NewzIntel.com

Category: European Union

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Change of His Majesty’s High Commissioner to Trinidad and Tobago

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments 3

    Mr Jon Dean has been appointed British High Commissioner to the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago in succession to Ms Harriet Cross who will be transferring to another Diplomatic Service appointment. Mr Dean will take up his appointment during December 2024.

    Mr Jon Dean

    Curriculum vitae

    Full name: Jon Mark Dean

    2022 to 2024 N’Djamena, His Majesty’s Ambassador
    2020 to 2022 New York, Counsellor Internal
    2018 to 2020 United Nations Office of Counter-Terrorism, Secondment, New York
    2015 to 2018 FCO, Head of Iraq Team, Middle East and North Africa Directorate
    2013 to 2015  Juba, Deputy Head of Mission and Consul
    2013 Yaoundé, Deputy High Commissioner and Consul (3 months)
    2012 New York, UK Permanent Mission to the United Nations, Second Secretary Political (3 months)
    2009 to 2012 Brasília, Second Secretary Political
    2007 to 2008 FCO, Desk Officer, Kosovo
    2005 to 2007 FCO, Desk Officer, EU Environment Policy
    2005 Joined FCO

    Media enquiries

    Email newsdesk@fcdo.gov.uk

    Telephone 020 7008 3100

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

    Updates to this page

    Published 16 October 2024

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI Economics: Wild Bunch AG: BaFin imposes administrative fine

    Source: Bundesanstalt für Finanzdienstleistungsaufsicht – In English

    Annual financial reports / halfyearly financial reports are available in the Company Register. However, companies must provide information about when and where their financial reports are published in addition to this.

    An appeal may be lodged against the administrative fine order.

    Background information:

    Financial reports provide information on companies’ assets, financial position and results of operations. This information is important to investors because it allows them to make informed investment decisions.

    Companies such as Wild Bunch AG that are domiciled in Germany and issue securities that are traded on an organised market in Germany must publish an announcement about the date from which and the website where their annual financial reports and half-yearly financial reports are made publicly available, in addition to their availability in the company register.

    For annual financial reports, the announcement must be published no later than four months after the end of each reporting period and before the annual financial report; for half-yearly financial reports, the announcement must be published no later than three months after the end of each reporting period and before the half-yearly financial report.

    Failure to publish financial reports and announcements stating when and where these reports are made publicly available, or failure to publish such reports and announcements within the prescribed period, constitutes a contravention of sections 114 et seq. of the WpHG. BaFin may in each case impose administrative fines on companies that fail to comply with this obligation. The maximum amount for this fine is 10 million euros or up to 5% of total revenue.

    MIL OSI Economics –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Government funding secured to bring forward disused site for new homes 16 October 2024 Isle of Wight Council secures government funding to bring forward disused site for housing

    Source: Aisle of Wight

    The Isle of Wight Council has been awarded £150,000 to help bring forward a prime brownfield site for development.

    The windfall will be used to demolish the former police station in Fairlee Road, Newport, and prepare the council-owned site so that it is ready for the building of up to ten new homes.

    The funding comes from the government’s Brownfield Land Release Fund which supports councils in unlocking small and medium sites that have been previously developed and where viability issues due to abnormal costs, such as site levelling, demolition, and groundworks, are likely to prevent their future development.

    Councillor Ian Stephens, deputy leader and Cabinet member for housing and finance, said: “We are delighted to have secured funding from the Brownfield Land Release Fund.

    “This will enable us to demolish a disused building, in a prime location close to the town centre. The cleared site will speed up the delivery time for much needed new homes.”

    Council leader, Councillor Phil Jordan, added: “This scheme, using government funding, is part of a wider council project to deliver homes for residents of the Isle of Wight.

    “In clearing this site in preparation for housing, we are enabling another development to be built on and provide the homes we desperately need.

    “This is the third site we have obtained government funding for and along with other sites we are bringing forward for provision, are positively adding to the housing availability numbers on this Island at a time when demand is outstripping supply.”

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Michelle named Teacher of the Year by SEND group

    Source: City of Wolverhampton

    Michelle Madziak, who works at Green Park School, was nominated by colleagues for being an advocate who ensures that the voice of pupils is heard and acted on, even when pupils are non-verbal, and for finding solutions to potential barriers in order for pupils to progress.

    Headteacher Lorraine Dawney said: “We and the Governors want to celebrate the positive impact Michelle has made and the joy and successful outcomes pupils have in their learning.”

    Assistant Headteacher Heather Martin added: “We are so proud of Michelle. Her positive attitude helps her motivate and lead many people at Green Park.

    “Her love of learning is evident in her everyday work and is passionate about the key skills pupils need to learn. Seeing that work experience opportunities for our learners are minimal, she has created ‘Deals on Wheels’ – a school shop that pupils run to increase their independence and life experience.

    “As part of the school improvement team, she also leads on whole school priorities, ensuring and assuring that all teams are achieving ambitious standards.

    “The school community love working with Michelle; she is a role model to all colleagues and we are delighted she has been named Teacher of the Year.”

    Michelle said: “It feels amazing to be recognised by my colleagues and a national association. I feel honoured to work with the pupils and they were just as excited as I was. The pupils teach me something new every day!”

    Phil Leivers, the City of Wolverhampton Council’s Head of Service, Educational Excellence, said: “This is a tremendous accolade for Michelle and I would like to congratulate her on her achievement. Teachers help students learn, grow, and develop into their best selves, and Michelle has demonstrated what an excellent job she is doing for young people at Green Park.”

    The National Association for Special Educational Needs is a charitable membership organisation that exists to support and champion those working with, and for, children and young people with SEND and learning differences.

    It provides free resources and support for all members, leading targeted programmes and projects to deliver widespread improvements, offering a structured programme of professional development, accredited training and conferences as well as a package of SEND services throughout the UK and internationally.

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: We respond to your thoughts on nature

    Source: City of Plymouth

    We’re reflecting on a fabulous Summer of Nature.

    From the end of July to the beginning of September, we delivered over 50 events alongside many different communities and partner organisations and engaged with over 1,000 people.

    We ran youth projects; we played Minecraft; we planted trees; we went swimming; we met the Poole Farm animals and all the while, we asked you how you felt about nature in Plymouth.

    We had an incredible response and nearly 500 of you gave your views on the places you love and how they should be cared for in the future.

    Below, we’ve drawn out some of the key themes and provided a response to your suggestions.

    Image by Chris Parkes Photography
    You said… you wanted us to plant more trees

    Of course we will.

    Did you know that in the last three years, we have planted over 17,204 trees across 135 different sites as part of our involvement in the Plymouth and South Devon Community Forest? That’s an area equivalent to 85 football pitches! And it is something that we are proud of, with our team winning a national local government award for their efforts on this.

    Each year we make sure that we plant the right tree in the right place by careful consideration of the location including talking with local people about the plans. We also know about the challenges a changing climate will bring and the need to diversify the types of trees in the city and so we consider the tree species in this.

    We plant whips – young and slender trees, often just a few feet tall at the time of planting, maidens, which are smaller, usually three to five foot tall and standards, large trees that at the time of planting is already six to ten feet tall.

    This autumn we’ll be announcing our plans for the tree planting season ahead, with plenty of chances to get involved in planting and caring for trees throughout the year.

    You said… we need to educate young people about the benefits of nature

    Many people who fed back to our survey suggested that more could be done to educate young people about the natural world and how very important it is to look after it. We absolutely agree – we’d love to do even more outreach with young people!

    But did you know that we already run several programmes across the city?

    At Poole Farm, we run regular youth clubs focussed on outdoor skills and we run Junior Ranger sessions where young people can earn digital badges for set programmes of work.

    We run the Forest Rising programme, a youth forum which allows young people to feed into the delivery of tree planting across the city.

    Our Green Communities team is delivering a programme of nature education sessions in primary schools, secondary schools, and with youth groups, too.

    Our Climate Connections team regularly provide resource for schools and appoints Young Climate Ambassadors for carbon-conscious volunteers.

    Meanwhile, this year our National Marine Park are inviting all key stage two classes across the city to take part in the Sea in our Schools programme.

    Do we want to do more? Absolutely, and we will continue to work with partners and funding bodies to explore as many education options as possible, and give young people the chance to gain employment and build careers in looking after and improving nature sites across the city.

    You said… that the water quality of the Sound and rivers needs improvement

    It’s a hard agree from us – the water quality around Plymouth is not good enough. And although the issue is not of our making, we are determined to support improvements in the Tamar Catchment, in the Sound and along the Plym.

    Earlier this year, we held and hosted a Water Quality Select committee, which was supported by partners from the Environment Agency and South West Water.

    Representatives from the National Marine Park, University of Plymouth, Tamar Catchment Partnership, Ocean Conservation Trust and a local swimming group were also in attendance to provide insight and answer questions.

    Amongst the actions for the Council were an increased drive in education (see above!) as to what communities can do to improve water quality and to lobby government to allow Plymouth to be a pilot for an area of water quality improvement.

    South West Water, meanwhile, were tasked with ensuring their existing drainage infrastructure investment plans align with the city aspirations while the Environment Agency were asked to make water quality data from a new pilot monitoring scheme available more quickly.

    The partners involved in the select committee will be signing a Memorandum of Understanding to formalise their commitments and actions to water quality for the next ten years.

    You said… you wanted us to take better care of grass in the city.

    We hear what you’re saying on grass-cutting and we know that this year, we didn’t quite get it right. The very wet weather at the start of the year meant we couldn’t start on time and then when we did start, the rain continued to fall, and we couldn’t keep on top of the growth.

    Full disclosure; 60-40, our policy of cutting most of our grass regularly, but managing the minority for nature, is here to stay. If we want to make a difference to the biodiversity crisis; if we want nature to thrive in our city, then we have to do what we know is right.

    But what we can do is manage it differently. One of things that you said to us was that there was too much grass and not enough colour. Fair challenge. Over the winter, we’re going to look to fix that by improving a whole range of sites across the city.

    We are also going to look at how the cutting schedules are managed, how we can do more regular cuts on areas we know are prone to quick growth. This year, despite the issues, we doubled the regularity of cuts on roadside verges and playgrounds. This is something we can build on.

    You said… that litter can spoil some of our best green and blue spaces

    We agree. Littering really is the pits and the only people to blame for litter are the litterers themselves. Litter annoys us too and takes resource away from other services.

    We do carry out litter picks where we can, particularly in our larger parks and there are also some amazing local volunteer groups who help out, too, and we do our best to support them to do that. But the fact is, none of these would be needed if people took responsibility for their own waste.

    Did you know that there are 1,078 litter bins across the city and that 381 of those are in our parks or green spaces?

    You said… we need more dog poo bins in our parks and nature reserves

    Whilst we think we have generally got the right balance of bins in our parks right for the level of demand we will always listen to feedback and review provision at specific locations where concerns are raised.

    Did you know that dog poo can be put in any public litter bin?

    You said… you wanted more opportunities to get involved

    Good news in this department… we’ve got more opportunities to get involved than you can shake a stick at!

    Green Communities
    Regular opportunities to get involved across Central Park, Devonport Park and Keyham.
    Find out more: Green Communities webpage

    Plymouth Sound National Marine Park
    Get involved in a full range of volunteering programmes across Plymouth’s varied waterfront.
    Find out more: National Marine Park website

    BRIC
    Sign up a voluntary Community Flood Responder role, and our Adopt a Drain scheme. We provide training and/or equipment for the voluntary activities.
    Find out more: BRIC webpage

    Community Forest
    Regular Community Tree Nursery Volunteering every Thursday at Poole Farm.
    Community tree planting days within the city across the winter.
    Forest Rising winter programme open for registration now for young people aged 16 – 28 years old.
    Find out more: Community Forest website

    Plymouth Natural Grid
    Regular volunteer opportunities across reserves and greenspaces in the city. Practical conservation work and infrastructure/ access improvement work.
    Find out more: PNG LinkedIn

    Poole Farm
    Weekly volunteering opportunities at the farm
    Find out more: Poole Farm Facebook page

    Climate Connections
    Adults can join the Climate Ambassador volunteers programme. There is also a youth version to join as well.
    Find out more: Climate Connections website

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: Written question – Support for Member States after extreme weather events (including rebuilding road and bridge infrastructure) – P-002024/2024

    Source: European Parliament

    11.10.2024

    Priority question for written answer  P-002024/2024
    to the Commission
    Rule 144
    Dariusz Joński (PPE)

    In response to the recent extreme weather events, including the floods that impacted many EU countries, particularly Poland, I would like to know what measures the Commission will take to help Member States rebuild their road and bridge infrastructure.

    The flooding caused severe damage in many regions, which is substantially impacting the safety and mobility of people living there and the functioning of the local economy. Rebuilding the damaged infrastructure will require action to be taken swiftly and promptly as well as substantial financial investment.

    In view of the above, could the Commission answer the following questions:

    • 1.What financial support instruments will the Commission mobilise to help countries hit by the calamity (including Poland) rebuild their road and bridge infrastructure?
    • 2.Does the Commission envisage additional funds or the possibility of more flexibility in using existing mechanisms, such as the EU Solidarity Fund, to quickly repair the damage and rebuild?
    • 3.In view of the increasing threat, will action be taken to effectively prepare and safeguard transportation infrastructure from the effects of natural disasters?

    Submitted: 11.10.2024

    Last updated: 16 October 2024

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: Written question – Support for funding the maintenance of memorial sites of former Nazi-German concentration camps, such as Auschwitz-Birkenau, establishing during World War II – P-002018/2024

    Source: European Parliament

    10.10.2024

    Priority question for written answer  P-002018/2024
    to the Commission
    Rule 144
    Arkadiusz Mularczyk (ECR)

    Nazi Germany established its largest extermination camps in occupied Poland. For decades, the responsibility for preserving and maintaining these camps fell on the Polish people. To date, the cost of maintaining these sites has far exceeded the total compensation Germany paid to Polish victims of the Nazi-German occupation.

    Memorial sites of former Nazi-German concentration camps and forced labour camps are currently funded by the budgets of the countries in which they are located, e.g. Auschwitz-Birkenau, Majdanek, Treblinka, Sobibór, Gross-Rosen, Stutthof, Płaszów and many others. The victim states of World War II have the financial responsibility for preserving and maintaining these sites, despite them having been established by Nazi Germany.

    It seems unjust for the victim states to bear the entire cost of preserving these sites.

    In reference to Parliament’s resolution of 19 September 2019 on the importance of European remembrance for the future of Europe[1], specifically point 12, I would like to ask:

    • 1.Will the Commission support Poland and other World War II victim states in seeking funding to maintain the memorial sites of former Nazi-German concentration camps from the states that established them?
    • 2.Can the Commission clarify its stance on this issue?

    Submitted: 10.10.2024

    • [1] OJ C 171, 6.5.2021, p. 25.
    Last updated: 16 October 2024

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: Other events – Exchange of views with Margrethe Vestager – 17-10-2024 – Subcommittee on Tax Matters

    Source: European Parliament

    On 17 October 2024, from 10:30 to 11:30, the FISC Subcommittee will hold an exchange of views with Margrethe Vestager, Executive Vice-President of the European Commission in charge of Europe Fit for the Digital Age, and Commissioner for Competition, responsible for fair digital taxation.

    The discussion will focus on the recent Court of Justice (CJEU) ruling on the Apple tax State aid case in Ireland and its implications on the fight against aggressive tax planning and tax avoidance, as well as how to ensure that all companies pay their fair share of tax.

    The CJEU ruling of 10 September 2024 confirmed the decision by the European Commission from 2016, that Ireland granted Apple illegal State aid in form of tax breaks amounting to €13 billion, which Ireland now has to recover.

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: REPORT on the proposal for a regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council establishing the Ukraine Loan Cooperation Mechanism and providing exceptional macro-financial assistance to Ukraine – A10-0006/2024

    Source: European Parliament

    DRAFT EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT LEGISLATIVE RESOLUTION

    on the proposal for a regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council establishing the Ukraine Loan Cooperation Mechanism and providing exceptional macro-financial assistance to Ukraine

    (COM(2024)0426 – C10‑0106/2024 – 2024/0234(COD))

    (Ordinary legislative procedure: first reading)

    The European Parliament,

    – having regard to the Commission proposal to Parliament and the Council (COM(2024)0426),

    – having regard to Article 294(2) and Article 212 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union, pursuant to which the Commission submitted the proposal to Parliament (C10‑0106/2024),

    – having regard to Article 294(3) of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union,

    – having regard to the budgetary assessment by the Committee on Budgets,

    – having regard to the undertaking given by the Council representative by letter of 9 October 2024 to approve Parliament’s position, in accordance with Article 294(4) of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union,

    – having regard to Rule 60 of its Rules of Procedure,

    – having regard to the letter from the Committee on Foreign Affairs,

    – having regard to the report of the Committee on International Trade (A10-0006/2024),

    1. Adopts its position at first reading, taking over the Commission proposal;

    2. Calls on the Commission to refer the matter to Parliament again if it replaces, substantially amends or intends to substantially amend its proposal;

    3. Instructs its President to forward its position to the Council, the Commission and the national parliaments.

     

     

    EXPLANATORY STATEMENT

    The ongoing war of aggression by Russia has significantly increased Ukraine’s financial needs. To address these challenges, both the European Union (EU) and the international community are being called upon to provide additional funding.

     

    In response, the European Commission has put forward a legislative proposal aligned with a G7 initiative. This proposal aims to utilize the extraordinary revenues from immobilized Russian assets to cover Ukraine’s urgent financial needs. Specifically, the proposal seeks to establish the Ukraine Loan Cooperation Mechanism (ULCM), which will enable Ukraine to service and repay loans of up to €45 billion. These loans will be repaid using the windfall profits generated from frozen Russian assets. The EU’s proposed macro-financial assistance (MFA) includes an amount of up to €35 billion, intended to support Ukraine’s immediate financing needs. This assistance will be delivered in a predictable, long-term, and timely manner.

     

    A key feature of this MFA is that Ukraine will not be required to repay the loan directly. Instead, repayments will be covered by windfall profits generated from interest accrued on immobilized Russian assets. Additionally, the terms of this loan will align with the conditions under the Ukraine Facility.

     

    The rapporteur emphasizes the importance of a swift procedure in order for the EU to adopt this proposal by the end of October 2024 to ensure that the MFA loan can be released by the end of 2024.

     

     

     

    ANNEX: ENTITIES OR PERSONS FROM WHOM THE RAPPORTEUR HAS RECEIVED INPUT

    Pursuant to Article 8 of Annex I to the Rules of Procedure, the rapporteur declares that she has received input from the following entities or persons in the preparation of the report, prior to the adoption thereof in committee:

    Entity and/or person

    Bálint Ódor, Chair of the Committee of Permanent Representatives, Council of the European Union

    The list above is drawn up under the exclusive responsibility of the rapporteur.

    Where natural persons are identified in the list by their name, by their function or by both, the rapporteur declares that she has submitted to the concerned natural persons the European Parliament’s Data Protection Notice No 484 (https://www.europarl.europa.eu/data-protect/index.do), which sets out the conditions applicable to the processing of their personal data and the rights linked to that processing.

     

     

    BUDGETARY ASSESSMENT (11.10.2024)

    for the Committee on International Trade

    on the proposal for a regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council establishing the Ukraine Loan Cooperation Mechanism and providing exceptional macro-financial assistance to Ukraine

    (COM(2024)0426 – C10‑0106/2024 – 2024/0234(COD))

    Rapporteur for budgetary assessment: Janusz Lewandowski 

     

    The Committee on Budgets has carried out a budgetary assessment of the proposal under Rule 58 of the Rules of Procedure and has reached the following conclusions:

    – having regard to Council Regulation (EU, Euratom) 2022/2496 of 15 December 2022 amending Regulation (EU, Euratom) 2020/2093 laying down the multiannual financial framework for the years 2021 to 2027[1],

    – having regard to Council Regulation (EU, Euratom) 2024/765 of 29 February 2024 amending Regulation (EU, Euratom) 2020/2093 laying down the multiannual financial framework for the years 2021 to 2027[2],

    – having regard to Regulation (EU) 2024/792 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 29 February 2024 establishing the Ukraine Facility[3],

    – having regard to Regulation (EU) 2022/2463 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 14 December 2022 establishing an instrument for providing support to Ukraine for 2023 (macro-financial assistance +)[4],

    – having regard to Council Decision (CFSP) 2022/335 of 28 February 2022 amending Decision 2014/512/CFSP concerning restrictive measures in view of Russia’s actions destabilising the situation in Ukraine[5],

    – having regard to Council Decision (CFSP) 2024/577 of 12 February 2024 amending Decision 2014/512/CFSP concerning restrictive measures in view of Russia’s actions destabilising the situation in Ukraine[6],

    – having regard to Council Decision (CFSP) 2024/1470 of 21 May 2024 amending Decision 2014/512/CFSP concerning restrictive measures in view of Russia’s actions destabilising the situation in Ukraine[7],

    – having regard to Regulation (EU, Euratom) 2024/2509 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 23 September 2024 on the financial rules applicable to the general budget of the Union[8],

    – having regard to the Interinstitutional Agreement of 16 December 2020 between the European Parliament, the Council of the European Union and the European Commission on budgetary discipline, on cooperation in budgetary matters and on sound financial management, as well as on new own resources, including a roadmap towards the introduction of new own resources[9],

    A. whereas the Commission proposed a draft amendment to Council Regulation (EU, Euratom) 2022/2496 that made it possible to allow contingent liabilities stemming from financial assistance to Ukraine for 2023 and 2024 only to be treated in the same manner as financial assistance for Member States;

    B. whereas there is a need for greater sustained budgetary support to Ukraine;

    C. whereas Ukraine’s financing needs are expected to significantly outstrip current IMF projections and total at least USD 38 billion for 2025, making the amounts available under previous rounds of macro-financial assistance (MFA), the Ukraine Facility and the current round of MFA insufficient to ensure the required level of support, particularly for 2026 and 2027;

    D. whereas Council Decision (CFSP) 2024/577 provides rules for allocating extraordinary revenues stemming from immobilised Russian state assets to the Ukraine Peace Facility and the Ukraine Facility, considering that EUR 210 billion of Russian Central Bank assets are currently held by financial institutions in the EU;

    E. whereas the G7 leaders announced the launch of Extraordinary Revenue Acceleration Loans for Ukraine, which would make USD 50 billion available to Ukraine and would be secured through immobilised Russian state assets;

    F. whereas the next tranche of the IMF’s loan to Ukraine is also linked to the entry into force of the proposed regulation;

    1. Takes note of the proposal for the creation of the new Ukraine Loan Cooperation Mechanism, which will provide non-repayable financial support with a view to assisting Ukraine to repay loans provided for its support and will be endowed mainly by the amounts transferred in accordance with Annex XLI to Council Regulation (EU) 833/2014[10], as well as by any potential amounts stemming from voluntary contributions from Member States, third countries or other sources, for up to EUR 45 billion;

    2. Takes note of the conditions and obligations that Ukraine must fulfil in order to receive and use the non-repayable financial support provided by the Ukraine Loan Cooperation Mechanism, particularly the obligation for the repayment of the principal, interest and any other costs of the MFA loan or eligible bilateral loans;

    3. Takes note of the proposal for the creation of a new MFA instrument for the benefit of Ukraine, providing support of up to EUR 35 billion, pending other contributions under the G7 agreement on Extraordinary Revenue Acceleration Loans for Ukraine, over a duration of 45 years; takes note of the fact that the Commission’s proposal seems to be based on the assumption that the Russian state assets will remain immobilised for 45 years and on various assumptions regarding the future flows of extraordinary revenues stemming from the immobilisation of Russian sovereign assets held in the EU;

    4. Takes note of the fact that there is no grace period for the repayment of the principal or interest for the MFA instrument;

    5. Takes note of the fact that the MFA instrument, unlike previous instruments, does not give Ukraine the option to request interest rate subsidies covered by Member States;

    6. Takes note of the preconditions for support, such as effective democratic mechanisms, including a multi-party parliamentary system and the rule of law, and respect for human rights, including for those of minorities, and takes note of the consequences of not meeting, or no longer meeting, these preconditions;

    7. Takes note of the future negotiation between the Commission and Ukraine on the Memorandum of Understanding containing the guidelines that will underpin all future disbursements to Ukraine and must be consistent with the qualitative and quantitative steps contained in the Annex to Council Implementing Decision (EU) 2024/1447 of 14 May 2024 on the approval of the assessment of the Ukraine Plan[11] and any amendments thereto; takes note of the fact that the assessment criteria for the funds allocated through the Ukraine Loan Cooperation Mechanism are aligned with the assessment criteria established in Article 18 of Regulation (EU) 2024/792 in order to guarantee effective support and optimal use of resources for Ukraine’s recovery and development; calls on the Commission to pay particular attention to consulting the Verkhovna Rada and involving relevant stakeholders, including civil society organisations;

    8. Takes note of the derogation from Article 31(3), second sentence, of Regulation (EU) 2021/947[12], which implies that the External Action Guarantee will not be used to guarantee the borrowing of the amounts to be lent in the framework of this MFA and that, therefore, the guarantees for this MFA will be provisioned by the headroom; calls for caution in extending borrowing without a clear guarantee mechanism, with a view to ensuring that any additional borrowing does not jeopardise the Union’s financial stability;

    9. Takes note of the derogation from Article 214(1) of Regulation (EU) 2024/2509, preventing the establishment of a provisioning rate, because of the use of the headroom for the provisioning of guarantees;

    10. Recalls all the mandatory provisions to be included in the MFA Loan Agreement, particularly those related to the early repayment of the amounts borrowed should it be recognised that Ukraine has engaged in any act of fraud, corruption or any other illegal activity detrimental to the financial interests of the Union;

    11. Takes note of the repayment arrangements, and particularly of the waterfall structure to be established in the MFA Loan Agreement and the potential implications for the EU budget;

    12. Takes note of the provisions on the transmission of information to Parliament and the Council, as laid down in the Interinstitutional Agreement on good interinstitutional cooperation and governance and specifically within the framework of the annual budgetary procedure, ensuring full accountability and oversight of how funds are managed and disbursed; acknowledges the urgent need to implement the proposed regulation and calls for the relevant draft amending budget to include only the changes arising from the entry into force of the proposed regulation; expects the proposal to provide an update on the borrowing plan as per Article 52(1)(d)(iii), third indent, of Regulation (EU, Euratom) 2024/2509; expects to be informed, in a timely manner, of the implementation of borrowing as per Article 223(4)(b) of Regulation (EU, Euratom) 2024/2509, including of any potential early repayments and the construction of a buffer, if applicable;

    13. Takes note of the fact that, according to the financial legislative statement, the implementation of the proposal does not require any additional human resources or administrative expenditure; reiterates its understanding that new policy priorities or tasks must be accompanied by adequate resources and staff to properly implement them;

    14. Regrets the proposal’s lack of clarity about whether the Union budget has final liability, particularly in the framework of a loan guaranteed solely by the headroom, independently of the support from the Ukraine Loan Mechanism, for example in the event of significant changes to the sanctions regime underwriting the mechanism;

    15. Requests that the Commission clarify the potential interplay and complementarity in the funding provided by the Ukraine Facility, in particular under Pillar I for 2025, and by the MFA, and explain how the latter will be linked to relevant political and reform-related conditions that are consistent with and support the conditionality under the Ukraine Facility, in particular the Ukraine Plan;

    16. Requests that the Commission provide the budgetary authority with details of the aggregation of liabilities to the headroom, contingent on borrowing and lending operations;

    17. Recalls that a further amendment to the MFF, adopted by unanimity in the Council, would be required in order to extend the ability of the Union to treat the financial assistance to Ukraine in the same manner as financial assistance to Member States until the end of the current MFF;

    18. Regrets the urgency of this proposal, stemming partly from the lack of flexibility granted by the Commission proposal on the amendment of the MFF, and the subsequent Council decision pressuring Parliament to co-legislate in a very limited time frame;

    19. Calls on the Committee on International Trade, as the committee responsible, to recommend the approval of the proposal for a regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council establishing the Ukraine Loan Cooperation Mechanism and providing exceptional macro-financial assistance to Ukraine.

     

     

    LETTER FROM THE COMMITTEE ON FOREIGN AFFAIRS (2.10.2024)

    Mr Bernd Lange

    Chair

    Committee on International Trade

    BRUSSELS

     

     

    Subject:  Opinion on the proposal for a regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council establishing the Ukraine Loan Cooperation Mechanism and providing exceptional macro-financial assistance to Ukraine (COM/2024/426 final) (2024/0234(COD))

     

     

     

    Dear Mr Lange,

     

    Under the procedure referred to above, the Committee on Foreign Affairs has been asked to submit an opinion to your committee. By way of a written procedure, the committee Coordinators decided to send the opinion in the form of a letter. Due to the extreme urgency of the procedure, the committee Coordinators adopted the opinion at their meeting on 30 September 2024.

     

    Yours sincerely,

     

     

     

     

     

    David McAllister

     

     

      

    SUGGESTIONS

     

    The Committee on Foreign Affairs:

     

    1. Expresses its complete solidarity with the people of Ukraine, along with its full support for the independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine within its internationally recognised borders;

    2. Welcomes the commitments of the EU and its Member States to provide humanitarian assistance, military support, economic and financial aid and political support in every possible way until Ukraine’s victory;

    3. Commends the Commission’s proposal to establish the Ukraine Loan Cooperation Mechanism, which contributes to answering Parliament’s call on the EU and its Member States to achieve the broadest possible international support for Ukraine, and builds upon the decision of the Council to direct extraordinary revenues stemming from immobilised Russian state assets to the Ukraine Assistance Fund and the Ukraine Facility as well as upon the G7’s decision to offer Ukraine a USD 50 billion loan secured through immobilised Russian state assets;

    4. Expresses its conviction that the new Ukraine Loan Cooperation Mechanism is a substantive step towards making Russia financially compensate for the massive damage it continues to cause in Ukraine; insists that this should not preclude the establishment of a sound legal regime for the confiscation of Russian state assets frozen by the EU, to be used for the benefit of Ukraine; urges the Commission and the EEAS to step-up their work in that direction;

    5. Acknowledges that the Commission’s proposal is based on the assumption that Russian assets will remain immobilised until Russia definitively and irreversibly ceases its war of aggression against Ukraine.  Therefore urges the Council to adopt swiftly a decision to that effect;

    6. Invites the Commission, when evaluating whether Ukraine has met the precondition set out in Article 11 of the proposal, to apply the same standards it applies when it evaluates whether Ukraine has met the precondition set out in Article 5 of Regulation (EU) 2024/792 on the establishment of the Ukraine Facility; in particular, in its assessment, the Commission shall also take into account the context in Ukraine and the consequences of the application of martial law in Ukraine; invites the Commission to transmit its assessment simultaneously to the European Parliament and to the Council;

    7. Calls on the Commission to ensure that, when it agrees with Ukraine the policy conditions to be set out in the MoU pursuant to Article 12 of the proposal, it is satisfied that Ukraine has complied with (i) the provisions set out in Article 17 of Regulation (EU) 2024/792 and provided all the relevant explanations, as appropriate; and (ii) the qualitative and quantitative steps provided for in Council Implementing Decision (EU) 2024/1447 and its annex. At the same time, calls on the Commission to make sure, when deciding on the release of funds pursuant to Article 13 of the proposal, that its assessment complies with Article 18 of Regulation (EU) 2024/792 and, in particular, takes into account the criteria listed in paragraph 3 thereof, where relevant; urges the Commission, in that context, to make sure that all decisions adopted by Ukraine on the use of the funds allocated to it in the framework of the proposed regulation respect democratic procedures and are supported by meaningful consultations with all relevant institutions and stakeholders, including the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine, anti-corruption institutions and representatives of the civil society;

    8. Calls on the Commission to transmit the MFA Loan Agreement to the European Parliament as soon as it will be signed;

    9. Requests that the Commission include by default in its yearly report on the implementation of the proposed Regulation a review of the adequacy of the arrangements contained in the Regulation itself.

     

    PROCEDURE – COMMITTEE RESPONSIBLE

    Title

    Establishing the Ukraine Loan Cooperation Mechanism and providing exceptional macro-financial assistance to Ukraine

    References

    COM(2024)0426 – C10-0106/2024 – 2024/0234(COD)

    Date submitted to Parliament

    20.9.2024

     

     

     

    Committee(s) responsible

    INTA

     

     

     

    Committees asked for opinions

     Date announced in plenary

    AFET

    10.10.2024

     

     

     

    Not delivering opinions

     Date of decision

    AFET

    27.9.2024

     

     

     

    Rapporteurs

     Date appointed

    Karin Karlsbro

    30.9.2024

     

     

     

    Simplified procedure – date of decision

    30.9.2024

    Discussed in committee

    14.10.2024

     

     

     

    Date adopted

    14.10.2024

     

     

     

     

    BUDG

    7.10.2024

     

     

     

    Result of final vote

    +:

    –:

    0:

    31

    4

    0

    Members present for the final vote

    Brando Benifei, Lynn Boylan, Udo Bullmann, Raphaël Glucksmann, Bart Groothuis, Céline Imart, Karin Karlsbro, Rihards Kols, Sebastian Kruis, Bernd Lange, Ilia Lazarov, Thierry Mariani, Gabriel Mato, Ştefan Muşoiu, Daniele Polato, Majdouline Sbai, Francesco Torselli, Catarina Vieira, Jörgen Warborn, Iuliu Winkler, Bogdan Andrzej Zdrojewski

    Substitutes present for the final vote

    Mika Aaltola, Dan Barna, Nina Carberry, Anna Cavazzini, Hana Jalloul Muro, Ľubica Karvašová, Marina Mesure, Branislav Ondruš, Pierre Pimpie, Jessika Van Leeuwen

    Members under Rule 216(7) present for the final vote

    Peter Agius, Marie Dauchy, Elio Di Rupo, Virginie Joron

    Date tabled

    15.10.2024

     

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: ‘Well-respected and high-performing’: Local Government Association gives positive review of city council

    Source: City of Winchester

    A recent peer review of Winchester City Council by the Local Government Association found the local authority to be a well-respected and high-performing organisation with a record of strong service delivery.

    All councils across the country are encouraged to take part in a Corporate Peer Challenge (CPC) to provide robust and credible challenge to support councils.

    In July this year, the city council invited a peer team to provide external feedback on how it was performing and how it could improve. For two and a half days the peer team, made up of councillors and officers from other councils, spent time with the city council taking a deep dive into how it’s run.

    The review examined five key areas, including the council’s local priorities and outcomes, its governance and culture, and its financial planning and management, with the peer team conducting a review of evidence that included analysing data, interviewing staff and councillors and speaking to key partners.

    In its feedback report, the CPC stated that the city council was a “well-respected and high-performing council, delivering for residents and partners”. The report continued: “The peer team heard positive feedback regarding the council’s performance and was satisfied that the city council is well-managed and benefits from a Leader and Chief Executive who are respected by staff, members and external stakeholders”.

    The report also highlighted a number of other areas of positive action from the city council, including its prudent financial management, the work it is doing to address climate change and its efforts to consult and engage with residents on important decisions.

    Speaking about the review, City Council Leader Cllr Martin Tod said:

    “It’s been very helpful to have people from other Councils and from the Local Government Association come in and review what we’re doing. It’s a really positive and helpful process and a very encouraging report. We are always looking for ways to improve how we serve our area’s residents and communities, so the recommendations are welcome. We’ll be acting on them and look forward to welcoming the team back next year to review our progress”.

    Nine recommendations were included in the report to help the council address future challenges, realise efficiencies and improve services, each of which have been addressed in a high-level action plan subsequently produced by the city council.

    The full feedback report, and Winchester City Council’s action plan, can be read on our website: https://www.winchester.gov.uk/about/corporate-peer-challenge

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Foreign Secretary statement on aid to Gaza

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    The Foreign Secretary has issued statement on the US letter relating to humanitarian aid entering into Gaza.

    Foreign Secretary David Lammy said:

    The humanitarian situation in Northern Gaza is dire, with access to basic services worsening and the UN reporting that barely any food has entered in the last two weeks.

    Israel must ensure civilians are protected and ensure routes are open to allow life-saving aid through. Along with our French and Algerian counterparts, we have called an urgent meeting of the UN Security Council today to address this.

    While the conflict continues, all parties are bound by international humanitarian law. Reflecting our concerns – the UK made the difficult decision last month to suspend export licences to Israel that could be used in military operations in Gaza. This does not change our steadfast support for Israel’s security.

    Along with our international partners, we continue to call for an immediate ceasefire, to allow more humanitarian aid to get in and get the remaining hostages out.

    Media enquiries

    Email newsdesk@fcdo.gov.uk

    Telephone 020 7008 3100

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

    Updates to this page

    Published 16 October 2024

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Change of His Majesty’s High Commissioner to Trinidad and Tobago: Jon Dean

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    Jon Dean has been appointed British High Commissioner to the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago, in succession to Harriet Cross.

    Mr Jon Dean

    Mr Jon Dean has been appointed British High Commissioner to the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago, in succession to Ms Harriet Cross, who will be transferring to another Diplomatic Service appointment.

    Mr Dean will take up his appointment during December 2024.

    Curriculum vitae

    Full name: Jon Mark Dean

    2022 to 2024 N’Djamena, His Majesty’s Ambassador
    2020 to 2022 New York, Counsellor Internal
    2018 to 2020 United Nations Office of Counter-Terrorism, Secondment, New York
    2015 to 2018 FCO, Head of Iraq Team, Middle East and North Africa Directorate
    2013 to 2015  Juba, Deputy Head of Mission and Consul
    2013 Yaoundé, Deputy High Commissioner and Consul (3 months)
    2012 New York, UK Permanent Mission to the United Nations, Second Secretary Political (3 months)
    2009 to 2012 Brasília, Second Secretary Political
    2007 to 2008 FCO, Desk Officer, Kosovo
    2005 to 2007 FCO, Desk Officer, EU Environment Policy
    2005 Joined FCO

    Media enquiries

    Email newsdesk@fcdo.gov.uk

    Telephone 020 7008 3100

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

    Updates to this page

    Published 16 October 2024

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Man charged with carrying knives

    Source: United Kingdom London Metropolitan Police

    A man will appear in court charged with possession of offensive weapons and class A and B drugs.

    Jordan Watson Best, 23, (22.02.2001) of Princes Avenue, Tolworth was charged on Tuesday, 15 October with:

    • Possessing an offensive weapon in a public place.
    • Possessing a sharply pointed article in a public place.
    • Possessing class A and class B drugs with intent to supply.

    Best was remanded to appear at Highbury Corner Magistrates’ Court on Wednesday, 16 October.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Africa: GITEX GLOBAL 2024: Artificial Intelligence (AI) revolution unveiled to the world on “AI Super Tuesday”

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

    DUBAI, United Arab Emirates, October 16, 2024/APO Group/ —

    • International exhibitors presented the most groundbreaking innovations helping shape the future of society and industry
    • “Cybersecurity Day” next up as world’s largest and best-rated tech event reaches halfway stage on Wednesday

    Hot on the heels of a memorable first day where GITEX GLOBAL 2024 (http://apo-opa.co/4hlR7gj) opened the doors for its biggest-ever international edition, the entire global tech ecosystem experienced another action-packed agenda on Tuesday at Dubai World Trade Centre (DWTC).

    Taking place from 14-18 October, GITEX GLOBAL presents a record-breaking edition in its 44th year – welcoming over 6,500 exhibitors, 1,800 startups, 1,200 investors alongside governments from more than 180 countries.

    With five themed days locked in across the 2024 event programme, a technology taking the world by storm was the focal point as “AI Super Tuesday” presented the most groundbreaking innovations helping shape the future of society and industry.

    A technology with vast transformative potential

    As AI takes centre stage in drug discovery, the world could soon witness the most significant shift in medicine since the advent of modern pharmaceuticals. But with such rapid advancements, a mesmerising Tuesday session – ‘The Next Leap in Medicine: Are we on the Edge of a Breakthrough?’ – saw experts discuss whether AI transformation is fast approaching or further away than some anticipate.

    Dr. Shameer Khader, Global Head and Executive Director – Computational Biology Cluster, Precision Medicine and Computational Biology at global pharmaceutical company Sanofi, gave AI an emphatic endorsement. He said: “Drug discovery on average takes 10-15 years and one project around $1.5-2 billion in cost. Is that something sustainable? The model must change, and we should harness AI capabilities and value across the ecosystem. We should optimise every single process to reduce development costs, streamline the drug discovery lifestyle, and build data disease models and infrastructure.”

    In a special case study, audiences became acquainted with ‘BabyX’ – an interactive simulation of a lifelike infant through AI. This virtual animated baby learns and reacts like a human infant with a built-in virtual brain with detailed likeness to that of a human. Functioning through biological AI and an operating system called Brain Language, stimulated neurochemical reactions help BabyX decide how she will react – something that could prove revolutionary in the future AI economy.

    Elaborating on the significance of BabyX, Dr. Mark Sagar, its creator who co-founded New Zealand-based Soul Machines, pointed out the defining difference between human and AI intelligence, adding: “As humans, we learn from a young age though exploring the world and experimenting. Play is such a key part of making intelligence open-ended and inventive, but it’s one thing what’s missing from current AI. If we’re ever going to regulate general AI intelligence, we need to build cognitive architecture that yields intelligent behaviour through a comprehensive approach.”

    A catalyst for forward-facing collaboration

    Alongside the profound transformative potential of AI, GITEX GLOBAL’s status as a catalyst for collaboration and forward-facing projects was on full display. A number of exciting high-profile partnerships were officially unveiled at the world’s largest and best-rated tech event, with one involved KAOUN – the world-leading organiser of business events and trade fairs, leading all GITEX events outside the UAE.

    Tuesday saw KAOUN sign a Memorandum of Understanding with the Digital Dubai Authority to grow the GITEX ecosystem, support Dubai’s internationalisation strategy, and explore new partnership opportunities. Additionally, AWS and e& entered into a $1 billion-plus agreement as part of new strategic alliance to deliver cloud solutions and supporting AI deployment and digital transformation across the region. 

    Tuesday casts spotlight on AI’s cross-sector impact and demands

    Elsewhere on the Super AI Tuesday agenda, another applauded show illustrated how high-performance computing is steering humanity’s quest for the next generation of aircraft. During ‘Quantum Maturation: Introducing The “Quantum Mobility Quest”’, companies were urged to move beyond the physical limits of present-day computing today and scale up future-focused solutions to unlock aviation’s vast potential.

    Isabell Gradert, Vice President of Central Research & Technology, Airbus, Germany, said: “Aviation is embedded in the tapestry of our global-leading industries and is one with the highest computation needs. Quantum computing is seen as the next big gamechanger in the aviation industry and has the potential to solve the most complex aerospace challenges and create a paradigm shift in the way aircrafts are built and flown. This is a very exciting time.”

    Additionally, audiences familiarised themselves with a wide of services and solutions being showcased by GITEX GLOBAL exhibitors. UAE-based Presight, the region’s leading big data analytics company powered by generative artificial intelligence (AI), unveiled its Intelli Platform, an AI-powered management and operations platform that lets cities, transport, energy, and infrastructure organisations immediately use Generative AI.

    AWS also cast a spotlight on AWS Bedrock, a fully managed service that enables enterprises to easily build, customise, and deploy generative AI applications using foundation models from top AI providers, all through the AWS platform.

    GITEX GLOBAL 2024 continues Wednesday as “Cybersecurity Day” welcomes an ensemble cast of thought leaders and experts to explore the emerging threats landscape, counter-infringement strategies, and tools organisations require in an increasingly digital world.

    GITEX Editions (https://apo-opa.co/4h8xBn9) also presents Intelligent Connectivity (https://apo-opa.co/4hayjAy) with visitors set to explore how industry leaders can bridge digital divides and harness emerging technology to drive innovation and economic growth. The World Future Economy Digital Leaders Summit (https://apo-opa.co/4hlR8kn) also continues with another star-studded cast of world-renowned experts and innovative minds.  

    GITEX GLOBAL is seamlessly connecting with the world’s largest network of tech events, including GITEX EUROPE Berlin, GITEX ASIA Singapore, GITEX AFRICA Morocco, and GITEX NIGERIA. These events are fostering collaboration and driving innovation to shape the tech landscape of tomorrow.

    More information on GITEX GLOBAL, please visit http://www.GITEX.com

    MIL OSI Africa –

  • MIL-OSI Germany: German balance of payments in August 2024

    Source: Deutsche Bundesbank in English

    Current account surplus down
    Germany’s current account recorded a surplus of €14.4 billion in August 2024, down €3.3 billion on the previous month’s level. This was chiefly attributable to a smaller goods account surplus.
    In August, the surplus in the goods account fell by €3.5 billion to €17.6 billion because receipts recorded a sharper decline than expenditure. The deficit in invisible current transactions decreased slightly by €0.2 billion to €3.2 billion. Small changes were also recorded in the sub-account balances. Net receipts in primary income rose by €0.5 billion to €12.9 billion. In the secondary income account, the deficit narrowed somewhat to €5.2 billion. In both sub-accounts, the individual sub-items changed only slightly, with declines predominating and expenditure falling somewhat more sharply than receipts on balance. The deficit in the services account widened by €0.5 billion to stand at €10.9 billion. Here, too, receipts were down overall, with receipts from other business services and charges for the use of intellectual property decreasing above all. Although declines in these areas in particular as well as lower expenditure on computer services also depressed the expenditure side, the increase in travel expenditure – typical for this time of year – contributed substantially to expenditure narrowing less strongly than receipts on balance.
    Portfolio investment sees net capital imports
    Germany’s cross-border portfolio investment recorded net capital imports of €28.6 billion in August, after net capital exports of €8.7 billion in July. Foreign investors acquired German securities worth €48.4 billion net, purchasing bonds in particular (€39.7 billion), which were roughly split evenly between instruments issued by the public and private sectors. In addition, they bought money market paper (€7.8 billion) and, to a lesser extent, mutual fund shares (€0.6 billion) and shares (€0.3 billion). Domestic investors acquired foreign securities to the tune of €19.8 billion net, adding foreign bonds (€10.8 billion), mutual fund shares (€9.8 billion) and shares (€0.7 billion) to their portfolios, but disposing of money market paper (€1.5 billion).
    In August, transactions in financial derivatives resulted in net outflows of €7.5 billion (€5.9 billion in July).
    Direct investment generated net capital imports of €5.7 billion in August, up from €1.0 billion in July. German enterprises decreased their direct investment funds abroad by €10.3 billion. Although they increased their equity capital abroad by €1.2 billion, redemptions predominated in intra-group credit transactions (€11.5 billion). Non-resident enterprises, meanwhile, withdrew €4.6 billion in direct investment from Germany. This was chiefly attributable to redemptions in intra-group credit transactions (€5.9 billion), which more than offset inflows in the form of equity capital (€1.3 billion).
    Other statistically recorded investment – which comprises loans and trade credits (where these do not constitute direct investment), bank deposits and other investments – registered net outflows of capital amounting to €12.3 billion in August (following €28.8 billion in July). The higher net claims of monetary financial institutions amounting to €16.4 billion made a particularly large contribution to this figure. The Bundesbank’s net external claims also rose (€8.3 billion), due to TARGET claims on the ECB rising by €26.8 billion. However, the Bundesbank’s external liabilities in the form of currency and deposits also increased at the same time. Enterprises and households (€11.4 billion) and general government (€1.0 billion) recorded net capital imports in August.
    The Bundesbank’s reserve assets declined – at transaction values – by €0.6 billion in August.

    MIL OSI

    MIL OSI German News –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Salford to benefit from £1.6m of brownfield land funding

    Source: City of Salford

    Salford City Council has been awarded £1,615,000 of Brownfield Land Release Fund money to help transform Swinton.
     
    The money will be spent on demolishing the former site at St Ambrose Barlow High School in Swinton and the fund will also allow for enabling works, land remediation and ground works. 
     
    Councillor Jack Youd, Deputy City Mayor and Lead Member for Finance, Support Services and Regeneration at Salford City Council said: “The award of the money after our bid is great news for Swinton.
     
    “Council officers are now working to secure a demolition contract, which needs to be in place by the end of March 2025 to meet the funding requirements.”
     
    The project has been funded by HM Government through the Brownfield Land Release Fund.
     
    The One Public Estate programme is a partnership between the Office of Government Property in the Cabinet Office, the Local Government Association and the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG). It provides practical and technical support and funding for public sector partners to deliver ambitious property-led programmes in collaboration.
     
    Read more about a vision for Swinton’s future.

    Share this

    Date published
    Wednesday 16 October 2024

    Press and media enquiries

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI Economics: Global travel and tourism deal activity down by 11% YoY during Q1-Q3 2024, finds GlobalData

    Source: GlobalData

    Global travel and tourism deal activity down by 11% YoY during Q1-Q3 2024, finds GlobalData

    Posted in Business Fundamentals

    A total of 519 deals (comprising mergers and acquisitions (M&A), private equity, and venture financing deals) were announced in the travel and tourism sector globally during January to September (Q1-Q3) 2024, which was a year-on-year (YoY) decline of 11% over 583 deals announced during the same period in the previous year, according to GlobalData, a leading data and analytics company.

    An analysis of GlobalData’s Deals Database also revealed that the volume of M&A deals decreased by 6.8% during Q1-Q3 2024 compared to the same period in 2023, while the number of venture financing deals was down by 25.2% YoY. Meanwhile, private equity deals volume remained unchanged.

    Aurojyoti Bose, Lead Analyst at GlobalData, comments: “The decline in global travel and tourism deal activity was mostly driven by a significant fall  in deals volume in some regions and countries, while deal activity remained relatively better for some other regions and countries. In fact, some regions and countries even showcased double-digit growth in deal volume, which seems to be an indication of improving deal-making sentiments.”

    North America, Asia-Pacific, and South and Central American regions experienced decline in deal volume by 36%, 7.7%, and 20% during Q1-Q3 2024 compared to Q1-Q3 2023. In contrast, Europe registered 10.3% YoY improvement in deal activity. Meanwhile, deal volume for the Middle East and African region mostly remained at the same level.

    Similarly, the trend across different countries also remained a mixed bag. The US, China, and France witnessed YoY decline in deal volume by 36.3%, 38.5%, and 42.9%, respectively, during Q1-Q3 2024, whereas India and Japan experienced respective deal volume improve by 24.3% and 38.1% YoY. Meanwhile, deal volume for the UK, South Korea, and Australia mostly remained at the same level.

    Note: Historic data may change in case some deals get added to previous months because of a delay in disclosure of information in the public domain

    MIL OSI Economics –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Secretary General welcomes Sweden’s plans to boost defence spending

    Source: NATO

    On Wednesday (October 16), NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte and the Prime Minister of Sweden Ulf Kristersson met at NATO Headquarters in Brussels to discuss the strengthening of NATO’s deterrence and defence and NATO’s increased support to Ukraine.

    Since joining NATO in March this year, “Sweden’s membership has made NATO stronger, Sweden safer, and all of us more secure,” said the Secretary General. He commended the Swedish government for its recent proposals to bolster NATO’s deterrence and defence, including with ”troops for NATO’s battlegroup in Latvia, combat aircraft for NATO’s air policing mission, and vessels for NATO’s Standing Naval Forces.” The Secretary General thanked Sweden for its offer to lead the new NATO battlegroup to be established in Finland. He noted that Sweden spends more than 2 percent of GDP on defence and welcomed the country’s plans to further boost its defence spending in 2025.

    The Secretary General also noted Sweden’s steadfast support to Ukraine. “On a per capita basis, Sweden is a top supporter of Ukraine. Providing over 4 billion euros in military assistance,” he said. He reiterated that Allies are working hard to deliver on the commitments made during the Washington Summit on support for Ukraine, including “a new Command to coordinate security assistance and training, and a financial pledge of 40 billion euros as a minimum baseline in the coming year.”

    Secretary General Rutte stressed that Ukraine’s path to membership is irreversible. “Every nation has the right to choose its own path. No one outside NATO or outside that particular country has a veto or a vote on this. Sweden’s seat at the NATO table shows exactly that,” he concluded.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Vive L’impressionnisme! at the Van Gogh Museum: a compelling, eco-conscious celebration of impressionism

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Frances Fowle, Personal Chair of Nineteenth-Century Art, History of Art, University of Edinburgh

    Despite its corny title, Vive L’Impressionnisme!, which recently opened at the Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam, is well worth seeing. Marking the 150th anniversary of the first impressionist exhibition, the show tells the story of how one of the movement’s founders, Claude Monet, and his contemporaries were supported by a few enlightened Dutch collectors and their pictures absorbed into Dutch institutions.

    It brings together numerous works that are rarely, if ever, seen together, assembled from ten museums and seven private collections across the Netherlands. The result is a fascinating reflection of Dutch taste over the past century and a half.

    Vive L’Impressionnisme! is cleverly curated. The exhibition is arranged thematically, with landscapes on the first floor and modern life paintings on the upper level. The potential monotony of a continuous hang on a long wall is avoided by the introduction of sculpture, as well as aesthetic “ensembles” of paintings or works on paper.

    Upstairs, the normally cavernous exhibition space is divided into discrete rooms, in order to allow the visitor a more intimate viewing experience. Among the most remarkable aspects of the show is the decision to display paintings, sculpture and works on paper side-by-side. It’s a democratisation of art that mimics the way the impressionists themselves exhibited their work.

    On one wall you can see four states of Camille Pissarro’s etching The Old Cottage (1879), three of which were exhibited at the fifth impressionist exhibition in 1880. In each successive state, Pissarro observes the way in which the cottage and surrounding landscape are affected by the changing light and atmosphere, anticipating Monet’s later series paintings. In both oil painting and printmaking, these artists privileged experimental techniques and the analysis of light and colour over academic finish.

    In the second half of the 19th century, Dutch collectors and critics were more attuned to the overcast skies and earthy tones of the local Hague School painters than to the broken brushwork and high-keyed palette of impressionism. The new art was dismissed by critics as the “ravings of madmen, drunks and children”.

    Encouraged by his brother Vincent, Theo van Gogh’s efforts to sell impressionist art via the Goupil Gallery in the Hague were sadly thwarted. However, he did influence his wealthy brother-in-law, Andries Bonger, who became the first Dutch collector to develop a taste for the work of Paul Cézanne. Dutch lawyer Cornelis Hoogendijk also acquired around 25 Cézanne works before 1900, while another pioneer collector, Helene Kröller-Müller, specialised in the work of Van Gogh as well as the impressionists.



    Read more:
    Van Gogh Museum at 50: Vincent van Gogh and the art market – a brief history

    As the exhibition unfolds, visitors learn that, while Monet’s landscapes were greatly admired by the Dutch, the figurative work of Edgar Degas was less appreciated.

    Monet, a pupil of the Dutch artist Johan Jongkind, travelled more than once to the Netherlands. In 1871, he painted the Windmills Near Zaandam on an overcast day, and was delighted to make a sale. His Portrait of Miss Guurtje van de Stadt was acquired by a wealthy timber merchant and became the first impressionist work to enter a Dutch private collection. Returning for a last visit in 1886, Monet painted the more strident Tulip Fields Near the Hague, this time clearly with an eye for the market.

    Early acquisitions

    The first impressionist work to enter a public collection in the Netherlands was, perhaps unsurprisingly, another work by Monet. La Corniche Near Monaco (1884) was donated to the Rijksmuseum in 1900 by Baroness Van Lynden-Van Pallandt.

    Painted at Cap Martin on the French Riviera, it is remarkable for the bold orange scar of road that bisects the canvas, leading the eye towards the brooding blue-and-violet cliffs in the distance. This warm Mediterranean scene is flanked by two Monet canvases evoking the cooler atmosphere of the Normandy coast: Cliffs Near Pourville (1882) and Fisherman’s Cottage, Varengeville (1882).

    While Monet’s paintings are well-represented in the exhibition, along with oils by Pissarro, Cézanne, Pierre-Auguste Renoir, Alfred Sisley, Gustave Caillebotte and others, some artists are represented only by works on paper. Astonishingly not a single oil painting by Degas has found itself into a Dutch collection, either private or public. Édouard Manet, too, is virtually absent from the exhibition.

    Female artists were predictably underappreciated, or perhaps unavailable on the market. In recent years, the Van Gogh Museum and other Dutch institutions have tried to rectify that imbalance, though the market price for impressionism continues to rise, making new aquisitions a challenge.

    The exhibition includes recent purchases of works by pioneering female impressionist painters Berthe Morisot and Mary Cassatt. And there are also several gems from private collections, such as an exquisite Little Bowl with Parsley by Eva Gonzalès and decorative plates by Marie Bracquemond.

    The exhibition is aesthetically beautiful and intellectually compelling. It also delivers a sound environmental message, demonstrating that it is possible to create world-class exhibitions without flying works of art across the globe.

    Those pictures that were once in Dutch hands but later left the country are reproduced virtually, and lamented in the final section of the exhibition, titled Boulevard of Broken Promises. It provides a fascinating and thought-provoking coda to the show.

    Vive L’impressionnisme! Masterpieces from Dutch Collections will be on show at the Van Gogh Museum, Amsterdam until January 26 2025.


    Looking for something good? Cut through the noise with a carefully curated selection of the latest releases, live events and exhibitions, straight to your inbox every fortnight, on Fridays. Sign up here.

    Frances Fowle does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

    – ref. Vive L’impressionnisme! at the Van Gogh Museum: a compelling, eco-conscious celebration of impressionism – https://theconversation.com/vive-limpressionnisme-at-the-van-gogh-museum-a-compelling-eco-conscious-celebration-of-impressionism-241395

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: High-potency cannabis use leaves a distinct mark on DNA – new research

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Marta Di Forti, Clinician Scientist MRC Research Fellow, King’s College London

    People who use cannabis with THC of 10% or more are five times more likely to develop a psychotic disorder compared to those who don’t use the drug. Canna Obscura/ Shutterstock

    Cannabis is one of the most commonly used drugs in the world. Yet there’s still much we don’t know about it and what effects it has on the brain – including why cannabis triggers psychosis in some people who use the drug. But our recent study has just brought us closer to understanding the biological impact of high-potency cannabis use.

    Published in the journal Molecular Psychiatry, our study demonstrates that high-potency cannabis leaves a distinct mark on DNA. We also found that these DNA changes were different in people experiencing their first episode of psychosis compared to users who’d never experienced psychosis. This suggests looking at how cannabis use modifies DNA could help identify those most at risk of developing psychosis.

    The amount of THC (Delta-9_tetrahydrocannabinol), the main ingredient in cannabis that makes people feel “high”, has been steadily increasing since the 1990s in the UK and US. In Colorado, where the drug is legal, it’s possible to buy cannabis with 90% THC. While THC is one of over 144 other chemicals found in the cannabis plant, it’s the primary compound used to estimate the potency of cannabis.

    Many studies have shown that the greater the THC concentration, the stronger the effects on the user. For example, research has found that people who use high-potency cannabis (with THC of 10% or more) daily are five times more likely to develop a psychotic disorder compared to people who have never used cannabis.

    Psychotic disorders associated with daily use of high-potency cannabis often manifest through a range of symptoms. These can include auditory hallucinations (hearing voices that others cannot hear), delusions of persecution (feeling the target of a conspiracy without evidence) and paranoia (perceiving the environment as hostile and interpreting interactions suspiciously). These are all very distressing and disabling experiences.



    Read more:
    Cannabis: how it affects our cognition and psychology – new research

    Our study aimed the explore the mark that current cannabis use leaves on the DNA. We also wanted to understand if this mark is specific to high-potency cannabis use – and if this might help to identify those users at greater risk of experiencing psychosis.

    To do this, we examined the effects of cannabis use on an molecular process called DNA methylation. DNA methylation is a chemical process that regulates gene activity by turning genes on or off and controlling how genes are expressed without changing the structure of the DNA itself. DNA methylation is just one of the many mechanisms that regulate gene activity and are part of an important biological process known as epigenetics. Epigenetics underpin the interplay between our environment, the lifestyle choices we make (such as using cannabis or exercising) and our physical and mental health.

    While previous studies have investigated the impact of lifetime cannabis use on DNA methylation, they haven’t explored what effect regular use of different cannabis potencies has on this process. Nor have they explored how this affects with people who have psychosis.

    Our study combined data from two large first case-control studies: the Genetic and Psychosis study, which was conducted in south London, and the EU-GEI study, which included participants from England, France, the Netherlands, Italy, Spain and Brazil. Both of these studies collected data on people experiencing their first episode of psychosis and participants who had no health problems and represented the local population.

    High-potency cannabis use alters DNA methylation in genes related to energy and immune system functions.
    Oleksandrum/ Shutterstock

    In total, we looked at 239 people who were experiencing their first episode of psychosis and 443 healthy volunteers. Around 65% of participants were male. Participants ranged in age 16-72. All participants provided information on their cannabis use, as well as DNA samples from their blood.

    Around 38% of participants were using cannabis more than once a week. Of those who had used cannabis, the majority had been using high-potency cannabis more than once a week – and had started when they were around 16 years old.

    Analyses of DNA methylation were then performed across multiple parts of the whole genome. The analysis took into account the potential impact of several biological and environmental confounders that may have affected the results – such as age, gender, ethnicity, tobacco smoking and the cellular makeup of each blood sample.

    DNA signature

    Our findings revealed that using high-potency cannabis alters DNA methylation – particularly in genes related to energy and immune system functions. This was true for participants who had used high-potency cannabis. However, people who had experienced psychosis had a different signature of alteration in their DNA.

    These epigenetic changes show how external factors (like drug use) can alter how genes work. Very importantly, these changes were not explained by tobacco – which is usually mixed into joints by many cannabis users, and is known to alter DNA methylation.

    This finding also highlights epigenetic changes as a potential link between high-potency cannabis and psychosis. DNA methylation, which bridges the gap between genetics and environmental factors, is a key mechanism that allows external influences (such as substance use) to impact gene activity. By studying epigenetic changes, researchers may be able to develop a greater understanding on how cannabis use – particularly high-potency types – can influence specific biological pathways. This may in turn help us understand why some cannabis users are at increased risk of psychosis.

    We hope that our findings will help scientists to better understand how cannabis use can affect the body’s biology. Future research should now investigate whether the DNA methylation patterns associated with cannabis use can serve as biomarkers to identify users at higher risk of developing psychosis. This could lead to more targeted prevention strategies and inform safer cannabis use practices.

    Emma Dempster receives funding from MRC, NIHR, ARUK.

    Marta Di Forti does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

    – ref. High-potency cannabis use leaves a distinct mark on DNA – new research – https://theconversation.com/high-potency-cannabis-use-leaves-a-distinct-mark-on-dna-new-research-241384

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Fisheries Management Plan measures move forward

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    Vulnerable fisheries stocks will receive additional protection with the implementation of new legislation.

    New legislation implementing a range of short-term management measures for certain species of fish was introduced to Parliament today (16 October). These new arrangements have been identified within the first Fisheries Management Plans (FMP) as priority to help provide additional protection to vulnerable stocks.

    The measures, which are subject to Parliamentary scrutiny, are expected to come into force on 16 December 2024, include:

    • The introduction of minimum conservation reference sizes (MCRS) for lemon sole (250mm), turbot (300mm), and brill (300mm) in the English waters of the International Council for the Exploration of the Seas (ICES) designated areas 7d and 7e (the Channel Sea).
    • An increase to the existing MCRS for crawfish in all English waters to 110mm to protect the juveniles of these stocks from being landed before they have matured and had chance to reproduce.
    • A requirement that all flyseining (fishing with an encircling and towed net, operated from a boat by means of two long ropes (seine ropes) designed to herd the fish towards the opening of the net) vessels use a 100mm mesh as standard in the English waters of ICES divisions 7d and 7e so that smaller, juvenile fish can escape from the nets and have chance to reproduce.
    • A restriction of the engine power of vessels using flyseining gear in the English territorial waters of these areas 7d and 7e to help manage fishing pressures on demersal NQS in inshore fishing grounds (the more powerful an engine, the bigger the boat and ability to fish in adverse weather). 
    • Removal of the UK-EU annually negotiated catch limits for commercially caught bass from secondary legislation so that they can be updated through fishing licence conditions. Licence conditions are generally quick to introduce and would allow the commercial bass catch limits to be updated promptly following international negotiations, so they are in line with evolving evidence.

    Any changes to fishing gear and/or fishing practices to comply with these new measures will need to be made by 16 December 2024.

    You can find out more about the measures, and other developments relating to fisheries management plans, on Defra’s dedicated blog: Fisheries Management Plans – News and updates from Defra’s FMP programme (blog.gov.uk)

    Updates to this page

    Published 16 October 2024

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Eplontersen approved to treat adults with rare inherited nerve disease or polyneuropathy

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) has approved eplontersen (Wainzua) to treat adults with polyneuropathy associated with hereditary transthyretin amyloidosis (ATTRv), which is a rare progressive condition that runs in families caused by a protein called transthyretin (TTR).

    In people with this disease, small fibres of TTR protein clump together to make deposits called ‘amyloid’. Amyloid can build up around or within the nerves, heart and other organs, stopping them from working properly.

    Eplontersen is specifically indicated for use when the disease is causing polyneuropathy, which is damage to multiple nerves outside of the brain and central nervous system, resulting in pain, discomfort, progressive weakness and loss of sensation in the legs and arms, and mobility difficulties.

    Eplontersen works mainly by lowering the amount of TTR protein made by the liver. As a result, there is less TTR protein in the blood to form amyloid deposits. That can help reduce the effects of the disease.

    The recommended dose of eplontersen is one 45mg dose every month, administered as an injection under the skin using a pre-filled pen. Treatment with eplontersen lowers the amount of vitamin A in the blood and patients will need to take vitamin A supplements during treatment.

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

    Enabling safe access to high quality, safe and effective medicines is a key priority for us.

    We’re assured that the appropriate regulatory standards of safety, quality and effectiveness for the approval of this new formulation have been met.

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

    The MHRA’s approval of the medicine is supported by evidence from a NEURO-TTRansform study. In this trial 168 adult patients with hereditary transthyretin-mediated amyloidosis received a subcutaneous injection of eplontersen 45 mg every 4 weeks compared to an historical placebo arm from the older NEURO-TTR study completed in 2017 as well as patients who received another medicine called inotersen 284 mg weekly.

    The study looked at levels of TTR in the blood of patients to measure the levels of this protein that contributes to the disease. It also used questionnaires to rate the changes that patients reported in the symptoms of their nerve damage. This study tracked these changes from the start of the trial (baseline) to 35 and 66 weeks after the patients had received eplontersen.

    Patients in the trial receiving eplontersen experienced greater reductions in TTR levels and less worsening of the disease from baseline compared to the placebo group.

    A full list of all side effects reported with this medicine is available in the patient information leaflet or from the product information published on the MHRA website. 

    If a patient experiences any side effects, they should talk to their doctor, pharmacist, or nurse. This includes any possible side effects not listed in the product information leaflets.

    Anyone who suspects they are having a side effect from this medicine is encouraged to talk to their doctor, pharmacist or nurse and report it directly to the MHRA’s Yellow Card scheme.

    ENDS

    Notes to editors  

    • The new marketing authorisation was granted for eplontersen (Wainzua) on 14 October to AstraZeneca via National Procedure.
    • More information can be found in the Summary of Product Characteristics and Patient Information leaflets which will be published on the MHRA Products website within 7 days of approval.
    • The MHRA is an executive agency of the Department of Health and Social Care.
    • The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) is responsible for regulating all medicines and medical devices in the UK by ensuring they work and are acceptably safe.  All our work is underpinned by robust and fact-based judgements to ensure that the benefits justify any risks.
    • For media enquiries, please contact the newscentre@mhra.gov.uk, or call on 020 3080 7651.

    Updates to this page

    Published 16 October 2024

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI: Atos launches its Experience Operations Center in partnership with Nexthink to empower digital workplace performance

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    Press Release

    Atos launches its Experience Operations Center in partnership with Nexthink to empower digital workplace performance

    Experience Operations Center leverages proactive, AI-driven efficiencies to drive new levels of productivity and employee satisfaction

    Boston, United States and Paris, France – October 16, 2024 – Atos today launches in partnership with Nexthink their state-of-the-art Experience Operations Center (XOC) offering. The joint XOC delivers digital workplace operations that enhance end-user experience through enabling real-time, AI-driven efficiencies and boosting workplace productivity. Atos was one of Nexthink’s first managed services partners; this new offering builds on their 8-year partnership rooted in helping organizations create employee-centric workplaces that drive innovative and sustainable business value.

    Powered by Atos Real-Time Data Processing Framework (RTDPF) which captures billions of workplace and devices data, and Nexthink Infinity, XOC integrates data from sources such as IT service management, endpoint, contact center and identity management platforms within the digital workplace, to provide a unified, real-time performance overview. Beyond the analytical insights provided by standard workplace analytics, the XOC command center proactively pinpoints user experience issues, 24/7 and in real time.

    Its serverless architecture reveals hidden patterns and forecasts based on historical data and Atos 10-year expertise in digital experience management, allowing agile and responsive decision-making and problem resolution before users are affected.

    Leon Gilbert, Senior Vice President Digital Workplace Atos, said: “Focusing on employee experience is crucial for organizations to drive performance, streamline efficiency, and boost profitability. Our innovative Experience Operations Center helps achieve this ambition by leveraging state-of-the-art automation and AI that put humans at the heart of their problem-solving capabilities”.

    Atos leverages Nexthink’s digital workplace observability and automation platform to streamline issue detection, diagnostics and remediation. By helping companies to go from proactive incident identification to automated fixes in minutes, Nexthink’s platform supports XOC offering to deliver cost reduction, time savings, improved sustainability and increased employee performance. Going forward, Atos and Nexthink continue to collaborate to enhance the employee experience offered to their clients.

    Yassine Zaied, Chief Strategy Officer, Nexthink, said: “Atos has long been an innovator in the end user computing space, and this latest offering will once again challenge the status quo for the better. Today, the Digital Employee Experience is no longer just a consideration, it’s central to every successful digital transformation. It demands a systematic, not ad-hoc, approach. Atos XOC has such transformative potential and we’re proud to play a pivotal role in driving this evolution forward”.

    The Experience Operations Center compliments Atos’ Digital Workplace portfolio offerings by real-time insights in the digital workplace experience, proactive issue detection and accelerated resolution. Atos teams provide end-to-end employee experience solutions through digital collaboration and productivity tools, as well as intelligent customer care services. They currently deliver workplace analytics services to 1.8 million devices globally. In March 2024, Gartner positioned Atos as a Leader in its 2024 Magic Quadrant for Outsourced Digital Workplace Services (ODWS) for the eighth consecutive year.

    ***

    About Atos

    Atos is a global leader in digital transformation with c. 92,000 employees and annual revenue of c. € 10 billion. European number one in cybersecurity, cloud and high-performance computing, the Group provides tailored end-to-end solutions for all industries in 69 countries. A pioneer in decarbonization services and products, Atos is committed to a secure and decarbonized digital for its clients. Atos is a SE (Societas Europaea) and listed on Euronext Paris.

    The purpose of Atos is to help design the future of the information space. Its expertise and services support the development of knowledge, education and research in a multicultural approach and contribute to the development of scientific and technological excellence. Across the world, the Group enables its customers and employees, and members of societies at large to live, work and develop sustainably, in a safe and secure information space.

    About Nexthink

    Nexthink is the leader in digital employee experience management software. The company provides IT leaders with unprecedented insight allowing them to see, diagnose and fix issues at scale impacting employees anywhere, with any application or network, before employees notice the issue. As the first solution to allow IT to progress from reactive problem solving to proactive optimization, Nexthink enables its more than 1,200 customers to provide better digital experiences to more than 15 million employees. Dual headquartered in Lausanne, Switzerland and Boston, Massachusetts, Nexthink has 9 offices worldwide.

    Press contacts

    Atos: Isabelle Grangé | isabelle.grange@atos.net | +33 (0) 6 64 56 74 88

    Nexthink: press@nexthink.com

    Attachment

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: Applied Systems, Ivans and EZLynx Recognized in the 2024 PropertyCasualty360 Insurance Luminaries Awards

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    Chicago, IL., Oct. 16, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Applied Systems today announced that the company and two of its subsidiaries, Ivans and EZLynx, have been named to PropertyCasualty360’s Insurance Luminaries Class of 2024 in the categories of Technology Innovation and Innovation in Workplace Culture. The Technology Innovation category recognizes those advancing the insurance industry through digitalization and customer experience improvements. The Innovation in Workplace Culture category honors those enhancing the industry’s reputation as a career choice and promoting employee satisfaction through diversity, wellness, ESG initiatives, and community service.

    • Applied Systems – Innovation in Workplace Culture
    • Ivans – Technology Innovation – Company Category
    • Applied Pay – Technology Innovation – Product Category
    • EZLynx Management System – Technology Innovation – Product Category

    “My colleagues and I are thrilled to be able to recognize pace-setting insurance organizations, programs, practices, teams, and individuals as part of the annual PropertyCasualty360 Insurance Luminaries recognition program,” says Elana Ashanti Jefferson, executive editor, NU Property & Casualty. “This year’s honorees pay homage to the industry’s mission to make insureds whole after a major loss while adapting to challenging business conditions created by historic storms, inflation, and litigation trends.”

    This recognition celebrates innovation in the property and casualty insurance industry. The program spotlights top professionals, teams, organizations, programs, practices and products within the sector that strive to modernize and humanize the business. The 2024 honorees were selected by a panel of industry experts based on how well they stated and achieved goals with regards to the nomination category; how impactful their work has been; how dedicated the nominee has been to furthering modernization and humanization in the P&C insurance business; and how committed and dedicated the nominee has been to high ethical standards, service and excellence.

    “We are honored to be recognized in the 2024 PropertyCasualty360 Insurance Luminaries Awards,” said Taylor Rhodes, chief executive officer, Applied Systems. “This recognition is a testament to the people across our organization and our commitment to being Indispensable Partners to one another, our customers and our industry.”

    # # #

    The Applied products and logos are trademarks of Applied Systems, Inc., registered in the U.S.

     

    About Applied Systems
    Applied Systems is the leading global provider of cloud-based software that powers the business of insurance. Recognized as a pioneer in insurance automation and the innovation leader, Applied is the world’s largest provider of agency and brokerage management systems, serving customers throughout the United States, Canada, the Republic of Ireland, and the United Kingdom. By automating the insurance lifecycle, Applied’s people and products enable millions of people around the world to safeguard and protect what matters most.

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI Global: The ‘bully cats’ bred to resemble American bully dogs and how fashion is creating mutant pet breeds

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Grace Carroll, Lecturer in Animal Behaviour and Welfare, School of Psychology, Queen’s University Belfast

    Sphynx cats were used to create the bully cat mutant. New Africa/Shutterstock

    Pedigree cat breeding has long had its controversies but a new trend for cats bred to look like American bully XL dogs could be one of the most worrying fads yet.

    So-called “bully cats” originated in the US and are a result of mutant breeding. Unlike pedigree breeding, which focuses on keeping animals purebred, mutant breeding involves intentionally combining genetic mutations to create cats with a specific look. In this case, they mix the gene that causes hairlessness in sphynx cats with the gene responsible for the short legs of munchkin cats, making bully cats a munchkin-sphynx cross.

    These cats share a close resemblance to bully dogs, a group of breeds characterised by a solid build, wide body and short coat. American XL bully dogs were banned in the UK in 2023. Recently, bully cats have made their way to the UK, where social media accounts promoting this new mutant breed have emerged.

    YouTube users criticised this video for “making it normal” to breed animals with genetic health problems.

    According to Marjan van Hagen and Jeffrey de Gier, animal welfare and reproduction experts at Utrecht University in The Netherlands, these mutations can have serious health consequences for the cats and limit their freedom of movement. Kittens already have a limited ability to regulate their body temperature and this is made even more difficult by hairlessness and makes them more suspectible to respiratory infections.

    A lack of fur can also lead to sunburn and skin cancer in hairless cats. Like the sphynx, bully cats also lack whiskers, which cats depend on for communication, navigating their environment and gauging spatial dimensions.

    Short-legged cats also face problems. Short legs limit their ability to jump, can put cats at a disadvantage in fights and can lead to painful health conditions. Although breeders claim that bully cats are healthy and long-lived, it’s still too early to determine their long-term health and welfare.

    Some breeders also say they are screening the cats they breed from for conditions such as heart disease. This can help prevent health problems, but it can’t overcome all of the health and welfare issues with mutant breeding.

    A May 2024 study by veterinary epidemiologist Kendy Tzu-Yun Teng and colleagues assessed annual life expectancy in UK cats and found that the average cat lives nearly 12 years, but sphynx cats have the shortest lifespan — just 6.7 years. Bully cats, being both hairless and short-legged, may face twice the number of challenges encountered by sphynx and munchkin breeds.

    In the wild, unrelated species that face comparable environmental challenges often develop similar traits, a process known as “convergent evolution”. Despite coming from different evolutionary paths, these species evolve to look and behave in similar ways.

    Take the sugar glider from Australia, for example. It looks and behaves much like the US flying squirrel, yet one is a marsupial and one is a mammal. Both animals faced the problem of how to move efficiently in a forest canopy, and evolved the same solution.

    Sugar gliders are not related to flying squirrels.
    I Wayan Sumatika/Shutterstock

    In a similar way, many domesticated animals share common traits, collectively known as “domestication syndrome” including increased tameness, juvenile behaviour, floppy ears and smaller teeth. Traits that helped them adjust to life with humans. However, the resemblance between bully cats and dogs doesn’t come from this gradual, natural process. Instead, it’s the result of selective breeding based on aesthetics.

    Veterinarian and animal welfare scientist Wenche Farstad summarises this as breeding for “curiosity or cuteness” in their 2018 paper on ethical breeding. While people normally find traits like round eyes and short nose length to be particularly cute, breeding for hairlessness and shorter legs is better aligned with the concept of breeding for curiosity.

    In this case, the resemblance between bully cats and dogs is more about human-driven design, where appearance is prioritised. The bully cat seems to have been intentionally bred to resemble the bully dog, perhaps due to their perception among young men as a kind of status symbol.

    Could bully cats survive without humans?

    Mutations that hinder survival and reproduction typically become rare in nature. However, humans bypass natural selection by choosing which animals breed, allowing traits that would be disadvantageous in the wild to persist.

    Examples of this can be seen across a number of domestic species. For example, due to the muscularity of their calves, Belgian Blue cattle require caesarean sections in more than 90% of births.

    Another farm animal, the modern broiler chicken, has been bred to grow much faster than its wild counterparts. If allowed to live longer than their usual slaughter age, many would not survive. Bully cats would probably also struggle to survive in the wild, without humans to care for them.

    Crossbreeding programs can help increase genetic diversity and reduce harmful traits in many breeds. However, for mutant breeds like the bully cat – where hairlessness and short legs are defining traits – this isn’t a realistic solution.

    Prospective pet owners need to be aware of the risks associated with owning mutant and experimental breeds. Consumers hold purchasing power. We can discourage breeders from prioritising aesthetics over the health and welfare of the animals by refusing to buy breeds with extreme traits.

    A fashion toward ethical breeding could ensure future cats are healthier, happier and free to enjoy natural feline behaviour like climbing, jumping and lounging in the sun. We should let cats be cats.

    Grace Carroll does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

    – ref. The ‘bully cats’ bred to resemble American bully dogs and how fashion is creating mutant pet breeds – https://theconversation.com/the-bully-cats-bred-to-resemble-american-bully-dogs-and-how-fashion-is-creating-mutant-pet-breeds-240729

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Autocratic nations are reaching across borders to silence critics – and so far nothing seems to stop them

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Francesca Lessa, Associate Professor in International Relations of the Americas, UCL

    Iranian journalist Pouria Zeraati survived an assassination attempt outside his home in Wimbledon, south London, in late March 2024. Eighteen months earlier, the London-based independent television channel Iran International, for which Zeraati worked, had temporarily relocated to Washington DC over threats that they believe come from the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps.

    Both incidents are examples of how it seems that a government can target an individual or organisation based outside their borders, with terrifying results.

    According to the latest research from the V-Dem Institute at the University of Gothenberg, 71% of the world’s population lived in autocracies in 2023 – ten years ago it was 48%. But what’s also new is that autocracies – as well as some other nations – are increasingly reaching across their borders to target people living abroad, enforcing the idea that they can reach their critics wherever they live.

    This kind of state action, taken outside national borders, is known as transnational repression, and is becoming more widespread. The Chinese government is seen as the biggest perpetrator, sometimes using violence to close down criticism or protests against its regime, held in other countries.

    Countries reaching across borders

    More than 20% of the world’s governments are believed to have taken this kind of action outside their borders in the past ten years. These included assassinations, abductions, assaults, detentions and unlawful deportations, according to the NGO Freedom House. These are aimed at forcibly silencing exiled political activists, journalists, former regime insiders and members of ethnic or religious minorities.
    In 2023, 125 such incidents were committed by 25 countries.

    While the majority of countries committing such practices tend to be autocracies, a number of democracies have also taken action across borders, including Israel, Hungary, India and Turkey, according to the report. In 2023, six countries engaged in these practices for the first time, including the Democratic Republic of Congo, El Salvador and Yemen.



    Read more:
    Why the growing number of foreign agent laws around the world is bad for democracy

    Freedom House recorded 1,034 physical attacks between 2014 and 2023, committed by 44 governments in 100 target countries. China, Turkey, Tajikistan, Russia and Egypt are the most prolific perpetrators, with China accounting for a quarter of all incidents.

    This type of terror tactic can take many forms. Freedom House has noted that governments increasingly cooperated to help target exiled dissidents. In 74% of the incidents of transnational repression that took place in 2021, both the origin and the host countries were rated “not free” by Freedom House.

    Awareness of this type of cross-border action is growing. Both human rights groups and academics are now systematically tracking attacks. And several governments, including the US and Australia, have committed to taking action to combat these practices. A bill was introduced in the US Senate in 2023 to specifically tackle transnational repression by foreign governments in the US and abroad.

    I studied the increasing levels of cooperation in transnational repression by different nations in a recent article published in International Studies Quarterly. We look at why states, which are normally reluctant to collaborate, do so when it comes to silencing dissidents abroad.



    Read more:
    Continuing crackdown on churches and NGOs moves Nicaragua further from democracy to authoritarianism

    Historical lessons?

    There are historical parallels between what happened during Operation Condor in South America and what’s happening today. Operation Condor was a system that Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Paraguay and Uruguay started using in late 1975 with the backing of the US. It was aimed at persecuting exiles. Operation Condor was the most sophisticated, institutionalised and coordinated scheme ever established to persecute citizens who had been forced to flee their homeland.

    Journalist Pouria Zeraati was attacked.

    Three factors were found to explain why this form of repression was able to be used at the time and why countries agreed to cooperate.

    First, politically active exiled dissidents constituted a threat to the reputation and survival of South America’s ruling juntas. They successfully named and shamed the region’s military regimes, discrediting their international public images given the human rights violations perpetrated and resulting in the US cutting funding to Uruguay in 1976 and Argentina in 1977.

    Second, these autocracies, which came to power between 1964 and 1976, drew inspiration from the US National Security Doctrine and the French School of Counterinsurgency. In both, security was considered more important than human rights.

    The history of Operation Condor.

    Finally, two countries catalysed efforts to cooperate in this kind of action. Chile pushed for the formal creation of Operation Condor in 1975. Argentina then expanded it to include Brazil, Peru and Ecuador between 1976 and 1978. This significantly widened Operation Condor’s scope for action to most of South America.

    Why Operation Condor is relevant?

    Operation Condor was the only regional organisation to be created to hunt down political opponents across borders. Lessons from this historical experience are relevant today.

    Cooperation in transnational repression in the last few years also occurs in regional clusters, as shown by research by academics and human rights groups. These groups of nations include, for instance, Belarus, Russia and Tajikistan, as well as Thailand, Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam.

    In recent years these south-east Asian countries have closely collaborated to persecute, arbitrarily arrest and forcibly repatriate exiled activists and refugees, according to the media, the UN and international human rights NGOs.

    Second, one or more countries, predominantly Russia and Turkey, have worked together on efforts to repress critics over a significant period.

    Third, some regional organisations, of authoritarian nature, often enable cooperation in transnational repression, or at least create unsafe environments for migrating dissidents.

    The Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) and the Gulf Cooperation Council are examples, since they “have expanded their collective efforts against exiles”, according to some sources. SCO member states, especially Russia, China and Uzbekistan, have repeatedly used the organisation to pursue political opponents abroad and persecute them as criminals. This shows the organisation’s role as a platform for the diffusion and consolidation of authoritarian principles.

    Countries engaging in this kind of political repression today often wish to silence dissent wherever it occurs.

    These countries are acting in complete disregard of established principles of international law and international relations, such as sovereignty and the protection of refugees, and seem to be expanding their operations. It remains to be seen if there’s anything that the rest of the international community can do to reverse this terrifying trend, but at least it has started trying.

    Francesca Lessa’s projects “Operation Condor” and “Plancondor.org” received funding from the University of Oxford John Fell Fund, The British Academy/Leverhulme Trust, the University of Oxford ESRC Impact Acceleration Account, the European Commission under Horizon 2020, the Open Society Foundations, and UCL Public Policy through Research England’s QR-PSF funding. Lessa is also the Honorary President of the Observatorio Luz Ibarburu, a network of human rights NGOs in Uruguay.

    – ref. Autocratic nations are reaching across borders to silence critics – and so far nothing seems to stop them – https://theconversation.com/autocratic-nations-are-reaching-across-borders-to-silence-critics-and-so-far-nothing-seems-to-stop-them-233037

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: In despair about Earth’s future? Look for green shoots

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Heather Alberro, Lecturer in Sustainability, University of Manchester

    A white stork nesting in the city. Dr.MYM/Shutterstock

    As species go extinct and a habitable climate teeters, it’s understandable to feel despair.

    Some of the world’s top climate scientists have expressed their mounting hopelessness at the prospect of reaching 3°C by 2100. This hellish scenario, well in excess of the 1.5°C countries agreed to aim for when they signed the 2015 Paris agreement, would indeed spell disaster for much of life on Earth.

    As a lecturer in sustainability, I often hear my anxious students bemoan the impossibility of building a way out of ecological collapse. However, the greatest danger is fatalism, and assuming, as Margaret Thatcher claimed, that “there is no alternative”.

    There is a vast ocean of possibility for transforming the planet. Increasingly, cities are in the vanguard of forging more sustainable worlds.

    Car-free futures

    Since the early 1900s, the car has afforded a sense of freedom for some while infringing on the freedoms of others.

    Cars, particularly SUVs, are a major source of air pollution and CO₂ emissions globally. Motorways and car parking spaces have transformed Earth’s terrain and monopolised public space. For those of us in industrialised societies, it is difficult to imagine life without cars.

    Global sales of electric vehicles are projected to continue rising. Yet even these supposed solutions to an unsustainable transport sector require a lot of space and materials to make and maintain.

    With cities set to host nearly 70% of all people by 2050, space and livability are key concerns. As such, cities across Europe and beyond are beginning to reclaim their streets.

    Between 2019 and 2022, the number of low-emissions zones, areas that regulate the most polluting vehicles in order to improve air quality and help to protect public health, expanded by 40% in European cities. Research suggests that policies to restrict car use such as congestion charges and raised parking fees can further discourage their use. However, providing viable and accessible alternatives is also crucial: as such, many cities are also widening walkways, building bike lanes and making public transport cheaper and easier to access.

    An estimated 80,000 cars used to pass daily through the centre of Pontevedra, a city in north-west Spain. Mayor Miguel Anxo Fernandez Lores instituted a ban on cars in 1999 and removed on-street parking spaces. The city has since drastically reduced air pollution and hasn’t had a vehicular death in over a decade.

    Civic life in Pontevedra has benefited from the absence of cars.
    Trabantos/Shutterstock

    Living cities

    Cement and concrete are widely used to make major infrastructure such as roads, bridges, buildings and dams. The cement industry accounts for up to 9% of global emissions. Moreover, the open-pit quarrying of limestone, a key ingredient in cement, involves removing topsoil and vegetation which rips up ecosystems and biodiversity and increases flooding risks.

    A burgeoning “depaving” movement originated in Portland, Oregon in 2008 and has removed concrete and asphalt from cities including Chicago, London and several cities across Canada, replacing it with plants and soil.

    Depaving is an example of the wider urban rewilding movement which aims to restore natural habitats and expand green spaces in cities for social and ecological wellbeing.

    Multispecies coexistence

    A new report by the World Wildlife Fund for Nature (WWF) has documented an average 73% decline in the abundance of monitored wildlife populations globally since 1970. Despite such unfathomable losses, many cities are being transformed into oases of multispecies life.

    Prized for their fur, beavers were hunted to extinction in the UK by the 16th century. Their water damming activities create homes for other species such as birds and invertebrates and help prevent flooding. Eurasian beavers have been thriving in Sweden, Norway and Germany since their reintroduction in the 1920s and 1960s, respectively.

    In 2022, beavers were designated a protected species in England. In October 2023, London saw its first baby beaver in over 400 years.

    Melbourne has launched a project to create a 18,000 square-metre garden in the city by 2028, with at least 20 local plant species for each square metre. An 8-kilometre long pollinator corridor is also being created to allow wildlife to travel between 200 interconnected gardens and further help local pollinators flourish.

    Living alongside larger predators brings unique challenges. However, as with any functional relationship, respect is key for coexistence. Los Angeles and Mumbai are two major cities that are learning to live alongside mountain lions and leopards. Local officials have launched public education initiatives urging people to, for instance, maintain a safe distance from the animals and not walk alone outside at night. In cases where wildlife conflicts occur, such as between wolves and farmers who have lost livestock, non-lethal methods such as wolf-proof fences and guard dogs have been found to be more effective solutions than culls.

    India’s leopard population appears to be rising.
    Nedla/Shutterstock

    Environmental justice now

    Cities, particularly in wealthy countries, are only a small part of the story.

    At just over 500 years old, the modern capitalist system, imposed globally through European colonialism, is a relatively recent development. Despite its influence, the visionary author Ursula K. Le Guin reminded us that “any human power can be resisted and changed by human beings”.

    Indigenous peoples numbering 476 million across 90 countries represent thousands of distinct cultures that persist as living proof of the enduring possibilities of radically different ways of living.

    An online database tracks 4,189 environmental justice movements worldwide. From multi-tribe Indigenous Amazonian alliances keeping illegal miners at bay, to countless local communities and activist groups resisting the construction of new fossil fuel infrastructure. Over the last few years, these place-based struggles have either stopped, stalled or forced the suspension of at least one-quarter of planned extractive projects.

    These examples demonstrate hope in action, and suggest that the radical changes required to avert climate and ecological breakdown are often a simple question of will and collective resolve.

    Reality, like the future, is never fixed. Whether the world is 2, 3 or 4-degrees warmer by 2100 depends on actions taken today. The terrain ahead will be full of challenges. But, glimmers of a better world are already here.


    Don’t have time to read about climate change as much as you’d like?

    Get our award-winning weekly roundup in your inbox instead. Every Wednesday, The Conversation’s environment editor writes Imagine, a short email that goes a little deeper into just one climate issue. Join the 35,000+ readers who’ve subscribed so far.

    Heather Alberro does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

    – ref. In despair about Earth’s future? Look for green shoots – https://theconversation.com/in-despair-about-earths-future-look-for-green-shoots-232114

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Imported Clotted cream samples detected with total bacterial count exceeding legal limit

    Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

         â€‹The Centre for Food Safety (CFS) of the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department announced today (October 16) that samples of prepackaged pasteurized Cornish clotted cream imported from the United Kingdom (UK) were detected with total bacterial count exceeding the legal limit. The affected batch of product has been marked and sealed, and has not entered the market. The CFS is following up on the incident.

         Product details are as follows: 

    Product name: Cornish Clotted Cream
    Brand: M&S 
    Place of origin: UK
    Sole importer: Alf Retail Hong Kong Limited
    Packing: 227 grams per pack
    Use-by date: October 18, 2024

         A spokesman for the CFS said, “The CFS collected the above-mentioned samples at the import level for testing under its routine Food Surveillance Programme. The test results showed that the total bacterial count of the samples were 620 400, 1 128 000 and 1 504 000 per milliliter respectively. According to the Milk Regulation (Cap 132 AQ), milk after heat treatment by means of pasteurisation should not contain more than 30 000 bacteria per millilitre.

         The CFS has informed the importer concerned of the irregularity. An investigation revealed that the affected batch of the product is still stored in the importer’s warehouse. It has not entered the local market. The CFS has temporarily suspended the permission to import for sale of the product concerned granted earlier to the importer. Other types of similar products of the same brand being sold in the market are not affected.
    　
         The spokesman said that the total bacterial counts exceeding the legal limit indicated that the hygienic conditions were unsatisfactory, but did not mean it would lead to food poisoning.
    　
         The CFS has informed the British authorities of the incident, and will continue to follow up on the case and take appropriate action.

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Overcoming analysis paralysis: the Niaxo ACE supplier story

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    Bringing data science to bear on everything from the national covid response to synthetic data and countering online grooming.

    Niaxo brings a wealth of experience in data platforms and analytics, with its founders having clocked up “something ridiculous” like 60 years’ worth of contracting into government as independent consultants between them.

    They saw a niche, with experience of both working independently within government as well as working with government clients, to do something different and get technical projects off the ground faster – avoiding the so-called analysis paralysis which can afflict larger organisations.

    And so Niaxo was born in September 2019.

    The team is now significantly larger, with the initial team joined by ten staff, but retains a core focus on bring novel techniques to other people’s data problems.

    An area the company is increasingly excited about, says Ed Puddicombe, Niaxo’s director of strategy and business engagement, is using artificial intelligence (AI) and synthetic data to generate simulated scenarios. These could be used for interviews, for example, or for training materials in areas such as law enforcement.

    For one Accelerated Capability Environment (ACE) customer, the company used large language models to find examples of the types of text it wanted to replicate synthetically and then designed a wrapper to make an initial version of a template, which has been well received as a starting point. Technology and applications such as this could be a game-changer in terms of speeding up project timelines.

    Puddicombe said: “It was a project for ACE that was the genesis of starting to do some really cool stuff with synthetic data and we enjoy being part of interesting work and working on novel challenges.”

    The Niaxo team heard about ACE from contacts and, intrigued, set up a meeting to find out more. They signed up, and completed their first project in early 2020, exploring data-driven decision-making at a key point of the criminal justice system.

    Puddicombe said: “We took an initial data-processing idea, and within six weeks revamped it into more of an enterprise tool.”

    One of the major ACE commissions Niaxo has been part of was the covid response for the Joint Biosecurity Centre, which was set up to provide evidence-based insight to aid local and national decision-making.

    The company designed and built the data science platform which calculated the ‘r’ value – the measure of how quickly infections were growing across the UK. A rough design on a piece of paper evolved into a platform where every data output could be reversed, to understand the data feeding into it.

    Niaxo built a demonstrator in five days, had the first user live in five weeks, and within five months was told it was the biggest data science platform in government, with hundreds of data scientists working on it. The company also ran and continued to develop it for a number of months, before it was migrated “overnight, seamlessly” to the Department of Health and Social Care.

    Another project Niaxo worked on for a law enforcement body was around understanding the mathematical principles of how online grooming in chats could be detected, and how pattern matching could help, no matter which language was being used.

    Puddicombe added: “I think working with ACE illuminates problem spaces we may have overlooked, so we’ve got a skill that we didn’t know we could grow, from a seed that wouldn’t otherwise have been sown.”

    Updates to this page

    Published 16 October 2024

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: UK pushes for Middle East stability on ministerial visit to Egypt

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    Minister for the Middle East Hamish Falconer visits Egypt to push for regional stability.

    • The UK announces £1 million of assistance to Egyptian health authority to support medically evacuated Palestinians from Gaza.
    • New UK-Egypt Memorandum of Understanding on food security signed, signalling the UK’s support for Egypt’s leading role in food production in the region.
    • Minister calls for urgent de-escalation and a ceasefire in Gaza and Lebanon in his first visit to the Middle East, with visit to Al Arish border crossing.

    Providing humanitarian support for civilians affected by the current conflict was the focus of the Minister for the Middle East’s, Hamish Falconer, first official visit to the region this week.

    Announcing a new package of support to assist civilians medically evacuated from Gaza to Egypt, the Minister pledged £1 million of UK assistance to the Egyptian Ministry of Health that will support medically evacuated civilians from Gaza who are receiving care in Egypt.

    Delivered through the World Health Organisation (WHO) in Egypt, the funding will provide vital medical supplies and medications, including chemotherapy and rehabilitative equipment, to those in need. It will also strengthen capacity to care for patients from Gaza with chronic diseases.

    Minister for the Middle East Hamish Falconer said:

    “As a key regional partner, Egypt plays a central role alongside the UK in working for stability and security across the Middle East and driving forward de-escalation efforts in both Gaza and Lebanon.  

    “The worsening humanitarian situation in Gaza continues to bring devastation to many lives, with many requiring life-saving support over the border in Egypt. That’s why, alongside our Egyptian partners, we are funding life-saving treatments and support for medically evacuated civilians from Gaza. 

    “At Al Arish, I saw that many tonnes of lifesaving aid continue to be denied entry into Gaza by Israel. As winter approaches, Israel can and must do more to ensure aid flows freely into Gaza and to facilitate the UN and humanitarian agencies to carry out their work safely.

    “I signed a new UK-Egypt Memorandum of Understanding on sustainable food security, launching a new partnership between our two countries to tackle a critical global challenge.”

    The announcement came during the Minister’s visit to Al-Arish, where he met with the North Sinai Governor to discuss aid flows into Gaza. Here, the Minister visited the Egyptian Red Crescent’s warehouse and Al-Arish General Hospital to see how UK funding to WHO Egypt will be used.

    The Minister also met with Egypt’s Foreign Minister, Badr Abdelatty where he thanked Egypt for its ongoing role in getting aid into Gaza and agreed the need to continue working together for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza and Lebanon. Minister Falconer also raised the consular case of Alaa Abd El-Fattah and called for quick progress on his release.

    As Egypt is a regional leader in ensuring sustainable food security for the Middle East and Africa, the Minister also agreed a landmark UK-Egypt Memorandum of Understanding on Food Security with Rania Al Mashat, Minister of International Cooperation and Alaa Farouk, Minister of Agriculture. The agreement includes technical assistance to advance sustainable agribusiness practice and increase crop yield in Egypt.

    Speaking on today’s funding announcement, World Health Organisation Representative to Egypt Dr Nima Abid said:

    “WHO values its long-standing partnership with the British government, and we are deeply grateful for this generous contribution from the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office.

    “This support will enable WHO, in collaboration with the Ministry of Health and Population, to deliver critical supplies to Egyptian hospitals and equip healthcare workers to meet the urgent needs of medical evacuees from Gaza. I would also like to express my appreciation for the government of Egypt for its vital role in treating patients from Gaza and in facilitating their safe evacuation to other countries as well.”

    The UK continues to play a leading role in alleviating the suffering in Gaza and continues to provide significant funding to partners to support those most in need. The UK has already provided 78,000 shelter items, 76,000 wound care kits, and 1.3 million items of medicine.

    The UK trebled its aid commitment to the OPTs in the last financial year and this Government will maintain significant funding this financial year to support trusted aid
     agencies on the ground.

    The UK continues to call for an immediate ceasefire on all fronts and continues to push for urgent aid to enter Gaza and reach those most in need.

    Background

    • The FCDO currently advises against all but essential travel to the Egyptian desert west and south of the oases of Fayoum, Bahariya, Farafra, Dakhla and Kharga, except for:
    • The coastal areas between the Nile Delta and Marsa Matruh
    • The Marsa Matruh-Siwa road
    • The oasis town of Siwa
    • For further information on Egypt travel advice, visit https://www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/egypt

    Media enquiries

    Email newsdesk@fcdo.gov.uk

    Telephone 020 7008 3100

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

    Updates to this page

    Published 16 October 2024

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –