless driving

    Source: United Kingdom London Metropolitan Police

    A police officer has been sentenced for causing the death of a moped rider due to careless driving.

    PC Ian Brotherton, attached to the North Area Command Unit, was driving a marked police van responding to an emergency call when he collided with a moped being ridden by 26-year-old Cristopher de Carvalho Guedes in Enfield on 12 October 2023.

    At a hearing at the Old Bailey on Friday, 3 January, PC Brotherton pleaded guilty to causing death by careless driving. He was sentenced at the same court on Thursday, 27 February to six months’ imprisonment suspended for 18 months. He was also given 150 hours’ community service and was disqualified from driving for 30 months.

    The court proceedings follow an investigation by the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC).

    Commander Hayley Sewart, responsible for local policing in north London, said: “The family and friends of Cristopher de Carvalho Guedes have lost a loved one due to the careless driving of one of our officers. I know there is little I can say that will alleviate the pain they will be suffering, but I hope today’s result brings some form of closure.

    “We train our officers to the highest driving standards, and when these are not met it is only right that they are held accountable.”

    The incident happened at around 15:00hrs on 12 October 2023 as PC Brotherton was responding to an emergency call. He was driving a van using blue lights and sirens and accelerated through a red traffic light before the collision occurred at the junction of Southbury Road with Baird Road.

    The van stopped at the scene and officers provided first aid before Mr Guedes was taken to hospital for treatment, where he sadly died.

    A referral was made to the IOPC.

    Now that criminal proceedings have concluded, PC Brotherton will face a misconduct hearing on Monday, 24 March.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Beach recycling underway to strengthen Norfolk flood protection

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    Press release

    Beach recycling underway to strengthen Norfolk flood protection

    An expected 14,000 tonnes of sand and shingle will be moved to protect 800 homes and 4,000 caravans.

    Work is underway to bolster natural flood defences along the west coast of Norfolk as part of their yearly renewal.  

    Beach recycling will see an expected 14,000 tonnes of sand and shingle will be moved around the beach from where it’s been deposited by the tidal movement of the sea. 

    The aggregate is taken north to Heacham and South Hunstanton to restore the shingle ridge along a 5km stretch of coastline.

    The shingle ridge is a natural flood defence protecting more than 800 properties and 4,000 caravans. The recycling will be completed in time for ground nesting birds and tourists to arrive. 

    To move thousands of tonnes of material, the Environment Agency uses three 30-tonne dumper trucks, two bulldozers and an excavator. 

    The recycling follows a report into the shingle ridge which was published in Summer 2024. The Environment Agency is set to begin updating the 2015 Wash East Coast Management Strategy (WECMS) for Hunstanton to Wolferton Creek later this year. The updated strategy will further assess the latest monitoring data and reflect the findings of the Initial Assessment report.

    Sadia Moeed, Area Director for the Environment Agency said:

    “Beach recycling is an incredibly important part of the work we do on the Norfolk coast. It’s vital the shingle ridge is kept in good condition to help reduce the risk of flooding to the communities behind it.

    “It’s also important that property owners continue to refrain from digging into the ridge and approach the us if they wish to carry out works within 16m of it. This will also help preserve the integrity of the ridge and its ability to perform as a natural flood defence.

    “People should know their flood risk and sign up for free flood warnings by going to https://www.gov.uk/check-flood-risk or calling Floodline on 0345 988 1188. You can also follow @EnvAgencyAnglia on Twitter for the latest flood updates.”‎

    Both Natural England and the RSPB are consulted on the beach recycling to preserve the coastline’s environmental importance. The work is funded by the East Wash Coastal Management Community Interest Company which raises funds from the local community, caravan park owners and landowners. Anglian Water and the Borough Council of Kings Lynn & West Norfolk also contribute to the project.

    Cllr Sandra Squire, Cabinet Member for Environment at the Borough Council of King’s Lynn & West Norfolk, said:

    “Restoring the shingle ridges between Hunstanton and Snettisham helps to protect people and wildlife living on the coast in west Norfolk.

    “This important annual beach recycling programme, which is an effective means of undertaking important flood defence work to maintain the defences along the Snettisham to Hunstanton coastline, makes a real difference to the communities in the area.”

    Notes to editors

    Updates to this page

    Published 27 February 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: It’s travel challenge time!

    Source: City of Plymouth

    Are you joining the 2025 Big Plymouth Travel Challenge?

    We are teaming up with Sustrans for a third year to encourage people to leave their cars at home for some of their everyday journeys and try cleaner, greener, healthier ways of getting from A to B.

    The challenge starts on Saturday (1 March) and encourages people to choose active travel options like walking, cycling, scooting or skating for a month. It’s a great way of staying fit and healthy, saving money and helping to improve our air quality – so get those comfy shoes and bikes out!

    As an extra incentive, there are three special prizes – a Raleigh bike worth £475, an adult micro scooter worth £175 and a gold level bike service worth £140 from Bikespace in Devonport – as well as shopping vouchers up for grabs. See the Sustrans website for full prize details.

    Everyone who signs up will get online access to plenty of useful hints, tips and support and a personalised dashboard where they can log their progress. They can even set themselves targets, such as miles travelled, calories burned, or carbon emissions cut.

    It’s all part of our ‘active travel social prescribing’ programme, funded by Active Travel England, where our transport and public health teams work with partners including Sustrans, as well as health providers, link workers (within GP practices and health and wellbeing hubs) and community groups to get more people enjoying active travel as a form of exercise.

    Councillor John Stephens, our walking and cycling champion, said: “We know how important it is to keep active and this is such an easy way to do that. Making just a few of those regular trips – or even part of them – on foot or bike can make a really big difference to our health and wellbeing.

    “It also helps to reduce the amount of traffic on our roads, which is good for us all. More than 450 people took part in last year’s challenge, recording over 6,000 trips and avoiding 1,861kg of carbon emissions. This year we hope to do even better.”

    Everyone who lives or works in Plymouth is welcome to sign up to the challenge and you can go solo or team up with friends, family or colleagues.

    Register now and get ready to start logging your journeys!

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Pineapples Award nomination is ‘pear-fect’ news

    Source: Anglia Ruskin University

    The Lab building at ARU Peterborough – photograph courtesy of Philip Vile

    ARU Peterborough’s new £32 million building is in the running for a prestigious national award – just a few months after its official opening.

    The Lab, the third building at the city’s rapidly growing university, has been shortlisted in the Best Building category at the Pineapples Awards 2025.

    The Pineapples Awards recognise projects that make a positive impact on places and people, celebrating buildings that are welcoming rather than simply aesthetically pleasing. Award winners receive a golden pineapple trophy, with the pineapple historically being a symbol of welcome in UK architecture.

    The awards have a unique judging process, with the 51 judges asked to evaluate projects from both a professional and personal perspective. Judges consider the social and environmental impact, their own physical reactions, and how people from diverse backgrounds might experience the space.

    Designed by Cambridge-based MCW architects and built by Morgan Sindall Construction, ARU Peterborough’s The Lab features engineering workshops, a microbiology lab, a tissue culture lab, teaching spaces, and the Living Lab, which has been specifically designed for public engagement events, talks, and exhibitions.

    The timber building also meets high environmental standards, earning an Excellent rating from BREEAM, the leading global standard for building sustainability. During its construction, over 258 tonnes of CO2 emissions were saved.

    As the third building to open since the university’s launch in 2022, The Lab’s specialised teaching facilities have enabled ARU Peterborough to expand its range of employment-focused courses, particularly in STEM (science, technology, engineering, and maths) subjects.

    “The University is already receiving national attention for our impact in improving access to education and raising skills levels in the region, and we’re thrilled that our fabulous buildings are also being recognised.

    “We’ve worked hard to make sure ARU Peterborough is a wonderful place to study, work, and visit. Our campus is open and accessible to the community, and this Pineapples Award nomination is testament to that. I encourage anyone who hasn’t already visited ARU Peterborough to come and explore for themselves.”

    Professor Ross Renton, Principal of ARU Peterborough

    “The most rewarding part of being an architect is seeing your buildings being used and loved by so many people. The double-height Living Lab at ARU Peterborough was designed as a golden beacon for the campus – a space where students, as well as the community, can come together for lectures, events, and exhibitions.

    “The Lab’s open and transparent nature reflects the commitment to creating a welcoming building that has a positive impact on both places and people. This Pineapples Award shortlisting is thanks to the shared vision of the Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Combined Authority, Peterborough City Council, and ARU, and we’re incredibly proud to be a part of it.”

    Lien Geens, Associate Director of MCW architects

    “This nomination is a fantastic recognition of the ambition behind ARU Peterborough and the impact it’s already having on our region.

    “The Lab is more than just a building – it’s a gateway to opportunity, innovation, and community engagement. Investing in education and skills is vital for our region’s future, and seeing ARU Peterborough’s campus being nationally celebrated shows we’re on the right track.”

    Dr Nik Johnson, Mayor of Cambridgeshire and Peterborough

    The golden pineapples will be announced and presented to the winning projects at a ceremony in April.

    ARU Peterborough is a partnership between Anglia Ruskin University, Peterborough City Council and the Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Combined Authority.

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Queen Street Update

    Source: Scotland – City of Aberdeen

    Maintenance work is currently underway at the Mitchell Tower at Marischal College East which is owned by the University of Aberdeen. It is expected that the unforeseen repair and maintenance programme could take at least 12 months – although this has still to be confirmed pending detailed inspection.
    During this time there will be a requirement for construction access through Queen Street and the site of the proposed urban park to Marischal East and the Mitchell Tower. Aberdeen City Council is working closely with the University to ensure that respective programmes do not prejudice or prevent any emergency repair work to be undertaken.

    In order to deliver the most efficient construction programmes for both the repairs to the Tower and the delivery of the urban park, the Council has reprogrammed the construction of the urban park to commence on site once issues with the Mitchell Tower have been addressed.
    Maintaining a permanent access to Marischal East and the Mitchell Tower throughout the urban park construction programme would add significant time, cost and complexity to the project, together with risk to new fixtures fittings and new surfaces. The Council has therefore agreed to pause the construction programme for the urban park to enable full access to Marischal East to undertake necessary repair works.

    The University is liaising closely with Aberdeen City Council and updating them over progress and timeline of that work.

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –