An AI has found eight ‘signals of interest’ in the search for aliens, scientists say

Andrew Griffin
Mon, 30 January 2023

(Getty Images)

A new machine learning method has found eight previously undetected “signals of interest” in the search for alien life, scientists say.

Those signals of interest – coming from five stars relatively near to Earth – could possibly be indications of alien intelligence on other worlds, they say.

And those targets – and others like them – mean that artificial intelligence could allow us to finally find signals of life beyond Earth, according to researchers.

Much of the hunt for extraterrestrial intelligence looks for “technosignatures”, or signals that could have come from alien technology, accidentally or on purpose.

But scientists struggle to find those technosignatures in part because there are so many interesting candidates, much of which comes from interference.

The new system is intended to allow researchers to comb through the vast amount of data coming to us from the universe, and help us more quickly pick through to find signals that might be of interest. It could also let researchers filter out false positives, which can happen when instruments pick up interference from human technology, for instance.

It has already found eight “promising extraterrestrial intelligence signals of interest not previously identified”, researchers write in a new paper describing the system.

However, repeated observations of those targets has not yet resulted in the re-detection of signals that are similar, scientists say.

Most of the search for technosignatures has focused on radio frequencies, because they travel easily through space and systems for sending and detecting them can be built relatively easily. In particular, researchers look for narrowband radio signals that can be more easily picked apart from natural radio emissions that occur regularly throughout the universe.

The new system hunted through data that has been collected on those radio signals, which have come from throughout the universe. It is described in a paper, ‘A deep-learning search for technosignatures from 820 nearby stars’, published in Nature Astronomy today.

Scientists search through 115 million snippets of data, and found almost 3 million signals of interest. The researchers note that tat is probably an “overcount” given the way the system hunts through those snippets, and many of the signals probably do come from interference.

After filtering out signals that appeared to be false positives, they were left with 20,515 signals. Of those, they found eight “signals of interest” that grabbed the interest of researchers.

The eight signals come from five different stars, all between 30 and 90 light years from Earth.

The researchers say that they did not attempt to make any conclusion on whether those signals are “genuinely produced by” extraterrestrial intelligence. They urge other scientists to keep examining those targets, in the hope of finding out where the signals have come from.

What’s more, the same method could be used to look through other big datasets, with the hope of speeding up the search for life on other worlds, they say.

Germany vows millions for Amazon as Scholz meets Lula in Brazil

Mon, 30 January 2023 


Germany on Monday outlined more than $200 million in contributions for environmental projects in Brazil as Chancellor Olaf Scholz visited the South American giant reeling from Amazon destruction under ex-president Jair Bolsonaro.

The package includes a brand-new $33.6 million in aid for Brazilian states for rainforest protection, on top of another $38 million already announced for an Amazon protection fund to which Germany and Norway had halted payments under climate-skeptic Bolsonaro.

Protection of the Amazon -- a crucial sink for planet-warming carbon dioxide -- was high on the agenda for talks between Scholz and Brazil's leftist new President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva that also aimed to "deepen the resumption of relations," according to the Brazilian presidency.

Scholz was the first German chancellor to visit Brazil since 2015, and the first Western leader to meet Lula since he became president on January 1 after four years of frosty relations with Brazil under far-right Bolsonaro.

Shortly before Scholz's arrival in the capital Brasilia, German economic cooperation minister Svenja Schulze announced her country would make additional funds available for Amazon preservation after "difficult years".

"Brazil is the lung of the world. If it has problems, we all have to help it," Schulze said at a press conference in Brasilia with Lula's new environment minister Marina Silva.

Bolsonaro's four-year term was marked by a surge in fires and clear-cutting in the rainforest.

Average annual deforestation on his watch rose by 59.5 percent from the previous four years, and by 75.5 percent from the previous decade, according to government figures.

German funds for Brazil would also include $32 million for energy efficiency projects for small and medium companies, $9.7 million for "sustainable supply chain projects," $5.7 million for renewable energy use in industry and transport and $14.2 million for reforestation of degraded areas, according to a Germany embassy statement.

$87 million would go towards low-cost loans for farmers to "reforest their land."

Amazon destruction was a major sticking point in a trade deal between the European Union and the Mercosur grouping comprised of Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay.

The blocs reached an agreement in 2019 following 20 years of talks, but it has not yet been ratified.

- 'Very interesting partners' -

Scholz, who visited Chile and Argentina before heading to Brazil, said in Buenos Aires on Saturday a "quick conclusion" was needed to the trade deal impasse, adding that with Lula in place, "we are in a better position."

Lula had presided over a sharp drop in deforestation when he previously led Brazil from 2003 to 2010, and has vowed to reboot environmental protection.

He has said it was "urgent" for a deal to be concluded, but stressed on the campaign trail that further negotiation was needed to ensure Brazil can pursue "our interest in reindustrializing."

Energy is also on the agenda for talks between the leaders of Europe and South America's biggest economies.

German business is seeking new opportunities overseas following the economic shock caused by Russia's invasion of Ukraine, and as concerns grow about reliance on China.

All three countries on Scholz's itinerary -- Argentina, Chile and Brazil -- are rich in natural resources and "very interesting partners," a government source in Berlin said.

In an interview Saturday with the Grupo de Diarios America (GDA) consortium of South American newspapers, Scholz said Germany wanted to boost cooperation with Latin America and the Caribbean on "renewable energies, green hydrogen and responsible trade in raw materials."

A Berlin government source said Germany would use the Latin American tour to drum up further international support against Moscow as the war in Ukraine drags on.

Argentina, Chile and Brazil have criticized the invasion of Ukraine at the United Nations but have not adopted sanctions against Moscow.

Lula caused shock last year when he said Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky was "as responsible as" Russian President Vladimir Putin for the conflict.

mls/app/dga/mlr/jh

UK
18% of private renters ‘would have bought a home already if they could’

Vicky Shaw, PA Personal Finance Correspondent
Mon, 30 January 2023 

Just under a fifth (18%) of private renters in England and Wales would have ideally bought a home already if they could, according to a survey carried out for a landlords’ membership organisation.

Around three-quarters (76%) of private renters want to buy at some point in the future, the research for the National Residential Landlords Association (NRLA) found.

One in 10 (10%) private renters surveyed said they had bought a home previously.

Nearly three in 10 (29%) private renters said they wanted to remain in the sector, when thinking about the next 12 months.

One in eight (12%) want to buy a home during the next 12 months and believe they are in a position to do this, the survey found.

More than two-fifths (45%) of private renters want to buy their own home during the next 12 months but believe they cannot do so.

Some private renters said that not having enough income was a reason they had not been able to buy a home and some cited a lack of job security.

Not having a sufficient deposit and waiting to see if house prices will fall were also given as reasons why people had not yet bought a home.

When asked what they like most about renting, 45% selected convenience and a third (33%) selected flexibility.

Asked about what they like the least, 43% selected the cost and a third (33%) selected insecurity of tenure.

The survey also found that 41% of private renters rated the affordability of their rents as excellent or good while a further 38% rated it as fair.

Just under a quarter (23%) of private renters wanting to buy, meanwhile, said the affordability of their rent was poor or fairly poor.

The report used a survey of 2,000 private renters in England and Wales by Opinium.

The report concluded: “It is clear from the new survey evidence that a significant number of people – including younger people – want to live in the PRS (private rental sector) at the current point in their lives, even if they aspire to become homeowners.”

Ben Beadle, chief executive of the NRLA said: “Today’s report makes clear the positive and vital role the rental market has to play in the economic and social life of the country.”

UK
Strikes Bill clears the Commons but legal challenges threatened

“We on these benches will vote against this shoddy, unworkable Bill.”

David Lynch, Martina Bet and Elizabeth Arnold, PA
Mon, 30 January 2023 

The Government’s new strikes law will be subject to legal challenges unless it is drastically amended, Jacob Rees-Mogg warned as the Bill cleared the Commons.

The Conservative former business secretary gave his backing to the Strikes (Minimum Services Levels) Bill in the Commons, but said it was “badly written” and criticised the sweeping powers it gives to his successor Grant Shapps.

Mr Rees-Mogg urged ministers to allow the House of Lords to amend the Bill to add detail to it, claiming this would mean it was “much less susceptible to judicial review”.

The Bill cleared the Commons in a late-night Monday sitting, with MPs voting 315 to 246, majority 69.

The controversial proposals aim to ensure there are minimum working standards during strike days across six sectors, including health and transport.

Mr Rees-Mogg told the Commons: “I am a supporter of this Bill, I think this is a good Bill and a proportionate Bill, but it is a badly written Bill.”

The North East Somerset MP criticised clause 3 in particular, aimed at giving the Business Secretary powers to define minimum service levels at a later date.

Mr Rees-Mogg told MPs: “I hope their lordships will look at this clause and say that is simply not something that we can pass into law as it is currently phrased, that the Government must accept amendments, and I hope their lordships will vote through amendments that clarify and set out in detail the powers that are desired.

Jacob Rees-Mogg (Aaron Chown/PA)

“This is where the Government’s interest – the executive’s interest – and the legislature’s interest combine, because if this House passes good, well-constructed legislation, it is much less susceptible to judicial review.

“That is why the Government should be keen that the House of Lords – in the time available, with the help, I would hope, of parliamentary counsel – will be able to specify the powers more closely.”

Labour deputy leader Angela Rayner branded the Bill the “Conservative sacking nurses Bill” and said Labour would repeal it if the party was elected to power.

She added: “It threatens key workers with the sack during a workers shortage and crisis, mounts an outright assault on the fundamental freedom of working people, while doing absolutely nothing to resolve the crisis at hand.

“Let’s look at what this is really all about: a Government that is playing politics with key workers’ lives because they can’t stomach negotiation, a Government that is lashing out at working people instead of dealing with its 13 years of failure, and a Government and Prime Minister dangerously out of his depth and running scared of scrutiny.

“We on these benches will vote against this shoddy, unworkable Bill.”

Angela Rayner (James Manning/PA)

Business Secretary Mr Shapps claimed the Bill was “simply proposing to protect people’s lives and to protect people’s livelihoods”.

In a short speech at the end of the debate, he added: “We move this debate this evening and this third reading because we care about people in our workforce, because we care about their livelihoods and because we care about our constituents and their ability to access vital services.”

MPs from Wales and Scotland sought to exclude the devolved nations from the Bill’s remit.

Labour MP for the Cynon Valley, Beth Winter, urged MPs to support her attempts to prevent the Bill from applying to Wales, while SNP MP Alan Brown tabled an amendment aimed at making it “clear that these Henry VIII powers should not and do not extend to devolved legislation”.

The Kilmarnock and Loudoun MP said: “We know the attitude of the UK Government is ‘Westminster knows best’, even though it’s Westminster itself that’s wrecking inter-government relations and it’s Westminster that’s looking to wreck relationships with key workers, and key workers in devolved nations as well.”

An SNP-backed amendment aiming to make sure the Bill would not come into force without the consent of the Welsh and Scottish parliaments was rejected by 321 to 46, majority 275.

The Bill will undergo further scrutiny in the House of Lords at a later date.

THE WINTER OF OUR DISCONTENT

UK

Biggest day of strikes in a decade will involve up to half-a-million workers

Alan Jones, PA Industrial Correspondent
Mon, 30 January 2023 

A strike by up to half-a-million workers in bitter disputes over pay, jobs and conditions this week should send a clear message to the Government that it cannot continue to ignore the causes of the unrest, according to the head of the TUC.

Teachers, train drivers, civil servants, university lecturers, bus drivers and security guards from seven trade unions will walk out on Wednesday in what will be the biggest day of industrial action in over a decade.

Protests will be held across the country on the same day against the Government’s controversial plans for a new law on minimum service levels during strikes.

Unions have dubbed it the “anti-strike bill”, saying it could lead to workers who vote legally to strike, being sacked.

TUC general secretary Paul Nowak said Wednesday will be a “really important day” for workers and members of the public to show support for those taking action to defend pay, jobs and services, as well as for the right to strike.

He told the PA news agency: “I hope it will send a clear message to the Government that they cannot continue to ignore the demand for fair pay.

“In his recent statement on the economy, the Chancellor has chosen to ignore the staffing crisis and concerns of millions of public service workers.

“The Government seems tone deaf to the issues that matter to the public.”

Mr Nowak said the Government should be worried about the level of support for workers taking strike action.

“I joined physiotherapists on a picket line last week. It was the first time they had been on strike and they were loath to take industrial action, but they received huge support from members of the public, and their mood was upbeat and defiant.

“I think the Government has been taken by surprise at the level of public support for the strikes, because the issues cut across political boundaries.”

Mr Nowak said the Prime Minister and Chancellor now had to get involved in trying to resolve the long running disputes in the health service, education, civil service and other parts of the public sector.

“I wish they would spend as much time trying to resolve the disputes as in attacking the right to strike.”

Picket lines will be mounted outside schools, train stations, universities and Government departments on Wednesday, and rallies will be held across the country.

Thousands of people are expected to join a march through central London to Westminster for a rally to be addressed by union leaders.

The TUC will also hand in a petition to 10 Downing Street, signed by more than 200,000 people, opposing the new legislation on strikes.

The National Education Union (NEU) has announced seven days of strikes in England and Wales in February and March, with the walkout on Wednesday expected to affect over 23,000 schools.

Teachers on the picket line outside Falkirk High School in Stirlingshire (PA)

Teacher members of the union in sixth form colleges in England, who have already been balloted and taken strike action in recent months, will also take action on these days in a separate but linked dispute.

Dr Mary Bousted and Kevin Courtney, joint general secretaries of the NEU, said: “We have continually raised our concerns with successive education secretaries about teacher and support staff pay and its funding in schools and colleges, but instead of seeking to resolve the issue they have sat on their hands.

“It is disappointing that the Government prefers to talk about yet more draconian anti-strike legislation, rather than work with us to address the causes of strike action.

“This is not about a pay rise but correcting historic real-terms pay cuts. Teachers have lost 23% in real-terms since 2010, and support staff 27% over the same period.

“The average 5% pay rise for teachers this year is some 7% behind inflation. In the midst of a cost-of-living crisis, that is an unsustainable situation.

“Teachers are leaving in droves, a third gone within five years of qualifying. This is a scandalous waste of talent and taxpayers’ money, yet the Government seems unbothered about the conditions they are allowing schools and colleges to slide into.

“The Government must know there is going to have to be a correction on teacher pay. They must realise that school support staff need a pay rise.”

Wednesday, involving members of the NEU, Aslef, Rail, Maritime and Transport union, University and College union, Public and Commercial Service union, Unite and the IWGB, will see the biggest day of strikes since 2011 when a national day of action was held by public sector unions over pensions.

https://www.marxists.org/archive/luxemburg/download/mass-str.pdf

The Mass Strike, the Political Party and the Trade Unions 

Publisher: Marxist Educational Society of Detroit, 1925. Translated: Patrick Lavin. Online Version: Rosa

Luxemburg Internet Archive (marxists.org) 1999.

UK

BMA to test water for potential industrial action by senior doctors

Ella Pickover, PA Health Correspondent
Mon, 30 January 2023 at 5:01 pm GMT-7

The nation’s biggest doctors’ union is to assess whether the most senior medics in the NHS in England would be prepared to take industrial action.

The British Medical Association (BMA) is to open an indicative ballot to examine whether consultants would consider taking action over pay and pension issues.

While it is not a formal ballot, it represents a significant escalation towards it, the BMA said.

The union said consultants have faced significant pay cuts, while many have left the NHS or cut back on their hours due to tax issues with pensions.

The consultative ballot of consultants in England will take place in February.

The BMA said the average consultant in England has experienced a “real-terms take-home pay cut of nearly 35% since 2008/09” and that thousands have faced “large additional tax bills on their pensions”.

It said the Government “refuses to engage with the BMA on meaningful solutions”.

The union also called for the pay review process to be reformed after it accused the Government of “interfering” with the Doctors’ and Dentists’ Remuneration (DDRB).

Dr Vishal Sharma, chairman of the BMA consultants committee, said: “Despite repeatedly outlining our concerns to Government, ministers have been unwilling to act.

“The NHS is on its knees, patients are suffering and staff morale has never been lower.

“Senior doctors are cutting their hours or leaving the NHS in their droves, driven out of jobs they love by unfair pension tax rules and brutal cuts to their pay.

“This is having a catastrophic impact on the country’s health as waiting lists for treatment spiral out of control and patients struggle to get the care they need.”

He added: “Unless there is action by Government to address consultants’ concerns, waiting lists will simply continue to hit new record highs and staff shortages will only worsen as more senior doctors leave the NHS.

“The only way out of this crisis is to fix pay, fix pensions and fix the pay review body.

“Consultants would not take industrial action lightly, but, in the absence of meaningful solutions from Government, we’ve been left with no option but to consult our members’ views on whether they wish for us to hold a formal ballot for industrial action.”

The indicative ballot of consultants in England will open on February 10 and close on February 27.

Meanwhile, around 45,000 junior doctors who are members of the union have also been balloted over strike action – with the result due at the end of February.

Saffron Cordery, interim chief executive of NHS Providers, said: “The threat of more strikes is alarming for an overstretched NHS already battling to cope with the effects of the most widespread industrial action in its history.

“The workforce is the lifeblood of the NHS. It can ill afford to lose dedicated people because of stressful workloads exacerbated by severe staff shortages in the face of ever-growing demand.

“Pay is one key aspect of recruiting and retaining the staff which the NHS so desperately needs, therefore it’s vital that the Government sits down with the unions urgently to avert more strikes.

“Meaningful pension reform for NHS staff is also essential and overdue, with temporary fixes by the Government so far failing to get to the root of the problem.

“The longer the Government puts off meaningful talks about this year’s pay award, which fell far short of what trust leaders and staff hoped to see, the worse the impact of industrial action on the NHS and patients will get.”

A Department of Health and Social Care spokesperson said: “Industrial action is a matter for unions, and we urge them to carefully consider the potential impacts on patients.

“We accepted the independent pay review body recommendations in full this year, giving consultants a pay rise of 4.5% and increasing their average earnings to around £128,000. This is on top of a 3% pay rise last year when wider public sector pay was frozen.

“We are also making practical changes to NHS pension rules to retain more experienced clinicians and remove barriers to staff returning from retirement.”

UK
Firefighters set to strike for first time since 2003 after real-terms earnings 'drop by 12%'



Mon, 30 January 2023 

Firefighters are set to stage strike action in a row over pay after experiencing what they say is a cut in real-terms pay.

Members of the Fire Brigades Union (FBU) voted for action in a ballot that closed on Monday - resulting in the UK's first nationwide fire service strike over pay since 2003.

Firefighters overwhelmingly backed strike action, with 88% voting yes on a 73% turnout.

The FBU said it has given the government and employers 10 days to to come up with an improved offer which could be put to a vote of members in an effort to avoid strikes.

Firefighters have experienced a 12% drop in real-terms earnings since 2010, the union says, while around one in five firefighter jobs have been cut in the same period.

It comes after members rejected a below-inflation 5% payoff in November.

Polling previously showed strong public support for strike action by firefighters, the union said, with around three in five people backing action.

FBU general secretary Matt Wrack said: "This is an absolute last resort for our members. The responsibility for any disruption to services lies squarely with fire service employers and government ministers.

"Rishi Sunak's government has refused to make funding available for a decent pay offer to firefighters and control staff.

"Firefighters were among Britain's COVID heroes who kept frontline services going during the pandemic. The Prime Minister has badly misjudged the public mood by imposing pay cuts on key workers."

Read more:
Fresh wave of strikes this year- who is taking action and when

Rising public support for unions despite widespread strikes, Sky News poll suggests

Teachers' strike to go ahead after talks fail

Mr Wrack also also said firefighters have faced a "sustained attack on pay for more than a decade with average pay falling by about £4,000 in real terms".

He continued: "Our members face hazardous situations every day and sometimes risk their health to do the job.

"Facing double-digit inflation and rocketing energy bills, they are now being told to put up with an even bigger real-terms pay cut."

Mr Wrack said: "Meanwhile, the UK is home to a record number of billionaires. People join the fire service because they want to help people and serve their community.

"We have been pushed to the point of balloting by a government that is refusing to listen."

The strike announcement comes after research by the FBU and the University of Central Lancashire found firefighters are more likely to die of cancer than the general public.

The firefighters strike action was announced shortly after teachers said they will walk out on Wednesday with more industrial action planned in the following weeks.

The National Education Union has announced seven days of strikes in England and Wales in February and March, with the walkout on Wednesday expected to affect over 23,000 schools.

Essex unionists to down tools on 'biggest national strike day for a generation'


George King
Sun, 29 January 2023

(Image: Newsquest)

THE biggest national strike day for a generation will see everyone from teachers and civil servants to train drivers and university employees down tools on February 1.

But what has inspired these mass walk-outs and to what extent will the demonstrations impact commuters, students and residents in Essex?

When I ventured to the picket line outside Colchester Hospital, where nurses were taking part in two days of strike action, their demand for more pay took a back seat.

Those wielding placards and chanting “Save the NHS” were just as concerned about patient safety and working conditions, for example, as they were their own needs.

READ MORE: Burnt-out Colchester nurses say they 'saw colleagues crying in cupboards'

As long-serving Colchester Hospital nurse Anna Swan, 64, put it: “This is more than about the money. I love the NHS and it matters so much to me.

“But it I am very frightened for the NHS - it is crumbling around us.”

Although an increase in wages is of course one of the main demands being tabled by many of the unionists striking in February, the action is also about much, much more.

As many as 100,000 civil servants across 124 Government departments, for example, are also demanding their pensions and the future of their jobs be protected.

Workers at the University of Essex, which has a campus in Colchester, are also being encouraged to down tools over pension cuts and conditions, as well as wages.

Jo Grady, general secretary of the UCU, said: "Students understand that staff working conditions are their learning conditions and we are proud to have their support in these disputes.

"A system that relies on low pay and the rampant use of insecure contracts is a system which fails everyone."

The news of the strikes has caused some concern among students, but bosses at the educational facility have moved to reassure them.

A spokesman for the University of Essex said: “We are aware that news of further industrial action may cause alarm to some students.

“We want to reassure you the university will do everything we can to ensure any disruption affects you as little as possible.

“We understand any uncertainty can cause worry. We want to remind you that our wellbeing services are available if you need them.”

Disruption to students in schools is also expected, as teachers in Essex who are part of the National Education Union prepare to stage mass walkouts on February 1.

The teachers are striking for a 12 per cent pay increase, a move which has been described as “deeply disappointing” by the Government. But not everyone agrees.

Colchester resident Christine Green said: “I am backing everyone who goes on strike for fair pay and conditions.

“This country is an absolute joke and everyone is going to suffer in the long run if people don't stand up for their rights.

“What a sad world we live in when we cannot all come together for each other.”

Gazette:

Greater Anglia train drivers who are part of the ASLEF union will also go on strike on February 1, as well as RMT members.

Both unions are asking for a pay rise, but the latter has also raised concerns over job security and compulsory redundancies.

Mick Lynch, RMT general secretary said: "This round of strikes will show how important our members are to this country and will send a clear message.

"We have been reasonable, but it is impossible to find a negotiated settlement when the dead hand of Government is presiding over these talks.

“Working people across our class need a pay rise and we are determined to win that for our members in RMT."

As a result of the demonstrations, Greater Anglia services will be affected and passengers are being advised to avoid travelling where possible.

Trains will still run – albeit less frequently - between Colchester and London Liverpool Street, but there will be no services departing stations in the likes of Clacton.

Jamie Burles, Greater Anglia managing director said: “We are very sorry that once again our customers will be disrupted by strikes.

“We’re only able to run a fraction of our usual services, so our advice again is to avoid using our trains on strike days.

“The rail industry is working hard to resolve these disputes and talks will continue with ASLEF and RMT to reach an agreement.”

ROSA LUXEMBURG

https://www.marxists.org/archive/luxemburg/download/mass-str.pdf

The Mass Strike, the Political Party and the Trade Unions 

Publisher: Marxist Educational Society of Detroit, 1925. Translated: Patrick Lavin. Online Version: Rosa Luxemburg Internet Archive (marxists.org) 1999.

SCOTLAND
Greens say they will not cross picket lines when Holyrood staff strike
Green MSP's would join protests to show their support.

Neil Pooran, PA Scotland Political Reporter
Sun, 29 January 2023 

The Scottish Green Party says it will not take part in parliamentary business on Wednesday, when staff at Holyrood are expected to go on strike.

Members of the PCS union are taking part in industrial action on February 1 as part of a day of action around the UK.

It means the parliament will be closed to the public, but chamber and committee meetings are still expected to go ahead.

The Scottish Greens said they would not cross “virtual or physical picket lines” – meaning they will not take part in person or remotely.

Some other MSPs, including Labour’s Richard Leonard and Carol Mochan, have also indicated on social media that they will not cross picket lines.

Green MSP Maggie Chapman said her party would join protests to show their support.

Ms Chapman said: “Scottish Green MSPs will not take part in parliamentary business on Wednesday in solidarity with striking workers.

“We are clear that we will not cross any virtual or physical picket lines, and hope that others will join us in that.

“The very rights of the trade union members to strike are under direct attack by the Tory government at Westminster.

“Everyone who recognises the vital work that unions have done to support us all should oppose this dangerous and anti-democratic slide towards authoritarianism and stand with striking workers.”

“As parliamentarians, we have a duty to defend those rights. We call on all trade union activists and others to stand tall together against this brutal assault on working people right across the country.”

Last week, the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body (SPCB) – which is responsible for the administration of the parliament – said it is “committed to ensuring that Parliamentary business can continue” during the strike.

The SPCB stressed that it “respects the right of union member staff to act where they feel strongly about the issues that affect them” and also said it “recognises the vote for industrial action is often used as a last resort”.

It added: “Pay and job security are matters which are under the SPCB’s control. SPCB staff were awarded a pay increase of 4.5% for this financial year.

“A guarantee of no compulsory redundancy is in place until the end of March 2023.

“The SPCB is also looking to commence next year’s pay negotiations early to ensure there is no delay in finalising the pay award to its staff.”

The strikes of London: what you need to know-

aleeha adnan burntwood
Sun, 29 January 2023 


For the last couple of months, the uk has been overrun with industrial striking action from several crutial job industries, such as paramedics, nurses, emergency services, tfl, and most recently, teaching staff. As the cost of living goes up, the wages stay the same, leaving people with no choice but to strike to get the attention of the government.

On february 1 alone, more than 100,000 civil servants will be going on strike and 70,000 NEU members and train drivers will walk out: its the largest action yet. Throughout february, there will be several major industrial strike actions, even including emergency workers like the ambulance services and health and social care workers. The aim of their striking is to get a pay rise that supports this day and age's economy and, due to the cost of living crisis, is essential.

Due to NEU members going on strike, this will affect school across the country, most set to close for the day. Whilst most people can see why most workers are striking for a pay rise, some are harsh in their opinions, saying that it causes too many disruptions to the education of young people, as they are left without school. Some also think that the emergency staff striking is dangerous, as people could unintentionaly get hurt in the process. Others however, are understandable and agree with the people who are striking that because of the cost of living, the government needs to step up.

It is also worth mentioning that the tfl workers have not recived a pay rise from 2021-2023, and scince 2015 all annual pay awards have been between 1%-2%, which is partly the reason why there have been so many tfl and rail/train strikes in the last month. More industrial action is planned for the month of february and even going through to march, and it looks like it wont stop until the government steps up.

To ensure you have a day with the least disruptions, please search up what strikes will go ahead on the dates you are out.

Labour will fight laws designed to keep schools open during teacher strikes


Ewan Somerville
Sun, 29 January 2023 



Labour will launch an attack on Monday on new laws to keep schools open during strikes, as teacher walkouts bring chaos this week.

Some 100,000 teachers in the National Education Union are planning to strike on Wednesday, affecting 23,000 schools, demanding above-inflation pay rises funded by the Treasury.

Headteachers are racing to bring in contingency plans, including “giant classes” to keep children in class and a shift to Covid-era online learning.

But Labour is making a fresh attempt to block a new law introduced by ministers, currently in Parliament, which would keep schools open during strikes by introducing legally-required minimum service levels across six key public sectors, including education.

Labour will table an amendment this week in a bid to force Grant Shapps, the Business Secretary, to undertake a comprehensive impact assessment on the proposals, including on workforce numbers, employers and equality law.

Angela Rayner, Labour’s deputy leader, said the law is “collapsing around the ears” of Mr Shapps, and vowed to “force them to go back to the drawing board with this dog’s dinner of a Bill”.

The intervention will raise further fears among parents and education leaders fearful that the strike - one of seven days of action by the hard-Left NEU in February and March - will be disastrous for teenagers.


In one sign of the emergency plans being drawn up, Ashton Community Science College, an 865-pupil secondary school near Preston in Lancashire, is preparing giant lessons, with up to three classes merged to be taught by a teacher.

Meanwhile, the Department for Education (DfE) has published new remote learning guidance urging schools to audit access to digital devices and help families with their internet connectivity to pivot to online classes.

Even for those teachers not striking, the union Unison, which represents 200,000 support staff, said its members “should not be expected to provide cover for, or take classes, where this would normally be done by teachers who are taking action”.

The impact could also trickle down to nursery closures, with staff needing to home-school their own children.

Neil Leitch, the chief executive at the Early Years Alliance, said: “This may well result in early educators needing to stay home on strike days, which in turn may force some early years settings to limit the number of children at their setting, or even temporarily close, to cope with this.

“As such, it is vital that those schools remaining open for critical workers ensure that those working in early years settings are included in this. This will help ensure that the care and education of our very youngest children is as unaffected as possible during this time.”

Last-ditch talks will be held on Monday between Gillian Keegan, the Education Secretary, and union leaders though Dr Mary Bousted, the NEU’s leader, said they were unlikely to stop the strike.

Ms Keegan has appealed to NEU members to inform schools whether they intend to strike or not, amid fears of “additional and unnecessary disruption” because schools close out of precaution.

Us For Them, a group of parents, warned that Year 11 pupils taking their GCSE exams this summer would be particularly hard hit, having lost at least 111 days of schooling during Covid lockdowns.

“A few days more days off school here and there may appear innocuous, but we are not in a normal educational environment - the repeated school closures have meant that one in four children is now persistently absent from school,” Arabella Skinner, from the group, said.

“On the back of lockdowns, youth mental health diagnoses have skyrocketed. The unions are making a cost of living argument that they partly caused, by being instrumental in forcing schools to shut during Covid.

“By closing schools yet again, we are telling our children that education is optional and that adults will always put their interests above children’s.”

Leora Cruddas, the chief executive of the Confederation of Schools Trust which represents academies, said that support staff and members of the NASUWT union who are not on strike “can’t be compelled” to cover for their striking colleagues and “that is a position that is protected”.

A Department for Education spokesman said: “Strike action is highly damaging to children’s education, particularly following the disruption that children have experienced over the past two years.

“As part of our ongoing support to school leaders to do everything they can to keep as many children in school as possible, we have requested information from schools to help inform this work.”

CRIMINAL CRYPTO CAPITALI$M

JD Sports hit by cyber-attack that leaked 10m customers’ data

Mark Sweney
Mon, 30 January 2023 

Photograph: May James/Reuters

The fashion retailer JD Sports said the personal and financial information of 10 million customers was potentially accessed by hackers in a cyber-attack.

The company said incident, which affected some online orders made by customers between November 2018 and October 2020, targeted purchases of products of its JD, Size?, Millets, Blacks, Scotts and Millets Sport brands.

The retailer, which has notified the Information Commissioner’s Office about the security breach, said it was contacting affected customers warning them to be aware of potential scams.

Related: Poor customer service costs UK firms billions – so why can’t they get it right?

“We want to apologise to those customers who may have been affected by this incident,” said Neil Greenhalgh, the JD Sports chief financial officer . “We are advising them to be vigilant about potential scam emails, calls and texts and providing details on how to report these.”

The company said information that may have been accessed by hackers included names, billing and delivery addresses, phone numbers, order details and the final four digits of payment cards of “approximately 10 million unique customers”.

However, JD Sports said the “affected data is limited” as it did not hold full payment data and the company “has no reason to believe that account passwords were accessed”.

JD Sports said it had taken the “necessary immediate steps” to investigate and respond to the incident, including working with cybersecurity experts, and to be aware of potential fraud and phishing attacks and “be on the lookout for any suspicious or unusual communications purporting to be from JD Sports or any of our group brands”.

“We are continuing with a full review of our cybersecurity in partnership with external specialists following this incident,” said Greenhalgh. “Protecting the data of our customers is an absolute priority for JD.”

This month Royal Mail revealed it had been hit by a ransomware attack by a criminal group, which threatened to publish the stolen information online, and said it could not process international parcel and letter deliveries.

219 tech firms have sacked over 68,000 employees in January till now: Data

29 January,2023 | New Delhi | IANS

With more Big Tech companies like Microsoft and Google joining the ongoing layoff season, about 3,000 tech employees are now being laid off per day on average in January globally, including in India

In 2022, over 1,000 companies laid off 154,336 workers, as per the data by layoffs tracking site Layoffs.fyi. Image for representational purpose only. Photo Courtesy: istock

It has been a dismal January for many tech employees around the world after Big Tech companies like Microsoft and Google joined the ongoing layoff season. More than 3,400 tech employees are being laid off per day on average in the first month of the year globally.

As per the data by layoffs tracking site Layoffs.fyi, 219 companies have laid off more than 68,000 employees in January so far.

In 2022, over 1,000 companies laid off 154,336 workers, as per the data by layoffs tracking site Layoffs.fyi.

The mass tech layoffs of 2022 are continuing into the new year. The sacking episodes have gained speed amid global economic meltdown and recession fears.

Deeper layoffs are coming in 2023 as most business economists have predicted that their companies will cut payrolls in the coming months.

According to a report in CNN citing a new survey, only 12 per cent of economists -- surveyed by the National Association for Business Economics (NABE) -- anticipate employment will increase at their firms over the next three months, "down from 22 per cent this fall".

This is the first time since early days of the Covid pandemic that more business leaders anticipate jobs shrinking at their firms.

The findings indicate "widespread concern about entering a recession this year", according to Julia Coronado, president of NABE.

With more Big Tech companies like Microsoft and Google joining the ongoing layoff season, about 3,000 tech employees are now being laid off per day on average in January globally, including in India.

According to the survey, a little more than half of the business economists feel the risk of a recession over the next year at 50 per cent or higher, which means more layoffs in the offing in 2023.

Amid the layoffs come another bad news for employees, especially from India in the US, as Google has paused its Program Electronic Review Management (PERM), a key step in acquiring an employer-sponsored green card.

Google has sent an email to foreign employees, notifying them that the tech giant will pause any new filings of PERM, leaving foreign workers in a limbo.

"Recognising how this news may impact some of you and your families, I wanted to update you as quickly as possible on the difficult decision we*ve had to make to pause new PERM applications. This does not impact other visa applications or programmes," an email from a company executive read.

A Google employee posted the email on Team Blind, an anonymous social networking site for certified IT workers.

A PERM application is a critical first step in the green card (permanent residence) process.

The process requires employers to demonstrate that there are no qualified US workers available for the particular role, which has been an increasingly difficult position for us to support given the labor market today.

Meanwhile, LinkedIn is full of job hunts, offers of support for laid off friends and colleagues, and advice for coping with career hurdles as several companies trim their workforce to navigate through an uncertain macroeconomic environment.

Some LinkedIn groups are providing assistance around signing exit paperwork and aiding with connections for new jobs.

CRYPTO CRIMINAL CAPITALI$M

Celsius bankruptcy examiner expected to report on Ponzi allegations

Mashinsky, CEO of Celsius Network, talks about "crypto tourists" in Beverly Hills, California

Mon, January 30, 2023
By Dietrich Knauth

(Reuters) - A court-ordered examiner is expected to release a report on Monday addressing whether bankrupt crypto firm Celsius Network operated as a Ponzi scheme, which could add to the pressure on founder Alex Mashinsky, who is already facing fraud allegations.

U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Martin Glenn, who is overseeing the crypto lending platform's Chapter 11 case, appointed former prosecutor Shoba Pillay as an independent examiner in September, tasking her with investigating Celsius customers' allegations that the company operated as a Ponzi scheme and reporting on the company's handling of cryptocurrency deposits.

Hoboken, New Jersey-based Celsius filed for Chapter 11 protection from creditors last July in Manhattan after freezing customer withdrawals from its platform. It listed a $1.19 billion deficit on its balance sheet.

Celsius had consented to an examiner's review after reaching a deal that scaled back a wide-ranging investigation proposed by the U.S. Department of Justice's bankruptcy watchdog and state securities regulators from Texas, Vermont and Wisconsin.

After appointing Pillay to the job, Glenn expanded her role by asking her to address persistent customer complaints about Mashinsky's conduct.

Mashinsky was sued earlier this month by New York Attorney General Letitia James, who alleged that he defrauded investors out of billions of dollars in digital currency by concealing the lending platform's failing health.

A lawyer for Mashinsky did not immediately respond to a request for comment, but has said previously that his client denies the allegations and looks forward to vigorously defending himself in court. A spokesperson for Celsius did not immediately respond for comment.

Mashinsky, 57, is an entrepreneur who founded companies like Arbinet, which went public in 2004, and Transit Wireless, which provides wi-fi service to the New York City subway.

In hundreds of interviews, blog posts and livestreams as the public face of Celsius, Mashinsky promised its customers that they would receive high returns if they deposited digital assets on his platform, with minimal risk, according to the New York AG's lawsuit.

Bankruptcy examiners can provide courts, judges and creditors with an impartial look into the failures of a bankrupt company, but their cost is a frequent source of controversy when limited funds are available to pay existing debts.

Crypto exchange FTX, which went bankrupt in November, has resisted calls for an examiner in its own Chapter 11 case, citing the cost of overlapping investigations.

FTX CEO John Ray, who worked with examiners in the bankruptcies of Enron and Residential Capital, said in a court filing that examiner reports in those two bankruptcies cost a combined $150 million and provided "minimal" benefits to creditors.

Pillay and her team have sought to be paid $1.86 million for work performed in October and $1.69 million for November, according to court filings.

(Reporting by Dietrich Knauth, Editing by Alexia Garamfalvi and Deepa Babington)

Osprey Funds Sues Grayscale for Misleading Advertising on Crypto Trust


Katie Greifeld and Vildana Hajric
Mon, January 30, 2023 

(Bloomberg) -- Digital-asset manager Osprey Funds is the latest firm to file a lawsuit against rival Grayscale Investments over its nearly $15 billion Bitcoin fund.

Osprey accused Grayscale of conducting “false and misleading advertising” for the Grayscale Bitcoin Trust (ticker GBTC) since late 2020, according to a complaint filed Monday in Connecticut Superior Court. Grayscale presented that GBTC would be converted into an exchange-traded fund as “foregone conclusion, when it knew that access was never likely to happen,” the suit read. US regulators denied Grayscale’s application for ETF conversion in June, prompting the firm to sue the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Because of those “unfair trade practices,” Osprey alleges that Grayscale has been able to conquer 99.5% of assets in trust-based crypto products despite the fact that GBTC’s fee is four times higher than a similar offering from Osprey. Fairfield, Connecticut-based Osprey manages about $100 million in assets.

“The lawsuit filed by Osprey Funds against Grayscale Investments is frivolous. The conversion of GBTC to an ETF is the best long-term product structure for Grayscale’s investors, and approval of a spot Bitcoin ETF would directly benefit our industry peers. At Grayscale, we remain confident in our common sense, compelling legal arguments, and we look forward to a final decision from the DC Court of Appeals by Fall 2023,” according to a Grayscale spokeswoman.

GBTC launched in 2013 versus Osprey’s Bitcoin trust, which was created in 2019.

Osprey had previously called out GBTC’s deep discount — currently around 41% — announcing earlier in January that it was looking to be installed as the sponsor of the beleaguered product in order to spur changes that could help narrow that gap. It also said at the time that were it in charge, it would reduce GBTC’s management fee from its current 2% tag.

But GBTC has come under fire on numerous other fronts, thanks to its trading at a discount, as well as due to troubles at its parent company, Digital Currency Group, whose Genesis lending unit recently filed for bankruptcy. Hedge fund Fir Tree filed a lawsuit against the asset manager related to GBTC’s discount, while Valkyrie launched an activist campaign to unseat Grayscale.

Osprey said in Monday’s filing that “through various unfair and deceptive devices, Grayscale has promoted itself and its sponsored trusts, including the Grayscale Bitcoin Trust, by suggesting that their services provide access to investment opportunities that are safer and less susceptible to risk than they actually are.”