NewzIntel.com

Category: Great Britain

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: PM speech to the INTERPOL General Assembly: 4 November 2024

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    Prime Minister Keir Starmer makes a speech to the INTERPOL General Assembly in Glasgow.

    Location:
    Glasgow
    Delivered on:
    (Transcript of the speech, exactly as it was delivered)

    It’s great to welcome you all to Glasgow.

    It was right here, in this conference centre, exactly three years ago that over 190 countries came together at COP26 to agree the Glasgow Climate Pact. 

    That was the first global commitment to phase down the use of coal. And a vital step in the fight against climate change – a challenge that no country can meet on its own.

    So it’s fantastic that once again today, we have over 190 countries here working together to meet another global challenge: the threat of serious organised crime. 

    And it’s particularly fitting to be here in Glasgow: a place that was once home to what many consider to be the first professional City Police Force.

    And a place that is today home to our state-of-the-art Scottish Crime Campus, just down the road in Gartcosh.

    18 different organisations working together, under one roof, co-operating for a common cause. Precisely the kind of co-operation that is so essential to the missions of my government, and the foundation we rest everything upon.

    Greater security for our people. Security rooted in our values, in respect for human rights and upholding the rule of law. 

    Now, I was a prosecutor myself. I served as the Director of Public Prosecutions in England and Wales. Not here in Scotland – we have a complicated set of arrangements across these countries. 

    But what we know from being a country of four nations – what I know having served in that role – having seen the complexity of operations that fight organised crime, first-hand, is that crime is global. 

    Criminals do not respect borders. And so I want to start today by thanking you – all of you here in this conference centre. And the thousands that you represent. Those who serve in police, in intelligence, and security services right across the world. Because too often – what you do goes unrecognised. 

    Some of it necessarily unknown. But just look at some of the operations we can talk about – they tell the story. 

    The UK working with the US and Ecuador to seize 19 tonnes of cocaine. The global identification of over 40,000 victims of child sexual abuse online, and more than 70 countries working together to save them. 

    60 countries working together to tackle online scams, resulting in almost 4,000 arrests, and more than $250 million of assets seized. 

    And of course, the operation which infiltrated and seized the online platform used by LockBit, the world’s most harmful cyber-crime group.

    I know the hard work that goes into this. I know how many things have to come together, almost instantly. And most importantly – I know what would happen without you.

    The extra lives destroyed by drugs and violence. The unspeakable horrors of child sexual abuse. Gangs forcing the vulnerable into modern slavery or prostitution. People having their life savings stolen through online fraud.

    It’s your work, your service, that protects people from these threats. And because so much of your work is done in private, I’m grateful for this opportunity in public to say a huge and heartfelt thank you. 

    Now, of course INTERPOL is absolutely central to these efforts. As I say – I have seen the importance of global co-operation first-hand. I sent British prosecutors in Pakistan so we could work together on counter-terrorism. In West Africa – to disrupt the flow of drugs from South America to Europe, and ultimately to the UK. 

    So I understand the power of what INTERPOL does, and why the UK makes great use of those resources… 

    Handling thousands of enquiries every week from around the world, from intelligence sharing to managing direct threats to life. 

    So I am pleased to say today that the UK is increasing its funding for INTERPOL projects, investing £6 million this financial year.

    This will include support for improved data-sharing, and faster communications capabilities. The first ever Global Fraud Threat Assessment, and new regional networks. From strengthening co-operation across the Pacific to tackling drug and gun smuggling networks in the Caribbean.

    Because together, we want to send a clear message to the world’s most hardened criminals: there is no safe haven. There is no place that you can hide from justice.  Together – we’ve got the whole world covered. And together – we will defeat you.  

    And look – there is a particular group of organised criminals that urgently need to hear this message: the vile people smugglers, who think that human life can be trafficked, that borders can be ignored.

    And that desperation, misery and hope – they prey on that too – are all emotions that are ripe for exploitation. 

    Make no mistake – people smuggling needs a global response. And on a scale – way beyond where we are now. We need to unlock the power of that co-operation – across borders, agencies, continents – even. 

    And look – I know many people in this room are already working hard on this. So I accept that my argument here is a political one, first and foremost. 

    But I’m afraid we’re still at the stage where the world needs to wake up to the severity of this challenge. It goes back to security. 

    I was elected to deliver security for the British people. And strong borders are a part of that – of course they are. But I say it again – security doesn’t stop at our borders.  

    And illegal migration is, without question, a massive driver of global insecurity. There is nothing progressive about turning a blind eye as men, women and children die in the Channel. 

    And you don’t advance the cause of global justice – or compassion for those individuals – to pretend that there is. 

    This is a vile trade that must be stamped out – wherever it thrives. And it exploits the cracks between our institutions, pits nations against one another, profits from our inability – at the political level – to come together. 

    That’s part of the business model. And so I will work with anyone serious who can offer solutions on this – anyone.

    Because without co-ordinated, global action, it will not go away. 

    And unless we bring all the powers we have to bear on this, in much the same way as we do for terrorism, then we will struggle to bring these criminals to justice.  

    And that in a sense is my message here today. People-smuggling should be viewed as a global security threat similar to terrorism.

    We’ve got to combine resources, share intelligence and tactics, and tackle the problem upstream, working together to shut down the smuggling routes.

    We do that with terrorism. When I was the Director of Public Prosecutions, it was my personal mission to smash the terrorist gangs. And we worked across borders to ensure the safety of citizens, across Europe and across the world.  

    Now, as the UK’s Prime Minister, it is my personal mission to smash the people smuggling gangs. And look, that starts here in the UK. 

    This Labour government is resetting the UK’s whole approach to this challenge. No more gimmicks. No more gesture politics. No more irresponsible, undeliverable promises that almost by design – seek conflict with other countries.  

    We have turned the page on all of that. Because such promises are not worth the paper they are written on. All they do is waste taxpayer money, destroy people’s trust in politics as a force for good.

    Instead, we are approaching this issue with humanity, and with profound respect for international law.

    We will never withdraw from the European Convention on Human Rights. Indeed, we’re proud of the role the UK played in creating that Convention. Respecting international treaties also makes international co-operation easier, because it shows that the UK is a reliable partner.

    So our approach is different. As I say – we’re going to treat people smugglers like terrorists. So we’re taking our approach to counter-terrorism – which we know works – and applying it to the gangs, with our new Border Security Command.

    We’re ending the fragmentation between policing, Border Force and our intelligence agencies. Recruiting hundreds of specialist investigators. They are best of the best – from our National Crime Agency, Border Force, Immigration Enforcement, the CPS and our intelligence agencies – all working together. 

    We’re making border protection an elite border force. And not just within our country. We’re also working together with international partners, sharing intelligence and tactics.

    Earlier this year I visited the Headquarters of our National Crime Agency. I saw first-hand the ways we are already collaborating, and what it takes to intercept, to disrupt, and destroy these networks. There are so many tools at our disposal.

    We can seize their phones at the border, identifying and tracing smugglers wiring payments. We’ve already trained sniffer dogs to detect the smell of dinghy rubber and working with Bulgaria stopped more than 100 small boats upstream, long before they made it to the Channel. 

    And as we understand how these gangs work, we can invest in new capabilities and enhanced powers to smash them.

    So we’re giving our new Border Security Command an additional £75 million of new funding on top of the of £75 million we’ve already committed.

    This will support a new Organised Immigration Crime Intelligence Unit, hundreds of new investigators and intelligence officers, backed by state-of-the-art technology.

    We’re also investing a further £58 million in our National Crime Agency, including strengthening its data analysis and intelligence capabilities.

    And we’ll also legislate to give those fighting these gangs enhanced powers too. Again, look what we’ve done with counter-terrorism. We have the powers to trace suspects’ movements using information from the intelligence services.

    We can shut down their bank accounts, cut off their internet access, and arrest them for making preparations to act, before an attack has taken place.

    We don’t wait for them to act – we stop them before they act. And we need to stop people smuggling gangs before they act too.

    Now, as with any crime – smuggling does not operate in an institutional vacuum, so we also need to rebuild our broken asylum system, process claims swiftly and humanely.

    That will make law enforcement’s job much easier.  So we’re recruiting hundreds of additional people into asylum case working.

    Overall returns since this government came to office are now 9,400 – up almost 6,000 since the end of August. 

    Enforced returns are up almost a fifth on the same period last year. And returns of Foreign National Offenders are up 14 per cent.

    But look, the only way to defeat this vile trade and save lives is to stop people being smuggled here in the first place.

    And that means doing everything possible to deepen our cross-border co-operation. So international agreements matter.

    We have to use every tool we have – operational, diplomatic, political – to join up our response.

    President Macron and I have already agreed to increase intelligence sharing and do more to dismantle smuggling routes further upstream. This is also a priority for the bi-lateral co-operation treaty we are working on with Germany. 

    We’re also working with Italy to dismantle the supply chains of maritime equipment, combat illicit financial flows, and strengthen our investigative capacities and our data sharing. And as part of the UK’s wider reset with the European Union, we are seeking a new security pact, including restoring access to real-time intelligence sharing networks. And at the European Political Community this Thursday in Hungary, I’ll be putting this issue at the top of the international agenda once again. 

    But we need your help also.  This is the General Assembly of the world’s security experts. It’s your co-operation across borders that saves lives, time and again. It’s your collective efforts that bring organised criminals to justice, wherever they seek to hide.

    And it’s your leadership today that can help make a decisive breakthrough against this vile trade in human life. 

    Because if together we can win this war against the people smugglers, then this gathering will have achieved a victory for humanity – every bit as significant as the Glasgow Climate Pact.

    Because you will have helped to smash the gangs, secure our borders, and save countless lives.  And it is with that hope, and in that spirit, that I declare the 92nd General Assembly open. 

    Thank you so much.

    Updates to this page

    Published 4 November 2024

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Speech: PM speech to the INTERPOL General Assembly: 4 November 2024

    Source: United Kingdom – Prime Minister’s Office 10 Downing Street

    Prime Minister Keir Starmer makes a speech to the INTERPOL General Assembly in Glasgow.

    Location:
    Glasgow
    Delivered on:
    (Transcript of the speech, exactly as it was delivered)

    It’s great to welcome you all to Glasgow.

    It was right here, in this conference centre, exactly three years ago that over 190 countries came together at COP26 to agree the Glasgow Climate Pact. 

    That was the first global commitment to phase down the use of coal. And a vital step in the fight against climate change – a challenge that no country can meet on its own.

    So it’s fantastic that once again today, we have over 190 countries here working together to meet another global challenge: the threat of serious organised crime. 

    And it’s particularly fitting to be here in Glasgow: a place that was once home to what many consider to be the first professional City Police Force.

    And a place that is today home to our state-of-the-art Scottish Crime Campus, just down the road in Gartcosh.

    18 different organisations working together, under one roof, co-operating for a common cause. Precisely the kind of co-operation that is so essential to the missions of my government, and the foundation we rest everything upon.

    Greater security for our people. Security rooted in our values, in respect for human rights and upholding the rule of law. 

    Now, I was a prosecutor myself. I served as the Director of Public Prosecutions in England and Wales. Not here in Scotland – we have a complicated set of arrangements across these countries. 

    But what we know from being a country of four nations – what I know having served in that role – having seen the complexity of operations that fight organised crime, first-hand, is that crime is global. 

    Criminals do not respect borders. And so I want to start today by thanking you – all of you here in this conference centre. And the thousands that you represent. Those who serve in police, in intelligence, and security services right across the world. Because too often – what you do goes unrecognised. 

    Some of it necessarily unknown. But just look at some of the operations we can talk about – they tell the story. 

    The UK working with the US and Ecuador to seize 19 tonnes of cocaine. The global identification of over 40,000 victims of child sexual abuse online, and more than 70 countries working together to save them. 

    60 countries working together to tackle online scams, resulting in almost 4,000 arrests, and more than $250 million of assets seized. 

    And of course, the operation which infiltrated and seized the online platform used by LockBit, the world’s most harmful cyber-crime group.

    I know the hard work that goes into this. I know how many things have to come together, almost instantly. And most importantly – I know what would happen without you.

    The extra lives destroyed by drugs and violence. The unspeakable horrors of child sexual abuse. Gangs forcing the vulnerable into modern slavery or prostitution. People having their life savings stolen through online fraud.

    It’s your work, your service, that protects people from these threats. And because so much of your work is done in private, I’m grateful for this opportunity in public to say a huge and heartfelt thank you. 

    Now, of course INTERPOL is absolutely central to these efforts. As I say – I have seen the importance of global co-operation first-hand. I sent British prosecutors in Pakistan so we could work together on counter-terrorism. In West Africa – to disrupt the flow of drugs from South America to Europe, and ultimately to the UK. 

    So I understand the power of what INTERPOL does, and why the UK makes great use of those resources… 

    Handling thousands of enquiries every week from around the world, from intelligence sharing to managing direct threats to life. 

    So I am pleased to say today that the UK is increasing its funding for INTERPOL projects, investing £6 million this financial year.

    This will include support for improved data-sharing, and faster communications capabilities. The first ever Global Fraud Threat Assessment, and new regional networks. From strengthening co-operation across the Pacific to tackling drug and gun smuggling networks in the Caribbean.

    Because together, we want to send a clear message to the world’s most hardened criminals: there is no safe haven. There is no place that you can hide from justice.  Together – we’ve got the whole world covered. And together – we will defeat you.  

    And look – there is a particular group of organised criminals that urgently need to hear this message: the vile people smugglers, who think that human life can be trafficked, that borders can be ignored.

    And that desperation, misery and hope – they prey on that too – are all emotions that are ripe for exploitation. 

    Make no mistake – people smuggling needs a global response. And on a scale – way beyond where we are now. We need to unlock the power of that co-operation – across borders, agencies, continents – even. 

    And look – I know many people in this room are already working hard on this. So I accept that my argument here is a political one, first and foremost. 

    But I’m afraid we’re still at the stage where the world needs to wake up to the severity of this challenge. It goes back to security. 

    I was elected to deliver security for the British people. And strong borders are a part of that – of course they are. But I say it again – security doesn’t stop at our borders.  

    And illegal migration is, without question, a massive driver of global insecurity. There is nothing progressive about turning a blind eye as men, women and children die in the Channel. 

    And you don’t advance the cause of global justice – or compassion for those individuals – to pretend that there is. 

    This is a vile trade that must be stamped out – wherever it thrives. And it exploits the cracks between our institutions, pits nations against one another, profits from our inability – at the political level – to come together. 

    That’s part of the business model. And so I will work with anyone serious who can offer solutions on this – anyone.

    Because without co-ordinated, global action, it will not go away. 

    And unless we bring all the powers we have to bear on this, in much the same way as we do for terrorism, then we will struggle to bring these criminals to justice.  

    And that in a sense is my message here today. People-smuggling should be viewed as a global security threat similar to terrorism.

    We’ve got to combine resources, share intelligence and tactics, and tackle the problem upstream, working together to shut down the smuggling routes.

    We do that with terrorism. When I was the Director of Public Prosecutions, it was my personal mission to smash the terrorist gangs. And we worked across borders to ensure the safety of citizens, across Europe and across the world.  

    Now, as the UK’s Prime Minister, it is my personal mission to smash the people smuggling gangs. And look, that starts here in the UK. 

    This Labour government is resetting the UK’s whole approach to this challenge. No more gimmicks. No more gesture politics. No more irresponsible, undeliverable promises that almost by design – seek conflict with other countries.  

    We have turned the page on all of that. Because such promises are not worth the paper they are written on. All they do is waste taxpayer money, destroy people’s trust in politics as a force for good.

    Instead, we are approaching this issue with humanity, and with profound respect for international law.

    We will never withdraw from the European Convention on Human Rights. Indeed, we’re proud of the role the UK played in creating that Convention. Respecting international treaties also makes international co-operation easier, because it shows that the UK is a reliable partner.

    So our approach is different. As I say – we’re going to treat people smugglers like terrorists. So we’re taking our approach to counter-terrorism – which we know works – and applying it to the gangs, with our new Border Security Command.

    We’re ending the fragmentation between policing, Border Force and our intelligence agencies. Recruiting hundreds of specialist investigators. They are best of the best – from our National Crime Agency, Border Force, Immigration Enforcement, the CPS and our intelligence agencies – all working together. 

    We’re making border protection an elite border force. And not just within our country. We’re also working together with international partners, sharing intelligence and tactics.

    Earlier this year I visited the Headquarters of our National Crime Agency. I saw first-hand the ways we are already collaborating, and what it takes to intercept, to disrupt, and destroy these networks. There are so many tools at our disposal.

    We can seize their phones at the border, identifying and tracing smugglers wiring payments. We’ve already trained sniffer dogs to detect the smell of dinghy rubber and working with Bulgaria stopped more than 100 small boats upstream, long before they made it to the Channel. 

    And as we understand how these gangs work, we can invest in new capabilities and enhanced powers to smash them.

    So we’re giving our new Border Security Command an additional £75 million of new funding on top of the of £75 million we’ve already committed.

    This will support a new Organised Immigration Crime Intelligence Unit, hundreds of new investigators and intelligence officers, backed by state-of-the-art technology.

    We’re also investing a further £58 million in our National Crime Agency, including strengthening its data analysis and intelligence capabilities.

    And we’ll also legislate to give those fighting these gangs enhanced powers too. Again, look what we’ve done with counter-terrorism. We have the powers to trace suspects’ movements using information from the intelligence services.

    We can shut down their bank accounts, cut off their internet access, and arrest them for making preparations to act, before an attack has taken place.

    We don’t wait for them to act – we stop them before they act. And we need to stop people smuggling gangs before they act too.

    Now, as with any crime – smuggling does not operate in an institutional vacuum, so we also need to rebuild our broken asylum system, process claims swiftly and humanely.

    That will make law enforcement’s job much easier.  So we’re recruiting hundreds of additional people into asylum case working.

    Overall returns since this government came to office are now 9,400 – up almost 6,000 since the end of August. 

    Enforced returns are up almost a fifth on the same period last year. And returns of Foreign National Offenders are up 14 per cent.

    But look, the only way to defeat this vile trade and save lives is to stop people being smuggled here in the first place.

    And that means doing everything possible to deepen our cross-border co-operation. So international agreements matter.

    We have to use every tool we have – operational, diplomatic, political – to join up our response.

    President Macron and I have already agreed to increase intelligence sharing and do more to dismantle smuggling routes further upstream. This is also a priority for the bi-lateral co-operation treaty we are working on with Germany. 

    We’re also working with Italy to dismantle the supply chains of maritime equipment, combat illicit financial flows, and strengthen our investigative capacities and our data sharing. And as part of the UK’s wider reset with the European Union, we are seeking a new security pact, including restoring access to real-time intelligence sharing networks. And at the European Political Community this Thursday in Hungary, I’ll be putting this issue at the top of the international agenda once again. 

    But we need your help also.  This is the General Assembly of the world’s security experts. It’s your co-operation across borders that saves lives, time and again. It’s your collective efforts that bring organised criminals to justice, wherever they seek to hide.

    And it’s your leadership today that can help make a decisive breakthrough against this vile trade in human life. 

    Because if together we can win this war against the people smugglers, then this gathering will have achieved a victory for humanity – every bit as significant as the Glasgow Climate Pact.

    Because you will have helped to smash the gangs, secure our borders, and save countless lives.  And it is with that hope, and in that spirit, that I declare the 92nd General Assembly open. 

    Thank you so much.

    Updates to this page

    Published 4 November 2024

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI Security: British Prime Minister opens global police assembly in Glasgow

    Source: Interpol (news and events)

    The 92nd INTERPOL General Assembly takes place from 4-7 November in Glasgow, Scotland

    GLASGOW, Scotland: Keir Starmer, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, opened the INTERPOL General Assembly, stressing the need for international police cooperation to combat pervasive organized crime.
    The General Assembly is INTERPOL’s supreme governing body, made up of representatives from its 196 member countries.
    With around 1,000 attendees, it is the largest global gathering of senior law enforcement officials, who collectively decide how INTERPOL operates.
    This year, the General Assembly will elect the new Secretary General, after Valdecy Urquiza of Brazil was put forward as the chosen candidate of INTERPOL’s Executive Committee.

    The Secretary General is INTERPOL’s chief full-time official and directs the 1,200 staff who work in the organization’s 15 duty stations around the world.
    The General Assembly will also elect nine new members to INTERPOL’s 13-member Executive Committee, which oversees the implementation of General Assembly decisions.

    UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer said:
    “This is the General Assembly of the world’s security experts. It’s your cooperation across borders that saves lives, time and again. It’s your collective efforts that bring organized criminals to justice, wherever they try to hide.”
    In his opening remarks, INTERPOL President Ahmed Naser Al-Raisi said:
    “From the rise of organized crime, drug trafficking and terrorism to climate change and migration challenges, our ability to adapt and innovate is crucial. This year’s General Assembly presents an opportunity for member countries to engage in fruitful conversations, share intelligence, and enhance collaborative strategies.”
    The Assembly will also consider a number of motions guiding the organization’s activities on terrorism, lawful access to digital evidence and child abuse, among other subjects.

    In his statement to delegates, INTERPOL Secretary General Jürgen Stock said:
    “INTERPOL was created to serve police by allowing the exchange of information across borders. This mission still drives our work today. We have made INTERPOL’s systems more connected, our products better and our response more coordinated than ever before.”
    UK Home Secretary Yvette Cooper also addressed delegates, saying:
    “International security and domestic security are two sides of the same coin. That is why INTERPOL remains integral to public safety.”
    The first day of the General Assembly saw the announcement of the INTERPOL Law Enforcement Academy, an educational centre hosting a range of professional development programmes and events.

    Housed within INTERPOL’s Global Complex for Innovation in Singapore, the Academy will notably offer an Executive Leadership Programme for senior police leaders from around the world. INTERPOL member countries will be invited to nominate candidates for the programme’s first cohort.
    “Some lessons can only be learned when fellow officers come together face to face. We must equip the next generation of police leaders with the right skills as they face a world that continues to evolve,” Secretary General Stock said.

    For news and developments from INTERPOL’s 92nd General Assembly, visit INTERPOL’s website or follow us on social media.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Consultation on East End community services

    Source: Scotland – City of Dundee

    Members of the public are being encouraged to have their say on plans to relocate community services in the East End of Dundee to a flagship Community Campus.

    Construction of the East End Community Campus is well under way, bringing local school and community facilities together in a single state-of-the-art complex.

    The plans include a proposal to relocate all services from four facilities: The Hub Library & Community Facilities; Whitfield Community Library; Douglas Community Centre & Library; and Douglas Sports Centre.

    A public consultation on that proposal is now being run by the Council, in partnership with Leisure & Culture Dundee, over the next six weeks.

    Full details of what’s planned, why the proposals are being put forward and how to take part can be found on the Council’s Consultation Hub, along with Frequently Asked Questions.

    People can share their views either by filling out an online survey, completing a paper copy or taking part in face-to-face sessions.

    The aims of the consultation include understanding the impacts that implementing the proposals would have on communities, and particularly any related to people with protected characteristics.

    Feedback will help identify any additional steps that can be taken to mitigate these. This will inform any Integrated Impact Assessments which would be presented to elected members on Dundee City Council when they are asked to take any final decisions.

    The consultation will also explore options for the future of the properties.

    These could include:

    • Using the buildings for other purposes;
    • Transferring the buildings to community organisations;
    • Selling the buildings;
    • Closing the buildings.

    A spokesperson for the Council said: “Before any final decisions are taken, it is essential that we understand what these plans would mean for users and the wider community.

    “This is particularly the case for those who have characteristics protected by law.

    “This is a legal requirement, so the survey asks specific questions to identify if people have protected characteristics. However, each of the questions is entirely optional.

    “It is also important to stress that everyone is invited to have their say on the proposal, regardless of whether or not they consider themselves to have protected characteristics.

    “We are committed to working with communities, understanding that the plans will have different implications depending on individuals’ circumstances.

    “Whether you are a current user of the facilities, a member of the wider community, someone with an idea about the future of a building or anyone else with feedback, we want to hear from you.”

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI USA: UConn Forum Draws Top Minds to Brainstorm Ways to Grow Connecticut’s Economy

    Source: US State of Connecticut

    Scores of esteemed industry leaders, researchers, entrepreneurs, and public officials came together at UConn Storrs recently to share ideas on combining their organizations’ energy and expertise to grow a robust, sustainable Connecticut economy.

    “UConn Forum: Economic Engine of a Thriving Connecticut” featured discussions on driving the state’s economy through several key growth areas including advanced manufacturing, sustainable energy, fintech, biotech, quantum computing, artificial intelligence, and other realms.

    Panelists and participants praised the Oct. 31 event as a unique opportunity to learn about innovations in various industry sectors and inspire ideas for collaboration, including by drawing on UConn expertise.

    With an annual impact of $8.5 billion on the state’s economy, UConn takes its responsibilities seriously to help drive Connecticut forward, President Radenka Maric told the crowd in welcoming remarks.

    That includes sharing its research expertise, helping foster startup businesses and technologies, ensuring its graduates are entrepreneurial and workforce ready, and doing all within its power to keep them in Connecticut to build their careers and lives.

    A common theme throughout the day’s discussions was Connecticut’s innovative spirit and enviable strengths, including a well-educated workforce, diverse population, strong schools, family-friendly quality of life, and innovation-oriented business ecosystem.

    Forum participants also agreed it’s a perfect time to accelerate the collaborations between industry and higher education – particularly as Connecticut is regaining population lost during the recession; has seen a noteworthy jump in business startups; and is developing new technologies in several fields.

    “What we’re seeing is that the trends have reversed in a pretty meaningful way. People are betting on Connecticut with both their wallets and their feet,” said keynote speaker Daniel O’Keefe, commissioner of the Connecticut Department of Economic and Community Development (DECD).

    He said the state had the 19th best-performing economy nationwide in the last two years. That’s a major turnaround from the 2000s-era recession in which Connecticut became one of only three states – including Wyoming and Mississippi – whose economies contracted and became smaller on an inflation-adjusted basis.

    As Connecticut’s manufacturing and national defense-related industries bounced back, so did the state – supplemented by growth in areas such as technology and software information, and other emerging industries such as those discussed at the UConn forum.

    “This is a state where innovation happens literally every day. You don’t hear about it as much as you do in places like Silicon Valley because the innovation is taking place not only in our startups, but also in our incredibly large companies,” O’Keefe said.

    Several new collaborations also have immense promise, such as the QuantumCT public-private partnership led by UConn and Yale.

    UConn President Radenka Maric hands a proclamation from Connecticut Governor Ned Lamont to Lee Langston, professor emeritus of mechanical engineering at UConn, during the “UConn Forum: Economic Engine of a Thriving Connecticut” event in the Rowe Commons ballroom on Thursday, Oct. 31, 2024. (Sydney Herdle/UConn Photo)

    That initiative aims to win federal funding to transform Connecticut into the nation’s leading accelerator of quantum technologies. The proposal recently advanced to the competition’s next stage, and marks the first time that UConn and Yale have partnered on an initiative of this scope.

    That kind of collaborative thinking underscored most of the forum’s panels, in which the speakers discussed the importance of addressing society’s emerging needs for sustainable clean energy, effective and affordable pharma products, innovative use of AI, or other topics.

    The forum’s guests also gained inspiration from the entrepreneurial history of the Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Nation as shared by its chairman, Rodney Butler ’99 (BUS).

    Having endured generations of forced assimilation and poverty, its members survived economically by selling timber, maple syrup, and other goods until the tribe gained federal recognition in 1983, he said.

    With the ability to diversify into more lucrative areas, the tribe opened a high-stakes bingo hall in 1986 and, in 1992, it opened Foxwoods Resort Casino – now the world’s largest such gaming and entertainment venue.

    Today, the tribe’s annual economic impact in the state is about $1 billion, and it has expanded into the hospitality business, golf courses, real estate holdings, hotel and golf course development, a pharmaceutical network, sports betting, internet gaming, and other ventures.

    It’s a far cry from the early days of selling handmade baskets, picking berries, and hunting snakes to survive economically. The Pequot tribe and UConn have also partnered on several projects, including the development of its hydroponic Meechooôk Farm; research into responsible gaming; and various academic and cultural endeavors.

    “The reason we do all of it, and the reason we’re in this room, is to create a thriving and sustainable community,” Butler told the forum’s attendees. “Ours is at Mashantucket. In this room, it’s about Connecticut and dare I say, all of southern New England.”

    Also as part of the forum, Maric presented a proclamation from Gov. Ned Lamont to UConn Professor Emeritus Lee Langston ’60 (ENG), one of UConn’s most accomplished engineering innovators.

    His career included helping to develop the fuel cells that powered Apollo 11 to the moon. He also was part of a team that helped install the first solar panels at the White House during the Carter Administration, and pioneered gas turbine technologies now used worldwide, including at UConn’s Cogeneration (CoGen) Central Utility Plant.

    Langston joined UConn in 1977 as a mechanical engineering professor after more than a decade at Pratt & Whitney. He also served a year as the interim dean of the School of Engineering (now a college), later retiring from UConn in 2003 but remaining active as a professor emeritus.

    “His contributions to science and society are immeasurable,” Maric said in presenting the proclamation, adding that she first learned of his expertise in sustainable energy when she was studying for her Ph.D. in Japan.

    Maric said the legacy of innovators such as Langston, along with the vision of people at the economic development forum and throughout the state, will be key to its future.

    “We make the impossible possible in Connecticut. We are leaders and will continue to lead, and anyone who says we can’t do it in Connecticut will be proven wrong,” she said.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Official Receivers celebrate 140-year history

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    2024 marks the 140th anniversary of the appointment of the first Official Receivers and a rich history of helping to keep the UK a safe place to do business

    Official Receiver court dress on display in the Insolvency Service Stratford Office.

    • The first Official Receivers were appointed in 1884 

    • Official Receivers originally conducted public examinations for every bankruptcy– now people can apply for bankruptcies online. 

    • Next chapter for Official Receivers includes planned new technology to help streamline case management 

    The office of Official Receiver is 140 years old this year, marking a history that has evolved from administering personal bankruptcies to overseeing major company liquidations and securing Bankruptcy Restrictions against people who pose a threat to the public through financial wrongdoing. 

    The Insolvency Service has 16 Official Receivers based across 16 locations in England and Wales, who act as trustees in people’s bankruptcies and liquidate companies that have been wound up, with the backing of hundreds of support staff.  

    They also investigate the causes of insolvencies and can secure stringent restrictions against bankrupt people where there is evidence they have been dishonest or are to blame for their debts, to protect the public from possible future harm. 

    Sharon Lewis, Interim Director of Official Receiver Services at the Insolvency Service, said: 

    Our work makes an impact on people’s lives, whether that’s helping those with overwhelming debt to make a fresh start, safeguarding the public from financial wrongdoing or helping creditors get back money they’re owed.  

    We have always been at the heart of the UK’s world-leading insolvency regime and there is a real pride in our work and strong connection to our long history of service.   

    As we continue to take a more digital focus to support an insolvency regime that is fit for the 21st Century, we look forward to the next chapter in our story in helping to deliver economic confidence for the UK.

    Official Receivers came into being following the Bankruptcy Act 1883 and the first cadre of 67 Official Receivers were appointed in 1884. Originally, the officials would conduct public examinations of bankrupts, and the Senior Official Receiver would appear at ceremonial occasions in formal court dress, including a sword and a bicorn hat. 

    Following rules introduced in 2016, people who choose to become bankrupt can now apply online rather than attend court. These changes reflect a move towards a more flexible service that recognises difficulties faced by people with overwhelming debt. 

    More planned changes to the service focus on new technology, including the introduction of a state-of-the-art case management system to help Official Receivers and their teams deliver a quicker, more efficient service for customers.  

    Official Receivers are supported by around 600 staff across the country, including teams of Deputy Official Receivers, examiners and case workers. The teams include a dedicated Public Interest Unit that deals with the most complex bankruptcy and liquidation cases, and a National Interest Case Executive that administers high-profile liquidations. 

    This year, Official Receivers have been appointed by the courts as liquidators of a number of high profile businesses.  

    Official Receivers in local offices have also dealt with cases including bankruptcies of high-profile individuals, and company insolvencies ranging from GP practices and dentists to funeral directors.  

    In 2023-4, Official Receivers also secured 134 Bankruptcy Restrictions – 93 of which were related to abuse of the Covid loan schemes. They also handled almost 11,000 new cases and returned almost £60million to creditors. 

    An Official Receiver: 

    • Is a civil servant working in the Insolvency Service 

    • Is an officer of the court 

    • Acts as a liquidator of companies – winds down the affairs of companies and investigates the causes of the insolvency and the conduct of current and former directors. 

    • Acts as a trustee in bankruptcy – someone who manages the bankruptcy. A bankrupt person’s assets transfer to the trustee who collects or sells them to make payments to creditors 

    • Applies to court to extend the period prior to a bankrupt person receiving a discharge, if they have failed to cooperate with the Official Receiver in the bankruptcy

    • Secures bankruptcy restrictions orders against those who have acted dishonestly, or are to blame for their bankruptcy, to extend the restrictions imposed on them. 

    Further Information 

    Updates to this page

    Published 4 November 2024

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Working with INTERPOL to deliver government priorities

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    The Home Secretary’s speech to the INTERPOL General Assembly in Glasgow on working together to deliver on government priorities.

    Delivered on:
    (Transcript of the speech, exactly as it was delivered)

    Thank you very much, good morning. Thank you very much Mr President for your opening words. It is an enormous privilege and honour to welcome all of you here for the 92nd INTERPOL General Assembly.

    And it’s a pleasure to welcome you to the magnificent and historic city of Glasgow – and let me thank our hosts for all the work that has gone into facilitating this hugely important event.

    Can I thank the Interpol Secretary General, Juergen Stock for your years of service, leading this organisation’s vital work and we look forward to congratulating your successor tomorrow and for the future work that all of us need to do together.

    At a time when networks of organised and serious crime span the world, it matters more than ever to have equally integrated and global networks of law enforcement agencies working together to fight crime, and to keep our communities safe.

    The UK is proud to be at the heart of those efforts.

    Every year, our INTERPOL bureau in the National Crime Agency sends out 20,000 requests to partners around the world, and every day, they manage more than 1,000 incoming messages.

    And we see the impact of that cooperation here on our streets. Here on the streets, here in Glasgow.

    Just 4 weeks ago, one of Britain’s most wanted men was jailed for leading a major drug gang responsible for importing tonnes of cocaine into this city in banana boxes from Ecuador– fuelling addiction and gang violence across Scotland.

    Thanks to a joint operation between Police Scotland, and Dutch counterparts, the UK National Crime Agency, he was arrested in the Netherlands, extradited back to Scotland, and sentenced to 20 years in prison in Glasgow High Court.

    International cooperation, work with INTERPOL, delivering results in real life. So to all those working with colleagues on similar operations in pursuit of our collective security – I want to say a heartfelt thank you.

    Over the past century, the success of INTERPOL has been a testament to the critical importance of its mission, to the skill and professionalism of its members, and to the spirit of innovation that has evolved through decades of political, technological and social change.

    But most importantly of all, INTERPOL’s success has been evidence of that enduring belief that, together, we are stronger.

    Britain’s new government is committed to that principle, and – from fraud to drug-trafficking – we believe there are so many crimes and criminal networks which can only be tackled effectively through strong international policing cooperation.

    And let me highlight just 2 areas where we want to see even stronger cooperation in the years to come. First, in tackling the global scourge of violence against women and girls and child sexual abuse.

    The scale of which should continue to shame us all.

    Britain’s new government has set a mission to halve violence against women and girls in a decade, but we know that cannot be achieved by working alone.

    Perpetrators and predators across the world are being enabled and emboldened by new technologies, the use of which is growing at an alarming rate. The scale, complexity and severity of online abuse is increasing in every jurisdiction.

    Tackling these tech-enabled harms is a central priority for the UK, and I am glad it will be one of the topics for discussion here this week.

    We will only tackle these new threats through increased cooperation, and by committing to share not only the best intelligence but the best innovations to protect our children from harm.

    And second, as you will hear shortly from our UK Prime Minister, we must also have a much stronger and more integrated global response to the organised immigration crime, which is growing around the world and profiting from human misery, putting lives at risk, undermining our border security, and destabilising our communities.

    Here in the UK, our new Border Security Command is leading the fight against the criminal gangs who every week are crowding vulnerable people into flimsy dinghies on the coast of France, leaving dozens this year to drown or be crushed to death as they attempt to cross the Channel.

    But we know those gangs operate not just on our shores, but all across Europe and beyond, a network of exploitation stretching around the globe

    So we are also drawing up new agreements with our neighbours to strengthen law enforcement, disrupt supply chains, break the business models of the gangs and bring offenders to justice.

    Because we know that the best way to strengthen UK border security is to work in partnership with other countries. Tackling the shared threats we all face, and preventing the growth of this transnational organised crime.

    On this issue, and on so many others, the challenges we face may vary from nation to nation but the dangers are becoming ever more interlinked.

    The lines between different threats are increasingly blurred.

    And thanks to modern technology, the ability of crime groups to operate internationally has never been greater.

    No single state can tackle these threats in isolation. International security and domestic security are two sides of the same coin.

    That is why INTERPOL remains integral to public safety in every one of our countries.

    That is why, under this government, Britain will always be an active partner and committed friend as we seek to make the world safer to all, and we thank all of you for being part of these efforts this week.

    And we are fortunate to be led in our efforts in the UK by a Prime Minister who has spent many years leading national and international work to enforce the law, prosecute criminals and keep our communities safe.

    So it is my great pleasure to introduce our Prime Minister Keir Starmer, to open up this Assembly today.

    Thank you.

    Updates to this page

    Published 4 November 2024

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: MedSafetyWeek 2024: Preventing side effects 

    Source: United Kingdom – Government Statements

    The ninth annual #MedSafetyWeek takes place this week, with regulators from 94 countries and 107 organisations taking part across the globe. 

    #MedSafetyWeek forms part of international efforts to raise awareness about the importance of reporting suspected side effects to national medicines regulatory authorities such as the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA).  

    This year’s campaign, which runs from 4 to 10 November, focuses on the importance of using medicines correctly to prevent side effects. 

    This means taking the right medicines, at the right time, in the right way and at the right dose, and carefully following instructions for use of medical devices. Following these steps can drastically reduce the risk of some side effects and safety issues.  

    When side effects do arise, this MedSafetyWeek, we ask that they are reported directly to the MHRA’s Yellow Card scheme and local reporting systems as soon as possible. Anyone can make a report: patients, parents, carers and healthcare professionals.  

    Reporting to the scheme allows the MHRA to not only identify new adverse effects but also gain more information about known adverse effects. This helps to improve the safety of medicines and healthcare products for all patients. 

    Safety concerns about medical devices, blood factor and immunoglobulin products, e-cigarettes and defective, low-quality or fake healthcare products should also be reported on the Yellow Card website. 

    This year’s MedSafetyWeek theme of ‘preventing side effects’ aligns with the third World Health Organization (WHO) Global Patient Safety Challenge: Medication Without Harm.  

    Preventable side effects contribute significantly to an increasing burden on patients and healthcare services, with studies consistently showing that between one third and a half may be potentially preventable.  

    Anticipating and managing side effects is key to reducing this burden and protecting patients from avoidable harm.  

    Please support #MedSafetyWeek by sharing, liking and reposting our social media posts: 

    Yellow Card scheme 

    In the UK, the MHRA’s Yellow Card scheme is a critical source of information for us as the regulator to monitor the safety of healthcare products once they are on the market.   

    Importantly, Yellow Card reports can help to identify previously unknown side effects – or adverse drug reactions (ADRs) – and provide new safety knowledge to ensure risk is minimised.  

    Examples include a report of a three-month-old baby who was prescribed Gaviscon Infant to manage reflux and two days later had severe constipation. 

    MHRA experts investigated the report and found six other reports of constipation with Gaviscon Infant in children. The ages of the patients varied between two weeks and nine months, except for one child who was a one-year-old.  

    As the medicine is indicated for children aged one to two years, it appeared that in the vast majority of these cases the product had been prescribed by a healthcare professional in an unapproved patient age group. 

    It was decided that regulatory action was needed to make the product information clearer with the relevant warnings and precautions. 

    Yellow Card Biobank 

    The Yellow Card Biobank is an MHRA and Genomics England pilot project with the goal of increasing understanding of how a patients’ genetic makeup may increase their risk of side effects from prescribed medications.  

    The MHRA is currently looking for patients who have experienced severe skin reactions when taking allopurinol or severe bleeding when taking direct oral anticoagulants to join the study, before mid-January 2025. 

    If you or your patient have experienced a side effect to either of these drugs please complete a Yellow Card report. If you have any questions on the Biobank study, please email Yellowcardbiobank@mhra.gov.uk

    Updates to this page

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Create your own Glass Lantern Workshop at the Alley Theatre

    Source: Northern Ireland – City of Derry

    Create your own Glass Lantern Workshop at the Alley Theatre

    4 November 2024

    A five-week workshop in the Alley Theatre will allow participants to create their own handmade glass lantern under the guidance of sculptor and ceramic artist Leona Devine. 

    This workshop, starting on Wednesday 6th November, will involve painting and creating a bespoke lantern. Participants will have fun with fusion and will be introduced to a selection of materials and tools. Each stage will be demonstrated.

    There are limited spaces for this fun and creative workshop running Wednesdays 6th 13th, 20th, 27th November and Wednesday 4th December at 11am each day. All abilities welcome. Cost is £60, to book visit www.alley-theatre.com or call the Alley Theatre Box Office on 028 71 384444.

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Country sensation Claudia Buckley comes to the Alley Theatre

    Source: Northern Ireland – City of Derry

    Country sensation Claudia Buckley comes to the Alley Theatre

    4 November 2024

    The Alley Theatre is set to give country sensation, Claudia Buckley a very warm welcome on Thursday 7th November.  Joining Claudia will be special guests Hugo Duncan and Shunie Crampsey

    In two short years, Claudia Buckley has succeeded in establishing herself as one of Ireland’s most popular Country Music singers having had six Number One singles in the Country Charts in Ireland, and her recent self-penned single ‘Honey Bee’ made the top 10 in the Irish Pop Charts. Recently Claudia secured the title of ‘Female Vocalist of the Year for 2024’ at the Hot Country Music Awards, she is one of the youngest ever recipients of this special recognition.

    The Athenry native, who is the daughter of country superstar Jimmy Buckley, is thankful for the passion she has for her craft and feels totally blessed to have landed this opportunity to not only record, but also perform live to audiences.

    In 2019 a lifelong ambition was realised when she co-presented her own TV Show with her dad Jimmy Buckley on The Spotlight Satellite Channel.  In the last year Claudia has performed on some of Ireland’s top TV shows including The Late Late Show, The Six O’ Clock Show, Up for the Match and BBC’s Keepin Er’ Country. 

    Claudia is currently working on her second studio album and cannot wait to embark on her tour all over Ireland and the UK to showcase some of her hits such as ‘Drinking with Dolly’, ‘Diane’ and some old favourites that she hopes everyone will love. 

    A night of toe-tapping country is guaranteed at the Strabane venue. Tickets are £25 and available on the Alley website www.alley-theatre.com or call 028 71 384444.

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: easyJet launch first flights to Liverpool and Edinburgh from City of Derry Airport

    Source: Northern Ireland – City of Derry

    easyJet launch first flights to Liverpool and Edinburgh from City of Derry Airport

    4 November 2024

    easyJet, Northern Ireland’s largest airline, has this week launched the first flights on two new domestic routes from City of Derry Airport to Liverpool and Edinburgh.

    The new twice-weekly services – providing customers in Northern Ireland even more convenient connections across the UK – took off for the first time today with both routes operating every Monday and Friday throughout the year.

    To mark the occasion, the Airport surprised the inaugural departure and arrival passengers with an easyJet orange celebration where they were treated to complimentary drinks, refreshments and giveaways before setting off.

    Special guests, the Mayor Derry City & Strabane District Council, Cllr Lilian Seenoi-Barr, Chief Executive at Visit Derry, Odhran Dunne, President of Derry Chamber of Commerce, Greg McCann, President of Causeway Chamber of Commerce, James Kilgore, and Chief Executive of Letterkenny Chamber of Commerce, Toni Forrester, joined the celebrations.

    The new routes provide stronger domestic connectivity and serve increasing demand for flights between Northern Ireland and key cities across the UK.

    Both Edinburgh and Liverpool are known for their rich history and wide range of cultural attractions, including museums, art galleries, theatres, and music venues. Edinburgh is famous for its festivals, while Liverpool is known for its music scene, particularly The Beatles.

    Whether customers are looking for a city break, to visit friends and family, need a convenient business connection, or are connecting to onward destinations across Europe and beyond, easyJet offers great value fares and flights for business and leisure travellers alike.

    Ali Gayward, easyJet’s UK Country Manager, said:

    “We are thrilled to be celebrating the launch of our year-round operations from City of Derry Airport to Liverpool and Edinburgh today, and to be providing even more choice for our business and leisure customers alike.

    “We are proud to be the largest airline in Northern Ireland offering great value fares and convenient connections for our customers here as, well as those across the UK looking to explore the fantastic experiences Northern Ireland has to offer.”

    Steve Frazer, Managing Director at City of Derry Airport stated:

    “This is a special day for City of Derry Airport as easyJet takes off from the Northwest for the first time. This is a day that should be celebrated for the entire Northwest region. easyJet brings an undeniable level of brand credibility, customer confidence, not to mention great value fares for travellers across our catchment area.

    “We are very pleased for the return of connectivity to Edinburgh and Liverpool for our local region as year-round services to these destinations have been in demand from both corporate and leisure travellers for some time, and the flight schedule for Monday’s and Friday’s offers ideal timings for business travel during the week and weekend breaks for the leisure market.

    “The launch of easyJet services will be an additional economic driver for business investment in the Northwest and inbound travel and tourism, we are proud to be able to help grow and develop these sectors in our local area.”

    easyJet is the largest airline in Northern Ireland, offering over 45 routes across Europe and North Africa.

    Great value seats are available to book from £14.99* on easyJet.com and via the mobile app. To discover more about easyJet’s Northern Ireland network and to book, visit easyJet.com.

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Mayor rallies troops as 25,000 Derry City fans expected in Aviva this Sunday

    Source: Northern Ireland – City of Derry

    Mayor rallies troops as 25,000 Derry City fans expected in Aviva this Sunday

    4 November 2024

    Mayor of Derry City and Strabane District Council, Councillor Lilian Seenoi-Barr, has issued a rallying call to the red and white army ahead of Derry City’s bid to win the FAI Cup this Sunday.

    Ruaidhri Higgins’ side will take on Drogheda United in the Aviva Stadium showpiece with an estimated 25,000 Candystripes fans expected to make the trip to Dublin 4.

    Mayor Barr has called on businesses and residents from all corners of the North West to get their flags and colours out this week.
    “The excitement and anticipation is palpable across the North West as Derry City bid to bring home the FAI Cup this Sunday,” she said.
    “It’s the ultimate Derry day out and I want to appeal to the public to do all you can this week to get behind the team and paint the town red and white.

    “Get your homes, businesses, social media profiles and cars decked out for Derry and let’s have a record breaking support travelling to the Aviva for the final.”

    The Mayor this week recorded a special video message at the Ryan McBride Brandywell for the fans and players and is changing her social media profile pictures in support of the team.

    She has attended a number of home games this season and was at Friday night Derry’s final league game of the season against Shelbourne.

    “In the games I’ve attended at the Brandywell, I have experienced first-hand the special relationship that exists between the team and the supporters of this wonderful football club,” she acknowledged.
    “The support of the fans is like having a 12th man on the pitch and can lift the players to new heights this weekend.

    “I want to wish Ruaidhri and his players the best of luck as they finalise their preparations, it’s going to be an unforgettable occasion for everyone to enjoy so let’s pack out the Aviva and roar the team to victory on Sunday.”

    Tickets for the final which has a 3pm kick off are available online at via Ticketmaster.

    A link to choose tickets in the Derry City section is available on the Derry City Football Club website and the club’s social media pages.

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Labour must rule out tuition fees for Scotland

    Source: Scottish Greens

    04 Nov 2024 Education

    Tuition fees are a fundamentally unfair policy.

    More in Education

    Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar has been urged to rule out the introduction of tuition fees under any future Scottish Labour government, following reports that the UK Labour government will hike fees for students in England to record levels.

    Scottish Greens education spokesperson Ross Greer has urged Mr Sarwar to condemn the unfair decision and to instruct Scottish Labour MPs to vote against it.

    Mr Greer said:

    “Tuition fees are a fundamentally unfair policy, saddling young people with decades of debt and financial anxiety that many will never pay off. 

    “We all benefit from a well-educated society where higher education is open to everyone, not just those that can afford it.

    “England already has some of the highest university fees in the world, but Sir Keir Starmer and his Labour colleagues seem happy to repeat Nick Clegg’s mistakes with a whole new generation of students – raising fees beyond anything the Tories and Lib Dems introduced.

    “Scottish Labour must explain whether their MPs support this hike and where it leaves their tuition policy for Scotland. Anas Sarwar should not only condemn this decision, he should show some leadership by instructing Scottish Labour MPs to oppose it. Most importantly though, he must rule out any attempt to inflict tuition fees on students in Scotland.

    “The Scottish Greens will always stand up for students and oppose attempts by Labour or any other party to reintroduce tuition fees in Scotland.”

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Company prosecuted for failing to complete reservoir safety works

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    The Environment Agency has prosecuted a Midlands company for failing to complete safety works on a Lancashire reservoir.

    Ward’s reservoir near Belmont, Lancashire. Credit: Environment Agency

    • Midlands-based company fails to carry out safety recommendations at reservoir near Belmont
    • Enforcement notice required completion of safety works

    The Environment Agency has prosecuted a Midlands company which failed to safely maintain Ward’s Reservoir in Lancashire, putting residents in nearby Belmont at risk.

    At Kidderminster Magistrates’ Court on 8 October 2024, Blue Lagoon Heritage Limited, of Old Marlbrook Quarry, Lydiate Ash, Bromsgrove, admitted failing to comply with an enforcement notice. This was issued under the Reservoirs Act 1975.

    This required the company to complete essential maintenance and construction works in the interests of public safety. The company was ordered to pay fines and costs of £5,445.

    Safety checks

    The court heard that a notice was served on the company by the Environment Agency’s National Reservoir Safety Team in May 2021. This was to carry out safety measures under the supervision of a qualified civil engineer.

    However, the company by October 2021 had failed to carry out the work and weekly safety checks by Environment Agency officers were started.

    In June 2022, the Environment Agency intervened to protect public safety, commissioning contractors to inspect and free the outlet valve.

    This allowed levels in the reservoir to be managed and maintained at 5.25 metres below the maximum top water level, significantly reducing its risk of failure.

    In the continued absence of adequate management by the company the Environment Agency has since been conducting site visits and engineer safety checks.

    The reservoir spillway which was not maintained. Credit: Environment Agency

    Karl Hunter, Enforcement Advisor for the Environment Agency’s National Reservoir Safety Team, said:

    The director and owners of Blue Lagoon Heritage Limited failed to respond to advice and enforcement notices to improve the unacceptable and unsafe condition.

    This failure to comply came despite repeated site inspections and warnings from Environment Agency officers and independent expert engineers.

    This caused unacceptable risks to local residents and businesses in the village of Belmont and surrounding areas downstream of the reservoir.

    The owners of all Large Raised Reservoirs are regulated under the Reservoirs Act 1975 by the Environment Agency.

    The Act requires owners to maintain their reservoirs in full compliance with safety recommendations, set periodically by independent reservoir engineers.

    Blue Lagoon Heritage Limited took ownership of Ward’s Reservoir in 2019 and has consistently failed in its legal duty.

    We will continue to work to tackle inadequate maintenance of reservoirs which puts lives at risk. We are committed to ensuring that reservoir safety standards are adhered to.

    The charge:

    That Blue Lagoon Heritage Limited, (Company number 07390323) by 29 July 2021 as undertaker of Wards (Blue Lagoon) Reservoir, had failed to comply with the requirements of a Notice.

    This was made on the 20 May 2021 under Section 10(7)(b) of the Reservoirs Act 1975. This required safety measures to be put into effect at Wards (Blue Lagoon) Reservoir under the supervision of a qualified civil engineer by the 28 July 2021. Contrary to Section 22(1)(b) of the Reservoirs Act 1975.

    Background Information

    Reservoirs in England and Wales capable of holding more than 25,000 cubic metres of water must be registered with the Environment Agency.

    The owners (‘Undertakers’) must comply fully with the requirements of the Reservoirs Act 1975.

    The Act is designed to provide a regulatory framework for maintaining reservoir safety to prevent an uncontrolled release of water and risk to life.

    People can report environmental incidents to our 24/7 hotline on 0800 80 70 60 or Crimestoppers anonymously and in confidence on 0800 555 111.

    Updates to this page

    Published 4 November 2024

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Joint communique from International Charity Regulator leaders

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    From 28-30 October, charity regulators from eight nations gathered in the UK for a three-day meeting.

    Representatives and Heads of Regulators from Australia, Canada, England and Wales, Ireland, Northern Ireland, Scotland, Singapore, in addition to an observing invitee from the United States, met to discuss matters of mutual interest and concern.

    Regulators recognised the world is currently dealing with substantial challenges including evolving social environments with changing patterns of volunteering, climate change and more natural disasters, cost of living pressures driving higher demand for services and costs of running organisations, and the need to support populations through conflict not seen for a generation. 

    Regulators affirmed that given this current global context, the work of charities and not-for-profit organisations has never been more important. Charities and not-for-profit organisations have a long history of enabling society to adapt, improving the lives of millions globally, and supporting and enabling cohesion where there has been division. Working across sectors to find solutions to the world’s most challenging problems, they are fundamental to world class research, scientific endeavour and policy change that enables health, environmental and animal welfare issues to be advanced.  

    Regulators shared examples of how effective, expert regulation plays a fundamental part in allowing charities to thrive and allows the public to have trust and confidence in the work of charities. Our organisations each contribute to supporting and ensuring strong governance in charities, so that they deliver their charitable purpose for the benefit of all. Regulators have been delighted to advance our shared objectives at this meeting through the exchange of knowledge and best practice. 

    The meeting covered four key themes: 

    Charity registration and charitable status

    Registration is the start of the journey for new charities and trustees, and at the core of each of our roles is making efficient, effective decisions to ensure genuine applicants can begin delivering their charitable purpose.  

    Regulators: 

    • shared improvements to our respective processes for registration, acknowledging the constraints inherent in applying a legal test.  

    • gained valuable insights from other jurisdictions approaches to  improve the quality of applications from prospective charities 

    • shared plans to digitise and improve registration services within jurisdictions 

    • shared trends and case studies on those seeking to abuse charity status but were prevented from doing so 

    • agreed, subject to national jurisdictions laws and restrictions, to improve data sharing to prevent cross border abuse of charity status via the registration process 

    • agreed to explore how to enable simpler but robust registration services for those who work across borders 

    Digital, technology and data

    Regulators are at different stages in their journeys of delivering new digital technologies, with a particular focus across each jurisdiction on using online services to enhance relationships with charity trustees, ensuring we provide charities with the best guidance and tools, as well as driving regulatory efficiency. Regulators discussed experiences in delivering recent innovations, and how charities in their jurisdiction responded, to inform each of our future plans. 

    Regulators: 

    • agreed to share digital and technology plans to enable better cross jurisdiction co-operation and experience for charities and the public 

    • agreed, subject to national laws and regulations, to share emerging trends, issues, impacts of technology on charities, charity regulation and policies to enable the benefits of technology to be exploited whilst mitigating risks and unintended consequences. 

    Communication, education and public trust

    Regulators identified many commonalities in our approaches to using social media, events and guidance to secure greater engagement with charities, particularly those who are traditionally harder to reach or might have less knowledge.  

    Regulators:

    • identified several approaches that have been successfully applied in individual nations and have taken away from the meeting ideas as to how these could potentially be translated into new national initiatives.  

    • welcomed the contribution such work programmes make in delivering our core remit to build public trust and confidence in charity, and in our own effectiveness. 

    Compliance

    Regulators reviewed global trends in charity non-compliance, and how these have been addressed through use of regulatory powers. Discussion of recent domestic cases with international significance, allowed identification of issues in common, that might damage the vast majority of genuine, compliant charities.  

    With many charities and voluntary organisations working extensively across international borders, Regulators:  

    • affirmed that, subject to national laws and regulations, we will continually share appropriate insight so we can each effectively tackle such risks, acting within our legislative frameworks. 

    • affirmed, we each have a central role to play in supporting compliance with The Financial Action Task Force (FATF) standards, to ensure the substantial amount of money that flows across borders to facilitate the vital work of the sector is safe and secure and charities may continue to deliver vital services to the world’s most vulnerable. 

    The group will be hosted by a different member when they next reconvene in the spring of 2026. Until then, Regulators will continue their online quarterly meetings to build on these positive discussions to ensure lessons continue to be shared and the international community of charity Regulators remains united. 

    Delegate List 

    • David Holdsworth – Chief Executive, England & Wales
    • Orlando Fraser KC – Chair, England & Wales
    • Paul Latham – Director of Communications & Policy, England & Wales
    • Sue Woodward AM – Commissioner, Australia
    • Natasha Sekulic – Assistant Commissioner – General Counsel, Australia
    • Sharmila Khare – Director General, Charities Directorate, Canada
    • Madeleine Delaney – Chief Executive, Ireland
    • Geraldine McCarthy – Head of Communications, Ireland
    • Frances McCandless – Chief Executive, Northern Ireland
    • Punam McGookin – Head of Charity Services, Northern Ireland
    • Martin Tyson – Head of Regulation and Improvement, Scotland
    • Desmond Chin – Commissioner of Charities, Singapore
    • Izyana Baharom – Assistant Director, Singapore
    • Observer: Beth Short – President of the National Association of State Charity Officials, United States

    Ends

    Updates to this page

    Published 4 November 2024

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Higher education reform to back opportunity and protect students

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    Tuition fees to rise in line with inflation, helping put universities on a secure footing alongside inflation-linked lift to maintenance loans.

    The government has today (4 November 2024) unveiled a significant package of measures to support students and stabilise the university sector.  

    Students facing cost of living pressures will be supported with an inflation-linked increase to maintenance loans, alongside new steps to boost access for disadvantaged learners.    

    The increase in cash-in-hand support of 3.1% will provide as much as £414 extra per year, to help students from the lowest income families.   

    Higher education providers’ financial sustainability will also be bolstered, after seven years of no increases to domestic tuition fee caps – meaning fees have not kept pace with inflation.   

    These changes will take effect at the start of the 2025 to 2026 academic year, with maximum fees rising by 3.1% to £9,535. After leaving study, student loan borrowers will not see their monthly student loan repayments increase as a result of these changes.   

    If a borrower’s income is below the repayment threshold, they aren’t required to make any repayments. And after 40 years any outstanding loan debt, including interest accrued, will be written off.   

    Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson said:   

    This government’s mission is to break down barriers to opportunity, which is why we are doing more to support students struggling with the cost of living despite the fiscal challenges our country faces.

    The situation we have inherited means this government must take the tough decisions needed to put universities on a firmer financial footing so they can deliver more opportunity for students and growth for our economy.

    Universities must deliver better value for money for students and taxpayers: that is why this investment must come with a major package of reforms so they can drive growth around the country and serve the communities they are rooted in.

    In exchange for this additional investment students are being asked to make, the government is calling on universities to significantly step up work to boost access for disadvantaged students and break down barriers to opportunity.   

    Providers will be expected to play a stronger role in expanding access and improving outcomes for disadvantaged students, and the department for Education will announce a package of reforms in the coming months.  

    Recent data shows that the gap between disadvantaged students and their peers in progression to university by age 19 is the highest on record, and the Education Secretary has called on universities to do more to address this.    

    Graduates earn an average of £100,000 more over their lifetime than non-graduates, underlining the continued value of a university degree to employers and learners alike. But these statistics have shown that that too often background and personal circumstances are barriers to people getting on in life.   

    The increase in fees will mean providers can start to address systemic problems, with 40% forecasted to be in budget deficits, and help ease pressure on their finances. It also means providers can continue to deliver high quality education that boosts the life chances of those who choose this path, as well as protecting their status as engines of economic growth.   

    The move follows the Education Secretary’s immediate action this summer to refocus the Office for Students’ role, and ensure it more closely monitors financial sustainability to safeguard the future of higher education.    

    The Education Secretary has also announced today that maximum tuition fees for classroom-based foundation years courses will be reduced to £5,760 from the start of the 2025 to 2026 academic year. This will ensure that courses are delivered more efficiently and at lower costs to students.

    The announcement follows last week’s update to plans for the Lifelong Learning Entitlement (LLE), a transformation of the student finance system which will expand access to high-quality, flexible education and training for adults throughout their working lives.  

    After careful consideration the LLE will now launch in academic year 2026 to 2027, to ensure it meets the government’s ambitions to fill skill gaps and kickstart economic growth.   

    This will enable plans to be refined, help collaboration with Skills England to support the government’s industrial strategy, and give education providers the necessary time to prepare for this new system.

    Further information on fees

    The latest Q1 2026 RPIX forecast of 3.1% gives the following uplifts to fees and maintenance loans for 2025 to 2026.

    Type Fees 2024 to 2025 Fees for 2025 to 2026 Uplift
    Full-time £9,250 £9,535 £285   
    Part-time £6,935 £7,145 £210   
    Accelerated £11,100 £11,440 £340   

    Note: Figures rounded down to the nearest £5 – figures are higher amounts.

    Student Maintenance loans 2024 to 2025 Maintenance loans 2025 to 2026 Uplift
    Home  £8,610 £8,877 £267   
    London £13,348 £13,762 £414   
    Elsewhere £10,227 £10,544 £317   
    Overseas £11,713 £12,076 £363

    Note: Figures for full-time students not eligible for benefits and part-time students (100% FTE). Figures rounded to nearest £1.   

    DfE media enquiries

    Central newsdesk – for journalists 020 7783 8300

    Updates to this page

    Published 4 November 2024

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Air quality consultations for Perth and Crieff

    Source: Scotland – City of Perth

    The AQMAs have been kept under regular monitoring since their introduction in 2006 and 2014 respectively. Those assessments have led to proposals which are now open to public comment.  

    In Perth, revisions to the city’s Air Quality Action Plan, first published in 2009, reflect both the progress on the original actions in the plan and the major changes that Perth as a place has undergone since that time. Public comment is being sought to determine which of the draft air quality improvement measures will be included in the finalised version of the new AQAP. More details are available online at the Consultation Hub and the consultation is open for six weeks from 4 November to 16 December 2024. 

    In addition, several drop-in sessions are being organised for anyone who would like to speak to staff from the Air Quality team before submitting their comments. Further details of these sessions will be announced as soon as possible. 

    For Crieff, a continued drop in the level of pollutants and air quality complying with national standards for five years in a row has led to the recommendation for lifting the town centre’s Air Quality Management Area, with air quality monitoring to continue and the associated Air Quality Action Plan measures remaining in place to help prevent any future rises in pollutants. Local residents and businesses will have the opportunity to give feedback on the revocation via email to EH@pkc.gov.uk between 4 November and 25 November 2024. A document detailing reasons for the recommended revocation is available from our Air Quality pages.

    Convener of the Climate Change and Sustainability Committee, Councillor Richard Watters said: “The purpose of introducing Air Quality Management Areas in Perth and Crieff has been to address a rise in air pollutants which adversely affect our local environment and the health of our communities. Ongoing monitoring and review of the AQMAs, together with recognition of changes in both locations, has now led to proposed changes for Perth’s Air Quality Action Plan, and the revocation of the AQMA in Crieff.  

    “I would encourage members of the public to take part in the consultation for Perth, and to provide feedback on Crieff – our aim is to ensure that appropriate measures are in place to maintain air quality standards for everyone who lives, works and visits the local area.” 

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-Evening Report: Bird flu has been detected in a pig in the US. Why does that matter?

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By C Raina MacIntyre, Professor of Global Biosecurity, NHMRC L3 Research Fellow, Head, Biosecurity Program, Kirby Institute, UNSW Sydney

    David MG/Shutterstock

    The United States Department of Agriculture last week reported that a pig on a backyard farm in Oregon was infected with bird flu.

    As the bird flu situation has evolved, we’ve heard about the A/H5N1 strain of the virus infecting a range of animals, including a variety of birds, wild animals and dairy cattle.

    Fortunately, we haven’t seen any sustained spread between humans at this stage. But the detection of the virus in a pig marks a worrying development in the trajectory of this virus.

    How did we get here?

    The most concerning type of bird flu currently circulating is clade 2.3.4.4b of A/H5N1, a strain of influenza A.

    Since 2020, A/H5N1 2.3.4.4b has spread to a vast range of birds, wild animals and farm animals that have never been infected with bird flu before.

    While Europe is a hotspot for A/H5N1, attention is currently focused on the US. Dairy cattle were infected for the first time in 2024, with more than 400 herds affected across at least 14 US states.

    Bird flu has enormous impacts on farming and commercial food production, because infected poultry flocks have to be culled, and infected cows can result in contaminated diary products. That said, pasteurisation should make milk safe to drink.

    While farmers have suffered major losses due to H5N1 bird flu, it also has the potential to mutate to cause a human pandemic.

    Birds and humans have different types of receptors in their respiratory tract that flu viruses attach to, like a lock (receptors) and key (virus). The attachment of the virus allows it to invade a cell and the body and cause illness. Avian flu viruses are adapted to birds, and spread easily among birds, but not in humans.

    So far, human cases have mainly occurred in people who have been in close contact with infected farm animals or birds. In the US, most have been farm workers.

    The concern is that the virus will mutate and adapt to humans. One of the key steps for this to happen would be a shift in the virus’ affinity from the bird receptors to those found in the human respiratory tract. In other words, if the virus’ “key” mutated to better fit with the human “lock”.

    A recent study of a sample of A/H5N1 2.3.4.4b from an infected human had worrying findings, identifying mutations in the virus with the potential to increase transmission between human hosts.

    Why are pigs a problem?

    A human pandemic strain of influenza can arise in several ways. One involves close contact between humans and animals infected with their own specific flu viruses, creating opportunities for genetic mixing between avian and human viruses.

    Pigs are the ideal genetic mixing vessel to generate a human pandemic influenza strain, because they have receptors in their respiratory tracts which both avian and human flu viruses can bind to.

    This means pigs can be infected with a bird flu virus and a human flu virus at the same time. These viruses can exchange genetic material to mutate and become easily transmissible in humans.


    The Conversation, CC BY-SA

    Interestingly, in the past pigs were less susceptible to A/H5N1 viruses. However, the virus has recently mutated to infect pigs more readily.

    In the recent case in Oregon, A/H5N1 was detected in a pig on a non-commercial farm after an outbreak occurred among the poultry housed on the same farm. This strain of A/H5N1 was from wild birds, not the one that is widespread in US dairy cows.

    The infection of a pig is a warning. If the virus enters commercial piggeries, it would create a far greater level of risk of a pandemic, especially as the US goes into winter, when human seasonal flu starts to rise.

    How can we mitigate the risk?

    Surveillance is key to early detection of a possible pandemic. This includes comprehensive testing and reporting of infections in birds and animals, alongside financial compensation and support measures for farmers to encourage timely reporting.

    Strengthening global influenza surveillance is crucial, as unusual spikes in pneumonia and severe respiratory illnesses could signal a human pandemic. Our EPIWATCH system looks for early warnings of such activity, which can speed up vaccine development.

    If a cluster of human cases occurs, and influenza A is detected, further testing (called subtyping) is essential to ascertain whether it’s a seasonal strain, an avian strain from a spillover event, or a novel pandemic strain.

    Early identification can prevent a pandemic. Any delay in identifying an emerging pandemic strain enables the virus to spread widely across international borders.

    Australia’s first human case of A/H5N1 occurred in a child who acquired the infection while travelling in India, and was hospitalised with illness in March 2024. At the time, testing revealed Influenza A (which could be seasonal flu or avian flu), but subtyping to identify A/H5N1 was delayed.

    This kind of delay can be costly if a human-transmissible A/H5N1 arises and is assumed to be seasonal flu because the test is positive for influenza A. Only about 5% of tests positive for influenza A are subtyped further in Australia and most countries.

    In light of the current situation, there should be a low threshold for subtyping influenza A strains in humans. Rapid tests which can distinguish between seasonal and H5 influenza A are emerging, and should form part of governments’ pandemic preparedness.

    A higher risk than ever before

    The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention states that the current risk posed by H5N1 to the general public remains low.

    But with H5N1 now able to infect pigs, and showing worrying mutations for human adaptation, the level of risk has increased. Given the virus is so widespread in animals and birds, the statistical probability of a pandemic arising is higher than ever before.

    The good news is, we are better prepared for an influenza pandemic than other pandemics, because vaccines can be made in the same way as seasonal flu vaccines. As soon as the genome of a pandemic influenza virus is known, the vaccines can be updated to match it.

    Partially matched vaccines are already available, and some countries such as Finland are vaccinating high-risk farm workers.

    C Raina MacIntyre receives funding from NHMRC (L3 Investigator grant and Centre for Research Excellence) and MRFF (Aerosol transmission of SARS-CoV-2 experimentally and in an intensive care setting) currently. She currently receives funding from Sanofi for research on influenza and pertussis. She is the director of EPIWATCH®️, which is a UNSW, Kirby Institute initiative. She has been an invited speaker at the 2024 Options for The Control of Influenza at four symposia organised by Moderna, Pfizer, Sanofi and Seqirus respectively.

    Haley Stone receives funding from The Balvi Filantropic Fund. Haley Stone would like to acknowledge the support through a University International Postgraduate Award from the University of New South Wales.

    – ref. Bird flu has been detected in a pig in the US. Why does that matter? – https://theconversation.com/bird-flu-has-been-detected-in-a-pig-in-the-us-why-does-that-matter-242688

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-Evening Report: Yes, burning gas is bad for the climate. But keeping it in Australia’s energy mix is sensible

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Roger Dargaville, Director Monash Energy Institute, Monash University

    Shutterstock

    Both major parties in Australia see a significant role for gas as the world shifts to clean energy in a bid to avert dangerous climate change.

    The Albanese government says new sources of gas are needed to meet demand during the energy transition. And the Coalition, if elected, would expand gas use as it prepares for nuclear power.

    Of course, some people argue that the grave threat of climate change means we should not burn any gas. Others say the strong growth in renewable energy generation and storage means Australia won’t need gas into the future.

    So who is right? As I explain below, renewable energy is a huge part of the solution but doesn’t solve every problem. So keeping some gas-fired generators in the electricity mix, and using them only when necessary, is a sensible compromise.

    Getting to grips with gas

    There are almost 40 large natural gas-fired generators in Australia, and they are an important part of the National Electricity Market.

    According to Open Electricity — a platform for tracking Australia’s electricity transition – the gas facilities generate around 4% of the electricity we consume and comprise about 17% of overall generation capacity.

    The data also shows gas plants in Australia run at just 9% of their overall capacity, meaning they are idle much of the time. Some gas plants get used quite a lot, others only rarely. But when the plants are called on – during times of peak electricity use – their services are vital.

    Overnight, our demand for electricity dips. But when we wake in the morning and start toasting bread and boiling kettles and the like, electricity demand picks up.

    Demand eases off in the middle of the day as the sun rises high in the sky and Australia’s booming rooftop solar reaches its peak electricity output. But when the sun sets and rooftop solar is no longer producing, electricity use peaks. This early-evening demand creates a big challenge to the system.

    That’s why we need technologies that can produce electricity at any time of day or night – and do it quickly. That’s where gas-fired generation – and other “dispatchable” forms of electricity – come in.

    How do gas fired generators work?

    Gas generators come in two main types.

    An “open cycle generator”, also known as a Brayton cycle turbine, is essentially a jet engine. It combusts gas in a chamber to create enormous pressure that spins large fans. This drives a shaft that spins in the generator to produce electricity.

    This technology is relatively cheap to build and can start up very quickly – but it’s also quite inefficient to operate. It uses a lot of expensive fuel, and creates a lot of waste heat.

    The second type is known as a “combined cycle generator”. It also uses a Brayton cycle gas turbine. But it captures exhaust heat from the turbine and uses it to create steam, which in turn powers a second turbine (known as a Rankine cycle). This significantly increases the amount of electricity produced for the same amount of gas burned.

    So while this technology is relatively efficient, it’s also more expensive to build and takes longer to ramp up and down.

    Other types of gas generators exist, but they’re a relatively small part of Australia’s fleet.

    A video explaining how gas turbines work.

    Gas is not the only option

    Gas plants are not the only facilities capable of firming up Australia’s electricity grid as the share of renewables increases.

    Hydro power can also quickly ramp up to meet the evening peak. However the potential for building new conventional hydro in Australia is very limited due to the lack of large river systems and the significant environmental impact on rivers and surrounding areas.

    Coal-fired generators have potential to ramp up production, but are generally not designed to do this every evening. Plus, Australia’s fleet of old coal plants is on a fast path to retirement.

    To maintain the delicate balance of supply and demand, more will be required of gas and hydro, to produce electricity, and batteries and pumped hydro, to store it.

    Pumped hydro works by using excess renewable energy to pump water up a hill. When electricity demand is high, the water is released and passes through a turbine, producing power.

    The potential for pumped hydro energy storage in Australia is large, and some projects are likely to be economically viable. But the projects can face challenges, as demonstrated by delays and cost blowouts facing Snowy 2.0 in New South Wales.

    Large-scale lithium-ion batteries are relatively easy to install. Many projects have been built or are in the pipeline. But batteries are not great for long-duration energy storage.

    All this means gas-fired power generation is likely to have a future in Australia in coming decades.

    The downsides of gas

    Methane is the main component of natural gas. It’s also a potent contributor to global warming.

    During natural gas production and transport, gas leaks inevitably occur. This is a problem for climate change.

    So too is the carbon dioxide produced when the gas is burned to produce electricity.

    To tackle climate change, we must dramatically reduce the amount of gas we use in our electricity system. Gas use should also be eliminated for heating and cooking in our homes and, where possible, in industry.

    So where does that leave us?

    Unfortunately, no perfect solution exists to Australia’s electricity supply-demand conundrum.

    The most likely, most economic and most environmentally acceptable approach is to use a “portfolio” of technologies: lots of batteries and pumped hydro but also some gas.

    Because to keep the system stable and reliable, we need some capacity that will mostly sit idle, getting used on only a few occasions. For that reason, the technologies should be relatively cheap to build and able to run for extended periods when wind and solar generation are abnormally low.

    Gas-fired power – especially open cycle generators – meets that requirement. Pumped hydro and batteries do not.

    The gas plants we keep in the grid will not often be used, and so will produce relatively low amounts of carbon dioxide.

    Nuanced questions remain. What will it cost to keep a gas network operating to serve a fleet of gas generators that run only for a few days a year? Gas pipelines have to be kept pressurised, and the cost of running a gas extraction network for small demand may also be uneconomical.

    Non-fossil options such as biogas, hydrogen or synthetically produced methane are possible longer term options. But they are also expensive. And new technologies – such as flow batteries, thermal energy storage and cryogenic energy storage – are on the horizon.

    So, keeping some gas-fired generators on standby, and using them sparingly as needed, is a reasonable approach. It allows us to reduce emissions as much as possible, and keep our electricity system secure and affordable.

    Roger Dargaville receives funding from the Woodside-Monash Energy Partnership, RACE for 2030 CRC, and he consults for industry and government bodies.

    – ref. Yes, burning gas is bad for the climate. But keeping it in Australia’s energy mix is sensible – https://theconversation.com/yes-burning-gas-is-bad-for-the-climate-but-keeping-it-in-australias-energy-mix-is-sensible-241689

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-OSI Security: New England Doctor Pleads Guilty to Drug Distribution Conspiracy

    Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division

    A New England doctor pleaded guilty today to conspiring to illegally distribute controlled substances. This is the first joint prosecution of a doctor by the Justice Department’s New England Strike Force and U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Vermont.

    “The defendant, a medical doctor based in New England, prescribed drugs to vulnerable patients in exchange for cash, knowing the patients were diverting the drugs,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Nicole M. Argentieri, head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “The cases brought by the New England Strike Force, including today’s conviction, demonstrate the Criminal Division’s commitment to holding accountable medical professionals who endanger local communities by putting profits above their patients’ wellbeing.”

    “When we announced the creation of the New England Strike Force, we said we would be focusing on medical professionals who put profits over their patients,” said U.S. Attorney Nikolas P. Kerest for the District of Vermont. “Khan is an example of that — a bad apple in a profession that takes an oath to uphold ethical standards and treat patients as you would want to be treated. Putting profits over patients is a severe violation of that oath, and, in this case, a violation of federal criminal law. Today’s guilty plea is another step in holding Khan liable for his illegal conduct.”

    According to court documents, Adnan S. Khan, M.D., 48, of Grantham, New Hampshire, conspired with others to illegally distribute controlled substances through his business, New England Medicine and Counseling Associates (NEMCA), which operated a network of clinics in New England that purportedly provided clinical treatment services for persons suffering from substance use disorder. Khan and a co-conspirator prescribed controlled substances to NEMCA patients despite knowing that their patients were diverting the prescriptions. Khan admitted that he and others required cash for purported office visits to received controlled substance prescriptions and falsified medical records to justify his illegal prescribing practices.

    During the conspiracy, Khan emailed a co-conspirator a Justice Department press release  announcing the creation of the New England Strike Force, a law enforcement partnership whose purpose is to identify and prosecute health care fraud and other criminal schemes impacting the New England region. In response, the co-conspirator stated that it is “clear that [references in the release to] ‘making profit off of patients’ is geared towards folks like us. Curious where this will lead.” Khan then emailed NEMCA staff and stated that “there is a new task force…[for the New England states] on the lookout for medical professionals who are prescribing scheduled meds irresponsib[ly], etc.” Khan warned his staff that “[i]t is not a matter of if someone from such a task force will visit NEMCA but rather a matter of time.” Khan then ordered his staff “NOT to engage or discuss anything [with the  New England Strike Force] about NEMCA, what we do, what we offer, fees, etc.”

    “Rather than providing responsible addiction treatment to his patients, Khan ran his medical practice with the corruption and recklessness of a common drug dealer,” said Special Agent in Charge Roberto Coviello of the Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG). “His actions put patients and the community at risk. Today’s guilty plea is the result of a coordinated effort with our law enforcement partners as we continue our fight against addiction and the opioid epidemic.”

    “Khan and his co-conspirator exploited vulnerable patients and cashed in on the very dependencies he was entrusted to treat,” said Special Agent in Charge Craig Tremaroli of the FBI Albany Field Office. “Today’s plea proves he is no better than a street level drug dealer motivated by pure greed as opposed to the oath he took to ‘first, do no harm’ to his patients. The FBI will continue to work with our partners on the New England Strike Force and U.S. Attorney’s Office to identify and bring to justice any practitioner looking to line their pockets in complete disregard for patient welfare and viability of our healthcare framework.”

    “Our communities deserve honest and trustworthy medical practitioners,” said Acting Diversion Program Manager George J. Lutz Jr. of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA)’s New England Field Division. “Individuals betraying this trust through the illegal prescribing of controlled substances will be fully investigated by the DEA. Today’s guilty plea reinforces the value of the coordinated efforts with our law enforcement partners working alongside prosecutors to hold corrupt and reckless practitioners accountable for their actions.”

    “So many Vermonters have been impacted by the opioid epidemic, which is why we must hold bad actors accountable, particularly physicians who use their prescribing power and their positions of authority to profit from their patients’ pain and suffering,” said Vermont Attorney General Charity R. Clark on behalf of the office’s Medicaid Fraud & Residential Abuse Unit. “I am proud to partner with the U.S. Attorney’s Office and Department of Justice in this effort.”

    Khan and a co-conspirator required patients — many of whom were economically disadvantaged — to pay $250 cash in exchange for drug prescriptions, despite many of these patients’ having health care benefit coverage. If a patient could not afford the full cash payment, Khan would lower the dosage of that patient’s prescription. Khan then used funds that he earned from these patients to, among other things, purchase an airplane and multiple properties in New England. Khan would also personally deposit the cash that he received from patients, including deposits in excess of $10,000, at his bank.

    Khan also admitted that he and a co-conspirator discussed their concern that, because pharmacies were no longer willing to fill the prescriptions, NEMCA might lose “dishonest” patients who were “selling their meds.” Khan said that their “honest patients” were “the smaller part of [NEMCA’s] clientele” and advised a co-conspirator that “it’s the diverters [of the drugs that] we need to try to figure out a way to retain.” A co-conspirator emailed Khan, suggesting that they give $100 “scholarships” to patients who owed them money. Khan responded he was “[s]tuck on ‘who’ should get them. S[******] patients owe me so much that $100 won’t even put a dent on their account and they probably won’t appreciate it. Maybe the borderline ones who are just over the $250 threshold? They would probably get on their knees in gratitude.”

    Khan pleaded guilty to one count of conspiring to illegally distribute controlled substances. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled on a later date. Khan faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

    As a condition of Khan’s release, he is prohibited from writing prescriptions for controlled substances.

    The HHS-OIG, FBI, DEA, and Vermont Attorney General’s Office’s Medicaid Fraud and Residential Abuse Unit investigated the case.

    Trial Attorneys Thomas D. Campbell and Danielle H. Sakowski of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Andrew Gilman for the District of Vermont are prosecuting the case.

    The Fraud Section partners with federal and state law enforcement agencies and U.S. Attorneys’ Offices throughout the country to prosecute medical professionals and others involved in the illegal prescription and distribution of opioids. The Fraud Section leads the Criminal Division’s efforts to combat health care fraud through the Health Care Fraud Strike Force Program. Since March 2007, this program, currently comprised of nine strike forces operating in 27 federal districts, has charged more than 5,400 defendants who collectively have billed federal health care programs and private insurers more than $27 billion. In addition, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, working in conjunction with HHS-OIG, are taking steps to hold providers accountable for their involvement in health care fraud schemes. More information can be found at www.justice.gov/criminal/criminal-fraud/health-care-fraud-unit.

    The Vermont Attorney General’s Office Medicaid Fraud and Residential Abuse Unit receives 75% of its funding from HHS-OIG under a grant award totaling $1,229,616 for federal fiscal year 2024. The remaining 25%, totaling $409,870 for federal fiscal year 2024, is funded by the State of Vermont.

    Anyone needing access to opioid treatment services can contact HHS-OIG’s Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration 24/7 National Helpline for referrals to treatment services at 1-800-662-4359.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Latest update on cases of Clade Ib mpox

    Source: United Kingdom – Government Statements

    The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) confirms 2 additional cases of Clade Ib mpox.

    Two cases of Clade Ib mpox have been detected in household contacts of the first case, the UK Health Security Agency (UKSHA) can confirm. This brings the total number of confirmed cases to 3.

    The 2 patients are currently under specialist care at Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust in London. The risk to the UK population remains low.

    There has been extensive planning underway to ensure healthcare professionals are equipped and prepared to respond to any further confirmed cases.

    Professor Susan Hopkins, Chief Medical Adviser at UKHSA, said:

    Mpox is very infectious in households with close contact and so it is not unexpected to see further cases within the same household.

    The overall risk to the UK population remains low. We are working with partners to make sure all contacts of the cases are identified and contacted to reduce the risk of further spread.

    Contacts of all 3 cases are being followed up by UKHSA and partner organisations. All contacts will be offered testing and vaccination as needed and advised on any necessary further care if they have symptoms or test positive.

    Previous

    30 October 2024

    The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has detected a single confirmed human case of Clade Ib mpox. The risk to the UK population remains low.

    This is the first detection of this Clade of mpox in the UK. It is different from mpox Clade II that has been circulating at low levels in the UK since 2022, primarily among gay, bisexual and other men-who-have-sex-with-men (GBMSM).

    UKHSA, the NHS and partner organisations have well tested capabilities to detect, contain and treat novel infectious diseases, and while this is the first confirmed case of mpox Clade Ib in the UK, there has been extensive planning underway to ensure healthcare professionals are equipped and prepared to respond to any confirmed cases.

    The case was detected in London and the individual has been transferred to the Royal Free Hospital High Consequence Infectious Diseases unit. They had recently travelled to countries in Africa that are seeing community cases of Clade Ib mpox. The UKHSA and NHS will not be disclosing any further details about the individual.

    Close contacts of the case are being followed up by UKHSA and partner organisations. Any contacts will be offered testing and vaccination as needed and advised on any necessary further care if they have symptoms or test positive.

    UKHSA is working closely with the NHS and academic partners to determine the characteristics of the pathogen and further assess the risk to human health. While the existing evidence suggests mpox Clade Ib causes more severe disease than Clade II, we will continue to monitor and learn more about the severity, transmission and control measures. We will initially manage Clade Ib as a high consequence infectious disease (HCID) whilst we are learning more about the virus.

    Professor Susan Hopkins, Chief Medical Adviser at UKHSA, said:

    It is thanks to our surveillance that we have been able to detect this virus. This is the first time we have detected this Clade of mpox in the UK, though other cases have been confirmed abroad.

    The risk to the UK population remains low, and we are working rapidly to trace close contacts and reduce the risk of any potential spread. In accordance with established protocols, investigations are underway to learn how the individual acquired the infection and to assess whether there are any further associated cases.

    Health and Social Care Secretary Wes Streeting, said:

    I am extremely grateful to the healthcare professionals who are carrying out incredible work to support and care for the patient affected.

    The overall risk to the UK population currently remains low and the government is working alongside UKHSA and the NHS to protect the public and prevent transmission.

    This includes securing vaccines and equipping healthcare professionals with the guidance and tools they need to respond to cases safely.

    We are also working with our international partners to support affected countries to prevent further outbreaks.

    Steve Russell, NHS national director for vaccination and screening, said:

    The NHS is fully prepared to respond to the first confirmed case of this clade of mpox.

    Since mpox first became present in England, local services have pulled out all the stops to vaccinate those eligible, with tens of thousands in priority groups having already come forward to get protected, and while the risk of catching mpox in the UK remains low, if required the NHS has plans in place to expand the roll out of vaccines quickly in line with supply.

    Clade Ib mpox has been widely circulating in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) in recent months and there have been cases reported in Burundi, Rwanda, Uganda, Kenya, Sweden, India and Germany.

    Clade Ib mpox was detected by UKHSA using polymerase chain reaction (PCR) testing.

    Common symptoms of mpox include a skin rash or pus-filled lesions which can last 2 to 4 weeks. It can also cause fever, headaches, muscle aches, back pain, low energy and swollen lymph nodes.

    The infection can be passed on through close person-to-person contact with someone who has the infection or with infected animals and through contact with contaminated materials. Anyone with symptoms should continue to avoid contact with other people while symptoms persist.

    The UK has an existing stock of mpox vaccines and last month announced further vaccines are being procured to support a routine immunisation programme to provide additional resilience in the UK. This is in line with more recent independent JCVI advice.

    Working alongside international partners, UKHSA has been monitoring Clade Ib mpox closely since the outbreak in DRC first emerged, publishing regular risk assessment updates.

    The wider risk to the UK population remains low.

    UKHSA has published its first technical briefing on clade I mpox which provides further information on the current situation and UK preparedness and response.

    Updates to this page

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Committee updated on new waste management collection services

    Source: Scotland – Highland Council

    At today’s (Monday 4 November) meeting of the Black Isle and Easter Ross Committee members were provided with an update on the phased implementation of the Recycling Improvement Funded waste and recycling service change project.

    Black Isle and Easter Ross was the first area where service change was introduced earlier this year. In April and May householders received a new grey 140 litre non-recyclable waste bin and silver food waste caddies were delivered to properties in food waste areas:

    Muir of Ord 1251; Strathpeffer 497; Munlochy 264; Avoch 531; Fortrose and Rosemarkie 1158; Culbokie 337; Invergordon 1767; Alness 2816; Dingwall 2396; Evanton 612; Maryburgh and Conon Bridge 1491; North Kessock 608.

    In other non-food waste areas, a new grey 180 litre non-recyclable waste bin was provided. In all areas, the green bin was successfully changed to a mixed plastic and metal containers recycling bin, and the blue bin was changed to a paper, card and cardboard recycling bin.

    The Committee members were told that the overall response from householders and businesses has been very positive, demonstrating the communication and engagement with the public has been well received and understood. 

    Importantly, early data shows an encouraging reduction in non-recycling waste being sent for disposal.

    Since the service change, there has been a reduction of around 30% in the amount of kerbside non-recyclable waste collected in Easter Ross. Participation in the new weekly food waste collection service is also very high

    Chair of the Committee, Councillor Lynsey Johnston said: “Now the rollout of the new collection service changes in our area is complete, I’d like to take the opportunity to acknowledge the hard work of the waste and recycling team and to thank the public for their support.

    “I think we have all got into the new swing of what goes in what bin and when they are collected. It is very encouraging to see from the figures, that in a relatively short time the changes are reducing the amount of waste that is being sent for disposal.”

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Black Isle and Easter Ross Area Committee rubber stamps funding for Portmahomack play area improvements

    Source: Scotland – Highland Council

    Members of the Black Isle and Easter Ross Area Committee today homologated the decision taken by Tain and Easter Ross members to provide £3,605.07 of funding for the upgrade of Chapel Street Play Park in Portmahomack.

    To allow the earliest completion of these works, and in consultation with Ward 7 Tain and Easter Ross Members, a decision was taken to support the purchase of play equipment and landscaping materials. This has included sensory panels, imaginative play units, safety surfacing, and some minor earthworks.

    Members agreed at Communities and Place Committee in November 2021 to allocate the funds received from the Scottish Government’s play park renewal fund be apportioned to Area Committees based on a blend of play park conditions and the criteria used by Government which is based on the 0–14-year-old population and rurality

    The 2024/25 allocation from the Scottish Government play parks renewal programme for the Tain and Easter Ross Ward is £69,313 and the amount for the Black Isle ward is £25,020. For 2025/26 the figures increase to £118,448 for Easter Ross and £42,756 for the Black Isle.

    Committee Chair, Councillor Lyndsey Johnston said: “The Committee today has formally ratified this investment from the Easter Ross play parks renewal allocation to improve play facilities at Portmahomack.

    Play is fundamental to the well-being and development of children; the committee welcomes the planned improvement to the playpark in Portmahomack and appreciates the views of children and young people when planning and renewing our play parks.”

    The Council can support more local communities by signposting them to funding opportunities and advising them on suitable equipment choices, site layout and inclusive provisions. The Council will also monitor equipment installations where required.

    A map of Highland Council play areas and further information is available on the Council’s website 

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Black Isle and Easter Ross Committee backs measures to tackle fuel poverty

    Source: Scotland – Highland Council

    At their meeting held earlier today (Monday 4 November) members of the Black Isle and Easter Ross Committee took the opportunity to discuss measures to improve energy efficiency in social housing and the funding support available through the Great British Insulation Scheme.

    Approval has been given at the Council’s  Net Zero Programme Board to progress a Highland-wide cavity wall insulation project for Council properties which will be funded by the Great British Insulation Scheme (GBIS).

    Black Isle and Easter Ross has been identified as an area of priority for this project and has been one of the first areas reviewed and targeted. Letters were sent to Council tenants requesting them to contact the Council’s appointed contractor to arrange a property survey.

    Data collected has identified a potential 108 Council properties across the Black Isle and Easter Ross which could be eligible for wall cavity insulation and a further 551 properties which includes privately owned and privately rented properties which could also benefit.

    Following discussions today, Councillors agreed to support the development of externally funded projects and the opportunity to scale up. Officers will continue to work alongside the contractor to identify properties suitable for cavity wall insulation.

    Chair, Councillor Lyndsey Johnston said: “As a committee we are very keen to do all we can to tackle fuel poverty in our communities and as we approach winter, I know many households will have concerns about their heating bills. The report we discussed today highlights the potential there is to make a difference by installing insulation to make properties more energy efficient and help to bring down heating bills. I look forward to progress being made.”

    She added: “I would encourage Highland residents who are facing difficulty in meeting the cost of their fuel bills to reach out and take full advantage of the support available. “

    The Council’s Welfare Support Team provides free, impartial and confidential support on fuel insecurity concerns, in addition to offering assistance to check eligibility and submit a claim for all benefits and entitlements.  They can be contacted by phone on 0800 090 1004 or by e-mail 

    4 Nov 2024

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Dingwall & Seaforth place planning community event 

    Source: Scotland – Highland Council

    A public drop-in session is being held on Thursday 7 November from 12 noon until 7pm in The Royal British Legion, Dingwall with displays of options for the future masterplanning for the Dingwall & Seaforth area.  Council officers and other partners will be on hand to explain the proposals and answer any questions.  

    An integral part of the day includes the Mid-Ross Community Partnership hosting its Community Networking Event from 2pm – 4pm.  Local groups and organisations will be available to showcase their activities and projects, with the opportunity to network, connect and explore potential partnership working. 

    Communities & Place Committee Chair, Cllr Graham MacKenzie said: “The collaborative community event this Thursday is an excellent opportunity for the public to come along and find out more about the future masterplanning for the area and ask questions and suggest ideas. It also opens the opportunity to connect and discuss further partnership working within our communities.”

    Plans on display and for discussion are:

    Highland Investment Plan – A Masterplan for Dingwall – In May 2024 Highland Council approved the £2.1 billion twenty-year Highland Investment Plan.

    This is a highly significant, long term infrastructure investment programme for the Highland area and is a radical solution to the significant challenges the Council faces in reducing, maintaining, and renewing our asset base, and is closely linked to plans to modernise Council service delivery.  A key element of this approach will be to establish Community Points of Delivery which will be places where a wide range of Council services, including education, can be delivered alongside other partner and community services as part of a future integrated operating model for partnership working.

    Dingwall has been selected as one of the priority locations to develop a local place-based masterplan and this event will provide an opportunity to view the work that has been carried out to date and to gather feedback from members of the community.

    There will be short presentations on the Highland Investment Plan (HIP) at 12.30pm and 4.30pm.  As well as the drop-in event on 7 November, two virtual online public events have also been arranged for 12 and 13 November at 7pm on MS Teams. A presentation will be shown online and there will be an opportunity to ask questions. Anyone wishing to join can request a link to the meetings from CLestates@highland.gov.uk 

    For those unable to attend the session on Thursday or the on-line events, there will be information available at https://engagehighland.co.uk/hub-page/dingwall-and-seaforth where you can answer questions or leave ideas

    Highland Local Development Plan (HLDP) – The Highland Council is gathering evidence including the views of the public and local organisations to help formulate a new, statutory land use plan for Highland. This Plan will shape future planning application and other building investment decisions. This event will display and present the information we think is relevant to the future planning of Dingwall, Conon Bridge, Maryburgh, Muir of Ord, Tore and the wider area but we want your views on what else we should consider. Planning staff will be available to discuss the Plan and explain how to find out more and make comment. There will be short presentations on the HLDP at 1pm and 5pm.  For those that can’t make the event then more details of the Plan are available via www.highland.gov.uk/hldp

    Dingwall & Seaforth Area Place Plan (APP) – Final drafts of the Dingwall & Seaforth Area Place Plan will be available.  This plan captures the priorities for the area set out in other plans and those identified through the past 5 months community engagement sessions.  The APP provides the basis for place-centred service delivery and will act as a tool for funders, guiding investment into the area.  There will be timed presentations on the APP at 2.30pm and 6pm.

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Dr Katrina Wruck awarded 2025 Young Australian of the Year

    Source: Australian Ministers for Education

    Congratulations to Dr Katrina Wruck from Queensland for being awarded the national 2025 Young Australian of the Year.

    Katrina has been recognised for research is giving back to remote communities. 

    Based on her research, Katrina has set up a profit-for-purpose business, Nguki Kula Green Labs, which is poised to transform the consumer goods sector by harnessing the power of green chemistry, while inspiring others to step into STEM.

    Katrina’s method of converting mining by-products to zeolite LTA – which can remove contaminants from water that cause hardness – will be commercialised. Her postdoctoral research examines how to break down dangerous ‘forever chemicals’ into benign ones. Altogether, Katrina’s work is a possible foundation for reducing global contamination.

    A proud Mabuigilaig and Goemulgal woman who has long advocated for First Nations knowledge, Katrina also participates in community engagement programs. She is frequently told by the students she speaks to that she’s the first Indigenous scientist they’ve met. Her work has been recognised with several awards and she is already well known in her field.

    What Katrina has accomplished in just a short time is remarkable.

    Her commitment, dedication and care for others demonstrates the best of what young Australians contribute to our communities.

    Katrina was chosen as this year’s Young Australian from an impressive field of state and territory recipients who are all paving the way to a brighter future:

    • Daniel Bartholomaeus, an artist and advocate for the neurodivergent community, from the Australian Capital Territory is a mentor with The With Friends Initiative, a social group for neurodivergent young people. Daniel uses art not only for self-expression but to bridge the gap between neurotypical and neurodiverse people.
    • Maddison O’Gradey-Lee from New South Wales co-founded the Orygen Global Youth Mental Health Fellowship in 2020. Maddison has created a global community that’s combating taboos around mental health and was the first person from Oceania to win the Dalai Lama Peace Fellowship.
    • Victoria’s Aishwarya Kansakar is a globally renowned AI and automation entrepreneur, who was raised amidst Nepal’s civil war and went on to teach herself computing. Today Aishwarya heads Syncrowin, building a world-first AI-powered automation system and is also Women 4 STEM’s chief operating officer, where she leads 300 volunteers, impacting 70 schools and 66,000 women’s STEM careers.
    • Amber Brock-Fabel from South Australia founded the South Australian Youth Forum in 2021 at just 17 years old, ensuring youth voices are heard by lawmakers and relevant organisations. Under Amber’s leadership, the Forum was recently represented at the United Nations Summit of the Future, the National Inquiry into Civics Education and the Australian Conference on Youth Health.
    • From the Northern Territory, Nilesh (Nil) Dilushan’s commitment to community service has led him to co-found two successful community initiatives: The Kindness Shake; and Rotaract Young Professionals Northern Territory. These organisations focus on upskilling young people, addressing literacy gaps and creating employment pathways, making a positive impact on their local communities.
    • Ariarne Titmus OAM from Tasmania has already achieved more in her sporting career than most could ever dream of. Ariarne has demonstrated extraordinary dedication and grit to improve her performance in the pool and is a role model for young swimmers who want to improve and test the boundaries of what is possible. Ariarne holds several world records and has won gold medals in both the 2020 Tokyo and 2024 Paris Olympics.
    • Through Elucidate Education, Western Australia’s Jack Anderson passionately pursues greater equity and educational access in Australia and beyond. Jack has led the publication of many textbooks for senior study and coordinates regular trips to remote areas of Western Australia, donating educational materials to the most socio-economically disadvantaged, rural and Indigenous students, empowering them for success. 

    Congratulations to Katrina, and to all the national nominees. You are a source of inspiration for all Australians.

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Growing Gaelic in the Highlands

    Source: Scottish Government

    Funding for cultural centre project.

    A new centre to promote Gaelic language and culture in Inverness is to receive a significant funding boost from the Scottish Government.

    Cultarlann Inbhir Nis will receive £370,000 to develop a space for Gaelic gatherings, ceilidhs and exhibitions in the centre of the city.

    The Cultarlann is based in what was the East Church building. The new funding is a crucial step in developing the property, which will also feature meeting rooms for language courses, a café and shop. 

    The investment forms part of a £4 million package to promote Gaelic initiatives across Scotland.

    The centre will be the first dedicated Gaelic cultural centre in the Highlands and is also intended to be a tourist attraction where visitors can meet Gaelic-speaking staff and learn more about the language and its history.

    Cultarlann Inbhir Nis’s expansion will meet a growing demand for a dedicated space for Gaelic speakers in Inverness. Census figures published earlier this year show a 12% increase in the number of people with some Gaelic skills in Inverness compared to 2011.

    Deputy First Minister and Cabinet Secretary for Economy and Gaelic Kate Forbes said:

    “To strengthen Gaelic, we are supporting projects like Cultarlann which will enable more people to use the language in their day-to-day life.

    “Gaelic is a unique selling point for Scotland, which is why promoting the language goes hand-in-hand with attracting visitors and growing the economy.

    “The Scottish Government is also supporting the language’s continued growth in the Highlands by working collaboratively to progress the Scottish Languages Bill. The Bill will create a system to enable all parents to apply for Gaelic early learning and childcare services and introduce measures to strengthen Gaelic education in secondary school.”

    Margaret Mulholland, Chair of Cultarlann, Inbhir Nis, said:

    “We are hugely grateful for this fantastic funding offer.  It will enable our plans for a Gaelic Cultural Centre to take a major step forward.  This is a wonderful, iconic building and this funding will enable us to ensure it is properly watertight and to deal with all external essential repairs.

    “We are delighted to welcome Deputy First Minister, Kate Forbes, to the Cultarlann. Kate is a great enthusiast for Gaelic and she can see the exciting future the Cultarlann will have in promoting and building Gaelic culture in Inverness and the wider Highlands.”

    Background

    Census statistics show that 3,411 people in Inverness had some Gaelic skills 2022, an increase of 369 people from 2011.

    A’ Toirt Piseach air Cor na Gàidhlig air a’ Ghàidhealtachd

    Maoineachadh airson ionad cultarach.

    Tha Riaghaltas na h-Alba air taic-airgid nach beag a thoirt seachad airson ionad ùr ann an Inbhir Nis gus Gàidhlig agus cultar na Gàidhlig a chur air adhart.

    Gheibh Cultarlann Inbhir Nis £370,000 gus goireas a chruthachadh ann am meadhan a’ bhaile airson chruinneachaidhean, cèilidhean agus taisbeanaidhean Gàidhlig.

    Tha an Cultarlann stèidhichte anns togalach far an robh an Eaglais an Ear. Leis a’ mhaoineachadh ùr seo, ’s urrainnear ceum cudromach a ghabhail ann a bhith a’ toirt leasachadh air an togalach, far am bi seòmraichean-coinneachaidh airson chùrsaichean cànain, cafaidh agus bùth.

    Tha an t-airgead mar phàirt de mhaoineachadh luach £4m airson iomairtean Gàidhlig a chur air adhart air feadh na h-Alba.

    Leis an ionad ùr seo, bithear a’ stèidheachadh a’ chiad ionaid chultaraich Ghàidhlig air a’ Ghàidhealtachd agus thathar an dùil cuideachd gum bi e a’ tarraing luchd-turais a gheibh cothrom coinneachadh ri luchd-obrach le Gàidhlig agus ionnsachadh mun chànan agus eachdraidh nan Gàidheal.

    Leis an leasachadh seo airson Cultarlann Inbhir Nis, bithear a’ frithealadh air an iarrtas a th’ ann airson àite cruinneachaidh sònraichte do luchd-labhairt na Gàidhlig sa bhaile. Sheall àireamhan bhon chunntas-shluaigh a chaidh fhoillseachadh am-bliadhna gun deach an àireamh de dhaoine le sgilean Gàidhlig ann an Inbhir Nis an àird 12% an coimeas ri àireamhan 2011.

    Thuirt an Leas-Phrìomh Mhinistear is Rùnaire a’ Chaibineit airson na h-Eaconamaidh is Gàidhlig, Ceit Fhoirbeis:

    “Airson cor na Gàidhlig a neartachadh, tha sinn a’ cur taic ri pròiseactan leithid Cultarlann Inbhir Nis far am faigh barrachd dhaoine cothrom gus an cànan a chleachdadh nam beatha làitheil.

    “Tha a’ Ghàidhlig mar phàirt prìseil is sònraichte de chultar na h-Alba, agus sin carson tha adhartachadh a’ chànain cuideachd a’ cuideachadh le bhith a’ tàladh luchd-turais agus a’ cur ris an eaconamaidh.

    “Tha Riaghaltas na h-Alba cuideachd a’ cur taic ri adhartas leantainneach dhan chànan air a’ Ghàidhealtachd le bhith ag obair còmhla ri càch gus Bile nan Cànan Albannach a thoirt air adhart. Bidh am Bile a’ stèidheachadh siostam tron urrainn do gach pàrant cur a-staigh airson tràth-ionnsachadh Gàidhlig agus seirbheisean cùraim-chloinne dhan chloinn aca agus tha cumhachan sa Bhile cuideachd gus foghlam Gàidhlig ann an àrd-sgoiltean a neartachadh.”

    Thuirt Mairead Mulholland, Cathraiche Cultarlann Inbhir Nis:

    “Tha sinn air leth taingeil airson a’ mhaoineachaidh fhialaidh seo. Tha e a’ ciallachadh gun urrainn dhuinn adhartas mòr a dhèanamh leis na planaichean againn airson Ionad Cultarach Gàidhlig. ’S e togalach iongantach is ainmeil a tha seo agus leis a’ mhaoineachadh seo ’s urrainn dhuinn dèanamh cinnteach gum bi e gu tur dìonach agus ’s urrainn dhuinn an obair chàraidh a tha a dhìth air an taobh a-muigh dheth a dhèanamh.

    “Tha e a’ toirt toileachas mòr dhuinn fàilte a chur air an Leas-Phrìomh Mhinistear, Ceit Fhoirbeis, chun a’ Chultarlainn. Tha Ceit air leth taiceil dhan Ghàidhlig agus tha i a’ tuigsinn mar as urrainn dhan Chultarlann feum mòr a dhèanamh ann a bhith a’ cur cultar na Gàidhlig air adhart, agus ann a bhith a’ neartachadh a’ chultair, ann an Inbhir Nis agus air a’ Ghàidhealtachd air fad.”

    Bun-fhiosrachadh

    Tha àireamhan a’ Chunntais-shluaigh a’ sealltainn gun robh sgilean Gàidhlig aig 3,411 daoine ann an Inbhir Nis ann an 2022, sin àrdachadh de 369 bho 2011.

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Scottish Greens call for automatic voter registration in schools 

    Source: Scottish Greens

    02 Nov 2024 Education

    Automatically enrolling young people to vote will get them invested in the future of Scotland, says Ross Greer MSP. 

    More in Education

    As the Scottish Greens spokesperson for Education, Mr Greer has lodged an amendment to the upcoming Elections Bill ahead of its Stage 2 proceedings next week, encouraging the Scottish Government to fund projects which would automatically register high school, college and university students to vote.

    Having led on the Scottish Youth Parliament’s work on lowering the voting age to 16 ahead of the 2014 independence referendum, the Green MSP believes that automatic registration of students would boost engagement with the democratic process and empower young people to help shape Scotland’s future.

    Ross says: “The debates and mock referendums we held in high schools are some of my favourite memories of the independence referendum. 

    “Giving sixteen and seventeen year olds the right to vote in 2014 didn’t automatically mean they were going to use it, so schools across the country stepped up to help students make their voices heard. Teachers and council staff organised registration events, debates and mock votes.

    “As a result, turnout amongst young people was incredibly high and the experience of lowering the voting age was judged so successful that it was made permanent for Scottish Parliament and council elections.

    “Some schools have repeated those efforts in the decade since, as have colleges and universities. That hasn’t been a consistent experience though, and young people’s participation in politics has slipped back from that referendum-era high water mark.”

    “My amendment to the Elections bill would give the Scottish Government and local councils a strong steer towards making similar efforts to those trialled with so much success a decade ago. 

    “Automatic voter registration, for example at the point a young person receives their SQA candidate number, would be far better value for money than just encouraging them to register themselves in their own time.

    “There is also plenty of international evidence that automatic registration boosts participation in elections. Education institutions are an obvious location for these kinds of efforts to take place, so I hope MSPs on the committee next week will see the value of this amendment.”

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI Security: New tartan created for INTERPOL

    Source: Interpol (news and events)

    GLASGOW, United Kingdom – A new tartan has been created for INTERPOL by one of the world’s leading tartan designers.

    The traditional patterned cloth was commissioned by the United Kingdom, in advance of INTERPOL’s 92nd General Assembly which will be held in Glasgow from 4 to 7 November.

    The General Assembly is INTERPOL’s supreme governing body, made up of representatives from each of its 196 member countries. It is the largest global gathering of senior law enforcement officials.

    The INTERPOL tartan

    The design was loosely based on the tartan of Scotland’s Black Watch Regiment, formed in 1739 to “Watch upon the braes”, meaning “to guard the hills”.  The infantry battalion was tasked with keeping the peace in the Scottish Highlands and was described by designer Brian Wilton MBE, also known as Scotland’s “Tartan Ambassador, as “a very worthy forerunner of today’s international police body”.

    Colin Brown, Managing Director of Ingles Buchan which produced the INTERPOL tartan said:

    “Tartan is woven into fabric of our nation. It is part of Scotland’s history.

    “It is lovely to see tartan being used for an organization like INTERPOL, and this will be very unique for the delegates to have and to take back to their country as something with meaning to them.”

    The bespoke tartan features the blue of INTERPOL interwoven with the colours of the UK flag. A wide navy-blue band comprised of 92 threads represents the 92 INTERPOL General Assemblies.

    On either side of the navy band, are the threads of 7, 9, 19 and 23 signifying 7 September 1923, the precise date of the 1923 Congress which marked the foundation of INTERPOL.

    The unique INTERPOL tartan has now been added to the official Scottish Register of Tartans in Edinburgh.

    What is tartan?

    Tartan is a design of coloured stripes woven to form a repeated textile pattern, usually consisting of two or more solid stripes running both horizontally and vertically in differing proportions, repeating in a defined sequence.

    The roots of this famous chequered pattern, which has become synonymous with Scotland around the world, date back to the 3rd or 4th century.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: New Conservative Leader Kemi Badenoch represents worst instincts of the Tory Party

    Source: Scottish Greens

    02 Nov 2024

    Nasty culture war agendas, disregard for global climate crisis and more of the same to come from the Tory Party’s new leader.

    The election of Kemi Badenoch as leader of the Conservatives is an alarm bell for Scotland, says Scottish Greens co-leader Patrick Harvie MSP.

    After a nasty and divisive leadership contest with many unanswered questions, Badenoch is now at the helm of the Tory Party.

    Patrick Harvie says: “I’d congratulate Kemi Badenoch on her new position, but I’d be one of the few doing so. This contest has proved beyond doubt that the few remaining voices of moderate, centre-right Conservatism are now utterly marginalised in the modern Conservative Party. They seem determined to emulate the gutter politics of Farage’s far–right Reform.

    “While neither of the final leadership hopefuls gave much for their party to put their faith in, it is truly depressing to see the Tory Party now led by someone as unashamedly divisive as Kemi Badenoch.

    “She has based her campaign on a nasty culture war agenda, fuelling division and pitting communities against one another. LGBTQ+ people in particular will be deeply worried that a major party is now in the hands of someone so hostile to our human rights.

    “Her scaremongering on net zero targets, at a time when extreme weather events and climate impact on the world’s food system are wreaking havoc,  underlines why the Tories cannot be trusted with our climate.

    “She takes credit for Rishi Sunak’s decision to push back banning petrol and diesel cars to 2035. Most voters know that we don’t have time to spare, and they want Governments to show leadership and make the transition to Net Zero fair and fast.

    “She’s been elected by appealing to the worst instincts of the Conservative Party. We know that the politics she represents is no basis for building a fairer society – we have just endured 14 years of them. I’m confident that Scotland will continue to reject the politics of the Tories, no matter who’s in charge.”

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –