Latest news with #Directive
Techday NZ
a day ago
- Business
- Techday NZ
Commvault & Kyndryl partner to boost cyber recovery services
Commvault and Kyndryl have announced a partnership to deliver incident recovery services for organisations aiming to enhance data security and meet regulatory requirements. The two companies will work in collaboration with Pure Storage to provide services intended to help organisations recover faster from cyber incidents, improve cyber resilience, and address complex regulatory demands. Kyndryl's cyber resiliency services portfolio includes Incident Recovery Services, Managed Backup Services, and Hybrid Platform Recovery. Through this new partnership, it will be supported by Commvault and Pure Storage to assist organisations in adhering to regulations such as the European Union's Digital Operational Resilience Act (DORA), NIS2 Directive, Payment Services Directive 2 (PSD2), New York Department of Financial Services (NYDFS) regulation NYCRR 500, and Australia's Prudential Regulation Authority (APRA) CPS 230 standard. Expanding cyber recovery services Under the collaboration, Commvault and Kyndryl plan to enhance support for enterprise customers facing persistent cyber threats and increasing data management complexity, particularly in multi-cloud environments. "Cyber preparedness is no longer regarded as optional for global organizations; it is mandatory," stated Allen Downs, Vice President of Security and Resiliency Services at Kyndryl. "Through this collaboration with Commvault and Pure Storage, we are further positioned to assist some of the world's most esteemed organizations in completely redefining their data protection strategies." The joint approach leverages Pure Storage technology alongside Commvault's cyber resilience and recovery solutions. This combined offering introduces a four-layer architecture designed to streamline compliance and speed up recovery for hybrid cloud customers. Technology and features The four-layered architecture includes the following components: Cyber Resilient Vault—an isolated, immutable data vault, based on zero-trust, to safeguard backup data from unauthorised access and tampering. Clean Recovery Zone—a controlled setting for forensic review and staged recovery using validated clean backups. Production Rapid Restore—capability for swift, reliable dataset restoration by using Pure Storage FlashBlade, with immutability features such as S3 Object Lock and SafeMode. Immutable Snapshot Recovery—enables quick, application-consistent restoration of key workloads through Commvault IntelliSnap and Pure Storage FlashArray. The services are developed to promote automated and ongoing cyber recovery testing. Support extends to Commvault Cleanroom Recovery within both public cloud and on-premises isolated environments overseen by Kyndryl. Organisations are enabled to validate their recovery processes to comply with DORA Chapter II (Risk Management), Chapter IV (Operational Resilience Testing), and related regulation. Meeting regulatory needs The collaboration is set against a backdrop of increasingly rigorous and complex regulatory landscapes. Organisations are now required to demonstrate not only the protection of their critical data, but also the capability to restore operations swiftly following a digital disruption. "Our partnership with Kyndryl is built to address the biggest challenges facing the enterprise today, such as the persistent threat of cyberattacks, including ransomware, and the increasing complexity of managing massive data growth across multi-cloud environments," said Alan Atkinson, Chief Partner Officer at Commvault. "When combined with the innovative Pure Storage platform, the three companies are together helping organizations stay resilient and prepared to act decisively in the face of disruption." As businesses face mounting pressures from both cyber threats and regulatory scrutiny, integrating compliance with resilience strategies is becoming increasingly necessary. "As regulatory frameworks like DORA set higher standards for operational resilience, organizations are implementing strategies that integrate regulatory compliance with the ability to recover swiftly from cyber disruption," said Maciej Kranz, General Manager, Enterprise at Pure Storage. "Together with Commvault and Kyndryl, we're delivering advanced security features and a scalable foundation of layered resilience that helps organizations meet these mandates and restore critical operations quickly and reliably." The services provided by the three companies are typically available across North America, Europe, and the Asia-Pacific region. Clients and partners will have opportunities to engage through existing partner programmes and access supporting resources aimed at enhancing cyber resilience and compliance capabilities. Follow us on: Share on:
Euronews
3 days ago
- Politics
- Euronews
After 17 years, EU anti-discrimination bill hits a dead end
The EU's so-called Equal Treatment directive — aimed at extending protection against discrimination on the grounds of religion or belief, disability, age, or sexual orientation — has reached a dead end, several EU officials told Euronews. First proposed by the European Commission in 2008, the anti-discrimination bill has remained stalled in the European Council, despite progress in the European Parliament. The Council, which represents the 27 EU member states, has been unable to reach a consensus for years. In February, the EU executive removed the proposal from its work programme for 2025, arguing that it was blocked and "further progress was unlikely". The draft bill was added to those to be withdrawn within six months, prompting the Polish presidency of the Council to try to reach an agreement under time pressure, but to no avail. 'While a very large majority of delegations has long supported the Directive, [...], certain others have expressed concerns and requested clarifications as relating to the perceived lack of legal certainty, the division of competences and compliance with the principle of subsidiarity, and the impact of the proposal, in particular in terms of potential financial implications,' reads a Council document seen by Euronews, sent by the presidency to member states on 6 June. According to an impact assessment by the European Parliament Research Service (EPRS), around three-quarters of EU citizens would potentially benefit from the directive's protection, while implementation costs would remain 'within acceptable limits'. However, three member states — Czechia, Germany, and Italy — still oppose the draft compromise text, which requires unanimous support from all 27 countries before negotiations can begin with the Parliament and the Commission to finalise the bill. 'In the absence of any additional drafting suggestions from the Member States with outstanding concerns, the Presidency has not been able to propose a new compromise text,' reads another leaked document from the same date, also seen by Euronews. The Equal Treatment directive is expected to be discussed during a meeting of EU ministers responsible for social policy on Thursday. They will hold a policy debate on whether a compromise is within reach and whether there is a need for an alternative proposal. An EU diplomat described the pursuit of a compromise as 'thorny', pointing to the Commission's continued interest in withdrawing the proposal — a move some member states also support. Instead, the Commission plans to focus on non-legislative initiatives in 2025, such as the already unveiled roadmap on women's rights and the forthcoming strategies on LGBTIQ rights and anti-racism — a shift that has drawn criticism from NGOs and civil society organisations. 'Roadmaps are not laws; they are political statements with no enforceable protections,' argued Julie Pascoët, policy manager at the European Network (ENAR). 'For these strategies to be effective, the EU must use them to highlight the urgent need for stronger legislation and concrete action,' Pascoët added. The 2008 anti-discrimination bill aimed to close critical protection gaps in areas such as social protection (including social security and healthcare), education, and access to goods and services, including housing. 'Whilst it is extremely disappointing that the Commission goes along with the global political trend against equality policies, the unacceptable fact is that a small group of countries, led by Germany, have been blocking the adoption of this directive for 17 years,' Alejandro Moledo, deputy director at the European Disability Forum, told Euronews. According to the latest EU survey, more than half of respondents said there is widespread discrimination in their country on the basis of being Roma (65%), skin colour (61%), ethnic origin (60%), gender identity (being transgender – 57%), or sexual orientation (54%). The African Initiative presents itself as a Moscow-based news agency that covers events across the continent, aiming to "mutually expand the knowledge of Russians and Africans about each other." But in reality, it has been classified as the "main vehicle" for Russia's disinformation activities across Africa, according to a new report by Vignium, the French agency which monitors foreign digital interference. Some of the individuals who run the African Initiative have affiliations with Russian intelligence services, while others have been identified as former members of the Wagner paramilitary group. The African Initiative was launched in September 2023, just a month after Yevgeny Prigozhin — one of Wagner's founders and its leader — died in a plane crash. Prigozhin had played an instrumental role in promoting Russian interests on the African continent. Following his death, Moscow rushed to replace Wagner-run operations across the African continent. The outlet publishes its content on various websites in several languages, including on Telegram — where it boasts 70,000 subscribers across its channels — as well as on various Facebook and TikTok accounts. In addition to publishing articles and digital content, the outlet uses local fronts and soft power initiatives like journalism schools and press trips to embed itself within local communities. For instance, in June the outlet organised a conference which aimed to dismantle "myths, negative narratives" about Russia and instead to build opportunities to "create an objective image of Russia on the African continent." The African Initiative has also been pushing to develop its activities in the former French colonies of Mali, Niger and Burkina Faso, which make up the Alliance of the Sahel States — a union that Russia was the first country to recognise. West African countries under the control of juntas have distanced themselves from France and other former Western allies — criticising failed interventions against Islamist extremists and their colonial legacies — and instead turning to Russia. Following Prigozhin's death, Moscow launched a new paramilitary group, "Africa Corps", which is believed to be managed and closely monitored by Russia's Defence Ministry, as part of the Kremlin's plan to tighten its grip on ongoing operations across Africa.
Yahoo
13-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
WRAP EU leads textile extended producer responsibility talks
The WRAP EU talks brought together European Commission officials, executives from the textile and fashion industry, representatives from non-profit organisations, trusts, foundations, and additional stakeholders. The agenda for the event was to explore strategies for the EU to transition from the traditional linear model of consumption, characterised by the pattern of take, make, and dispose, to a Circular Living approach that emphasises reuse, repair, and remanufacturing. Textiles, and other manufactured goods are collectively responsible for approximately 45% of global greenhouse gas emissions, making the change relevant in these sectors. The special meeting was convened following the postponement in the final vote on the revised Waste Framework Directive. Due to this delay, member states have started accumulating large quantities of used textiles in compliance with requirements effective from January 2025, said WRAP. However, they are doing so without adequate infrastructure to process these materials and with a lack of comprehensive national textile Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) schemes to facilitate development or growth. WRAP, which focuses on EPR development across the textiles and fashion sector, presented its analysis on varying EPR policies across Europe concerning plastics and its collaboration with the Irish Government to establish a textile EPR scheme in anticipation of the Directive. The summit featured keynotes and discussions led by Catherine David and David Rogers, director of international development at WRAP. Notable speakers included Klaus Berend from DG SANTE at the European Commission, Laura Lourdelle from Sodexo, Paul Kerssens from United Repair Centre, and Stéphane Leroux from IFWC. Catherine David was introduced as the new CEO of WRAP during the meeting, along with Sofie Schop as executive director of WRAP EU. Catherine David assumed the role effective 1 June 2025 to propel the charity's sustainability initiatives globally. 'The incoming textiles EPR will touch every member from Copenhagen to Milan and change how countries make and manage clothes for good. Its Waste Framework Directive is world-leading in ambition for transformative collaborative action, underscored by its long track record of sustainable leadership. Driving Circular Living models on this scale will have a profound impact on global actions to cut greenhouse gas emissions. I am delighted to convene this meeting to show how this should be a blueprint for more action from more countries, more businesses and more governments to secure a prosperous and sustainable future for us all,' said David. Sofie Schop has over two decades of experience in ESG and circular economy principles and having held significant roles at various organisations including Versuni, PVH, Tommy Hilfiger, Karl Lagerfeld, G-STAR RAW, Cascale, Schuttelaar & Partners and Fair Wear Foundation. Under this new role, Schop will lead WRAP EU's efforts to integrate sustainability practices into business operations throughout Europe. "WRAP EU leads textile extended producer responsibility talks" was originally created and published by Just Style, a GlobalData owned brand. The information on this site has been included in good faith for general informational purposes only. It is not intended to amount to advice on which you should rely, and we give no representation, warranty or guarantee, whether express or implied as to its accuracy or completeness. You must obtain professional or specialist advice before taking, or refraining from, any action on the basis of the content on our site. Error while retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error while retrieving data Error while retrieving data Error while retrieving data Error while retrieving data
Euronews
11-06-2025
- General
- Euronews
Is Cyprus doing enough to fight illegal landfills?
Every year the European Union produces 2.2 billion tons of waste; around 5 tons per capita. The European Union promotes prevention and re-use, followed by recycling if not possible. The final and most harmful option is disposal. Around 15% of EU waste currently ends up in landfills and their use is heavily regulated. A 1999 Directive lays down standards to protect human health and the environment, namely surface water, groundwater, soil and air, from the negative effects of waste collection, transport, storage, treatment and disposal. Only safe and controlled landfill activities are allowed. Failure to comply results in fines. The Directive limits the share of municipal waste landfilled to less than 10% by 2035. Illegal landfills across the EU have steadily decreased over past years. However, the European Commission has referred several Member States to the Court of Justice of the EU, and Cyprus has already been condemned for its failure to control illegal dumping. Local NGOs in the Republic of Cyprus have been tracking and denouncing illegal dumps for years. 'The main consequences are for the environment, and they are also for human health. All this trash leaves toxins and pollutes nature, it pollutes our groundwater, it pollutes everything,' says Natasa Ioannou, Project Leader at Friends of the Earth Cyprus as we walk through a massive illegal dump near Nicosia, the country's capital. Yet solutions are at hand, she claims. 'You definitely need to have a concise, organised and very well-established (disposal) infrastructure. Because if people don't have a 'green point' close to them, this is what is going to happen in the end. The second solution is policing and, of course, enforcing all the laws. When you know that there is something going on and it has been going on for quite a long time, surveillance cameras need to be implemented.** You also need to give incentives to people to manage their waste. It's not always, I mean, 'you're doing this wrong; I'm going to give you a fine'. There always has to be other opportunities for circular economy practices.' Activists have helped to develop an interactive map where dumps are tracked in real time. 'When I come to these places and I see these things, I feel anger and disappointment. I mean, this is not how our countryside should be. This is not how Cyprus should be. It's disgusting,' says Natasa as she takes us to a second illegal landfill just 30 minutes away from the first one. 'What authorities say to us is that they don't have the resources. Then you need to find the ways to get the resources. Having the same excuse year after year after year, it shows lack of political will.' What are Cyprus authorities doing? A very limited but concrete response comes from a small district in Nicosia, the first to introduce the 'Pay-as-you-throw' programme. Encouraged by the EU, the scheme allows waste fees paid by users to be modulated according to the amount of mixed waste delivered to the management system, explains the district's deputy mayor. 'In the first year of the system's implementation, we managed 5,000 tons of waste. You generate a 40% reduction in municipal garbage,' explains Andreas Constantinou, the district's deputy mayor. 'The road to change mindsets was not paved with rose petals, but we invested mainly in the new generation. We entered schools and tried, through children, to change the mindsets of grown-ups.' Other municipalities are set to follow the example soon. But this falls short of the country's huge needs. The very day of our filming, the European Commission sent Cyprus to the EU Court of Justice once again, and requested more fines for its failure to manage illegal landfills. The Director of the country's Department for the Environment meets us in one of Nicosia's eight Green Points, where 8,000 tons of waste were sorted last year. The Government acknowledges decades-long 'inertia' and 'weaknesses' in its waste management. But Theodoulos Mesimeris claims things will soon improve. 'There are more than 20 Green Points operating now in Cyprus, and the aim is to have the right network. So another 50 such points have been launched, as well as other infrastructures, such as 'green corners' and recycling areas, so that we can provide the right choices for citizens and the availability of materials for recovery, for re-use, for recycling. It is a fact that the existing infrastructure cannot meet the requirements of the institutional framework,' he says. 'The restoration and cleaning of the remaining points will be underway within the next two months. The objective is to clean Cyprus of illegal waste sites immediately and at the same time to have those mechanisms that will not allow the phenomenon of illegal dumping to happen again.' Cyprus's own government has acknowledged that the cost of remediating an illegal dump is higher than operating a lawful waste-management facility. A Telegram channel activated last Friday and fraudulently branded as Euronews Romania is planting disinformation and false claims targeting the Romanian and Moldovan presidents. Its creators – which have no affiliation or link to Euronews – claim that Romania's recently elected President Nicușor Dan discussed 'methods of combating the opposition press' with his Moldovan counterpart Maia Sandu during his visit to Chișinău on Tuesday. Euroverify analysed both presidents' statements to the press during that visit and found no evidence to back these allegations. Sandu instead accused Russia of waging a 'war of manipulation and misinformation', while Dan vowed closer cooperation on tackling Moscow's 'hybrid warfare'. The unfounded claims made in the bogus channel have been directly quoted in Russian state-sponsored newspaper Pravda. In a pinned post, the creators also purport that the Telegram channel is an 'official' source of Euronews Romania reporting created by the management team to counter the recent use of doctored Euronews reports on the messaging app. However, neither the channel nor its content is the work of Euronews journalists. Euronews Romania does not have an official channel on Telegram, and said in a statement that the action is part of a "sustained' disinformation campaign that 'illegally' uses Euronews' branding. The fake account was created amid an uptick in recent weeks in false videos attributed to Euronews on pro-Russian Telegram channels, which aim to discredit or undermine the pro-European governments in Bucharest and Chișinău. These initially appeared to sow confusion and distrust in the context of last month's tense presidential run-off in Romania, which saw pro-EU centrist Dan edge to victory after a campaign marred by disinformation and alleged Russian interference. The actors behind these doctored videos have now shifted their focus to neighbouring Moldova, where recent elections and referendums have been overshadowed by Russia's hybrid war techniques. Amongst the false claims made in these videos are that the Republic of Moldova ranks first in terms of the number of carriers of sexually transmitted diseases in Europe, or that Moldova is a driver of irregular migration into the European Union. Crunch parliamentary elections are set to be held in Moldova on 28 September, with President Sandu's pro-European PAS party facing a growing challenge from opposition forces. A poor showing for PAS could reshape the country's political landscape and hinder progress on the path to EU integration, which Sandu has accelerated during her five years in power. Last October, a referendum in Moldova on whether to enshrine the country's wish to join the European Union into the constitution was plagued by interference, including reports that €14 million in Russian funds had been funnelled directly into the accounts of 130,000 Moldovans in a bid to buy their anti-EU votes. That referendum saw Moldovans vote 'yes' to EU membership by a razor-thin majority of 50.4%. In recent weeks, a Kremlin-backed bot network known as Operation Matryoshka has launched a coordinated disinformation campaign targeting Sandu, circulating fake images depicting her execution. Posts published in the fake Euronews Telegram on Tuesday claim Dan 'shared his experience in limiting the opposition press' with Sandu during his Chișinău visit, adding that Sandu's PAS party sees this as the 'main tool for gaining and retaining power' in September's parliamentary elections. A closer look at the post shows that Dan has been misspelt as 'Nikușor', which could mirror Russian pronunciation of the president's name, according to our analysis. These allegations match the broader playbook of disinformation narratives that Euroverify has detected concerning Romania's presidential ballot. Disinformation targeting the Romanian ballot often claimed that the pro-Western, pro-European governing forces were suffocating free speech and hindering Conservative, Eurosceptic forces Telegram's founder, Russian-born Pavel Durov, has fed this playbook with uncorroborated claims that France's intelligence chief asked him to "silence" Romanian conservative voices by banning them from his messaging app in the run-up to last month's presidential ballot. Euroverify previously assessed that this claim was unfounded. Telegram was founded by Durov and his eldest brother Nikolai in 2013, and has been championed by journalists and activists for its strong encryption and security. But the app has recently come under scrutiny for the spread of illegal content and disinformation.
NDTV
07-06-2025
- Politics
- NDTV
Madras High Court Orders Closure Of Liquor Shop Near School In Tamil Nadu
Chennai: In a significant judgment, the Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court on Monday (2 June, 2025) ordered the closure of a state-owned liquor shop (TASMAC) located in Dindigul town. The petitioner, P. Vetrivvel, argued that the liquor shop on Trichy Road was causing a nuisance for children passing through the area on their way to school. While the petitioner claimed that the school is located within 30 metres of the shop, the government countered that the TASMAC outlet falls within corporation limits, where the minimum required distance is 50 metres. It also contended that in a commercial area, the prescribed distance restrictions would not apply. However, the court dismissed the government's arguments and observed that the presence of the TASMAC outlet could indeed cause inconvenience and nuisance to the public, particularly to children during school hours. The court also stated, "It is contradictory for a welfare government to establish more hospitals on the one hand and simultaneously operate TASMAC shops on the other. This is not in consonance with constitutional ethos." The bench referred to Article 47 of the Constitution, which mandates the State to improve public health and endeavor to prohibit intoxicating drinks except for medicinal purposes. "It is a constitutional philosophy and the Directive principles insist that a welfare Government should strive wholeheartedly to enforce prohibition, rather than establish more TASMAC shops which adversely affect public health," court emphasised. It added, "When the right to health is a fundamental right, the State must ensure that the prohibition is slowly implemented in a phased manner to reduce harm to the public health". Irrespective of the political divide and the ruling DMK and the opposition AIADMK have been using TASMAC as a cash cow, unmindful of the health impact on consumers. Last year, the Tamil Nadu government earned a revenue of Rs 48,344 crore from TASMAC, an increase of Rs 2,483 crore from the previous year. Amid demands for prohibition, during her tenure as Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu, Jayalalithaa initiated measures to reduce the number of TASMAC liquor shops. This included announcing the closure of 500 liquor outlets and reducing the business hours of state-run liquor shops. The ruling DMK too had initiated measures to downsize number of shops, but the sale or liquor is only on the rise. The government argues prohibition is practically difficult to enforce as all neighbouring states sell liquor and a prohibition in this scenario would only nurture illicit liquor. But on the ground this argument many say falls flat as the state witnessed two illicit liquor tragedies killing nearly 80 people over the last few years. The matter is now listed for reporting compliance on June 18, 2025.
