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Category: United Kingdom

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: We must ensure UN policing has the capabilities it needs to effectively deliver mandates and tackle emerging challenges: UK statement at the UN Security Council

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    Speech

    We must ensure UN policing has the capabilities it needs to effectively deliver mandates and tackle emerging challenges: UK statement at the UN Security Council

    Statement by Fergus Eckersley, UK Minister Counsellor, at the UN Security Council meeting on UN Peacekeeping Operations

    Let me start by recognising the contributions and sacrifices of the 6,100 UNPOL women and men currently deployed across 12 UN missions worldwide.

    As we’ve heard, UNPOL’s role is is fundamental to the successful delivery of the Action for Peacekeeping Plus Initiative (A4P+). Supporting and advising countries in crisis, conflict, and post-conflict situations, preventing crime, protecting life and property, and maintaining public order and safety.

    In particular, we support UNPOL’s vital work to protect civilians and maintain public safety, with full respect for the rule of law and international human rights law, contributing to more responsive and accountable policing by host nations.

    The United Kingdom also continues to champion the principles of the landmark WPS resolution 1325 on this, its 25th year, and are pleased to support – in collaboration with the UN Institute for Training and Research and police contributing countries – gender-responsive courses and training, including for sexual and gender-based violence investigations and police logistics.

    As we look to the future, we must ensure UN policing has the capabilities it needs to effectively deliver mandates and tackle emerging challenges. 

    This includes ensuring effective policing structures within the wider UN peacekeeping architecture, bringing in specialist expertise and, critically, making best use of new technologies.

    In conclusion, the United Kingdom remains committed to supporting UNPOL, in line with the principles of Action for Peacekeeping Plus, and to continuing to work together to ensure they contribute positively to peace and security around the world.

    Updates to this page

    Published 27 February 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Australian Deputy PM: Building Australia’s future on the Central Coast

    Source: Minister of Infrastructure

    The Australian Government is building Australia’s future on the New South Wales Central Coast by delivering $15 million over two years to plan for better and safer road connections in Empire Bay.

    The Empire Bay Drive Intersection Strategy – Planning project will deliver a strategy to upgrade intersections servicing Empire Bay and surrounding communities.

    This will include consideration of the intersection of Empire Bay Drive and Wards Hill Road.

    The Empire Bay Drive and Wards Hill Road intersection is used by thousands of motorists each day and is an important transport connection to Empire Bay Public School, as well as access to the Bouddi National Park.

    These vital planning works will have a road safety focus and deliver a business case for future upgrades. 

    The Australian Government is investing $21 billion towards transport infrastructure projects in NSW.

    For more information on projects funded under the Australian Government’s Infrastructure Investment Program, visit https://investment.infrastructure.gov.au.

    Quotes attributable to Treasurer Jim Chalmers: 

    “This important investment in local roads will help people get home sooner and safer.

    “It’s all about making our roads safer and our communities more accessible.

    “The Central Coast makes a big contribution to our country and this project will boost both the local community and our national economy.”

    Quotes attributable to Federal Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Local Government Minister Catherine King:

    “We want to ensure that both locals and tourists on the Central Coast can get where they need go efficiently and safely.   

    “These planning works will be the first critical step in guiding our future investments in Empire Bay Drive and the surrounding intersections.”

    Quotes attributable to Federal Member for Robertson Gordon Reid:

    “These crucial planning works will support decision making on future priority upgrades to improve the safety and connectivity of key roads and intersections in Empire Bay and surrounding communities.

    This funding from the Australian Government would not have been possible without the support of almost a thousand local residents who signed our petition to get this intersection fixed.

    Thank you to the local community as well as local businesses who ensured this petition was a success.”

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Northwest Arkansas Man Sentenced to More Than Four Years in Prison for Operating an Illegal Money Transmitting Business Using Pandemic Funds

    Source: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) State Crime News

    FAYETTEVILLE – A Northwest Arkansas man was sentenced on February 20, to 51 months in Federal Prison, followed by three years of supervised release. Additionally, he was ordered to pay restitution of $725,558.00 on one count of operating an Illegal Money Transmitting Business. The Honorable Judge Timothy L. Brooks presided over the sentencing hearing, which took place in the United States District Court in Fayetteville.

    According to court documents, Richard Harold Stone, age 77, waived indictment by a grand jury and pleaded guilty to a criminal information charging him with conducting an unlicensed money transmitting business in the State of Arkansas. Stone was the President or Chief Officer of numerous businesses registered with the Arkansas Secretary of State, including: Partex Oman Corp., Renewable Energy Campus Arkansas, Inc., Stonetek Global Corp., and Tires 2 Energy, LLC. Stone also was associated with Environmental Energy & Finance Corp., a Delaware corporation. The advertised purpose of these businesses was developing technology and facilities to repurpose waste materials, such as tires, into useable fuel sources. None of these businesses were registered with the State of Arkansas as a money transmitting business, as required by Arkansas law (Arkansas Code, Section 23-55-806(b)&(c)).

    Between November 2020 and March 2021, Stone received through various bank accounts associated with the above entities and other accounts under his control, deposits of funds from applications made on behalf of unwitting victims for Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans, Economic Impact Disaster Loans (EIDL), and Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA), totaling more than $600,000. After receiving these funds, Stone immediately transferred most of the funds by wire transfer to parties in locations including Berne, Switzerland; London, England; New York, NY; Chennai, India; and Mumbai, India.

    At the conclusion of Thursday’s sentencing hearing, Stone was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.

    U.S. Attorney David Clay Fowlkes of the Western District of Arkansas made the announcement.

    The Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation, Federal Bureau of Investigation, and Department of Labor Office of the Inspector General investigated the case.

    Assistant U.S. Attorney Hunter Bridges is prosecuting the case.

    Related court documents may be found on the Public Access to Electronic Records website at www.pacer.gov.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI: Sunrun Reports Fourth Quarter and Full Year 2024 Financial Results

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    Cash Generation of $34 million in Q4 after safe harbor equipment purchases, third consecutive quarter of positive Cash Generation

    Paid down $132 million of recourse debt in Q4 with excess cash

    Cash Generation guidance of $200 million to $500 million in 2025

    Cash Generation guidance of $40 to $50 million in Q1

    Net Earning Assets increased to $6.8 billion, including $947 million of Total Cash

    Storage Capacity Installed of 392 Megawatt hours in Q4, exceeding high-end of guidance range and representing 78% year-over-year growth, as storage attachment rates reach 62%

    Solar Energy Capacity Installed of 242 Megawatts in Q4, within the guidance range, reaching 7.5 Gigawatts of Networked Solar Energy Capacity

    SAN FRANCISCO, Feb. 27, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Sunrun (Nasdaq: RUN), the nation’s leading provider of clean energy as a subscription service, today announced financial results for the fourth quarter and full year ended December 31, 2024.

    “We are growing, generating meaningful cash, increasing our book value of deployed systems, and paying down debt. We are poised to further improve our operating and financial results, and deliver a very strong 2025 with meaningful Cash Generation. Our actions to optimize our product mix, prioritize the highest value geographies and routes to market and an intense focus on cost as we grow have resulted in the highest Net Subscriber Values Sunrun has ever reported,” said Mary Powell, Sunrun’s Chief Executive Officer. “We are improving in every dimension we control – focusing on fast, effective execution, delivering strong financial and operating results, gaining share in a disciplined way, while building a long-term foundation of valuable grid resources.”

    “In the fourth quarter, we again set new margin records and delivered the third consecutive quarter of Cash Generation. We continue to execute well in the capital markets, raising more than $4 billion in asset-level debt and tax equity financing during 2024, and more than $800 million in non-recourse debt financing year-to-date. We have extended our runway of tax equity commitments and term sheets, including $1.3 billion added year-to-date,” said Danny Abajian, Sunrun’s Chief Financial Officer. “We have a strong balance sheet with no near-term corporate debt maturities and have paid down recourse parent debt by $186 million since March, including a $132 million paydown using excess cash in Q4. As we increase our Cash Generation, we will continue to further pay down parent recourse debt and are committed to a capital allocation strategy beyond this initial de-leveraging period that drives significant shareholder value.”

    Fourth Quarter Updates

    • Storage Attachment Rates Reach 62%: Customer Additions with storage grew more than 50% during the quarter compared to the prior-year period. Storage attachment rates on installations reached 62% in Q4, up from 45% in the prior-year period, with 392 Megawatt hours installed during the quarter. Sunrun has installed more than 156,000 solar and storage systems, representing over 2.5 Gigawatt hours of stored energy capacity.
    • Continued Strong Capital Markets Execution: In January 2025, Sunrun priced a $629 million securitization of residential solar and battery systems. The securitization is Sunrun’s thirteenth securitization since 2015 and first issuance in 2025. The oversubscribed transaction was structured with three separate classes of A rated notes, only two of which were publicly offered. The weighted average spread of the notes was 197 basis points, which was an improvement of approximately 38 basis points from our prior securitization in September. Similar to prior transactions, Sunrun raised additional capital in a subordinated non-recourse financing, which increased the cumulative advance rate to above 80% as measured against the initial Contracted Subscriber Value of the portfolio.
    • Paying Down Recourse Debt: We continue to pay down parent recourse debt. During the fourth quarter, we repurchased $125.5 million in principal of our 2026 Convertible Notes. As of December 31, 2024 we had only $7.7 million outstanding of these notes, which we may repurchase in 2025. Since March 31, 2024 we have paid down recourse debt by $186 million, by repurchasing our 2026 Convertible Notes and reducing borrowings under our recourse Working Capital Facility. We have also increased our Total Cash balance by $164 million and grown Net Earning Assets by $1.5 billion. We expect to further pay down our recourse debt in 2025 by $100 million or more. Aside from the $7.7 million outstanding of our 2026 Convertible Notes, we have no recourse debt maturities until March 2027. Over time we will explore further capital allocation options to maximize shareholder value, based on market conditions and our long-term outlook.
    • Improving Grid Stability with Virtual Power Plants: During 2024, Sunrun’s virtual power plants (VPPs) successfully supported power grids across the country with a combined instantaneous peak of nearly 80 megawatts—a capacity greater than many traditional fossil-fuel power plants. These innovative programs leveraged Sunrun’s fleet of residential solar and battery systems—the largest in America—empowering customers to generate, store, and share their own solar energy. In 2024, more than 20,000 Sunrun customers participated in 16 virtual power plant programs across nine states and territories. From California and Texas to Puerto Rico and New England, the customers’ batteries supplied on-demand, stored solar energy to augment power resources during hundreds of critical energy events.

    Key Operating Metrics

    In the fourth quarter of 2024, Customer Additions were 32,932 including 30,709 Subscriber Additions. As of December 31, 2024, Sunrun had 1,048,842 Customers, including 889,186 Subscribers. Customers grew 12% in the fourth quarter of 2024 compared to the fourth quarter of 2023.

    Annual Recurring Revenue from Subscribers was approximately $1.6 billion as of December 31, 2024. The Average Contract Life Remaining of Subscribers was 17.6 years as of December 31, 2024.

    Subscriber Value was $55,811 in the fourth quarter of 2024, a 11% increase compared to the fourth quarter of 2023. Creation Cost was $36,634 in the fourth quarter of 2024, a 1% decrease compared to the fourth quarter of 2023.

    Net Subscriber Value was $19,177 in the fourth quarter of 2024. Total Value Generated was $589 million in the fourth quarter of 2024. On a pro-forma basis assuming a 7.3% discount rate, consistent with capital costs observed in the quarter, Subscriber Value was $50,998 and Net Subscriber Value was $14,364 in the fourth quarter of 2024.

    Gross Earning Assets as of December 31, 2024, were $17.8 billion. Net Earning Assets were $6.8 billion, which included $947 million in Total Cash, as of December 31, 2024.

    Cash Generation was $34.2 million in the fourth quarter of 2024, the third consecutive quarter of positive Cash Generation.

    Storage Capacity Installed was 392.0 Megawatt hours in the fourth quarter of 2024, a 78% increase compared to the fourth quarter of 2023.

    Solar Energy Capacity Installed was 242.4 Megawatts in the fourth quarter of 2024, a 7% increase compared to the fourth quarter of 2023. Included in this figure is 232.0 Megawatts of Solar Energy Capacity Installed for Subscribers in the fourth quarter of 2024, an 11% increase compared to the fourth quarter of 2023.

    Networked Solar Energy Capacity was 7,531 Megawatts as of December 31, 2024. Included in this figure is 6,436 Megawatts of Networked Solar Energy Capacity for Subscribers as of December 31, 2024.

    Networked Storage Capacity was 2.5 Gigawatt hours as of December 31, 2024.

    The solar energy systems we deployed in Q4 are expected to offset the emission of 4.8 million metric tons of CO2 over the next thirty years. Over the last twelve months ended December 31, 2024, Sunrun’s systems are estimated to have offset 4.0 million metric tons of CO2.

    Outlook

    Cash Generation is expected to be in a range of $40 million to $50 million in the first quarter of 2025.

    For the full-year 2025, Cash Generation is expected to be in a range of $200 million to $500 million.

    Storage Capacity Installed is expected to be in a range of 265 to 275 Megawatt hours in the first quarter of 2025, representing approximately 30% growth year over year at the midpoint.

    Solar Energy Capacity Installed is expected to be in a range of 170 to 180 Megawatts in the first quarter of 2025, representing approximately flat year over year growth at the midpoint.

    For the full-year 2025, the Company expects robust growth in Storage Capacity Installed year over year, and Solar Energy Capacity Installed is expected to be approximately flat year over year.

    Fourth Quarter 2024 GAAP Results

    Total revenue was $518.5 million in the fourth quarter of 2024, up $1.9 million, or 0%, from the fourth quarter of 2023. Customer agreements and incentives revenue was $388.6 million, an increase of $67.0 million, or 21%, compared to the fourth quarter of 2023. Solar energy systems and product sales revenue was $129.9 million, a decrease of $65.1 million, or 33%, compared to the fourth quarter of 2023. The increasing mix of Subscribers results in less upfront revenue recognition, as revenue is recognized over the life of the Customer Agreement, which is typically 20 or 25 years.

    Total cost of revenue was $421.0 million, a decrease of 13% year-over-year. Total operating expenses were $652.6 million, a decrease of 9% year-over-year, on a pro-forma basis to exclude a non-cash goodwill impairment, which was incurred in the fourth quarter of 2024.

    Net loss attributable to common stockholders was $2,813.7 million, or $12.51 per basic and diluted share for the fourth quarter of 2024. Pro forma to exclude non-cash impairment charges, results in non-GAAP net income of $360.9 million or $1.41 per diluted share for the fourth quarter of 2024.

    Full Year 2024 GAAP Results

    Total revenue was $2,037.7 million in the full year 2024, down $222.1 million, or 10%, from the full year 2023. Customer agreements and incentives revenue was $1,505.2 million, an increase of $318.5 million, or 27%, compared to the full year 2023. Solar energy systems and product sales revenue was $532.5 million, a decrease of $540.6 million, or 50%, compared to the full year 2023.

    Total cost of revenue was $1,709.2 million, a decrease of 18% year-over-year. Total operating expenses were $2,610.8 million, a decrease of 15% year-over year, on a pro-forma basis to exclude non-cash goodwill impairment, which was incurred in both the full year 2023 and full year 2024.

    During the year, Sunrun recorded a non-cash goodwill impairment charge of approximately $3.1 billion. Due to the decline in our stock price, we wrote down our goodwill balance of $3.1 billion in its entirety during the fourth quarter of 2024. The goodwill primarily arose following the stock-for-stock acquisition of Vivint Solar in October 2020, with the majority arising from and determined based on the market capitalizations at the time of the acquisition. The Company recorded a non-cash goodwill impairment charge of $3.1 billion, or $14.05 per basic share, in our Consolidated Statement of Operations for the full year 2024, which was reflected in the Company’s fourth quarter results.

    Net loss attributable to common stockholders was $2,846.2 million, or $12.81 per basic and diluted share for the full year 2024. Pro-forma to exclude non-cash impairment charges, results in non-GAAP net income of $333.7 million or $1.33 per diluted share for the full-year 2024.

    Financing Activities

    As of February 27, 2025, closed transactions and executed term sheets provide us with expected tax equity to fund over 500 Megawatts of Solar Energy Capacity Installed for Subscribers beyond what was deployed through December 31, 2024. Sunrun also has $680 million in unused commitments available in its non-recourse senior revolving warehouse loan after the January securitization, to fund approximately 230 megawatts of projects for Subscribers.

    Conference Call Information

    Sunrun is hosting a conference call for analysts and investors to discuss its fourth quarter and full year 2024 results and business outlook at 1:30 p.m. Pacific Time today, February 27, 2025. A live audio webcast of the conference call along with supplemental financial information will be accessible via the “Investor Relations” section of Sunrun’s website at https://investors.sunrun.com. The conference call can also be accessed live over the phone by dialing (877) 407-5989 (toll free) or (201) 689-8434 (toll). An audio replay will be available following the call on the Sunrun Investor Relations website for approximately one month.

    About Sunrun

    Sunrun Inc. (Nasdaq: RUN) revolutionized the solar industry in 2007 by removing financial barriers and democratizing access to locally-generated, renewable energy. Today, Sunrun is the nation’s leading provider of clean energy as a subscription service, offering residential solar and storage with no upfront costs. Sunrun’s innovative products and solutions can connect homes to the cleanest energy on earth, providing them with energy security, predictability, and peace of mind. Sunrun also manages energy services that benefit communities, utilities, and the electric grid while enhancing customer value. Discover more at www.sunrun.com

    Non-GAAP Information

    This press release includes references to certain non-GAAP financial measures, such as non-GAAP net (loss) income and non-GAAP net (loss) income per share. We believe that these non-GAAP financial measures, when reviewed in conjunction with GAAP financial measures, can provide meaningful supplemental information for investors regarding the performance of our business and facilitate a meaningful evaluation of current period performance on a comparable basis with prior periods. Our management uses these non-GAAP financial measures in order to have comparable financial results to analyze changes in our underlying business from quarter to quarter. These non-GAAP financial measures should be considered as a supplement to, and not as a substitute for or superior to the GAAP financial measures presented in this press release and our financial statements and other publicly filed reports. Non-GAAP measures as presented herein may not be comparable to similarly titled measures used by other companies.

    Non-GAAP net (loss) income is defined as GAAP net (loss) income adjusted by the non-cash goodwill impairment charge, non-cash adjustment to equity investments, and the debt discount amortization. Management believes the exclusion of this non-cash and non-recurring item provides useful supplemental information to investors and facilitates the analysis of its operating results and comparison of operating results across reporting periods.

    Forward Looking Statements

    This communication contains forward-looking statements related to Sunrun (the “Company”) within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Such forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, statements related to: the Company’s financial and operating guidance and expectations; the Company’s business plan, trajectory, expectations, market leadership, competitive advantages, operational and financial results and metrics (and the assumptions related to the calculation of such metrics); the Company’s momentum in its business strategies including expectations regarding market share, total addressable market, growth in certain geographies, customer value proposition, market penetration, growth of certain divisions, financing activities, financing capacity, product mix, and ability to manage cash flow and liquidity; the growth of the solar industry; the Company’s financing activities and expectations to refinance, amend, and/or extend any financing facilities; trends or potential trends within the solar industry, our business, customer base, and market; the Company’s ability to derive value from the anticipated benefits of partnerships, new technologies, and pilot programs, including contract renewal and repowering programs; anticipated demand, market acceptance, and market adoption of the Company’s offerings, including new products, services, and technologies; the Company’s strategy to be a margin-focused, multi-product, customer-oriented company; the ability to increase margins based on a shift in product focus; expectations regarding the growth of home electrification, electric vehicles, virtual power plants, and distributed energy resources; the Company’s ability to manage suppliers, inventory, and workforce; supply chains and regulatory impacts affecting supply chains; the Company’s leadership team and talent development; the legislative and regulatory environment of the solar industry and the potential impacts of proposed, amended, and newly adopted legislation and regulation on the solar industry and our business; the ongoing expectations regarding the Company’s storage and energy services businesses and anticipated emissions reductions due to utilization of the Company’s solar energy systems; and factors outside of the Company’s control such as macroeconomic trends, bank failures, public health emergencies, natural disasters, acts of war, terrorism, geopolitical conflict, or armed conflict / invasion, and the impacts of climate change. These statements are not guarantees of future performance; they reflect the Company’s current views with respect to future events and are based on assumptions and estimates and are subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause actual results, performance or achievements to be materially different from expectations or results projected or implied by forward-looking statements. The risks and uncertainties that could cause the Company’s results to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements include: the Company’s continued ability to manage costs and compete effectively; the availability of additional financing on acceptable terms; worldwide economic conditions, including slow or negative growth rates and inflation; volatile or rising interest rates; changes in policies and regulations, including net metering, interconnection limits, and fixed fees, or caps and licensing restrictions and the impact of these changes on the solar industry and our business; the Company’s ability to attract and retain the Company’s business partners; supply chain risks and associated costs; realizing the anticipated benefits of past or future investments, partnerships, strategic transactions, or acquisitions, and integrating those acquisitions; the Company’s leadership team and ability to attract and retain key employees; changes in the retail prices of traditional utility generated electricity; the availability of rebates, tax credits and other incentives; the availability of solar panels, batteries, and other components and raw materials; the Company’s business plan and the Company’s ability to effectively manage the Company’s growth and labor constraints; the Company’s ability to meet the covenants in the Company’s investment funds and debt facilities; factors impacting the home electrification and solar industry generally, and such other risks and uncertainties identified in the reports that we file with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission from time to time. All forward-looking statements used herein are based on information available to us as of the date hereof, and we assume no obligation to update publicly these forward-looking statements for any reason, except as required by law.

    Citations to industry and market statistics used herein may be found in our Investor Presentation, available via the “Investor Relations” section of Sunrun’s website at https://investors.sunrun.com.

    Consolidated Balance Sheets
    (In Thousands)
        As of December 31,
          2024     2023
    Assets        
    Current assets:        
    Cash   $ 574,956   $ 678,821
    Restricted cash     372,312     308,869
    Accounts receivable, net     170,706     172,001
    Inventories     402,083     459,746
    Prepaid expenses and other current assets     202,579     262,822
    Total current assets     1,722,636     1,882,259
    Restricted cash     148     148
    Solar energy systems, net     15,032,115     13,028,871
    Property and equipment, net     121,239     149,139
    Goodwill     —     3,122,168
    Other assets     3,021,746     2,267,652
    Total assets   $ 19,897,884   $ 20,450,237
    Liabilities and total equity        
    Current liabilities:        
    Accounts payable   $ 354,214   $ 230,723
    Distributions payable to noncontrolling interests and redeemable noncontrolling interests     41,464     35,180
    Accrued expenses and other liabilities     543,752     499,225
    Deferred revenue, current portion     129,442     128,600
    Deferred grants, current portion     7,900     8,199
    Finance lease obligations, current portion     26,045     22,053
    Non-recourse debt, current portion     231,665     547,870
    Pass-through financing obligation, current portion     —     16,309
    Total current liabilities     1,334,482     1,488,159
    Deferred revenue, net of current portion     1,208,905     1,067,461
    Deferred grants, net of current portion     196,535     195,724
    Finance lease obligations, net of current portion     66,139     68,753
    Line of credit     384,226     539,502
    Non-recourse debt, net of current portion     11,806,181     9,191,689
    Convertible senior notes     479,420     392,867
    Pass-through financing obligation, net of current portion     —     278,333
    Other liabilities     119,846     190,866
    Deferred tax liabilities     137,940     122,870
    Total liabilities     15,733,674     13,536,224
    Redeemable noncontrolling interests     624,159     676,177
    Total stockholders’ equity     2,554,207     5,230,228
    Noncontrolling interests     985,844     1,007,608
    Total equity     3,540,051     6,237,836
    Total liabilities, redeemable noncontrolling interests and total equity   $ 19,897,884   $ 20,450,237
    Consolidated Statements of Operations
    (In Thousands, Except Per Share Amounts)
        Three Months Ended
    December 31,    		   Year Ended
    December 31,
          2024       2023       2024       2023  
    Revenue:                
    Customer agreements and incentives   $ 388,574     $ 321,555     $ 1,505,227     $ 1,186,706  
    Solar energy systems and product sales     129,918       195,035       532,492       1,073,107  
    Total revenue     518,492       516,590       2,037,719       2,259,813  
    Operating expenses:                
    Cost of customer agreements and incentives     292,632       287,780       1,169,213       1,077,114  
    Cost of solar energy systems and product sales     128,361       194,808       539,952       1,019,638  
    Sales and marketing     150,751       166,760       617,162       740,821  
    Research and development     8,794       7,663       39,304       21,816  
    General and administrative     72,045       57,110       245,127       221,067  
    Goodwill Impairment     3,122,168       —       3,122,168       1,158,000  
    Total operating expenses     3,774,751       714,121       5,732,926       4,238,456  
    Loss from operations     (3,256,259 )     (197,531 )     (3,695,207 )     (1,978,643 )
    Interest expense, net     (233,385 )     (181,826 )     (848,366 )     (652,989 )
    Other income (expense), net     89,829       (157,644 )     161,539       (63,900 )
    Loss before income taxes     (3,399,815 )     (537,001 )     (4,382,034 )     (2,695,532 )
    Income tax benefit     136       (1,595 )     (26,817 )     (12,691 )
    Net loss     (3,399,951 )     (535,406 )     (4,355,217 )     (2,682,841 )
    Net loss attributable to noncontrolling interests and redeemable noncontrolling interests     (586,294 )     (185,282 )     (1,509,050 )     (1,078,344 )
    Net loss attributable to common stockholders   $ (2,813,657 )   $ (350,124 )   $ (2,846,167 )   $ (1,604,497 )
    Net loss per share attributable to common stockholders                
    Basic   $ (12.51 )   $ (1.60 )   $ (12.81 )   $ (7.41 )
    Diluted   $ (12.51 )   $ (1.60 )   $ (12.81 )   $ (7.41 )
    Weighted average shares used to compute net loss per share attributable to common stockholders                
    Basic     224,896       218,461       222,215       216,642  
    Diluted     224,896       218,461       222,215       216,642  
    Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows
    (In Thousands)
        Three Months Ended December 31,   Year Ended December 31,
          2024       2023       2024       2023  
    Operating activities:                
    Net loss   $ (3,399,951 )   $ (535,406 )   $ (4,355,217 )   $ (2,682,841 )
    Adjustments to reconcile net loss to net cash used in operating activities:                
    Depreciation and amortization, net of amortization of deferred grants     162,343       143,024       620,876       531,669  
    Goodwill impairment     3,122,168       —       3,122,168       1,158,000  
    Deferred income taxes     136       (1,623 )     (26,817 )     (12,716 )
    Stock-based compensation expense     28,869       27,555       112,825       111,781  
    Interest on pass-through financing obligations     —       4,862       8,837       19,504  
    Reduction in pass-through financing obligations     —       (9,820 )     (20,787 )     (40,352 )
    Unrealized (gain) loss on derivatives     (122,319 )     108,226       (120,008 )     28,105  
    Other noncash items     105,220       118,956       210,479       261,390  
    Changes in operating assets and liabilities:                
    Accounts receivable     5,741       5,762       (14,974 )     15,748  
    Inventories     (59,735 )     202,055       57,663       324,158  
    Prepaid expenses and other current assets     (301,380 )     (142,438 )     (771,997 )     (476,628 )
    Accounts payable     141,070       (52,514 )     177,449       (108,785 )
    Accrued expenses and other liabilities     4,182       (31,986 )     80,588       (56,473 )
    Deferred revenue     55,297       47,340       152,762       106,700  
    Net cash used in operating activities     (258,359 )     (116,007 )     (766,153 )     (820,740 )
    Investing activities:                
    Payments for the costs of solar energy systems     (791,785 )     (651,462 )     (2,699,452 )     (2,587,183 )
    Purchase of equity investment     —       (5,000 )     —       (5,000 )
    Purchases of property and equipment, net     (627 )     (4,662 )     (1,572 )     (20,960 )
    Net cash provided by (used in) investing activities     (792,412 )     (661,124 )     (2,701,024 )     (2,613,143 )
    Financing activities:                
    Proceeds from state tax credits, net of recapture     —       —       5,203       4,033  
    Proceeds from trade receivable financing     124,261       41,225       124,261       41,225  
    Repayment of trade receivable financing     —       (41,225 )     —       (41,225 )
    Proceeds from line of credit     48,700       473,277       354,256       1,124,675  
    Repayment of line of credit     (56,998 )     (451,023 )     (509,532 )     (1,090,331 )
    Proceeds from issuance of convertible senior notes, net of capped call transaction     —       —       444,822       —  
    Repurchase of convertible senior notes     (117,235 )     (1,545 )     (346,581 )     (1,545 )
    Proceeds from issuance of non-recourse debt     644,950       556,100       4,009,906       3,745,580  
    Repayment of non-recourse debt     (102,748 )     (175,728 )     (1,794,962 )     (1,575,527 )
    Payment of debt fees     (128 )     (412 )     (93,875 )     (47,342 )
    Proceeds from pass-through financing and other obligations, net     —       2,100       4,795       8,812  
    Repayment of pass-through financing obligation     —       —       (240,288 )     —  
    Payment of finance lease obligations     (6,605 )     (6,484 )     (27,240 )     (23,279 )
    Contributions received from noncontrolling interests and redeemable noncontrolling interests     521,480       459,858       1,811,966       1,572,399  
    Distributions paid to noncontrolling interests and redeemable noncontrolling interests     (70,269 )     (51,578 )     (308,657 )     (225,114 )
    Acquisition of noncontrolling interest     (4,761 )     —       (26,195 )     (46,274 )
    Proceeds from transfer of investment tax credits     148,586       6,980       705,697       6,980  
    Payments to redeemable noncontrolling interests and noncontrolling interests of investment tax credits     (148,586 )     (6,980 )     (705,697 )     (6,980 )
    Net proceeds related to stock-based award activities     6,923       8,459       18,876       22,611  
    Net cash provided by financing activities     987,570       813,024       3,426,755       3,468,698  
    Net change in cash and restricted cash     (63,201 )     35,893       (40,422 )     34,815  
    Cash and restricted cash, beginning of period     1,010,617       951,945       987,838       953,023  
    Cash and restricted cash, end of period   $ 947,416     $ 987,838     $ 947,416     $ 987,838  
    Reconciliation between GAAP and Non-GAAP diluted (loss) income per share:
        Three Months Ended
    December 31, 2024    		   Year Ended
    December 31, 2024
        Net (Loss)
    Income    		   Diluted EPS   Net (Loss)
    Income    		   Diluted EPS
    GAAP diluted loss per share   $ (2,813,657 )   $ (12.51 )   $ (2,846,167 )   $ (12.81 )
    Debt Discount Amortization     1,131       0.01       6,438       0.03  
    Non-cash impairment charges (2)     3,173,450       14.11       3,173,450       14.28  
    Non-GAAP diluted income per share (1)   $ 360,924     $ 1.41     $ 333,721     $ 1.33  
                     
    GAAP weighted average shares for diluted EPS     224,896           222,215      
    Non-GAAP weighted average shares for diluted EPS     256,614           250,622      


    (1)       Non-GAAP diluted income per share excludes the effects of the pro forma adjustment detailed above. Non- GAAP diluted income per share is adjusted to exclude this item, as it is not used by management to evaluate the performance of the business.
    (2)   Excluding this item of non-recurring, infrequent or unusual nature and its impact on the comparability of our results for the period to prior periods and future expected trends.

    Key Operating and Financial Metrics

    The following operating metrics are used by management to evaluate the performance of the business. Management believes these metrics, when taken together with other information contained in our filings with the SEC and within this press release, provide investors with helpful information to determine the economic performance of the business activities in a period that would otherwise not be observable from historic GAAP measures. Management believes that it is helpful to investors to evaluate the present value of cash flows expected from subscribers over the full expected relationship with such subscribers (“Subscriber Value”, more fully defined in the definitions appendix below) in comparison to the costs associated with adding these customers, regardless of whether or not the costs are expensed or capitalized in the period (“Creation Cost”, more fully defined in the definitions appendix below). The Company also believes that Subscriber Value, Creation Costs, and Total Value Generated are useful metrics for investors because they present an unlevered view of all of the costs associated with new customers in a period compared to the expected future cash flows from these customers over a 30-year period, based on contracted pricing terms with its customers, which is not observable in any current or historic GAAP-derived metric. Management believes it is useful for investors to also evaluate the future expected cash flows from all customers that have been deployed through the respective measurement date, less estimated costs to maintain such systems and estimated distributions to tax equity partners in consolidated joint venture partnership flip structures, and distributions to project equity investors (“Gross Earning Assets”, more fully defined in the definitions appendix below). The Company also believes Gross Earning Assets is useful for management and investors because it represents the remaining future expected cash flows from existing customers, which is not a current or historic GAAP-derived measure.

    Various assumptions are made when calculating these metrics. Both Subscriber Value and Gross Earning Assets utilize a 6% rate to discount future cash flows to the present period. Furthermore, these metrics assume that customers renew after the initial contract period at a rate equal to 90% of the rate in effect at the end of the initial contract term. For Customer Agreements with 25-year initial contract terms, a 5-year renewal period is assumed. For a 20-year initial contract term, a 10-year renewal period is assumed. In all instances, we assume a 30-year customer relationship, although the customer may renew for additional years, or purchase the system. Estimated cost of servicing assets has been deducted and is estimated based on the service agreements underlying each fund.

    In-period volume metrics: Three Months Ended
    December 31, 2024    		  
    Customer Additions   32,932  
    Subscriber Additions (included within Customer Additions)   30,709  
    Solar Energy Capacity Installed (in Megawatts)   242.4  
    Solar Energy Capacity Installed for Subscribers (in Megawatts)   232.0  
    Storage Capacity Installed (in Megawatt hours)   392.0  
         
    In-period value creation metrics: Three Months Ended
    December 31, 2024    		  
    Subscriber Value Contracted Period $52,035  
    Subscriber Value Renewal Period $3,776  
    Subscriber Value $55,811  
    Creation Cost $36,634  
    Net Subscriber Value $19,177  
    Total Value Generated (in millions) $588.9  
         
    In-period environmental impact metrics: Three Months Ended
    December 31, 2024    		  
    Positive Environmental Impact from Customers (over trailing twelve months, in millions of metric tons of CO2 avoidance)   4.0  
    Positive Expected Lifetime Environmental Impact from Customer Additions (in millions of metric tons of CO2 avoidance)   4.8  
         
    Period-end metrics: December 31, 2024  
    Customers   1,048,842  
    Subscribers (subset of Customers)   889,186  
    Households Served in Low-Income Multifamily Properties   21,129  
    Networked Solar Energy Capacity (in Megawatts)   7,531  
    Networked Solar Energy Capacity for Subscribers (in Megawatts)   6,436  
    Networked Storage Capacity (in Megawatt hours)   2,525  
    Annual Recurring Revenue (in millions) $1,644  
    Average Contract Life Remaining (in years)   17.6  
    Gross Earning Assets Contracted Period (in millions) $13,791  
    Gross Earning Assets Renewal Period (in millions) $4,043  
    Gross Earning Assets (in millions) $17,834  
    Net Earning Assets (in millions) $6,766  
           

    Figures presented above may not sum due to rounding. For adjustments related to Subscriber Value and Creation Cost, please see the supplemental Creation Cost and Net Subscriber Value calculation memo for each applicable period, which is available on investors.sunrun.com.

    Definitions

    Deployments represent solar or storage systems, whether sold directly to customers or subject to executed Customer Agreements (i) for which we have confirmation that the systems are installed, subject to final inspection, or (ii) in the case of certain system installations by our partners, for which we have accrued at least 80% of the expected project cost (inclusive of acquisitions of installed systems).

    Customer Agreements refer to, collectively, solar or storage power purchase agreements and leases.

    Subscriber Additions represent the number of Deployments in the period that are subject to executed Customer Agreements.

    Customer Additions represent the number of Deployments in the period.

    Solar Energy Capacity Installed represents the aggregate megawatt production capacity of our solar energy systems that were recognized as Deployments in the period.

    Solar Energy Capacity Installed for Subscribers represents the aggregate megawatt production capacity of our solar energy systems that were recognized as Deployments in the period that are subject to executed Customer Agreements.

    Storage Capacity Installed represents the aggregate megawatt hour capacity of storage systems that were recognized as Deployments in the period.

    Creation Cost represents the sum of certain operating expenses and capital expenditures incurred divided by applicable Customer Additions and Subscriber Additions in the period. Creation Cost is comprised of (i) installation costs, which includes the increase in gross solar energy system assets and the cost of customer agreement revenue, excluding depreciation expense of fixed solar assets, and operating and maintenance expenses associated with existing Subscribers, plus (ii) sales and marketing costs, including increases to the gross capitalized costs to obtain contracts, net of the amortization expense of the costs to obtain contracts, plus (iii) general and administrative costs, and less (iv) the gross profit derived from selling systems to customers under sale agreements and Sunrun’s product distribution and lead generation businesses. Creation Cost excludes stock based compensation, amortization of intangibles, and research and development expenses, along with other items the company deems to be non-recurring or extraordinary in nature. The gross margin derived from solar energy systems and product sales is included as an offset to Creation Cost since these sales are ancillary to the overall business model and lowers our overall cost of business. The sales, marketing, general and administrative costs in Creation Costs is inclusive of sales, marketing, general and administrative activities related to the entire business, including solar energy system and product sales. As such, by including the gross margin on solar energy system and product sales as a contra cost, the value of all activities of the Company’s segment are represented in the Net Subscriber Value.

    Subscriber Value represents the per subscriber value of upfront and future cash flows (discounted at 6%) from Subscriber Additions in the period, including expected payments from customers as set forth in Customer Agreements, net proceeds from tax equity finance partners, payments from utility incentive and state rebate programs, contracted net grid service program cash flows, projected future cash flows from solar energy renewable energy credit sales, less estimated operating and maintenance costs to service the systems and replace equipment, consistent with estimates by independent engineers, over the initial term of the Customer Agreements and estimated renewal period. For Customer Agreements with 25 year initial contract terms, a 5 year renewal period is assumed. For a 20 year initial contract term, a 10 year renewal period is assumed. In all instances, we assume a 30-year customer relationship, although the customer may renew for additional years, or purchase the system.

    Net Subscriber Value represents Subscriber Value less Creation Cost.

    Total Value Generated represents Net Subscriber Value multiplied by Subscriber Additions.

    Customers represent the cumulative number of Deployments, from the company’s inception through the measurement date.

    Subscribers represent the cumulative number of Customer Agreements for systems that have been recognized as Deployments through the measurement date.

    Networked Solar Energy Capacity represents the aggregate megawatt production capacity of our solar energy systems that have been recognized as Deployments, from the company’s inception through the measurement date.

    Networked Solar Energy Capacity for Subscribers represents the aggregate megawatt production capacity of our solar energy systems that have been recognized as Deployments, from the company’s inception through the measurement date, that have been subject to executed Customer Agreements.

    Networked Storage Capacity represents the aggregate megawatt hour capacity of our storage systems that have been recognized as Deployments, from the company’s inception through the measurement date.

    Gross Earning Assets is calculated as Gross Earning Assets Contracted Period plus Gross Earning Assets Renewal Period.

    Gross Earning Assets Contracted Period represents the present value of the remaining net cash flows (discounted at 6%) during the initial term of our Customer Agreements as of the measurement date. It is calculated as the present value of cash flows (discounted at 6%) that we would receive from Subscribers in future periods as set forth in Customer Agreements, after deducting expected operating and maintenance costs, equipment replacements costs, distributions to tax equity partners in consolidated joint venture partnership flip structures, and distributions to project equity investors. We include cash flows we expect to receive in future periods from tax equity partners, government incentive and rebate programs, contracted sales of solar renewable energy credits, and awarded net cash flows from grid service programs with utilities or grid operators.

    Gross Earning Assets Renewal Period is the forecasted net present value we would receive upon or following the expiration of the initial Customer Agreement term but before the 30th anniversary of the system’s activation (either in the form of cash payments during any applicable renewal period or a system purchase at the end of the initial term), for Subscribers as of the measurement date. We calculate the Gross Earning Assets Renewal Period amount at the expiration of the initial contract term assuming either a system purchase or a renewal, forecasting only a 30-year customer relationship (although the customer may renew for additional years, or purchase the system), at a contract rate equal to 90% of the customer’s contractual rate in effect at the end of the initial contract term. After the initial contract term, our Customer Agreements typically automatically renew on an annual basis and the rate is initially set at up to a 10% discount to then-prevailing utility power prices.

    Net Earning Assets represents Gross Earning Assets, plus total cash, less adjusted debt and less pass-through financing obligations, as of the same measurement date. Debt is adjusted to exclude a pro-rata share of non-recourse debt associated with funds with project equity structures along with debt associated with the company’s ITC safe harboring facility. Because estimated cash distributions to our project equity partners are deducted from Gross Earning Assets, a proportional share of the corresponding project level non-recourse debt is deducted from Net Earning Assets, as such debt would be serviced from cash flows already excluded from Gross Earning Assets.

    Cash Generation is calculated using the change in our unrestricted cash balance from our consolidated balance sheet, less net proceeds (or plus net repayments) from all recourse debt (inclusive of convertible debt), and less any primary equity issuances or net proceeds derived from employee stock award activity (or plus any stock buybacks or dividends paid to common stockholders) as presented on the Company’s consolidated statement of cash flows. The Company expects to continue to raise tax equity and asset-level non-recourse debt to fund growth, and as such, these sources of cash are included in the definition of Cash Generation. Cash Generation also excludes long-term asset or business divestitures and equity investments in external non-consolidated businesses (or less dividends or distributions received in connection with such equity investments). Restricted cash in a reserve account with a balance equal to the amount outstanding of 2026 convertible notes is considered unrestricted cash for the purposes of calculating Cash Generation.

    Annual Recurring Revenue represents revenue arising from Customer Agreements over the following twelve months for Subscribers that have met initial revenue recognition criteria as of the measurement date.

    Average Contract Life Remaining represents the average number of years remaining in the initial term of Customer Agreements for Subscribers that have met revenue recognition criteria as of the measurement date.

    Households Served in Low-Income Multifamily Properties represent the number of individual rental units served in low-income multi-family properties from shared solar energy systems deployed by Sunrun. Households are counted when the solar energy system has interconnected with the grid, which may differ from Deployment recognition criteria.

    Positive Environmental Impact from Customers represents the estimated reduction in carbon emissions as a result of energy produced from our Networked Solar Energy Capacity over the trailing twelve months. The figure is presented in millions of metric tons of avoided carbon emissions and is calculated using the Environmental Protection Agency’s AVERT tool. The figure is calculated using the most recent published tool from the EPA, using the current-year avoided emission factor for distributed resources on a state by state basis. The environmental impact is estimated based on the system, regardless of whether or not Sunrun continues to own the system or any associated renewable energy credits.

    Positive Expected Lifetime Environmental Impact from Customer Additions represents the estimated reduction in carbon emissions over thirty years as a result of energy produced from solar energy systems that were recognized as Deployments in the period. The figure is presented in millions of metric tons of avoided carbon emissions and is calculated using the Environmental Protection Agency’s AVERT tool. The figure is calculated using the most recent published tool from the EPA, using the current-year avoided emission factor for distributed resources on a state by state basis, leveraging our estimated production figures for such systems, which degrade over time, and is extrapolated for 30 years. The environmental impact is estimated based on the system, regardless of whether or not Sunrun continues to own the system or any associated renewable energy credits.

    Total Cash represents the total of the restricted cash balance and unrestricted cash balance from our consolidated balance sheet.

    Investor & Analyst Contact:

    Patrick Jobin
    SVP, Deputy CFO & Investor Relations Officer
    investors@sunrun.com

    Media Contact:

    Wyatt Semanek
    Director, Corporate Communications
    press@sunrun.com

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Man who forced abortion has sentence increased by five years

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    Press release

    Man who forced abortion has sentence increased by five years

    A man who gave medication to a woman and caused her to miscarry has had his sentence increased.

    Stuart Worby, 40, from Malthouse Court, Dereham, has had his sentence increased to 17 years after it was referred to the Court of Appeal.  

    The court heard that in 2022, after failing to convince the victim to terminate her pregnancy, Worby administered two drugs designed to induce miscarriages to the victim without her consent. 

    Worby obtained the drugs through an associate who rang a clinic, posing as a pregnant woman looking to terminate her pregnancy.  

    The first dose was dissolved into the victim’s drink. The second dose was physically inserted into the victim.  

    The victim suffered immediately from the drugs and Worby refused to seek medical help, even asking his associate for more drugs as he thought they hadn’t worked.  

    The next day the victim suffered a miscarriage and is now unable to have children. 

    The woman initially thought she had miscarried naturally but contacted the police after discovering messages on Worby’s phone to his friend saying, ‘its working’ and ‘there is a lot of blood’.  

    Worby accepted he had obtained the medication unlawfully but denied he ever gave it to the woman. He was found guilty of one count of administering a poison with intent to procure a miscarriage and one count of assault by penetration and on 6 December 2024, Stuart Worby was sentenced for 12 years at Norwich Crown Court.  

    The Solicitor General Lucy Rigby KC MP said:  

    I was disgusted by Stuart Worby’s appalling crimes and I welcome the court’s decision to increase his sentence following my referral under the Unduly Lenient Sentences scheme.

    This is a stark warning to those who commit violent acts against women – you will face very serious consequences.

    On 27 February 2025, Worby’s sentence was increased from 12 years to 17 years after it was referred to the Court of Appeal under the Unduly Lenient Sentence scheme.

    Updates to this page

    Published 27 February 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Education Committee approves New School for Tornagrain

    Source: Scotland – Highland Council

    The Highland Council’s Education Committee has approved a proposal to create a new primary school to serve the Tornagrain housing development, east of Inverness.

    The decision follows a statutory consultation exercise undertaken in the autumn of 2024.

    Education Committee Chair, Cllr John Finlayson said, “I’m delighted that the Committee has approved the recommendation to create a new primary school for Tornagrain. There is a clear need to address the steadily rising roll at Croy Primary, which will not have the capacity to accommodate the number of children from new housing developments in the area.

    “A great deal of work is required to progress the detailed design, planning process and construction of the new school and the conclusion of the Tornagrain consultation represents an important step forward in this process.”

    The Education Committee’s recommendation will be presented for formal Council approval when the Full Council meets on 27 March 2025.

    27 Feb 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Duror Primary School closure consultation update

    Source: Scotland – Highland Council

    The Highland Council’s Education Committee met yesterday (Wednesday 26 February 2025) to consider a report on the future of Duror Primary School.  The original recommendation had been to close due to the falling school roll, but this was changed on the day following a Motion from the Committee Chair seeking Members’ agreement to continue to keep the school open.

    The decision follows a statutory consultation undertaken during 2024.

    Education Committee Chair, Cllr John Finlayson said: “The Council’s proposal to close Duror Primary School was made on the basis that only two children currently attend the school.  However, new information has been presented since the report was published about a potential future increase in the school roll and this has made it possible to withdraw the original recommendation to close. Having engaged with the community in recent weeks and seen at first hand the good work that the school is doing in terms of additional activities involving the wider community I am really pleased we have been able to review the position and delighted that the Education Committee unanimously endorsed my motion.  I hope that children will continue to attend Duror Primary School for many years to come.”

    The Education Committee’s recommendation will be placed before the full Highland Council at its meeting on 27 March 2025.

    27 Feb 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Achievement of Curriculum for Excellence Levels update

    Source: Scotland – Highland Council

    The Highland Council’s Education Committee met yesterday (Wednesday 26 February 2025) and noted the Council’s continuing commitment to improving attainment and achievement at all stages through a range of strategic initiatives.    

    Education Committee Chair, Cllr John Finlayson said: “2023/24 data shows that Highland is one of the most improved authorities in Scotland across all primary measures and the rate and trajectory of improvement is positive, identifying that the strategic approach being taken is having a sustained impact. The improvement over the last 2 years is particularly impressive and I would like to thank all staff and young people that have worked so hard to make this happen.

    “Whilst we recognise that attainment has improved, there is still work to be done.  We remain ambitious to continue and where possible, accelerate, this rate of improvement to ensure that all of our young people are supported to achieve their full potential.  To support this aim, we will be engaging with stakeholders in the development of our 5 year vision for education in Highland to underpin our raising attainment action plan.

    “Our schools continue to face challenges in relation to supporting the health & wellbeing of learners, including factors relating to the cost-of-living and post-pandemic issues impacting pupils’ school attendance.  The Local Authority is currently seeking views from secondary stage pupils and the parents/carers of children who struggle attending secondary school on a regular basis.  I encourage those impacted by low school attendance to fill out the short survey. The feedback collated will help us to better understand the challenges facing families and will inform the approaches taken to help our young learners to attend, achieve and succeed at school.”

    The survey is anonymous and will run from Monday 24 February until Friday 14 March 2025.

    The secondary surveys for both parents and pupils are available here:

    Parent survey on attendance: https://forms.office.com/e/vYZvATHXtC

    Pupil survey on attendance : https://forms.office.com/e/QgeMqY21UT

    27 Feb 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Highland Council celebrates record-breaking School Leaver Destinations for 2023/2024

    Source: Scotland – Highland Council

    The Highland Council is delighted to announce a significant increase in positive destinations for school leavers in the academic year 2023/2024. An impressive 96.5% of Highland leavers have secured a positive destination, up 1.2% from last year. Nationally, positive destinations have dropped by 0.2% to 95.7%.

    This year, Highland has seen an increase in the number of school leavers, with a total of 2,632 students. This rise aligns with the national trend of increasing school leaver numbers across Scotland. Of these, 40.3% have successfully transitioned into employment, including Modern and Graduate Apprenticeships, placing Highland second only to Orkney in employment as a positive destination.

    Key Highlights:

    • Record School Leaver Destinations: 96.5% of school leavers have achieved positive destinations, reflecting a significant increase from the previous year.
    • Employment Success: 40.3% of school leavers have entered employment, including Modern and Graduate Apprenticeships, ranking Highland second in Scotland.

    The Highland Council’s strategic focus on youth development and employment readiness has been instrumental in these achievements. The “Workforce of the Future” plan aims to equip young people with the skills and opportunities needed to thrive in a dynamic job market.

    Education Committee Chair, Cllr John Finlayson, said:  “We are thrilled with the outstanding results achieved by our school leavers this year. The increase in positive destinations is a testament to the hard work of our students, educators, and the supportive community. We remain committed to fostering an environment where every young person can succeed and contribute to the future workforce.

    “The Highland Council continues to prioritise initiatives that support young people’s transition from education.  We are committed to building effective partnerships with employers, trainers, colleges and universities and building cross sector career pathways and skills packages while also aligning the school curriculum towards the economic opportunities available, to ensure a bright and prosperous future for the region.”

    27 Feb 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Thousands of fish released to restock Cheshire river

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    Press release

    Thousands of fish released to restock Cheshire river

    A total of 4,000 fish, including chub dace and roach, have been released into the River Weaver at two key locations in Cheshire.

    The team preparing to stock the fish.

    The restocking aims to help replenish populations after two pollution incidents in October 2023, which sadly led to the loss of thousands of fish.

    The two key locations include Mill Island Weir and downstream in “The Willows” area.

    Restocking is done where natural population numbers have been depleted or to create new fisheries and opportunities for anglers. It occurs in winter because water temperatures are low and this minimises any stress on the fish, giving them the best possible survival rates.

    An image of the team restocking fish into the River Weaver

    February is a good time to introduce the fish into rivers, as it enables them to acclimatise to their new surroundings, ahead of their spawning season in the spring.

    Fish also play a critical role in sustaining a river’s finely-balanced eco-system, so the wider natural environment will also get a helping hand, as a result of the restocking.

    James Grosscurth, Fisheries Officer for the Environment Agency in Greater Manchester, Merseyside and Cheshire, said:

    Sometimes our native fish populations need a helping hand, particularly following pollution incidents.

    After careful and consistent monitoring, increased agricultural site inspections and enforcement and an enhanced officer presence upstream of Nantwich Lake, we were pleased to confirm that the water quality in the River Weaver can provide a healthy habitat for thousands of new recruits.

    This first restocking will form part of a three-year program, funded by rod licence income, to encourage natural recovery. Our thanks go to Nantwich Angling Society who have been working tirelessly, alongside our officers, to help make this happen.

    All of the fish introduced to the Weaver have been reared at the Environment Agency’s National Coarse Fish Farm in Calverton, Nottinghamshire.

    Every year, the Environment Agency stocks almost half a million fish of nine different species into England’s rivers. Being the principal supply of coarse fish for 32 years, the fish farm plays a crucial role to help improve fisheries around the country.

    Close up of fish entering the river during restocking.

    Fisheries officers use data from national surveys to identify where there are problems with poor breeding, issues with survival rates, or where numbers have been impacted following a pollution incident.

    These surveys help the officers ensure that fish are released into the right locations and where the need is greatest as well as supporting angling clubs to boost local fishing spots.

    Fisheries Officers inspect rod licences 24/7 throughout the North West, and work continually on cases of illegal fishing and other associated fisheries crime. Fishing illegally can result in a fine of up to £2,500, and offenders can also have their fishing equipment seized.

    It’s easy to buy a rod fishing licence online. Get yours here: Buy a rod fishing licence: When you need a licence – GOV.UK

    illegal fishing and other offences can be reported to the Environment Agency’s Incident Hotline on 0800 807060.

    Updates to this page

    Published 27 February 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: Activities of Secretary-General in Barbados, 19-20 February

    Source: United Nations 4

    The United Nations Secretary-General, António Guterres, arrived in Bridgetown, Barbados, from New York, on Wednesday, 19 February, to attend the forty-eighth Regular Meeting of the Conference of the Heads of Government of the Caribbean Community, also known as CARICOM.

    In the afternoon, he held a bilateral meeting with Prime Minister Mia Mottley, the host of the meeting.  They exchanged views on regional and global issues, particularly the situation in Haiti and climate change.  He also commended Barbados for spearheading efforts to advance reforms to the international financial architecture through the Bridgetown Initiative 3.0.

    In the evening, the Secretary-General spoke at the opening ceremony of the Conference.  He said that the exquisite beauty of the Caribbean is famed the world over, but that there is trouble in paradise.

    The Secretary-General noted that wave after wave of crisis is pounding the people of the Caribbean and their islands — with no time to catch their breath before the next disaster strikes.  Stressing that international solutions are essential to create a better today and a brighter tomorrow for the wonderful region and for the world, he said that he sees three key areas where, together, we must drive progress.

    First, the Secretary-General said, unity for peace and security, particularly to address the appalling situation in Haiti — where gangs are inflicting intolerable suffering on the people of Haiti.  Mr. Guterres added that he would soon report to the Security Council on the situation in Haiti, including proposals on the role the UN can play to support stability and security and address the root causes of the crisis.  He further highlighted unity on the climate crisis and sustainable development as areas where progress is needed.  (See Press Release SG/SM/22559.)

    Following the opening ceremony, the Secretary-General attended a cocktail reception and then a dinner hosted by Prime Minister Mottley.

    On Thursday morning, the Secretary-General participated in a closed session with CARICOM Heads of Government, where he exchanged views on pressing issues in the region, such as finance, climate and security, with a focus on Haiti.

    Soon after, he had a bilateral meeting Prime Minister of Jamaica, Andrew Holness.  The Secretary-General expressed his appreciation for Jamaica’s active role as Co-Chair of the UN Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) Stimulus Leaders Group.  They also exchanged views on international developments and discussed the need to scale up support for the Multinational Security Support mission in Haiti, as well as climate issues and financing for development.

    Before leaving Barbados, the Secretary-General also had meetings with the Presidential Adviser of the Transitional Presidential Council of Haiti, Laurent Saint-Cyr, and with the Secretary-General of the Commonwealth, Patricia Scotland.  He returned to New York on Thursday evening, 20 February.

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Perpetrators of coercive behaviour have sentences increased

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    Press release

    Perpetrators of coercive behaviour have sentences increased

    Two violent offenders who subjected women to campaigns of abuse have their jail terms increased by Court of Appeal following intervention from Solicitor General

    Macauley Nesfield, 28, from Eastfield, had his jail term increased by the Court of Appeal on 26 February, and Bilal Rasheed has his sentence increased on 16 January. 

    Both decisions from the Court of Appeal followed references by the Solicitor General after the original sentences for controlling and coercive behaviour were considered unduly lenient.

    The Court heard that Nesfield carried out a sustained campaign of abuse against a woman which included smacking, punching, throwing objects, grabbing by the throat, dragging by the hair and brandishing a knife.

    Nesfield was sentenced in December 2024 for one count of Controlling or coercive behaviour, one count of Assault occasioning actual bodily harm, and one count of Unlawful wounding.

    He also received a five-year restraining order. On 26 February 2025, following a referral of his original sentence to the Court of Appeal by Lucy Rigby KC MP, Nesfield had his sentence increased to three years’ imprisonment.

    Bilal Rasheed repeatedly abused a woman and was controlling or coercive towards her.

    He was sentenced in August 2024 for one count of controlling or coercive behaviour in an intimate family relationship, one count of sending a malicious communication, and one count of criminal damage.

    The Court of Appeal quashed his original jail term for coercive and controlling behaviour and increased it to three years.

    The Solicitor General Lucy Rigby KC MP said:

    I welcome the Court’s decision to increase these sentences.

    This Government is committed to tackling violence against women and girls and we will continue to use all tools at our disposal to protect victims and put perpetrators behind bars.

    Updates to this page

    Published 27 February 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Millions have now taken action to access their eVisa

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    News story

    Millions have now taken action to access their eVisa

    Published statistics show millions have accessed their eVisa, as an extension to the period expired immigration documents can be used for travel is confirmed.

    Over 4 million UK visa holders have successfully created an account to access their eVisa, according to Home Office statistics published today. An estimated 600,000 people are yet to switch from their physical document to an eVisa.

    Securing our borders is a key part of the government’s Plan for Change and eVisas are a key part of delivering a border and immigration system which is more digital and streamlined. This change will enhance the experience of people using the system, and increase the immigration system’s security and efficiency.

    To support a continued smooth transition to eVisas, and ensure no one is disadvantaged, the Home Office is extending the ‘grace period’ announced in December 2024. We committed to keep this transitional measure under review and we are extending the end date from 31 March 2025 to 1 June 2025.

    This allows people with a biometric residence permit (BRP) or EUSS biometric residence card (BRC) that expired on or after 31 December 2024, and who continue to hold underlying immigration status, to continue to use their expired document for international travel up to and including 1 June 2025.

    From the 2 June 2025, expired BRPs and EUSS BRCs will no longer be acceptable evidence of immigration status when travelling to the UK. 

    Minister for Migration and Citizenship, Seema Malhotra MP said:

    Today’s encouraging eVisa statistics show that a significant majority of the immigration status holders who needed to take action have done so.

    We continue to listen carefully to feedback, and our confirmation that expired immigration documents can be used for travel until June this year will help to further ensure the transition to eVisas continues to be as smooth as possible.

    Those yet to create an account to access their eVisa are encouraged to do so as soon as possible, to make the most of the benefits of using an eVisa and join the millions – including all EU Settlement Scheme (EUSS) status holders – who already have an eVisa. It is free, and straightforward for those who hold physical and paper documents to create a UKVI account to access their eVisa.

    People with indefinite leave to remain (ILR, also known as settlement) who use an ink stamp or vignette in a passport to prove their rights can continue to use their documents as they do today, including for travel, but are encouraged to make the switch to an eVisa to take advantage of the benefits it brings.

    We had previously estimated the number of BRP holders who need to create an account to access their eVisa at over 4 million, but this number is hard to establish accurately given the daily fluctuations in this data. This is because of people’s leave expiring, people leaving the country before their leave expires, or leave being cancelled or curtailed.

    Since the first eVisa statistics publication in December 2024, we have carried out further analysis and quality assurance to enhance our understanding of who has not yet acted, though the data is presented in same format for clarity.

    A number of people who created a UKVI account already had one created as part of their visa application, and therefore now have 2 UKVI accounts – although only one eVisa. This should not cause issues for those people, but it does mean that the published data includes a number of duplicate accounts. To maintain consistency, we are continuing to publish data on eVisa account creation numbers, recognising that this contains duplicates.

    However, we are also clarifying our revised estimate of the numbers of immigration status holders who still need to access their eVisa, which we anticipate to be approximately 600,000 BRP holders. This number will decrease as people’s leave expires and they leave the UK.

    Further information can be found in our eVisa factsheet.

    Updates to this page

    Published 27 February 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Shipping movement planned for Royal Parade

    Source: City of Plymouth

    Three converted shipping containers are to be installed on the north side of Royal Parade to act as temporary bus shelters.

    The containers are roughly the same size as a double shelter and will have bench seating, lighting together with ramps and handrails and the first two will be put into position early next week.

    They will stay in place until the new bigger shelters will be installed as part of the Royal Parade improvement scheme.

    The containers will be installed early in the morning, so there will be no disruption to bus services. They will be outside

    • Dingles between bus stops A15 and A16
    • Debenhams near bus stop A20
    • Poundland near bus stop A13.

    Some benches will also be installed beneath the canopy along Royal Parade so that people have more places to sit while they wait for their buses.

    Councillor Mark Coker, Cabinet Member for Strategic Planning and Transport said: “I instructed officers to leave no stone unturned in finding some temporary shelter for bus users on this side of Royal Parade.

    “As a bus user myself I was really unhappy with the shelters being removed in winter, but as cabinet member for transport understood that we were left with very little option as the contract had ended with the old providers and we were simply not in a position to start the new improvement scheme.

    “This solution is a little unusual, but it is practical and can be in place relatively quickly.”

    A total of 12 shelters have been removed by old providers JC Decaux and the plan is for Clear Channel to install 15 bigger shelters along this key route with upgraded seating and more space for wheelchair users and pushchairs as part of the Royal Parade Bus Improvement scheme.

    However, contract negotiations for the main scheme works are still ongoing, which has meant no shelters on Royal Parade between Courtenay Street and St Andrews Cross. The work is expected to start later in the Spring.

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Increases made to higher education grants27 February 2025 The Minister for Education and Lifelong Learning, Deputy Rob Ward, has signed a Ministerial order which increases the funding for a number of grants for higher education students from 1 September 2025.… Read more

    Source: Channel Islands – Jersey

    27 February 2025

    The Minister for Education and Lifelong Learning, Deputy Rob Ward, has signed a Ministerial order which increases the funding for a number of grants for higher education students from 1 September 2025. 

    These changes contribute towards one of this Government’s top strategic priorities, to ‘increase the provision of lifelong learning and skills development’, by implementing sustainable higher education student finance. 

    For most grants, the amount a student can receive depends on household income thresholds. These thresholds will increase by 5.2%. The increase has been based on the economic assumptions on average incomes in Jersey published by the Fiscal Policy Panel in 2024. 

    The income threshold to receive: 

    1. the maximum maintenance grant will increase from £50,000 to £52,600 
    2. the maximum tuition grant will increase from £110,000 to £115,720 
    3. the clinical component grant will increase from £100,000 to £105,200 
    4. a grant to attend an interview will increase from £50,000 to £52,600 
    5. a grant for specialist equipment for a student with a disability will increase from £90,000 to £94,680. 

    Maintenance grants will receive an uplift of 2.5%, based on the *Consumer Price Index for December 2024 published by the Office for National Statistics. The maximum maintenance grant will increase from £8,915 to £9,138. 

    Tuition fee grants will increase by 3.1% to align with the new higher cap in England and Wales. The new maximum tuition grant will increase from £9,250 to £9,535. 

    Deputy Ward said: ‘It is important we continue to review the support we have available for our students to continue their education post the age of 18. 

    ‘These changes ensure we are in line with increases to the cost of living and will help to reduce any cost-based barriers that may prevent our young people from continuing their studies, particularly when the majority of our young adults study in the UK and so living at home to reduce those costs isn’t an option.’

    ​*As most students study in the UK, that is where the majority of their maintenance money is spent.

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Reminder for residents after council takes action over unauthorised building work

    Source: City of Leeds

    Leeds City Council has reminded local residents of the need to abide by planning laws after taking enforcement action against two rule-breaking homeowners.

    One of the owners was hit with financial penalties running into tens of thousands of pounds following the separate cases, which both relate to unauthorised building work at domestic properties in Leeds.

    In the first case, planning permission was granted in 2017 for side and rear extensions to a property in the Rawdon Road area of Horsforth but once work started it became clear that what was taking shape differed substantially – in design elements and size – from the approved plans.

    This, the council noted, meant the finished development had an unacceptable impact on the character and appearance of the area.

    Following an unsuccessful application by the owner for retrospective planning permission that would have allowed the extensions to remain as built, the council served an enforcement notice that required them to be modified or removed.

    After the owner failed to comply with this notice, the council brought a prosecution which culminated in a hearing at Leeds Crown Court.

    Following a guilty plea, the owner was fined £17,000 and ordered to pay the council’s costs, which were in excess of £19,000.

    The property is now under different ownership but, despite the successful prosecution, the extensions are still in place.

    The council has therefore made clear to the new owner that they must be modified – so they are in line with the approved 2017 plans – or removed.

    In the second case, an outbuilding was constructed next to a property in the Selby Road area of Garforth in 2020 without the proper planning permission being obtained.

    An application for retrospective permission was refused in 2022 on the grounds that the outbuilding – due to its position and size – was causing harm to the openness of an area that sits within Leeds’s green belt.

    An enforcement notice served by the council in March last year required the outbuilding to be dismantled and the resulting material removed from the site.

    An appeal by the homeowner against the notice was dismissed by the Planning Inspectorate in October, with the council successfully applying for a full award of costs. The total amount payable has yet to be decided. The outbuilding, meanwhile, has been demolished.

    Councillor Jonathan Pryor, Leeds City Council’s deputy leader and executive member for economy, transport and sustainable development, said:

    “The council takes its duties as the planning authority for Leeds extremely seriously, with investigations into potential regulation breaches being conducted as quickly and effectively as possible.

    “Where it is considered appropriate for us to do so, we will use our enforcement powers to protect the character and appearance of the city and maintain public confidence in the planning system.

    “The cases in Horsforth and Garforth have been long-running and complex, and I would like to thank officers involved for the diligence and determination they have shown.

    “We hope the results will act as a reminder to people in Leeds that breaches of planning regulations can have significant and costly consequences.”

    Matters that can be investigated by the council’s planning enforcement service include developments without planning permission, developments that fail to comply with agreed permission, unauthorised changes of use and unauthorised work on buildings of special architectural or historic interest.

    People with concerns about a possible breach of planning regulations can contact the council by e-mailing planning.enforcement@leeds.gov.uk. Further information about the authority’s enforcement work can be found here.

    ENDS

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI Global: How the UK’s rollback of banking regulations could risk another financial crisis

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Alper Kara, Head of Department of Economics and Finance, Brunel University of London

    1000 Words/Shutterstock

    After the global financial crisis of 2007-08, the UK’s banking sector was placed under a much stricter regime. Bonuses were limited, regulations were beefed up and the whole industry scrutinised like never before.

    The idea was to make banks safer places for everyone’s money. But regulators are now thinking about easing some of these financial safeguards in a bid to boost economic growth.

    One proposal is to change the rules on mortgage affordability. One industry regulator, the Financial Conduct Authority, is considering relaxing the lending restrictions which were designed to prevent households from building up unsustainable debt.

    This includes reviewing affordability tests and allowing banks to lend more freely to borrowers with smaller deposits or lower incomes. Some commentators argue that these changes will help first-time buyers and increase overall mortgage availability.

    But the risks of easier mortgage lending cannot be ignored. Before the last crisis, lenders approved loans to borrowers without verifying income or creditworthiness, assuming that rising property values would provide a safety net.

    And when interest rates increased and property values collapsed, many borrowers could not afford their repayments – and lost their homes.

    In fact, mortgage repayments are already becoming more difficult. The Bank of England has warned that over 1.5 million UK households will face significantly higher mortgage costs in 2025 after their current deals expire.

    And loosening lending rules could easily push house prices even higher. When more buyers qualify for mortgages, demand for housing increases and prices go up. This makes home ownership even less affordable, especially for those first-time buyers.

    Expanding access to debt without fixing underlying issues around housing supply only creates more financial risk. And it seems to be part of a broader trend towards deregulation.

    Internationally agreed banking rules, which require banks to hold more capital as protection against financial shocks, are being delayed in the UK until 2027. The Bank of England has justified the wait by
    saying that banks need more flexibility to increase lending and investment without the constraints those rules would bring.

    Banks are also challenging regulations that require them to hold on to a specific type of debt designed to ensure that failing banks can absorb financial losses without taxpayer bailouts. But if these rules are weakened, the banking system could become more fragile, forcing governments to intervene.

    The banking system is showing other signs of fragility too.

    Banking on regulations

    One worrying trend is the increasing use of something called “synthetic risk transfers”. This is a technique that banks use to reduce the amount of risk on their balance sheets, by transferring it to outside investors – such as hedge funds or insurers – through special financial contracts.

    These are sometimes compared to “collateralised debt obligations” (or CDOs), where a bank bundles multiple loans (such as mortgages, corporate debt or car loans) and sells portions of that bundle to investors. These complex transactions were a key factor in the global financial crisis because they concealed risky loans, spreading financial instability across global markets.

    Then there’s the UK’s motor finance sector, where lenders have been accused of charging excessive interest rates on car loans. This could lead to compensation claims of up to £44 billion, making it potentially one of the biggest consumer finance scandals since payment protection insurance (PPI).

    On that occasion, banks and lenders wrongly sold PPI to millions of customers, leading to a record £50 billion in compensation payouts.

    With the ongoing case of motor finance, the British government wanted regulators to limit compensation payouts to avoid disrupting financial markets, but this was rejected by the supreme court.

    Yet despite these problems, some still claim that deregulation will do wonders for the sector’s financial flexibility. The British chancellor Rachel Reeves has argued that relaxing some regulations and reducing red tape will encourage growth and increase the UK’s competitiveness in global financial markets.

    Sometimes there’s a reason for red tape.
    Oksana Valiukevic/Shutterstock

    Perhaps she agrees with Donald Trump, whose aggressive financial agenda includes relaxed capital requirements and weakened regulatory oversight.

    But past experience suggests that weakening financial safeguards and encouraging more debt in pursuit of short term growth can have severe long-term consequences.

    Research shows that financial deregulation often leads to financial instability and economic crises. It also suggests that expanding credit does not fix housing affordability, and that reducing capital requirements does not make banks safer.

    The global financial crisis was a direct result of excessive risk-taking in an underregulated system. Governments had to bail out banks with taxpayer money, leading to more than a decade of austerity.

    The same mistakes could happen again. For now though, it looks like some of those hard lessons have been forgotten.

    Alper Kara 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. How the UK’s rollback of banking regulations could risk another financial crisis – https://theconversation.com/how-the-uks-rollback-of-banking-regulations-could-risk-another-financial-crisis-249386

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Foreign Secretary statement on Thailand’s deportation of 40 Uyghur Muslims to China

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    Press release

    Foreign Secretary statement on Thailand’s deportation of 40 Uyghur Muslims to China

    The Foreign Secretary made a statement following Thailand’s decision to deport 40 Uyghur Muslims to China.

    Foreign Secretary David Lammy said: 

    The UK disagrees in the strongest terms with Thailand’s decision to deport 40 Uyghur Muslims to China. This is despite Thailand’s international obligations in relation to non-refoulement and the well-documented ongoing human rights violations in Xinjiang.  

    The UK calls for the human rights of this group to be upheld, and we urge China to implement the wider recommendations of the Office of the High Commissioner of Human Rights in relation to Xinjiang.

    Notes: 

    • In 2022, the independent and authoritative Xinjiang Assessment conducted by the Office of the High Commissioner of Human Rights concluded that the extent of arbitrary and discriminatory detention of members of Uyghur and other predominantly Muslim groups may constitute international crimes, in particular crimes against humanity.

    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 27 February 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: weeHoloCam: DASA Funding Transforms Marine Biology with Revolutionary Underwater Imaging

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    Case study

    weeHoloCam: DASA Funding Transforms Marine Biology with Revolutionary Underwater Imaging

    The University of Aberdeen has developed a state-of-the-art underwater holographic camera with DASA support, enabling rapid real-time analysis of marine life in impressive detail

    From Ship-Sized to Hand-Held

    • DASA funding and Dstl technical advice has helped the University of Aberdeen develop the world’s most compact and lightweight underwater holographic camera – the weeHoloCam
    • The holographic camera has vastly improved processing speed – what previously took months can now be done in hours
    • Added AI integration enables the automatic classification of millions of marine particles in real-time
    • The weeHoloCam’s evolution spans two DASA projects, the first focused on developing the camera and processor, the second project added AI classification capabilities

    Plankton might be microscopic, but their importance to the planet is huge. These marine organisms produce half the world’s oxygen, form the foundation of ocean food chains, and play a crucial role in carbon absorption from the atmosphere. Marine biologists study plankton to better understand how the ocean’s food web is changing, and how climate change affects marine life. However, this process has always been a challenge – as traditional sampling methods are time-consuming and logistically difficult.

    This was the reality for marine biologists until the University of Aberdeen, with DASA funding in 2019, revolutionised underwater imaging with their weeHoloCam.

    “The holographic camera we used in the past was big in size and weighed more than 100 kilograms, making it very difficult to transport and deploy,” explains Dr. Thangavel Thevar from the School of Engineering, University of Aberdeen. “Now, with DASA funding, we have developed a very small version of the same that is 60 cm long and weighs just 3.5 kilograms – the frame for the camera is actually heavier than the camera itself!”

    Technical Innovation

    The weeHoloCam’s innovative design features two cylinders – one housing a pulse laser and optics while the other containing a sensor, mini-PC and electronics. “The camera can detect particles that are present between its windows, covering approximately 12 cm cube of water,” explains Dr. Thevar. “Within this volume, we can capture incredibly detailed holograms of particles as small as 50 microns.”

    Breaking Speed Barriers

    Using this advanced system, the team unlocked new capabilities in underwater imaging. “For example, in a single 3-hour dive, you can capture up to 200,000 holograms,” says Dr. Thevar. “Previously, processing each hologram took about two minutes, which meant 200,000 holograms will take more than 9 months to process.”

    Using Field Programmable Gate Array (FPGA) technology, the team dramatically reduced the processing time. “We’ve taken the processing time down from two minutes to just two seconds per hologram. What would have taken 100 days now takes just one day.”

    Adding AI Intelligence

    Building on this, the University of Aberdeen embarked on a second project with DASA in 2022 to make the process even quicker by integrating an AI classification system for the particles. “As engineers, we needed to make this useful for biologists,” explains Dr. Thevar. “When you’re dealing with millions of individual images from hundreds of thousands of holograms, manual classification becomes incredibly time consuming.”

    The new AI classifier automatically labels the images in real-time. As soon as a hologram is recorded through the camera, it’s processed and classified automatically.

    Real-World Applications and Impact

    The weeHoloCam has been deployed more than 20 times across various marine environments, including regular work with Marine Scotland. “We hope to support their weekly vessel deployments for plankton monitoring,” explains Dr. Thevar. “While traditional net sampling provides valuable data, our holographic camera adds crucial information about vertical depth distribution that nets can’t capture. This complementary approach gives us unprecedented insight into marine health.”

    The system has even attracted media attention, featuring on BBC’s One Show during a deployment in Loch Ness. “While we did not find Nessie we were afforded a rare opportunity to study plankton in a freshwater situation which was a first for us,” says Dr. Thevar.

    Loch Ness holographic camera hunt

    From a defence and security standpoint, the WeeHoloCam project addresses a critical challenge in marine operations: monitoring microscopic sea life in real-time. This capability is essential for predicting harmful algal blooms and tracking changes in marine biomass that can affect underwater optical systems.

    The innovation delivers two key advantages:

    • Its compact size enables deployment on the growing fleet of Unmanned Underwater Vehicles, dramatically increasing measurement coverage
    • Its advanced AI algorithms automatically classify micro-organisms, significantly reducing the manual analysis time needed to produce biological tactical assessments

    End of DASA project trial

    In October 2024, at the end of their DASA project, the University of Aberdeen demonstrated their subsea holographic camera to technical Dstl partners. The lab-based trials proved highly successful. The team showcased the system’s real-time classification capabilities, using both previously collected sea-trial data and live samples containing tiny jellyfish. The demonstration highlighted the intuitive user interface, which allows operators to easily select and group different marine organisms for analysis, from bubbles to dinoflagellates (a planktonic single-celled organism) and copepods (a group of very small crustaceans).

    Future Horizons

    The team is now running at full capacity with several exciting developments:

    • Tackling sea lice detection in salmon farms, despite the challenging nature of identifying these sparse, elusive parasites
    • A new funded project to permanently deploy a system for harmful micro-jellyfish detection
    • Exploring mounting the technology on autonomous underwater vehicles
    • Supporting carbon transport research by tracking organic matter movement in oceans

    The DASA Difference

    The University of Aberdeen credits DASA’s support for the project’s success. “Working with DASA has been a very positive experience,” notes Dr. Thevar. “It’s always a two-way conversation where we help each other. They’ve pushed us forward, whether through commercialisation ideas or project development, and have been instrumental in providing further leads to follow.”

    “From studying plankton populations to tracking carbon transport in our oceans, this technology is helping us understand our marine environments in ways we never could before,” concludes Dr. Thevar. “And with each new application we discover, the value of DASA’s early investment becomes even more apparent.”

    Updates to this page

    Published 27 February 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Cheylesmore Manor House open its doors for people to experience the beauty of the venue

    Source: City of Coventry

    People dreaming of a unique and affordable wedding or ceremony are invited to an exclusive “Sneak a Peak” Open Day at Cheylesmore Manor House on Saturday 8 March, from 10am to 1pm.

    Nestled in the heart of Coventry, this award-winning, historical venue is a true hidden gem, offering bespoke and beautiful settings for unforgettable celebrations.

    Visitors will be welcomed with a complimentary glass of fizz or soft drink as they explore the stunning 14th-Century manor, a venue that blends rich heritage with a warm and intimate atmosphere. You will be greeted by some of our expert team of ceremony coordinators and a Registrar, plus a professional toastmaster will be on hand, to offer guided tours, answer questions, and provide valuable advice on booking, legal requirements, and personalising your ceremony.

    Cheylesmore Manor House is renowned for its affordability without compromising on elegance. Whether you’re planning a grand wedding or a simple, intimate ceremony, our passionate team is dedicated to making your day truly special.

    Councillor Abdul Salam Khan, Cabinet Member for Events, expressed enthusiasm for the event: “Cheylesmore Manor House is one of Coventry’s most treasured historical buildings, and it’s wonderful to see it creating unforgettable moments for couples. This free to attend Open Day is a fantastic opportunity for people to explore the venue, meet our dedicated team, and see how they can celebrate their special day in a truly unique and affordable setting.”

    Couples will have the opportunity to see first-hand how the lovely venue can transform their special day into a lifelong memory. From the perfect setting to expert advice, this Open Day is a must-visit for those looking to say “I do” in a truly enchanting venue.

    In addition, on the day, a number of other local businesses will be promoting how they can help add the personal bespoke touches to your ceremony or wedding even more special.

    Please let us know if you plan or want to attend the day, as this will assist in planning the day, just email ceremonyco-ordinator@coventry.gov.uk and we look forward to seeing you on the day. However, don’t worry if you decide at the last minute to attend, the staff will still be around to welcome you for a look around, so you can discover why Cheylesmore Manor House is one of Coventry’s best-kept secrets for weddings and ceremonies.

    Cheylesmore Manor is based in Manor House Drive, in Coventry city centre and the postcode is CV1 2ND.

    Full details about the venue.

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Beach recycling underway to strengthen Norfolk flood protection

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    Press release

    Beach recycling underway to strengthen Norfolk flood protection

    An expected 14,000 tonnes of sand and shingle will be moved to protect 800 homes and 4,000 caravans.

    Work is underway to bolster natural flood defences along the west coast of Norfolk as part of their yearly renewal.  

    Beach recycling will see an expected 14,000 tonnes of sand and shingle will be moved around the beach from where it’s been deposited by the tidal movement of the sea. 

    The aggregate is taken north to Heacham and South Hunstanton to restore the shingle ridge along a 5km stretch of coastline.

    The shingle ridge is a natural flood defence protecting more than 800 properties and 4,000 caravans. The recycling will be completed in time for ground nesting birds and tourists to arrive. 

    To move thousands of tonnes of material, the Environment Agency uses three 30-tonne dumper trucks, two bulldozers and an excavator. 

    The recycling follows a report into the shingle ridge which was published in Summer 2024. The Environment Agency is set to begin updating the 2015 Wash East Coast Management Strategy (WECMS) for Hunstanton to Wolferton Creek later this year. The updated strategy will further assess the latest monitoring data and reflect the findings of the Initial Assessment report.

    Sadia Moeed, Area Director for the Environment Agency said:

    “Beach recycling is an incredibly important part of the work we do on the Norfolk coast. It’s vital the shingle ridge is kept in good condition to help reduce the risk of flooding to the communities behind it.

    “It’s also important that property owners continue to refrain from digging into the ridge and approach the us if they wish to carry out works within 16m of it. This will also help preserve the integrity of the ridge and its ability to perform as a natural flood defence.

    “People should know their flood risk and sign up for free flood warnings by going to https://www.gov.uk/check-flood-risk or calling Floodline on 0345 988 1188. You can also follow @EnvAgencyAnglia on Twitter for the latest flood updates.”‎

    Both Natural England and the RSPB are consulted on the beach recycling to preserve the coastline’s environmental importance. The work is funded by the East Wash Coastal Management Community Interest Company which raises funds from the local community, caravan park owners and landowners. Anglian Water and the Borough Council of Kings Lynn & West Norfolk also contribute to the project.

    Cllr Sandra Squire, Cabinet Member for Environment at the Borough Council of King’s Lynn & West Norfolk, said:

    “Restoring the shingle ridges between Hunstanton and Snettisham helps to protect people and wildlife living on the coast in west Norfolk.

    “This important annual beach recycling programme, which is an effective means of undertaking important flood defence work to maintain the defences along the Snettisham to Hunstanton coastline, makes a real difference to the communities in the area.”

    Notes to editors

    Updates to this page

    Published 27 February 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: It’s travel challenge time!

    Source: City of Plymouth

    Are you joining the 2025 Big Plymouth Travel Challenge?

    We are teaming up with Sustrans for a third year to encourage people to leave their cars at home for some of their everyday journeys and try cleaner, greener, healthier ways of getting from A to B.

    The challenge starts on Saturday (1 March) and encourages people to choose active travel options like walking, cycling, scooting or skating for a month. It’s a great way of staying fit and healthy, saving money and helping to improve our air quality – so get those comfy shoes and bikes out!

    As an extra incentive, there are three special prizes – a Raleigh bike worth £475, an adult micro scooter worth £175 and a gold level bike service worth £140 from Bikespace in Devonport – as well as shopping vouchers up for grabs. See the Sustrans website for full prize details.

    Everyone who signs up will get online access to plenty of useful hints, tips and support and a personalised dashboard where they can log their progress. They can even set themselves targets, such as miles travelled, calories burned, or carbon emissions cut.

    It’s all part of our ‘active travel social prescribing’ programme, funded by Active Travel England, where our transport and public health teams work with partners including Sustrans, as well as health providers, link workers (within GP practices and health and wellbeing hubs) and community groups to get more people enjoying active travel as a form of exercise.

    Councillor John Stephens, our walking and cycling champion, said: “We know how important it is to keep active and this is such an easy way to do that. Making just a few of those regular trips – or even part of them – on foot or bike can make a really big difference to our health and wellbeing.

    “It also helps to reduce the amount of traffic on our roads, which is good for us all. More than 450 people took part in last year’s challenge, recording over 6,000 trips and avoiding 1,861kg of carbon emissions. This year we hope to do even better.”

    Everyone who lives or works in Plymouth is welcome to sign up to the challenge and you can go solo or team up with friends, family or colleagues.

    Register now and get ready to start logging your journeys!

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Pineapples Award nomination is ‘pear-fect’ news

    Source: Anglia Ruskin University

    The Lab building at ARU Peterborough – photograph courtesy of Philip Vile

    ARU Peterborough’s new £32 million building is in the running for a prestigious national award – just a few months after its official opening.

    The Lab, the third building at the city’s rapidly growing university, has been shortlisted in the Best Building category at the Pineapples Awards 2025.

    The Pineapples Awards recognise projects that make a positive impact on places and people, celebrating buildings that are welcoming rather than simply aesthetically pleasing. Award winners receive a golden pineapple trophy, with the pineapple historically being a symbol of welcome in UK architecture.

    The awards have a unique judging process, with the 51 judges asked to evaluate projects from both a professional and personal perspective. Judges consider the social and environmental impact, their own physical reactions, and how people from diverse backgrounds might experience the space.

    Designed by Cambridge-based MCW architects and built by Morgan Sindall Construction, ARU Peterborough’s The Lab features engineering workshops, a microbiology lab, a tissue culture lab, teaching spaces, and the Living Lab, which has been specifically designed for public engagement events, talks, and exhibitions.

    The timber building also meets high environmental standards, earning an Excellent rating from BREEAM, the leading global standard for building sustainability. During its construction, over 258 tonnes of CO2 emissions were saved.

    As the third building to open since the university’s launch in 2022, The Lab’s specialised teaching facilities have enabled ARU Peterborough to expand its range of employment-focused courses, particularly in STEM (science, technology, engineering, and maths) subjects.

    “The University is already receiving national attention for our impact in improving access to education and raising skills levels in the region, and we’re thrilled that our fabulous buildings are also being recognised.

    “We’ve worked hard to make sure ARU Peterborough is a wonderful place to study, work, and visit. Our campus is open and accessible to the community, and this Pineapples Award nomination is testament to that. I encourage anyone who hasn’t already visited ARU Peterborough to come and explore for themselves.”

    Professor Ross Renton, Principal of ARU Peterborough

    “The most rewarding part of being an architect is seeing your buildings being used and loved by so many people. The double-height Living Lab at ARU Peterborough was designed as a golden beacon for the campus – a space where students, as well as the community, can come together for lectures, events, and exhibitions.

    “The Lab’s open and transparent nature reflects the commitment to creating a welcoming building that has a positive impact on both places and people. This Pineapples Award shortlisting is thanks to the shared vision of the Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Combined Authority, Peterborough City Council, and ARU, and we’re incredibly proud to be a part of it.”

    Lien Geens, Associate Director of MCW architects

    “This nomination is a fantastic recognition of the ambition behind ARU Peterborough and the impact it’s already having on our region.

    “The Lab is more than just a building – it’s a gateway to opportunity, innovation, and community engagement. Investing in education and skills is vital for our region’s future, and seeing ARU Peterborough’s campus being nationally celebrated shows we’re on the right track.”

    Dr Nik Johnson, Mayor of Cambridgeshire and Peterborough

    The golden pineapples will be announced and presented to the winning projects at a ceremony in April.

    ARU Peterborough is a partnership between Anglia Ruskin University, Peterborough City Council and the Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Combined Authority.

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Queen Street Update

    Source: Scotland – City of Aberdeen

    Maintenance work is currently underway at the Mitchell Tower at Marischal College East which is owned by the University of Aberdeen. It is expected that the unforeseen repair and maintenance programme could take at least 12 months – although this has still to be confirmed pending detailed inspection.
    During this time there will be a requirement for construction access through Queen Street and the site of the proposed urban park to Marischal East and the Mitchell Tower. Aberdeen City Council is working closely with the University to ensure that respective programmes do not prejudice or prevent any emergency repair work to be undertaken.

    In order to deliver the most efficient construction programmes for both the repairs to the Tower and the delivery of the urban park, the Council has reprogrammed the construction of the urban park to commence on site once issues with the Mitchell Tower have been addressed.
    Maintaining a permanent access to Marischal East and the Mitchell Tower throughout the urban park construction programme would add significant time, cost and complexity to the project, together with risk to new fixtures fittings and new surfaces. The Council has therefore agreed to pause the construction programme for the urban park to enable full access to Marischal East to undertake necessary repair works.

    The University is liaising closely with Aberdeen City Council and updating them over progress and timeline of that work.

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: UN Human Rights Council 58: UK Statement at the Enhanced Interactive Dialogue on Sudan

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments 3

    Speech

    UN Human Rights Council 58: UK Statement at the Enhanced Interactive Dialogue on Sudan

    UK Statement at the 58 Human Rights Council during the Enhanced Interactive Dialogue on Sudan. Delivered by the UK’s Permanent Representative to the UN & WTO, Simon Manley.

    Mr Vice President, 

    High Commissioner, thank you for your report.  

    Nearly two years of wholly unnecessary conflict after an unnecessary coup d’etat.

    Thousands of civilians killed. Millions facing starvation. Targeted attacks on civilians. And rampant sexual violence, as our Foreign Secretary heard first-hand on the Sudan-Chad border just last month.  

    It is appalling that those seeking refuge in IDP camps are subject to further violence. The recent RSF attacks on ZamZam IDP Camp and drone strikes in El Fasher are simply unacceptable.  

    We welcome the continued cooperation between your office High Commissioner, the Designated Expert and the Independent Fact-Finding Mission. These efforts to document and investigate human rights violations and abuses are critical to ending the cycle of violence.

    Vice President.

    All parties must uphold their Jeddah Declaration commitments and bring an end to the violence.

    Aid actors need safe and unhindered humanitarian access to areas of greatest need, including Darfur.

    And all perpetrators of human rights violations and abuses need to be held to account to end the entrenched impunity in Sudan.

    High Commissioner, what more can we do to end impunity in Sudan?

    Thank you.

    Updates to this page

    Published 27 February 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Why incest porn is more common and harmful than you think

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Clare McGlynn, Professor of Law, Durham University

    Delbo Andrea/Shutterstock

    Incest porn is finally facing long overdue scrutiny. The government’s porn review recommends strengthening the extreme porn law to include incest porn and mandate its removal. The review also calls for much more proactive regulation of the porn industry, and bans on misogynistic, degrading and violent pornography, including sexual strangulation.

    These proposed changes address a glaring gap in regulation. While pornographic videos depicting incest porn are unlawful offline, there are no controls over its online distribution or possession. Strengthening extreme porn laws to include incest would signal a shift towards a society no longer willing to normalise and trivialise child sexual abuse and incest.

    Any cursory visit today to the most popular porn websites reveals a continuous stream of incest material.

    To be clear, I’m talking about porn depicting sexual activity between family members, particularly the vast swathes of material with (step)fathers and (step)brothers having sex with very young-looking girls. They may be actors over 18, but they are often in children’s clothes, surrounded by children’s toys, with pigtails, braces and other markers of childhood.

    The scenarios are often about creeping into young girls’ bedrooms, coercing or grooming them into sex. The graphic titles of videos describe sex between (step)fathers and daughters. Alarmingly, they often reproduce the justifications of real-life abusers, such as “little secret between daddy and his girl”. These videos are viewed and given the thumbs up online by millions.

    The new proposals target the depiction of unlawful sexual activity between family members. This includes any daddy-daughter or brother-sister scenarios as this is always a sexual offence. But it would not cover consensual sexual activity between step-parents and step-children over 18, as this is not currently unlawful. Nor would it cover instances where terms like daddy or stepmom are simply used as descriptors for older actors.

    Growing popularity

    Incest porn wasn’t always so common. In the 1980s, porn content studies found only 3% of material was incest-related. One of the first studies of internet porn, in 2006, found only 1% portrayed incest. But by 2014, incest porn was on Pornhub’s list of most popular searches.

    My own research with colleagues revealed that one in eight titles on the homepages of the most popular porn websites described sexual violence, with sexual activity between family members the largest category of abusive content. Professor Elaine Craig’s recent study also confirms the prevalence of incest-related themes on the most popular porn platforms.

    The changing business model of porn in the internet age means that the prevalence of incest porn is as much about platforms promoting it, as it is about users seeking it out. The largest porn websites use algorithmic models to maximise user engagement, keeping users hooked, collecting more data and selling more advertising. Just like social media, porn websites prioritise extreme, shocking, exploitative and divisive material, such as incest content.

    Pornography writes our sexual scripts

    Porn, therefore, shapes our sexual scripts, the norms we internalise about what is expected, normal and acceptable in sexual relationships. Research on sexual strangulation, for example, finds that more frequent consumption of porn leads to greater exposure to pornographic depictions of sexual strangulation which, in turn, predicted a higher likelihood of strangling sexual partners.

    The largest study to date of men who have sexually offended against children found that they were 11 times more likely to watch violent porn and 27 times more likely to view bestiality porn.

    Porn consumed by millions (there are 130 million visitors a day to Pornhub) necessarily shapes our social environment, and in turn our attitudes and sexual practices.

    Evidence suggests pornography shapes our sexual scripts.
    Torwai Studio/Shutterstock

    The prevalence of incest-themed content matters, as it normalises and legitimises ideas of sexual activity between family members – particularly involving young girls. When these messages are consumed by millions every day, the influence extends beyond individual users and filters into broader cultural attitudes.



    Read more:
    Sexual strangulation has become popular – but that doesn’t mean it’s wanted

    In time, we may become desensitised, less likely to understand the prevalence of child sexual abuse, or its seriousness. The claim that incest porn is fantasy without real-world effects assumes incest is rare, abhorrent. But it’s not.

    It’s commonplace, with 500,000 children in England and Wales sexually abused each year. These are predominantly girls, with (step)fathers accounting for up to half of the perpetrators.

    From my work in this field, it is clear to me that these sexual scripts influence society in various ways, including making us less likely to believe survivors. We may blame the victims, having internalised that girls entice family members into sex. And it seems we become less concerned about government inaction on child sexual abuse as it no longer seems serious.

    Time for change

    Critics demand evidence of direct causation, asking for proof that watching specific videos of incest porn leads to specific acts of incest. But this narrow framing (I argue, deliberately) misses the point. Sexual violence is complex and influenced by a range of factors. No study can isolate porn as the sole cause of any particular act, nor should we expect it to.

    Rejecting a direct causal relationship is not the same as rejecting any relationship. We need to ask, in a culture saturated with incest porn, are we more likely to tolerate, excuse or dismiss the realities of incest and sexual abuse? Probably – and I would argue that is enough.

    If we continue to allow incest porn to proliferate, we risk perpetuating a culture that trivialises abuse, undermines survivors and distorts our understanding of what is acceptable in sexual relationships. It is time to stop debating whether pornography causes direct harm in a narrow sense, but to confront the broader reality that it is shaping our attitudes and society in profoundly damaging ways.

    Clare McGlynn 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 incest porn is more common and harmful than you think – https://theconversation.com/why-incest-porn-is-more-common-and-harmful-than-you-think-247512

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Can making the NHS cleaner slow the spread of disease?

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Jonathan R. Goodman, Research Associate, Public Health, University of Cambridge

    Several weeks ago, I visited a local NHS urgent care centre with my toddler on what might be called a semi-annual pilgrimage related to having a child in nursery. Owing to what is now a typical three- or four-hour wait, during which he made a recovery, I had the time to notice the hospital’s waiting room cleaning practices. They amounted to someone pushing a mop around the floor and in the process moving, rather than removing, various fluids and items that had probably amassed over the preceding several hours.

    About 36 hours later, our toddler woke up with a stomach bug. The cleaning practices I saw – coupled with my inability to keep him from touching a lot of surfaces in the hospital, including the floor – suggested to me that this was not a coincidence.

    Individual behaviour and practices play a role in the spread of disease. And many times it is our collective actions that lead to contagion, even if our goal is to prevent it.

    Given the NHS has recently recorded its highest ever rate of norovirus cases – with the bug making up more than one in 100 hospitalisations in the country – we are due for a rethink about how we understand the social elements of illness.

    As a social scientist working in public health, I’ve learned that diseases conform to our behaviour, which can keep us one step ahead – or leave us one behind.

    How we develop policy around contagion is one example. Recently, NHS England published new national standards of cleanliness for NHS Trusts – the most recent update since 2021. These standards define cleanliness, what materials should be used and the frequencies necessary for adequate cleaning.

    The guidelines are, unsurprisingly, very boring, but what stands out to me is the emphasis on which spaces and surfaces are the most likely to be contaminated, rather than taking a contextual approach to the relationship between people, germs and spaces.

    The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), by contrast, uses a more complex function. Risk is evaluated by combining the probability of contamination of an item or surface, the vulnerability of patients and the potential for exposure within the space.

    A waiting room where people have been vomiting, for example, would be taken more seriously as a risky area using these guidelines than the brute force approach taken by the NHS.

    Another important element of risk, though one not evaluated explicitly in any policy guideline, is how germs evolve in response to our efforts against them.

    Staphylococcus aureus bacteria, for example, are typically treated by antibiotics, though the rise of the methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) subtype has complicated patient care around the world.

    More recently, bacteria called carbapenemase-producing enterobacterales (CPEs) have started spreading in hospitals, and are both highly contagious and difficult to treat.

    Both MRSA and CPEs are, however, direct results of our efforts to combat bacteria: our use of antibiotics selects, evolutionarily speaking, for resistance to our treatments.

    Imperial College London’s Fleming Initiative, named after the discoverer of the first antibiotic, penicillin, is an international effort that aims to stymie the spread of these germs, but they nonetheless present a real and serious risk to patients everywhere.

    Clostridioides difficile, a bacterium linked with painful stomach bugs, has also shown increasing resistance to antibiotics, particularly strains found in hospitals. What’s worse, evidence from 2023 suggests C difficile may even be resistant to bleach, which is typically successful at killing almost all germs and was found, in the past, to work against this bacterium, too.

    Everyone plays a role

    Blunt policies specifying cleaning schedules without reference to context are unlikely to be effective in a world of fast-evolving germs. What’s needed, instead, is a population-level understanding about how everyone plays a role in contagion and in its containment. We’re part of a broader ecosystem that bacteria and viruses live within, and which evolve to thrive when we become complacent in our behaviour.

    The CDC’s guidelines embrace context, but the work doesn’t stop with hospital cleaning staff – who in the UK, by the way, earn an average of £21,000 a year for the critical work they do. Anyone who works in or visits a healthcare space has a responsibility to those nearby, whether that involves maintaining distance between people or shielding others from their own illness.

    We can’t expect stretched systems and overworked employees to prevent the spread of germs. And the UK’s massive norovirus outbreak is a symptom itself of how bad we are at preventing viral contagion.

    Yet people – including patients and their carers like me – can do a lot more than just idly watch dirty mops float by in waiting areas. We can educate ourselves about current risks, avoid where possible spaces with a high risk of contamination, and stay home to prevent infecting others, for example in the workplace.

    Social approaches should be built into any framework that aims to combat disease. Knowledge, unlike antibiotics and bleach, is free – and the spread of information about how to help prevent contagion can only be good for healthcare systems and society more broadly.

    Jonathan R. Goodman 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. Can making the NHS cleaner slow the spread of disease? – https://theconversation.com/can-making-the-nhs-cleaner-slow-the-spread-of-disease-249647

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Man wants to search dump for lost hard drive with bitcoin fortune – here are his odds of finding it

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Craig Anderson, Senior Lecturer in Statistics, University of Glasgow

    vchal/Shutterstock

    James Howells is considering buying a council dump in south Wales after his former partner accidentally threw away a hard drive containing his bitcoin wallet. Howells has already lost a high court case to allow him to search the tip for the hard drive, which he believes contains bitcoin worth £600 million.

    But would it even be possible to find it? Let’s do the maths.

    Howells, a Welsh IT engineer, was an early adopter of the cryptocurrency bitcoin in December 2008. By February 2009, he had started mining the coins on his laptop – a process which involves using your computer to carry out complex mathematical processes in exchange for the coins.

    At the time, he was one of just five people mining the currency, and he eventually accrued a fortune of around 8,000 bitcoin. Initially, these were basically worthless – the first real-world transaction involving the currency was in 2010, when a man in Florida bought two pizzas for 10,000 bitcoins.

    However, in the 15 years since, the value of the currency has grown dramatically, with a single bitcoin passing the US$100,000 mark in December 2024 – a value which would mean those two pizzas are now worth US$1 billion (£790 million).

    Doing the calculations

    No wonder Howells wants to find his hard drive. But what are the chances of finding a tiny 10cm hard drive in a site containing 1.4 billion kg of waste? Is it literally like finding a needle in a haystack?

    At first, this seems like a simple calculation. If we randomly select a single location within the landfill, the probability that the hard drive will be there is simply the size of the object divided by the total size of the landfill.

    A Google maps estimate of the area of the Docksway landfill site suggests it is roughly 500,000 square metres (or 5 billion square centimetres), which is approximately the size of 70 football pitches.

    Docksway landfill in Newport, Wales, in 2007.
    wikipedia, CC BY-SA

    However, we also have to account for the depth of the landfill, with years of rubbish piled on top of each other. Even a conservative estimate of 20 metres would give a total volume of 10 million cubic metres (or 10 trillion cubic centimetres). This is roughly 3,600 times the volume of the swimming pool used at last summer’s Paris Olympic Games.

    Howells says the bitcoin are on a 2.5-inch hard drive, which has a volume of around 70 cubic centimetres (7cm x 10cm x 1cm). Therefore, the odds of finding the bitcoin at a single randomly selected location are 70/10,000,000,000,000 = 0.000000000007 – approximately a one in 143 billion chance.

    This is over 3,000 times less likely than winning the jackpot on the UK’s National Lottery. However, with £600 million on the line, it seems unlikely anyone would just turn up and search one single location.

    So, the real question here is about time and money. If we know that the hard drive is located somewhere within the landfill site, how long would it take to find it, and how much would it cost?

    If we focus on time to begin with, this is really just an extension of our first calculation. Suppose it takes 1 second to search each 1,000 cubic centimetre section of the landfill (an incomplete estimate since my experience of hunting landfill for hard drives is limited), then it would take us 10 billion seconds (or 316 years) of continuous searching to cover the entire site. But of course, this could be significantly reduced by having an entire team searching at the same time.

    Is it financially worth it?

    Clearly, Howells does not have 316 years available to complete his search, but what if he was given the resources for one full year of non-stop searching? The odds of finding the hard drive in this year would be 1 in 316, and while the chances remain slim, this might start to sound tempting given the potential reward.

    That is where the aspect of cost comes in. How much would you be willing to pay in order to have a 1 in 316 chance of winning £600m? The answer lies in the statistical concept of “expected value”“, which is the expected long-term outcome of a scenario if you were able to repeat it over and over again.

    For example, suppose you were rolling a die, and you were told that you would be given £2 if you rolled a six but would have to pay £1 if you rolled any other value. You can work out the expected value of this game to see if it is worth playing. The odds of rolling a 6 are 1/6, and the odds of rolling any other value are 5/6. We can therefore compute the expected value as:

    E [winnings] = 1/6 * £2 + 5/6 * (-£1) = 2/6 – 5/6 = -3/6 = -£1/2

    In other words, you would expect to lose half of £1 (or 50p), on average, every time you played this game.

    In the case of our bitcoins, we can think about the expected value as being the amount of money you would expect to make on average if you searched the landfill for a whole year. We would expect that, on average, we would find the hard drive (and the £600 million) 1 time out of 316, and would fail to find it 315 times out of 316 and get absolutely nothing. Therefore, we can compute the expected value as:

    E [£ found] = 1/316 * £600m + 315/316 * 0 = £1,898,734

    This means that on average, by searching the site for a year, you would expect to find £1.9 million. So, if the searching costs were less than this amount, you would expect to make a profit on average, and it may be considered a worthwhile investment. However, if the search cost more than £1.9 million, you would expect to lose money on average, and it would not be considered worthwhile.

    These calculations can be easily adjusted to account for different lengths of search time, number of people searching, or indeed different sizes of landfill site or search area.

    If Howell ever gets access to the dump, it might be worth having a statistician on hand to help guide the search (and of course, I would be happy to offer my services for a small fee…).

    Craig Anderson 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. Man wants to search dump for lost hard drive with bitcoin fortune – here are his odds of finding it – https://theconversation.com/man-wants-to-search-dump-for-lost-hard-drive-with-bitcoin-fortune-here-are-his-odds-of-finding-it-249889

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: New regime will improve Council bulky waste collection service

    Source: City of Oxford

    Thursday, 27 February 2025

    Oxford City Council, and its partner ODS, are taking decisive steps to improve their bulky waste collection service.

    To ensure the service operates at a manageable and sustainable level, the Council is implementing the following improvements: 

    These measures will allow the Council to clear any existing backlog and reduce collection waiting times to within improved level of seven days. 

    Comment 

    Councillor Nigel Chapman, Cabinet Member for Citizen Focused Services and Council Companies, said: “Oxford City Council and ODS remain committed to continuously improving our bulky waste collections to help ensure a cleaner, more efficient and cost-effective service for all residents.  

    “Now, these measures will cut the collection response times to make it easier for everyone to get rid of their bulky waste items quickly, and at a low cost.” 

    Background 

    Charges for bulky waste collections were introduced in 2021 (£30 for white goods and £20 for other bulky items) bringing the City Council’s policy in line with other districts in Oxfordshire. A discount is available for those receiving housing benefit, council tax support, or universal credit with a housing element. The discount for bulky waste furniture is £10 per item and for large electrical items and white goods, £15 per item. 

    In January 2023, Government regulations required that waste items containing Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs) such as fire-retardant upholstery be collected and processed separately. This statutory requirement has increased operational costs and decreased capacity, as separate waste streams must now be managed.  

    Currently, white goods bulky waste collections take place one day a week and are disposed of at Redbridge. POPs and other bulky furniture collections take place on two days a week and are taken to either Sutton Courtney or Redbridge. 

    With an increased collection schedule and route optimisation, the Council aims to ensure a faster service for residents. 

    Looking ahead 

    In the longer term, the Council is working on making the bulky waste collection service even better by: 

    • evaluating the impact of Simpler Recycling legislation and Extended Producer Responsibility payments, which indicate that Councils may be required to offer free domestic bulky waste collections in the future 

    Booking a bulky waste collection 

    Residents can book a bulky waste collection by calling 01865 249811. For further inquiries, contact the Recycling and Waste Team.

    Find out more about the collection service by visiting the bulky waste webpage.  

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Regional funding boost for transport and highways

    Source: City of Derby

    Transport and highways in Derby stand to benefit from £15.6 million of funding from the East Midlands Combined County Authority (EMCCA).

    The money, which is subject to approval of the EMCCA budget on 10 March, is part of a multi-million pound package for Derby, Derbyshire, Nottingham and Nottinghamshire councils.

    This amounts to £10.71 million of new funding coming into Derby following the establishment of EMCCA, and includes money for highway maintenance and larger schemes.

    £6.46 million is advance funding from the City Region Sustainable Transport Settlements 2 pot. This includes:

    • Improving the A52 Spondon interchange
    • Improvements to the Inner Ring Road
    • A feasibility study, designs, business case and planning to replace Darley Abbey Mills Bridge
    • Feasibility works aimed at improving key routes into the city for cyclists and pedestrians
    • Pipeline development and repairs to culverts
    • Preventative maintenance to highways.

    Additional funding of £3 million has been allocated for improvements to the Merrill Way, A514 and Boulton Lane junction, which is key to enabling the construction of the new A50 junction as part of the South Derby Growth Zone.

    The Council would also receive £3.117 million plus an additional £1.259 million for Highways maintenance, and £2.94 million for capital spending for the Bus Service Improvement Plan.

    Councillor Kathy Kozlowski, Cabinet Member for Governance and Finance, said:

    This is excellent news for Derby and will direct much-needed cash into our road and transport network. The additional funding for highways maintenance is particularly welcome, as the continuing pressure on the Council budget means we’re not in the position to propose any additional borrowing for our highways and transport capital programme in 2025/26.

    Mayor of the East Midlands, Claire Ward, said:

    This is a huge step forward for transport in Derby and the East Midlands as a whole. We want to investing millions to build a better, more connected future for our communities. This funding will make a real difference to everyday lives, making travel easier, safer, and more reliable, whether by bus, bike, or on foot, while also tackling much-needed road repairs.

    By working closely with our local councils and partners, we will ensure every pound is spent wisely to improve transport links, reduce congestion, and support greener, more sustainable ways to travel. This is about more than just infrastructure – it’s about connecting people to opportunities, whether that’s jobs, skills training, education, or our fantastic local attractions.

    Our ambition is clear: to create a transport system that not only meets the needs of today but also lays the foundations for a stronger, more prosperous East Midlands in the future. We want this region to be a place where people and businesses can thrive, and this funding, when approved, will be a major step toward achieving that vision.

    The funding proposals will go to EMCCA’s Transport and Digital Connectivity Committee on 4 March, before going to the EMCCA Board the following week, and the Department for Transport. A report with full details will then go to Derby City Council’s Cabinet.

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –