NewzIntel.com

Category: Great Britain

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: New Chair appointed for Creative Scotland review

    Source: Scottish Government

    Evidence-led review to report by November.

    A new Chair has been appointed to lead the independent review of Creative Scotland, Culture Secretary Angus Robertson has announced.

    Angela Leitch CBE will replace Dame Sue Bruce, who withdrew from the role on health grounds in March.

    In a letter to the Constitution, Europe, External Affairs & Culture Committee, Mr Robertson said Ms Leitch would be supported in the role by Stuart Currie as Vice Chair.

    The Culture Secretary also confirmed that the timeframe to publish recommendations would be extended until November, to allow the new Review team sufficient time to gather and consider evidence from the sector.

    Mr Robertson said:

    “I am delighted to report that Angela Leitch CBE has agreed to lead the independent review, supported by Stuart Currie as Vice Chair. Both Angela and Stuart bring a wealth of local government and public sector experience.

    “With the 2025-26 Scottish Budget including a record £34 million uplift for culture, including an additional £20 million for Creative Scotland’s multi-year funding programme, the review will consider Creative Scotland’s functions and remit to maximise the impact of this increase and ensure it can meet the culture sector’s needs.

    “In the meantime, I welcome the fact that our survey seeking the culture sector’s views on how culture and the arts are currently supported and areas for change, received more than 750 responses from individuals and organisations across Scotland. This feedback, which will be published later this Spring, will no doubt inform the independent Creative Scotland review.”

    Ms Leitch said:

    “Culture and the arts provide us with a sense of belonging, preserving our history and traditions, and promoting an understanding of different perspectives. It’s well recognised that the sector and the people who work within it contribute significantly to Scotland’s society, our communities, and the economy.

    “It’s also recognised that the context cultural organisations and artists are now operating in has changed considerably since Creative Scotland was established in 2010. I welcome the opportunity to work with colleagues in Creative Scotland and across the sector to review its remit and functions with a view to ensuring it continues to be relevant today.”

    Background:

    Angela Leitch has more than thirty years’ experience in local government, having worked in West Lothian and the City of Edinburgh councils before becoming Chief Executive firstly in Clackmannanshire Council and then East Lothian Council. In 2019 Angela was appointed as the Chief Executive of the newly formed Public Health Scotland, which amongst other responsibilities, played a crucial role in producing data, evidence and advice throughout the Covid-19 pandemic. She stepped down from this role in April 2023.

    Angela was Convenor of the Board of the Scottish Local Authority Remuneration Committee which presented its report on changes to the payments to elected members, in December 2023, to the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities (COSLA) and Scottish Government Ministers.

    She is a member of the Accounts Committee and the Scottish Police Authority. She is also Chair of YouthLink Scotland and is a Trustee of the homelessness prevention charity Cyrenians.

    The independent review into Creative Scotland was first announced in the 2024-25 Programme for Government, as the first review of Creative Scotland since its establishment in 2010. The Scottish Budget 2025-26 provides an increase of £34 million to culture in Scotland, including £20 million for Creative Scotland’s multi-year funding programme.

    Following Dame Sue Bruce’s withdrawal on health grounds, and the appointment of Angela Leitch CBE as the new Chair, the independent review is now expected to publish recommendations in November 2025. Further details on the review process, including the terms of reference, will be set out to Parliament in due course.

    Chair of Creative Scotland review confirmed – gov.scot, 13 January 2025

    Letter from the Cabinet Secretary, Constitution, External Affairs and Culture in relation to the Culture Sector Review, 4 March 2025

    The full text of the Culture Secretary’s letter to update the CEEAC Committee on the appointment of Angela Leitch CBE as Chair of the independent review of Creative Scotland is as follows:

    2 April, 2025

    Dear Clare,

    INDEPENDENT REVIEW OF CREATIVE SCOTLAND

    As I shared in my previous letter of 4 March 2025, unfortunately Dame Sue Bruce has had to withdraw from leading the Review of Creative Scotland on health grounds.

    The process for appointing a successor to chair the Review of Creative Scotland has now concluded and I am delighted to report that Angela Leitch CBE has agreed to lead the Review. Angela brings a wealth of public sector experience having worked at senior level in local authorities for over two decades and served as Chief Executive for Public Health Scotland for four years. I am also pleased to confirm that the Chair will be supported by Stuart Currie who has agreed to act as Vice Chair. Stuart brings a wide range of skills and knowledge in both local government and the public sector. 

    I know the Committee shares my view that the Review will be immensely valuable work and should be completed without undue delay. Unfortunately Dame Sue’s withdrawal means that the timescale for completion will be longer than originally anticipated. I am sure you will agree that whilst the delay is unfortunate it is important that the Chair has time to undertake an evidence led Review of Creative Scotland. I have therefore asked the Chair to provide the Scottish Ministers with recommendations and a written report in November. I can also confirm that good progress is being made with consideration of the responses to the sector wide survey which took place earlier this year and the analysis of the consultation responses will be published later this Spring.

    The key objectives of the Review will be to:

    1. consider Creative Scotland’s functions and remit, as set out in the Public Services Reform (Scotland) Act 2010, to ensure they continue to be relevant for the culture sector and meet Ministers’ aspirations;
    2. evaluate how Creative Scotland delivers its functions including appropriateness of existing governance arrangements; and
    3. maximise the impact of the funding Creative Scotland provide to the culture sector by ensuring Creative Scotland use and distribute funding appropriately and effectively.

    I appreciate the Committee’s continued interest and involvement in the work to date and I would like to thank you for your patience whilst the appointment process has been underway. I know that the Chair will be keen to meet with you to discuss the final remit of the Review. The Secretariat of the Creative Scotland Review would be happy to help in arranging a meeting and can be contacted at creativescotlandreview@gov.scot

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Psychology in policing and criminology under spotlight at Aberdeen conference The impact of AI and other emerging technologies on modern policing will be investigated during an annual psychology event taking place in Aberdeen later this month.

    Source: University of Aberdeen

    Dr Eva RubinovaThe impact of AI and other emerging technologies on modern policing will be investigated during an annual psychology event taking place in Aberdeen later this month.
    Organised jointly by the University of Aberdeen, Abertay University and the Scottish Institute for Policing Research, the Applied Psychology in Policing Settings conference will focus on the use of new technology to support and work with vulnerable groups, as well as the impact of AI and other emerging technologies on policing research and practice.
    Academics from the Universities of Aberdeen, Stirling and Birmingham City will give presentations on a range of topics, including the effects of alcohol on memory recall in investigative interviews, using virtual reality to improve eyewitness testimony and how facial recognition assists police investigations.
    Dr Eva Rubinova, Lecturer at the University of Aberdeen’s School of Psychology, co-organised the event with Dr Penny Woolnough, Reader in Forensic and Investigative Psychology at Abertay University and Associate Director of the Scottish Institute for Policing Research; and Dr Julie Gawrylowicz, Reader in Applied Cognitive Psychology at Abertay University.
    Dr Rubinova will give a presentation on her research exploring strategies for interviewing witnesses in domestic abuse cases. Her project aims to collect information about practices currently used by Police Scotland officers when collecting witness statements in these cases, to inform future research.
    “We are excited to host the fourth networking conference of the Evidence and Investigation Network of the Scottish Institute for Policing Research at the University of Aberdeen,” said Dr Rubinova. “The lineup of speakers includes Aberdeen, Scottish and UK academics, all experts in their fields who will share their cutting-edge research focused on innovative technologies and evidence gathering in cases involving vulnerable groups.
    “Delegates will have opportunities to network and develop new collaborations focused on solving issues in everyday policing practice. We hope the conference will educate and inform our audience and inspire the development of new ideas and knowledge exchange.”
    Dr Clare Sutherland and Dr Travis Seale-Carlisle, from the University of Aberdeen’s School of Psychology, will also give talks at the event on hyperrealistic AI and improving eyewitness identifications respectively.
    Free to attend, Applied Psychology in Policing Settings 2025 will take place on 16 April, 10am to 4pm, at the University of Aberdeen King’s College Conference Centre. You can book your place and find out more here.

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Waverley man charged over fuel thefts

    Source: New South Wales Community and Justice

    Waverley man charged over fuel thefts

    Friday, 4 April 2025 – 2:18 pm.

    A man has been charged with 48 offences following an investigation into vehicle damage and fuel theft across Launceston.
    Between January and April this year, several vehicles were targeted. 
    Northern Criminal Investigation Branch today charged a 31-year-old Waverley man with 24 counts of stealing and 24 counts of injure property.
    He will appear in the Launceston Magistrates Court at a later date.
    Anyone with information should contact police on 131 444 or Crime Stoppers anonymously on 1800 333 000 or online at crimestopperstas.com.au

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-Evening Report: Heroin found in cocaine and ‘ice’, and snorting a line can be lethal

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Darren Roberts, Conjoint Associate Professor in Clinical Pharmacology and Toxicology, St Vincent’s Healthcare Clinical Campus, UNSW Sydney

    Skrypnykov Dmytro/Shutterstock

    Authorities in New South Wales and Victoria have been warning the public about worrying cases of heroin overdoses after people thought they had taken cocaine or methamphetamine.

    We know the issue is also relevant to other parts of Australia. And it’s particularly concerning because heroin can cause life-threatening opioid overdoses, particularly in people inexperienced with heroin who snort it.

    Our new research sheds more light on what happens to people who accidentally took heroin thinking it was something else.

    What we did and what we found

    We are part of a NSW Health program that helps to find and quickly respond to concerning illicit and recreational drug poisonings and trends. The program is a collaboration between many government health services, including hospitals, the NSW Poisons Information Centre and labs.

    We searched our database and found 34 cases of opioid overdoses after using what people thought to be a stimulant drug between January 2022 and June 2024. A total of 19 people thought they were taking cocaine and 15 methamphetamine.

    Most of these 34 people had a severe opioid overdose requiring treatment by paramedics and in hospital. Sadly, two people died.

    Heroin was the opioid in all cases where we specifically tested for it, and we suspect all the cases.

    Cases occurred across NSW but most cases (68%) were in Sydney. In the last eight months of our study we identified multiple cases each month which may indicate these cases are becoming more common.

    In the United States, drugs like cocaine and methamphetamine are sometimes mixed with the potent opioid drug fentanyl. This unintentional use of opioids is causing many deaths in the US. But we didn’t find any evidence that fentanyl was the cause of the overdoses we examined.

    What happens when you take heroin by accident?

    Cocaine and methamphetamine are stimulant drugs. These are drugs that make a person feel more energetic and confident, and their pupils become larger.

    They have the opposite effect to heroin, which is an opioid and sedative. Heroin and other opioids make a person feel relaxed and often drowsy, with smaller pupils.

    When overdosing, opioids cause loss of consciousness and a person’s breathing slows or even stops, which is life-threatening. Severe opioid overdose without prompt treatment is lethal.

    If you expect to be taking cocaine or methamphetamine, but it is actually heroin, or has some heroin in it, you will very likely overdose. This is particularly true if you don’t usually take opioids, or if you use it for the first time. People can overdose from as little as snorting a line.

    Why is this happening?

    Sometimes people get a different drug than they wanted. This can happen because the drug is mixed with something else or swapped.

    This can happen for many reasons, including during manufacturing and distribution. It can happen intentionally or unintentionally by the dealer or people using the drug.

    One major reason is that you sometimes can’t tell heroin apart from cocaine or methamphetamine just by looking at them. So if drugs are mixed or swapped, you can’t always tell until you take them.

    What can we do about it?

    Opioid deaths are preventable. Government and community groups are working together to respond to the problem, either via issuing drug alerts or by educating their members.

    But people who take illicit or recreational drugs can reduce their risk by avoiding using drugs alone, and by making sure one person in their group is able to get help if needed.

    Unexpected sleepiness is a reason to seek help, not to simply rest. Start CPR if someone is not responsive and call 000.

    If someone is not responsive, start CPR and call 000.
    PanuShot/Shutterstock

    How about naloxone?

    Definitely, if someone is experiencing an opioid overdose, give them naloxone as soon as possible.

    Naloxone is a life-saving medicine that can temporarily reverse an opioid overdose. It comes in an easy-to-use nasal spray, and as a pre-filled injection.

    It’s available for free and without a prescription via the national Take Home Naloxone program. You can also order it online and get it by post.

    Naloxone is for anyone who may experience, or witness, an opioid overdose or adverse reaction.

    NSW authorities recommend it for people who use any illicit drugs including opioids, stimulants (like cocaine, methamphetamine and MDMA), ketamine and counterfeit pharmaceuticals, due to the risk of drugs being mixed with something else or swapped. Call 000 even if you have given naloxone.

    You can report unexpected overdoses to the Poisons Information Centre from anywhere in Australia on 131 126. In an emergency in Australia, call 000.

    Darren Roberts is the Medical Director of the NSW Poisons Information Centre and a clinical toxicologist and addiction medicine specialist at Royal Prince Alfred Hospital

    Jared Brown is affiliated with NSW Ministry of Health and NSW Poisons Information Centre.

    Peter Chisholm is a is a public health registrar in Drug and Alcohol Services at The Langton Centre and Prince of Wales Hospital.

    – ref. Heroin found in cocaine and ‘ice’, and snorting a line can be lethal – https://theconversation.com/heroin-found-in-cocaine-and-ice-and-snorting-a-line-can-be-lethal-253348

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: More police hitting the beat in Tasmania

    Source: New South Wales Community and Justice

    More police hitting the beat in Tasmania

    Friday, 4 April 2025 – 12:55 pm.

    Tasmania Police has welcomed 15 new constables into its ranks today, with recruit course 5/2024 officially graduating from the police academy.
    Education and Training Commander Damien George said the new officers have worked hard to complete their training and are ready to begin serving the Tasmanian community from next week.
    “Each one of these 15 people should be extremely proud of what they have already achieved, and I look forward to seeing where their new career takes them,” he said.
    “From project managers to personal trainers, our new police officers will bring a range of past experiences to the job when they hit the beat in Glenorchy, Launceston, Devonport, Burnie, Bridgewater and Hobart.”
    “They’re stepping into roles which are anything but ordinary, with each shift offering a new opportunity to serve and engage with our communities.”
    “I encourage anyone who’s looking to find purpose and a job where every moment matters to consider applying to join Tasmania Police.”
    “At Tasmania Police, your actions have meaning, your efforts have purpose, and your presence makes a difference.”
    Constable Callan Sexton and Constable Kate McMaster have been awarded Dux of Course and Runner-up Dux of Course, respectively.
    Both new officers said they are looking forward to their first day in the job.
    “It’s an exciting thing to be finishing up our time at the academy and then starting brand new at our stations,” Constable Sexton said.
    Constable McMaster said she can’t wait to start her new career.
    “My advice for anyone thinking of applying, is to go for it.”
    “It’s never too late to apply or change your career – prior to joining Tasmania Police I had been studying at university for a decade”.
    “I decided to apply because of the dynamic nature of the job, and the endless opportunities provided,” she said.
    For more information about Tasmania Police recruitment, visit https://recruitment.police.tas.gov.au/

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Man charged with motor vehicle stealing

    Source: New South Wales Community and Justice

    Man charged with motor vehicle stealing

    Friday, 4 April 2025 – 12:34 pm.

    Police have charged a 25-year-old Hobart man in relation to the alleged theft of a motor vehicle from a business in Western Junction on 15 March 2025.
    The stolen vehicle was intercepted by police last week in Rosny Park, and the driver was subjected to a roadside drug test that returned a positive result.
    The man was charged with one count of motor vehicle stealing, and he will appear in the Hobart Magistrates Court on 13 June 2025.

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-Evening Report: It’s not easy being a street tree, but this heroic eucalypt withstands everything we throw at it

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Gregory Moore, Senior Research Associate, School of Agriculture, Food and Ecosystem Sciences, The University of Melbourne

    alybaba/Shutterstock

    Street trees usually grow in appalling soils, have little space for their roots, are rarely watered and often get aggressively trimmed by road authorities or utility companies.

    If they do get established, many street trees suffer damage from vehicles, have to live in wind tunnels or are forced to grow in the permanent shade of large buildings.

    But despite everything we throw at them, many street trees don’t just survive, they thrive. So let’s meet one of these heroic species: the yellow gum, (Eucalyptus leucoxylon).

    Pretty but tough

    Yellow gum is widely planted across southeastern and eastern Australia as a street tree. In some suburbs and towns, it is so common that people think it is a native tree (in fact it is from South Australia, Victoria or southwest New South Wales).

    It is not to be confused with yellow box (Eucalyptus melliodora), a different eucalypt altogether.

    Yellow gum has been widely planted because it meets many of the demands we place on urban trees.

    It grows well in different soils and climates, and has very attractive red, white or pink flowers.

    It’s called yellow gum in Victoria and parts of NSW, but is often known as blue gum in SA.

    The common names can be confusing, but yellow gum refers to its pale yellow wood and bark patches, while blue gum refers to its leaves.

    Many specimens develop dense, low, spreading canopies, which offer lovely shade and help cool our cities down.

    And importantly, it doesn’t grow too big. It is typically a medium to small woodland tree, usually between 13 and 16 metres high (but it can grow higher in the wild).

    Yellow gum has an attractive smooth trunk with yellow, blue-grey or cream patches.
    alybaba/Shutterstock

    Different bird and insect species feed on the trees some feeding on flowers and fruits and others on the foliage.

    Natural populations of yellow gum occur in coastal and inland SA, in the southwest corner of NSW and in the western half of Victoria from the Murray River to the coast.

    There are several subspecies, too, and debate rages in botanical and horticultural circles about whether some of them deserve to be recognised as their own species.

    Yellow gum is also tolerant of wind and salt spray, and can withstand waterlogged soils. They stood up to the millennium drought conditions well.

    Many arborists think the yellow gum has the potential to do well in many parts of Australia as the climate changes. Research has shown, for example, that some individual yellow gum trees regulate their water use better (when compared to other individuals in the species, and when compared to other eucalypts).

    Like many eucalypts, yellow gum possesses lots of dormant buds and a lignotuber (a swelling at the base of the trunk containing dormant buds and carbohydrate). This means it copes well with pruning and will respond especially well to targeted formative pruning when young.

    This can help reduce the risk of problems such as what’s known as “co-dominant stems” (when two main stems grow from a single point of origin, instead of one tall, straight trunk) and rubbing or crossing branches.

    Not everyone’s favourite

    Not everybody likes the yellow gum, and for some good reasons.

    Some yellow gums are multi-stemmed, while others have twisted and curving trunks; some have both. These are not the characteristics many local governments want in street trees; many want to see straight trunks and dense canopies.

    Yellow gums often produce a lovely dense canopy.
    Gregory Moore

    These problems can be so annoying that some council arborists no longer recommend planting yellow gums.

    But these issues are due to poor tree selection and propagation. In the past, yellow gum seed was not carefully sourced from the best trees with the most suitable characteristics, and so inferior specimens have prospered.

    With the right investment of time and money into tree selection, these problems can be overcome.

    Ticking most of the boxes

    All in all, yellow gum can be a very fine and useful urban tree.

    The species grows well and if superior stock is used, the trees develop with straight and attractive trunks and wide, dense canopies.

    They are typically medium-sized trees, do well in tough street conditions or in smaller domestic front and back yards.

    They tick most, if not all, of the boxes for a good urban street tree.

    Gregory Moore 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. It’s not easy being a street tree, but this heroic eucalypt withstands everything we throw at it – https://theconversation.com/its-not-easy-being-a-street-tree-but-this-heroic-eucalypt-withstands-everything-we-throw-at-it-246040

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-Evening Report: Labor leads in three recent national polls, four weeks from the election

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Adrian Beaumont, Election Analyst (Psephologist) at The Conversation; and Honorary Associate, School of Mathematics and Statistics, The University of Melbourne

    The federal election will be held in four weeks. A national YouGov poll, conducted March 28 to April 3 from a sample of 1,622, gave Labor a 51–49 lead, a one-point gain for Labor since the previous non-MRP YouGov poll taken March 14–19.

    Primary votes were 35% Coalition (down two), 30% Labor (down one), 13% Greens (steady), 7% One Nation (steady), 2% Trumpet of Patriots (up one), 10% independents (up two) and 3% others (steady). YouGov is using respondent preferences from its last MRP poll. By 2022 election preference flows, Labor would lead by about 52–48.

    Anthony Albanese’s net approval rose three points to -6, with 50% dissatisfied and 44% satisfied. Peter Dutton’s net approval slumped ten points to -15, his worst in YouGov’s polls and the first time he’s had a worse net approval than Albanese since June 2024. Albanese led as better PM by 45–38 (45–40 previously).

    Since Sunday, we have had leaders’ ratings polls from Newspoll, Resolve, Freshwater, Essential and YouGov. A simple average of the net approval from these five polls has Albanese at net 7.8 and Dutton at net -12.

    Here is the poll graph. Labor has led in four of the six polls taken since the budget, with the exceptions a 50–50 tie in Resolve and a Coalition lead by 51–49 in Freshwater. However, Labor’s lead is narrow, except in Morgan.

    While the Coalition could regain the lead before the election, Donald Trump’s tariff announcement on Thursday may make it more difficult for the Coalition.

    Essential poll: Labor takes slight lead

    A national Essential poll, conducted March 26–30 from a sample of 1,144, gave Labor a 48–47 lead by respondent preferences including undecided (a 47–47 tie in mid-March). This was the first Labor lead in Essential since November, with the Coalition either leading narrowly or a tie since.

    Primary votes were 34% Coalition (down one), 30% Labor (up one), 12% Greens (steady), 9% One Nation (up one), 2% Trumpet of Patriots (up one), 8% for all Others (down one) and 5% undecided (down one). By 2022 election flows, Labor would lead by about 51–49.

    Albanese’s net approval was down three points to -2, with 46% disapproving and 44% approving. Dutton’s was down one point to -6. It’s Dutton’s worst net approval in Essential since October 2023.

    By 52–32, voters thought Australia was on the wrong track (48–35 previously). Essential and Morgan have a big lead for wrong track, but Labor is ahead. Voters may be blaming Trump more than Labor.

    By 61–29, voters did not think the federal budget would make a meaningful difference on cost of living (64–27 after the May 2024 budget). By 69–31, voters thought the government should prioritise the delivery of services, even if it means running a deficit, over prioritise running a surplus.

    Voters were told the Trump administration wanted to pressure Australia into removing some policies using tariffs. By 65–15, voters supported the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme and by 64–13 they supported making US companies pay tax on income generated in Australia.

    Morgan poll: Labor retains solid lead

    A national Morgan poll, conducted March 24–30 from a sample of 1,377, gave Labor a 53–47 lead by headline respondent preferences, unchanged from the March 17–23 poll.

    Primary votes were 35% Coalition (down 0.5), 32% Labor (down 1.5), 13% Greens (up 0.5), 5.5% One Nation (up 1.5), 10.5% independents (up 0.5) and 4% others (down 0.5). By 2022 election flows, Labor led by 53.5–46.5, a 0.5-point gain for the Coalition.

    By 51.5–32, voters thought Australia was going in the wrong direction (52.5–32.5 previously). Morgan’s consumer confidence index was up 1.1 points to 85.3.

    This term, Morgan’s results in general haven’t skewed to Labor relative to other polls, and Labor was behind in Morgan’s polls from November until late February. But Trump’s initial imposition of steel and aluminium tariffs on Australia on March 12 has seen Morgan move much more to Labor than other polls.

    Additional Resolve and Newspoll questions and a NSW federal poll

    I covered the national Resolve poll for Nine newspapers on March 30. In additional questions, by 60–15 voters thought Trump’s election was bad for Australia (40% bad in November). On threats to Australia in the next few years, 31% thought China the greatest threat, 17% the US, 4% Russia and 38% all equally.

    Newspoll has been asking the same questions on the budget since 1988. The Poll Bludger said on Wednesday the March 25 budget was the fourth worst perceived on economic impact (at net -10), but about the middle on personal impact (net -19). The nine-point lead for “no” on would the opposition have delivered a better budget was about par for a Labor government.

    A federal DomosAU poll of New South Wales, conducted March 24–26 from a sample of 1,013, gave the Coalition a 51–49 lead (51.4–48.6 to Labor in NSW at the 2022 federal election). Primary votes were 38% Coalition, 30% Labor, 12% Greens, 9% One Nation and 11% for all Others.

    Albanese led Dutton as preferred PM by 39–38. By 52–31, respondents did not think Australia was headed in the right direction.

    Canadian election and US special elections

    The Canadian federal election is on April 28. Polls continue to show the governing centre-left Liberals gaining ground, and they now lead the Conservatives by 43.4–37.6 in the CBC Poll Tracker.

    US federal special elections occurred on Tuesday in two safe Republican seats. While Republicans easily retained, there were big swings to the Democrats from the 2024 presidential election results in those districts. A left-wing judge won an election to the Wisconsin state supreme court by 55–45. I covered the Canadian and US developments for The Poll Bludger.

    WA election final lower house results

    I previously covered Labor winning 46 of the 59 lower house seats at the March 8 Western Australian election. The ABC’s final two-party estimate was a Labor win by 57.2–42.8. While that’s way down from the record 69.7–30.3 in 2021, it’s up from 55.5–44.5 in 2017.

    Final primary votes were 41.4% Labor (down 18.5% since 2021), 28.0% Liberals (up 6.7%), 5.2% Nationals (up 1.2%), 11.1% Greens (up 4.1%), 4.0% One Nation (up 2.8%), 3.2% Australian Christians (up 1.7%), 2.5% Legalise Cannabis (up 2.1%) and 3.3% independents (up 2.5%).

    The upper house will be finalised next week. All above the line votes have been included, with only below the line votes to be added. Labor will win 15 of the 37 seats, the Liberals ten, the Nationals two, the Greens four and One Nation, Legalise Cannabis and the Christians one each. That leaves three unclear seats.

    ABC election analyst Antony Green’s modelling of the effect of below the line votes suggests Labor’s 16th seat is in doubt and the Liberals won’t win an 11th seat. If this is correct, an independent group and Animal Justice will probably win two seats, with the final seat to be determined by preferences.

    Adrian Beaumont 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. Labor leads in three recent national polls, four weeks from the election – https://theconversation.com/labor-leads-in-three-recent-national-polls-four-weeks-from-the-election-253541

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Crash at Tea Tree Plaza Interchange

    Source: New South Wales – News

    Police advise that the bus interchange at Tea Tree Plaza is currently closed due to a single vehicle crash involving a bus.

    There are no updates on injuries, but police advise no passengers were on the bus at the time.

    The O-Bahn will be affected for transport from Tea Tree Plaza.

    Please allow for extra time in your journey.

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: South Yorkshire kicks off £125 million plans to get Britain back to health and work

    Source: United Kingdom – Government Statements

    Press release

    South Yorkshire kicks off £125 million plans to get Britain back to health and work

    Liz Kendall visits Barnsley to unveil first of nine ‘trailblazers’ which will get people back to health and back to work, supported by £18m of £125m investment

    • First trailblazer programme to tackle inactivity and boost employment launches in South Yorkshire. 
    • In the first year, South Yorkshire will work with over 7,800 people and aim to help up to 3,000 people into jobs or to stay in jobs.
    • Trailblazers at heart of wider efforts to Get Britain Working and boost economic growth under the Plan for Change.

    Work and Pensions Secretary Liz Kendall has unveiled the first of nine trailblazer programmes in Barnsley to get Britain back to health and back to work, nine months on from her landmark speech on employment reforms in the same town.

    South Yorkshire is one of nine £125 million backed ‘inactivity trailblazers’ across the country to launch, with the aim of helping areas with the highest levels of economic inactivity as part of the wider Plan for Change. 

    Backed by £18 million, South Yorkshire plans a dedicated new service working with employers to hire those with health conditions, and a new “triage” system to make it quicker and easier to connect people to employment, health, and skills support. 

    This work will include preventing people falling out of work completely due to ill health through an NHS programme, working with people with conditions ranging from cardiovascular disease to diabetes. This could include arranging voluntary work as a stepping stone to paid employment or helping people receive the right treatment early so they can remain in a job. Similar NHS programmes have also kicked off this week in the North East and West Yorkshire. 

    South Yorkshire has already had success in tailoring support to meet the needs of local people, including:

    • Gerald who spent years working in the coal mining industry. With the help of South Yorkshire, he’s developing his digital skills and first aid abilities so he can continue to share his knowledge with others through volunteering. 
    • Ruby who has a learning and physical disability. She was told she would never walk or work, but South Yorkshire worked with local employer Barnsley Norse, who provide cleaning and caretaking services, to create a bespoke role with amended duties, including shorter shifts so she could build stamina and confidence. 
    • John, who has improved his prospects through engagement with South Yorkshire, working towards a qualification in English and Maths. He is volunteering with Barnsley Museums and now has paid employment with Age UK, and two relief positions with the Museums service. 

    Work and Pensions Secretary, Liz Kendall MP said: 

    For too long, whole areas of the UK have been written off and deprived of investment. We are turning the tide on this – as we believe in the potential of every single person across our country and that they deserve to benefit from the security and dignity that good work affords.

    This is why we’re investing £125 million into nine local areas to get Britain back to health and back to work – with our new approach making it quicker and easier for people to access the support they need to stay in work if they have a health condition or return to work.

    South Yorkshire is the first to kick off their innovative plans – backed by £18 million – and we will be launching more areas in the coming weeks as we put more money in people’s pockets, boost living standards and Get Britain Working under our Plan for Change.

    South Yorkshire Mayor, Oliver Coppard said:

    We know that South Yorkshire’s industrial past has left a legacy of poor health and low skills that holds people back right across our communities; holding people back from accessing good work, making the most of their potential or living their fullest lives. 

    That’s why we developed the pioneering Pathways to Work approach here in Barnsley, and why we’re now working with the Government to roll that programme out across the whole of South Yorkshire. From today people will receive tailored support, bringing together the health system, the skills and employment system, to truly help people back into decent work. 

    I’m really pleased that South Yorkshire is now leading with the first inactivity trailblazer and NHS growth accelerator to launch in the UK, because it means we can help people more quickly and more effectively, and in a more tailored way. That’s not just the right thing to do for those people locked out of finding good work, it’s the right thing for our economy too, helping us to create the bigger and better economy we need and deserve here in our region.

    Minister for Public Health and Prevention, Ashley Dalton MP added:

    Poor health is holding back too many people across the country, keeping them languishing on waiting lists when they could be getting back to their jobs and lives. Innovative services like these are critical to tackling economic inactivity.

    This support will get people working again, which is vital because we know being in work leads to better overall heath and helps grow the economy. 

    Though the Plan for Change we will make people healthier, reduce pressure on the NHS, all while helping them into fulfilling and rewarding careers.

    The trailblazer programmes, which have been designed largely by civil servants based in Sheffield working with Mayoral Combined Authorities, are part of the Government’s wider efforts to reach an 80 per cent employment rate, which includes a record £1 billion investment in helping disabled people and those with long-term health conditions who can work into work and an overhaul of Jobcentres to make sure they meet the needs of employers.

    Through their new initiatives, South Yorkshire aims to reduce inactivity from 25.5% in 2023 to under 20% by the end of 2029 – equivalent to helping 40,000 people across the area. Their trailblazer has been shaped by Barnsley’s Pathways to Work Commission – a landmark report that heard directly from local residents who have experienced barriers to accessing work.  

    Once a crucible of the industrial revolution from steelmaking to coal mining, South Yorkshire has felt the full brunt of the industrial slump – and denied the investment and opportunity to thrive, with many people suffering from long-term health conditions. 

    This new funding will help unlock the potential of the hardworking people across the region and help them get back to health and back to work. This is central to the government’s drive to deliver growth across the region – and will work alongside the 10-year Sheffield Growth Plan.

    South Yorkshire marks one of nine inactivity trailblazers going live across England and Wales. In the coming weeks, similar schemes will launch in: Greater Manchester, North East, York and North Yorkshire, West Yorkshire, Wales; and three in London (West London, South London and Local London). 

    In addition, eight youth trailblazer areas will also be set up across mayoral authorities in England with £45 million funding in the coming weeks, to ensure all 18–21-year-olds have access to education, training, and employment opportunities.  

    The government has published local Get Britain Working Plan guidance for Local Government and stakeholders across England to develop a coordinated approach to supporting people into and remaining in good work. 

    As part of a drive to show transparency and track delivery, the Government is also publishing Get Britain Working outcome metrics, based on analysis of the ONS’ Labour Force Survey data.

    Further Information

    • With 230,000 economically inactive people in South Yorkshire, £10 million of the investment will go towards helping people who have been inactive for less than two years, as well as those with long-term health conditions, in Barnsley, Doncaster, Sheffield and Rotherham.  
    • The remaining £8 million will fund the NHS Accelerator programme. This is the first time that the NHS in England will have responsibility for work as well as health outcomes, with similar schemes rolling out in West Yorkshire and the North East. They will also improve access to Talking Therapies, which provides treatment such as cognitive behavioural therapy to adults. 
    • Both programmes aim to work with a total of 7,800 people and help up to 3,000 of those into jobs or to stay in work in the first year. 
    • Sheffield’s Growth Plan is a 10-year plan to grow the economy, giving local people higher living standards and more opportunities. The South Yorkshire inactivity trailblazer represents that this government is focusing investment on places still experiencing the consequences of the past.
    • The nine inactivity trailblazers, backed by £125 million of UK Government funding, is giving power to the Welsh Government and some Mayoral Authorities to design joined up work, health and skills offers.
    • Funding for Scotland and Northern Ireland has been devolved in the usual way.
    • The Get Britain Working metrics have been published: Get Britain Working outcomes – GOV.UK
    • The measures have been built based on analysis of the ONS’ Labour Force Survey data and segment out health related inactivity, regional variations in employment rates and the disability employment rate gap.
    • The local Get Britain Working Plan guidance has been published: Guidance for Developing local Get Britain Working plans (England) – GOV.UK
    • The guidance will ensure all areas are working towards the government’s 80% employment ambition. 
    • The eight youth trailblazers will be in: Liverpool, West Midlands, Tees Valley, East Midlands, West of England, and Cambridgeshire & Peterborough and two in London
    • Employment support measures are fully transferred to Northern Ireland. Jobcentre Plus services is reserved in both Scotland and Wales, but the Scottish Government and the Welsh Government also deliver other forms of employment support. The funding announced in the Pathways to Work Green Paper is UK wide, the share of funding for devolved Governments will be calculated in the usual way.
    • The UK Government also plans to establish new governance arrangements with the Scottish and Welsh Governments to help frame discussions around the reform of Jobcentres and agree how best to work in partnership on shared employment ambition across devolved and reserved provision.
    • The announcement of the first inactivity trailblazer comes as the Government and National Institute of Health Research (NIHR) invests £7.4 million in four research projects across the UK to help reduce health-related economic inactivity.

    Updates to this page

    Published 4 April 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Fayette County Man Sentenced to Prison for Federal Gun Crime

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    BECKLEY, W.Va. – Bryson J. England, 43, of Oak Hill, was sentenced today to two years in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, for being a felon in possession of a firearm.

    According to court documents and statements made in court, on February 2, 2024, England was a passenger in a vehicle pulled over by law enforcement officers in the Beckley area of Raleigh County. During the vehicle stop, officers conducted a pat-down search of England and found a loaded Armscor of the Philippines model M1911-AU FS .45-caliber pistol on his person. Officers also searched the vehicle and found an AR-15 semiautomatic rifle on the passenger side.

    Federal law prohibits a person with a prior felony conviction from possessing a firearm or ammunition. England knew he was prohibited from possessing a firearm because of his prior felony conviction for unlawful wounding in Kanawha County Circuit Court on January 6, 2003.

    Acting United States Attorney Lisa G. Johnston made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the West Virginia State Police.

    Chief United States District Judge Frank W. Volk imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorney Brian D. Parsons prosecuted the case.

    This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.

    A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 5:24-cr-138.

    ###

     

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Fatal crash – Lyell Highway, Sorell Creek

    Source: New South Wales Community and Justice

    Fatal crash – Lyell Highway, Sorell Creek

    Friday, 4 April 2025 – 2:40 am.

    Sadly, a man aged in his seventies has died as a result of a two vehicle crash on the Lyell Highway at Sorell Creek.
    Police and emergency services were called to the scene around 9:15pm after reports of a head on crash.
    The driver, and sole occupant of one of the vehicles sadly died at the scene. At this stage, it appears the man suffered a medical episode. The occupants of the second vehicle were uninjured.
    Investigations into the crash are ongoing and a report will be prepared for the coroner.
    Our thoughts are with the man’s family and loved ones at this difficult time.
    Anyone who witnessed, or has dash camera footage of a silver Great Wall Utility around the time of the crash, is asked to contact police on 131 444 or Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or at crimestopperstas.com.au. Information can be provided anonymously and quote TCRN: 25002254.

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Dangerous Fugitive Arrested in Norwich

    Source: US Marshals Service

    New Haven, CT —The U.S. Marshals, working with the Connecticut State Police Tactical Unit and the Norwich Police Department, arrested in Norwich today a man wanted on numerous charges involving firearms and probation violation.

    Tremaine Dowdell, 31, is charged in Connecticut with criminal attempt assault in the first degree, unlawful discharge of a firearm, carrying a pistol without a permit, reckless endangerment, criminal possession of a firearm, and criminal mischief in the first degree.
    He is charged federally with violation of supervised release.

    Following an arrest in 2019 for felon in possession of a handgun, Dowdell was put on federal probation, but he was arrested May 25, 2024, by the Providence, Rhode Island, Police Department for possession of a “ghost gun.” A federal arrest warrant was issued May 30, 2024, for Dowdell for violating his probation. Following a shooting incident in New London on June 8, 2024, another arrest warrant was issued for Dowdell.

    The U.S. Marshals Service District of Connecticut Violent Fugitive Task Force was able to determine through investigation that Dowdell led a transient lifestyle throughout the New England area, but investigators recently developed information that he was hiding out at a residence in the 60 block of Boswell Avenue, where they took him into custody.

    Dowdell was transported to the New London Police Department for booking.  

    Since the inception of the U.S. Marshals – Connecticut Violent Fugitive Task Force in 1999, these partnerships have resulted in over 11,046 arrests. The task force’s objective is to seek out and arrest violent fugitives and sexual predators. Membership agencies include Hartford, Bridgeport, Norwalk, Naugatuck and Waterbury Police Departments and Homeland Security Investigations. These arrests have ranged in seriousness from murder, assault, unregistered sex offenders, probation and parole violations and numerous other serious offenses. Nationally the U.S. Marshals Service fugitive programs are carried out with local law enforcement in 94 district offices, 85 local fugitive task forces, eight regional task forces, as well as a growing network of offices in foreign countries.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Whin Park play area reopens with new inclusive equipment

    Source: Scotland – Highland Council

    Whin Park play area in Inverness will reopen tomorrow (Friday 4 April) after three months of refurbishment and improvement works.

    Leader of Inverness and Area, Cllr Ian Brown, said: “I am very pleased that Whin Park’s newly developed play area is now open to the public. All works have been completed and inspected, and the new interactive play equipment can be enjoyed by all ages and abilities. Inclusivity is key to The Council’s Playpark Strategy and the new equipment provides a first-class play offering whilst ensuring that play is for all.”

    New features include an interactive Nessie, Legend Seeker Playship, swing area, climbing birds’ nest, an adventure mound with tube slide, scramble net and interactive arch. The Sona dance and play arch is an audio-based piece of equipment made for the outdoors which utilises the latest technology and a range of games to encourage children to be more active outdoors. The newly developed site will complement family activities already available at Whin Park including the boating pond, Ness Islands railway and a shop serving drinks and snacks.

    Aerial photo of Whin Park

    Cllr Graham MacKenzie, Chair of the Communities and Place Committee, said: “Play and interaction are crucial to the wellbeing and development of young people and the much-needed upgrades at Whin Park ensure that the benefits of play can be enjoyed by children of all ages and abilities. I look forward to the official opening event for the play area in the near future.”

    Improvement works commenced on 6 January 2025 and were contracted to Jupiter Play and Leisure Ltd who appointed Play Works Ltd as their on-site contractor to install the new equipment.

    Michael Hoenigmann, Managing Director of Jupiter Play & Leisure said: “We are delighted to have designed and built the new play area at Whin Park. This was an ambitious project which was completed on time and within budget, and we have enjoyed working closely with the team at Highland Council to create an inclusive and high-quality play area for the community.”

    Funding for the contract was awarded by the Scottish Government Play Area Fund (£234,988) and was allocated to the redevelopment of the park by Members of the Inverness, Central, Ness-side, Millburn, and Inverness West Wards.  In 2023, Inverness City Committee Members agreed £150,000 Inverness Common Good Funding and in 2024 a further £100,000 from the Community Regeneration Fund towards the park development costs.

    A small area will remain fenced off between the tube slide and the path adjacent to the miniature railway to allow newly seeded grass to grow, but all play equipment will be available to use.

    A video of the new play area can be viewed on our YouTube channel.

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Enough talk on Irish at Grand Central – what’s the DUP action?

    Source: Traditional Unionist Voice – Northern Ireland

    Speaking after today’s meeting of the Executive TUV MLA Timothy Gaston said:

    “While welcoming the fact that the deputy First Minister today made clear that the unilateral decision of the Infrastructure Minister to move to impose Irish signage on Grand Central is controversial and should have been brought to the Executive, I do wonder what exactly the DUP is planning to actually do about the matter.

    “Since exposing the matter last week, I have tabled a petition to have the decision called in and written to every Unionist member of the Executive asking them to use their position to take a stand on this issue.

    “A loyalist part of Belfast, which has already been treated abominably in the whole saga around the station, should not suffer the added indignity of Grand Central being branded with Irish language signage.

    “Surely there are options here for the DUP to not just talk about what the Minister has done but actually stop it. They can sign my petition, have their Ministers call it in or bring Minister Kimmins to court.

    “There’s a time for talking about these things. Importantly there is also a time for action. If the DUP do not or have decided that they cannot take action there are fundamental questions. After telling us the Minister has gone on an illegitimate solo run and they were going to put a marker down what are they doing in the Executive where it appears a Sinn Fein minister can carry on regardless?”

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI Global: ‘Doom loops’ are accelerating climate change – but we can break them

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Jack Marley, Environment + Energy Editor, UK edition

    Surasak Jailak/Shutterstock

    Vicious cycles are accelerating climate change. One is happening at the north pole, where rising temperatures caused by record levels of fossil fuel combustion are melting more and more sea ice.

    Indeed, the extent of Arctic winter sea ice in March 2025 was the lowest ever recorded. This decline in sea ice means the Earth reflects less of the Sun’s energy back into space. So, more climate change leads to less sea ice – and more climate change.

    Human behaviour is not immune to this dynamic either, according to a recent report by the International Energy Agency (IEA). It identified another troubling feedback loop: demand for coal rose 1% globally in 2024 off the back of intense heatwaves in China and India, which spurred a frenzy for air-conditioners and excess fuel to power them.

    The need to cool ourselves, and briefly escape the consequences of climate change, is driving more climate change. Thankfully, there are ways to break these cycles and form greener habits. Today, we’ll look at one in particular.

    This roundup of The Conversation’s climate coverage comes from our award-winning weekly climate action newsletter. Every Wednesday, The Conversation’s environment editor writes Imagine, a short email that goes a little deeper into just one climate issue. Join the 40,000+ readers who’ve subscribed.

    The Sun can cool you down

    “As the climate crisis deepens, close to half of the world’s people have little defence against deadly heat,” says Radhika Khosla, an associate professor of urban sustainability at the University of Oxford.



    Read more:
    COP28: countries have pledged to cut emissions from cooling – here’s how to make it happen

    “At the same time, energy demand from cooling – by those who can afford it – could more than double by 2050.”

    If wealthy countries paid the enormous climate finance debt they owe the developing world, it could help finance the closing of this gap. And thankfully, advancements in renewable energy technology mean no one should need to contribute to a spike in fossil fuel use just to keep cool.



    Read more:
    Wealthy nations owe climate debt to Africa – funds that could help cities grow

    “The absurdity of resorting to coal to power air conditioners … is difficult to miss”, say a team of engineers and energy experts at Nottingham Trent University and Coventry University, led by Tom Rogers. They recommend rooftop solar panels instead, which can soak up sunshine during heatwaves and turn it into electricity for air-conditioning units.

    “Rooftop solar can also reduce demand for cooling by keeping buildings in the shade,” the team say. “A study conducted by Arizona State University found that even a modest group of solar panels that shade about half a roof can lead to anything from 2% to 13% reduction in cooling demand, depending on factors such as location, roof type and insulation levels.”



    Read more:
    Rising temperatures mean more air conditioning which means more electricity is needed – rooftop solar is a perfect fit

    Of course, solar panels are less helpful for powering air conditioners in the evening, when lots of people turn them on after work or school.

    “Researchers in Australia have proposed a clever solution to address this imbalance, by programming air-conditioning units to work in tandem with solar systems to pre-cool buildings before people arrive home,” Rogers and his colleagues add.

    There is huge untapped potential for generating electricity from rooftop solar – even in the dreary UK. It could ensure that future heatwaves are a boon for solar energy, not coal power.

    “Consider the possibilities for Nottingham and Coventry, two cities in England’s Midlands where we work,” they say.

    “If Nottingham were to maximise its rooftop potential, all those panels could generate nearly 500 megawatts (MW) of electricity, about the same as a medium-sized gas power plant. Coventry has greater potential, with 700MW.

    “These capacities would equate to nearly one-third of Nottingham’s electricity demand and almost half of Coventry’s – from their rooftops alone.”

    Doom loops

    Installing solar panels on top of buildings worldwide will need massive investment in equipment and training. It will require new means of incentivising the uptake of this technology and, as mentioned earlier, the redistribution of wealth to allow low-emitting but highly vulnerable nations to make the switch.

    But there are likely to be virtuous cycles as well as vicious ones. Once a certain threshold has been crossed, like the price and capacity of batteries or the number of homes with heat pumps installed, “a domino effect of rapid changes” takes effect such that green alternatives swiftly become the established norm.



    Read more:
    Climate ‘tipping points’ can be positive too – our report sets out how to engineer a domino effect of rapid changes

    However, the prospect of harmonising these efforts across borders butts against a trend moving in the opposite direction. As the world warms, relations between nations are becoming more fraught and war, trade tensions and internal strife are obscuring the universal threat of climate change.

    A Trump yard sign during the 2024 election campaign.
    Dlbillings_Photography/Shutterstock

    Climate risk expert Laurie Laybourn and earth system scientist James Dyke, both at the University of Exeter, say that extreme weather in 2022 caused crop failures that made food more expensive and stoked headline inflation rates. Climate-sceptic Donald Trump made hay with these high prices in the 2024 US election.

    “The risk is that this ‘doom loop’ runs faster and faster and ultimately derails our ability to phase out fossil fuels fast enough to avoid the worst climate consequences,” they say.



    Read more:
    A ‘doom loop’ of climate change and geopolitical instability is beginning

    However, Laybourn and Dyke are not wholly pessimistic. History shows that periods of instability and crisis like the one we are living through also provide fertile ground for positive change, they argue, and the chance to accelerate virtuous circles.

    “For example, out of the crises of the interwar period and the devastation of the second world war came legal protections for human rights, universal welfare systems and decolonisation.”

    – ref. ‘Doom loops’ are accelerating climate change – but we can break them – https://theconversation.com/doom-loops-are-accelerating-climate-change-but-we-can-break-them-253457

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Industrial chicken farms are trashing Britain’s rivers – and planning reforms could make things worse

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Rosalind Malcolm, Professor of Environmental Law, Director of Environmental Regulatory Research Group (ERRG), University of Surrey

    Once voted the UK’s favourite river, the River Wye flows from the Welsh mountains to the Severn estuary – 150 miles through an officially recognised “national landscape”. But this idyllic picture is changing, as the river is gradually choked by waste from industrial chicken farming.

    The Wye is perhaps the most extreme example, but the nearby River Severn, the UK’s longest river, is also at risk, along with rivers in places such as Lincolnshire, Norfolk and Yorkshire.

    In the land that feeds into these rivers, millions of chickens are being reared in intensive units to supply supermarkets with cheap meat and eggs. But all those chickens produce vast amounts of manure which can end up in the rivers.

    This floods the river with excess nutrients causing algal blooms to flourish. The algae blocks out sunlight and consumes oxygen, which kills other creatures in the water. For instance the number of Atlantic salmon passing through the River Wye each year has plummeted from 50,000 in the 1960s to less than 3,000.

    The problems caused by chicken farming have led to legal action against US food company Cargill and its subsidiary Avara Foods (both firms deny the allegations). Meanwhile food outlets including Nando’s have denied sourcing their products from polluting farms.

    Described as a “dying river” in a Channel 4 News report, in 2023 the Wye’s conservation status was downgraded by Natural England to “unfavourable – declining”.

    Measures to deal with excess nutrients have led to so-called nutrient neutrality policies. These prevent new developments that would cause a net increase in nutrients. But the knock-on effect is that development (including housebuilding) may be blocked.

    Much of the River Wye flows through the English county of Herefordshire. There, the council, exasperated by the failure of these plans to reverse the decline, took the unusual step of controlling the pollution through planning laws.

    Its Minerals and Waste Local Plan declared that any new chicken farms must demonstrate that the manure would be properly managed and the project would overall be nutrient neutral. That would form part of an environmental impact assessment during the planning process.

    This was unusual because agricultural activities are not usually subject to planning control and what you do on your farm is generally regulated by non-planning statutory regimes. So, the step taken by Herefordshire Council was unusual and the National Farmers’ Union (NFU) challenged it in court.

    What was also new, was the categorisation of manure as “waste”.

    Is manure ‘waste’?

    Agriculture mainly gets a pass on waste controls. Faecal matter (including chicken manure) is not treated as waste in law as long as it does not harm the environment or endanger human health, even though it is not the farmers’ primary product. A farmer breeds chickens for meat and eggs but chickens also produce manure. But that manure can still be useful as a fertiliser, for energy or as compost. So far so good. The problem comes when that by-product is not managed carefully and it ends up polluting rivers.

    So should it be defined as waste – and therefore subject to strict controls – or treated as a valuable byproduct and managed as a commodity just like the eggs?

    The answer is: it depends. Case law indicates that the test for whether the manure would be waste is whether it can harm the environment.

    In the High Court case, the NFU argued that agricultural activities should not be subject to planning controls and that manure should not be treated as “waste”. In effect its argument was that the economic endeavours of farmers should outweigh the additional environmental protections introduced by the council.

    The judge did not agree with the NFU. She said that chicken manure could indeed be waste and the council could control it through the planning regime.

    Symbolic slurry

    This is a symbolic battle between those tricky pillars of sustainable development: economy, society and environment.

    In any planning case, the elements need to be balanced and one will dominate over the others. Housing for people? Industrial development for economic growth? Industrial farming for (cheap) food? Protecting the river and its ecosystem from pollution? Every decision made represents a trade-off.

    As the courts move to prioritise protecting the environment, the UK government is favouring economic growth. Its Planning and Infrastructure Bill plans to replace individual environmental impact assessments with broad based “environmental delivery plans” produced by a government body (not the developer) but funded by developers.

    These delivery plans will set out conservation measures addressing environmental impacts of development. They might focus on protected species or habitats or on issues like nutrient neutrality.

    But there is no shortage of plans already in the government armoury. Environmental Improvement Plans were set up by a previous government. Among these, the Wyescapes landscape recovery project is aimed at developing “sustainable, future-proof business models working with nature along the floodplain”. The River Wye nutrient management plan aims to halt nutrient pollution. The River Wye action plan aims to stop the decline of the river system by making the catchment a pilot for transforming how manure is managed.

    However, as the judge in the NFU v Herefordshire Council case said, all the evidence demonstrates that these plans have so far failed to stop the decline. This left the council to implement drastic and immediate action.

    The NFU is considering an appeal. But the council’s win at the high court may be in vain when government proposals outlaw the requirement for individual environmental impact assessments.

    It remains to be seen how effective the new government ideas on protecting the environment will be. For now, it appears that anything that blocks development is not a government priority.

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

    Get a 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 40,000+ readers who’ve subscribed so far.

    Rosalind Malcolm 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. Industrial chicken farms are trashing Britain’s rivers – and planning reforms could make things worse – https://theconversation.com/industrial-chicken-farms-are-trashing-britains-rivers-and-planning-reforms-could-make-things-worse-253463

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: 2/2025: Non-Domestic Rating (Multipliers and Private Schools) Act 2025

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    Correspondence

    2/2025: Non-Domestic Rating (Multipliers and Private Schools) Act 2025

    Business rates information letters are issued by the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government at regular intervals throughout the year.

    Applies to England

    Documents

    2/2025: Non-Domestic Rating (Multipliers and Private Schools) Act 2025

    HTML

    Details

    This letter confirms the interest rate payable on refunds for 2025/26 and updates local authorities on new burdens payments and the Non-Domestic Rating (Multipliers and Private Schools) Act 2025.

    Updates to this page

    Published 3 April 2025

    Sign up for emails or print this page

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: MediaCity Immersive Technologies Innovation Hub (MITIH) has been awarded new funding to boost the innovation ecosystem and support innovative businesses, start-ups and scale-ups in Greater Manchester

    Source: City of Salford

    The one year investment will foster further collaboration between businesses, research institutions and local government. The funding includes a grant which is part of a £30m funding extension of Innovate UK’s Innovation Accelerator (IA) programme, which focuses on locally-led innovation to drive economic growth and technological advancement in three key regions – Greater Manchester, Glasgow City Region and the West Midlands.

    MITIH was launched in 2023 to rejuvenate the region’s innovation ecosystem through collaboration, co-investment, and partnerships with the aim of providing innovators and businesses with access to expertise, funding and state-of-the-art technologies and facilities.

    Paul Dennett, Salford City Mayor and Deputy Mayor for Greater Manchester said: “I am delighted that through The Landing company, Salford City Council colleagues will continue to play a pivotal role in leading, fostering, and supporting innovation through the use of immersive and creative technologies across many sectors of Greater Manchester’s economy.

    “MITIH’s success in revitalising the innovation ecosystem at MediaCity and supporting creative businesses across the city region exemplifies true collaboration and proves the power of devolution. I welcome the confidence the Government has placed in us through this extension and look forward to working with businesses, and local and national Government colleagues, to shape a robust Industrial Strategy that reflects the importance of the creative and cultural industries, not only for Salford and Greater Manchester, but for the whole of the north of England.”

    Professor Simon Green, Pro Vice-Chancellor Research and Knowledge Exchange at the University of Salford, said: “This new investment in the MediaCity Immersive Technologies Innovation Hub is a significant step forward for Greater Manchester’s innovation ecosystem. By fostering collaboration in this way, we are creating a dynamic environment where cutting edge ideas can thrive. “The funding will provide vital support to innovators, start-ups and scale-ups, ensuring they have access to the expertise, resources and technologies needed to drive economic growth and technological advancement in the region. As an institution, we are proud to play our role in this and look forward to seeing the impact it will have on the future of innovation in Greater Manchester.”

    Martin Chown, Interim Managing Director, MediaCity, added: “Innovation is embedded in the fabric of MediaCity and the continued presence of MITIH is crucial to its long-term success as the UK home of immersive media. The next cohort of innovators, technologists and creators will break boundaries on a global scale and we’re proud to support their presence here.”

    To date, MITIH has engaged and supported over 250 businesses, channelled more than £1million into 26 innovative projects, employing 99 staff and 77 subcontractors, and launched a new innovation lab which has assisted more than 50 businesses and artists. It launched the Cultural Accelerator programme, delivered in partnership with Future Everything, which supported eleven digital artists. The programme has reached more than 4,000 people through partnerships in events across the animation, broadcast, media production, music, audio, immersive experience, games, advertising, marketing, built environment, health and education sectors.

    Anthony Hatton, MITIH Programme Director, The Landing at MediaCityUK said: “The new funding will allow us to continue to support entrepreneurs and innovators and grow our creative economy. We’ve already worked with hundreds of creative and digital businesses to connect them with fellow professionals, test and develop their ideas and to bring their innovations to market.

    “We aim to increase our impact by leveraging local assets and national programmes, such those delivered by the CoSTAR and Creative UK Enterprise teams, to offer local businesses the technical and research expertise and access to state-of-the-art facilities at MediaCity and across Greater Manchester to maximise their economic opportunities.”

    Professor Mandy Parkinson, Professor of Business Innovation, University of Salford said: “Over the next year we aim to assist a further 40 businesses to fast-track their innovative ideas through tailored support and collaborations building on our network of academic and industry experts.

    “MITIH will continue to nurture our growing community and expand our expert network to ensure that the best ideas can be identified, developed and commercialised. We will also leverage programmes at the University of Salford’s Centre for Sustainable Innovation and increase our collaboration with other GM programmes such as the Centre for Digital Innovation, Turing Innovation Catalyst and Health Innovation Manchester.”

    Any companies or talented individuals who wish to take part in or contribute to the programme can contact the MITIH team via Office Forms.

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    Date published
    Thursday 3 April 2025

    Press and media enquiries

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Texas Man Sentenced to More Than Five Years in Prison for Oxycodone Conspiracy and Structuring Cash Transactions

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    BOSTON – A Texas man was sentenced yesterday in federal court in Boston for a drug conspiracy involving the distribution of oxycodone pills across Southeastern Massachusetts and beyond.

    Christan Russell, 33, of Tomball, Texas was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Denise J. Casper to 70 months in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release. Russell has also been ordered to pay a fine of $30,000. In October 2024, Russell pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute oxycodone pills and structuring cash transactions. Russell was indicted by a federal grand jury in August 2023 along with five co-conspirators.

    Between approximately February 2023 and July 2023, Russell supplied oxycodone pills to co-conspirator Kenneth Veiga, who then redistributed those oxycodone pills to Austin Gonsalves and John Campbell. Russell obtained these pills from a variety of sources in the Houston, Texas area. On March 13, 2023 Russell traveled from Houston to Boston to meet with Veiga where they met in a hotel room in Rhode Island that Russell rented. During that meeting, Russell supplied oxycodone pills to Veiga and Veiga provided cash in exchange. On March 14, 2023, Russell engaged in four structured cash deposits at ATMs in the Boston area. For each of these deposits, Russell orchestrated the deposit to be less than $10,000 in an attempt to evade the bank from reporting the deposit to the Internal Revenue Service.

    Veiga pleaded guilty and in July 2024, was sentenced to 60 months in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release. Gonsalves pleaded guilty and in May 2024 was sentenced to 41 months in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release. In January 2025, Campbell was sentenced to four years in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release.

    United States Attorney Leah B. Foley; Stephen Belleau, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration, New England Field Division; Colonel Geoffrey D. Noble, Superintendent of the Massachusetts State Police; Thomas Demeo, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation, Boston Field Office; and Ketty Larco-Ward, Inspector in Charge of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service’s Boston Division made the announcement today. Special assistance was provided by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives; U.S. Coast Guard Investigative Service; Barnstable County Sheriff’s Office; and the Barnstable, Dennis, Bourne, Mashpee, Yarmouth, Sandwich and Falmouth Police Departments. Assistant U.S. Attorneys John T. Mulcahy and Samuel R. Feldman of the Criminal Division and Alexandra Amrhein of the Asset Forfeiture Unit are prosecuting the case.

    This effort is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/ocdetf.
     

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Armstrong helps break ground on new Heart River Correctional Center; facility slated to open in 2027

    Source: US State of North Dakota

    Gov. Kelly Armstrong and Lt. Gov. Michelle Strinden today joined staff and residents from the North Dakota Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (DOCR) to break ground on the Heart River Correctional Center (HRCC), the state’s new women’s correctional facility, highlighting its focus on rehabilitation and safety.

    The 191,500-square-foot facility in Mandan will provide 304 beds – 178 more than the Dakota Women’s Correctional Rehab Center in New England, a remodeled school that has served as the state’s correctional facility for women since 2003. The HRCC is slated for completion in fall 2027.

    “This day is historic for North Dakota because for the first time in our state’s 135-year history, we’re breaking ground on a correctional facility designed specifically for women,” Armstrong said. “This long-overdue project will ensure DOCR staff and the women in their custody have safe, modern and comparable facilities where residents can serve their sentences and build toward their eventual reentry into their communities.”

    DOCR Director Colby Braun and HRCC Warden Connie Hackman Rivinius highlighted the vision behind HRCC and its role in transforming lives. In addition to having more space for volunteers, programs, treatment, vocational and career development, the facility will focus on reinforcing family connections to improve outcomes for children of incarcerated parents.

    “From the very first day someone enters this facility, the focus will be on reentry – on preparing them for the day they will return to their families and communities,” Braun said. “We are not simply building a prison; we are creating a place of opportunity, responsibility and hope.”

    “We will continue to expand on what HRCC currently does, assist women in becoming the best versions of themselves through programming, role modeling, relationships, and accountability,” Hackman Rivinius said. “The goal is to create a safe and healthy, relationship-based environment that is trauma and gender-responsive, with a high level of care and skill-building programming.”

    Armstrong thanked state legislators for approving $131.2 million in funding in 2023 for design and construction of the HRCC, along with intent language for additional funding, which Armstrong has proposed at $35.6 million in his 2025-27 budget recommendation, for a total project budget of $166.8 million. The DOCR worked with JLG Architects in collaboration with JB Marie and DLR Group to design the facility.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Heat in Buildings: Warm words and targets not enough without action

    Source: Scottish Greens

    03 Apr 2025

    By watering down this bill the SNP are setting up to fail Scotland’s climate targets.

    The Scottish Government is watering down its Heat in Buildings Strategy and stripping away almost all of its serious policy measures, says Scottish Green Co-Leader Patrick Harvie.

    This follows a Ministerial statement in which the Scottish Government dropped the most significant measures in the Bill and delayed it further.

    The Bill, which was under development by Mr Harvie in his time as a Minister, and was on track for introduction in November last year, was intended to focus on improving the energy efficiency of our homes and changing to clean heating systems.

    The Bill was included in the Scottish Government’s September 2024 Programme for Government, after the Greens were out of government. No explanation has been given today for what has changed since September.

    Mr Harvie said:

    “If climate policy over recent years has taught us anything, it’s that warm words are not enough and that setting targets is utterly meaningless without action and leadership from the Government. Yet that’s what the SNP are now proposing to repeat.

    “The Heat in Buildings programme was one of the very few parts of Scottish climate policy that was being praised by the independent Climate Change Committee. Yet the Scottish Government is now stripping out almost all of the serious policy measures, and is admitting that this means significant progress won’t be made in the near future.

    “This will keep more people stuck on gas, which is bad for our planet and will continue to punish people all across our country by forcing them to fork out while the fossil fuel companies post record profits. 

    “It will also mean even more challenging emission cuts will have to come from other sectors, or the new Climate Change Plan will fail too. And the Government seems to have no idea how to answer this question.

    “The SNP are confirming once again today that on their own, they are only too ready to water down climate policy, and yet another target will be set up to fail.”

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Industry leaders launch new hospitality sector hiring toolkit

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    Press release

    Industry leaders launch new hospitality sector hiring toolkit

    Safeguarding industry experts have collaborated to launch an industry best practice ‘Better Hiring Toolkit’ for the hospitality sector.

    The Disclosure and Barring Service has collaborated with The Better Hiring Institute (BHI), along with other safeguarding industry experts, to launch a free to use industry best practice ‘Better Hiring Toolkit’ for the hospitality sector.

    The resource provides best practice advice and guidance on how to hire quickly, fairly, and safely, and to tackle modern slavery in the sector.

    BHI has collaboratively created the toolkit, alongisde DBS and experts at the Gangmasters & Labour Abuse Authority (GLAA), the Institute of Hospitality, Disclosure Scotland, and Reed Screening.

    The new toolkit – which can be accessed here – provides practical, simplified guidance to support hospitality businesses with hiring new employees by utilising UK best practice.

    It provides advice on vetting potential new recruits including checking and verifying their qualifications, as well as information for employers on their obligations when it comes to issues like modern slavery.

    Helen Chandler, Acting Associate Director of Strategy and Business Development for the Disclosure and Barring Service, said: “The Disclosure and Barring Service helps employers make safer recruitment decisions, and our collaboration with Better Hiring Institute represents important steps forward in supporting the hospitality industry in safeguarding best practice.

    “The toolkit provides guidance for employers and highlights how incorporating Basic checks into recruitment practices can be a tool to build trust, safety and reliability across the workforce.”

    Keith Rosser, Chair of the Better Hiring Institute and Director of Reed Screening, said: “I am delighted to have worked collaboratively with key bodies to provide the hospitality industry with this best practice guide to help hard working organisations who are facing multiple challenges on a daily basis.

    “The hospitality industry is vital to the UK economy and I hope that the toolkit will assist organisations to hire to the best possible standard. My thanks go to the Institute of Hospitality and our Hospitality subcommittee for their valuable insights and feedback to create this industry standard.”

    Those responsible for recruitment within hospitality organisations are being urged to download, implement and share the toolkit within the hiring community: Access the Better Hiring Toolkit here.

    Updates to this page

    Published 3 April 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Fan zones, fireworks and flags – plans unveiled for Women’s Rugby World Cup 2025 extravaganza

    Source: City of Sunderland

    Plans to create a carnival atmosphere around this summer’s opening match of the Women’s Rugby World Cup 2025 in Sunderland have been unveiled by the City Council.

    Fan zones, fireworks and more than 150 colourful flags and banners will all add to the party atmosphere in the city centre, together with a fan parade to the Stadium of Light across the new Wear Footbridge connecting the city centre to the stadium.

    England’s Red Roses are due to kick off the opening match of the tournament against the USA at the Stadium of Light at 7.30pm on Friday 22 August and tickets are already selling fast.

    The Red Roses are favourites to win the tournament after last winning the World Cup in 2014 when South Shields born Sunderland University graduate Katy Daley McLean captained the team.

    The game was awarded to Sunderland following a competitive bidding process and will provide an estimated economic impact benefit of £20 million for the region.

    Details of plans for the tournament’s opening weekend have been released following approval by Sunderland City Council’s Cabinet last week, setting the stage for a spectacular opening weekend of celebrations for those attending the match at Stadium of Light.

    Fan zones at Keel Edge and Keel Square over the three days from Thursday 21 August to Saturday 23 August will add to the carnival atmosphere, hosting live entertainment, interactive games and a food court offering a range of tempting food and drink.

    On the evening of Thursday 21 there will also be a tie up with Sunderland Music City featuring local talent and musicians.

    Post game on Friday evening, there will a firework display from Riverside Park which can be viewed from across the city centre.

    A programme of community events across the North East involving Northumberland, Durham and Sunderland Rugby Clubs is also being planned, including touch rugby beach festivals planned from Bamburgh to Sunderland to engage local communities and rugby clubs.

    Councillor Beth Jones, Cabinet Member for Communities, Culture and Tourism at Sunderland City Council, said: “It’s going to be incredibly exciting weekend. The eyes of the world will be on Sunderland and it’s a brilliant opportunity to showcase the city.

    “We will have visitors from across the globe and I can’t wait to welcome them to Sunderland.

    “There’s something for all the family in the events we’ve laid on across the weekend and I think it will be a real celebration of both the tournament and the city.”

    Further tickets for the tournament are due to go on sale later this spring, with competitive prices from £10 for adults and £5 for children. This means a family of four can enjoy an evening at the Women’s Rugby World Cup Opening Game for £30.

    To be the first to hear the latest ticketing news, fans can register for updates at www.rugbyworldcup.com/2025/newsletter

    To find out more about more about rugby in Sunderland and how to get involved, visit: www.mysunderland.co.uk/rugbyworldcup

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI: Good Earth Oils Canola Oil Now Available on JD.com

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    COOTAMUNDRA, Australia, April 03, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Australian Oilseeds Holdings Limited, a Cayman Islands exempted company (the “Company”) (NASDAQ: COOT) today announced Good Earth Oils (GEO) premium quality canola oil has successfully entered the JD.com supply chain and is now available for purchase on JD.com’s self-operated platform.

    “This milestone marks another significant advancement for GEO’s presence in the Chinese market,” said Gary Seaton, Chief Executive Officer. “By joining JD.com’s self-operated platform, GEO enhances its visibility and credibility among Chinese consumers, offering them access to healthy, natural, and high-quality Australian canola oil. With a focus on quality, transparency, and sustainability, GEO is poised to become a trusted name in households across China.”

    The successful integration into JD.com was made possible through the dedicated efforts of Shanghai Maiwei Trading Co., Ltd. and Shenzhen Maiwei Trading Co., Ltd. Their strategic coordination and unwavering commitment ensured that GEO canola oil met the rigorous standards required by JD’s platform.

    In addition to JD.com, GEO’s online presence is expanding through sales channels on other leading e-commerce platforms in China such as Tmall Supermarket and Douyin (TikTok China). Maiwei is also actively developing large-scale offline private domain sales networks to further strengthen GEO’s market reach and brand recognition. This collaboration underscores the shared vision between Good Earth Oils and its partners in China to bring the best of Australian agriculture to the world, paving the way for further expansion across e-commerce and retail channels in China.

    About Australian Oilseeds Investments Pty Ltd. Australian Oilseeds Investments Pty Ltd. is an Australian proprietary company that, directly and indirectly through its subsidiaries, is focused on the manufacture and sale of sustainable oilseeds (e.g., seeds grown primarily for the production of edible oils) and is committed to working with all suppliers in the food supply chain to eliminate chemicals from the production and manufacturing systems to supply quality products to customers globally. The Company engages in the business of processing, manufacture and sale of non-GMO oilseeds and organic and non-organic food-grade oils, for the rapidly growing oilseeds market, through sourcing materials from suppliers focused on reducing the use of chemicals in consumables in order to supply healthier food ingredients, vegetable oils, proteins and other products to customers globally. Over the past 20 years, the Company’s cold pressing oil plant has grown to become the largest in Australia, pressing strictly GMO-free conventional and organic oilseeds.

    Contact
    Australian Oilseeds Holdings Limited
    126-142 Cowcumbla Street
    Cootamundra New South Wales 2590
    Attn: Amarjeet Singh, CFO
    Email: amarjeet.s@energreennutrition.com.au

    Investor Relations Contact
    Reed Anderson
    (646) 277-1260
    reed.anderson@icrinc.com

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Sentebale: Commission opens compliance case to assess concerns raised about the charity

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    Press release

    Sentebale: Commission opens compliance case to assess concerns raised about the charity

    The regulator for charities in England and Wales has opened a regulatory compliance case to examine concerns raised about the charity Sentebale.

    The Charity Commission is now in direct contact with parties who have raised concerns to gather evidence and assess the compliance of the charity and trustees past and present with their legal duties.

    The regulator’s focus, in line with its statutory remit, will be to determine whether the charity’s current and former trustees, including its chair, have fulfilled their duties and responsibilities under charity law. The Commission is not an adjudicator or mediator and is guided by the principle of ensuring trustees fulfil their primary duty to their charitable purpose and beneficiaries.

    After a period of assessing the initial concerns raised with the Commission, the regulator informed the charity on 2 April 2025 it has opened a regulatory compliance case. The regulator has not made any findings at this time.

    ENDS

    Notes to editors

    1. The Charity Commission is the independent, non-ministerial government department that registers and regulates charities in England and Wales. Its ambition is to be an expert regulator that is fair, balanced, and independent so that charity can thrive. This ambition will help to create and sustain an environment where charities further build public trust and ultimately fulfil their essential role in enhancing lives and strengthening society.
    2. Most concerns that we identify in charities are dealt with as regulatory compliance cases. These cases allow us to gather evidence and make findings, and to help trustees address any failures or weaknesses that we might identify.
    3. This is not an inquiry under section 46 Charities Act 2011.
    4. There is more information about how the Commission investigates charities on gov.uk https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/where-the-charity-commission-investigates-charities/where-the-charity-commission-investigates-charities
    5. The Commission intends to publish a concluding statement once its compliance case has concluded. There is more information on gov.uk https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/how-the-charity-commission-reports-on-its-current-regulatory-work/how-the-charity-commission-reports-on-its-regulatory-work
    6. We cannot identify the parties who have raised concerns with us. This is the Commission’s longstanding policy, which aims to encourage people to feel able to bring to us serious concerns about a charity and not hold back for fear of being identified.
    7. Charity patrons are not trustees and do not share trustees’ legal duties and responsibilities.

    Press office

    Email pressenquiries@charitycommission.gov.uk

    Out of hours press office contact number: 07785 748787

    Updates to this page

    Published 3 April 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: expert reaction to wildfires in Scotland and Dorset

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    Scientists comment on wildfires in Scotland and Dorset. 

    Dr Rory Hadden, Rushbrook Senior Lecturer in Fire Investigation, University of Edinburgh, said:

    “Fire danger assessments in Scotland are Very High or Extreme.  This is not very uncommon at this time of year.  In late winter and early spring there is lots of dead vegetation around and living vegetation is dormant.  This vegetation dries out very rapidly during periods of low humidity and sunny weather.  First of all, fine vegetation will dry out which means these fuels become very easy to ignite.  Over time the ground surface also starts to dry which means the fire behaviours start to get more extreme.  At the moment predictions are that fires can be easily ignited in the dry vegetation and will spread quite rapidly especially where there is wind.  This is quite common at this time of year in the UK and we have seen several examples already.

    “Most fires start due to human actions which is why it is important to be considerate when enjoying the nice weather.  Do not light fires and take a picnic rather than a barbeque.  This will minimise the risk of starting a fire.  Even if it looks like a fire is out – smouldering of surface vegetation is hard to detect and may transition to a flaming fire many hours after people have left an area.  Better to not even take the risk.

    “Fires will eventually be extinguished either by direct firefighting or by the fire service and landowners allowing the fire to spread to be contained by barriers in the landscape.  These may be either natural (pockets of wetter ground or where vegetation is sparser) or man-made (roads, fuel breaks).

    “These fires are significant as they draw resources from the Fire and Rescue Services and will have impacts on local ecosystems.  We need to be able to use these to understand how wildland fire risk is changing in the UK and the scientific community will be learning from these events to help plan and prepare in future.”

    Prof Guillermo Rein, Professor of Fire Science, Imperial College London, said:

    “April marks the peak of the UK wildfire season.  After the winter months, vegetation is dry and flammable, and the rising temperatures in early spring promote the spread rate.  These spring wildfires tend to be small in size because they are usually quickly put out by the fire brigade.  Another peak in frequency but with much larger wildfires in the UK typically occurs later in the summer, especially during heatwaves when the vegetation is dry again and conditions are more extreme.

    “There is much the public can do to help.  Growing awareness is key.  Learn about wildfire in your local area and wider region.  Support your local fire brigades and land managers, ask questions to scientists and experts, and share your concerns with the relevant authorities.  A better-informed and engaged public makes a real difference in preventing and managing wildfires.”

    Declared interests

    Prof Guillermo Rein: “I declare that I have no conflict of interest.”

    For all other experts, no reply to our request for DOIs was received.

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Birmingham marks 500 days to go till the European Athletic Championships arrives at the Alexander Stadium.

    Source: City of Birmingham

    Alexander Stadium

    Published: Thursday, 3rd April 2025

    Organisers of the Birmingham 2026 European Athletics Championships marked 500 days to go till the event arrives at the Alexander Stadium next August.

    Next year’s European Championship takes places 10 – 15 August and marks the first time the event has ever been held in the UK.

    Fans will be able to see some of the world’s best athletes compete for medals.

    The Championship is receiving funding from the West Midland Combined Authority Commonwealth Games Legacy Enhancement Fund, Department for Culture, Media and Sport and the National Lottery, and will be delivered by Athletic Ventures in collaboration with partners Birmingham City Council, European Athletics and UK Sport.

    Electric crowds across the city played a crucial role in the success of the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games, and now fans have the chance to recreate that magic at Alexander Stadium and drive Great Britain and Northern Ireland’s athletes to the podium once again.

    Fans can register for priority access via Birmingham26.com and will be the first to know when tickets go on sale this summer.

    Sports enthusiasts can also sign up for updates on how to get involved in the Championships.

    Councillor Sharon Thompson, Deputy Leader of Birmingham City Council said: “We are excited to welcome the 2026 European Athletics Championship to Birmingham’s Alexander Stadium next summer. Hosting the first ever UK edition of the Championship continues the legacy from the hugely successful Commonwealth Games in 2022.  Birmingham continues to be a proud host city and a powerhouse of sport with world-class venues. We can’t wait to showcase our city, welcoming residents and visitors alike to see Europe’s top athletes go for gold.”

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: FMQs: SNP must act to protect tenants from rent hikes

    Source: Scottish Greens

    03 Apr 2025 Housing

    Government must protect tenants.

    More in Housing

    Renters across Scotland will be fearing extra costs as a result of the SNP’s decision to end protections that were introduced by the Scottish Greens, said Scottish Green Co-leader Patrick Harvie at First Minister’s Questions today.
     
    Raising examples of landlords who tried to breach the rules with punishing rises, revealed this week by The National, Mr Harvie urged the Scottish Government to back Green calls for steps to actively cut excessive rents.
     
    In his first question to the First Minister, Mr Harvie said:

    “On Monday this week, the Scottish Government withdrew critical protection against rent rises.
     
    “For the first time in years, landlords will now have the power to instantly set rents back to uncontrolled free market levels – tenants won’t be able to stop it, and won’t be able to afford it.
     
    “Let’s be clear about the scale of the SNP’s rent hikes. Data from Generation Rent and Living Rent showed that even when protections were in place, some landlords still tried to break the rules.
     
    “In Glasgow, one landlord tried to double the rent from £700 to £1400.
     
    “But until this week, thanks to the temporary rent protections that I was proud to introduce, they could be stopped. That unbelievable increase was capped by the regulator at £784 instead of £1400.
     
    “Does the First Minister now understand why tenants across Scotland are so fearful about what he has done?”

    In his response the First Minister did not commit to reinstating the protections that had been introduced by Mr Harvie during his time as a Minister.
     
    In his second question, Mr Harvie said:

    “He talks about the protections that I just described, but the point is that these protections ended this week. They are no longer there protecting people.
     
    “When these figures were put to the Minister for Housing all he could say was that he was asking landlords to be “sensible” with these new, utterly uncontrolled powers.
     
    “In truth there is now nothing to hold back a tide of unaffordable rises.
     
    “And the Scottish Government hasn’t even published an assessment of the number of people who will lose their homes as a result.
     
    “The protection the Greens introduced succeeded in preventing eye-watering rent increases.
     
    “Rents are already too high in Scotland. And with energy bills going up and social security under attack, people need a Government here that will be on their side.
     
    “So will the First Minister think again, stop watering down the new Housing Bill, and make sure that it can cut rents instead of locking in ever more rent hikes for the future?”

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: West Country creates sources of water in unlikeliest places 

    Source: United Kingdom – Government Statements

    News story

    West Country creates sources of water in unlikeliest places 

    Devon and Cornwall is leading the way in innovative water sources as the West Country’s industrial legacy is turned into gigantic water holes.

    A disused China clay pit that now holds water for use elsewhere

    Devon and Cornwall’s biggest water users are creating amazing sources of water which benefit the environment and business.  

    The 2022 drought in Cornwall and parts of Devon reminded everyone that new, smarter ways to use water and reduce demand must be found to adapt to our changing climate. 

    Arguably the biggest reduction of water use has been made in the counties’ china clay sector, with Environment Agency advice leading to an incredible 99.5% reduction in the amount of water taken from the River Fal.

    River Fal water used to pipe wet clay cut by 99.5%

    Five years ago, Imerys Minerals abstracted 2 billion litres of water a year from this freshwater river abstraction point, requiring significant pumping costs, to transport wet clay through its pipe network. 

    Thanks to Environment Agency advice and Imerys’ actions, the firm has saved significant carbon and electricity costs and reduced this abstraction to about 10 million litres per year– less than 1% of its original drain upon freshwater sources. 

    Instead of a river, the water now comes from the company’s disused china clay pits, so large they are visible on aerial maps – with some nearly rivalling the size of Cornwall’s largest reservoirs. These pits have filled with a mixture of rain and ground water which is now used by the company instead of river water.  

    Using these water sources also benefits the public’s drinking water supply. Taking and treating groundwater from three former china clay pits helps to supply the water in customers’ taps in Cornwall. 

    Enough water for 290,000 bathtubs at brassica farm

    Farmers are also moving away from river and groundwater abstraction and finding ways to collect their own rainwater. One farm in Cornwall produces 15% of England’s seedlings used to grow brassica vegetables like broccoli, cabbage and cauliflower.

    A farm where a surface water reservoir is being built

    It relied on multiple abstraction licences for this water-intensive activity. Thanks to Environment Agency advice it has now invested in ways of storing rainwater to grow these brassica seedlings. This includes collecting water from its own polytunnels roofs and creating a clay-lined reservoir which will store 24 million litres of rain water – enough water to fill 290,000 bathtubs. 

    ‘Water is precious’

    Clarissa Newell of the Environment Agency said:

    Water is a precious resource, so it is great to see by-products of Devon and Cornwall’s industrial past being turned into new water sources.

    Farmers are also investing in new ways of getting water which will pay them back. This is the way forward.  

    The two biggest challenges for water are climate change and population growth. Only by finding smart ways to reduce our water demand can we protect the environment and in turn ourselves.

    By 2050, the amount of water available could be down by 10-15%, with some rivers seeing 50-80% less water during the summer months. We all need to protect the environment by reducing the amount of water we use and ensuring greater efficiency in its use and re-use. 

    Climate change will alter the water in our rivers, lakes and groundwater. To protect and enhance the environment, we will need to change how we abstract water. Water companies will need to change their abstractions and will need to find new sources of water. 

    These alterations, on top of the demands faced by a growing population, and the additional pressures of agricultural pollution, wastewater discharges and urban pollution are all combining to exacerbate water stress.

    Updates to this page

    Published 3 April 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –