NewzIntel.com

Category: Vehicles

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Palmerston North Police make arrests after three violent incidents

    Source: New Zealand Police (National News)

    Palmerston North Police have made arrests following three violent incidents across the city this month.

    In the last few weeks, Police have arrested three men aged 22 to 26 following two serious assaults at two bars, and a violent incident outside a petrol station.

    In the early hours of New Years Day, Police responded to a bar on Rangitikei Street, following reports of an assault where one person received serious injuries.

    The victim has since been discharged from hospital.

    A 24-year-old man has been remanded in custody and is due to reappear in Palmerston North District Court on 4 March, on a charge of wounding with intent to injure. 

    Then, on Monday 27 January, Police responded to a bar on Main Street around 11.30pm where one person received serious injuries consistent with a stab wound.

    The victim is expected to be discharged from hospital today.

    A 26-year-old man appeared in Palmerston North District Court this week on a charge of wounding with intent to cause grievous bodily harm. He is due to reappear in court on 10 March. 

    In a third, separate incident, on 10 January two men received injuries following an incident where one of the men was struck by a vehicle on Ferguson Street, and another person received injuries consistent with stab wounds.

    They have both been discharged from hospital.

    A 22-year-old man has been remanded in custody and is due to reappear before the Palmerston North District Court on 4 March on charges including wounding with intent to cause grievous bodily harm, possessing an offensive weapon, and assault with a blunt instrument.

    It has been pleasing to be able to hold people account for these violent actions, and Police will continue to work hard to keep our community safe.

    ENDS

    Issued by Police Media Centre. 

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Drug Trafficker Pleads Guilty to Possessing a Massive Amount of Methamphetamine

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    ATLANTA – Gilberto Contreras has pleaded guilty to possessing with intent to distribute nearly 1,000 pounds of methamphetamine. 

    “Contreras distributed massive quantities of dangerous drugs that posed a significant threat to the health and safety of our communities,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Richard S. Moultrie, Jr.  “Our office is grateful for the diligent work of our federal and local law enforcement partners who work tirelessly to remove these poisons from our streets and to hold accountable those who peddle them.”

    “This case represents the continued commitment of the DEA to identify and hold accountable those who engage in the distribution of dangerous drugs, such as methamphetamine,” said Jae Chung, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the DEA Atlanta Division.

    According to Acting U.S. Attorney Moultrie, the charges and other information presented in court: On July 2, 2024, DEA special agents received information about a local methamphetamine trafficker with multiple kilograms of methamphetamine for sale.  The investigation led agents to a parking lot in Clayton County, Georgia, where the agents encountered Contreras.  Law enforcement stopped Contreras’s vehicle a short time later and located a black trash bag containing approximately 44 pounds of methamphetamine.  Agents then searched Contreras’s residence and backyard in Ellenwood, Georgia and located approximately 915 pounds of methamphetamine and $40,000 in cash.

    Gilberto Contreras, 54, of Ellenwood, Georgia, is scheduled to be sentenced on May 13, 2025, at 2:00 p.m. before U.S. District Judge Thomas W. Thrash, Jr.

    This case is being investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration with valuable assistance provided by the Clayton County Police Department.

    Assistant U.S. Attorney Dwayne A. Brown, Jr. is prosecuting the case.

    The U.S. Attorney’s Office in Atlanta recommends parents and children learn about the dangers of drugs at the following web site: www.justthinktwice.gov.

    For further information please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office at USAGAN.PressEmails@usdoj.gov or (404) 581-6016.  The Internet address for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia is http://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Defence Secretary speech at the ADS Annual Dinner: 28 January 2025

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments 3

    Defence Secretary John Healey addressed the ADS Annual Dinner on 28 January 2025.

    Good evening. Let me begin by thanking Kevin and his team at ADS for hosting this splendid event and for their work in promoting an industry that is the foundation for our way of life.

    ADS is going from strength to strength, with a double digit increase in your membership last year.

    You represent a commitment to innovation and excellence that are hallmarks of the British business spirit.

    Yours is an industry which proves that we are still – at heart – a nation of makers and inventors. I know recent times haven’t been easy. And as Defence Secretary, I am grateful to you all.

    This event brings us together from across the UK, across the industry and across the political divide.

    I welcome this because defence policy and procurement commitments reach beyond political cycles.

    I believe I’m the first Defence Secretary who’s spoken at this dinner, and tonight, you have two for the price of one with me as the warmup act for Penny Mourdant’s after dinner speech.

    Penny is someone with a lifelong connection and commitment to our armed forces, who rose to become the first woman ever to hold the role of Defence Secretary.

    I’ve had the privilege of six months in the role, part of a government taking on profound challenges in our economy, our public finances and our national security.

    Yet, as a new government, we’ve already:

    • Stepped up and speeded up support for Ukraine…
    • Increased defence spending by nearly £3 billion…
    • Launched a first of its kind Strategic Defence Review…
    • Given service personnel the largest pay rise in over 20 years… and still dealt with a multi-billion in-year deficit…
    • Signed the landmark Trinity House Agreement with Germany…
    • Secured a huge deal to buy back over 36,000 military homes to improve forces housing and save taxpayers billions…
    • Set new targets to tackle the recruitment crisis…
    • Begun a transformational MOD reform programme…
    • And got the Armed Forces Commissioner Bill through the House of Commons to improve service life.

    The point I want to make is that this is a new government that is delivering for defence.

    Something which I was able to underline last Friday at Rolls Royce, announcing a major new contract over 8 years, which will boost British jobs, business and national security.

    There’s incredible work being done there in Derby, by an incredible team, some of whom are here this evening.

    It’s a big investment, but behind the numbers are 200 apprentices a year who now feel they have a future.  

    And suppliers – 92 per cent of which are British based – who now feel like have certainty. 

    What really struck me – and it happens every time I visit a defence site – is the deep sense of pride and purpose.

    Defence workers are right to feel that way. Their efforts keep us all safe.

    And as an industry, you also invest huge sums in research and development. One of the great strengths of the defence industry is that you force us to reach for the future.

    Down the years, you’ve been responsible for some of the most significant innovations in history. Designed for times of war but which often produce lasting benefits for wider society well beyond the battlefield.

    As a nation, we’re good – and rightly so – at taking pride in the professionalism of our soldiers, sailors and aviators.

    But we know that that they are only as effective as the industry which equips them.

    We must be better at celebrating the role of the coders, programmers, scientists and engineers who provide our forces with the tools they need to protect us.

    It’s why I want us to not only change the way we work with the defence industry, but also change the way we see the defence industry.

    On the way we work with industry, I hope the last few months serve as a glimpse of type of partnership we want to forge.

    From industry involvement – for the first time ever – in our war gaming, to the creation of the new Defence Industrial Joint Council. 

    And on the way we see industry, we know we have much to do.

    Right now, there’s growing security concerns for defence firms at university careers, you attend to offer young people a route to a better life.

    You’re facing harassment and intimidation, forced to cancel events on campus. This is wrong.

    This attitude takes for granted the privileged position we enjoy in Britain – to live in freedom and security… security our defence industry guarantees. 

    So, today – alongside the Business and Education Secretaries – I’ve written to Universities UK for assurances about your safety on campuses. 

    We’re also seeing defence firms ranked alongside tobacco and gambling in Environmental, Social and Governance audits. And pension funds divest from you.

    I have no doubt the intentions are well-meaning. But they’re fundamentally flawed.

    We don’t stop wars by boycotting our defence industry.

    We stop wars by backing it.

    Let’s not forget that national security is a pre-condition for economic security, investor confidence and social stability. 

    I will always be a fierce advocate for you in the Department, to wider government, to the City, to the British public and to whoever needs to hear it.

    My challenge to you – as an industry – is to be louder and confident about your role.

    As my friend – Jonny Reynolds– said to the President’s Reception earlier:

    “You are exceptional in your importance… in helping to safeguard our national security and our way of life.

    “But you are also exceptional in your contribution to our economy. Nearly half a million well paid jobs are directly owed to aerospace, defence, security and space sectors.”

    To meet the challenges of this new era of threats, you’ve seen the direction we want to take with our Defence Industrial Strategy Statement of Intent.

    And let me thank everyone who’s shared their insights so far in submissions to both our industrial strategy, and SDR consultations. 

    I know – for some – our Statement of Intent may have been met with a degree of scepticism. You’ve been here before… I get that…

    New government, new ideas.

    But old habits die hard and entrenched interests dig in.

    Previous industrial strategies have produced policies – many of them good – but there wasn’t the plan, the structures and the relentless attention to reform needed to make change happen.

    So, why will this be different?

    First, it has to be different. 

    The war in Ukraine confronts us with the deep truth that when a country faces conflict or is forced to fight, its armed forces are only as strong as the industry which stands behind them…

    That innovation and production capacity is a major part of our nation’s – and our alliance’s – deterrence.

    And that industry’s constant purpose is to give the nation’s war fighters the advantage over our adversaries.

    The last Defence Industrial Strategy was published in 2021, a year before Putin shattered the peace in Europe.

    Ours will hardwire in these lessons and so too will the Strategic Defence Review.

    Second, I’m driving deep reform to defence.

    It doesn’t make news headlines, but it’s an essential foundation for implementing both the SDR and Defence Industrial Strategy.

    For industry, it means you’ll be brought in earlier to the conversation on how we should fight…

    We’ll ask you how you can help solve our problems rather than giving you a requirement to deliver.

    You’ll also see the creation of a new role, the National Armaments Director, soon-to-be one of the most senior roles in UK Defence, sitting alongside the Chief of the Defence Staff and Permanent Secretary.

    Their responsibilities will include:

    • Repairing a broken procurement system…
    • Ensuring our armed forces have what they need to fulfil their duty of protecting our nation…
    • And championing your industry at home and abroad.

    Third, defence is part of our bigger British drive for growth – the government’s number one mission.

    The Chancellor is speaking tomorrow about how we are going to meet this challenge.

    But the message I want to reinforce is that defence is an engine for driving economic growth.

    Fourth, we’ve proved we can do it by supporting Ukraine through Taskforce KINDRED and HIRST.

    From the onset, when it took 287 days after Putin invaded to sign contracts for new NLAWs…

    … to today, when we’ve created industrial bases for new capabilities – virtually from scratch…

    Supplying – at scale – one of the most effective drone systems in Ukraine.

    Restarted artillery barrel manufacturing in the UK to deliver hundreds to the front line.

    Enhancing our own capabilities through Stormer and Starstreak…while Gravehawk, Snapper and Wasp have all been developed with breathtaking speed.

    I don’t just want this to be the government’s new Defence Industrial Strategy, it needs to be a national endeavour… private and public… SMEs and primes… innovators and educators… trade associations and trade unions…

    All creating a defence industry which is better and more integrated…

    One that can keep our armed forces equipped… and innovating at wartime pace, ahead of our adversaries.

    The Shadow Defence Secretary is familiar with the challenges. 

    I know he will play his part in holding us to account.

    And I trust he – and his Party – will play their part in backing reforms that strengthen our country’s defence and its defence industry.

    This is new era of threats, demands a new era for defence.

    Change is essential, not optional.

    Our success rests on a new partnership with innovators, investors and industry.

    Our government is determined to meet the challenge, determined to deliver for defence.

    Together, we will make Britain secure at home and strong abroad.

    Thank you – enjoy your evening and I look forward to working with you over the coming years.

    Updates to this page

    Published 29 January 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Arrest made in Wimbledon school fatal collision investigation

    Source: United Kingdom London Metropolitan Police

    Detectives investigating the fatal collision at the Study Prep School in Wimbledon in July 2023 have arrested the driver as part of their ongoing investigation, as they appeal for further potential witnesses to come forward.

    The 48-year-old female driver was arrested on Tuesday 28 January, on suspicion of causing death by dangerous driving – she has been bailed pending further enquiries to a date in late April. This is the second time she has been arrested for this offence, the first time being at the scene of the collision on 6 July 2023.

    Nuria Sajjad and Selena Lau – both eight years old – died when a car crashed through a fence and collided with a building at the school.

    An initial investigation by the Roads and Transport Policing Command (RTPC) resulted in a direction from the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) in June 2024 that the driver should face no further action.

    After concerns were raised by the families of Nuria and Selena regarding this outcome, it was agreed the Specialist Crime Review Group (SCRG) would carry out a review of the investigation. That review identified lines of enquiry which required further examination.

    In October the investigation was moved to the Specialist Crime Command, under Detective Superintendent Lewis Basford. He leads a team who have since been pursuing new lines of enquiry identified by the review.

    Detective Superintendent Basford said: “I would like to take this opportunity to appeal to any witnesses or individuals with information who are yet to speak to police to please come forward.

    “Were you attending the local golf course or driving in or around the area of the Study Prep School in Wimbledon at the time of the collision? Did you see the vehicle – a distinctive gold Land Rover Defender – in the lead up to the collision? We believe there were people in the local area who have not been spoken to by police and remain unidentified. I would ask those individuals to please contact us.

    “Our main priority is to ensure the lines of enquiry identified by the review are progressed. This is a live investigation and in order to maintain its integrity I can’t go into further detail at this stage. I would urge people to avoid speculation.”

    + To provide information you can contact the major incident room on 0207 175 0793, call 101 quoting CAD 6528/27Jan, or message @MetCC on X providing the CAD reference. Alternatively, contact Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111 or online.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Slovak Republic: Staff Concluding Statement of the 2025 Article IV Mission

    Source: IMF – News in Russian

    January 29, 2025

    A Concluding Statement describes the preliminary findings of IMF staff at the end of an official staff visit (or ‘mission’), in most cases to a member country. Missions are undertaken as part of regular (usually annual) consultations under Article IV of the IMF’s Articles of Agreement, in the context of a request to use IMF resources (borrow from the IMF), as part of discussions of staff monitored programs, or as part of other staff monitoring of economic developments.

    The authorities have consented to the publication of this statement. The views expressed in this statement are those of the IMF staff and do not necessarily represent the views of the IMF’s Executive Board. Based on the preliminary findings of this mission, staff will prepare a report that, subject to management approval, will be presented to the IMF Executive Board for discussion and decision.

    Washington, DC: An International Monetary Fund mission, led by Magnus Saxegaard, and comprising Christian Bogmans, Shinya Kotera, Yen Mooi, and Jonathan Pampolina conducted discussions for the 2025 Article IV consultation with the Slovak Republic virtually during December 4-13, 2024, and in Bratislava, Slovakia, during January 15-28, 2025. Sumiko Ogawa, Financial Sector Assessment Program (FSAP) mission chief, joined the concluding meeting. At the conclusion of the visit, the mission issued the following statement:

    Slovakia, like much of the EU, faces headwinds related to geoeconomic fragmentation, high energy costs, and demographic change. Growth has held up in recent years, but at the cost of a much-increased fiscal deficit. Steadfast implementation of the authorities’ ambitious 4-year consolidation plan is needed to reverse the upward trajectory in public debt, alongside policies to strengthen financial resilience and structural reforms to bolster medium-term growth, including through efforts to strengthen governance and reduce vulnerability to corruption.

    Economic Developments, Outlook, and Risks

    The Slovak economy is recovering. The economy slowed sharply in 2022-23, but growth is estimated to have accelerated to 2.1 percent in 2024, outpacing that in the euro area. Private consumption was the main driver fueled by recovering real wages, the extension of household energy support, and more generous pensions. Meanwhile, an increase in public consumption partially offset a slowdown in EU-funded public investments. While inflation has declined from record-highs in 2023, it increased in 2024H2 due to higher global food price inflation. Core inflation is higher than in the euro area, driven by a tight labor market and strong nominal wage growth.

    Economic growth is projected to moderate to 1.9 percent in 2025, before rising to 2.1 percent in 2026. The fiscal consolidation in 2025 will lower growth directly by slowing government spending, and indirectly as higher taxes put upward pressure on prices and dampen private consumption, though the effect will be partially mitigated by the one-year extension of household energy support and strong EU-funded public investments. Meanwhile external demand is expected to remain subdued. For 2026, higher growth in trading partners and increased capacity in the automotive sector is expected to boost exports. Inflation is projected to rise temporarily to 4.0 percent in 2025 and moderate to 3.2 percent in 2026. Adverse demographic trends and lower productivity growth imply that Slovakia’s medium-term growth, as projected by staff, is expected to be significantly lower than its pre-pandemic average, and below IMF forecasts of medium-term growth in other Central, Eastern, and Southeastern Europe (CESEE) countries with comparable income levels.

    Risks to growth are tilted to the downside while risks to inflation are broadly balanced. Near term risks include a global slowdown or intensifying trade policy uncertainty which would weigh on growth and exert downward pressure on inflation. Domestically, slippages in fiscal consolidation could increase sovereign spreads and tighten financial conditions. A lack of political consensus on structural reforms and concerns about institutional quality could deter private investment and slow the disbursement of EU funds that have been critical in supporting public investment. A correction in real estate prices combined with an economic downturn could trigger losses for financial institutions. Meanwhile, continued strong nominal wage growth could undermine competitiveness and keep inflation elevated.

    Fiscal Policy

    Slovakia’s fiscal outlook is challenging. The fiscal deficit is projected to have increased to 5.7 percent in 2024 from 5.2 percent in 2023 due to a combination of revenue easing and higher spending that more than offset the 0.6 percent of GDP in net consolidation measures in the 2024 budget. This increase follows the 3.6 percentage points of GDP widening of the fiscal deficit in 2023. While the change in government in October 2023 meant time to finalize the 2024 budget was short, it is clear ex-post that robust growth combined with significant medium-term fiscal challenges would have warranted a tighter fiscal stance in 2024.

    The mission welcomes the authorities’ ambitious fiscal consolidation targets for 2025-28, which is commensurate with the scale of Slovakia’s fiscal challenges.

    • The 2025 budget targets a reduction in the headline deficit to 4.7 percent of GDP. Fund staff’s more conservative macroeconomic forecasts imply an overall deficit of 4.9 percent of GDP in 2025. However, the projected structural tightening is broadly in line with the budget. These forecasts are subject to significant downside risks, including from a lower-than-expected yield from the fiscal consolidation measures or a worse economic outlook. If revenues in 2025 appear to be falling short of targets (as implied by staff’s macroeconomic forecasts) the authorities should limit the resulting increase in the deficit, including by saving as much as possible of the contingency buffer.
    • Beyond 2025, the medium-term fiscal structural plan targets another 2.5 percentage points of GDP reduction in the fiscal deficit to bring it close to 2 percent of GDP by 2028, though measures to achieve this consolidation are not yet specified. Staff projections suggest that the fiscal consolidation envisaged over the next four years, if met, will reverse the increase in the deficit over the past two years and put public debt on a downward path by the end of the projection period. Staff’s baseline forecast, which does not include any further consolidation beyond that in the 2025 budget, entails a gradual increase in the deficit over the medium term, with public debt rising to 75 percent of GDP by end-2030 from 56 percent of GDP in 2023.

    The consolidation measures for 2025 are a step in the right direction. Several of the measures are welcome and will help reduce the deficit on a structural basis, including the increase in the basic VAT rate, and better targeting of child benefits. However, the increase in the number of items subject to reduced VAT rates deprives the government of much needed revenue, while the financial transactions tax (FTT) could weaken financial intermediation and increase incentives for informality.

    The measures to lower Slovakia’s fiscal deficit closer to 2 percent of GDP by 2028 should be consistent with Slovakia’s long-term growth and climate objectives, while protecting the most vulnerable in society. While there is no definitive evidence that reducing spending is more effective than increasing revenues in terms of economic efficiency or equity, prioritizing the rationalization of expenditures moving forward would result in a more balanced fiscal consolidation, given the reliance on revenue-based measures thus far.

    • Spending: According to Fund staff estimates, value for Money initiatives, including a reduction in subsidies, could yield savings of up to 0.5 percent of GDP, while improved targeting could reduce social spending by as much as 0.8 percent of GDP. Also, there may be scope to increase efficiency by trimming departmental budgets and reducing public sector wage growth, though this should be done cautiously to avoid unintended cuts in service delivery. Reversing the increase of the 13th pension could yield about 0.4 percent of GDP in savings while eliminating the recently introduced early retirement option could yield fiscal savings over the long-term. Finally, energy support measures to households (projected to cost 0.2 percent of GDP in 2025) should be phased out as they are costly and discourage energy conservation.
    • Revenues: Reducing the number of items subject to reduced VAT rates could generate as much as 1.3 percent of GDP in savings, while raising property taxes by transitioning to a market value-based system could generate around 0.3 percent in additional revenue. Plans to counter tax evasion and reduce the VAT compliance gap are welcome and could yield up to 0.5 percent of GDP in revenues. Finally, the authorities should replace the FTT with alternative revenue sources, while phasing out the bank levy as planned.

    Safeguarding Slovakia’s strong fiscal framework is essential for the credibility of the consolidation effort. Aligning Slovakia’s national expenditure ceiling framework with the new EU fiscal rules avoids inconsistencies and streamlines the budget process but continued focus on the long-term fiscal outlook (beyond the horizon used for the EU fiscal framework) remains useful given Slovakia’s medium-term fiscal challenges. Slovakia’s strong and independent Council for Budgetary Responsibility can help by monitoring the impact of government policies on the long-term sustainability of public finances. Lastly, the mission recommends reforming the debt brake before it comes into effect in 2026, to avoid the risk of a disruptive fiscal consolidation.

    The mission welcomes the government’s objective to increase absorption of EU funds. The Slovak government is working with the OECD and the European Commission to identify concrete measures to increase absorption. In this regard, there is a need to strengthen project management capacity, especially at the municipal level, while the preparation of a national investment plan could help guide the timely selection of investment projects.

    Financial Sector Policy

    The 2024 Financial Sector Assessment Program (FSAP)—an in-depth review of the financial sector—assessed the banking sector to be resilient against severe shocks, reflecting a healthy level of buffers and profitability. The residential real estate market remains a source of vulnerability. In particular, tighter financial conditions, an economic slowdown, and a decline in still-elevated house prices could put pressure on households’ repayment capacity and increase the riskiness of banks’ mortgage portfolios. Also, risks remain elevated in the office segment of the commercial real estate (CRE) market while banks with large exposures to firms facing geopolitical risks could be vulnerable to credit losses. That said, solvency stress tests indicate that banks have sufficient capital to withstand severe macro-financial shocks. Likewise, liquidity stress tests indicate that the banking system as a whole is resilient to funding and market liquidity shocks.

    The current macroprudential stance is broadly appropriate, but the policy framework could be further developed over the medium term to help attenuate cyclical and structural risks.

    • Residual risks in the residential and CRE markets suggest the current level of the countercyclical capital buffer (CCyB) is appropriate. Borrower-based measures (BBMs) have contributed to contain household credit risk and should remain in force. The authorities should stand ready to activate the systemic risk buffer on banks’ CRE exposures before risks in the sector become systemic.
    • The macroprudential policy framework could be further strengthened by adopting a positive neutral countercyclical capital buffer (pnCCyB). A pnCCyB would help safeguard the availability of releasable capital and give policymakers time to collect evidence of a build-up in vulnerabilities. A healthy level of profitability and/or the availability of voluntary buffers would help facilitate a smooth introduction of a pnCCyB. In addition, remaining leakages in the BBMs (e.g. co-financing a mortgage with a consumer loan) should be closed, while the BBM speed limits should be differentiated across borrower categories (e.g. first- and second-time home buyers, investors, and mortgage top-ups).

    Financial resilience could be bolstered by strengthening the supervision of less significant institutions (LSIs) as well as the crisis management framework.

    • The NBS’s supervisory powers and operational independence should be enhanced by restricting banks’ appeals only to supervisory decisions and corrective measures that are finalized, and by strengthening the legal protections for supervisors. Moreover, the NBS should streamline off-site supervision to align with LSI’s risk profile and strengthen on-site inspections to bolster the overall effectiveness of LSI supervision.
    • The financial safety net and crisis management framework should be reinforced by ensuring that the National Resolution Authority (NRA) has adequate resources, preventing the judiciary from suspending or reversing resolution decisions, ensuring NRA resolutions are immediately enforceable, and enhancing the legal protection of staff involved in resolution. Meanwhile, the authorities should remove active bankers from the board of the deposit guarantee fund to prevent conflicts of interest, while expanding the fund’s mandate and financial strength to enable it to play a broader role in crisis management.

    Efforts to strengthen the AML/CFT framework should continue. In particular, the authorities should review the criteria for the application of ML/TF sanctions, strengthen coordination between the NBS and Financial Intelligence Unit, and introduce mechanisms to verify beneficial ownership information and sanction the submission of inaccurate information.

    Structural Policy

    Slovakia needs structural reforms to diversify its economy, enhance resilience to global shocks and sustain productivity growth. The success of the automotive sector has led to decades of strong growth but exposed Slovakia to global trends related to the green transition and automation. To improve resilience and sustain productivity growth the authorities should intensify efforts to promote innovation and technology adoption. In this context, the mission welcomes the increase in direct government R&D spending, but further efforts are needed to stimulate business R&D including in small firms and startups that are not yet profitable. At the same time, deepening the European single market would allow innovative firms to leverage economies of scale. Finally, advancing the capital market union would facilitate cross-border flows of capital including equity financing and venture capital, which is critical for supporting startups, particularly in countries with less-developed capital markets.

    The automotive sector is facing headwinds related to the unfolding green transition and rapid rise of electronic vehicle (EV) production in other markets. To address these challenges, the authorities should encourage innovation across the entire domestic EV production supply chain, promote efforts to diversify the economy, and enhance Active Labor Market Policies (ALMPs) to facilitate the movement of workers across sectors.

    The challenges of an aging population require policies to increase the labor force. Flexible working arrangements, shortening the 3-year long maximum parental leave period, and improved child and elderly care could increase female participation, while tax credits and restrictions on early retirement could raise labor force participation among the elderly. The recent easing of national visa rules for foreign workers in professions with shortages could boost migrant inflows, but further efforts are needed to integrate and retain migrants, including by scaling up language training and streamlining certification recognition. Increased focus on vocational education and training would help bring down Slovakia’s high youth unemployment.

    Maintaining a favorable investment climate, strengthening governance, and reducing vulnerability to corruption will help lift the economy’s growth potential.

    • Governance indicators and perceptions of judicial independence lag peers, and recent surveys point to a decline in the perceived effectiveness of anti-corruption policies.
    • A new national anti-corruption strategy is expected to be released mid-year. In that context, the authorities should verify that the new institutional framework that replaced the dissolved Special Prosecutor’s Office and National Crime Agency has not weakened the institutional capacity to investigate and prosecute high-level corruption. Also, the asset declaration and conflict of interest framework for high-risk public officials could be improved. Specifically, broadening the scope of covered public officials, and centralizing and digitizing the submission and publication process with robust verification procedures and appropriate sanctions, would be beneficial. Finally, existing safeguards pertaining to the Prosecutor General’s authority to annul decisions by lower-level prosecutors should be strengthened.
    • Safeguards to ensure members of the Judicial Council can only be recalled based on specific and reasonable grounds would enhance judicial independence. Also, the crime of “abuse of law”, whereby judges are subject to criminal liability for their decisions, can have an intimidating effect on judges. Additional safeguards to ensure the framework balances the accountability of judges and independent judicial decision-making would be beneficial.

    While greenhouse gas emissions have fallen by 50 percent since 1990, further efforts are needed to cut emissions by 55 percent by 2030 and to reach net-zero by 2050. Slovakia should move expeditiously to fully implement the ETS II scheme for road transport and buildings and could consider gradually raising environmental levies in these sectors until the scheme becomes operational in 2027. The authorities should continue exploring options to replace two coal-fired blast furnaces in the steel industry and phase out fossil fuel subsidies. Also, supporting environmental R&D and green technology would support mitigation efforts and economic diversification. Lastly, a more integrated energy market in Europe would encourage investment in renewables and enhance energy security and reduce energy prices.

    The IMF team thanks the authorities and other interlocutors for their generous hospitality and constructive dialogue.

     Table 1. Slovakia: Selected Economic Indicators, 2020–2030 
     
    IMF Communications Department
    MEDIA RELATIONS

    PRESS OFFICER: Boris Balabanov

    Phone: +1 202 623-7100Email: MEDIA@IMF.org

    https://www.imf.org/en/News/Articles/2025/01/29/mcs-012925-slovak-republic-staff-concluding-statement-of-the-2025-article-iv-mission

    MIL OSI

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI Canada: Enhanced visitor experiences planned for Barkerville historic site

    Source: Government of Canada regional news

    Visitors can look forward to continuing strong operations, along with expanded hands-on demonstrations and interpretations at Barkerville Historic Town & Park and Cottonwood House Historic Site as part of the site operator’s proposed plan.

    “Barkerville and Cottonwood House are among B.C.’s most iconic heritage destinations that visitors love to visit again and again,” said Spencer Chandra Herbert, Minister of Tourism, Arts, Culture and Sport. “I can’t wait to see the new exhibits our partner, Barkerville Heritage Trust, is developing that will further enrich the storytelling and historical experience at this site.”

    Barkerville’s resource-development history dates back to 1862, when Billy Barker struck gold at Williams Creek, ushering in the gold rush that drew fortune seekers from all over the world and made Barkerville the largest town in Western Canada at that time. Barkerville offers visitors a chance to step back in time to the late 1800s with its interpreters in period costumes, stagecoach rides and a collection of more than 500,000 artifacts, including 100 preserved heritage structures.

    Barkerville Heritage Trust will continue as the site operator for the next seven years, with potential for renewal, as part of a new management contract with the Province. The trust is planning additional interactive activities to let visitors experience everyday life on the Cariboo homestead during the gold-rush era. This includes an increase in cultural programming, a greater diversity of stories that are part of B.C.’s heritage, particularly the culture and history of area First Nations, and more tourism offerings outside of the site’s peak season.

    “We are thrilled to continue our stewardship of these cherished heritage assets, and with decades of experience operating Barkerville and Cottonwood House, our team has gained invaluable insights that will guide us as we work to deliver world-class tourism experiences for visitors over the next seven years,” said Al Richmond, chair of the Barkerville Heritage Trust. “We will be looking to expand the offerings at Cottonwood House, as well as sending Barkerville’s historical interpreters back to the Richfield Courthouse and continuing with our Indigenous and Chinese cultural interpretation. We are deeply grateful for the outpouring of support and concern from the public during last year’s wildfires, and we extend our heartfelt thanks to all who stood by us during that challenging time.”

    The provincial heritage site’s popular 100 days of Barkerville season runs from May 31 until Sept. 7, 2025.

    “Barkerville Heritage Trust is a trusted steward and operator of this iconic tourism destination in the Cariboo Chilcotin Coast region,” said Amy Thacker, CEO, Cariboo Chilcotin Coast Tourism.  “Barkerville Historic Town & Park’s exhibits and interactive demonstrations for tourists and locals provide an incredible opportunity for people to explore, discover our history and create lasting memories. We look forward to sharing Barkerville’s plans with the community and inviting people to come back to see what’s new.”

    The new heritage site management agreement begins on April 1, 2025. Barkerville Heritage Trust has operated the historical site since 2005.

    Quick Facts:

    • Barkerville Heritage Trust was selected as the site operator for Barkerville Historic Town & Park and Cottonwood House Historic Site following a publicly posted request-for-proposals process in late 2024.
    • Barkerville Heritage Trust will receive more than $2 million in annual funding to support site operations, ensure conservation and maintain public access.
    • Since 2020, the Province has provided more than $55 million through various programs to celebrate, preserve and protect B.C.’s heritage assets.

    Learn More:

    To learn more about B.C. heritage sites, visit:
    https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/governments/celebrating-british-columbia/historic-places/provincial-heritage-properties

    To learn more about Barkerville Historic Town & Park, visit: https://www.barkerville.ca/ourstory/

    MIL OSI Canada News –

  • MIL-OSI Economics: Slovak Republic: Staff Concluding Statement of the 2025 Article IV Mission

    Source: International Monetary Fund

    January 29, 2025

    A Concluding Statement describes the preliminary findings of IMF staff at the end of an official staff visit (or ‘mission’), in most cases to a member country. Missions are undertaken as part of regular (usually annual) consultations under Article IV of the IMF’s Articles of Agreement, in the context of a request to use IMF resources (borrow from the IMF), as part of discussions of staff monitored programs, or as part of other staff monitoring of economic developments.

    The authorities have consented to the publication of this statement. The views expressed in this statement are those of the IMF staff and do not necessarily represent the views of the IMF’s Executive Board. Based on the preliminary findings of this mission, staff will prepare a report that, subject to management approval, will be presented to the IMF Executive Board for discussion and decision.

    Washington, DC: An International Monetary Fund mission, led by Magnus Saxegaard, and comprising Christian Bogmans, Shinya Kotera, Yen Mooi, and Jonathan Pampolina conducted discussions for the 2025 Article IV consultation with the Slovak Republic virtually during December 4-13, 2024, and in Bratislava, Slovakia, during January 15-28, 2025. Sumiko Ogawa, Financial Sector Assessment Program (FSAP) mission chief, joined the concluding meeting. At the conclusion of the visit, the mission issued the following statement:

    Slovakia, like much of the EU, faces headwinds related to geoeconomic fragmentation, high energy costs, and demographic change. Growth has held up in recent years, but at the cost of a much-increased fiscal deficit. Steadfast implementation of the authorities’ ambitious 4-year consolidation plan is needed to reverse the upward trajectory in public debt, alongside policies to strengthen financial resilience and structural reforms to bolster medium-term growth, including through efforts to strengthen governance and reduce vulnerability to corruption.

    Economic Developments, Outlook, and Risks

    The Slovak economy is recovering. The economy slowed sharply in 2022-23, but growth is estimated to have accelerated to 2.1 percent in 2024, outpacing that in the euro area. Private consumption was the main driver fueled by recovering real wages, the extension of household energy support, and more generous pensions. Meanwhile, an increase in public consumption partially offset a slowdown in EU-funded public investments. While inflation has declined from record-highs in 2023, it increased in 2024H2 due to higher global food price inflation. Core inflation is higher than in the euro area, driven by a tight labor market and strong nominal wage growth.

    Economic growth is projected to moderate to 1.9 percent in 2025, before rising to 2.1 percent in 2026. The fiscal consolidation in 2025 will lower growth directly by slowing government spending, and indirectly as higher taxes put upward pressure on prices and dampen private consumption, though the effect will be partially mitigated by the one-year extension of household energy support and strong EU-funded public investments. Meanwhile external demand is expected to remain subdued. For 2026, higher growth in trading partners and increased capacity in the automotive sector is expected to boost exports. Inflation is projected to rise temporarily to 4.0 percent in 2025 and moderate to 3.2 percent in 2026. Adverse demographic trends and lower productivity growth imply that Slovakia’s medium-term growth, as projected by staff, is expected to be significantly lower than its pre-pandemic average, and below IMF forecasts of medium-term growth in other Central, Eastern, and Southeastern Europe (CESEE) countries with comparable income levels.

    Risks to growth are tilted to the downside while risks to inflation are broadly balanced. Near term risks include a global slowdown or intensifying trade policy uncertainty which would weigh on growth and exert downward pressure on inflation. Domestically, slippages in fiscal consolidation could increase sovereign spreads and tighten financial conditions. A lack of political consensus on structural reforms and concerns about institutional quality could deter private investment and slow the disbursement of EU funds that have been critical in supporting public investment. A correction in real estate prices combined with an economic downturn could trigger losses for financial institutions. Meanwhile, continued strong nominal wage growth could undermine competitiveness and keep inflation elevated.

    Fiscal Policy

    Slovakia’s fiscal outlook is challenging. The fiscal deficit is projected to have increased to 5.7 percent in 2024 from 5.2 percent in 2023 due to a combination of revenue easing and higher spending that more than offset the 0.6 percent of GDP in net consolidation measures in the 2024 budget. This increase follows the 3.6 percentage points of GDP widening of the fiscal deficit in 2023. While the change in government in October 2023 meant time to finalize the 2024 budget was short, it is clear ex-post that robust growth combined with significant medium-term fiscal challenges would have warranted a tighter fiscal stance in 2024.

    The mission welcomes the authorities’ ambitious fiscal consolidation targets for 2025-28, which is commensurate with the scale of Slovakia’s fiscal challenges.

    • The 2025 budget targets a reduction in the headline deficit to 4.7 percent of GDP. Fund staff’s more conservative macroeconomic forecasts imply an overall deficit of 4.9 percent of GDP in 2025. However, the projected structural tightening is broadly in line with the budget. These forecasts are subject to significant downside risks, including from a lower-than-expected yield from the fiscal consolidation measures or a worse economic outlook. If revenues in 2025 appear to be falling short of targets (as implied by staff’s macroeconomic forecasts) the authorities should limit the resulting increase in the deficit, including by saving as much as possible of the contingency buffer.
    • Beyond 2025, the medium-term fiscal structural plan targets another 2.5 percentage points of GDP reduction in the fiscal deficit to bring it close to 2 percent of GDP by 2028, though measures to achieve this consolidation are not yet specified. Staff projections suggest that the fiscal consolidation envisaged over the next four years, if met, will reverse the increase in the deficit over the past two years and put public debt on a downward path by the end of the projection period. Staff’s baseline forecast, which does not include any further consolidation beyond that in the 2025 budget, entails a gradual increase in the deficit over the medium term, with public debt rising to 75 percent of GDP by end-2030 from 56 percent of GDP in 2023.

    The consolidation measures for 2025 are a step in the right direction. Several of the measures are welcome and will help reduce the deficit on a structural basis, including the increase in the basic VAT rate, and better targeting of child benefits. However, the increase in the number of items subject to reduced VAT rates deprives the government of much needed revenue, while the financial transactions tax (FTT) could weaken financial intermediation and increase incentives for informality.

    The measures to lower Slovakia’s fiscal deficit closer to 2 percent of GDP by 2028 should be consistent with Slovakia’s long-term growth and climate objectives, while protecting the most vulnerable in society. While there is no definitive evidence that reducing spending is more effective than increasing revenues in terms of economic efficiency or equity, prioritizing the rationalization of expenditures moving forward would result in a more balanced fiscal consolidation, given the reliance on revenue-based measures thus far.

    • Spending: According to Fund staff estimates, value for Money initiatives, including a reduction in subsidies, could yield savings of up to 0.5 percent of GDP, while improved targeting could reduce social spending by as much as 0.8 percent of GDP. Also, there may be scope to increase efficiency by trimming departmental budgets and reducing public sector wage growth, though this should be done cautiously to avoid unintended cuts in service delivery. Reversing the increase of the 13th pension could yield about 0.4 percent of GDP in savings while eliminating the recently introduced early retirement option could yield fiscal savings over the long-term. Finally, energy support measures to households (projected to cost 0.2 percent of GDP in 2025) should be phased out as they are costly and discourage energy conservation.
    • Revenues: Reducing the number of items subject to reduced VAT rates could generate as much as 1.3 percent of GDP in savings, while raising property taxes by transitioning to a market value-based system could generate around 0.3 percent in additional revenue. Plans to counter tax evasion and reduce the VAT compliance gap are welcome and could yield up to 0.5 percent of GDP in revenues. Finally, the authorities should replace the FTT with alternative revenue sources, while phasing out the bank levy as planned.

    Safeguarding Slovakia’s strong fiscal framework is essential for the credibility of the consolidation effort. Aligning Slovakia’s national expenditure ceiling framework with the new EU fiscal rules avoids inconsistencies and streamlines the budget process but continued focus on the long-term fiscal outlook (beyond the horizon used for the EU fiscal framework) remains useful given Slovakia’s medium-term fiscal challenges. Slovakia’s strong and independent Council for Budgetary Responsibility can help by monitoring the impact of government policies on the long-term sustainability of public finances. Lastly, the mission recommends reforming the debt brake before it comes into effect in 2026, to avoid the risk of a disruptive fiscal consolidation.

    The mission welcomes the government’s objective to increase absorption of EU funds. The Slovak government is working with the OECD and the European Commission to identify concrete measures to increase absorption. In this regard, there is a need to strengthen project management capacity, especially at the municipal level, while the preparation of a national investment plan could help guide the timely selection of investment projects.

    Financial Sector Policy

    The 2024 Financial Sector Assessment Program (FSAP)—an in-depth review of the financial sector—assessed the banking sector to be resilient against severe shocks, reflecting a healthy level of buffers and profitability. The residential real estate market remains a source of vulnerability. In particular, tighter financial conditions, an economic slowdown, and a decline in still-elevated house prices could put pressure on households’ repayment capacity and increase the riskiness of banks’ mortgage portfolios. Also, risks remain elevated in the office segment of the commercial real estate (CRE) market while banks with large exposures to firms facing geopolitical risks could be vulnerable to credit losses. That said, solvency stress tests indicate that banks have sufficient capital to withstand severe macro-financial shocks. Likewise, liquidity stress tests indicate that the banking system as a whole is resilient to funding and market liquidity shocks.

    The current macroprudential stance is broadly appropriate, but the policy framework could be further developed over the medium term to help attenuate cyclical and structural risks.

    • Residual risks in the residential and CRE markets suggest the current level of the countercyclical capital buffer (CCyB) is appropriate. Borrower-based measures (BBMs) have contributed to contain household credit risk and should remain in force. The authorities should stand ready to activate the systemic risk buffer on banks’ CRE exposures before risks in the sector become systemic.
    • The macroprudential policy framework could be further strengthened by adopting a positive neutral countercyclical capital buffer (pnCCyB). A pnCCyB would help safeguard the availability of releasable capital and give policymakers time to collect evidence of a build-up in vulnerabilities. A healthy level of profitability and/or the availability of voluntary buffers would help facilitate a smooth introduction of a pnCCyB. In addition, remaining leakages in the BBMs (e.g. co-financing a mortgage with a consumer loan) should be closed, while the BBM speed limits should be differentiated across borrower categories (e.g. first- and second-time home buyers, investors, and mortgage top-ups).

    Financial resilience could be bolstered by strengthening the supervision of less significant institutions (LSIs) as well as the crisis management framework.

    • The NBS’s supervisory powers and operational independence should be enhanced by restricting banks’ appeals only to supervisory decisions and corrective measures that are finalized, and by strengthening the legal protections for supervisors. Moreover, the NBS should streamline off-site supervision to align with LSI’s risk profile and strengthen on-site inspections to bolster the overall effectiveness of LSI supervision.
    • The financial safety net and crisis management framework should be reinforced by ensuring that the National Resolution Authority (NRA) has adequate resources, preventing the judiciary from suspending or reversing resolution decisions, ensuring NRA resolutions are immediately enforceable, and enhancing the legal protection of staff involved in resolution. Meanwhile, the authorities should remove active bankers from the board of the deposit guarantee fund to prevent conflicts of interest, while expanding the fund’s mandate and financial strength to enable it to play a broader role in crisis management.

    Efforts to strengthen the AML/CFT framework should continue. In particular, the authorities should review the criteria for the application of ML/TF sanctions, strengthen coordination between the NBS and Financial Intelligence Unit, and introduce mechanisms to verify beneficial ownership information and sanction the submission of inaccurate information.

    Structural Policy

    Slovakia needs structural reforms to diversify its economy, enhance resilience to global shocks and sustain productivity growth. The success of the automotive sector has led to decades of strong growth but exposed Slovakia to global trends related to the green transition and automation. To improve resilience and sustain productivity growth the authorities should intensify efforts to promote innovation and technology adoption. In this context, the mission welcomes the increase in direct government R&D spending, but further efforts are needed to stimulate business R&D including in small firms and startups that are not yet profitable. At the same time, deepening the European single market would allow innovative firms to leverage economies of scale. Finally, advancing the capital market union would facilitate cross-border flows of capital including equity financing and venture capital, which is critical for supporting startups, particularly in countries with less-developed capital markets.

    The automotive sector is facing headwinds related to the unfolding green transition and rapid rise of electronic vehicle (EV) production in other markets. To address these challenges, the authorities should encourage innovation across the entire domestic EV production supply chain, promote efforts to diversify the economy, and enhance Active Labor Market Policies (ALMPs) to facilitate the movement of workers across sectors.

    The challenges of an aging population require policies to increase the labor force. Flexible working arrangements, shortening the 3-year long maximum parental leave period, and improved child and elderly care could increase female participation, while tax credits and restrictions on early retirement could raise labor force participation among the elderly. The recent easing of national visa rules for foreign workers in professions with shortages could boost migrant inflows, but further efforts are needed to integrate and retain migrants, including by scaling up language training and streamlining certification recognition. Increased focus on vocational education and training would help bring down Slovakia’s high youth unemployment.

    Maintaining a favorable investment climate, strengthening governance, and reducing vulnerability to corruption will help lift the economy’s growth potential.

    • Governance indicators and perceptions of judicial independence lag peers, and recent surveys point to a decline in the perceived effectiveness of anti-corruption policies.
    • A new national anti-corruption strategy is expected to be released mid-year. In that context, the authorities should verify that the new institutional framework that replaced the dissolved Special Prosecutor’s Office and National Crime Agency has not weakened the institutional capacity to investigate and prosecute high-level corruption. Also, the asset declaration and conflict of interest framework for high-risk public officials could be improved. Specifically, broadening the scope of covered public officials, and centralizing and digitizing the submission and publication process with robust verification procedures and appropriate sanctions, would be beneficial. Finally, existing safeguards pertaining to the Prosecutor General’s authority to annul decisions by lower-level prosecutors should be strengthened.
    • Safeguards to ensure members of the Judicial Council can only be recalled based on specific and reasonable grounds would enhance judicial independence. Also, the crime of “abuse of law”, whereby judges are subject to criminal liability for their decisions, can have an intimidating effect on judges. Additional safeguards to ensure the framework balances the accountability of judges and independent judicial decision-making would be beneficial.

    While greenhouse gas emissions have fallen by 50 percent since 1990, further efforts are needed to cut emissions by 55 percent by 2030 and to reach net-zero by 2050. Slovakia should move expeditiously to fully implement the ETS II scheme for road transport and buildings and could consider gradually raising environmental levies in these sectors until the scheme becomes operational in 2027. The authorities should continue exploring options to replace two coal-fired blast furnaces in the steel industry and phase out fossil fuel subsidies. Also, supporting environmental R&D and green technology would support mitigation efforts and economic diversification. Lastly, a more integrated energy market in Europe would encourage investment in renewables and enhance energy security and reduce energy prices.

    The IMF team thanks the authorities and other interlocutors for their generous hospitality and constructive dialogue.

     Table 1. Slovakia: Selected Economic Indicators, 2020–2030 
     
    IMF Communications Department
    MEDIA RELATIONS

    PRESS OFFICER: Boris Balabanov

    Phone: +1 202 623-7100Email: MEDIA@IMF.org

    MIL OSI Economics –

  • MIL-OSI Global: The global plant trade is spreading invasive species to Europe

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Amy Hinsley, Senior Research Fellow, Oxford Martin Programme on the Wildlife Trade, University of Oxford

    The Italian wall lizard likes to stowaway on olive trees. Qvist2000 / shutterstock

    Back in 2016, one of us (Silviu Petrovan) was asked to identify a live frog found in a shipment of roses in Sheffield, England. It certainly wasn’t any species found in Europe: Silviu thought he had been pranked.

    But with help from Ecuadorian and Colombian scientists, he was soon able to identify it as a North Andean tree frog. This species is found only in a few areas in the highlands of Colombia including, crucially, a region known for its flower-growing.

    This sudden realisation that cut flowers are being shipped from Colombia via Ecuador to Britain, potentially with hitchhiking animals in tow, sparked a collaborative project to investigate the complexities in this increasingly global trade.

    Initially, we explored the risks that invasive species will establish themselves. For instance, the recent fashion for old potted olive trees in restaurants, typically imported from farms in Italy and Spain, is a risk because these trees can serve as vehicles for species like the Italian wall lizard.

    Sometimes called the Italian ruin lizard (scientists call it Podarcis siculus), the lizard is spreading throughout Europe, with introductions often linked to the ornamental olive tree trade.

    Olive trees for sale (lizards included).
    Pingky_p / shutterstock

    But the global trade in cut flowers, pot plants, bulbs and foliage was worth around US$25 billion (£20 billion) in 2022, and it has many other environmental and social risks.

    As well as the spread of pests and invasive species, these include wild plants harvested illegally, and a range of effects on people including threats to food security or access to clean water. In our new paper, published in the journal Bioscience, we examined these risks and how we can mitigate them.

    We combined a review of published research on risks related to the ornamental plant trade with analysis of data on illegal trade and the prevalence of pests and hitchhiking vertebrates in plant shipments.

    That included two databases of customs interceptions of organisms such as insects, slugs and snails in imports into the UK and the Netherlands, and two databases of records of amphibians and reptiles linked to UK and Netherlands imports of ornamental plants.

    Despite repeated attempts and contacts, it was impossible to secure official data on contaminant interceptions from other major ornamental plant importer countries. Nonetheless, the available data provided an important snapshot of what might be occurring more widely.

    Growing and changing

    Our analysis shows that the ornamental plant trade is rapidly changing, doubling in value in recent decades. More and more cut flowers are being imported from tropical areas such as east Africa and South America, where the industry can play an essential economic role. Despite the risks we identify, these industries can and do bring significant benefits to people, and we are not calling for a halt to the trade.

    European tree frogs are often imported with flowers.
    University of Cambridge

    However, even with only two years of interception data it is clear that ornamental plant shipments contain considerable volumes of pests and potentially invasive organisms. Furthermore, while a range of species were found, taxonomic identification was not always possible, with around 20% of contaminants not being identified to species level.

    In some cases data named a contaminant only as “Coleoptera”, the scientific name for beetles and the largest insect group comprising over 300,000 species, or as “Lepidoptera” (butterflies and moths). These uncertainties make it harder to accurately assess invasive species risks.

    The reports of amphibians and reptiles imported into the UK and Netherlands are relatively small in number, dozens annually. But this is most likely a substantial underestimate given that these are not records systematically collected by authorities but rather mainly chance discoveries in airports, shops, depots and private homes, which then get collated because they are re-homed by specialist exotic wildlife centres.

    The problem is probably underreported

    The numbers of illegal plant seizures were generally small, even though there is likely to be a large illegal trade in plants such as orchids or cacti.

    This suggests that this is an underreported aspect of the illegal wildlife trade, due to less awareness and attention paid to plants. It’s hard for the layperson to tell a legal cactus from an endangered one, whereas it’s pretty obvious a rather colourful lizard found on a pot plant in Britain should not be there.

    Importantly, we also highlight growing concerns about the allocation of resources, in particular water and land, including the loss of Indigenous grazing land to ornamental plants.

    The use of pesticides for this non-essential crop type that has no nutritional value for people or livestock, in countries which might lack sufficient infrastructure to deal with the potential pollution, is also something that requires careful consideration.

    Ornamental plants are valuable products in global trade. Their trade is dynamic and shifting, yet while they are undoubtedly important in terms of their economic value, it is essential that the risks to people and the environment are not overlooked.

    Amy Hinsley is the co-chair of the IUCN SSC Orchid Specialist Group, an international network of volunteers working on orchid conservation.

    Silviu Petrovan is affiliated with People’s Trust for Endangered Species, a wildlife conservation NGO based in London. He is also a trustee at Froglife, a UK based amphibian and reptile conservation trust.

    – ref. The global plant trade is spreading invasive species to Europe – https://theconversation.com/the-global-plant-trade-is-spreading-invasive-species-to-europe-248274

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Parkersburg Man Sentenced to Prison for Role in Charleston Methamphetamine Trafficking Organization

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Michael Dale Cain, 49, of Parkersburg, was sentenced today to eight years and one month in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, for conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine. Cain admitted to a role in a Drug Trafficking Organization (DTO) that distributed methamphetamine in the Charleston area.

    According to court documents and statements made in court, from in or about January 2024 to in or about May 2024, Cain conspired with others to distribute methamphetamine in Charleston and within the Southern District of West Virginia. On May 5, 2024, co-conspirator Anthony Michael Mowery arranged for Cain to travel to Charleston for the purpose of picking up approximately 3 pounds of methamphetamine from another co-conspirator, Kirt Ray King, that Cain intended to transport to Parkersburg and distribute to others. After Cain acquired the methamphetamine, he was stopped by law enforcement officers who searched his vehicle, seized the methamphetamine, and arrested Cain.

    King, 48, of Charleston, pleaded guilty on January 27, 2025, to conspiracy to distribute 500 grams or more of a mixture and substance containing methamphetamine. Anthony Michael Mowery, 48, of Parkersburg, also pleaded guilty on January 27, 2025, to conspiracy to distribute 50 grams or more of a mixture and substance containing methamphetamine. King and Mowery are scheduled to be sentenced on April 21, 2025.

    United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).

    United States District Judge Joseph R. Goodwin imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorney Jeremy B. Wolfe prosecuted the case.

    The investigation was part of the Department of Justice’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF). The program was established in 1982 to conduct comprehensive, multilevel attacks on major drug trafficking and money laundering organizations and is the keystone of the Department of Justice’s drug reduction strategy. OCDETF combines the resources and expertise of its member federal agencies in cooperation with state and local law enforcement. The principal mission of the OCDETF program is to identify, disrupt and dismantle the most serious drug trafficking organizations, transnational criminal organizations and money laundering organizations that present a significant threat to the public safety, economic, or national security of the United States.

    A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:24-cr-95.

    ###

     

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: E-scooter shooter convicted of shooting gang rival

    Source: United Kingdom London Metropolitan Police

    Two men have been jailed following a violent shooting in Southwark.

    Kemar Edwards, 25 (14.10.1999), of Manthorp Road, Plumstead, and Amari Bailey, 23 (16.04.2001), of Hastings Close, Peckham were sentenced at the Old Bailey on Wednesday, 29 January after being found guilty of Section 18 grievous bodily harm with intent.

    Edwards was also found guilty of possession of a firearm with intent to endanger life and possession of a firearm when prohibited,

    Edwards received a sentence of 18 years’ imprisonment and three years’ extended licence. Bailey was sentenced to 12 years’ imprisonment and three years’ extended licence.

    On Saturday, 24 June 2023, a man was shot at three times in Bradenham Close, Walworth while sitting in a vehicle by Edwards, who was riding an e-scooter. This caused serious injuries to his arm and knee.

    The court heard that Bailey spotted the victim, aged 24 at the time of the incident, who was alleged to be a ‘rival gang member’, and pursued him on a stolen moped for 20 minutes.

    Bailey contacted Edwards and told him where to find the victim. Edwards then rode an e-scooter to the victim’s location in Bradenham Close, Walworth and shot at him three times using a hand gun.

    The gun was never recovered.

    Following an extensive investigation, and meticulous CCTV enquiries, the two suspects were identified as Edwards and Bailey.

    Edwards and Bailey were wearing a balaclava and motorbike helmet respectively during their offending, making it more difficult for detectives to identify and prosecute them.

    Detective Constable John Davis, of the Trident South Specialist Crime Command team, said:

    “We would like to thank members of the public who informed police on hearing the shooting, their evidence assisted in proving that Edwards fired the shots in a CCTV blind spot.

    “Edwards and Bailey are extremely dangerous individuals, who had the arrogance to brazenly carry out a targeted shooting in the street in broad daylight on a summer’s afternoon.

    “This posed a significant risk to the wider public. They are now safely behind bars for a substantial amount of time for their offending.

    “Trident will investigate all shootings to identify those responsible and bring them to justice.”

    A warrant was executed at an address in Greenwich on Friday, 15 December 2023, where Edwards was arrested and later charged.

    Bailey was interviewed on Monday, 5 February 2024, and later charged.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI: 2024 Q4 Revenue

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    • €994.6 million in total revenue for 2024, down -5.9%, reflecting the Group’s strategic orientations
      • Prioritizing margins over revenue growth
      • Managed decrease in the most mature markets
      • Focus on the Group’s profitable growth drivers, primarily in Germany and in Energy activities
    • Q4: €251.8 million in revenue, down -12.4%
      • Q4 2023 comparison basis particularly high
      • Impact of selectivity measures implemented in Q2 in the telecom sector in France and Spain
      • Fiber activity in Belgium remains low as negotiations continue between telco service providers seeking to pool their investments.
      • Strong growth in Germany, the group’s future third pillar: +51%
      • Strong growth in Energy activities: +30%
    • 2024 full-year margin outlook confirmed
      • Improvement of the Group’s adjusted EBITDA margin
      • Increase in adjusted EBITDA despite the revenue decline, demonstrating the relevance of the Group’s reinforced selectivity strategy
      12 months Q4
    In millions of euros (unaudited) 2024 2023 % change 2024 2023 % change
    Group 994.6 1,057.0         -5.9% 251.8 287.3         -12.4%
    Benelux 371.6 381.6         -2.6% 92.7 112.0         -17.2%
    France 360.6 403.3         -10.6% 90.5 105.6         -14.3%
    Other Countries 262.4 272.1         -3.6% 68.6 69.7         -1.6%

    Gianbeppi Fortis, Chief Executive Officer of Solutions30, stated: “As previously announced, Solutions30’s 2024 revenue trends reflect the Group’s strategic priorities, with a stronger focus on margins over revenue growth in a mixed market environment. In the fourth quarter, we continued to selectively scale back our revenue in our most mature segments, particularly in telecoms in France and Spain, in order to enhance operating margins. Meanwhile, fiber activity in Belgium remained temporarily subdued due to ongoing negotiations between service providers. At the same time, our key growth drivers – primarily Germany and energy transition-related services – continued to expand. Notably, energy services now represent nearly 20% of our fourth-quarter revenue. We confirm our objective of increasing the Group’s adjusted EBITDA for the full year 2024, despite the revenue decrease. This demonstrates our ability to significantly improve operating margins and highlights the effectiveness of our selectivity strategy in the market environment we faced in 2024.”

    Consolidated revenue

    In 2024, Solutions30’s consolidated revenue stood at €994.6 million, down -5.9% compared to 2023. This includes an organic contraction of -6.5%, a +0.2% impact from acquisitions, and a +0.4% favorable exchange rate effect.

    It also reflects the Group’s strategic objectives, as outlined during the Capital Markets Day on September 26, 2024, in a context where Solutions30 operates across markets and business segments at different stages of maturity. The Group has chosen to increasingly prioritize margins over revenue growth, leading to a scaling down in the French and Spanish telecom sectors, where certain contracts no longer met profitability requirements. At the same time, Solutions30 is accelerating the expansion of its profitable growth drivers in Germany and in the energy sector.

    Q4 consolidated revenue stood at €251.8 million, down -12.4% (-12.9% organically) compared to Q4 2023, which represented a particularly high basis for comparison (€287.3 million). Trends in Q4 remained in line with those observed in Q3, with: (i) the impact of selectivity measures implemented in Q2 in the French and Spanish telecom sectors, (ii) continued low levels of activity in Benelux, largely due to ongoing negotiations between Belgian service providers seeking to pool their fiber roll-out investments, and (iii) continued strong momentum in the Group’s key growth drivers: Germany, where fiber deployments are accelerating rapidly, and Energy services, a business the Group is successfully expanding.

    Benelux

    2024 Q4 revenue in Benelux stood at €92.7 million, down -17.2% (-17.6% organically) from a particularly high comparison basis (+61% in Q4 of 2023). Connectivity activities posted revenue of €67.3 million in Q4, down
    -26%. In Belgium, fiber optic deployment remained hindered by ongoing negotiations between telecom service providers seeking to streamline nationwide deployment. These negotiations continued to cause delays in activity for Solutions30, with the impact further amplified in Q4 by the merger of two of its local clients, Proximus and Fiberklaar, which led to discussions on adapting operational processes.

    Revenue from Energy activities reached €16.4 million in Q4, posting a modest 1.8% increase. While the roll-out of smart meters in Flanders has reached a plateau, further roll-outs in Wallonia and growth in network services are expected to drive momentum in the coming quarters. Meanwhile, Energy services in the Netherlands have slowed down due to electrical grid congestion, which is expected to prompt additional infrastructure investments.

    Technology Solutions remained strong, generating €9.0 million in revenue, up +67%, driven by the launch of a new IT support contract.        

    2024 annual revenue in Benelux reached €371.6 million, down slightly by -2.6% (-2.8% organically), after extremely strong growth (+72%) in 2023.

    France

    In France, 2024 Q4 revenue was €90.5 million, down -14.3% on an organic basis. This decrease is primarily attributable to Connectivity activities, which contracted by -38.2% to €45.2 million, following the selectivity measures implemented since the second quarter. As part of its strategic focus on profitability, the Group has significantly reduced its exposure to certain contracts that no longer met its profitability standards, with the impact further amplified by the slowdown in the fiber deployment market observed since the beginning of the year.

    The Group continues to successfully expand its Energy business, which posted strong growth of +54% in the fourth quarter, reaching €26.0 million in revenue, or 29% of the total. Supported by highly favorable structural trends, this segment is gradually establishing itself as a major growth driver for Solutions30, particularly in the photovoltaic sector, where the Group is achieving significant commercial and operational successes, recording a +72% increase in the fourth quarter. Momentum also remains strong in energy network services, which grew by +61% over the period.

    Technology activities sustain a strong momentum, generating €19.3 million in revenue in Q4, up +24%. Following an exceptional surge in business during the 2024 Paris Olympics in Q2, IT support services continued to grow strongly, driven by the expansion of Internet of Things solutions, particularly the installation of smart thermostats.

    Annual revenue for France in 2024 stood at €360.6 million, down -10.6%, including a -11% organic contraction and a +0.4% contribution from recent acquisitions.

    Other Countries

    In Other countries, the group generated €68.6 million in revenue in Q4 2024, down slightly by -1.6%. This includes an organic decline of -3.4% and a positive currency impact of +1.8%, reflecting the appreciation of the zloty and pound sterling against the euro during this period.

    In Germany, Solutions30 is capitalizing on exceptional market momentum, with 2024 Q4 revenue increasing by +51.3% to €24.6 million. Coaxial network services remain strong while fiber growth is picking up speed. Firmly established with the leading national telecom operators, the Group has the organization, expertise, and resources required to play a key role in accelerating roll-outs in the coming quarters.

    Solutions30 has continued to grow in Poland, with +6.4% revenue growth in Q4, reaching €15.1 million. While it has, until now, focused on Connectivity activities in this country, the Group recently won two electric vehicle charging infrastructure contracts with two major players, Ekoenergetyka and Inbalance Grid (see press release dated January 8, 2025).

    In Italy, Q4 revenue totaled €14.5 million. Business has returned to growth, posting a +6.2% increase over the period. However, this growth is offset by the positive impact of 2023 negotiations with the Group’s main Italian client, which was fully accounted for in Q4 2023, despite covering the entire fiscal year. This distorts the comparison, resulting in an apparent -10.6% decline in Q4 2024.

    In Spain, revenue amounted to €7.3 million, down -44.1% due to steps taken in Q2 to reduce the Group’s exposure to the mature telecoms market. The restructuring of the Connectivity business and the refocus on the Energy and Technology activities are ongoing.

    Finally, In the United Kingdom, revenue came in at €7.2 million, down -28.4% compared to Q4 2023. The Group continues to shift its focus toward the fiber and energy services markets, driven by a newly appointed local management team.

    In 2024, annual revenue for Other Countries was €262.4 million, down -3.6%, including a -5.0% organic contraction and a positive exchange rate effect of +1.4%.

    2024 full-year margin outlook confirmed

    For the whole of 2024, Solutions30 confirms its outlook for an improvement in its adjusted EBITDA margin, as well as an increase in adjusted EBITDA in absolute terms, despite the decline in revenue. This demonstrates the effectiveness of the selectivity strategy implemented by the Group in 2024.

     
    Governance

    Today the Supervisory Board appointed Mrs. Paola Bruno as Vice Chair of the Supervisory Board. A valued member of the Supervisory Board since 2023, Paola Bruno will continue to bring her extensive experience in corporate finance and strategy to this leadership role and to Solutions30 organization as a whole.

    Webcast for Investors and Analysts
    Date: Wednesday, January 29, 2025
    6:30 PM (CET) – 5:30 PM (GMT)

    Speakers
    Gianbeppi Fortis, Chief Executive Officer
    Amaury Boilot, Group General Secretary

    Connection Details
    Webcast in French: https://channel.royalcast.com/landingpage/solutions30-fr/20250129_1/

    Upcoming Events

    2024 Earnings Report                                                                                  March 31, 2025

    About Solutions30 SE

    Solutions30 provides consumers and businesses with access to the key technological advancements that are shaping our everyday lives, especially those driving the digital transformation and energy transition. With its network of more than 16,000 technicians, Solutions30 has completed over 65 million call-outs since its inception and led over 500 renewable energy projects with a combined maximum output surpassing 1600 MWp. Every day, Solutions30 is doing its part to build a more connected and sustainable world. Solutions30 has become an industry leader in Europe with operations in 10 countries: France, Italy, Germany, the Netherlands, Belgium, Luxembourg, Spain, Portugal, the United Kingdom, and Poland.
    The capital of Solutions30 SE consists of 107,127,984 shares, equal to the number of theoretical votes that can be exercised. Solutions30 SE is listed on the Euronext Paris exchange (ISIN FR0013379484- code S30).
    Indices : CAC Mid & Small | CAC Small | CAC Technology | Euro Stoxx Total Market Technology | Euronext Tech Croissance.
    Visit our website for more information: www.solutions30.com.

    Contact

    Individual Shareholders:
    Tel: +33 (0)1 86 86 00 63 – shareholders@solutions30.com

    Analysts/Investors:
    investor.relations@solutions30.com

    Press – Image 7:
    Charlotte Le Barbier – Tel: +33 6 78 37 27 60 – clebarbier@image7.fr

    Attachment

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: MCQ Markets announces Solana and RWA Strategy for the Future of Data Authenticity and Tokenization of Collector Cars on the Blockchain

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    MIAMI, Jan. 29, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — MCQ Markets, an emerging leader in the automotive alternative asset investment space, is thrilled to announce its new strategic endeavor pioneering the curation of ultra-rare luxury vehicles and collectibles via tokenization and data authentication on the Solana Blockchain.

    MCQ provides individuals the opportunity to diversify their investment portfolios with iconic automobiles through their SEC-qualified offerings – breaking down barriers traditionally associated with luxury car ownership.

    MCQ Markets is creating a series of NFTs for each car to be sold on the MCQ platform, ensuring the data authenticity of all automobiles and collectibles. Each vehicle will be linked to a unique NFT, securely storing vital information such as VIN, mileage, acquisition date, and more. This secure and immutable digital ledger will ensure all records are tamper-resistant and fully transparent.

    Backed by the Solana Foundation, which drives the adoption of the Solana blockchain, this integration ensures the seamless tokenization of real-world assets (RWA) like these collector cars, setting a new standard for transparency and innovation in Web3. By leveraging scalability and efficiency offered on the Solana blockchain, MCQ Markets is laying the foundation for the future of data secure authentication in the collector car market, ensuring verified historical records and market valuations.

    CEO of MCQ Markets, Curt Hopkins, shared, “This integration will bring the technical prowess and security of the blockchain to the automotive world, ensuring authenticity, provenance, and transparency for our investors. This partnership will enable MCQ Markets to explore new frontiers in Web3 and be at the forefront of creating the future automotive collecting.”

    MCQ Markets has received an investment from SOL Global Investments Corp. as part of their 2025 Solana ecosystem investment strategy. Curt continued, “This investment into MCQ Markets from SOL Global highlights the innovative potential of Solana’s blockchain technology to revolutionize traditional and alternative asset classes, providing a new level of authenticity and provenance to all investments.”

    About MCQ Markets
    MCQ Markets is redefining luxury asset ownership by making exotic automobiles attainable through its innovative fractional ownership model. The platform serves both passionate enthusiasts and seasoned investors, democratizing luxury ownership and allowing more individuals to invest in assets that were previously out of reach. For more information, please visit: https://on.mcqmarkets.com/pr.

    Investments contain a high degree of risk. You should carefully review the MCQ Markets offering circular before deciding to invest, a copy of which is available on the Securities and Exchange Commission’s website, linked here: https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/2025795/000149315224023512/partiiandiii.htm.

    About Solana Foundation
    The Solana Foundation is dedicated to the adoption and growth of the Solana blockchain, one of the world’s fastest and most scalable decentralized networks. By enabling secure, low-cost, and energy-efficient transactions, Solana powers the next generation of blockchain-based innovations across finance, gaming, and real-world asset tokenization. For more information, visit: https://solana.org/.

    Contact Information:
    MCQ Markets Media Contact
    Email: press@mcqmarkets.com

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: AI world premiere helps to bang drum on air quality

    Source: City of Liverpool

    Liverpool has turned its famous musical talent to AI for a world premiere influenced by….air pollution!

    Liverpool City Council, the University of Liverpool and The Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra have combined to create a piece of AI-written music to promote clean air policies in cities.

    Dr Jonny Higham from the University of Liverpool, in partnership with Liverpool City Council, has led the development of one of the UK’s largest city-wide air quality monitoring networks.

    This pioneering work has generated a unique dataset, transformed into a musical composition using cutting-edge AI technology.

    In a celebration of innovation and creativity, the Liverpool Philharmonic String Quartet has brought this data to life in an incredible performance, merging science and art in a truly unique way.

    The strong collaborations developed were showcased for Clean Air Night in a live performance of the piece by students from the University of Liverpool’s Music Department at the waterfront, where the buildings were lit up in blue to mark the occasion.

    Across the city region, air quality varies significantly throughout the year, with multiple breaches of the stringent 5 µg/m³ daily average recommended by the WHO, as is common in large urban areas. The musical composition is crafted to reflect this.

    The instruments come together harmoniously in some sections and transition to atonality to symbolise periods of increased pollution. The piece contains 365 notes, each representing a single day of 2024, capturing the region’s air quality journey over the year.

    The strong collaboration across the city was showcased in the Clean Air Night celebration, creating a powerful conversation piece that highlights Liverpool’s united efforts to lead the way in air quality research.

    The City of Liverpool is positioning itself as a leader in urban environmental action. 

    Liverpool City Council is committed to creating a cleaner, healthier, more sustainable city through a range of initiatives.

    This includes implementing 65 School Streets to reduce traffic near schools, supported by camera enforcement, and transitioning the Council’s vehicle fleet from diesel to electric, boosting both air quality and progress toward net-zero emissions.

    A comprehensive Clean Air Plan is also underway, outlining clear actions to reduce roadside nitrogen dioxide levels.

    Furthermore, the Council’s Active Travel Plan will enhance walking and cycling infrastructure across the city, with new routes, improved wayfinding, and additional bike parking, ensuring residents benefit from safer and more sustainable travel options.

    And residents across Liverpool will benefit from the Council’s Active Travel plan, which will support the introduction of more walking and cycling routes, wayfinding and an increase of parking for bikes.

    The full video of the performance can be watched here.

    Councillor Liam Robinson, Leader of Liverpool City Council, said: “The creation of music from air quality data is a really creative way of highlighting where we are in our plans to improve air quality throughout Liverpool.

    “The impact on residents’ health, particularly children, is important to remember. That’s why I’m proud of the work we are already doing as a council to reduce the pollutants in our atmosphere. These are projects that will benefit everyone in the city and ensure we have a city that is healthy and thriving.”

    Prof Ian Sinha, Consultant Respiratory Paediatrician at Alder Hey Hospital, said: “Air quality is the factor which affects children the most. In fact, the poorest children the hardest hit. So they will suffer the effects of the pollution that they breathe in as children – potentially for the rest of their life.”

    Dr Jonny Higham, from the University of Liverpool, said: “For the last five or six years I’ve been working to build an air quality network in collaboration with Liverpool City Council and Alder Hey Children’s Hospital.

    “Across the whole of the city so we’ve now got 55 air quality sensors and we analyse the air quality across the whole of the city.

    “Clean Air Night is to get us thinking a little bit about what we can do to reduce our pollution. Music that we’ve created from our data by converting it using artificial intelligence has been performed live and also we’ve had the Philharmonic string quartet perform it too.

    “It’s been brilliant project helping to communicate the importance of air quality.”

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI Security: U.S. Attorney’s Office Secures Sentencing of Las Cruces Man for Carjacking and Firearms Offenses

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    ALBUQUERQUE – A Las Cruces man was sentenced to 10 years in federal prison for carjacking and firearms offenses stemming from a violent incident in February 2023.

    There is no parole in the federal system.

    According to court documents, on February 19, 2023, officers from the Las Cruces Police Department attempted to stop a black Cadillac sedan with no visible license plate. The vehicle refused to pull over and was later located parked in front of the Rack Room Shoes store on E. Lohman Ave.

    Officers observed Sergio Ivan Enriquez, 41, walking towards the Cadillac. Upon seeing the officers, Enriquez fled on foot. Shortly after, officers heard on the radio that an individual matching Enriquez‘s description had stolen a vehicle at gunpoint in the same parking lot.

    During the carjacking, Enriquez entered the victim’s vehicle through the front passenger door, demanding that the victim “get out or drive.” When the victim refused, Enriquez pulled out a gray handgun, forcing the victim to exit the vehicle. Enriquez then drove off in the car with the victim’s dog still inside.

    Later that day, authorities located the stolen Volkswagen, the dog, and Enriquez at a residence in Las Cruces. A search of the residence uncovered a gray handgun in the kitchen oven. Additionally, a shotgun was found in the Cadillac from which Enriquez had initially fled.

    At the time of the incident, Enriquez, previously convicted of child abuse in 2014, was prohibited from possessing firearms.

    Upon his release from prison, Enriquez will be subject to three years of supervised release.

    U.S. Attorney Alexander M.M. Uballez and Raul Bujanda, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, made the announcement today.

    The Las Cruces Resident Agency of the FBI Albuquerque Field Office investigated this case with assistance from the Las Cruces Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Maria Y. Armijo and Ry Ellison prosecuted the case.

    # # #

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Red Deer — Red Deer RCMP Crime Reduction Team arrest three for stolen vehicle and weapons

    Source: Royal Canadian Mounted Police

    On Nov. 13, 2024, at approximately 3:46 p.m., the Red Deer RCMP Crime Reduction Team located an unoccupied vehicle that had been reported stolen at a business in north Red Deer. Officers established surveillance on the vehicle leading to the arrest of three individuals. Fentanyl and multiple weapons, including a sawed-off shotgun, were also located in the vehicle.

    A 53-year-old individual, a resident of Red Deer, has been charged with the following offences:

    • Possession of property obtained by crime over $5000
    • Possession of a controlled substance
    • Possession of a prohibited weapon with ammo without licence/registration
    • Possession of firearm in motor vehicle
    • Possession of a firearm when known possession unauthorized
    • Unsafe storage of firearms
    • Possession of weapon for dangerous purpose
    • Alter a vehicle identification number

    The 53-year-old individual was taken before a justice of the peace and was released on a release order and is scheduled to appear in court on Nov. 26, 2024 at the Alberta Court of Justice in Red Deer.

    A 33-year-old individual, a resident of Red Deer, has been charged with the following offences:

    • Possession of property obtained by crime over $5000
    • Possession for the purpose of trafficking
    • Possession of a controlled substance
    • Possession of a prohibited weapon with ammo without licence/registration
    • Possession of firearm in motor vehicle
    • Possession of a firearm when known possession unauthorized
    • Unsafe storage of firearms
    • Possession of weapon for dangerous purpose
    • Weapon possession contrary to order
    • Alter a vehicle identification number

    The 33-year-old individual was taken before a justice of the peace and was remanded into custody and is scheduled to appear in court on Nov. 19, 2024 at the Alberta Court of Justice in Red Deer.

    A 25-year-old individual, a resident of O’Chiese First Nation, Alta., has been charged with the following offences:

    • Possession of property obtained by crime over $5000
    • Possession of a controlled substance
    • Possession of a prohibited weapon with ammo without licence/registration
    • Possession of firearm in motor vehicle
    • Possession of a firearm when known possession unauthorized
    • Unsafe storage of firearms
    • Possession of weapon for dangerous purpose
    • Alter a vehicle identification number
    • Failure or refusal to comply with demand
    • Additional TSA charges

    The 25-year-old individual was taken before a justice of the peace and was remanded into custody and is scheduled to appear in court on Nov. 15, 2024 at the Alberta Court of Justice in Red Deer.

    If you have any information regarding illegal activity within the city of Red Deer, please contact Red Deer RCMP at 403-406-2200. If you wish to remain anonymous, you can contact Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477 (TIPS), online at www.P3Tips.com or by using the “P3 Tips” app available through the Apple App or Google Play Store. To report crime online, or for access to RCMP news and information, download the Alberta RCMP app through Apple or Google Play.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Red Deer — Red Deer RCMP Crime Reduction Team arrest two for stolen firearm and property

    Source: Royal Canadian Mounted Police

    Red Deer RCMP with the assistance of the Emergency Response Team and Police Dog Services, have arrested two individuals and seized multiple firearms and stolen property following their investigation.

    On Nov. 13, 2024, officers observed an individual driving a vehicle, while they were prohibited from doing so. Out of concern for public safety police did not pursue the driver. The following day, the same individual was located again by police. Officers conducted surveillance, which ultimately led to the coordinated arrests of two individuals.

    A subsequent search warrant was executed on a vehicle, a hotel room and a residence connected to the suspects. As a result of the search, Red Deer RCMP recovered various items including a loaded stolen handgun, a long gun and a stolen licence plate.

    A 31-year-old individual, a resident of Red Deer, has been charged with the following offences:

    • Operate conveyance while prohibited from doing so x2
    • Careless transportation of a firearm
    • Knowing unauthorized possession of a firearm
    • Unauthorized possession of a firearm in a vehicle
    • Possess prohibited or restricted firearm with ammunition
    • Possess weapon obtained by crime
    • Possess firearm contrary to order x6

    A 33-year-old individual, a resident of Red Deer, has been charged with the following offences:

    • Careless transportation of a firearm
    • Unauthorized possession of a firearm in a vehicle
    • Possess prohibited or restricted firearm with ammunition
    • Possess weapon obtained by crime
    • Breach of release order x2

    Both were taken before a justice of the peace and were remanded into custody. Their last court date was on Nov. 18, 2024, at the Alberta Court of Justice in Red Deer.

    The cooperation of all units involved was instrumental in ensuring the safe apprehension of the suspects and the recovery of these dangerous items. These arrests highlight the ongoing commitment of Red Deer RCMP to protect the community.

    If you have any information regarding this incident or other suspicious activity please contact Red Deer RCMP at 403-406-2200. If you wish to remain anonymous, you can contact Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477 (TIPS), online at www.P3Tips.com or by using the “P3 Tips” app available through the Apple App or Google Play Store. To report crime online, or for access to RCMP news and information, download the Alberta RCMP app through Apple or Google Play.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Yorkshire man ordered to clear illegal waste site

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    A man has been given two months to clear waste from an illegal site in North Yorkshire following an investigation by the Environment Agency.

    Image shows illegal waste stored on the site at Catterick.

    Oliver Henry Alexander King, 52, of Bedale, North Yorkshire, appeared at York Magistrates’ Court on Friday 24 January 2025, where he pleaded guilty to one charge of operating a waste site without an environmental permit, and one charge of failing to comply with a notice to clear waste from the site.

    He was sentenced to a 12 month community order with 110 hours of unpaid work, ordered to pay costs of £5,422.75 and a victim surcharge of £114.

    He was also ordered to clear the site of waste by 21 March, 2025. This regulation 44 order requires King to remove all waste from the site and take it to a permitted site for disposal. If he fails to comply he could be subject to further action.

    Waste crime puts ‘environment at risk’

    Ian Foster, Environment Agency Area Environment Manager, said:

    Environmental permits are in place to protect the public and environment and the way the waste was stored at this site posed a risk of contamination and fire.

    King was given a number of opportunities to clear the site of waste but failed to comply with the instructions from our officers. 

    Illegal activity such as this undermines legitimate businesses that work hard to operate within the regulations, as well as putting the environment at risk and impacting on the local community.

    The court heard that King rented land next to allotments at Oran Lane in Catterick.

    On 22 June 2023, Environment Agency officers attended the site following reports of an illegal waste operation.

    They saw a significant amount of waste piled up including wood, plastics, metal, and construction and demolition waste, as well as household waste like fridges and freezers.

    The waste, which was close to a local watercourse, posed a risk of groundwater and surface water pollution and was stored in one big pile, posing a fire risk.

    An Environment Agency letter was sent to King with actions including to stop bringing waste on to the site and to start clearing the waste that was already present immediately. He was given until 21 August, 2023 to comply.

    Image shows illegal waste stored at the site in Catterick.

    Deadline for waste removal extended

    Follow up visits by officers revealed that while some waste had been removed, most still remained. It did appear King had stopped bringing waste on to site and he said financial and vehicle issues had prevented the waste from being removed.

    He was given until 28 February, 2024, to comply with the original deadline.

    On 20 March, 2024, Environment Agency officers went to the site to check compliance with the notice, and it was apparent that the pile of waste remained unchanged.

    In interview in May 2024 King said he claimed to have been unaware that he needed an environmental permit or waste exemption – which allows for low level waste activity without the need for a permit – until he was told this by the Environment Agency.

    He said he stopped importing and treating waste after the initial visit from officers, but didn’t have the money to remove the waste. He added that he owned property which he planned to sell to fund the site clearance.

    Follow up visits by officers during the summer of 2024 saw that while some waste had been cleared, most still remained. An enforcement notice was issued by the Environment Agency requiring the site to be cleared by 23 August 2024. This was also not complied with.

    Illegal waste activity can be reported to the Environment Agency on its 24-hour incident line on 0800 807060 or to Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.

    Background

    Full charges

    1 – Between 21 June 2023 and 29 August 2024 at land of Oran Lane, Catterick in the county of North Yorkshire, you did operate a regulated facility, namely a waste operation for the recovery or disposal of waste, except under and to the extent authorised by an environmental permit.

    Contrary to Regulations 12 and 38(1)(a) Environmental Permitting (England and Wales) Regulations 2016.  

    2 – On 24 August 2024, you failed, without reasonable excuse, to comply with a notice dated 09 July 2024 and served on you on pursuant to section 59ZB(2) of the Environmental Protection Act 1990 in that you failed to remove controlled waste from land at Oran Lane, Catterick.

    Contrary to section 59ZB(6) Environmental Protection Act 1990.

    Updates to this page

    Published 29 January 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Gander and Grand Falls-Windsor — Motorists ticketed in Central NL by RCMP for operating uninsured vehicles

    Source: Royal Canadian Mounted Police

    Three motorists were recently stopped and ticketed between Gander and Grand Falls-Windsor by RCMP NL for operating vehicles without insurance.

    On January 28, 2025, RCMP Traffic Services Central stopped a vehicle with expired registration on Roe Avenue in Gander. The driver, a 25-year-old man, had a suspended licence and was operating a vehicle without insurance.

    Later in the evening, shortly before 11:30 p.m., Gander RCMP stopped a vehicle on Byrd Avenue in Gander. The driver, a 40-year-old woman, was operating without a driver’s licence and without insurance.

    At approximately 3:30 p.m. on January 29, 2025, Grand Falls-Windsor RCMP stopped a vehicle on Lincoln Road in Grand Falls-Windsor. The driver, a 25-year-old man, was operating an uninsured vehicle without a valid driver’s licence.

    All three drivers were ticketed and the vehicles were seized and impounded.

    RCMP NL has the ability to confirm a vehicle’s current registration and insurance status by checking a vehicle’s licence plate. The information is electronically readily available. Although a driver is required to provide proof of insurance, police do not rely solely upon the information contained within the “pink slip” as proof of insurance.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Partnership of GUU and KubSAU: new prospects for the Russian agro-industry

    Translartion. Region: Russians Fedetion –

    Source: State University of Management – Official website of the State –

    On January 29, 2024, a ceremonial signing of a cooperation agreement between the State University of Management and the Kuban State Agrarian University named after I.T. Trubilin took place.

    On behalf of our university, the signature was put by Rector Vladimir Stroyev, on behalf of KubSAU – by Rector Alexander Trubilin. In addition to them, the meeting was attended by Advisor to the Rector’s Office of the State University of Management Nikolay Mikhailov and Head of the Department for Coordination of Scientific Research of the State University of Management Maxim Pletnev, as well as Dean of the Faculty of Finance and Credit of KubSAU Alexander Adamenko.

    The first step in implementing the agreement will be the opening of a network educational program for bachelor’s degrees in Finance and Business Management. The new educational program provides the opportunity to obtain a bachelor’s degree in economics and management within the framework of one diploma. It provides for alternating study locations: Krasnodar (first and second years) – Moscow (third year) – Krasnodar (fourth year).

    Welcoming the guests, Vladimir Stroyev noted that the meeting had been planned for quite a long time and had finally taken place. The rector briefly spoke about the history of the State University of Management, which is noticeably longer than the official 105 years. During this time, the university has participated and continues to participate in many global state transformations.

    Vladimir Vitalievich spoke in more detail about the main historical areas of the university’s work. He spoke about the first department of personnel management in the country. He shared the successes of the department of state and municipal management. And he placed special emphasis on the approach to management that has changed over time. Fortunately, the State University of Management managed to preserve some areas of industry management, which is again in great demand in the labor market today.

    The rector also particularly noted that GUU has taken the path of developing network programs. In this regard, our university is a leader in Russia. At the moment, eight such programs are being implemented and three more are in development.

    Rector of KubSAU Alexander Trubilin admitted that they also have a task to develop network programs, but so far only one is being implemented, with MGIMO. And since the State University of Management has gone so far ahead, it makes even more sense to cooperate in this direction and adopt experience.

    Aleksandr Ivanovich also spoke about the specifics of working in the Krasnodar Region, a region with the highest population growth in the country and a 50/50 urban-rural ratio. The region’s universities are faced with the task of maintaining this ratio, that is, helping to retain young specialists in the field. For the comprehensive development of rural areas, KubSAU is expanding the range of educational programs and seeking cooperation with other universities.

    In response to this, Vladimir Stroyev spoke about the activities of the Eurasian Network University, which has already gone beyond not only the Eurasian Economic Union, but also the geographical boundaries of Eurasia. The rector invited his colleague to join the consortium if he wished.

    Maxim Pletnev, Head of the Scientific Research Coordination Department of the State University of Management, told the guests about the university’s scientific work, in particular about the digital estate project, which is a core project for KubSAU and is being implemented jointly with the Omsk Agricultural Research Center and the Udmurt State University. He reported on the trip of young scientists from the State University of Management to an internship at the largest agricultural holding company, STEPPE, as a result of which the university received an order to develop import-substituted parts for agricultural machinery. He also mentioned joint projects within the framework of the RosGeoTech Advanced Engineering School.

    The final part of the visit was the excursion program, within the framework of which the guests visited the Pre-University of the State University of Management, asking with interest about the number of students, the conditions for admission, the academic performance of schoolchildren and the number of those entering our university after that. Representatives of KubSAU looked into the Sports Complex and the Information Technology Center. They also visited the Media Center, which they were completely delighted with. They lingered for a long time in the laboratory of the Director of the Engineering Project Management Center Vladimir Filatov, who spoke about the work of the inter-university design bureau, clarified the details of the digital village project and gave examples of joint developments with TMH Engineering. Also, the head of engineering projects of the State University of Management showed on the screen of the work computer a project of an unmanned aerial vehicle, which is currently at the exhibition, and said that flight tests will take place this year. The guests were interested in the development and offered to use their test site for the first flights of the drone from the State University of Management.

    Subscribe to the TG channel “Our GUU” Date of publication: 01/29/2025

    Please note: This information is raw content directly from the source of the information. It is exactly what the source states and does not reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: IAM District 8 Donates To Illinois Firefighters Toy Drive

    Source: US GOIAM Union

    The Aurora, Ill.,, Fire Department had help from the IAM this year, delivering toys to deserving children around Aurora, Il. As part of its annual toy drive, firefighters collect toys around the holidays and deliver them to homes, surprising many deserving children.

    Every year, firefighters receive donated toys from several individuals and organizations, including the Aurora-based IAM Local 1202 and IAM District 8. In the days before Christmas, Santa makes his deliveries with firefighters in a firetruck.

    “This is what the holiday season is all about,” said IAM Midwest Territory General Vice President Sam Cicinelli. “The true spirit of the holidays is in giving back, and it’s incredible to see so many people come together to make a difference for local families.”

    “We’re proud to partner with Local 1202 in Aurora for our annual toy drive,” said IAM District 8 Directing Business Representative Ryan Kelly. “This year, we gathered thousands of dollars worth of toys from 17 of our District 8-affiliated locals across the state, bringing joy to many local families. My sincere thanks go out to all the volunteers, as well as District 8 staff for their help in making this the huge success it was.”

    “I’m extremely proud of the efforts of our membership,” said IAM Local 1202 President Dave Dady. “I’m also proud of the efforts of our brothers and sisters from across the IAM Locals in District 8 whose efforts ensured our success.” 

    This year, IAM Local 1202 was also featured on the front page of Labor News for their efforts.

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    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI: Progressive Reports December 2024 Results

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    MAYFIELD VILLAGE, OHIO, Jan. 29, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — The Progressive Corporation (NYSE:PGR) today reported the following results for the month and quarter ended December 31, 2024:

      December Quarter
    (millions, except per share amounts and ratios; unaudited)   2024       2023   Change   2024       2023   Change
    Net premiums written $ 5,964     $ 4,876   22   % $ 18,105     $ 15,130   20   %
    Net premiums earned $ 6,717     $ 5,310   26   % $ 19,144     $ 15,773   21   %
    Net income $ 942     $ 901   5   % $ 2,356     $ 1,988   19   %
    Per share available to common shareholders $ 1.60     $ 1.53   5   % $ 4.01     $ 3.37   19   %
    Total pretax net realized gains (losses) on securities $ (140 )   $ 144   (197 ) % $ (53 )   $ 303   (117 ) %
    Combined ratio   84.1       83.4   0.7   pts.   87.9       88.7   (0.8 ) pts.
    Average diluted equivalent common shares   587.7       587.4   0   %   587.7       587.5   0   %
      December 31,
    (thousands; unaudited) 2024   2023   % Change
    Policies in Force          
    Personal Lines          
    Agency – auto 9,778   8,336   17
    Direct – auto 13,996   11,190   25
    Special lines 6,520   5,969   9
    Property 3,517   3,096   14
    Total Personal Lines 33,811   28,591   18
    Commercial Lines 1,141   1,099   4
    Companywide 34,952   29,690   18
               
               

    See Progressive’s complete monthly earnings release for additional information.

    About Progressive

    Progressive Insurance® makes it easy to understand, buy and use car insurance, home insurance, and other protection needs. Progressive offers choices so consumers can reach us however it’s most convenient for them — online at progressive.com, by phone at 1-800-PROGRESSIVE, via the Progressive mobile app, or in-person with a local agent.

    Progressive provides insurance for personal and commercial autos and trucks, motorcycles, boats, recreational vehicles, and homes; it is the second largest personal auto insurer in the country, a leading seller of commercial auto, motorcycle, and boat insurance, and one of the top 15 homeowners insurance carriers. 

    Founded in 1937, Progressive continues its long history of offering shopping tools and services that save customers time and money, like Name Your Price®, Snapshot®, and HomeQuote Explorer®.

    The Common Shares of The Progressive Corporation, the Mayfield Village, Ohio-based holding company, trade publicly at NYSE: PGR.

    Company Contact:
    Douglas S. Constantine
    (440) 395-3707
    investor_relations@progressive.com

    The Progressive Corporation
    300 North Commons Blvd.
    Mayfield Village, Ohio  44143
    http://www.progressive.com

    Download PDF: Progressive December 2024 Complete Earnings Release

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Chancellor vows to go further and faster to kickstart economic growth

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    Chancellor of the Exchequer Rachel Reeves spoke at Siemens Healthineers in Oxfordshire on 29 January 2025.

    Thank you everyone. 

    It’s fantastic to be here at Siemens at this amazing facility.  

    Today, I want to talk about economic growth. 

    Why it matters.  

    How we achieve it.  

    And what we are going to do further and faster to deliver it. 

    Before we came into office… 

    … the Prime Minister and I have said loud and clear:  

    Economic growth is the number one mission of this government.  

    Without growth, we cannot cut hospital waiting lists or put more police on the streets.  

    Without growth, we cannot meet our climate goals… 

    … or give the next generation the opportunities that they need to thrive. 

    But most of all… 

    … without economic growth… 

    … we cannot improve the lives of ordinary working people.  

    Because growth isn’t simply about lines on a graph. 

    It’s about the pounds in people’s pockets. 

    The vibrancy of our high streets. 

    And the thriving businesses that create wealth, jobs and new opportunities for us, for our children, and grandchildren.  

    We will have succeeded in our mission when working people are better off. 

    I know that the cost of living crisis is still very real for many families across Britain.  

    The sky high inflation and interest rates of the past few years have left a deep mark… 

    … with too many people still making sacrifices to pay the bills and to pay their mortgages.   

    But we have begun to turn this around.  

    Everything I see as I travel around the country gives me more belief in Britain. 

    And more optimism about our future. 

    Because we as a country have huge potential.  

    A country of strong communities, with small and local businesses at their heart.  

    We are at the forefront of some of the most exciting developments in the world… 

    … like artificial intelligence and life sciences…  

    … with great companies like DeepMind, AstraZeneca, Rolls Royce… and of course Siemens…  

    … delivering jobs and investment across Britain. 

    We have fundamental strengths – in our history, in our language, and in our legal system – to compete in a global economy.  

    But for too long, that potential has been held back.  

    For too long, we have accepted low expectations and accepted decline. 

    We no longer have to do that.  

    We can do so much better. 

    Low growth is not our destiny.  

    But growth will not come without a fight.  

    Without a government willing to take the right decisions now to change our country’s future for the better. 

    That’s what our Plan for Change is all about. 

    That is what drives me as Chancellor.  

    In my Mais lecture in March last year, I set out my approach to achieving economic growth… 

    … and identified the fundamental barriers to realising our full potential.  

    The productive capacity of the UK economy has become far too weak.  

    Productivity, the driver of living standards…   

    …has grown more slowly here than in countries like Germany and the US.  

    The supply side of our economy has suffered due to chronic underinvestment… 

    … and stifling and unpredictable regulation…  

    … not helped by the shocks we have faced in recent years. 

    [redacted political content]

    The strategy that I have consistently set out… 

    … is to grow the supply-side of our economy… 

    … recognising that first and foremost… 

    … it is businesses, investors and entrepreneurs who drive economic growth… 

    … a government that systematically removes the barriers that they face – one by one and has their back 

    This strategy has three essential elements: 

    First, stability in our politics, our public finances and our economy – the basic condition for secure economic growth. 

    Second, reform – reform which makes it easier for businesses to trade, to raise finance and to build.  

    And third, investment, the lifeblood of economic growth. 

    Let me explain each of those in turn.  

    Stability – the first line of our manifesto was a promise to bring stability to the public finances.  

    It is the rock upon which everything else is built. 

    And it is the essential foundation of our Plan for Change.  

    Because economic stability is the precondition for economic growth. 

    That’s why the first piece of legislation that we passed as a government was the Budget Responsibility Act… 

    … so never again will we see our independent forecaster sidelined.

    [redacted political content]

    At my first Budget in October… 

    … it was my duty as Chancellor… 

    … to fix the foundations of our economy, and repair the public finances that we inherited. 

    To restore stability and create the conditions for growth and investment.  

    I set out new fiscal rules which are non-negotiable, and will always be met. 

    We began to rebuild our NHS and our schools – the start of a programme of public service reform.  

    I capped the rate of corporation tax – and I extended our generous capital allowances for the duration of this parliament – as the CBI and the BCC have long called for.  

    And I protected working people after a cost of living crisis… 

    … by freezing fuel duty… 

    … and with no increases in their National Insurance, Income Tax or VAT. 

    But taking the right decisions and the responsible decisions does not always mean taking the easy decisions. 

    The increase in Employers’ National Insurance contributions has consequences on business and beyond.   

    I said that up front in my Budget speech. 

    I accept that there are costs to responsibility. 

    But the costs of irresponsibility would have been far higher. 

    Those who oppose my Budget know that too. 

    That is why, since October, I have seen no alternative put forward [redacted political content].

    No alternatives to deal with the challenges we face.  

    No alternatives to restoring economic stability… 

    … and therefore no plan for driving economic growth. 

    Alongside stability, we need to drive forward the reform which makes investment more likely… 

    … by removing the constraints on the supply side of our economy… 

    … making it easier for businesses to trade… 

    … to raise finance… 

    … and to build.  

    Let me first address our approach to trade.  

    We stand at a moment of global change.  

    In that context, we should be guided by one clear principle above all.  

    To act in the national interest… 

    … for our economy… 

    … for our businesses… 

    … and for the British people. 

    That means building on our special relationship with the United States under President Trump. 

    The Prime Minister discussed the vital importance of growth with the President last weekend…  

    … and I look forward to working with the new Treasury Secretary, Scott Bessent… 

    … to deepen our economic relationship in the months and the years ahead. 

    Acting in our national interest also means resetting our relationship with the EU – our nearest and our largest trading partner – to drive growth and support business.  

    We are pragmatic about the challenges that we have inherited from the last government’s failed Brexit deal.  

    But we are also ambitious in our goals.  

    [redacted political content]

    … we will prioritise proposals that are consistent with our manifesto commitments… 

    … and which contribute to British growth and British prosperity… 

    … because that is what the national interest demands.  

    Our approach to trade also means building stronger relationships with fast-growing economies all around the world. 

    That is why I led a delegation to China for the first Economic and Financial Dialogue since 2019… 

    … alongside world-leading financial service businesses, including HSBC, Standard Chartered and Schroders…  

    … unlocking £600 million of tangible benefits for the UK economy. 

    And I am pleased to confirm that the Business and Trade Secretary will shortly visit India … 

    … to restart talks on the free trade agreement and bilateral investment treaty [redacted political content].  

    Our businesses can only realise these opportunities if they can recruit the skilled staff that they need. 

    So we are reforming our employment system to create a national jobs and careers service. 

    We have created Skills England to meet the skills of the next decade in sectors like construction and engineering.  

    And we will deliver fundamental reform of our welfare system.  

    That includes looking at areas that have been ducked for too long… 

    … like the rising cost of health and disability benefits… 

    … and the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions will set out our plans to address this ahead of the Spring Statement.  

    Next, the Immigration White Paper, that will bring forward concrete proposals to bring the overall levels of net migration down. 

    But we know that the UK is in an international competition for talent in vital growth sectors.    

    That is why last week, I set out plans for attracting global talent. 

    We will look at the visa routes for very highly skilled people…  

    … so the best people in the world choose the UK to live, work and create wealth… 

    … bringing jobs and investment to Britain. 

    To help businesses access the finance and support they need to grow…  

    … we have delivered significant reforms to provide greater flexibility for firms and founders to raise finance on UK capital markets, by rewriting the UK’s listing rules.  

    In my Mansion House speech, I announced a series of reforms to our pensions system…  

    … including the creation of larger, consolidated funds… 

    … which have much greater capacity to invest in high growth British companies at the scale that we need them to.  

    The consultation on these reforms is already complete and the final report will be published in the Spring. 

    Yesterday we confirmed that we have plans to go further, whilst always protecting the important role that pension funds play in the gilt market. 

    We will introduce new flexibilities for well-funded Defined Benefit schemes… 

    … to release surplus funds where it is safe to do so… 

    … generating even more investment into some of our fastest growing industries. 

    I know too that businesses are held back by a complex and unpredictable regulatory system… 

    … and that is a drag on investment and innovation. 

    We have already provided new growth-focused remits to our financial services regulators… 

    … we have announced a new interim Chair of the Competition and Markets Authority…  

    … and we have established the Regulatory Innovation Office, with an initial focus on synthetic biology, space, AI, and connected and autonomous vehicles.  

    But we need to go further and we need to go faster.  

    So earlier this month, I met the Heads of some of our largest regulators. 

    They have already provided a range of options to drive growth in their sectors… 

    … and proposals for how they can be more agile and responsive to businesses… 

    … and we will publish that final action plan in March to make regulation work much better for our economy. 

    To get Britain building again… 

    … we have delivered the most significant reforms to our planning system in a generation.  

    I have been genuinely shocked about how slow our planning system is. 

    By how long it takes to get things done.  

    Take the decision to build a solar farm in Cambridgeshire – a decision the Energy Secretary took only a few weeks into the job in July… 

    [redacted political content]

    The Deputy Prime Minister has already driven significant progress across government in addressing these issues.   

    My colleagues have determined 13 major planning decisions in just six months… 

    … including for airports, data centres and major housing developments.   

    We have significantly raised housing targets across our country and made them mandatory, so that we can build one-and-a-half million homes in this parliament.  

    We have reformed decades-old “green belt” policies, making it easier to build on the “grey belt” land around our major cities. 

    And we have opened up our planning system to build new infrastructure – like onshore wind farms or data centres driving the AI revolution. 

    Having listened closely to calls from business groups like the Institute of Directors… 

    … and businesses across our economy about the need to speed up infrastructure delivery… 

    … including Mace, Skanska and Arup who are here today… 

    … and members of our British Infrastructure Taskforce like Lloyds, Blackrock and Phoenix… 

    … we have now set out plans to go even further. 

    Last week we confirmed our priorities for the Planning and Infrastructure Bill … 

    … to rapidly streamline the process for determining applications… 

    … to make the consultation process far less burdensome… 

    … and to fundamentally reform our approach to environmental regulation. 

    The problems in our economy… 

    … the lack of bold reform that we have seen over decades… 

    … can be summed up by a £100 million bat tunnel built for HS2… 

    … the type of decision that has made delivering major infrastructure in our country far too expensive and far too slow. 

    So we are reducing the environmental requirements placed on developers when they pay into the nature restoration fund that we have created… 

    …so they can focus on getting things built, and stop worrying about bats and newts.  

    And to build our new infrastructure like nuclear power plants, trainlines and windfarms more quickly… 

    … we are changing the rules to stop blockers getting in the way of development… 

    … through excessive use of Judicial Review. 

    This Bill, the Planning and Infrastructure Bill, is a priority for this government. 

    It will be introduced in the Spring… 

    … and we will work tirelessly in parliament to ensure its smooth, and speedy and rapid delivery.  

    By providing a foundation of economic stability… 

    … and by delivering the reforms needed to make it easier for businesses to succeed and grow… 

    … we will create the right conditions to increase investment in our economy – the final key element of our strategy. 

    Investment and innovation go hand in hand.  

    I want to see the sounds and the sights of the future arriving.    

    Delivered by amazing businesses like Wayve and Oxford Nanopore. 

    They are the future. 

    And Britain should be the best place in the world to be an entrepreneur. 

    That is why we protected funding for research and development… 

    … and it is why one of the first decisions I made as Chancellor… 

    … was to extend the Enterprise Investment Scheme and the Venture Capital Trust schemes for a further 10 years… 

    … to get more investment into new companies, driving their innovation and growth.  

    I am determined to make Britain the best place in the world to invest.  

    That was my message in Davos last week.  

    That ambition demands action. 

    The International Investment Summit that we hosted in October delivered £63 billion of investment right across our country… 

    … from Iberdrola doubling its investment in clean energy in places like Suffolk… 

    … Blackstone investing £10 billion in a data centre in Northumberland… 

    … and Eren Holdings investing £1 billion in advanced manufacturing in North Wales.  

    While the lifeblood of growth is business investment, a strategic state has a crucial role to play. 

    That is why we established the National Wealth Fund… 

    … to create that partnership between business, private investors and government to invest in the industries of the future…  

    … like clean energy. 

    Today I can announce two further investments by the National Wealth Fund. 

    First, a £65 million investment for Connected Kerb, to expand their electric vehicle charging network across the UK. 

    And second, a £28 million equity investment in Cornish Metals… 

    … providing the raw materials to be used in solar panels, wind turbines and electric vehicles… 

    … supporting growth and jobs in the South-West of England.  

    There is no trade-off between economic growth and net zero. 

    Quite the opposite. 

    Net zero is the industrial opportunity of the 21st century, and Britain must lead the way. 

    That is why we will publish a refreshed Carbon Budget Delivery Plan later this year, which alongside the Spending Review, will set out our plans to deliver Carbon Budget 6. 

    Today, I can also announce that we are removing barriers to deliver 16 gigawatts of offshore wind…   

    … by designating new Marine Protected Areas to enable the development of this technology in areas like East Anglia and Yorkshire… 

    … crowding in up to £30 billion of investment in homegrown clean power. 

    And there’s more. 

    Our industrial and manufacturing base, brilliantly represented by Make UK, have been banging their heads against the wall for years at the lack of a proper industrial strategy from government. 

    That is why we have launched our modern industrial strategy… 

    … to drive investment into the industries that will define our success in the years ahead. 

    We have already provided funding to unlock investment in sectors like aerospace, automotives and life sciences… 

    … and we have set out reforms to boost financial services, the AI sector and creative industries. 

    We are not wasting any time, and we will move forward with the next stages of the Industrial Strategy ahead of its publication in the Spring.  

    We will work with the private sector to deliver the infrastructure that our country desperately needs.  

    This includes the Lower Thames Crossing, which will improve connectivity at Port of Tilbury and Dover, London Gateway and Medway… 

    … alleviating severe congestion… 

    … as goods destined for export come from the North, and the Midlands and across the country to markets overseas.   

    To drive growth and deliver value for money for taxpayers, we are exploring options to privately finance this important project.  

    And we have changed course on public investment, too… 

    … with a new Investment Rule to ensure that we don’t just count the costs of investment – we count the benefits too.    

    We are now investing 2.6% of GDP on average over the next five years, compared to 1.9% planned by the previous government..  

    … delivering an additional £100 billion of growth-enhancing capital spending… 

    … which catalyses private sector investment… 

    … in more housing… 

    … better transport links… 

    … and clean energy.  

    These are significant steps in just six months… 

    … and we are seeing some encouraging signs in the British economy. 

    The IMF have upgraded our growth prospects for 2025… 

    … the only G7 country outside the US to see this happen.  

    This gives us the fastest growth of any major European economy this year.  

    And a global survey of CEOs by PWC, has shown Britain is now the second most attractive country in the world for businesses looking to invest.  

    The first time the UK has been in that position for 28 years.  

    This is all welcome news.  

    But there is still more that we can and will do.  

    I am not satisfied with the position we are in. 

    While we have huge amounts of potential, the structural problems in our economy run deep. 

    And the low growth of the last 14 years cannot just be turned around overnight. 

    This has to be our focus for the duration of the parliament.  

    Because the situation demands us to do more. 

    And today I will go further and faster in kickstarting economic growth. 

    Our mission to grow our economy is about raising living standards in every single part of the United Kingdom.  

    Manchester is home to the UK’s fastest growing tech sector.  

    Leeds is one of the largest financial services centres outside of London.  

    These great northern cities have so much potential and promise… 

    …which our brilliant metro mayors, Andy Burnham and Tracy Brabin, are working hard to realise…  

    … just like our other metro mayors are doing to deliver new opportunities in their areas.  

    And there is so much more that government can do to support our city regions.    

    To achieve this requires greater focus on two key areas: infrastructure and investment.  

    If we can improve connectivity between towns and cities across the North of England, we can unlock their true growth potential… 

    … by making it easier for people to live, travel and work across the area.  

    At the Budget, I set out funding for the Transpennine Route Upgrade… 

    … a multi-billion-pound programme of improvements that will connect towns and cities from Manchester to York via Stalybridge, Leeds and Huddersfield. 

    We are delivering railway schemes to improve journeys for people across the North… 

    … including upgrades at Bradford Forster Square and by electrifying the Wigan-Bolton line. 

    We have committed to supporting the delivery of a new mass transit system in West Yorkshire.  

    And in Spring, we will publish the Spending Review and a 10-Year Infrastructure Strategy… 

    … which will set out further detail of our plans for infrastructure right across the UK. 

    New transport infrastructure can also act as a catalyst for new housing. 

    We have already seen the benefits that unlocking untapped land around stations can deliver in places like Stockport… 

    … where joint work spearheaded by Andy Burnham and council leaders has delivered new housing and wider commercial opportunities. 

    We will introduce a new approach to planning decisions on land around stations, changing the default answer to yes. 

    We are working with the devolved governments to ensure the benefits of growth can be felt across Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland… 

    … including by partnering with them on the Industrial Strategy to support their considerable sectoral strengths. 

    And in December, I met with Metro Mayors from across England.  

    They told me that more opportunities for investment are vital if their local economies are to grow in the years ahead. 

    We are listening closely to them. 

    As the Metro Mayor of Liverpool, Steve Rotherham, has called for… 

    … we will review the Green Book and how it is being used to provide objective, transparent advice on public investment across the country, including outside London and the Southeast.  

    This means that investment in all regions is given a fair hearing by the Treasury that I lead. 

    The Office for Investment is going to be working hand in hand with local areas… 

    … to develop a commercially attractive pipeline of investment opportunities for a global audience… 

    … starting with the Liverpool City Region and the North East Combined Authority, led by Kim McGuinness. 

    The National Wealth Fund is establishing strategic partnerships to provide deeper, more focused support for city regions, starting in Glasgow, West Yorkshire, the West Midlands, and Greater Manchester. 

    We are supporting key investment opportunities across the UK. 

    The government is backing Andy Burnham’s plans for the redevelopment of Old Trafford, which promises to create new housing and commercial development around a new stadium… 

    … to drive regeneration and growth in the area. 

    We are moving forward with the Wrexham and Flintshire Investment Zone… 

    … focusing on the area’s strengths in advanced manufacturing… 

    … backed by major businesses like Airbus and JCB… 

    … to leverage £1 billion of private investment in the next ten years… 

    … creating up to 6,000 jobs. 

    [redacted political content]

    So I can announce today that we will work with Doncaster Council and the Mayor of South Yorkshire, Oliver Coppard… 

    … to support their efforts to recreate South Yorkshire Airport City as a thriving regional airport.  

    And finally, I am pleased to announce a partnership between Prologis and Manchester Airport Group in the East Midlands, where the Metro Mayor Claire Ward is doing an excellent job growing the local economy there. 

    Prologis and MAG will work together to build a new advanced manufacturing and logistics park at East Midlands Airport … 

    … unlocking up to £1 billion of investment and 2,000 jobs at the site… 

    … a major investment from a global business into our country… 

    … representing a huge vote of confidence in the East Midlands and in the UK. 

    This is just the start of our work to get more investment into every nation and region of Britain. 

    Next, I want to set out further detail for plans for the area we are in today.  

    Oxford and Cambridge offer huge potential for our nation’s growth prospects. 

    Only 66 miles apart… 

    … these cities are home to two of the best universities in the world… 

    … and the area is a hub for globally renowned science and technology firms. 

    This area has the potential to be Europe’s Silicon Valley.  

    To make that a reality, we need a systematic approach to attract businesses to come here and to grow here. 

    At the moment, it takes over two and a half hours to travel between Oxford and Cambridge by train.  

    There is no way to commute directly by rail from places like Bedford and Milton Keynes to Cambridge. 

    And there is a lack of affordable housing right across the region.  

    In other words, the demand is there… 

    … but there are far too many supply side constraints on economic growth here.  

    We are going to fix that.  

    The Ox Cam arc was initially launched in 2003 – over 20 years ago.  

    [redacted political content]

    We are not prepared to miss out on the opportunities here any longer.  

    So working with the Deputy Prime Minister… 

    … who is already driving forward vital work in the region…  

    … we are going further and faster to unlock the potential of the Oxford-Cambridge Growth Corridor.   

    First, we are funding the transport links needed to make the Oxford Cambridge growth corridor a success… 

    … including East-West Rail, with new services between Oxford and Milton Keynes starting this year… 

    … and road upgrades to reduce journey times between Milton Keynes and Cambridge. 

    East West Rail will also support vibrant new and expanded communities along the route. 

    We have already received proposals for New Towns along the new railway… 

    … with 18 submissions for sizeable new developments. 

    At Tempsford – the nexus of the East Coast Mainline, the A1 and East West Rail… 

    …we will move quicker to deliver a mainline station, meaning journey times to London of under an hour…  

    … and to Cambridge in under 30 minutes when East West Rail is operational. 

     Second, we are ensuring that the area has the right infrastructure and public services in place to support the growth corridor as it expands. 

    A new Cambridge Cancer Research Hospital is being prioritised for investment as part of wave 1 of the New Hospital Programme.  

    Water infrastructure has also been a major hindrance to development. 

    So we have now agreed water resources management plans, unlocking £7.9 billion of investment in the next 5 years…  

    …including plans for the new Fens Reservoir serving Cambridge and the South East Strategic Reservoir near Oxford.  

    And I can confirm today that the Environment Agency have now lifted their objections to new development in Cambridge, following this government’s intervention to address water scarcity… 

    … which means 4,500 additional homes, new schools, and new office, retail and laboratory space can be built.  

    Third, I am delighted that Cambridge University have come forward with plans for a new flagship innovation hub at the centre of Cambridge… 

    … to attract global investment and foster a community that catalyses innovation, as other cities around the world like Boston and Paris have done.  

    Just yesterday, Moderna completed the build for their new vaccine production and R&D site in Harwell, right here in Oxfordshire, alongside a commitment to invest a further £1 billion in the UK.  

    And we are creating a new AI Growth Zone in Culham to speed up planning approvals for the rapid build-out of data centres.  

    And finally, to take this project forward at real pace… 

    … and catalyse private sector investment into the region… 

    … I am pleased to announce that the Deputy Prime Minister and I have asked Lord Patrick Vallance to be the champion for the Oxford Cambridge Growth Corridor.  

    Lord Vallance has extensive experience across the sciences, academia, and government. 

    He will work with local leaders and with the Housing and Planning Minister to deliver this exciting project… 

    … including with Peter Freeman, who is already doing excellent work in Cambridge… 

    … and a new Growth Commission for Oxford, which will help to accelerate growth in the city and its surrounding area.   

    This is the government’s modern Industrial Strategy in action. 

    With central government, local leaders and business working together… 

    … the Oxford and Cambridge Growth Corridor could add up to £78 billion to the UK economy by 2035 … 

    … driving investment, innovation and growth. 

    Finally, I come to the decision that perhaps more than any other… 

    … has been delayed… 

    … has been avoided… 

    … has been ducked. 

    The question of whether to give Heathrow … 

    … our only hub airport… 

    … a third runway… 

    … has run on for decades. 

    The last full length runway in Britain was built in the 1940s. 

    No progress in eighty years.  

    Why is this so damaging?  

    It’s because Heathrow is at the heart of the UK’s openness as a country.   

    It connects us to emerging markets all over the world, opening up new opportunities for growth. 

    Around three-quarters of all long-haul flights in the UK go from Heathrow. 

    Over 60% of UK air freight comes through Heathrow. 

    And about 15 million business travellers used Heathrow in 2023. 

    But for decades, its growth has been constrained.  

    Successive studies have shown that this really matters for our economy. 

    According to the most recent study from Frontier Economics, a third runway could increase potential GDP by 0.43% by 2050. 

    Over half – 60% of that boost, would go to areas outside London and the South-East. 

    … increasing trade opportunities for products like Scotch whiskey and Scottish salmon – already two of the biggest British exports out of Heathrow.  

    And a third runway could create over 100,000 jobs. 

    For international investors, persistent delays have cast doubt about our seriousness towards improving our economic prospects. 

    Business groups, like the CBI, the Federation of Small Businesses and the Chambers of Commerce right across the UK… 

    …as well trade unions like GMB and Unite are clear… 

    … a third runway is badly needed. 

    In 2018, the previous government steered its Airports National Policy Statement through parliament.  

    But no action was taken. 

    It simply sat on the shelf. 

    We are taking a totally different approach to airport expansion.  

    This Government has already given its support to expansion at City Airport and at Stansted.  

    And there are two live decisions on Luton and Gatwick which will be made by the Transport Secretary shortly.  

    But as our only hub airport, Heathrow is in a unique position – and we cannot duck the decision any longer.   

    I have always been clear that a third runway at Heathrow would unlock further growth… 

    … boost investment… 

    … increase exports… 

    … and make the UK more open and more connected.   

    And now, the case is stronger than ever… 

    … because our reforms to the economy… 

    … like speeding up the planning system… 

    … and our plans for modernised UK airspace…  

    … mean the delivery of this project is set up for success.  

    So I can confirm today that this Government supports a third runway at Heathrow… 

    … and is inviting proposals to be brought forward by the summer.  

    We will then take forward a full assessment through the Airport National Policy Statement. 

    That will ensure that the project is value for money – and our clear expectation is that any associated surface transport costs will be financed through private funding. 

    And it will ensure that a third runway is delivered in line with our legal, environmental and climate obligations.  

    Heathrow themselves are clear that their proposal for expansion will meet strict rules on noise, air quality and carbon emissions. 

    And we are already making great strides in transitioning to cleaner and greener aviation.  

    Sustainable Aviation Fuel reduces CO2 emissions compared to fossil fuel by around 70%. 

    At the start of this month, the Sustainable Aviation Fuel mandate became law.  

    And today I can announce that we are investing £63 million into the Advanced Fuels Fund over the next year… 

    … and we have today set out the details of how we will deliver a Revenue Certainty Mechanism to encourage investment into this growing industry. 

    These measures will encourage more investors to back production in the UK, bringing good, high-skilled jobs to areas like Teesside… 

    … demonstrating that investment in the right technology can help us deliver both our growth and our clean energy missions. 

    Now is the moment to grasp the opportunity in front of us. 

    By backing a third runway at Heathrow, we can make Britain the world’s best connected place to do business. 

    That is what it takes to make bold decisions in the national interest. 

    That is what I mean by going further and faster to kickstart economic growth. 

    The work of change has begun.  

    We have already made great progress.  

    But I am not satisfied.  

    And I know that there is more to be done.  

    We must go further and faster if we are to build a brighter future.  

    The prize on offer is immense.  

    The next generation with more opportunities than the last. 

    An engineer in Teesside, working in some of the most exciting industries of the future – from carbon capture to sustainable aviation fuel. 

    A scientist in Milton Keynes or Bedford, working in our life sciences industry to solve some of the most important medical challenges in the world.  

    A small business owner in Scotland, knowing that they can expand and export to new markets right across the globe.   

    Wealth created, and wealth shared, in every part of Britain.    

    This is a Government on the side of working people. 

    Taking the right decisions to secure their future, to secure our future. 

    Stepping up to the challenges we face. 

    Ending the era of low expectations. 

    Putting Britain on a different path. 

    Delivering for the British people. 

    And I am determined, this Government is determined, to do just that.  

    Thank you.

    Updates to this page

    Published 29 January 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI: Form 8.3 – [LEARNING TECHNOLOGIES GROUP PLC – 28 01 2025] – (CGWL)

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    FORM 8.3

    PUBLIC OPENING POSITION DISCLOSURE/DEALING DISCLOSURE BY
    A PERSON WITH INTERESTS IN RELEVANT SECURITIES REPRESENTING 1% OR MORE
    Rule 8.3 of the Takeover Code (the “Code”)

    1.        KEY INFORMATION

    (a)   Full name of discloser: CANACCORD GENUITY WEALTH LIMITED (for Discretionary clients)
    (b)   Owner or controller of interests and short positions disclosed, if different from 1(a):
            The naming of nominee or vehicle companies is insufficient. For a trust, the trustee(s), settlor and beneficiaries must be named.    		 N/A
    (c)   Name of offeror/offeree in relation to whose relevant securities this form relates:
            Use a separate form for each offeror/offeree    		 LEARNING TECHNOLOGIES GROUP PLC
    (d)   If an exempt fund manager connected with an offeror/offeree, state this and specify identity of offeror/offeree: N/A
    (e)   Date position held/dealing undertaken:
            For an opening position disclosure, state the latest practicable date prior to the disclosure    		 28 JANUARY 2025
    (f)   In addition to the company in 1(c) above, is the discloser making disclosures in respect of any other party to the offer?
            If it is a cash offer or possible cash offer, state “N/A”    		 N/A

    2.        POSITIONS OF THE PERSON MAKING THE DISCLOSURE

    If there are positions or rights to subscribe to disclose in more than one class of relevant securities of the offeror or offeree named in 1(c), copy table 2(a) or (b) (as appropriate) for each additional class of relevant security.

    (a)      Interests and short positions in the relevant securities of the offeror or offeree to which the disclosure relates following the dealing (if any)

    Class of relevant security: 0.375p ORDINARY
      Interests Short positions
    Number % Number %
    (1)   Relevant securities owned and/or controlled: 9,675,396 1.2209    
    (2)   Cash-settled derivatives:        
    (3)   Stock-settled derivatives (including options) and agreements to purchase/sell:        
    TOTAL: 9,675,396 1.2209    

    All interests and all short positions should be disclosed.

    Details of any open stock-settled derivative positions (including traded options), or agreements to purchase or sell relevant securities, should be given on a Supplemental Form 8 (Open Positions).

    (b)      Rights to subscribe for new securities (including directors’ and other employee options)

    Class of relevant security in relation to which subscription right exists:  
    Details, including nature of the rights concerned and relevant percentages:  

    3.        DEALINGS (IF ANY) BY THE PERSON MAKING THE DISCLOSURE

    Where there have been dealings in more than one class of relevant securities of the offeror or offeree named in 1(c), copy table 3(a), (b), (c) or (d) (as appropriate) for each additional class of relevant security dealt in.

    The currency of all prices and other monetary amounts should be stated.

    (a)        Purchases and sales

    Class of relevant security Purchase/sale Number of securities Price per unit
    0.375p ORDINARY SALE 3,680 85.9415p
    0.375p ORDINARY SALE 700 87.7p
    0.375p ORDINARY SALE 10,000 87.9661p

    (b)        Cash-settled derivative transactions

    Class of relevant security Product description
    e.g. CFD    		 Nature of dealing
    e.g. opening/closing a long/short position, increasing/reducing a long/short position    		 Number of reference securities Price per unit
    NONE        

    (c)        Stock-settled derivative transactions (including options)

    (i)        Writing, selling, purchasing or varying

    Class of relevant security Product description e.g. call option Writing, purchasing, selling, varying etc. Number of securities to which option relates Exercise price per unit Type
    e.g. American, European etc.    		 Expiry date Option money paid/ received per unit
    NONE              

    (ii)        Exercise

    Class of relevant security Product description
    e.g. call option    		 Exercising/ exercised against Number of securities Exercise price per unit

    (d)        Other dealings (including subscribing for new securities)

    Class of relevant security Nature of dealing
    e.g. subscription, conversion    		 Details Price per unit (if applicable)
    NONE      

    4.        OTHER INFORMATION

    (a)        Indemnity and other dealing arrangements

    Details of any indemnity or option arrangement, or any agreement or understanding, formal or informal, relating to relevant securities which may be an inducement to deal or refrain from dealing entered into by the person making the disclosure and any party to the offer or any person acting in concert with a party to the offer:
    Irrevocable commitments and letters of intent should not be included. If there are no such agreements, arrangements or understandings, state “none”

    NONE

    (b)        Agreements, arrangements or understandings relating to options or derivatives

    Details of any agreement, arrangement or understanding, formal or informal, between the person making the disclosure and any other person relating to:
    (i)   the voting rights of any relevant securities under any option; or
    (ii)   the voting rights or future acquisition or disposal of any relevant securities to which any derivative is referenced:
    If there are no such agreements, arrangements or understandings, state “none”

    NONE

    (c)        Attachments

    Is a Supplemental Form 8 (Open Positions) attached? NO
    Date of disclosure: 29 JANUARY 2025
    Contact name: MARK ELLIOTT
    Telephone number: 01253 376539

    Public disclosures under Rule 8 of the Code must be made to a Regulatory Information Service.

    The Panel’s Market Surveillance Unit is available for consultation in relation to the Code’s disclosure requirements on +44 (0)20 7638 0129.

    The Code can be viewed on the Panel’s website at www.thetakeoverpanel.org.uk.

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: Form 8.3 – [LOUNGERS PLC – 28 01 2025] – (CGWL)

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    FORM 8.3

    PUBLIC OPENING POSITION DISCLOSURE/DEALING DISCLOSURE BY
    A PERSON WITH INTERESTS IN RELEVANT SECURITIES REPRESENTING 1% OR MORE
    Rule 8.3 of the Takeover Code (the “Code”)

    1.        KEY INFORMATION

    (a)   Full name of discloser: CANACCORD GENUITY WEALTH LIMITED (for Discretionary Clients)
    (b)   Owner or controller of interests and short positions disclosed, if different from 1(a):
            The naming of nominee or vehicle companies is insufficient. For a trust, the trustee(s), settlor and beneficiaries must be named.    		 N/A
    (c)   Name of offeror/offeree in relation to whose relevant securities this form relates:
            Use a separate form for each offeror/offeree    		 LOUNGERS PLC
    (d)   If an exempt fund manager connected with an offeror/offeree, state this and specify identity of offeror/offeree: N/A
    (e)   Date position held/dealing undertaken:
            For an opening position disclosure, state the latest practicable date prior to the disclosure

    28 JANUARY 2025
    (f)   In addition to the company in 1(c) above, is the discloser making disclosures in respect of any other party to the offer?
            If it is a cash offer or possible cash offer, state “N/A”    		 N/A

    2.        POSITIONS OF THE PERSON MAKING THE DISCLOSURE

    If there are positions or rights to subscribe to disclose in more than one class of relevant securities of the offeror or offeree named in 1(c), copy table 2(a) or (b) (as appropriate) for each additional class of relevant security.

    (a)      Interests and short positions in the relevant securities of the offeror or offeree to which the disclosure relates following the dealing (if any)

    Class of relevant security: 1p ORDINARY
      Interests Short positions
    Number % Number %
    (1)   Relevant securities owned and/or controlled: 1,292,477 1.2432    
    (2)   Cash-settled derivatives:        
    (3)   Stock-settled derivatives (including options) and agreements to purchase/sell:        
    TOTAL: 1,292,477 1.2432    

    All interests and all short positions should be disclosed.

    Details of any open stock-settled derivative positions (including traded options), or agreements to purchase or sell relevant securities, should be given on a Supplemental Form 8 (Open Positions).

    (b)      Rights to subscribe for new securities (including directors’ and other employee options)

    Class of relevant security in relation to which subscription right exists:  
    Details, including nature of the rights concerned and relevant percentages:  

    3.        DEALINGS (IF ANY) BY THE PERSON MAKING THE DISCLOSURE

    Where there have been dealings in more than one class of relevant securities of the offeror or offeree named in 1(c), copy table 3(a), (b), (c) or (d) (as appropriate) for each additional class of relevant security dealt in.

    The currency of all prices and other monetary amounts should be stated.

    (a)        Purchases and sales

    Class of relevant security Purchase/sale Number of securities Price per unit
    1p ORDINARY SALE 937 320.22p

    (b)        Cash-settled derivative transactions

    Class of relevant security Product description
    e.g. CFD    		 Nature of dealing
    e.g. opening/closing a long/short position, increasing/reducing a long/short position    		 Number of reference securities Price per unit
    NONE        

    (c)        Stock-settled derivative transactions (including options)

    (i)        Writing, selling, purchasing or varying

    Class of relevant security Product description e.g. call option Writing, purchasing, selling, varying etc. Number of securities to which option relates Exercise price per unit Type
    e.g. American, European etc.    		 Expiry date Option money paid/ received per unit
    NONE              

    (ii)        Exercise

    Class of relevant security Product description
    e.g. call option    		 Exercising/ exercised against Number of securities Exercise price per unit

    (d)        Other dealings (including subscribing for new securities)

    Class of relevant security Nature of dealing
    e.g. subscription, conversion    		 Details Price per unit (if applicable)
    NONE      

    4.        OTHER INFORMATION

    (a)        Indemnity and other dealing arrangements

    Details of any indemnity or option arrangement, or any agreement or understanding, formal or informal, relating to relevant securities which may be an inducement to deal or refrain from dealing entered into by the person making the disclosure and any party to the offer or any person acting in concert with a party to the offer:
    Irrevocable commitments and letters of intent should not be included. If there are no such agreements, arrangements or understandings, state “none”

    NONE

    (b)        Agreements, arrangements or understandings relating to options or derivatives

    Details of any agreement, arrangement or understanding, formal or informal, between the person making the disclosure and any other person relating to:
    (i)   the voting rights of any relevant securities under any option; or
    (ii)   the voting rights or future acquisition or disposal of any relevant securities to which any derivative is referenced:
    If there are no such agreements, arrangements or understandings, state “none”

    NONE

    (c)        Attachments

    Is a Supplemental Form 8 (Open Positions) attached? NO
    Date of disclosure: 29 JANUARY 2025
    Contact name: MARK ELLIOTT
    Telephone number: 01253 376539

    Public disclosures under Rule 8 of the Code must be made to a Regulatory Information Service.

    The Panel’s Market Surveillance Unit is available for consultation in relation to the Code’s disclosure requirements on +44 (0)20 7638 0129.

    The Code can be viewed on the Panel’s website at www.thetakeoverpanel.org.uk.

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: Form 8.3 – [ALLIANCE PHARMA PLC – 28 01 2025] – (CGWL)

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    FORM 8.3

    PUBLIC OPENING POSITION DISCLOSURE/DEALING DISCLOSURE BY
    A PERSON WITH INTERESTS IN RELEVANT SECURITIES REPRESENTING 1% OR MORE
    Rule 8.3 of the Takeover Code (the “Code”)

    1.        KEY INFORMATION

    (a)   Full name of discloser: CANACCORD GENUITY WEALTH LIMITED (for Discretionary clients)
    (b)   Owner or controller of interests and short positions disclosed, if different from 1(a):
            The naming of nominee or vehicle companies is insufficient. For a trust, the trustee(s), settlor and beneficiaries must be named.    		 N/A
    (c)   Name of offeror/offeree in relation to whose relevant securities this form relates:
            Use a separate form for each offeror/offeree    		 ALLIANCE PHARMA PLC
    (d)   If an exempt fund manager connected with an offeror/offeree, state this and specify identity of offeror/offeree: N/A
    (e)   Date position held/dealing undertaken:
            For an opening position disclosure, state the latest practicable date prior to the disclosure    		 28 JANUARY 2025
    (f)   In addition to the company in 1(c) above, is the discloser making disclosures in respect of any other party to the offer?
            If it is a cash offer or possible cash offer, state “N/A”    		 N/A

    2.        POSITIONS OF THE PERSON MAKING THE DISCLOSURE

    If there are positions or rights to subscribe to disclose in more than one class of relevant securities of the offeror or offeree named in 1(c), copy table 2(a) or (b) (as appropriate) for each additional class of relevant security.

    (a)      Interests and short positions in the relevant securities of the offeror or offeree to which the disclosure relates following the dealing (if any)

    Class of relevant security: 1p ORDINARY
      Interests Short positions
    Number % Number %
    (1)   Relevant securities owned and/or controlled: 12,260,907 2.2682    
    (2)   Cash-settled derivatives:        
    (3)   Stock-settled derivatives (including options) and agreements to purchase/sell:        
    TOTAL: 12,260,907 2.2682    

    NOTE: On 28/01/2025 a discretionary client transferred in 6,062 shares.

    All interests and all short positions should be disclosed.

    Details of any open stock-settled derivative positions (including traded options), or agreements to purchase or sell relevant securities, should be given on a Supplemental Form 8 (Open Positions).

    (b)      Rights to subscribe for new securities (including directors’ and other employee options)

    Class of relevant security in relation to which subscription right exists:  
    Details, including nature of the rights concerned and relevant percentages:  

    3.        DEALINGS (IF ANY) BY THE PERSON MAKING THE DISCLOSURE

    Where there have been dealings in more than one class of relevant securities of the offeror or offeree named in 1(c), copy table 3(a), (b), (c) or (d) (as appropriate) for each additional class of relevant security dealt in.

    The currency of all prices and other monetary amounts should be stated.

    (a)        Purchases and sales

    Class of relevant security Purchase/sale Number of securities Price per unit
    1p ORDINARY SALE 7,000 61.1p

    (b)        Cash-settled derivative transactions

    Class of relevant security Product description
    e.g. CFD    		 Nature of dealing
    e.g. opening/closing a long/short position, increasing/reducing a long/short position    		 Number of reference securities Price per unit
    NONE        

    (c)        Stock-settled derivative transactions (including options)

    (i)        Writing, selling, purchasing or varying

    Class of relevant security Product description e.g. call option Writing, purchasing, selling, varying etc. Number of securities to which option relates Exercise price per unit Type
    e.g. American, European etc.    		 Expiry date Option money paid/ received per unit
    NONE              

    (ii)        Exercise

    Class of relevant security Product description
    e.g. call option    		 Exercising/ exercised against Number of securities Exercise price per unit

    (d)        Other dealings (including subscribing for new securities)

    Class of relevant security Nature of dealing
    e.g. subscription, conversion    		 Details Price per unit (if applicable)
    NONE      

    4.        OTHER INFORMATION

    (a)        Indemnity and other dealing arrangements

    Details of any indemnity or option arrangement, or any agreement or understanding, formal or informal, relating to relevant securities which may be an inducement to deal or refrain from dealing entered into by the person making the disclosure and any party to the offer or any person acting in concert with a party to the offer:
    Irrevocable commitments and letters of intent should not be included. If there are no such agreements, arrangements or understandings, state “none”

    NONE

    (b)        Agreements, arrangements or understandings relating to options or derivatives

    Details of any agreement, arrangement or understanding, formal or informal, between the person making the disclosure and any other person relating to:
    (i)   the voting rights of any relevant securities under any option; or
    (ii)   the voting rights or future acquisition or disposal of any relevant securities to which any derivative is referenced:
    If there are no such agreements, arrangements or understandings, state “none”

    NONE

    (c)        Attachments

    Is a Supplemental Form 8 (Open Positions) attached? NO
    Date of disclosure: 29 JANUARY 2025
    Contact name: MARK ELLIOTT
    Telephone number: 01253 376539

    Public disclosures under Rule 8 of the Code must be made to a Regulatory Information Service.

    The Panel’s Market Surveillance Unit is available for consultation in relation to the Code’s disclosure requirements on +44 (0)20 7638 0129.

    The Code can be viewed on the Panel’s website at www.thetakeoverpanel.org.uk.

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI Global: How Pakistani media misses stories about solutions during smog season

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Rabia Qusien, Postdoctoral Researcher at the Alliance for a Sustainable Future, George Washington University, George Washington University

    It isn’t just hazy — it’s suffocating. During smog season in Lahore, Pakistan, something as simple as breathing can become a major health risk. People keep their windows shut to protect themselves, yet they can smell smoke even indoors.

    When we speak to family and colleagues in Pakistan by phone, they often have to break off, unable to speak because they are coughing and gasping due to the smog and particulate-laden air.

    This is normal for residents of many major cities in Pakistan. The smog has worsened in recent years. Fine particulate air pollution known as PM2.5 increased by 25% in 2024 compared to 2023.

    Smog started engulfing all major cities in Punjab, bringing life to a halt in major metropolitans. In November 2024, 129,229 patients visited hospitals due to respiratory diseases.

    Pakistan is the fourth most polluted country in the world, thanks mostly to the smog that descends on cities such as Lahore and Sheikhupura every winter. Conditions are so bad that life expectancy in these cities is seven years shorter than when World Health Organization’s air quality guideline are met.

    Our research into media representations of climate issues shows that the media has an important role in informing the public about the dangers and causes of smog. But often, the reporting leaves out the human toll and ignores the impacts on health and lifestyle.

    Clouded narratives

    We analysed 356 news stories related to smog in Pakistan during 2017 and 2019, which appeared in six newspapers. We found that the public health implications of smog were discussed in only 15% of stories – that includes any mention of precautionary measures such as wearing masks, moisturising skin (to build a barrier effect against environmental substance), eating a balanced diet (to maintain a healthy immune system), and reducing time spent outdoors when smog is heavy.

    Our research highlights how Pakistani media treats smog as a seasonal inconvenience, rather than a major public health emergency requiring urgent and sustainable attention.

    As we collected data, we found that news articles related to smog started appearing after the issue intensified in both English and Urdu newspapers. Most news editors, especially in Urdu newspapers, only seemed interested in smog-related stories during smog season which is from October to February, though haze hangs in the sky throughout the year.

    Pakistani media tended to attribute smog to local factors, including urbanisation, industrialisation, vehicle emissions, and the burning of waste or crops. The media remained critical of government efforts to reduce smog impacts but did not mention many sustainable policy options.

    There are other regional issues at play here, too. Given the ongoing India-Pakistan conflict, the Pakistani media blames smoke from stubble burning on the Indian side of the border for smog outbreaks, irrespective of the direction of prevailing winds.

    The media often covers the disastrous effects of smog, such as the strain on the economy, closure of schools, transport delays and utility supply disruptions. More than 20% of news reports in each newspaper were about such effects.

    However, the media published far fewer stories about the knock-on effects on human health and about communities that were vulnerable to smog, such as daily wage labourers working outdoors and inhaling toxic air.

    Smog through a solutions lens

    By adopting a more human-centred and solutions-journalism approach (rigorous reporting that’s focused on responses to particular social and environmental challenges), the media landscape in Pakistan could become much more comprehensive.

    Solutions-focused reporting of smogs should ideally cover environmental justice by showcasing how vulnerable communities are more affected by smog. With more human-centred story angles, the media can explain the health implications of smog.

    Linking routine actions, such as burning fossil fuels, crops and waste, to major health issues, such as respiratory disease is essential. Powerful storytelling can emphasise how mitigating those effects can benefit human health.

    Burning of crops to clear stubble after the harvest contributes to air pollution.
    Haani Pasha/Shutterstock

    Media coverage of sustainable solutions could be increased. Currently, the media focuses mainly on stories about short-term policy actions. That includes emphasising the ban on outdoor activities and holidays in schools or publishing stories about the number of registered cases against farmers burning crops. Stories might also cover tickets issued to smoke-emitting vehicles, industrial units sealed during smog season and the temporary pause to development projects to control smog.

    The 2019 media coverage we analysed highlighted sustainable solutions in just 12 instances. That included stories about tree planting, rooftop gardening and urban forestry. Although people mostly read and understand Urdu, the number of stories based on solutions journalism in Urdu newspapers is lower than in English newspapers.

    Solution-focused journalism can help demonstrate how stern policy action reduces environmental challenges and creates opportunities. For example, using crop stubble for cement production and knowing which trees are best for reducing air pollution.

    The road to improving public understanding of smog starts with increasing the scientific and environmental literacy of journalists in Pakistan. Once reporters and editors are more comfortable with the science, they will feel better equipped to craft solutions-focused narratives that engage their audiences in powerful stories about what is happening to air quality in Pakistan and other developing countries.

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

    Get a weekly roundup in your inbox instead. Every Wednesday, The Conversation’s environment editor writes Imagine, a short email that goes a little deeper into just one climate issue. Join the 40,000+ readers who’ve subscribed so far.

    Rabia Qusien receives funding from Dublin City University.

    David Robbins is affiliated with the Green Party of Ireland/Comhaontas Glas.

    – ref. How Pakistani media misses stories about solutions during smog season – https://theconversation.com/how-pakistani-media-misses-stories-about-solutions-during-smog-season-246084

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Court orders tagger caught on camera to pay £1,300

    Source: City of Canterbury

    Home  »  Latest News   »   Court orders tagger caught on camera to pay £1,300

    A tagger has been forced to pay more than £1,300 in fines and costs after admitting daubing graffiti in four locations across Canterbury city centre.

    Magistrates in Margate heard that Alexander Taylor of Paxton Avenue, Folkestone, was captured defacing the underpass in St George’s Street, Canterbury, with his tag by CCTV operators in May last year.

    Canterbury City Council’s Environmental Crime team, Graffiti Officers and CCTV operators worked to trace the 24-year-old back to a vehicle parked in Ivy Lane.

    The registered keeper of the vehicle was then invited to interview.

    On Thursday (23 January), the court was told how Taylor was then linked to tags on Newingate House in Lower Bridge Street, a wall next to the entrance to the Beaney in Best Lane and the old Nason’s building in the High Street.

    All were breaches of the council’s Public Spaces Protection Order (PSPO).

    Taylor pleaded guilty to all four offences. Magistrates fined him £532 and ordered him to pay £200 costs, £365.12 compensation for cleaning costs and a victim surcharge of £213.

    This case follows that of the Mr Slime tagger who was ordered to pay £1,500 in fines and costs in November.

    Cllr Connie Nolan, Cabinet Member for Community Engagement, Safety and Enforcement, said: “Another tagger being asked to fork out a large sum of money must act as a warning to anyone tempted to scrawl across the city’s walls – we will track you down.

    “Tagging isn’t harmless fun. It affects people’s quality of life and makes an area feel unsafe.

    “And the cost of cleaning up after taggers and hunting them down could be better spent on other frontline services helping those in need.

    “I pay tribute to the team behind this court case but also to our officers who cleaned off more than 5,000 tags across the district in 2024.”

    Published: 29 January 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Cabinet approves Mechanism for procurement of ethanol by Public Sector Oil Marketing Companies (OMCs) under Ethanol Blended Petrol (EBP) Programme – Revision of ethanol price for supply to Public Sector OMCs for Ethanol Supply Year (ESY) 2024-25

    Source: Government of India (2)

    Posted On: 29 JAN 2025 3:04PM by PIB Delhi

    The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA), chaired by the Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, has approved revision of ethanol procurement price for Public Sector Oil Marketing Companies (OMCs) for the Ethanol Supply Year (ESY) 2024-25 starting from 1st November, 2024 to 31st October 2025 under the Ethanol Blended Petrol (EBP) Programme of the Government of India.  Accordingly, the administered ex-mill price of ethanol for the EBP Programme derived from C Heavy Molasses (CHM) for the Ethanol Supply Year 2024-25 (1st November 2024 to 31st October 2025) has been fixed at Rs.57.97 per litre from Rs.56.58 per litre.

    The approval will not only facilitate the continued policy for the Government in providing price stability and remunerative prices for ethanol suppliers but will also help in reducing dependency on crude oil imports, savings in foreign exchange and bring benefits to the environment.  In the interest of sugarcane farmers, as in the past, GST and transportation charges would be separately payable.  Increase in prices of CHM Ethanol by 3% will assure sufficient availability of ethanol to meet the increased blending target.

    Government has been implementing Ethanol Blended Petrol (EBP) Programme wherein OMCs sell petrol blended with ethanol up to 20%. This Programme is being implemented across the country to promote the use of alternative and environment friendly fuels. This intervention also seeks to reduce import dependence for energy requirements and give boost to agriculture sector.  During the last ten years (as on 31.12.2024), ethanol blending in petrol by Public Sector Oil Marketing Companies (OMCs) has resulted in approximate savings of more than Rs.1,13,007crore of foreign exchange and crude oil substitution of about 193 lakh metric tonnes.

    Ethanol blending by Public Sector Oil Marketing Companies (OMCs) has increased from 38 crore litre in Ethanol Supply Year 2013-14 (ESY – currently defined as ethanol supply period from 1stNovember of a year to 31st October of the following year) to 707crore litre achieving average blending of 14.60%in ESY 2023-24.

    Government has advanced the target of 20% ethanol blending in petrol from earlier 2030 to ESY 2025-26 and a “Roadmap for ethanol blending in India 2020-25” has been put in public domain. As a step in this direction, OMCs plan to achieve 18% blending during the ongoing ESY 2024-25. Other recent enablers include enhancement of ethanol distillation capacity to 1713 crore litre per annum; Long Term Off-take Agreements (LTOAs) to set up Dedicated Ethanol Plants (DEPs) in ethanol deficit States; encourage conversion of single feed distilleries to multi feed; availability of E-100 and E-20 fuel; launch of flexi fuel vehicles etc. All these steps also add to ease of doing business and achieving the objectives of Atmanirbhar Bharat.

    Due to the visibility provided by the Government under EBP Programme, investments have happened across the country in the form of network of greenfield and brownfield distilleries, storage and logistics facilities apart from employment opportunities and sharing of value within the country among various stakeholders.  All distilleries will be able to take benefit of the scheme and large number of them are expected to supply ethanol for the EBP programme. This will help in quantifiable forex savings, crude oil substitution, environmental benefits and early payment to cane farmers.

    *****

    MJPS/SKS

    (Release ID: 2097305) Visitor Counter : 28

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: Answer to a written question – Section on electric mopeds in Regulation (EU) No 181/2011 concerning the rights of passengers in bus and coach transport – E-002750/2024(ASW)

    Source: European Parliament

    Regulation (EU) No 181/2011 (the regulation)[1] does not define the term ‘mobility equipment’. However, it can be understood as meaning any equipment that is intended to assist persons with disabilities and persons with reduced mobility with their mobility. Thus, electric mopeds could in certain circumstances also be considered as mobility equipment.

    In general, persons with disabilities and persons with reduced mobility are entitled to travel with their mobility equipment when using bus and coach transport. However, Article 10(1) of the regulation allows carriers to deny the transport of certain mobility equipment in two cases:

    a. If international, Union or national safety legislation, or safety requirements established by the competent authorities prohibit the transporting of the mobility equipment in question; or

    b. If the design of the vehicle or the infrastructure, including bus stops and terminals, makes it physically impossible to take on board, alight or carry the person with disabilities or person with reduced mobility in a safe and operationally feasible manner with the mobility equipment in question.

    At the moment there are no specific EU level rules applicable to the transport of the electric mopeds of persons with disabilities and persons with reduced mobility on buses and coaches. Safety concerns may justify Member States to adopt national rules prohibiting or limiting the transport of electric mopeds on buses and coaches.

    • [1] Regulation (EU) No 181/2011 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 16 February 2011 concerning the rights of passengers in bus and coach transport and amending Regulation (EC) No 2006/2004 Text with EEA relevance OJ L 55, 28.2.2011, p. 1-12.
    Last updated: 29 January 2025

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Criminals smuggling 1.5 billion untaxed cigarettes stopped

    Source: Eurojust

    The investigation into the smuggling group started in May 2020, when three containers arrived in Belgium filled with undeclared cigarettes instead of the supposed construction material destined for Germany. The group tried to avoid suspicion by filling one of the three containers with the declared goods and presenting it correctly to customs. The building materials would then be loaded into the second and third containers to get them through customs. The smuggling did not go unnoticed as customs officers discovered that the containers were filled with undeclared cigarettes.

    With the support of the European Anti-Fraud Office, Belgian and German customs launched a cross-border investigation into the criminal group. They discovered that the same method had been used to smuggle over 150 containers filled with cigarettes into the EU. During the investigation, customs authorities also learned that the group was now also unloading cigarettes at warehouses in the Netherlands. The Dutch customs authorities joined the international investigation to take down the smuggling operation.

    The cigarettes were manufactured in Türkiye and Iran, then exported to ports worldwide, reloaded and brought into EU ports using forged sea freight documents. The criminal group is suspected of smuggling 150 containers into the EU. The fiscal loss of the smuggling scheme is estimated at EUR 550 million.

    The four-year long investigation culminated in an action day coordinated from Eurojust’s headquarters in The Hague. Authorities executed arrest warrants in three countries, leading to two arrests in Belgium, one in the Netherlands and seven in Germany. Seventeen locations and one vehicle were searched where authorities seized multiple phones laptops and paper documents.

    The following authorities carried out the operations:

    • Germany: Public Prosecutor’s Office Bielefeld; Customs Investigation Office Hanover
    • Belgium: Public Prosecution Office Namur; Public Prosecution Office Charleroi; Federal Police Namur; Federal Police Charleroi; Belgian Customs Authorities
    • The Netherlands: National Public Prosecutors Office for Economic and Environmental Crimes; Fiscal Intelligence and Investigation Service
    • European Anti-Fraud Office (OLAF)

    MIL Security OSI –