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The European Parliament’s Committee on Economic and Monetary Affairs (ECON Committee) is proposing a dramatic scaling back of sustainability reporting and due diligence obligations, in a move that could exempt thousands of companies from the European Union’s ESG regulations. According to a draft amendments report seen by ESG Today, the proposed changes go well beyond the European Commission’s recent Omnibus package, which had already sought to reduce regulatory burdens.In February, the European Commission unveiled its Omnibus I package, a sweeping set of reforms designed to lighten the compliance load for EU businesses. Among the proposals was a major change to…

A vulnerability in 4G Calling, a Voice over LTE (VoLTE) service launched recently by UK telecom giant O2, resulted in user location information being leaked in network responses. Based on the IP Multimedia Subsystem (IMS) standard, VoLTE allows users to make voice calls and send text messages over 4G/LTE and newer mobile networks at higher speeds compared to those offered by older 3G/2G networks. It works by delivering the voice service as data flows, but requires that the device, firmware, and mobile network support the technology. Looking to test the quality of O2’s newly launched 4G Calling service, UK network…

I love to grill, and barbecue, and I have devoted my career to outdoor cooking for more than two decades. In that time, I’ve seen a lot of mistakes, and people tend to make them over and over. So I put together a list of the biggest grilling don’ts and how to avoid them. Print this list and refer to it the next time you get ready to grill!Never oil the grillMany people oil the cooking grates — big blunder! Follow my mantra: “Oil the food, not the grates!” If you brush oil on hot cooking grates (and a lit…

The US Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) on Monday officially announced the appointment of Madhu Gottumukkala as its new deputy director. Gottumukkala previously served as Commissioner and Chief Information Officer for South Dakota’s Bureau of Information and Technology, which in April thanked Gottumukkala for his service and announced that he had been named the cybersecurity agency’s deputy director. Prior to the state of South Dakota, Gottumukkala held leadership roles in the private sector, including at Sanford Health, CallHealth, and Polycom.  “As a former state and local leader, I have seen firsthand the exceptional work CISA does in advancing our…

Finastra, a global provider of financial software solutions, has agreed to sell its Treasury and Capital Markets (TCM) division to funds advised by Apax Partners LLP, a private equity firm specialising in technology investments. The deal marks a significant portfolio streamlining for Finastra and will see TCM rebranded and operated as an independent business.The acquisition is part of Finastra’s strategy to focus on its core offerings, with the sale set to generate capital for reinvestment in mission-critical software development. While the financial terms of the transaction have not been disclosed, it is expected to complete in the first half of…

Zurich Financial Services Australia, the Australian arm of the global insurance giant Zurich Insurance Group, has announced the appointment of James Garrett as head of small and medium enterprises (SME) for general insurance in Australia & New Zealand.In his new role, Garrett will be tasked with leading Zurich’s SME insurance strategy in Australia and New Zealand.He brings over 12 years of experience at Zurich, having held various SME underwriting roles. Most recently, he served as digital portfolio manager, where he oversaw a large portfolio of SME clients, refining Zurich’s digital offering in the sector.Garrett’s tenure has been marked by a…

CSI, a leading provider of end-to-end financial software and technology solutions, has appointed Nancy Langer as its new president, CEO and board member.Langer takes over the role from David Culbertson, who will transition to vice chair of the board and support Langer through the leadership transition.CSI delivers integrated banking, payments and regulatory compliance solutions for financial institutions across the US. The company is widely recognised for its commitment to customer-centric innovation and digital transformation, with a particular focus on community banks and credit unions.Langer brings more than 35 years of FinTech expertise to CSI, with a track record of driving…

Saifr has deepened its collaboration with Microsoft to launch a new AI-powered Communication Compliance Agent.The new tool is now available through the Microsoft Azure AI Foundry, building on Saifr’s existing integration within Microsoft’s AI ecosystem.This product launch addresses the growing need in regulated industries—especially financial services—for smarter, more efficient ways to produce compliant content. As the financial sector adopts generative AI tools, ensuring that outputs remain within the bounds of regulatory frameworks is becoming a critical challenge. Saifr’s latest solution is designed to tackle this issue directly.Saifr specialises in providing AI-driven compliance tools for regulated industries, helping organisations navigate complex…

COLOGNE, Germany (AP) — On the eighth annual “World Bee Day,” the bees did not seem bothered.They should be.Bees and other pollinators have been on the decline for years, and experts blame a combination of factors: insecticides, parasites, disease, climate change and lack of a diverse food supply. A significant part of the human diet comes from plants pollinated by bees — not just honeybees, but hundreds of species of lesser-known wild bees, many of which are endangered.In 2018, the U.N. General Assembly sponsored the first “World Bee Day” to bring attention to the bees’ plight. Steps as small as…

NEW YORK (AP) — It’s still just 21 in dog years.But the Westminster Kennel Club is gearing up for its 150th annual dog show next year and announced plans Tuesday for the milestone event, expected to draw about 3,000 champion dogs.It’s slated to start Jan. 31 with agility and other canine sports, including the relay-race-style flyball tournament introduced last year, at the Javits Center convention venue in Manhattan.The traditional breed-by-breed judging happens Feb. 2 and 3, with first-round competition during the days at the Javits Center.The show moves in the evenings to nearby Madison Square Garden. U.S. dogdom’s most storied…