Press Release

Welsh Water tops customer service with strong half year performance

123 million invested in its services in the last 6 months

6^th year of below inflation price increases

Rated by Institute of Customer Service as best water company for customer satisfaction and customer trust

Developer Services ranked best for customer service amongst the 10 water and sewerage companies

Company generates and uses record amount of renewable energy

D r Cymru Welsh Water has today announced its half-year results which confirms that its strong performance over the past six months has enabled the company to deliver 123 million of investment and strong levels of service to its customers in the six months to September 2015.

These latest results follows the company delivering its best overall performance last year since being set up as a not-for-profit company – with no shareholders – in 2001. This means that any gains it makes are reinvested directly into the company. With high levels of service and keeping annual price increases below the rate of inflation, this has helped it become the best water company in England and Wales for customer satisfaction and customer trust as measured by the UK’s Institute of Customer Service.

Its Developer Services Team, who are responsible for connecting thousands of homes and business to its network every year, is also now ranked by Water UK as the best in the industry amongst the 10 water and sewerage companies in England and Wales.

Welsh Water, which provides water and sewerage services to over three million people across much of Wales, Herefordshire and parts of Deeside, plans to invest a further 184 million in its capital projects and essential infrastructure between October 2015 and April 2016. Examples of key investments over the first six months of this financial year include:

strengthening the resilience of drinking water supplies to over 400,000 customers by connecting our three new water treatment works to its network, namely Llyn Conwy, Garreglwyd and Dolbenmaen Water Treatment Works in North Wales, with the investment totalling nearly 50 million. This is part of a 120 million investment being undertaken by the company to upgrade and refurbish 15 water treatment works in total across the area it serves such as Llyn Conwy, Alwen, Alaw, Cefni in North Wales and Bont-goch in Ceredigion

reducing the risk of local sewer flooding which could adversely impact its customers and environment by starting work on a further 25 million investment programme in its innovative RainScape programme in Llanelli and Gowerton over the next five years.

This follows a 15 million investment in recent years and is aimed at removing more surface water from its combined sewer network

improving security of supply to around 100,000 customers in Merthyr Tydfil by investing 2.5 million in a scheme to divert a strategic water main

safeguarding water quality issues in Hereford by investing 2 million to replace 23km of old cast iron main which can cause discoloured water

upgrading the existing Bynea sewage pumping station in Llanelli by investing 4 million to help alleviate the risk of internal sewer flooding to properties in the local community

increasing the capacity of the wastewater network in the St Helen’s area of Swansea through a
1.3 million scheme that will enable it to cope with storm weather conditions.

In addition, Welsh Water has confirmed plans to invest 5million from April 2016 to strengthen its drinking water supplies in Pembrokeshire following last week’s burst water main near Llechryd. The investment forms part of a wider 10 million scheme the company will deliver in the area when upgrading the local network.

This latest investment delivered by Welsh Water is helping the company deliver its services more sustainably. As one of the largest energy users in Wales, Welsh Water is making significant progress towards its long-term goals for reducing its carbon footprint and making its operations more sustainable.

In the last six years, Welsh Water has increased the amount of energy it uses from renewable sources on its own sites from 2% to 20%.
The company has just announced a purchase agreement for the supply of green energy from a new multi-million pound organic waste treatment centre being developed in cooperation with Kelda Water Services and operated adjacent to the company’s site in Cardiff. It has also confirmed that it is investing 24 million in transforming the Five Fords Wastewater Treatment Works in Wrexham, North Wales, into an innovative Energy Park – the first of its kind in the industry to incorporate solar, advanced anaerobic digestion and hydro generation schemes at the site. The site will produce the equivalent energy to that used in 5,000 homes.

Without any shareholders, Welsh Water remains unique in the UK’s utility sector and ensures that any profit is reinvested directly into the company for the sole benefit of its customers.

Between 2010 and 2015, the company returned 136 million to customers through reduced bills, accelerated investment and increased social tariffs to help low income families. Welsh Water is the only water and sewerage company in England and Wales that is on track to deliver a decade of below inflation price increases by 2020 whilst also helping 56,000 customers who struggle to pay their bills.

Glas Cymru Chairman, Robert Ayling, said: “We are pleased to report that over the last six months, Welsh Water has continued to build on last year’s success when it delivered its best overall performance since being set up in 2001 as a non-shareholder company. Unlike other companies in the water industry, our unique operating model enables us to have a single-minded approach which is to achieve the highest standards at the lowest possible cost. Having made good progress in delivering against our targets on water quality, safeguarding the environment and customer service, this latest set of results show that the Glas Cymru model continues to work well for our customers.”

D r Cymru Welsh Water Chief Executive, Chris Jones, said: “We have continued to invest significantly in our services in recent months to achieve industry-leading levels of customer satisfaction and trust.
With our vision to earn the trust of our customers every day, our only focus is making decisions that always benefit customers and ensure value for money for customers now and for years to come.

Our latest investment ensures that we can continue to deliver the most essential of public services whilst we have a real lasting impact on the communities we serve.”

Notes to Editor

Customer service and bills

2015 is the sixth consecutive year of below-inflation price increases (on track to deliver a decade of below inflation price increases between 2010 and 2020).

Around 56,000 of our low-income customers benefit from assistance through our range of social tariffs. Social tariffs provide assistance to those who are struggling to pay their bills. This is a particular problem in our area as almost 160,000 of our customers spend more than 5% of their income on their water and sewerage bills (Experian, 2013/14).

Company received nearly twice as many written compliments (1,211) than written complaints (615) in our drinking water and wastewater business units.

The number of complaints received concerning the Retail Services business unit has increased due to certain transition issues when introducing a new billing system, replacing the previous system which was 25 years old. In the long term, the new system will enable us to provide a much wider range of service options to our customers

Welsh Water currently contributes around 1 billion a year to the Welsh economy and the company’s Developer Services Team plays an essential role every year in installing over 36,000m of water mains, taking responsibility for 15,000m of new sewers and responding to over 4,500 planning applications every year.

Financial results

Underlying profit of 25 million (2014: 43 million) – because we have no shareholders, this profit has all been reinvested into the business for the benefit of our customers. (The fall in underlying profit, from 43m to 25m, is the combined effect of an overall 1% reduction in the price we charge customers and a higher (non-cash) depreciation charge following the revaluation of our operational and infrastructure assets as at 1 April 2015. This revaluation has increased the value of our assets in the balance sheet but their useful lives remain unchanged – since the depreciation charge in the income statement represents the reduction in the value through the assets’ use over time, it is higher in the current period.)

136 million has been returned to customers over the five years to 2015 through absorbing the costs of operating the formerly private sewers (which transferred to Welsh Water’s ownership in October 2011), funding accelerated investment and by providing our current unique range of social tariffs.

Regulatory gearing – total net debt as a percentage of regulatory capital value – has fallen to 57% (down from 60% in March 2015 and 93% in 2001).

Operational performance

99.99% overall compliance with quality standards in some 250,000 tests at water treatment works, in the network and customers’ taps in the nine months to September 2015 (2014: 100%).

our wastewater treatment sites achieved 99.13% compliance with discharge permits (which regulates the amount of wastewater we can discharge into rivers and coastal waters)

97 pollution incidents to date (2014: 88).

A record 41 Blue Flags were awarded to bathing waters across Wales in 2015.

Company background

D r Cymru Welsh Water serves most of Wales, Herefordshire and parts of Deeside.

It is one of 10 water and sewerage companies in England and Wales.

Unlike other water companies, it does not have any shareholders.

Since 2001, it has been owned by Glas Cymru which was formed in April 2001 for the sole purpose of acquiring and owning Welsh Water.

It is a ‘company limited by guarantee’ and our business model is unique in the water industry.

It has no shareholders which means that all financial surpluses are reinvested in the business for the benefit of customers.

Glas Cymru’s constitution strictly limits its purpose to that of financing water assets in Welsh Water’s area of appointment and managing Welsh Water’s business so that high quality water and wastewater services are delivered at least cost to the communities served by Welsh Water.

As part of our 26 billion network of assets, we operate and maintain 27,500km of water mains, more than 30,000km of sewers, 838 sewage treatment works and 66 impounding reservoirs.

End

Further Information: Contact D r Cymru Welsh Water Press Office: 01443 452 452 or press@dwrcymru.com¹

References

1. ^{^} press@dwrcymru.com (www.investegate.co.uk)

The post Welsh Water – interim results appeared first on News4Security.

MPs are to question National Grid bosses over the security of the UK’s power supplies amid concerns about keeping the lights on this winter.

The Energy and Climate Change Committee has announced a one-off session on November 24 to quiz senior executives at the company over its capability to meet energy demands of households and businesses.

It comes after National Grid’s outlook for the winter predicted a gap between total electricity generating capacity and peak demand of 5.1% after measures are taken to boost margins – the tightest in a decade.

Last week National Grid issued a notice to the energy industry asking for 500 megawatts more generation to be brought on to the system following “multiple plant breakdowns”, the equivalent to the power surge experienced at half-time during a big sports event.

The power firm said the move was not an indication that there was an immediate risk of blackouts, but it is the first time such a notice has been issued for three years.

Announcing the hearing, the committee’s chairman SNP MP Angus MacNeil said: “The security of our electricity supply is something we all take for granted, but a lot of effort goes on behind the scenes to keep the lights on and the gas flowing.

“The closure of polluting coal-fired generation has left capacity margins at worryingly low levels this winter.

“Making a swift transition to a low-carbon economy is crucial, but meeting the every-day energy demands of households and businesses must always take priority.

“National Grid has statutory responsibility to keep the lights on: the committee intends to examine their capability to do so.”

MPs will question National Grid on a number of topics including its predictions for security of supplies, availability of electricity generation this winter, the likelihood of margins being insufficient and what can be done about it and the outlook for next winter.

The post MPs to quiz National Grid bosses over power supply security … appeared first on News4Security.

by Nick Hallett

A schoolgirl who was allegedly subjected¹ to months of rape and sexual abuse by a gang of Muslim men said her attackers called her a little white slag and a white bastard as she wept on the floor. The girl, who was aged 13 and 14 at the time, was allegedly attacked in various public locations, including parks, churchyards and carparks, in the town of Keighley, West Yorkshire.
Bradford Crown Court heard that ringleader Ahmed Choudhury, who is not on trial, was the first to rape when she tried to stop dealing drugs for him.
The Daily Mail reports² that she told police she was 12 when she first met him and dealt drugs for him for a fair few months , but was unclear of exact dates.
The court heard that when she refused to deal drugs for him he started shouting abuse at her, and when she tried to leave he pulled her back and raped her.
She first told police she was 12 when she was raped, but said she could have been 13.
He knew how old I was, he d seen me in my school uniform, she said.
After the alleged rape Choudhury laughed as she cried. She told police she felt Like crap.

Like shit because I m there thinking I m doing him a favour when really all he s done is used me and abused me.
She also said she was a virgin at the time of attack.
Choudhury then allegedly introduced her to the defendants, who abused her at a variety of locations around the town.
A total of 14 men, including a teenager who cannot be named for legal reasons, are on trial for a total of 28 offences, including rape and sexual abuse.
Nasir Khan, 23, Tauqeer Hussain, 23, and Yasser Kabir, 25, are each charged with three counts of rape.

Brothers Sufyan and Bilal Ziarab, 22 and 21, are each charged with two counts of rape, as is Hussain Sardar, 19.
Saqib Younis, 29, Israr Ali, 19, Faisal Khan, 27, and Zain Ali, 20, are also each charged with two counts of rape.
Rohail Hussain, 18, Rohail Iqbal, 22, and the 17-year-old are each charged with one count of rape.
Mohammed Akram, 62, is charged with one count of sexual activity with a child under 16.
The trial continues.
breitbart³

References

1. ^{^} allegedly subjected (www.breitbart.com)
2. ^{^} reports (www.dailymail.co.uk)
3. ^{^} breitbart (www.breitbart.com)

The post Allah's Willing Executioners: Little White Slag: What the Muslim Men … appeared first on News4Security.

Safe and Free?

The Case Against a Civil Liberties Tradeoff

Devon Chafee from the NH Civil Liberties Union¹ will be unpacking the assumption that the goals of advancing civil liberties and protecting national security are necessarily counter-balanced.

Focusing on US counterterrorism efforts in the aftermath of the attacks of September 11, 2001, Chaffee will address the costs and effectiveness of federal national security policies that implicate individual rights.

Devon Chaffee is the executive director of the New Hampshire Civil Liberties Union and is the former legislative counsel to the American Civil Liberties Union in Washington, DC.

• November 17, 7 p.m.
• Smith Recital Hall of the Silver Center for the Arts

References

1. ^{^} NH Civil Liberties Union (aclu-nh.org)

The post This Week @ PSU » Blog Archive » Civil Liberties Presentation appeared first on News4Security.

Over the past thirty odd years Britain has seen clubbing as a past-time move from the fringes of society to the very heart of its youth culture. One of the original reasons for this shift was the increased prevalence of clubs, which itself was brought about by the formal legitimisation and licensing of large-scale partying. This same process, however, now means that local and national authorities have gained more control over our favourite events than ever before.

For those of us too young to have raved in the 90s and instead caught up in the clubbing melee of today, this distant epoch is held up to us as a time of free, liberal and anti-political euphoria (much like the counterculture period of the 60s in America). To what extent this is idealised nostalgia is up for debate, but when you compare the fields and warehouses of then to the totalitarian mega-clubs of today, you can t help but feel that what was once created as an escape from society has now become a heavily regulated product of it. This leads to two questions (or at least two questions that we ll be exploring) how and why has rave culture followed this trajectory, and what are people doing about it?

A quick look at the clubbing landscape of today shows it to be significantly smaller than it was ten years ago. Figures¹ released by the Association of Licensed Multiple Retailers (ALMR²) show that the numbers of UK nightclubs have halved in 2005 there were 3,144 nightclubs in Britain but now this is down to 1,733.

While there are no doubt a complex mix of reasons that club numbers have dwindled, legislation and increased institutional control have played a central role in its suppression. This isn t anything new for partygoers; if we go back to the much heralded 80s/90s period, the Criminal Justice and Public Order Act 1994 empowered police to stop open-air raves when a hundred or more people were in attendance. They were even empowered to shut things down where two or more people were making preparations for a rave.

Going further back to the 60s, the same story of authoritarian imposition arises. Woodstock of 69 is seen as the pinnacle of American counterculture, epitomising the desire of its youth to leave the norms of society, set up their own communities and ignore the outside world. The festival, held on a dairy farm in New York State where it housed three days of music and arts, was considered the archetype by all festivals everywhere thereafter.

However, as the decade evolved so too did the stance of local government. Rockstar and activist Barry Melton³ explained that local councils became unwilling to host the kind of event that might prove an unmitigated financial disaster by unexpectedly taxing local services. Rock promoters were thus forced to move concerts into large arenas and stadiums that were specifically designed to hold large crowds.

In a stadium a crowd could be monitored and controlled and large scale consensual illegal activities were no longer possible Rock music was transformed into the same kind of controlled amusement as baseball and football.

You might well be asking: if regulation has existed as long as our parties have, should I care? . But it s the club closure stats mentioned above that shock the most. This is particularly notable in the case in London, where the list of closures is endless: Madame JoJos⁴; Plastic People⁵; Cable⁶; Crucifix Lane⁷; Velvet Rooms⁸; SEOne⁹; and on and on.

Even the mighty Fabric only narrowly avoided closure¹⁰ following two drug related deaths. As a result, sniffer dogs and ID scanners now await its nervous punters. Each case might have its own individual issues and causes but there is an undeniable trend of increasing council involvement.

Fabric owner Keith Reilly¹¹ vented to one councillor after an appeal meeting that it s not a level playing field in there . Reilly s frustration is understandable. He was outnumbered by disgruntled residents and a large police contingent, a combination which has become an overwhelming force and one over which clubbers and club owners have very little real power.

The motivations of the authorities are various but predictably money-centric.

The closure of Cable is possibly the most well-known example of a state institution terminating a venue for the sake of inner city development in this case Network Rail s work at London Bridge station. Crucifix Lane is possibly more poignant. While not a direct obstacle to the London Bridge development project, its proximity to the new and glossy terminus means it will also be evicted by Network Rail to make way for the right sort of commercial and residential spaces.

Crucifix Lane challenged their eviction, making it clear that they were willing to pay higher rents to accommodate the location s rising commercial value. The eviction has gone ahead, proving that the objective is as much to sanitise as it is to develop and extract market rents. The extent to which London s clubs, in particular, rely on inexpensive arch-way tenancies granted by Network Rail, one of the UK s major landlords, has been analysed at length in the past.

Such tenancies were previously cheap and monopolised by creative and alternative businesses, but as waves of gentrification have swept across London and these areas have become more desirable, the hitherto disinterested landlords have begun to use their weight to realise this new value. Aspiring club owners tend to be legalistically inexperienced and lacking in negotiating clout from the outset, which has often meant that opportunistic break clauses have found their ways into the leases, exposing the tenants to great risks of summary eviction down the line without explanation. We can only hope that these evictions form part of the ongoing cycle of creatives shifting from place to place that has been going on since time immemorial, rather than a wholesale move towards eradicating underground nightlife.

I recently attended a talk by AFEM (Association For Electronic Musicians) in which they brought together a panel of individuals, each fighting for their country s clubbing scene.

Alan Miller, Chairman of The Night Time Industries Association (NTIA) and who represented Britain, spoke of how: there is a loss of attrition that it s not so much a war between regulators and clubbers but a combination of events that if one person does something, the venue is responsible . When compared to the systems observed in Amsterdam and Berlin, our London scene is somewhat backward. The Dutch capital uses a three strike system, which while fairly blunt means the authorities won t be knocking on a club s door immediately after any one isolated incident.

They also have a Night Mayor, who represented Holland on this very panel. His role is to offer protection to the nightlife industry and act as a voice in the face of the authorities. It couldn t be more aptly timed then that the Mayor of London has recently backed the city to receive our own elected night governor, possibly the most uplifting news the industry has heard in the past decade.

In Berlin the economic value of the clubbing industry is cherished by the city, something all too often ignored over here. As long as the rave has been cleared and cleaned the next day, government officials won t interfere. Lutz Leichsenring, head of the Club Commission in Berlin, explained that the flow of cash brought in by the scene there and the money subsequently received by other industries, i.e restaurants, travel and entertainment, was just too valuable for it be disregarded.

Leichsenring did, however, mention that the situation in Berlin has become less comfortable than it once was: it s no longer the case that kids can go to a park with a boom box and dance all night a party still needs to be in a controlled environment .

If we look at grass roots parties rather than megaclubs, perhaps we are seeing something of a backlash to the creeping invasion of the authorities into our spaces. The prevalence of (unintentionally ironic) sponsored house parties and carefully branded gourmet roof top terrace parties has drawn huge new numbers into the house scene this summer but has increasingly alienated the old guard. More and more people specifically seek out a rough-and-ready setup with fewer restrictions, where you can get away with indoor smoking and there is less security wading about the crowd.

I reviewed¹² a Percolate night at Shapes¹³ a few months ago, which played on the terrace party theme. While the venue itself is an official club, it still appears a genuine stripped down warehouse, with a bit of security on the door. This meant the night felt closer in atmosphere to what I envisage from those 90s myths.

It s a purer form of partying: it was fun. The recent increase in popularity being enjoyed by festivals also correlates with the declining popularity of commercial clubs and declining availability of the underground. A recent Radio 1 documentary; Where Have All The Clubs Gone?¹⁴, found that people enjoyed the freedom of festivals in part because they also felt clubs restrict your behaviour.

The documentary s sources were questionable, relying as it did on drunk punters and Steve Aoki¹⁵ for interview material, but it seems logical that this is a large part of the reason people now save the money for a big weekend in the Isle of Wight.

It seems the future of the nightclub is on a slippery slope. Club owners and customers have little say against the powers that be in the face of urban development, as Keith Riley and the Crucifix Lane owners will attest. Whether this cycle will reverse as the clamour of our youth begins to bubble and froth remains to be seen.

The news that there is now strong backing for a London Night Mayor (not to be confused with the London Nightmare we currently face) is hopefully a step towards escaping the shackles binding our industry.

For now, however, it does seem that true British hedonism is moving away from the sticky dance floors and into our living rooms, fields and gardens.

References

1. ^{^} Figures (www.mixmag.net)
2. ^{^} ALMR (www.almr.org.uk)
3. ^{^} Barry Melton (en.wikipedia.org)
4. ^{^} Madame JoJos (www.theguardian.com)
5. ^{^} Plastic People (www.theguardian.com)
6. ^{^} Cable (www.residentadvisor.net)
7. ^{^} Crucifix Lane (www.residentadvisor.net)
8. ^{^} Velvet Rooms (www.londontown.com)
9. ^{^} SEOne (en.wikipedia.org)
10. ^{^} narrowly avoided closure (www.fluxmusic.net)
11. ^{^} Keith Reilly (www.vice.com)
12. ^{^} reviewed (www.fluxmusic.net)
13. ^{^} Shapes (www.shapeshackney.com)
14. ^{^} Where Have All The Clubs Gone? (www.bbc.co.uk)
15. ^{^} Steve Aoki (en.wikipedia.org)

The post UK Clubbing – Death by Regulation? | Flux Music appeared first on News4Security.

utilitiesscot November 12, 2015 Leave a comment¹²³

The Scottish Parliament’s Economy, Energy and Tourism Committee has published its report⁴ on energy security: ‘Plugged-in Switched-on Charged-up: Ensuring Scotland s Energy Security’.

Those looking for a blueprint for energy security will be disappointed, in fact there was some debate over what energy security even means. However, the Committee hopes, it will contribute to a debate on the future of something we tend to take for granted, but which powers our everyday plugged-in, switched-on, charged-up lives.

The focus of the report is on electricity supply. The reports asks: Does Scotland need more generation or better interconnection?

The Scottish Government appears to favour the former approach, National Grid the latter. Greater clarity is needed if we are to avoid policy deadlock.

The Scottish Government’s concerns are that UK capacity margins have declined from 15% in 2009 to as low as 2% in 2016. They cited the views of Sir John Arnott and Dieter Helm, who argued that it should be between 10 and 20%.

Whether for Scotland or on a GB basis. They also argued that narrowing of the gap between supply and demand was likely to have a negative impact on consumers because as the capacity margin falls, prices inevitably go up.

Some may give a wry smile to these concerns, given that despite the Scottish Government claiming to be in favour of a balanced energy policy, their actions have been the opposite. In particular, the non-replacement of thermal, in the view of Professor Haszeldine, would mean Scotland becoming more and more like Northern Ireland with no thermal generation of its own and reliant on Scotland and in Scotland s case, for large parts of the year , on England.

Transmission charges certainly are a disincentive to invest in Scotland, but so has Scottish Government energy policy.

The policy target of 100% from renewables is unlikely to be achieved anyway. Scottish Renewables⁵ has recently said the Scottish government’s goal would not be achieved by the 2020 deadline without further investment from Westminster. Predictably, this resulted in more ranting from Scottish Ministers at Westminster.

A report⁶ from the respected Institute of Civil Engineers next month will say: Scotland will transition from being a net exporter to being a net importer of electricity if the closures of Longannet, Hunterston and Torness are not replaced by new development.

The Committee wants the Scottish Government (along with Ofgem) to look more closely at demand-side response and to produce a demand reduction strategy, either as part of a wider document such as the Electricity Generation Policy Statement or a strategy in its own right. They linked to this is district heating, and while the minister is keen to develop this, he doesn’t appear to have a plan.

On consumer responses the report highlights the evidence of the CMA who found those customers generally engaging least with the energy market by not switching supplier for example and therefore leaving most money on the table were people on low incomes, of a poor educational background, with disabilities, or otherwise disadvantaged.

Mindful of the November 2016 deadline for the Scottish Government’s target to eradicate fuel poverty, the report asks the Scottish and UK Governments what can be done to address this inequity in the system.

Branding the committee report as very poor , Inverness-based economist Tony Mackay⁷ said that the committee s choice of witnesses who provided oral evidence were almost entirely drawn from pro-wind farm bodies. Oral evidence was indeed narrowly drawn, but this is perhaps a little harsh. Mackay also says that forthcoming closure of Scotland s two nuclear power stations at Hunterston and Torness are dealt with very poorly in the report.

That is certainly true.

Back in the real world capacity shortages have hit home for real. For the first time a new tool to balance the energy system, Demand Side Balancing Reserve (DSBR), was used to help manage the peak demand time between 5pm and 6pm. This involved a small number of contracted large businesses being asked, under a commercial arrangement, to cut their electricity use.

The power shortage was caused by a number of factors including unexpected maintenance issues at ageing coal-power stations, which led to temporary shut downs at several power plants; low wind speeds, meaning wind farms were only able to produce 1 per cent of the UK s required electricity, and no solar input, because the requirement happened when it was dark.

All highlight the risk of relying on intermittent generation.

The ICE report next month will call for a national debate on how we, as a country, deal with changes to electricity generation to ensure that we have a resilient supply with sufficient capacity for the long term.

Amen to that!

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References

1. ^{^} Posts by utilitiesscot (utilitiesscotland.com)
2. ^{^} Delivering on Scotland s energy security (utilitiesscotland.com)
3. ^{^} Leave a comment (utilitiesscotland.com)
4. ^{^} report (www.scottish.parliament.uk)
5. ^{^} Scottish Renewables (www.heraldscotland.com)
6. ^{^} report (www.heraldscotland.com)
7. ^{^} Tony Mackay (www.heraldscotland.com)

The post Delivering on Scotland's energy security appeared first on News4Security.

Alison Johnstone, Scottish Green MSP for Lothian, has slammed the eye-watering rent increases in the region, calling for urgent Government action to ensure affordability in the private rented sector (PRS).

Johnstone commented on new figures that show a 6.4% increase in rent for 2-bedroom properties in the region from 2014 to 2015, bringing rent up to 829 per month (note 1).

Lothian region has seen some of the worst rent increases in Scotland, with average rent levels rising by 24.7% in the past 5 years. The region is one of the few in Scotland where rent increases continue to outstrip inflation.

Johnstone called on the Scottish Government to take serious action to ensure that housing remains affordable to those who need to rent from the private sector. The Lothian MSP highlighted that the SNP should consider options for rent controls in the Private Housing (Tenancies) (Scotland) Bill to be debated in the Scottish Parliament (note 2).

Alison Johnstone, MSP and Scottish Green candidate for Edinburgh Central for Holyrood 2016, said:

With rising rents now eating up a huge proportion of people s incomes, it s crystal clear that the private rented sector is not an affordable or sustainable housing option for many Lothian residents.

We ve seen rapid growth in the private rented sector in recent years, with thousands of young people and families unable rent council housing or buy their own homes.

At a time when wages are falling, employment is insecure and Westminster are robbing people of social security, we cannot let rent levels push people out of their homes and into poverty.

We cannot let private profit margins decide who gets a roof over their heads housing must be affordable to every single one of us, and we have to regulate the private rented sector accordingly.

I urge the Scottish Government and local councils to support struggling private sector tenants, and make sure we introduce proper regulation on rent levels through the new private tenancies bill.

The post Housing: Green MSP critical of Lothian rent rises appeared first on News4Security.

Richard Moss, ‘Wiltshire Museum launches 8K appeal to buy Anglo Saxon gold coin from ‘dawn of English Christianity¹‘ CXulture 24 11 November 2015

Wiltshire Museum is launching a fund-raising campaign to buy a rare gold coin dating to the beginnings of Christianity in Wiltshire.

The Anglo Saxon Gold coin was found in April 2015 at East Grafton, a Wiltshire village between Burbage and Great Bedwyn, and experts believe it was in circulation just after the burial of King Raedwald at Sutton Hoo around AD 625… The coin is being sold by Spink and Son in Bloomsbury, London, on December 2 2105 as part of an auction of ancient British and foreign coins and commemorative medals.

The name of the finder (“only interested in th’ ‘istry”) who is flogging it off is not given.

References

1. ^{^} Wiltshire Museum launches 8K appeal to buy Anglo Saxon gold coin from ‘dawn of English Christianity (www.culture24.org.uk)

The post Portable Antiquity Collecting and Heritage Issues: Britain has to Buy … appeared first on News4Security.

Eduardo Ganzales-Rios had been deported three times before he allegedly ran over a Dallas officer early Monday. (Photo: Dallas Jail)

The man police say ran over a Dallas officer early Monday had been deported three times.

The incident reportedly began when Eduardo Ganzales-Rios was kicked out of a nightclub. He allegedly took off in his SUV and backed into one officer and completely ran over another.

Officer Edmundo Lujan suffered a dislocated hip, lacerated scalp, broken fibula, broken ankle and broken vertebrae in the attack.¹ He remains hospitalized.

Other officers shot Gonzales-Rios in the arm. He s been in the hospital until now, but was booked into the Dallas County Jail on Wednesday on charges of aggravated assault on a public servant, FOX4 News² reports.

He s also being held as an illegal immigrant.

U.S.

Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials confirmed he has been deported three times in the past in 2004, 2005, and 2011.

References

1. ^{^} Officer Edmundo Lujan suffered a dislocated hip, lacerated scalp, broken fibula, broken ankle and broken vertebrae in the attack. (www.policemag.com)
2. ^{^} FOX4 News (www.fox4news.com)

The post Man Jailed for Running Over Dallas Officer Had Been Deported … appeared first on News4Security.

Earlier this month the Council’s Executive Board turned off the webcam, threw out the press and public and went into private session. What was the top secret issue at stake? National security?

No, it was the future of Llandeilo’s small purpose built library, a public asset. There was no discussion at all (there never is) whether the public interest test to exempt the report was met, or not.

Back in March a ‘consultation’ was launched to gather views on whether it would be a good idea, or not, to sell the library and move its contents into the council offices a few hundred yards away to be run on a self-service basis. The press office, when announcing the consultation, jumped the gun¹ and described it as a ‘development opportunity’.

This was soon changed and this clear reference that the decision had already been made was removed. The consultation came and went. We don’t know if anyone responded, or what the responses were.

Perhaps all were in favour, or all against, we’ll never know. All went quiet until this ‘exempt’ report appeared at the Exec Board meeting. The decision, recorded briefly in the minutes, was for the library to be relocated to the council offices (sweetened with the latest buzzword, a ‘hub’) and the existing library building disposed of.
Hardly surprising as this was the intention long before it got anywhere near a public consultation.

To be honest, given the council’s three year budget plan, the library’s days are numbered anyway, whether in its own little building, or in a spare corner of the council offices with an automatic till.

The question remains though, given the WLGA recommendation that the council review its questionable use of ‘exemptions’, was there any reason whatsoever for this to be discussed behind closed doors?

References

1. ^{^} jumped the gun (carmarthenplanning.blogspot.co.uk)

The post Carmarthenshire Planning Problems and more: Shh!

Library for Sale appeared first on News4Security.

Britain is pitching to sell security advice to Japan to help keep the 2020 Olympics safe from terrorist attacks, after the successful operation at the London Games in 2012.

Ministers from the two governments have already held talks as UK companies prepare to bid for lucrative contracts to guard the Tokyo Olympics and secure its computer systems.

Japan is seeking British help to foil bomb plots and protect Olympic sites and Tokyo s transport network from chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear attacks.

Whitehall sources said the Government had been approached because Japan had been impressed by the smooth running of the London Olympics, which involved the largest peacetime security operation in British history.

John Hayes, the security minister, has discussed the issue with Japanese ministers in Tokyo, as well as with organisers of the Tokyo games.

The Japanese were taken with how well everything went in London, and the way good security did not affect the smooth running of the Games or lead to big queues, a source told The Independent.

At the moment we are sharing our thoughts about best practice, but we could certainly be in the market for selling our expertise to them.

Twenty British firms attended a three-day trade show in Japan showcasing counterterrorist equipment . It coincided with an Olympic security seminar at the British embassy, addressed by security experts and attended by Japanese officials.

Although the security for the London Olympics and Paralympics was eventually successful, the 500m operation had a troubled start as G4S, which was put in charge, admitted it was unable to recruit and train enough staff.

Thousands of members of the armed forces were drafted in to make up the shortfall and support the massive police presence on the capital s streets during the Games.

UK news in pictures

Extra officers travelled on the Tube trains carrying hundreds of thousands of visitors, and roads were closed to allow foreign dignitaries to reach the Olympics site in east London swiftly and safely . Hundreds of security staff were also stationed at the accommodation built for competitors.

Naval ships were deployed on the Thames, RAF jets put on standby for air attacks, and surface-to-air missiles installed on top of tower blocks .

BT took charge of protecting the Olympics computer systems from hackers and fraudsters.

The Japanese government is emphasising cyber security and has reportedly drawn up a 100m plan to defend the Olympics website .

And Tokyo police are considering using face-recognition technology to spot crowd members who are on international terrorist watch lists.

Senior London Olympics staff have liaised with the organisers of next year s Games in Rio de Janeiro, which will be protected by 85,000 security staff, more than double the number used in 2012.

The huge deployment reflects the city s reputation for violence, as well as the possibility of protests against the Brazilian government.

The post Tokyo 2020 Olympics: Britain pitches to sell security advice to Japan after … appeared first on News4Security.

Britain is pitching to sell security advice to Japan to help keep the 2020 Olympics safe from terrorist attacks, after the successful operation at the London Games in 2012.

Ministers from the two governments have already held talks as UK companies prepare to bid for lucrative contracts to guard the Tokyo Olympics and secure its computer systems.

Japan is seeking British help to foil bomb plots and protect Olympic sites and Tokyo s transport network from chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear attacks.

Whitehall sources said the Government had been approached because Japan had been impressed by the smooth running of the London Olympics, which involved the largest peacetime security operation in British history.

John Hayes, the security minister, has discussed the issue with Japanese ministers in Tokyo, as well as with organisers of the Tokyo games.

The Japanese were taken with how well everything went in London, and the way good security did not affect the smooth running of the Games or lead to big queues, a source told The Independent.

At the moment we are sharing our thoughts about best practice, but we could certainly be in the market for selling our expertise to them.

Twenty British firms attended a three-day trade show in Japan showcasing counterterrorist equipment . It coincided with an Olympic security seminar at the British embassy, addressed by security experts and attended by Japanese officials.

Although the security for the London Olympics and Paralympics was eventually successful, the 500m operation had a troubled start as G4S, which was put in charge, admitted it was unable to recruit and train enough staff.

Thousands of members of the armed forces were drafted in to make up the shortfall and support the massive police presence on the capital s streets during the Games.

UK news in pictures

Extra officers travelled on the Tube trains carrying hundreds of thousands of visitors, and roads were closed to allow foreign dignitaries to reach the Olympics site in east London swiftly and safely . Hundreds of security staff were also stationed at the accommodation built for competitors.

Naval ships were deployed on the Thames, RAF jets put on standby for air attacks, and surface-to-air missiles installed on top of tower blocks .

BT took charge of protecting the Olympics computer systems from hackers and fraudsters.

The Japanese government is emphasising cyber security and has reportedly drawn up a 100m plan to defend the Olympics website .

And Tokyo police are considering using face-recognition technology to spot crowd members who are on international terrorist watch lists.

Senior London Olympics staff have liaised with the organisers of next year s Games in Rio de Janeiro, which will be protected by 85,000 security staff, more than double the number used in 2012.

The huge deployment reflects the city s reputation for violence, as well as the possibility of protests against the Brazilian government.

The post Tokyo 2020 Olympics: UK pitches to sell security advice to Japan after safe … appeared first on News4Security.

LOCKDOWN: Police outside Hull Crown Court, after Josh Pougher, inset, absconded in September

Comments (0)¹

A BURGLAR who sparked a major security alert when he escaped from court has been jailed.

Josh Pougher, 24, was yesterday convicted of breaking into a house in Beech Croft, Hessle, and stealing the keys to the owner’s Porsche on May 14.

It can now be revealed that he was recently jailed for a year for escaping from Hull Crown Court after reporting restrictions banning publication were lifted.

Pougher, of Hessle Road, leapt over the dock where he was due to stand trial for the burglary and ran through a judge’s chambers on September 10, before leaving the court via an insecure fire door.

Related content

He then caught a bus to west Hull.

Pougher was found five days later by police at a house in Coltman Street, west Hull, hiding behind a cabinet in a bedroom.

Judge Jeremy Richardson QC revealed a major security review of Hull Crown Court is currently under way following Pougher’s escape.

He revealed defendants will now not be brought into the court room unless a judge is present.

Only security staff were present in court room four when Pougher escaped.

Judge Richardson said: “A meeting took place with the police to discuss security issues in the building.

“The security in light of this in the entire building is now part of a major review by the police.

“I want to reassure people that the court has taken this very seriously and a security review is under way.”

Judge Richardson sentenced Pougher to 12 months in prison for escaping custody and said his actions that day had caused a “massive inconvenience” as the court was in lock-down for more than an hour.

The judge said: “The defendant’s actions were massively inconvenient to all those in the building.

“There was actually a visit by a Lord Justice of Appeal that day and measures had to be taken to have that meeting transferred to another building.”

Pougher had also escaped police custody back in July 2011, it was revealed yesterday.

A jury, who took less than 90 minutes to find Pougher guilty of burglary, heard he also had a string of convictions for burglary and aggravated vehicle taking .

He was jailed for three years and six months after he was found guilty of the May burglary.

He had already admitted aggravated vehicle taking.

The sentence will run consecutively to the 12 months he received for escaping custody.

References

1. ^{^} Comments (0) (www.hulldailymail.co.uk)

The post Jail for burglar who sparked security alert after escaping from Hull court appeared first on News4Security.

The see of OSSORY, which, like that of Meath, takes its name from a district, was originally established at Saiger, about the year 402, by St Kieran, after his return from Rome, where he had remained 20 years in the study of the Christian faith, and had been consecrated a bishop.

He was accompanied on his return by five other bishops, who also founded sees in other parts of Ireland, and after presiding over this see for many years is supposed to have died in Cornwall. Of his successors, who were called Episcopi Saigerenses, but very imperfect accounts are preserved. Carthage, his disciple and immediate successor, died about the year 540, from which period till the removal of the see from Saiger to Aghaboe, about the year 1052, there appears to have been, with some few intervals, a regular succession of prelates.

The monastery of Aghaboe was founded by St Canice, of which he was the first abbot, and in which he died about the year 600; and after the removal of the see from Saiger, there is little mention of the bishops of Aghaboe. Felix O’Dullany, who succeeded him in 1178, removed the see from Aghaboe to the city of Kilkenny, as a place of greater security, where he laid the foundation of the cathedral church of St Canice, which was continued at a great expense by Hugh de Mapilton, and completed by Geoffrey St Leger, about the year 1270. Richard Ledred, who was consecrated in 1318, beautified the cathedral and rebuilt and glazed all the windows.

He also built the episcopal palace, near the cathedral. The diocese of Ossory continued to be a separate see until 1835, when, on the death of Dr Elrington, Lord Bishop of Ferns and Leighlin, both those dioceses were annexed to it, and their temporalities vested in the Ecclesiastical Commissioners. The diocese, which is one of the five that constitute the ecclesiastical province of Dublin, constitutes almost the whole of County Kilkenny, a good part of the Queen’s County (Laois), and some of the King’s County (Offaly).

It extends 46 miles in length from north to south, and 29 in breadth.
THE PALACE, Kilkenny, is a Georgian house built on the foundations of an older medieval palace.

It was probably built by the Right Rev Charles Este¹, Lord Bishop of Ossory from 1735-40.

The palace has a plain fa ade.

In 1760, Bishop Pococke constructed a Doric colonnade which joined the palace to St Canice’s Cathedral, including a splendid, single-storey, pedimented, bow-ended robing-room.

The colonnade was subsequently demolished; the robing-room, however, remains a feature of the palace garden.

The palace was restored about 1963 by Bishop McAdoo² (later translated to Dublin).

The last bishop to live at the palace was the Right Rev Noel Willoughby³, Lord Bishop of Cashel and Ossory from 1990-97.

Ross Willoughby has written⁴ about her childhood there.

In 2008, the palace became the headquarters of the Irish heritage council⁵.

References

1. ^{^} Right Rev Charles Este (en.wikipedia.org)
2. ^{^} Bishop McAdoo (en.wikipedia.org)
3. ^{^} Right Rev Noel Willoughby (en.wikipedia.org)
4. ^{^} written (www.kilkennypeople.ie)
5. ^{^} Irish heritage council (www.heritagecouncil.ie)

The post Lord Belmont in Northern Ireland: Kilkenny Palace appeared first on News4Security.

Picture: Jack Harland” />

PRAISED: Shield Security MD David Frank, left, with security staff member Matt Murrell at its headquarters in Priory Park East .

Picture: Jack Harland

Comments (4)¹

A SECURITY guard had to deal with a hammer-wielding man at a health centre because police were too busy to attend.

Officers from Shield Security have been praised for the way they dealt with the patient at the Elliott Chappell Health Centre in Hessle Road, west Hull.

Managers called Humberside Police when the man, who had two hammers, refused to leave the centre but were told officers were unable to attend.

Matt Murrell, who works for Shield, which covers night shifts at the health centre, was called to the scene.

Related content

He spoke to the patient before walking him away from the building and talking to him until police could get there.

Caroline Havler, head of estate management at Citycare, which manages the centre, said: “We really can’t thank Shield Security enough for their quick and effective response, for what could have potentially become quite a frightening and intimidating situation for the staff and patients at the health centre.”

Mr Murrell, 22, said: “I knew that the only chance of getting the patient to calm down and listen was to approach him calmly and get on his level.”

It happened on September 22.

Humberside Police Chief Inspector Mark Bishop said: “All calls made to the force are assessed on the basis of the level of threat, harm and risk and deployed to accordingly.

“Ordinarily, we would have wanted to deploy to this incident more quickly, however, we needed to prioritise our resources to two more serious incidents.

“These included the concern for a man on Daltry Street flyover, which led to road closures for a number of hours, and serious disorder in Scunthorpe, where two men had sustained serious injuries as a result of a stabbing.

“Once officers were available, they attended and a 44-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of affray.”

References

1. ^{^} Comments (4) (www.hulldailymail.co.uk)

The post Security guard praised for dealing with hammer-wielding man at health centre … appeared first on News4Security.

by Jean Gill

Historical research throws up interesting questions and connections. This was one of mine: could Eleanor of Aquitaine have any link to Gwenllian, a Welsh princess? Gwenllian, the Warrior Princess

While England was torn between rival claims to the throne during the 1100s, the three kingdoms of Wales formed alliances and fought; with each other, and with the Anglo-Norman marcher lords whose new stone castles dominated the Welsh landscape. In c.1113 Gruffudd ap Cynon, the ruler of Gwynedd (the kingdom of North Wales) played host to the vibrant ruler of Deheubarth (the kingdom of South Wales), Gruffydd ap Rhys. The Lord of Deheubardd sought support from the north against the Anglo-Norman residents of his land, support which would repay the debt owed from the past, when south had supported north.

When his guest had gone home, the Lord of Gwynedd went to London. There, he bargained with Henri 1 of England to bring about the downfall of Deheubardd and gain security for Gwynedd. He was away from home when his youngest, and very beautiful daughter, Gwenllian, sneaked out from the family seat of Ynys M n on the Isle of Anglesey towards the beach.

With full approval of her brother Owain, and of her mother, Gwenllian took to the seas. The boat sent from South Wales by Nest, Lady of Pembroke, sister to the Lord of Deheubarth, took Gwenllian to join her lover, that same Gruffydd ap Rhys who had recently been a guest. Presumably the courtship took place under the very nose of the Lord of Gwynedd, and whether it was a passionate love affair or not, it also matched the political aims of the Lord of Deheubarth perfectly.

He was keen to unite the Welsh against the Anglo-Norman oppressors. Owain Gwynedd and his mother agreed with Gruffydd and saw the love affair as an opportunity to join north and south against Anglo-Norman threats, in direct opposition to Gruffudd ap Cynon s policy of appeasing the English. What the Lord of Gwynedd said to his son and wife when he returned from England to find that Gwenllian was now married to the Prince of Deheubardd is not recorded but the alliance changed Welsh politics.

The word alliance still means wedding ring in modern French and medieval marriages were as important as battles in shaping events. But Gwenllian was no mere trade object. Her soubriquet of warrior princess was earned by living rough and fighting alongside her husband.

When Henri I died in 1135 and England was unstable, combined Welsh forces from north and south rose up against the Anglo-Norman castles in a more organised way. At one point in these skirmishes and sieges, Gruffydd won Kidwelly Castle, and Gwenllian lived there for a few months, pregnant, and enjoying the life of a lady. However, Deheubardd was not strong enough to hold Kidwelly.

Soon Gwenllian was once more living with her people in the wooded hills, the traditional Welsh tactic to protect women and children in times of war. The nomadic way of life allowed lightning strikes and withdrawals, so the marcher lords were never secure. One consequence of this period was to convince Maurice de Londres, Lord of Kidwelly Castle, that Gruffydd and Gwenllian were a serious threat to Kidwelly.

In 1136 Gruffydd was in North Wales, seeking help from his father-in-law and Gwenllian was Lord of Deheubardd in Gruffydd s absence. She received word that a Norman army was on its way from England to meet up with Maurice de Londres, intending to wipe out Gruffydd, Gwenllian and their troublesome family.

The warrior princess decided to surprise the army from England and cut them off before they reached Kidwelly, at Mynydd y Garreg. Her decision is described with hindsight by historians as brave but misguided , foolish but was it?

With her children s lives at stake as well as the future of Deheubarth and its people? She could not have anticipated that a Welshman, Gruffudd ap Llewellyn, would betray her so that the Normans knew the exact spot she would attack and were prepared. The battle was bloody.

Giraldus Cambrensis describes the Welsh qualities as fighters; ” on many occasions they have not hesitated to fight without any protection at all against men clad in iron, unarmed against those bearing weapons, on foot against mounted cavalry. They are so agile and so fierce that they often win battles against such odds.” Gwenllian s decision seems to fit her countrymen s attitude, and if she was misguided then so were most of the male Welsh leaders of the time yet historians do not describe them so. Courageous?

Certainly. Although the surprise element was reversed, and Gwenllian s forces outnumbered, they fought on. Then Maurice de Londres arrived with his army.

Caught in the pincer-stroke, Gwenllian had no option but to surrender, probably expecting the honourable treatment due to nobility. She had her two youngest sons with her in the battle, hoping to keep them safe. Maurice de Londres gave his orders.

Morgan was killed on the spot but Maelwgyn was taken prisoner. His fate after that is unknown. Gwenllian was beheaded by sword, there on the Mynydd y Garreg battlefield, on a spot grazed by peaceful cows these days.

Her legacy is more than the name on a memorial at Kidwelly Castle, or at the local hotel.

Some historians believe she created the Mabinogion, that collection of tales which includes one branch of the matter of Britain , the Arthurian legends. It is highly probable that these legends reached Eleanor s court in Aquitaine, that magnet for troubadours and bards. Bledri is one such Welsh bard who could well have taken Gwenllian s Welsh tales of Arthur to the ch teau in Poitiers so Eleanor could have listened to stories composed by Gwenllian.

Such speculation ventures into the territory of a historical novelist. From the gaps and possibilities come our own stories. What is without question is another legacy.

Gwenllian s second son Rhys made Deheubarth into a power that even Henry II of England was forced to treat with respect. The stormy relationship between the two men and kingdoms shaped Wales in the second half of the 12th century. Prince Rhys (as he liked to be called) was also a singer himself and attracted the best of bards or even troubadours to his court.

He is said to have inaugurated a song tourney that was the prototype of the modern Eisteddfod. But that is definitely another story. Cofiwch Gwenllian!

Remember Gwenllian!

Photos: Lesley Walters

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Jean Gill is the author of The Troubadours Quartet:1150 in Provence, Global Ebooks Award-Winner for Best Historical Fiction.

She is a Welsh writer and photographer living in the south of France with a big white dog, a scruffy black dog, a Nikon D750 and a man. For many years, she taught English in Wales and was the first woman to be a secondary headteacher in Carmarthenshire. She is also mother or stepmother to five children so life was hectic.

Her eighteen published books are varied, including prize-winning poetry and novels, military history, translated books on dog training (from French), and a cookery book on goat cheese. Book 1 of the Troubadours series, Song at Dawn is free; details are on the Giveaways page.

Website www.jeangill.com winner of the 2015 Silver IPPY AWard for Best Author website

I first researched Gwenllian for my Young Adult novel Crystal Balls in which a teenager’s dreams are haunted by the warrior princess. In celebration of the new Troubadours book, Book 1 Song at Dawn is free at the moment and there s also a free ebook copy of my collection One Sixth of a Gill , which was shortlisted for the Wishing Shelf Award , for every new subscriber to my newsletter.

Just sign up here for news and offers on my books. http://eepurl.com/AGvy5 Contact

jean.gill@wanadoo.fr

Amazon¹² IPPY Silver Award for Best Author Website www.jeangill.com³ Blog www.jeangill.blogspot.com⁴

https://twitter.com/writerjeangill⁵ Facebook https://www.facebook.com/writerjeangill⁶ The Troubadours Page https://www.facebook.com/jeangilltroubadours⁷

Further Reading The Journey through Wales and The Description of Wales – Gerald of Wales Brut Y Tywysogion, or, The Chronicle of the Princes – Caradoc of Lancarvan

The Lord Rhys, Prince of Deheubarth – Roger Turvey

References

1. ^{^} jean.gill@wanadoo.fr (englishhistoryauthors.blogspot.com)
2. ^{^} Amazon (author.to)
3. ^{^} www.jeangill.com (www.jeangill.com)
4. ^{^} www.jeangill.blogspot.com (www.jeangill.blogspot.com)
5. ^{^} https://twitter.com/writerjeangill (twitter.com)
6. ^{^} https://www.facebook.com/writerjeangill (www.facebook.com)
7. ^{^} https://www.facebook.com/jeangilltroubadours (www.facebook.com)

The post English Historical Fiction Authors: Gwenllian, the Warrior Princess appeared first on News4Security.

Financial Express (Holdings) Limited ( we , our , us and derivatives) are committed to protecting and respecting your privacy. This Privacy Policy, together with our Terms of Use, sets out the basis on which any personal data that we collect from you, or that you provide to us, will be processed by us relating to your use of any of the below websites ( sites ).

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If you want more information or have any questions or comments relating to our privacy policy please email publishing@financialexpress.net¹ in the first instance.

References

1. ^{^} publishing@financialexpress.net (www.investegate.co.uk)

The post FE Investegate |Empiric Student Prop Announcements appeared first on News4Security.

The BBC reports that Mohammed Emwazi, also known as Jihadi John, has probably been killed in a US drone strike against the so-called Islamic State (IS).

Now the reaction of most sensible people to this news will be grim satisfaction of a job well done, as justice of a sort has been handed down to a cruel and sadistic murderer operating beyond the reach of any law.

So I will be interested to hear what the Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn has to say on the subject because he certainly made a fool of himself in responding to Osama bin Laden’s death.

‘Jihadi John’: US air strike targets Islamic State militant in Syria
The BBC’s Laura Bicker said US intelligence services would be monitoring IS chatter on the dark web to try to determine if he had been killed in the attack
US forces have carried out an air strike targeting the Islamic State group militant “Jihadi John”, with a “high degree of certainty” he was hit.

Mohammed Emwazi, the Kuwaiti-born British militant, appeared in videos of the beheadings of Western hostages.

It is believed there was at least one other person in the vehicle targeted in the attack near Raqqa, in Syria. The UK government said it was “working hand in glove with the Americans” to “hunt down those murdering hostages”. A US official told the BBC Emwazi had been “tracked carefully over a period of time”.

• 1988: Born in Kuwait, moves to UK in 1994
• 2009: Completes computing degree at University of Westminster
• 2013: Tries to travel to Kuwait but is stopped. Disappears. Parents report him missing.

  Police tell family four months later he has entered Syria

Source: Cage

Security analyst Charlie Winters said that if Emwazi’s death is confirmed, it could affect those wanting to join Islamic State “out of a sense of adventure”. He added: “They want to go and find a collective group where they can be part of something bigger. But they also don’t want to die.”

July 2010, refused re-entry to Kuwait: Emwazi returns to the UK once more for a couple of days. He is stopped at Heathrow on his return to Kuwait and told he cannot travel as his visa has expired.
5.

2013, travels to Syria: Emwazi attempts to travel to Kuwait but is stopped and questioned. Three days later, he heads abroad.

Police later inform his family he has travelled to Syria.

References

1. ^{^} A formal statement from the Pentagon (www.defense.gov)
2. ^{^} Source: Cage (cageuk.org)

The post Action 4 Equality Scotland: Corbyn on the Spot appeared first on News4Security.

One scenario that any office manager will inevitably dread is the logistical nightmare that is moving to new premises. Whether you re a booming business that s outgrowing its existing space, or you re looking to move into more economical digs, making sure the big day goes smoothly is just as stressful for a business as it is in your personal life.

This is something I m well aware of at the moment, as we at Kroll Ontrack are moving ourselves this weekend¹. And in between packing up boxes and sorting out issues such as moving our communications and utilities, it s got me thinking about another critical yet often overlooked factor that needs to be considered when moving offices.

Namely, how can you be sure your digital data is secure throughout the process?

Ensuring your data is secure

An office move is a prime opportunity for data to end up corrupted, lost or in the wrong hands. Whether it is careless movers dropping and smashing hard drives, or hardware simply disappearing in transit, there are a range of security risks that need to be taken into account when planning a move.

Therefore, I ve put together a list of some of the most common potential problems that you need to address.

Protecting your hardware

Damage to data storage hardware is a common problem and some types of equipment will be more vulnerable than others to issues such as physical impacts, changes in temperature or damp. But regardless of whether you re transporting PC hard disk drives, servers² or magnetic tapes, careful packaging and handling is essential if you want to avoid needing to engage a data recovery³ specialist to retrieve loss information.

Before embarking on a move, you should also check equipment for any potential problems.

For example, you need to check for unusual noises coming from hard disk drives or error indicators such as warning LEDs. These may indicate that a device is already starting to degrade, and so will be more fragile and vulnerable to bumps and scrapes.

Maintain the chain of custody

When data storage devices are being handed from one person to another throughout the moving process, this presents prime opportunities for items to be lost or stolen in transit. To minimise the risk of this, it s important to maintain a clear chain of custody throughout the process, so it is easy to spot who is responsible for the data at any given point.

The best way to do this is to make sure each item is sealed after being securely packed.

This seal should be checked for tampering at each stage of the move and only broken once the storage device is safely at the new location. In the unlikely event of a data breach, the person in charge of the move will be able to provide clear answers about what has happened something that may be vital for regulatory or insurance purposes.

Document everything

Similarly, it s important that everything is documented and I do mean everything, up to which cables connect where. Particularly if you re moving large servers with complex wiring, any changes in how they re set up when installed in the old office could lead to problems later on.

Every PC, hard drive, USB stick and networking hardware needs to be clearly labelled and any changes logged.

Ideally, there should be a hard copy of these records in addition to one stored digitally.

Don t overlook physical security

It s also vital that you don t overlook the physical security of your premises both old and new when engaged in a move. I know all too well what a chaotic time this can be for businesses, with people coming in and out of offices at all hours as they try to get the move done with the minimum of disruption. The result of this is any opportunist could take their chance to walk in and help themselves to equipment.

That s why it s vital that physical security policies aren t loosened during the moving process.

It may be tempting to simply leave doors propped open to allow movers easy access, but if you ve got sensitive data storage hardware lying around, this could be a very costly mistake.

Know your recovery processes

In the unfortunate event something does go wrong and your hardware ends up damaged or missing, it s important you re prepared for this eventuality.

For starters, you need to make sure your plans for backups and disaster recovery are up-to-date and have been recently tested.

If you wait until you have a problem to discover any weaknesses in this, it s far too late.

Bear all these things in mind and you can have if not a completely stress-free move then at least one where you ve got peace of mind that your most important business data will still be there waiting for you when you ve taken off the bubble-wrap and settled into your business new home.

References

1. ^{^} we at Kroll Ontrack are moving ourselves this weekend (www.krollontrack.co.uk)
2. ^{^} servers (www.krollontrack.co.uk)
3. ^{^} data recovery (www.krollontrack.co.uk)

The post 7 factors to be aware of when moving offices appeared first on News4Security.

The long winter nights are drawing in and whether you re getting home after dark or heading out on a long walk in the countryside, it s important to stay safe . Thankfully, there are several smartphone apps that can act as your own personal security net.

These days threats can be virtual too . Malicious apps can attack your handset, while unsuitable content can easily be found by younger kids getting to grips with the ways of the web.

Here are four essential mobile apps to keep you and your phone safe and secure.

bSafe Personal Safety App

Price: Free

Operating system: Android, iOS¹²

If you re wary when it comes to walking home alone at night or exploring unfamiliar places, bSafe can provide the perfect security blanket .

With this free app you can set up a personal security network of friends and family who keep tabs on each other.

You can ask friends to walk me home and they ll track your location using GPS on a map in real time . If you do get into trouble you can sound an alarm . Then it lets your friends know where you are and starts recording video.

It s much more than just an app for emergencies though, bSafe can also generate a fake call if you feel the need to get out of an uncomfortable social situation .

Plus it has an I m Here feature that makes it easier for users to find each other when meeting up.

GetHomeSafe

Price: Free

Operating system: Android, iOS³⁴

Another app for your personal safety is GetHomeSafe . This free and simple tool lets you tell people when you re leaving and then alerts them when you make it to your destination.

You can specify how long you expect the trip to take so if the trip doesn t go as planned your designated contacts will get a message with your GPS position and contact details..

While the app boosts security for smartphone owners, it also offers peace of mind to parents and family members . The developers say it s the perfect companion for the modern world of Uber or Lyft journeys, Tinder dates or eBay pick-ups .

MobiCip Browser

Price: Free

Operating system: Android⁵

While smartphone games, educational games and on-demand videos can keep kids entertained, a mobile s web browser can be a doorway to content unsuitable for younger eyes.

The free MobiCip browser is designed to help you feel more comfortable when your children are using mobiles .

It uses an advanced filter to scan websites, while specific URLs, categories, themes and keywords (like adult , bullying or sex ) can be added to the content blocker.

MobiCip is easy to set up on each of your family s mobiles and you can check the browsing history at any time.

Lookout Security & Antivirus

Price: Free (premium access available)

Operating system: Android, iOS⁶⁷

The Lookout app fights the good fight on two fronts . While it will guard you against digital criminals trying to steal your identity, it ll also helps protect you against the old fashioned crooks who might steal your actual handset.

To combat virtual theft, the app continuously scans your smartphone s app library to seek out threats from Trojans packing malware, adware, spyware and all sorts of nasties.

If your phone is stolen, a Find My Phone feature has the ability to send out a signal flare with the last known location if the battery is low . So you can trace it using a browser as well as wipe it, lock it or even sound an alarm.

With Lookout Premium, you can even send yourself a Theftie , a photo of the person messing with your phone!

Are there any personal safety apps you’d like to recommend to other BT.com readers ?

Let us know in the Comments section below.

References

1. ^{^} Android, (play.google.com)
2. ^{^} iOS (itunes.apple.com)
3. ^{^} Android (play.google.com)
4. ^{^} iOS (itunes.apple.com)
5. ^{^} Android (play.google.com)
6. ^{^} Android, (play.google.com)
7. ^{^} iOS (itunes.apple.com)

The post From personal safety to smartphone security: Four apps to keep you safe appeared first on News4Security.