Latest news with #BAT
Scottish Sun
6 hours ago
- General
- Scottish Sun
The little-known reason Scots should love BATS and why they're a lifesaver in the garden this summer
'Scotland would have a lot more midges and other insects without them' BATS AMAZING The little-known reason Scots should love BATS and why they're a lifesaver in the garden this summer Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) KING Charles is to provide a new home for bats at his Scottish mansion so work can go ahead. Surveys found evidence of potential roosting sites after he applied for permission to build a luxury wedding venue in Dumfries House near Cumnock, Ayrshire, where bat boxes have now been installed in the grounds of the A-listed building. 4 The common pipistrelle is having to fight for survival. 4 A cloud of dreaded midges, that can blight any summer event. 4 Dr Joe Nunez-Mino is one of the UK's top bat experts. But The King isn't the only one to be left in a flap over bats with a £100million 'bat tunnel' also constructed for the controversial HS2 rail line in Buckinghamshire. Chief Features Writer MATT BENDORIS speaks to a top conservationist about why we need to help these nocturnal flying mammals. DOCTOR Joe Nunez-Mino has many reasons why a thriving bat population is good for the environment but one should endear them to Scots more than others - their voracious appetite for midges. As the biting insects continue to cause havoc at family barbecues and day-trips this summer, the one thing helping to keep them at bay are Scotland's airborne mammals. And Dr Joe from the Bat Conservation Trust insists that our nine species of resident bats help in many other ways too. He said: 'We can only estimate but we do know bats eat a lot of insects, each individual bat eating hundreds or even thousands (of midges) every night. 'Different bat species specialise in eating different insects, from biting insects like midges through to moths, including some insects that damage crops and gardens. 'To give one example, a study published last year estimated that bats in apple orchards reduce the total weight of apples damaged by codling moths by 50 per cent.' In the UK all bat species and their roosts are legally protected by both European legislation and domestic laws including Conservation of Habitats and Species Regulations (2017). But since the Wildlife and Countryside Act of 1981 it has been a criminal offence to disturb a structure or place bats use for shelter or protection. 'He is spooked' - Moment The Open commentator hides under his jacket as BAT invades broadcasting booth at Portrush It means DIY and commercial builders have to carry out expensive bat surveys costing several thousands - or more if the mammals are found and need to be removed. Dr Joe said: 'There is a cost associated with protecting the environment just like there is with health and safety or protecting historical heritage. 'While we as an organisation don't have any control or influence on the costs of bat surveys, we have worked with some Statutory Nature Conservation Organisations (SNCO) to streamline the process where possible. 'To avoid delays, it's important to take bats into account from the earliest stages of planning work.' He adds: 'Having a bat roost does not prevent developing a property, bats just need to be taken into account as part of the process. Householders should seek advice from their SNCO.' However Dr Joe believes that bats get a bad press including the 1km long bat tunnel in Buckinghamshire that added an extra £100million to the runaway cost of the HS2 rail line. He said: 'We were not involved in the process. However, we do know that multiple cross-party inquiries have found that HS2's delays and cost overruns stem from mismanagement, not nature protections. 'HS2 did not carry out a timely strategic environmental assessment which could have identified viable alternatives that could have avoided significant expenditure and delay.' While in 2002 Scottish wildlife artist David McRae, 56, from Tayside, died from rabies after being bitten by a bat - it was the first case of indigenous rabies in the UK in 100 years. Dr Joe said: 'Two rabies-related viruses have been detected in two bat species in the UK and in only a very small number of individuals. 'If someone is bitten, licked, nipped or scratched by a bat they should wash and disinfect the area and urgently seek medical treatment. 'The NHS has said prompt post-exposure vaccinations have been 100 per cent effective in preventing the disease.' But Dr Joe believes that work done by organisations like his and the stringent laws are helping bats, which have been in decline, to slowly make a recovery. BATS HAVE DELAYED HOUSE DEMOLITION BUT I STILL WANT TO PROTECT THEM LAST March my wife and I bought an uninhabitable bungalow on Scotland's West Coast and wanted to pull it down before it fell down and replace it with a shiny new build. But 16 months on there hasn't even been a spade in the ground because late on in the planning process it was suddenly announced we needed a bat survey. The problem was by the time we were informed last year, the flying mammals would be hibernating for the winter and a dusk survey - with infrared cameras and sound equipment - couldn't be carried out until the spring. In the end we didn't have any roosting bats, but it has added a £1,800 bill to the project we hadn't budgeted for. Someone else in the area wasn't so lucky and it cost them £5,000 to have their bats removed by an ecologist. But surely with all the technology now available there has to be a quicker - and far cheaper - way of checking where they are roosting, so people can get on with their projects? And when I do finally get my new house built any neighbourhood bats are more than welcome to come and live rent free. He explains: 'All bat species have suffered historical declines in population numbers but we have seen signs of initial recovery in some species. 'We are currently able to monitor five of the nine resident bat species in Scotland through the National Bat Monitoring Program. 'Of these five, four species - Daubenton's bat, Natterer's bat, common pipistrelle and brown long-eared bat - show no significant change since the base line year of 1999 and one species has increased - soprano pipistrelle. 'Bat conservation is important because they are a vital part of our natural heritage which make up around a quarter of our mammal species and they also play a critical role in the ecosystem. 'There is very good evidence that bat populations help to reduce the need for pesticides which ultimately harms the health of other wildlife and people too.' He adds: 'Scotland would have a lot more midges and other insects without them.' *For more information on the Bat Conservation Trust visit
Daily Mirror
4 days ago
- Business
- Daily Mirror
Top British firms donated to Republicans who denied 2020 US election result
Our investigation reveals that 24 firms with UK HQs have given over £1m to Republicans who questioned the 2020 election that Trump lost - sparking the January 6 insurrection at the Capitol More than 20 of Britain's biggest companies have donated to over 100 Republican politicians in the US who refused to certify the 2020 presidential election, The Mirror can reveal. BAE Systems, Rolls-Royce, Deloitte and British American Tobacco are among 24 UK headquartered-firms that have donated more than $1.7 million (£1.3m) to election-denying candidates since 2021 through in-house bodies which collect donations from staff. The donations come through the firms' Political Action Committees or PACs, which are often run by senior company execs and which channel staff donations to politicians. Under US law, companies are not allowed to donate directly and the companies contacted for comment stressed that their PACs operate independently and comply fully with US campaign finance rules. Employees of companies donate money to a PAC, companies themselves are not allowed to do so, but they do often pay for office costs such as rent, staff and fundraising activities. Employees who contribute to their firm's PAC can specify if they want the money to go to Republicans or Democrats and the PAC generally goes on to bankroll politicians or candidates who are viewed as supportive of their industry. These donations were made despite many of the largest corporations pledging not to donate to election denialists after the Jan 6 insurrection in which supporters of Donald Trump stormed the Capitol. Firms who have PACs supporting Republican candidates we established in our joint investigation with the Democracy for Sale Substack include: Accountancy firm PricewaterhouseCoopers, who announced in January 2021 that it had 'suspended all political contributions to any member of Congress who voted to object to the certification of electoral votes' but its Political Action Committee has given $93k to a string of GOP candidates who refused to certify the election. PwC did not respond to a request for comment. British American Tobacco's US subsidiary's PAC has donated to Andrew Clyde who claimed the Capitol Riots looked more like a 'normal tourist visit' and voted against giving medals to police officers who responded to the riots. A BAT spokesperson said: 'It is a well-established practice in the U.S. political system for individuals, not-for-profits and private sector companies to make financial contributions to major political parties. BAT believes that engaging in the political process is an important way for us to advocate for policies that support our industry and overall economic growth.' The PACS of several firms including Deloitte, BAT, advertising giant WPP contributed to Steve Scalise, who spoke at a white nationalist conference with former KKK head David Duke. The PACs of firms including Deloitte, Rolls Royce and BAE have funded house speaker Mike Johnson, who played a leading role in attempts to overturn the 2020 election result, according to the New York Times. He voted against the Respect for Marriage Act in 2022, which federally protects same-sex marriages and interracial couples, and has said that America can only be saved it it returns to "eighteenth-century values". Defence firm BAE Systems announced in January 2021 that, 'In response to the deeply disturbing violence at the US Capitol on January 6th, our US political action committee has suspended all donations while we assess the path forward'. However, since then BAE Systems's PAC has donated $229,500 to Republicans who have refused to certify the 2020 elections, starting in April 2021. BAE Systems said: 'We do not make corporate contributions or donations to political parties. Eligible employees in the US can choose to contribute to the BAE Systems Political Action Committee, which must operate in full compliance with US federal laws and regulations.' After his re-election, President Trump has pardoned or commuted sentences for every defendant convicted for their roles in January 6, including those convicted of violence against Capitol police and the leaders of extremist groups. In the US, foreign companies are not allowed to donate to politicians but, if they have an American subsidiary, they can donate through so-called PACs. PACs are lobbying organizations that make campaign donations to political candidates. Big companies have PACs that are often headed by a company executive, or someone working for them. The Treasurer of the Deloitte PAC is Patrick Givens, a Deloitte employee for the last 17 years. The Treasurer of the BAT's US subsidiary Reynolds' PAC, is Steve Kottak, a BAT/Reynolds employee for the last 21 years who is currently senior director in state and local government relations. The Treasurer of the PwC PAC is Roz Brooks, A PwC employee for the last 29 years. The amounts that PACs can give to a candidate are limited to no more than $5000 for the primary and another $5000 for the election itself. Some British-listed companies have donated huge sums to Republican causes. British American Tobacco gave more than $25m to conservative causes in 2024, including $10m to Make America Great Again PAC, Open Secrets has previously revealed. Christopher Avery, Director at the campaign group Donations and Democracy, said: "It is exceptionally disappointing that so many major UK companies have subsidiaries whose Political Action Committees have been directly funding the campaigns of politicians after they tried to overturn the results of a democratic election in the United States. Making donations to those politicians raises serious concerns about respect for democracy, human rights and the rule of law."
Mint
08-07-2025
- Business
- Mint
BAT Says South Africa Losing $1.6 Billion to Illicit Cigarettes
(Bloomberg) -- South Africa has become one of the world's biggest markets for illicit cigarette sales losing around 28 billion rand ($1.6 billion) a year to tax evasion, according to a new report. While Africa's most industrialized economy has long struggled to prevent cigarettes being smuggled from neighboring countries, domestic manufacturers have also increased under-the-counter production, spurred by the country's pandemic-era cigarette ban. Research firm Ipsos, in a study commissioned by the South African unit of British American Tobacco Plc published on Tuesday, found nearly 80% of the country's retailers sell cigarettes below the minimum tax threshold. That's almost three times as many as seen in 2022, meaning foregone taxes in a cash-strapped country that can ill afford to lose that revenue. The bulk of such cigarettes are sold via convenience stores and vendors at prices below even the minimum 26.22 rand ($1.48) tax per packet charged by the South African Revenue Service, said BAT's head of regulatory affairs in the region Johnny Moloto. 'Currently, about 18% of cigarettes are sold at around 10 rand for a packet of twenty in South Africa,' he said in an interview on Tuesday in Johannesburg. 'Sales of illicit cigarettes are a problem across the world, but South Africa is one of the worst affected markets.' The illegal trade has been on the increase worldwide, although the majority of smokers are in lower and middle income countries that cannot afford the loss in tax revenue. It also poses health and security concerns, providing organized crime with opportunities for income and money- laundering. The World Health Organization estimates that one in every ten cigarettes smoked globally is illicit, costing governments more than $40 billion a year in lost taxes. South African billionaire Johann Rupert this year decided to fully divest his interest in BAT, ending the family's generational ties to the tobacco industry. Molotto said there were easy ways for the government to assist with the trade of illicit products, including adding customs officers to factories, monitoring any breaches of licensing conditions and writing an minimum floor price into law. More stories like this are available on
Time of India
30-06-2025
- Business
- Time of India
ITC, BAT rekindle the flame for growth
HighlightsBritish American Tobacco significantly increased its purchases of raw tobacco from ITC, amounting to ₹1,445 crore in the fiscal year 2024-25, a 35% rise from the previous year. ITC is seeking shareholder approval for a raw tobacco export plan worth up to ₹2,320 crore by 2026-27, as well as a purchase of ₹30 crore of international raw tobacco from British American Tobacco. British American Tobacco currently holds a 23% stake in ITC, making it the largest shareholder, while maintaining that its investment is strategic rather than purely financial. In a sign of improved relations between ITC and its largest shareholder, British American Tobacco (BAT), the Indian company significantly grew the sale of raw tobacco to the London-headquartered cigarette maker in 2024-25 and received nearly double the amount in advances compared with the year before. BAT, popular for brands like Dunhill, Rothmans and Vuse, bought products (raw tobacco) for `1,445 crore from ITC in FY25, up 35% from the previous year, as per ITC's latest annual report. The advances that ITC took from BAT increased to `1,690 crore from `881 crore in FY24. Advances between related parties are typically loans and other financial benefits. ITC did not specify on the type of the advance in the report. ITC, the country's largest exporter of raw tobacco, has also proposed to take shareholders' approval during the annual general meeting next month to expand its business with BAT. Under Indian regulations, related-party transactions that exceed `1,000 crore or 10% of the annual consolidated turnover of a company require shareholder approval. ITC wants to take approval for raw tobacco export of up to `2,320 crore by 2026-27. It is also seeking to buy `30 crore of raw international tobacco from BAT. ITC said in the annual report that it has been exporting un-manufactured tobacco to BAT for the past several years and the proposed transaction will aid the growth in business. BAT and ITC have a long bitter-sweet relation. In 2018, BAT vetoed a share-rewards programme for ITC employees. Around 2-3 decades back, BAT wanted to wrest ownership control of the Indian company but it was resisted by the then ITC chairman, KL Chugh. Chugh's successor, YC Deveshwar, worked hard to ensure that the stake held by SUUTI (Specified Undertaking of Unit Trust of India) in ITC was not sold to BAT. He believed that BAT was only interested in tobacco and may reverse the diversification of ITC, a conglomerate with businesses ranging from paper products to FMCG and information technology. BAT's current chief executive, Tadeu Marroco, has recently said the company wanted to retain its veto rights in ITC. Last month, BAT sold a 2.5% stake in ITC for $1.5 billion (around `12,926 crore), the proceeds of which the British company wanted to use to expand a share buyback programme. In 2024, BAT had sold 3.5% in ITC for about $2 billion. After those block deals, BAT now owns around 23% in ITC, making it the biggest shareholder, followed by Life Insurance Corporation of India which owns 15.5%. ITC has no promoter holding. BAT's Marroco had told analysts earlier this month that the company's stake in ITC was 'still a strategic investment' and 'not a financial investment'. He said BAT was attracted by the size of the Indian market, demographics and potential GDP per capita growth. BAT has some inter-party relations with ITC in leaf and IT, he had said. 'We want to preserve, as a consequence, a relevant stake in ITC. So we keep our two board directors, so we have influence on the board … Obviously there was an opportunity now to increase the buyback,' Marroco had said. BAT also owns a 15.3% stake in ITC Hotels, which it has indicated would exit at an opportune time since the hotel business is not the company's focus area.
Time of India
29-06-2025
- Business
- Time of India
BAT bets big on India again, as ITC seeks to expand tobacco trade deal
Kolkata: In a sign of improved relations between ITC and its largest shareholder, British American Tobacco ( BAT ), the Indian company significantly grew the sale of raw tobacco to the London-headquartered cigarette maker in 2024-25 and received nearly double the amount in advances compared with the year before. BAT, popular for brands like Dunhill, Rothmans and Vuse, bought products (raw tobacco) for Rs 1,445 crore from ITC in FY25, up 35% from the previous year, as per ITC's latest annual report. The advances that ITC took from BAT increased to Rs 1,690 crore from Rs 881 crore in FY24. Advances between related parties are typically loans and other financial benefits. ITC did not specify on the type of the advance in the report. ITC, the country's largest exporter of raw tobacco, has also proposed to take shareholders' approval during the annual general meeting next month to expand its business with BAT. Under Indian regulations, related-party transactions that exceed Rs 1,000 crore or 10% of the annual consolidated turnover of a company require shareholder approval. ITC wants to take approval for raw tobacco export of up to Rs 2,320 crore by 2026-27. It is also seeking to buy '30 crore of raw international tobacco from BAT. ITC said in the annual report that it has been exporting un-manufactured tobacco to BAT for the past several years and the proposed transaction will aid the growth in business. BAT and ITC have a long bitter-sweet relation. In 2018, BAT vetoed a share-rewards programme for ITC employees. Around 2-3 decades back, BAT wanted to wrest ownership control of the Indian company but it was resisted by the then ITC chairman, KL Chugh. Chugh's successor, YC Deveshwar , worked hard to ensure that the stake held by SUUTI (Specified Undertaking of Unit Trust of India ) in ITC was not sold to BAT. He believed that BAT was only interested in tobacco and may reverse the diversification of ITC, a conglomerate with businesses ranging from paper products to FMCG and information technology. BAT's current chief executive, Tadeu Marroco, has recently said the company wanted to retain its veto rights in ITC. Last month, BAT sold a 2.5% stake in ITC for $1.5 billion (around Rs 12,926 crore), the proceeds of which the British company wanted to use to expand a share buyback programme. In 2024, BAT had sold 3.5% in ITC for about $2 billion. After those block deals, BAT now owns around 23% in ITC, making it the biggest shareholder, followed by Life Insurance Corporation of India which owns 15.5%. ITC has no promoter holding. BAT's Marroco had told analysts earlier this month that the company's stake in ITC was "still a strategic investment" and "not a financial investment". He said BAT was attracted by the size of the Indian market, demographics and potential GDP per capita growth. BAT has some inter-party relations with ITC in leaf and IT, he had said. "We want to preserve, as a consequence, a relevant stake in ITC. So we keep our two board directors, so we have influence on the board ... Obviously there was an opportunity now to increase the buyback," Marroco had said. BAT also owns a 15.3% stake in ITC Hotels, which it has indicated would exit at an opportune time since the hotel business is not the company's focus area.
