NEW YORK, 14 February (United Nations, Division for Ocean Affairs and the Law of the Sea, Office of Legal Affairs) — The Commission on the Limits of the Continental Shelf will hold its sixty-third session from 17 February to 21 March 2025 at United Nations Headquarters in New York. During the session, plenary meetings will be held from 24 to 28 February and from 10 to 14 March. The remainder of the session will be devoted to the technical examination of submissions by subcommissions on the Division premises, including geographic information systems laboratories and other facilities.
The upcoming session of the Commission will be the first for Ahmed Er Raji (nominated by Morocco) following his election as a member of the Commission at the resumed thirty‑fourth Meeting of States Parties to the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, on 27 November 2024. Also, given the recent resignation of Harald Brekke (nominated by Norway) due to health reasons, the Commission will elect a Vice-Chairperson to fill the resulting vacancy.
During the session, nine subcommissions will continue to consider submissions made by Mauritius in respect of the region of Rodrigues Island (partial submission); Palau in respect of the North Area (partial amended submission); Portugal; Spain in respect of the area of Galicia (partial submission); Namibia; Mozambique; and Madagascar; as well as revised submissions made by Brazil in respect of the Brazilian Oriental and Meridional Margin (partial revised submission); and Cook Islands concerning the Manihiki Plateau (revised submission).
Coastal States that had not yet presented their submissions to the Commission were invited to present them at the plenary part of the session. To date, the following submitting States accepted the invitation: Brazil in respect of the Brazilian Oriental and Meridional Margin (partial revised submission); and Viet Nam in respect of the Central Area (VNM-C).
The plenary of the Commission will commence its consideration of the recommendations prepared by the subcommissions established to consider the submissions made by Brazil in respect of the Brazilian Equatorial Margin (partial revised submission); Cuba in respect the eastern polygon in the Gulf of Mexico; and Iceland in respect of the western, southern and south-eastern parts of the Reykjanes Ridge (partial revised submission), which were transmitted to the Commission during the sixty‑second session.
This session will be the first under the revised pattern of annual meetings in New York, whereby the Commission meets for three sessions of five weeks each, including four weeks of plenary meetings, complemented by increased intersessional work.
Background
Established pursuant to article 2 of annex II to the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, the Commission makes recommendations to coastal States on matters related to the establishment of the outer limits of their continental shelf beyond 200 nautical miles from the baselines from which the breadth of the territorial sea is measured, based on information submitted by those coastal States. The recommendations are based on the scientific data and other material provided by coastal States in relation to the implementation of article 76 of the Convention and do not prejudice matters relating to the delimitation of boundaries between States with opposite or adjacent coasts or prejudice the position of States that are parties to a land or maritime dispute, or application of other parts of the Convention or any other treaties. The limits of the continental shelf established by a coastal State on the basis of the recommendations are final and binding. In the case of disagreement by a coastal State with the recommendations of the Commission, the coastal State shall, within a reasonable time, make a revised or new submission to the Commission.
Under rule 23 of its rules of procedure (Public and private meetings), the meetings of the Commission, its subcommissions and subsidiary bodies are held in private, unless the Commission decides otherwise.
As required under the rules of procedure of the Commission, the executive summaries of all the submissions, including all charts and coordinates, have been made public by the Secretary‑General through continental shelf notifications circulated to Member States of the United Nations, as well as States parties to the Convention. The executive summaries are available on the Division’s website at: www.un.org/depts/los/clcs_new/clcs_home.htm. The summaries of recommendations adopted by the Commission are also available on the above-referenced website.
The Commission is a body of 21 experts in the field of geology, geophysics or hydrography serving in their personal capacities. Members of the Commission are elected for a term of five years by the Meeting of States Parties to the Convention having due regard to the need to ensure equitable geographical representation. Not fewer than three members shall be elected from each geographical region.
A by-election to fill the vacancy resulting from the resignation of Mr. Brekke will be held at the thirty-fifth Meeting of States Parties to the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, scheduled to be convened from 23 to 27 June 2025. An election for another seat allocated to members from the Group of Eastern European States which has remained vacant would also be held on that occasion.
The Convention provides that the State party which submitted the nomination of a member of the Commission shall defray the expenses of that member while in performance of Commission duties. A voluntary trust fund for the purpose of defraying the cost of participation of the members of the Commission from developing countries has been established. It has facilitated the participation of several members of the Commission from developing countries in the sessions of the Commission.
The convening by the Secretary-General of the sessions of the Commission, with full conference services, including documentation, for the plenary parts of these sessions, is subject to approval by the General Assembly of the United Nations. The Assembly does so in its annual resolutions on oceans and the law of the sea, which also address other matters relevant to the work of the Commission and the conditions of service of its members.
Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments
Technology Secretary Peter Kyle spoke about the the UK’s approach to the responsible development of artificial intelligence at the Munich Security Conference.
Innovation is defined by its ability to surprise.
Only a few years ago, GPT-2 meant nothing to the public.
For many of us, AI felt like a distant possibility at best.
Something that would never – could never – live up to the hype.
And yet, overnight, ChatGPT became a household name.
It unleashed an unprecedented wave of technological change.
And the pace of progress shows no signs of slowing down.
With DeepSeek, we’ve just seen once again just how sudden, how unpredictable, innovation can be.
The AI revolution is happening.
Ignoring it is simply not an option.
In the UK, we reject the doomsayers and the pessimists.
Because we are optimistic about the extraordinary potential of this technology.
And hopeful for the radical, far-reaching change it will bring.
Working in collaboration with our international partners, we’re going to create one of the biggest clusters of AI innovation in the world and deliver a new era of prosperity and wealth creation for our country.
This is a once-in-a-generation opportunity.
If we can seize it, we will close the door on a decade of slow growth and stagnant productivity.
Of taxes that are just too high.
We will deliver new jobs that put more money in working people’s pockets.
And we will drive forward a digital revolution inside government to make our state smaller, smarter, and more efficient.
But none of that is possible unless we can mitigate its risks that AI presents.
After all, businesses will only use these technologies if they can trust them.
Security and innovation go hand in hand.
AI is a powerful tool and powerful tools can be misused.
State-sponsored hackers are using AI to write malicious code and identify system vulnerabilities, increasing the sophistication and efficiency of their attacks.
Criminals are using AI deepfakes to assist in fraud, breaching security by impersonating officials.
Last year, attackers used live deepfake technology during a video call to mimic bank officials.
They stole $25 million.
And now we are seeing instances of people using AI to assist them in planning violent and harmful acts.
These aren’t distant possibilities.
They are real, tangible harms, happening right now.
The implications for our people could be pervasive and profound.
In the UK, we have built the largest team in a government dedicated to understanding AI capabilities and risks in the world.
That work is rooted in the strength of our partnerships with the companies who are right at the frontier of AI.
Working with those companies, the government can conduct scientifically informed tests to understand new AI capabilities and the risks they pose.
Make no mistake, I’m talking about risks to our people, their way of life, and the sovereignty and stability which underpins it.
That is why today, I am renaming our AI Safety Institute as the AI Security Institute.
This change brings us into line with what most people would expect an Institute like this to be doing.
They are not looking into freedom of speech.
They are not deciding what counts as bias or discrimination.
They are not politicians – nor should they be.
They are scientists – scientists who are squarely focused on rigorous research into the most serious emerging risks.
They are researching AI’s potential to assist with the development of chemical and biological weapons.
They are building on the expertise of our National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) to understand how this technology could be used to help malicious actors commit cyber-attacks.
They want to understand how AI could undermine human control.
Our research shows that those risks are clear:
There has been a clear upward trend in AI system capabilities most relevant to national security in the past 18 months.
For the first time last year, AI models demonstrated PhD-level performance on chemistry and biology question sets.
The safeguards designed to prevent these models doing harm are not currently sufficient.
Every model tested by the Institute is vulnerable to safeguard evasion attacks.
And it is almost certain that these capabilities will continue to improve, while novel risks will emerge from systems acting as autonomous agents to complete tasks with only limited human instruction.
The more we understand these risks, the better we can work with companies to address them.
And the faster we can keep our nation safe, the faster our people can embrace the potential of AI to create wealth and improve their lives.
There are certain security risks which require immediate action.
That is why the Security Institute will collaborate with the Defence Science and Technology Laboratory, the Ministry of Defence’s science and technology organisation, to assess the dual-use scientific capabilities of frontier AI.
Today, we are also launching a criminal misuse team in the Security Institute, who will partner directly with the Home Office to conduct research on a range of crime and security issues which threaten to harm our citizens.
Earlier this month, the UK set out plans to make it illegal to own AI tools optimised to make images of child sexual abuse.
Reports of AI-generated child sexual abuse material found online by the Internet Watch Foundation have quadrupled in a single year.
The Security Institute will work with the Home Office to explore what more we can do to prevent abusers using AI to commit their sickening crimes.
A security risk is a security risk, no matter where it comes from.
US companies have shown the lead in taking security risks seriously.
But we need to scrutinise all models regardless of their jurisdiction of origin.
So I’ve instructed the Security Institute to take a leading role in testing AI models wherever they come from, open or closed.
While we can’t discuss these results publicly, we will share them with our allies.
We are alive to the security risks of today.
But we need to focus on tomorrow, too, and the day after that.
We are now seeing the glimmers of AI agents that can act autonomously, of their own accord.
The 2025 International AI Safety Report, led by Yoshua Bengio, warns us that – without the checks and balances of people directing them – we must consider the possibility that risks won’t just come from malicious actors misusing AI models, but from the models themselves.
We don’t yet know the full extent of these risks.
However, as we deploy AI across our economy, our society, and the critical infrastructure that keeps our nation secure, we cannot afford to ignore them.
Because losing oversight and control of advanced AI systems, particularly Artificial General Intelligence (AGI), would be catastrophic.
It must be avoided at all costs.
I want to be clear exactly what this testing is, and what it’s not.
It’s not a barrier to market access. Not a blocker to innovation.
It is urgent scientific work to understand serious risks to our country.
Governments are not passive bystanders in the AI revolution.
We have agency in how AI shapes our society.
And we have a responsibility to use that agency to defend our democratic way of life.
Only countries with a deep and knowing understanding of this technology will be able to build the capacity they need to deliver for their citizens in the twenty-first century.
But success is not a given.
It depends on the democratic world rallying together to maintain our leadership in AI.
Together, we can protect our fundamental values – freedom, openness, and opportunity.
If we do that, we won’t just keep our people safe.
We will ensure that they are first to benefit from the new era of wealth and prosperity which AI will bring.
A selection of works on paper by 12 contemporary women artists has gone on display at Aberdeen Art Gallery.
Works on paper can include drawings and watercolours, printed material and art photography. There are over 13,000 works on paper in the Aberdeen Archives, Gallery & Museums collection. The new display in Gallery 16 will be refreshed over the coming years to highlight the full range and richness of the collection. One of the priorities for the redevelopment of the Art Gallery, completed in 2019, was for more of the collection to go on display, including works on paper.
Around half of the contemporary artworks in the collection are by women artists. The work of the 12 artists featured in the new exhibition spans 50 years and explores a variety of techniques including printmaking, photography and painting. The artists are Annie Cattrell, Mirian Dokotliver, Amy Gear, Louise Hopkins, Hannah Imlach, Bet Low, Bel McCoig, Nanny Mulder, Elizabeth Ogilvie, Frances Walker, Caroline Walker and Francesca Woodman.
Among the highlights of the display are four photographs by the American photographer Francesca Woodman (1958-1981) who produced a highly-influential body of work during her brief 10-year career, often photographing herself in empty interiors. Her blurry images give a sense of human fragility.
A set of prints, which is a recent addition to the collection, is on display for the first time. ‘Nocturnes’ by Scottish artist Caroline Walker (born Dunfermline, 1982) depicts women in a variety of domestic settings at nighttime.
Frances Walker (born Kirkcaldy, 1930) has been a major contributor to artistic practice and development in Aberdeen, having taught at Gray’s School of Art in Aberdeen for many years. In 1974 she was a founding member of the city’s Peacock Printmakers. Walker depicts wild and desolate landscapes and terrains in her paintings and prints.
Gallery 16 at Aberdeen Art Gallery, where this new display is on show, is one of 19 spaces in the building that showcase the outstanding collection that is cared for by the Archives, Gallery & Museums team on behalf of the people of Aberdeen. Each Gallery has a different atmosphere and a different story to tell, from Art Deco ceramics, to portraiture, jewellery, processes in art and craft, the influence of 19th century French art on Scottish artists, the artist-adventurer James McBey and the experience of Aberdonians during times of war and conflict. Visitors can discover more about the collection by listening to staff talking about some of the highlights of the displays by downloading the free digital guide to the Art Gallery on the Bloomberg Connects app.
Councillor Martin Greig, Aberdeen City Council’s culture spokesman, said: “This is a wonderful exhibition of works on paper by women artists. It’s great to see the skills and talent on display. These changing exhibitions give everyone the chance to enjoy different aspects of the Art Gallery collection. These are treasures which belong to all of us in the city and it is good to have the opportunity to view these carefully-chosen artworks. The free digital guide to the Gallery on the Bloomberg Connects app is a really useful way to find out more about the drawings, paintings and other items in the city’s excellent art museum. The app is a good way to familiarise yourself with and learn more about Aberdeen’s outstanding collection.”
Works on Paper – Women Artists is now open at Aberdeen Art Gallery, Schoolhill, Aberdeen AB10 1FQ. Open Monday – Saturday 10am-5pm, Sunday 11am-4pm. Admission is free and donations are welcome.
The special exhibition Artist Textiles: From Picasso to Warhol continues at the Art Gallery until 13 April. This joyful exhibition explores textiles and fashion as popular artforms in 20th century Britain, Europe and the United States through rare examples of textiles by leading artists including Alexander Calder, Salvador Dalí, Sonia Delaunay, Raoul Dufy, Barbara Hepworth, Fernand Léger, Henri Matisse, Joan Miró, Henry Moore, Pablo Picasso, Ben Nicholson and Andy Warhol. For ticket and visiting information go to www.aagm.co.uk
US Vice President JD Vance has been accused of spreading shocking and shameless misinformation about safe access zones in Scotland by Scottish Green MSP Gillian Mackay.
In a speech this morning, VP Vance claimed that people in Scotland were told that private prayer in their own homes would be against the law within a safe access zone and that people were encouraged to report anyone they thought guilty of “thought crime.” This has never been true.
Ms Mackay introduced the bill that secured 200 metre wide safe access zones, or buffer zones, around abortion service providers to stop the intimidating anti-choice protests that were taking place across Scotland. Private prayer at home has never been impacted by this Act.
Ms Mackay said:
“This is shocking and shameless misinformation from VP Vance, who is either very badly informed about what my Act has done or he is knowingly misrepresenting it.
“He is one of the most powerful people in the world but he is peddling total nonsense and dangerous scare mongering.
“Nobody should be intimidated or harassed when accessing healthcare, and I am proud that my Act has put a stop to the graphic banners and the protests that far too many people were being forced to pass in order to access healthcare.
“I was proud that our Parliament voted to back safe access zones so overwhelmingly, and that they stood against the cynical lies and misrepresentation of the kind that Mr Vance is promoting.”
Ms Mackay added:
“The government that Mr Vance represents is a clear threat to reproductive rights. He has a shocking record on abortion and many other issues. He has supported calls to reduce access to healthcare and has even argued for a national ban on abortion rights across the US.
“Abortion rights are human rights and they are healthcare. Today and every day I will stand with the millions of people across the US who oppose the misogynistic and anti-choice agenda of Donald Trump and JD Vance.”
Detectives from the Met’s Roads and Transport Policing Command have charged a man with causing death by dangerous driving after a nine-year-old girl was killed in a collision with a bus last summer.
Martin Asolo-Agogua 23 (17.07.01) of Nunhead, was also charged on Thursday, 13 February with causing death by careless driving when under influence of drink or drugs and driving whilst over the drug limit.
Police were called to the scene where a bus had collided with two children in Watling Street near the junction with Halcot Avenue on the morning of Saturday, 3 August 2024.
Both children were taken to hospital and, despite the best efforts of medical staff, nine-year-old Ada Bicakci sadly died in the afternoon of Monday, 5 August.
Ada’s family continue to be supported by specialist officers.
Asolo-Agogua, who was driving the bus, was arrested on the day of the incident on suspicion of causing serious injury through dangerous driving and drug-driving.
He has been bailed and is due to attend Bromley Magistrates’ Court on Monday, 24 March.
ATHENS, Greece, Feb. 14, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — STEALTHGAS INC. (NASDAQ: GASS) (the “Company”), a ship-owning company serving the liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) sector of the international shipping industry, announced today that it will release its fourth quarter operating and financial results for the period ended December 31, 2024 before the market opens in New York on February 21, 2025.
On February 21, 2025 at 10:00 am ET, the company’s management will host a conference call to discuss the results and the company’s operations and outlook.
Conference Call details: Conference call participants should pre-register using the below link to receive the dial-in numbers and a personal PIN, which are required to access the conference call.
Slides and audio webcast: There will also be a live and then archived webcast of the conference call, through the STEALTHGAS INC. website (www.stealthgas.com). Participants to the live webcast should register on the website approximately 10 minutes prior to the start of the webcast.
About STEALTHGAS INC. StealthGas Inc. is a ship-owning company serving the liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) sector of the international shipping industry. StealthGas Inc.’s fleet consists of fully pressurised, semi refrigerated and fully refrigerated vessels. StealthGas Inc.’s shares are listed on the Nasdaq Global Select Market and trade under the symbol “GASS.”
Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments
The British Embassy in Yerevan invites female citizens in Armenia aged 18 to 22 to enter a competition to be an Ambassador for a Day.
Call for applications for the Ambassador for a Day in Armenia 2025 announced by the British Embassy in Yerevan
What is Ambassador for A Day
Have you ever wondered what it’s like to represent your country on the international stage? The Diplomacy plays a key role in shaping global decisions and women’s voices are truly crucial in this field. This competition gives you a rare chance to step into the shoes of an Ambassador for a day, learn about diplomacy in action and the work of the British Embassy team.
Why you should enter this competition
Women and girls represent half of the world’s population and, therefore, half of its potential. Yet they are not fully represented in diplomacy, politics and leadership roles.
This is why we are encouraging women to make their voices heard on topics that affect us all. We encourage young students to become leaders and advocates for change by offering them an opportunity to experience diplomacy in action and to Take a glimpse behind the scenes of the British Embassy in Yerevan.
Who can apply?
You can enter this competition if you:
are a female citizen of Armenia
are aged between 18 to 22 years old
have a good command of English
agree to be
available to spend a full day with the British Embassy staff on 20 March 2025
agree to be photographed and filmed throughout the day, with content shared across publicly (in accordance with GDPR guidelines)
How to apply?
To enter, submit a short video (up to 2 minutes) in English answering the following question: “What would you do if you were the British Ambassador in Armenia?”
Important tips:
we will be celebrating Women’s month together and this competition highlights the importance of women’s leadership. Please bear in mind that the topic for International Women’s Day 2024 is “Accelerate Action (IWD 2025) and “For ALL women and girls: Rights. Equality. Empowerment (UN Women 2025)
creativity will be an important judging criteria. Don’t be afraid to be bold and share your unique perspective.
the selection process will be fair and inclusive with a diverse judging panel to ensure equal evaluation
Please read the information in detail on our Terms and Conditions.
How to submit your entry?
Read the terms and conditions for entering the Ambassador for a Day 2025 competition:
Once you have prepared your video, email it along with the Ambassador for A Day participation form to Enquiries.Yerevan@fcdo.gov.uk before the end of 3 March 2025.
Key dates to remember
Mark your calendar!
applications open: 14 February 2025
deadline for applications: 3 March 2025
shortlisted winner contacted: 14 March 2025
ambassador for a Day: 19 March 2025
…and for the winner
The winner will spend an entire day shadowing the British Ambassador. This will include attending meetings, learning about international cooperation and engaging with UK-funded projects.
Follow the journey!
Even if you are not selected as the winner, we encourage you to follow the journey on our social media channels. We will be sharing inspirational stories and insights from past winners. This is a chance to engage with a community of young women interested in leadership and diplomacy.
This half term a huge range of free activities are set to take place for children to enjoy over their break.
From sports and physical activities to arts and crafts and day trips there is a wider variety of activities on offer to keep the kids entertained and engaged organised via the City Council.
These free events are open to all families whose children are eligible for free school meals. The activities are free, and a nutritious meal will also be provided over the course of the day.
Addressing hunger over the holiday is a priority for Manchester City Council and around 44,000 children and young people are being supported through payments via Manchester schools. And a further £190,000 has been allocated to the city’s Holiday Activity Fund (HAF) to provide free activities during half term breaks.
You can also find out about even more activities that are taking place over the half term, from fun events at the People’s History Museum, to free swimming sessions to nature walks all of which are open to everyone!
Councillor Julie Reid, Executive Member for Early Years, Children and Young People said: “Supporting families over the half term period is a really important role that we play as a Council. A huge amount of work has taken place, particularly since the pandemic, to address inequalities across the city and schemes like the Holiday Activities Fund is a big part of that. Holiday hunger can have a real impact on children which is why schemes like this are so vitally important.
“There are a lot of great events that will be running over the half term with a free meal or snack included, so if you have not already been contacted to take part I’d urge families to have a look at our Loads to Do website and see what they think their child would enjoy over the half term.”
Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments
Scientists comment on asteroid 2024 YR4 which may hit Earth in 2032.
Prof Martin Ward, Emeritus Temple Chevallier Professor of Astronomy, Durham University, said:
“The way these percentages for the chance of impact are calculated are based on extrapolations of the asteroid trajectory and the position of the Earth when the asteroid arrives. They get more accurate with time as we get more data. Think of it as a circle in the sky (much bigger than the asteroid itself). The direction of future travel plus the position of the Earth could take any line out of the circle towards the Earth. Most lines are projected to miss, but a few would hit. As our data on the asteroid trajectory and Earth’s position when it arrives get better by tracking it with time the circle becomes smaller, and the number of possible future lines decreases. If the lines that previously hit the Earth are now outside the improved circle, then the chances go down (and maybe vanish). But if the smaller circle still includes the lines that hit the Earth, then the chances of hitting us go up correspondingly. So, as time goes on we will get either good news, that eventually the future direction of travel misses us, or bad news, that the ratio of lines that hit us to those that miss us, goes up. If that trend continues, then duck… Before that happens, it will be possible to predict the path it would take through the atmosphere, and hope for the best. The Earth is 70% covered by water, and of the remaining land mass, 33% is desert. So the question will be… “do you feel lucky?”
Prof Danny Steeghs, Professor and Head if Astronomy & Astrophysics Group, Department of Physics, University of Warwick, said:
What is the situation?
“We monitor many asteroid orbits, but this object was not previously known. It was identified in December 2024, near its closest approach, when it was bright and moving through the sky fast. Routine is to model the orbit of newly discovered asteroids including projecting forwards in time to see if there are any concerns around close approaches with the Earth. Almost always the answer is no. In this case we could not, and still cannot, fully rule that out. This is rare, it has been many years since we have had an asteroid with this level of impact probability.”
How strong is the science behind a potential earth impact?
“We understand the dynamics of solar system orbits well. It’s about measuring the orbit with better precision and characterising the nature/size of the object. The Earth is a small target on the scale of the solar system, but orbit calculations have a finite precision since they are based on measurements of the position of the asteroid at different times since its discovery. These measurements have a finite precision, and we do not have many yet, and we can accurately translate this into a probability of impact during future passes. At the moment this is a few 2%, which is considered high enough to warrant further and urgent observations.”
How worrying/expected is this?
“It is not really worrying, expectations are that as we refine the orbit of the asteroid, the probability of impact will reduce. Its better maybe to think of it as, we cannot fully rule out that it may impact, rather than expecting it to impact. The next steps are clear – securing more data and improving our precision/confidence.”
How is the risk of collision calculated, and could it change?
“The measurements that feed into these calculations are collected by a number of telescopes and observatories. These are globally shared so that a number of teams can calculate orbit projections. Each time new data is added, the calculations can be refined. This is why the number is changing and in the early stages it can change more erratically. As precision improves, it will tend to settle down to the point where we can be very confident. This could take some time, as the asteroid is getting faint quickly, and it may not be fully settled until it passes again in 2028.”
What could we do to stop it / prepare?
“We do not yet accurately know the size of the object, and what any impact might do and how we could mitigate it depends on that. We have tested deflecting an asteroid by sending a probe to hit it from the right angle, just to change its orbit a little. That is the preferred intervention route, but what is involved depends on the mass, size and orbit.”
Dr Darren Baskill, Physics & Astronomy Lecturer, University of Sussex, said:
“An asteroid passes by the Earth, within the orbit of the Moon, typically every month – which is very close in cosmic terms. The last time this happened was when a 26m asteroid passed us by on the 4th of February 2025.
“Watching an asteroid approach is a bit like watching a long pot in snooker – you don’t know if the ball will go in a pocket until the very last moment, and there is always a good chance of the ball rattling in the jaws of the pocket and missing. This is why there is so much uncertainty surrounding this asteroid. Of course, the distances involved in astronomy are much, much larger, making accurate long-term predictions difficult.
“It is worth noting that the predicted size of asteroid 2024 YR4 is 40-70m, which is only around 3 times larger than the asteroid that famously struck Russia in 2013. While there were large amounts of minor damage in that event, including large numbers of windows being blown out in the area due to the resulting shockwave, there were no fatalities, nor any major damage recorded.
“At the moment, while there are teams around the world who are able to detect asteroid threats better than ever before, there are no systems in place that could prevent an asteroid strike should one be found to be on a collision course. Hopefully, that will change over the next 7-and-a-half years, just in case!”
Dr James O’Donoghue, planetary scientist at the University of Reading, said:
“Scientists are getting better at tracking the asteroids that could hit Earth, with the result that we have become accustomed to asteroids having incredibly low impact probabilities, typically in the order of one in tens of thousands. That’s why a 1-in-49 chance is making us sit up and notice.
“This level of risk demands serious attention, and it’s clear that it is being taken seriously, as seen by NASA’s response and the high-level notifications that have been triggered. The recent diversion of the James Webb Space Telescope to observe this object is particularly noteworthy. Understanding its precise size is crucial – an 80-meter asteroid would impact with eight times more energy than a 40-meter one, as doubling the diameter increases the volume and mass by a factor of eight. To put this in perspective, a 40-meter asteroid carries the energy of a few megatons of TNT, comparable to a nuclear warhead, while a 90-meter asteroid exceeds 50 megatons – roughly equivalent to the Tsar Bomba, the most powerful nuclear device ever detonated.
“The fact that we can predict this potential impact many years in advance is a testament to how well humanity is advancing in planetary defence through astronomy. It’s also a reminder than we have discovered less than half the total number of similarly sized asteroids so far, so there is much more work to be done.”
Dr Olivier R. Hainaut, Astronomer, European Southern Observatory, said:
What is the situation?
“Observatories around the world (including ESO) are working to refine the orbit. This takes time, as one has to wait for the asteroid to move to perform more measurements. We can fairly easily observe YR4 for another month with large telescopes, then it will become harder and harder. By early April it will be out of reach of most telescopes. Hopefully the orbit will be refined enough to completely rule out an impact.
How is the risk of collision calculated and could it change?
“Orbital calculation and celestial mechanics… You measure the position of the asteroid in front of the background stars over as many nights as possible, then solve for the orbit, which is the 3D trajectory of the asteroid in space. The longer you can measure, the better you know the orbit. Currently, we could observe YR4 for a little less than 2 months over its 4y orbit, so we need to extrapolate a lot, hence the large uncertainty. As we will observe more, the orbit will be refined, and we will know better where the asteroid will be in 2032. Eventually, the probability of impact will converge towards one of two possible values: 0% or 100%… Hopefully 0%, and hopefully by the end of this visibility period. Note that the probability is likely to go up even if it ends up going down to 0% -that’s normal.”
“Measuring and computing the orbit is very robust- celestial mechanics is very well known, and demonstrated by the navigation of spacecrafts all around the solar system.
“Measuring the size and composition of the asteroid is not scientifically complicated, but is tricky in this case because the object is very faint.”
How worrying/expected is this?
“How worrying: currently, the probability of impact is ~2%. It is typical to start preparing for disaster relief when the probability goes above 1% (astronomers did not make that number up – it is what is customarily used for all kind of disasters). IF the probability stays above 1% at the end of the visibility period (~April), it will be time to start possible mitigation space mission. Keep in mind that IF these mission would fail and IF the asteroid does impact, it is not a large one. Possibly a few times larger than the one that blasted above Chelyabinsk in 2013, but ~150x SMALLER than the Chicxulub dinosaur killer.
“How expected: look at the Moon. It is covered with craters, and the Earth is just next to it. Collisions with asteroids are expected, which is why we try to discover as many as possible (and all the “large” ones). The question is not “if”, but “when” and “how big”.”
What could we do to stop it / prepare?
“Short answer: first, refine the orbit to determine whether it will hit or not. If it will, then nudge it to slightly change its orbit so that it misses the Earth. The sooner the better, as a later nudge will need to be larger. To nudge it, refer eg to the DART mission, which did it as a test on an asteroid about 2x the size of YR4.
“DON’T break the asteroid (refer to a series of bad SciFi movies): you would end up with many fragments to deal with.”
Declared interests
For all experts, no reply to our request for DOIs was received.
Source: The Conversation – UK – By Andrew Gawthorpe, Lecturer in History and International Studies, Leiden University
When a new US president takes office, his first order of business is usually to reassure America’s allies and warn its enemies. However, Donald Trump is doing things differently. It seems his goal is to strike fear into the heart not of America’s foes, but rather its friends.
American presidents have traditionally seen the country’s network of allies as a “force multiplier” – something that magnifies American power and applies it more effectively. A broad range of allies means trading partners, military bases and diplomatic support in international institutions. According to this line of reasoning, it is in America’s own interests to defend and support its allies – the benefits outweigh the cost.
Trump, by contrast, views allies both as competitors and burdens. He thinks they are too reliant on American military power to defend themselves, and that their economic relationship with the US makes them rich at the expense of American workers. He wants US allies, particularly in Europe, to spend more of their own money on defence and to buy more goods from the US.
He also seems even more willing than in his first term to deploy America’s formidable tools of coercion to make this happen. His widespread threats of tariffs, for instance, are designed to force countries to go along with his wishes, including in non-economic aspects of the relationship. He is also threatening to use economic and military force in alarming ways, such as to seize control of Canada, Greenland and the Panama Canal.
The result is a world in which American allies can no longer rely on the US to be a reliable partner. They may increasingly have to fend for themselves against not just their traditional foes, but also a predatory Washington.
Although all US allies are concerned about this turn of events, some are more surprised than others. The biggest shock has come in Europe, which has long occupied a privileged place in America’s strategic thinking.
Europeans knew that a second Trump term was going to be rough. On the campaign trail, for example, he vowed across-the-board tariffs of up to 20%. But they didn’t expect Trump to threaten the territory of Nato members Canada and Denmark, which owns Greenland.
As a result, Europeans’ view of the US has shifted since Trump returned to the White House. According to the results of a recent survey by the European Council on Foreign Relations, the majority of people in Europe no longer see the US as an ally that shares the same interests and values, instead agreeing that it is only a “necessary partner”.
For other US allies and partners, particularly in the global south, this shift is less surprising. Panama owes its existence to an act of US imperialism. The US sent military forces to assist the country in seceding from Colombia in 1903, with the ultimate goal of working with the country’s new government to build the canal.
But Panama has since witnessed numerous American military interventions. Most recently, in December 1989, the then US president, George H.W. Bush, ordered 20,000 US troops to Panama where they toppled the government and arrested the country’s president, Manuel Noriega, on charges of drug trafficking, racketeering and money laundering.
Non-western countries have long been used to the idea that the US will disregard their interests and take advantage of their weakness if policymakers in Washington deem it necessary. What we are witnessing now is the extension of this precariousness to all.
Weakness for flattery
For world leaders looking to navigate this turbulent time, there is an additional problem. Trump has a habit of personalising diplomacy, deciding whom he likes and whom he doesn’t like based on their perceived friendliness to him rather than a more detached calculation of their interests.
He is also a sucker for big, splashy acts of diplomacy. He often gives the impression that his main goal is to be able to sign a deal – any deal – which he can declare to be a victory, rather than giving too much thought to the underlying interests at stake.
This means that smart leaders can flatter and deceive him. In early February, Trump postponed tariffs on Mexico after the country’s president, Claudia Sheinbaum, promised to send troops to the US-Mexico border to tackle the cartels trafficking the drug fentanyl in the US.
The only problem is that almost all fentanyl is trafficked by US citizens at legal border crossings, who bring in very small quantities of the drug in their vehicles. According to Raúl Benítez, a military expert at Mexico’s National Autonomous University, the “ant-like traffic of fentanyl” makes control of the trade “almost impossible”.
But the occasional weakness for flattery hardly makes Trump reliable.
Instead, Trump presents US allies with a dangerous and unpredictable force. Like the leaders of Russia and China, Trump seems to view the world as split into spheres of influence in which powerful countries are free to bully their neighbours.
Many countries will conclude that America is just another aggressive great power to be managed, rather than a country that at least pays lip service to international law. Some might even decide they have no choice other than to develop closer relations with Russia and China, and drift out of the US orbit.
One thing is clear: US allies must do more to ensure they can defend their interests independently. Unlike a country such as Panama, European countries have the resources to do this, if only they can summon the will. They should count themselves lucky – and get to work.
Andrew Gawthorpe 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.
Source: The Conversation – UK – By Andrew Russell, Lecturer, Faculty of Creative & Cultural Industries, University of Portsmouth
Did you hear? There’s been another murder at a White Lotus hotel, this time the one in Thailand.
Back for its third season, Mike White’s critically acclaimed and Emmy award-winning tragi-comedy series follows the terrible exploits of the White Lotus’s rich, primarily white holidaymakers, alongside the local employees.
There is social satire, a lot of drama and always a death in paradise. In the first season there was death in Hawaii; the second in Sicily, Italy, and now, in the third, there’s death in Koh Samui.
As someone who has researched on screen representations of Thailand I was intrigued to see how the show handled this locale. Disappointingly, the exoticness and beauty of Thailand is foregrounded, as is the mysticism of Buddhism.
The series follows four groups of people, the majority of whom the audience are made to feel repulsed by in some way.
The first is the Ratliff family. There’s father, Timothy (Jason Isaacs) who works in finance and mother, Victoria (Parker Posey), whose anxiety means she is heavily medicated and constantly falling asleep. Then the kids: daughter, Piper (Sarah Catherine Hook) who is studying Buddhism; son Lochlan (Sam Nivola) who has poor posture from being glued to his computer; and Saxon (Patrick Schwarzenegger), the eldest of the three, whose primary focus is having sex.
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The second group is three middle-aged women who are on a “girls’ holiday” who abandon their inhibitions as the series progresses. They are routinely referred to as cougars by Saxon. Then there is odd couple Chelsea (Aimee Lou Wood) and her older partner Rick (Walton Goggins), who seem to be going through a rocky patch.
The one likeable person, Belinda (Natasha Rothwell), is a character previously seen working in the spa in the first season’s Hawaiian resort. She’s in Thailand on a research trip for her own wellbeing business.
Terrible people
As with previous series, the ignorance of the holidaymakers is clear. Thailand is referred to as Taiwan. Piper is told by her mother that she can’t possibly be a Buddhist because she isn’t Chinese. The stereotype of the older, rich, bald white male – referred to here as LBHs (losers back home) – who retires to Thailand with a much younger wife is hammered home in various episodes.
Through these guests’ continued cultural ignorance and insensitivity, the few Thai characters we are introduced to are subservient and constantly smiling, always there to please. There’s never a sense of disgust at the exploits of the rich white customers. They are voiceless and for the most part, absent.
Belinda, the only black character, is also the only one who converses in any meaningful way with a Thai person. The only sort of story that gives any space to Thai characters is about a blossoming love between the security guard Gaitok (Tayme Thapthimthong) and health expert Mook (Lalisa Manoban), but this is sidelined.
There is a clear cultural, economic and racial split presented, one that fails to allow any Thai character the ability to air their criticisms of the guests or to be developed in a meaningful way. In the main, the focus is on whiteness – a criticism previous series have also garnered.
An imaginary Thailand
All these facets together create a version of Thailand that is seen through the lens of orientalism. This is a western way of looking at non-western places as full of mysticism, eroticism and exoticness, where nothing normal occurs.
This lens is foregrounded by characters constantly saying things like: “Thailand is full of people either looking for something or hiding from something”, and “Whatever happens in Thailand, stays in Thailand”.
There is a constant flow of alcohol, and drugs can be procured away from the resort. Incest is even hinted at in the first few episodes as the audience are shown Lochlan gazing upon the naked body of his brother. The country is portrayed as a playground for white debauchery, where anything goes – much like in The Hangover part II (2011), a trope I have written about in my research.
The link to orientalism is further enhanced by the way in which Thai religion is shown as being mystical. Anytime a character engages in a spiritual practice it is accompanied by a tinkling score indicating something otherworldly is occurring. This isn’t limited to Western characters. When Gaitok, makes an offering at a shrine the visuals are presented in slow motion as candlelight flickers with a mythical aura pervading.
The previous seasons have seen a boom in travel to filming locations in Sicily and Hawaii, driven by their onscreen depictions), and this season’s Thailand setting will likely lead to the same.
The landscape is a constant focal point, exemplifying the British sociologist John Urry’s theory of the “tourist gaze”. Exotic portions of the landscape are lingered upon, from the jungle and palm trees to ocean vistas. Monkeys are continuously seen, alongside other “exotic” creatures.
This is a recurring trait seen in Hollywood films set in Thailand, from Anna and the King of Siam (1946) to The Impossible (2012), situating it purely as an exotic locale.
This series uses iconic tourist locations, such as the Buddhist temple Wat Pho which forms the background for a conversation in one scene. Also, what appears to be the Phi Phi Islands, known for their pristine beaches and clear waters, drift past during a luxury yacht trip. Sadly, Thailand in this series is reduced to a digestible set of iconic images for the audience.
White Lotus engages in a double game. The series is clearly critical of the characters, presenting lifestyle and holidays as desirable and aspirational, all the while reinforcing antiquated orientalist stereotypes itself. You would hope a show trying to show the evils of a certain kind of tourism wouldn’t also be guilty of the thing it’s attempting to lampoon.
Andrew Russell 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.
Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments
A County Durham man has been jailed for operating an illegal waste site in a prosecution brought by the Environment Agency.
Image shows waste on the site in Rowlands Gill.
Christopher Williams, 66, of Acton Dene in Stanley, appeared at Newton Aycliffe magistrates’ court on Thursday 13 February for sentencing.
He had previously pleaded guilty to two charges of operating a waste site without an environmental permit at Whinfield Industrial Estate in Rowlands Gill, Gateshead.
He was sentenced to 44 weeks in prison, comprising 26 weeks and a further 18 weeks because the conviction placed him in breach of a suspended sentence imposed for previous environmental offences.
Waste posed ‘obvious’ fire risk
Gary Wallace, area environment manager for the Environment Agency in the North East, said:
Not only was the waste on site illegal, but there was a very obvious fire-risk. Williams was given ample opportunity to clear the waste and was advised how he could operate within the law.
But instead he continued to breach the law with no consideration for the environment or community.
Environmental permits are in place to protect the public and environment, and I hope this sentence sends out the message to others that we will take action against those involved in illegal waste activity.
Image shows mixed waste stored inside one of the sheds at the site in Rowlands Gill.
The court heard that Williams runs an organisation called the LCA Community Charity, which is not a registered charity, from an industrial unit at the site. It advertises as offering help with clothing, furniture and household donations.
The organisation and the defendant both hold waste carrier licences, which is a legal requirement to be able to transport waste.
EA officers saw large amount of waste at site
On 17 November 2022, Environment Agency officers attended the unit. Outside, they saw a large amount of household waste, including more than 50 fridges and fridge freezers, dismantled furniture, mattresses, sink units and toilet bowls, baths and doors, amongst other general waste.
Most of the waste was mixed together, with some looking like it had been there for a long time. Inside the unit was an office area with some household items for sale.
Inside one of the two sheds on site, waste was piled 12 feet high. Across the site, the illegally stored waste posed a fire-risk, with no separation between piles, meaning if a fire broke out it would spread quickly.
Officers spoke to Williams, and he was requested to remove the waste by 16 January 2023, and in a follow-up letter, he was advised about waste exemptions, which allows for low level waste activity without the need for a permit that could allow him to sort recyclable waste for recovery and operate within the law.
On 17 January, officers returned, only to find there was more waste present, with a noticeable increase in broken wooden furniture. Officers expressed concerns about the fire risk.
In the following months, through March and into the summer, Environment Agency officers made numerous visits where they saw waste still on site. At one point, Williams said half of the fridges had ‘gone to Africa.’
Fridges contain refrigerant gasses and blown foam insulation, with old fridges classed as hazardous waste, and should be disposed of at an suitably-licensed facility.
He also told officers he had no waste transfer notes, which are a legal requirement to trace the movement of waste between one place and another.
Officers explained to Williams that the deadline for clearing the site passed in January 2023.
During a visit in September 2024, officers inspected the site and found it was still operating as an illegal waste facility. Williams claimed to still be busy clearing the site.
Illegal waste activity can be reported to the Environment Agency on 0800 807060.
Between 16 November 2022 and 12 July 2023 at unit 13, Whinfield Industrial Estate, Rowlands Gill, Williams operated a regulated facility, namely a waste operation for the storage and treatment of waste pending recovery or disposal, otherwise than in accordance with an environmental permit
Contrary to regulations 12(1)(a) and 38(1) Environmental Permitting (England & Wales) Regulations 2016.
On 24 September 2024 at unit 13, Whinfield Industrial Estate, Rowlands Gill, you operated a regulated facility, namely a waste operation for the storage and treatment of waste pending recovery or disposal, otherwise than in accordance with an environmental permit.
Contrary to regulations 12(1)(a) and 38(1) Environmental Permitting (England & Wales) Regulations 2016.
Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments
The case of Concept Scaffolding Services Ltd, recently heard by the Traffic Commissioner for the East of England and Senior Traffic Commissioner, Richard Turfitt, has highlighted issues from which other licence holders might learn.
The company holds a restricted goods vehicle operator’s licence authorising two vehicles. Both directors, Andrew Erskine and Karl Takkou were present at the hearing.
On 4 September 2024, a Traffic Examiner stopped a vehicle driven by Karl Takkou and discovered multiple infractions. Mr. Takkou failed to insert his digital tachograph driver card, admitting he had left it in another vehicle despite knowing the requirement to use it. The vehicle also lacked an operator licence disc, and the vehicle unit had not been downloaded for over seven years. No driver card had been inserted into the vehicle’s unit for 28 days.
A subsequent visit by another Traffic Examiner on 4 October 2024 was marked as unsatisfactory, identifying deficiencies in compliance systems. The investigation found prolonged failures to download vehicle unit and driver card data, as well as instances of driving without tachograph use.
Simply put, directors had not adequately equipped themselves with the necessary knowledge to manage transport operations effectively. While they had engaged a transport consultant, serious concerns remained.
In deciding to only curtail the licence by one vehicle for one month, Mr Turfitt took account of the corrective measures employed after the stop: introducing a driver defect reporting system, acquiring a company card for vehicle downloads, and adopting a structured compliance monitoring approach. Mr. Takkou had attended a Transport Manager Refresher Course, and the directors committed to ongoing compliance training. Additionally, driver Karl Takkou’s vocational entitlement was suspended for the same period.
Commissioner Turfitt commented: “The Directors were so ill-equipped that there was little prospect of them meeting the licence obligations and yet it is difficult to understand why any business, which all carry obligations under health and safety legislation, had failed to identify the risks and to at least employ basic measures or seek advice. The fitness of this operator has been severely tarnished by their failures…Applicants should read the published guidance and work out what is required before even attempting to complete the application form. Scaffolders and similar operators applying for restricted operator licences need to start giving the same attention to these basic requirements as they would the tax or health & safety regimes.”
Undertakings were accepted to ensure future compliance, including appointing an independent compliance auditor and ongoing oversight from a transport consultant. The operator must submit an audit report to the Office of the Traffic Commissioner within six months.
While improvements have been noted, the Commissioner emphasised that compliance with licensing regulations is fundamental, and future breaches will result in harsher consequences.
Westminster City Council’s CCTV system is helping identify individuals who are committing crime and anti-social behaviour to keep residents safe.
A network of CCTV cameras fitted in local hotspots for anti-social behaviour is helping to bring perpetrators to justice.
Last year the council began rolling out a system of 100 cameras in Westminster strategically placed in areas identified as hotspots for crime, antisocial behaviour and other quality of life issues that affect our residents, businesses and visitors. This high-tech network is strategically focused on areas hit hardest by disruptive behaviour, sending a clear message that the council is committed to making its communities safer.
The technology is already making a real impact. Footage captured by the cameras is being shared with the police, providing critical evidence that helps to strengthen cases against offenders. This collaboration between the council and law enforcement is proving essential in swiftly addressing ASB and bringing offenders to justice.
For example, following an alleged fight that took place in a supermarket, the police were alerted, and a suspect was arrested shortly afterwards. The footage from the scene was later handed over to the police to support their case against the individual.
Acoustic noise cameras also form part of the council’s network. These cameras are only activated when noise levels exceed 90 decibels, equivalent to the sound of a lawnmower or power tool. These were triggered following an unregistered car meet that took place on Pall Mall. Following the incidents four drivers were issues with Fixed Penalty Notices.
Elsewhere in the borough the cameras have captured other crimes such as an attempted burglary, drug use and criminal damage to property and footage handed over the police will help bring the offenders to justice.
Cllr Aicha Less, Cabinet Member for Children and Public Protection:
“We’re pleased that the CCTV camera network is helping to identify individuals who are causing disruption and enabling the police to respond to ASB quickly.
“These examples demonstrate how CCTV helps to keep residents safe. We know tackling anti-social behaviour and crime in our communities is a top priority for our residents, rolling out these cameras is making a difference.”
Footage of two men having a fight at the entrance of a supermarket. One the men then walks down the road and is later arrested by a police officer (not shown).
An unregistered car meet at Pall Mall. A crowd of people have gathered and are watching cars do doughnuts in the street. The acoustic noise camera was triggered by the sound made by the car.
Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. has announced the local availability of the new Galaxy S25 series. Together with One UI 7, Gemini is officially available at launch in 46 languages,1 making it easier than ever to perform seamless interactions across Samsung and Google apps.
“The Galaxy S25 series is a fundamental shift in how we interact with our phones,” said TM Roh, President and Head of Mobile eXperience Business at Samsung Electronics. “We are thrilled to see how our users will enjoy this true AI companion that offers seamless and intuitive solutions in their daily lives.”
On the Galaxy S25 series, AI agents with multimodal capabilities are integrated within the One UI 72 platform to perform complex tasks seamlessly across apps and enable natural user interactions through speech, text, videos and images. Now Brief3 provides tailored suggestions to guide through the day and Now Bar4 offers a new hub for ongoing activities. From enhanced productivity with Writing Assist to limitless creativity unleashed by Drawing Assist,5 the expanded capabilities of Galaxy AI6 continue to empower users in every aspect of their daily lives.
Interactions with the Galaxy S25 series are also more intuitive. With just a single command, Gemini7 can effortlessly find a user’s favourite sports team’s schedule and add it to Samsung Calendar. Additionally, Google’s enhanced Circle to Search8 now gives users more helpful information with AI Overviews and one-tap actions.
The Galaxy S25 series further refines and enhances the core capabilities that define the Galaxy experience. Powering the Galaxy S25 series globally, the Snapdragon® 8 Elite Mobile Platform for Galaxy fuels on-device processing for more responsive AI experiences. With unique customisations for Galaxy, including ProScaler9 and Samsung’s mobile Digital Natural Image engine (mDNIe), the Galaxy S25 series boasts enhanced AI image processing and display power efficiency. The newly introduced 50MP ultrawide camera sensor for the Galaxy S25 Ultra delivers epic shots from every range in exceptional clarity, while professional grade controls like Virtual Aperture and Samsung Log turn any photo or video into the ultimate visual experience.
The Galaxy S25 series is the industry’s first smartphone lineup to support Content Credentials, based on the open technical standard from the Coalition for Content Provenance and Authenticity (C2PA). Samsung has also joined the C2PA as a member, alongside industry leaders including Adobe, Microsoft, OpenAI, Google, Publicis Groupe and more, all collaborating to establish Content Credentials as the universal standard for digital content provenance. In line with its commitment to responsible mobile AI innovation, Samsung adopted this standard to enhance transparency for content created and edited with generative AI.
Starting February 14, the Galaxy S25 series will be widely available through carriers and retailers and on Samsung websites. Galaxy S25 Ultra is available in Titanium Silverblue, Titanium Black, Titanium Whitesilver and Titanium Gray. Galaxy S25 and Galaxy S25+ come in Navy, Silver Shadow, Icyblue and Mint.
All Galaxy S25 devices will come with six months of Gemini Advanced and 2TB of cloud storage at no extra cost. Gemini Advanced comes with Samsung’s most capable AI models and priority access to the newest features like Gems, custom AI experts for any topic, and Deep Research, which acts as a personal AI research assistant.
1 Supported languages include Arabic, Bengali, Bulgarian, Chinese (Simplified / Traditional), Croatian, Czech, Danish, Dutch, English, Estonian, Farsi, Finnish, French, German, Greek, Gujarati, Hebrew, Hindi, Hungarian, Indonesian, Italian, Japanese, Kannada, Korean, Latvian, Lithuanian, Malayalam, Marathi, Norwegian, Polish, Portuguese, Romanian, Russian, Serbian, Slovak, Slovenian, Spanish, Swahili, Swedish, Tamil, Telugu, Thai, Turkish, Ukrainian, Urdu and Vietnamese.
2The official One UI 7 release will commence with the latest Galaxy S series devices. The update is expected to gradually roll out to other Galaxy devices.
3 Now Brief feature requires Samsung Account login. Service availability may vary by country, language, device model, or apps. Some features may require a network connection.
4 Availability of functions supported within the apps may vary by country. Some functional widgets may require a network connection and/or Samsung Account login.
5 Drawing Assist feature requires a network connection and Samsung Account login. A visible watermark is overlaid on the image output upon saving in order to indicate that the image is generated by AI. The accuracy and reliability of the generated output is not guaranteed.
6 Samsung Account login may be required to use certain Samsung AI features. Samsung does not make any promises, assurances or guarantees as to the accuracy, completeness or reliability of the output provided by AI features. Availability of Galaxy AI features may vary depending on the region/country, OS/One UI version, device model and phone carrier. Some function availability may vary by device model. Galaxy AI service may be limited for minors in certain regions with age restrictions over AI usage. Galaxy AI features will be provided for free until the end of 2025 on supported Samsung Galaxy devices. Different terms may apply for AI features provided by third parties.
7 Gemini Extensions feature availability varies based on content. Internet connection, Android device, and set up required. Language availability varies. Results for illustrative purposes and may vary. Check responses for accuracy.
8 Sequences shortened and simulated. Results for illustrative purposes only. Service availability may vary by country, language, or device model. Requires internet connection. Users may need to update Android and Google app to the latest version. Results may vary depending on visual or audio matches. Accuracy of results is not guaranteed. Works on compatible apps and surfaces, and with ambient music only. Will not identify music coming through headphones or if phone volume is off.
9 ProScaler feature is supported on Galaxy S25+ and Ultra models. Image quality can be enhanced up to QHD+, depending on the screen resolution setting of the device.
Green MP, and party parliamentary spokesperson on foreign affairs, Ellie Chowns said: “US Vice President JD Vance’s use of the Munich Security Conference to lambast allies rather than focus on the real chaos makers in the world is sadly predictable but no less bizarre and dangerous for that.
“President Trump’s administration seems determined to usher in a new world where old friends are discarded and new friends made of dangerous autocrats. The UK should have no part of that and should work with others to protect international frameworks and institutions that support co-operation and the rule of law.”
Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments
The Professional Forester Apprenticeship programme offers an exciting career pathway into the forestry sector for people from all backgrounds
A new call for foresters of the future has gone out for the next cohort of the innovative Professional Forester Apprenticeship programme.
The forestry and timber sector plays a key role in ensuring our precious woods and forests are healthy and continue to flourish for generations to come, helping the country meet its net zero and environment targets, supporting economic growth, and providing multiple social benefits.
The three-year, paid development opportunity is open to school leavers, graduates or anyone looking for a change in career direction and a rewarding job in the natural environment – with no day the same.
In total, the scheme has already kickstarted 78 careers in forestry, and the reopening of the programme will offer more people the chance to be part of a new cohort of foresters. The Forestry Commission kick-started the scheme in 2022, and an increasing number of other organisations and businesses have taken the opportunity to host apprentices over the subsequent years.
This boost for forestry comes during of National Apprenticeships Week (Monday 10 February to Sunday 16 February), which celebrates the skills and value which apprenticeships create. Kickstarting economic growth by providing good employment opportunities across the country, including in rural areas, is a crucial part of the Government’s Plan for Change and apprenticeships like these are a great way to give people access to a new career.
Forestry Commission Chief Executive Richard Stanford said:
“The Professional Forester Apprenticeship programme offers people the chance to earn while they learn. Students have a mix of academic study and technical experience in the great outdoors and at the end of the programme can achieve a bachelor’s degree and chartered forester qualifications.
“The continued success of this unique programme is heartening to see – people from all kinds of backgrounds and ages have been able to kickstart a new career. I urge anyone who is interested in finding a vocation looking after our trees, woods and forests, and who wants to work in a sector with lots of opportunities, to apply today.”
Apprentice foresters from previous years have pointed to the variety of daily experiences, and the access to a wide range of expertise amongst the benefits provided by this apprenticeship programme.
Apprentices on the scheme enjoy a combination of hands-on experience with the Forestry Commission and academic studies in forestry management led by the University of Cumbria. There is also potential for wider sector placements to further develop their skills and experience and improve future employment prospects.
Current apprentice Zoltan Varju said:
“Nature has been a lifelong passion of mine and getting the opportunity to work to make sure we have healthy woodlands has been fantastic.
“I’ve also been glad to be trained while working, so that I can earn a salary while I’m learning instead of tuition fees. I’d recommend an apprenticeship for anyone looking for a career in forestry, it offers a great variety of experiences and it’s great to learn from people with years of experience in the job.
Current apprentice Julia Churchill-Angus said:
“Having spent the first part of my career developing and delivering environmental policy, I wanted to get more practical environmental management experience.
“Forestry seemed like the perfect way to do this. As a Development Woodland Officer, I’m also completing a degree and that’s been a great compliment to my job with lots of academic and practical training as well.”
Upon completion of the programme, successful graduates will earn a Professional Forester Apprenticeship (equivalent to Level 6), a BSc (Hons) Professional Forester and will be able to apply for Chartered Forester status with the Institute of Chartered Foresters.
To launch the city’s preparations for the Women’s Rugby World Cup and celebrate the incredible contribution of women and girls’ rugby in Salford, the Ceremonial Mayor hosted a special reception at Salford Civic Centre for players, coaches, and volunteers from Eccles RFC.
The event also recognised Eccles RFC’s achievement in receiving the prestigious King’s Award for Voluntary Service. As Salford’s largest community Rugby Union club, Eccles RFC plays a vital role in promoting rugby and supporting the local community, offering opportunities for women and girls to get involved in the game.
Ceremonial Mayor, Councillor Tanya Burch, said: “Eccles RFC is a shining example of what sport can achieve. Not only does it help people stay active, but it also brings communities together and offers fantastic opportunities for women and girls to be part of something special. Congratulations again to Eccles RFC for their well-deserved King’s Award for Voluntary Service, and thank you to everyone who continues to support and grow women’s rugby in Salford.”
Councillor Robinson-Smith, Lead Member for Culture, Heritage, Equalities, Sports and Leisure, said: “With just over six months to go until Salford Community Stadium hosts four Rugby World Cup pool games, we’re working hard to ensure the tournament leaves a lasting legacy in our city. From schools programmes to non-contact rugby sessions led by Salford Community Leisure, we’re creating exciting opportunities for more women and girls to experience and enjoy the game.”
The Rugby World Cup 2025 will see the world’s best women’s teams compete in venues across England, with Salford Community Stadium hosting four pool games. This is a fantastic opportunity for local residents to experience international rugby at the highest level and cheer on teams like Australia, Scotland, and Wales right here in Salford. The tournament aims to inspire the next generation of players and leave a lasting legacy for women’s rugby in the city.
Salford Community Stadium will host the following Women’s Rugby World Cup pool games:
Thirteen people have been arrested for illegally disposing 35 000 tonnes of hazardous waste in Croatia. The environmental crime network is believed to have made €4 million by illegally importing hazardous waste from Italy, Slovenia and Germany to Croatia. Europol supported the investigations.
The Italian Government welcomes the announcement by the President of the European Commission regarding new initiatives aimed at increasing investments in defence, starting with the exclusion of these expenses from the Stability and Growth Pact, as Italy has long been requesting.
This is a first, fundamental step in the right direction, which also needs to be followed by the creation of common financial instruments.
The Italian Government is ready to work constructively with the EU institutions and the other Member States to achieve these important goals together, starting with the upcoming presentation of the EU defence white paper.
Salford City Council inspection results in court action with a £6,600 fine, costs totalling £4,500 and a victim surcharge of £2,000. (Total cost £13,160)
Three offences of failing to comply with The Licensing and Management of a House in Multiple Occupation Regulations 2006, of which the most serious relates to failure to ensure adequate fire escape routes
HMO landlords and managing agents in Salford advised to take immediate action to ensure their properties meet the required standards
Salford based Student-Haus Limited pleaded guilty at Tameside Magistrates’ Court following action taken by Salford City Council after an inspection at the HMO where they were found breaching critical safety regulations.
In failing to comply with The Licensing and Management of HMO Regulations 2006 following an inspection in November 2023 carried out by Salford City Council, Student-Haus Limited has been ordered to pay a £6,600 fine, £4,500 in costs and a victim surcharge of £2,000 (totalling £13,160).
Student-Haus Limited was found guilty of three offences relating to fire safety breaches.
The three offences included breaches of:
Regulation 4(1)(b) – the manager must ensure that all means of escape from fire in the HMO are maintained in good order and repair.
Regulation 7(1)(a) The manager must ensure that all common parts of the HMO are maintained in good and clean decorative repair.
Regulation 7(1)(b) The manager must ensure that all common parts of the HMO are maintained in a safe and working condition.
With its commitment to building a fairer, greener, healthier and more inclusive city for all, Salford City Council strongly encourages landlords to take immediate action to ensure their properties meet the required standards, focusing on key compliance areas and adopting a proactive management approach. This will not only help in avoiding financial penalties but also in ensuring the safety and wellbeing of tenants.
Councillor Tracy Kelly, Lead Member for Housing and Anti-Poverty stated: “I’m pleased with this outcome, which clearly reinforces the importance that tenants deserve to live in safe and well managed properties. This action by the court and through civil penalty notices issued by the Council should be a warning to other landlords to check they are meeting all their obligations.
“Negligent landlords who put tenants’ health and safety at risk have no excuse to abandon their legal duties. Residents of Salford living in HMOs can be assured that the council will take action against landlords and agents who don’t stick to the rules.”
A HMO can be bedsit, shared house or flat occupied by more than one household and more than two people, with shared kitchens or bathrooms. If you are a landlord of an HMO you need to have a licence. Apply to Salford City Council for an HMO licence.
Local small and medium-sized businesses can now apply to take part in a new city centre promotion designed to drive more people into the area – Freebie Fortnight.
The promotion will run next month in co-ordination with local retail and hospitality businesses to boost city centre footfall, visitor numbers, and local spend.
Council Co-Leader Councillor Ian Yuill said: “I’d urge local eligible businesses – particularly those near the current construction works at Union Street Central and the new market building – to apply and take part in the Freebie Fortnight promotion.
“This initiative will help towards providing a truly vibrant city centre which attracts locals, visitors, residents and tourists to the area.”
Finance and Resources Committee convener Councillor Alex McLellan said: “The Freebie Fortnight will be a help to local shops, cafes, and restaurants, in the city centre to further develop and diversify their offering to customers while taking part in a fun promotion.
“Shifts in consumer behaviour, pandemic recovery, and rising energy and living costs have all had an impact on why and how often people visit their local high street. Promotions such as Freebie Fortnight will help to attract people into the city centre.”
The Freebie Fortnight is to take place from 10 March to 23 March, dates which would avoid existing key events such as Aberdeen Restaurant Week and Mother’s Day.
Each retailer will be asked to select an in-store offering of value up to either £5 or £10, to be made available to a set number of customers per day over the period, for free. Customers will need to use a verbal code to access the offering.
The expectation around free in-store offerings, for up to £5, could be a hot drink or baked good for example. For up to £10, could be a lunch deal with soft drink in a restaurant, or a free gift in a retail setting. Participating businesses will have an opportunity to devise their own deal based on stock and deliverability.
A variety of offerings will be ensured, from ‘grab and go’ options which may attract workers and commuters, to sit-down or browsing options which may attract visitors and increase dwell time spent in the city centre.
Customers will be required to use a verbal code to access the offering will avoid cannibalisation of regular sales for the participating business. There is also the likelihood of additional spend, with customers purchasing extra items to ‘complement’ the free offering, ie a cake with a coffee. In a retail setting, it will be suggested that the free offering is attached to a minimum spend, ie customers spending £10 will receive a £10 voucher to spend next time they return.
There will be a supporting marketing campaign to accompany the ‘Freebie Fortnight’ for participating retailers alongside support from Aberdeen Inspired, Business Gateway, Opportunity North East, Our Union Street, and the Federation of Small Businesses.
There will be a particular emphasis on targeting businesses near the current construction works at Union Street Central and the new market building.
It is expected that funding will support up to 20 businesses to take part, and criteria will be set around these being local SMEs, with fewer than three stores, rather than national chains. Care will be taken to ensure that the participating businesses are representative of multiple sectors.
Funding from UK Government administered by Aberdeen City Council will meet the cost of the promotion by reimbursing each participating business.
Source: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) State Crime Alerts (c)
Scheme Victimized Hundreds of Thousands of People in United States and Abroad
Two Estonian nationals pleaded guilty yesterday for their operation of a massive, multi-faceted cryptocurrency Ponzi scheme that victimized hundreds of thousands of people from across the world, including in the United States. As part of the defendants’ guilty pleas, they agreed to forfeit assets valued over $400 million obtained during the conspiracy.
According to court documents, Sergei Potapenko and Ivan Turõgin, both 40, sold contracts to customers entitling them to a share of cryptocurrency mined by the defendants’ purported cryptocurrency mining service, HashFlare. Cryptocurrency mining is the process of using computers to generate cryptocurrency, such as Bitcoin, for profit.
Between 2015 and 2019, Hashflare’s sales totaled more than $577 million, but HashFlare did not possess the requisite computing capacity to perform the vast majority of the mining the defendants told HashFlare customers it performed. HashFlare’s web-based dashboard, which purported to show customers their mining profits, instead reflected falsified data. Potapenko and Turõgin used the proceeds of the fraud conspiracy to purchase real estate and luxury vehicles and maintained investment and cryptocurrency accounts. Potapenko and Turõgin have agreed to forfeit assets worth, as of the date of the plea, more than $400 million. The forfeited assets will be available for a remission process to compensate victims of the crime. Details about the remission process will be announced at a later date.
Potapenko and Turõgin each pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud. They are scheduled to be sentenced on May 8 and each face a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The Justice Department thanks the Cybercrime Bureau of the Estonian Police and Border Guard for its support with this investigation. The Estonian Prosecutor General and Ministry of Justice and Digital Affairs provided substantial assistance with the extradition. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs provided extensive assistance to the investigation and the extradition of the defendants.
Supervisory Official Antoinette T. Bacon of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, Acting U.S. Attorney Teal Luthy Miller for the Western District of Washington, Assistant Director Chad Yarbrough of the FBI’s Criminal Investigative Division, and Special Agent in Charge W. Mike Herrington of the FBI Seattle Field Office made the announcement.
The FBI Seattle Field Office investigated the case.
Trial Attorneys Adrienne E. Rosen and David Ginensky of the Criminal Division’s Money Laundering and Asset Recovery Section and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Andrew Friedman and Sok Jiang for the Western District of Washington are prosecuting the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jehiel Baer for the Western District of Washington is handling asset forfeiture aspects of the case.
Individuals who believe they may have been a victim in this case should visit www.fbi.gov/hashflare.
TORTOLA, British Virgin Islands, Feb. 14, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Goldmoney Inc. (TSX:XAU) (US:XAUMF) (“Goldmoney” or the “Company”) today announced financial results for the fiscal 2025 third quarter period ended December 31, 2024. All amounts are expressed in Canadian dollars unless otherwise noted.
Financial statements are available online at Sedar+ www.sedarplus.ca.
Financial Highlights
Group Tangible Capital of $138.8 million, an increase of 2.6% QoQ
Group Tangible Capital per Share of $10.40, an increase of 1.4% QoQ
Group Tangible Capital per Share excluding MENE of $9.45 per share, an increase of 1.6% QoQ
Adjusted Net Income of $3.9 million, a decrease of 11.2% QoQ
Quarterly Performance Metrics Table
Q3
Q2
Q1
Q4
Q3
Q2
Q1
Q4
KeyPerformanceMetrics(BalanceSheet)
Shares outstanding
13,348
13,182
13,060
13,137
13,449
13,777
13,926
13,996
Shareholder equity
152,487
149,026
147,984
141,178
173,761
172,602
173,224
172,123
Tangible equity inclusive of MENE
138,832
135,299
133,780
126,100
147,078
143,019
143,475
142,203
Tangible equity exclusive of MENE
126,164
122,631
113,217
105,457
113,059
108,396
108,756
107,599
Tangible equity per share ($CAD)
10.40
10.26
10.24
9.60
10.94
10.38
10.30
10.16
Tangible equity per share exclusive of MENE
9.45
9.30
8.67
8.03
8.41
7.87
7.81
7.69
KeyPerformanceMetrics(Operational)
Net income (loss)
2,891
(3,896
)
5,132
(32,095
)
6,005
2,009
1,995
(4,050
)
Total comprehensive income (loss)
2,628
792
6,077
(30,640
)
7,391
627
1,651
(4,053
)
Adjustments for revaluations, FX, stock compensation, and non-cash items
1,246
3,569
550
34,857
(1,350
)
2,310
1,903
7,020
Non-IFRS adjusted net income
3,874
4,361
6,627
4,217
6,040
2,937
3,554
2,966
KeyPerformanceMetrics(EarningsperShare)
Basic earnings (loss) per share
0.22
(0.29
)
0.39
(2.42
)
0.44
0.15
0.14
(0.27
)
Diluted earnings (loss) per share
0.22
(0.29
)
0.38
(2.42
)
0.44
0.14
0.14
(0.27
)
Non-IFRS adjusted net income per share
0.29
0.33
0.51
0.32
0.45
0.21
0.26
0.21
Financial Statement Restatement
Goldmoney also announces the restatement of previously issued financial statements for the years ended March 31, 2024 and 2023 (the “Restatement”).
Since the Company’s wholly owned subsidiary Goldmoney.com was founded, client cash and client precious metals had been treated as an off-balance sheet item and clearly disclosed as such in the Notes to the Company’s audited annual financial statements. The Restatement recognizes and presents client cash within Goldmoney.com on the Company’s consolidated balance sheet with a corresponding liability. This has been presented in prior years as a line item separate from the Company’s cash and cash equivalents. Consequently, the March 31, 2024, audited consolidated financial statements have been restated to capture this change in presentation, along with the related management’s discussion and analysis, and the 2024 Annual Information Form (collectively, the “Restatement Package”). This restated accounting presentation for client cash has also been reflected in the Company’s December 31, 2024, unaudited interim financial statements. There has been no impact to the Company’s financial statement presentation of historic equity or earnings as a result of this restatement.
The Restatement has been approved by the Board of Directors on the recommendation of the Audit Committee and management in connection with a review of its historic accounting treatment of client cash as off-balance sheet assets. Management considers these restatements to result from a material weakness in internal controls over financial reporting, and accordingly has implemented measures to address this weakness. As described in the restated annual information form and other public disclosure, Goldmoney Inc.’s wholly owned subsidiary Goldmoney.com operates an online platform which provides clients with access to purchase and sell precious metals, and to arrange for custody and storage in accordance with the terms of a standard-form client agreement available on the Goldmoney website (the “Client Agreement”). Cash balances used to settle purchases and sales are held in Company bank accounts.
Shareholders and users of Goldmoney’s financial statements should note that the Restatement is not a result of any change to its operations, business or financial operating performance for the restated periods. The Company continues to hold customer cash on behalf of its clients in accordance with and in full compliance with all of the terms of the Client Agreement.
The Restatement Documents have been filed at Sedar+ www.sedarplus.ca with the unaudited interim financial statements for the three- and nine-month period ended December 31, 2024, with restated unaudited comparative interim financial statements the three- and nine-month period ended December 31, 2023.
The effect of the restatement on the condensed consolidated interim statement of financial position and condensed consolidated interim statements of cash flows for the periods ended June 30, 2024 and September 30, 2024 are as follows:
Effect on Condensed Consolidated Interim Statements of Financial Position
As at June 30, 2024
Previously Reported ($)
Adjustment ($)
Restated ($)
Client cash
–
61,472,682
61,472,682
Total assets
193,484,934
61,472,682
254,957,616
Client liabilities
–
61,472,682
61,472,682
Total liabilities
45,500,586
61,472,682
106,973,268
Total liabilities and shareholders’ equity
193,484,934
61,472,682
254,957,616
As at September 30, 2024
Previously Reported ($)
Adjustment ($)
Restated ($)
Client cash
–
67,446,073
67,446,073
Total assets
195,538,391
67,446,073
262,984,464
Client liabilities
–
67,446,073
67,446,073
Total liabilities
46,512,066
67,446,073
113,958,139
Total liabilities and shareholders’ equity
195,538,391
67,446,073
262,984,464
Effect on Condensed Consolidated Interim Statements of Cash Flows
For the three month period ended June 30, 2024
Previously Reported ($)
Adjustment ($)
Restated ($)
Net cash provided by operating activities
7,683,278
2,859,508
10,542,786
Net cash used in investing activities
(6,963,178
)
–
(6,963,178
)
Net cash used in financing activities
(1,328,262
)
–
(1,328,262
)
Decrease in cash and cash equivalents and client cash
(608,162
)
2,859,508
2,251,346
For the three month period ended September 30, 2024
Previously Reported ($)
Adjustment ($)
Restated ($)
Net cash provided by operating activities
4,726,457
5,973,391
10,699,848
Net cash used in investing activities
(6,793,363
)
–
(6,793,363
)
Net cash used in financing activities
(1,640,059
)
–
(1,640,059
)
Decrease in cash and cash equivalents and client cash
(3,706,965
)
5,973,391
2,266,426
For the six month period ended September 30, 2024
Previously Reported ($)
Adjustment ($)
Restated ($)
Net cash provided by operating activities
12,409,735
8,832,899
21,242,634
Net cash used in investing activities
(13,756,541
)
–
(13,756,541
)
Net cash used in financing activities
(2,968,321
)
–
(2,968,321
)
Decrease in cash and cash equivalents and client cash
(4,315,127
)
8,832,899
4,517,772
About Goldmoney Inc.
Founded in 2001, Goldmoney (TSX:XAU) is a TSX listed company invested in the real economy. The leading custodians and traders of precious metals, Goldmoney Inc. also owns and operates businesses in jewelry manufacturing and property investment. For more information about Goldmoney, visit goldmoney.com.
Financial Information and IFRS Standards
The selected financial information included in this release is qualified in its entirety by, and should be read together with, the Company’s amended and restated consolidated financial statements for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2024 and prepared in accordance with IFRS Accounting Standards (“IFRS”) and the corresponding restated management’s discussion and analysis (“MD&A”), which are available under the Company’s profile on SEDAR+ at www.sedarplus.ca.
Non-IFRS Measures
This news release contains non-IFRS financial measures; the Company believes that these measures provide investors with useful supplemental information about the financial performance of its business, enable comparison of financial results between periods where certain items may vary independent of business performance, and allow for greater transparency with respect to key metrics used by management in operating its business. Although management believes these financial measures are important in evaluating the Company’s performance, they are not intended to be considered in isolation or as a substitute for, or superior to, financial information prepared and presented in accordance with IFRS. These non-IFRS financial measures do not have any standardized meaning and may not be comparable with similar measures used by other companies. For certain non-IFRS financial measures, there are no directly comparable amounts under IFRS. These non-IFRS financial measures should not be viewed as alternatives to measures of financial performance determined in accordance with IFRS. Moreover, presentation of certain of these measures is provided for year-over-year comparison purposes, and investors should be cautioned that the effect of the adjustments thereto provided herein have an actual effect on the Company’s operating results.
Tangible Capital is a non-IFRS measure. This figure excludes from total shareholder equity (i) intangibles, and (ii) goodwill, and is useful to demonstrate the tangible capital employed by the business.
Non-IFRS Adjusted Net Income is a non-IFRS measure, defined as total comprehensive income (loss) adjusted for non-cash and non-core items which include, but is not limited to, revaluation of precious metal inventories, fair value movements, stock-based compensation, depreciation and amortization, foreign exchange fluctuations and gains and losses on investments.
For a full reconciliation of non-IFRS financial measures used herein to their nearest IFRS equivalents, please see the section entitled “Reconciliation of Non-IFRS Financial Measures” in the Company’s MD&A for the year ended March 31, 2024.
Media and Investor Relations inquiries:
Sean Ty Chief Financial Officer Goldmoney Inc. +1 647 250 7098
Forward-Looking Statements
This news release contains or refers to certain forward-looking information. Forward-looking information can often be identified by forward-looking words such as “anticipate”, “believe”, “expect”, “plan”, “intend”, “estimate”, “may”, “potential” and “will” or similar words suggesting future outcomes, or other expectations, beliefs, plans, objectives, assumptions, intentions or statements about future events or performance. All information other than information regarding historical fact, which addresses activities, events or developments that the Goldmoney Inc. believes, expects or anticipates will or may occur in the future, is forward-looking information. Forward-looking information does not constitute historical fact but reflects the current expectations the Company regarding future results or events based on information that is currently available. By their nature, forward-looking statements involve numerous assumptions, known and unknown risks and uncertainties, both general and specific, that contribute to the possibility that the predictions, forecasts, projections and other forward-looking information will not occur. Such forward-looking information in this release speak only as of the date hereof.
Forward-looking information in this release includes, but is not limited to, statements with respect to: financial performance and growth of the Company’s business; expected results of operations, the market for the Company’s products and services and competitive conditions; the establishment of a real estate investment strategy and the success of the Company’s real estate portfolio;the expected value and return on investment in the Company’s real estate acquisitions, and the properties described herein (the “Properties”) in particular, the ability of the current tenants on the Properties to meet their rental obligations, the future state of the Properties and the environment surrounding it, the ability of the Company to maintain and service the indebtedness incurred to acquire the properties, including any future refinancings, the ability of the Company to redevelop the properties as anticipated and, in general, return value from the Properties to shareholders; and the basis for the Restatement. This forward-looking information is based on reasonable assumptions and estimates of management of the Company at the time it was made, and involves known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause the actual results, performance or achievements of the Company to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking information. Such factors include, among others: the Company’s operating history; future capital needs and uncertainty of additional financing; fluctuations in the market price of the Company’s common shares; the effect of government regulation and compliance on the Company and the industry; legal and regulatory change and uncertainty; jurisdictional factors associated with international operations; foreign restrictions on the Company’s operations; product development and rapid technological change; dependence on technical infrastructure; protection of intellectual property; use and storage of personal information and compliance with privacy laws; network security risks; risk of system failure or inadequacy; the Company’s ability to manage rapid growth; competition; the ability to identify opportunities for growth internally and through acquisitions and strategic relationships on terms which are economic or at all; the ability to identify and complete the acquisition of suitable real estate investment opportunities on terms which are economic or at all; the global inflationary environment and its effect on real estate prices, interest rates, and the Properties in particular; the ability of the Company to integrate the Properties into its current operations; the anticipated value and income growth in connection with the Properties; the ability to maintain current and procure future commercial tenants for the Properties; the surrounding environment and infrastructure of the Properties remaining suitable; the ability to redevelop the Properties on terms which are economic or at all; the anticipated variable interest rate for the loan used to finance the acquisition of the Properties, and the effect on this interest rate from the SONIA as set by the Bank of England; the ability to successfully develop and manage the Company’s real estate portfolio; the risks of concentration of the Company’s real estate portfolio in the United Kingdom; effectiveness of the Company’s risk management and internal controls; use of the Company’s services for improper or illegal purposes; uninsured and underinsured losses; theft & risk of physical harm to personnel; precious metal trading risks; and volatility of precious metals prices & public interest in precious metals investment; the potential that additional restatements of the financial statements will be required; the impact on the Company’s reputation and customer relation in respect of the Restatement; risks associated with regulatory reviews and investigations; risks that the Restatement or any future required restatement may negatively affect the Company’s financial condition or result in additional liabilities; the potential impact on investor confidence, market perception, and the Company’s reputation in respect of the Restatement; risks related to maintaining adequate liquidity and access to capital while resolving restatement matters; and those risks set out in the Company’s most recently filed annual information form, available on SEDAR. Although the Company has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially, there may be other factors that cause results not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended. There can be no assurance that such statements will prove to be accurate as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking information. The Company undertakes no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking information, except as required by law.
SINGAPORE, Feb. 14, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — As the price of Bitcoin hovers around the $100,000 mark, many analysts predict that the market is entering a high-volatility phase. To help traders capitalize on these dynamic market conditions, BexBack Exchange has rolled out an unbeatable offer, featuring 100x leverage, a 100% deposit bonus, and a $50 welcome bonus for new users. What sets BexBack apart is its no KYC policy, ensuring seamless, private, and efficient trading for users globally.
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Disclaimer: This content is provided by BexBack. The statements, views and opinions expressed in this column are solely those of the content provider. The information provided in this press release is not a solicitation for investment, nor is it intended as investment advice, financial advice, or trading advice. It is strongly recommended you practice due diligence, including consultation with a professional financial advisor, before investing in or trading cryptocurrency and securities. Please conduct your own research and invest at your own risk.
Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments
The Foreign Secretary will press partners to replicate Britain’s world-first plans for a sanctions aimed at organised immigration crime gangs.
Foreign Secretary urges international action on one of the defining security threats of our time – irregular migration
Partners pressed to replicate UK’s world-first plans for sanctions targeting people smugglers
£8m additional funding will short-circuit people smugglers’ business model, delivering on the government’s Plan for Change and commitment to protect UK borders
European partners will be urged to join up with the UK’s pioneering efforts to smash the business model of people smugglers to help tackle irregular migration.
The Foreign Secretary David Lammy will press partners at the Munich Security Conference to replicate Britain’s world-first plans for a sanctions regime aimed squarely at organised immigration crime gangs and their networks.
On the first day of the conference (today), the Foreign Secretary met Vice President of the US J.D. Vance. They discussed the importance of the special relationship, the war in Ukraine, their shared commitment to NATO and AUKUS, and building on our strong trade which already delivers growth and jobs for millions.
The UK and Italy will co-host a migration roundtable on the second day of conference, gathering representatives from The Netherlands, Poland, Bulgaria, Romania, Germany and others to promote the use of innovative tools to tackle migrant smuggling and organised immigration crime.
The UK’s plans to freeze the assets of and slap travel bans on smugglers who facilitate the deadly trade in people will help to cripple people-smuggling crime rings and starve them of illicit finance fuelling their operations, delivering on the government’s commitment to secure borders.
The Government is targeting irregular migration through a ‘whole-of-route’ approach, tackling both smugglers and the drivers of migration – such as limited opportunities in would-be migrants’ region.
A new £8m funding package announced today will give more people in East Africa an alternative to making perilous journeys to the UK in small boats by boosting access to education alongside employment opportunities across the region.
This programme has already helped to deliver entrepreneurship training to over 650 would-be and returned migrants in Ethiopia and Kenya, enabling many of them to set up their own businesses in their home countries, rather than migrating further afield.
Foreign Secretary, David Lammy said:
Criminal gangs enabling irregular migration are a national security threat across Europe. We must deliver on our mandate to smash the gangs, secure this country’s borders and deliver the Plan for Change.
Only by working together with our neighbours will we take the wind out of their sails and degrade the appalling trade in people.
We must also target the root causes of migration, which is why we are boosting opportunities across Eastern Africa – making people less likely to travel to the UK in the first place.
This will further boost this government’s progress on irregular migration. Nearly 19,000 failed asylum seekers, foreign criminals and other immigration offenders have been returned since the election to countries across Africa, Asia, Europe and South America following a major escalation in immigration enforcement by the Home Office.
The government’s success in ramping up removals is a key part of our Plan for Change to deliver on working people’s priorities and finally restoring order to the asylum system. This new approach focusses on breaking the business model of smuggling gangs through tougher law enforcement powers than ever before, rapidly removing those who are here illegally and ending the false promise of jobs used by gangs to sell spaces on boats.
Following a drive from this government to have more deployable enforcement staff, a renewed crackdown on those attempting to undermine the UK’s borders last month saw the highest January in over half a decade for enforcement activity.
Throughout January alone, Immigration Enforcement teams descended on 828 premises, including nail bars, convenience stores, restaurants and car washes, marking a 48% rise compared to the previous January. Arrests also surged to 609, demonstrating a 73% increase from just 352 the previous year.
Home » Latest News » Work to start in four parks and gardens
Our exciting plans to transform some of the city’s parks and gardens through our Connected Canterbury project are coming along nicely.
As part of this, you will notice some early work taking place at four sites over the next couple of weeks – the Dane John Gardens, Canterbury Castle grounds, Greyfriars Gardens and the Three Cities Garden.
This will involve some shrub and vegetation clearance and some crown lifting of trees (not tree felling) and has been timed for now to ensure we are complete before the start of the bird nesting season.
This is the basic equivalent of a private homeowner clearing out overgrown vegetation from their garden prior to a revamp, but just on a bigger scale and right in the public eye.
The majority of the shrub clearance is the removal of overgrown non-native species that you might describe as having ‘got a bit out of hand’. These areas will be replaced with new planting such as wildflower meadows and perennial flower beds.
The new landscape and planting scheme has been designed by HTA, a landscape architect company who are currently designing a new garden in London’s Regent’s Park to commemorate the life of Queen Elizabeth II, and leading planting designer and writer Noel Kingsbury.
We want people to be reassured that while some areas may look a bit bare for a while, this is simply a necessary part of the process in order to achieve what we believe will be fantastic looking parks a few months down the line.
The picture above shows some of the area around the Dane John Mound where work will take place, and for which there is a landscaping and planting scheme.
Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments
The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) has today, 14 February 2025, approved efanesoctocog alfa (brand name Altuvoct) to be used to treat and prevent bleeding in patients aged 2 years and above with severe or moderate haemophilia A.
The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) has today, 14 February 2025, approved efanesoctocog alfa (brand name Altuvoct) to be used to treat and prevent bleeding in patients aged 2 years and above with severe or moderate haemophilia A.
Efanesoctocog alfa, the active substance, is a replacement factor VIII protein. This protein is naturally found in the body and is necessary for the blood to form clots and stop bleeding.
People with severe haemophilia A have undetectable factor VIII and, if untreated, may experience up to about 40 episodes of bleed per year.
This medicine is administered as an intravenously (into a vein).
Julian Beach, MHRA Interim Executive Director of Healthcare Quality and Access, said:
“Patient safety is our top priority, which is why I am pleased to confirm approval of efanesoctocog alfa to treat and prevent bleeding in patients 2 years and above with severe or moderate haemophilia A.
“We’re assured that the appropriate regulatory standards of safety, quality and efficacy for the approval of this new formulation have been met.
“As with all products, we will keep its safety under close review.”
In a study with 159 patients aged 12 and above with severe haemophilia A, weekly injections of Altuvoct as prophylaxis led to 65% patients reporting zero overall episodes of bleed over the course of the year-long study; the remaining 35% had much reduced episodes of bleed. Altuvoct was also used to treat individual bleeds.
In a study involving 74 children under 12 years of age with severe haemophilia A, treatment with efanesoctocog alfa yielded similar results to those in older patients.
Efanesoctocog alfa was therefore considered effective for the prophylaxis and treatment of severe haemophilia A in children aged 2yrs and above.
The company extended the indication to those with moderate haemophilia A by means of a modelling exercise.
Like all medicines, this medicine can cause side effects, although not everybody gets them. Some of the potential side effects include headaches and arthralgia (joint pain).
For the full list of all side effects reported with this medicine, see Section 4 of the PIL or the SmPC available on the MHRA website.
Anyone who suspects they are having a side effect from this medicine are encouraged to talk to their doctor, pharmacist or nurse and report it directly to the MHRA Yellow Card scheme, either through the website (https://yellowcard.mhra.gov.uk/) or by searching the Google Play or Apple App stores for MHRA Yellow Card.
ENDS
Notes to editors
The new marketing authorisation was granted on 14 February 2025 to Swedish Orphan Biovitrum AB
This product was submitted and approved via an international recognition procedure.
More information can be found in the Summary of Product Characteristics and Patient Information leaflets which will be published on the MHRA Products website within 7 days of approval.
The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) is responsible for regulating all medicines and medical devices in the UK by ensuring they work and are acceptably safe. All our work is underpinned by robust and fact-based judgements to ensure that the benefits justify any risks.
The MHRA is an executive agency of the Department of Health and Social Care.
For media enquiries, please contact the newscentre@mhra.gov.uk, or call on 020 3080 7651
Coventry City Council has successfully secured National Lottery funding from Sport England’s Swimming Pool Support Fund (SPSF) to enhance sustainability efforts at three leisure centres in the city.
Almost £750k has been awarded to The Alan Higgs Centre, Centre AT7 and Xcel Leisure Centre, all of which are operated by CV Life.
A capital grant of £250,000 has been awarded to install solar panels at The Alan Higgs Centre, whilst Centre AT7 has received £270k for the installation of solar panels and the replacement of fluorescent lighting with LED lighting.
Xcel Leisure Centre will also see the installation of LED lighting as well as an upgrade to its building management system which will be covered by a £220k grant.
Cllr Jim O’Boyle, Cabinet Member for Jobs, Regeneration and Climate Change, added: “This funding is a real boost for CV Life leisure centres, helping them to become more energy efficient and sustainable.
“By installing solar panels, LED lighting and upgrading building management systems, we are taking steps to cut carbon emissions and reduce our reliance on traditional energy sources.
“Not only will these upgrades lower running costs over the coming years, they also contribute to our broader efforts to make Coventry a cleaner, greener city.”
Work to the centres started in January and is expected to be finished later this month. The installation of PV panels will contribute to energy efficiency and sustainability, ensuring long-term benefits for the facility and the local community.
Cllr Kamran Caan, Cabinet Member for Public Health and Sport, added: “It’s fantastic to see that Coventry has been awarded funding from Sport England to support three hugely popular leisure centres in the city.
“Day to day running costs of leisure centres is constantly on the rise. This funding will help the centres continue to provide high quality facilities to residents whilst reducing energy bills by around £140k per year.”
Funding was awarded based on a selection of sites serving areas with the highest need. The allocation of funding aligns with Sport England’s national funding scheme aimed at supporting public leisure centres with swimming pools across the country.
Steve Wiles, Chief Operating Officer at CV Life, said: “We’re delighted to have secured this funding, which will make a real difference to the sustainability of our leisure centres.
“These improvements will help us reduce energy consumption, lower costs, and create more environmentally friendly facilities for the community. By investing in solar panels, LED lighting, and building management upgrades, we’re ensuring that our centres remain accessible, efficient and fit for the future.”
A spontaneous memorial of flowers in St Petersburg, Russia, on the day of Alexei Navalny’s death, February 16 2024.Aleksey Dushutin/Shutterstock
This is the best day of the past five months for me … This is my home … I am not afraid of anything and I urge you not to be afraid of anything either.
These were Alexei Navalny’s words after landing at Moscow’s Sheremetyevo Airport on January 17 2021. Russia’s leading opposition figure had spent the past months recovering in Germany from an attempt on his life by the Russian Federal Security Service (FSB). Minutes after making his comments, Navalny was detained at border control. And he would remain behind bars until his death on February 16 2024, in the remote “Polar Wolf” penal colony within the Arctic Circle.
“Why did he return to Russia?” That’s the question I’m asked about Navalny most frequently. Wasn’t it a mistake to return to certain imprisonment, when he could have maintained his opposition to Russia’s president, Vladimir Putin, from abroad?
But Navalny’s decision to return didn’t surprise me. I’ve researched and written about him extensively, including co-authoring Navalny: Putin’s Nemesis, Russia’s Future?, the first English-language, book-length account of his life and political activities. Defying the Kremlin by returning was a signature move, reflecting both his obstinacy and bravery. He wanted to make sure his supporters and activists in Russia did not feel abandoned, risking their lives while he lived a cushy life in exile.
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Besides, Navalny wasn’t returning to certain imprisonment. A close ally of his, Vladimir Ashurkov, told me in May 2022 that his “incarceration in Russia was not a certainty. It was a probability, a scenario – but it wasn’t like he was walking into a certain long-term prison term.”
Also, Navalny hadn’t chosen to leave Russia in the first place. He was unconscious when taken by plane from Omsk to Berlin for treatment following his poisoning with the nerve agent Novichok in August 2020. Navalny had been consistent in saying he was a Russian politician who needed to remain in Russia to be effective.
In a subsequent interview, conducted in a forest on the outskirts of the German capital as he slowly recovered, Navalny said: “In people’s minds, if you leave the country, that means you’ve surrendered.”
Video: ACF.
Outrage, detention and death
Two days after Navalny’s final return to Russia, the Anti-Corruption Foundation (ACF) – the organisation he established in 2011 – published its biggest ever investigation. The YouTube video exploring “Putin’s palace” on the Black Sea coast achieved an extraordinary 100 million views within ten days. By the start of February 2021, polling suggested it had been watched by more than a quarter of all adults in Russia.
Outrage at Navalny’s detention, combined with this Putin investigation, got people on to the streets. On January 23 2021, 160,000 people turned out across Russia in events that did not have prior approval from the authorities. More than 40% of the participants said they were taking part in a protest for the first time.
But the Russian authorities were determined to also make it their last time. Law enforcement mounted an awesome display of strength, detaining protesters and sometimes beating them. The number of participants at protests on January 31 and February 2 declined sharply as a result.
Between Navalny’s return to Russia in January 2021 and his death in February 2024, aged 47, he faced criminal case after criminal case, adding years and years to his time in prison and increasing the severity of his detention. By the time of his death, he was in the harshest type of prison in the Russian penitentiary system – a “special regime” colony – and was frequently sent to a punishment cell.
The obvious intent was to demoralise Navalny, his team and supporters – making an example of him to spread fear among anyone else who might consider mounting a challenge to the Kremlin. But Navalny fought back, as described in his posthumously published memoir, Patriot. He made legal challenges against his jailers. He went on hunger strike. And he formed a union for his fellow prisoners.
He also used his court appearances to make clear his political views, including following Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, declaring: “I am against this war. I consider it immoral, fratricidal, and criminal.”
Navalny’s final public appearance was via video link. He was in good spirits, with his trademark optimism and humour still on display. Tongue firmly in cheek, he asked the judge for financial help:
Your Honour, I will send you my personal account number so that you can use your huge salary as a federal judge to ‘warm up’ my personal account, because I am running out of money.
Navalny died the following day. According to the prison authorities, he collapsed after a short walk and lost consciousness. Although the Russian authorities claimed he had died of natural causes, documents published in September 2024 by The Insider – a Russia-focused, Latvia-based independent investigative website – suggest Navalny may have been poisoned.
A mourner adds her tribute to Alexei Navalny’s grave in Moscow after his burial on March 1 2024. Aleksey Dushutin/Shutterstock
Whether or not Putin directly ordered his death, Russia’s president bears responsibility – for leading a system that tried to assassinate Navalny in August 2020, and for allowing his imprisonment following Navalny’s return to Russia in conditions designed to crush him.
Commenting in March 2024, Putin stated that, just days before Navalny’s death, he had agreed for his most vocal opponent to be included in a prisoner swap – on condition the opposition figure never returned to Russia. “But, unfortunately,” Putin added, “what happened, happened.”
‘No one will forget’
Putin is afraid of Alexei, even after he killed him.
Yulia Navalnaya, Navalny’s wife, wrote these words on January 10 2025 after reading a curious letter. His mother, Lyudmila Navalnaya, had written to Rosfinmonitoring – a Russian state body – with a request for her son’s name to be removed from their list of “extremists and terrorists” now he was no longer alive.
The official response was straight from Kafka. Navalny’s name could not be removed as it had been added following the initiation of a criminal case against him. Even though he was dead, Rosfinmonitoring had not been informed about a termination of the case “in accordance with the procedure established by law”, so his name would have to remain.
This appears to be yet another instance of the Russian state exercising cruelty behind the veil of bureaucratic legality – such as when the prison authorities initially refused to release Navalny’s body to his mother after his death.
“Putin is doing this to scare you,” Yulia continued. “He wants you to be afraid to even mention Alexei, and gradually to forget his name. But no one will forget.”
Alexei Navalny and his wife, Yulia Navalnaya, at a protest rally in Moscow, May 2012. Dmitry Laudin/Shutterstock
Today, Navalny’s family and team continue his work outside of Russia – and are fighting to keep his name alive back home. But the odds are against them. Polling suggests the share of Russians who say they know nothing about Navalny or his activities roughly doubled to 30% between his return in January 2021 and his death three years later.
Navalny fought against an autocratic system – and paid the price with his life. Given the very real fears Russians may have of voicing support for a man still labelled an extremist by the Putin regime, it’s not easy to assess what people there really think of him and his legacy. But we will also never know how popular Navalny would have been in the “normal” political system he fought for.
What made Navalny the force he was?
Navalny didn’t mean for the humble yellow rubber duck to become such a potent symbol of resistance.
In March 2017, the ACF published its latest investigation into elite corruption, this time focusing on then-prime minister (and former president), Dmitry Medvedev. Navalny’s team members had become masters of producing slick videos that enabled their message to reach a broad audience. A week after posting, the film had racked up over 7 million views on YouTube – an extraordinary number at that time.
The film included shocking details of Medvedev’s alleged avarice, including yachts and luxury properties. In the centre of a large pond in one of these properties was a duck house, footage of which was captured by the ACF using a drone.
Video: ACF.
Such luxuries jarred with many people’s view of Medvedev as being a bit different to Putin and his cronies. As Navalny wrote in his memoir, Medvedev had previously seemed “harmless and incongruous”. (At the time, Medvedev’s spokeswoman said it was “pointless” to comment on the ACF investigation, suggesting the report was a “propaganda attack from an opposition figure and a convict”.)
But people were angry, and the report triggered mass street protests across Russia. They carried yellow ducks and trainers, a second unintended symbol from the film given Medvedev’s penchant for them.
Another reason why so many people came out to protest on March 26 2017 was the organising work carried out by Navalny’s movement.
The previous December, Navalny had announced his intention to run in the 2018 presidential election. As part of the campaign, he and his team created a network of regional headquarters to bring together supporters and train activists across Russia. Although the authorities had rejected Navalny’s efforts to register an official political party, this regional network functioned in much the same way, gathering like-minded people in support of an electoral candidate. And this infrastructure helped get people out on the streets.
The Kremlin saw this as a clear threat. According to a December 2020 investigation by Bellingcat, CNN, Der Spiegel and The Insider, the FSB assassination squad implicated in the Novichok poisoning of Navalny had started trailing him in January 2017 – one month after he announced his run for the presidency.
At the protests against Medvedev, the authorities’ growing intolerance of Navalny was also on display – he was detained, fined and sentenced to 15 days’ imprisonment.
The Medvedev investigation was far from the beginning of Navalny’s story as a thorn in the Kremlin’s side. But this episode brings together all of the elements that made Navalny the force he was: anti-corruption activism, protest mobilisation, attempts to run as a “normal” politician in a system rigged against him, and savvy use of social media to raise his profile in all of these domains.
Courting controversy
In Patriot, Navalny writes that he always “felt sure a broad coalition was needed to fight Putin”. Yet over the years, his attempts to form that coalition led to some of the most controversial points of his political career.
In a 2007 video, Navalny referred to himself as a “certified nationalist”, advocating for the deportation of illegal immigrants, albeit without using violence and distancing himself from neo-Nazism. In the video, he says: “We have the right to be Russians in Russia, and we’ll defend that right.”
Although alienating some, Navalny was attempting to present a more acceptable face of nationalism, and he hoped to build a bridge between nationalists and liberals in taking on the Kremlin’s burgeoning authoritarianism.
But the prominence of nationalism in Navalny’s political identity varied markedly over time, probably reflecting his shifting estimations of which platform could attract the largest support within Russia. By the time of his thwarted run in the 2018 presidential election, nationalist talking points were all but absent from his rhetoric.
However, some of these former comments and positions continue to influence how people view him. For example, following Russia’s annexation of Crimea in 2014, Navalny tried to take a pragmatic stance. While acknowledging Russia’s flouting of international law, he said that Crimea was “now part of the Russian Federation” and would “never become part of Ukraine in the foreseeable future”.
Many Ukrainians take this as clear evidence that Navalny was a Russian imperialist. Though he later revised his position, saying Crimea should be returned to Ukraine, some saw this as too little, too late. But others were willing to look past the more controversial parts of his biography, recognising that Navalny represented the most effective domestic challenge to Putin.
Another key attempt to build a broad political coalition was Navalny’s Smart Voting initiative. This was a tactical voting project in which Navalny’s team encouraged voters to back the individual thought best-placed to defeat the ruling United Russia candidate, regardless of the challenger’s ideological position.
The project wasn’t met with universal approval. Some opposition figures and voters baulked at, or flatly refused to consider, the idea of voting for people whose ideological positions they found repugnant – or whom they viewed as being “fake” opposition figures, entirely in bed with the authorities. (This makes clear that Navalny was never the leader of the political opposition in Russia; he was, rather, the leading figure of a fractious constellation of individuals and groups.)
But others relished the opportunity to make rigged elections work in their favour. And there is evidence that Smart Voting did sometimes work, including in the September 2020 regional and local elections, for which Navalny had been campaigning when he was poisoned with Novichok.
In an astonishing moment captured on film during his recovery in Germany, Navalny speaks to an alleged member of the FSB squad sent to kill him. Pretending to be the aide to a senior FSB official, Navalny finds out that the nerve agent had been placed in his underpants.
How do Russians feel about Navalny now?
It’s like a member of the family has died.
This is what one Russian friend told me after hearing of Navalny’s death a year ago. Soon afterwards, the Levada Center – an independent Russian polling organisation – conducted a nationally representative survey to gauge the public’s reaction to the news.
The poll found that Navalny’s death was the second-most mentioned event by Russian people that month, after the capture of the Ukrainian city of Avdiivka by Russian troops. But when asked how they felt about his death, 69% of respondents said they had “no particular feelings” either way – while only 17% said they felt “sympathy” or “pity”.
And that broadly fits with Navalny’s approval ratings in Russia. After his poisoning in 2020, 20% of Russians said they approved of his activities – but this was down to 11% by February 2024.
Video: BBC.
Of course, these numbers must be taken for what they are: polling in an authoritarian state regarding a figure vilified and imprisoned by the regime, during a time of war and amid draconian restrictions on free speech. To what extent the drop in support for Navalny was real, rather than reflecting the increased fear people had in voicing their approval for an anti-regime figure, is hard to say with certainty.
When asked why they liked Navalny, 31% of those who approved of his activities said he spoke “the truth”, “honestly” or “directly”. For those who did not approve of his activities, 22% said he was “paid by the west”, “represented” the west’s interests, that he was a “foreign agent”, a “traitor” or a “puppet”.
The Kremlin had long tried to discredit Navalny as a western-backed traitor. After Navalny’s 2020 poisoning, Putin’s spokesman, Dmitry Peskov, said that “experts from the United States’ Central Intelligence Agency are working with him”. The Russian state claimed that, rather than a patriot exposing official malfeasance with a view to strengthening his country, Navalny was a CIA stooge intent on destroying Russia.
Peskov provided no evidence to back up this claim – and the official propaganda wasn’t believed by all. Thousands of Russians defied the authorities by coming out to pay their respects at Navalny’s funeral on March 1 2024. Many, if not all, knew this was a significant risk. Police employed video footage to track down members of the funeral crowd, including by using facial recognition technology.
The first person to be detained was a Muscovite the police claimed they heard shouting “Glory to the heroes!” – a traditional Ukrainian response to the declaration “Glory to Ukraine!”, but this time referencing Navalny. She spent a night in a police station before being fined for “displaying a banned symbol”.
Putin always avoided mentioning Navalny’s name in public while he was alive – instead referring to him as “this gentleman”, “the character you mentioned”, or the “Berlin patient”. (The only recorded instance of Putin using Navalny’s name in public when he was alive was in 2013.)
However, having been re-elected president in 2024 and with Navalny dead, Putin finally broke his long-held practice, saying: “As for Navalny, yes he passed away – this is always a sad event.” It was as if the death of his nemesis diminished the potency of his name – and the challenge that Navalny had long presented to Putin.
Nobody can become another Navalny
Someone else will rise up and take my place. I haven’t done anything unique or difficult. Anyone could do what I’ve done.
So wrote Navalny in the memoir published after his death. But that hasn’t happened: no Navalny 2.0 has yet emerged. And it’s no real surprise. The Kremlin has taken clear steps to ensure nobody can become another Navalny within Russia.
In 2021, the authorities made a clear decision to destroy Navalny’s organisations within Russia, including the ACF and his regional network. Without the organisational infrastructure and legal ability to function in Russia, no figure has been able to take his place directly.
More broadly, the fate of Navalny and his movement has had a chilling effect on the opposition landscape. So too have other steps taken by the authorities.
Russia has become markedly more repressive since the start of its war on Ukraine. The human rights NGO First Department looked into the number of cases relating to “treason”, “espionage” and “confidential cooperation with a foreign state” since Russia introduced the current version of its criminal code in 1997. Of the more than 1,000 cases, 792 – the vast majority – were initiated following Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
Russian law enforcement has also used nebulous anti-extremism and anti-terrorism legislation to crack down on dissenting voices. Three of Navalny’s lawyers were sentenced in January 2025 for participating in an “extremist organisation”, as the ACF was designated by a Moscow court in June 2021. The Russian legislature has also passed a barrage of legislation relating to so-called “foreign agents”, to tarnish the work of those the regime regards as foreign-backed “fifth columnists”.
Mass street protests are largely a thing of the past in Russia. Restrictions were placed on public gatherings during the COVID pandemic – but these rules were applied selectively, with opposition individuals and groups being targeted. And opportunities for collective action were further reduced following the full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
Freedom of speech has also come under assault. Article 29, point five of the Russian constitution states: “Censorship shall be prohibited.” But in September 2024, Kremlin spokesperson Peskov said: “In the state of war that we are in, restrictions are justified, and censorship is justified.”
Legislation passed very soon after the 2022 invasion of Ukraine made it illegal to comment on the Russian military’s activities truthfully – and even to call the war a war.
YouTube – the platform so central to Navalny’s ability to spread his message – has been targeted. Without banning it outright – perhaps afraid of the public backlash this might cause – the Russian state media regulator, Roskomnadzor, has slowed down internet traffic to the site within Russia. The result has been a move of users to other websites supporting video content, including VKontakte – a Russian social media platform.
In short, conditions in Russia are very different now compared to when Navalny first emerged. The relative freedom of the 2000s and 2010s gave him the space to challenge the corruption and authoritarianism of an evolving system headed by Putin. But this space has shrunk over time, to the point where no room remains for a figure like him within Russia.
In 2019, Navalny told Ivan Zhdanov, who is now director of the ACF: “We changed the regime, but not in the way we wanted.” So, did Navalny and his team push the Kremlin to become more authoritarian – making it not only intolerant of him but also any possible successor?
There may be some truth in this. And yet, the drastic steps taken by the regime following the start of the war on Ukraine suggest there were other, even more significant factors that have laid bare the violent nature of Putin’s personal autocracy – and the president’s disdain for dissenters.
Plenty for Russians to be angry about
How can we win the war when dedushka [grandpa] is a moron?
In June 2023, Evgeny Prigozhin – a long-time associate of Putin and head of the private military Wagner Group – staged an armed rebellion, marching his forces on the Russian capital. This was not a full-blown political movement against Putin. But the target of Prigozhin’s invective against Russia’s military leadership had become increasingly blurry, testing the taboo of direct criticism of the president – who is sometimes referred to, disparagingly, as “grandpa” in Russia.
And Prigozhin paid the price. In August 2023, he was killed when the private jet he was flying in crashed after an explosion on board. Afterwards, Putin referred to Prigozhin as a “talented person” who “made serious mistakes in life”.
In the west, opposition to the Kremlin is often associated with more liberal figures like Navalny. Yet the most consequential domestic challenge to Putin’s rule came from a very different part of the ideological spectrum – a figure in Prigozhin leading a segment of Russian society that wanted the Kremlin to prosecute its war on Ukraine even more aggressively.
Video: BBC.
Today, there is plenty for Russians to be angry about, and Putin knows it. He recently acknowledged an “overheating of the economy”. This has resulted in high inflation, in part due to all the resources being channelled into supporting the war effort. Such cost-of-living concerns weigh more heavily than the war on the minds of most Russians.
A favourite talking point of the Kremlin is how Putin imposed order in Russia following the “wild 1990s” – characterised by economic turbulence and symbolised by then-president Boris Yeltsin’s public drunkenness. Many Russians attribute the stability and rise in living standards they experienced in the 2000s with Putin’s rule – and thank him for it by providing support for his continued leadership.
The current economic problems are an acute worry for the Kremlin because they jeopardise this basic social contract struck with the Russian people. In fact, one way the Kremlin tried to discredit Navalny was by comparing him with Yeltsin, suggesting he posed the same threats as a failed reformer. In his memoir, Navalny concedes that “few things get under my skin more”.
Although originally a fan of Yeltsin, Navalny became an ardent critic. His argument was that Yeltsin and those around him squandered the opportunity to make Russia a “normal” European country.
Navalny also wanted Russians to feel entitled to more. Rather than be content with their relative living standards compared with the early post-Soviet period, he encouraged them to imagine the level of wealth citizens could enjoy based on Russia’s extraordinary resources – but with the rule of law, less corruption, and real democratic processes.
‘Think of other possible Russias’
When looking at forms of criticism and dissent in Russia today, we need to distinguish between anti-war, anti-government, and anti-Putin activities.
Despite the risk of harsh consequences, there are daily forms of anti-war resistance, including arson attacks on military enlistment offices. Some are orchestrated from Ukraine, with Russians blackmailed into acting. But other cases are likely to be forms of domestic resistance.
Criticism of the government is still sometimes possible, largely because Russia has a “dual executive” system, consisting of a prime minister and presidency. This allows the much more powerful presidency to deflect blame to the government when things go wrong.
There are nominal opposition parties in Russia – sometimes referred to as the “systemic opposition”, because they are loyal to the Kremlin and therefore tolerated by the system. Within the State Duma, these parties often criticise particular government ministries for apparent failings. But they rarely, if ever, now dare criticise Putin directly.
Nothing anywhere close to the challenge presented by Navalny appears on the horizon in Russia – at either end of the political spectrum. But the presence of clear popular grievances, and the existence of organisations (albeit not Navalny’s) that could channel this anger should the Kremlin’s grip loosen, mean we cannot write off all opposition in Russia.
Navalny’s wife, Yulia, has vowed to continue her husband’s work. And his team in exile maintain focus on elite corruption in Russia, now from their base in Vilnius, Lithuania. The ACF’s most recent investigation is on Igor Sechin, CEO of the oil company Rosneft.
But some have argued this work is no longer as relevant as it was. Sam Greene, professor in Russian politics at King’s College London, captured this doubt in a recent Substack post:
[T]here is a palpable sense that these sorts of investigations may not be relevant to as many people as they used to be, given everything that has transpired since the mid-2010s, when they were the bread and butter of the Anti-Corruption Foundation. Some … have gone as far as to suggest that they have become effectively meaningless … and thus that Team Navalny should move on.
Navalny’s team are understandably irritated by suggestions they’re no longer as effective as they once were. But it’s important to note that this criticism has often been sharpest within Russia’s liberal opposition. The ACF has been rocked, for example, by recent accusations from Maxim Katz, one such liberal opposition figure, that the organisation helped “launder the reputations” of two former bank owners. In their response, posted on YouTube, the ACF referred to Katz’s accusations as “lies” – but this continued squabbling has left some Russians feeling “disillusioned and unrepresented”.
So, what will Navalny’s long-term legacy be? Patriot includes a revealing section on Mikhail Gorbachev – the last leader of the Soviet Union, whom Navalny describes as “unpopular in Russia, and also in our family”. He continues:
Usually, when you tell foreigners this, they are very surprised, because Gorbachev is thought of as the person who gave Eastern Europe back its freedom and thanks to whom Germany was reunited. Of course, that is true … but within Russia and the USSR he was not particularly liked.
At the moment, there is a similar split in perceptions of Navalny. Internationally, he was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize, awarded the Sakharov Prize by the European Parliament, and a documentary about him won an Oscar.
But there are also those outside of Russia who remain critical: “Navalny’s life has brought no benefit to the Ukrainian victory; instead, he has caused considerable harm,” wrote one Ukrainian academic. “He fuelled the illusion in the west that democracy in Russia is possible.”
Trailer for the Oscar-winning documentary Navalny.
Inside Russia, according to Levada Center polling shortly after his death, 53% of Russians thought Navalny played “no special role” in the history of the country, while 19% said he played a “rather negative” role. Revealingly, when commenting on Navalny’s death, one man in Moscow told RFE/RL’s Russian Service: “I think that everyone who is against Russia is guilty, even if they are right.”
But, for a small minority in Russia, Navalny will go down as a messiah-like figure who miraculously cheated death in 2020, then made the ultimate sacrifice in his battle of good and evil with the Kremlin. This view may have been reinforced by Navalny’s increasing openness about his Christian faith.
Ultimately, Navalny’s long-term status in Russia will depend on the nature of the political system after Putin has gone. Since it seems likely that authoritarianism will outlast Putin, a more favourable official story about Navalny is unlikely to emerge any time soon. However, how any post-Putin regime tries to make sense of Navalny’s legacy will tell us a lot about that regime.
While he was alive, Navalny stood for the freer Russia in which he had emerged as a leading opposition figure – and also what he called the “Beautiful Russia of the Future”. Perhaps, after his death, his lasting legacy in Russia remains the ability for some to think – if only in private – of other possible Russias.
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Ben Noble has previously received funding from the British Academy and the Leverhulme Trust. He is an Associate Fellow of Chatham House.
