NewzIntel.com

Category: Great Britain

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Progress on Active Transport Corridors

    Source: Scotland – City of Dundee

    The journey to provide sustainable transport corridors along major Dundee routes is moving forward thanks to a £745,000 grant from the Scottish Government. 

    Engineering consultancy SWARCO has been appointed to develop detailed construction-ready designs for the Lochee Road and Arbroath Road corridors. These designs will integrate active travel and bus priority measures, building on initial concept work. Fully funded by Transport Scotland, the design work will include various elements including surveys, traffic modelling, design development and community consultation and engagement. 

    These corridors are central to Dundee City Council’s Sustainable Transport Delivery Plan, which outlines ambitious plans to enhance and expand the city’s sustainable transport infrastructure.  

    With around 20,000 vehicle movements daily on these routes, the improvements aim to make walking, cycling, and bus travel more attractive alternatives to car use. This will help to reduce congestion, improve air quality, and connect communities with affordable, low-carbon transport options.  

    The award of the tender will be discussed by the council’s Fair Work, Economic Growth and Infrastructure Committee at its meeting on Monday June 9. 

    Depute Convener Cllr Siobhan Tolland said: “As we look to the future and work to meet our climate and net zero commitments, active and sustainable travel will play an increasingly important role in that journey. 

    “These transport methods will make a substantial positive contribution to the city’s health and wellbeing and also further improve air quality. 

    “The new corridor designs will help us bring forward practical solutions to encourage more people to walk, wheel, cycle, and use public transport along these key routes.”                        

    Meanwhile, the committee will also be asked to approve a £112, 255 tender for a pocket park in Lochee. 

    The project is being supported by funding from Scottish Government’s Vacant and Derelict Land Investment Programme, as well as Transport Scotland’s Active Travel Infrastructure Fund. 

    Works, which would be carried out by Tayside Contracts, would see the construction of a pocket park and raingarden in vacant land near the Lochee High Street/Bank Steet road junction.   

    The raingarden element will contribute to wider drainage improvements for the area to provide a surface water connection point for new development in Lochee. 

    Councillor Tolland added: “Pocket parks have been delivered successfully across other areas in Dundee and help in efforts to encourage people to get out, be active and enjoy their local community.” 

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-Evening Report: New rules for cosmetic injectables aim to make the industry safer. Will they work?

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Christopher Rudge, Law lecturer, University of Sydney

    BearFoto/Shutterstock

    New guidelines to regulate Australia’s booming cosmetic procedures industry have been called “tough” and “a crackdown” in media reports this week.

    On Tuesday, the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (AHPRA) announced the new guidelines – one for procedures, the other for advertising – and said it put the lucrative industry “on notice”.

    The guidelines stem from AHPRA’s 2023 review of non-surgical cosmetic procedures – think injectables (such as Botox and dermal fillers), laser skin resurfacing, chemical peels, hair transplants and more.

    That review was established only after AHPRA investigated widespread reports about unsafe practices in cosmetic surgery in 2022, exposing risks and deficiencies in both the surgical and non-surgical cosmetics sector.

    These included the predatory targeting of under-18s, inadequate training for practitioners, and poor screening of patients. For example, 52-second telehealth consultations.

    So, how tough are these guidelines? And can they be enforced?

    What do the guidelines say?

    The new rules aim to put safety before sales and cover many more issues than any previous guidance.

    They also fill a gap, as they apply to all health practitioners. Previously only doctors had clear guidelines, while nurses and midwives had been guided by a “position statement” published by the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia.

    These new rules ban financial incentives, discounts and other financial arrangements, such as “contra deals” – where Botox injections might be administered in exchange for restaurant meals, as occurred in one New South Wales case.

    They also ban perks for social media influencers, who often get free treatments.

    The guidelines confirm influencers recruited by practitioners should not create unreasonable expectations of benefits for patients (which is already against the law if practitioners do it). If influencers do, the recruiting practitioner will be responsible.

    The new rules for health practitioners aim to make non-surgical procedures safer.
    Tijana Simic/Shutterstock

    Botox is a prescription-only drug subject to strict controls.

    But several practitioners have been disciplined for administering or procuring it inappropriately, such as in day spas or by arranging “remote” prescriptions by email. Recent cases of unregistered people injecting it at parties, resulting in botulism (a serious condition), also suggest gaps in oversight.

    The new rules allow only suitably trained practitioners to prescribe these drugs following an in-person or video consultation. Batch prescribing – issuing prescriptions for multiple patients – is now clearly unacceptable.

    The guidelines emphasise skills and training. Registered nurses will now need a year’s experience in other fields before giving cosmetic treatments. Enrolled nurses will be expected to first have a year of supervised, relevant experience.

    There must also be robust protocols to manage any complications after a procedure. Practitioners must provide detailed aftercare instructions, and ensure patients are aware of their right to complain and to whom.

    Screening for suitability

    Short and impersonal cosmetic consultations have often not met the legal requirements for informed consent.

    The guidelines address this by requiring registered nurses and nurse practitioners to thoroughly assess a patient’s suitability for a treatment.

    They must confirm the patient’s expectations are realistic, discuss risks and alternatives (including no treatment), be transparent about their own skills and experience, and explain all costs.

    The guidelines specify that screening assessments must check for underlying conditions, such as body dysmorphic disorder, which is known to be more common in those seeking cosmetic treatments.

    It is one of several mental health disorders diagnosed in people who experience anxiety and persistent thoughts about perceived flaws in their physical appearance.

    Patients experiencing this condition would likely be unsuitable. That’s because people with body dysmorphic disorder are at higher risk of poor psychosocial outcomes (such as poorer mental health or wellbeing).

    If found unsuitable, patients must be refused treatment and referred to another appropriate practitioner, such as a psychologist, for appropriate support.

    Overall, the new guidelines foster better informed consent processes. They prompt practitioners to screen for and discuss the psychosocial risks known to be associated with cosmetic procedures.

    Consultations will have to screen patients to see if they’re suitable for treatment.
    Chay_Tee/Shutterstock

    What about under 18s?

    AHPRA says the new rules offer greater protection for young people through new safeguards and special rules for under-18s.

    The guidelines say prescribing dermal fillers to minors is inappropriate. For other procedures, they require parental or guardian consent where practicable, and a cooling-off period of seven days between obtaining informed consent and the procedure.

    However, health practitioners will still be able to exercise their clinical judgement for under-18s within the limits of the law.

    That’s because the general law permits “mature minors” to lawfully consent to medical treatments if they have been assessed as having sufficient understanding and intelligence to appreciate fully what is being proposed.

    So, how are these rules enforced?

    These guidelines are not parliamentary laws.

    Instead, they define the standards expected of all registered health practitioners who perform non-surgical cosmetic procedures – except doctors, who have their own guidelines.

    If a health practitioner does not comply with the guidelines, the board responsible for their registration and accreditation – for example, the Nursing and Midwifery Board – can take “immediate action” to suspend them or launch disciplinary proceedings for extended sanctions.

    The guidelines will make it easier for national boards and state complaints organisations to support any allegations of professional wrongdoing against health professionals performing or promoting cosmetic procedures.

    Before now, there were no specific rules about cosmetic procedures – just the general (but important) codes of conduct for each profession.

    The guidelines give real teeth to the bodies that regulate the health profession and will likely enable them to weed out bad actors from the cosmetic workforce. Even so, they cannot compensate or redress patient harms.

    For that, patients may sue practitioners in court, report unlawful drug advertising to the Therapeutic Goods Administration (where fines can be issued), or take action under Australian consumer law.

    Christopher Rudge worked as a part-time research officer at the Medical Council of New South Wales in 2018.

    – ref. New rules for cosmetic injectables aim to make the industry safer. Will they work? – https://theconversation.com/new-rules-for-cosmetic-injectables-aim-to-make-the-industry-safer-will-they-work-257898

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Two teens arrested over car theft from West Croydon

    Source: New South Wales – News

    Two teenagers were arrested today after investigations into a western suburbs crime spree on Tuesday morning.

    A 2025 Toyota RAV4, along with other items, including a handbag, bankcards and cash, was stolen during a break-in at a West Croydon address about 4.30am on Tuesday 3 June.  Five suspects were captured on CCTV.

    The stolen vehicle was found in Humber Street, Holden Hill about 5.40am that morning and towed away for forensic examination.

    Vehicle tracking showed it had also attended a fast-food restaurant at Pooraka, providing investigators with CCTV of the suspects.

    Investigations and further CCTV analysis then linked a number of illegal interferences and attempted break-ins in the early hours of Tuesday morning, between 2am and 4.30am, throughout Underdale, West Hindmarsh, Croydon and West Croydon.

    About 12.30pm today, Friday 6 June, Youth and Street Gangs Task Force members attended a Christie Downs address and located two suspects.

    A 16-year-old boy from Parafield Gardens and a 16-year-old boy from Holden Hill were arrested and charged with numerous counts of illegal use, aggravated serious criminal trespass and breach of bail.

    They were both refused police bail and will appear in the Adelaide Youth Court on Tuesday 10 June.

    Investigations are continuing.

    Investigators ask anyone who has CCTV or dashcam footage of the suspects between 2am and 4.30am on Tuesday in the Underdale, West Hindmarsh, Croydon and West Croydon areas to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or online at www.crimestopperssa.com.au

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Driver charged over pedestrian crash in Launceston

    Source: New South Wales Community and Justice

    Driver charged over pedestrian crash in Launceston

    Friday, 6 June 2025 – 3:11 pm.

    An 18-year-old man will appear in court charged with assault and causing grievous bodily harm following a pedestrian crash in Launceston last Friday night.
    The man was allegedly driving a white Holden Commodore wagon when it struck two pedestrians in the Launceston City Council carpark on the corner of Brisbane and Bathurst streets about 11.50pm on Friday, 30 May.
    One of the pedestrians, a teenage girl, was flown to the Royal Hobart Hospital with serious leg injuries. She remains in hospital in a stable condition.
    The driver and the injured teenager are known to each other, and Launceston police are calling for witnesses to the incident, as investigations continue.
    Anyone who witnessed the incident in the carpark (commonly referred to as the Dan Murphy’s carpark) is asked to contact police. Relevant dashcam or other footage should also be provided.
    Information can be provided by calling police on 131 444, or Crime Stoppers Tasmania on 1800 333 000 or at crimestopperstas.com.au (please quote OR776328).
    Information can be provided anonymously.

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI: TGS Commences Ultra-High Resolution 3D Seismic Survey for Green Volt Wind Development

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    London, United Kingdom (06 June 2025) – TGS, a leading global provider of energy data and intelligence has commenced a geophysical survey for the pioneering Green Volt floating offshore wind farm. Mobilization initiated in Aberdeen last week and the work scheduled throughout June will include an ultra-high resolution 3D (UHR3D) seismic survey used to deliver detailed subsurface data for the floating wind farm’s site characterization.

    The Green Volt project is a joint venture between leading offshore wind developers Flotation Energy and Vårgrønn. As Europe’s first commercial-scale floating windfarm at 560 MW, the project is a catalyst for developing a highly specialized UK floating wind supply chain.

    Utilizing integrated Multibeam Echo Sounder, Side Scan Sonar, Sub-bottom Profiler and Magnetometer sensors, the advanced survey will enhance geological understanding and provide critical insights for the project’s site planning and risk assessments.

    Spanning the full lifecycle from acquisition planning to imaging and interpretation, this campaign for Green Volt will support employment opportunities across the UK, where TGS maintains a significant presence. TGS has 3 offices in the UK with over 200 employees. Offshore survey crews, geophysicists and onshore geoscientists will be engaged throughout the project, ensuring the delivery of high-quality processed data and interpretations.

    UHR3D data will provide detailed understanding of the subsurface conditions, revealing potential risks and challenges that are not always accurately captured through traditional 2D data interpolation. The enhanced data collection will help the Green Volt project team identify geological hazards and structural complexities, contributing to improved site assessment and risk mitigation strategies. This, in turn, will form a reliable foundation for the project’s ongoing planning and execution. By leveraging the latest acquisition configurations, TGS will enhance efficiency and improve target resolutions to meet the highest industry standards.

    Commenting on the start of this survey, TGS EVP New Energy Solutions, Will Ashby, said:

    “This represents a key milestone for TGS to utilize our expertise, technology and resources to support the development of the first commercial floating offshore wind farm, Green Volt. This simultaneous acquisition of all sensors and the application of our cutting-edge processing techniques is reinforcing our commitment to delivering industry-leader data solutions. UHR3D will be a key aspect to developing floating wind farms.”

    Matt Green, Project Director for Green Volt said:

    “Green Volt is pleased to be working alongside TGS on these important geophysical site surveys, which will not only advance our project but will also further develop our understanding of how the UKCS subsea offshore landscape can support deeper, larger windfarms as we continue to develop our industry.  Accurate data is vital component in our learning and will help strengthen the UK’s floating wind supply chain. This contract supports local jobs and innovation, helping to build a world-leading offshore wind sector right here in the UK.”

    About TGS
    TGS provides advanced data and intelligence to companies active in the energy sector. With leading-edge technology and solutions spanning the entire energy value chain, TGS offers a comprehensive range of insights to help clients make better decisions. Our broad range of products and advanced data technologies, coupled with a global, extensive and diverse energy data library, make TGS a trusted partner in supporting the exploration and production of energy resources worldwide. For further information, please visit www.tgs.com (https://www.tgs.com/).

    For media inquiries, contact:

    Bård Stenberg
    IR & Business Intelligence
    investor@tgs.com

    About Green Volt
    Green Volt is set to become Europe’s first commercial scale floating offshore wind farm, located approximately 80 kilometres off the northeast coast of Scotland.

    Jointly developed by Flotation Energy and Vårgrønn, the project will feature up to 35 floating wind turbines with a total capacity of 560 megawatts. Once operational, Green Volt will provide clean power to the UK grid and facilitate the electrification of participating oil and gas platforms.

    Developed under Crown Estate Scotland’s Innovation and Targeted Oil and Gas (INTOG) leasing round, Green Volt aims to reduce carbon emissions by one million tonnes per year, significantly contributing to the UK’s and Scotland’s net-zero targets. The project has secured all necessary planning approvals and, in September 2024, was awarded a Contract for Difference (CfD) by the UK Government.

    The MIL Network –

  • India, England to now play for the Tendulkar-Anderson trophy

    Source: Government of India

    Source: Government of India (4)

    The India-England Test series will now be known as the Tendulkar-Anderson Trophy, rechristened in honour of two legends of the game, Sachin Tendulkar and James Anderson.

    The new identity was jointly announced on Thursday by the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) and the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI). According to a report by ESPNcricinfo, the trophy will be officially unveiled by Tendulkar and Anderson on the first day of the World Test Championship (WTC) final between Australia and South Africa, on June 11 at Lord’s.

    Notably, India and England are set to begin the new WTC cycle with a five-Test series starting 20 June at Headingley, Leeds.

    Anderson, the most successful fast bowler in Test cricket with 188 appearances, retired in July 2024. Over a career spanning more than two decades, the English seamer took over 700 Test wickets and became the first fast bowler in history to reach that milestone. Known for his relentless accuracy, late swing, and ability to adapt across conditions, Anderson was a mainstay of England’s attack and remains one of the most respected figures in the game.

    Tendulkar, widely regarded as one of the greatest batters in cricket history, retired in 2013 after becoming the first — and so far only — player to feature in 200 Test matches. He scored 15,921 runs in the format, including 51 centuries, and carried the weight of a cricket-obsessed nation for much of his 24-year international career. His technique, temperament, and unmatched consistency made him a global icon and a symbol of Indian cricket’s golden generation.

    Previously, the India-England series was played for different trophies depending on the host country. In England, it was the Pataudi Trophy, named after former India captain Mansur Ali Khan Pataudi. In India, it was the Anthony de Mello Trophy, named after one of the early architects of Indian cricket administration.

    The Tendulkar-Anderson Trophy replaces both to establish a uniform identity across series, while celebrating the legacy of two modern greats who defined the era they played in.

  • Spain beat France 5-4 in thriller to reach Nations League final

    Source: Government of India

    Source: Government of India (4)

    Spain’s teenage sensation Lamine Yamal inspired his country to a thrilling 5-4 win over France on Thursday to send the holders through to their third successive Nations League final where they will face Iberian neighbours Portugal.

    The European champions dazzled in the first half of the semi-final at the MHP Arena and raced into a 2-0 lead with fine goals by Nico Williams and Mikel Merino inside 25 minutes.

    Spain’s 17-year-old starlet Yamal then got in on the act to coolly add a third from the penalty spot nine minutes into the second half before his Barcelona teammate Pedri clipped a sublime fourth into the net less than a minute later.

    The goals continued to flow as France striker Kylian Mbappe also slotted home from the penalty spot near the hour mark before Yamal added Spain’s fifth after 67 minutes to cap an exhilarating individual performance.

    France then mounted an extraordinary comeback as a stunning strike from Rayan Cherki, Dani Vivian’s own goal and a Randal Kolo Muani finish caused Spain some late jitters but they held on to book a clash with their Portuguese rivals on Sunday.

    “I always say it to my mother, I try to give it all,” Yamal told Teledeporte. “It is what motivates me to play football, why I wake up in the mornings.

    “France have world class players. The scoreline after 60 minutes was very big, but they have players who make you suffer.

    “We (Spain and Portugal) are two very good teams with world-class players. The best will win. I hope to bring the cup to Spain.”

    Spain have been nearly imperious under coach Luis de la Fuente, losing just once in over two years, a run that helped them take home the European Championship title last year with victory over England in the final.

    Key to De la Fuente’s system is his lively wide men Nico Williams and Yamal, and after Mbappe had wasted a golden early chance in Stuttgart and Theo Hernandez crashed an effort against the crossbar, Williams’ emphatic finish edged Spain in front.

    Another fine, flowing move three minutes later resulted in Merino slotting home the second having been picked out by a pinpoint Mikel Oyarzabal pass. It was only the second time France had conceded twice inside the opening half hour of a match during coach Didier Deschamps’ 13-year tenure.

    France continued to create openings but could not make their moments count, with their profligacy proving costly as one of the favourites to win the Ballon d’Or award, Yamal, fired in from the penalty spot after the teenager had been fouled.

    Yamal, who already has over 100 appearances for Barcelona across all competitions before he has even turned 18, was equally calm for his second, after Pedro’s fine fourth and Mbappe’s penalty, poking the ball past France goalkeeper Mike Maignan.

    The strike from Olympique Lyonnais’ Cherki deserved to be more meaningful, before Vivian’s intervention gave Spanish supporters some cause for concern.

    Substitute Kolo Muani’s goal made extra time look a possibility, but it was too little, too late.

    The striker, however, ensured the enthralling semi-final became the first-ever Nations League match to feature nine goals. It was also the first time France had conceded five times in a match since 1969.

    “We had some bursts of play we haven’t had for a long time,” France skipper Mbappe said. “But in just 10 minutes of the first half, we conceded two goals — and the same thing happened in the second half.

    “We weren’t consistent throughout the 90 minutes, but we did improve. When you don’t win, there are always negative points that come out. But it’s not all negative.”

    (Reuters)

  • India test captain Gill ready to lead in his own way

    Source: Government of India

    Source: Government of India (4)

    India’s new test captain Shubman Gill knows he has big shoes to fill after the retirements of Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli but he wants to develop his own style of leadership, he said on Thursday.

    Rohit and Kohli, former skippers and batting mainstays of the team, both quit test cricket weeks before the start of India’s five-test series in England.

    Gill, 25, impressed as captain of Indian Premier League (IPL) side Gujarat Titans, leading them to the playoffs.

    “The pressure comes with every tour. The two big players have served us for so long, it is not easy to fill that space,” Gill told a news conference in Mumbai.

    “My style of captaincy will be my own, it will develop with experience. I like to communicate with the players. I would try to get them comfortable with their strengths and weaknesses. The players should feel secure, only then will they perform well.”

    Gill was picked as captain ahead of fast bowler Jasprit Bumrah, who led India in two recent tests in Australia.

    Chief selector Ajit Agarkar cited workload management concerns over the 31-year-old Bumrah who will not play all five tests in England.

    “We haven’t taken the call over which three games (Bumrah is) going to play,” India head coach Gautam Gambhir said. “We are going to have a discussion with him and a lot will depend on the results of the series as well, where the series is heading.”

    At least 11 people died and 47 were injured on Wednesday in a crowd surge outside IPL team Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s home stadium during celebrations of their maiden title.

    “My heart goes out to the people who lost their lives,” Gambhir said. “We are all equally responsible for this. Every life matters. If we are not ready to hold a road show, we should not do that.”

    (Reuters)

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Police seeking public information in relation to missing tourists

    Source: New South Wales Community and Justice

    Police seeking public information in relation to missing tourists

    Friday, 6 June 2025 – 2:02 pm.

    Police are seeking public information in relation to the location of Leannedra Kang and Takahiro Toya (both aged in their 20s) who have been visiting Tasmania and were believed to have been in the St Helens/Scamander area recently. 
    They may be travelling in a (rental car) white Toyota Corolla with registration L67GW. 
    Leannedra and Takahiro were scheduled to leave Tasmania on Wednesday (4 June) flying from Launceston home to Brisbane, but they did not board their flight or return the rental vehicle.
    If you’ve seen them or the vehicle, or know where they are, please contact police on 131 444 and quote ESCAD 420-05062025. 
    *Leannedra and Takahiro if you see this, you’re not in any trouble, please phone police or family to let them know you’re ok.

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Stolen property returned to owner

    Source: New South Wales – News

    A woman has been arrested after allegedly stealing thousands of dollars of property from a short-stay home in the western suburbs.

    Between Thursday 29 May and Saturday 31 May, a theft occurred at a home on Cairns Avenue at Lockleys, where a number of items were stolen including audio equipment, gaming console, jewellery and clothing.

    Following an investigation, patrols attended and searched a Findon address where they located items stolen from the Lockleys address.

    A 36-year-old woman from the address was arrested and charged with theft.  She was granted police bail to appear in Port Adelaide Magistrates Court on 3 July.

    A second address was later searched in Seaton, and further stolen items were located and subsequently returned to the victim.

    Police continue to investigate the theft and ask anyone with information that may assist to contact Crime Stoppers.  You can anonymously provide information to Crime Stoppers online at https://crimestopperssa.com.au or free call 1800 333 000.

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Emergency Services Volunteer Fund statement

    Source: New South Wales Ministerial News

    This is a statement from City of Greater Bendigo Councillors regarding the Emergency Services Volunteer Fund.

    From July 1, the Emergency Services Volunteer Fund (ESVF) replaces the Fire Services Property Levy (FSPL). It will be calculated based on a fixed charge that varies by property type and a variable charge based on property value.

    The new levy will be applied to forthcoming rates notices and will be a cost increase experienced by all ratepayers.

    In particular, the City of Greater Bendigo acknowledges the deep disappointment and concern of our community, including our farming community, regarding the introduction of the ESVF, under which it has been reported farmers will pay many thousands of dollars more in comparison to the FSPL.

    The City cannot choose not to collect the levy. It is a legislative requirement, with the City effectively acting as a collection agency for the Victorian Government.

    At the Municipal Association of Victoria May State Council Meeting the City added its voice and voted in favour of resolution 1.1a that expressed disappointment with the implementation of the ESVF and Local Government collecting the funds on the State’s behalf.

    The City is also a member of Regional Cities Victoria (RCV), an alliance of regional cities, of which Mayor Cr Andrea Metcalf is Deputy Chair. RCV has been consistently vocal about the adverse impacts of the ESVF.

    Despite the Victorian Government’s decision to cap the 2025/2026 ESVF levy at the 2024/2025 FSPL rate for primary producers, the reality is this is just a pause.

    To assist where it can, the City’s 2025/2026 Budget proposes to reduce the rate in the dollar rural landholders will pay and not increase waste charges for all ratepayers in the new financial year.

    The City also recognises the ESVF is just one of many challenges rural communities in central Victoria are facing that have a direct impact on their livelihoods – the ongoing impact of flood damage now being met with drought conditions, decreased water allocations, mining expansion, proposed renewable energy zones and upgrades to energy infrastructure.

    The Victorian Government’s decision to expand its drought relief package is welcome, however much more significant and longer-term support is needed if local farming businesses are to survive the current conditions.

    The cooler months are generally quieter for the Bendigo Livestock Exchange but over the past few weeks the City has seen unusually high yarding numbers for the Monday sheep sales, an example of farmers de-stocking due to a lack of fodder and high feed costs.

    On the plus side they are getting exceptional prices per head but the decision to sell can take a significant personal toll. Long term, they will also need to rebuild their flocks at a cost.

    The City looks forward to the newly established Drought Response Taskforce making recommendations on behalf of the farming community directly to government. The committee will be chaired by Premier and Member for Bendigo East, The Hon. Jacinta Allan, and RCV and the Bendigo Bank will be represented on the group.

    It is Council’s commitment to write to the Premier, relevant ministers and the taskforce to advocate for a roadmap for what comes next, asking things like is there a state fodder plan, how to do we keep money flowing to small rural businesses as farms dry up and what do ‘exceptional circumstances’ look like?

    Of course, we hope we don’t have to find out, but farmers are realists and need reassurance help will be there if they need it.

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Have you seen this vehicle in the southern suburbs?

    Source: New South Wales – News

    Police are seeking assistance from the public following an incident in the southern suburbs earlier this week.

    Crime Gangs Task Force Detectives are investigating a serious assault that occurred about 6.30pm on Tuesday 3 June.  It will be alleged a man was taken by force from a retail shop on Honeypot Road at Huntfield Heights and driven around the area.

    Police will allege the victim, a 24-year-old man from Parafield Gardens, was assaulted by the occupants of a silver 2017 Mitsubishi Triton with a canopy (see picture), at Sports Park Drive, Morphett Vale.

    The man was taken by SAAS members to hospital, where he was treated for non-life threatening injuries.

    Following an investigation, Detectives arrested a 29-year-old man from Port Noarlunga, he was charged with aggravated assault and aggravated theft.  He was granted police bail to appear in court at a later date.

    A 27-year-old man from Hackham was arrested and charged with aggravated kidnapping, aggravated assault and aggravated theft.  He was refused police bail and appeared in Christies Beach Magistrate Court on Wednesday 4 June where he was remanded in custody.

    A 20-year-old man from Moana was arrested and charged with aggravated kidnapping, aggravated assault and aggravated theft.  The man is alleged to be a member of the Comanchero MC and he will appear in the Christies Beach Magistrates court later today (Friday 6 June).

    Police believe this was not a random incident and there is no risk to the community.

    Investigators are seeking witnesses, CCTV and dash cam footage of the incident on Sports Park Drive, Huntfield Heights.  Anyone who may have seen a silver 2017 Mitsubishi Triton being driven erratically and at a high speed on the Southern Expressway between 5.45pm and 6.30pm on Tuesday 3 June to contact Crime Stoppers.  You can anonymously provide information to Crime Stoppers online at https://crimestopperssa.com.au or free call 1800 333 000.

    CO2500023241

    CO2500023452

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Youth charged over offences committed in Southern Tasmania

    Source: New South Wales Community and Justice

    Youth charged over offences committed in Southern Tasmania

    Friday, 6 June 2025 – 11:46 am.

    Police have charged a 15-year-old from the Bridgewater area over a number of offences committed in Southern Tasmania recently.
    Police will allege the youth committed an aggravated armed robbery on a food delivery driver in Gagebrook on 8 May.
    The youth was charged with:

    1x aggravated armed robbery
    1x motor vehicle stealing
    3x stealing
    1x aggravated burglary
    1x possess controlled plant or its products
    2x possess a controlled drug
    1x possess thing used for administration of controlled drug
    1x evade police
    1x injure property
    1x common assault

    He will appear before the Youth Justice Court today.

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-Evening Report: E-bikes and e-scooters are popular – but dangerous. A transport expert explains how to make them safer

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Geoff Rose, Professor in Transport Engineering, Monash Institute of Transport Studies, Monash University

    nazar_ab/Getty

    Last weekend a pedestrian in Perth tragically died after being struck by an e-scooter.

    This followed the death of another person in Victoria last month who was hit and killed by a modified e-bike which police alleged could travel at 90 kilometres per hour.

    A study published earlier this week also found nearly 180 e-scooter injuries in young people aged five to 15 at the Sunshine Coast University Hospital in 2023 and 2024. One in ten injuries were life-threatening or potentially life-threatening.

    Even though e-bikes and e-scooters have many benefits, such as improving urban accessibility and giving people scope to reduce or even eliminate carbon-emitting car use, these examples highlight their associated risks.

    For these risks to be properly addressed, an overhaul of regulations covering e-bikes and e-scooters is urgently needed.

    All to do with power

    E-bikes have a battery-powered motor to assist the rider. The key word there is “assist”: to be legal the rider has to be pedalling to get the power assistance.

    E-scooters are a new variant of the once humble children’s kick scooter. They are more sturdy to support an adult rider, and the battery-powered motor provides all the power.

    Some e-bikes and e-scooters have throttles, which enable riders to accelerate to higher speeds without pedalling. Technically, these are illegal.

    These new forms of urban transport are surging in popularity. This year alone, about 150,000 e-bikes are forecast to be sold across the country. An estimated 350,000 Australians – about 1.3% of the population – owned an e-scooter in 2024.

    Regulations governing e-bikes and e-scooters were historically designed with reference to the power required to ride a regular bicycle.

    A person needs to provide power equal to 220 watts to propel a regular bicycle at 32km/h on a flat road without a headwind.

    The figure of 250 watts emerged as the baseline in Europe for the power limit on e-bikes. It is 500 watts in Canada and 750 watts in the United States.

    In 2017, Australia harmonised its e-bike regulations with with those in Europe.

    The regulations specify that power-assisted e-bikes can have a motor up to 250 watts. But the rider must pedal to get the power assistance and it must cut out above 25km/h.

    E-bikes can travel faster than 25km/h. But the rider has to be providing all the power above that speed.

    The same power limit was applied to e-scooters. But given their design and smaller wheels, regulators in Australia were more conservative, specifying a 20km/h maximum speed.

    Differences across Australian states have since emerged with New South Wales allowing e-bikes up to 500 watts. Queensland has also removed motor power output from its e-scooter regulations and allows them to travel at speeds up to 25km/h.

    There are two main problems with the existing system of regulations. First, there is nothing to stop the import of high-performance e-bikes and e-scooters from overseas. Second, enforcement is difficult and rarely occurs, because the police don’t have the equipment to easily test motor power.

    There is a wide variety of e-bikes on the market.
    Sergey Ryzhov/Shutterstock

    What needs to change?

    The federal government has a clear role to play in stemming the import of e-bikes and e-scooters that exceed the legal limits for public use in Australia.

    However there is no evidence the government has engaged with the issue. This is inconsistent with its commitment to the National Road Safety Strategy and the approach taken to the management of vehicle safety and import regulations which apply to motor vehicles.

    State and territory governments must revise and simplify their e-bike and e-scooter regulations.

    Tasmania is on the front foot with its review of e-bike regulations. But e-scooter regulations also need reform – to make them easier for the public to understand, to ensure these devices offer a viable travel option for people and, importantly, to enable efficient enforcement.

    Local government and road authorities should have the power to set speed limits for e-bike and e-scooter riders on shared paths.
    Cromo Digital/Shutterstock

    A few changes to the rules could then make a big difference.

    For a start, references to motor power should be removed because the severity of a crash depends on speed not the power of the device. Having the regulations framed in terms of power is a complication for enforcement and we don’t use it to regulate motor vehicles.

    Then we need to focus on where, and how fast, these vehicles can be ridden.

    A good first step would be to follow the lead of Queensland and Tasmania and legalise footpath riding, subject to a 12km/h or 15km/h speed limit as is the case in those states.

    Restricting e-scooters to low-speed roads (up to 50km/h), and with a lower speed limit when ridden on the footpath, would minimise the risk of dangerous collisions with pedestrians and reduce the risk of dangerous collisions with cars on high-speed roads.

    Specifying a max speed under power assistance for e-bikes of 32km/h would bring us in line with the regulations for countries that have cities similar to Australia’s such as Canada and New Zealand.

    This would open our market to more models from overseas. It would also ensure e-bikes are better able to keep up with traffic when ridden on roads and are more competitive in terms of travel time relative to the car, to help further reduce car use.

    When it comes to e-scooters, moving to a 25km/h speed limit (as is the case in Queensland), combined with restricting their use to roads of up to 50km/h, would improve their compatibility with the flow of motor vehicles on local streets.

    Local government and road authorities should also have the power to declare areas where footpath riding is not permitted – for example, inner-city footpaths with heavy pedestrian activity. They should also have the power to set speed limits for riders on shared paths and bicycle lanes where there is likely to be interaction with pedestrians.

    With those changes in place, police would be able to enforce displayed speed limits for e-bikes and e-scooters using radar guns, as is already done in Queensland, and issue fines where appropriate.

    Geoff Rose has received in-kind support for his research, in the form of data, from shared e-scooter operating companies; he has served on the oversight panel for the Victorian Government’s shared e-scooter trial and he has consulted to the Tasmanian Department of State Growth on e-bike regulations.

    – ref. E-bikes and e-scooters are popular – but dangerous. A transport expert explains how to make them safer – https://theconversation.com/e-bikes-and-e-scooters-are-popular-but-dangerous-a-transport-expert-explains-how-to-make-them-safer-257126

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-OSI China: Chelsea sign Ipswich striker Delap in £30m deal

    Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News

    Chelsea has signed striker Liam Delap from Ipswich Town after triggering his release clause of 30 million pounds (about 40 million U.S. dollars).

    Chelsea fended off competition from Manchester United and Newcastle United to secure the former Manchester City youngster, who impressed in his debut Premier League campaign by scoring 12 goals in 37 appearances, despite Ipswich being relegated to the Championship.

    According to English media, Chelsea will pay two-thirds of the fee up front, with the remainder in installments. Ipswich will also receive a percentage of any future sale.

    “I understand the stature of this club and can see the trajectory it is on with these players and the head coach (Enzo Maresca),” Delap told the Chelsea website.

    The England Under-21 international said Chelsea would be “an incredible place for me to develop,” and expressed his hope to “achieve amazing things here and help the club win more trophies.”

    “When I spoke to the club, everyone wanted to get back to the very top, and they have the quality and the players to do that,” he said of the newly crowned Conference League winners.

    “The hunger and desire to keep adding trophies, to take the club back to where it belongs, that is the main objective,” added Delap, who can operate as a central striker or second forward.

    The timing of the transfer means he is likely to be included in Chelsea’s squad for the upcoming Club World Cup in the United States, which the south London club begins on June 16.

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI Submissions: Energy Sector – Strengthening UK energy security with new gas sales agreement – Equinor

    Source: Equinor

    05 JUNE 2025 – Equinor and Centrica sign long-term gas sales agreement of 55 TWh of natural gas per year (around 5 billion cubic meters – bcm) for a period of 10 years starting 1 October 2025 at terms reflecting market prices. The total contract value would be around £20 billion assuming current prices.

    “I am very pleased to strengthen the energy partnership with the UK and our longstanding partner and customer Centrica. This agreement will continue to support the UK’s energy security with reliable gas supplies from the Norwegian continental shelf. The flexibility that natural gas offers will play a key role in enabling further development of renewable power and decarbonisation in the UK”, says Equinor’s president and CEO Anders Opedal.

    For nearly 50 years, Equinor and partners have developed the Norwegian Continental Shelf to be the largest and most reliable provider of energy to Europe. Britain currently imports nearly 2/3 of its gas requirements from Norway, with Equinor being the major supplier. The annual volumes under this agreement will cover nearly 10% [1] of total annual UK gas demand which makes the agreement among the largest in Equinor bilateral portfolio.

    “The UK and the North Sea is a core area in our long-term ambitions to remain a supplier of reliable energy and to help decarbonise societies and industries. The new gas sales agreement with Centrica will be a key element in this. Energy security and decarbonisation must go hand in hand, and I am proud that Equinor is actively delivering both”, says Equinor’s UK Country Manager Alex Grant.

    Beyond investments in the UK’s oil and gas production, Equinor already operates three offshore wind farms at Sheringham Shoal, Dudgeon and Hywind Scotland, the world’s first floating offshore wind farm. Dogger Bank is under development and will be the world’s largest offshore windfarm once completed. Together with partners Equinor is also developing the UK’s first CO2 transport and storage project and a gas power plant with CO2 capture.

    Chris O’Shea, Group Chief Executive of Centrica, commented: “Equinor is a valued partner, and this landmark agreement underscores the vital role that natural gas plays as a transition fuel as we navigate towards a low carbon energy future. The enduring partnership between Centrica and Equinor exemplifies the strong and strategic relationship between the UK and Norway and I’m immensely proud that we’ve agreed this deal.

    “Over the last few years, we’ve seen first-hand how important energy security is. Today’s deal not only ensures the UK’s energy security has improved but also paves the way for a burgeoning hydrogen market. The deal represents a significant investment in the UK’s future, showing that Centrica will make bold investments that drive forward the energy transition while delivering value for our shareholders. We will continue to focus on further improving energy security by working with the UK Government to ensure the right levels of gas storage are in place to complement this landmark gas importation agreement.”

    [1] Total UK demand in 2024 at 55.8 bcm

    About Centrica

    Centrica is an international energy and services company, founded on a 200-year heritage of serving customers in homes and businesses. The company supply energy and services to over 10 million residential and business customers, mainly in the UK and Ireland, through brands such as British Gas, Bord Gáis Energy and Centrica Business Solutions. Centrica has a role at every step of the energy transition. When it comes to energy, Centrica make it, store it, move it, sell it and mend it. The company’s strategy is driven by the purpose of energising a greener, fairer future.

    MIL OSI – Submitted News –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: 2025 RAW Arts Awards celebrates young creatives

    Source: New South Wales Ministerial News

    Talented young creatives have been recognised at the City of Greater Bendigo’s 2025 RAW Arts Awards at a special presentation held at The Capital last night.

    The RAW Arts Awards showcase and foster the talents and artistic pursuits of young people in the region 25 years of age and under, with this year’s awards attracting 103 applicants.

    The winner and a highly commended entry are recognised in four categories: Visual Arts, Literature, Performing Arts and Short Film.

    Mayor Cr Andrea Metcalf said the RAW Arts Awards evening and accompanying exhibition provided a wonderful opportunity for young talent in the region to showcase their work.

    “The RAW Arts Awards is such a special event in the calendar and a chance for young people to present their work to a wider audience, and gain the recognition they deserve,” Cr Metcalf said.

    “I am so pleased that the RAW Arts Awards program is a stepping stone for many flourishing creatives and helps to foster their talents and artistic pursuits.

    “We are so lucky to have these young aspiring creatives right here in Greater Bendigo, and I congratulate all of the winners and those who have contributed to RAW this year and shared their talent, imagination and stories.”

    Winners in each category received a $1,500 cash prize and a $500 cash prize was awarded to highly commended creatives.

    The announcement of winners was interspersed with a showcase of Performing Arts entrants and screening of films submitted in the Short Film category.

    The 2025 RAW Arts Awards winners and highly commended applicants are as follows:

    Visual arts

    Winner: Geordie Williamson

    Highly commended: Jorjiah Sjaardema

    Literature

    Winner: Kayla Barnfield

    Highly commended: Matilda Wilby

    Performing arts

    Winner: Emma Gleeson

    Highly commended: Matilda Wilby

    Short film

    Winner: Tilda Picken

    Highly commended: Yasmin Russell

    2025 RAW Arts exhibition

    The 2025 RAW Arts exhibition features this year’s visual arts entries at Dudley House, 60 View Street. Entry is free and open to the public. The opening times are as follows:

    • Friday June 6, 11am to 5pm
    • Saturday June 7 to Monday June 9, 11am to 3pm

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Vote for Bendigo and Heathcote in Top Tourism Town Awards

    Source: New South Wales Ministerial News

    Exciting news! Bendigo and Heathcote have been shortlisted as category finalists in the 2025 Victorian Top Tourism Town Awards for the fifth year in a row.

    Bendigo has been shortlisted in the ‘top tourism town’ category, with Heathcote being shortlisted in the ‘small tourism town’ category, and now it’s time for the public to add their vote.

    In 2024, Bendigo scooped gold and Heathcote won bronze at the Victorian Awards. Bendigo went on to compete at national level and won silver in the Top Tourism Town category of the Australia Top Tourism Awards.

    City of Greater Bendigo Manager Economy and Experience James Myatt said it was fantastic news for the Greater Bendigo region to be recognised again as finalists in these prestigious awards.

    “We are very excited that Bendigo and Heathcote are finalists for the fifth year in a row, recognising them as must-see visitor destinations that deliver amazing and memorable experiences,” Mr Myatt said.

    “We are hoping to bring home the gold again with the public vote now open until Friday June 27.

    “The final result is a combination of public voting, user reviews, a video promotion and suggested itineraries, so it means so much for Bendigo and Heathcote to be recognised in this way.

    “We have an incredibly passionate tourism industry, including attractions, accommodation, retail and hospitality providers who offer unique experiences for people of all ages and interests.

    “To be named the top tourism town or small tourism town, we need our community to vote.

    “It’s easy to do, visit the Victoria Tourism Industry Council website, click ‘vote now’ and select Bendigo and Heathcote. You can also enter your details to go into the draw to win a prize.

    “So, vote for Bendigo and Heathcote today!”

    To make your vote count, and be entered into the prize draw, you need to vote by 5pm Friday June 27.

    To submit your vote, visit:

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: More than £32 million to resurface roads and build new cycle lanes in the north east and Yorkshire as region hosts UK’s largest women’s cycling race

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    Press release

    More than £32 million to resurface roads and build new cycle lanes in the north east and Yorkshire as region hosts UK’s largest women’s cycling race

    Investing in safer roads will encourage more women to cycle, build healthier, stronger communities and help ease pressure on the NHS.

    • an extra £20 million boost will improve roads across the north east and Yorkshire – part of an additional £500 million to tackle potholes nationwide
    • future of Roads Minister visits the Lloyds Tour of Britain Women – the UK’s biggest women’s cycling race – to promote safer roads for female cyclists
    • this is on top of nearly £12.8 million to build new cycle lanes and pavements in the north east – making active travel easier and easing pressure off the NHS, all part of the government’s Plan for Change

    Cyclists in the North East and Yorkshire will get around safely and easily as the government invests an extra £32 million to tackle potholes and build new cycle lanes in the region.

    Today (6 June 2025), the Minister for the Future of Roads will be in Saltburn-by-the-Sea, North Yorkshire, to speak to local schools, cycling clubs and female cycling champions during Stage 2 of the Lloyds Tour of Britain Women – the UK’s biggest women’s road cycling race.

    The minister will show how the government is taking action to resurface roads and emphasise the need to make them safer and more accessible for all road users, including female cyclists. Her visit follows the £15.6 billion boost announced earlier this week to empower local leaders to invest in local transport projects that will make a real difference across England’s city regions – including South Yorkshire, the north east and Tees Valley.

    Pothole-ridden roads put everyone off cycling, with this impact felt the most by women. According to research from Cycling UK, more than half of women (58%) said their cycle journeys were limited by safety concerns and a lack of suitable infrastructure, with 36% of women pointing to poor roads as a main factor.

    The government is investing an extra £20 million to resurface roads across the north east and Yorkshire so that cyclists and all road users can get around more safely, more easily and with confidence.

    On top of this uplift, local cyclists are also benefiting from an almost £13 million boost to build new cycle lanes and pavements in the north east.

    Better roads and new cycle lanes will make it easier and safer for people to cycle. This will lead to 43,000 fewer sick days a year across the country and add £1.4 billion to the UK economy, putting money in the pockets of hardworking families to help deliver the government’s Plan for Change.

    Future of Roads Minister, Lilian Greenwood, said:

    Safer roads mean safer spaces to cycle. The Lloyds Tour of Britain Women is a fantastic way to show women and girls the power of cycling and the difference it can make to their lives.

    By investing in better roads, we’re delivering our Plan for Change – encouraging more women and girls to hop on a bike, easing pressure on the NHS and building healthier, stronger communities.

    Across the country, the government is investing a total of £1.6 billion to resurface roads – enough to fill 7 million extra potholes – which includes an extra £500 million boost to go above and beyond the government’s manifesto commitment.

    Lizzie Deignan MBE, Olympic silver medallist and world champion, said:

    I am incredibly passionate about getting more women and girls on bikes, whatever their background or ability. The benefits of cycling are vast, from improving your health, meeting new people and developing new skills and confidence.

    Having better cycling infrastructure across the UK will definitely break down barriers, which currently prevent women and girls from participating in cycling.

    Programmes like British Cycling’s Breeze and Go-Ride clubs are reaching out to local communities and creating opportunities to make it easier for women and girls to access cycling, so we can enable safe and fun environments to make sure that everyone can enjoy the freedom of riding a bike.

    With more investment in our roads and cycle lanes, programmes like this can go further as we bring the joy of cycling to more people across the country.

    The £13 million for new cycle lanes and pavements in the north east comes from a £291 million package to build new active travel infrastructure across the whole country and encourage more people to walk, wheel, scoot and cycle.

    The improvements will help people across the country make 30 million more journeys by bike or foot every year, including more than 20 million new walk-to-school journeys by children and their parents.

    Caroline Julian, Director of Brand and Engagement at British Cycling, said:

    Significant barriers still exist that prevent many people from accessing the health, economic and social benefits that cycling brings. We know from our research that road safety is the biggest reason that holds people back from getting on a bike. This is, unfortunately, particularly the case for women.

    We are encouraged to see the significant government investment in road and cycle lane infrastructure in the north-east and Yorkshire regions. Investing in infrastructure and places to ride, alongside strengthened promotion and enforcement of the Highway Code, is of critical importance to make cycling accessible to all.

    RAC Senior Policy Officer, Rod Dennis, said:

    Whether on two wheels or four, the quality of the nation’s roads must be improved to make journeys smoother and safer. It’s crucial now that councils use this cash as effectively as possible.

    While dangerous potholes must be filled quickly, councils need to do more surface dressing work to ensure decent roads stay in a better state for longer and resurface those that are beyond repair.

    IAM RoadSmart Director of Policy and Standards, Nicholas Lyes, said:

    Poorly maintained roads are not just a nuisance, they are a road safety hazard, particularly for those on two wheels. We welcome this additional funding that focuses not just on smoother surfaces but safer infrastructure, which will improve journey choice for people.

    Roads media enquiries

    Media enquiries 0300 7777 878

    Switchboard 0300 330 3000

    Updates to this page

    Published 6 June 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: New ambulances and faster emergency care for patients next winter

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    Press release

    New ambulances and faster emergency care for patients next winter

    Patients will receive better, faster and more appropriate emergency care as the government sets out reforms to shorten waiting times in A&E.

    • Nearly £450 million investment to expand urgent and emergency care facilities to provide faster care for patients

    • 800,000 fewer patients each year to wait more than four hours at A&E, and more will receive urgent treatment in their community

    • Part of government’s Plan for Change to modernise NHS services and improve emergencv care.

    Patients will receive better, faster and more appropriate emergency care as the government sets out reforms to shorten waiting times and tackle persistently failing trusts.

    The new package of investment and reforms will improve patients’ experiences this year, including by caring for more patients in the community, rather than in hospital which is often worse for patients and more expensive for taxpayers.

    Backed with a total of nearly £450 million, the plan will deliver:

    • Around 40 new Same Day Emergency Care and Urgent Treatment Centres – which treat and discharge patients in the same day, avoiding unnecessary admissions to hospital.
    • Up to 15 mental health crisis assessment centres to provide care in the right place for patients and avoid them waiting in A&E for hours for care, which is not the most appropriate setting for people who are experiencing a crisis. These centres will offer people timely access to specialist support and are directed to the right care.
    • Almost 500 new ambulances will also be rolled out across the country by March 2026.

    The plan’s emphasis will be on shifting more patient care into more appropriate care settings as part of the move from hospital to community under the government’s Plan for Change to rebuild the NHS, while tackling ambulance handover delays and corridor care.

    Health Secretary Wes Streeting said:

    No patient should ever be left waiting for hours in hospital corridors or for an ambulance which ought to arrive in minutes.

    We can’t fix more than a decade of underinvestment and neglect overnight. But through the measures we’re setting out today, we will deliver faster and more convenient care for patients in emergencies

    Far too many patients are ending up in A&E who don’t need or want to be there, because there isn’t anywhere else available. Because patients can’t get a GP appointment, which costs the NHS £40, they end up in A&E, which costs around £400- worse for patients and more expensive for the taxpayer.

    The package of investment and reforms we are announcing today will help the NHS treat more patients in the community, so they don’t end up stuck on trolleys in A&E. Hundreds of new ambulances will help cut the unacceptably long waiting times we’ve seen in recent years. And new centres for patients going through a mental health crisis will provide better care and keep them out of A&E, which are not well equipped to care for them.

    By shifting staff and resources out of hospitals and into communities, and modernising NHS technology and equipment, our Plan for Change will make sure the NHS can be there for you when you need it, once again.

    NHS Chief Executive Sir Jim Mackey said:

    Urgent and emergency care services provide a life-saving first line of defence for patients – but for too long now, despite the incredible hard work of staff, the speed and quality of NHS care has often not been good enough.

    Our patients and staff deserve better, so that is why we need a radical change in approach and to ensure we get the basics right.

    This major plan sets out how we will work together to resuscitate NHS urgent and emergency care, with a focus on getting patients out of corridors, keeping more ambulances on the road, and enable those ready to leave hospital can do so as soon as possible.

    NHS National Director for Urgent and Emergency Care Sarah-Jane Marsh said:

    It is vital that patients can access our urgent and emergency care services in the right place at the right time, and that the care provided is to a standard we would want for ourselves and our own families.

    While the 10 Year Health Plan will set out a longer-term vision to transform urgent and emergency services for the 21st century, there is so much more we could all be doing now.

    This plan sets out not only what we know is working across the country, but how systems must work together to improve access and quality for the benefit of our patients.

    In order to support this shift in delivery focus, NHS England will be asking providers and systems to be accountable to their own local Boards and populations, creating robust winter plans which will be tested during winter exercises throughout September”.

    Every day, more than 140,000 people access urgent and emergency care services across England. Since 2010/11, demand has almost doubled with ambulance service usage rising by 61%.

    A&E waiting time standards have not been met for over a decade, while the 18-minute target for category 2 ambulance calls has never been hit outside the pandemic.

    But at least one in five people who attend A&E don’t need urgent or emergency care, while an even larger number could be better cared for in the community.

    The plan focuses on making winter 2025/26 significantly better than recent winters by setting ambitious but achievable targets and increasing transparency about progress.

    It marks a fundamental shift in our approach to urgent and emergency care – moving from fragmented efforts to genuine collaboration across the whole system and mean better coordination between NHS trusts and primary care to identify patients most vulnerable during winter.

    And it aims to make the most difference to patients by focusing on specific improvements across the healthcare system, aligning resources to areas that need them most.

    The plan will also see more patients receive care in the community, rather than being unnecessarily admitted into hospital, through measures including:

    • More paramedic-led care in the community – which means patients will receive more effective treatment at the scene of an accident or in their own homes from ambulance crews
    • Increasing numbers of patients seen by urgent community response teams – which provide urgent care to people in their homes, helping to avoid hospital admissions and enable people to live independently for longer. Local areas will be told to lay out how they will expand access to these teams, which includes understanding level of needs;
    • Better use of virtual wards – which use modern technology to provide patients with hospital-level care at home safely and in familiar surroundings, speeding up their recovery while freeing up hospital beds for patients that need them most
    • And publishing league tables on performance to drive improved transparency and public accountability and as well as encouraging less effective systems to work more closely with high performing systems to accelerate improvement.

    Thanks to the investment and reforms announced today, 800,000 fewer people should be forced to wait more than 4 hours for care in emergency departments this year.

    Chief Executive of NHS Providers Daniel Elkeles said:

    There is a lot to like about this plan. It’s helpful that we’re seeing it in early summer, with time to ensure meaningful measures are in place ahead of the added pressures of winter.

    It’s also good to see that so many parts of the system, including primary, community and mental health care, in addition to ambulance and hospital services, have been factored in.

    The extra capital investment for same day emergency care and mental health crisis assessment centres and ambulance services is particularly welcome, as is the emphasis on vaccination – and on this we’d urge NHS staff and the public to play their part by getting that protection.

    This plan should result in meaningful progress compared to last winter. As the plan acknowledges the public and our staff want to know the NHS can respond quickly, safely and effectively in an emergency. NHS Providers would like to work with NHSE and the government to develop long term UEC plans that are bold and ambitious.

    Association of Ambulances Chief Executives Managing Director Anna Parry said:

    The new urgent and emergency care plan reaffirms AACE’s vision for the future of NHS ambulance services. By extending and formalising a wider ambulance sector remit in urgent and emergency care, we will be better placed to help resolve some of the key system pressures, reduce the risks for patients and transform patient care while offering a more positive working environment for our people.

    By underscoring the importance of a system-wide focus to achieve improvements in urgent and emergency care, this new plan acts as a genuine challenge to all health and social care leaders, encouraging them to plan and act with purpose to achieve the transformation that is needed. Ambulance service leaders continue to proactively seek increased opportunities for greater collaboration with system partners while identifying new strategies and initiatives within their own ambulance trusts to achieve the transformation targets outlined in the plan.

    We are particularly heartened to see the plan’s emphasis on the reduction and improved management of hospital handover delays. Handover delays have the greatest detrimental impact on ambulance resources and create unnecessary delays and additional harm for thousands of patients each year. The elimination of corridor care and the focus on reducing 12-hour waits at emergency departments is also welcomed.

    Finally, we wholeheartedly endorse and support the plan’s underlined recognition of the impact of the delivery of sub-optimal care on NHS staff, alongside the pivotal role both leadership and a strong system-level approach must play in the transformation of urgent and emergency care.

    NHS Confederation Chief Executive Matthew Taylor said:

    Health leaders across systems, providers and primary care will welcome this plan to provide better, faster and more appropriate emergency care, an area which is facing high demand and rising public concern over performance.

    As the plan shows, there is a lot of good practice across the health service to build upon, including expanding the number of same day emergency treatment and mental health crisis assessment centres and rolling out more ambulances.

    Making sure the NHS does not continue to fall into crisis each winter will be essential for improving public confidence in the health service. Strong collaboration between health partners and with local government to improve discharges out of hospitals will also be key to progress.

    Updates to this page

    Published 6 June 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Chagos Deal Sparks Parliamentary Backlash

    Source: Traditional Unionist Voice – Northern Ireland

    Statement by TUV MP Jim Allister:

    “The hand over the Chagos Islands is a shameful and exorbitantly expensive sell out of sovereignty.

    “The UK historically owns the Chagos Islands. Hence its large and strategically important military base there. Yet, under this deal the government is surrendering sovereignty to Mauritius and then leasing back for 99 years its own base! The amount of money is eye-watering, running to well over £20B.

    “There is much unease in Parliament about this deal. Yet, the only way there can even be a debate before the deal is implemented is by way of a ‘prayer of opposition’. This is what I have been involved in securing this week. I drafted such a motion and then secured joint submission of the ‘prayer’ under the lead signatures of Kemi Badenoch, Nigel Farage and myself.

    “Several dozen other MPs have now signed the motion with a view to trying to force the government to concede a debate. This is the work now in progress.”

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Data confirms Protocol damage to GB to NI Trade

    Source: Traditional Unionist Voice – Northern Ireland

    Commenting on the latest data from the Office for National Statistics TUV leader Jim Allister KC MP said:

    “The statistics published by the Office for National Statistics today are damning. They confirm that the Protocol, rebranded as the Windsor Framework, is driving down trade from Great Britain into Northern Ireland.

    “The figures speak for themselves. In 2020, before the imposition of the Protocol, 20.1% of GB manufacturing firms sold to Northern Ireland. Now that figure has collapsed to just 12.9%. In the retail and wholesale sector, the drop is just as stark—from 17.5% down to 12.4%. And across all business sizes and sectors, the share of GB firms trading with NI has fallen by around a third.

    “Behind those numbers are real consequences: fewer choices for consumers in Northern Ireland, higher costs for local businesses, and Northern Ireland’s economy being nudged ever closer to the orbit of the Republic of Ireland. That is not accidental — it is the direct consequence of the framework.

    “The figures also reveal something else: businesses are not just ceasing trade with Northern Ireland; even those who continue are scaling back. For example, in the retail sector, 14.2% of GB firms report declining sales to Northern Ireland, with only a tiny 1.5% seeing an increase. And 11.4% have stopped trading with Northern Ireland altogether.

    “Small and medium-sized enterprises — the backbone of the UK economy — are being disproportionately hit. The extra bureaucracy, costs, and delays caused by the Irish Sea border are discouraging trade.

    “When asked directly, GB and NI firms identified the Protocol/Windsor Framework as a major challenge to intra-UK trade. In manufacturing, 24.1% of businesses reported it as a problem. Across all sectors, almost one in every nine businesses pointed to the Framework as a barrier to doing business within their own country.

    “So much for the promise of unfettered access.

    “This new data from the UK’s own official statistics body corroborates previous findings from NISRA, which showed that while NI imports from GB rose 24% between 2020 and 2023, imports from the Republic of Ireland soared by 51%. That speaks to nothing less than a fundamental reorientation of Northern Ireland’s trade, away from our most important market and towards Dublin.“

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Bringing together Gaelic and Irish stakeholders to empower communities Leading voices in Gaelic from Ireland and Scotland will come together in Aberdeen to examine key challenges and opportunities facing Gaelic and Irish-speaking communities today.

    Source: University of Aberdeen

    Leading voices in Gaelic from Ireland and Scotland will come together in Aberdeen to examine key challenges and opportunities facing Gaelic and Irish-speaking communities today.
    The landmark symposium ‘Ceangal / Connect’ jointly hosted by the Consulate General of Ireland, the Research Institute for Irish and Scottish Studies (University of Aberdeen), and Údarás na Gaeltachta, will gather policymakers, academics, cultural leaders, and civil society organisations to consider lessons that can be learned in language revival.
    The event, to be held at the University of Aberdeen from June 9-10, will explore Scotland and Ireland’s experiences with Gaelic and Irish and look at how shared strategies and solidarity can strengthen the languages.
    The cultural and economic importance of the languages will be in the spotlight with representatives from state and economic agencies in Scotland and Ireland and speakers from businesses and social enterprises in Scotland taking to the podium.
    Jerry O’Donovan, the Consul General of Ireland, will attend the event to support cross-country collaboration. He said that “Gaelic and Irish speaking communities across the island of Ireland and Scotland share many similar geographical, economic, social and cultural challenges. Identifying common opportunities and examples of best practice can provide common solutions to the benefit of all and we are delighted to see such a broad range of stakeholders gathering in one location from both sides of the Irish Sea. The University of Aberdeen, which has a long tradition of both supporting the Gaelic language and bringing together a diverse range of perspectives, is an ideal host for this important event.”
    The symposium will explore a number of key themes including the synergies around social and economic development and rural language communities; how national language strategies impact community use; how culture and broadcasting initiatives support language revitalisation and the importance of dispersed and city-based speaker communities.
    Professor Michael Brown, Director of the Research Institute of Irish and Scottish Studies, said: “Gaelic connects generations in both Scotland and Ireland in a way that continues to teach us the value of community, identity, and mutual understanding.
    ‘This symposium will provide a platform to share knowledge and understanding, helping us to protect and promote Gaelic and Irish across our countries’.
    It reflects growing cooperation between Irish and Scottish institutions to strengthen and sustain Gaelic and Irish.”
    Professor Michelle MacLeod, Chair in Gaelic and Head of School of Language, Literature, Music and Visual Culture, added: “We know that language is much more than the spoken word, it is about shared heritage, a sense of belonging, community and a driver for future opportunity. Learning from each other makes a valuable contribution to the resilience and revival of our languages and we are delighted to be able to bring together so many leading voices from both Ireland and Scotland.”
    The symposium will be followed by a reception hosted by the Lord Provost of Aberdeen to provide a further opportunity for networking and discussion.
    A’ toirt còmhla luchd-ùidh Gàidhlig agus Gaeilge gus coimhearsnachdan a neartachadh
    Thig prìomh ghuthan ann an Gàidhlig à Èirinn agus Alba còmhla ann an Obar Dheathain gus prìomh dhùbhlain agus cothroman a tha mu choinneimh coimhearsnachdan Gàidhlig agus Gaeilge an-diugh a sgrùdadh.
    Cruinnichidh a’ cho-labhairt chudromach ‘Ceangal / Connect’ air a chumail le Consalachd Coitcheann na h-Èireann, Institiùd Rannsachaidh airson Èolas Èireannach agus Albannach (Oilthigh Obar Dheathain), agus Údarás na Gaeltachta, luchd-poileasaidh, acadaimigich, stiùirichean cultarail, agus buidhnean comann catharra gus beachdachadh air leasanan a ghabhas ionnsachadh ann an ath-bheothachadh cànain.
    Bheir an tachartas, a thèid a chumail aig Oilthigh Obar Dheathain bho 9-10 Ògmhios, sùil air suidheachaidhean Gàidhlig na h-Alba agus na h-Èireann agus mar a dh’fhaodas ro-innleachdan co-roinnte agus dlùth-phàirteachas na cànanan a neartachadh.
    Bidh cudromachd chultarail agus eaconamach nan cànanan ann an aire le riochdairean bho bhuidhnean stàite agus eaconamach ann an Alba agus Èirinn agus luchd-labhairt bho ghnìomhachasan agus iomairtean sòisealta ann an Alba a’ bruidhinn aig a’ cho-labhairt.
    Bidh Jerry O’Donovan, Consal Coitcheann na h-Èireann, an làthair aig an tachartas gus taic a thoirt do cho-obrachadh thar-dùthcha. Thuirt e gu bheil “coimhearsnachdan Gàidhlig agus Gaeilge air feadh eilean na h-Èireann agus Alba a’ coinneachadh mòran dhùbhlain cruinn-eòlasach, eaconamach, sòisealta agus cultarail coltach. Faodaidh comharrachadh chothroman cumanta agus eisimpleirean de dheagh chleachdadh fuasglaidhean cumanta a thoirt seachad a tha buannachdail do na h-uile agus tha sinn air leth toilichte a bhith a’ faicinn raon cho farsaing de luchd-ùidh a’ tighinn còmhla ann an aon àite bho gach taobh de Shruth na Maoile. Tha Oilthigh Obar Dheathain, aig a bheil traidisean fada de bhith a’ toirt taic don Ghàidhlig agus a’ toirt còmhla raon farsaing de sheallaidhean, na àite air leth freagarrach airson an tachartais chudromaich seo.”
    Bidh a’ cho-labhairt a’ sgrùdadh grunn chuspairean cudromach a’ gabhail a-steach sinergidhean timcheall air leasachadh sòisealta agus eaconamach agus coimhearsnachdan cànain dùthchail; mar a tha ro-innleachdan cànain nàiseanta a’ toirt buaidh air cleachdadh coimhearsnachd; mar a tha iomairtean cultarail agus craolaidh a’ toirt taic do ath-bheothachadh cànain agus cudromachd coimhearsnachdan luchd-labhairt sgapte gus stèidhichte sa Bhaile-mhòr.
    Thuirt an t-Àrd Ollamh Mìcheal Brown, Stiùiriche Institiùd Rannsachaidh airson Eòlas Èireannach agus Albannach: “Tha Gàidhlig a’ ceangal ghinealaichean ann an Alba agus Èirinn ann an dòigh a tha a’ leantainn oirnn a’ teagasg dhuinn luach coimhearsnachd, dearbh-aithne, agus tuigse dha chèile.
    “Bheir a’ cho-labhairt seo àrd-ùrlar airson eòlas agus tuigse a cho-roinn, a’ cuideachadh le bhith a’ dìon agus a’ brosnachadh Gàidhlig agus Gaeilge air feadh ar dùthchannan.”
    Tha e a’ nochdadh co-obrachadh a tha a’ sìor fhàs eadar institiudan Gaeilge agus Albannach gus Gàidhlig agus Gaeilge a neartachadh agus a chumail suas.”
    Thuirt an t-Àrd-Ollamh Michelle NicLeòid, Ceannard Sgoil nan Cànan, Litreachas, Ceòl agus Cultar Lèirsinneach: “Tha fios againn gu bheil cànan mòran a bharrachd na facal labhairteach, tha e mu dheidhinn dualchas co-roinnte, faireachdainn de bhuinteanas, coimhearsnachd agus dràibhear airson cothrom san àm ri teachd. Tha ionnsachadh bho chèile a’ cuir rud luachmhor ri seasmhachd agus ath-bheothachadh ar cànanan agus tha sinn air leth toilichte a bhith comasach air uimhir de phrìomh ghuthan a thoirt còmhla à Èirinn agus Alba.”
    Bidh cuirm ann às dèidh na co-labhairt air a chumail le Àrd-Phrobhaist Obar Dheathain gus cothrom a bharrachd a thoirt airson lìonrachadh agus deasbad.

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Why Dippy the dinosaur remains beloved, 120 years after arriving at the Natural History Museum

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Michael J. Benton, Professor of Vertebrate Palaeontology, University of Bristol

    Shutterstock/I Wei Huang

    Dippy – a complete cast of a diplodocus skeleton – is Britain’s most famous dinosaur. It has resided at the Natural History Museum in London since 1905 and is now on show in Coventry where it is “dinosaur-in-residence” at the Herbert Art Gallery & Museum.

    Dippy, the star attraction in the huge entrance hall of the Natural History Museum from 1979 to 2018, is now on tour around the UK, with Coventry as its latest stop. It had previously been shown in Dorchester, Birmingham, Belfast, Glasgow, Newcastle, Cardiff, Rochdale, Norwich and London.

    So what is it that makes Dippy so popular? I got a sense of the dino’s appeal in August 2021 when I gave a lecture under the Dippy skeleton in Norwich Cathedral.

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

    The lecture was about dinosaur feathers and colours. It highlighted new research that identified traces of pigment in the fossilised feathers of birds and dinosaurs. I wanted to highlight the enormous advances in the ways we can study dinosaurs that had taken place in just a century.

    Before arriving, I thought that Dippy would fill the cathedral – after all the skeleton is 26 metres long and it had filled the length of the gallery at the Natural History Museum. However, Dippy was dwarfed by the gothic cathedral’s scale. In fact, the building is so large that five Dippys could line up, nose to tail, from the great west door to the high altar at the east end.

    This sense of awe is one of the key reasons to study palaeontology – to understand how such extraordinary animals ever existed.

    I asked the Norwich cathedral canon why they had agreed to host the dinosaur, and he gave three answers. First, the dinosaur would attract lots of visitors. Second, Dippy is from the Jurassic period, as are the rocks used to construct the cathedral. Finally, for visitors it shared with the cathedral a sense of awe because of its huge size. Far from being diminished by its temporary home, visitors still walked around and under Dippy sensing its grandeur.

    Dippy at the unveiling ceremony at the Reptile Gallery of the Natural History Museum in 1905.
    WikiMedia

    Dippy arrived in London in 1905 as part of a campaign for public education by the Scottish-American millionaire Andrew Carnegie (1835–1919). At the time, there was a debate in academic circles about the function of museums and how far professionals should go in seeking to educate the public.

    There was considerable reticence about going too far. Many professors felt that showing dinosaurs to the public would be unprofessional in instances where they moved from description of facts into the realm of speculation. They also did not want to risk ridicule by conveying unsupported information about the appearance and lifestyle of the great beasts. Finally, many professors simply did not see such populism as any part of their jobs.

    Henry Fairfield Osborn in 1916.
    Wiki Commons

    But, at that time, the American Museum of Natural History was well established in New York and its new president, Henry Fairfield Osborn (1857-1935) was distinctly a populist. He sponsored the palaeo artist Charles Knight (1874-1953), whose vivid colour paintings of dinosaurs were the glory of the museum and influential worldwide. Osborn was as hated by palaeontology professors as he was feted by the public.

    Carnegie pumped his steel dollars into many philanthropic works in his native Scotland and all over America, including the Museum of Natural History in Pittsburgh. When he heard that a new and complete skeleton of a diplodocus had been dug up in Wyoming, he bought it and brought it to his new museum. It was named as a new species, Diplodocus carnegiei.

    On a visit to Carnegie’s Scottish residence, Skibo Castle, King Edward VII saw a sketch of the bones and Carnegie agreed to donate a complete cast of the skeleton to Britain’s Natural History Museum.

    The skeleton was copied by first making rubber moulds of each bone in several parts, then filling the moulds with plaster to make casts and colouring the bones to make them look real. The 292 pieces were shipped to London in 36 crates and opened to the public in May 1905. Carnegie’s original Dippy skeleton only went on show in Pittsburgh in 1907, after the new museum building had been constructed.

    Illustration of the Brontosaurus by Charles Knight (1897).
    Wiki Commons

    Carnegie had got the royal bug and donated further complete Dippy casts to the great natural history museums in Berlin, Paris, Vienna, Bologna, St Petersburg, Madrid, Munich, Mexico City and La Plata in Argentina. Each of these nations, except France, had a king or tsar at the time. The skeletons went on show in all these locations, except Munich, and Dippy has been seen by many millions of people in the past 120 years.

    Dippy’s appeal

    Dippy’s appeal is manifold. It’s huge – we like our dinosaurs big. It has been seen up close by more people around the world than any other dinosaur. It also opens the world of science to many people. Evolution, deep time, climate change, origins, extinction and biodiversity are all big themes that link biology, geology, physics, chemistry and mathematics.

    Also, since 1905, palaeontology has moved from being a largely speculative subject to the realms of testable science. Calculations of jaw functions and limb movements of dinosaurs can be tested and challenged. Hypotheses about physiology, reproduction, growth and colour can be based on evidence from microscopic study of bones and exceptionally preserved tissues, and these analyses can be repeated and refuted.

    Dippy has witnessed over a century of rapid change and its appeal is sure to continue for the next.

    Dippy is on display at the Herbert Art Gallery & Museum in Coventry until February 21 2026.

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

    – ref. Why Dippy the dinosaur remains beloved, 120 years after arriving at the Natural History Museum – https://theconversation.com/why-dippy-the-dinosaur-remains-beloved-120-years-after-arriving-at-the-natural-history-museum-209945

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Congressman Nick Langworthy Introduces Energy Choice Act to End Blue-State Wars on American Energy

    Source: US Congressman Nick Langworthy (NY-23)

    WASHINGTON, D.C. – Yesterday, Congressman Nick Langworthy (NY-23) and Senator Jim Justice (R-WV) introduced the bipartisan, bicameral H.R. 3699, the Energy Choice Acttoprohibit states or local governments from banning an energy service’s connection, reconnection, modification, installation, or expansion based on the type or source of energy to be delivered. Congressman Langworthy, who serves as a member of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, and as a member of the Energy and Environment subcommittees, has made protecting Americans’ energy choices a top priority.

    “Governor Hochul and Democrats in Albany have waged an extremist crusade against natural gas that’s sent home energy costs through the roof, crippled our energy supply, and left New York teetering on the edge of an energy crisis—all to satisfy the radical fantasies of the far-left climate cult. New York has been ground zero for the Green New Deal, where common sense goes to die and working families get stuck with the bill,”said Congressman Langworthy.“That’s why I’ve introduced the Energy Choice Act—to slam the brakes on these reckless, ideological mandates and restore sanity to America’s energy policy. People deserve the freedom to choose energy that is affordable, reliable, and proven—not be forced into rolling blackouts to please eco-activists who don’t live in the real world. I thank Senator Justice for introducing this bill in the Senate and urge its swift action.”

     

    “I am an energy guy from an energy-rich state. I know how important freedom of energy production is – which is why I’m proud to introduce Energy Choice Act of 2025. President Trump has stated the need to unleash American energy, and this bill helps facilitate just that. We have too great an energy crisis in this country, and we don’t have the luxury of picking the winners and losers when it comes to energy production. Americans ought to have the right to choose what is best for their energy needs,” said Senator Jim Justice.

     

    The full text of the bill can be found here. Original cosponsors of this legislation include Representatives Michael Baumgartner (R-WA), Jack Bergman (R-MI), Mike Bost (R-IL), Robert Bresnahan Jr. (R-MI), Ken Calvert (R-CA), Mike Carey (R-OH), Jeff Crank (R-CO), Chuck Edwards (R-NC), Jake Ellzey (R-TX), Brad Finstad (R-MN), Vicente Gonzalez (D-TX), Lance Gooden (R-TX), Pat Harrigan (R-NC), Clay Higgins (R-LA), Jeff Hurd (R-CO), Darin LaHood (R-IL), Michael Lawler (R-NY), Ryan Mackenzie (R-PA), Nicole Malliotakis (R-NY), Tracey Mann (R-KS), Tom McClintock (R-CA), Addison McDowell (R-NC), Mark Messmer (R-IN), Dan Meuser (R-PA), John Moolenaar (R-MI), Tim Moore (R-NC), Dan Newhouse (R-WA), August Pfluger (R-TX), John Rose (R-TX), Michael Rulli (R-OH), Jefferson Shreve (R-IN), Elise Stefanik (R-NY), Claudia Tenney (R-NY), GT Thompson (R-PA), David Valadao (R-CA), Beth Van Duyne (R-TX), Tony Wied (R-WI), Roger Williams (R-TX), Ryan Zinke (R-MT).

     

    Original cosponsors in the Senate include Senators Tommy Tuberville (R-AL) and Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV).  

     

    “Democratic-controlled states like New York are waging an all-out attack on domestic energy production, undermining Americans’ right to choose their preferred energy source. The Energy Choice Act combats these authoritarian regulations by preventing state and local governments from banning specific energy sources. To achieve true energy independence, we must ensure Americans have access to a full range of options, including natural gas,”said Congresswoman Tenney.

     

    “Montanans know the value of reliable, affordable energy, especially during winters when access to natural gas, coal, and other traditional fuels isn’t just a convenience, it’s a necessity,” said Congressman Zinke. “Heavy handed policies from places like Albany and Sacramento don’t reflect the realities of rural America, where energy diversity is vital. The Energy Choice Act is common sense legislation that defends our right to choose the energy sources that work best for our homes and businesses, and I am happy to co-sponsor it again.”

     

    “In order to achieve American energy dominance, we must utilize an all-of-the-above energy strategy that prioritizes affordability and reliability. By prohibiting states and local governments from banning a service based on the source of the energy, we can ensure that families and small businesses are not being forced to utilize more costly energy sources. I thank Rep. Langworthy for his leadership as we work to make energy more affordable and reliable for our constituents,” said Congressman Newhouse.

     

    “Energy freedom is essential to both our economy and national security,” said Congressman Mike Rulli. “Efforts by state governments to ban natural gas and other traditional energy sources not only hurt working families through higher costs but also jeopardize grid reliability – especially in regions with harsh winters like ours. I’m proud to support the Energy Choice Act and thank Congressman Langworthy for putting consumers first and ensuring that no American is forced into an energy system that doesn’t work for them or their community.”

     

    “Strengthening America’s energy independence requires an all-of-the-above energy strategy that ensures consumer demand and industry experts, not bureaucrats and extreme environmentalists, lead the expansion and delivery of energy services. Banning certain types of energy, like California and New York have tried to do, only raises prices for Americans,” said Congressman Chuck Edwards (NC-11). “The Energy Choice Act will safeguard the diversification of energy sources in our nation and make sure that Americans have access to reliable and affordable energy.”

     

    The Energy Choice Act has received wide support from federal organizations, including American Exploration and Production Council (AXPC), American Gas Association (AGA), American Public Gas Association (APGA), Americans for Prosperity (AFP), Consumer Energy Alliance (CEA), Energy Marketers of America (EMA) , GPA Midstream Association, GPSA Midstream Suppliers, Hearth, Patio & Barbecue Association (HPBA), National Association of Home Builders (NAHB), National Association of Oil and Energy Service Professionals (OESP), National Energy and Fuels Institute (NEFI), National Propane Gas Association (NPGA), Plumbing Heating Cooling Contractors – National Association (PHCC), Pool & Hot Tub Alliance (PHTA), LIBRE Initiative, Concerned Veterans for America (CVA).

    This legislation has also received support from state organizations, including Alabama Propane Gas Association, Arizona Propane Gas Association, Arkansas Propane Gas Association, Colorado Propane Gas Association, Connecticut Energy Marketers Association, Florida Propane Gas Association, Illinois Propane Gas Association, Indiana Food and Fuel Association, Iowa Propane Gas Association, Propane Gas Marketers of Kansas, Kentucky Petroleum Marketers Association, Kentucky Propane Gas Association, Louisiana Propane Gas Association, Maine Energy Marketers Association, Massachusetts Energy Marketers Association, Michigan Petroleum Association, Michigan Propane Gas Association, Mid-Atlantic Hearth, Patio & Barbecue Association, Mid-Atlantic Petroleum Distributors Association, Mid-Atlantic Propane Gas Association, MidStates Hearth, Patio & Barbecue Association, Midwest Hearth, Patio & Barbecue Association, Mississippi Propane Gas Association, Missouri Propane Gas Association, Nebraska Propane Gas Association, Energy and Convenience Marketers of Nevada, Nevada Propane Gas Association, New Mexico Propane Gas Association, North Central Hearth, Patio & Barbecue Association, Northeast Heart, Patio & Barbecue Association, Northwest Hearth, Patio & Barbecue Association, Energy Marketers Association of New Hampshire, Fuel Merchants Association of New Jersey, New Jersey Propane Gas Association, Association of Contracting Plumbers of the City of New York Inc., New York Propane Gas Association, Empire State Energy Association (ESEA), Independent Oil and Gas Association of New York (IOGANY), New York State Association of Plumbing, Heating and Cooling Contractors, New York State Energy Coalition (NYSEC), New York State Oil Producers Association (NYSOPA), North Carolina Petroleum and Convenience Marketers, North Dakota Propane Gas Association, Ohio Energy and Convenience Association, Ohio Oil and Gas Association, Ohio Propane Gas Association, Oklahoma Propane Gas Association, Oregon Hearth, Patio & Barbecue Association, Pacific Propane Gas Association, Hearth Patio & Barbecue Association Pacific, Eastern Pennsylvania Energy Association, North Eastern Pennsylvania Energy Marketers Association, Pennsylvania Independent Oil and Gas Association, Pennsylvania Petroleum Association, Southeast Hearth, Patio & Barbecue Association, South Central Pennsylvania Energy Association, South Central Hearth, Patio & Barbecue Association, Propane Gas Association of New England, Energy Marketers Association of Rhode Island, Rhode Island Business Leaders Alliance, Rocky Mountain Hearth, Patio & Barbecue Association, Rocky Mountain Propane Association, South Carolina Convenience & Petroleum Marketers Association, South Dakota Petroleum and Propane Marketers Association, Southeast Propane Alliance, Tennessee Propane Gas Association, Texas Propane Gas Association, Vermont Fuel Dealers Association, Virginia Petroleum & Convenience Marketers Association, Virginia Propane Gas Association, West Virginia Propane Gas Association, Western Propane Gas Association, Washington Independent Energy Distributors, Wisconsin Fuel and Retail Association, Wisconsin Propane Gas Association, Wisconsin Manufacturers and Commerce (WMC).

    “NEFI proudly supports the Energy Choice Act, which represents a critical step toward protecting American consumers and small businesses from government overreach in the home energy market,”said Jim Collura, President & CEO of the National Energy & Fuels Institute (NEFI), which represents wholesale and retail distributors of liquid heating fuels, primarily in the Northeast.“This bipartisan legislation ensures that decisions about home heating and cooling remain where they belong – in the hands of American families, not government bureaucrats. At a time when families are recovering from record high inflation, the last thing we need are misguided state and local policies that eliminate affordable heating options. The Energy Choice Act protects market competition, preserves consumer choice, and promotes energy affordability and reliability. We urge Congress to pass this common-sense legislation without delay.”

     

    “NAHB commends Rep. Nick Langworthy (R-N.Y.) for championing the Energy Choice Act, legislation that prohibits state and local governments from banning or limiting access to natural gas, electricity, and other energy sources. A gas ban would exacerbate the housing affordability crisis by increasing costs on new homes and placing added stress on the nation’s electrical grid. With more than 40 million U.S. households relying on natural gas for heating, cooking, and hot water, preserving access to this affordable and reliable energy source is vital for American families,”said Buddy Hughes, Chairman, National Association of Home Builders.

     

    “On behalf of millions of AFP’s grassroots activists across the country, we applaud Rep. Nick Langworthy for introducing the Energy Choice Act to ensure energy freedom throughout the United States. Regardless of where Americans live, they shouldn’t be forced to endure energy poverty. The Energy Choice Act will provide certainty, security, and assurance for much-needed permitting reform and energy infrastructure development. Rep. Langworthy’s legislation will ensure American dominance in energy and lower costs for consumers while embracing an “all-of-the-above” approach on the federal level,” said Brent Gardner, Chief Government Affairs Officer, Americans for Prosperity.

     

    “The Energy Choice Act represents a critical step in protecting consumer access to clean, affordable, and reliable energy sources like propane,”said Stephen Kaminski, President and CEO of the National Propane Gas Association. “NPGA commends Rep. Langworthy and Sen. Justice for their leadership in introducing this legislation to defend energy diversity and empowering Americans to choose the energy solutions that best meet their needs. This bill safeguards consumers from rising energy costs driven by overreaching government mandates.”

    “The American Public Gas Association (APGA) strongly supports Representative Langworthy’s Energy Choice Act. This important legislation will safeguard American consumers’ right to choose the energy that best meets their household and budget needs. Access to affordable, reliable, and efficient natural gas is essential to the success of American families, businesses, and communities. APGA applauds the bill’s sponsors for their leadership in protecting consumer choice and promoting energy affordability,” said Dave Schryver, President & CEO, APGA.

     

    “The refusal of certain state and local governments to consider policies that provide a more sustainable transition to a less carbon-intensive future, coupled with the economic burdens placed on the American people through restrictions or bans on fossil fuel heating sources, necessitates federal preemption to ensure homeowners can continue to afford living in their homes while having robust options for maintaining home comfort. The Energy Choice Act provides that recourse and PHCC supports its immediate passage,” said Dan Callies, President, Plumbing-Heating-Cooling Contractors, National Association.

     

    “Passage of this important legislation is a no brainer. We encourage House lawmakers to pass the bill immediately to restore consumer choice and support small business energy marketers across the country,”said Rob Underwood, Energy Marketers of America President.

     

    “At a time when no New Yorker is immune to statewide affordability challenges, having the freedom to choose energy solutions that work best for their homes, businesses, and communities is critical to keeping costs manageable for everyday people. The Energy Choice Act ensures we are taking an all-of-the-above approach to meeting energy needs — opening opportunities to tap into existing solutions like biofuels that advance clean energy goals, while also fostering continued innovation to build a more secure, affordable energy future. We support this commonsense legislation, thank Congressman Langworthy for his leadership, and urge House lawmakers to pass the Energy Choice Act to deliver real energy solutions for all Americans and support the small business energy marketers who help power our communities,”said Kris DeLair, Executive Director of the Empire State Energy Association.

     

    “GPA Midstream appreciates Representative Langworthy taking action to introduce legislation to protect consumer choice. New Yorkers and all Americans deserve the right to choose the energy source, such as natural gas or propane, that is reliable and best fits their budget needs,”said Stuart Saulters, VP of Federal Affairs, GPA Midstream Association.

     

    “Americans deserve reliable, affordable energy without bureaucratic roadblocks or special interests getting in the way. This bill protects consumer choice and energy innovation by ensuring that no state or local government can block access to energy sources based on political agendas or bad politics. This bipartisan bill is a common-sense step toward securing our energy future, protecting American energy jobs, and most importantly protecting the pockets of working class Americans who should not have to pay more for energy. The LIBRE Initiative is grateful for Rep. Langworthy’s leadership on this important issue,” said Helder Toste, Government Affairs Liaison, The LIBRE Initiative

     

    “Concerned Veterans for America wholeheartedly endorses Rep. Nick Langworthy’s Energy Choice Act on behalf of the members of our country’s largest veteran-led grassroots advocacy organization.  This bill will ensure energy freedom in every state and protect hardworking citizens from high energy costs created by special interests at the state level. Veterans served so that Americans are free to benefit from our nation’s ingenuity and natural abundance, and are free to live their unique American Dreams.
    The Energy Choice Act limits states’ permitting requirements and promotes a more resilient energy infrastructure. Rep. Langworthy’s legislation will ensure continued American domestic energy availability and lower costs for consumers while embracing a free market approach to energy development across the country,” said John Vick, Executive Director, Concerned Veterans for America.

    ###

     

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Global: UK brands are celebrating Eid – here’s what makes an effective and inclusive campaign

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Afshan Jalil, PhD Candidate in Consumer Behaviour and Muslim Fashion, University of the West of Scotland

    In the run-up to Eid al-Adha – a major Muslim festival that celebrates the prophet Ibrahim’s devotion and coincides with the end of the annual Hajj pilgrimage to Mecca – UK retailers are joining the celebrations.

    Big brands like Next have launched festive collections of clothing, accessories and gifts, sharing social media messages aimed at Muslim consumers. But while this growing recognition of Eid’s commercial importance reflects a welcome shift, some campaigns still fall flat.

    As a researcher of Muslim fashion and identity in the UK, I study how Muslim consumers express themselves through clothing and how brands respond to their values. Despite a rise in Eid-related marketing, much of it feels superficial or disconnected from the community it targets.

    So, what makes for effective marketing to Muslim consumers during Eid and where do brands go wrong?

    Get your news from actual experts, straight to your inbox. Sign up to our daily newsletter to receive all The Conversation UK’s latest coverage of news and research, from politics and business to the arts and sciences.

    Muslims account for around 6.5% of the UK population, and their economic impact continues to grow. In 2019, they contributed an estimated £31 billion to the UK economy, a figure that is rising steadily. Eid, like other major holidays such as Christmas or Diwali, drives increased spending on clothes, food, gifts and travel.

    More brands are recognising this potential. From supermarkets offering special Eid meal deals, to fashion retailers launching modest clothing lines, corporate participation is becoming more visible. This is a step forward, signalling acknowledgement of British Muslims as both part of society and valuable customers.

    Why performative marketing fails

    However, visibility alone is not enough. Eid campaigns often lean on cliches, crescent moons, calligraphy or generic Eid Mubarak messages. These may show representation, but do not necessarily demonstrate genuine cultural understanding.

    Consumer culture theory helps explain why. It shows that consumption is not just about buying products, it’s about identity, belonging and self-expression. My ongoing PhD research into Muslim fashion consumption reveals that clothing during Eid is closely tied to how people see themselves: as British, Muslim, and as individuals navigating both identities.

    This is especially true for younger Muslims. Eid is more than a religious event, it’s a chance to express identity through fashion, celebration and community. The choices they make in what to wear and where to shop reflect their values and heritage.

    When brands treat Eid as an afterthought, Muslim consumers notice. Campaigns that feel rushed, last minute, out of touch or simply performative can come across as exploitative rather than inclusive.

    Customers are frequently motivated to express their dissatisfaction with fashion businesses on social media. A brand could face public criticism if it releases new collections without involving Muslim designers, for example. In 2023, fashion retailer PrettyLittleThing also came under fire for an Eid range of clothing deemed inappropriate by many Muslims for modest dressing for women (the company said it didn’t intend to cause offence and celebrated multiple holidays as part of its attempt “to build a community of everybody”).

    Authentic engagement begins with listening

    Successful campaigns are created locally by the community rather than being run by outsiders. Brands that collaborate with Muslim content creators, seek community input and consider Eid’s traditions and significance typically deliver messages that are well received.

    Timing and action matter. Companies which prepare for Eid in advance are more likely to develop effective marketing or successful partnerships. For example, Tesco’s “Everyone’s Welcome” campaign in the UK is well known for its inclusive approach. In 2023 it launched its special Iftar range that could be bought in store and cooked for the special evening meal that marks the end of a day’s fasting during Ramadan.

    Beyond celebrations and festivals, brands that think carefully about what Muslims need, for example in sport, will more likely succeed with their messaging, because they demonstrate an understanding of cultural and identity issues. The Nike campaign featuring a Muslim athlete is frequently praised for presenting an open narrative.

    Brands like Aab and Inaya have a lot of devoted clients since they were created by designers who follow modest fashion. Their success depends more on their trust and cultural awareness than just their products alone.

    Eid al-Adha is a powerful symbol of faith, identity and community that goes beyond just a commercial opportunity. While occasion messages or seasonal messages may seem like respectful gestures, when done without real understanding, they can come across as hollow or insincere marketing. Ultimately, this can harm a brand’s reputation as people may feel disappointed.

    Around Eid al-Adha and Eid Al-Fitr, which marks the end of Ramadan, businesses and brands must go beyond token gestures. Building trust with Muslim communities requires ongoing respect and cultural knowledge, with meaningful engagement throughout the year. Authenticity, not aesthetics, is the key to forming lasting relationships with Muslim customers.

    Afshan Jalil currently serves as the Volunteer Marketing Manager for Hamilton Women Club, a community initiative for Muslim women, associated with Hamilton Mosque, South Lanarkshire UK.

    – ref. UK brands are celebrating Eid – here’s what makes an effective and inclusive campaign – https://theconversation.com/uk-brands-are-celebrating-eid-heres-what-makes-an-effective-and-inclusive-campaign-258107

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Your chance to see the brand new Women’s Rugby World Cup Trophy in Sunderland

    Source: City of Sunderland

    There’s still time to have your photo taken with the brand new Women’s Rugby World Cup trophy when it puts in a special appearance in Sunderland’s Keel Square this Friday 6 June.

    The trophy the world’s top women’s rugby teams will be competing for this summer will be in Keel Square between 10 am and 4pm on the first day of the three-day Sunderland Food and Drink Festival. 

    World Rugby unveiled the new trophy last month to tie in with the start of the 100-day countdown to the opening match of the Women’s Rugby World Cup in Sunderland on Friday 22 August. This will see England’s Red Roses take on the USA at the Stadium of Light.

    The trophy’s visit marks the culmination of a nationwide tour of all eight host cities and towns as excitement continues to build for the record-breaking tournament.

    Ahead of its visit to Keel Square on Friday, youngsters from local schools got their chance to put their rugby skills to the test and have their photos taken with rugby’s newest icon when it stopped off at Hylton Castle on Wednesday.

    Councillor Michael Mordey, Leader of Sunderland City Council, said: “It’s fantastic to have the trophy visiting Sunderland as we count down to hosting the opening match of the Women’s Rugby World Cup on 22 August.

    “Having the opening game here is a brilliant opportunity to showcase our city on the international stage.

    “We’re really looking forward to welcoming England’s Red Roses and the USA teams to Sunderland, as well as rugby fans from this country and across the world when the tournament kicks off in Sunderland in August.

    “It was also great to see our own young players, who could well be the next generation of top rugby stars, demonstrating their own rugby skills during the trophy’s stop off at Hylton Castle on Wednesday.”

    The 2025 tournament is the biggest Women’s Rugby World Cup in history after selling more than 300,000 tickets – more than twice the total attendance at the last tournament in New Zealand in 2021.

    People visiting Keel Square on Friday will be able to see the new Women’s Rugby World Cup trophy and the bespoke RWC 2025 Defender Trophy Tour Vehicle and have the opportunity to have their photo taken with them both.

    Councillor Beth Jones is Sunderland City Council’s Cabinet Member for Communities, Culture and Tourism: “With excitement continuing to build now that we’re less than 100 days away from the tournament kicking off in Sunderland, this is a brilliant opportunity to have your photo taken with the trophy that the top women’s rugby teams in the world are going to be competing for this summer,” she said.

    “It’s also a great chance to find out more about the sport so I’d encourage everyone to come down, have your photo taken with the trophy and enjoy a fantastic time at the Food and Drink Festival while you’re here.”

    Women’s Rugby World Cup 2025 Managing Director, Sarah Massey, said: “Women’s Rugby World Cup 2025 promises to be a landmark tournament for the sport and the trophy tour to our host locations provides a brilliant opportunity to ignite excitement across England.

    “We look forward to celebrating with fans and encouraging even more people to be a part of this unforgettable tournament.”

    Sunderland Food & Drink Festival is set to take place across Keel Square, High Street West and Market Square from Friday 6 to Sunday 8 June.

    Featuring food from across the world including street food and artisan produce, visitors will also be able to enjoy the live stage programme in Keel Square from 11am to 7pm every day.

    For more information on the food and drink festival visit https://sunderlandfooddrinkfest.co.uk/live-entertainment/

    To find out more about the Women’s Rugby World Cup, how to get tickets and how to get involved in free rugby activities in Sunderland visit:Rugby World Cup 2025 – MySunderland

    To find out more about free rugby activities provided by Newcastle Rugby Foundation as community engagement programme partner for the Women’s Rugby World Cup, and how to get involved visit: WRWC Countdown – Newcastle Rugby Foundation

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Study shows how obesity can affect care provision

    Source: Anglia Ruskin University

    A new study has found that older adults living with obesity can feel judged or dismissed by care providers due to their weight, leading to a reluctance to seek help.

    Conducted by researchers from Anglia Ruskin University (ARU) and the University of West London, the qualitative study involved in-depth interviews with 33 older adults and has been published in the journal PLOS One.

    The participants shared their experiences and needs related to formal and informal social care, and the report highlighted the hidden care gaps caused by obesity.

    As well as not asking for help because of concerns over how others might view them, some participants talked about physical barriers, with standard care equipment and facilities often failing to accommodate individuals with higher body weights, resulting in inadequate support.

    The combination of physical limitations and societal stigma also contributed to feelings of isolation and decreased self-worth among participants. Financial hardship was also cited as an unmet need, with one interviewee having lost his full-time job due to pain caused by his obesity.

    Participants with higher obesity levels reported unmet needs primarily linked to emotional distress, including stress, frustration, social discrimination, isolation, feeling like a burden, lack of housing adaptations and safety, boredom, inability to continue hobbies, and limited access to support.

    The study also sets out a new framework designed to understand unmet care needs of older adults with obesity. By identifying these care gaps, it could help care providers plan better health and social care and find where inexpensive, preventive measures could be most effective.

    According to the latest Health Survey for England, published in September, 36% of adults aged 55 to 64, and 35% of adults aged 64 to 74, were living with obesity in 2022.

    The study underscores the necessity for a more inclusive approach to social care, one that recognises and addresses the specific barriers faced by older adults with obesity.

    “Older adults with obesity face unique challenges in accessing and receiving appropriate social care. Despite growing concerns over obesity’s impact on health, its influence on social care needs among this demographic remains underexplored.

    “The hidden challenges faced by these individuals often go unrecognised, leading to unmet need and increased vulnerability. As the population ages and obesity rates continue to rise, it is imperative that our social care systems adapt to meet these evolving needs.

    “Our research makes clear the need for increased awareness among healthcare professionals to better support older adults with obesity, with policy reforms, training programmes that address weight bias and the development of care plans that address the specific barriers faced by this group.”

    Lead author Dr Gargi Ghosh, Senior Lecturer in the School of Nursing and Midwifery at Anglia Ruskin University (ARU)

    The full, open-access study can be read here: https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0320253

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: MHRA launches new digital hub in Leeds to drive innovation and regional growth

    Source: United Kingdom – Government Statements

    Press release

    MHRA launches new digital hub in Leeds to drive innovation and regional growth

    The new hub will strengthen the MHRA’s work with regional partners and boost the UK’s digital health and life sciences sector.

    Wes Streeting at today’s launch of the MHRA’s new Leeds hub

    A new digital hub in Leeds is being launched by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA), marking a significant step in the agency’s long-term commitment to advancing innovation and strengthening its presence across the UK. 

    Leeds was selected due to its expertise in digital health and strong academic base. The MHRA’s expansion will build on this momentum – driving regional partnerships, attracting skilled talent and local investment. 

    The digital hub forms part of the MHRA’s broader strategy to enhance regulatory agility, strengthen digital capabilities, and deliver better outcomes for patients, the public and industry. It will also enable closer collaboration with digital health networks, NHS organisations, and leading academic institutions nationwide. 

    The move supports the HM Government’s Places for Growth strategy, which aims to expand the regional footprint of public bodies and ensure that opportunities and expertise are more evenly distributed across the UK. 

    Wes Streeting, Health and Social Care Secretary of State, said:   

    “There is a global tech revolution in healthcare unfolding, and Yorkshire will help our country lead it. This isn’t just about creating new jobs across the region – it’s also about bolstering a city that’s already leading the way in digital health.  

    “Driving forward digital transformations like these through our Plan for Chance will mean scientists get data for research quicker, inspectors can develop tech to spot problems quicker, and patients get better results.  

    “As a healthcare innovation powerhouse, Leeds is the perfect place to bring together the MHRA’s regulatory expertise with a thriving tech community, world-class universities, and strong NHS presence.”  

    Lawrence Tallon, Chief Executive of the MHRA, said: 

    “We want regulation of health technologies to move at the pace of innovation. As part of our continued commitment to being a truly national regulator, we are opening a new base amongst one of the UK’s thriving tech hubs in Leeds. 

    “By establishing an MHRA hub in Leeds, we’re strengthening our ability to collaborate with partners across the North of England – bringing regulatory expertise closer to the people, organisations and innovations we serve. 

    “This hub will play a vital role in shaping the future of regulation, including how we harness technology to deliver regulation that meets the needs of patients, supports the health system, and drives life sciences innovation across the UK.” 

    The new hub will be located in Wellington Place in Leeds city centre. The MHRA will initially recruit around 30 permanent, highly-skilled roles, focused on digital delivery, software development and data science, with the ambition for further expansion in future phases. 

    These new roles will sit within the Digital and Technology Group (DTG), focused on delivering an optimised infrastructure and maximising the secure use of data to enable scientists, inspectors, and the rest of the organisation to deliver world class services which can improve outcomes for patients and the public.  

    The Leeds area is home to over 44,000 working-age tech professionals and 11,000 students studying tech-related subjects. It also serves as a base for DHSC and the digital operations of NHS England, with increasing investment from major tech companies. 

    Richard Stubbs, Chief Executive of Health Innovation Yorkshire & Humber, said: 

    “The new MHRA digital hub is fantastic news for Leeds and for Yorkshire as a whole. Our region has world class digital and medical technology capabilities, which will be accelerated even further by bringing government infrastructure closer to the innovator community. We’re hugely looking forward to working closely with our MHRA colleagues to drive valuable collaborations and partnerships that will ultimately benefit patient care and deliver local economic growth.” 

    Councillor Fiona Venner, executive member for equality, health and wellbeing at Leeds City Council, said: 

    “We welcome the MHRA’s announcement of the launch of a new digital hub. Leeds is already a centre for digital health and innovation and this rapidly growing market contributes significantly to the economy. The hub will support the creation of jobs and provide career opportunities for local graduates and professionals. 

    “The announcement adds to the momentum we’re already seeing in Leeds with major organisations choosing to locate roles here, reinforcing the city’s growing national importance as a centre for public service and economic opportunity.” 

    The expansion supports the Government’s Plan for Change, which will make sure that Government jobs support economic growth throughout the country and make it much easier for talented people everywhere to help us rebuild Britain. 

    Notes to editors   

    • The MHRA enhances and improves the health of millions of people every day through the effective regulation of medicines and medical devices, underpinned by science and research.  

    • The agency continues to strengthen its regional engagement across all four nations of the UK. In May 2025, the agency held its first ever Board meeting in Scotland, reaffirming its commitment to supporting public health and life sciences innovation across the whole of the UK. 

    • Headquartered at 10 South Colonnade in Canary Wharf, the agency will continue major scientific and regulatory work at its South Mimms Science Campus. The new Leeds hub forms part of a broader strategy for national expansion. 

    • The MHRA’s Digital and Technology Group (DTG) plays a central role in delivering digital services, managing data securely, and improving business processes across core regulatory functions – including clinical trial applications, safety monitoring and inspections. The DTG has been shortlisted for the Health Service Journal (HSJ) Digital Award. 

    • The MHRA is responsible for regulating all medicines and medical devices in the UK by ensuring they work and are acceptably safe. All our work is underpinned by robust and fact-based judgements to ensure that the benefits justify any risks. 

    • The MHRA is an executive agency of the Department of Health and Social Care.  

    • For media enquiries, please contact the newscentre@mhra.gov.uk, or call on 020 3080 7651.

    Updates to this page

    Published 5 June 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI Global: A two-state solution is gaining momentum again for Israel and the Palestinians. Does it have a chance of success?

    Source: The Conversation – Global Perspectives – By Andrew Thomas, Lecturer in Middle East Studies, Deakin University

    As Israel’s devastating war in Gaza has ground on, the two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict was thought to be “dead”. Now, it is showing signs of life again.

    French President Emmanuel Macron is reportedly pressing other European nations to jointly recognise a Palestinian state at a UN conference in mid-June, focused on achieving a two-state solution. Macron called such recognition a “political necessity”.

    Countries outside Europe are feeling the pressure, too. Australia has reaffirmed its view that recognition of Palestine should be a “way of building momentum towards a two-state solution”.

    During Macron’s visit to Indonesia in late May, Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto made a surprising pledge to recognise Israel if it allowed for a Palestinian state.

    Indonesia is one of about 28 nations that don’t currently recognise Israel. France, Australia, the United States, United Kingdom, Canada, Germany, Italy, Japan and South Korea are among the approximately 46 nations that don’t recognise a Palestinian state.

    The UN conference on June 17–20, co-sponsored by France and Saudi Arabia, wants to go “beyond reaffirming principles” and “achieve concrete results” towards a two-state solution.

    Most countries, including the US, have supported the two-state solution in principle for decades. However, the political will from all parties has faded in recent years.

    So, why is the policy gaining traction again now? And does it have a greater chance of success?

    What is the two-state solution?

    Put simply, the two-state solution is a proposed peace plan that would create a sovereign Palestinian state alongside the Israeli state. There have been several failed attempts to enact the policy over recent decades, the most famous of which was the Oslo Accords in the early 1990s.

    In recent years, the two-state solution was looking less likely by the day.

    The Trump administration’s decision in 2017 to recognise Jerusalem as the capital of Israel and move the US embassy there signalled the US was moving away from its role as mediator. Then, several Arab states agreed to normalise relations with Israel in the the Abraham Accords, without Israeli promises to move towards a two-state solution.

    The Hamas attacks on Israel – and subsequent Israeli war on Gaza – have had a somewhat contradictory effect on the overarching debate.

    On the one hand, the brutality of Hamas’ actions substantially set back the legitimacy of the Palestinian self-determination movement in some quarters on the world stage.

    On the other, it’s also become clear the status quo – the continued Israeli occupation of Gaza and the West Bank following the end of a brutal war – is not tenable for either Israeli security or Palestinian human rights.

    And the breakdown of the most recent ceasefire between Israel and Hamas, the return of heavy Israeli ground operations in May and reports of mass Palestinian starvation have only served to further isolate the Israeli government in the eyes of its peers.

    Once-steadfast supporters of Israel’s actions have become increasingly frustrated by a lack of clear strategic goals in Gaza. And many now seem prepared to ignore Israeli wishes and pursue Palestinian recognition.

    For these governments, the hope is recognition of a Palestinian state would rebuild political will – both globally and in the Middle East – towards a two-state solution.

    Huge obstacles remain

    But how likely is this in reality? There is certainly more political will than there was before, but also several important roadblocks.

    First and foremost is the war in Gaza. It’s obvious this will need to end, with both sides agreeing to an enduring ceasefire.

    Beyond that, the political authority in both Gaza and Israel remains an issue.

    The countries now considering Palestinian recognition, such France and Australia, have expressly said Hamas cannot play any role in governing a future Palestinian state.

    Though anti-Hamas sentiment is becoming more vocal among residents in Gaza, Hamas has been violently cracking down on this dissent and is attempting to consolidate its power.

    However, polling shows the popularity of Fatah – the party leading the Palestinian National Authority – is even lower than Hamas at an average of 21%. Less than half of Gazans support the enclave returning to Palestinian Authority control. This means a future Palestinian state would likely require new leadership.

    There is almost no political will in Israel for a two-state solution, either. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has not been shy about his opposition to a Palestinian state. His cabinet members have mostly been on the same page.

    This has also been reflected in policy action. In early May, the Israeli Security Cabinet approved a plan for Israel to indefinitely occupy parts of Gaza. The government also just approved its largest expansion of settlements in the West Bank in decades.

    These settlements remain a major problem for a two-state solution. The total population of Israeli settlers is more than 700,000 in both East Jerusalem and the West Bank. And it’s been increasing at a faster rate since the election of the right-wing, pro-settler Netanyahu government in 2022.

    Settlement is enshrined in Israeli Basic Law, with the state defining it as “national value” and actively encouraging its “establishment and consolidation”.

    The more settlement that occurs, the more complicated the boundaries of a future Palestinian state become.

    Then there’s the problem of public support. Recent polling shows neither Israelis nor Palestinians view the two-state solution favourably. Just 40% of Palestinians support it, while only 26% of Israelis believe a Palestinian state can “coexist peacefully” alongside Israel.

    However, none of these challenges makes the policy impossible. The unpopularity of the two-state solution locally is more a reflection of previous failures than it is of future negotiations.

    A power-sharing agreement in Northern Ireland was similarly unpopular in the 1990s, but peace was achieved through bold political leadership involving the US and European Union.

    In other words, we won’t know what’s possible until negotiations begin. Red lines will need to be drawn and compromises made.

    It’s not clear what effect growing external pressure will have, but the international community does appear to be reaching a political tipping point on the two-state solution. Momentum could start building again.

    Andrew Thomas 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. A two-state solution is gaining momentum again for Israel and the Palestinians. Does it have a chance of success? – https://theconversation.com/a-two-state-solution-is-gaining-momentum-again-for-israel-and-the-palestinians-does-it-have-a-chance-of-success-257890

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –