Democracy is a core value of the EU with free and fair elections at its heart. Member States are responsible for organising elections according to national constitutional rules, legislation, international obligations, and EU law.
The Digital Services Act (DSA)[1] contains regulatory means for scrutinising the risks around the design, functioning, or the use made of very large online platforms and search engines , including the dissemination of illegal content, or to any negative effects on civic discourse and electoral processes.
In the context of the Romanian Presidential elections, following the analysis of TikTok’s risk assessment reports, TikTok’s replies to the Commission’s requests for information[2], as well as third-party reports and internal Commission testing and evidence collection, the Commission opened a third set of proceedings against TikTok[3] based on suspected infringements of the DSA concerning systemic risks to civic discourse and electoral processes.
Additionally, the Commission issued a ‘retention order’ to TikTok[4], ordering to freeze and preserve data related to actual or foreseeable systemic risks its service could pose on electoral processes and civic discourse in the EU.
In these proceedings, the Commission will investigate TikTok’s compliance with DSA obligations on the assessment and mitigation of systemic risks[5] related to civic discourse and electoral processes stemming from the intentional manipulation of TikTok’s services, including its recommender systems, and the dissemination of political advertisements and paid-for political content, despite prohibition of such advertisements and content in TikTok’s terms and conditions.
[1] Regulation (EU) 2022/2065 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 19 October 2022 on a Single Market for Digital Services and amending Directive 2000/31/EC (Digital Services Act) (Text with EEA relevance) PE/30/2022/REV/1. OJ L 277, 27.10.2022, p. 1-102.
[2] The Commission sent requests for information on 2 October, 29 November and 5 December 2024 https://digital-strategy.ec.europa.eu/en/policies/list-designated-vlops-and-vloses
with request for inclusion in the agenda for a debate on cases of breaches of human rights, democracy and the rule of law
NB: This motion for a resolution is available in the original language only.
B10‑0134/2025
Motion for a European Parliament resolution on the repression by the Ortega-Murillo regime in Nicaragua, targeting human rights defenders, political opponents and religious communities in particular
−having regard to Rule 150(5) of its Rules of Procedure,
A.whereas since 2018, the Nicaraguan Government has systematically persecuted, repressed and incarcerated dissidents, political opponents, community and religious leaders, human rights defenders, civil society organisations and journalists;
B.whereas the regime has intensified its repression through the forced expulsion, arbitrary deprivation of nationality and confiscation of assets of over 400 Nicaraguans, with 135 deported to Guatemala in September 2024; whereas Spain has consistently offered its citizenship to Nicaraguan exiles;
C.whereas 46 people are reported to remain imprisoned in Nicaragua for political reasons; whereas families of detainees have denounced inhumane conditions;
D.whereas the regime has deployed a strategy of systematic repression against civil society and religious communities; whereas the government has closed at least 58 media outlets, and, according to the IACHR, has revoked the legal status of over 5,000 non-governmental organisations, with more than 1,500 shut down on 20 August 2024;
E.whereas in September 2024, the Criminal Code was amended to allow for prosecuting in absentia people outside the country, facilitating the persecution of dissidents in exile and the seizure of assets;
F.whereas in November 2024, the Constitution was amended, deepening the concentration of power in the executive, and providing legal cover to the arbitrary deprivation of nationality;
G.whereas in February 2025, Nicaragua announced its withdrawal from the Food and Agriculture Organization, adding to the increasing isolation of the country from the international community;
1.Strongly condemns the Nicaraguan government for its systematic persecution and repression, including through the use of forced exile and statelessness, of dissident voices, community and religious leaders, human rights defenders, civil society organisations and journalists;
2.Expresses its deep concerns over recent legislative and constitutional changes; strongly urges Nicaragua to repeal all repressive legislation passed since 2018;
3.Urges the Nicaraguan Government to immediately and unconditionally release all political prisoners; to ensure, in the meantime, that they have regular and unrestricted access to food, medical care, their family and lawyers of their choice; to withdraw all legal proceedings against them; to allow the safe return of refugees and exiles; to return all unduly seized assets; and to restore full respect for human rights;
4.Calls on the Nicaraguan authorities to stop unduly closing non-governmental organisations, to restore the legal personality of all organisations, political parties, universities and media outlets that have been arbitrarily shut down, and to return all unduly seized assets;
5.Calls on the EU and its Member States to provide support to the people that are detained, to strengthen support for civil society organisations, journalists and human rights defenders both in Nicaragua and in exile, and to intensify efforts to host, protect and assist those displaced and expelled from Nicaragua; welcomes the Spanish government’s initiative to offer nationality to exiles and their families;
6.Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Nicaraguan authorities, the Council, the Commission, and the HR/VP.
with request for inclusion in the agenda for a debate on cases of breaches of human rights, democracy and the rule of law
Bernard Guetta, Oihane Agirregoitia Martínez, Petras Auštrevičius, Malik Azmani, Dan Barna, Benoit Cassart, Olivier Chastel, Engin Eroglu, Karin Karlsbro, Ľubica Karvašová, Ilhan Kyuchyuk, Urmas Paet, Marie-Agnes Strack-Zimmermann, Hilde Vautmans, Lucia Yar on behalf of the Renew Group
NB: This motion for a resolution is available in the original language only.
B10‑0131/2025
Motion for a European Parliament resolution on the repression by the Ortega-Murillo regime in Nicaragua, targeting human rights defenders, political opponents and religious communities in particular
–having regard to its previous resolutions on Nicaragua,
–having regard to Rules 150 of its Rules of Procedure,
A.whereas on 30th January 2025 the Nicaraguan National Assembly approved a constitutional reform that, radically changes the foundations of the State and the Nicaraguan political system; whereas it eliminates the division of powers, gives the Presidency control over all branches of government, independent institutions and the media and ignores the adherence of Nicaragua to international human rights conventions and treaties, including the one prohibiting torture;
B.whereas since 2018, the Nicaraguan regime has systematically, repeatedly and arbitrarily incarcerated, harassed and intimidated human rights defenders, opposition and religious representatives, among others; whereas over 5600 NGOs have been dissolved, including religious groups, and their assets have been confiscated;
C.whereas the main political opponents were imprisoned months before the elections, later expelled from the country together with human rights defenders, stripped of their nationality, and deprived of their political rights after being accused of “coup plotting” and “treason”;
1.Strongly condemns the Nicaraguan regime’s widespread repression; calls on the release of all those arbitrarily detained, the restoration of the rule of law and freedoms, the cessation of repression, the restoration of rights to exiles and their safe return; insist that they are sine qua non conditions for any prospect of meaningful dialogue;
2.Denounces the use of statelessness and exile as a weapon against any dissenting voice; reiterates the need to put an end to restrictions on civic space and respect the right to dissent;
3.Calls on the Nicaraguan regime to reverse the constitutional reform and all repressive laws, to fully respect its international human rights obligations and to implement the recommendations made by the UN Group of Human Rights Experts on Nicaragua;
4.Calls on the European Union and its Member States to include specific guarantees of respect for human rights with regard to the European funds allocated, as well as funds channelled through multilateral and financial institutions, and to ensure, through strict control, that these funds do not contribute to reinforce the Nicaraguan regime;
5.Calls on the relevant authorities to strengthen support for the Nicaraguan opposition currently in exile, and to maintain close cooperation with countries receiving large numbers of migrants fleeing the country;
6.Recalls that in the light of the Association Agreement between the EU and Central America, Nicaragua must respect and consolidate the principles of the rule of law, democracy and human rights; reiterates its demand to trigger the democratic clause of the Association Agreement;
7.Reiterates its call to include Daniel Ortega and his inner circle in the list of EU sanctioned individuals and entities;
8.Calls for the immediate extradition of Alessio Casimirri to Italy;
9.Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Council, the Commission, the HR/VP, the OAS, the EuroLat Parliamentary Assembly, the Central American Parliament, the Presidency Pro Tempore of CELAC, the Vatican and the Government and Parliament of the Republic of Nicaragua.
with request for inclusion in the agenda for a debate on cases of breaches of human rights, democracy and the rule of law
Hermann Tertsch, Jorge Martín Frías, Gerolf Annemans, Nikola Bartůšek, Roberto Vannacci, Susanna Ceccardi on behalf of the PfE Group
NB: This motion for a resolution is available in the original language only.
B10‑0132/2025
Motion for a European Parliament resolution on the repression by the Ortega-Murillo regime in Nicaragua, targeting human rights defenders, political opponents and religious communities in particular
–having regard to Rule 150 of its Rules of Procedure,
A.whereas on 15 September, 2022, this Parliament approved a resolution strongly condemning the systematic repression by the Daniel Ortega-Rosario Murillo regime in Nicaragua, in particular against the Catholic Church, with the case of bishop, and Sakharov prize finalist, Orlando Alvarez;
B.whereas persecution and harassment against the Catholic Church is a consequence of its role as mediators in the 2018 National Dialogue;
C.whereas, according to Open Doors International and its World Watch List, hundreds of Christian organisations have lost their legal status in Nicaragua due to arbitrary regime decisions;
D.whereas attacks against the Catholic Church, other religious communities, and critics with the regime include killings, arbitrarily arrests, dead threats, tortures, enforces disappearances, forced exiles, closure of missionaries and charity associations, and closing of radio/TV stations;
E.whereas, according to the International Republican Institute, after April 2018 more than 730 citizens were arbitrarily imprisoned, including political and religious leaders, human rights defenders, students, journalists and other members ofcivil society, being accused of crimes such as terrorist acts, conspiracy or treachery, and facing harsh imprisonment conditions; whereas, according to the OAS, 36 citizens remained imprisoned;
F.whereas human rights violations and abuses perpetrated since April 2018 are not an isolated phenomenon, but the result of a planned process to concentrate all powers in the figures of the dictators Ortega-Murillo;
G.whereas systematic repression has triggered a migration and humanitarian crisis in the region, with thousands of Nicaraguans fleeing the country every year; whereas migration is being weaponised by the Ortega-Murillo regime to destabilize the region;
H.whereas the Nicaraguan regime has been consistently supported to remain in power by other dictatorships in the region such as Cuba and Venezuela; whereas Russia has an increasing military presence;
1.Condemns in the strongest possible terms the repression and arbitrary arrests by the Nicaraguan regime against members of the Catholic Church, religious and political leaders, human rights defenders, and all those citizens critics with the regime;
2.Calls for the immediate and unconditional release of all those arbitrarily detained, and for all legal proceedings against them to be annulled, including their sentences; calls for the immediate extradition of Alessio Casimirri, currently living in Managua under the protection of the Nicaraguan regime, to Italy;
3.Stresses that the judicial system lacks independence from the executive branch; expresses concern about the manipulation of criminal law and the use of the justice system as a tool to criminalise the exercise of civil and political rights in the country;
4.Calls on the Council to immediately adopt further and tougher sanctions against Ortega-Murillo and all their proxies, responsible for systematic human rights violations in Nicaragua; demands the immediate cessation of all financial aid from the EU to Nicaragua;
5.Calls on the EU and its Member States to support investigations leading to prosecute Daniel Ortega and Rosario Murillo for crimes against humanity;
6.Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the relevant parties.
Prime Minister addresses the 14th India-France CEOs Forum
Posted On: 12 FEB 2025 12:16AM by PIB Delhi
Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi and the President of France, H.E. Mr. Emmanuel Macron jointly addressed the 14th India-France CEOs Forum today in Paris. The forum brought together CEOs from a diverse group of companies from both sides, focusing on sectors such as defence, aerospace, critical and emerging technologies, infrastructure, advanced manufacturing, artificial intelligence, life-sciences, wellness and lifestyle, and food and hospitality.
Prime Minister in his address noted the expanding India-France business and economic collaboration and the impetus it has provided to the strategic partnership between the two countries. He highlighted India’s attractiveness as a favored global investment destination, based on its stable polity and predictable policy ecosystem. Talking of the reforms announced in the recent budget, PM noted that the insurance sector was now open for 100% FDI and civil nuclear energy sector for private participation with focus on SMR and AMR technologies; customs rate structure was rationalized; and simplified income tax code was being brought in to enhance Ease of Living. Referring to the government’s commitment to continue ushering in reforms, he noted that a high-level committee for regulatory reforms had been constituted to establish trust based economic governance. In the same spirit, more than 40,000 compliances had been rationalized in the last few years.
Prime Minister invited French companies to look at the immense opportunities offered by the India growth story, in the defense, energy, highway, civil aviation, space, healthcare, fintech and sustainable development sectors. Underlining global appreciation and interest in India’s skills, talent and innovation and in its newly launched AI, Semiconductor, Quantum, Critical Minerals and Hydrogen missions, he called upon French enterprises to partner India for mutual growth and prosperity. He outlined the importance of active engagement in these sectors, reaffirming the commitment of both nations to fostering innovation, investment, and technology-driven partnerships. Full remarks of Prime Minister may be seen here
External Affairs Minister Dr. S. Jaishankar, alongside the Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs of France, H.E. Jean-Noël Barrot, and the Minister of the Economy, Finance, and Industrial and Digital Sovereignty of France, H.E. Eric Lombard also addressed the Forum.
5. CEOs from both sides who attended the meeting were:
Indian Side:
Company Name(Sector)
Name and Designation
1
Jubiliant Foodsworks/Jubiliant Life Sciences, Food and Beverage
Hari Bhartia, Co-Chairman and Director
2.
CII
Chandrajit Banerjee, Director General
3.
Titagarh Rail Systems Limited (TRSL), Railways and Infrastructure
Umesh Chowdhary, Vice Chairman and Managing Director
4.
Bharat Light & Power Private Limited, (Renewable Energy)
Tejpreet Chopra, President & CEO
5.
P Mafatlal Group, Textiles and Industrial Products
Vishad Mafatlal, Chairman
6.
boat, Consumer Electronics (Wearables)
Aman Gupta, Co-Founder
7.
Dalit Indian Chamber of Commerce & Industry (DICCI), Business Advocacy and Inclusion
Milind Kamble, Founder/Chairman
8.
Skyroot Aerospace, Aerospace & Space and Technology
Pawan Kumar Chandana,Co-Founder
9.
Agnikul, Aerospace & Space and Technology
Srinath Ravichandran, Co-Founder & CEO
10.
Tata Advanced Systems Ltd, Aerospace and Defense
Sukaran Singh, Managing Director
11
UPL Group, Agrochemical and Agribusiness
Vikram Shroff, Vice Chairman and Co-CEO
12.
Sula Vineyards, Food and Beverage
Rajeev Samant, CEO
13.
Dynamatic Technologies Ltd, Aerospace & Defence, and Engineering
Udayant Malhoutra, CEO & Managing Director
14.
Tata Consulting Engineers (TCE), Engineering and Consulting
Amit Sharma, Managing Director & CEO
15.
Nykaa, Cosmetics and consumer goods
Falguni Nayyar,CEO
French Side:
Company Name(Sector)
Name and Designation
1
Air Bus, Aerospace & Defence
Guillaume Faury, CEO
2.
Air Liquide, Chemicals, Health care, Engineering
François Jackow, CEO & a member of the Board of Directors of the Air Liquide Group
3.
BlaBlaCar, Transport, Services
Nicolas Brusson, CEO & Co-Founder
4
Capgemini Group, Information Technology, Engineering
Aiman Ezzat, CEO
5
Danone, Food & Beverages
Antoine de SAINT-AFFRIQUE, CEO
6
EDF, Energy, Power
Luc Rémont, Chairman &CEO
7
Egis Group, Architecture Construction Engineering
Laurent Germain,CEO
8.
Engie Group, Energy, Renewable Energy
Catherine MacGregor, CEO & Board Member of ENGIE.
9
L’Oréal, Cosmetics & Consumer Goods
Nicolas Hieronimus, CEO & Member of Board of Directors
Aero India 2025: CEOs Rountable receives unprecedent response with the participation of 116 global CEOs Announcements made regarding plans for investments, collaborations and setting-up of development centres & Centre of Excellence
Posted On: 11 FEB 2025 8:53PM by PIB Delhi
The CEOs Rountable, which was graced by Raksha Mantri Shri Rajnath Singh on the opening day of 15th Aero India on February 10, 2025, received an unprecedent response with the participation of 116 global CEOs. Many foreign as well as Indian Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs) made announcements regarding their plans for investments, collaborations and setting-up of development centres & Centre of Excellence etc. These include:
Announcement by Ultra Maritime & Bharat Dynamics Limited for signing of an initial contract for the co-production of US specification
Announcement by Bharat Forge for their plan for the manufacturing of Landing Gear for certain commercial aircrafts 100% in the country.
Announcement by Safran, France & Bharat Electronics Limited for their partnership for co-production of Hammer missile in India.
Fifty eight (58) foreign OEMs including John Cockerill (Belgium), Airbus (France), Ultra Maritime (USA), GNT (South Korea), Mitsubishi (Japan), Safran (France), Liebherr Aerospace (France), L3Harris Technologies Inc. (USA), Thales (France), Lockheed Martin (USA), Martin Baker (UK) attended the Roundtable. The Indian OEMs included Bharat Forge Ltd, Adani Defence & Aerospace, Mahindra Defence Systems Ltd, Ashok Leyland Defence and Defence Public Sector Undertakings.
During the meeting, Raksha Mantri invited the global OEMs to utilise the opportunities offered by the expanding Indian defence ecosystem and find targeted solutions & counter measures to the challenges emerging due to the volatile geopolitical landscape of today.
The event was organised on the theme E.D.G.Ei.e.‘Enabling Defence Cooperation through Global Engagement’, based on Business Centric Technology Development, Joint Ventures, Manufacturing Excellence Hubs, Industry Led Capacity Building, Joint Ventures, Co-Development & Co-Production and Technology Transfer.
During the event, Raksha Mantri also inaugurated ‘Defence Testing Portal (DTP)’ and released a booklet on ‘Defence Testing Capabilities’ of the Directorate General of Quality Assurance (DGQA). DTP will enhance ease of doing business in defence testing by improving the visibility of defence testing infrastructure and improved transparency and accountability in conduct of defence tests. The booklet will serve as a guiding document for defence manufacturers and acts as a ready reckoner during important stages of defence procurement and delivery processes.
A short film highlighting the robust Indian defence ecosystem and vividly capturing the remarkable evolution and strides of India’s Aerospace & Defence Sector, was showcased as a powerful testament to our unwavering commitment and bold vision for the future.
Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi co-chairs AI Action Summit in Paris AI is writing the code for humanity in this century: PM
There is a need for collective global efforts to establish governance and standards that uphold our shared values, address risks and build trust: PM
AI can help transform millions of lives by improving health, education, agriculture and so much more: PM
We need to invest in skilling and re-skilling our people for an AI-driven future: PM
We are developing AI applications for public good: PM
India is ready to share its experience and expertise to ensure that the AI future is for Good, and for All: PM
Posted On: 11 FEB 2025 7:21PM by PIB Delhi
Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi co-chaired the AI Action Summit today along with the President of France, H.E. Mr. Emmanuel Macron in Paris. The week-long summit, which began with the Science Days on February 6-7, followed by the Cultural Weekend on February 8-9, culminated in a High-Level Segment attended by global leaders, policymakers, and industry experts.
The High-Level Segment commenced with a dinner hosted by President Emmanuel Macron at the Élysée Palace on February 10, bringing together Heads of State and Government, leaders of international organizations, CEOs of major AI companies and other distinguished participants.
At the Plenary Session today, President Macron invited Prime Minister to deliver the opening address as the co-chair of the summit. In his address, Prime Minister noted that the world was at the dawn of the AI age where this technology was fast writing the code for humanity and re-shaping our polity, economy, security and society. Emphasizing that AI was very different from other technological milestones in human history in terms of impact, he called for collective global efforts to establish governance and standards that uphold shared values, address risks and build trust. He further added that governance was not just about managing risks but also about promoting innovation and deploying it for the global good. In this regard, he advocated for ensuring access to AI for all, especially the Global South. He called for democratizing technology and its people-centric applications so that achieving the Sustainable Development Goals becomes a reality. Alluding to the success of India-France sustainability partnership through initiatives such as the International Solar Alliance, PM stated that it was only natural that the two countries were joining hands to forge an innovation partnership for a smart and responsible future.
Prime Minister highlighted India’s success in building a Digital Public Infrastructure for its 1.4 billion citizens based on open and accessible technology. Talking about India’s AI Mission, PM noted that India, considering its diversity, was building its own Large Language Model for AI. He underlined that India was ready to share its experience to ensure that the benefits of AI reach everyone. Prime Minister announced that India will be hosting the next AI Summit. The full address of Prime Minister may be seen here [ Opening Address ; Concluding Address ]
The Summit concluded with the adoption of the Leaders’ Statement. The summit featured discussions on critical themes, including greater access to AI infrastructure to ensure inclusion, the responsible use of AI, AI for public interest, making AI more diverse and sustainable, and ensuring safe and trusted governance of AI.
There is a need for collective global efforts to establish governance and standards that uphold our shared values, address risks and build trust. pic.twitter.com/E4kb640Qjk
Today’s discussions have brought out one thing – there is unity in vision and unity in purpose across stakeholders.
I welcome the decision to set up the “AI Foundation” and the “Council for Sustainable AI”. I congratulate France and my dear friend President Macron for these initiatives and assure our full support.
We must also make the “Global Partnership for AI” truly global in nature. It should be more inclusive of the Global South and its priorities, concerns and needs.
To build on the momentum of this Action Summit, India would be happy to host the next Summit.
Work is progressing well on eight former garage sites across Coventry.
Housing association, Citizen, is working with Excelsior Land and LoCaL Homes with support from Coventry City Council to build 19 properties at eight sites across the city including Whoberley, Stoke Aldermoor, Bell Green, Holbrooks and Cheylesmore.
The homes are being built using timber frames which is a modern method of construction. The frames are built in the LoCaL factory in Walsall and are transported to the sites in Coventry where they are then assembled and built by Excelsior Land.
There are several benefits to using timber frames including speed of build and sustainability – a new tree is planted for every tree that is felled to build the timber frame and there is very little waste.
Councillor Naeem Akhtar from Coventry City Council said: “I was really impressed when I saw the way the homes are built. I visited the site on Henley Road in Bell Green and saw a derelict site now set to provide homes for families in Coventry.
“There is a real need for good homes in Coventry, and as a partnership with Citizen, this highlights our commitment to find innovative ways of building houses where they are most needed.
“Social housing is a real priority for the Council, and I’m delighted to see the progress that Citizen and other partners are making on the garage sites. I spoke to the workers on the site, and they are impressed with speed the properties go up and how little waste is generated.”
Executive Director of Development at Citizen, Nick Byrne, said: “Work is progressing really well on our garage sites across Coventry.
“We’re working with our partners to provide much needed housing in the area alongside transforming former garage sites.
“Using timber frames as a Modern Method of Construction at this site will help produce less carbon dioxide emissions as opposed to traditional brick. The homes are also assembled on site quickly which means they can be built at a much faster pace compared to traditional build.
“We also chose timber frames for the garage sites as they have limited access and space to store materials, so by using this construction method the homes were able to be built effectively.
“At Citizen we are committed to working with our partners to make a positive difference to our customers and are looking forward to seeing these homes progress.”
The homes at the sites will be a mix of one and three bed houses as well as one and two bed bungalows.
Katie O’Cearbhhaill from Excelsior Land said: “Excelsior Land are delighted to be partnering with Citizen to provide much needed homes in the Coventry area. All of the homes we create are low carbon and this scheme is no exception.
“We pride ourselves on working with our clients to regenerate local communities, and reduce crime hotspots by transforming these challenging garage sites into first class accommodation for the local residents. We are currently running 13% ahead of our programme schedule and attribute this to the positive partnership and proactive collaboration between Citizen Housing Group, LoCaL Homes and Excelsior Land.
“Regenerating local communities using brown field sites is important to Excelsior Land and we look forward to carrying out many more projects like this!”
Mike Doolan, Sales and Partnership Manager at LoCaL Homes added: “We are delighted to be working with Citizen, Coventry City Council and Excelsior Land to deliver 19 new, thermally-efficient home which will meet a variety of housing need across the city.
“Our off-site manufactured Eco-200 timber frame solutions, complete with brick slips, reduce construction time on site and produce less waste when compared to traditional building methods. This brings both environmental benefits and results in quicker handovers. The future occupants will be paying, on average, lower fuel bills thanks to the thermal-efficiency of our fabric-first approach.”
Members of the Badenoch and Strathspey Area Committee have discussed the finances of the Grantown on Spey Common Fund and welcomed the potential future good uses it will be used for to benefit the people of Grantown on Spey.
Chair of the Badenoch and Strathspey Area Committee Cllr Russell Jones said: “The development of the Grantown on Spey Common Good Fund is a long-term commitment that Badenoch and Strathspey Councillors are laying down the foundations now for future generations to come.
“Members have welcomed the potential future uses of the Common Good Fund including examples such as: giving financial support to local charities and supporting community projects and community events.
“The creation of the Fund will however take time before it can use disbursed, and we hope that in future the income to the Grantown on Spey Common Good Fund collected now and over the years will enable the creation of specific budgets for events and festivals and community projects to benefit the local community.
“These ambitions to support the people of Grantown on Spey will take time to build the income streams Common Good Fund for future generations.”
Cllr Bill Lobban added: “We want to see the Grantown on Spey Common Good Fund grow in the future and benefit the local community. It’s important that people know that the Fund will be used exclusively for the benefit of the people of Grantown on Spey and not on Council projects.
Councillors noted a forecast 2024/25 year end position of the Common Good Fund revenue reserves of £910 and approved a proposed budget for 2025/26 with an anticipated income of £500 and year end revenue reserves of £1,410.
In time all future proposals that would benefit the Grantown on Spey area alone, would come to the Area Committee for local Members consideration.
1. The European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) [1] supports Member States and regions in improving water management systems and infrastructures. Under the Regional Programme Sicily ERDF 2014-2020 and 2021-2027 and the National Programme Infrastructures and Networks ERDF 2014-2020, some EUR 460 million have been allocated to support sustainable water management in Sicily, with priority for infrastructural interventions reducing losses in the water supply network. These investments concern new and upgraded water supply networks, improvements to reservoirs and the reuse of wastewater.
While Italy’s Recovery and Resilience Plan allocates EUR 4.8 billion to enhance water supply management through targeted projects, the Council Implementing Decision Annex does not allocate resources specifically to the province of Enna. Any allocation to Enna is a decision of national and regional authorities.
2. According to the Common Provisions Regulation[2] (CPR), the selection and funding of operations is the responsibility of the regional or national authorities managing the programmes. Furthermore, the CPR lays down enabling conditions for Member States to access the ERDF with a view to ensuring that the necessary prerequisites are met for the effective and efficient implementation of a selected specific objective.
For the Regional Programme Sicily ERDF 2021-2027, the enabling condition ‘2.5 Updated planning for required investments in water and wastewater sectors’ is not yet fulfilled; therefore, payments of EU contributions to this sector have not started.
The Commission monitors the programmes’ implementation and progress towards the fulfilment of the applicable enabling conditions in regular meetings with the managing authorities.
[2] Regulation (EU) 2021/1060 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 24 June 2021 laying down common provisions on the European Regional Development Fund, the European Social Fund Plus, the Cohesion Fund, the Just Transition Fund and the European Maritime, Fisheries and Aquaculture Fund and financial rules for those and for the Asylum, Migration and Integration Fund, the Internal Security Fund and the Instrument for Financial Support for Border Management and Visa Policy.
The Commission ensures, within the remit of its competence, the respect of fundamental rights enshrined in the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights (the Charter), including the right to property[1].
According to its Article 51(1) the provisions of the Charter are addressed to Member States only when they are implementing EU law.
In this case, it is for Member States, including their judicial authorities, to ensure that fundamental rights are effectively respected and protected in accordance with their national law and international human rights obligations.
The Commission is not responsible for monitoring the application of national laws for matters, such as property rights, which do not fall within EU competence.
Therefore, the Commission has not issued and does not plan to issue any guidelines to resolve environmental protection conflicts with property rights .
It is up to the Member States to identify and use EU co-financing, provided that the eligibility and selection criteria of any relevant EU programmes or funding tools are fulfilled. Cohesion Policy[2], through projects co-financed by the European Regional Development Fund[3], provides tools that can contribute to addressing challenges related to forest maps and property management in Greece[4].
In line with this, Greece’s Recovery and Resilience Plan[5] includes a reform to finalise the national cadastre, establishing an efficient land registry system and providing legal certainty for property rights (measure 16986). By mid-2025, the cadastral mapping is expected to be completed, with all property rights available for public display.
[1] Article17 of the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union.
[4] For instance, the project Development of an Integrated Information System for the Central Geospatial Infrastructure (ERDF co-financing: EUR 0.6 million) focuses on creating a comprehensive geospatial information system to manage grazing lands, immovable property, and agricultural registers, supporting improved land and forest management. Similarly, the project Digitization of the Historic Archive of Aerial Photographs (ERDF co-financing: EUR 3.3 million) involves preserving and digitizing aerial photographs to create a Geographic Information System (GIS), which will contribute to documenting forest and land boundaries, improving transparency, and supporting sustainable land management efforts.
The Commission is aware of the challenges facing the outermost regions in terms of water shortages and is fully committed to supporting these regions in improving water management and related infrastructure.
The Commission reiterated this commitment in its communication on the outermost regions[1] of May 2022, which aims to contribute to improving the quality of life of citizens in these regions, in particular as regards basic needs such as water and sanitation.
An independent study[2] on living conditions and access to basic needs in the outermost regions published by the Commission in 2024 further sheds light into the remaining challenges related to access to drinking water and sanitation in some of these regions.
The European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) provides substantial financial support to the French outermost regions on structural investments in drinking water and sanitation, for example to ensure the resilience of water catchments, develop drinking water treatment facilities and equipment, and improve the efficiency of distribution networks.
Support to drinking water is also a priority for cohesion policy in these regions in 2021-2027. For instance, in Réunion, Guadeloupe, Saint Martin, and Mayotte, the ERDF will invest respectively EUR 106 million, EUR 148 million, EUR 10 million and EUR 47.5 million to improve the quality of drinking water and sanitation infrastructure.
In addition, the directive on the quality of water intended for human consumption[3] includes provisions to protect human health by ensuring that drinking water is clean and to improve access to drinking water, in particular for vulnerable and marginalised groups.
Member States had to transpose this directive into national law by 12 January 2023, which France did.
[3] Directive (EU) 2020/2184 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 16 December 2020 on the quality of water intended for human consumption, OJ L 435, 23.12.2020, p. 1-62.
Cohesion Policy supports the creation of new small and medium-sized enterprises’ (SMEs) in Greece, through the ‘Competitiveness’ programme, co-funded by the European Regional Development Fund and the European Social Fund+ (ESF+)[1], and horizontal employment actions also covering Western Macedonia, through the ‘Human Resources and Social Cohesion’ programme, co-funded by ESF+.
The programme ‘Western Macedonia’ allocates some EUR 20 million[2] for the creation of new and existing SMEs along with EUR 13.2 million[3] for employment initiatives.
The Greek Recovery and Resilience Plan[4] with EUR 2.9 billion supports job creation, youth employment, education, and entrepreneurship in Greece, while an additional EUR 619 million aims to foster economic development in Western Macedonia[5].
The ESF+ finances employment actions, active labour market policies, training initiatives, and social economy projects aimed at job creation. Eligible individuals and entities can apply for financing through relevant calls.
The Just Transition Fund allocates resources to employment initiatives and fosters entrepreneurship for youth, promoting green skills development[6] while the Just Transition Platform manages initiatives on youth mobilisation and young people’s skill development.
The ‘Human Resources and Social Cohesion’ programme supports entrepreneurship initiatives for the socioeconomic integration of young people in Greece[7][8].
The Erasmus for Young Entrepreneurs programme[9] allows new entrepreneurs to learn from experienced business owners in other countries.
Also, they can enhance their skills via the European learning platform Entrepreneurship4All[10] and participate in the European Enterprise Promotion Awards[11].
[1] Indicatively, some EUR 2.7 billion from the ERDF is available to support small and medium-sized enterprises in Greece.
[5] The plan also includes two investments contributing to the economic development in Western Macedonia. Measure 16871 (Revitalization actions of the most affected territories (Just transition territories)) supports land rehabilitation in the areas of former lignite mines to alleviate its transition towards a climate-neutral economy. Measure 16628 (Central Greece Highway E-65: Trikala-Egnatia Section) finances the construction of a motorway, connecting Southern Greece, Thessaly and Western Macedonia with the Western Balkans and the rest of Europe to improve connectivity for residents and businesses in the region.
[6] For example, the Just Transition Platform (JTP) runs a JTP Working Group on Equal Opportunities to provide a forum for vulnerable groups to share good practices, exchange knowledge and discuss concerns and achievements. In addition, the Just Transition Platform manages since 2023 initiatives on youth mobilisation, re-skilling and up-skilling measures for young people. Support through the Just Transition Platform also promotes the development of green skills for youth to enhance entrepreneurship and development of the SMEs and start-up.
[8] In 2014-2020, the Youth Employment Initiative mobilised over EUR 500 million to finance training, work experience and entrepreneurship support programmes for unemployed young people in Greece. Similar measures are being funded by the ESF+ allocation for the period 2021-2027 with a budget of EUR 860 million.
Source: Australian Government – Minister of Foreign Affairs
The Albanese Government has imposed additional cyber sanctions in response to the 2022 cyberattack against Medibank Private.
The attack affected millions of Medibank’s customers whose personal and sensitive medical information was stolen. Some records were published on the dark web.
This is the first time that Australia has imposed cyber sanctions on an entity and the first time Australia has imposed sanctions on those providing the network infrastructure and services that make cyberattacks like this possible.
The Government is imposing these cyber sanctions on the Russian entity, ZServers, and five Russian cybercriminals who provided the network infrastructure and services used to host and release the data stolen from Medibank. The individuals are ZServers’ owner, Aleksandr Bolshakov, and employees Aleksandr Mishin, Ilya Sidorov, Dmitriy Bolshakov and Igor Odintsov.
ZServers and the five sanctioned individuals also provided enabling services that supported a range of other cybercrimes, including ransomware activities conducted by affiliates of LockBit and BianLian and other ransomware groups.
The sanctions announced today make it a criminal offence to provide assets to ZServers or the five sanctioned individuals, or to use or deal with their assets, with penalties of up to 10 years’ imprisonment and/or heavy fines. The sanctions also ban the individuals from entering Australia.
Today’s sanctions follow the Government’s decisive action to sanction Aleksandr Ermakov, announced in January 2024, for his role in the Medibank Private data breach.
They are a result of the close collaboration between the Australian Signals Directorate (ASD), other Commonwealth agencies and key international partners, including the United Kingdom (UK) and the United States (US), who have all worked tirelessly to unmask these cybercriminals.
The UK and the US have also imposed sanctions on these malicious cyber actors, demonstrating our collective resolve to combat cybercrime.
These sanctions reflect the Albanese Government’s commitment in the 2023-2030 Australian Cyber Security Strategy to deter and respond to malicious cyber activity, including by using sanctions to hold cybercriminals to account.
Malicious cyber actors continue to target Australian governments, critical infrastructure, businesses and individuals. Australia’s autonomous cyber sanctions framework is a key tool in imposing costs on cyber actors and protecting Australians from this threat.
Australians should report cybercrimes, incidents or vulnerabilities to the Australian Signals Directorate at 1300 CYBER1 (1300 292 371) or https://www.cyber.gov.au/report.
Australian businesses can help protect themselves from ransomware by updating devices, regularly backing up files and ensuring staff know to never visit suspicious websites, open emails from unknown sources or click on suspicious links. More information can be found at cyber.gov.au/ransomware
Quotes attributable to Deputy Prime Minister Richard Marles:
“These sanctions send a clear message to malicious cyber actors that there are consequences of trying to do Australians harm.
“The Albanese Government continues to take decisive action to hold to account those responsible for one of Australia’s largest cyber incidents.
“Importantly, this is the first cyber sanction against an enabler of cybercrime. Disrupting the criminal ecosystem in this way impacts hundreds of cybercriminals at once.”
Quotes attributable to Foreign Affairs Minister Penny Wong:
“The Albanese Government is using all elements of our national power to make Australia more secure and to keep Australians safe.
“We are preventing, deterring and disrupting malicious cyber activity through attributions and targeted sanctions in the national interest.
“We will continue to work with our international partners to impose costs on cyber criminals and protect Australians from cyber threats.”
Quote attributable to Cyber Security Minister Tony Burke:
“This Government established the cybersecurity portfolio because national security requires cybersecurity. This strong action is about keeping Australians safe.”
Source: United Nations General Assembly and Security Council
Solidarity and social inclusion are more important than ever as the world grapples with multiple emergencies such as the climate crisis, democratic backsliding and repeated human rights abuses, high-level ministers said today at a panel discussion at the 2025 session of the Commission for Social Development.
Ministers ranging from Sweden to Uganda in a panel discussion titled “Strengthening solidarity and social cohesion” spotlighted various ways their Governments were working to promote progress in health, education, gender equality, human rights, microfinance and macroeconomic measures, while also calling on the wider international community to recommit to sustainable development. They expressed concern that trust and faith in Government and institutions had eroded in recent years just as progress faced new roadblocks.
“Progress towards eradication of poverty has lately stalled,” said the Commission’s Chair, Krzysztof Maria Szczerski (Poland), who also moderated the discussion. Income and wealth inequality remain, while decent work is in short supply. These developments, together with global trends and intersecting crises, hamper social inclusion. “Governments need to tackle these challenges, but trust in them is in decline in many countries, weakening social cohesion and limiting the effectiveness of the social policies,” he stressed. Key to addressing these challenges is strengthening solidarity. Stressing the need to combat mis- and disinformation, he said that citizen participation in Government and policy can indeed boost trust in the public sector.
Kaisa Juuso, Minister for Social Affairs and Health of Finland, said that a society’s resilience to challenges and crises heavily relies on social cohesion and trust. Universal social protection — such as health services, long-term care and education — enhances stability and security. She went on to introduce the so-called “economy of well-being” approach, emphasizing that the policies and structures supporting human well-being are vital for inclusive economic growth. They are linked directly to economic activity, labour market participation and productivity, she said, adding that it highlights the mutually reinforcing nature of economy and well-being and encourages collaboration across sectors. Investing in universal health coverage, social protection, education and gender equality is key to social cohesion and inclusive economic growth. These together with decent work and inclusive labour markets are “the best ways to tackle poverty and discrimination”, she said. Stressing the importance of leaving no population groups behind, she affirmed that “in Finland, we share a deep understanding in society that a nation can only prosper by providing an enabling environment for everyone to grow to their fullest potential”.
“As one of the largest donors to the global development system, Sweden remains fully committed to reaching the SDG targets, but we are not happy with the progress,” said Camilla Waltersson-Grönvall, Minister for Social Services of Sweden. According to the World Bank, almost 700 million people live in extreme poverty globally, she added, urging lawmakers and leaders to “work hard to ensure sound and inclusive social protection systems”. This is fundamental to guarantee that those in vulnerable situations receive the support they need. Sweden believes that gender equality is both a human right and a key driver of inclusive growth and social development. Turning to child rights, she highlighted several national efforts and underscored evidence that suggests there is a correlation between children growing up in circumstances of parity and deprivation and increased risks in terms of worse physical and mental health, worse educational achievement and lower participation in society. “Families and parents might be the most important tool to prevent children from ending up in negative patterns,” she added.
Betty Amongi Ongom, Minister for Gender, Labour and Social Development of Uganda, highlighted her country’s initiatives to promote social integration by prioritizing health, education, microfinance and macroeconomic measures to drive growth. These efforts have facilitated the absorption of unemployed youth into the private sector. Uganda has also attracted investors through prudent economic and investment policies that have bolstered foreign direct investment (FDI). The country has reformed its labour laws and encouraged private-sector investment in health insurance policies. To further support vulnerable groups, Uganda has made affordable financial services accessible to women, youth, persons with disabilities, older persons, refugees and the rural poor. “We are offering online services with affordable Internet and technology, enabling the rural poor to access many services online,” she noted. Vulnerable communities have also benefited from grants and cash transfers. Additionally, Uganda launched free skilling programmes targeting the underprivileged and supported the establishment of shared facilities, which are freely available to help women and youth incubate their businesses.
Maria Luisa Ramirez, Vice-Minister for Foreign Affairs of Guatemala, said the Government has worked hard to improve trust in institutions, through fighting corruption, providing access to public information and encouraging citizen participation in the formulation of public policies. “In Guatemala, around 59 per cent of the population live in conditions of poverty, with significant differences in the rural and Indigenous areas,” she added. This has led the Government to promote policies for social protection, ensuring that the most vulnerable families have access to quality education, health services with a cultural perspective and opportunities for dignified employment. Concentrating on this is very important “to prevent everyone having to leave rural areas to go to urban areas”, she added. Guatemala is also seeking to promote a safe environment for investment and for entrepreneurship through generating trust in key sectors such as sustainable agriculture and the digitalization of services.
Mahdi Mohamed Djama, Director General of the Social Development Agency in Djibouti, highlighted the significant challenges faced by his country, which has a population of just over 1 million. These challenges include severe weather, desertification and a youth unemployment rate of 73 per cent for those under 25. While Djibouti’s economy has shown resilience — with gross domestic product (GDP) growth averaging 6 per cent from 2011 to 2021 and reaching 6.7 per cent in 2023 — it remains marked by inequality, with a Gini coefficient of 41.6 and an extreme poverty rate of 19.1 per cent. Djibouti Vision 2035 places human capital development and social infrastructure at its core. The Government has implemented social welfare programmes, job creation initiatives through vocational training, and support for small- and medium-sized enterprises. It has also launched efforts to promote solidarity and transparency. To address inequality and poverty, Djibouti is focused on diversifying its economy while strengthening its social and economic systems.
Over the past couple of years, the seemingly steady rightward drift of Elon Musk has culminated in actions and statements that have sparked broad controversy. Musk – visionary CEO of Tesla, SpaceX and founder of X Corp – is a man on a mission to get humanity to Mars. He is also the wealthiest person on the planet.
In January, sales of Tesla cars slumped across five European countries – the UK, France, Sweden, Norway and the Netherlands. Sales were down too in California – the US state with the largest car market. And according to at least one survey, Musk and his politics could be a significant part of the problem.
When CEOs are in the public eye, their personal brands and values, and those of the companies they represent, can be hard to separate. Our research has found that, often, human identity and reputation will influence the CEO’s brand identity and reputation – and vice versa. As a human being, Musk’s personal actions and statements directly affect the companies he represents. His high-profile persona makes it difficult to separate the two.
This is why Musk’s controversial comments and political endorsements have alienated some Tesla consumers, particularly in progressive markets such as Europe and California. In these places, Tesla has historically been popular with environmentally aware consumers. When the profiles of a CEO and his or her brand are not aligned, it’s a problem that can undermine the brand value of both the CEO and the company.
Artists, politicians, CEOs and other public figures tend to attract fans whose personal values can at times deviate from those of the figurehead. Where this happens, devoted fans might be left at an impasse on how to respond to these figures or the products of companies or businesses they are associated with.
A common misconception is that smitten fans are too obsessed to express their distaste. Instead, they are likely to follow blindly and defend the actions of their heroes. Intense actions of “fan armies” on social media platforms have not helped with these assumptions.
But in fact, our research has shown that devoted fans can be critical. We found they are more likely than less devoted consumers to respond in extreme opposition when they feel betrayed by the behaviour of personalities they identify with or hold in high regard.
In the case of personalities like Musk, whose companies produce physical products, loyal fans and consumers could respond in a number of ways. A few hardcore Tesla fans and Musk loyalists might dismiss critiques against his behaviour as attacks against free speech or their own beliefs. They are likely to continue buying Teslas regardless – and may even adjust their own beliefs to align with those of their “hero”.
Out of step
For other consumers, owning a Tesla may no longer signal purely their beliefs about sustainability. There may be a nod to political or ideological affiliations that do not align with their own.
Some consumers may want to dissociate with Tesla if Musk’s behaviour is seen as problematic in their social circle. However, as a purchase requiring high involvement and commitment, switching from Tesla to another EV might be difficult. The recent trend of Tesla owners placing apology stickers on their vehicles is a way of negotiating the tension between owning a Tesla and the behaviour of the CEO they do not agree with.
The stickers provide a means of separating themselves from Musk’s actions while managing the fear of being perceived negatively within their social groups. This is likely to result in a gradual brand erosion rather than an immediate sales drop.
On the other hand, customers of companies such as craft beer brand BrewDog – a firm that has in the past been accused of fostering a culture of fear – may be more responsive to bad CEO behaviour. They at least can switch to an alternative brand at little cost. (BrewDog, for its part, apologised and said it was “committed to doing better”.)
And if Remain voters dislike inventor James Dyson’s stance on Brexit, they might be annoyed but still able to justify keeping a mid-value item like a vacuum cleaner (that is used privately in the home after all) until it breaks, perhaps switching for future purchases rather than abandoning outright.
Consumers can respond in a variety of ways when a figurehead CEO disappoints them. But brands taking blind, uncritical loyalty as a given – even from devoted fans – do so at their peril.
The authors do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.
As the granddaughter of immigrants from Lithuania and Poland who spoke little English, I understand what it’s like to be treated as a stranger in America.
As a journalist, I covered stories of war and trauma in the 1990s, including the crushing of Chinese protests in Tiananmen Square and the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989, followed by the Soviet Union’s collapse two years later. I covered the war between Iraq and Iran. I witnessed ethnic strife in South Africa and the toll poverty takes in Mexico.
And having worked in senior levels of the U.S. government for Presidents Bill Clinton and Barack Obama on international conflict resolution, I have learned that compassion is a key ingredient of peacemaking.
Perhaps that all explains my curiosity about a new study on the state of compassion in America – part of the glue that holds communities together.
Defining compassion
Sociologists define compassion as the human regard for the suffering of others, and the notion of using action to alleviate this pain.
The report that caught my eye was issued in January 2025 by the Muhammad Ali Center, which the late boxer co-founded 20 years ago in Louisville, Kentucky, to advance social justice.
As the Ali Center explains, compassion starts with the individual – self-care and personal wellness. It then radiates out to the wider community in the form of action and engagement.
You can see compassion at work in the actions of a Pasadena, California, girl, who started a donation hub for teens affected by fires that ripped through the Los Angeles region in early 2025. She began collecting sports bras, hair ties and fashionable sweaters – helping hundreds of her peers begin to recover from their losses in material and emotional ways.
It’s also visible in the estimated 6.8 million people in the U.S. who donate blood each year, according to the American Red Cross.
The researchers who worked on the Ali Center report interviewed more than 5,000 U.S. adults living in 12 cities in 2024 in order to learn more about the prevalence of compassionate behaviors such as charitable giving, volunteering and assisting others in their recovery from disasters.
They found that the desire to help others still animates many Americans despite the nation’s current polarization and divisive politics.
The center has created an index it calls the “net compassion score.” It approximates the degree to which Americans give their time and money to programs and activities that nurture and strengthen their communities.
Cities with high compassion scores have more community engagement and civic participation than those with low scores. A higher-scoring community performs better when it comes to things like public housing and mental health resources, for example. Its residents report more career opportunities, better communications between local government and citizens, more community programs and more optimism around economic development where they live.
The report provides some clues as to what drives compassionate behavior in a city: a sense of spirituality, good education, decent health care, resources for activities like sports, and opportunities to engage in local politics.
All told, Americans rate their country as a 9 on a scale that runs from minus 100 to 100.
The report also identified some troubling obstacles that stand in the way of what it calls “self-compassion” – meaning how volunteers and donors treat their own mental and physical health. Frequent struggles with self-care can lead to rising levels of isolation and loneliness.
Jeni Stepanek, left, chair of the Muhammad Ali Index; Lonnie Ali, co-founder and vice chair of the Muhammad Ali Center; and DeVone Holt, the center’s president and CEO, at the launch of the Muhammad Ali Index on Jan. 16, 2025. Bryan Bedder/Getty Images for Muhammad Ali Center
Doubting their own capacity
The 2025 Compassion Report’s findings show that many Americans still want to live in a compassionate country but also that Americans view the country as less compassionate today than four years ago.
The report delves into gaps in compassion. About one-third of those interviewed acknowledged that there are groups toward whom they feel less compassionate toward, such as people who have been convicted of crimes, immigrants living in the U.S. without authorization and the rich.
Only 29% said they feel compassion toward everyone.
The report also identifies gender gaps. Despite expressing greater awareness of systemic challenges, the women surveyed reported less self-compassion than men.
It’s not the first compassion study ever done. But I believe that this one is unique due to its focus on specific cities, and how it assessed limits on the compassion some people feel toward certain groups.
Helping health and humanity
The Compassion Institute, another nonprofit, seeks to weave compassion training into health care education to “create a more caring and humanitarian world.” It cites the benefits of compassion for human beings, with everything from reducing stress to alleviating the effects of disease on the mind and body.
Academic institutions, including Stanford University, have conducted many studies on how teaching compassion can guide health care professionals to both treat patients better and achieve better outcomes.
A team of Emory University researchers examined how training people to express more compassion can reduce stress hormones levels, triggering positive brain responses that improve immune responses.
Offering an advantage
Although there are plenty of adorable videos of dogs and cats behaving kindly with each other or their human companions, historically compassion has differentiated humans from animals.
Human beings possess powers of emotional reasoning that give us an edge.
Scholars are still working to discover how much of human compassion is rooted in emotional reasoning. Another factor they’ve identified is the aftermath of trauma. Studies have found evidence that it can increase empathy later on.
You might imagine that in a world of hurt, there’s a deficit of compassion for others. But the Ali Center’s report keeps alive the notion that Americans remain compassionate people who want to help others.
My experiences around the world and within the U.S. have taught me that human beings both have the power to be violent and destructive. But despite it all, there is, within all of us, the innate ability and desire to be compassionate. That is a net positive for our country.
Tara Sonenshine does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.
US tariffs – both threatened and imposed – on trade partners including China, Canada, Mexico and the EU quickly set off waves of retaliatory measures. The latest commodities in the sights of president Donald Trump are steel and aluminium – with tariffs of 25% announced for all imports. But not only do these taxes disrupt well-established trade flows, they ignite concerns over the very future of globalisation.
Yet amid this uncertainty, it’s possible that there may be a silver lining. Trump may inadvertently be paving the way for a realignment of trade relationships and the emergence of new economic blocs. Such partnerships could foster more resilient and regionally focused economic cooperation.
Trump’s decision to levy tariffs on its major trading partners disrupts the fundamental tenets of the gravity model of trade. According to this theory, trade between two nations is largely determined by their economic size and proximity. For instance, introducing tariffs to the close economic relationship between the US and Canada, underpinned by their shared border, effectively increases the distance between the two by raising costs and reducing the volume of bilateral trade.
However, these disruptions can inadvertently encourage diversification of trade relationships. As companies and governments seek to mitigate the risks associated with tariffs, they may begin to explore new markets and alternative supply chains. This could ultimately lead to a more dispersed and – potentially – more stable global trade system.
Yet as Trump continues to test the limits of his power, he is learning it is not so easy to defy gravity. Already, the president has dialled down tariffs on Canada and Mexico, while China has struck back with retaliatory measures.
One positive spin-off of the trade war may be the reinforcement of regional alliances. With traditional trade flows disrupted, countries are increasingly incentivised to strengthen ties with neighbouring economies.
North American outlook
Canada and Mexico, long considered natural trading partners of the US, might pivot towards deepening their economic cooperation. They may also look to bilateral agreements with other partners as well as seeking new markets, strengthening ties with China and Japan.
The USMCA (United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement) provides a strong foundation for trade. But attempts to dismantle this arrangement could see Canada and Mexico accelerating efforts to build closer economic ties with other regions, reducing their exposure to the US market.
Trump reveals his plans for sweeping steel tariffs on “everybody”.
Trump’s planned tariffs on steel threaten to undermine the USMCA. After all, it is designed to foster integrated supply chains and low-tariff economic cooperation among the three countries. This is likely to escalate trade tensions across the bloc, forcing a reassessment of the trade agreement’s key terms and destabilising the established relationships.
European Union outlook
The imposition of tariffs on the EU could lead to deepening integration among its member states. Faced with new pressures from the US, the EU might accelerate initiatives aimed at consolidating internal trade, harmonising regulations and promoting intra-European supply chains.
Member states, with France at the forefront, are already advocating for a united response to counteract US protectionism. They hope to signal a strong political commitment to resist the pressures from Trump.
Asia-Pacific outlook
China, as the world’s second-largest economy behind the US, may seek to expand its trade relationships in the Asia-Pacific region and beyond. As China’s economic growth model is export-led, it may seek stronger partnerships with regional players and invest in new trade agreements. This could potentially give rise to an even more integrated Asian economic community.
A new economic order
Whatever else plays out, these tariff wars signal a reordering of the global economic landscape. Such disruptions, though painful in the short term, can create long-term changes that rebalance economic systems. The natural trading partner hypothesis reinforces this view by highlighting how countries with shared cultural, historical and geographical ties are likely to deepen their economic relationships in the face of external shocks.
Table of US trade
Source: US Bureau of Economic Analysis (2025) Author provided
In this new order, traditional superpowers may find themselves challenged by unified responses from other nations. By imposing tariffs, the US risks isolating itself from these emerging alliances, while its major trading partners may become united in their efforts to counterbalance rising American protectionism.
The ripple effects of the US tariff row extend well beyond the directly involved countries, with significant implications for global trade networks. For the UK, already coping with the aftermath of Brexit, this new environment offers both challenges and opportunities.
With US-led protectionism disrupting traditional trade channels, the UK could seize the opportunity to diversify its export markets by forging stronger ties with the EU and digging deeper into its Commonwealth alliances. It could reinforce its position as a hub for international commerce while continuing to cultivate its relationship with the US. Managing Trump is a delicate balancing act for prime minister Keir Starmer, as both are expected to be in office for four years.
A word of caution – negotiating international trade agreements is a complex and lengthy process. This is the hard lesson learned by the UK. Its trade with the EU (its most important commercial partner) shrank after Brexit, driving the quest for new trading partners and agreements. But these fruits are slow to materialise.
The UK formally requested accession to the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) in February 2021, but only signed the accession protocol in July 2023.
And we should not forget that in 2024 the UK halted its trade talks with Canada after two years of negotiations, due to disagreements over the standards on some agricultural products.
Tariffs come with challenges, but they might also be the beginning of a slow and painful change towards a more balanced and robust global economic order.
The authors do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.
Source: United Kingdom UK Parliament (video statements)
How is Government going to fix NHS dentistry?
The Public Accounts Committee (PAC) is examining the effectiveness of the Government’s plans to fix NHS dentistry.
The Committee will hear from senior officials at the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) and NHS England (NHSE), including DHSC’s interim permanent secretary Sir Chris Whitty, and NHSE’s Chief Executive Amanda Pritchard.
Just under half of the population had seen an NHS dentist in the 24 months pre-pandemic. This had only recovered to 40% by March 2024. The previous Government published its Dental Recovery Plan in February 2024, aiming to expand access to NHS dentistry over the next year. Other challenges for NHS dental delivery include the current dental contract acting as a disincentive to provide NHS care, falling numbers of dentists providing such care, and falling real-terms spend on NHS dentistry.
The NAO found that as of November 2024, it was not clear that any additional courses of treatment had been delivered under the recovery plan; just one dentist appeared to have been appointed under its new ‘golden hello’ recruitment scheme; and fewer new patients appeared to have been seen following the introduction of the Government’s new patient premium. Ministers had also decided to leave the procurement of mobile dental vans to local commissioners.
Other likely topics to be explored at the session include:
• The current condition of NHS dentistry and the impact of the dental recovery plan, which has an ambition to deliver an additional 1.5m courses of treatment by the end of March 2025;
• Addressing regional inequalities in access to dentistry, and the barriers to securing access to NHS dentistry for more people in England; and
• Future plans to recover NHS dentistry.
Source: United Kingdom UK Parliament (video statements)
Will airports expansion drive regional economic growth?
Whether expanding airports in the south east of England can benefit the rest of the UK economy will be the focus of a Transport Committee evidence session.
MPs will question Aviation Minister Mike Kane MP and a senior Department for Transport official, following a panel with economists and industry experts.
It comes after the Government recently announced support for a third runway at Heathrow and proposed expansions at Gatwick, Luton and other airports.
Witnesses may be asked to consider economic factors linked to airport expansion such as: the tourism industry, tax revenues generated, the UK’s large aircraft manufacturing sector, increased capacity for air freight, and catalytic effects on other businesses.
The New Economics Foundation, which is represented among witnesses in this session, has said it has been “some time” since the Government has assessed the “marginal economic impact” that airports expansion may have. The think tank has also pointed to varying methods of calculating the net economic impact that increased air travel has on the UK economy. For example, whether greater outbound travel by Brits could see a larger proportion of consumer spending happen abroad rather than at home, and to what extent that is offset by money spent in the UK from international tourists.
Heathrow has itself previously said that expansion would mean growing its workforce of 28,600 people to over 100,000. The cross-party Committee will question a representative of Frontier Economics, a think tank commissioned by Heathrow Airport to look into the potential economic benefits of building a third runway.
There will also be questions about the capacity of airports around the UK, whether they are surpassing or failing to meet demand, forecasts on future demand, and the role that larger ‘hub’ airports could play with smaller regional ones – a ‘hub and spoke’ model.
The Minister and DfT will be asked to explain how airport expansion will fit into a wider national strategy for the aviation sector, and how air travel strategically links with other transport networks such as roads and railways.
Source: The Conversation – UK – By Sven Batke, Associate Head of Research and Knowledge Exchange – Reader in Plant Science, Edge Hill University
A tomato greenhouse in north-west England. Sven Batke, CC BY-NC-ND
When was the last time you walked into a supermarket and marvelled at the abundance of exotic fruits and vegetables, even in the dead of winter? This luxury, now an expectation, only became common in the mid-20th century, reaching the UK some decades later.
Not long ago, winter produce in UK supermarkets was limited; root vegetables like carrots, potatoes, and parsnips, alongside hardy greens such as kale and cabbage. Fruits were even scarcer, mostly apples and pears. Today’s variety owes much to advances in global trade and smarter greenhouses, which help extend growing seasons and bring once seasonal produce to shelves all year round.
Fast forward just one generation, and now supermarket shelves are stocked with dragon fruit, bananas, coconuts, avocados, and a variety of exotic nuts and vegetables. These items not only hail from the farthest reaches of the globe, but have also been bred to offer consumers unique sensory experiences or health benefits, such as higher concentrations of antioxidants. It’s no surprise that most of these exotic foods are often not grown locally or even within Europe.
According to the latest government figures from 2023, 53% of the vegetables consumed in the UK are imported, and only 17% of fruits are grown locally. The contrast is stark when you look at exports, which remain relatively small (about 100,000 tonnes in 2023).
UK food security could be improved by growing more produce inside smart greenhouses. Sven Batke, CC BY-NC-ND
How often do you eat a UK-grown strawberry or tomato outside summer? Many such vegetables come from the Netherlands, Morocco and Spain, while most fruit comes from Colombia, Costa Rica and Brazil. No surprise, given their warmer climates. The UK averages 9-12°C annually, compared to Morocco’s 18-20°C.
Increasing demand for exotic foods available year-round has made the UK’s food system vulnerable to external market fluctuations. Disruptions, such as trade barriers following Brexit or global hikes in energy prices due to the Ukraine war have placed supply chains under strain.
Empty supermarket shelves could become more common if we see disruptions in supply chains, putting further pressure on the undervalued domestic growing sector. But could the UK grow more of its own food and reduce reliance on volatile global markets?
Hi-tech solutions
Protected horticulture (specifically in the food sector, as opposed to ornamental plants) involves growing fruits and vegetables year-round in controlled environments, such as polytunnels, greenhouses and indoor vertical farms.
These facilities regulate temperature, humidity and light, and in some cases, even atmospheric gases like CO₂. Water and nutrient inputs are also tightly controlled, reducing waste by up to 95% compared to traditional field-grown methods. This allows year-around protection from the elements. They are often overlooked despite holding the key to solving some of the current food security challenges.
As part of the Greenhouse Innovation Consortium, my team of biologists, geographers and I recently mapped over 12,000 greenhouses in Britain. Estimates suggest that around 70% of these structures are more than 40 years old.
So why haven’t we seen more UK-grown fruits and vegetables on supermarket shelves if we have the technology to produce them? One major reason is the high energy demand of indoor growing, especially in cold and cloudy weather – something we are all too familiar with in the UK. For example, 2024 has seen one of the worse years in total recorded sun hours.
The UK’s horticulture sector has also received very little government support over the years. There are few incentives for growers to adopt new technology or upgrade infrastructure. Many UK growers still have not adopted technologies like automatic harvest robots or AI-controlled systems, and even simple upgrades like LED growing lights could boost yield by over 50%. However, resource management in this sector requires experience and making these changes is a fine balancing act.
Most British greenhouses are more than 40 years old so investment is needed to upgrade them. Sven Batke, CC BY-NC-ND
But the future can be bright – if we choose to make it so. To grow more produce all year round without compromising on flavour, the sector needs more investment in local expertise and cutting-edge facilities.
From precision horticulture to advanced AI-controlled greenhouses, with the right drive and investment, the UK could move towards a more sustainable food production system. Sweden for example is currently investing over £700 million into horticulture.
While achieving 100% self-sufficiency may not be feasible due to other demands on land, such as housing, conservation, and industry, creating a more resilient and less dependent food sector would benefit everyone (not to mention reducing food miles).
The UK’s food future doesn’t have to rely on global markets. With investment and innovation, the country can build a resilient, sustainable food system. Year-round demand for exotic produce has exposed supply chain fragility, but fostering domestic growth and technology can change the narrative.
It’s not about turning back the clock, but about making the most of what the UK has while driving forward the solutions that make sense for the country’s future. The answer is not just more local food. It’s smarter, more resilient food systems that can weather whatever challenges lie ahead.
Don’t have time to read about climate change as much as you’d like?
Sven Batke works together with industry growers and manufactures in the horticulture industry. The work we are doing is part of the Greenhouse Innovation Consortium, which aims to support local growers in the UK.
(L-R) Tracy Rice (Southern Regional College & ABC LMP Chairperson); Councillor Sarah Duffy (Lord Mayor of Armagh City, Banbridge and Craigavon) and Alderman Paul Greenfield (Economic Development and Regeneration Committee Chair) at the launch of the Employability and Skills Conference.
The annual Employability and Skills Conference returns to Armagh City Hotel on Thursday 13 March! The event will focus on helping businesses to ‘get future ready’ by recruiting, retaining and reskilling a resilient and talented workforce to help secure the future growth of the local economy.
The ‘Get Future Ready: Employability and Skills’ series is part of the Armagh, Banbridge and Craigavon Labour Market Partnership. Funded by the Department for Communities, Labour Market Partnerships create targeted employment action plans for council areas, allowing for collaboration at local and regional level to support people towards and into work.
Hosted by Mark Simpson, this event is open to all local employers, residents and community representatives as well as education and training providers and employment support agencies.
A host of keynote speakers will share their experience and insights, including Dr Eoin Magennis from Ulster University (‘The Future is Now – Setting the Scene’); Ann Watt from Pivotal (‘Tackling Economic Inactivity with Innovative Workforce Strategies’) and Kathleen O’Hare from Northern Ireland Skills Council (‘Crafting Tomorrow’s Talent: How NI is Shaping the Skills of the Future’). Elaine Leonard from The Appleby Trust will discuss the subject of Embracing Neurodiversity and Unlocking unique strengths for a Thriving Workforce.
Lord Mayor of Armagh City, Banbridge and Craigavon, Councillor Sarah Duffy commented:
“The Employability and Skills Conference is a key event for local employers and job seekers to explore the economic developments and challenges and to address the skills and abilities that will be needed in the workplace going forward.
“I look forward to welcoming our keynote speakers and business representatives who will be encouraging businesses toadapt and evolve to remain competitive, be open to new ideas, take calculated risks, experiment with different approaches and capitalise on the business support available.
“Council is committed to working together with stakeholders to create a talented and motivated workforce to meet future challenges and to ensure everyone can benefit from a growing and vibranteconomy.”
The conference will also feature an insightful panel discussion on the evolving landscape of recruitment and training. Leading employers will share their perspectives on rethinking traditional hiring practices and upskilling strategies, highlighting innovative approaches that foster diversity, efficiency, and future-ready talent in the workplace.
Attendees will have the chance to connect with a diverse range of exhibitors, fostering opportunities to advance recruitment, retention and reskilling options for their business.
Further to the initiation of the share buy-back program announced on 10 December 2024, Melexis reports the purchase of 16,000 Melexis shares on Euronext Brussels in the period from 6 to 7 February 2025.
Today, NNIT releases its preliminary financial key figures for 2024, the financial outlook for 2025 and announces an adjustment of the group’s financial aspirations.
Preliminary financial figures for 2024 Based on unaudited financial figures, NNIT delivered results in line with the latest outlook for organic growth of around 6-7% and group operating profit margin excluding special items of 6-7%. Group revenue amounted to DKK 1,851m corresponding to organic growth of 6.0% and reported growth of 7.1%. Group operating profit excluding special items was DKK 117m equating to a margin of 6.3%. Special items amounted to DKK 69m.
Financial outlook for 2025 Although market conditions and the geopolitical landscape have become more uncertain, NNIT expects to continue growing its underlying business across the Life Science, Public and Private verticals in 2025. Organic growth is expected to be 7-10% with profitability anticipated to increase driven by top line growth, improving billability and cost optimization. The group operating profit margin excluding special items is expected to be 7-9%. Special items are anticipated to be at a lower level than 2024.
Financial aspirations adjusted NNIT remains committed to its strategic direction of becoming a pure-play IT consultancy company with strong positions in globally attractive markets and ample opportunities to profitably grow its business.
NNIT adjusts its financial mid-term aspirations based on lower-than-initially-expected financial performance in 2024, the impact on expectations for 2025 and beyond from continued macroeconomic and geopolitical uncertainty combined with a significant downgrade of the market outlook for the Life Science industry1 from around 8% CAGR in 2023-2026 to around 5% CAGR in 2024-2028. For the mid-term strategy period 2025-27, NNIT aspires to deliver profitable growth with annual organic revenue growth between 7 to 10%, and an operating profit margin before special items above 10% in 2027.
NNIT will release its Annual Report 2024 on February 18, 2025, and host a webcast on the following day as planned.
1Source: Gartner data from 2023 and latest data from Everest Group, November 2024
For more information, please contact: Investor Relations Carsten Ringius EVP & CFO Tel: +45 3077 8888 carr@nnit.com
Media Relations Sofie Mand Steffens Senior Communications Consultant Tel: +45 3077 8337 smst@nnit.com
ABOUT NNIT NNIT is a leading provider of IT solutions to life sciences internationally, and to the public and private sectors in Denmark.
We focus on high complexity industries and thrive in environments where regulatory demands and complexity are high.
We advise on and build sustainable digital solutions that work for the patients, citizens, employees, end users or customers.
We strive to build unmatched excellence in the industries we serve, and we use our domain expertise to represent a business first approach – strongly supported by a selection of partner technologies, but always driven by business needs rather than technology.
NNIT consists of group company NNIT A/S and the subsidiary SCALES. Together, these companies employ more than 1,700 people in Europe, Asia and USA.
Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments
Home of Royal Navy Type 31 frigates production supports 2,500 Scottish jobs.
Scottish small and medium enterprises (SMEs) contributed to the government’s Defence Industrial Strategy today as the Minister for Defence Procurement and Industry, Maria Eagle MP, visited the home of Royal Navy Type 31 frigate production.
Local Scottish SMEs took part in a roundtable discussion at manufacturer Babcock’s site at Rosyth about the upcoming Strategy, emphasising the government’s commitment to fostering growth in the defence sector.
The event, hosted by Minister Eagle, provided a platform for SMEs to explore challenges and opportunities within the shipbuilding industry, reinforcing the Strategy’s goal of ensuring defence investment supports UK-wide prosperity.
With the consultation running until the end of February, the upcoming Defence Industrial Strategy seeks to grow a faster, more integrated, more resilient supply chain. Babcock has invested around £200 million in its Rosyth facilities over the last decade, including the development of a state-of-the-art assembly hall that enables the simultaneous construction of two Type 31 frigates.
The Type 31 programme, managed by Defence Equipment and Support (DE&S), demonstrates the breadth of the UK’s shipbuilding skills, innovation and capability.
Ongoing contracts like Type 31 are a key part of the UK Government’s Plan for Change, safeguarding national security whilst raising living standards across the UK with good, skilled, productive jobs.
Minister for Defence Procurement and Industry, Maria Eagle MP, said:
It was great to visit Rosyth and witness first-hand their world-class shipbuilding programme which will strengthen our national security into the future, whilst boosting jobs and small and medium-sized businesses across Scotland.
This Government is working swiftly to develop a new Defence Industrial Strategy, in partnership with industry, innovators and workers, to drive jobs and growth in every nation and region of the UK, supporting our Plan for Change.
Awarded to Babcock in November 2019, the contract for five Type 31 frigates has secured a legacy of shipbuilding activity at Rosyth, one of the UK’s largest waterside manufacturing and repair facilities. The programme continues to sustain and create 2,500 skilled jobs, reinforcing Scotland’s vital contribution to national defence capabilities.
The T31 class is based on Babcock’s Arrowhead 140 design, the parent design for the Type 31 frigate, which is adaptable to meet the needs of export customers, demonstrated in successes with Poland and Indonesia. International interest in further exports of the AH140 remains strong.
Babcock officially commenced construction on HMS Formidable at the end of last year, marking the third of five Type 31 Inspiration Class frigates being built for the Royal Navy. Flexible and adaptable by design, the Type 31 is a general-purpose frigate that will undertake missions such as interception, disruption, intelligence gathering, defence engagement and providing humanitarian support.
Source: The Conversation – Canada – By Jennifer A. Selby, Professor, Religious Studies and Political Science, Memorial University of Newfoundland
Legislation and scrutiny of ‘fraudulent marriage’ subtly position romance as a proxy to assess narrow liberal ideals.(Shutterstock)
Valentine’s Day is sold to us as a moment to celebrate romance: we should buy cards, roses and chocolates. Go for fancy, dimly lit dinners with our significant others. Make loving declarations.
However, romance can also be mobilized to judge and surveil relationships, and determine which are valid and which are not. Numerous countries, including Canada, have laws against what they deem as fraudulent marriages.
To consider the impact of these laws, and to study the colonial legacies within them, I conducted a study of the marriage (and for many, migration) experiences of people of Algerian origin in three contexts: Ghazaouet and Tizi Ouzou in Algeria, a Parisian suburb called Petit-Nanterre and in Montréal from 2011 to 2019. My findings drew on almost 200 personal interviews focused on the marriage partner preferences and ceremonies of my participants.
I was particularly interested in a comparison between France and Canada, where monitoring romance has served as a way to gauge the sincerity of marriages among migrants for whom citizenship is at stake.
Laws targeting fraudulent marriage
In an effort to curb a seeming rise in fraudulent marriages in immigration family sponsorship requests, governments in France and Canada introduced legislation in the 2000s to promote greater surveillance of and penalties for marriage fraud.
In France, this began in 2008 with a law to curb “love fraud with a migratory aim.” Passed in the same year, Canada’s law centred on impeding “bad faith” marriages.
Such legislation often comes with penalties. In France, if one is found guilty of being party to a fraudulent marriage, the penalty can be annulment, five to 10 years in prison, fines or deportation. The impetus for such laws is the unquantified sense that a growing number of foreign nationals take advantage of family unification immigration pathways through disingenuous relationships.
The state’s involvement in France is more acute because the burden of assessment falls primarily on marriage officiants and immigration officers. Civil marriages there must take place in a municipal office and prior to a religious marriage.
A 2010 directive to French marriage officiants is especially revelatory of this surveillance. Evidence of financial and sexual intimacies act as evidence of a sincere marriage. Romance is seen as a reflection of a spontaneous and uncalculated relationship.
Of course, there is no evidence that expressions of romance in an early marriage are signs of success; divorce occurs for almost half of marrying couples, whether couples are transnational or not. Figures in Canada indicate a slightly higher divorce rate than in France.
In Montréal, one can be married outside of a municipal office. Still, my participants in that city shared similar stories of pressures to perform specific sexual politics in the presence of state officials.
One man whose wife wore a hijab was interrogated by first responders about the husband’s involvement when she fainted, while pregnant, outside a grocery store. Bewildered by the situation, he answered their questions about whether theirs was a forced marriage (it was not). In retrospect, he said he would have declined this line of questioning and focused their attention on his wife.
Arranged marriages
One of my notable findings is that many marriages in my sample were quasi-arranged — organized with the assistance of family members (often mothers). Yet, these types of marriages often fall outside idealized ideas of romance, rendering these couples more vulnerable to being accused of fraud.
I also found that potential scrutiny from immigration officials did not impede interest in a transnational marriage partner. Many of my interviewees liked the idea of a partner of the same religion or culture, and who spoke Arabic or Tamazight. In addition, for many, a cosmopolitan transnational life linking Algeria with France or Québec was appealing.
Depending on their gender, social class, religiosity, families and personalities, individuals grapple with these politics differently. The social contexts of a Parisian suburb and Montréal further shaped a participant’s sense of longing and belonging. Fewer Algerian women in Montréal were interested in such arrangements. Invariably, however, individuals of Algerian origin in both contexts knew that transnational unions were highly scrutinized.
Despite the attention granted to curbing marriage fraud, the data suggest that few marriages are annulled. The spectre of this surveillance is greater than its enforcement.
Unfairly penalizing migrants
Legislation and scrutiny of marriages seen as fraudulent subtly position romance as a proxy to assess narrow liberal ideals. Somescholars have called this phenomenon a push for a “sexual democracy,” where women’s bodies are subtly expected to remain visible and sexually available as signs of their putative equality.
Perhaps unexpectedly, niqab bans in both France and Québec further reflect these values. Full-face veils are, tellingly, depicted as lacking sexual agency and individualism, and impeding a cisgender woman’s ability to attract men.
Narrow views of what kind of romance should be legitimized and celebrated are not limited to governments. Such views also manifest in consumer culture and in the wedding industry, and are desired and performed by many of us, including among my research participants in arranged marriages. Romance’s pervasiveness, desirability and seeming spontaneity mask its politics.
As we enjoy romantic gestures on Valentine’s Day, we should also consider the cultural specificity of these tropes and their potentially exclusionary politics in determining whose relationships are deemed legitimate. Entrenchments of patriarchal chivalry, monogamy, consumerism and narrow gender roles can run in tandem.
Jennifer A. Selby receives funding from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada.
City of London Policy Chairman visits to strengthen business links
11 February 2025
The City of London Corporation’s Policy Chairman, Chris Hayward, was in Derry this week to attend the launch of the MATRIX NI report and a number of engagements to build on the North West’s strong connections with the City of London.
Matrix, Northern Ireland’s Science and Industry Advisory Panel, supported by the Department for the Economy, launched a new report exploring opportunities for the application of regulatory technologies (RegTech).
The report finds that Northern Ireland, with its skilled workforce and strong academic institutions, is strongly positioned to help businesses navigate an increasingly complex regulatory environment. This can be achieved by the development of innovative solutions to streamline compliance processes, enhancing transparency, while mitigating any risks in the financial services sector
Mr Hayward and his delegation were welcomed to the city by the Chief Executive of Derry City and Strabane District Council, John Kelpie, who took the opportunity to discuss shared interests in business, innovation and culture. The significant work being done by the Council and its delivery partners to bring forward an ambitious suite of innovative City Deal projects that will create jobs, attract investment and growth to the region was also discussed.
Mr Kelpie said it was a great honour to welcome Mr Hayward to the region to talk about the opportunities to promote the RegTech proposition, harnessing the city region’s unique cross-jurisdictional location and collaborative partnerships and to build on existing relationships between the two cities and regions.
He said: “We have extremely strong links with the City of London and it’s hugely encouraging to see Mr Hayward and his delegation taking time out of their schedule to visit our city and meet with industry leaders to hear about the excellent work that is being done here in terms of attracting global investment and helping home-grown success stories compete internationally. The City of London Corporation is a global financial and professional services capital that drives the UK’s economy and the sector is of huge importance to this region.”
During his visit, Mr Hayward met with RegTech Supercluster representatives to hear at first-hand about the collaborative work being done on the ground to develop the region’s RegTech offering.
It was also an opportunity to provide the delegation with an update on the ‘Innovation Challenge’ programme that was launched late last year with the City of London Corporation as a strategic partner, to encourage innovators to develop creative technology solutions to tackle cross border regulatory and compliance challenges.
A key element of the visit was to discuss with key stakeholders the key findings of the Matrix NI report and how to bring forward its recommendations.
The launch provided the opportunity for the RegTech Supercluster to discuss how it can support the Department to shape the RegTech proposition and working with key stakeholders generate economic growth and competitive advantage across the region.
The delegation met with senior officials at the Ulster University to discuss their expansion plans and to receive an update on the work being carried out by the Task Force and key research and development projects.
Mr Heyward also met with representatives from the Londonderry Chamber of Commerce before taking a tour of the local Seagate plant at Springtown and meeting with Chief Operating Officer with EY, Jonathan Williamson, to discuss their future plans for development at Ebrington Plaza and their wider growth across the region.
Upcoming works on the Station Gateway project have been confirmed as the project progresses.
In recent weeks paving has been laid and footpath and kerb improvements are happening near to the Blossom Street Junction. This is creating new high quality public realm in the area where Queen Street Bridge used to be.
Contractors John Sisk & Son have announced upcoming dates to local residents, including some night working during February and March. The work involves using machinery but every effort is being made to keep noise and disruption to a minimum. Night work will start on Monday 17 February and will be from 7.30pm until 5am on weeknights.
During weeknights on the weeks commencing 17 February and 24 February, work will take place opposite the station portico to dig out existing footways and roads so that they can be resurfaced and improved as part of the changes to public spaces in the area. While this is taking place two-way traffic lights will be in place while the overnight works are happening.
Access to the station and nearby properties is being maintained. Further night works are planned mid-March and more details on these will be shared in the coming weeks.
Councillor Kate Ravilious, Executive Member for Transport, said:
“It’s fantastic to see the difference that is being made to the area as work continues and really exciting to see the transformation.
“We apologise in advance for any inconvenience caused. Our contractors will be doing all they can to minimise disruption.
“Local businesses, including the station, remain open for business throughout these works.”
This major project is being delivered in partnership by City of York Council, Network Rail, LNER and the West Yorkshire Combined Authority alongside contractor for the highways works for the project John Sisk & Son, and is part funded by the UK government.
The ambitious project will completely transform the station frontage, providing an improved transport interchange, as well as revamping the public space around the station. The scheme will also create an improved setting for the City Walls and other heritage buildings in the area.
A man who converted blank firearms for criminals from a workshop in his back garden has been jailed for more than 10 years.
Luke Parr, 23 (01.04.2001) of Maxey Road, Dagenham, appeared at Snaresbrook Crown Court on Monday, 10 February where he was sentenced to a total of 10 and a half years’ imprisonment for two counts of possession of a firearm, possession of ammunition and manufacturing firearms.
He had previously pleaded guilty, at the same court, to all the allegations against him.
On 10 June 2024, Parr was arrested on suspicion of conspiracy to murder following the near fatal shooting of a man in Dagenham days earlier.
Following his arrest, officers searched Parr’s home and discovered a workshop in his back garden from where he was running a firearms conversion factory. During the search they also found two handguns that had already been converted for potentially lethal use as well as ammunition and all the equipment required to convert more guns.
While he was ultimately not charged in relation to the shooting, the investigation into Parr revealed his focus was on converting blank firing guns.
Some of the guns he was converting included Turkish-manufactured ‘top venting blank firers’.
This sort of gun is increasingly being linked to criminal activity in London and across the UK, including serious violence and even murder. They were previously legal to own and many thousands were bought lawfully, but they have since been found to be easily convertible using household tools and are now, as a result, illegal.
A national amnesty is underway to take as many of them off the streets as possible, depriving criminals like Parr with the opportunity to turn them into lethal weapons.
Detective Superintendent Tim Mustoe, from the Met’s Specialist Crime Command, said:“This case highlights the ongoing risk posed when criminals with the necessary knowledge get their hands on readily convertible blank firing guns.
“From a shed in his back garden, Parr was able to turn blank firers into guns that could be used to cause serious harm on the streets of London. It is right that he has been sentenced to a lengthy term in prison.
“The key to stopping those like Parr is to dramatically reduce the number of these guns in circulation. It’s why it is so important that the ongoing amnesty is a success.
“We know the majority were bought lawfully by people with no ill intent who have done nothing wrong. It’s when they fall into the wrong hands that the damage can be done.
“I would urge anyone who has one of these guns at home to do the responsible thing and hand it in at a police station as part of the amnesty.
“They will not face police action for possession of the gun at the point of surrender if they do so during the amnesty, but if they choose not to do so now and are found to have one of these guns at a later date, then the consequences will be quite different.”
Details of the amnesty can be found below:
Turkish-manufactured top venting blank firers (TVBFs) can be handed in at police stations across London until Friday, 28 February.
This is part of a four week national amnesty taking place across the country.
TVBFs are legal to buy in the UK without a licence, unless they are readily convertible.
Tests by the National Crime Agency and police forces show models produced by four Turkish manufacturers – Retay, Ekol, Ceonic and Blow – are readily convertible and are therefore illegal.
Anyone found to be in possession of one, after the amnesty period, could face up to 10 years’ imprisonment.
During the Amnesty period, those handing in a Turkish manufactured TVBF will not face prosecution for the illegal possession and will not have to give their details.
However, the weapons will be examined to determine if they’ve previously been used in serious violence or other criminality.
While TVBFs can be handed in at any police station during the amnesty, the Met is asking people to aim to go to one of these stations:
Edmonton
Chingford
Colindale
Wembley
Islington
Stoke Newington
Bethnal Green
Ilford
Lewisham
Bexleyheath
Croydon
Bromley
Kingston
Brixton
Acton
Charing Cross
Hammersmith
Anyone intending to hand in a TVBF as part of the amnesty is encouraged to check the opening times of the relevant station on the Met Police website. To receive advice on how best to transport the weapon responsibly from home to the police station, phone 101 before travelling.
If you know of people involved in illegal firearms activity, you should call the police on 101 or report the information to the independent charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.
Every call to Crimestoppers is anonymous and potentially vital to preventing or solving serious crimes. Removing an illegally held firearm from circulation may just save someone’s life.
