NewzIntel.com

Category: United Kingdom

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Seawater sampling season 2025 begins tomorrow12 May 2025 ​​The 2025 seawater sampling season starts on Tuesday 13 May and continues for 20 weeks ending on Tuesday 23 September 2025. The sampling is carried out in a total of 16 bays with sampling at eight bays… Read more

    Source: Channel Islands – Jersey

    12 May 2025

    ​​

    The 2025 seawater sampling season starts on Tuesday 13 May and continues for 20 weeks ending on Tuesday 23 September 2025. 

    The sampling is carried out in a total of 16 bays with sampling at eight bays on Mondays and eight bays on Tuesdays as required by the EU Bathing Water Directive that we follow.

    Each week the latest results are displayed in an interactive map which is updated automatically. Please visit Seawater monitoring for more information. 

    New signs 

    Over the coming weeks we will be rolling out new signs at each sampling point in the bays. The signs will display a QR code which allows easy access to the latest results. 

    We monitor seawater quality to: 

    • Measure compliance against the EU Bathing water directive 
    • Get valuable information for Islanders and tourists on the quality of seawater 
    • Identify episodes of pollution 
    • Provide information to other stakeholders including the Aquaculture Industry.

    Different teams are involved in the monitoring process:

    • Water & Air and Environment & Consumer Protection teams take the samples 
    • Official Analyst’s laboratory carry out the analysis. 

    Since 2015 bathing water classifications throughout Europe are based on sampling data collected over 4 years. Monitoring in Jersey started in 1992. 

    Although monitoring of seawater provides valuable public health data, it is only a snap-shot of the water quality at the time of sampling and bathers enter coastal waters at their own risk. 

    General public health advice is to avoid swimming for 48 hours following heavy rainfall and to avoid seafoam if present. Sea foam forms naturally when waves agitate organic matter in seawater, but may also contain substances that could be harmful to health. ​

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Support delivered to thousands amid cost of living crisis

    Source: City of Derby

    As part of a city wide partnership response to the ongoing cost of living crisis, Derby City Council and its partners have provided vital support to thousands of residents through a range of welfare, food, clothing, and financial assistance programmes. Over the past year, targeted initiatives have delivered essential services, demonstrating Derby’s commitment to protecting its most vulnerable residents.

    Key achievements of the past year have included:

    • Food & Essentials Support: Between April and November 2024, over 18,447 food parcels were distributed which adds up to more than 21,624 meals. In December 2024 alone, 2,642 food parcels helped feed 7,435 people.
    • Warm Welcome Hubs: Nearly 50,000 visits have been recorded across Derby’s Warm Hubs since June 2024, providing warmth, social connection, and safety for pensioners, people with disabilities, and others in need.
    • Benefits and Welfare Assistance: More than 6,000 applications have been processed for Council Tax Support, Housing Payments, and hardship funds since April 2024. Derby’s Welfare Reform Team has secured over £2.1 million for residents since 2018 and supported 1,809 vulnerable households.
    • Household Support Fund (HSF): Over 1 million free school meals were funded during school holidays, and nearly £785,500 in food vouchers and £239,000 in energy support have been distributed since April 2024.
    • Pension Credit Awareness: A targeted campaign, including a pop up pensioner event, helped older residents claim Pension Credit entitlements and receive cost of living support.

    Councillor Sarah Chambers, Cabinet Member for Cost of Living, Equalities and Communities, said:

    Behind every number in this report is a real person. These services exist to offer not just practical support, but dignity, hope, and the reassurance that no one in Derby has to face hardship alone.

    We know that times are tough, and it’s okay to ask for help. Whether you need help with clothing, help with bills, or just someone to talk to, there is support available. I strongly encourage anyone who’s struggling, or knows someone who is, to visit the cost of living support webpage or speak to your local neighbourhood team. The support is there to guide you to the right help at the right time.”

    Going forward into 2025, there will be continued support for a range of issues relating to cost of living. Household Support Fund 7 will also be launching. You can read more about the new Household Support Fund on our Newsroom.

    For more information on accessing support services, please visit the Community Action Derby cost of living webpage. You can also learn more about your neighbourhood team online. If you are struggling to find work at this time, The Derby Adult Learning Service and the Employment Hub may be able to help you upskill and find the next step in your career.

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Immigration white paper to reduce migration and strengthen border

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    News story

    Immigration white paper to reduce migration and strengthen border

    Radical reforms to Britain’s immigration system, restoring control to our borders and reducing record-high levels of net migration have been set out.

    Measures unveiled in the immigration white paper published today (Monday 12 May) will reshape our immigration system towards those who contribute most to economic growth, with higher skills standards for graduates and workers. 

    New requirements on employers to boost domestic training will end the reliance on international recruitment, restoring order to a failed system that saw net migration quadruple between 2019 and 2023. 

    Key policies in the 82 page blueprint, titled Restoring Control over the Immigration System, include the following: 

    • reversing the long-term trend of increasing international recruitment at the expense of skills and training

    • the labour market evidence group will be established, drawing on the best data available in order to make informed decisions about the state of the labour market and the role that different policies should play, rather than always relying on migration

    • departments across government will engage sector bodies as part of this approach

    Raising Skilled Worker threshold – skilled must mean skilled 

    Lifting the level for skilled workers back to RQF 6 (Graduate level) and above. Salary thresholds will rise.

    The immigration salary list, which gives people discounts from salary thresholds, will be abolished. 

    Access to the points-based immigration system will be limited to occupations where there have been long term shortages, on a time limited basis, where the Migration Advisory Committee (MAC) has advised it is justified, where there is a workforce strategy in place, and where employers seeking to recruit from abroad are committed to playing their part in increasing recruitment from the domestic workforce.

    Adult social care 

    End overseas recruitment for social care visas. In line with our wider reforms to skills thresholds, we will close social care visas to new applications from abroad.  

    For a transition period until 2028, while the workforce strategy is being developed and rolled out, we will permit visa extensions and in-country switching for those already here. This will be kept under review. 

    Study 

    We will strengthen the requirements that all sponsoring institutions must meet in order to recruit international students.

    We will introduce new interventions for sponsors who are close to failing their sponsor duties, including placing them on an action plan designed to improve their compliance, and imposing limits on the number of new international students they can recruit while they are subject to those plans. 

    We will reduce the ability for graduates to remain in the UK after their studies to a period of 18 months.

    Family 

    We will tackle the over complex family and private life immigration arrangements, where too many cases are treated as ‘exceptional’ rather than having a clear framework. 

    Legislation will be brought forward to make clear it is the government and Parliament that decides who should have the right to remain in the UK. This will address cases where Article 8 right to family life legal arguments are being used to frustrate deportation where removal is clearly in the public interest. 

    Growth  

    We will go further in ensuring that the very highly skilled have opportunities to come to the UK and access our targeted routes for the brightest and best global talent.

    This includes increasing the number of people arriving on our very high talent routes, alongside faster routes for bringing people to the UK who have the right skills and experience to supercharge UK growth in strategic industries.

    This includes increasing places to our scheme for research interns, making it easier for top scientific and design talent to use our Global Talent visa, and reviewing our Innovator Founder visa and High Potential Individual route to maximise their benefit to the UK economy. 

    Tackling abuse 

    New policies will apply to individuals who claim asylum where conditions in their home country have not materially changed, particularly where they have claimed asylum after arrival. 

    Tighter visa controls, restrictions, requirements or scrutiny will be applied where we have evidence of abuse, based on a clear assessment of the risks. 

    Measures to ensure that other governments play their part in supporting the integrity of the UK immigration system – particularly where there are currently barriers in the way of us returning their nationals. 

    Innovative financial measures, penalties or sanctions, including for sponsors of migrant workers or students where there is evidence of abuse. These will incentivise them to act responsibly, with new measures to support compliance with visa conditions by migrants.

    Foreign national offenders (FNOs) 

    Reform the deportation system to ensure the Home Office is informed of all foreign nationals convicted of offences – not just those who go to prison.  

    Review deportation thresholds to take into account a wider range of factors than just the length of sentence, and start by revising the statutory exceptions criteria to ensure that the deportation test reflects the seriousness of violence against women and girls.  

    English language 

    Introduce new English language requirements across a broader range of immigration routes, for both main applicants and their dependants, to ensure a better knowledge of English, including an assessment of improvements over time.  

    Earned settlement and citizenship 

    Double the standard qualifying period for settlement to 10 years. 

    Expand the points-based system to both our settlement and citizenship rules, so they are based on contribution to the UK, with further details to be set out to Parliament by the end of the year. 

    The policies outlined, part of the government’s Plan for Change, will be delivered over the course of this Parliament to strengthen the UK’s immigration system, with the first changes set to be introduced in the coming weeks. 

    The government will publish further reforms to the asylum system and border security later this summer, building on measures in the Border Security, Asylum and Immigration Bill currently progressing through Parliament.

    Updates to this page

    Published 12 May 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: PM remarks at Immigration White Paper press conference: 12 May 2025

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    Speech

    PM remarks at Immigration White Paper press conference: 12 May 2025

    Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s remarks at a press conference on the Immigration White Paper.

    Good morning.

    Today, we publish a White Paper on immigration, a strategy that is absolutely central to my Plan for Change. This strategy will finally take back control of our borders and close the book on a squalid chapter for our politics, our economy, and our country.

    “Take back control.” Everyone knows that slogan and what it meant for immigration, or at least that’s what people thought. Because what followed from the previous Government, starting with the people who used that slogan, was the complete opposite. Between 2019 and 2023, even as they were going around our country telling people, with a straight face, they would get immigration down, net migration quadrupled. Until in 2023, it reached nearly 1 million, which is about the population of Birmingham, our second largest city. That’s not control – it’s chaos.

    And look, they must answer for themselves, but I don’t think you can do something like that by accident. It was a choice. A choice made even as they told you, told the country, they were doing the opposite. A one-nation experiment in open borders conducted on a country that voted for control. Well, no more. Today, this [political content redacted] Government is shutting down the lab. The experiment is over. We will deliver what you have asked for – time and again – and we will take back control of our borders.

    And let me tell you why. Because I know, on a day like today, people who like politics will try to make this all about politics, about this or that strategy, targeting these voters, responding to that party. No. I am doing this because it is right, because it is fair, and because it is what I believe in.

    Let me put it this way: Nations depend on rules – fair rules. Sometimes they’re written down, often they’re not, but either way, they give shape to our values. They guide us towards our rights, of course, but also our responsibilities, the obligations we owe to one another. Now, in a diverse nation like ours, and I celebrate that, these rules become even more important. Without them, we risk becoming an island of strangers, not a nation that walks forward together.

    So when you have an immigration system that seems almost designed to permit abuse, that encourages some businesses to bring in lower-paid workers rather than invest in our young people, or simply one that is sold by politicians to the British people on an entirely false premise, then you’re not championing growth, you’re not championing justice, or however else people defend the status quo. You’re actually contributing to the forces that are slowly pulling our country apart.

    So yes, I believe in this. I believe we need to reduce immigration significantly. That’s why some of the policies in this White Paper go back nearly three years, [political content redacted]. It’s about fairness.

    Migration is part of Britain’s national story. We talked last week about the great rebuilding of this country after the war; migrants were part of that, and they make a massive contribution today. You will never hear me denigrate that. But when people come to our country, they should also commit to integration, to learning our language, and our system should actively distinguish between those that do and those that don’t. I think that’s fair.

    Equally, Britain must compete for the best talent in the world in science, in technology, in healthcare. You cannot simply pull up a drawbridge, let nobody in, and think that is an economy that would work. That would hurt the pay packets of working people – without question. But at the same time, we do have to ask why parts of our economy seem almost addicted to importing cheap labour rather than investing in the skills of people who are here and want a good job in their community. Sectors like engineering, where visas have rocketed while apprenticeships have plummeted. Is that fair to Britain? Is it fair to young people weighing up their future to miss out on those apprenticeships, to see colleges in their community almost entirely dedicated to one-year courses for overseas students? No, I don’t think it is. And truth be told, I don’t think anyone does. And yet that is the Britain this broken system has created.

    So, as this White Paper sets out, every area of the immigration system – work, family, and study – will be tightened up so we have more control. Skill requirements raised to degree level. English language requirements across all routes – including for dependents. The time it takes to acquire settled status extended from five years to ten. And enforcement tougher than ever because fair rules must be followed.

    Now, make no mistake – this plan means migration will fall. That’s a promise. But I want to be very clear on this. If we do need to take further steps, if we do need to do more to release pressure on housing and our public services, then mark my words – we will. But it’s not just about numbers. Because the chaos of the previous government also changed the nature of immigration in this country. Fewer people who make a strong economic contribution, more who work in parts of our economy that put downward pressure on wages. So perhaps the biggest shift in this White Paper is that we will finally honour what “take back control” meant and begin to choose who comes here so that migration works for our national interest.

    You know, this is where the whole debate is skewed, as if some people think controlling immigration is reigning in a sort of natural freedom rather than a basic and reasonable responsibility of government to make choices that work for a nation’s economy. For years, this seems to have muddled our thinking, but let me be clear – it ends now. We will create a migration system that is controlled, selective, and fair. A clean break with the past that links access to visas directly to investment in homegrown skills so that if a business wants to bring people in from abroad, they must first invest in Britain. But also, so settlement becomes a privilege that is earned, not a right, easier if you make a contribution, if you work, pay in, and help rebuild our country.

    Now, some people may even be against that, but I think for the vast majority of people in this country, that is what they have long wanted to see. An immigration system that is fair, that works for our national interest, and that restores common sense and control to our borders. That is what this White Paper will deliver: lower net migration, higher skills, backing British workers, the start of repairing our social contract, which the chaos and cynicism of the last government did so much to undermine.

    Thank you.

    Updates to this page

    Published 12 May 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Don’t miss St Albans Spring Festival – thousands expected at FREE street party

    Source: St Albans City and District

    Publication date:

    Thousands of people are expected to join an exciting St Albans City Centre event with free entertainment suitable for all.

    The first St Albans Spring Festival will be held on Sunday 18 May and will be a celebration of food, well-being, community spirit and sustainability.

    Among the attractions will be live music, arts and crafts, street theatre and dozens of stalls selling takeaway food, drink and other produce. There will also be opportunities to learn, play and create with fun activities.

    The event runs from 11am to 5pm, with St Peter’s Street, Chequer Street and High Street closed to traffic to create a safe and vibrant environment. 

    To ensure accessibility, sighted guides and British Sign Language interpreters will be in attendance.

    St Albans City and District Council is organising the festival which will highlight the District’s hospitality businesses and tourism offering.

    It is part-funded by the UK Shared Prosperity Fund and sponsored by Code Ninjas, Côte St Albans and Corker Taxis.

    Councillor Anthony Rowlands, Lead for Events, said:

    This is a new event which we are bringing to the City Centre as the warmer weather takes hold and residents look for things to do at the weekend.

    There will be lots of exciting activities and entertainment that will appeal to people of all ages and interests. They will enjoy an afternoon of free music, games, activities, arts and crafts, eating, drinking and shopping.

    One of our priorities is to make the event inclusive and accessible, so among the facilities are reserved seating for those less able to stand, wheelchair ramps beside kerbs and accessible viewing zones.

    We are expecting the Spring Festival to attract many thousands of residents and visitors, so I would urge people to come along and not to miss out on the fun.

    Among the many attractions to look out for are the:

    • Main Stage, situated near the Beech House, where there will be live performances by a host of local musicians.
    • Food and Drink Stalls selling a vast variety of refreshments and cuisines with plenty of outdoor seating.
    • Create and Play Zone with activities including traditional wooden games, toddler soft play and chalk pavement drawing.
    • Experience Zone by the Museum + Gallery where there will be drumming and dance workshops as well as information about plastic-free living, composting and cooking sustainably. There will also be chair-based yoga.
    • Code Ninjas, one of our sponsors, is offering young and old alike the opportunity to learn about game design and coding in their special pop-up dojo on St Peter’s Street.
    • Challenge Area with rodeo sheep, sideshow games and giant inflatable football darts provided by St Albans City FC.
    • Clock Tower Stage, supported by Côte St Albans, featuring music from OVO and Morris dancing.
    • Street Entertainers including stilt walkers and drummers.
    • Community Safe Zone, a quiet spot by the Civic Centre where people can take some time out.

    Corker Taxis are providing some free as well as 10% discounted rides to the event.

    If travelling by bus, you can find City Centre bus stop arrangements for the day and further information about the Spring Festival here: https://www.enjoystalbans.com/event/st-albans-spring-festival/.

    Photo: scene from a street event last year.

    Note: The UK Shared Prosperity Fund aims to improve pride in place and increase life chances across the UK by investing in communities and place, supporting local business, and people and skills. 

    For more information, visit: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/uk-shared-prosperity-fund-prospectus. 

    Media contact:  John McJannet, Principal Communications Officer: 01727- 819533; john.mcjannet@stalbans.gov.uk.

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: More local family homes needed for children in care in Plymouth

    Source: City of Plymouth

    There are currently 534 children in care in Plymouth who all need a safe and loving environment to call home.

    Plymouth City Council is urgently appealing for more local people to consider becoming a foster carer, as a spotlight is shined on the benefits of fostering thanks to Foster Care Fortnight (12 to 25 May).

    Foster for Plymouth, the Council’s own not-for-profit fostering service, helps children to live locally. When there is a shortage of local placements, children have to live in residential homes or with fostering families outside of Plymouth, which means they’re separated from their friends, family, school and other trusted professionals that they may be used to working with.

    This can negatively impact children and young people’s wellbeing and make a difficult time that much harder.

    Foster for Plymouth currently only has 119 fostering households, as well as 32 kinship carers (family or friends who care for a child they know), and is actively asking residents to consider fostering.

    Councillor Jemima Laing, Cabinet Member for Children’s Social Care, said: “Foster Care Fortnight gives us a fantastic opportunity to thank and celebrate all our foster carers for all the hard work they do supporting children and young people.

    “It’s also a fantastic opportunity for us to promote fostering to our residents. If fostering is something you’re at all interested in, I would really encourage you to reach out to our fantastic team to ask any questions or visit our website to find out more about what’s involved. You could make a huge difference to a child’s life.”

    There are less barriers to being a foster carer than many people realise. To be considered, you need to be over the age of 21, have a spare room and be genuinely invested in supporting the wellbeing of children and young people.

    There are different types of fostering that may suit different lifestyles, including:

    • Time-limited fostering: Short term care that could last for a few days, weeks or even months, giving stability to a child or young person while decisions are made about their future
    • Permanent fostering: A long-term commitment if a child or young person is unable to return to their birth family, looking after them until they reach adulthood
    • Emergency fostering: Caring for children in an emergency scenario for a brief period (up to two weeks)
    • Respite fostering: Caring for children for a few nights at a time to give the child’s longer-term carer a break
    • Parent and child fostering: Opening your home to a child and their parents, supporting them while an assessment is carried out
    • Step Forward fostering: Helping a child or young person with higher needs, such as behaviour challenges, out of residential care.

    Foster for Plymouth offer a range of benefits, including generous financial allowances. Carers are paid between £350 and £779 per child, per week, depending on the child’s age and individual needs, or more for the Step Forward scheme.

    This payment includes a weekly allowance to cover the costs of caring for a child or young person as well as a reward payment.

    Carers also receive additional payments to pay for birthdays and birthday parties, holidays, religious festivals (such as Christmas) and even proms.

    Many foster carers are also eligible for a 50 per cent Council Tax discount, or full exemption. This applies even to foster carers who live outside of the Plymouth City Council boundaries.

    In addition to financial support, there’s also a comprehensive package of practical and emotional support on offer. This includes in-depth training and development, peer support, help from a dedicated supporting social worker, an online portal with 24/7 access to key information and regular social events.

    If you’re interested in finding out more, visit fosterforplymouth.co.uk, email [email protected] or call 01752 308762.

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: The hidden health risks of lip fillers

    Source: Anglia Ruskin University

    A woman undergoing a lip filler procedure

    By Jim Frame, Anglia Ruskin University

    Plump, pouty lips are everywhere – from social media filters to celebrity red carpets. But behind the glossy aesthetic of lip fillers lies a growing concern among medical professionals.

    While increasing numbers of people in the UK – often young women – are opting for dermal fillers to achieve a fuller look without surgery, the rise of overfilled “trout pouts” and stiff “duck lips” has sparked a wave of alarm, even among those who might typically support cosmetic treatments.

    Lip fillers are far from risk-free – and in some cases, the health consequences are permanent.

    Unlike surgical procedures, lip fillers are not legally considered medical treatments. That means they are largely unregulated, and in many cases, are being injected by people with little or no medical training.

    This is a problem, because lips are delicate and highly mobile. They contain very little natural fat and rely on a ring of tiny muscles to express everything from joy to concern. Injecting too much filler, or using the wrong kind, can interfere with these muscles – leaving the lips stiff, unnatural, or even immobile.

    While some patients seek lip fillers for genuine medical reasons, such as facial palsy or disfigurement, these are exceptions. For most, the health risks can outweigh the cosmetic benefits.

    What are fillers made of?

    The substances used in lip fillers have changed over time. Older materials such as liquid silicone were eventually phased out due to serious complications, including scarring and migration of the product to other parts of the body.

    Today, most lip fillers are made from hyaluronic acid (HA) – a substance that naturally exists in our bodies, particularly in connective tissue. HA attracts water, giving the skin volume and keeping it hydrated. As we age, our natural levels of HA decrease, which is why skin becomes drier and loses firmness.

    The HA used in fillers is either extracted from animal tissue, such as rooster combs, or produced synthetically using bacteria. While this modern version is safer than older fillers, it still carries risks including allergic reactions, reactivation of cold sores (herpes simplex virus), infections and inflammation.

    There have also been rare, but severe, cases of vascular complications such as blindness and tissue death, when fillers accidentally enter blood vessels.

    The risk to kidneys

    Less widely known – but equally concerning – is how repeat filler use may affect internal organs, particularly the kidneys.

    Hyaluronic acid isn’t just a skin plumper – it also plays a role in the immune system. When the body detects inflammation, such as from repeated filler injections, it can respond by producing HA in the kidneys. This triggers a chain reaction: first, the kidneys produce high-molecular weight HA, which increases inflammation. Later, they switch to low-molecular weight HA, which reduces inflammation but causes fibrosis, or scarring of the tissue.

    This double-edged response has been linked to chronic kidney disease and, in severe cases, even renal failure. Researchers are still exploring these links, but the risks become more significant with each repeated injection – especially in people who are genetically or medically vulnerable.

    HA can also contribute to the formation of calcium oxalate crystals in the kidneys. These can lead to kidney stones and further tissue damage, potentially causing lifelong complications.

    Who should avoid lip fillers?

    Given these risks, some people should approach fillers with extreme caution – or avoid them entirely. These include people with a history of kidney problems or allergic reactions to filler ingredients, recurrent cold sores, autoimmune conditions (like lupus or rheumatoid arthritis), diabetes or blood clotting disorders, and women who are pregnant or breastfeeding.

    Despite the risks, lip fillers remain widely accessible and heavily promoted – particularly to young people influenced by social media trends. Many undergo these treatments without fully understanding what they’re putting into their bodies.

    So, what needs to change? First, better regulation. If lip filler injections were treated as medical procedures, stricter controls could help reduce botched treatments and serious complications.

    Second, more education. Patients need to understand that just because something is “non-surgical” doesn’t mean it’s safe. Fillers are still foreign substances being injected into the body. They come with risks – and these risks can increase over time.

    Lip fillers can offer subtle, beautiful enhancements when used sparingly and professionally. But when misused or overused, they can lead to lasting disfigurement, loss of function, and even serious internal health issues like kidney damage.

    Beauty trends should never come at the cost of your health.

    Jim Frame, Professor, School of Medicine, Anglia Ruskin University

    This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.

    The opinions expressed in VIEWPOINT articles are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of ARU.

    If you wish to republish this article, please follow these guidelines: https://theconversation.com/uk/republishing-guidelines

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Rouge Bouillon closure update08 May 2025 Work to fill the voids caused by the burst water main has now been completed. Concrete to underpin parts of the building was poured on Wednesday and Structural Engineers have now given approval for the… Read more

    Source: Channel Islands – Jersey

    08 May 2025

    Work to fill the voids caused by the burst water main has now been completed. 

    Concrete to underpin parts of the building was poured on Wednesday and Structural Engineers have now given approval for the road to open once the concrete has gained sufficient strength over the weekend.

    Inspection and monitoring will continue next week to ensure all measures taken have been effective. 

    Road markings have been repainted in preparation for reopening. 

    Pedestrian access through Rouge Bouillon will remain in place throughout the bank holiday weekend. 

    The project remains on schedule, with the road due to reopen before the morning rush hour on Monday 12 May, once all safety measures are confirmed. 

    This will be the final scheduled update. For more information and the latest schedule of works, please visit: Gov.je​.​

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Lord Mayor welcomes prestigious King’s Award for The Deluxe Group

    Source: Northern Ireland City of Armagh

    Lord Mayor, Councillor Sarah Duffy, with Colm O’Farrell, Executive Chairman of The Deluxe Group, and Roger Wilson, ABC Council Chief Executive

    Lord Mayor of Armagh City, Banbridge and Craigavon Borough, Councillor Sarah Duffy has warmly welcomed the announcement that Portadown-based company, The Deluxe Group, has been honoured with the King’s Award for Enterprise in International Trade.

    The award – one of the UK’s most prestigious business honours – recognises the company’s extraordinary 575% increase in overseas revenue over the past three years, with exports now accounting for over half of its total turnover.

    Renowned for creating world-class, story-led interiors across the luxury hospitality, residential, cruise, and theme park sectors, The Deluxe Group has firmly established itself as a leader in immersive and experiential design. With over 50 years of experience, the company combines creativity, digital innovation, and artisan craftsmanship to deliver captivating environments for global clients.

    Lord Mayor, Cllr Sarah Duffy meets staff from The Deluxe Group in their Portadown Office.

    The firm’s impressive portfolio includes projects across the USA, Japan, the Middle East, and Europe, with standout work including the celebrated Game of Thrones Studio Tour in Banbridge.

    Welcoming the announcement, the Lord Mayor, Councillor Sarah Duffy said:

    “This is a truly outstanding achievement and a moment of great pride not just for The Deluxe Group, but for the entire borough. This prestigious honour is a reflection of the company’s exceptional vision, craftsmanship and global ambition. It’s a tremendous achievement and we’re incredibly proud of their success.”

    This latest recognition reinforces the region’s growing reputation for design and manufacturing excellence on the international stage.

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Support service gets thumbs up from SEND families

    Source: City of Wolverhampton

    The Wolverhampton Information, Advice and Support Service (IASS) plays a key role in helping families navigate complex processes such as Education, Health and Care Plans, school placements, and appeals.

    Feedback from its most recent satisfaction survey found that over 98% of respondents were satisfied with the service, with families feeling more confident, knowledgeable, and involved in discussions and decisions regarding their children’s needs. Over 99% of respondents also recognised the service as a neutral and unbiased source of support.

    Councillor Jacqui Coogan, the City of Wolverhampton Council’s Cabinet Member for Children, Young People and Education, said: “The IASS’s partnership with the council has been pivotal in enhancing services for families.

    “By working closely with education, health, and social care partners, it ensures that families receive comprehensive and coordinated support through what can be a very complex process.

    “This work has led to better understanding of children’s needs, improved relationships with schools, and more effective support systems, all of which positively impact the lives of children and young people with SEND in our city.

    “Best of all, the service is free and families should be rest assured that they can access information, advice, and support from IASS without any financial burden – so, if you need any support with SEND services or processes, please don’t hesitate to reach out for it.”

    For more information visit Wolverhampton Information, Advice and Support Service. To subscribe to its monthly newsletter, please visit E-bulletin – Wolverhampton Information, Advice and Support Service. 

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Deal signed to deliver nearly 300 new affordable homes in Yardley

    Source: City of Birmingham

    Dozens of families struggling to afford a safe and decent home are set to benefit from a new development agreement aimed at easing the region’s housing crisis.

    Nearly 300 affordable homes, including 150 for social rent, are to be built on the site of the former Yardley Sewage Works in Stechford, Birmingham.

    Birmingham City Council owns the land in Cole Hall Lane and has worked with housing developer Morro Partnerships, housing association Midland Heart, Homes England, the region’s elected Mayor and the West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA) to facilitate the deal.

    On a visit to the site, Richard Parker, Mayor of the West Midlands, announced a £4.5m WMCA package for the scheme, the latest investment he has made as part of his mission to kickstart the biggest social housing programme the West Midlands has seen in decades.

    Birmingham City Council has invested in the scheme, along with Homes England and the WMCA providing funding to clean up the brownfield site so it is suitable for house building. Morro and Midland Heart will begin construction of the homes before the end of the year.

    The development deal comes as latest figures show that across the West Midlands there are 7,148 households, including 14,229 children, living in temporary accommodation and 65,335 households on the region’s social housing waiting lists.

    Cllr Jayne Francis, Cabinet Member for Housing and Homeless, said:

    “The national housing crisis means that we have several people on lists waiting for a home, the need for affordable homes has never been more urgent.

    “Tackling this crisis is a key priority for this council, and this development demonstrates how we can do this by leading and working in partnership with others.

    “We will continue discussions with developers and housing associations to facilitate deals that can provide our residents with warm, safe, and energy-efficient homes.”

    Richard Parker, Mayor of the West Midlands, said,

    “In my first year in office, I’ve funded schemes that will provide more than 500 new social homes – that’s more than in all the schemes we have ever grant funded.

    “Too many families in this region are living in cold, damp houses waiting too long for a home to call their own. This cannot be allowed to continue which is why I am helping to build more warm and safe homes for everyone.

    “My target is clear: 2,000 new social homes a year by 2028 to tackle our housing crisis. We cannot do this alone – I am calling on housing associations and private sector developers to come together, just as we have at Yardley Brook, to build these homes and change the lives of thousands of families here in the West Midlands.”

    Joe Reeves, Deputy Chief Executive at Midland Heart, said:

    “As one of the largest housing providers in the Midlands, we have a key role to play in addressing the shortage of homes and providing decent, affordable housing for local people across the region.

    “We are aiming to deliver 2,250 new homes by 2030, which, combined with the 4,000 we have already delivered during our last corporate plan period to 2025, will mean we will have delivered well over 6,000 new homes in a decade. Yardley Brook will be a huge part of this, and we look forward to working with our partner Morro, to transform this site, and develop and deliver almost 300 new homes.”

    Tom Broadway, Managing Director for the West Midlands at Morro Partnerships, said:

    “We are all aware of the shortage of affordable housing across the country, and Birmingham is no different. This deal will go some way to increasing and improving the housing stock in an underserved region.

    “Sustainability is a fundamental aspect of our work and is an inherent part of each development we build. Helping to make housing more affordable, accessible, and ready for the future forms part of our commitment to building responsibly and is an immensely rewarding undertaking in its own right.

    “We look forward to completing construction on this development and seeing it evolve into a thriving community over the coming years.”

    The Yardley Brook announcement comes as the Mayor, WMCA and City Council, alongside other West Midlands local authorities, prepare to showcase more than £18 billion worth of investment opportunities at the UKREiiF property show in Leeds later this month.

    Key projects to be presented to investors and developers in Birmingham include:

    • The Sports Quarter regeneration scheme in East Birmingham
    • Smithfield Birmingham – a £1.9bn regeneration of 17 hectares in the heart of the city
    • The Birmingham Knowledge Quarter innovation cluster.

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Foster Care Fortnight 2025

    Source: Scotland – City of Perth

    The focus for this year’s campaign is the power of relationships and the extraordinary impact that foster parents can have on children and young people who, for a wide range of reasons, are unable to remain with their birth families.  

    Carers can offer a home to a child or young person, for as long as is required – from just a few days or weeks to months or years.   Personal qualities, and experience with children and/or young people, are more important than age or qualifications. Carers need to have experience of and enjoy spending time with children and young people and have a good sense of humour, lots of compassion, tolerance and bags of energy.   

    Councillor John Rebbeck, Convener of Learning and Families said: “All kinds of people can become foster carers – it is an extremely rewarding role to take on, not without its challenges, but the impact that carers have for children and young people can make a real, powerful difference to their lives. 

    “We have fantastic foster carers working with us here in Perth and Kinross and we are always keen to welcome more prospective carers to join them. In Foster Care Fortnight, I would urge anyone interested in making positive changes in a child’s life to get in touch with our Family Based Care Team.”  

    You can contact the Family Based Care Team by calling 01738 477806 or email ecsfpduty@pkc.gov.uk. For more information, visit our Fostering page.

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: India and Pakistan: G7 foreign ministers’ statement, 10 May 2025

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments 3

    News story

    India and Pakistan: G7 foreign ministers’ statement, 10 May 2025

    G7 foreign ministers gave a statement on India and Pakistan.

    Joint statement:

    We, the G7 Foreign Ministers of Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom and the United States of America and the High Representative of the European Union, strongly condemn the egregious terrorist attack in Pahalgam on April 22 and urge maximum restraint from both India and Pakistan. Further military escalation poses a serious threat to regional stability. We are deeply concerned for the safety of civilians on both sides.

    We call for immediate de-escalation and encourage both countries to engage in direct dialogue towards a peaceful outcome. We continue to monitor events closely and express our support for a swift and lasting diplomatic resolution.

    Media enquiries

    Email newsdesk@fcdo.gov.uk

    Telephone 020 7008 3100

    Contact the FCDO Communication Team via email (monitored 24 hours a day) in the first instance, and we will respond as soon as possible.

    Updates to this page

    Published 10 May 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Poll shows huge majority of Scots back rent controls and housing protections

    Source: Scottish Greens

    12 May 2025 Housing

    Homes are for living in, not for profiteering.

    More in Housing

    The overwhelming majority of people in Scotland want rent controls to ensure rogue landlords cannot keep hiking rents, according to polling commissioned by the Scottish Greens.

    The polling, carried out by Diffley, shows that 74% of people support rent controls and 83% believe that rents are too high compared to income levels in Scotland.

    It also shows- that over two thirds (69%) support Green plans to force landlords to sell long-term derelict land and housing that they are sitting on.

    Amendments proposed by Maggie Chapman MSP to the Housing (Scotland) Bill would create robust rent controls across Scotland, ensuring that rents can’t rise faster than incomes, if MSPs back them.

    These protections put people over landlord profits, putting money back into people’s pockets and supporting renters through the ongoing cost of living crisis when bills and other costs are soaring.

    Scottish Green MSP Maggie Chapman said:

    “It is no wonder that there is such strong support for rent controls. The housing market is completely broken and it is renters who are paying the price. It underlines just how crucial it is that we take action.

    “We’ve all seen how much damage is being done by rogue landlords who have been given carte blanche to line their pockets through massive rent increases.

    “Not only does this hurt renters, often pushing them into poverty or even homelessness, but it hurts our economy as people have less money to spend.

    “This is why the Scottish Greens implemented a rent freeze and eviction ban during Covid, saving people thousands of pounds, and it’s why we so strongly opposed the SNP ending the protections that we put in place afterwards.

    “With the Housing Bill going through parliament we have the opportunity to stop the exploitation of renters and end rip-off rents. We must seize it.

    “We must offer people and their families some financial stability, and less worry about losing the roof over their heads. Homes are for living in and not for profiteering. We need to make unaffordable rent hikes become a thing of the past.”

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: High Court agrees Council application to quash Wilmot Gardens planning decision

    Source: City of Plymouth

    Last year, Councillor Mark Coker (the Claimant) applied for the planning decision in relation to Wilmot Gardens to be quashed, as the Council accepted one of the grounds in a legal challenge.

    Following the Planning Committee granting permission for the application, the Council accepted the contention that it was necessary to include an appropriate condition to ensure the provision of affordable housing in perpetuity.

    At the time of the application, planning officers did not consider it was necessary to include the condition because the number of units proposed fell below the policy threshold for affordable housing and was secured by a land transfer agreement. However, after further detailed consideration of the planning and legal issues raised, an application was made to the courts for permission to quash the decision and to bring the planning application back before Planning Committee, with the appropriate condition to secure the affordable housing in planning terms.

    The Council as the Defendant received the sealed court order on Thursday 8 May which set out that a judge had given permission for the judicial review to be granted and had further consented to the quashing of the planning decision as requested in the Claimant’s application.

    The planning department determines over 1,400 planning applications every year and while the department makes every effort to deal with every application efficiently, proportionately and in accordance with all relevant legislation, policy and guidance, the planning system is increasingly complex.

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: City’s tiny Saxon treasure has a big story to tell

    Source: City of Leeds

    A beautiful ancient Saxon pendant buried for more than 1,200 years in a Leeds field is giving experts a fascinating glimpse into life in early medieval Yorkshire.

    Believed to date from the eighth century, the gilded pectoral cross may have once been a badge of office for an important church leader or official and was unearthed last year by a metal detectorist.

    With one arm broken, and the central stone now missing, the cross is nevertheless a stunning example of metalwork, made from solid silver covered with a thin layer of gold leaf.

    Decorated with an intricate interlacing Saxon pattern, the remarkable find would have probably been worn around the neck of someone of high status and is the latest in a number of discoveries indicating Leeds and its surrounding area may once have been home to some important and influential figures in the early medieval period.

    The small artefact went through the Portable Antiquities Scheme Treasure process, and was secured by Leeds Museums and Galleries thanks to the generous contributions of funders. The cross is now set to go on display at Leeds City Museum later this year.

    Kat Baxter, Leeds Museums and Galleries’ curator of archaeology, said: “The cross is beautifully decorated on both sides, which suggests it was designed to hang around the neck with the suspension loop on the missing arm. It would certainly have been worn by someone of high status and is an outward display of religious identity.

    “It was made at a time when Leeds was part of the Saxon Kingdom of Northumbria and, along with a number of other discoveries in the area, really helps us build a picture of the types of people who would have lived here during this time”.

    The 8th Century saw the earliest known written reference to Leeds, or Loidis, by the historian and monk The Venerable Bede. As well as Northumbia, England’s kingdoms included Mercia, Wessex, and East Anglia.

    The cross’s discovery is the latest in a string of significant Saxon and Roman finds made in the Leeds area in recent years.

    Just two years ago, a lead coffin buried for more than 1,600 years was discovered in a previously unknown cemetery site near Garforth alongside the remains of more than 60 individuals from late Roman to early Saxon periods.

    The coffin contained the remains of a woman aged 25-35, who was buried wearing a bracelet, glass bead necklace and a finger ring or earring.

    And in 2012 Leeds Museums and Galleries acquired The West Yorkshire Hoard, a group of seven objects found in the Leeds area by a metal detectorist dating from the seventh to 11th centuries. Five of the objects in the hoard are high quality gold jewellery, which would only have been worn by people of exceptional wealth in Saxon society.

    Kat added: “All of these finds are part of a puzzle which together show that Leeds was home to high status, important individuals during the Saxon period, and this beautiful cross is the latest glimpse into the past. Unfortunately, objects representing less wealthy people are less likely to survive.

    “There are certainly more objects out there waiting to be discovered, and responsible metal detectorists and The Portable Antiquities Scheme are playing a really important role in increasing our understanding of local history. Without them, this beautiful piece of Saxon metalwork, and many others like it, would never have been found and made available for future generations.”

    Funding for the cross came through generous support from the Arts Council England /V&A Purchase Grant Fund, the Leeds Philosophical and Literary Society, and the Friends of Leeds City Museums. It was acquired under The Treasure Act 1996.

    Councillor Salma Arif, Leeds City Council’s executive member for adult social care, active lifestyles and culture, said: “This find is a beautiful example of the history all around us and gives a fascinating insight into the story of Leeds.

    “It’s always wonderful when we are able to add important objects like this to our collections and we’re very grateful for the continued support of funders and visitors in helping us to preserve our local heritage.”

    ENDS

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Update: Fatal crash at Caltowie

    Source: New South Wales – News

    A man has died in a fatal crash at Caltowie this morning.

    The single car rollover occurred on Wilkins Highway, Caltowie, near the Caltowie-Hornsdale Road, just before 10.30am on Monday 12 May.

    Sadly, the driver and single occupant of the car, a 43-year-old man from Peterborough, was pronounced deceased at the scene.

    Major Crash investigators attended and examined the scene.

    The roads have re-opened; however, some lane restrictions remain in place around the crash.

    The man’s death is the 30th life lost on South Australian roads so far this year.

    MIL OSI News –

  • End of an era: Virat Kohli announces retirement from Test cricket

    Source: Government of India

    Source: Government of India (4)

    Indian cricket stalwart and former captain Virat Kohli on Monday announced his retirement from Test cricket.

    The decision came after it was reported that Kohli had communicated his decision to the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) ahead of next month’s five-match Test series against England.

    “It’s been 14 years since I first wore the baggy blue in Test cricket. Honestly, I never imagined the journey this format would take me on. It’s tested me, shaped me, and taught me lessons I’ll carry for life,” Kohli wrote in his Instagram post.

    “There’s something deeply personal about playing in whites. The quiet grind, the long days, the small moments that no one sees but that stay with you forever. As I step away from this format, it’s not easy — but it feels right. I’ve given it everything I had, and it’s given me back so much more than I could’ve hoped for.

    “I’m walking away with a heart full of gratitude — for the game, for the people I shared the field with, and for every single person who made me feel seen along the way. I’ll always look back at my Test career with a smile. #269, signing off,” he added.

    In less than a week, both Kohli and Rohit Sharma have retired from the longest format of the game which will leave the Indian team without much experience in the batting department.

    Kohli, who made his Test debut in 2011, has been a cornerstone of India’s red-ball resurgence over the past decade. His aggressive captaincy, prolific batting and unmatched intensity have helped transform India into a formidable Test side both at home and abroad.

    Kohli will bid adieu to his Test career with 9230 runs in 123 matches at an impressive average of 46.85 with 30 centuries and 51 half-centuries. He hangs up his spikes as the fourth-most successful Test captain overall, behind Graeme Smith (53 wins), Ricky Ponting (48 wins), and Steve Waugh (41 wins).

    Kohli’s 30 Test centuries make him the fourth-most successful India batter, behind Sachin Tendulkar (51 hundreds), Rahul Dravid (36), and Sunil Gavaskar (34). Kohli also made seven Test double hundreds, the most ever by an Indian. He also has the most Test hundreds by an Indian captain, with Gavaskar (11 centuries) way behind his 20 tons.

    The right-handed batter previously announced his retirement from the T20I format after India’s T20 World Cup triumph last year. The 36-year-old will now only feature in ODI cricket for India.

    (IANS)

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: MHRA approves world’s first low-carbon version of COPD inhaler Trixeo Aerosphere

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    Press release

    MHRA approves world’s first low-carbon version of COPD inhaler Trixeo Aerosphere

    As with all medicines, the MHRA will continue to monitor the safety and effectiveness of Trixeo Aerosphere

    The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) has approved a low-carbon version of Trixeo Aerosphere, a triple combination inhaler for adults with moderate to severe chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), which uses the propellant, HFO-1234ze(E), and is just as safe and effective as the previous version.

    COPD affects around 1.2 million people in the UK and is the second most common cause of emergency hospital admissions. Trixeo Aerosphere is used to make breathing easier and improve symptoms of COPD such as shortness of breath, wheezing and cough. It can also prevent flare-ups (exacerbations) of COPD.

    The newly approved version of Trixeo Aerosphere replaces the propellant HFA-134a with HFO-1234ze(E) – a fluorinated gas with near-zero global warming potential. The propellant itself is not an active medicine but is used to deliver the inhaled dose.

    This new version will be available in the UK from the second half of 2025. In the meantime, the current version of Trixeo Aerosphere will continue to be available to patients.

    Julian Beach, MHRA Interim Executive Director, Healthcare Quality and Access, said:

    Keeping patients safe and enabling their access to high quality, safe and effective medicines are key priorities for us.

    Inhalers are a cornerstone of COPD treatment, helping manage symptoms and prevent exacerbations. However, some inhalers can also contribute to greenhouse gas emissions through their propellants.

    This approval supports the continued availability of a widely used COPD treatment while enabling a transition to inhalers with a lower carbon footprint – without compromising on safety, quality or clinical benefit.

    Karin Smyth, Minister of State for Health, said:

    With 1.2 million people using inhalers in the UK, there is no doubt about the impact they have on the environment.

    This is another example of the UK being at the forefront of delivering innovative, environmentally friendly and top-quality medicines that will benefit patients across the UK.

    Through our Plan for Change, we will lower our carbon footprint in our mission towards Net Zero and rebuild our NHS.

    Trixeo Aerosphere is used twice daily (two puffs in the morning and evening) as a long-term maintenance treatment. No changes have been made to the active ingredients, recommended dose or clinical use.

    The MHRA’s approval is supported by clinical evidence showing that the new propellant, HFO-1234ze(E), delivers the same dose and therapeutic effect as the original formulation. The assessment included evidence on product quality, device performance and stability.

    A full list of side effects for the current version of the product can be found in the Patient Information Leaflet (PIL) or the Summary of Product Characteristics (SmPC), which will be updated when the new version of the medicine becomes available.

    As with all medicines, the MHRA will continue to monitor the safety and effectiveness of Trixeo Aerosphere. Anyone experiencing suspected side effects is encouraged to report them through the Yellow Card scheme at yellowcard.mhra.gov.uk or via the Yellow Card app.

    Notes to editors  

    1. The variation to the existing marketing authorisation of Trixeo Aerosphere was granted on 9 May 2025 to AstraZeneca.
    2. The Summary of Product Characteristics and Patient Information Leaflet for the current version of the product can be found here. An updated SmPC and PIL will be available once the new version of the medicine is available.
    3. For more information about COPD, visit: https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/chronic-obstructive-pulmonary-disease-copd/
    4. The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (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.
    5. The MHRA is an executive agency of the Department of Health and Social Care.
    6. For media enquiries, please contact the newscentre@mhra.gov.uk, or call on 020 3080 7651.

    Updates to this page

    Published 12 May 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • Scientists explore where consciousness arises in the brain

    Source: Government of India

    Source: Government of India (4)

    Consciousness is at the centre of human existence, the ability to see, hear, dream, imagine, feel pain or pleasure, dread, love, and more. But where precisely does this reside in the brain? That is a question that has long confounded scientists and clinicians. A new study is offering fresh insight.

    In a quest to identify the parts of the brain underpinning consciousness, neuroscientists measured electrical and magnetic activity as well as blood flow in the brains of 256 people in 12 laboratories across the United States, Europe and China, while the participants viewed various images. The measurements tracked activation in various parts of the brain.

    The researchers found that consciousness may not arise in the “smart” part of the brain – the frontal areas where thinking is housed, which progressively grew in the process of human evolution – but rather in the sensory zones at the back of the brain that process sight and sound.

    “Why is any of this important?” asked neuroscientist Christof Koch of the Allen Institute in Seattle, one of the leaders of the study published this week in the journal Nature, opens a new tab.

    “If we want to understand the substrate of consciousness, who has it – adults, pre-linguistic children, a second trimester fetus, a dog, a mouse, a squid, a raven, a fly – we need to identify the underlying mechanisms in the brain, both for conceptual reasons as well as for clinical ones,” Koch said.

    The subjects in the study were shown images of people’s faces and various objects.

    “Consciousness is the way it feels like to see a drawing of a toaster or Jill’s face. Consciousness is not the same as the behavior associated with this feeling, for example pushing a button or saying, ‘I see Jill,’” Koch said.

    The researchers tested two leading scientific theories about consciousness.

    Under the Global Neuronal Workspace Theory, consciousness materializes in the front of the brain, with important pieces of information then broadcast widely throughout the brain. Under the Integrated Information Theory, consciousness emanates from the interaction and cooperation of various parts of the brain as they work collectively to integrate information that is consciously experienced.

    The findings did not square with either theory.

    “Where are the neuronal footprints of consciousness in the brain? Very crudely put, are they in the front of the cortex – the outermost layer of the brain – such as the prefrontal cortex, as predicted by the Global Neuronal Workspace Theory?” Koch asked.

    It is this prefrontal cortex that makes our species uniquely human, driving higher-order cognitive processes such as planning, decision-making, reasoning, personality expression, and moderating social behaviour.

    “Or are the footprints in the back regions of the cortex, the posterior cortex?” Koch asked. The posterior cortex houses the regions where hearing and vision processing occur.

    “Here, the evidence is decidedly in favour of the posterior cortex. Either information pertaining to the conscious experience couldn’t be found in the front, or it was far weaker than in the back. This supports the idea that while the frontal lobes are critical to intelligence, judgment, reasoning, etc., they are not critically involved in seeing, in conscious visual perception,” Koch said.

    However, the study did not identify enough connections that last for as long as the conscious experience in the back of the brain to uphold the Integrated Information Theory.

    There are practical applications in gaining a deeper understanding of the mechanics of consciousness in the brain.

    Koch said it would be important for how doctors deal with patients in a coma or patients in a vegetative state or with unresponsive wakefulness syndrome, when they are awake but present no signs of awareness due to traumatic brain injury, stroke, cardiac arrest, a drug overdose, or other causes.

    “If the patient remains in this unresponsive state for longer than a few days without signs of recovery, the clinical team initiates discussion with the family around, ‘Is this what they would have wanted?’” Koch said.

    Of such patients, 70% to 90% die because a decision has been made to withdraw life-sustaining treatment.

    “However, we now know that around a quarter of patients in either coma or vegetative state/unresponsive wakefulness syndrome are conscious – covert consciousness – yet are unable to signal this at the bedside,” Koch said, referring to research published last year in the New England Journal of Medicine, opens new tab. “Knowing about the footprints of consciousness in the brain will let us better detect this covert form of ‘being there’ without being able to signal.”

    –Reuters

  • MIL-OSI Australia: 148-2025: Reminder: Upcoming changes to conditions for offshore treatments and certification for khapra beetle

    Source: New South Wales Government 2

    12 May 2025

    Who does this notice affect?

    This notice affects importers of plant products for human consumption (e.g. rice, beans, lentils, dried chilli, cumin and coriander seed), freight forwarders, biosecurity industry participants and accredited persons operating under the department’s approved arrangement class 19.

    What is changing?

    As advised in…

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: 149-2025: Unplanned Service Disruption: Monday 12 May 2025 – Biosecurity Portal (myID pathway)

    Source: New South Wales Government 2

    09 May 2025

    Who does this notice affect?

    Approved arrangements operators, customs brokers, importers, manned depots, and freight forwarders who are required to book and manage requests for inspections through the Biosecurity Portal using the ‘Sign in with your Digital ID’ (myID) pathway.

    Information

    Start time:

    As of: 23:00 Friday 09 May 2025 (AEST).

    Detail:

    The Biosecurity Portal – ‘Sign in with your Digital ID’ (myID) pathway is currently…

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Operation Eclipse nets record haul

    Source: New South Wales – News

    South Australia Police have made a record haul of illicit tobacco products in the biggest Operation Eclipse seizure to date.

    Operation Eclipse Commander, Detective Chief Inspector Brett Featherby also revealed that organised crime syndicates have been dealt a major blow with police restraining more than $22 million in assets, including more than $9 million in cash from two bank accounts.

    About 12pm on Tuesday 6 May, Eyre Western Police stopped a vehicle on the Lincoln Highway at Whyalla and allegedly located a large quantity of illicit tobacco products.

    Further investigation led Operation Eclipse detectives to search an industrial premises at Salisbury being used as a statewide distribution warehouse supplying retail outlets with illicit tobacco products.

    More than seven million cigarettes and 3.9 tonnes of loose tobacco were seized, valued at over $7 million.

    A 24-year-old Prospect man was arrested in Whyalla and charged with possession of tobacco products for sale and possession of e-cigarette products for sale.  He was bailed to appear in the Whyalla Magistrates Court on 22 July.

    A Para Hills home was also searched as part of the investigation, and a 51-year-old Para Hills man was arrested.  He was charged with possession of tobacco products for sale and bailed to appear in the Elizabeth Magistrates Cour ton 17 June.

    Investigations into the seizures are continuing.

    Detective Chief Inspector Brett Featherby said, “The seizure of products, assets and finances by police will result in significant disruption to the criminal syndicates operating in South Australia.”

    “SAPOL will pursue criminal charges when sufficient evidence exists and that includes those who are supporting and enabling that activity and take every opportunity to enforce the full extent of the confiscations legislation to seize assets of those involved.

    Anyone with any information on criminal activities surrounding the sale of illicit tobacco is urged to call Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or visit www.crimestopperssa.com.au – you can remain anonymous.

    Operation Eclipse has so far resulted in 37 arrests for offences including blackmail, possess tobacco products for sale, arson, money laundering and serious criminal trespass.

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI China: Chinese coaches enjoy Premier experience at top English soccer academies

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

    While hopes are slim for China’s men’s soccer team to reach the next World Cup, the country is already investing in the sport’s future — starting with its coaches. Eight youth coaches from the Chinese Football Association have just returned from a three-week training stint in England, hosted by the Premier League.

    The visit was part of the International Elite Coach Program, a flagship initiative under a Memorandum of Understanding signed between the Premier League and the CFA last October.

    It is designed to support China’s long-term soccer ambitions by equipping local coaches with global expertise.

    Five of the eight coaches selected for the visit are former Chinese national team players.

    Over three weeks, they were hosted at two Premier League Category One Academies — Nottingham Forest and Wolverhampton Wanderers — where they engaged in hands-on training, match preparation and performance analysis alongside experienced club staff.

    The Chinese coaches participated in tactical briefings, reviewed under-18 and under-21 matches and attended competitive fixtures, including three Premier League games. They also joined a Premier League-run Coaching Craft workshop to further hone their technical skills.

    Sean Reed, the Premier League’s Head of Coaching, emphasized that the program mirrors the league’s own youth coach development structure, but was customized to meet the needs of the Chinese coaches.

    “During this trip, the coaches had the opportunity to work with players they had never coached before — many of whom did not speak the same language,” said Reed.

    “This experience challenged them to adapt their approaches to coaching, and strengthened their ability to communicate effectively in unfamiliar environments.

    “One particular task required the coaches to deliver a session without using verbal communication. This encouraged them to find alternative ways to engage and instruct players, reinforcing the idea that football truly is a universal language,” he added.

    Reed praised the coaches’ engagement and growth: “All the coaches have grown in confidence throughout the program. They demonstrated full commitment to every element of this unique experience, building on their football knowledge and bringing energy, curiosity and professionalism to each learning opportunity.”

    Reed said that the visit was just a beginning. To further support the ongoing development of the coaches and maintain engagement, they schedule regular online check-ins, as well as the opportunity to join relevant online sessions and conferences delivered by the Premier League.

    “We also provide tailored digital content designed to support their ongoing development,” he said.

    Among the delegation was Yu Hai, a former left-back who earned 71 caps for China.

    Now transitioning into coaching, currently managing former club Shanghai Port’s Under-19s team, Yu was struck by the intensity of the English training environment.

    “What impressed me most was that every session was run at full match pace,” he said. “Now that I’m a coach, I’ve shifted my attention to tactics and the structure of youth development systems.”

    Li Feiyu, an official of CFA’s technical department, described the visit as “exceptionally rewarding”.

    “The Premier League clubs demonstrated outstanding philosophies in youth development, and impressive professionalism in their academy operations,” said Li. “The experience has provided us with valuable reference points for enhancing our own systems. I believe this collaboration between the CFA and the Premier League holds long-term, constructive significance, and will greatly benefit youth development in Chinese football.”

    Neil Saunders, Director of Football at the Premier League, emphasized the importance of continued cooperation: “This program is part of our long-standing commitment to supporting football development in China.”

    “By working with our clubs to deliver a diverse and enriching itinerary, we’ve enabled the CFA coaching delegation to gain unique insights into elite academy environments. Our support for Chinese football development will continue, even after the delegation has returned to China,” he said.

    This is the second group of Chinese coaches to take part in the initiative, following the first cohort’s visit in September 2024. The program also aligns with the Premier League’s expanding presence in Asia, including the opening of its Beijing office in 2024 — its third international hub after Singapore and the United States.

    The Premier League has been involved in grassroots soccer in China for over 15 years. Since 2009, it has partnered with the British Council to deliver the Premier Skills coaching program in 28 cities across the country, training more than 6,300 grassroots coaches, referees, and physical education teachers.

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Serious crash at Caltowie

    Source: New South Wales – News

    Emergency services are responding to a serious crash at Caltowie.

    The single car rollover occurred on Wilkins Highway, Caltowie, near the Caltowie-Hornsdale Road, just before 10.30am on Monday 12 May.

    Road closures or diversions are expected to be in place.

    Motorists are advised to avoid the area and take an alternate route if possible.

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: National Road Safety Week 2025

    Source: New South Wales Community and Justice

    National Road Safety Week 2025

    Monday, 12 May 2025 – 10:34 am.

    This National Road Safety Week, Tasmania Police is calling for all motorists to drive so everyone survives.
    Assistant Commissioner Adrian Bodnar said road safety matters every week, but National Road Safety Week is a chance to highlight the real impact road trauma has on our community.
    “Police are out and about on our roads every day and every night, working to keep people safe from harm,” he said.
    “Disappointingly, we continue to catch people speeding, drink driving and making poor decisions on our roads.”
    “It’s quite simple – these poor decisions are resulting in deaths and serious injuries, and we need the behaviour to change.”
    “We know most people obey the rules most of the time, but that’s just not enough.”
    “We need people to consistently make good decisions, no excuses.”
    “Drive so everyone survives.”
    “Anyone who witnesses dangerous driving behaviour should report it immediately to police on 131 444.”
    “If it’s an emergency or life-threatening situation call Triple Zero (000).”
    “If you can’t report it at the time but have footage, submit it to the police evidence portal online.”
    The evidence portal can be found at https://www.police.tas.gov.au/report/

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Check out storm materials for your DIY project

    Source: Secondary teachers question rationale for changes to relationship education guidelines

    If you’re about to dive into some DIY, check out the materials from storm-damaged homes that are available at your community recycling centre.

    With more than 200 of the 1200 Category 3 homes now removed, material from the deconstructed homes have ended up at recycling centres across the city – ready to become someone else’s treasure.

    Grab everything from a whole kitchen, to framing timber, to a door for your next renovation and help these recycled materials find a new home. If the recycling centre doesn’t have the material you’re looking for, please ask them if they can get it.

    The recycling centres with these materials are Devonport, Helensville, Onehunga, Henderson (Tipping Point), Point England (Tāmaki), Wairau, Waiuku and Warkworth. See the Auckland Council website for location details and hours of operation.

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Be Well Be Connected Expo Roadshow coming to Elmore on May 30

    Source: New South Wales Ministerial News

    The City is hosting a Be Well Be Connected  Positive Ageing and Disability Expo Roadshow for older adults and people living with a disability at the Elmore Community Hub in Clarke Street from 10am to 2pm on Friday May 30, 2025.

    City of Greater Bendigo Community Partnerships Acting Manager Jo Connellan said the expo is free to attend and will feature a number of exhibits showcasing aged care, community and disability products and services that support positive ageing and living well in Elmore and surrounding areas.

    “It will provide an opportunity for attendees to meet face-to-face with local service providers, advisors and community groups,” Ms West said.

    “The Expo aims to connect organisations, community groups and individuals with a network of available support and community activities to enjoy.

    “The theme Be Well Be Connected is important, as it emphasises the importance of being well, connected and participating in the community.

    “This is the second Be Well Be Connected Expo travelling roadshow to take place in Greater Bendigo with the first taking place in Heathcote last October.

    “Everyone is welcome to come along to the Elmore Roadshow.  It’s a not to be missed opportunity for older people and people living with a disability to be better informed.”

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Central Victorian Indigenous Film Festival kicks off on May 27

    Source: New South Wales Ministerial News

    The 2025 Central Victorian Indigenous Film Festival which takes place from May 27 to June 3, during National Reconciliation Week, will celebrate its ninth year with a feast of films, videos and activities at venues in Bendigo, Castlemaine, Heathcote and Yandoit.

    This year’s festival showcases an exciting range of activities, discussions and First Nations films, documentaries and videos starring and telling stories about Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander People from Central Victoria and across Australia

    The festival officially kicks off at 4.30pm Tuesday May 27 at Bendigo Library with a Welcome to Country and Smoking Ceremony.  There will be an official opening, the announcement of the 2025 Koori Youth Flick Fest winners and screenings of entries by all current and past winners.

    This year’s festival screenings include documentaries Blak Douglas vs the Commonwealth and The Earth Above: A deep time view of Australia’s epic history, along with films High Ground, Winhanganha, Sweet As, The Moogai and more.

    Other activities include the Bridging Now to Next Anti Racism Forum at Bendigo Library, and a Dumuwal Ulumbarra CBD Walking Tour of Bendigo with Djaara Traditional Owners.

    City of Greater Bendigo Mayor Cr Andrea Metcalf said National Reconciliation Week has helped shape Australia’s journey towards a more just, equitable and reconciled nation.

    “The City is committed to reconciliation and we are again delighted that people can come together to celebrate at the 2025 Central Victoria Indigenous Film Festival,” Cr Metcalf said.

    “National Reconciliation Week is a time for all Australians to learn about our shared histories, cultures, and achievements, and to explore how each of us can contribute to achieving reconciliation in Australia.”

    The theme for National Reconciliation Week 2025 is Bridging Now to Next. The theme reflects the ongoing connection between past, present and future, and encourages all Australians to step forward together.

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Fake nurse crackdown to boost public safety

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    Press release

    Fake nurse crackdown to boost public safety

    New measures to make it a criminal offence for people who are not qualified as a nurse to use the title and mislead the public

    Anyone misleading the public and describing themselves as a nurse without the relevant qualifications and registration will be committing a crime, under new measures announced by the government to protect the title ‘nurse’ in law. 

    The move will help to boost protections and safety for both patients and staff, driving up standards and improving patient experience across the NHS through the government’s Plan for Change. 

    Currently, anyone – including those struck off by the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) for serious misconduct or criminal convictions – can call themselves a nurse. This can result in the public thinking they’re getting advice and care from an expert professional like a nurse when they aren’t.   

    Previous reported examples of the job title being misused include someone calling herself a nurse at a large public event after being struck off and another reportedly masquerading as an aesthetic nurse.

    There will be exemptions for relevant professions like veterinary nurse, dental nurse and nursery nurse, where the title ‘nurse’ is legitimately used. 

    The government is listening to nurses and recognises they are the backbone of the NHS, and today’s announcement follows campaigning by unions for the government to act on the issue, as well as by Dawn Butler MP who introduced a Ten-Minute Rule Bill earlier this year to protect the title ‘nurse’.  

    Through the Plan for Change, the government is driving forward vital reform to get the NHS back on its feet and fit for the future. This year, a refreshed workforce plan will also be published to ensure the health service has the right workforce in the right place at the right time. 

    Health and Social Care Secretary Wes Streeting said:  

    Nurses carry out lifesaving work every day, and I am determined we do everything we can to support them and safeguard trust in the profession. 

    I’ve been appalled to read reports of so-called nurses spreading dangerous misinformation and harming the public. 

    This new legislation will help crack down on bogus beauticians and conspiracy theorists masquerading as nurses, and those attempting to mislead patients.

    The British people hold nurses in the highest regard, and we trust them in our most vulnerable moments, so patients need to know they are genuinely being seen by a nurse. Now they will.

    This is part of our Plan for Change to fix the NHS and gets the right staff working in the right place at the right time.

    Only the title “registered nurse” is currently protected in law. The new legislation will change that – ensuring that only those individuals registered with the NMC can legally use the title. Anyone violating this will be committing a criminal offence and could face a hefty fine running into the thousands of pounds.  

    There have been previous reports of bogus nurses misleadingly using the title. One ran a cosmetic clinic offering Botox and dermal filler treatments for several years despite not being registered with the NMC.  

    Another gave a speech at a Covid conspiracy rally which likened NHS nurses and doctors to war criminals – spreading misinformation about vaccines and bringing her former colleagues into disrepute. She continued to call herself a nurse despite being struck off by the NMC.   

    A previous Freedom of Information request showed that across 93% of all NHS trusts, there were more than 8,000 people with the term “nurse” in their job title who had no registered nursing qualifications. Although these people are supervised and providing important care, their job titles can cause confusion. Some, including nursery nurses, will be exempt under this new legislation

    Duncan Burton, Chief Nursing Officer for England, said:

    The trust that people place in registered nurses is based on the rigorous training and education required to be registered as a nurse which gives us the skills and knowledge to deliver high quality, safe and personalised care.

    Nurses value this trust and protecting the title of nurse can give added confidence and clarity to patients and the public on who is delivering their care and the skills and knowledge they have.

    There are already various safeguards in place to deter people from pretending to be a nurse. The most serious cases would be captured by fraud offences and depending on the case they can also be prosecuted for other more serious offences like causing grievous bodily harm, assault, or manslaughter.  

    The new legislation – expected to be laid this Parliament – will help to strengthen those existing safeguards.  

    Registered nurses go through high-quality undergraduate and postgraduate degree programmes and complete a process called revalidation every three years – ensuring they can continually update their skills set. The new measures reflect that.

    Professor Nicola Ranger, RCN General Secretary and Chief Executive , said: 

    This is an important moment for our safety-critical profession, after years of campaigning. 

    A change in the law will recognise the knowledge, professionalism and clinical expertise that comes with being a registered nurse. It will provide better legal protections for nursing professionals and reassurance to patients. 

    Crucially, this is an opportunity to begin the journey to properly valuing nursing as a profession, where respect, reward and investment match the crucial nature of our work. 

    Dr Crystal Oldman CBE, Chief Executive at The Queen’s Institute of Community Nursing, said: 

    Nurses and the millions of people they care for will benefit by this proposed change in legislation.

    This is a patient safety issue that the QICN has been campaigning on for some time. 

    People need confidence that when the person caring for them is described as a nurse, that person really is a qualified and registered nurse.

    Paul Rees MBE, Interim Chief Executive and Registrar at the Nursing and Midwifery Council, said:

    The public should always feel confident that anyone using the title ‘nurse’ is a registered professional with all the safeguards that brings.

    We look forward to working with the government and our stakeholders to deliver on it. In the meantime, it is already an offence for somebody to hold themselves out as a registered nurse when they are not.

    Helga Pile, UNISON Head of Health, said:

    Nurses and other NHS workers rightly enjoy a high level of trust because of the brilliant and important work they do.

    Charlatans and conspiracy theorists mustn’t be allowed to harm patients or damage nurses’ reputation and good standing with the public.

    It’s only right that anyone that tries to will now feel the full force of the law.

    Rachel Power, Chief Executive of The Patients Association, said:

    We welcome this commitment to ensuring patients know who is treating them and offering healthcare advice, and that those professionals are properly qualified. With health misinformation increasingly common, it’s more important than ever that patients can trust the expertise of those caring for them.

    Alison Morton, CEO, Institute of Health Visiting, said:

    The Institute of Health Visiting fully supports the campaign to protect the title “nurse” in legislation. This is urgently needed to protect the public and provide assurance that the person providing their care has the qualifications, knowledge, skills, expertise and professionalism to deliver safe and effective care. Nursing is a safety-critical workforce. And, in our view, there is only one clear path forward, the current gap in legislation needs to be closed as a matter of urgency.

    Professor Greta Westwood CBE PhD RN, CEO of the Florence Nightingale Foundation, said: 

    We welcome this recognition of the importance of the nursing role. Nurses are skilled and highly trained professionals, playing a key leadership role in the health and social care sectors, particularly around speaking out on patient safety and workforce challenges.

    This International Nurses Day, we are coming together to celebrate the incredible work that nurses do across the UK and globally, and we support the government taking this next step, working with the UK regulator, to protect our nurses and those we serve.

    Notes to editors 

    • The department will also establish the exemptions where ‘nurse’ can still be used as part of a professional title.  
    • The title ‘nurse’ is already used across multiple professions (e.g. registered nurses, dental nurses, nursery nurses and veterinary nurses) 
    • We expect the new protection of title offence to be a summary offence. Where a person is found guilty of an offence on summary conviction they will be liable to a fine across the UK.  
    • These changes, which require legislative change, will be implemented within this Parliament as part of the government’s commitment to reform the regulation of health and care professionals in the UK.

    Updates to this page

    Published 12 May 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –