NewzIntel.com

Category: Great Britain

  • MIL-Evening Report: Scientists recently studied the body of one of the world’s strongest men. This is what they found

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Justin Keogh, Associate Dean of Research, Faculty of Health Sciences and Medicine, Bond University

    The development of “superhuman” strength and power has long been admired in many cultures across the world.

    This may reflect the importance of these physical fitness characteristics in many facets of our lives from pre-history to today: hunting and gathering, the construction of large buildings and monuments, war, and more recently, sport.

    Potentially, the current peak of human strength and power is demonstrated in the sport of strongman.

    What is strongman?

    Strongman is becoming more common, with competitions now available at regional, national and international levels for men and women of different ages and sizes.



    Read more:
    Strongman used to be seen as a super-human novelty sport. Now more women and novices are turning to it

    Strongman training and competitions typically involve a host of traditional barbell-based exercises including squats, deadlifts and presses but also specific strongman events.

    The specific strongman events – such as the vehicle pull, farmer’s walk, sandbag/keg toss or stones lift – often require competitors to move a range of awkward, heavy implements either higher, faster or with more repetitions in a given time period than their competitors.

    Researching one of the greats

    Strongman has enjoyed substantial growth and development since the introduction of the World’s Strongest Man competition in the late 1970s.

    However, from a scientific perspective, there are few published studies focusing on athletes at the elite level.

    In particular, very little is currently known about the overall amount of muscle mass these athletes possess, how their mass is distributed across individual muscles and to what extent their tendon characteristics differ to people who are not training.

    However a recent study sought to shed some light on these extreme athletes. It examined the muscle and tendon morphology (structure) of one of the world’s strongest ever men – England’s Eddie Hall.

    Measuring an exceptionally strong person such as Hall – who produced a 500kg world record deadlift and won the “World’s Strongest Man” competition in 2017 – provided the opportunity to understand what specific muscle and tendon characteristics may have contributed to his incredible strength.

    Eddie Hall is one of world strongman’s finest competitors.

    What can we learn from a single case study?

    A limited number of athletes reach the truly elite level of strongman and even fewer set world records or win premier events.

    Because it’s so difficult to recruit even a small group of such rare athletes, conducting a case study with one elite strongman provided a unique opportunity to understand more about his muscle and tendon characteristics.

    Case studies have many limitations, including an inability to determine cause and effect or generalise findings to other individuals from the same group.

    However, the study of Hall was insightful, as his muscle and tendon results could be compared directly with various groups from the authors’ earlier published research.

    These groups included untrained people, people who have regularly resistance trained for several years, and competitive track sprinters.

    The inclusion of these comparative populations allowed meaningful interpretation of what makes Hall’s muscle and tendon characteristics so special.

    What they found

    Hall’s lower body muscle size was almost twice that of an untrained group of healthy active young men.

    And the manner in which his muscle mass was distributed across his lower body exhibited a very specific pattern.

    Three long thin muscles, referred to as “guy ropes”, were particularly large (some 2.5 to three times bigger) compared to untrained people.

    The guy rope muscles connect to the shin bone via a shared tendon and provide stability to the thigh and hips by fanning out and attaching to the pelvis at diverse locations.

    Highly developed guy rope muscles would be expected to offer enhanced stability with heavy lifting, carrying and pulling.

    Hall’s thigh (quadriceps) muscle structure was more than twice that of untrained people, yet the tendon at the knee that is connected to this muscle group was only 30% larger than an untrained population.

    This finding indicates muscle and tendon growth, within this case of extreme quadriceps muscle development, do not occur to the same extent.

    What do the results mean?

    The obvious implication is, the larger the relevant muscles, the greater the potential for strength and power.

    However, sports like strongman and even everyday activities like climbing stairs, carrying groceries and lifting objects off the ground require the coordinated activity of many stabilising muscles as well as major propulsive muscles such as the quadriceps.

    While Hall’s quadriceps were substantially bigger than untrained people, the largest relative differences occurred in the calves and the long thin “guy rope” muscles that help stabilise the hip and knee.

    These results pose a question about whether additional or more specific training for these smaller muscles may further enhance strength and power.

    This could benefit strongman athletes as well as everyday people.

    Also, the relatively small differences in tendon size between Hall and untrained populations suggests tendons do not grow to the same extent as muscles do.

    As muscular forces are transmitted through tendons to the bones, the substantially greater growth of muscle than tendon may mean athletes such as Hall have a greater relative risk of tendon than muscle injury.

    This view is somewhat consistent with the high proportion of tendinitis and strains reported in strength sport athletes, including strongman and weightlifters.

    Justin Keogh is the Associate Dean of Research, Faculty of Health Sciences and Medicine, Bond University, an exercise scientist and a former strongman competitor.

    Tom Balshaw is a Lecturer in Kinesiology, Strength and Conditioning employed by Loughborough University

    – ref. Scientists recently studied the body of one of the world’s strongest men. This is what they found – https://theconversation.com/scientists-recently-studied-the-body-of-one-of-the-worlds-strongest-men-this-is-what-they-found-238873

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-Evening Report: Can Australia prosecute foreigners for genocide overseas? Here’s how our atrocity laws work

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Alister McKeich, Lecturer and Researcher in Law, Criminology and Indigenous Studies, Victoria University, Victoria University

    Shutterstock

    The onslaught in the Middle East has brought to the world’s attention once again the “crime of crimes”, genocide.

    Both the the International Court of Justice and International Criminal Court (ICC) have brought allegations of genocide against Israel as a state and Israeli and Hamas leaders as individuals.

    The Australian government’s response to the Gaza crisis has included temporarily freezing of A$6 million of funding to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine. Though funding has been flowing again since March, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has been referred to the ICC by a law firm for being “an accessory to genocide”.

    Against this backdrop, Australia’s own genocide legislation is under parliamentary scrutiny. A bill tabled by independent Senator Lidia Thorpe (for whom I work as a casual legal researcher) seeks to change the way Australia deals with genocide.

    So what do our current laws say and what’s the case for changing them?

    What do our laws say?

    Australia ratified the Genocide Convention in 1949.

    Yet it was not until 2002, once the ICC was established, that the Commonwealth Criminal Code was amended to create a new division of atrocity crimes.

    Through this legislation, Australia may prosecute any person accused of a Rome Statute crime (such as genocide) under Australian law.

    At the moment, written consent from the attorney-general is required before legal proceedings about genocide and other atrocity crimes can commence. This is called the “attorney-general’s fiat”.

    Further, the attorney-general’s decision is final. It “must not be challenged, appealed against, reviewed, quashed or called into question”.

    Thorpe’s bill seeks to overturn these two measures.

    The explanatory memorandum in the 2002 amendment did not say why the attorney-general’s consent was necessary.

    Consent from an attorney-general (or similar position) is not an international requirement.

    Australia is only one of a handful of other countries (including the United Kingdom, New Zealand and Canada) where the fiat also exists.

    Why is it a problem?

    The Australian government has justified the rule on the basis that prosecutions for atrocity crimes against individuals could affect Australia’s international relations and national security.

    However, submissions from legal experts and community groups to a senate inquiry looking at the issue point out flaws.

    They say this rule prevents access to justice for victims and survivors of atrocity crimes. It can also create the potential for government bias.

    Submissions also say the lack of explanation or appeal process ignores fundamental principles of jurisprudence.

    Has the rule been used?

    The attorney-general’s fiat has been used in a limited number of cases.

    In 2009, Palestinian rights groups Australians for Palestine issued a request for consent for the prosecution of former Israeli prime minister Ehud Olmert, who was visiting at the time.

    The Australian Centre for International Justice states in its submission how then-attorney-general Robert McClellend denied the request. He cited matters of international state sovereignty and the difficulties of pursuing such a case in an overseas jurisdiction.

    Then, in 2011, Arunchalam Jegastheeswaran, an Australian citizen of Tamil
    background, sought the attorney-general’s consent for the prosecution of then Sri Lankan President, Mahinda Rajapaksa, who was due to visit Australia.

    McClellend again denied the request, saying Rajapaska was protected under “head of state immunity”. This concept is controversial in international law, given it’s often heads of state who commit atrocity crimes.

    Head of state protection was also offered to former Myanmar (Burma) leader Aung San Suu Kyi, who was in government when the 2017 genocide against the Rohingya was committed.

    With Suu Kyi due to be in Australia for an ASEAN conference in 2018, the Australian Rohingya community sought a prosecution. It was denied by then attorney-general Christian Porter.

    And in 2019, retired Sri Lankan General Jagath Jayasuriya visited Australia. Despite concerted efforts to raise evidence to prosecute Jayasuriya of war crimes, delays with the Australian Federal Police meant the case never reached the point of attorney-general consent.

    First Nations plaintiffs such as Paul Coe and Robert Thorpe have also sought to bring cases of genocide before the domestic courts, with no success.

    What would changing the laws mean?

    As it’s unlikely an attorney-general would consent to prosecutions against its own government, submissions to the inquiry argue the rule creates a direct conflict of interest.

    For First Nations people seeking justice for crimes of “ongoing genocide” perpetuated by the Commonwealth, any government is hardly going to rule in their favour.

    Some Indigenous community groups argue the high rates of First Nations children in protection, deaths in custody, hyper-incarceration and cultural, land and environmental damage amount to genocide crimes.

    Submissions to the inquiry recommend instead of requiring the consent of the attorney-general, claims of genocide should be directed to the Commonwealth Director of Public Prosecutions. This would ensure greater independence from government.

    The director has a mandate for this sort of work. It already investigates similar crimes such as people smuggling, human trafficking, slavery and child exploitation.

    Internationally, the implications of this bill, if passed, will be consequential. The Australian Centre for International Justice estimates up to 1,000 Australian citizens have returned to Israel to fight as part of the Israel Defense Forces. Israel has been accused of serious atrocity crimes in Gaza.

    Should any of those citizens return, there could be attempts to mount a case. The government would then have to consider Australia’s political and economic ties with Israel.

    Whether the bill is passed will depend on parliament. But the situation highlights a paradox: the state itself will be deciding whether to remove its own inbuilt protections against charges of genocide.

    Alister McKeich is a casual legal researcher with the office of Senator Lidia Thorpe.

    – ref. Can Australia prosecute foreigners for genocide overseas? Here’s how our atrocity laws work – https://theconversation.com/can-australia-prosecute-foreigners-for-genocide-overseas-heres-how-our-atrocity-laws-work-236394

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-Evening Report: Unwritten rules, nostalgia and subtle rebellion: how school photos capture childhood and the changing times

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Cherine Fahd, Associate Head of School, School of Design, University of Technology Sydney

    A 1935 school photograph taken in Kandos, NSW. Author provided, courtesy of the Kandos Museum.

    In the town of Kandos, New South Wales, there’s the local Kandos Museum run by volunteers. The museum holds relics from the cement works that once defined the town, but there are other treasures, too.

    As part of the Cementa24 festival, I became fixated on the museum’s collection of school photos. Neatly organised into ring-bound folders by the volunteers, the group portraits span decades of students from Kandos Public School and Kandos High School, from 1924 through to the 1990s.

    A photo album made by volunteers at the Kandos Museum.
    Author provided

    I enlarged and cropped some of these photos to turn them into street posters to scatter around town. I asked permission before sticking a few outside the local pub, the radio station, the post office and the op shop. I spot the locals smiling as they pass them, stopping to look for someone they know. I watch them point at the pictures and hear them naming names.

    Working on this project, I can’t stop thinking about the weight of these photographic rituals. School photos aren’t just memories; they hold social histories. Through them, you can trace changes in hairstyles, fashion, attitudes and even migration – yet there’s something homogeneous and unchangeable about how they’re made.

    School photo rules

    There’s always a physical hierarchy in these photos. The photographer organises the group to ensure compositional acuity. The students are lined up in rows, with tall people in the back and shorter people in front – evenly spaced, arranged by height and symmetry.

    When was the rule made that says this is how a group should look? Balanced, orderly and with everyone fitting neatly into place, whether they socially do or not. Somehow I always ended up on the edge of the middle row. The social dynamics of the playground found their way into the organisation of our bodies, forever captured in a split second.

    A photo of Kandos’ 5th Form, 1967.
    Author provided, courtesy of the Kandos Museum

    Looking at the Kandos photos from the 1940s through to the 1970s, then at my children’s photos from 2013 to 2024, and my own school photos in the 1980s and ‘90s, I can see the difference in public, private and catholic school uniforms. I can see the difference in racial diversity (or lack thereof) between a small regional town, inner-city Sydney and suburban southwest Sydney. I can also see how much photographic technology has changed.

    Despite this, the organisational structure of the school photo remains the same. The kids still stand stiffly in their rows, with identical tunics and ties. Standing too close, someone’s elbow digs into someone else’s side.

    As a photographer now, I often think about these school photos and the rituals that have remained largely unchanged in Australia. Every year, kids are shuffled onto tiered steps. Those in the front put their knees together, hands in laps, while the girls must “try to look like ladies”. Then there are the “nobodies” in the middle row (or is that just me reading into it?)

    The perils of posing

    Posing for school photos can be complicated. One year my daughter came home from school and declared the photographer was sexist because he made all the girls sit in the front row while the boys got to stand. I asked her why sitting was sexist. She couldn’t explain – she was eight years old – but she certainly felt the power difference between sitting with your knees pressed together and standing tall.

    And what about the solo portrait? I still think about my kindergarten class from 1979. The group photo was fine. I was happy, standing next to my new best friend. But my solo portrait was a disaster. I looked possessed, my eyes half-closed, lashes blurred, caught mid-blink.

    My mother didn’t buy the solo photo, but she kept the group one. After that I promised myself it would never happen again. I told myself every year: “don’t blink, don’t blink”. Back then, photography was on film. There were no re-dos, no instant feedback, no photoshop and no AI. Once the camera clicked, that was it.

    ‘Don’t blink, don’t blink,’ I’d think, while trying to keep my eyes open.
    Author provided

    At the end of primary school, I’d visit my best friend’s house and envy the neat, chronological line of her school photos framed on her kitchen wall. Year by year, there she was, changing just slightly – a slow, steady record of growing up. I didn’t know why, but seeing framed evidence of time passing made me emotional. Maybe it was the certainty of the way her life was so neatly documented.

    My own school photos never made it to the wall in such a tidy fashion. But they did make it into my father’s wallet, my mother’s purse, in frames above the piano, on the fridge, in photo albums and in many a drawer.

    Small acts of rebellion

    The 1950s photos are formal and solemn. Back then you stood straight, faced the camera and no one smiled too much. By the 1970s and ’80s, the kids started to smirk – with hair loosened, mullets, and bodies shifting like they were trying to resist the pose. In one photo, the basketball team boys have their shoes off, feet raised above the blistering asphalt in the summer heat. The rules were still there, but you can see them pushing back.

    Bare feet raised in a photo of the Kandos High School Open basketball team, 1975.
    Author provided, courtesy of the Kandos Museum.

    What if we invited the rituals to change? What if students could self-organise, be silly, pull faces, wear their own clothes, and resist gender binaries and institutional uniformity?

    Some of the photos in the Kandos albums hint at this potential for small acts of rebellion. There’s the girl pulling a face, one laughing in profile. In one photo there’s a kid wearing a non-regulation jumper, and another in which they were clearly allowed to be silly because the teacher is laughing too.

    Photographic rebellion in the class of 1996.
    Author provided, courtesy of the Kandos Museum.

    In the pre-digital era, these small mishaps and moments of failure were captured unpolished and unfiltered. Those are the images I find myself drawn to; these are often the best ones. They reveal how uncomfortable it can be being photographed and how forced a pose can feel. Shirking a smile and a stiff stance is maybe the only power we have in that brief moment.

    Cherine Fahd 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. Unwritten rules, nostalgia and subtle rebellion: how school photos capture childhood and the changing times – https://theconversation.com/unwritten-rules-nostalgia-and-subtle-rebellion-how-school-photos-capture-childhood-and-the-changing-times-239190

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Ofqual poll highlights value of cyber security training in schools

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    Ofqual is reminding schools and colleges of the importance of cyber security after a poll highlighted the risks associated with poor cyber hygiene. 

    Ofqual is reminding schools and colleges of the importance of cyber security after a poll highlighted the risks associated with poor cyber hygiene. 

    The prompt comes as a Teacher Tapp survey found 1 in 3 secondary teachers did not have cyber security training, in the last academic year. 

    Ofqual’s Executive Director of General Qualifications Amanda Swann said:

    Losing coursework that is the result of many hours of hard work is every student’s nightmare. Even more distressing is losing a whole class or year group’s coursework because of weak cyber security on a school or college IT system. 

    Many schools and colleges take cyber security seriously, but this poll highlights that there is more to be done. I would encourage schools and colleges to visit the National Cyber Security Centre’s school resource guide to learn how to defend against cyber attacks.

    The poll, which surveyed teachers across England, also found that: 

    • 34% of schools and colleges in England experienced a cyber incident during the last academic year 

    • most commonly, 23% of schools and colleges in England experienced a cyber security incident due to a phishing attack 

    • the north-west was hit hardest, with 40% of schools which responded having had a cyber incident, compared with 28% in the east of England 

    • 20% could not recover immediately, with 4% taking more than half a term to recover 

    • 9% of headteachers said the attack was critically damaging 

    • 1 in 3 teachers have not had cyber security training this year — of the two-thirds who have had training, 66% said it was useful. 

    Teachers who had experienced a cyber incident were asked how it affected them, their colleagues and students. 

    One teacher said:

    [It happened] last summer before results days. From then on, all teaching staff were unable to access anything, so could not prepare for the year. 

    When back in school, we could not use the desktops and there were not enough laptops. 

    This went on for weeks and was utter chaos.

    Another teacher said:

    [It] caused a dip in belief about the security of our systems and led to difficult conversations with parents.

    For practical tips designed for schools on how to defend against cyber attacks, visit the National Cyber Security Centre school resources page.

    Updates to this page

    Published 30 September 2024

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Paramedics to work alongside emergency department teams in innovative new trial

    Source: New South Wales Government 2

    Headline: Paramedics to work alongside emergency department teams in innovative new trial

    Published: 30 September 2024

    Released by: Minister for Regional Health

    An innovative, 10-week trial starting today will see paramedics working alongside doctors, nurses and other healthcare professionals to improve access to care in regional healthcare settings.

    Mudgee Hospital’s emergency department (ED) will be the first in the state to participate in the Integrated Paramedic Workforce Model Pilot, which will see paramedics integrate into the multidiscplinary team within the ED and support existing staff to provide care.

    The trial will see up to three NSW Ambulance paramedics rostered on in the ED, in addition to the regular, full suite of ED staff at Mudgee.

    During the trial, triage will continue to be performed by a Registered Nurse in the ED, and hospital staff will inform patients if a paramedic is involved in their care.

    How a paramedic works with existing ED staff as part of the multidisciplinary team in treatment areas will depend on each patient’s individual needs.

    The trial, which was open to NSW Ambulance paramedics across the state, will demonstrate how paramedics may be able to complement existing workforces in healthcare settings, with a second rural health service participating in the pilot in the coming weeks.

    Quotes attributable to Minister for Regional Health Ryan Park:

    “Integrating paramedics into emergency departments is something which has been done effectively overseas, and this trial will give us insight into how it could be done in NSW to complement our regional health workforce.

    “Our EDs across NSW are grappling with unprecedented pressure, which is why the NSW Government is investing in a range of measures including creating alternative pathways to care, all with the goal of relieving our busy and stretched emergency departments.

    “Paramedics will provide additional support by working alongside our dedicated doctors, nurses and allied health teams to provide treatment, and improve access to care.

    “Attracting and retaining healthcare workers in regional settings is a longstanding challenge faced by every state and territory in Australia, and the NSW Government is committed to building a more supported regional health workforce through innovative initiatives like the Integrated Paramedic Workforce Model Pilot.”

    Quotes attributable to Labor Spokesperson for Dubbo Stephen Lawrence:

    “We know that regional and rural health services face unique pressures, and this trial is all about exploring innovative solutions.

    “This collaborative effort is an important step to see how we can improve access to care for patients in our regional communities.”

    Quotes attributable to WNSWLHD Chief Executive Mark Spittal:

    “As a large rural centre, the wide range of presentations we see at Mudgee Hospital will see paramedics utilise their extensive skillsets in the ED setting, within their scope of practice.

    “Clinical procedures have been rigorously reviewed and adjusted for the pilot. We have worked together with NSW Ambulance to investigate how and when paramedics will provide support, to ensure all patients receive appropriate care from appropriate staff.

    “Patients will know if a paramedic is involved with their care. Hospital staff will let patients know, but NSW Ambulance paramedics involved in the trial will also be in different uniforms to ED staff, making paramedics identifiable.”

    “This is an exciting opportunity for our award-winning ED team at Mudgee Hospital, and for our Local Health District as a whole. To be selected for this trial reflects our willingness and capability to support innovation which could help regional healthcare settings across NSW in the future.”

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-Evening Report: New research reveals why the mighty Darling River is drying up – and it’s not just because we’re taking too much water

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Milton Speer, Visiting Fellow, School of Mathematical and Physical Sciences, University of Technology Sydney

    Water flows in mainland Australia’s most important river system, the Murray-Darling Basin, have been declining for the past 50 years. The trend has largely been blamed on water extraction, but our new research shows another factor is also at play.

    We investigated why the Darling River, in the northern part of the basin, has experienced devastating periods of low flow, or no flow, since the 1990s. We found it was due to a decrease in rainfall in late autumn, caused by climate change.

    The research reveals how climate change is already affecting river flows in the basin, even before water is extracted for farm irrigation and other human uses.

    Less rain will fall in the Darling River catchment as climate change worsens. This fact must be central to decisions about how much water can be taken from this vital natural system.

    A quick history of the Darling

    Murray Darling catchment map.
    Martyman/Wikimedia, CC BY

    The Darling River runs from the town of Bourke in northwest New South Wales, south to the Murray River in Victoria. Together, the two rivers form the Murray-Darling river system.

    The Indigenous name for the Darling River is the Baaka. For at least 30,000 years the river has been an Indigenous water resource. On the river near Wilcannia, remnants of fish traps and weirs built by Indigenous people can still be found today.

    The Darling River was a major transport route from the late 19th to the early 20th century.

    In recent decades, the agriculture industry has extracted substantial quantities of water from the Darling’s upstream tributaries, to irrigate crops and replenish farm dams. Water has also been extracted from Menindee Lakes, downstream in the Darling, to benefit the environment and supply the regional city of Broken Hill.

    A river in trouble

    Natural weather variability means water levels in the Darling River have always been irregular, even before climate change began to be felt.

    In recent years, however, water flows have become even more irregular. This has caused myriad environmental problems.

    At Menindee Lakes, for example, fish have died en masse – incidents experts say is ultimately due to a lack of water in the river system.

    Periods of heavy rain in recent years have dramatically improved water flows.

    But in between those episodes, water levels and quality have declined, due to factors such as droughts, expanded water extraction, salinity and pollution from farms.

    Compounding the droughts, smaller flows that once replenished the system have now greatly reduced. Our research sought to determine why.

    What we found

    We examined rainfall and water flows in the Darling River from 1972 until July 2024. This includes from the 1990s – a period when global warming accelerated.

    We found a striking lack of short rainfall periods in April and May in the Darling River from the 1990s. The reduced rainfall led to long periods of very low, or no flow, in the river.

    Since the 1990s under climate change, shifts in atmospheric circulation have generated fewer rain-producing systems. This has led to less rain in inland southeast Australia in autumn.

    The river system particularly needs rainfall in the late autumn months, to replenish rivers after summer.

    The periods of little rain were often followed by extreme floods. This is a problem because the rain fell on dry soils and soaked in, rather than running into the river. This reduced the amount of water available for the environment and human uses.

    In addition to the fall in autumn rainfall, we found the number of extreme annual rainfall totals for all seasons has also fallen since the 1990s.

    We also examined monthly river heights at Bourke, Wilcannia and Menindee. We found periods of both high and low water levels before the mid-1990s. But the low water levels at all three locations from 2000 onwards were the lowest in the period.

    Ensuring water for all

    Australia is the driest inhabited continent on Earth. Ensuring steady water supplies for human use has always been challenging.

    Falls in Darling River water levels in recent decades have largely been attributed to water extraction for farm dams, irrigation and town use.

    But as our research shows, the lack of rainfall in the river catchment – as a result of climate change – is also significant. The problem will worsen as climate change accelerates.

    This creates a huge policy challenge. As others have noted, the Murray-Darling Basin Plan does not properly address climate change when determining how much water can be taken by towns and farmers.

    Both the environment and people will benefit from ensuring the rivers of the basin maintain healthy flows into the future. As our research indicates, this will require decision-makers to consider and adapt to climate change.

    The authors do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

    – ref. New research reveals why the mighty Darling River is drying up – and it’s not just because we’re taking too much water – https://theconversation.com/new-research-reveals-why-the-mighty-darling-river-is-drying-up-and-its-not-just-because-were-taking-too-much-water-239923

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Return of peak rail fares a costly blow for commuters and climate

    Source: Scottish Greens

    30 Sep 2024 Transport End Peak Rail Fares

    Hiking rail fares is bad for people and planet.

    More in Transport

    The return of peak rail fares in Scotland will be a costly blow for commuters and our climate, says the Scottish Greens transport spokesperson, Mark Ruskell MSP.

    Mr Ruskell’s comments came on the morning that peak rail fares returned to Scotland, following a 12 month pilot to remove them that was secured by the Scottish Greens.

    The fare hike means that someone travelling between Glasgow and Edinburgh at peak times will see a return fare increase from £16.20 to £31.40.

    Mr Ruskell said: “A lot of commuters will have an unpleasant surprise when they pay for their tickets this morning and see that prices are higher than ever.

    “Peak rail fares are fundamentally unfair. They disproportionately impact people who have no say over when they need to travel for work or study. Bringing them back will do nothing to help workers or students or to encourage people out of their cars.

    “Many regular commuters have saved hundreds of pounds on their fares over the last year, and some of the rises they will now face are staggering.

    “If we want to build a transport system that works for people and planet then we need to ensure that rail is always an affordable and reliable option. People in Scotland already pay some of the highest fares in Europe and this will only make it worse.

    Mr Ruskell added: “The removal of peak rail fares was one of the most important changes that the Scottish Greens secured in government. I am proud of the work we did with trade unions and campaigners to deliver it. 

    “I hope that the SNP will reconsider this decision, and that we will see peak fares removed permanently.”

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Nina Hingorani-Crain reappointed as a Non-Executive Director to the Board of NS&I

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    HM Treasury has announced today the reappointment of Nina Hingorani-Crain as a Non-Executive Director to the Board of NS&I for a second, three-year term.

    HM Treasury has announced today that Nina Hingorani-Crain has been reappointed as a Non-Executive Director to the Board of NS&I (National Savings and Investments), as of 1 November 2024. The reappointment will be for a term of three years.

    Non-Executive Directors on NS&I’s Board ensure a sound strategy is in place to meet the organisation’s remit of raising cost-effective debt financing for the government. They also act as an external source of advice, have oversight of risk control, and ensure NS&I’s links with its outsourcing partners remain open and transparent.

    NS&I is one of the largest savings organisations in the UK, offering a range of savings and investments. All products offer 100% capital security because NS&I is backed by HM Treasury.

    Nina was first appointed as a Non-Executive Director in November 2021. She has held a number of high-profile executive and non-executive roles, including as Chief of Staff and Principal Private Secretary to the Chair of the Financial Services Authority (FSA) during the global financial crisis and as Chief of Staff leading the transition of the FSA into the Financial Conduct Authority, the current financial services regulator. She is currently on the Board of Nest (the workplace pension scheme set up by the UK government), a London mental health and community health NHS Foundation Trust, and the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales (ICAEW). She has previously served on the Board of the Charity Commission for England & Wales, and the Boards of several other national and regional organisations.

    Further information:

    The reappointment has been made in accordance with the Code of Practice published by the Commissioner for Public Appointments.

    All appointments are made on merit and political activity plays no part in the selection process. However, in accordance with the original Nolan recommendations, there is a requirement for appointees’ political activity (if any declared) to be made public. Nina Hingorani-Crain has confirmed that she has not engaged in any political activity in the last five years.

    Updates to this page

    Published 30 September 2024

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Maggie Smith was a formidable actor with a biting wit and a fearsome ability to deliver lines

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Jen Harvie, Professor of Contemporary Theatre and Performance, Queen Mary University of London

    It is a testament to the power of the late British actress Dame Maggie Smith that other eminent actors – though only male ones, as far as I can see – accused her of upstaging them.

    Richard Burton complained that in Anthony Asquith’s 1963 film The VIPs, she didn’t merely steal a big scene with him, “she committed grand larceny”. After making the 1978 Neil Simon film California Suite with her (for which Smith won her second Academy Award), Michael Caine is reported to have phoned Michael Palin, who was to be her co-star in the 1982 film The Missionary. “Watch her,” Caine reportedly warned. “She’ll have that scene from under your feet.”

    More recent audiences will recognise Smith’s arresting power in her portrayal of Violet Crawley, Dowager Countess of Grantham, in the long-running television series Downton Abbey and its two films. For film critic Peter Bradshaw, even “in the smallest of roles she set her own terms and every other actor was her satellite”.

    A prominent part of what gave Smith her power was her caustic humour, an acerbic put-down, and that withering look – from huge eyes set over pursed lips. New York Times critic Frank Rich praised her ability to “italicise a line as prosaic as ‘Have you no marmalade?’ until it sounds like a freshly minted epigram by Coward or Wilde.”

    But there was so much more to Maggie Smith than this. Her range was huge, and her power was built on craft.

    The social satire and commentary of her performances could be conveyed through anything from minxy humour to world-weariness, but always intelligence. In a review of her portrayal of Ibsen’s Hedda Gabler in a 1970 National Theatre production directed by Ingmar Bergman, the Evening Standard’s Milton Shulman described her as “haunt[ing] the stage like some giant portrait by Modigliani, her alabaster skin stretched tight with hidden anguish”.

    So, if you only know her work through recent blockbusters like Downton and the Harry Potter film franchise, in which she played Professor Minerva McGonagall, take a look at her vast and wonderful back catalogue. It’s a sustained masterclass in acting, as well as some of the very best explorations of the lived experiences of British middle-class women in the mid-to late-20th century. Two good places to start are the 1969 film The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie and the 1988 Alan Bennett television play A Bed Among the Lentils.

    In The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie – adapted by Jay Presson Allen from Muriel Spark’s 1961 novel– Smith played the eponymous heroine and won her first Academy Award, for best actress. Miss Brodie is a vivacious, romantic teacher at a repressive girls’ school in Edinburgh, Scotland. Confident that she knows what’s best for “her girls”, she fails to recognise how her approach to teaching is as controlling and potentially more damaging than that of the conservative head mistress.

    Smith sails through the film, moving from haughty grandeur through charming coquettishness to anguished despair. With just a hint of delicious melodrama, the film captures Miss Brodie’s hubris, but also the strict social limits of the times on girls’ and women’s freedoms and dreams.

    A Bed Among the Lentils is one of playwright Alan Bennett’s Talking Heads series of television monologues, written mostly for women. Smith plays Susan, the secretly alcoholic wife of an aspirational vicar. She is clearly under-stimulated by a life spent hosting visiting clerics at lunch and competing with other local women at flower-arranging for the altar. Her life shifts when she meets a kind, young and attractive Asian shopkeeper. He helps her to gain a different perspective on what gods can stand for and discovers what she wants and desires from life.

    Smith’s performance under Bennett’s direction is sometimes achingly slow, though it poignantly captures the emptiness of Susan’s life. (Smith reports in the 2018 tribute film Nothing Like a Dame that Laurence Olivier once criticised her for line delivery so slow she “bored him off the stage”. When it came to their next performance, she says, “I went so fast he didn’t know if it was Wednesday or Christmas.”)

    Again and again across an extraordinary career, Smith gave us painfully accurate portraits of British women, from steely and haughty to fragile and vulnerable – often simultaneously. She captured women’s fatigue with the social constraints imposed upon them and showed stunning glimpses of a world beyond those limitations, full of other potentials and possibilities.

    Jen Harvie 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. Maggie Smith was a formidable actor with a biting wit and a fearsome ability to deliver lines – https://theconversation.com/maggie-smith-was-a-formidable-actor-with-a-biting-wit-and-a-fearsome-ability-to-deliver-lines-240135

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Video: UK Baroness Butler-Sloss on parliamentary scrutiny #LordSpeakersCorner #HouseOfLords

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

    ‘The country has to have a rule of law’

    Baroness Butler-Sloss, formerly the highest-ranking female judge in England and Wales, discusses her long legal career, success in breaking through the ‘glass ceiling’ holding back women lawyers, and her concerns about the eroding of parliamentary scrutiny over the last decade.

    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

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AIfha2nal2o

    MIL OSI Video –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Review of Scottish Parliamentary Boundaries

    Source: Scotland – Highland Council

    Boundaries Scotland is responsible for reviewing and making recommendations for:

    • constituencies and regions for the Scottish Parliament;
    • the number of councillors on each council in a local government area;
    • the number of wards for local government elections and their boundaries; and
    • the extent of council areas.

    The Second Review of Scottish Parliament Boundaries commenced in September 2022. The Review is required by the Scotland Act 1998 and the report containing the recommendations by Boundaries Scotland must be submitted to Scottish Ministers by 1 May 2025. If subsequently approved by the Scottish Parliament, the new boundaries will be effective at the next Scottish Parliament election, expected in May 2026. 

    The rules state Boundaries Scotland must review and make recommendations for the boundaries of 73 constituencies and eight regions, with each region represented by seven MSP’s. The overall number of MSPs will remain at 129.

    A further consultation has now started on the Provisional results for the Regions and further proposals for constituencies.

    Summary Highland Council area – Constituencies

    The boundary between the proposed: Inverness and Nairn; and Skye, Lochaber and Badenoch constituencies has been amended south of Inverness at Strathdearn to align with the ward boundary, as suggested during the consultation. 

    The constituency boundary for Caithness, Sutherland and Ross was retained and there were no changes to any of the 3 constituency names.

    Further Proposals Constituencies – Maps

    All Scotland |  Inverness and Nairn |  Skye, Lochaber and Badenoch | 

    Provisional Proposals for Regions

    Summary Highland Council area – Region Highlands and Islands

    There is no change in the name of the region and when compared to the existing boundaries there is a minor alignment of the ward boundary within the Moray Constituency.

    Provisional Proposals for Regions – Map

    Highlands and Islands

    The consultation period lasts for one month until 26 October 2024, during which comments concerning the proposals are invited. 

    Comments on the proposals can be made on the consultation site, where you can view the boundaries of our proposals and compare them with the existing boundaries, see consult.boundaries.scot. Comments can also be made by email to boundaries.scot@scottishboundaries.gov.uk, or by writing to Boundaries Scotland, Thistle House, 91 Haymarket Terrace, Edinburgh, EH12 5HD.  All comments should be submitted no later than 26 October 2024 which is the end of the statutory consultation period. 

    Further information regarding the review is available on the Boundaries Scotland website https://boundaries.scot/

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Meherrin Indian Tribe to be Featured on N.C. Highway Historical Marker

    Source: US State of North Carolina

    Headline: Meherrin Indian Tribe to be Featured on N.C. Highway Historical Marker

    Meherrin Indian Tribe to be Featured on N.C. Highway Historical Marker
    jejohnson6

    An American Indian tribe that settled in northeastern North Carolina soon will be recognized with a North Carolina Highway Historical Marker.

    The marker commemorating the Meherrin Tribe will be dedicated during a ceremony Oct. 5 at 1 p.m., at the Meherrin Tribal Grounds (852 NC-11 South, Ahoskie, N.C.).

    The Meherrin, whose traditional name Kauwets’a·ka means “People of the Water,” received formal recognition from the North Carolina government in 1986.

    The first known written account of the Meherrin people came from English merchant and explorer Sir Edward Bland, who visited the Meherrin village of Cowonchahawkon near present-day Emporia, Va., in 1650 while on an expedition from Fort Henry (present-day Petersburg, Va.). Later, encroaching European settlements in the mid-17th century pressured native peoples, including the Meherrin, to move. Following Bacon’s Rebellion, all Virginia tribes signed the Middle Plantation Treaty of 1677, which subjugated them to King Charles II of England and the governor of Virginia.

    A short time later, the Meherrin left the area of Cowonchahawkon and settled on Tawarra/Taurura Creek near Boykins, Va. Other members of the tribe moved north of the Blackwater River, but in 1687 they were ordered by the Virginia Council of State to return south of the river. About 1691, the tribe moved across the border into Carolina Province in what is today North Carolina where their tribal territories are found in Hertford, Bertie, Northampton, and Gates counties.

    In 1920, a new Pleasant Plains Indian School was built in Hertford County to replace the original school built in 1866. It was the second Rosenwald-funded school in the county. The school closed in 1949 and was converted into a community center to serve Indian and mixed families in 1950.

    In 1975, Meherrin descendants reorganized the tribe and reclaimed its identity under Chief Wayne Mackanear Brown. They created a modern tribal government, led by a chief and seven elected council members. The tribe holds an annual powwow during the first week of October at the tribal grounds between Ahoskie and Murfreesboro, N.C.

    A more complete history of the Meherrin Tribe can be found at http://www.meherrinnation.org.

    For more information about the historical markers, please visit https://www.dncr.nc.gov/blog/2023/12/04/meherrin-tribe-95, or call (919) 814-6625.

    The marker is one of nine markers being dedicated in 2024 that highlight American Indian culture and history in North Carolina. Historical markers were approved for the Coharie, Haliwa-Saponi, Lumbee, Meherrin, Occaneechi Band of the Saponi, Sappony, and Waccamaw Siouan tribes. In addition, historical markers were approved for the site of the East Carolina Indian School and the Buie Mound site. The N.C. American Indian Heritage Commission staff worked closely with N.C. tribes to complete applications to be considered for the historical marker program.

    The Highway Historical Marker Program is a collaboration between the N.C. departments of Natural and Cultural Resources and Transportation.

    About the North Carolina Department of Natural and Cultural Resources
    The N.C. Department of Natural and Cultural Resources (DNCR) manages, promotes, and enhances the things that people love about North Carolina – its diverse arts and culture, rich history, and spectacular natural areas. Through its programs, the department enhances education, stimulates economic development, improves public health, expands accessibility, and strengthens community resiliency.
    The department manages over 100 locations across the state, including 27 historic sites, seven history museums, two art museums, five science museums, four aquariums, 35 state parks, four recreation areas, dozens of state trails and natural areas, the North Carolina Zoo, the State Library, the State Archives, the N.C. Arts Council, the African American Heritage Commission, the American Indian Heritage Commission, the State Historic Preservation Office, the Office of State Archaeology, the Highway Historical Markers program, the N.C. Land and Water Fund, and the Natural Heritage Program. For more information, please visit www.dncr.nc.gov.
    Sep 23, 2024

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Oil pollution in North Sea is ‘grossly underestimated’, suggests new report

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Rosie Williams, Postdoctoral Researcher, Toxicology, Institute of Zoology, Zoological Society of London

    Kichigin/Shutterstock

    Growing up in Aberdeen, Scotland, the shadow of the Piper Alpha disaster loomed large over our community. The tragic explosion of the oil rig platform in 1988 claimed the lives of 167 people. Back then, I was blissfully unaware of the ecological ramifications of that disaster. But the spill of 670 tonnes of oil wreaked havoc on marine life and had a lasting impact on the marine environment that I love to explore.

    In recent decades, there has been a gradual decline in the number of oil spills and the volume of oil discharged from tankers, rigs, wells and offshore platforms. While incidents continue to occur globally – often in less scrutinised regions than the North Sea – the UK has, thankfully, not experienced another disaster of Piper Alpha’s magnitude since.

    Does this mean that the UK’s oil and gas sector have cleaned up their act? They would certainly like you to think so. But ocean pollution isn’t just about large oil slicks that spread across the water’s surface.

    As a new report, Sea Slick, from marine conservation charity Oceana explains, the extent of frequent, small-scale spills are still being grossly underestimated, even though big oil spills are less frequent.

    The report reveals what it claims is the true scale and impact of chronic oil pollution in the UK, showing that for many years the North Sea has been subjected to hundreds of unaccounted for “chronic oiling events”. These are where oil is frequently released in lower volumes than those associated with large spills. This issue stems from a poorly regulated oil and gas sector and a lack of transparency in reporting, allowing oil and gas companies to mark their own homework.

    Currently, a certain amount of oil pollution is permitted as part of routine operations for oil and gas developments. Companies can apply for oil discharge permits, which allow them to release a set volume or concentration of oil or chemicals into the ocean. This waste output is referred to as “produced water”. Produced water is a by-product of the oil and gas sector, which returns to the surface of the ocean as wastewater during oil and gas production. Produced water may be treated before release but still contains finely dispersed oil and toxic heavy metals, such as mercury and arsenic.

    Oil and gas companies are regularly breaching their legal produced water permit allowances, Oceana’s report claims. Yet, in line with official government reporting requirements, these breaches are not registered as accidental oil spills. Indeed, Sea Slick counts a total of 723 permit breaching incidents in the last three-and-a-half years – that’s equivalent to 17 oil or chemical spills each month.

    Currently these permit breaches aren’t counted as accidents. They’re not really counted as anything – other than permit breaches. If these unaccounted-for permit breaches are factored into official government data for accidental oil spills, Oceana estimates that the volume of oil spilling into UK seas increases by at least 43%.

    The oil and gas sector are keen to reassure the public that chronic oil pollution can be quickly dispersed and poses a low risk to marine life or human health. Certainly, if incidents were rare, this might be a more persuasive argument. But they aren’t. Over time, the incremental release of toxic chemicals has a negative environmental effect. An estimated 248 spills from permit breaches took place within the UK’s network of marine protected areas between January 2021 and May 2024.

    Why does this matter? Marine protected areas are regions of the ocean which have been given special designations to help preserve marine life and habitats. They have been created to protect rare, threatened and important habitats or species.

    Marine wildlife is at great risk of harm from oil pollution, but a substantial number of oil spills occur within marine protected areas.
    werbefotos_com/Shutterstock

    The release of produced water into areas, which have been singled out as especially important for protection, is shocking. Contaminants associated with chronic oiling have been shown to have a range of effects on marine life. The list is long: damaging cells and cell membranes, DNA damage (a common cause of cancer), the changing of gene expression and the disruption of reproductive functions. The steady leaching of toxic oil and chemical byproducts poses risks to human health too as toxic chemicals enter the food chain through farmed and wild-caught fish.

    Getting serious about sanctions

    Oceana’s research highlights that oil and gas companies have only been fined on two occasions in the last five years. One was for just £7,000.

    The new government’s water (special measures) bill will force water companies to clean up the UK’s rivers and oceans. A failure to cooperate or any attempts to cover up data around sewage spills could see bosses jailed for up to two years. Water company bosses are finally being held to account. Will the UK government apply the same rules to the bosses of oil and gas companies who are also polluting our seas?

    As the Sea Slick report notes, there is overwhelming public support for polluters to be held to account. By regulating and fining oil companies properly for chronically polluting UK seas, the government could enact and make permanent their commitment to end new oil and gas licenses. It’s time to take action.


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

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

    Rosie Williams receives funding from the Natural Environment Research Council.

    – ref. Oil pollution in North Sea is ‘grossly underestimated’, suggests new report – https://theconversation.com/oil-pollution-in-north-sea-is-grossly-underestimated-suggests-new-report-239455

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Edinburgh to provide boost in funding to combat poverty and inequality

    Source: Scotland – City of Edinburgh

    Councillors have today agreed to invest £100,000 towards the Regenerative Futures Fund (RFF), a new multi-million-pound initiative to make Edinburgh a fairer place to live.

    Acting on the Capital’s pledge to take all the actions necessary to eradicate poverty in Edinburgh, the Council’s support will help kickstart an ambitious £5m to £10m fundraising plan. With every £1 contributed by the Council, the Regenerative Futures Fund expects to leverage £5 to £10 from other sources of funding, significantly boosting the support available for community projects across the Capital.

    The money will be used to support between 10 to 15 community organisations over the next decade, providing them with stable, long-term funding of up to £100,000 per year to create sustainable solutions that will address the root causes of poverty and inequality in Edinburgh.

    It also builds on commitments made by the Council in February as part of its budget-setting exercise to prioritise poverty fighting projects, including £500,000 towards child poverty reduction, £100,000 for a Youth and Community Welfare Transition Fund, £25,000 to support the Big Hoose project which helps families experiencing hardship with household items, alongside close to £3m towards the city’s homelessness spend.

    Council Leader Cammy Day said:

    I’m delighted that we’ve had support from Councillors to make this investment into the future fairness of our city.

    Back in 2020 Edinburgh became the first UK city to set a target date to end poverty and we remain committed to doing everything we can. We know that this is not an easy task but we must be ambitious and drive the change that is so greatly needed.

    The creation of the RFF not only directly responds to our poverty fighting goals, it answers the calls we heard loud and clear from the Edinburgh Poverty Commission: we need a city-wide partnership fund to help us end poverty together.

    Today’s decision is a promise to work hand-in-hand with those who understand poverty firsthand, ensuring that their voices help us towards Edinburgh’s solutions.

    Leah Black, Head of Regenerative Futures Fund, Foundation Scotland said:

    This is a significant step towards creating a more equitable and sustainable Edinburgh.

    The Regenerative Futures Fund is driven by the principle of shifting decision-making power to those most impacted by poverty, allowing communities to lead initiatives based on their own experiences and insights.

    We’ve spent close to two years designing a scheme co-created by a diverse range of people including those with lived experience of poverty and I’m excited to see how it will empower our communities to effect real change in the lives of those living in poverty.

    An annual progress report on the program will be provided to the Policy and Sustainability Committee in Autumn 2025.

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Ketamine: what you need to know about the UK’s growing drug problem

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Ian Hamilton, Honorary Fellow, Department of Health Sciences, University of York

    There is growing awareness of the problems caused by the use of a fast-acting drug called ketamine. Often referred to as K or ket, it was made a class B drug in the UK in 2014 and is illegal to buy or sell. Possessing the drug can lead to a maximum five-year prison sentence and supplying the drug up to 14 years in prison.

    Ketamine is an effective anaesthetic and plays an important part in battlefield and emergency medicine. It is used to treat pain in end-of-life care and could treat some forms of depression. However, it is its non-medical use that is causing concern among some doctors and specialist drug-treatment providers.

    On the illicit market, ketamine is cheaper than cocaine and MDMA (ecstasy), costing about £20 a gram. Police forces report large seizures of the drug, but global rates of production are high, and the wholesale price of a kilogram of ketamine is believed to have fallen from £8,000 to £5,000. This makes it an attractive drug for young people and those with a limited income.

    Ketamine typically takes about 15 minutes to work and induces euphoria, relaxation and a slight sense of detachment. However, with higher doses it can also cause dissociation. This can be confusing and can cause panic attacks and memory loss. It can increase blood pressure and affect breathing and heart function.

    Effects can also be fatal. The Friends actor Matthew Perry died in 2023 as a result of using the drug.

    Some urologists have also expressed concern about an increase in bladder problems (so-called “ketamine bladder”) as a result of prolonged and heavy use of the drug. Although national data about the number of people with ketamine bladder is not available, there are other sources about the use of ketamine.

    Ketamine first became popular as a recreational drug in the early 1990s. Use among people aged 16-24 in England and Wales rose from 0.9% in 2006-07 to 3.8% in 2022-23 – which is about 220,000 people.

    There has been an increase in young people attending specialist treatment services with problems related to ketamine use: 512 during 2021-22 rising to 719 in 2022-23.

    The increase is concerning as few services and interventions are available that specifically address ketamine use. An increase in people seeking treatment has not been helped by historic cuts to drug-treatment funding, which is only beginning to be addressed, and a lack of meaningful drug education and early intervention responses.

    This increase in young people seeking treatment is also seen in adults. Rising from 1,551 in 2021-22 to 2,211 during 2022-23. There has been a fivefold increase in adult treatment since 2014.

    Self-medicating

    There is a suggestion from experts that part of the increase in the use of ketamine is due to some people who have mental health problems that are unable to access treatment because of long waiting lists.

    Rather than wait for specialist treatment some people turn to drugs like ketamine that offer some reprieve from their symptoms. Ketamine can create a sense of detachment in users, this will be a desirable state for those who are seeking to escape invasive mental health symptoms of troubling thoughts and feelings.

    In effect, they are finding their own solutions by self-medicating with the drug. Given that ketamine is easily available, relatively cheap and fast-acting it is easy to see why this drug is appealing, particularly as there are no long waiting lists or invasive assessments to undergo.

    Ketamine doesn’t induce the same type of hangover that alcohol and other drugs do. This makes it appealing to those who need to be at work the day after using it. Likewise, it is appealing to those on zero-hour contracts who are asked to work at short notice.

    However, many people will use other substances alongside ketamine – typically alcohol. Mixing alcohol and ketamine can cause significant harm, ranging from slowed breathing to coma and even fatal overdose.

    Paradoxically ketamine is being investigated as a treatment for those who are dependent on alcohol, including those who haven’t responded to more traditional forms of therapy.

    As with the promise that other drugs, such as psychedelics, might help treat mental health problems, current evidence suggests that these drugs are only effective when given alongside therapy.

    It’s not clear whether the UK has reached peak ketamine use. Most drugs fall in and out of fashion. It is clear that originally banning the drug in 2005, and increasing punishments in 2014 has failed to halt its rising popularity. What could have helped was investment into prevention, education and harm reduction services, but this didn’t happen and we are seeing some of the consequences now.

    Preventing the use of ketamine is the only way to be sure that it won’t cause harm. But if we accept that young people and adults will continue to use it then we should be aiming to reduce the potential for harm. There are useful resources already available, but reducing drug-related harm requires a more active response – one that doesn’t rely on people visiting websites or reading a leaflet.

    We should put effort and resources into providing public health messaging that reaches those who are at the most risk from harm due to ketamine. At the same time, investing in and providing timely mental health support would reduce the need for those who are self-medicating with the drug.

    With a new government in the UK, commanding a sizeable majority in parliament, could this Labour government adopt a policy shift that could reduce suffering and save lives?

    Harry Sumnall receives funding from public grant awarding bodies for alcohol and other drugs research, and fees from (international) not-for-profit organisations and government departments for consultation work. He is an unpaid steering group member of the Anti-Stigma Network, an unpaid member of the Scientific Advisory Group of the International Society of Substance Use Professionals (ISSUP), an unpaid member of the Scientific Advisory Board of the Mind Foundation, an unpaid advisor to the UK Drug Education Forum, and an unpaid co-opted member of UK Government Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs (ACMD) Working Groups on cocaine, and prevention.

    Ian Hamilton 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. Ketamine: what you need to know about the UK’s growing drug problem – https://theconversation.com/ketamine-what-you-need-to-know-about-the-uks-growing-drug-problem-239412

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Mayor of London meets with NBA Deputy Commissioner and Chief Operating Officer Mark Tatum about major basketball opportunities in the capital

    Source: Mayor of London

    • Sadiq met NBA Deputy Commissioner and Chief Operating Officer Mark Tatum to discuss their shared ambition to expand basketball in London
    • Mayor has committed to establishing a first-of-its-kind taskforce to grow the game and wants London to host more NBA games and activities
    • New research shows that 62 per cent of Londoners feel proud of living in London when major sporting events are hosted

    The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, has today pledged to build on the growing success of basketball in the capital, as he announced his desire to bring more NBA games and activities to the capital.

    The Mayor met NBA Deputy Commissioner and Chief Operating Officer Mark Tatum to discuss their shared ambition to expand the sport’s reach and influence in the capital, including through live NBA games. A taskforce will be created to grow the game in London.

    Basketball is one of the fastest growing sports in the UK and is the country’s second most popular team sport with more than 1.5m playing on a weekly basis.*

    Sadiq has pledged to create a first-of-its-kind basketball taskforce to develop and grow the game, boost access to basketball, attract new events to London, including the return of NBA games, and create positive opportunities for young people. The taskforce will bring together leaders in sport, business, national governing bodies and professional basketball teams and players, and the Mayor has invited senior figures from the NBA to participate.

    The Mayor has previously backed the London Coaches Program, a collaboration between the NBA and Basketball England to train hundreds of coaches across the city and boost basketball participation.

    London has a proud history of hosting high profile North American sporting events and this year hosted the USA Basketball Men’s and Women’s National Teams at the USA Basketball Showcase. The capital also welcomed two Major League Baseball matches between the New York Mets and Philadelphia Phillies. In July, Sadiq also held talks with Paul “Triple H” Levesque to discuss the possibility of bringing WrestleMania to London.

    Today’s meeting came as new research showed that Londoners are passionate about major sporting events taking place in the capital**. Polling from YouGov found that 62 per cent of Londoners feel proud of living in London when major sporting events are hosted, with 72 per cent of 18- to 24-year-olds feeling proud. More than two-thirds (69 per cent) of Londoners think that hosting major sporting events impacts positively on London’s economy.

    An estimated six million people attended sporting events across the capital this summer including the UEFA Champions League Final and European Professional Club Rugby Finals, cementing London’s position as the undisputed sporting capital of the world*** and significantly boosting the capital’s economy.

    The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, said: “It was great to meet with NBA Deputy Commissioner Mark Tatum today to discuss the possibility of bringing more NBA games and activities to London and how we can further expand the game in the capital. Basketball continues to go from strength-to-strength and by creating a new taskforce I want to help it grow even further, enabling more young people to access and enjoy the sport.

    “London has provided the stage for so many unforgettable sporting moments and I’m committed to making sure we further cement our position as the sporting capital of the world. I look forward to working closely with the NBA and other global sports to extend their activities in London and ensure we continue to have a packed calendar of world-class sporting events.

    NBA Deputy Commissioner and Chief Operating Officer Mark Tatum, said: “The NBA has a long history of playing games in London, and we are committed to further growing the game in the city and across the UK. Through grassroots programs for youth and coaches, weekly games that air in primetime on TNT Sports, the beautiful new NBA Store on Oxford Street and more, there has never been a better time to be an NBA fan in London.  We look forward to working more closely with Mayor Khan and his administration to build on these efforts in the years to come.” 

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Seven Charged After Federal Investigation Disrupts Massive Counterfeit Pill Manufacturing Operation

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

    Synthetic opioid pills trafficked from Connecticut throughout U.S. through dark web

    Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut; Stephen Belleau, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration for New England; and Ketty Larco-Ward, Inspector in Charge of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Boston Division, today announced that a federal grand jury in Bridgeport has returned an indictment charging the following seven individuals with offenses related to the large-scale manufacture and trafficking of counterfeit pills containing synthetic opioids and other substances:

    KELLDON HINTON, 45, of New Haven
    HESHIMA HARRIS, 53 of New Haven
    EMANUEL PAYTON, 33, of New Haven
    MARVIN OGMAN, 47, of West Haven
    SHAWN STEPHENS, 34, of West Haven
    ARNALDO ECHEVARRIA, 42, of Waterbury
    CHERYLE TYSON, 64, of West Haven

    As alleged in court documents and statements made in court, this matter stems from an investigation led by the DEA New Haven’s Tactical Diversion Squad and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service targeting the manufacture and distribution of counterfeit oxycodone, Xanax, and Adderall tablets containing methamphetamine, protonitazene, dimethylpentylone, xylazine, and other substances.  Protonitazene is a Schedule I synthetic opioid that is three times more potent than fentanyl.  In June 2023, law enforcement received information that Kelldon Hinton was using a pill press to manufacture large quantities of counterfeit pills containing controlled substances.  Through the use of physical and electronic surveillance, the seizure and searches of parcels sent through the U.S. Mail and commercial delivery services, undercover purchases of counterfeit pills, trash pulls, and other investigative methods, investigators determined that Hinton, with the assistance of his co-conspirators, was purchasing protonitazene, dimethypentalone, xylazine, other substances, and pill press parts from China and elsewhere, using tableting machines (“pill presses”) to manufacture counterfeit pills in a garage he rented in East Haven, marketing and selling the pills on the dark web, and mailing pills to customers around the U.S.  In text messages, Hinton referred to the rented garage as his “lab.”  Between February 2023 and February 2024, Hinton shipped more than 1,300 packages through the U.S. Mail.  Hinton also distributed the counterfeit pills to associates in Connecticut, who sold them to their own customers.

    On September 5, 2024, Hinton, Harris, Payton, Stephens, and Echevarria were arrested on federal criminal complaints.  On that date, investigators conducted court-authorized searches of several locations, including the garage located on Tyler Street Extension in East Haven, which yielded several hundred thousand pills, two large pill presses, and pill manufacturing equipment.  One of the pill presses seized was capable of producing 100,000 pills per hour.

    It is further alleged that, as the investigation continued, Ogman communicated with Tyson and shared with her news reports of the search and court information of the arrests.  He also continued to distribute pills produced by Hinton, and law enforcement is currently investigating a drug overdose death that occurred recently in Connecticut.  Pills recovered from the scene appear to match those produced by the Hinton organization, and a preliminary search of the victim’s cellphone text messages revealed that Ogman supplied pills to the victim.

    The indictment added Ogman and Tyson as defendants, and was returned on September 18.  Ogman and Tyson were arrested on September 19.

    The indictment charges each of the seven defendants with conspiracy to manufacture, distribute and to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine and protonitazene.  On this charge, based on the quantities of controlled substances attributed to each defendant, Hinton faces a mandatory minimum term of imprisonment of 10 years and a maximum term of imprisonment of life, and the other six defendants each face a maximum term of imprisonment of 20 years.  The indictment also charges Hinton with one count of possession with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of methamphetamine and a quantity of protonitazene, which carries a mandatory minimum term of imprisonment of 10 years and maximum term of imprisonment of life, and Echevarria with one count of possession with intent to distribute protonitazene, which carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 20 years.

    Hinton, Payton, and Ogman are currently detained, and Harris, Stephens, Echevarria, and Tyson are released pending trial.

    “This multifaceted investigation is a testament to great law enforcement work by agencies here in Connecticut and across the country,” said U.S. Attorney Vanessa Roberts Avery.  “I commend the DEA New Haven, members of its Tactical Diversion Squad, and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, for leading this effort.  “This investigation reveals the constant challenges that we in law enforcement face in battling the proliferation of synthetic opioids in America.  In recent years, the Justice Department and our law enforcement partners have focused on disrupting the global supply chain of fentanyl, other synthetic drugs, precursor chemicals, and pill manufacturing equipment, from China and Mexico to the United States.  These enhanced efforts are clearly represented by this investigation and these charges.  But, clearly, our work is not yet done.  We know that prosecution alone is not enough to combat the deadly scourge caused in our communities by fentanyl, other synthetic drugs, and counterfeit pills.  We all need to keep working together, through criminal investigations and prosecutions, treatment programs, and public awareness campaigns, such as the school presentations undertaken by my office, to educate and warn children and adults about the dangers and harm that even one counterfeit pill can cause.”

    “This country is in the midst of a catastrophic overdose epidemic where the threat from synthetic opioids and methamphetamine disguised in fake prescription medication remains high,” said Acting Special Agent in Charge Stephen Belleau, Drug Enforcement Administration, New England Field Division.  “This case showcases one of the largest seizures of fake pills the DEA has ever seen in New England.  Those responsible for distributing lethal drugs to the citizens of Connecticut need to be held accountable for their actions.  DEA will aggressively pursue Drug Trafficking Organizations and individuals who distribute this poison in order to profit and destroy people’s lives. This investigation demonstrates the strength and continued commitment of our local, state and federal law enforcement partners.”

    “These enforcement actions, which included the arrests of seven individuals and the execution of search warrants at six locations, resulted in the disruption of a significant trans-national operation and the dismantling of one of the largest illicit manufacturing sites ever located in Connecticut,” said Ketty Larco-Ward, Inspector in Charge of the Boston Division for the Postal Inspection Service. “This investigation highlights the effectiveness of the collaborative efforts among the involved agencies but also the real danger posed by individuals who engage in these crimes.  The Postal Inspection Service is proud to stand with our partners in identifying, disrupting, and dismantling these drug tracking organizations which endanger our communities.”

    U.S. Attorney Avery stressed that an indictment is not evidence of guilt.  Charges are only allegations, and each defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

    This investigation is being conducted by the DEA New Haven’s Tactical Diversion Squad and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, with the assistance of the DEA Chicago Cyber Task Force, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), U.S. Customs and Border Protection, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the U.S. Marshals Service, and the East Haven Police Department.  The DEA Tactical Diversion Squad is composed of personnel from the DEA, the Connecticut State Police, and the West Haven, Hamden, Manchester, Bristol, Fairfield, and Seymour Police Departments.

    The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Lauren C. Clark and Konstantin Lantsman.

    More information on the Justice Department’s efforts to disrupt to global supply chain of fentanyl and other synthetic drugs is available here.

    In March 2024, the U.S. Attorney’s Office and the DEA’s New England Field Division released a public service announcement warning of the danger of fentanyl and the proliferation of counterfeit prescription pills.  Click here for more information.

    To learn more about the U.S. Attorney’s Office’s fentanyl awareness and drug prevention program for students, click here.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Transport Secretary pledges to fix pothole plague as she sees cutting-edge repair technology in action on Blackpool visit

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    Government plans to fix up to one million more potholes a year and help halt the decline of the country’s road network.

    • Louise Haigh visits Blackpool pledging to deliver on promise to support local authorities to fix one million more potholes a year across England 
    • the government’s plan will address the pothole plague and help halt the decline of the country’s road network, to get Britain moving
    • Transport Secretary will see firsthand how Blackpool is using technological solutions to spot potholes and repair its roads

    Drivers and cyclists will benefit from smoother, safer roads after the Transport Secretary reaffirmed the government’s manifesto commitment to fix up to one million more potholes a year as she visited Blackpool today (26 September 2024). 

    The country’s pothole plague has become a menace, slowing everyone’s journeys, putting lives of drivers and cyclists at risk, and pushing up repair costs for hard-pressed drivers. 

    Transport Secretary Louise Haigh met with road workers and councillors to see first-hand the extensive work being undertaken to tackle the pothole plague and learn how high-definition imagery is used to spot defects and speed up repairs. 

    Blackpool’s Project Amber scheme uses an advanced imagery system that takes high-definition images of roads to detect potholes and compile data on areas most in need of repair. It is hoped systems like these can be replicated across the country, helping to repair England’s neglected roads and save money for drivers and councils. 

    As part of her mission to get Britain moving, the Transport Secretary has pledged to deliver for drivers with wider plans to tackle the soaring cost of car insurance, accelerate the roll out of electric vehicle charge points, and deliver a new road safety strategy to reduce tragic deaths and injuries on our roads. This government is prioritising safe, reliable and modern infrastructure, as a key part of its mission for growth. 

    Transport Secretary, Louise Haigh, said: 

    For too long, this country has suffered from a pothole plague. Our roads have become a constant and visible reminder of the decline in our country’s infrastructure, which stunts economic growth. 

    From drivers to bikers to cyclists, everyone who uses our roads deserves a safe and pleasant journey. That’s why I’ve pledged to support local authorities to fix up to one million more potholes per year.

    Blackpool Council are already doing fantastic work to make the most of new technology to repair potholes faster. This should be a model for every community to learn from and help deliver the roads their drivers deserve, so that Britain can get moving.

    Councillor Paula Burdess, Blackpool Council’s Cabinet Member for Community Safety, Street Scene and Neighbourhoods, said:  

    It was great to welcome the Secretary of State Louise Haigh to Blackpool today and show her how we deal with the issues around road maintenance and potholes.  

    Blackpool has always been synonymous with innovation – how we look after our roads is no different. I’m really proud that Blackpool are leading the way nationally with innovative road maintenance. 

    Our highways team work extremely hard to keep the roads functioning for residents and visitors to the town. We continually strive to use new methods that are quicker and less disruptive, alongside materials that are longer-lasting and better for the environment. 

    By repairing the roads at an early stage we can also avoid more costly repairs in the future and ensure our roads stay stronger for longer to create a better Blackpool.

    Launched in 2019 by the Local Council Roads Innovation Group, Blackpool was the first local authority to use this technology to repair its roads.  

    Since 2019 Blackpool has seen significant reductions in its compensation bill for pothole related pay outs. In previous years it was paying up to £1.5 million a year to settle claims. Last year it only paid out £719. 

    The government will set out how it will achieve its manifesto road resurfacing commitment at the Spending Review.

    Roads media enquiries

    Media enquiries 0300 7777 878

    Switchboard 0300 330 3000

    Updates to this page

    Published 26 September 2024

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Next generation of teachers begin journey at ARU

    Source: Anglia Ruskin University

    Published: 26 September 2024 at 15:00

    Cohort of new students start England’s first new BEd course for 30 years

    Almost 100 local students have embarked on England’s first new Batchelor of Education (BEd) course in 30 years as they begin their training to become the region’s next primary school teachers.

    Anglia Ruskin University (ARU) is the newest provider of Initial Teacher Training in the country, and teaching got underway for the BEd Primary Education with Qualified Teacher Status course in Chelmsford, Cambridge and Peterborough this week.

    Interested in becoming a teacher?

    Find out more about our BEd Primary Education degree at an Open Day. Book your place for 5 October or 23 November 2024.

    It is estimated that around 200 people leave the region every year to seek undergraduate teacher training opportunities at universities elsewhere in the country. It is hoped that the new, innovative course delivered by ARU will increase the number of teachers who train locally and stay in the region’s schools after graduation.

    The course combines three years of academic study with three high-quality assessed placements with primary schools across the East of England and London.

    Designed and taught by primary teachers who took the Qualified Teacher Status (QTS) route in to teaching, the new course is regulated by Ofsted.

    Jenny Fogarty, Director of Initial Teacher Training at Anglia Ruskin University (ARU), said:

    “We were thrilled to welcome our first cohort onto our campuses this week and we look forward to working with them over the next three years, nurturing them and developing them into primary school teachers fit for 21st Century classrooms.
     
    “As the only new accredited provider of Initial Teacher Training in England, this is a landmark moment for education in the East of England and we hope it will put an end to people feeling they need to move away in order to become a teacher.”

    Anyone interested in finding out more, and potentially applying to be part of the 2025 cohort in Cambridge, Chelmsford, or Peterborough, is encouraged to attend one of ARU’s next undergraduate open days on Saturday, 5 October or Saturday, 23 November 2024.

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI: Cegedim: Revenue and EBITDA both increased in the first half of 2024

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

         
     

    PRESS RELEASE

    First-half financial information at June 30, 2024
    IFRS – Regulated information – Audited

    Cegedim: Revenue and EBITDA both increased in the first half of 2024

    • Revenue grew 6.0% as reported and 4.6% LFL to €319.0 million
    • EBITDA rose 6.9% to €52.2 million
    • Recurring operating income(1) (REBIT) fell 3.4% to €10.3 million

    Boulogne-Billancourt, France, September 26, 2024, after the market close

    Cegedim generated consolidated H1 2024 revenues of €319.0 million, a 6.0% year-on-year increase as reported, and EBITDA of €52.2 million, a €3.4 million or 6.9% increase. Recurring operating income fell €0.4 million, or 3.4%, to €10.3 million.

      H1 2024 H1 2023 Change
      in €m (in %) (in €m) (in %) (in €m) in %
    Revenues 319.0 100.0% 301.0 100.00% 18.0 6.0%
    EBITDA(1) 52.2 16.4% 48.8 +16.2% 3.4 6.9%
    Depreciation & amortization -41.9   -38.1   -3.8 -9.8%
    Recurring operating income(1) 10.3 3.2% 10.7 3.6% -0.4 -3.4%
    Other non-recurring operating income and expenses(1) -2.6   -1.4   -1.2 -88.8%
    Operating income 7.7 2.4% 9.3 3.1% -1.6 -17.1%
    Financial result -5.0   -5.6   0.6 10.8%
    Total tax -2.9   -12.4   9.5 76.8%
    Share of net profit (loss) of equity method companies 0.1   -0.5   0.6 110.3%
    Consolidated net profit -0.1 0.0% -9.2 -3.1% 9.1 99.0%
    Non-controlling interests -0.7   -0.4   -0.3 -69.3%
    Group share 0.6 0.2% -8.8 -2.9% 9.4 107.2%
    Recurring earnings per share(2) (in euros) 0.0 – -0.6 –    
    Earnings per share (in euros) 0.0 – -0.6 –    

    Consolidated revenues rose €18.0 million, or 6.0%, to €319.0 million in H1 2024 compared with €301.0 million in 2023. The positive scope effect of €3.7 million, or 1.2%, was attributable to the first-time consolidation in Cegedim’s accounts of Visiodent starting March 1, 2024. The positive currency impact was €0.5 million, or 0.2%, chiefly owing to appreciation of the pound sterling against the euro. In like-for-like terms(2), revenues rose 4.6% in the first half, in line with the Group’s announced outlook. The performance was attributable to seasonality and the non-recurrence of Ségur public health investments in 2024.

    EBITDA(1) rose €3.4 million between the first half of 2023 and 2024, or 6.9%. The improvement is the result of good management of personnel costs and external costs, in moderate growth as a percentage of revenues even though the amount of R&D capitalization fell and the Group had an additional quarter of start-up costs for its biggest BPO contract.

    ————-
    (1)    Alternative performance indicator See pages 112-113 of the 2023 Universal Registration Document.
    (2)   At constant scope and exchange rates.

    Depreciation and amortization expenses rose €3.7 million, chiefly due to a €3.1 million increase in R&D amortization (€22.7 million at June 30, 2024 compared with €19.7 million a year earlier) driven by development efforts in recent years.

    Recurring operating income(1) fell €0.4 million to €10.3 million in H1 2024 compared with €10.7 million in 2023.  It amounted to 3.2% of 2024 revenue compared with 3.6% in 2023. The fine EBITDA performance did not drop through to recurring operating income solely because of higher depreciation and amortization. Excluding the impact of Ségur subsidies and at comparable levels of amortization of capitalized R&D, Recurring operating income would have more than doubled.

    Other non-current operating costs(1) amounted to €2.6 million in H1 2024 compared with €1.4 million in the same period in 2023.  The principal items in 2024 were restructuring costs related to the Group’s decision to refocus software for doctors in the UK on Scotland and fees related to the Visiodent acquisition.

    Taking these elements into account, operating income came to €7.7 million at June 30, 2024, compared with €9.3 million a year earlier.

    Financial result was a loss of €5.0 million compared with a €5.6 million loss in H1 2023. Dividend income over the period more than offset the increase in the cost of financial debt.

    Tax was back to normal levels at €2.6 million in H1 2024 compared with €12.4 million in H1 2023. As a reminder, in 2023 the Group made a non-cash adjustment that caused it to record a deferred tax charge corresponding to the downward revision of its estimated remaining deferred tax assets.

    Analysis of business trends by division

    in millions of euros Total Software & Services Flow Data & Marketing BPO Cloud & Support
    Revenue            
    2023 reported

    2023 reclassified (*)

    		 301.0

    301.0

    		 161.5

    150.6

    		 48.2

    46.8

    		 54.9

    54.9

    		 32.8

    32.8

    		 3.5

    15.8
    2024 319.0 152.1 49.5 59.3 39.9 18.1
    Change 6.0% 1.0% 5.8% 8.0% 21.6% 14.5%
                 
    Recurring operating income            
    2023 reported

    2023 reclassified (*)

    		 10.7

    10.7

    		 -2.0

    -2.5

    		 5.6

    5.2

    		 6.6

    6.6

    		 1.4

    1.4

    		 -0.9

    0.0
    2024 10.3 -1.4 5.9 5.3 1.9 -1.3
    Change -3.4% 42.4% 12.8% -19.8% 36.0% na
                 
    Recurring operating margin (as a % of revenues)

    2023 reported

    		  

    3.6%

    		  

    -1.2%

    		  

    11.7%

    		  

    11.9%

    		  

    4.3%

    		  

    -24.7%
    2023 reclassified (*) 3.6% -1.7% 11.1% 11.9% 4.3% 0.3%
    2024 3.2% -1.0% +11.8% 8.9% 4.8% -7.0%
                 

    (*) As of January 1, 2024, our Cegedim Outsourcing and Audiprint subsidiaries—which were previously housed in the Software & Services division—as well as BSV—formerly of the Flow division—have been moved to the Cloud & Support division in order to capitalize on operating synergies between cloud activities and IT solutions integration.

    • Software & Services: H1 2024 revenues posted a €1.5 million increase, and recurring operating income (REBIT)(1) improved by €1.1 million to a loss of €1.4 million, compared with a €2.5 million loss a year earlier.

    ————-
    (1)    Alternative performance indicator See pages 112-113 of the 2023 Universal Registration Document.

    Software & Services First half Change

    2024 / 2023
    in millions of euros 2024 2023
    Revenues 152.1 150.6 1.5 1.0%
    Cegedim Santé 38.9 39.8 -1.0 -2.4%
    Insurance, HR, Pharmacies, and other services 86.7 84.5 2.3 2.7%
    International businesses 26.5 26.3 0.2 0.6%
    Recurring operating income(1) -1.4 -2.5 1.1 42.4%
    Cegedim Santé -1.6 -1.4 -0.2 -11.8%
    Insurance, HR, Pharmacies, and other services 3.4 3.3 0.1 3.5%
    International businesses -3.3 -4.4 1.1 25.6%

    As expected, Cegedim Santé felt the impact of increased R&D amortization (nearly €1 million) and a demanding comparison owing to the non-recurrence of Ségur public health investments (€4.4 million in H1 2023 revenues). The consolidation of Visiodent starting March 1, 2024, only partly offset those two items. Recurring operating income was nearly stable over the first half, but EBITDA increased as expected.

    The other businesses in the division posted REBIT(1) of €1.2 million. A solid performance by HR solutions, which managed to keep costs under control during a phase of strong growth, compensated for slower pharmacy equipment sales post-Ségur. The international businesses got a boost from dynamic sales for doctors in Spain and for insurers in the UK. As we shift our operations, narrowing the focus of our UK doctor’s software business to Scotland continued to generate costs in the first half.

    • Flow: Revenues rose 5.8%, driven by Cegedim e-business (process digitalization and electronic data flows), both of whose businesses made positive contributions; by Invoicing & Procurement, which rebounded in France and is benefiting from the upcoming reform in Germany; and by Healthcare Flow Management, which has dynamic new offerings for hospitals to make their drug purchasing secure. Over the same period, Third-party payer systems posted 3.6% growth. As a result, REBIT(1) rose 12.8%, with Third-party payer systems making the biggest contribution, as Cegedim e-business recorded a large R&D amortization charge.
    • Data & Marketing: Trends differed at this division—Marketing is still going strong, with 20% growth, whereas Data revenues fell 2.8%, particularly abroad. REBIT(1) of €6.6 million was down €1.3 million over the first half owing to high fixed costs in Data and increased depreciation and amortization costs at C-Media (+€1 million) due to heavy investments in updating its digital signage equipment.
    • BPO: Revenue jumped more than 21% over the first half, buoyed notably by a full six months of the contract with Allianz, which started on April 1, 2023, and is expected to generate losses in the early years. But the division reined in those losses so well that REBIT(1) rose €0.5 million in the first half of 2024 to reach €1.9 million, also getting a boost from the HR BPO and digitalization businesses.
    • Cloud & Support: H1 2024 REBIT(1) was a loss of €1.3 million, compared with breakeven a year earlier. The drop was due to surcharges related to the launch of a new cloud offering and recruitment of new offshore teams.

    ———

    (1) Alternative performance indicator See pages 112-113 of the 2023 Universal Registration Document.

    Highlights

    Apart from the items cited below, to the best of the company’s knowledge, there were no events or changes during H1 2024 that would materially alter the Group’s financial situation.

    • Acquisition of Visiodent

    On February 15, 2024, Cegedim Santé acquired Visiodent, a leading French publisher of management software for dental practices and health clinics. Visiodent launched the market’s first 100% SaaS solution, Veasy, at a time when it was significantly expanding its organization. Its users now include the country’s largest nation-wide networks of health clinics, both cooperative and privately owned, as well as several thousand dental surgeons in private practice. Visiodent generated revenue of c.€10 million in 2023 and began contributing to Cegedim Group’s consolidation scope on March 1, 2024.

    Cegedim S.A. has been subject to two tax audits since 2018, which have resulted in reassessments relating to the use of tax-loss carryforwards contested by the tax authorities. Cegedim, in consultation with its lawyers, believes that the reassessments are unfounded in light of the applicable tax law and jurisprudence. The Company has therefore taken, and continues to take, all possible avenues of contestation.

    As these appeals are not suspensive, Cegedim has paid the amounts reassessed over time (a total of 23 million euros already paid, including 10.9 million euros disbursed in February 2024). The remaining risk of future disbursements in respect of this dispute thus amounts to only 5 million euros at June 30, 2024.

    However, these disbursements have never given rise to the recognition of a tax charge in the P&L, since the Company considers that these sums will be recoverable at the end of the proceedings (they are recognized as advances paid on the assets side of the balance sheet). Should the outcome be unfavorable, a charge of 28 million euros (of which 23 million has already been paid) would have to be recorded in the consolidated income statement.

    In addition, the consolidated balance sheet must show the future tax savings still realizable in respect of tax loss carryforwards. This “deferred tax asset” amounted to 6.9 million euros at June 30, 2024.
    Should the outcome be unfavorable, the probability of realizing these future savings would become nil, and an adjustment of 6.9 million euros would have to be recorded in the consolidated income statement (with no cash impact, since these gains have never yet been realized).

    Consequently, the risk associated with this dispute is not (or very little) in terms of cash, but rather in terms of a possible adjustment to the consolidated income. The maximum P&L adjustment risk is known: it amounts to 34.9 million euros and will remain unchanged. Only its breakdown varies at each closing: the amount of disputed tax savings (28 million to date) will continue to increase, and that of remaining future savings (6.9 million to date) will decrease accordingly until exhausted.

    In the last quarter of 2023, the Company referred this dispute to the administrative court, which is likely to continue for several years.

    Significant transactions and events post June 30, 2024

    Apart from the items cited below, to the best of the company’s knowledge, there were no post-closing events or changes after June 30, 2024, that would materially alter the Group’s financial situation.

    • New financing arrangement

    On July 31, 2024, Cegedim announced that it had secured a new financing arrangement consisting of a €230 million syndicated loan. The arrangement is split into €180 million of lines drawn upon closing to refinance the Group’s existing debt (RCF and Euro PP, which were to mature in October 2024 and October 2025 respectively) and an additional, undrawn revolving credit facility (RCF) of €50 million. This new financing arrangement will bolster the Group’s liquidity and extend the maturity of its debt to, respectively, 5 years (€30 million, payments every six months); 6 years (€60 million, repayable upon maturity); and 7 years (€90 million, repayable upon maturity).

    Outlook

    Based on the currently available information, the Group expects 2024 like-for-like(2) revenue growth to be in the range of 5-8% relative to 2023. Recurring operating income should continue to improve, following a similar trajectory as in 2023.  

    Recurring operating income(1) is expected to grow, notably thanks to the initial returns on investments made in Cegedim Santé and refocusing international activities.

    These targets may need to be revised in the event of unexpected developments (pandemic, etc.) and/or a significant worsening of geopolitical and macroeconomic risks. The Group reiterates that it has no activities or exposed assets in Russia or Ukraine.

    —————

    The Audit Committee met on September 25, 2024. The Board of Directors, chaired by Jean-Claude Labrune, met on September 26, 2024, and approved the consolidated financial statements at June 30, 2024, of which the statutory auditors have conducted a limited review. The Interim Financial Report will be available in a few days’ time, in French and in English, on our website.

    2024 financial calendar

    2024 October 24 after the close Q3 2024 revenues

    Financial calendar: https://www.cegedim.fr/finance/agenda/Pages/default.aspx

    Disclaimer
    This press release is available in French and in English. In the event of any difference between the two versions, the original French version takes precedence. This press release may contain inside information. It was sent to Cegedim’s authorized distributor on September 26, 2024, no earlier than 5:45 pm Paris time.
    The figures cited in this press release include guidance on Cegedim’s future financial performance targets. This forward-looking information is based on the opinions and assumptions of the Group’s senior management at the time this press release is issued and naturally entails risks and uncertainty. For more information on the risks facing Cegedim, please refer to Chapter 7, “Risk management”, section 7.2, “Risk factors and insurance”, and Chapter 3, “Overview of the financial year”, section 3.6, “Outlook”, of the 2023 Universal Registration Document filled with the AMF on April 3, 2024, under number D.24-0233.

    About Cegedim:
    Founded in 1969, Cegedim is an innovative technology and services group in the field of digital data flow management for healthcare ecosystems and B2B, and a business software publisher for healthcare and insurance professionals. Cegedim employs more than 6,500 people in more than 10 countries and generated revenue of €616 million in 2023.

    Cegedim SA is listed in Paris (EURONEXT: CGM).
    To learn more please visit: http://www.cegedim.fr
    And follow Cegedim on X: @CegedimGroup, LinkedIn, and Facebook.

    Aude Balleydier
    Cegedim
    Media Relations
    and Communications Manager

    Tel.: +33 (0)1 49 09 68 81
    aude.balleydier@cegedim.fr

    		 Damien Buffet
    Cegedim
    Head of Financial Communication

    Tel.: +33 (0)7 64 63 55 73
    damien.buffet@cegedim.com

    		 Céline Pardo
    Becoming RP Agency
    Media Relations Consultant

    Tel.:        +33 (0)6 52 08 13 66
    cegedim@becoming-group.com

    		  

    ———

    (1) Alternative performance indicator See pages 112-113 of the 2023 Universal Registration Document.
    (2) At constant scope and exchange rates.

    Annexes

    Consolidated financial statements at June 30, 2024

    • Assets au 30 juin 2024
    In thousands of euros 6/30/2024 12/31/2023
    Goodwill 234,955 199,787
    Development costs 29,706 1,562
    Other intangible fixed assets 177,834 192,616
    Intangible non-current assets 207,541 194,178
    Land 594 544
    Buildings 1,556 1,660
    Other property, plant, and equipment 53,006 45,829
    Advances and non-current assets in progress 901 831
    Rights of use 86,092 89,718
    Tangible fixed assets 142,149 138,582
    Equity investments 0 0
    Loans 16,332 15,332
    Other long-term investments 7,120 5,230
    Long-term investments – excluding equity shares in equity method companies 23,452 20,563
    Equity shares in equity method companies 19,086 22,065
    Deferred tax assets 18,209 19,747
    Prepaid expenses: long-term portion 0 0
    Non-current assets 645,390 594,922
    Goods 6,072 5,498
    Advances and deposits received on orders 1,396 3,703
    Accounts receivables: short-term portion 182,907 175,199
    Other receivables: short-term portion 59,070 59,563
    Current tax credits 27,262 16,495
    Cash equivalents 0 0
    Cash 35,414 46,606
    Prepaid expenses: short-term portion 26,138 22,082
    Current assets 338,260 329,146
    Total assets 983,651 924,068
    • Liabilities et shareholders’ equity at June 30, 2024
    In thousands of euros 6/30/2024 12/31/2023
    Share capital 13,432 13,337
    Consolidated retained earnings 276,449 282,521
    Group exchange gains/losses -11,848 -12,275
    Group earnings 630 -7,407
    Shareholders’ equity, Group share 278,663 276,175
    Minority interest 17,550 18,381
    Shareholders’ equity 296,213 294,556
    Non-current financial liabilities 187,714 188,546
    Non-current lease liabilities 76,267 78,761
    Deferred tax liabilities 5,949 5,600
    Post-employment benefit obligations 30,632 31,007
    Non-current provisions 2,147 2,521
    Non-current liabilities 302,710 306,435
    Current financial liabilities 61,570 3,006
    Current lease liabilities 14,661 14,789
    Trade payables and related accounts 57,225 61,734
    Current tax liabilities 192 235
    Tax and social security liabilities 113,884 121,371
    Non-current provisions 1,660 1,730
    Other current liabilities 135,538 120,212
    Current liabilities 384,728 323,077
    Total liabilities 983,651 924,068
    • Income statement at June 30, 2024
    In thousands of euros 6/30/2024 6/30/2023
    Revenues 318,995 301,011
    Purchases used -14,045 -14,739
    External expenses -72,687 -66,371
    Taxes -3,961 -4,291
    Payroll costs -173,240 -163,623
    Impairment of trade receivables and other receivables and on contract assets -872 -2,041
    Allowances to and reversals of provisions -2,440 -1,830
    Other operating expenses -690 108
    Share of profit (loss) from affiliates on the income statement 1,146 603
    EBITDA (1) 52,207 48,827
    Depreciation expenses other than right-of-use assets -33,140 -29,030
    Depreciation expenses of right-of-use assets -8,733 -9,097
    Recurring operating income(1) 10,334 10,700
    Non-recurring operating income and expenses -2,616 -1,385
    Other non-recurring operating income and expenses(1) -2,616 -1,385
    Operating income 7,718 9,315
    Income from cash and cash equivalents 326 180
    Cost of gross financial debt -7,121 -5,633
    Other financial income and expenses 1,813 -136
    Net financial income (expense) -4,983 -5,589
    Income taxes -1,226 -1,841
    Deferred income taxes -1,652 -10,588
    Tax -2,878 -12,429
    Share of profit (loss) from affiliates 53 -515
    Consolidated net profit -90 -9,219
    Group share 630 -8,793
    Income from equity-accounted affiliates -721 -426
    Average number of shares excluding treasury stock 13,695,317 13,658,348
    Recurring earnings per share (in euros) 0.0 -0.6
    Earnings per share (in euros) 0.0 -0.6
    • Cash flow statement as of June 30, 2024
    In thousands of euros 6/30/2024 6/30/2023
    Consolidated net profit -90 -9,219
    Share of profit (loss) from affiliates -1,199 -88
    Depreciation and amortization expenses and provisions 40,531 37,972
    Capital gains or losses on disposals of operating assets -52 -798
    Cash flow after cost of net financial debt and taxes 39,190 27,867
    Cost of net financial debt 4,983 5,589
    Tax expenses 2,878 12,429
    Cash flow from operating activities before tax and interest 47,051 45,885
    Tax paid -11,634 -378
    Impact of change in working capital requirements -13,206 -18,032
    Cash flow generated from operating activities after tax paid and change in

    working capital requirements

    		 22,211 27,476
    Acquisitions of intangible fixed assets -29,879 -29,550
    Acquisitions of tangible fixed assets -15,935 -11,759
    Acquisitions of long-term investments 0 -36
    Disposals of property, plant, and equipment and of intangible assets 553 2,575
    Disposals of long-term investments 934 805
    Change in deposits received or paid -860 -156
    Impact of changes in consolidation scope -35,454 -2,172
    Dividends received from outside the Group 4,073 30
    Net cash from (used in) investing activities -76,568 -40,264
    Capital increase 985 –
    Dividends paid to minority shareholders of consolidated cos. 0 –
    Dividends paid to shareholders of the parent company -1 –
    Debt issuance 55,000 –
    Debt repayments -219 -193
    Employee profit sharing 145 129
    Repayment of lease liabilities -8,152 -11,353
    Interest paid on loans -972 -117
    Other financial income received 718 596
    Other financial expenses paid -3,612 -3,492
    Net cash flow used in financing activities 43,892 -14,430
    Change in net cash excluding currency impact -10,465 -27,218
    Impact of changes in foreign currency exchange rates -728 -456
    Change in net cash -11,194 -27,674
    Opening cash 46,606 55,553
    Closing cash 35,412 27,879
    • Financial covenants

    The Group complied with all its covenants as of June 30, 2024.

    (1) Alternative performance indicator

    Attachment

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Gaston questions Health Minister on award of £576 million contract to Fujitsu

    Source: Traditional Unionist Voice – Northern Ireland

    Statement by TUV North Antrim MLA Timothy Gaston:

    “I am amazed to read that Fujitsu, the company at the heart of the Post Office Horizon scandal, has been placed on a government contract worth up to £576 million by the Department of Heath.

    “Such a decision is inexplicable given the role of the company in a scandal which has shocked the whole of the UK.

    “In the wake of the Grenfell findings, Westminster announced that companies which were found to have fallen short would be removed from government contracts. It would seem obvious to me that a similar approach should be taken with Fujitsu given its role in events which have resulted in at least one suicide.”

    Note to editors

    The question tabled today by Mr Gaston as a two day priory is as follows:

    To ask the Minister of Health, in light of the Post Office Horizon IT scandal, to detail why Fujitsu have been placed on a government contract worth up to £576 million.

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Plans approved for UK’s ‘first of a kind’ majority LGBTQ+ Extra Care scheme

    Source: City of Manchester

    Plans have been approved for the UK’s ‘first of a kind’ purpose-built majority LGBTQ+ Extra Care social rent housing scheme in Whalley Range, south Manchester.

    Great Places Housing Group’s proposals for the site of the former Spire Hospital on Russell Road, Whalley Range were approved at Manchester City Council’s planning meeting today (26 September). The brownfield site has remained vacant since the hospital was demolished in September 2019.

    Commenting on the planning approval actor Ian McKellen, LGBT Foundation patron and committed supporter of the Pride in Ageing Programme, who visited the Russell Road site earlier this year, said:

    “It’s wonderful to see Manchester leading the way yet again. Our community deserves to be able to age in a safe and welcoming environment where we are accepted for who we are, and Russell Road will do just that. Congratulations to everyone involved in the project and I look forward to following its progress and seeing the scheme open!”

    The plans for the majority LGBTQ+ Extra Care housing scheme have been co-produced in partnership with the Russell Road Community Steering Group, Manchester City Council, and LGBT Foundation.

    The development will deliver 80 one- and two-bedroom apartments for older people within a high-quality sustainable building offering a safe and welcoming feel and inviting presence whilst designed to respect the surrounding conservation area. The low-carbon scheme will include shared communal facilities including lounges, treatment rooms and landscaped gardens and will deliver an overall net gain of trees on the site.

    Extra Care housing schemes look to increase the housing opportunities for older people to move into high-quality accommodation, with flexible care and support services available to meet changing needs and encourage independent living.

    The residents at Russell Road will be aged 55 years or over, with the majority of residents being members of the LGBTQ+ community from Manchester. Living alongside allies, the aim is to provide an open and inclusive place of psychological safety for the older LGBTQ+ community.

    The site will also include a neighbouring development of shared ownership homes; with 40 homes in a mix of one- and two-bed apartments. The shared ownership product will deliver an alternative option to access the housing ladder, helping to address affordability issues in the area. The shared ownership apartment block has private amenity space and adds to the sense of place this development offers the existing community.

    The development will be funded by Great Places, complimented by grant funding from Homes England and the Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA) Brownfield Housing Fund. The scheme is intended to be constructed by Rowlinson Constructions Limited and the wider design team includes Triangle Architects and Mosaic Town Planning.

    Work on the new site will start later this year.

    Cllr Gavin White, Manchester City Council’s executive member for housing and development, said:

    “This is a real celebratory moment for this development, which has been in the works for some years and is designed to meet a clear need for quality, social rent housing for LGBTQ+ older people to live in safety, dignity and as part of a welcoming and supportive community.

    “We have helped build hundreds of Extra Care homes across Manchester in recent years to meet demand for older people to live in their later lives, many with care needs provided on site, but this is the first purpose-built LGBTQ+ majority Extra Care community in the UK. It’s a landmark development in every sense and we look forward to getting on site later this year.”

    Paul Martin, CEO at LGBT Foundation, added:

    “Today’s announcement marks a significant and welcome milestone and LGBT Foundation are delighted by the news that plans for Russell Road have been approved.

    Older LGBTQ+ people are currently at greater risk of discrimination, poor health outcomes and social isolation, and many do not have the support networks of family and friends. This scheme aims to address these challenges and create a safe and affirming environment where our community can age with pride.

    We’re looking forward to transforming our vision into a reality and continuing to work alongside partners and the Community Steering Group to improve the lives of older LGBTQ+ Mancunians and ensure Manchester continues to be a place where LGBTQ+ people are free to be themselves.”

    Helen Spencer, Executive Director of Growth at Great Places, said:

    “We’re delighted to receive planning approval for this groundbreaking project. Our Russell Road development is a significant step forward in providing high-quality, inclusive housing for members of Manchester’s LGBTQ+ community.

    “This low-carbon development of 80 one- and two-bedroom apartments aims to offer flexible care and support services for residents aged 55 and over. Our collaboration with the Russell Road Community Steering Group, Manchester City Council, and LGBT Foundation has been crucial in shaping a scheme that meets residents’ needs and enhances the local area.

    “Additionally, the adjacent shared ownership block will help address affordability challenges in Whalley Range.

    “We look forward to starting work on site and continuing our work with all partners to make this vision a reality.”

    Martin York and Susan Duncan-Wood, Joint Co-chairs of the Russell Road Community Steering Group (CSG), said:

    “The Community Steering Group is proud to be involved in this pioneering development which has received planning approval.

    “As representatives of the LGBTQIA+ community, future residents and the locality in which the scheme is based, we aim to ensure all voices are heard and perspectives considered to create an environment where older people can live their lives authentically and with dignity.”

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: National recognition for local partnership working

    Source: Scotland – City of Aberdeen

    Three improvement projects that are part of Aberdeen’s Local Outcome Improvement Plan (LOIP) have gained national recognition for their impressive partnership working to help improve people’s lives across the city. 

    Details were shared at the meeting of the Community Planning Aberdeen (CPA) Board yesterday (Wednesday 25 September).

    Aberdeen City Council Co-Leader Councillor Christian Allard, CPA chair, said: “The successful delivery of the updated Local Outcome Improvement Plan depends on Community Planning partners working together for the benefit of all people living in the city.  

    “National recognition of the positive impact our improvement projects are having highlights how by working together we can all play a part in helping to make Aberdeen a place where everyone can prosper.” 

    The Employment Support for People Leaving Prison project aims to increase the number of prison leavers engaging with employability support by 50% by 2026. 

    It’s success to date saw Aberdeen City Council receive the COSLA’s 2024 Excellence Award for Achieving Better Outcomes For The Most Vulnerable in Partnership.

    The partnership between the Scottish Prison Service (SPS), pub company and brewer Greene King, Skills Development Scotland (SDS), and the Council sought to improve people’s chances of successfully reintegrating into their communities upon leaving prison, reduce reoffending rates, and help mitigate recruitment challenges for the hospitality sector.

    The 12-week academy programme saw people in custody trained to work in a replica Greene King kitchen, by professional chefs. Equipment for the kitchen was funded by Aberdeen City Council’s ABZWorks. 

    The Business Start Up project led by Business Gateway, has seen 193 referrals of individuals in receipt of universal credits consider starting a business since the start of the programme with 91 individuals starting a business.  A total of 58 businesses have been referred for the Council’s Seed Funds with ABZWorks to date.  

    The Business Start Up project was a finalist for the Best Collaborative Working Initiative (with other public sector or third sector) Award at the Association for Public Service Excellence (APSE) Awards 2024. 

    The Reaching Out to People at Risk and Removing Barriers to Accessing Drug Support improvement project led by Aberdeen City Health and Social Care Partnership (ACHSCP) is a collaboration between Aberdeen City Council, ACHSCP, Alcohol and Drugs Action, Alcohol and Drugs Partnership, Police Scotland, and NHS Grampian. The project aims to reduce by 20% the number of drug related deaths in the city’s priority neighbourhoods by increasing the distribution of Naloxone by 25% year-on-year by 2026.

    A new Naloxone App was formally launched on 30 August. The app allows people to find the nearest stockists of Naloxone, videos on how to use Naloxone and respond to an overdose and links to support services. 

    All secondary schools have staff trained in administering Naloxone in addition to Level 6 first aid, giving them a qualification as well as the ability to save someone’s life. 

    The project was a finalist for COSLA’s 2024 Excellence Awards for Tackling Inequalities and Improving Health and Wellbeing Award.  

    The reports that went before Community Planning Aberdeen today can be viewed here.  

    Community Planning Aberdeen is the name for the local partnership of public, private and third sector organisations and communities working together to improve people’s lives across Aberdeen.  

     

    Photo: Aberdeen City Council wins the COSLA 2024 Excellence Award for Achieving Better Outcomes For The Most Vulnerable in Partnership.  Co-Leader Councillor Christian Allard (second from left) and members of the winning partnership project accept the prestigious award on behalf of the Council.

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Change to health board status

    Source: Scottish Government

    NHS Forth Valley move to stage 3

    NHS Forth Valley will move to stage 3 of the NHS Scotland Support and Intervention Framework following improvements in leadership, culture and governance at the Health Board.

    The move will apply from 1 October 2024 and will mean NHS Forth Valley no longer requires direct formal oversight from the Assurance Board, in place since 23 November 2022, which will now be stood down.

    Health Secretary Neil Gray said:

    “Following considerable progress against measures outlined in their improvement plan, it is encouraging the Scottish Government are now able to move NHS Forth Valley to stage 3 on the Support and Intervention Framework.

    “The Board has provided evidence of tangible and sustainable improvements across the three areas they were escalated for: leadership, culture, and governance.

    “This is a step forward, however it is vital improvements made are sustained and the Board continues to prioritise delivery of actions now being monitored as business as usual.”

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Secretary of State visits farm amidst bluetongue outbreaks

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    Secretary of State Steve Reed visited an Essex farm this week to hear from NFU representatives and a famer who recently had animals tested for bluetongue serotype 3 (BTV-3).

    Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, Steve Reed

    Secretary of State Steve Reed visited an Essex farm this week (Wednesday 25th September) to hear from NFU representatives and a famer who recently had animals tested for bluetongue serotype 3 (BTV-3).

    The Secretary of State, accompanied by Animal Plant Health Agency staff, including APHA’s Veterinary Head of Outbreaks for England Sascha Van Helvoort, heard about the impact this disease has been having on the industry and the importance of reporting livestock suspected of having the disease.

    Bluetongue virus is primarily transmitted by midge bites and affects cattle, goats, sheep, deer and camelids, with case numbers now increasing dramatically in northern Europe. Symptoms include fever, lethargy, ulcers or sores in the mouth or nose, and reduced milk yield.

    Disease control zones were put in place to control the movement of potentially affected animals as soon as bluetongue serotype 3 (BTV-3) was detected. These zones have been under constant review and adjustment as the disease situation has developed, such as when evidence of local transmission of disease emerged. A single Restricted Zone is now in place covering the east of England from Lincolnshire to West Sussex.

    Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, Steve Reed, said:

    I have heard first-hand the experiences of farmers battling this disease and we are working hard to prevent its spread into other areas of England and Great Britain.

    We understand restrictions can have an impact but stress the importance of everyone adhering to these. We are committed to working with everyone affected and urge people to report livestock they suspect have the disease.

    Sascha Van Helvoort, APHA Veterinary Head of Field Delivery and Veterinary Head of Outbreaks for England, said:

    The increasing number of bluetongue virus (BTV-3) cases demonstrate the importance of vigilance from all livestock keepers and farmers.

    We have field teams, vets and scientists across the country who are working hard to help tackle bluetongue virus and ensure farmers are being supported.

    If you have any suspicions of disease, you must report this to the Animal Plant Health Agency immediately so we can provide assistance.

    Defra has permitted use of the currently available unauthorised BTV-3 vaccines, subject to licence. We recommend animal keepers work with their veterinarians to decide if vaccination is right for their animals. To prioritise initial supplies, a general licence allows those in high-risk counties of England to use the vaccine. Specific licences can be applied for through APHA by animal keepers elsewhere in England who wish to use the vaccine

    BTV is a notifiable disease. Suspicion of BTV in animals in England must be reported to the Animal and Plant Health Agency on 03000 200 301, 03003 038 268 in Wales or your local Field Services Office in Scotland. 

    View more information about bluetongue. Check the list of all bluetongue cases and control zones and view the bluetongue interactive map.

    Updates to this page

    Published 26 September 2024

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Flooding impacts across the country

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    Heavy rainfall forecast over the next 24 hours across the country means significant river and surface water flooding is possible across central England.

    Heavy rainfall forecast over the next 24 hours across the country means significant river and surface water flooding is possible across central England

    Northamptonshire, Cambridgeshire, Worcestershire, Bedfordshire and Gloucestershire, amongst others, are likely to be affected with minor impacts expected in other parts of Southern England and the North with river flooding is also possible on Friday in the north-east of England.

    At 1pm on Thursday there were 27 flood warnings, showing flooding is expected, and 73 flood alerts, showing flooding is possible.

    Heavy rain and thunderstorms earlier in the week has led to around 385 properties flooded Hertfordshire, Bedfordshire, Northamptonshire, Kent and the Home Counties.

    With further rain coming, Environment Agency teams are out on the ground putting up flood defences, clearing blockages and supporting local authorities in their response work.

    We continue to urge people to keep an eye on the weather, check their flood risk, and take care planning their journeys.

    Kate Marks, Flood Duty Manager at the Environment Agency, said:

    Heavy rainfall across the country means that significant river and surface water flooding impacts are possible in parts of central England today and into Friday. Minor river flooding impacts are also possible in parts of north-east England today and Friday.

    Environment Agency teams continue to be out on the ground, supporting local authorities in responding to surface water flooding. We urge people to plan their journeys carefully, follow the advice of local emergency services on the roads and not to drive through flood water – it is often deeper than it looks and just 30cm of flowing water is enough to float your car.

    People should check their flood risk, sign up for free flood warnings and keep up to date with the latest situation as well as following @EnvAgency on X for the latest flood updates.

    The Flooding Minister has today visited communities in Dunstable and Leighton Buzzard to hear more about the impacts earlier this week. On Wednesday, Environment Secretary visited Northamptonshire on Wednesday to receive a briefing on their response and the actions taken to protect communities locally.

    Updates to this page

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Community Planning Aberdeen to become Volunteer Charter Champion

    Source: Scotland – City of Aberdeen

    Community Planning Aberdeen is to become a Volunteer Charter Champion in recognition of the significant role volunteers have in supporting communities and people across the city.

    The Volunteer Charter, produced by Volunteer Scotland, is a tool for policy makers, elected members and funders to use when making decisions about how volunteering is represented in decision making processes, policy development, and how volunteering is resourced and utilised.

    It sets out 10 key principles which help to underpin good relations within a volunteering environment and is open to any individual, group or organisation from any sector which either involve volunteers, or influence decisions on volunteering.

    Aberdeen City Council Co-Leader Councillor Christian Allard, Chair of the Community Planning Aberdeen Board, said: “We are very fortunate in Aberdeen that so many people give up their free time, share their knowledge and skills, and their enthusiasm to support people and communities across the city on a voluntary basis.   

    “It is in recognition of the importance of volunteers to communities, people and place that Community Planning Aberdeen has agreed to become a Volunteer Charter Champion.

    “We would like to thank all volunteers for their dedication and commitment. By working in partnership, we can all ‘do our bit’ to ensure Aberdeen is a place where everyone can prosper.”

    Volunteer Scotland and Aberdeen Council of Voluntary Organisations (ACVO) invited Community Planning Aberdeen to sign up to the Volunteer Charter. It was agreed that it could only sign the charter if partner organisations could collectively adhere to the principles.

    Partners are supportive of the Volunteer Charter with some; Aberdeen City Health and Social Care Partnership, NHS Grampian and North East College Scotland stating that they will also sign up as individual organisations. Aberdeen City Council agreed to become a Volunteer Charter Champion at the Council meeting on 3 July 2024.

    Following the Chair’s formal pledge of support of the Volunteer Charter on behalf of the partnership the necessary arrangements will be put in place to ensure the charter is integrated within the appropriate Community Planning Aberdeen structures.

    Find out more about volunteering opportunities with Community Planning Aberdeen here. 

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Improving the lives of Scotland’s Gypsy/Travellers

    Source: Scottish Government

    Voices of communities at the heart of plan to tackle discrimination and social exclusion.

    Improved access to housing, education and health services and tackling discrimination are at the heart of a new Gypsy/Traveller Action Plan agreed between the Scottish Government and COSLA.

    The voices of Gypsy/Travellers have helped shape the Plan, which acknowledges improvements in many of these areas, but recognises further progress needs to be made.  

    The Scottish Government and COSLA will work with stakeholders to take forward measures in the Plan.

    Key actions in the plan include:

    • Supporting Local Authorities to provide more and better accommodation, by taking steps for funding to be accessed under the Affordable Housing Supply Programme from 2026-27, and ensuring planners understand the needs of Gypsy/Traveller communities
    • Measures to remove barriers to education and improve educational outcomes for Gypsy/Traveller children and young people
    • Improving Gypsy/Travellers’ access to and experience of healthcare
    • Working to remove barriers to accessing benefits and build understanding among employers of the inequalities faced by Gypsy/Travellers, with practical tools to support recruitment and retention.
    • Challenging prejudice and discrimination and helping communities to influence decision-making

    Equalities Minister Kaukab Stewart said:

    “Improving the lives of Scotland’s Gypsy/Traveller communities is a significant human rights commitment and is crucial in helping us deliver the fairer Scotland we want to see.

    “The voices of Gypsy/Travellers across Scotland are at the centre of this second national joint action plan, and it is a testimony to the collaborative work of national and local government, third sector organisations, and most of all, the determination of Gypsy/Travellers to ensure better futures for their communities.

    “We know current initiatives are having a positive impact on the lives of Gypsy/Traveller communities across Scotland, like the Gypsy/Traveller Accommodation Fund and the success of the Community Health Worker project in overcoming barriers to accessing health and other statutory services.

    “However, there is still work to do. Through the actions in this plan we will build on the successes we have had to date and make further progress in many areas such as accommodation, health, education and combating discrimination.”

     Background:

    Improving the Lives of Scotland’s Gypsy/Travellers Action Plan 2024-2026

    The Ministerial Oversight Group on Gypsy/Travellers, co-chaired by the Minister for Equalities and COSLA’s Spokesperson for Community Wellbeing, will oversee the work of the action plan and provide a forum for members of Gypsy/Traveller communities and stakeholders to engage in the discussion.

    In the 2022 Census, 3,343 people in Scotland identified as belonging to the Gypsy/Traveller ethnic group, representing 0.06% of Scotland’s population.[1] However, organisations working with these communities estimate the true Gypsy/Traveller population size could be as high as 15,000 to 20,000.  

    Testimonies from Gypsy/Traveller communities shared with the Scottish Human Rights Commission in 2023 underlined experiences of racism and discrimination, challenges with accessing services and poor quality accommodation impacting their physical and mental health negatively.  

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Police remembrance ceremonies ‘particularly poignant’

    Source: South Australia Police

    People across the state today paused to honour police officers killed in the line of duty, including South Australia Police’s (SAPOL) Brevet Sergeant Jason Doig PBM LEM.

    Ahead of National Police Remembrance Day on Sunday, many united to pay their respects at locations including SAPOL’s Police Academy, the Riverland’s Banrock Station and at Mount Gambier and Port Pirie police stations.

    Observed on 29 September each year, the national day provides an opportunity to acknowledge the dangers of policing. This year recognises the 62 dedicated SAPOL members and those from other Australian and South West Pacific police jurisdictions who have made the ultimate sacrifice when protecting the community.

    Commissioner of Police Grant Stevens APM LEM attended the National Police Remembrance Day memorial service in Canberra, where Brevet Sergeant Doig’s name was added to the National Police Memorial.

    “This year’s remembrance is particularly poignant as we reflect on the life of Brevet Sergeant Jason Doig who died in the line of duty last November after being shot by an armed offender at Senior,” Commissioner Stevens said.

    “Brevet Sergeant Doig served his community with distinction, displaying honour and courage in performing his duties while knowing the risks his job entailed.

    “The profound outpouring of grief across South Australia Police and throughout the South Australian community, highlighted the esteem in which Brevet Sergeant Doig was held.”

    Brevet Sergeant Doig’s family attended a private ceremony on 5 September 2024 to unveil his plaque on the Wall of Remembrance at SAPOL’s Academy. At this ceremony, Brevet Sergeant Doig was also posthumously awarded the South Australia Police Bravery Medal and Leadership and Efficiency Medal, adding to other accolades.

    Commissioner Stevens recognised the commitment of all police officers, past and present.

    “National Police Remembrance Day provides a valuable opportunity to reflect upon those who serve and those who have fallen, recalling their unquestionable dedication to our profession and our community at large,” he added.

    “While our people on the frontline of operational policing face the inherent dangers of the profession, it takes commitment and support from all members of the organisation to ensure the South Australian community receives the best possible service.”

    SA Governor Her Excellency, the Honourable Frances Adamson AC joined Deputy Commissioner Linda Williams APM, Minister of Police Dan Cregan, and other dignitaries at SAPOL’s academy this morning to pay their respects at the wall of remembrance. A riderless horse also formed part of the commemoration.

    Minister for Police Dan Cregan said the day is a reminder of the bravery shown by South Australian Police.

    “Every officer deserves the right to come home and we must never forget those on the frontline who put themselves in danger to keep our community safe,” Minister Cregan said.

    “Brevet Sergeant Jason Doig paid the ultimate price for doing his job and this is a solemn occasion to pay tribute to the courage, commitment and dedication of police.”

    In further acknowledgement, on Sunday several venues and locations across metropolitan Adelaide will light up in blue and white police chequering, including Adelaide Oval’s southern stand, Riverbank precinct footbridge, Adelaide Convention Centre, Adelaide Town Hall, and the O-Bahn tunnel. SAPOL’s police headquarters on Angas Street will also light up from tonight (Friday) through to Sunday.

    Breakout

    This year we remember: South Australia Police: Brevet Sergeant Jason Christopher Doig who died on the 17November 2023 after being shot at Senior in the South East.

    New South Wales Police:Sergeant Peter Thomas Stone who drowned on the 1 January 2023 while attempting to rescue his son.

    We also commemorate another addition to this year’s honour roll: Western Australia Police: Senior Constable Glenn Murray who died on the 6 December 2022 after receiving serious injuries in a car accident.

    We also acknowledge two historical additions to the National Police Memorial: Northern Territory Police: Mounted Constable Thomas Edward McNulty who died on the 28 November 1917 from drowning after falling overboard from the ‘Albatross’. Mounted Constable Arthur Robinson Clapp who died on the 5November 1927 from a gunshot wound to the leg after seizing a pistol and securing it in his belt.

    Caption: The National Carillon building in Canberra lit up as a tribute to Brevet Sergeant Jason Doig.

    SA Governor Her Excellency, the Honourable Frances Adamson AC with Deputy Commissioner of Police Linda Williams APM at the Police Academy’s service on Friday 27 September.

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Boosting support for children affected by domestic violence

    Source: New South Wales Government 2

    Headline: Boosting support for children affected by domestic violence

    Published: 27 September 2024

    Released by: Minister for the Prevention of Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault

    Up to 1,800 children and young people experiencing domestic and family violence each year will now have access to specialised support services to help them recover and disrupt the cycle of abuse. 

    The Specialist Workers for Children and Young People (SWCYP) program provides a path to recovery for children and young people from 0 to 18 years of age, staying in refuges with their mothers after escaping domestic and family violence.

    The $48.1 million SWCYP investment from the NSW Government provides funding to expand the program to 10 new services covering an additional 34 Local Government Areas (LGAs) across NSW, the majority of which are in regional and rural NSW.

    Funding for 21 existing services will ensure delivery of the program in over 22 women’s refuges across 46 LGAs is extended to 30 June 2026, providing certainty for these services.

    This enhancement means children and young people accompanying their mothers in over 32 refuges across regional and metro NSW will have access to support from more than 55 specialist workers.

    The NSW Government is working hard to improve support for domestic and family violence victim-survivors and expand programs that reduce the rate of violence against women and children.

    Domestic and family violence can have a devastating impact on children and young people, whether they have witnessed or directly suffered abuse.

    The SWCYP program is a key part of the NSW Government’s $245.6 million domestic violence package. It recognises children and young people as victim-survivors in their own right and offers tailored support that is more holistic, trauma-informed, and preventative.

    Specialist workers develop an individualised support plan for each child or young person to help break the pattern of violence and prevent intergenerational trauma.

    An evaluation of the program by the University of NSW found the program delivered positive outcomes for participants by providing early intervention, preventing problems from escalating and disrupting the cycle of domestic and family violence.

    The evaluation noted children and young people who had received support from a specialist worker reported positive outcomes relating to their physical health, education, social needs, mental health, emotional needs, safety, cultural needs, employment and family relationships.

    See UNSW’s “Specialist Workers for Children and Young People Outcomes Evaluation – Final Report”.

    The NSW Government is taking a whole of government approach to address domestic and family violence, including rolling out our first dedicated Primary Prevention Strategy, holding perpetrators to account, and strengthening protections for victim-survivors through bail reforms and proposed changes to ADVOs.

    Minister for the Prevention of Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault Jodie Harrison said:

    “Supporting families through this holistic response is a critical step to preventing future cycles of violence.

    “Extending and expanding this program recognises that children and young people are victim-survivors of domestic and family violence in their own right. So it’s vital that we provide them with this much-needed support, that is a different response to their mother, in the space where refuge is sought.

    “This investment by our government is crucial and will provide life-changing help to children and young people as they recover from past trauma.

    “Every child deserves to live free from violence and its destructive impact on their health and wellbeing.”

    Domestic Violence Service Management CEO Stephanie Smith said:

    “Specialist workers for children and young people allow for a long-term sustainable solution to ending domestic and family violence in Australia. By intervening early with children and young people we are able to disrupt the normalisation of domestic and family violence and allow a reframe of values about relationships and gender dynamics early.

    “Our specialist workers are there specifically for the children who historically may have been left behind in the inevitable crisis caused by domestic and family violence. These workers allow the experience of children to be heard, acknowledged and addressed.

    “Our services are person-centered which means we don’t have a one-size-fits-all way of doing things. We start with thorough assessments based on what the child and parent are telling us and we regularly review and adapt our way of working with children to ensure we see progress.”

    MIL OSI News –