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Category: Great Britain

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Average speed camera trial to investigate safety dividend

    Source: New South Wales Government 2

    Headline: Average speed camera trial to investigate safety dividend

    Published: 21 October 2024

    Released by: Minister for Regional Transport and Roads, Minister for Roads

    Previously, average speed cameras have only been used in NSW to monitor the speed of heavy vehicles. Road safety benefits will be evaluated when a trial of average speed cameras for light vehicles is conducted from next year.

    Legislation that passed NSW Parliament has enabled their use for all vehicles, bringing the state into line with all other Australian mainland states and the ACT where the technology is an integral part of their speed enforcement programs.

    The NSW Government will now trial the lifesaving benefits of average speed cameras as part of efforts to combat the rising road toll which today stands at 271 – two more than at the same date in 2023.

    The average speed camera trial will build on road safety initiatives introduced by the Minns Labor Government, including:

    • Seatbelt enforcement by the existing mobile phone camera detection network
    • Removing a loophole to force all motorists driving on a foreign licence to convert to a NSW licence within six months
    • The demerit return trial that rewarded more than 1.2 million drivers for maintaining a demerit-offence-free driving record during the initial 12-month period up to 16 January 2024
    • Doubling roadside enforcement sites used for mobile speed cameras, with the addition of 2,700 new locations where a camera can be deployed. Enforcement hours will remain the same
    • Hosting the state’s first Road Safety Forum of international and local experts
    • Signed National Road Safety Data Agreement with the Commonwealth

    Speeding is the biggest killer on NSW roads, contributing to 41 per cent of all fatalities over the past decade.

    Regional NSW is home to a third of the population but is where two-thirds of all road deaths happen.

    Two trials will be conducted on limited stretches of highway in regional NSW to assess whether these measures reduce speeding at these locations, improving safety and preventing injuries and fatalities. The trial areas are:

    • Pacific Highway between Kew and Lake Innes (Port Macquarie) – 15kms between cameras
    • Hume Highway between Coolac and Gundagai – 16kms between cameras

    There were a combined total of six fatalities and 33 serious injuries between 2018 and 2022 at these locations.

    Road safety experts have backed the use of average speed cameras and the NRMA will be part of the assessment process to ensure drivers have a voice in the review of the trial. 

    Transport for NSW will now work on the technical elements and deliver a communications campaign to inform motorists about the trial to begin mid-2025.

    Trials are proposed to begin with a 60-day period in which speeding drivers will receive a warning letter rather than a fine before normal enforcement, including fines and demerit points, begin.

    Minister for Roads John Graham said:

    “This is the right time to investigate whether lives can be saved by the use of average speed cameras for all vehicles, not only trucks.

    “This technology has been found to be effective in other states and in the UK, Norway, Italy and the Netherlands.

    “It is our responsibility to properly evaluate whether they are effective in preventing another family and another friendship circle from being devastated – which is the sad result every time someone dies on NSW roads.

    “Before trials begin next year, the NSW Government will conduct a comprehensive awareness campaign so the public is aware of average speed cameras and a 60-day warning letter period will give motorists time to adjust to their use in these limited locations.”

    Minister for Regional Transport and Roads Jenny Aitchison said:

    “In 2023, over two thirds of the deaths on our roads were in regional NSW. Our goal is to assess how effective the cameras can be in changing speeding habits and reducing needless deaths.

    “The NSW Government will continue to inform all drivers but particularly the regional communities around these trial sites about how it will work.

    “Unfortunately, on Tuesday night we saw Nationals in the Legislative Council cynically voting against the average speed camera trial, putting politics above the safety of the people they purport to represent.

    “There have been a few times in this Parliament that the Leader of the Nationals has torched the Coalition agreement allegedly on a matter of principle – but saving lives on our roads in the bush? The Nationals are clearly confused about what is important.”

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI Submissions: United Kingdom – Hundreds Gather to Celebrate 100 Years Since Construction of London’s First Ever Mosque

    Source: AHMADIYYA MUSLIM JAMAAT INTERNATIONAL
     
    The capital’s oldest mosque, the Fazl Mosque in Southfields, London, welcomed hundreds of guests on Saturday evening to mark a century since its foundation stone was first laid. 

    Guests including MPs, academics and religious leaders came together to view a special exhibition and hear a keynote address from the worldwide Head and Fifth Caliph of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community, His Holiness, Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad.
    The evening, themed “Islamic Light in the West: A Century of Spiritual Revival,” honoured the legacy of the journey of the Second Caliph of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community from India to the UK – a journey that marked the dawn of a new era for Islam in Britain. 
    Speaking about the history of the mosque, His Holiness said:
    “From 1920 onwards, Ahmadi Muslims diligently raised funds through personal sacrifices and contributions.  Their collective efforts culminated in the purchase of the plot of land in Southfields, where you have gathered, for the sum of £2,230. It would serve as the location for the first Mosque in London.”
    “Exactly a century ago, the Second Caliph graced the land in Southfields where you are sitting and laid the foundation stone for the Fazl Mosque, which proved to be a landmark moment in the history of Islam in the UK.”
    The Fazl Mosque was granted heritage status by Historic England in 2018 and has served as the global headquarters of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community. It remains a focal point for the community’s religious and humanitarian activities.
    His Holiness, Mirza Masroor Ahmad, also highlighted the urgent need to end conflicts taking place around the world.
    “Across the globe, wars are raging, lives are being tragically lost in unimaginable numbers, and we are witnessing a blatant disregard for the rights of Allah the Almighty and the rights of humanity.”
    “It is my heartfelt prayer that may the love of God Almighty and His Creation enter the hearts of all mankind. Certainly, it was to achieve this objective that the Fazl Mosque was constructed, and it is for the sake of reiterating this message and recognising the immense blessings of God Almighty that we have held this event.”

    MIL OSI – Submitted News –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Independent Assessor of Compensation for Miscarriages of Justice reappointed

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    The Secretary of State for Justice has appointed Sir Robin Spencer as Independent Assessor of Compensation for Miscarriages of Justice for a term of 5 years from May 2024, in succession to Dame Linda Dobbs DBE.

    Appointed by the Secretary of State for Justice, under section 133 of the Criminal Justice Act (the Act) 1988, the Assessor’s role is to gauge the amount of compensation to be paid once the Secretary of State has decided that the eligibility criteria are met.

    Neither ministers nor officials play any role in the assessment of compensation and the Secretary of State for Justice is required by section 133 (4) to accept the award made by the Assessor.

    The Assessor plays no role in deciding whether an applicant is eligible for compensation, which falls solely to the Secretary of State under Section 133(3).

    Biography

    After 45 years in the Law, Sir Robin Spencer DL retired as a High Court Judge in March 2023, having been appointed to the (then) Queen’s Bench Division in 2010. He continues to sit in retirement in the Court of Appeal (Criminal Division).

    He was called to the Bar in 1978 and practised as a Junior in the North West of England and North Wales from Chester chambers before becoming a QC in 1999 when he also joined London chambers. He was the Leader of the Wales and Chester Circuit from 2004 to 2006, and a member of the Bar Council.

    Before his appointment as a High Court Judge he sat for many years as a Recorder and a Deputy High Court Judge, trying criminal, civil and family cases,

    From 2013 to 2017 he was a Presiding Judge of the South Eastern Circuit.

    In 2023 he was appointed a Deputy Lieutenant of the county of Cheshire, a role which includes presiding at Citizenship Ceremonies.

    He has not declared any political activity.

    Updates to this page

    Published 21 October 2024

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: New Scottish benefit for pensioners

    Source: Scottish Government

    Pension Age Disability Payment launches in pilot locations

    A new disability benefit for people of State Pension age opens today for new applications from people living in five local authority areas.  

    Pension Age Disability Payment is the 15th benefit administered by Social Security Scotland. It is for people of State Pension age and over who are disabled or have a long-term health condition that means they need help looking after themselves or supervision to stay safe; or are terminally ill 

    People who live in Argyll & Bute, Highland, Aberdeen City, Orkney and Shetland can now apply. The payment will be available across Scotland by 22 April next year. 

    It is not means-tested and is worth between £290 and £434 a month depending on the needs of the person who gets it.  

    Pension Age Disability Payment is replacing Attendance Allowance in Scotland, which is delivered by the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP). People do not need to apply separately as their award will automatically be moved to Social Security Scotland, starting early 2025. 

    There is a separate fast-track application process for people who are terminally ill and eligible people will be entitled to the higher rate of payment regardless of how long they have had a terminal illness. 

    Social Justice Secretary Shirley-Anne Somerville said: 

    “As people continue to face a cost of living crisis it is more important than ever that older disabled people across Scotland get all the financial support they are entitled to. 

    “Today we are launching Pension Age Disability Payment, our 15th benefit, in five locations before it is rolled out across Scotland later next year.  

    “This new benefit has been developed by listening to older disabled people and we have made many changes, including making it easier for them to nominate someone to support them in their engagement with Social Security Scotland, something they told us was important to them. 

    “I would encourage anyone who thinks they are eligible for Pension Age Disability Payment to apply. It’s important they get the money they need to help them look after themselves, stay safe and get support to live with the dignity and respect that we all deserve as we get older.”  

    Debbie Horne, Scotland Policy and Public Affairs Manager at Independent Age, said:  

    “We welcome today’s launch of Pension Age Disability Payment in the first five local authority areas. Support for the costs related to disability while in later life are an essential part of our social security system and a vital part of enabling dignity and independence as we age. 

    “Putting dignity and respect at the heart of how the payment is delivered is essential. We hope changes made to the payment, such as making it simpler for people at the end of their life to get support, result in an improved experience for older people applying for the payment in Scotland. 

    “We encourage all older people living in the pilot areas who may be eligible for Pension Age Disability Payment to apply, or get in touch with an independent advice service, such as Independent Age, who can help to ensure older people in Scotland receive all of the support they are entitled to.” 

    Tommy Campbell, Executive Committee member at The Scottish Pensioners’ Forum and poverty campaigner said: 

    “The Scottish Pensioners’ Forum, and other organisations, worked extensively with the Scottish Government and Social Security Scotland to help develop a fairer and more just application system for pensioners with disabilities and more complex needs in Scotland. 

    “We support many people of Stage Pension age and over with long-term health conditions such as dementia, Alzheimer’s and arthritis who would really benefit from this financial support. 

    “We hope that the roll out of this pilot programme over the coming months will demonstrate and deliver on this.” 

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: New Gate Arts to bring Back to the Future story to The Fountain for Derry Halloween

    Source: Northern Ireland – City of Derry

    New Gate Arts to bring Back to the Future story to The Fountain for Derry Halloween

    21 October 2024

    Fans of the iconic Back to the Future movie trilogy are in for a treat this Halloween as New Gate Arts and Culture Centre and North West Cultural Partnership are set to bring the films’ story to life with a dynamic street performance.
    The time travelling adventures of Marty McFly and Doc Brown will be celebrated in and around the group’s premises in The Fountain with a performance of acting, dance and special effects.
    The dynamic street performance will also feature a replica of the film’s famous DeLorean sports car which, famously combined with the Flux Capacitor, made time travel possible.
    The show is part of Derry Halloween’s Awakening the Walled City Trail in and around Derry-Londonderry’s historic city centre each evening from Monday October 28th to Wednesday October 30th.
    Darren Milligan, Creative Programming Executive at New Gate Arts and Culture Centre, gave the public an idea of what’s in store.
    “You can expect a thrilling, immersive experience,” he said. “It’s a blend of dance, music, light effects, and video projections, all working together to create a memorable street production.
    “It will feature live performances from eerie Halloween-themed dancers, energetic jiving and futuristic choreography.
    “There’ll also be rooftop musicians, a dramatic build-up of smoke and lights, and, of course, the star of the show—the DeLorean, which will make a grand entrance through the large doors of New Gate Arts & Culture Centre.”
    The New Gate Arts Centre is a thriving arts and cultural venue in the centre of the city and has hosted a wide range performances, classes, workshops, festivals and events since it opened last year.
    Their Conquer the Dragon performance as part of last year’s trail featured the Sollus Highland Dancers taming a huge dragon at the side of their premises that had invaded the city.
    “The idea for this year’s show came following the success of Conquer The Dragon,” Darren explained. “We needed something spectacular that could come out of the side of our building again, and we have a few staff members who have a love for the Back to the Future movies, so we said why not try to get our hands on a replica DeLoreon car, and the idea grew from there.
    “We wanted to create something that merges local heritage with the futuristic, adventurous spirit of Back to the Future.
    “The DeLorean itself is such a recognisable symbol and we saw an opportunity to incorporate it into a performance that could entertain and engage the local community.
    “The idea developed into a full-on spectacle with dance, music, and theatrics.
    “For our young people, this opportunity is something that they want to keep doing and asking about year on year.
    “Being able to perform at one of the world’s largest Halloween festivals in a show of this scale is an incredible experience for them.
    “It’s a chance to showcase their talents on a big stage, gain confidence, and be part of something that celebrates both local culture and their own creativity.
    “It’s not just a performance—it’s a celebration of their hard work and passion for the arts and it means the world to them to contribute to such a renowned event.”
    The team at New Gate are currently putting the finishing touches to preparations for the show that will feature both characters and music from the original film.
    “Preparations are going fantastically,” Darren added. “The team has been working tirelessly to ensure that every element comes together seamlessly, from the video projections and music to the choreography and technical effects.
    “The young people have been rehearsing for weeks, and their energy and excitement is infectious.
    “With each rehearsal, the performance is becoming more polished, and we can’t wait to bring it all to life for the audience.
    “We’re also delighted to get a number of community groups involved, we have Clooney Mens Shed making props for the trial, Cathedral Youth Club who are letting us turn their allotment garden into a science lab, and Sollus Highland Dancers who yet again are providing their high quality choreography.  
    “The experience will feature appearances by Doc Brown and Marty McFly and the DeLorean will be the central prop, making a dramatic live appearance.
    “The rooftop musicians will bring Marty’s famous “Johnny B. Goode” performance to life, encouraging the crowd to get involved and the dancers will wear costumes that reflect the different themes—spooky Halloween, futuristic sci-fi, and 1950s jive—to complement the storyline.
    “We’re incredibly proud of how this performance has come together, thanks to the hard work and creativity of everyone involved.
    “It’s a celebration of Halloween, local culture, and the joy of performance.
    “We hope everyone who comes to see the show will enjoy this unique blend of Back to the Future and local creativity.
    “It’s going to be a night full of surprises, excitement, and unforgettable moments.”
    You can get the full Back to the Future experience by starting at the Bishop Street Entrance to the Fountain at 6pm,7pm,8pm, and the street production will take place outside New Gate Arts and Culture Centre at 6.15, 7.15, 8.15pm. 
    Derry Halloween is delivered by Derry City and Strabane District Council and funded by Tourism Northern Ireland and The Executive Office, with support from Ulster University and Air Coach.
    Follow all the latest news at derryhalloween.com or keep up to date with the Derry Halloween Facebook page.

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Philosophy at school gives young people the tools to discuss difficult topics such as the Israel-Gaza war

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Laura D’Olimpio, Associate Professor of Philosophy of Education, University of Birmingham

    fizkes/Shutterstock

    The first anniversary of the October 7 Hamas attack on Israel and the beginning of conflict in Gaza left UK schools with a dilemma: how to mark the event. It has affected many around the world, including school children and their families in the UK.

    Earlier in 2024, government adviser on social cohesion, Sara Khan, suggested that schools were not supporting reasonable debate about the Israel-Gaza conflict because teachers are nervous about handling such a sensitive topic in the classroom.

    But if schools shut down the topic they risk encouraging mistrust, anger, hate and polarisation. Not least because students will instead seek out information online – and are quite likely to stumble upon fake news and conspiracy theories.

    The leader of the UK’s biggest education union, Daniel Kebede, recently noted that there simply isn’t enough space in the curriculum for students to discuss such difficult issues. He claims the solution is to embed philosophy as a subject across England’s school curriculum.

    The subject of philosophy is specifically set up to promote critical thinking skills and teach people how to have difficult conversations about controversial issues.

    Teaching controversial topics

    Controversial and sensitive topics are unavoidable. We encounter them discussed in the media, on the news, in the street and in our homes. Yet we are not always sure what to think, especially when the issue is complex, or how to talk to people we disagree with. And the skills of reasonable dialogue can be even harder when emotions are running high.

    Young people need to learn how to discuss controversial issues like the Israel-Gaza war. The best way to do this is by including philosophy on the curriculum. Philosophy has an excellent toolkit designed to explore various points of view in a critically engaged way and, when taught dialogically – through discussion between students and teachers – students become seekers of shared knowledge and wisdom.

    A key aspect of a democracy involves welcoming different ideas. Such diversity is a strength because it allows for many claims to be scrutinised, with only the best arguments gaining traction. Yet this process of sharing ideas requires our citizens to be able to hold reasoned discussions and to think critically.

    The ability to hold reasoned, critical discussion is a valuable skill.
    fizkes/Shutterstock

    To avoid aggression or chaos, people need to engage charitably with one another, being respectful of various experiences and perspectives while also being critical of the ideas presented.

    The dialogical skills of philosophy

    Philosophy, more than any other subject, encourages students to think about the reasons why they think something, and entertain the possibility that there are other points of view.

    Philosophy is inherently dialogical. The most common teaching approach is to think about the steps in an argument, and then to consider the weaknesses in each of these.

    Philosophy does this by teaching students to check: What assumptions am I making? Are the premises of my position sound? Does the conclusion logically follow from my starting point? What is a counterargument or counterexample to which I need to reply? Could I be wrong about this? What additional information do I need to draw a conclusion?

    These kinds of questions encourage intellectual humility: the idea that I, like anyone else, could be wrong. Intellectual humility goes hand in hand with open-mindedness, ensuring we remain open to relevant new information.

    Such skills of critical thinking and respectful disagreement are vital in a time of disinformation and fake news. Not only do we need young people to learn how to fact check and be critical of what they see and hear, but we also need them to learn that it is OK to disagree.

    Being open-minded

    The influential American philosopher Daniel Dennett, who died earlier this year, wrote about the importance of criticising with kindness and seeking the most charitable version of your opponent’s position. This is so important when discussing controversial topics, because reasonable people will disagree.

    Criticising with kindness means staying humble and open to different points of view when having difficult conversations. And it means creating space for the airing of diverse arguments and examples. In this way, teachers who are trained in philosophy are able to remain politically neutral while helping students converse with one another about important issues that affect them and those they care about.

    Philosophy is about learning to be respectful of others whose views differ from one’s own and to accept reasonable disagreement. It also teaches us to be comfortable with unsettled questions and complex answers. Teaching philosophy in the classroom leads to students engaging with ideas charitably and critically, encouraging open-mindedness and intellectual humility.

    It is the skills of dialogue that we need as our society faces increasing polarisation and violent disagreement. These skills are some of the defining characteristics of a democracy. Happily, teachers are uniquely positioned to embrace the subject of philosophy and the skills it has to offer.

    Laura D’Olimpio is co-founding editor of the open access Journal of Philosophy in Schools.

    – ref. Philosophy at school gives young people the tools to discuss difficult topics such as the Israel-Gaza war – https://theconversation.com/philosophy-at-school-gives-young-people-the-tools-to-discuss-difficult-topics-such-as-the-israel-gaza-war-241085

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Why do people do extreme sports? Some of the reasons aren’t always that obvious

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Odette Hornby, PhD Candidate in Sports Psychology, University of South Wales

    It’s about more than danger and adrenaline. Soloviova Liudmyla/Shutterstock

    Participation in extreme sports has surged since COVID-19, with 490 million people estimated to be taking part globally. This may have been fuelled by a desire to break free from lockdown-induced monotony and an explosion of media coverage showcasing the allure of high-adrenaline activities.

    Extreme sports, like Base jumping, free solo climbing, big wave surfing and downhill mountain biking, once reserved for a small percentage of people, are now becoming more mainstream.

    But why are people willing to take such risks? As a climber myself, I was keen to find out. While the popular image of extreme sports participants often revolves around thrill seeking and adrenaline addiction, research from my colleagues and I shows there are far more complex reasons for why people participate.

    An extreme sport is defined as one in which a mismanaged mistake or accident would result in serious injury or death.

    Research has started to explore the reasons behind extreme sports participation, but there’s still a lot to uncover. Several studies have identified factors like personality, motivation, and even neurobiology as playing a role. But it remains unclear which of these consistently drives people to take part in high-risk sports.

    We started our work by conducting a systematic review to consolidate existing research on what drives people to participate in extreme sports. The studies we looked at provided important insights into the various psychological and emotional factors that motivate people to engage in high-risk activities. This helped us build a more complete understanding of the extreme sports mindset. We uncovered five motivational factors.

    Red Bull’s international marketing campaign largely revolves around extreme sports.

    1. Connection

    Participants often describe feeling at one with nature and free from the constraints of everyday life. Many also find a deep sense of belonging in the extreme sports community and are driven by the desire to push their personal boundaries.

    2. Personality

    While some people are indeed drawn to thrill seeking, many use extreme sports as a tool to regulate difficult emotions. This is particularly true for those with alexithymia, which is when people struggle to identify and express their feelings.

    3. Goals

    The drive to succeed plays a big role in why people take part in extreme sports. Of course, many athletes are motivated by setting clear goals, whether it’s winning competitions or improving their performance. In this sense, participation in extreme sport is no different from that of more traditional sport.

    For many of the respondents in the studies we analysed, goal setting boosts confidence and helps them persist through challenges. Participants also often feel a strong sense of control over their activities and find a sense of community with like-minded people.

    4. Managing risk

    Far from being reckless, participants are often highly calculated about the risks they take. They thrive on managing risk, finding excitement in navigating dangerous situations rather than avoiding them.

    5. Addiction-like urges

    Some participants exhibit behaviour resembling addiction, experiencing mood disturbances when not engaging in their chosen extreme sport. This can create a powerful urge to return, a bit like withdrawal symptoms.

    People who take part in extreme sport often thrive on managing risk.
    PhotoFires/Shutterstock

    Our findings have broader implications. They challenge the traditional view of extreme sports enthusiasts as mere “adrenaline junkies”. The research suggests that extreme sports could potentially offer therapeutic benefits, particularly for people struggling with emotional regulation.

    Far from just being about thrill seeking, these types of activities could provide an outlet for experiencing emotions that might otherwise be hard for some people to access. It opens new avenues for exploring how high-risk activities may be used to support mental health and wellbeing.

    My own work in this field is ongoing. Recently, I’ve conducted interviews with elite extreme sport participants to explore their motivations in greater depth. This new research will examine how these motivations shift over time – before, during and after participation. I’m also expanding my studies to compare the motivations driving extreme sport enthusiasts with those of non-extreme sport participants, aiming to uncover what, if anything, truly sets them apart.

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

    – ref. Why do people do extreme sports? Some of the reasons aren’t always that obvious – https://theconversation.com/why-do-people-do-extreme-sports-some-of-the-reasons-arent-always-that-obvious-239428

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Horrifying black sows and ghostly apparitions: how the magic and mystery of Wales come alive in winter

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Mari Ellis Dunning, Associate Lecturer at the School of Languages and Literature and PhD Candidate, Aberystwyth University

    Would you dare let the Mari Lwyd in to your home? Bob Pool/Shutterstock

    For centuries, midway between the autumn equinox and winter solstice, the Welsh people have celebrated Calan Gaeaf on November 1. Nos Galan Gaeaf or “the evening before the first day of winter”, falls a day before, which the western world now recognises as Halloween.

    A time of year filled with monsters and ghouls, here are five spooky winter customs and beliefs unique to Wales and its people.

    1. Hwch Ddu Gwta

    On Nos Galan Gaeaf, the horrifying hwch ddu gwta, or “tailess black sow”, would make its annual appearance. Usually a man draped in cloth or animal hide rising from dwindling fire embers, the hwch ddu would chase the village children home.

    As the fire died and the children anticipated the materialisation of the black sow, they would often chant a spooky verse, like: “Adref, adref am y cynta’, Hwch Ddu Gwta a gipio’r ola,” (“Home, home, at once, the tailess black sow shall snatch the last one.”)

    Juliette Wood, scholar of Celtic folklore, says the macabre ritual has its roots in beliefs about the souls of the dead, people and animals. But on a practical level, it was probably just an effective way of getting children to bed and teaching them about the dangers of straying from the group.

    2. Fortune telling

    Fortune telling would have been rife at this time of year. Questions over who was next to be married, and who may meet an untimely death, were particularly popular. Women looking for love may have wandered around the bounds of a church, chanting “here is the sheath, where is the knife”, hoping to hear the name of the person they would marry as a response.

    In some parts of the country, stwmp naw rhyw, a mash made of nine different root vegetables with milk, butter, salt and pepper, would have a wedding ring placed at the centre. Whoever found the ring in their serving would be the next to be married.



    Read more:
    Why so few witches were executed in Wales in the middle ages

    Though these particular practices were performed at Calan Gaeaf, the widespread belief in fortune telling certainly wasn’t unique to this time of year, nor Wales, of course.

    But Wales does have a long history of reliance on wise-women and soothsayers. Many Welsh people even regularly turned to the church for charms and curses.

    3. Y Ladi Wen and other apparitions

    Regarded as a seasonal boundary, Nos Galan Gaeaf was considered the most ominous of the three spirit nights. The others were Nos Galan Mai, which heralds the beginning of summer, and Noswyl Ifan, known also as the summer solstice.

    As Nos Galan Gaeaf was a time to say goodbye to the recently deceased, the spirits were said to roam freely. Ghosts of the dead were believed to be seen at midnight on every stile, for example. And it makes sense that ghosts were to be found atop stiles. The fact that unbaptised children used to be buried at boundary fences suggests that these lines were liminal places and therefore the favourite perches of ghosts and apparitions.

    Perhaps the most well known of these ghosts was Y Ladi Wen (the White Lady). Y Ladi Wen was an apparition who could be found haunting locations where violent deaths had occurred. She was also said to warn children about their bad behaviour.

    4. Mari Lwyd

    The Mari Lwyd is traditionally a Christmas and New Year wassailing folk custom popular in south Wales. It dates back to the 18th century and involves a horse’s skull placed on a pole, draped in ribbons.

    A person hiding beneath a white sheet would carry the pole and snap the horse’s jaw open and shut. A procession led by Mari would go from house to house, where the group would sing verses asking to be let inside, prompting the hosts to improvise a rebuttal in verse.

    The Mari Lwyd’s weird and somewhat terrifying appearance has led to her appearing earlier in the season, and adopted in different parts of Wales and as far afield as the US and Australia.

    5. Gwrachod Powys

    Perhaps the most sinister and spooky custom is one that could be found in Powys, mid-Wales.

    Men would wander around in gangs wearing sheep skin, old ragged clothes and masks, drinking heavily and demanding gifts. They were called “gwrachod” (meaning hags or witches), probably in allusion to the Celtic belief that fiends, witches and faeries carried out their harmful and destructive tasks at night.



    Read more:
    Nos Galan Gaeaf: the traditional Welsh celebration being eclipsed by modern Halloween

    In the north, the name “gwrachod” was also used to describe men and women who went about their neighbours’ houses dressed in each other’s clothes and wearing masks.

    During this Christmas tradition, which could be seen as a combination of the Mari Lwyd and the gwrachod, members of the party would dance, cheer and perform “antic diversions” in exchange for good cheer, ale, apples and nuts.

    As October draws to a close and we creep towards the darkest days of midwinter, keep your wits about you. You might just end up face to face with a horrifying sow covered in fire ash, or confronted by a ghostly lady draped in white.

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

    – ref. Horrifying black sows and ghostly apparitions: how the magic and mystery of Wales come alive in winter – https://theconversation.com/horrifying-black-sows-and-ghostly-apparitions-how-the-magic-and-mystery-of-wales-come-alive-in-winter-238725

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Former CEO of Abercrombie & Fitch and Two Other Individuals Charged with Sex Trafficking and Interstate Prostitution

    Source: United States Department of Justice (Human Trafficking)

    Defendants Allegedly Arranged for Dozens of Men to Travel to New York and Hotels Around the World for Sex Events

    A 16-count indictment was unsealed today in federal court in Central Islip charging former Abercrombie & Fitch Co. (Abercrombie) Chief Executive Officer Michael Jeffries, along with Matthew Smith and James Jacobson, with sex trafficking and engaging in interstate prostitution.  The indictment alleges that between December 2008 and March 2015, Jeffries, Smith and Jacobson used a combination of force, fraud and coercion to traffic men while operating a prostitution enterprise.  All three defendants were arrested this morning. Jeffries and Smith are scheduled to make their initial appearances this afternoon in federal court in the Southern District of Florida, and Jacobson is scheduled to make his initial appearance this afternoon in federal court in St. Paul, Minnesota. They will be arraigned in the Eastern District of New York at a later date.

    Breon Peace, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, James E. Dennehy, Assistant Director in Charge, New York Field Office (FBI) and Thomas G. Donlon, Interim Commissioner, New York City Police Department (NYPD), announced the arrests and charges.

    “As alleged in the indictment, former CEO of Abercrombie Michael Jeffries, his partner Matthew Smith and their recruiter James Jacobson used their money and influence to prey on vulnerable men for their own sexual gratification,” stated United States Attorney Peace.  “Today’s arrests show that my Office and our law enforcement partners will not rest until anyone who engages in sex trafficking or interstate prostitution, regardless of their wealth or power, is brought to justice.”

    Mr. Peace expressed his thanks to the FBI Miami Field Office, West Palm Beach Resident Agency; the FBI Milwaukee Field Office, Eau Clair Resident Agency; the Barron County, Wisconsin, Sheriff’s Office; and the United States Attorney’s Offices for the Southern District of Florida and the District of Minnesota, for their assistance with the case.

    “Today’s indictment highlights the alleged abhorrent behavior of Michael Jeffries, Matthew Smith, and James Jacobson.  The defendants allegedly preyed on the hopes and dreams of their victims by exploiting, abusing, and silencing them to fulfill their own desires, with insidious secret intentions.  This case is yet another example of individuals using their wealth, power, or reputation to manipulate and control others for their personal gratification.   The FBI and our partners won’t allow these criminal acts to go unchecked, we remain committed to investigating and bringing these cases forward to prosecution,” stated FBI Assistant Director in Charge Dennehy.

    “Sex trafficking remains a pressing issue nationwide and New York City is no exception,” stated NYPD Interim Commissioner Donlon. “Through our continued partnership with the FBI and the U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, the NYPD is able to enhance our investigations and secure convictions. Importantly, our close collaboration also allows us to connect survivors of this abhorrent crime with the necessary support and services they deserve.”

    From approximately 1992 to 2014, Jeffries was the CEO of Abercrombie, a fashion clothing retailer that owned and operated retail stores around the world.  Smith was Jeffries’ life partner.  The indictment alleges that Jacobson was employed by Jeffries and Smith to recruit, interview and hire men to perform commercial sex acts for Jeffries and Smith.

    As set forth in the indictment, from approximately 2008 to 2015, Jeffries, Smith and Jacobson, together with others, operated an international sex trafficking and prostitution enterprise.  Jeffries and Smith not only relied on their financial resources and Jeffries’ power as the CEO of Abercrombie, but also on numerous others, including Jacobson and a network of employees, contractors and security professionals, to operate this venture, which was dedicated to fulfilling their sexual desires.

    As further alleged in the indictment, Jeffries and Smith paid for dozens of men to travel within the United States and internationally to various locations, including the Hamptons on Long Island, New York City and hotels in England, France, Italy, Morocco and Saint Barthélémy, for the purpose of engaging in commercial sex acts with Jeffries, Smith and others (the “Sex Events”). Jacobson allegedly traveled throughout the United States and internationally to recruit and interview men for the Sex Events.  During “tryouts” of potential candidates, Jacobson typically required that the candidates first engage in commercial sex acts with him.

    The indictment alleges that Jeffries, Smith and Jacobson used coercive, fraudulent and deceptive tactics in connection with their sex trafficking and prostitution venture. For example, among other things, Jeffries, Smith, Jacobson and others acting at their direction:

    • Employed a referral system and interview process that did not inform men of the details of the Sex Events before they attended, including the full extent and nature of the sexual activity that would be required of the men at the Sex Events;
    • Caused men to believe that attending the Sex Events could yield modeling opportunities with Abercrombie or otherwise benefit their careers;
    • Caused men to believe that not complying with requests for certain acts during the Sex Events could harm their careers;
    • Required men to relinquish their personal items, including clothing, wallets and cellular phones, and store them in an inaccessible location during the Sex Events;
    • Required men to sign non-disclosure agreements;
    • On more than one occasion when men did not or could not consent, Jeffries and Smith violated the bodily integrity of the men by subjecting them, or continuing to subject them, to invasive sexual and violent contact by body parts and other objects;
    • On more than one occasion, Jeffries and Smith directed others to inject, or personally injected, men with an erection-inducing substance for the purpose of causing the men to engage in sex acts the men were incapable or unwilling to engage in.

    Many of the victims, at least one of whom was as young as 19 years old, were financially vulnerable and aspired to become models in the fashion industry.  Some victims recruited by the defendants had previously worked at Abercrombie stores or had modeled for Abercrombie.

    If convicted of the sex trafficking charge, the defendants each face a maximum sentence of life imprisonment and a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years’ imprisonment.  If convicted of the interstate prostitution charges, the defendants face a maximum sentence of 20 years’ imprisonment.

    The charges in the indictment are allegations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

    If you believe you are victim of a crime perpetrated by Michael Jeffries, Matthew Smith or James Jacobson, please contact the FBI at 1-800-CALL-FBI.

    The government’s case is being handled by the Office’s Civil Rights Section and the Criminal Section of the Office’s Long Island Division.  Assistant United States Attorneys Megan Farrell, Erin Reid and Philip Pilmar are in charge of the prosecution with the assistance of Bilingual Victim Witness Specialist Stephanie Marroquin and Fact Witness Services Unit Supervisor/Victim Witness Coordinator Huda Abouchaer.

    The Defendants:

    MICHAEL JEFFRIES
    Age: 80
    West Palm Beach, FL

    MATTHEW SMITH
    Age: 61
    West Palm Beach, FL

    JAMES JACOBSON
    Age:  71
    Rice Lake, WI

    E.D.N.Y. Docket No. 24-CR-423 (NJC)

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Interim report on drugs “positive to see progress on saving lives and reducing harm” – Senator O’Hara

    Source: The Green Party in Northern Ireland

    Interim report on drugs “positive to see progress on saving lives and reducing harm” – Senator O’Hara

    Senator Mal O’Hara said “I am delighted to see this interim report. With an election due within weeks, this report gives a clear direction to any incoming Government on how to move to a health led approach which will save lives and reduce harm.
    Mal continued “The work of the joint committee is to respond to the 36 recommendations made by the Citizens Assembly. The Committee held engagements with stakeholders in June, July, September, and October of 2024 which provided evidence from a broad perspective of voices and sectors of Irish society. Arising from these engagements, the Committee made 59 recommendations in its interim report. Some of which include repealing the Misuse of Drugs Act 1997, introducing a regulatory model for certain drugs and decriminalisation in relation to possession of all substances for personal use. 
    These include:
    • the stigmatisation of drug use and the shaming of drug users are a source of significant harm.
    • the Committee recommends that steps are taken to introduce a regulatory model for certain drugs. The Committee recommends this should be considered with particular reference to Spain, Malta, and Germany in the development of an Irish not for profit regulated cannabis market.
    • that Government introduce a health-led approach to the use and misuse of substances.
    • the decriminalisation of the person in relation to the possession of all substances for personal use, in line with the recommendations of the Citizens’ Assembly – this highlights that the goal of drug policy should be to reduce harm and eliminate stigma, both, in large part, caused and exacerbated by the criminalisation of people who use drugs.
    • Section 3 of the Misuse of Drugs Act 1997 be repealed, to give effect to a comprehensive health led approach.
    • the decriminalisation of possession for personal use should apply equally to all illicit drugs.
    • people should be offered all supports and health resources that are required, but that no person should be criminalised for not availing of a supportive intervention.
    • the importance of there being a strong, constructive working relationship between the community, voluntary and statutory services, and An Garda Síochána, to support the provision of compassionate and person-centred interventions where required, underpinned by a robust Memorandum of Understanding.
    • local authorities and An Garda Síochana are supported and empowered in strongly discouraging and reducing consumption in public areas. This should be done in an appropriate and sensitive way which considers the complex inter-relationship between problematic use and extreme deprivation and homelessness.
    • that specific trauma and harm reduction training be provided to An Garda Síochána and local authorities, to inform their work with individuals and communities affected by drug misuse and addiction.
    • the development of clear guidelines for An Garda Síochána to operate within a decriminalised model
    Senator O’Hara finished “It is positive to see this progress on saving lives and reducing harm. It is disappointing that despite Northern Ireland having a higher drug death rate than the Republic, and drug deaths almost tripling in the last decade, that the Executive Parties sit on their hands while vulnerable people die.”
    ENDS 
    Press enquiries – Mal O’Hara on 07540790663 

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Collision of two passenger trains at Talerddig, Powys, Wales

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    The following press statement is issued by the RAIB about its investigation into the collision of two passenger trains at Talerddig, Powys, Wales

    At around 19:26 on the evening of 21 October 2024, the 18:31 Transport for Wales passenger service from Shrewsbury to Aberystwyth collided with another train on Network Rail’s Cambrian line, approximately 800 metres west of the passing loop located at Talerddig, Powys. Initial evidence suggests that collision occurred at a speed of approximately 24 km/h (15 mph). The second train involved was the 19:09 Machynlleth to Shrewsbury passenger service, also operated by Transport for Wales.

    One passenger tragically died and four other people were seriously injured. Eleven more people sustained injuries which required hospital treatment.

    RAIB was notified of the accident at 19:45 on the night of the accident and immediately dispatched a team of inspectors to examine the site and collect evidence.

    Additional RAIB staff and specialist equipment have arrived at the site of the accident throughout today and we continue to work in conjunction with the British Transport Police, the Office of Rail and Road and the railway companies involved to secure the necessary evidence to support our independent safety investigation. This will include examining the condition of the train and downloading its ‘black box’ data recorder, inspecting the track, analysing data from railway signalling and radio systems, and interviewing witnesses.

    The railway approaching Talerddig from each direction consists of a single track. To allow trains to pass each other a track loop is provided. These loops have points at each end and allow trains to enter a short length of track which lies alongside the single line.

    RAIB’s initial inspection of the track on approach to the point of collision found evidence that wheel/rail adhesion was relatively low, suggesting that the train may have entered into wheel slide when braking. This will be an area of ongoing investigation.

    Our investigation is in its very early stages and an additional update will be available in the coming days once RAIB has gathered and analysed further evidence.

    Updates to this page

    Published 22 October 2024

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Commitments made to address housing challenge in Highland

    Source: Scotland – Highland Council

    Senior Members of The Highland Council made six commitments at the Housing Summit in Aviemore today. 

    Chair of the Housing and Property Committee, Cllr Glynis Campbell Sinclair said:  

    “The challenge is to double our current housing supply and accelerate the delivery of both public and private housing and the availability of sites across Highland.  Today, we are giving our commitment to seizing the opportunities to work with partners to attract investment and undertake a range of solutions to address the housing shortage in Highland. 

    “As a key tool for addressing the Housing Challenge and understanding future housing and employment needs, we’re taking early action by announcing the launch of a “Call for Sites” for the Highland Local Development Plan by the end of 2024.  This is some six months ahead of when it was originally intended to.  Developers and landowners across the Highlands are encouraged to start preparing their submissions, and a template that will be used to submit sites will be available shortly on the Council’s website.”  

    Building on our recently adopted Inner Moray Firth Local Development Plan, the Council has agreed how we intend to utilise Masterplan Consent Areas to enable the direct delivery of the Green Freeport and address future housing needs.   Masterplan Consent Areas, or MCAs, will provide an alternative mechanism for masterplanning and securing planning consent for development.  With secondary legislation expected to come into force on December 5th, MCAs are a key tool for addressing the Housing Challenge and can provide certainty for delivery and thereby streamline the delivery of new jobs and housing.   

    Chair of the Economy and Infrastructure Committee, Cllr Ken Gowans said:  

    “As delivery partners working together, we ask for certainty on emerging jobs across the Inverness and Cromarty Firth Green Freeport (ICFGF) and renewables projects.  In return, we will be looking to find opportunities to prepare three MCAs over the next 18 months to accelerate direct delivery of jobs and homes in Highland.  Some options have been identified already, but we’re open to investigating alternatives.  The Council will use legislation to its best effect whilst trying to balance housing need with community concerns.” 

    Cllr Gowans added: “Rural housing makes an important contribution to housing supply in Highland.  A report is to be considered by our Economy and Infrastructure Committee in November that clarifies the critical role that rural housing plays in addressing the Housing Challenge, whilst ensuring that there is as much flexibility as possible for additional housing to be provided within housing groups.” 

    He continued: “We recognise the need to ensure the process of reaching a planning decision on developments is a key hurdle.  As a result, the Council is to begin an Integrated Housing Delivery Service, where senior officials will be available to meet with major housing scheme applicants to discuss outstanding issues, with the intention of dealing with any blockages or technical issues that need to be overcome prior to a decision being recommended. This new service will provide appointments to resolve planning issues quickly and in line with legislation.” 

    Leader of the Highland Council, Cllr Raymond Bremner added: “We are committed to repaying £6m into the Housing Landbank Fund to assist in the delivery of more affordable housing throughout the Highlands as part of its budget setting process for 2025/26.  A report will be brought to Council next week to seek agreement for this.” 

    He added: “We are committed to continue to work with renewable energy developers across the region as part of our Social Value from Renewables Charter, building on the progress made with SSEN today, and leaving a lasting legacy of housing provision from the renewables revolution.” 

    Cllr Bremner concluded: “I would like to thank our private and public sector partners who have taken part in our housing summit and the positive commitments made by everyone towards resolving the housing challenge in Highland. It is only by collaboration and harnessing the collective energy and ambition we have seen today, that we can deliver the required investment in housing and build sustainable and thriving communities.” 

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-Evening Report: No home left behind: a postcode approach to electrification

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Gill Armstrong, Researcher in architecture and urban planning, Climateworks Centre

    EndeavourEnergy

    In Australia and overseas, it’s clear that homes without gas – running on clean energy – are healthier, have cheaper power bills, and produce lower greenhouse emissions.

    The emissions part is crucial. Collectively, homes are responsible for 10% of Australia’s greenhouse emissions. But how do we get Australia’s 11 million homes to ditch gas and switch to electricity for cooking, hot water and home heating?

    The current approach is slow and piecemeal. State and local governments offer incentives to individual households, but few adopt them. For those that do, little coordinated support and guidance is available. The households must deal with suppliers and tradies on their own, which can be a frustrating and lonely process.

    A pilot project to electrify 500 homes in a single postcode south of Sydney could show a better way. After a two-year campaign by residents, “Electrify 2515” has won A$5.4 million in federal funding, along with industry support. Challenges remain, but this pilot promises to demonstrate how household electrification can be accelerated and coordinated at scale.

    As independent climate transitions specialists within Monash University, Climateworks Centre has no direct involvement in this project. But our ongoing Renovation Pathways Program focuses on ways to decarbonise Australia’s existing houses and bring about a national renovation wave. So we are watching with keen interest.

    Testing extra incentives

    The 2515 postcode sits between Wollongong and Sydney in New South Wales. It covers the suburbs of Austinmer, Clifton, Coledale, Scarborough, Thirroul and Wombarra.

    The pilot encourages households to retire three types of gas appliance: water heaters, space heaters and cookers. Financial subsidies of up to $1,000 off electric hot water systems, reverse-cycle air conditioners and induction cooktops, and up to $1,500 off home batteries, are available. Higher subsidies are available to low-income households.

    Successful applicants receive the subsidies as a discount on the purchase price of these new electrical appliances, rather than a rebate. Money for this is coming from the federal government’s Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA).

    Such incentives prompt households within a single community to make the switch together, retiring their electric appliances before their gas appliances fail or break, speeding up the transition.

    A fully subsidised smart energy device, valued at around $1,500, is also installed in every home to track and optimise energy use. Subsidies are also available for upgrades to switchboards where required to meet modern safety standards.

    Rooftop solar and electric vehicle chargers can also be purchased through the pilot, but will not be subsidised.

    How it works.
    Electrify 2515

    The 2515 difference

    2515 is not the first community to rally behind clean energy. Grassroots initiatives are scattered around the country, such as in Yackandandah in northeast Victoria, Parkes in central west NSW, and Broken Hill in far west NSW.

    Home energy pilot projects are also already underway through the Cooperative Research Centre Race2030, which partners with industry and research institutions. But these initiatives, along with those at a state and local government level, tend to recruit individual households across a wider geographic area.

    In contrast, Electrify 2515 offers holistic support for households within a community. It is not driven by a single government program, or by a gas supply problem – which was the case for the people of Esperance in Western Australia.

    By electrifying 500 homes in a single community, Electrify 2515 will provide a tangible measure of what’s required to drive rapid household electrification. The main challenge isn’t technological – it’s social. The technology is here. Getting the social drivers and settings right, at scale, is the key.

    The holistic approach will demonstrate what consumers need to make the shift from gas to electricity. This includes what conversations are needed and which incentives enable all households to act in a coordinated way.

    Local 2515 residents explain why everyone should join them in applying for the Electrify 2515 Community Pilot.

    The bright side of a community approach

    The whole-of-community focus brings technical and financial advantages.

    After completing an application form and receiving an offer, households receive guidance and support from the installation partner Brighte, a commercial company that provides consumer loans for clean energy appliances such as solar panels and batteries. The service streamlines the decision-making process, which is often the biggest barrier stopping households from progressing with electrification.

    Being able to work with a larger number of homes at once is likely to streamline and scale up installation with dedicated teams of installers and tradespeople.

    It also helps build households’ trust in literature about payback times and financial benefits through friendly neighbourhood conversations and, importantly, through access to local real-world evidence, not just theory.

    Thermal efficiency is also key

    The electrification pilot is a solid starting point, especially for a community in a relatively mild coastal climate such as postcode 2515.

    For homes in more extreme climates, or for inefficient older homes – which a lot of Australia’s homes sadly are – the fundamental thermal efficiency of the building must be improved alongside electrification of appliances.

    The thermal efficiency of homes can be improved by insulating ceilings, walls and floors, double-glazing windows and sealing gaps. These measures make a home more comfortable for occupants. They can also reduce peak demand on the energy network and save on household energy bills.

    Electrify 2515 currently focuses on appliance upgrades but adding thermal efficiency upgrades could take it to the next level. Without these upgrades, there is a risk of households in harsher climates using more electricity in a heatwave if homes are draughty and inefficient.

    There are various ways to upgrade a home’s capacity to stay cool in summer and warm in winter.
    Climateworks Centre, 2023, Climate-ready homes: Building the case for a renovation wave in Australia.

    When paired with electrification, thermal upgrades could save Australian households around $2,200 annually on their energy bills (based on 2023 gas and electricity prices), according to Climateworks Centre analysis.

    Projects like Electrify 2515 should include both home thermal efficiency improvements and electrification efforts, particularly for communities in harsher climates in order to maximise benefits to households.

    Electrification challenges

    Electrify 2515 caters for low-income households, by offering higher subsidies to households in the lowest 25% income percentile to ensure these groups comprise 25% of community buy-in.

    Renters are encouraged to put their hand up too. But it may still be challenging to encourage their landlords to invest in upgrades.

    Further challenges include decarbonising homes that cannot generate electricity from rooftop solar panels due to being shaded by taller buildings or trees. This can sometimes be an issue for homes in colder winter climates with higher annual energy demands, such as Victoria, Tasmania and the ACT.

    Building momentum for widescale rollout

    The technology for all-electric homes exists. Now we must identify the key social drivers and settings required to spur Australia’s electrification wave.

    Electrify 2515 is a promising approach. It’s a way to build momentum, showcase technology at scale, and prompt meaningful discussions around the benefits and challenges of getting off gas.

    This program, and others like it, can provide a tangible real-world foundation to bring about bills savings, emissions reductions and healthier homes across Australia. And it will help ensure no one is left behind.

    Climateworks Centre is a part of Monash University. It receives funding from a range of external sources including philanthropy, governments and businesses.

    – ref. No home left behind: a postcode approach to electrification – https://theconversation.com/no-home-left-behind-a-postcode-approach-to-electrification-241471

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-Evening Report: Rebuilding homes after a disaster is an opportunity to build back better – why isn’t the insurance industry on board?

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Antonia Settle, Lecturer, Monash University

    For many Australians, 2022 was a dark and devastating year. Major floods wreaked havoc on hundreds of communities in Queensland, New South Wales, Victoria and Tasmania. But for some, the floods themselves were only half the disaster.

    As a recent report by Financial Counselling Victoria showed, many affected households had their insurance claims rejected or diminished, whether due to complicated exclusion clauses or because their “sum insured” had been whittled away by unexpected costs.

    A long parliamentary inquiry sought to examine the insurance industry’s response to this disaster. Its final report – released to little fanfare last Friday – revealed a sector in crisis.

    The report put forward 86 recommendations, which taken together could deliver real progress in pushing the insurance sector to deliver on its promises.

    Some standout areas of focus included abolishing a principle called “like-for-like reinstatement” and increasing accountability and oversight. Making sure households can rely on their own coverage is a vital step.

    But the report also highlighted just how vulnerable Australia’s housing stock is to climate change, which is no easy problem to solve.



    Read more:
    How extreme weather and costs of housing and insurance trap some households in a vicious cycle

    Forced to repeat the same mistakes

    To address the challenge of rising climate risk, we need to increase the resilience of Australian homes. Insurance will only be affordable if risk exposure can be brought down.

    Recommendation 26 of the inquiry’s final report deals with the principle of “like-for-like reinstatement”. Written into many policies, this protects insurers from having to pay for home improvements in an insurance claim – known as “betterment” in insurance jargon.

    ‘Like-for-like’ rules can prevent households from improving their disaster resilience when rebuilding.
    Anna Mente/Shutterstock

    The underlying idea is to stop households sneaking an extra en-suite bathroom into their insurer-funded rebuild. The same dimensions and building materials have to be used.

    But this can mean a home that has been flooded ends up being rebuilt with exactly the same flood risk.

    This was the experience of Madeleine Serle, whose home was flooded in Melbourne in 2022. She told me she had asked her insurer to rebuild using polished concrete floors in the downstairs rooms of her home, instead of the plasterboard and wood that had soaked up the floodwaters. Serle reasoned that if it flooded again, it wouldn’t cause so much damage.

    Her insurer refused. Even when Serle offered to pay any extra costs herself that might arise from concrete flooring, her insurer insisted on a “like-for-like reinstatement”. This meant using the same low-resilience materials that will likely be destroyed if inundated again by floodwater.

    Bringing ‘betterment’ to the fore

    Serle was actively trying to reduce her future flood risk, but this was precluded by the terms of her insurance contract.

    By seeking an end to like-for-like reinstatement, recommendation 26 is pushing for “betterment” to be brought to the forefront of how we think about insurer rebuilds.

    It proposes allowing households to swap out size for quality in an insurer rebuild. That could allow them to use the money saved from reducing the footprint of their home on resilience measures, which are often much more expensive.

    This wouldn’t just reduce their exposure to climate risks – fire, flooding and so on. It could also improve the energy efficiency of our houses, which is another key part of the climate challenge in Australia.

    Standardised products

    Many of the report’s other recommendations centred on the better handling of claims and better outcomes for households.

    This includes by strengthening accountability through stronger regulatory oversight (recommendations 2, 4, 9, 41, 47, 49), tightening up some key loopholes (recommendations 3, 10, 13), and penalising insurers for delays in the resolution of claims (recommendations 19 and 57).

    It also laid out ways to improve communications between insurers and households (recommendations 6, 10, 24, 25, 28, 33), so people can better understand what they should expect from their insurer – and when their insurer might be falling short.

    These proposed reforms aim to create more standardised insurance products across the industry. But they could have gone further. The report didn’t go as far as recommending a fully standardised insurance product that all insurers would have to offer.

    Making insurance products more standardised could make them easier to compare.
    DC Studio/Shutterstock

    As the Financial Rights Legal Centre has argued, standardisation is vital to untangling the “confusopoly” that leaves households unable to make informed decisions about the merits of different policies on the market without reading reams of product disclosure statements.

    Reform alone isn’t enough

    The inquiry’s final report recommends the government buy back some of the riskiest homes (recommendation 81), alongside much stronger government support for households looking to mitigate their own risks.

    But insurance reform alone isn’t enough to solve the problem that Australian households face in securing their housing amid worsening climate risk.

    The bigger overarching problem faced by Australia is one of climate change mitigation and adaption. While our country is exposed to relatively high levels of climate risk, much of this risk is borne by individuals through home ownership.

    With nearly half of all renter retirees living in poverty, Australians know owning their own home is a powerful way to secure their economic future. That’s why home ownership is referred to as part of the “third pillar” of the retirement income system (voluntary private savings), along with superannuation and the public pension.

    Reforming our insurance system can make important strides in providing households with better tools to manage climate risk.

    Only with stronger safety nets, and by grappling with risks at the societal level, can we counteract the extreme individualisation of climate risk that we experience here in Australia.



    Read more:
    Some New Zealand homes are becoming uninsurable because of natural disasters – but all may not be lost

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

    – ref. Rebuilding homes after a disaster is an opportunity to build back better – why isn’t the insurance industry on board? – https://theconversation.com/rebuilding-homes-after-a-disaster-is-an-opportunity-to-build-back-better-why-isnt-the-insurance-industry-on-board-241576

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Drug dealer with £1.5 million worth of property convicted after tireless Met investigation

    Source: United Kingdom London Metropolitan Police

    A man with a multimillion pound property empire has been convicted for supplying drugs and money laundering as a result of proactive investigation by Met officers.

    Richard Baxter, 50 (20.07.1974), of no fixed abode, pleaded guilty to the following offences at Kingston Crown Court on Friday, 18 October:

    • Conspiracy to supply Heroin
    • Conspiracy to supply Cocaine
    • Conspiracy to transfer criminal property – cash

    The conviction demonstrates the Met’s proactive work in tackling the crimes that matter most to London residents. The public regularly tell officers about their concerns of drug dealing within local communities, and how it can bring violence and anti-social behaviour into the neighbourhood. This is why the Met is working harder than ever to tackle these crimes.

    In August 2024, Spanish police arrested Baxter in Valencia and he was extradited back to the UK to be remanded in custody.

    As part of their investigation, specialist officers investigating criminal gangs operating in London discovered that Baxter was one of the key figures of a group smuggling hundreds of kilos of cocaine and heroin, before laundering money through various companies.

    As part of their investigation, officers discovered Baxter owned a home in Surrey, with a property empire across the south-east of England. All four properties and a holiday chalet with a total approximate value of £1.5m of houses have been seized as part of the investigation.

    Detective Constable David Lawn, who led the investigation, said: “We have zero-tolerance for anyone who engages in criminal activities and are committed to combat the sale of dangerous and illegal drugs which pose a threat to the public.

    “The Met are deploying specialist resources to tackle drug criminality and make the capital a safer place to live.

    “Baxter’s conviction sends out a strong message to those who seek to profit from illegal drug trade – you will be held accountable for your actions in front of the court.”

    Met officers are working alongside communities to crack down on individuals who supply drugs in London. As part of the Met’s drive to tackle issues that matter most to communities through our A New Met for London plan, officers are focusing on community crime fighting, acting on residents’ concerns, making London safer for those who live, work and raise a family in the capital.

    The supply of drugs has devastating consequences on communities across London and beyond – it causes addiction, having devastating health impacts, as well as leading to anti-social behaviour and violence.

    With the help of local communities sharing information, Met officers are acting swiftly to pursue those who seek to cause harm by supplying drugs.

    If you want to report a drugs crime, call 999 in an emergency, 101 or report online. Alternatively, this can be reported to the independent charity Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.

    Baxter has been remanded for sentencing at Kingston Crown Court on Thursday, 5 December.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: New air defence laser engages multiple missiles at once  

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    RAF pilots are one step closer to being equipped with a cutting-edge air-protection laser self-protection system, following 100% successful live-fire trials.

    • Air protection laser defeats 100% of targets in live firing trial.

    • Equipment being fitted to UK military aircraft to defeat missile threats. 

    • Collaboration between Dstl scientists and UK industry partners help support 1950 jobs across Scotland. 

    RAF pilots are one step closer to being equipped with a cutting-edge laser self-protection system, following 100% successful live-fire trials.  

    The laser is being designed to be fitted to a range of RAF aircraft including the intelligence gathering Shadow R2 and A400M transporter, ready to rapidly detect and defeat threats such as missiles.  

    During the trial at the Vidsel Test Range in Sweden, the operational system defeated a range of infrared heat-seeking missiles being fired simultaneously. 

    100% of threats were quickly defeated using a laser with pinpoint accuracy, which has been designed and developed by the Team Pellonia partnership between Leonardo UK, Thales UK, and the MOD’s Defence Science and Technology Laboratory.

    Defence Secretary, John Healey said:  

    Identifying, tracking and defeating threats from the air in seconds is crucial to having the edge over those who try to do us harm.  

    We’re equipping our Armed Forces with the very latest technology to keep them safe and give them the advantage on operations. 

    This high-tech laser is another excellent example of joint working between our Dstl experts and the UK’s defence industry.

    The system works by Thales’s Elix-IR threat warning system quickly detecting and identifying the launch of missiles, using a series of algorithms to filter out background clutter so that only valid threats are tracked, classified and declared.  

    Once the threat(s) has been classified, an alert is sent to the Leonardo’s Miysis directed infrared countermeasure which moves to track the incoming missile and directs a jamming laser onto the missile with ultimate precision. 

    Threats are defeated faster than the time it takes to read this sentence. This UK engineered capability gives the MOD the latest generation best-in-class protection, whilst enjoying full operational independence, and offering the same freedoms to export customers. 

    The live tests were witnessed by senior military officers from a number of NATO nations.  

    Dstl’s Chief for Air Survivability, Mark Elson, said: 

    The UK defensive aids system is the culmination of MOD’s detailed understanding of changing threats alongside years of sustained defence investment in science and technology nurtured within Dstl. This has been aligned with the development capabilities of our commercial partners through Team Pellonia.  

    The design of the system has the agility to protect platforms now and into the future, providing long-term operational advantage to the UK and our allies. This is enabled through Spiral Development which provides capabilities such as the Dstl developed jamming waveform that defeats the guidance of the missile threat.

    Dstl’s research programme and partnerships like Team Pellonia help boost UK economic growth, sustaining 700 jobs at Thales in Glasgow and 1,250 specialist roles at Leonardo in Edinburgh, supporting both the local as well as national economies. 

    Leonardo’s Senior Vice-President of Radar and Advanced Targeting, Mark Stead, said: 

    The results of these latest trials speak for themselves, and are a testament to the skills and experience within Leonardo as a global leader in directed infrared countermeasures. Miysis DIRCM has again proven itself as a reliable, effective protection system and is flying operationally on many platforms today.  

    My thanks go to the Miysis team who demonstrated superb leadership and technical prowess during the trials at Vidsel, working alongside our partners in Defence and Industry to prove our capabilities which help to protect our Armed Forces.

    Thales’s Managing Director of Optronics & Missile Electronics UK, Stephen McCann, said: 

    Once again, as previously witnessed during SALT 3 in 2018, Elix-IR has proved its world leading capabilities as the latest generation multi-function infrared threat warning system during what was a comprehensive and complicated multi-faceted trial.  

    I am extremely proud of our entire team that supported both the UK, under Team Pellonia, and other NATO member teams in the preparation and execution of this event. UK MOD has adopted Elix-IR as its core reference capability threat warner of choice, based on its maturity and proven capability.

    Updates to this page

    Published 20 October 2024

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Harden Murrumburrah Rural Women’s Gathering passes flame to Lismore for 2025

    Source: New South Wales Premiere

    Published: 19 October 2024

    Released by: Minister for Regional NSW, Minister for Women

    Lismore has been named host of the 2025 Rural Women’s Gathering at a candle lighting ceremony as part of the 2024 event in Harden Murrumburrah.

    Tina Irish and Karen Hirst from Lismore City Council joined Minister for Women Jodie Harrison and the Harden Murrumburrah 2024 organising committee for the ceremony, accepting carriage of the 2025 event.

    The NSW Government provides $30,000 for the Gathering as part of its commitment to empowering women and girls across regional, rural and remote NSW, including helping them build new connections and learn new skills to ensure they can reach their full potential and thrive.

    The NSW Rural Women’s Gathering is an annual event held in a different location each year. 2024’s event in Harden Murrumburrah was themed “Sowing the Seeds of Success – Creating Your Own Work Life Balance”. The program – prepared by a organising committee made up of local volunteers – featured a range of enriching workshops, networking opportunities and cultural experiences.

    Attendees heard from inspiring female leaders, including former Australian Olympian and two-time Athletics World Champion Jana Pittman; Founder of Womn-Kind and AgriFutures Rural Women’s Award 2024 NSW/ACT Finalist Ruby Reithmuller; and AgriFutures Rural Women’s Award 2022 VIC Winner Kimberley Furness, who is also a magazine publisher and podcaster.

    Details for the 2025 Rural Women’s Gathering will be shared via the fortnightly Rural Women’s Network e-newsletter. To subscribe, visit nsw.gov.au/women-nsw/rural-womens-network

    Minister for Regional NSW Tara Moriarty said:

    “The NSW Government is committed to empowering women and girls across regional, rural and remote NSW to have full access to opportunities.

    “We recognise that women in regional parts of NSW experience unique challenges living in remote locations. We also know women in these communities are doing extraordinary things.

    “The Rural Women’s Gathering provides a great opportunity to share their experiences and, in turn, help other women to better support their communities.

    “Thank you to our incredible 2024 hosts in Harden Murrumburrah for helping facilitate connection through friendship, mentorship, professional resources and services. I look forward to seeing the tradition continue next year in Lismore.”

    Minister for Women Jodie Harrison said:

    “Thank you to the fabulous volunteers who coordinated and delivered a hugely successful 2024 Rural Women’s Gathering in Harden Murrumburrah – your local insights are absolutely invaluable, your dedication and commitment make this important annual event possible.

    “The Rural Women’s Gathering links women to information and services, create opportunities to build personal and business resilience, allow us to promote action on rural women’s issues, and ultimately strengthen communities across NSW.

    “After 31 years, the Gathering continues to be a key event on the NSW Rural Women’s Network calendar, enabling women from regional, rural and remote areas of NSW to connect, learn and celebrate.

    “Each year, there’s a range of diverse speakers and workshops, all of whom bring something new and inspiring to share – and I can’t wait to see what’s next for Lismore in 2025.”

    Member for Lismore Janelle Saffin said:

    “I’m excited to have the Rural Women’s Gathering here. I think its fantastic because we have some great women right across our community.

    “This is recognition that there’s a whole lot of women’s leadership here, particularly our rural women. They’re in everything, from the CWA, to the SES, to the RFS, to Zonta, we’ve got the lot.

    “The Rural Women’s Gathering is a great opportunity to network and having it in Lismore means its easier for local women to take part.”

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Update on NSW Government response to power outage in Far West NSW

    Source: New South Wales Premiere

    Published: 19 October 2024

    Released by: Minister for Energy and Climate Change

    Power supplies have been restored to communities in the Far West region of NSW using a large-scale back-up generator, but households and businesses are being urged to reduce their usage this evening to minimise demand.

    The Far West region is relying on the generator while Transgrid constructs temporary towers to replace those damaged by a serious storm. This could take a number of weeks.

    The large-scale back-up generator is not adequate to meet consumer demand at all times of the day, in particular during the evening peak from 5:30pm to 10:30pm (Australian Central Daylight time).

    During this time, Essential Energy may need to rotate power between different areas for around two hours at a time. Essential Energy will prioritise Life Support Customers and priority loads such as Broken Hill Base Hospital.

    The community in the impacted area can help by taking simple steps to minimise power use between 5:30pm and 10:30pm (Australian Central Daylight Time):

    • Turn off any non-essential appliances.
    • Use lights only in occupied rooms.
    • If you are using air conditioning, consider raising the set point temperature to about 26 degrees and close all blinds, windows and doors.

    Outside these times, the community should continue to use electricity as they normally would.

    The impacted area incudes Broken Hill, Tibooburra, Wilcannia, Menindee, White Cliffs and several other surrounding communities.

    The NSW Government has activated an emergency response and is coordinating assistance across a number of emergency services and government agencies, and is working with Transgrid and Essential Energy.

    A NSW Rural Fire Service b-double truck which set off from Sydney loaded with supplies has now arrived in the Far West. The supplies include generators, fuel pods, cool rooms, lighting towers and Starlinks (satellite connections).

    The NSW Government encourages community members to follow the guidance of emergency service crews and asks travellers to the Far West of NSW avoid the area surrounding Broken Hill, Wilcannia, Menindee and White Cliffs unless absolutely necessary.

    For the latest updates from Essential Energy visit: https://www.essentialenergy.com.au/outages-and-faults/power-outages

    Customers, including Life Support customers, can contact Essential Energy on its outage line on
    13 20 80 for support.

    For more information on ways to reduce your energy during this peak demand event visit https://www.energy.nsw.gov.au/households/guides-and-helpful-advice-households/electricity-supply-disruptions

    Minister for Energy Penny Sharpe said:

    “It’s positive news that power supplies have been restored to Broken Hill and nearby communities via a large-scale back-up generator. However, there is still a lot of work to be done to replace the transmission towers and repair the electricity network.

    “I want to thank the Essential Energy and Transgrid workers who have worked tirelessly over the past two days to restore power.

    “I also want to thank Perilya Mine for supplying load to the large-scale backup generator, which in turn, has provided security and stability to the Broken Hill grid and helped restore power to communities across the Far West.”

    Member for Barwon Roy Butler said:

    “We are focused on restoring power to all homes and businesses in Broken Hill and towns across the region.

    “We welcome the arrival of supplies including generators to support those on the ground.

    “I encourage everyone in our community to please check in on your neighbours and relatives, especially those who are vulnerable, as we work through this situation.”

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: News 10/17/2024 Blackburn, Duckworth Introduce Bill to Increase Access to Advanced Wheelchairs

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn)

    NASHVILLE, Tenn. – U.S. Senators Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn) and Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.) introduced the Choices for Increased Mobility Act to increase access to wheelchairs made with advanced materials by allowing Medicare beneficiaries to upgrade to lighter, more functional wheelchairs without bearing the entire upfront cost. These manual wheelchairs help prevent shoulder injuries, enhance maneuverability, and reduce overall pain and fatigue for users. 

    “Too many Americans with disabilities face unnecessary barriers to obtaining the best mobility equipment to meet their needs,” said Senator Blackburn. “By making it easier for Medicare beneficiaries to upgrade to wheelchairs made with advanced, lighter materials like carbon fiber and titanium, this bipartisan bill would help improve the quality of life for countless individuals. I’m pleased to work with Senator Duckworth to reduce financial burdens on those who rely on these essential devices and ensure that more people have access to the mobility solutions they deserve.”

     “For too long, Medicare recipients have struggled to access lighter, more functional wheelchairs that would help them get around more easily while putting significantly less strain on their bodies,” said Senator Duckworth. “Our bipartisan legislation would help ensure Medicare recipients are better able to access the wheelchairs they need to live healthier, more independent lives—with minimal cost to the federal government. It’s a win-win.”
    BACKGROUND
    Complex Rehab Technology (CRT) is a specialized subset of the Durable Medical Equipment benefit, which includes highly configurable manual and power wheelchairs, adaptive seating, and positioning systems. Among these, manual wheelchairs constructed from advanced materials like carbon fiber and titanium are significantly stronger and lighter than standard aluminum wheelchairs.
    When the Medicare billing code for ultra-lightweight manual wheelchairs was established in 1993, materials like titanium and carbon fiber were not considered, as they were not yet in use for wheelchairs. As a result, CRT providers have struggled to supply wheelchairs with these advanced materials at the fee schedule amounts set by Medicare.
    Historically, Medicare allowed beneficiaries who met medical necessity requirements to upgrade their equipment by paying the difference between standard and upgraded materials. However, a policy change in 2016 removed this option, requiring beneficiaries to prepay the entire cost of the wheelchair out-of-pocket and await reimbursement for the standard portion, significantly limiting access to these advanced wheelchairs.
    CHOICES FOR INCREASED MOBILITY ACT
    The Choices for Increased Mobility Act would create two new billing codes for ultra-lightweight manual wheelchairs: one for base models and another for those constructed with titanium or carbon fiber. This change would allow Medicare beneficiaries to upgrade to lighter, more functional wheelchairs without bearing the entire upfront cost. Instead, beneficiaries would only pay for the cost of the specialized materials, significantly reducing their financial burden.
    This bill aims to restore the option for beneficiaries to choose and pay for advanced materials for their wheelchairs without removing medical necessity requirements. It would ensure that Medicare covers the standard portion of the wheelchair cost, with beneficiaries responsible only for the upgraded materials.
    ENDORSEMENTS
    This legislation is supported by the American Association for Homecare, Permobil Americas, National Coalition for Assistive and Rehab Technology, National Registry for Rehabilitation Technology Suppliers, Clinical Task Force, The VGM Group, U.S. Rehab, Association for Tennessee Home Oxygen & Medical Equipment Services, Great Lakes Home Medical Services Association, Midwest Association for Medical Equipment Services, Southwest Medical Equipment Suppliers Association, Alabama Durable Medical Equipment Association, Michigan HomeCare & Hospice Association, Pennsylvania Association of Medical Suppliers, Georgia Association of Medical Equipment Suppliers, Texas Medical Equipment Providers Association, Home Medical Equipment and Services Association of New England, Georgia Association of Medical Equipment Suppliers, Florida Alliance of Home Care Services, Atlantic Coast Medical Equipment Services Association, Northeast Medical Equipment Providers Association, Nevada Association of Medical Product Suppliers, Big Sky Association of Home Medical Equipment Suppliers, Pacific Association for Medical Equipment Services, Colorado Association for Medical Equipment Services, California Association of Medical Product Suppliers, Ohio Association of Medical Equipment Services, and Arkansas Medical Equipment Providers. 
    “We are so fortunate to be able to work with leaders like Senator Blackburn and Senator Duckworth who share our passion for supporting people with disabilities,” said Tom Ryan, President & CEO of the American Association for Homecare. “Their work to improve access to lightweight wheelchairs is the latest example of their commitment to ensuring people with mobility challenges can remain actively engaged in their communities.”
    “Our mission will always be to enable those with disabilities to live life with independence by providing aides of the same technical standards that we all use in our daily lives. S. 5154 is a common sense, budget neutral solution that empowers individuals with the choice to access to the many benefits of titanium or carbon fiber wheelchair frames,” said Chuck Witkowski, President of Permobil Americas. “We are immensely grateful to Senators Blackburn and Duckworth and thank them for their continued leadership and support of this community.”
    Click here for bill text.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-Evening Report: Why do some schools still force girls to wear skirts or dresses?

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Kayla Mildren, PhD Candidate in the politics of school uniform policies, Griffith University

    A Queensland tribunal has ruled it is not discriminatory for a school to require girls to wear a skirt at formal events.

    The private high school said girls needed to wear skirts for occasions including excursions, ceremonies and class photographs.

    A female student had complained to the Queensland Civil and Administrative Tribunal about different treatment for boys and girls.

    While the tribunal acknowledged there was “different treatment between the sexes”, it found there was not enough evidence to show this was “unfavourable”.

    Why are female students still made to wear skirts and dresses? And why is this a problem?

    Who decides?

    In Australia, uniform rules are largely determined by individual schools.

    Schools have some obligations to their communities, governing bodies (such as state education departments and independent school peak bodies) and anti-discrimination legislation.

    For example, Victoria’s Education Department requires policies to include an exemption process and “support inclusion”.

    But ultimately, it’s up to the school to decide how their uniform looks, who can access different items, where and when items may be worn, and what non-uniform items are regulated.

    School uniforms are ultimately decided by the school.
    Monkey Business Images/ Shutterstock



    Read more:
    No mullets, no mohawks, no ‘awkwardly contrasting colours’: what are school policies on hair and why do they matter so much?

    The pants question

    Pants occupy an odd space here. For public schools, most state education departments require girls to have the option of pants (which can include shorts or trousers), for both sport and regular uniforms.

    This is a relatively new standard. For example, Queensland introduced this in 2019 and New South Wales allowed it from mid-2018.

    Often, these changes were prompted by sustained campaigning by families and lobby groups.

    But private schools do not have the same obligations. Some are starting to update their policies and allow girls to wear shorts or pants if they choose.

    Others, however, have been met with conservative backlash when they do.

    So, when can girls wear pants?

    Girls’ access to pants is not as straightforward as a school including them within the uniform policy.

    As researchers note, simply allowing girls to wear pants may not be enough. If school cultures are not welcoming, or if the design is uncomfortable, girls may still avoid them.

    Or, as can be the case with private schools, a school may offer pants on a limited basis, such as only during winter. Alternatively, there may be a special order process for pants, making them difficult to obtain.

    Or schools may permit their use, except on special occasions such as photo days or excursions, like the Queensland case.

    Why does it matter?

    The skirt itself isn’t the issue. The element of choice is.

    As researchers note, skirts and dresses are linked to outdated expectations of modesty and femininity. They can be targets of fetish and harassment, and entrench binary ideals of gender.

    Flexible policies support gender-diverse youth and enable all students to select uniform items based on their body rather than their gender. Research shows offering students pants or shorts can also promote physical activity.

    These school uniform debates are also taking place amid concerns about misogyny and harassment of female students and teachers in schools and concern for queer young people’s wellbeing.

    The longer gender-normativity is baked into school policies, the longer students are denied their right to equitable education. And the longer that schools promote the idea of “girl” and “boy” as opposite and concrete categories, the harder it will be to combat schoolyard misogyny and queerphobia.

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

    – ref. Why do some schools still force girls to wear skirts or dresses? – https://theconversation.com/why-do-some-schools-still-force-girls-to-wear-skirts-or-dresses-241484

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: September 2024 Transaction Data

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    This data provides information about the number and types of applications that HM Land Registry completed in Septemer 2024.

    NicoElNino/Shutterstock.com

    Please note this data shows what HM Land Registry has been able to process during the time period covered and is not necessarily a reflection of market activity.

    In September:

    • HM Land Registry completed more than 1,934,910 applications to change or query the Land Register 
    • the South East topped the table of regional applications with 437,185

    HM Land Registry completed 1,934,916 applications in September compared with 1,876,215 in August and 1,730,767 last September 2023, of which: 

    •  286,474 were applications for register updates compared with 285,515 in August
    • 1,119,845 were applications for an official copy of a register compared with 1,073,999 in August
    • 197,651 were search and hold queries (official searches) compared with 197,468 in August
    • 77,774 were transactions for value compared with 78,219 in August
    • 16,471 were postal applications from non-account holders compared with 18,417 in August

    Applications by region and country 

    Region/country July applications August applications September applications
    South East 468,348 425,070 437,185
    Greater London 404,408 350,059 362,510
    North West 236,256 210,417 219,362
    South West 203,566 185,961 188,834
    West Midlands 178,188 158,505 163,947
    Yorkshire and the Humber 166,385 149,177 155,258
    East Midlands 148,285 138,813 142,378
    North 103,651 95,160 95,537
    East Anglia 87,080 79194 80,620
    Isles of Scilly 194 259 159
    Wales 96,036 83,463 89,016
    England and Wales (not assigned) 157 137 110
    Total 2,092,554 1,876,215 1,934,916

    Top 5 local authority areas 

    September 2024 applications

    Top 5 Local authority areas September applications
    Birmingham 28,173
    City of Westminster 27,432
    Leeds 23,152
    North Yorkshire 22,058
    Buckinghamshire 19,858

    August 2024 applications

    Top 5 local authority areas August applications
    Birmingham 27,866
    City of Westminster 25,959
    Leeds 22,776
    North Yorkshire 20,844
    Buckinghamshire 19,900

    Top 5 customers 

    September 2024 applications

    Top 5 customers September applications
    Infotrack Limited 194,207
    Landmark Information Group Ltd 39,195
    Orbital Witness Limited 34,008
    Enact 30,413
    O’Neill Patient 29,616

    August 2024 applications

    Top 5 customers August applications
    Infotrack Limited 182,701
    Landmark Information Group Ltd 44,136
    Orbital Witness Limited 32,623
    Enact 28,071
    O’Neill Patient 27,852

    Access the full dataset on our Use land and property data service.

    Next publication 

    Transaction Data is published on the 15th working day of each month. The October 2024 data will be published at 11am on Thursday 21 November 2024.

    Updates to this page

    Published 21 October 2024

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Highland Road Conditions Report – Monday 21 October 2024

    Source: Scotland – Highland Council

    The information provided is a summary of reports from operational staff and is intended to give a general indication of typical conditions in each area at a point in time.  It is not intended to imply that any individual route is entirely snow and ice free and drivers must be aware that conditions can change rapidly and make their own assessment of conditions for travelling.

    Maps of the Council’s gritting routes by priority and policy are available online at winter road maintenance (external link).

    Drivers should take extreme care this morning. Windblown debris is affecting roads and sea blown debris is affecting coastal roads particularly in the west. Roads operatives are working to clear roads this morning.

    The Corran Ferry is running as normal this morning.

    Follow our social media channels to keep up-to-date with all Highland Council road issues today – @HighlandCouncil

    Details as of 10am today are as follows – 

    Badenoch and Strathspey
    Roads damp. Positive road surface temperatures. No known problems.

    Nairn
    Roads damp. Positive road surface temperatures. No known problems.

    Sutherland
    The C1054, Coal Pit Road at Brora, approximately 100m off the  A9 is currently blocked due to a fallen tree. Operatives are in attendance to clear road. Earlier this morning, trees were down on the Lothmore side road (the U2766) off the A9 between Brora and Portgower but these have been cleared.

    Lochaber
    A861 Clovullin road is reduced to single lane for approximately 100 metres. The Corran Ferry is operating as normal this morning.

    Wester Ross
    Positive road surface temperatures. The A834 slip road at Contin War Memorial is closed with a tree blocking the road. Operatives are on their way to clear the road.

    Caithness
    No winter action required. No other known issues to report.

    Inverness
    Roads are dry / damp with no known problems.

    East Ross-shire
    Positive temperatures. No winter action.

    For information on Trunk Roads follow @trafficscotland or visit: https://www.traffic.gov.scot/ (external link) (external link).

    SSEN information –  https://www.ssen.co.uk/ (external link) (external link).

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Kansas City Man Pleads Guilty to Three Fentanyl Overdose Deaths

    Source: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) State Crime Alerts (b)

    KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A Kansas City, Mo., man pleaded guilty in federal court today to distributing fentanyl, which resulted in three overdose deaths in Belton and Raymore, Mo., as part of a drug-trafficking conspiracy.

    Tiger Dean Draggoo, 24, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Roseann A. Ketchmark to one count of conspiracy to distribute fentanyl and three counts of distributing fentanyl resulting in death.

    By pleading guilty today, Draggoo admitted that he distributed fentanyl on Sept. 3, 2022, the use of which caused the death of another person. Draggoo admitted that he distributed fentanyl between Aug. 22 and Sept. 13, 2022, the use of which caused the death of another person. Draggoo admitted that he distributed fentanyl between Dec. 7 and 20, 2022, the use of which caused the death of another person.

    Draggoo also admitted that the government’s evidence of the total amount of drugs he is responsible for distributing or possessing is at least 22,364 pills that contained a total of 2,460 grams of fentanyl.

    Victim #1 Fatality

    On Sept. 4, 2022, Cass County, Mo., sheriff’s deputies found a juvenile, identified in court documents as “Victim #1,” deceased in her bedroom. An autopsy report identified “Fentanyl Intoxication” as the cause of death. Investigators determined that Draggoo was selling fentanyl pills to the victim and had supplied her with fentanyl pills on the evening of Sept. 3, 2022.

    Victim #2 Fatality

    On Sept. 13, 2022, a deceased person, identified in court documents as “Victim #2,” was found in the Belton residence where she lived with her mother. A blue pill was found in her bedroom, which was tested and determined to contain fentanyl. An autopsy report identified the cause of death as “Acute Fentanyl Toxicity.” Investigators learned that Draggoo was selling fentanyl pills to Victim #2. Draggoo typically would drop off pills near midnight at Victim #2’s bedroom window, and cell phone GPS information indicated Draggoo was in the area of Victim #2’s residence at approximately 12:20 a.m on Sept. 13, 2022.

    Attempted Arrest of Draggoo

    On Sept. 22, 2022, law enforcement officers conducted surveillance of Draggoo’s apartment and attempted to arrest him. Draggoo got into a Jeep Renegade driven by his brother, co-defendant Colt Justin Draggoo, 21, of Kansas City, Mo. Officers attempted to conduct a traffic stop of the vehicle, but the vehicle fled. Tiger and Colt Draggoo later returned to the apartment complex, but when an officer drove into the parking lot, Tiger Draggoo ran into the apartment building and was able to escape.

    Colt Draggoo was arrested. Officers found a loaded Springfield Armory 9mm handgun sitting on the driver’s seat of the Jeep. A laundry bag in the back seat contained two fire safes that had a total of $184,500 in cash. Colt Draggoo has pleaded guilty to his role in the drug-trafficking conspiracy.

    Officers searched Tiger Draggoo’s apartment and found 17 firearms, including two machine guns, ammunition of various calibers, $246,769 in cash, a ballistic vest with plates, a money counter, numerous pills that contained fentanyl, eight suspected LSD tabs, and marijuana. The 17 firearms included a Del-Ton 5.56-caliber rifle (converted into a machine gun), a Glock switch (used to convert a Glock pistol into a machine gun), three Marlin .22-caliber rifles, a Norinco 7.62-caliber rifle, a Mosin-Nagant rifle, an Anderson Manufacturing AM-15 .223-caliber rifle, a Mossberg 12-gauge shotgun, an Armscorp USA .308-caliber rifle, a Century Arms 7.62-caliber rifle, a Herbert Schmidt .22-caliber revolver, a New England Firearms .22-caliber revolver, a Kimber 9mm pistol, a Glock 9mm pistol, a Sig Sauer 9mm pistol, and a Metro Arms .45-caliber pistol.

    Victim #3 Fatality

    On Dec. 20, 2022, Raymore police officers were dispatched to a residence in Raymore regarding a non-breathing female, identified in court documents as Victim #3. Victim #3 was transported to a local hospital where she was pronounced deceased. A small jewelry box in Victim #3’s bedroom contained three broken segments of a blue pill that were tested and determined to contain fentanyl. An autopsy report identified the cause of death as “Acute Fentanyl Toxicity.” Investigators learned that Tiger Draggoo had been selling fentanyl to Victim #3 since as early as May 31, 2022. The last Facebook Messengers conversation between Tiger Draggoo and Victim #3 occurred on Dec. 7, 2022, when they agreed to meet and an amount of $50 was agreed upon.

    Arrest of Draggoo

    Tiger Draggoo was arrested at his residence on Jan. 20, 2023. Tiger Draggoo was in possession of almost $2,000 in cash in his billfold and pockets. Officers searched Tiger Draggoo’s apartment and recovered pills from the toilet. Officers also found suspected psilocybin mushrooms, 144 grams of yellow THC wax, and more than $62,000 in additional cash. Officers searched Tiger Draggoo’s Honda Accord and found three handguns, a Palmetto State Armory multi-caliber rifle, an unregistered short-barreled 12-gauge shotgun, and $1,250 in cash. Officers searched his girlfriend’s Jeep Renegade, which was located at the apartment complex, and found a backpack that contained more than $82,000 in cash.

    Under federal statutes, Tiger Draggoo is subject to a mandatory minimum sentence of 20 years in federal prison without parole, up to a sentence of life in federal prison without parole. The maximum statutory sentence is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes, as the sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the court based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled after the completion of a presentence investigation by the United States Probation Office.

    This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Brad K. Kavanaugh and Robert Smith. It was investigated by the Jackson County Drug Task Force, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Belton, Mo., Police Department, the Raymore, Mo., Police Department, the Cass County, Mo., Sheriff’s Department, and the FBI.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI NGOs: Northern Ireland: Government’s appeal of Troubles Act judgement a ‘betrayal’

    Source: Amnesty International –

    Amnesty has today said the UK Government is betraying its own legacy commitments and failing victims by diluting its election promise to repeal and replace the widely opposed Troubles legacy Act. Amnesty made the comments today at a press conference in Belfast, held along with victims following the Government’s decision to seek to appeal a court of appeal judgment which found core parts of the Troubles Act including the Independent Commission for Reconciliation and Information Recovery (ICRIR) to be unlawful.

    Grainne Teggart, Amnesty UK Deputy Director in Northern Ireland said:

    “The UK Government’s decision to appeal, is a betrayal of their own legacy commitments and fails victims. It is a staggering dilution of their pre-election position.

    “The Government’s decision raises serious questions about their commitment to their own promise to repeal and replace the Troubles Act.

    “The Government needs to own this change of direction. The categorical pledge by the Labour party prior to the election was to repeal and replace the Troubles Act. That pledge has been increasingly qualified over recent months, and we now see them propping up the legacy body established by the last Government.

    “The Government should change course again, immediately, and fulfil their manifesto promise to repeal the Troubles Act. This should be done in full, as well as abandoning any attempt to prop up the ICRIR, which was condemned by the court ruling and by victims groups alike.

    “Stormont House Agreement remains the foundation on which to build.”

    On Friday 20 September, the Court of Appeal in Belfast ruled that the Independent Commission for Reconciliation and Information (ICRIR) was not human rights compliant in respect of effective victim participation and that the Troubles Legacy Act gives the UK Government too much veto power over the disclosure of material.

    Martina Dillon, whose husband, Seamus, was shot and killed outside the Glengannon Hotel in Dungannon on 27 December 1997 said:

    “Repeal and replace the universally-opposed Troubles Act as well as the investigations body which is a hangover from the last Government’s flawed plan. That’s what we were promised and that’s what we are now demanding.

    “The Secretary of State should categorically not be seeking to prop up a body he should clearly see there are problems with. Anything short of the return of my inquest is unacceptable. Others who need inquests should have access to them too. Victims have waited long enough for justice for our husbands, brothers, sisters, and children. Enough is enough, we won’t be fobbed off again.”

    MIL OSI NGO –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Farmer blames weather app after rain washes slurry down road

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    Farmer Ben Hembrow blamed rain which he claimed had not been forecast. But his fields were saturated with slurry which began running down a road.

    Slurry run off Huntham Farm in Stoke St Gregory into a lane.

    Somerset farmer Ben Hembrow applied slurry to fields growing winter wheat and claimed that heavy rain, which he said had not been forecast, led to slurry running into surrounding ditches and road drains near his Stoke St Gregory farm.

    This resulted in fines and costs to Hembrow and the farm totalling over £20,000.

    Appearing before District Judge Brereton at Yeovil Magistrates Court on Wednesday 16 October 2024, Hembrow, 36, of Huntham Farm, Stoke St Gregory, Somerset admitted two charges relating to causing slurry pollution. The company, Huntham Farm Ltd, also admitted one charge of causing a polluting discharge.

    Slurry put on fields ahead of rain

    In a case brought by the Environment Agency, the court heard that an officer went to the farm on a wet Sunday in February 2022, following a report of slurry running down a road and into a surface water drain close to the farm in Stoke St Gregory.

    The officer found fields saturated in slurry and observed slurry entering nearby watercourses and ditches. While investigating, Hembrow arrived on scene, visibly shaken. He attempted to reduce the impact by blocking a ditch and used sub soiling equipment to help break up the surface of the soil and prevent further run-off. Despite his actions the investigation later showed that over 1.5km of watercourse, as far as the confluence with the Sedgemoor Old Rhyne Site of Special Scientific Interest, had been impacted.

    Weather app blamed for forecasting ‘just 1mm of rain’

    During interview Hembrow claimed that the weather app he used had predicted only 1mm of rain the day after the slurry was applied. The agency’s investigation established that heavy rain had been forecast to fall on the Sunday throughout the week by numerous weather forecasters including the BBC and the app used by Hembrow. No checks on the physical condition of the soil had been made, no soil test pits to assess soil structure had been dug.

    Hembrow claimed he was not in breach of regulations to prevent pollution due to measures he had taken before spreading and specifically stated that, given the weather forecast he had consulted, he did not believe the application of slurry gave rise to a risk of pollution.

    A fine to reflect the slip in standards

    Summing up, District Judge Brereton acknowledged Hembrow to be a hard-working farmer committed to modern technology and farming practices. However, she also concluded that the fine imposed should reflect that the standards of farming had fallen well below what is expected. She also referenced aggravating features, specifically that Hembrow had previously been prosecuted for offences in 2016 and 2021.

    Hembrow, as an individual, was fined £525 for failing to plan the slurry applications. Huntham Farm Ltd was fined £8,000 for causing pollution and ordered to pay the agency’s full costs of £11,564.25.

    ‘Anything spread on the soil was likely to run off’

    David Womack, senior environment officer for the Environment Agency, said:

    This pollution event was avoidable but occurred because Mr Hembrow failed to carry out the most basic checks to assess if the land he was spreading slurry on was suitable.

    Previous land management had led to the fields being compacted – anything spread on the soil was therefore likely to run off, even in moderate rainfall conditions. He wrongly assumed risk assessments for slurry application would be done by his agronomist – but it was his responsibility to do this just prior to the slurry being applied.

    Additional weather checks would also have alerted Mr Hembrow that wet weather was very likely to occur immediately after he chose to apply slurry. Since 2018 there have been specific laws to ensure organic manure applications are planned and that they take into account weather forecasts and soil conditions.

    Background

    The charges:

    Ben Hembrow: 

    • On and before the 13 February 2022 you, Ben Hembrow, did cause an unpermitted water discharge activity, namely the discharge of poisonous, noxious or polluting matter from Huntham Farm, Stoke St Gregory, Somerset into inland fresh waters. Contrary to Regulations 12(1)(b) and Regulation 38(1)(a) of the Environmental Permitting (England and Wales) Regulations 2016. 
    • On and before the 13 February 2022 you, Ben Hembrow, did fail to plan the application of organic matter, namely slurry, to agricultural land at Huntham Farm, Stoke St Gregory, Somerset so as to give rise to a significant risk of agricultural diffuse pollution. Contrary to Regulations 4(1)&4(2) and Regulation 11 of the  Reduction and Prevention of Agricultural Diffuse Pollution (England) Regulations 2018. 

    The company: 

    • On and before the 13 February 2022 you, Huntham Farm Ltd, did cause an unpermitted water discharge activity, namely the discharge of poisonous, noxious or polluting matter from Huntham Farm, Stoke St Gregory, Somerset into inland fresh waters. Contrary to Regulations 12(1)(b) and Regulation 38(1)(a) of the Environmental Permitting (England and Wales) Regulations 2016.

    Updates to this page

    Published 22 October 2024

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI Video: UK Watch live: Lords debates apprenticeships and technical education

    Source: United Kingdom UK House of Lords (video statements)

    Members are set to debate the key purpose of the Apprenticeships and Technical Education (Transfer of Functions etc) Bill on Tuesday 22 October. The aim of the bill is to abolish the Institute for Apprenticeships and Technical Education (IfATE) and transfer its statutory functions to the Secretary of State for Education, who in practice will defer these duties to the newly established Skills England.

    Find out more https://www.parliament.uk/business/news/2024/october/lords-debates-institute-for-apprenticeships-and-technical-education-bill/

    Catch-up on House of Lords business:

    Watch live events: https://parliamentlive.tv/Lords
    Read the latest news: https://www.parliament.uk/lords/

    Stay up to date with the House of Lords on social media:

    • Twitter: https://twitter.com/UKHouseofLords
    • Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/UKHouseofLords/
    • Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/UKHouseofLords
    • Flickr: https://flickr.com/photos/ukhouseoflords/albums
    • LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-house-of-lords
    • Threads: https://www.threads.net/@UKHouseOfLords

    #HouseOfLords #UKParliament #StateOpening

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Aj40OUNjWi0

    MIL OSI Video –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Ambitious Mobile Strategy to be considered by councillors

    Source: Scotland – City of Perth

    This strategy, developed with feedback from the public, will be discussed when Climate Change and Sustainability Committee meets on 23 October 2024.

    The Mobility Strategy is one of three critical place-based strategies designed to shape the long-term development of Perth and Kinross, alongside the Local Housing Strategy and the Local Development Plan.

    Together, these strategies are instrumental in realising the Council’s vision of “a Perth and Kinross where everyone can live life well, free from poverty and inequality.”

    The Mobility Strategy outlines Perth and Kinross Council’s vision for managing and developing the transport and active travel network over the next 15 years.

    It considers all modes of transport for the movement of people and goods across both rural and urban areas, addressing the impacts of emerging technologies, digital services, housing, inclusion, poverty, health, climate adaptation, economic growth, air quality, and place making.

    Aligned with the priorities set out in the Scottish Government’s National Transport Strategy 2 (February 2020), the Mobility Strategy adopts four key priorities: Reducing Inequalities, Taking Climate Action, Delivering Inclusive Economic Growth, and Improving Health and Wellbeing.

    These priorities are fundamental to the development and delivery of the strategy, ensuring it meets both national targets and local goals.

    Councillors will also be asked to approve the next priorities for the Local Heat and Energy Efficiency Strategy (LHEES) and Local Area Energy Plan (LAEP) for the upcoming 12-18 months.

    The Perth and Kinross LAEP envisions the area as a leading example of affordable and equitable access to sustainable energy for all residents, businesses, and organisations.

    By 2045, the area aims to achieve an integrated, net-zero local energy system. Similarly, the Perth and Kinross LHEES aims to make homes and buildings more energy efficient and equipped with decarbonised heat sources, providing more affordable warmth and reduce climate impact, all contributing to achieving our goal of Net Zero by 2045.

    In line with these initiatives, committee members will be asked to approve the Council’s Public Body Climate Change Duty report. The report outlines the Council’s actions and progress in addressing climate change within its own operations, with a 31% reduction in its overall emissions. The decrease is primarily attributed to improvements in waste processing and the transition from waste to energy. Additionally, there were modest reductions in emissions from on-site energy production, business travel and employee commuting.

    Councillor Richard Watters, Convenor of Climate Change and Sustainability Committee said: “We are deeply grateful to the public for their active involvement and valuable feedback throughout the development of the Mobility Strategy. Their participation has been crucial in shaping a strategy that is robust, relevant, and adaptable to the diverse needs of our community.

    “We also want to recognise the outstanding work made through the Local Heat and Energy Efficiency Strategy (LHEES), the Local Area Energy Plan (LAEP) and the Council’s own initiatives in tackling climate change.  It is truly encouraging to see the Council’s substantial reduction in overall emissions, equivalent to 12.5 kilotonnes of C02, between 2022/23 and 2023/24.

    “Despite facing financial challenges, we are striving forward with new priorities for the next 12 to 18 months. Together, we are paving the way for a sustainable and prosperous future for Perth and Kinross.”

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Park life through a lens in fixed point photography project

    Source: City of Derby

    Visitors to Allestree Park are being asked to be part of monitoring the exciting changes to the landscape as Community Rewilding progresses thanks to the launch of a new fixed-point photography project.

    Based on the wide range of conversations about what people want to see happen in Allestree Park, Derbyshire Wildlife Trust and Derby City Council are facilitating a timeline of activities to help shape the park into a richer place for people and nature and help tackle the effects of climate change. 

    One of those activities is monitoring the evolving landscape changes through fixed-point photography, a user-friendly way for members of the public to monitor visual changes to the landscape through the seasons and years.

    Ten fixed-point photography wooden posts with phone brackets attached have been installed at Allestree Park. With technology powered by video specialists Ace Nature, the public can now take photos, using their mobile phones, from the same point over time and upload them online via a QR code displayed on the posts.

    Derby City Council and volunteers installed the fixed points in spring to allow the Friends of Allestree Park volunteer group to test the system in preparation for it being rolled out to everyone.

    Now, each photograph submitted by the public can be compared to monitor the evolving landscape, visual changes and trends, so the community can see how rewilding is changing the park and ensure the best outcomes for people and wildlife.

    Lisa Witham, Director of Wilder Communities at Derbyshire Wildlife Trust said:

    We know from our community conversations throughout the life of this project that people want to be more involved in projects, including monitoring changes and volunteering. We are excited to be able to deliver the fixed-point photography project, which will not only provide a greater understanding of the ever-changing landscape at Allestree, but also provide opportunities for people to take part and benefit their mental and physical wellbeing through connecting with nature.

    We want as many people as possible to get involved regularly to give the project team a realistic and critically important snapshot of what is happening to the landscape over time. This can be used alongside other data and survey results to monitor and evaluate, as the park is rewilded into a space that nature and people can enjoy. We are so excited to roll this project out to everyone and look forward to seeing people’s photos!

    Councillor Ndukwe Onuoha, Derby City Council Cabinet Member for Streetpride, Public Safety and Leisure, added:

    This initiative gives all our visitors to Allestree Park the opportunity to be at the heart of the Community Rewilding project, helping to record progress as the seasons change, and over time. I look forward to getting out in the park and to seeing the results as the project develops.

    To get involved, all people need to do is:

    • Visit the park
    • Scan the QR code displayed on the post and follow the instructions
    • Place smart phone in the metal bracket on top of the wooden post
    • Take a picture
    • Photos can then be viewed online on the Derbyshire Wildmap website

    The fixed-point photography project is part of the Nature Returns Programme led by Natural England in close partnership with the Environment Agency, Forestry Commission and RBG Kew, Wakehurst. This Shared Outcomes Funded Programme is sponsored by Defra and DESNZ.

    This is also part funded by The National Lottery Community Fund through a Climate Action Fund grant awarded to the Community Rewilding project earlier this year to deliver community and nature benefits in Allestree Park and across Derby City.   

    For more information about the Community Rewilding of Allestree Park and to find out more about upcoming activities and events, visit the Derbyshire Wildlife Trust website.

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Cemetery users are being advised to expect some minor disruption in the coming days while repair wor

    Source: Northern Ireland – City of Derry

    Cemetery users are being advised to expect some minor disruption in the coming days while repair wor

    22 October 2024

    Cemetery users are being advised to expect some minor disruption in the coming days while repair work is carried out on the City Cemetery lower main trunk route.
    Work on the road, which begins at the Gate Lodge on the Lone Moor entrance of the cemetery is scheduled to take place from Thursday October 24th and be completed on Tuesday October 29th.
    Mayor of Derry City and Strabane District Council welcomed the commencement of work and thanked the public in advance for their cooperation.
    “I am pleased that these essential repairs are taking place to ensure this main route into the cemetery is safe for motorists and pedestrians,” she said.
    “During the works there will be some diversions in place within the cemetery and road users are asked to follow the signage to keep disruption to a minimum.
    “We appreciate the public’s cooperation and look forward to the repaired road reopening.”
    For updates on cemetery services and opening hours visit derrystrabane.com/cemeteries

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Strategic plan for long-term energy infrastructure

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    Strategic spatial plan to provide a blueprint for Great Britain’s energy infrastructure

    Strategic spatial plan commissioned for energy infrastructure

    • new plan to provide a blueprint for Great Britain’s energy infrastructure out to 2050, providing stability for investors
    • more strategic approach will help cut grid connection waiting times, reducing overall system costs and accelerating the government’s clean energy superpower mission
    • UK, Scottish and Welsh energy ministers commission National Energy System Operator (NESO) to produce first ever spatial plan for energy in 2026

    The location for new energy infrastructure will be set out in a strategic plan to speed up the transition away from fossil fuels and accelerate the government’s clean energy superpower mission.

    Taking this more strategic approach will provide much-needed long-term certainty and stability for investors and accelerate the growth of the UK’s clean energy industries, creating more jobs and improving lives in communities across the UK.

    Building on work to deliver clean power by 2030, energy ministers in the Scottish, Welsh, and UK governments have asked the newly formed National Energy System Operator (NESO) to produce the first ever strategic spatial plan for energy out to 2050, across land and sea in Great Britain. Planning of energy infrastructure in this way will help cut grid connection waiting times, giving investors confidence on where to build and when.

    The publicly owned body will look at how to best spread new energy projects across the country in a way that takes into account other sectors, such as transport and water supply, as well as the environment. This wide-angle lens will speed up project delivery and reduce overall system costs, which could in turn bring down bills for consumers.

    The first iteration of the plan will be published in 2026 and will focus on electricity generation and storage, including hydrogen assets, from offshore wind farms to pumped storage hydro.

    Minister for Energy Michael Shanks said:

    To help drive growth and investment in our clean energy future, we need to provide investors with the long-term certainty and stability that they have been crying out for.

    That’s why we need a more strategic approach to our energy system, ensuring we can quickly scale up investment in the right infrastructure where we need it, to keep costs down and speed up our transition to clean power.

    Delivering the country’s first ever spatial plan will be a major milestone for our new public energy body.

    Welsh Government Cabinet Secretary for Economy, Energy and Planning, Rebecca Evans, said:

    We welcome this strategic approach to the energy system, which should reduce overall costs and bring certainty to communities.

    In Wales we have been developing plans to meet our energy needs at the local, regional and national level for some years and look forward to working collaboratively with the NESO and others to feed into these UK-wide plans. Getting this right will help ensure we deliver the best possible outcomes for our communities and our industries through the considered development of the clean energy they will need to power them.

    Acting Cabinet Secretary for Net Zero and Energy, Gillian Martin MSP, said:

    I am committed to working collaboratively with other governments where it can accelerate progress towards Scotland’s economic and net zero targets.  

    Key to the plan’s success will be ensuring that investor confidence is maintained throughout.

    It is also vital that it takes into account the nature of devolved policies and ambitions, delivers real benefits for the people and communities of Scotland and supports our ongoing efforts for a just transition.

    I look forward to working with the UK and Welsh governments on the plan as it develops.

    Kayte O’Neill, Chief Operating Officer, NESO said:

    We are delighted to receive this formal commission as NESO to develop this plan and bring together our expertise and that of our partners to develop this critical blueprint for Great Britain’s energy system of the future. 

    By setting out pathway options, engaging across government, the regulator, wider industry, interested parties and with communities as well as exploring the needs at a more zonal and regional level we can then identify where and what type of electricity and storage technologies we need to meet our future demand and decarbonisation ambitions.

    Alistair Phillips-Davies, Chief Executive, SSE: 

    As one of the largest investors in clean power in the UK we are very supportive of the strategic spatial energy plan. Having long-term stability through spatial plans and policy mechanisms will be critical to unlocking billions of pounds of investment across the country, supporting good jobs and building a homegrown energy system that is cleaner, more affordable and secure.

    CEO of Ofgem, Jonathan Brearley, said: 

    I warmly welcome and strongly support this commission to create the first national energy blueprint for Britain’s future energy system.

    It will be a real gamechanger in unlocking growth and investment, accelerating new infrastructure build, and speeding up innovation and technology. It will be a big stepping stone in delivering government’s mission to provide clean power by 2030 and accelerate the transition to net zero.  

    Ofgem will work closely alongside the UK, Scottish and Welsh governments, as well as NESO, to protect consumers and to deliver clean power at the lowest possible cost.

    NESO will develop several options for how the energy system could look in the future which will be presented to ministers. The chosen option will be taken forward to public consultation alongside detailed environmental assessments.

    Notes to editors

    Minister Shanks is today launching the SSEP at an event in parliament.

    NESO will publish its consultation on methodology later this year, and deliver the plan in 2026.

    See the SSEP letter and commission

    Updates to this page

    Published 22 October 2024

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –