All posts tagged: eases

DfE eases T-level work placement rules to boost take-up

DfE eases T-level work placement rules to boost take-up

Published by skeptic

More from this theme Recent articles Government rules for T-level industry placements have been further relaxed in a bid to boost the number of students taking the flagship qualifications. Learners on nearly all courses will now be allowed to complete 20 per cent of their 315-hour total placement remotely instead of in a physical workplace – with this allowance increased to 50 per cent for students on digital T-levels. Officials will also allow placements to be carried out as “simulated activity” on the school or college’s own site, but only if this is overseen by their industry placement employer.  And placements will “no longer be restricted to the specific T-level subject being studied by students”. Baroness Smith Guidance detailing the changes will be published in January 2025 and will come into effect immediately. The reforms come amid lower-than-expected enrolments, high dropout rates, and long-held concern that there are not enough employers willing to offer enough work placements when T-levels are fully rolled out. Skills minister Jacqui Smith announced the move today at the start of the government’s …

Biden administration eases some economic restrictions on Cuba

Biden administration eases some economic restrictions on Cuba

Published by Sam

The Biden administration amended and clarified a number of existing sanctions against Cuba on Tuesday to allow private entrepreneurs and businesses on the island to open U.S. bank accounts and access online banking as part of its effort “increase support for the Cuban people” while avoiding any assistance to the government. The actions followed the administration’s lifting of Cuba’s designation as a country that was not “fully cooperating” with the United States on counterterrorism earlier this month, according to senior administration officials who spoke on the condition of anonymity under rules set by the White House. Lifting of the designation and other sanctions-easing measures came as Cuba has seen the largest exodus in the country’s history over the past three years. More than 500,000 migrants — roughly 5 percent of the population — have crossed into the United States along the southern border since 2021. In view of what one administration official called the “dire straits” of Cuba’s economy, with growing shortages of fuel, electricity and food, “it’s clear the communist experiment in Cuba has …

A quieter border eases pressure on Biden, with a hand from Mexico

A quieter border eases pressure on Biden, with a hand from Mexico

Published by Sam

SAN DIEGO — Illegal crossings along the U.S.-Mexico border are down more than 40 percent since December and have remained relatively stable through the first four months of 2024, bringing a modest reprieve for President Biden on an issue regarded as a liability to his reelection campaign. Crossings often increase sharply during early spring, but that did not happen for the first time since Biden took office. Source link

Bank of England governor talks up interest rate cut prospects as inflation eases to 3.2% | Business News

Bank of England governor talks up interest rate cut prospects as inflation eases to 3.2% | Business News

Published by skeptic

The governor of the Bank of England has signalled the UK is still on course for an interest rate cut as official figures show a further easing in the pace of price growth in the economy. Andrew Bailey was speaking hours before the Office for National Statistics (ONS) revealed that the consumer prices index (CPI) measure of inflation slowed to 3.2% in the 12 months to March – the weakest level for two-and-a-half years. That was down from the 3.4% figure measured the previous month but slightly above economists’ expectations. ONS chief economist Grant Fitzner said of the shifts seen last month: “Once again, food prices were the main reason for the fall, with prices rising by less than we saw a year ago. “Similarly to last month, we saw a partial offset from rising fuel prices.” A lower inflation rate is welcome for long-suffering households who are seeing a rise in spending power due to wages rising at a faster pace than prices. A further boost is expected to come from the Bank of …

EU’s draft cybersecurity certification eases path for US tech giants

EU’s draft cybersecurity certification eases path for US tech giants

Published by skeptic

The EU’s latest cybersecurity certification draft may pave the way for Amazon, Google, and Microsoft to more easily secure cloud computing contracts within the bloc. According to a recent Routers report, this development comes from the removal of a contentious requirement in the draft rules, which previously mandated that vendors must be independent of non-EU legal jurisdictions. The change could have profound implications for how cloud services are procured and secured across the EU, balancing the drive for cybersecurity with the realities of global tech dominance. The EU has long grappled with establishing a comprehensive cybersecurity certification scheme (EUCS) aimed at ensuring the cybersecurity integrity of cloud services. Such a scheme is crucial for both governments and private entities in the EU, aiding them in selecting secure and trustworthy vendors for their cloud computing needs. The stakes are high, as the dominance of U.S.-based tech giants in the cloud sector has sparked concerns over potential illegal state surveillance and the stifling of emerging EU cloud providers. The EU’s shift in requirements for cybersecurity certification Initially, …

PocketHealth eases doctor-patient communications with easy image exchange

PocketHealth eases doctor-patient communications with easy image exchange

Published by skeptic

Have you ever needed a copy of your medical imaging to take to your doctor or another healthcare provider and received the images on a CD? Many radiologists still use this ancient format to transfer patients’ imaging files. A startup called PocketHealth has built an medical image exchange platform to digitize the process for every patient and healthcare provider, making it more intelligent and personalized, no CDs involved. The company, which is fully remote and headquartered in Toronto, said Wednesday that it had secured $33 million ($45 million CAD) in a Series B funding round. PocketHealth’s journey began with a personal experience nearly a decade ago. Co-founders Rishi Nayyar (CEO) and his brother Harsh Nayyar (CTO) were inspired to build the platform in 2016 after Harsh suffered a tennis injury. The traditional method of receiving his CT images on a CD, which he could not view and needed to transport with him to whatever practitioner he needed to see next, suggested an opportunity to streamline the way hospitals share patients’ medical imaging. “When we learned that …

California eases requirements of water conservation rules

California eases requirements of water conservation rules

Published by skeptic

After facing criticism, California water regulators have proposed new conservation rules that would ease requirements for urban suppliers and lead to smaller statewide water savings than originally planned. An initial proposal from the State Water Resources Control Board ran into strong opposition last year, with managers of water agencies arguing that the large proposed cuts in water use between 2025 and 2035 would be costly and difficult to implement. Those criticisms were echoed in a scathing review by the nonpartisan Legislative Analyst’s Office. In response, the state water board’s staff rewrote its blueprint for regulations, proposing less stringent water-saving standards while reducing the number of suppliers that would be required to achieve large cuts of more than 20% and extending the timeline for water reductions an additional five years to 2040. If approved by the state board later this year, the proposed regulations, dubbed “Making Conservation a California Way of Life,” would apply to about 400 urban water suppliers, requiring them to adopt water-use budgets and meet locally tailored conservation goals. The latest changes would …

If gene-edited meat eases the climate crisis, then we must embrace it

If gene-edited meat eases the climate crisis, then we must embrace it

Published by skeptic

EATING meat is a major contributor to two of the greatest problems humanity faces: global warming and the loss of biodiversity. Farming is one of the main sources of greenhouse gas emissions, while the amount of land turned over to grow food for livestock leaves less space for wildlife. This is why many studies have highlighted the massive environmental benefits there would be if only people ate less meat. A plant-based diet has a much lower footprint in terms of carbon emissions and land. What’s more, there are also ethical and health arguments for such a diet. Yet global meat… Source link