Since the introduction of the current regulatory framework, the financial landscape has evolved significantly. We now have an opportunity to build a regime that is more targeted to current market conditions and to reduce unnecessary burdens on industry, without compromising high standards. We are working with the Government to reform the current benchmarks regime to ensure that the regulatory framework remains proportionate, effective and tailored to UK markets.
We will consult on the regulatory requirements in due course. As we develop our regime, we will engage widely to inform our approach, including with benchmarks administrators, users, and other regulatory bodies.
Electron beam treatment of wastewater is highly effective, but still relatively unknown in many industrial sectors. To increase the awareness of this application, Brazil has made the unit mobile, with support from the Republic of Korea. Worldwide, only a handful of transportable e-beam accelerators are in use for industrial applications. The truck-mounted accelerator will be able to visit industrial sites around the country with ease – showcasing how e-beam irradiation can solve wastewater challenges and providing an opportunity for in-person training. The mobile irradiator has already been tested for various applications in chemical, oil, and sanitation sectors, such as São Paulo Sanitation Company and Petrobras. It has also been used for training purposes including with the National Industrial Apprenticeship Service.
“Together, we developed the mobile unit, which uses nuclear technology — an e-beam accelerator — to degrade organic compounds in wastewater,” said Wilson Calvo, Director of Research and Development, CNEN. “The main proposal is to reuse this water, for example from clothing production or industrial applications,” he said.
The unit, equipped with a 700 keV, 28.5 mA and 20 kW industrial electron accelerator, was establishedby the Nuclear and Energy Research Institute (IPEN), which is part of CNEN, supported by the IAEA technical cooperation programme, the Brazilian Innovation Agency, the National Research Council and Truckvan. Wastewater flows directly through the unit, where it is irradiated by the e-beam accelerator. This breaks down toxins and makes any additional conventional treatments more efficient. Up to 1000 cubic metres of wastewater can be treated every day.
Washington, D.C.: The Executive Board of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) has formally completed its review of the Short-Term Liquidity Line (SLL) on December 17th. The Review concluded that the SLL will terminate in April 2027, at the end of the seven-year period following its establishment, in line with the original design of the instrument.
Introduced in 2020, the SLL was established as a revolving and renewable backstop for countries with very strong economic fundamentals, policies, and track records of policy implementation. It provides liquidity support for members facing potential short-term, moderate balance of payments difficulties, reflected in pressures on the capital account and reserves and resulting from volatility in international capital markets. The SLL aims to help prevent emerging liquidity pressures from escalating into broader macroeconomic or financial instability. Since its inception, uptake has been limited.
The 2025 review was informed by an IMF staff paper. Staff’s analysis highlighted the SLL’s role within the Global Financial Safety Net (GFSN) since the pandemic and its distinctive features within the IMF’s precautionary toolkit, including revolving access and cost advantages. However, the review also noted that the SLL’s attractiveness may be constrained compared to the FCL, which covers broader balance of payments problems, offers higher access, a longer repayment period, and has a more established signaling effect, while sharing the same qualification criteria.
An informal meeting with Executive Directors was held on November 10, 2025, to discuss the review and the future of the SLL. The staff paper considered the merit of a short-term extension of the SLL term through October 2028, to allow for a decision on the SLL to be made in the context of the next comprehensive review of the IMF instruments available for precautionary lending. A range of views was expressed by Executive Directors with indications that support for such a short-term extension would be insufficient. Qualifying countries may request approval of SLL arrangements up until it is scheduled to lapse on April 14, 2027. Pursuant to the SLL policy, approved arrangements during this period will remain in effect until the earlier of the expiration or cancellation of the arrangement by the member.
Looking ahead, a comprehensive review of the IMF’s instruments available for precautionary lending is tentatively planned for 2028. This review will incorporate lessons learned since the 2023 review of the FCL, SLL and PLL, and broad-based feedback from stakeholders. The objective will be to assess the IMF’s toolkit available for precautionary lending holistically, strengthen their effectiveness in supporting members’ balance of payments positions and crisis prevention, and address any gaps or overlaps. The review will build on recent and ongoing work related to the Global Financial Safety Net and the Review of Program Design and Conditionality, ensuring the IMF maintains a robust, flexible, and well-communicated toolkit that supports the resilience of the GFSN and meets the evolving needs of its diverse membership.
The Warner Bros. logo is displayed at Warner Bros. Studio on December 5, 2025 in Burbank, California.
Warner Bros Discovery has told its shareholders to reject Paramount Skydance’s $108.4bn (£80.75bn) takeover bid.
Paramount had said its offer was“superior” to a $72bn deal that Warner Bros struck with Netflix for its film and streaming businesses.
But in a dramatic plot twist in the story of who will take control of one of Hollywood’s oldest and most famous movie studios, Warner Brother’s board “unanimously” recommended rejecting the offer and agreed the deal with Netflix was in the firm’s best interests.
The media giant put itself up for sale in October after receiving “multiple” expressions of interest from potential buyers, including approaches from Paramount Skydance.
On 5 December, Warner Bros Discovery said it had agreed to sell its film and streaming businesses to Netflix.
In a lengthy legal filing, Warner Bros Discovery’s board said the offer from Paramount poses numerous and significant risks, and strongly rejects the idea that the Ellison family – one of America’s richest – is financially supporting the bid.
Paramount is backed by the billionaire Ellison family, which has close ties to the president.
In a reflection of where power now lies in the entertainment industry, the Warner Bros board says the offer from streaming giant Netflix is well financed and offers better long term value to shareholders.
Netflix welcomed the recommendation from Warner Bros. Ted Sarandos, Netflix’s co-chief executive, called the company’s merger agreement “superior” and “in the best interest of stockholders”.
In a letter to Warner Bros shareholders, Netflix reiterated its stance that its bid for Warner Bros involves a clearer funding structure and less regulatory risk.
Paramount could still come back with another offer, meaning the take-over saga gripping Hollywood isn’t over yet.
The are considerable differences between the Netflix and Paramount offers.
Netflix wants to buy Warner Bros. movie studio and its HBO streaming service, which would also give it access to Warner Bros’ rich library of content and secure access to those movies and shows for its subscribers.
But it doesn’t want the media giant’s pay-TV channels. If Warner Bros. goes with the Netflix deal it would leave Warner Bros to sell off its television networks, such as CNN and TNT, into a separate company before the takeover is completed.
Paramount, on the other hand, wants to buy Warner Bros in its entirety, which would mean acquiring competitors to its own TV channels such as CBS, MTV and Showtime.
Regulators might raise questions about an erosion of consumer choice, as the entertainment industry continues to consolidate ownership.
The week after Netflix announced its deal to acquire Warner Bros, Paramount Skydance launched a new offer for the whole company, including its television networks.
A takeover of Warner Bros is expected to face scrutiny from competition regulators in the US and Europe.
A new owner of Warner Bros would gain a significant edge in the highly competitive streaming market. It would get a huge library of films and TV shows, including Harry Potter, the MonsterVerse, Friends and the HBO Max streaming service.
Mike Proulx from research firm Forrester said the battle for control of Warner Bros will take months more to be resolved.
“What’s unfolding now feels like a real-life, far more consequential episode of HBO’s Succession,” he said. “And if you think you know how this plot ends, think again.”
Some in the film industry have criticised the plan to merge all or part of Warner Bros with a rival. The Writers Guild of America’s East and West branches called for the merger to be blocked, arguing that it would result in lower wages and job cuts.
The volume of content for viewers would also be reduced, it said.
Guilford County is asking residents and businesses to share feedback through a brief online survey on how they manage garbage and recycling as the county develops its upcoming Solid Waste Management Plan. The survey gathers information on service satisfaction, recycling habits, accessibility, and community priorities related to waste management.
Residents and businesses can visit GuilfordCountyNC.gov/LetsTalkTrash through Friday, Jan. 16, to share their input on waste and recycling services.
“Our online survey gives everyone in Guilford County a chance to share what’s working well and where improvements are needed with waste and recycling services,” said Bonnie Ware, community environmental program manager. “Whether you’re a homeowner, renter, or business owner, your input will help Guilford County Environmental Services plan more efficient, sustainable, and responsive services.”
The Solid Waste Management Plan will guide future decisions about collection programs, infrastructure investments, recycling initiatives, and environmental protection. Community input is essential to ensure the plan reflects the needs and experiences of Guilford County residents and businesses.
For more information about Guilford County Environmental Services, visit GuilfordCountyNC.gov/Recycles.
In-patient service demands have increased during a time when patients have experienced reduced access to hospital care. Hospital-at-Home (HaH) solutions are a form of telehealth that provide an in-patient care experience in patients’ homes, offering the potential for improved outcomes. While these are desirable benefits, HaH involves privacy and cybersecurity risks by introducing hospital-grade medical or biometric devices and information systems outside the hospital’s direct control (i.e., the patient’s home). Patient homes increasingly feature Internet of Things (IoT) devices, such as voice assistants (e.g., smart speakers), as part of a broader “smart home” ecosystem. These devices may not have capabilities that support privacy and security practices and may be used as pivot points for attackers to gain access to a hospital’s information system.
This paper introduces a notional high-level smart home integration reference architecture to better understand these risks. Building on NIST’s prior work in telehealth security, it examines privacy and cybersecurity risks associated with HaH deployments in the context of an integrated smart home environment, focusing on voice assistants (e.g., smart speakers) as a representative IoT device and outlines several sample threat events.
To address these risks, this paper leverages the NIST Cybersecurity and Privacy Frameworks and NIST IoT Core Baseline to outline mitigation efforts for healthcare delivery organizations. The recommended mitigations include access control, authentication, continuous monitoring, data security, governance, and network segmentation.
These recommended mitigation efforts adopt NIST frameworks and guidelines. For example, it highlights actions healthcare delivery organizations (HDOs) can take to isolate HaH equipment from other personally owned devices within the patient’s home to safeguard sensitive data. Without such protections, compromised, personally owned devices and voice assistants (e.g., smart speakers) may lead to unauthorized access to healthcare systems and patient information.
In-patient service demands have increased during a time when patients have experienced reduced access to hospital care. Hospital-at-Home (HaH) solutions are a form of telehealth that provide an in-patient care experience in patients’ homes, offering the potential for improved outcomes. While these…
See full abstract
In-patient service demands have increased during a time when patients have experienced reduced access to hospital care. Hospital-at-Home (HaH) solutions are a form of telehealth that provide an in-patient care experience in patients’ homes, offering the potential for improved outcomes. While these are desirable benefits, HaH involves privacy and cybersecurity risks by introducing hospital-grade medical or biometric devices and information systems outside the hospital’s direct control (i.e., the patient’s home). Patient homes increasingly feature Internet of Things (IoT) devices, such as voice assistants (e.g., smart speakers), as part of a broader “smart home” ecosystem. These devices may not have capabilities that support privacy and security practices and may be used as pivot points for attackers to gain access to a hospital’s information system.
This paper introduces a notional high-level smart home integration reference architecture to better understand these risks. Building on NIST’s prior work in telehealth security, it examines privacy and cybersecurity risks associated with HaH deployments in the context of an integrated smart home environment, focusing on voice assistants (e.g., smart speakers) as a representative IoT device and outlines several sample threat events.
To address these risks, this paper leverages the NIST Cybersecurity and Privacy Frameworks and NIST IoT Core Baseline to outline mitigation efforts for healthcare delivery organizations. The recommended mitigations include access control, authentication, continuous monitoring, data security, governance, and network segmentation.
These recommended mitigation efforts adopt NIST frameworks and guidelines. For example, it highlights actions healthcare delivery organizations (HDOs) can take to isolate HaH equipment from other personally owned devices within the patient’s home to safeguard sensitive data. Without such protections, compromised, personally owned devices and voice assistants (e.g., smart speakers) may lead to unauthorized access to healthcare systems and patient information.
The Province is updating the Aquaculture Licence and Lease Regulations to support growth in the aquaculture industry with faster, clearer rules.
The changes will help make the approval process more efficient and better aligned with different types of aquaculture projects.
“Aquaculture is a priority for my department,” said Fisheries and Aquaculture Minister Kent Smith. “These changes will help projects get approved faster, make it easier for operators to understand the rules, improve transparency in decision making, and help Nova Scotia’s aquaculture industry grow in a sustainable way.”
Key updates to the regulations include:
adding a 30-day public comment period for new aquaculture sites or existing sites that are expanding
the Department’s aquaculture administrator will approve new or expanding shellfish and aquatic plant farms rather than the Nova Scotia Aquaculture Review Board, making the approval process better matched to the size and risk of these projects
timelines and processes for the review board, which will continue to handle applications for finfish in marine areas, will be updated to ensure applicants, the board and other parties to hearings have the time they need to prepare based on experience.
The updates follow through on changes that the Province made to the Fisheries and Coastal Resources Act in 2024.
Nova Scotia is committed to an open and transparent aquaculture licensing and leasing process that provides the opportunity for public and stakeholder participation. These changes, among others, are an important step to supporting a sustainable and productive aquaculture sector in the province.
Quotes:
“Good regulations help set the conditions for sector growth and development by providing certainty, clarity, guidance and direction. AANS is pleased to see these updates to the Nova Scotia aquaculture regulations and is optimistic they will encourage investment and growth that puts more food on the tables of Nova Scotians and Canadians.” — Jeff Bishop, Executive Director, Aquaculture Association of Nova Scotia
Quick Facts:
Nova Scotia’s aquaculture industry is an important contributor to the provincial economy, generating a production value of $121 million in 2023 and employing almost 800 people
changes reflect recommendations made by the Nova Scotia Aquaculture Regulatory Advisory Committee as part of the 2022–23 regulatory review
the Nova Scotia Aquaculture Review Board is an independent, adjudicated decision-making body
Additional Resources:
Laws and regulations related to aquaculture in Nova Scotia: https://novascotia.ca/fish/aquaculture/laws-regs/
Changes to the Fisheries and Coastal Resources Act in 2024: https://nslegislature.ca/sites/default/files/legc/PDFs/annual%20statutes/2024%20Fall/c005.pdf
Other than cropping, Province of Nova Scotia photos are not to be altered in any way.
