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Category: coronavirus

  • MIL-Evening Report: How can I tell if my child is too sick to go to school?

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Liz Sturgiss, Professor of Community Medicine and Clinical Education, Bond University

    Chay_Tay/Shutterstock

    As a GP and mum to two boys I have many experiences of trying to navigate the school morning when my boys aren’t feeling well. It always seems to happen on the busiest days.

    None of us want to send our child to school when they are not well – I hate the thought of my kids feeling sick in the classroom and also the idea they might make other children sick.

    Lots of families have someone for whom illnesses are more dangerous. They might have a weakened immune system because they are going through cancer treatment or suffer from another illness.

    But it can be hard to tell. A child might be dramatically crying “my tummy HURTS” one minute and racing around with their sibling the next. Or you might wonder if they are angling for some time off in front of the TV.

    How can you tell if your child is too sick to go to school?

    None of us want to send our child to school when they are not well.
    Pixel Shot/ Shutterstock

    Symptoms to look out for

    In school-aged children here are some symptoms to consider.

    Fever: if your child feels hot to touch, or you have a thermometer showing a fever (a temperature above 38 degrees), then they shouldn’t attend school.

    This is even if you are giving them regular paracetamol or ibuprofen to keep their temperature down. Your child won’t feel comfortable at school with a fever and they have a high chance of making others unwell.

    Vomiting and diarrhoea: children should stay home until it is at least 24 hours since their last vomit or runny poo. This is to reduce the spread of viral gastroenteritis (or stomach flu) and to make sure your child can stay hydrated and well. If your child is vomiting or has diarrhoea, it also is important to keep a close eye on them to make sure they are improving and to seek medical care if they are getting worse.

    Runny noses: a runny nose without a fever might be a sign of hayfever, especially if your child has other symptoms like itchy eyes or sneezing. On its own, this is not a reason to stay home.

    But a new runny nose with a fever is a reason to stay home. Many infections, including influenza, COVID and even measles can start with a fever and runny nose, although usually it signals a common cold.

    The common cold needs rest, fluids and encouraging your child to keep their nose clear with gentle blowing or saline sprays. And a reminder, the annual flu vaccine is an excellent way to protect your family from the serious consequences of the “proper flu”.

    Cough: there are many different reasons for a child to cough. This includes infections such as COVID, whooping cough and influenza and non-infectious reasons such as hayfever and reflux. If your child has developed a new cough, and especially if they are also feverish, this is a reason to keep them at home. A cough that doesn’t go away after two weeks should also be checked out by your GP.

    Tiredness: mostly on Fridays, my kids are tired after a busy week – much like me! Tiredness can be an early sign of a lurking infection or some other health issue. But on its own is probably not a reason to keep your child home. However, ongoing tiredness is a good reason to have your child checked out by your GP as there are many causes from poor sleep to iron deficiency.

    Poor appetite: kids’ appetites can vary so wildly, especially when they move into growing phases. Not wanting to eat breakfast in the morning might be an early gastro infection, a sign of constipation or nervous butterflies for the day ahead. If your child is otherwise OK, with no tummy pain, fever or tiredness, then a lack of appetite for breakfast is not a solid reason to stay home.

    It’s common for kids to feel tired, but this on its own is not a reason to skip school.
    Andrew Will/ Shutterstock

    Watch out for school refusal

    I find it helpful to let my child know if they stay home, they will need to stay in bed with no screens to rest and get well. This tends to separate the “truly feeling unwell” days from the “just hoping to have a rest” days.

    But feeling unwell in the morning – particularly in the tummy, tiredness or unexplained headaches – can be an early sign something might not be going smoothly for your child at school or home.

    School refusal is a serious problem where a child is completely overwhelmed and unable to attend school. It can come on gradually or suddenly. Talking with your child’s school is a critical first step if you are concerned about school refusal – it should be a conversation that happens promptly and your school should have procedures for helping you to manage it.



    Read more:
    Is it school reluctance or refusal? How to tell the difference and help your child

    Phone a friend

    If you’re not sure, consider giving a trusted friends or family member a quick call to talk things over.

    You can also contact Healthdirect on 1800 022 222 (or 13 Health if you are in Queensland). This is a national phone service open 24 hours for anyone who has symptoms and needs advice on what to do next.

    Liz Sturgiss receives funding from the NHMRC, MRFF, RACGP Foundation, Diabetes Australia and VicHealth that is unrelated to this article. She is affiliated with Australian Journal of Primary Health (CSIRO), Australian Prescriber, RACGP, NAPCRG, Guidelines Development Committee for the review and update of the Clinical Practice Guidelines for the Management of Overweight and Obesity in Adults, Adolescents and Children in Australia and Australasian Association for Academic Primary Care.

    – ref. How can I tell if my child is too sick to go to school? – https://theconversation.com/how-can-i-tell-if-my-child-is-too-sick-to-go-to-school-252731

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Environment Secretary Steve Reed – Circular Economy speech

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    Speech

    Environment Secretary Steve Reed – Circular Economy speech

    Speech by Environment Secretary Steve Reed at the Dock Shed in London, setting out his vision for a circular economy

    Thanks to British Land and Mace for hosting us at the Dock Shed today.

    The views up here are absolutely spectacular.

    I don’t think any of us can ever tire of looking at that iconic London skyline. No matter how many times you’ve seen it before.

    Or seeing the city shift and grow as buildings go up and down, as spaces are developed. As communities are created.

    When I was Lambeth Council Leader, I was co-chair of the Vauxhall Nine Elms Redevelopment – that’s the biggest regeneration project in Europe.

    But what people don’t always see is the waste that kind of development can produce.

    62% of all waste generated in the United Kingdom comes from construction.  

    That’s resources lost from our economy.

    Lost economic value.

    As we meet our commitment as a Government to build 1.5 million homes, the infrastructure for clean green energy and a reliable and clean water supply, the datacentres to make the UK an AI superpower, we can and we must get better use out of our materials and eradicate waste.

    Mace and British Land – and many others in the room – are already rising to the challenge.

    In this building alone, thousands of tonnes of carbon were saved by smarter material choices, meaning every structure has a smaller carbon footprint.

    The stone floor beneath your feet is completely recycled.

    And in new buildings across the development, British Land and Mace are using material passports to digitally track all components so they can be adapted and reused in the future.

    Later this morning I’m looking forward to visiting the Paper Garden, just a few minutes from here, transformed from an old printworks into an education centre and a garden, where 60% of materials have been retained or reclaimed, including railway sleepers and the logs of fallen trees from Epping Forest.

    The principles of a Circular Economy are embedded in these designs.

    That’s what I want to talk about today.

    Not just in construction but across all sectors.

    We have an opportunity to end the throwaway society and move to a futureproofed economy.

    Where things are built to last.

    Where products are designed to be reused and repaired. And materials given new life again and again.

    This isn’t about merely modifying the way we currently manage waste.

    I want to work with all of you to fundamentally transform our economy so we get more value from it.

    When I was in opposition, this is what business leaders told me they wanted a Labour Government to do.

    So when I became Secretary of State for Defra, I made creating a Circular Economy one of my five core priorities for that department.

    British businesses want to make this change.

    So now it’s part of the Government’s national Plan for Change.

    But it needs long-term direction on how regulation will develop.

    So you can plan with certainty, so we can build the infrastructure we need, and financial institutions and businesses can invest with confidence.

    Today I want to set that direction so, together, we can make the Circular Economy a reality.

    Turn back the years and the things Britain made were built to last.

    Washing machines would be fixed, clothes mended, broken pieces of furniture repaired. 

    But in recent times we’ve become trapped in a throwaway culture.

    It’s easier and quicker to replace something on Amazon than get it fixed.

    Our lives follow a ‘take, use and throw’ model that is economically unsustainable, creates mountains of waste that we have to bury or burn, and leaves our supply chains vulnerable and exposed.

    Yet we know the British public support change.

    Carrier bags sold by the main supermarkets have reduced by over 98% since 2014.

    We’ve cleaned up streets, rivers and beaches by banning single-use plastic items like cutlery and polystyrene cups.

    Both policies had huge public support.

    But we are falling behind the rest of the world.

    This Government is changing that.

    Packaging Extended Producer Responsibility will begin later this year, incentivising businesses to remove unnecessary packaging and make their products more recyclable and refillable.

    Simpler Recycling for the workplace starts next week.

    And a standardised, national approach to household recycling – paper, card, plastic, glass, metals and food waste – will be introduced next year so everyone understands more clearly what they can recycle and how they recycle it.

    This will end postcode confusion about bin collections and make sure households, workplaces and businesses never have to deal with the madness of 7 separate bin collections which the previous Conservative Government legislated to inflict on us.

    And this April, we will appoint the business-led organisation that will launch the UK’s first Deposit Management Scheme for drinks containers starting in 2027.

    Less than 60% of waste electricals are collected for reuse or recycling.

    4 in 5 of our plastic products are still made from virgin materials.

    Our household recycling rates haven’t improved in 15 years.

    UK landfill sites absolutely astonishingly cover an area almost as big as Greater London. 

    We burn 12 million tonnes of waste collected by councils every year.

    We throw away £22 billion in edible food annually. Four and a half billion in clothes. 2 and a half billion in usable furniture.

    This is bad for the environment, bad for society and it’s bad for the economy.

    We are literally shovelling money down the drain.

    Under Michael Topham’s leadership at the Environmental Services Association, our biggest recycling companies are stepping up to the challenge.

    Our reforms are giving them the confidence to invest £10 billion pounds in the UK’s recycling infrastructure over the next decade, creating over 21 thousand jobs right across the country.

    I know parts of the industry have concerns around the impacts of some of these reforms.

    We are listening. And we’ll keep listening to make sure the changes work for businesses.

    Based on businesses’ feedback, we’ll appoint a producer-led organisation to lead our packaging reforms, building on the successful business-led board that steered them to this stage.

    We’ve published estimated base fees for year one of the scheme, rather than ranges, to give businesses more certainty.

    And we have stopped mandatory labelling requirements to avoid any trade friction or increased costs within the UK and with the EU.

    We’ve also worked with the Food Standards Agency to confirm they will take up the role of competent authority, carrying out the checks to verify the suitability of recycling processes producing food-grade recycled plastics for trade, so we can uphold the value of high-quality UK recycled plastics on export markets.

    Beyond our packaging changes, our ban on disposable plastic vapes comes into force in June.

    We are changing the law so online marketplaces and vape producers pay their fair share to recycle the electricals that they put on the market – encouraging them to consider other options like reuse.

    We’ve set aside £15 million to reduce food waste from farms and ensure it reaches families in need.

    And we’ve set strict conditions for new energy-from-waste plants so they work better for local communities and maximise the value of resources that can’t be re-used or recycled.

    I’m proud of where we’ve got to so far. But I know these reforms are still not enough.

    We need a bigger shift to an economic system that encourages repair, reuse and innovation, where resources are used again and again, and waste is designed out of the system right from the start.

    I worked in business for 16 years, with responsibility for driving up profit and driving down cost.  

    To make this bigger shift, I know we must help you unlock innovation and technologies that will open new revenue streams.

    Work with local government to ensure the right infrastructure is in place.

    And show the public that the circular economy is not some abstract concept, but something that will bring real benefits to them, their families, small businesses and communities right across the UK.

    A Circular Economy makes sense.

    In the Netherlands, financial organisations like InvestNL and innovations such as the Denim Deal for textiles are stimulating innovation in every corner of their economy.

    I want the UK to match this. And then go further.

    Moving from our current throwaway society is vital to grow the economy and deliver our Plan for Change, so we can give working people economic security, and give our country national security.

    Towns and cities in every region will benefit from new investment that keeps materials in use for longer, whether in manufacturing and product design, processing or recycling facilities, or in the rental, repair and resale sectors.

    This will provide thousands of high quality, skilled jobs right across the country, getting more people into work, wages into pockets, and driving the regional economic growth this Government was elected to deliver.

    If you want to put a figure on it, external analysis suggests circular economy policies have the potential to boost the economy by £18 billion a year, every year.

    A Circular Economy is also a more resilient economy.

    Recent disruptions to global supply chains from the Covid 19 pandemic to Russia’s illegal invasion of Ukraine make it clear we can no longer rely on importing 80% of our raw materials from abroad.

    These include the materials and components essential to our phones, computers, electric vehicles, hospital equipment and clean energy infrastructure. And that’s to name just a few.

    To ensure our national security in an increasingly unstable world, we have no choice.

    We must embrace circular, local supply chains to reduce our exposure to global shocks and prevent us running out of critical resources.

    As the Chancellor has said, we need to remove barriers for British businesses, investors and entrepreneurs and grow the supply-side of our economy.

    It’s not just the economy though.

    Extracting resources and processing them is responsible for over half of global greenhouse gas emissions.

    Moving away from the linear make, use and throw model is vital to meeting our Net Zero and Environment Targets.

    It will mean less rubbish ending up in landfill. Fewer plastics under our feet and choking the seas, taking hundreds of years to break down.

    We can make better use of that land, whether for agriculture, housing, nature or green energy infrastructure.

    It will mean burning less waste. Less litter on our streets. Less fly tipping on the side of our roads.

    It will mean people can feel more pride in their communities.

    British businesses are already showing us what’s possible.

    From innovative tech startups turning waste into valuable materials, to social enterprises giving used goods a second life.

    Like SUEZ working with the Greater Manchester Combined Authority to give hundreds of tonnes of pre-loved items like furniture, bikes and toys a brand new lease of life.

    Reselling them to the local community at affordable prices or donating them to local charities.

    Too Good to Go, established in Copenhagen and spanning multiple global cities including here in London, which has over 100 million users and saved over 400 million meals.

    Low Carbon Materials in Durham, using alternative construction materials to decarbonise roads across the country.

    Or Ecobat Solutions’ in Darlaston recovering valuable materials from end-of-life lithium-ion batteries through their innovative recycling plant.

    I want to support businesses like these to succeed.

    By facilitating the transition you told me this sector wants to make.

    That’s why I set up the Circular Economy taskforce, bringing together experts from government, industry, academia and civil society to work with businesses on what they want to see so we create the best possible conditions for investment.

    I’m delighted to have so many members of the taskforce here with us in the room this morning.

    Under the leadership of Andrew Morlet and Professor Paul Ekins, the taskforce will work with businesses to develop the first ever Circular Economy Strategy for England.

    We will publish the Strategy in the coming Autumn.

    It will include the long-term regulatory roadmaps that businesses asked for, showing the journey to circularity, sector by sector, so you have the certainty and direction to invest in the future.

    We will start with five sectors that have the greatest potential to grow the economy: chemicals and plastics; construction; textiles; transport; and agrifood.

    This includes exploring how we can protect our battery supply so we can electrify the UK’s vehicle fleet, working with the Chancellor to make sure levers including the Plastics Packaging Tax help support the stability and growth of our plastics reprocessing sector, or how we harness new technologies to stop burning materials like the plastic films on packs of strawberries or mushrooms, but instead give them a new life.

    We’re already seeing innovation in plastic films by the company Quantafuel based in Denmark, and Viridor who are here today, alongside others, want to develop chemical recycling plants following that model here in the UK.

    It includes how we build on the industry led coalition ‘Textiles 2030’ to transform our world-leading fashion and textiles industry, tackle food waste to improve food security and bring benefits for consumers, businesses and the environment, and lower construction costs and emissions as we build 1.5 million homes during the lifetime of the current Parliament.

    In these roadmaps, we’ll learn from international best practice, including from the European Union.

    Until now, countries such as the Netherlands, Denmark and Germany have led the way on circularity.

    Our Strategy will give British businesses the support they need so we can put the UK back in the race.

    It will provide the freedom for businesses to harness the entrepreneurial spirit and innovation that Britain has long been known for.

    Those of you here today are the champions for this change.

    You were the first off the start line. You’ve battled to do what’s right for the environment, the economy, and the future of our country.

    I want to thank you for that.

    Businesses will lead the transition to a Circular Economy.

    It’s up to us to work together to bring the wider business community and society with us.

    We need to show the country that the Circular Economy is not just a diagram on a page.

    It’s cleaner streets, greener parks, and less fly-tipping in communities we’re proud to call home.

    It’s new income for businesses, thousands of skilled jobs, and economic growth in every region of the country.

    It’s resilience in the face of global supply chain shocks, and it’s essential for our national security.

    The Circular Economy is our chance to improve lives up and down the country. To grow our economy.

    And protect our beautiful environment for generations to come.

    I’m genuinely excited about what we can achieve together.

    My ask from you is simple.

    Please tell the taskforce, and tell me, what you need from us.

    Then work with us so we can make it happen.

    Thank you.

    Updates to this page

    Published 27 March 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Kennedy welcomes debarment of doctor who facilitated gain-of-function research in Wuhan: “We now have justice”

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator John Kennedy (Louisiana)

    Watch Kennedy’s comments here.

    WASHINGTON – Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.) commended the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) for debarring and defunding EcoHealth Alliance and its president, Dr. Peter Daszak, for their role in facilitating gain-of-function research in Wuhan, China, which likely caused the coronavirus pandemic.  

    Key excerpts of the speech are below: 

    “Many commentators and many news accounts say that what Dr. Daszak—with the money from American taxpayers that he had gotten from Dr. Fauci and Dr. Collins—what they were doing was conducting gain-of-function research. . . . Gain-of-function research just means taking, in this context, an animal virus, a bat virus, altering it genetically so it would jump into a human—pretty dangerous stuff.

    “Now Dr. Fauci has said that didn’t happen, Dr. Collins says that didn’t happen, and Dr. Daszak says that didn’t happen, but everybody else says it did. The FBI says it did. The CIA says it did. The top spy agency in Germany says it did. The Department of Energy says it did.

    “So what happened? What happened? Well, we do know that the first two people that we know of in the world who got the coronavirus—the first two humans—were not people in the city of Wuhan; they were workers in the Wuhan lab. . . . We also know that when the virus became really contagious, other than these two people who were working in the Wuhan lab, it became contagious in Wuhan, China, a few miles away from the Wuhan lab—pretty curious. 

    “We also know that when word first broke of the coronavirus, Dr. Fauci learned about it. Do you know one of the first persons he called was Dr. Peter Daszak and said: What is going on?

    “We also know that Dr. Daszak was trying to convince the American people and the people of the world that the virus started naturally—that it didn’t start from his gain-of-function research. We know that he rounded up a bunch of epidemiologists to write a fake article and start publishing it and others in a lot of professional scientific magazines to try to convince the world that the bat virus jumped to human beings naturally. We know that. That has all come out.”

     . . .

    “It took a while, and some will call this only partial justice, but we now have justice—at least for 5 years. I hope forever Dr. Peter Daszak and any company with which he is affiliated will no longer receive taxpayer dollars from the National Institutes of Health because he was doing—according to many people smarter than me and many news reports—he was funding gain research in Wuhan. . . . Pretty scary stuff, and we know how it all turned out.

    Background:

    • On Jan. 17, 2025, HHS announced that it would be defunding and debarring EcoHealth Alliance Inc. and Dr. Daszak for at least five years due to their role in facilitating irresponsible gain-of-function research at the Wuhan Institute of Virology in China.
    • HHS determined that Dr. Daszak and EcoHealth Alliance violated the terms of their gain-of-function grant to conduct experiments that modified novel bat coronaviruses to make them 10,000 times more infectious in mice.
    • Dr. Daszak, former National Institutes of Health Director Dr. Francis Collins and former National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases Director Dr. Anthony Fauci coordinated with other public health officials to propel the theory that COVID-19 originated in nature.

    Watch Kennedy’s full speech here. 

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Ecological disruptions are a risk to national security

    Source: The Conversation – USA – By Bradley J. Cardinale, Professor, Ecosystem Science and Management, Penn State

    Illegal deforestation is one way terrorist groups fund their activities. Amaury Falt-Brown/AFP via Getty Images

    When the natural environment is stretched beyond its ability to meet basic human needs for food, clean air, drinkable water and shelter, it is not just a humanitarian concern for the world community. Research shows that these crises are a matter of national security for the U.S. and other countries.

    The Pentagon and the U.S. intelligence community have long paid close attention to the influence of climate change on national security. Although recent intelligence reports of the Trump administration have omitted any mention of climate change, prior intelligence reports have shown how climate change can generate flash points for global conflict, affect how troops and equipment work, and influence which defense locations are vulnerable.

    The effects of ecological disruptions on national security get less attention. But they, too, can cause social and political instability, economic strife and strained international relations. Ecological disruptions occur when ecosystems that provide natural resources are compromised and can no longer meet basic human needs. Examples include overfishing, human disease and environmental crime.

    Protecting access to fish

    Some 3.2 billion people worldwide rely on fisheries as a major source of protein. Overexploitation of ocean fisheries is a common root of international conflict.

    From the 1950s to the 1970s, intermittent conflict broke out between British and Icelandic fishermen over the Icelandic cod fisheries, which had been depleted by overfishing. The Icelandic government sought to ban British trawlers from a broader area around the country’s coast, but the British continued to fish. The result was standoffs between fishing boats and Icelandic gunboats, and even the intervention of the British Royal Navy.

    These “Cod Wars” broke diplomatic relations between Iceland and the United Kingdom for a time. Iceland even threatened to withdraw from the North Atlantic Treaty Organization and close a U.S. military base in Iceland. The U.K. ultimately agreed to abide by a 200-mile territorial limit on fishing around Iceland. Decades later, in 2012, the British government issued an apology and offered £1,000 each in compensation to 2,500 British fishermen for the loss of jobs and livelihoods that resulted from abiding by the 200-mile limit.

    More recently, China’s rampant overfishing of its own coastal waters has meant expanding fishing in the South China Sea and using fishing fleets to assert new territorial claims. Indonesia has responded by blowing up more than 40 Chinese vessels accused of fishing illegally in its waters and stealing more than US$4 billion per year in Indonesian profits.

    The United States, Australia, New Zealand and Britain have stepped up naval patrols against illegal fishing in the waters of Pacific island nations. Conflicts have arisen with Chinese coast guard vessels that routinely escort fishing fleets entering other countries’ waters without permission.

    China’s fishing fleets have also expanded their activities off the coasts of Africa and South America, depleting fish stocks and creating political instability in those regions, too. In 2024, the U.S. Coast Guard and Argentine navy began joint exercises to combat illegal Chinese fishing in the Atlantic Ocean.

    Public health crises

    The best-known examples of ecologically related public health crises that jeopardize national security involve what are called zoonotic diseases, which spread from animals to humans as a result of close contact between people and wildlife. More than 70% of the world’s emerging infectious diseases – uncommon or newly identified infectious diseases – stem from contact with wild animals.

    The risks of animal-to-human disease transmission are especially high for those who handle or eat wild meat.

    A recent example is the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus responsible for the COVID-19 global pandemic. Epidemiological and genetic studies suggest that SARS-CoV-2 first spilled over to humans from wild animals sold in the Huanan live animal market in Wuhan, China. Although the specific animal that served as the original host is still under investigation, bats and other mammals are considered likely natural reservoirs of SARS-CoV-2 because they harbor other coronaviruses with closely related genomes.

    Following the zoonotic spillover event, the pathogen spread rapidly across the globe, killing more than 7 million people and causing acute disruptions not only to global markets and supply chains but also to social cohesion and political stability. Countries with high COVID-19 mortality rates had elevated levels of civil disorder and fatalities caused by political violence as the trust of citizens in the ability of governments to protect them eroded.

    Many other zoonotic diseases caused by human-wildlife contact, such as Zika, Ebola, SARS and West Nile virus, have similarly generated international political and economic crises that have activated security measures within the U.S. government.

    Environmental crime

    International Anti-Poaching Foundation rangers, seen here demonstrating a patrol in Zimbabwe, seek to protect natural resources from criminals.
    Gianluigi Guercia/AFP via Getty Images

    Illegal poaching and trade of wildlife and forest products is valued at $91 billion to $258 billion per year. That makes environmental crime one of the world’s largest crime sectors, comparable with drug trafficking, at $344 billion, and human trafficking, at $157 billion.

    Exorbitant black market prices for rare wildlife specimens and body parts provide funding for terrorist groups, drug cartels and criminal organizations.

    Illegal logging helps finance terrorist groups such as Al-Shabaab in Somalia, where trade in charcoal has become a critical revenue source. Money from illegally cut trees turned into charcoal and sold to markets in the Middle East has funded al-Shabab-linked suicide bombings in Mogadishu, the 2013 Westgate mall attack in Nairobi that killed 67 Kenyan and non-Kenyan nationals, and the 2015 massacre of 147 university students in Garissa, Kenya.

    Those and other terrorist activities funded through environmental crime have contributed to the destabilization of countries throughout the Horn of Africa.

    These examples make clear how ecological disruptions to nature increase national security risks.

    National security is not just a matter of military strength. It also depends on the ability of a nation to maintain productive and stable ecosystems, resilient biological communities and sustainable access to natural resources. Sovereign nations already develop and protect physical infrastructure that is essential to security, such as roads, communication networks and power grids. The natural world plays an equally vital role in social and political stability and, we believe, deserves more attention in planning for national security.

    Bradley J. Cardinale has received funding from the US National Science Foundation, US Department of Energy, US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, and US Department of Agriculture.

    Emmett Duffy has received funding from the US National Science Foundation, US Environmental Protection Agency, and the Lenfest Ocean Program.

    Rod Schoonover does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

    – ref. Ecological disruptions are a risk to national security – https://theconversation.com/ecological-disruptions-are-a-risk-to-national-security-248754

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI: Drone Manufacturers Racing to Introduce Latest Technology as Global Aerial Survey Services Market Projected to Reach $790 Billion By 2031

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    PALM BEACH, Fla., March 27, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — FN Media Group News Commentary – Many investors have been watching the drone industry consistently growing over the past years and are expecting the same expansions to continue. The popularity of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) for aerial imagery is quickly expanding this market. A report from Verified Market Research said that the Aerial Survey Services Market size, which was valued at USD 22.67 Billion in 2024, is projected to reach USD 791.21 Billion by 2031, growing at a CAGR of 55.90% during the forecast period 2024-2031. The report added: “The rising use of drone services for industry-specific solutions, improved regulatory framework, and increased demand for qualitative data in various industries are projected to boost the expansion of the Drone Aerial Survey Services Market. Aerial imaging is being more widely used in defense applications. Natural calamities are becoming more common. Aerial camera systems have been improving steadily. Drone technology has attracted venture capital investment. During the forecast period, the enterprise segment of the Aerial Survey Services Market is expected to grow at the fastest rate. All industries benefit from enterprise solutions because they provide end-to-end services. The enterprise solution segment is being driven by the rising demand for analytical services and software solutions in the Aerial Survey Services Market.” Active Companies in the drone industry today include ZenaTech, Inc. (NASDAQ: ZENA), AgEagle Aerial Systems Inc. (NYSE: UAVS), Red Cat Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ: RCAT), AeroVironment, Inc. (NASDAQ: AVAV), KULR Technology Group, Inc. (NYSE American: KULR).

    Verified Market Research continued: “A rise in demand from a variety of industries is fueling the growth of the Drone Aerial Survey Services Market. Aerial photography is used in agriculture to track effective changes in yield production, crop health management, and soil improvement. Aerial imaging services are needed by the defense sector to protect border areas and prepare map structures. Aerial imaging services are also being used more widely in research and exploration, archaeological surveys, mining, oil and gas, and resource management. The Drone Aerial Survey Services Market is still in its early stages of development, and the expansion of application areas is expected to accelerate market growth over the forecast period. During the coronavirus pandemic, aerial imaging helped the construction industry. The benefits of aerial imaging for contracted surveying, onsite inspections, and design planning applications have been augmented by the construction, roofing, and solar industries.”

    ZenaTech (NASDAQ:ZENA) Signs LOI to Acquire Eighth Land Survey Company Advancing Drone as a Service in a $2.5 Billion US Drone Survey Market by 2033 – ZenaTech, Inc. (FSE: 49Q) (BMV: ZENA) (“ZenaTech”), a technology company specializing in AI (Artificial Intelligence) drone, Drone as a Service (DaaS), enterprise SaaS and Quantum Computing solutions, announces that it has signed an LOI (Letter of Intent) to acquire an eighth land survey engineering company which marks the second LOI located in Arizona. Upon completion, these locations will serve as a launchpad to further Southwest regional development and contribute to the Company’s national DaaS business model intended to bring the speed and precision of ZenaDrone’s AI drone solutions in a convenient subscription or pay-per-use model for businesses and government users.

    “Arizona is strategic to our US operations as the base of our subsidiary ZenaDrone where our second drone manufacturing facility will be. Our vision with Drone as a Service is to capture part of the drone survey market that is growing by double-digits and is expected to reach USD $2.5 billion by 2033. We plan to build our national presence offering ZenaDrone products and services for land surveys and many other applications,” said CEO Shaun Passley, Ph.D.

    According to Fact.MR, the global drone surveying market is poised for substantial growth and is expected to be worth over USD $8 billion globally by 2033 of which North America is expected to represent 35%. This market is expanding at a CAGR of over 19%, driven by increasing demand from industries such as construction, agriculture, and infrastructure development. Within the drone surveying market, land surveys represent 53%, with significant adoption in real estate, urban planning, environmental applications and infrastructure projects.

    Drones as a Service or DaaS works similarly to Software as a Service (SaaS), but instead of providing software over the internet, this business model offers drone technology solutions and services on a subscription or pay-per-use basis. With DaaS, businesses and government customers can conveniently access drones for tasks such as surveying, inspections, security, law enforcement, or precision agriculture solutions without having to buy, operate or maintain the drones themselves.

    ZenaTech’s DaaS model offers customers including government agencies, builders and real estate developers, construction firms and farmers reduced upfront costs as there is no need to purchase expensive drones, and convenience as the company manages maintenance and operation. DaaS also offers scalability to companies to use more often or less often based on their needs and enables access to advanced drone technology and applications without the need for specialized training or equipment.

    Accurate land surveys are essential for the planning, design, and execution of roads, bridges, and building projects for cities, commercial, and residential projects, and are required for legal purposes. Remotely piloted drones with an array of sensors and cameras, LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging), and GPS systems for capturing high-resolution pictures and data are revolutionizing the land survey industry gathering aerial data across expansive terrains in a matter of hours instead of weeks or months using more traditional photogrammetry methods.   Continued… Read this full release by visiting: https://www.financialnewsmedia.com/news-zena/

    In Additional ZENA News: ZenaTech’s (NASDAQ:ZENA) ZenaDrone Developing Indoor Drone Swarm Application for Inventory Management and Security with Auto Parts Manufacturer Customer – ZenaTech, Inc. this week also announced its subsidiary ZenaDrone is developing a drone swarm application using multiple indoor IQ Nano drones for inventory management and security applications. ZenaDrone is conducting this development with its auto parts manufacturer customer where it is currently engaged in a paid trial.

    A drone swarm is a coordinated group of autonomous drones that communicate and work together using AI and real-time data sharing, to perform tasks collaboratively without direct human control. Drone swarms can enhance efficiency, accuracy, automation and performance compared to a single drone.

    “We are pioneering the development of autonomous drone swarm technology, revolutionizing indoor inventory management and warehouse security by providing real-time, more accurate stock tracking and surveillance with reduced manual processes. We believe this technology will enable warehouses to operate more efficiently, reduce costs, and enhance safety and security while setting a new industry standard for AI drones,” said CEO Shaun Passley, Ph.D.   Continued… Read this full release by visiting: https://www.zenatech.com/newsroom/

    Other recent developments in the drone industry include:

    Red Cat Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ: RCAT), a drone technology company integrating robotic hardware and software for military, government, and commercial operations, recently announced that financial results for the 2024 Stub Period (as of December 31, 2024 and the eight months then ended) will be reported on Monday, March 31, 2025 at the market close.

    Company management will host an earnings conference call at 4:30p.m. ET on Monday, March 31, 2025 to review financial results and provide an update on corporate developments. Following management’s formal remarks, there will be a question-and-answer session.

    Interested parties can listen to the conference call by dialing 1-844-413-3977 (within the U.S.) or 1-412-317-1803 (international). Callers should dial in approximately ten minutes prior to the start time and ask to be connected to the Red Cat conference call. Participants can also pre-register for the call using the following link: https://dpregister.com/sreg/10198203/fecb0dc7ae

    AeroVironment, Inc. (NASDAQ: AVAV) recently reported financial results for the fiscal third quarter ended January 25, 2025. “We faced a number of short-term challenges in the third quarter, including the unprecedented high winds and fires in Southern California, which impacted our ability to meet our goals,” said Wahid Nawabi, AeroVironment chairman, president and chief executive officer. “Nevertheless, we made significant progress towards executing our long-term growth strategy and building resiliency for the future.

    “This quarter, we booked record Switchblade and Jump-20 orders, which helped expand our backlog to a record $764 million. We also announced our new Utah manufacturing facility, which will more than double our Switchblade capacity and provide resiliency against regional weather events. Finally, we made significant progress towards completing our BlueHalo acquisition, which we now expect to close in the second quarter of calendar year 2025. While this has been a transition year pivoting away from Ukraine demand, we still expect a strong fiscal year 2025 including record fourth quarter revenue.”

    KULR Technology Group, Inc. (NYSE American: KULR) recently announced will hold a conference call on Thursday, March 27th at 4:30 p.m. Eastern time (1:30 p.m. Pacific time) to discuss its financial results for the fourth quarter and full year ended December 31, 2024. The financial results will be issued in a press release prior to the call.

    KULR management will host the conference call, followed by a question-and-answer period. Interested parties can submit relevant questions prior to the call to Stuart Smith at SmallCapVoice.Com, Inc. via email: ssmith@smallcapvoice.com by 5:00 p.m. ET on Friday, March 21st, 2025. Mr. Smith will compile a list of questions and submit them to the Company prior to the conference call. The questions that will get addressed will be based on the relevance to the shareholder base, and the appropriateness of the questions in light of public disclosure rules.

    AgEagle Aerial Systems Inc. (NYSE: UAVS) recently announced the appointment of Steve Mathias as Vice President of Global Sales and Business Development and Erik de Badts as Global Head of MicaSense Sales. AgEagle CEO Bill Irby commented, “As we execute a multi-faceted strategic growth plan focused on expanding our global footprint, the addition of both Steve and Erik’s impressive pedigrees will drive innovation, foster collaboration, and ensure that we remain agile in an evolving UAS marketplace. Steve brings multi-decade expertise in military and commercial aviation, both crewed and uncrewed, while Erik is a true subject matter expert in multi-spectral sensing. We are confident their leadership will help strengthen key partner relationships, unlock new opportunities, and accelerate revenue growth.”

    Steve Mathias is an aerospace business executive with over 30 years of senior leadership experience in both the military and aerospace industry. Prior to joining AgEagle, he served as Senior Vice President of Strategy and Growth at GKN Aerospace Defense, a leading global technology company specializing in advanced aerostructures and engine systems. Before his role at GKN Aerospace, Mr. Mathias was Vice President of Global Sales and Strategy at Bell Helicopter, where he led all domestic and international vertical lift defense sales, including both crewed and uncrewed systems. His background as a U.S. Army Officer includes significant special operations and conventional aviation experience with both manned and unmanned systems. In his final Army assignment, Steve served as the Deputy Chief of Staff G-8 for the U.S. Army Special Operations Command, overseeing the requirements and Program Objective Memorandum (POM) processes for over 200 Army and Special Operations air and land programs.

    About FN Media Group:

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    This release contains “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended and such forward-looking statements are made pursuant to the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. “Forward-looking statements” describe future expectations, plans, results, or strategies and are generally preceded by words such as “may”, “future”, “plan” or “planned”, “will” or “should”, “expected,” “anticipates”, “draft”, “eventually” or “projected”. You are cautioned that such statements are subject to a multitude of risks and uncertainties that could cause future circumstances, events, or results to differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements, including the risks that actual results may differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements as a result of various factors, and other risks identified in a company’s annual report on Form 10-K or 10-KSB and other filings made by such company with the Securities and Exchange Commission. You should consider these factors in evaluating the forward-looking statements included herein, and not place undue reliance on such statements. The forward-looking statements in this release are made as of the date hereof and FNM undertakes no obligation to update such statements.

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    SOURCE: FN Media Group

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: expert reaction to New York Times reporting that the Trump administration intends to end funding for Gavi

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    Scientists comment on news that the Trump administration are intending to stop funding for Gavi (Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunisation). 

    Professor Sir Andrew Pollard, Director of the Oxford Vaccine Group, University of Oxford, said:

    “The funding cuts in the first 3 months of this year affecting USAID, ODA, WHO and now Gavi are suffocating global health. With this scale of withdrawal of funding some estimates indicate that millions could die from hunger and vaccine-preventable infections. Institutions are reluctant to speak out in case they are targeted and individuals are self-censoring to protect themselves. We must wake up to the moral case for supporting the remarkable global health efforts that help the poor of the world, but also remember that it is in our own interest to defend global health. As the Covid19 pandemic reminds us, infectious diseases cross borders and put all of us at risk. “

     

    Dr David Elliman, Honorary Senior Associate Professor in Child Health at University College London, said:

    “GAVI has enabled many low income countries to deliver vaccinations to children where they would not otherwise be affordable. This is an important contribution to the prevention of millions of deaths from vaccine-preventable diseases around the world. It is estimated that vaccine programmes save something like 6 lives every minute. The withdrawal of funding from GAVI would inevitably lead to a loss of lives, that could otherwise have been saved. This is not only cruel, but is not in the interests of anyone. If diseases such as measles and TB increase anywhere in the world, it is a hazard to us all.  Measles is already on the increase in many parts of the world, including Europe and USA. This could easily happen to other diseases. Ensuring that children “the other side of the world” are protected, contributes substantially to the protection of our own children in high income countries.

    “Similar to the reduction in other forms of aid, this would add to the misery of millions of children. It is an utterly misguided measure, whether considered on ethical grounds or out self interest. Let us hope that this rumour is just that and does not become action.”

    https://www.nytimes.com/2025/03/26/health/usaid-cuts-gavi-bird-flu.html

    Declared interests

    Professor Sir Andrew Pollard: “Professor Pollard is chair of JCVI which provides independent scientific advice on vaccines to DHSC.  The comment above is given in a personal capacity.”

    Dr David Elliman: I have no conflicts of interest

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI Global: How Australia’s government is spending less on consultants – and trying to rebuild the public service

    Source: The Conversation – France – By Emmanuel Josserand, Enseignant-chercheur, Pôle Léonard de Vinci

    The post-Covid era has been marked by a global crackdown on government spending on consultants. This phenomenon hasn’t only concerned France, where the “McKinsey-gate” episode concerning President Emmanuel Macron’s 2017 campaign for the Élysée led to a Senate inquiry and spending cuts.

    Public debates, government inquiries and new laws emerged in many countries, including the UK, US, Canada, New Zealand, Germany and South Africa. Australia has been particularly active and achieved significant savings in consultant and contractor spending. Here’s how it did it.

    Nearly €2 billion in savings

    To understand why the use of consultants has become highly politicized in Australia, we need to go back at least to the 2018 federal elections. The right-wing coalition government was focusing on cutting public spending by reducing public jobs. The Labour opposition argued that this led to the more costly use of consultants.


    A weekly e-mail in English featuring expertise from scholars and researchers. It provides an introduction to the diversity of research coming out of the continent and considers some of the key issues facing European countries. Get the newsletter!

    The controversy continued through the 2022 federal elections, when a newly elected Labour government pledged to save 3 billion Australian dollars (around €1.9 billion) on consultants and the use of external labour. This was also pursued at the regional level. For instance, the state of New South Wales announced savings of over 55% in consultants’ fees for the fiscal year 2023-24.

    The case of Australia highlights four main reasons for reducing consulting costs and improving governance – reasons that are also found in other countries.

    • Expenses exceeding needs

    First, a dramatic increase in government spending on consultants attracted attention. In Australia, it almost tripled between 1988-89 and 2016-17 (after adjustment for inflation) and then tripled again to reach 3.2 billion Australian dollars for management advisory services alone in 2022-23. There is a concern that such costs are far more than what might be justified by a temporary rise in workload or the need for very specific technical expertise, even accounting for the exceptional case of Covid.

    • Hollowing out of the public service

    Second, there is the related question of the hollowing out of the public service. The increase in the use of consultants can trigger a vicious circle in which the government loses its skills, thus becoming even more dependent on consultants. This was the core argument of a recent critique by economists called The Big Con.

    • Lack of assessment

    Third, there are reasons to doubt the overall efficiency and effectiveness of consultants’ interventions, especially in the absence of appropriate assessment by clients of the outcomes of the services provided. Despite the claims of consultants and their paying clients that consulting adds value, it is often impossible to measure value precisely, and, therefore, identify who deserves credit or blame.

    Beyond comparing rates of pay, it is hard to know whether internal options would be more effective than using external consultants. Overall, research provides a very mixed picture, with some work showing external consulting being associated with increased inefficiency.

    • Significant conflicts of interest

    Finally, the capacity of consultants to provide independent advice has been broadly criticised after a series of scandals. This is partly because of conflicts of interest for consultants working for both public and private sector clients that are also often undeclared.

    This concern became especially salient in Australia with the PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) tax scandal. The Treasury had hired PwC, one of the “Big 4” consulting firms, to help devise legislation to restrict tax evasion by multinationals. Some PwC partners then shared this information with their private sector clients to help them prepare to avoid the new laws. Such cases are linked to broader concerns about the lack of transparency and professionalism in consulting and the failure of self-regulation, both linked to a reward system in the sector that prioritises generating fee income over ethics and the wider public interest.

    Recommendations from the Senate inquiry

    With a dependency on consulting that was proportionally greater than any other country’s and the resulting diminishment of its public service, Australia was facing a significant challenge and pressure to cut costs. But because of the diminishment of the public service, these cuts risked leaving it unable to fulfil its missions.

    A recent Senate inquiry into the matter provided recommendations on how to improve the contracting process, public reporting on consultant contracts and a new regulatory framework for the consulting industry. It also recommended that any external consulting contract include an approach to transferring knowledge to the Australian public service.

    However, these measures wouldn’t have been enough to reconstruct the capacity of the public service to compensate for significant cuts in their consulting and contractor spending. To solve this problem, the Australian government has started a major rebuilding of the public service.

    Thousands of reallocated roles

    Since 2022, Canberra has reallocated 8,700 roles formerly performed by consultants and external labour hires to public servants across all the major public service agencies. This will be supported by the Australian Public Service Commission’s strategy to develop a flexible workforce that is prepared for the challenges the public service will be facing – notably that of digitalization, an area that has been over-reliant on consultants.

    Another interesting initiative in New South Wales is the establishment of a unit that will aim to redirect government agencies toward in-house expertise instead of consultants. Indeed, recourse to internal consulting units is common in the private sector. The government will also undertake long-term capability and skills planning, notably to identify core public service skills and address competency gaps.

    Will this bring lasting results?

    Australia’s solution is thus a strong commitment to redeveloping the public service with a flexible and planned approach to the management of its human resources. This is a key part of the way forward if cuts to consulting budgets are to be sustained. It is, however, too early to judge if the challenge of redeveloping the public service workforce and making it flexible enough will be met.

    We should also keep in mind that this long-term objective is subject to political changes. With the current opposition leader promising a cut of 10,000 civil servants if his coalition is elected later this year, Labour’s plans for the public workforce might be short-lived.

    Indeed, in Australia and elsewhere, there is a long history of short-lived and failed government efforts to contain the use of external consulting. This is in part because of a lack of civil service capacity to respond to change, but also because consulting firms are adept at persuading those in power – politicians and senior civil servants – that they can solve their problems (and let them take the credit).

    Emmanuel Josserand is affiliated with the Institute for Sustainable Futures, University of Technology Sydney and the Business Insight Institute, Wiltz, Luxembourg.

    Andrew Sturdy et Emmanuel Josserand ne travaillent pas, ne conseillent pas, ne possèdent pas de parts, ne reçoivent pas de fonds d’une organisation qui pourrait tirer profit de cet article, et n’ont déclaré aucune autre affiliation que leur poste universitaire.

    – ref. How Australia’s government is spending less on consultants – and trying to rebuild the public service – https://theconversation.com/how-australias-government-is-spending-less-on-consultants-and-trying-to-rebuild-the-public-service-252748

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Florida Man Pleads Guilty to Scheming to Defraud Maryland, California of More Than $2.3 Million in Covid-19 Unemployment Insurance Benefits

    Source: United States Department of Justice (National Center for Disaster Fraud)

    Baltimore, Maryland – David Godin, 34, aka “James St Patrick,” aka “David Wetty,” aka “Vic Pro,” of Miami, Florida, has pleaded guilty to wire fraud and aggravated identity theft, in connection with a scheme to defraud the Maryland Department of Labor (MD-DOL) and California Employment Development Department (CA-EDD). Godin attempted to defraud MD-DOL and CA-EDD of more than $2.3 million in unemployment insurance (UI) benefits during the COVID-19 pandemic.

    Kelly O. Hayes, U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland, announced the guilty plea with Special Agent in Charge Troy W. Springer, National Capital Region, U.S. Department of Labor’s Office of Inspector General (DOL-OIG), and Special Agent in Charge Kareem A. Carter, Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI), Washington, D.C. Field Office.

    According to the plea agreement, from June 2020 through November 2023, Godin engaged in a sophisticated scheme to defraud the MD-DOL and CA-EDD by using the personal identifiable information of identity theft victims, anonymous email addresses, virtual private networks, and proxy servers.  This enabled Godin to file numerous fraudulent UI claims with multiple states from a single location; aggregate UI information in discrete accounts; and avoid fraud safeguards put in place by state insurance programs.

    Godin submitted and caused the submission of at least 140 fraudulent UI claims to MD-DOL, CA-EDD, and other state workforce agencies, resulting in approximately $2,364,226 in UI benefits. He obtained $1,087,345.66 through the fraud scheme. As part of the plea agreement, Godin is required to pay restitution of $1,087,345.66. Additionally, Godin must forfeit money, property, and/or assets that he obtained through the scheme, including a money judgment of at least $1,087,345.66.

    Godin faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison for the wire fraud scheme and a consecutive mandatory minimum sentence of two years in federal prison for using the personal identifiable information of identity theft victims during and in relation to the fraudulent activities.   A federal district court judge determines sentencing after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. U.S. District Judge Matthew J. Maddox has scheduled sentencing for June 30, at 10 a.m.   

    This case is part of the District of Maryland COVID-19 Strike Force, a Strike Force that is one of five strike forces established throughout the United States by the U.S. Department of Justice to investigate and prosecute COVID-19 fraud, including fraud relating to the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act.  The CARES Act was designed to provide emergency financial assistance to Americans suffering the economic effects caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.  The strike forces focus on large-scale, multi-state pandemic relief fraud perpetrated by criminal organizations and transnational actors.  The strike forces are interagency law enforcement efforts, using prosecutor-led and data analyst-driven teams designed to identify and bring to justice those who stole pandemic relief funds.

    For more information about the Department’s response to the pandemic, please visit https://www.justice.gov/coronavirus.  Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline at 866-720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.

    U.S. Attorney Hayes commended DOL-OIG and IRS-CI for their work in the investigation.  Ms. Hayes also thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Bijon A. Mostoufi and Jared M. Beim, who are prosecuting the federal case, and Joanna N. Huber, who is supporting the case.

    For more information about the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to report fraud, please visit www.justice.gov/usao-md and https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/report-fraud.

    # # #

     

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Global population data is in crisis – here’s why that matters

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Andrew J Tatem, WorldPop Director, Professor of Spatial Demography and Epidemiology, University of Southampton

    Arthimedes/Shutterstock

    Every day, decisions that affect our lives depend on knowing how many people live where. For example, how many vaccines are needed in a community, where polling stations should be placed for elections or who might be in danger as a hurricane approaches. The answers rely on population data.

    But counting people is getting harder.

    For centuries, census and household surveys have been the backbone of population knowledge. But we’ve just returned from the UN’s statistical commission meetings in New York, where experts reported that something alarming is happening to population data systems globally.

    Census response rates are declining in many countries, resulting in large margins of error. The 2020 US census undercounted America’s Latino population by more than three times the rate of the 2010 census. In Paraguay, the latest census revealed a population one-fifth smaller than previously thought.

    South Africa’s 2022 census post-enumeration survey revealed a likely undercount of more than 30%. According to the UN Economic Commission for Africa, undercounts and census delays due to COVID-19, conflict or financial limitations have resulted in an estimated one in three Africans not being counted in the 2020 census round.

    When people vanish from data, they vanish from policy. When certain groups are systematically undercounted – often minorities, rural communities or poorer people – they become invisible to policymakers. This translates directly into political underrepresentation and inadequate resource allocation.

    As the Brookings Institution, a US research organisation, has highlighted, undercounts have “cost communities of colour political representation over the next decade”.

    This is happening because several factors have converged. Trust in government institutions is eroding worldwide, with the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) reporting that by late 2023, 44% of people across member countries had low or no trust in their national governments. Research shows a clear trend of declining trust specifically in representative institutions like parliaments and governments. This makes people less likely to respond to government-issued census requests.

    The COVID-19 pandemic created logistical nightmares for census takers. Many countries had to postpone their censuses. Budget cuts to statistical offices reduced capacity, while countries struggled with recruiting field staff.

    International funding for population data is also disappearing. The US-funded Demographic and Health Surveys program, which provided vital survey data across 90 countries for four decades, was terminated in February 2025. Unicef’s Multi-Indicator Cluster program, which carries out household surveys, faces an uncertain future amid shrinking global aid budgets. US government cuts to support for UN agencies and development banks undertaking census support will likely have further impacts.

    This is incredibly worrying to us as geography academics, because gathering accurate population data is fundamentally about making everyone visible. As population scientists Sabrina Juran and Arona Pistiner wrote, this information allows governments to plan for the future of a country and its people.

    The US census directly impacts the allocation of more than US$1.5 trillion (£1.2 trillion) in public resources each year. How can governments distribute healthcare funding without knowing who lives where? How can disaster response be effective if vulnerable populations are invisible in official population counts?

    Solutions that count

    Countries are adapting. The COVID-19 pandemic accelerated the transition to alternative census methodologies. Many countries turned to online questionnaires, telephone interviews and administrative data sources to reduce face-to-face interactions.

    The UN Economic Commission for Africa recommends that countries move from using paper forms for census data collection and embrace new digital technologies that can be cheaper and more reliable. Turkey’s switch in 2011 reduced census costs from US$48.3 million to US$13.9 million while improving data quality and timeliness, and nearly 80% of countries used tablets or smartphones for data collection in the 2020 round of censuses.

    Collecting census data digitally in Pakistan in 2023.
    Abdul Rauf Khan/Shutterstock

    At WorldPop, our research group at the University of Southampton, we’re also helping governments to develop solutions using new technologies. Buildings mapped from satellite imagery using AI, together with counts of populations from small areas, can help create detailed population estimates to support census implementation or provide estimates for undersurveyed areas.

    As we face growing challenges, from climate change to economic inequality, having accurate, reliable and robust population data isn’t a luxury. It’s essential for a functioning society. National statistical offices, UN agencies, academics, the private sector and donors must urgently focus on how to build cost-effective solutions to provide reliable and robust population data, especially in resource-poor settings where recent cuts will be felt hardest.

    When people disappear from the data, they risk disappearing from public policy too. Making everyone count starts with counting everyone.

    Don’t have time to read about climate change as much as you’d like?

    Get a weekly roundup in your inbox instead. Every Wednesday, The Conversation’s environment editor writes Imagine, a short email that goes a little deeper into just one climate issue. Join the 40,000+ readers who’ve subscribed so far.

    Andrew J Tatem works for the University of Southampton, and is Director of WorldPop. His research on mapping populations has been funded by donors such as the Gates Foundation, Wellcome Trust, GAVI.

    Jessica Espey works for the University of Southampton. Her research on data, statistics and evidence use has previously been funded by the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation, Gates Foundation and others.

    – ref. Global population data is in crisis – here’s why that matters – https://theconversation.com/global-population-data-is-in-crisis-heres-why-that-matters-251751

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Britons increasingly trust each other – but trust in politicians has slumped since the pandemic

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Ben Seyd, Senior Lecturer in Politics, University of Kent

    ITS/Shutterstock

    One surprise in the early days of the pandemic was people’s increased willingness to trust political authorities. According to the British Social Attitudes survey (BSA), the proportion of people trusting government ministers rose from 15% in 2019 to 23% in 2020. Data from Ipsos MORI showed a similar bounce for trust in government ministers and politicians in 2021. Trust in government was also a significant factor in whether people complied with lockdown rules and other restrictions.

    Since then, however, people’s trust in government has plummeted. The latest BSA survey finds that, in 2023, just 14% of the population said they trust government “always” or “most of the time”. Fully 45% of the population trust government “almost never”. These are the most negative set of figures since the BSA began asking questions on trust almost four decades ago.

    This collapse in trust is perhaps unsurprising given the various government shenanigans over the past few years, notably Boris Johnson’s Downing Street lockdown parties and Liz Truss’s disastrous prime ministerial tenure. However, there is also evidence that Britons have become less trusting as a result of dashed expectations over the benefits of Brexit, negative views of government performance in areas like health, and cost of living pressures.

    Yet while Britons are less trusting of those with political authority, they appear to be more trusting in each other. Back in 1999, 29% of the population believed that “most people [in Britain] can be trusted”. Four decades on, that proportion has increased to 46%, topping the previous high of 43% in 1981. This might partly reflect the sense of collective endeavour and neighbourliness that was instilled during the pandemic, when we were encouraged to look out for, and help, other people. There is also evidence that, while people see the country as a whole as becoming more divided, at the local level perceptions of unity outweigh perceptions of division.

    This is a welcome shift, particularly since trust in other people is associated with a range of positive outcomes, including support for international cooperation and international organisations. In an uncertain and dangerous world, social trust may be an important factor shaping the willingness of states to work together.

    Wellbeing of politicians

    The decline of popular trust in government and politicians is concerning. Low trust is associated with support for populist politicians such as Donald Trump and upheavals like Brexit. Low trust could also significantly compromise public acceptance of, and compliance with, official messages and rules in a future pandemic.

    Distrust can also cause direct harm to public figures. As one of us (James) has shown, politicians are generally poor estimators of public trust in themselves. But where they do perceive widespread distrust, often because of repeated experiences of physical or online abuse and intimidation, this has a significant negative effect on their mental health and wellbeing.

    Messages of kindness and community around London during lockdown.
    Alex Yeung/Shutterstock

    Increased security around MPs – the cost of which jumped from £77,234.67 to £4,381,733.40 between 2014 and 2022 – is likely to protect them from the worst excesses of public distrust where it trickles over into extreme behaviour. Yet given the importance of contact for people’s trust, it could also inadvertently fuel more cynicism by increasing the physical distance between politicians and the public.

    The public’s declining regard for politicians and government should be a source of concern. We are hardly likely to recruit the calibre of politician we expect (and need), or indeed encourage a more diverse population of aspiring representatives, if the personal costs of holding elected office are so high.

    At the same time, a look at the bigger picture offers some reassurance. As one of us (Ben) has recently shown, there is little evidence that low trust induces popular scepticism towards democracy itself, or that it weakens public support for state spending or government programmes in key areas like healthcare.

    Trust on the frontline

    The nature and strength of Britain’s civic ties are revealed not only in our trust of politicians and institutions, but also in how we treat the people who provide public services, such as police officers and health workers.

    On the face of it, the picture is not pretty. Over the past few years, rates of public abuse towards frontline service providers have increased. In 2021, 18% of teachers reported having experienced verbal abuse from a parent or carer in the past year. In 2023, that figure had risen to 30%.

    A survey of police officers in 2022 found that 37% had experienced verbal insults at least once a week over the past year. This was an increase from the 29% of officers who reported a similar level of insults in 2020, although the figure dropped slightly in 2023 to 34%.

    Rates of physical abuse of London ambulance staff have more than doubled in four years, with 346 incidents recorded in 2019, increasing to 728 incidents in 2023. A similar picture of public abuse is found for frontline workers in the health service. Polling in 2023 found that 85% of GPs across the UK had received verbal abuse from members of the public during the past year. A 2021 survey by the British Medical Association found more than half of GPs, and one in five hospital doctors, had experienced verbal abuse in the past month.

    While majorities of the British public express trust in many frontline workers such as nurses and doctors (who currently attract 94% and 88% trust ratings), others appear to take a more negative view, extending even to abusive behaviour.

    Given the range of service providers facing such rising antipathy, it seems unlikely that the trigger for this was the pandemic. A better clue is provided by longer-term data on public treatment of doctors.

    Responses are to a survey question reading ‘In the last 12 months, have you personally experienced harassment, bullying or abuse at work from patients, their relatives or members of the public?’.
    Author provided, data from NHS Staff Survey

    NHS survey figures show that rates of abuse towards doctors declined between 2003 and 2011. (The wording of the relevant survey question changed in 2012, which restricts our ability to compare the more recent data). This was precisely the period when resources were pumped into the health service and public satisfaction with the NHS increased. This suggests that public interactions with frontline service workers like doctors are strongly shaped by the quality of the service they face.

    Indeed, GPs themselves ascribe the verbal abuse they and their staff experience to people’s dissatisfaction with the service, including discontent with access to health services. One underappreciated effect of austerity might thus be an increased public frustration with healthcare workers, which on occasion appears to extend to outright abuse.

    More accessible (read: better funded) public services might reduce some negativity towards frontline service workers. However, the important task of rebuilding people’s trust in politicians is – particularly given the negative coverage by much of Britain’s media – likely to be a trickier task.

    James Weinberg receives funding from the Economic and Social Research Council.

    Ben Seyd does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

    – ref. Britons increasingly trust each other – but trust in politicians has slumped since the pandemic – https://theconversation.com/britons-increasingly-trust-each-other-but-trust-in-politicians-has-slumped-since-the-pandemic-252762

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Andy’s career change journey earns a place in national final A University of Aberdeen geology student has reached the final of the UK Career Change Awards after embarking on a degree following service as a Royal Marine Commando and rope access technician on offshore installations.

    Source: University of Aberdeen

    A University of Aberdeen geology student has reached the final of the UK Career Change Awards after embarking on a degree following service as a Royal Marine Commando and rope access technician on offshore installations.
    Andy Rycroft, who lives in Turriff, had written off his chances of succeeding in education with a succession of school reports citing that he was ‘easily distracted, doesn’t listen to instructions, presentation is poor’.
    With no qualifications he enlisted in the Royal Marines and after 32 weeks of the most arduous basic military training in the world, became a Royal Marines Commando serving in Afghanistan and on operations in Canada and the UK.
    The military gave him his first taste of formal training and he gained and NVQ and apprenticeship in engineering.
    But when he left in 2012 he again turned to his practical skills training as a Rope Access Inspection Technician and later worked in the Oil and Gas industry as a project planner.
    It was not until Covid slowed down the pace of the world that he asked what really inspired him and decided to follow his passion for earth and planetary science, signing up to a part-time distance learning course with the University of London Birkbeck.
    During the enrolment process he took a learning differences screening and was diagnosed with dyslexia, making sense of the negative school reports.
    Andy said: “With correct allowances in place and modern technology like recording lectures, Grammarly, reading back aloud and extra reading time in exams, I unlocked the cheat code in my mind.
    “After achieving a distinction in the planetary science certificate, I was eager to complete the degree but decided to come closer to home and accelerate it to full-time learning.
    “So, after 11 years in the Oil industry, I left and the University of Aberdeen accepted me to year two of BSc Geology, where I achieved my proudest grade to date. A 3500 report on the history of earth life with an A1 grade, has given me a huge confidence boost going into my honours years.
    “I am currently in year 3 and getting ready to undertake my mapping project dissertation in the summer of 2025. After I complete my degree in 2026, I will become the first in my family to have a university degree.”
    This remarkable career change has secured him a place as one of only 10 finalists the targetjobs UK Career Change Award Grand Final to be held in London April 25.
    And Andy has plans to put his academic passion for earth sciences to practical use once he has completed his degree.
    “I want to be part of something that makes a tangible impact on people’s lives,” he added. “The current energy crisis in the UK, where some people have to choose between heating and eating, is not something we can sit by and do nothing about. This can only be achieved by investing in wind, battery storage, and electric car charging infrastructure using clean energy sources. I am keen to transition into an industry where I can apply these passions.
    “I’m honoured to be selected for the final out of hundreds of nationwide applications. I had the privilege of meeting representatives from Clifford Chance, the award sponsor and seeing first-hand how seriously they value career changers.
    “Being invited to their stunning HQ in Canary Wharf along with 20 other shortlisted candidates was an incredible and humbling experience. I had the opportunity to pitch my career change journey and present an innovation that breaks down barriers for career changers, showcasing its benefits for both individuals and organisations.”

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Sen. Scott Questions Dr. Mehmet Oz at Confirmation Hearing

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for South Carolina Tim Scott
    WASHINGTON — Recently, U.S. Senator Tim Scott (R-S.C.), member of the Senate Finance Committee, questioned Dr. Mehmet Oz, President Trump’s nominee to lead the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. Senator Scott and Dr. Oz discussed a range of topics, including drug pricing, CRISPR technology, and telemedicine. 
    Excerpts from Senator Scott’s questioning can be found below:
    Watch the full video here.
    On prescription drug pricing…
    “We need to have a long conversation about how expensive drugs are these days, but at the same time, we should have a similar conversation about how when drugs hit that generic market, they dropped precipitously in price … I would hate to, for the lack of a better way of saying, shortchange the American people by focusing on the original sticker price without having the value proposition long-term over the ultimate cost of a drug, when it’s in the generic forms.”
    On CRISPR technology and innovation…
    “I do think that CRISPR technology as we know it today, is going to transform medicine as we know it tomorrow … I hope that you have a commitment, in your new position, to move forward with some of the cell and gene therapy access models that we’re talking about, making it affordable for people … on Medicare and Medicaid.”
    On telemedicine…
    “There’s a silver lining in Covid … It was the development and the acceleration of telemedicine. And I think it’s going to save millions, if not trillions of dollars over time. I hope that you are committed to doing as much investigation as necessary to make sure that telemedicine is not just here to stay, but that it is embraced, adopted throughout our country, wherever it is practical to be used.”

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: Guterres urges Caribbean leaders to keep pushing for peace, climate action

    Source: United Nations 2-b

    Peace and Security

    In an address on Wednesday to Caribbean leaders meeting in Barbados, UN Secretary-General António Guterres announced a potential plan to support an “effective force” in Haiti as armed gangs continue to terrorize the population. 

    Mr. Guterres was speaking during the opening of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) Heads of Government Meeting in the capital Bridgetown, where he called for unity to achieve progress in peace and security, climate and sustainable development.

    “A unified Caribbean is an unstoppable force,” he said. “I urge you to keep using that power to push the world to deliver on its promises.”

    ‘Trouble in paradise’

    The Secretary-General noted that the region’s “exquisite beauty is famed the world over, but there is trouble in paradise.”

    He told leaders that “wave after wave of crisis is pounding your people and your islands – with no time to catch your breath before the next disaster strikes.”

    Caribbean countries are experiencing uncertainty fuelled by geopolitical tensions, along with the socio-economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, soaring debt and interest rates, and a surge in the cost of living. 

    Global solutions exist

    These are all happening “amidst a deadly swell of climate disasters – ripping development gains to shreds, and blowing holes through your national budgets,” and as countries “remain locked-out of many international institutions – one of the many legacies of colonialism today.”

    The UN chief insisted that “the cure for these ills is global,” and the world needs to deliver on hard-won global commitments to address the immense challenges the international community is facing.

    He listed three key areas “where, together, we must drive progress.” 

    Peace in Haiti

    Mr. Guterres called for unity for peace and security, “particularly to address the appalling situation in Haiti – where gangs are inflicting intolerable suffering on a desperate and frightened people.”

    He said CARICOM and its Eminent Persons Group have provided invaluable support in this regard. 

    “We must keep working for a political process – owned and led by the Haitians – that restores democratic institutions through elections,” he said.

    Security and stability

    A Security Council-backed Multinational Security Support Mission is currently on the ground to assist the Haitian National Police.

    The Secretary-General said he will soon report to the Council on the situation in the country, including proposals on the role the UN can play to both support stability and security, and address the root causes of the crisis.

    He intends to present a proposal similar to the one for Somalia, in which the UN assumes responsibility for the structural and logistical expenditures necessary to put the force in place. Salaries are paid through a trust fund that already exists.

    “If the Security Council will accept this proposal, we will have the conditions to finally have an effective force to defeat the gangs in Haiti and create the conditions for democracy to thrive,” he said, drawing applause.

    © WFP/Fedel Mansour

    Hurricane Beryl last July caused devastation on Union Island in Saint Vincent and the Grenadines.

    Climate crisis opportunity

    His second point – unity on the climate crisis – underlined “a deplorable injustice” as Caribbean countries “have done next to nothing” to create it. Moreover, they have “fought tooth and nail for the global commitment to limit global temperature rise to 1.5 degrees.”

    Mr. Guterres said countries must deliver new national climate plans ahead of the COP30 UN climate conference later this year.  The plans must align with the 1.5 goal, with the G20 group of industrial nations leading the way.

    “This is a chance for the world to get a grip on emissions,” he said. “And it’s a chance for the Caribbean to seize the benefits of clean power, to tap your vast renewables potential, and to turn your back on costly fossil fuel imports.”

    As finance is required, he underscored the need for confidence that the $1.3 trillion agreed at the previous COP will be mobilized. Developed countries also must honour their promises on adaptation finance and make meaningful contributions to the new Loss and Damage Fund.

    “When the Fund was created, the pledges made were equivalent to the new contract for just one baseball player in New York City,” he remarked.

    Finance for sustainable development

    Meanwhile, the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) “are starved of adequate finance, as debt servicing soaks-up funds, and international financial institutions remain underpowered.”

    The Secretary-General said Caribbean countries have been at the forefront of the fight for change, pioneering bold and creative solutions.  He said the Pact for the Future, together with the Bridgetown Initiative, marks significant progress.

    Mr. Guterres thanked Caribbean leaders for supporting the Pact, which UN Member States adopted last year. 

    Key deliverables include support for an SDG Stimulus of $500 billion annually and commitment to reform international financial institutions to allow greater participation by developing countries. 

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation Shri Amit Shah replies to the discussion on the Disaster Management (Amendment) Bill, 2024 in the Rajya Sabha, Upper house passes the bill

    Source: Government of India

    Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation Shri Amit Shah replies to the discussion on the Disaster Management (Amendment) Bill, 2024 in the Rajya Sabha, Upper house passes the bill

    Under Modi ji’s leadership, India became a global leader in disaster management

    Modi government is managing disasters by adopting a proactive approach instead of a reactive one and by aiming for zero casualties instead of minimising casualties

    Compared to the previous regime, Modi government has given more than three times the money to the states from the central fund

    In the previous regime, funds were given to the Rajiv Gandhi Foundation from PMNRF

    This bill will further increase the capacity, intensity, efficiency and accuracy in disaster response

    Earlier, thousands of people used to die in cyclones, but Modi government is moving towards zero casualty

    The aim of this bill is to increase transparency, accountability, efficiency and cooperation in disaster management

    India’s disaster management prowess has been established globally through CDRI

    To deal with the changing size and scale of disasters, we will have to change the methods, systems and make institutions accountable as well as give them powers

    India has had the most successful management of the COVID-19 pandemic in the entire world

    Earlier, it used to take two generations for getting vaccines, but under the Modi government, India has made the COVID vaccine and also delivered it to every citizen

    The Modi government has given more money than the prescribed amount to the states for disaster managementna

    Posted On: 25 MAR 2025 9:24PM by PIB Delhi

    Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation Shri Amit Shah today replied to the discussion in the Rajya Sabha on the Disaster Management (Amendment) Bill, 2024.  After the discussion, with the passage of the bill from the upper house the amendment bill was passed by the Parliament.

    Speaking in the upper house during the discussion, Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation said that through this amendment bill, the Narendra Modi government intends to connect Centre, State governments, Panchayat and all our citizens with the cause of disaster management and there is no question of centralization of power. He said that this disaster management amendment bill is an attempt to take the fight against disasters from a reactive approach to a proactive one and also beyond to an innovative and a participatory approach.

    Shri Amit Shah said that Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi Ji presented a ten-point agenda to the world for disaster risk reduction which has been accepted by more than 40 countries of the world. He said that this bill envisages participation not only from state governments and local units but also from the society. He said that the amendment bill keeps scope of minute planning at local levels too along with the national level and gives clarity on the powers and duties of institutions involved. Shri Shah said that the fight against disasters cannot be accomplished without enabling the institutions and making them better and more accountable, and both of these things have been taken care of in the bill. He said that disasters are directly related to climate change and to mitigate them, we should take steps against global warming. He said that India has been moving in this direction for thousands of years and the Modi government is working to take this tradition forward.

    Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation said that the Disaster Management Act was brought for the first time in the year 2005 and under this NDMA (National Disaster Management Authority), SDMA (State Disaster Management Authority) and DDMA (District Disaster Management Authority) were formed. He said that in this bill, the biggest responsibility in the aftermath of disasters have been given to DDMAs which is under the state government, thus there is no question of any damage to our federal system. He said that for financial assistance, National Disaster Response Fund and National Disaster Mitigation Fund were created. Shri Amit Shah said that the Finance Commission has made a scientific arrangement for disaster relief and the Modi government has not given a single penny less than the prescribed amount to any state, rather it has given more.

    He said that due to global disasters like Covid-19, increasing urbanization, irregular rain-related disasters and climate change, both the size and scale of disasters have changed. Shri Shah said that to deal with the changing size and scale of disasters, we will have to change the methods and systems and also make the institutions accountable and give them powers. He said that with this objective, this bill has been brought for an effective and comprehensive solution to the disaster management problem. He said that suggestions have been incorporated from stakeholders, ministries and departments of the Central Government, all state governments, Union Territories, international organizations and national and international non-governmental organizations and this bill has been prepared comprehensively by accepting 89 percent of their suggestions.

    Union Home Minister said that through this bill, Modi government wants to move from reactive response to proactive risk reduction, from manual monitoring to AI-based real-time monitoring, from radio warnings to social media, apps and mobile warnings, and from government-led response to a multi-dimensional response involving society and citizens. He said that this entire bill has been made to incorporate capacity, intensity, efficiency and accuracy in disaster response. Shri Shah said that in the last 10 years, there has been a change in disaster management in our country due to which we have emerged as a regional and global power recognized by the world. He said that this bill is necessary to maintain this success story of India for a longer time in future.

    Shri Amit Shah said that this Bill will make both NDMA and SDMA effective, disaster database will be created at national and state level. It envisages creation of Urban Disaster Management Authority which will be completely under the state governments. Apart from this, this Bill will also give statutory power to NDMA and SDMA in creating a blueprint for 100% implementation of the recommendations of the 15th Finance Commission. He said that transparency, trust, credibility and accountability have been given place in it. Shri Shah also said that well-defined roles have been fixed in it and moral responsibilities have also been given place. The Home Minister said that we have also fixed responsibility for the best use of resources. He said that through this Bill, an attempt has been made to fight against disaster with synergy, between preparation, good management and coordination. Many reforms have been made on these four pillars and not a single one of these reforms is for centralization of power.

    Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation said that in the last ten years, on one hand, Prime Minister Modi Ji has done many things for environmental protection and on the other hand, he has also taken disaster management a long way forward. He said that on one hand Modi Ji talked about Mission Life in front of the world and on the other hand he also announced a ten-point disaster risk reduction agenda. He said that on one hand, a definite concrete program was given to become a pro-planet people and on the other hand, the Coalition for Disaster Resilience Infrastructure (CDRI) was presented to the world, which has 43 countries as members. Shri Shah said that Modi Ji started the International Solar Alliance and Global Biofuel Alliance and also formed a task force on Disaster Risk Reduction by hosting the G20 conference in India. He said that on both these fronts, Prime Minister Modi and the government led by him have worked in a meticulous manner with great foresight. The Home Minister said that on the one hand efforts should be made to prevent disasters by protecting the environment and on the other hand, in case of a disaster, Modi ji has made complete arrangements to fight the disaster in a scientific manner from villages to Delhi.

    Shri Amit Shah said that the devastating earthquake in Bhuj, Gujarat in 2001 shook not only Gujarat but the entire country and the world. He said that at that time Shri Narendra Modi was the Chief Minister of Gujarat and he had established the Climate Change Department for the first time in India. He said that at that time Modi ji created the Climate Change Fund in Gujarat and in 2003 brought the State Disaster Management Act in Gujarat. Shri Shah said that in 2013, the country’s first city level action plan for heat wave was made in Ahmedabad and Modi ji also worked on making a detailed plan for reconstruction, community preparedness and rehabilitation after the earthquake.

    Union Home Minister said that after Shri Narendra Modi became the Prime Minister in 2014, a holistic and integrated approach was introduced in the country instead of a relief-centric approach. He said that a proactive approach was adopted instead of a reactive one and disaster management was done by keeping the target of zero casualty instead of the usual target of minimum casualty of the previous regime. He said that today governments are not only focus on relief and rescue after a disaster but also make many preparations to tackle them. Shri Shah said that the Modi government has done a very good job in early warning system, prevention to the extent possible, mitigation, timely preparedness and disaster risk reduction. He said that when the Odisha Super Cyclone hit in 1999, 10 thousand people died, but when Cyclone Fani hit in 2019, only one person died, this was the result of our changed approach. He said that when Cyclone Biparjoy hit Gujarat in 2023, not a single person or animal died and we achieved the target of zero casualties in 2023. He said that there has been a 98 percent reduction in loss of life and property due to cyclones and we have also succeeded in reducing heat-related mortality significantly.

    Shri Amit Shah said that the budget of SDRF was Rs 38 thousand crores during the year 2004 to 2014, which was increased to Rs 1 lakh 24 thousand crores by the Modi government during 2014 to 2024. Rs 28 thousand crores were given to NDRF during 2004 to 2014, while Rs 80 thousand crores were given during 2014 to 2024. Shri Shah said that the government has increased the total amount from Rs 66 thousand crores to more than Rs 2 lakh crores. He said that the Modi government has given more than three times the money to the states from the central funds. Shri Shah said that apart from this, a National Disaster Response Reserve of 250 crores was created, the first National Disaster Management Plan was released in 2016 which is completely in line with the Sendai framework, the Subhash Chandra Bose Disaster Management Award was established in 2018-19 and the first phase of National Cyclone Risk Mitigation was done in Odisha and Andhra Pradesh in 2018. He said that in 2020-21, the Home Ministry decided that the Inter-Ministerial Consultative Team (IMCT) will first go and do an immediate review and the Modi government made a provision to provide immediate assistance by sending 97 IMCTs within 10 days in 5 years.

    Union Home Minister said that currently 16 battalions of NDRF are operational and seeing the NDRF personnel, people feel assured that they are safe now. He said that apart from this, programs have also been made for landslide risk management, glacial lake outburst flood (GLOF) and civil security and training capacity building.

    Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation said that the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), in the spirit of Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam, conducted ‘Operation Maitri’ during the earthquake in Nepal in 2015, ‘Operation Samudra Maitri’ in Indonesia in 2018, ‘Operation Dost’ in Turkey and Syria in 2023, ‘Operation Karuna’ in Myanmar and ‘Operation Sadbhav’ in Vietnam, due to which the governments and people of these countries praised NDRF and Modi ji. He said that NDRF has worked to get our disaster management system firmed up at a national level.

    Shri Amit Shah said that the Government of India has signed agreements with Japan, Tajikistan, Mongolia, Bangladesh, Italy, Turkmenistan, Maldives and Uzbekistan to strengthen disaster management and disaster risk reduction. The geographical conditions of these countries make them prone to similar disasters which are possible in India. He said that we have tried to ensure that these countries benefit from our best practices and we benefit from their best practices. Apart from the MoUs, international seminars were also held in the years 2015, 2016, 2019, 2020, 2023, in which disaster management experts from member countries of organizations like SAARC, BRICS, SCO also participated.

    Union Home Minister said that the Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure (CDRI) is an example of India’s global leadership in the field of disaster management. Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi put forward this idea in the UN Climate Summit held in New York on 23 September 2019 and it was established in India itself. He said that so far 42 countries and 7 international organizations have become members of CDRI and through CDRI, work has been done to establish India’s leadership in this field at the global level.

    Shri Amit Shah said that through the ‘Aapada Mitra’ scheme, a force of one lakh community volunteers has been created in 350 disaster prone districts at a cost of Rs 370 crore and the volunteers have been registered on the India Disaster Resource Network portal. The District Collectors have their complete details. When a disaster strikes, these volunteers reach for the help on their own. The Home Minister said that 20 percent of the one lakh ‘Aapada Mitra’ volunteers are women. Our women power is working shoulder to shoulder in the work of disaster management. He said that as a result of the ‘Aapada Mitra’ scheme, 78 thousand people were rescued from disasters and taken to safe places and 129 lives were saved by providing them timely treatment at the hospitals.

    Union Home Minister said that the ‘Aapada Mitra’ scheme is being expanded. To involve the youth, more than 1300 trained ‘Aapada Mitras’ have been employed as master trainers with a budget of Rs 470 crore. In this, NCC, NSS, Nehru Yuva Kendra Sangathan and Bharat Scouts and Guides will train two lakh 37 thousand ‘Aapada Mitras’, which will increase the total number of community volunteers to three lakh 37 thousand.

    Shri Amit Shah said that we have created many apps for weather related information. These include ‘Mausam’, ‘Meghdoot’, ‘Flood Watch’, ‘Damini’, ‘Pocket Bhuvan’, ‘Sachet’, ‘Van Agni’ and ‘Samudra’. Also, a nodal agency has been created for the study of landslides. India Quake app has been created for automated broadcasting of earthquake parameters. He said that due to the efforts of Modi ji, today all these apps have reached almost every citizen of the country. This has benefited farmers, fishermen, people living on the seashore and people living in landslide prone areas on time.

    Union Home Minister said that the entire world has accepted that Prime Minister Narendra Modi is leading the world in the field of environment, therefore the United Nations has honoured him with the award of Champions of the Earth. Modi ji has almost completed the task of making India free from single-use plastic. Many countries have joined the International Solar Alliance (ISA) formed on his initiative. Modi ji has worked to popularise the ‘One Sun, One Earth, One Grid’ project worldwide. The construction of Inter-Regional Energy Grid has begun for sharing solar energy across the world. Crores of people have planted trees with devotion in reverence of Mother Earth and their own mothers through the ‘Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam’ campaign.

    Shri Amit Shah said that India has set the target of Net Zero Carbon Emission by the year 2070. He said that we have already achieved the targets of International Solar Alliance, Global Bio-fuel Alliance and 20 percent Ethanol Blending by the year 2025. Today all our vehicles have 20 percent eco-friendly fuel. Shri Shah said that by providing 10 crore gas connections under the Ujjwala Yojana, we have stopped the smoke of cow dung cakes and coal. We have increased the Swachhata Abhiyan from 39 percent to 100 percent sanitation coverage. Along with this, the Green Hydrogen Mission has started the implementation of a new type of scheme in the entire world.

    Union Home Minister said that, if the best COVID management has happened anywhere in the world, it has happened in India. Every Indian should be proud of this and the whole world praises our efforts immensely. He said that as soon as Corona arrived, we started making the vaccine. He said that during the previous regime, it used to take two generations to administer vaccines but under Modi Government India not only got the vaccine made but also ensured that it reached every citizen of the country. Shri Shah said that there is no parallel to such a precise use of technology for public welfare anywhere in the world. Due to the use of technology, the certificate was made available on the mobile as soon as the vaccine was administered and a reminder message would also come up with the time for the second vaccine.

    Shri Amit Shah said that through video conference in the state’s civil hospitals and AIIMS, doctors treating minor diseases in small villages were guided about telemedicine, which saved the lives of lakhs of people. He said that the Prime Minister talked to the Chief Ministers of the states 40 times during COVID-19 and inquired about the situation. Not only the Prime Minister, the entire cabinet was involved in this work.

    Union Home Minister said that due to our leadership we were able to fight the best battle against Corona in the whole world. Governments were fighting against Corona all over the world, but here the Central Government, State Government and 130 crore people were fighting together. He said that there is not a single example in independent India when an appeal by a leader has had the seriousness of a government order and the whole country followed the appeal of the Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi for Janta curfew with full seriousness. No leader’s appeal had ever received such a great respect.

    Shri Amit Shah said that the Prime Minister’s National Relief Fund (PMNRF) was created during the previous regime. He said fund from PMNRF used to be given to Rajiv Gandhi Foundation. Shri Shah said that during Modi ji’s regime PM Cares fund was created. We spent its funds for tackling the corona epidemic, disaster relief, oxygen plants, ventilators, assistance to the poor and vaccination. Shri Shah said that under PM Cares, along with relief work, we have also provided many types of innovative assistance. There is no political interference in this.

    Union Home Minister said that for Karnataka, an estimate of Rs 5,909 crore was given by a high-level committee, out of which Rs 5,800 crore was transferred. For Kerala, an estimate of Rs 3,743 crore was made, out of which Rs 2438 crore was given. For Tamil Nadu, Rs 4600 crore was given out of Rs 4817 crore. West Bengal was given Rs 5000 crore out of Rs 6837 crore. Himachal Pradesh was given Rs 1766 crore out of Rs 2339 crore. The committee has given more or less the same amount to Telangana as well.

    Shri Amit Shah said that Rs 111 crore was given to Jharkhand, Rs 121 crore to Kerala, Rs 460 crore to Maharashtra, Rs 256 crore to Bihar and Rs 254 crore to Gujarat for fire-fighting measures, which was never given before. He said that other states will be given funds for fire-fighting measures next year. Shri Shah said that Rs 228 crore has been given to Tamil Nadu between the years 2019 to 2024 and a lot of assistance has been provided.

    Union Home Minister said that we declared the disaster in Wayanad, Kerala as a disaster of severe nature. Rs 215 crore was immediately released from the National Disaster Response Fund (NDRF). Rs 36 crore was sent for debris removal, which has not been spent yet. Apart from this, assistance of Rs 153 crore was given on the basis of the IMCT report. The state government has estimated the need for Rs 2219 crore for normalizing the situation and reconstruction, out of which Rs 530 crore has been given. Along with this, other measures have been suggested to get additional assistance from a special window.

    Shri Amit Shah said that for the Central Government, citizens of all states including Kerala, Ladakh, Gujarat, Uttar Pradesh are equal and we do not discriminate against anyone. He said that in the Disaster Management Bill, we have paid attention to increasing human resources along with the provision of increasing technical capacity. Along with the government’s effort, provision has also been made for community effort and along with disaster-resistant construction, care has also been taken for the conservation of nature.

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    RK/VV/RR/PR/PS

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    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI Global: The solution to workplace isolation might be in the gap − the generation gap

    Source: The Conversation – USA – By Megan Gerhardt, Professor of Management, Farmer School of Business, Miami University

    The potential for friendships and mentorships between colleagues in different stages of life are often overlooked. OwenPrice/E+ via Getty Images

    Five years after the COVID-19 pandemic began, the United States finds itself in the midst of another public health crisis. This particular pandemic is a psychological one: widespread loneliness and isolation.

    About half of adults in the U.S. report feeling lonely – what former Surgeon General Vivek Murthy has characterized as an epidemic. The increase in social isolation has extensive costs for “schools, workplaces, and civic organizations, where performance, productivity, and engagement are diminished,” he wrote in 2023.

    As a business school professor who studies intergenerational relationships, I believe that our workplaces hold untapped potential for alleviating isolation. When colleagues do form friendships at work, they often gravitate toward people their own age. But fostering meaningful connections across generational lines can benefit not just organizations, but workers’ own sense of purpose and mental health.

    Working solo

    The COVID-19 pandemic affected all ages differently. Prior to 2020, it seemed that younger generations were leading a strong push away from working in the office. Once many Americans were working remotely, however, Generation Z – those born 1997-2012 – reported the highest levels of loneliness.

    Remote work may be common for Gen Z, but that doesn’t mean they prefer it.
    Fiordaliso/Moment via Getty Images

    The problem, I’d argue, is how organizations’ early questions about working through the pandemic centered on efficiency. Was it possible do our jobs remotely? Would we be as productive? Was remote work viable long term? For many jobs, the answer was yes, resulting in persistent work-from-home options even after it became physically safe to return to offices.

    Yet companies overlooked crucial elements that contribute to employees’ commitment and well-being, particularly strong relationships between colleagues. These factors are especially vital during early career years as young workers establish networks, learn their roles and develop professional identities – all considerably more challenging in remote or hybrid environments.

    Just 31% of U.S. employees feel engaged on the job, according to January 2025 data from Gallup – a 10-year low. Only 39% of employees strongly feel that someone at work cares about them as a person, and only 30% strongly agree that someone cares about their development.

    Workers under 35, especially members of Gen Z, experienced a more significant decline in engagement than other age groups, dropping 5 points compared with the previous year.

    5 generations

    Since hybrid and remote work appear to be here to stay, we need innovative solutions to combat disconnectedness. One overlooked opportunity might lie in a demographic reality that many organizations view as a challenge.

    Today, there are five generations in the workplace, more than any other time in history. This increase in diversity is primarily due to older workers remaining in the workforce longer than in the past, whether because of economic necessity or increased longevity and health.

    In 2024, 18% of the U.S. workforce belonged to Gen Z. They’ve surpassed the baby boomers, born 1946-1964, who make up 15%. Gen X, meanwhile – the generation born 1965-1980 – comprise 31%. The largest group are millennials, born 1981-1996, who represent 36% of workers. Finally, 1% of the workforce belong to the Silent Generation, born 1928-1945.

    While such age diversity presents challenges, it also holds unique potential.

    The importance of workplace friendships is well documented. Research has found positive workplace relationships are beneficial to teamwork, career development and building a sense of community, and they help employees find more meaning in their work. Workplace friendships can help offset job stress and exhaustion and contribute to mental health. The benefits of such relationships can reach beyond the workplace, increasing overall well-being.

    However, these friendships rarely cross generational lines. A phenomenon known as “age similarity preference” often causes us to gravitate toward people similar in age, including among our co-workers. This broader tendency to connect with people we deem most similar to ourselves is well documented, and age can be a particularly visible sign of surface-level difference – one that leads people to assume, often incorrectly, that they hold similar views.

    Employees talk in the cafeteria of the Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, Calif., in 2023.
    Melina Mara/The Washington Post via Getty Images

    While natural, this tendency limits interactions and relationships,
    leading to higher levels of conflict. Not only do intergenerational connections at work bring professional benefits, but they can combat isolation.

    For example, relationships with colleagues from different generations tend to have fewer feelings of competition and pressure, as they likely occupy different life and career stages. An older colleague who has navigated office politics or balanced raising young children with career demands can provide valuable advice and support to co-workers facing these challenges for the first time.

    Forming intergenerational friendships can help break down negative stereotypes about people who are older or younger by revealing areas of common interest.

    Beyond Gen Z

    The benefits of these relationships extend beyond younger generations, especially given how widespread post-pandemic loneliness is.

    Cross-generational relationships don’t just magically happen – companies can help foster them.
    Tempura/E+ via Getty Images

    Adults in mid-to-late career stages – Gen Xers and baby boomers – are in their prime years for “generativity”: the life stage when people are most likely to be motivated to share knowledge and expertise, preparing the next generation for success. Generativity leads to benefits for the mentors too, such as higher self-esteem.

    People of all ages benefit from meaningful intergenerational relationships, but it takes an effort to create them. Employers can help by setting up opportunities to connect. For example, a mutual mentoring program can be a fantastic way to encourage not only learning, but unexpected friendships as well.

    Jonna, a Gen Xer I met through my generational consulting work, sought out a Gen Z mentor at her office and was grateful for her insight, as well as the chance to give advice. “I like to believe I am someone with a growth mindset and in touch with current realities, but I quickly learned that Hannah had perspectives on many things that stretched me and my thinking,” she said. “Our partnership has helped me approach every situation with curiosity instead of judgment.”

    Hannah, her mentor-mentee, found the partnership just as beneficial. The experience was “a reminder that regardless of age, we all have something to contribute, and bridging generational gaps can lead to innovative solutions and a richer understanding of the world.”

    Reaching out to colleagues who are significantly older or younger might seem unexpected. But it may also build a more connected, resilient workforce, where wisdom and innovation flow freely across generational divides.

    Megan Gerhardt does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

    – ref. The solution to workplace isolation might be in the gap − the generation gap – https://theconversation.com/the-solution-to-workplace-isolation-might-be-in-the-gap-the-generation-gap-250571

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Centre safeguards consumer rights via various provisions under Consumer Protection Act, 2019

    Source: Government of India

    Centre safeguards consumer rights via various provisions under Consumer Protection Act, 2019

    Central Consumer Protection Authority imposes penalty of ₹ 77 lakh 60 thousand on 24 coaching institutes for misleading advertisements

    Department of Consumer Affairs secures refunds of ₹1.56 crores for over 600 aspirants and students in education sector through National Consumer Helpline

    Posted On: 25 MAR 2025 3:44PM by PIB Delhi

    Department of Consumer Affairs is continuously working for consumer protection and empowerment of consumers by enactment of progressive legislations. With a view to modernize the framework governing the consumer protection in the new era of globalization, technologies, e-commerce markets etc. Consumer Protection Act, 1986 was repealed and Consumer Protection Act, 2019 was enacted.

    Salient features of the new Consumer Protection Act, 2019 are establishment of a Central Consumer Protection Authority(CCPA); simplification of the adjudication process in the Consumer Commissions such as enhancing pecuniary jurisdiction of the Consumer Commissions, online filing of complaint from the Consumer Commission having jurisdiction over the place of work/residence of the consumer irrespective of the place of transaction, videoconferencing for hearing, deemed admissibility of complaints if admissibility is not decided within 21 days of filing; provision of product liability; penal provisions for manufacture/sale of adulterated products/spurious goods; provision for making rules for prevention of unfair trade practice in e-commerce and direct selling.

    The Consumer Protection Act, 2019 provides for a three tier quasi-judicial machinery at District, State and Central levels commonly known as “Consumer Commissions” for protection of the rights of consumers and to provide simple and speedy redressal of consumer disputes including those related with unfair trade practices. The Consumer Commissions are empowered to give relief of a specific nature and award compensation to consumers, wherever appropriate.

    The National Consumer Helpline (NCH) administered by the Department of Consumer Affairs has emerged as a single point of access to consumers across the country for their grievance redressal at a pre-litigation stage. Consumers can register their grievances from all over the country in 17 languages including Hindi, English, Kashmiri, Punjabi, Nepali, Gujarati, Marathi, Kannada, Telugu, Tamil, Malayalam, Maithili, Santhali, Bengali, Odia, Assamese and Manipuri through a toll-free number 1915. These grievances can be registered on Integrated Grievance Redressal Mechanism (INGRAM), an omni-channel IT enabled central portal, through various channels- WhatsApp (8800001915), SMS (8800001915), email (nch-ca[at]gov[dot]in), the NCH app, the web portal (consumerhelpline.gov.in) and the Umang app, as per their convenience.  1049 companies, who have voluntarily partnered with NCH, as part of the ‘Convergence’ programme directly respond to these grievances according to their redressal process and revert by providing feedback to the complainant on the portal. Complaints against those companies, who have not partnered with National Consumer Helpline, are forwarded to the company for redressal.

    To safeguard the interests of consumers from unfair trade practices in e-commerce, the Department of Consumer Affairs has notified the Consumer Protection (E-commerce) Rules, 2020 under the provisions of the Consumer Protection Act, 2019. These rules, inter-alia, outline the responsibilities of e-commerce entities and specify the liabilities of marketplace and inventory e-commerce entities, including provisions for consumer grievance redressal.

    The Department of Consumer Affairs, in consultation with all the stakeholders, has finalized a “safety Pledge” which is a voluntary public commitment of e-Commerce platforms to ensure the safety of goods sold online and respect the consumer rights. Aligned with global best practices, this initiative strengthens consumer protection in the e-Commerce. On the National Consumer Day 2024, 13 major e-Commerce companies including Reliance Retail group, Tata sons group, Zomato, Ola, Swiggy etc. signed the Safety Pledge for ensuring consumer safety. The support and agreement of major e-Commerce companies to abide by the safety pledge will go a long way in ensuring protection of consumer rights.

    Under the provisions of the Consumer Protection Act, 2019, the Central Consumer Protection Authority (CCPA), an executive agency, came into existence on 24.07.2020. It is designed to intervene, to prevent consumer detriment arising from unfair trade practices and to initiate class action(s), including the enforcement of recalls, refunds and return of products. Its core mandate is to prevent and regulate false or misleading advertisements which are prejudicial to the public interest.

    Dark patterns involve using design and choice architecture to deceive, coerce, or influence consumers into making choices that are not in their best interest. Dark patterns encompass a wide range of manipulative practices such as drip pricing, disguised advertisement, bait and switch, false urgency etc. Such practices fall under the category of “unfair trade practices” as defined in the Sub-section 47 under Section 2 of the Consumer Protection Act, 2019.

    The CCPA, in exercise of the powers conferred by Section 18 of the Consumer Protection Act, 2019, has issued “Guidelines for Prevention and Regulation of Dark Patterns, 2023” on 30th November, 2023 for prevention and regulation of dark patterns listing 13 specified dark patterns identified in e-Commerce sector. These dark patterns include false urgency, Basket Sneaking, Confirm shaming, forced action, Subscription trap, Interface Interference, Bait and switch, Drip Pricing, Disguised Advertisements, Nagging, Trick Wording, Saas Billing and Rogue Malwares.

    The CCPA has also notified the Guidelines for Prevention of Misleading Advertisements and Endorsements for Misleading Advertisements, 2022 on 9th June, 2022. These guidelines inter-alia provide for; (a) conditions for an advertisement to be non-misleading and valid; (b) certain stipulations in respect of bait advertisements and free claim advertisements; and, (c) duties of manufacturer, service provider, advertiser and advertising agency. These guidelines states that due diligence is required for endorsement of advertisements such that any endorsement in an advertisement must reflect the genuine, reasonably current opinion of the individual, group or organisation making such representation and must be based on adequate information about, or experience with, the identified goods, product or service and must not otherwise be deceptive.

    Further to strengthen consumer protection, the CCPA enacted the Guidelines for Prevention and Regulation of Greenwashing and Misleading Environmental Claims, 2024 (effective 15th October 2024), mandating transparency in environmental claims and the Guidelines for Prevention of Misleading Advertisements in the Coaching Sector, 2024 (effective 13th November 2024), addressing false claims, exaggerated success rates and unfair practices in coaching institutes.

    The CCPA has imposed a penalty of ₹ 77 lakhs 60 thousands on 24 coaching institutes  for misleading advertisements. The Department of Consumer Affairs (DoCA) has successfully secured refunds amounting to ₹1.56 crores for over 600 aspirants and students in the education sector through National Consumer Helpline (NCH). These students, enrolled in coaching centres for Civil Services, Engineering Course and other programmes, were previously denied rightful refunds despite following the terms and conditions set forth by the coaching institutes. The action by the Department has helped students receive compensation for unfulfilled services, late classes, or cancelled courses, ensuring they do not bear the financial burden of unfair business practices.

    Action has already been taken by the CCPA against various entities including e-commerce platforms for affecting consumers, as a class, for violation of consumer rights, false and misleading advertisements and unfair trade practices as defined under the Consumer Protection Act, 2019. Action has also been taken against the sale of domestic pressure cookers that do not meet compulsory BIS standards on e-commerce platforms. Additionally, as per CCPA’s directions, travel companies have refunded Rs. 1,454 Crores as of 20.03.2024 to consumers for cancelled flights due to the Covid-19 lockdown. CCPA has also mandated that these companies update their websites with clear instructions and status updates on refund claims related to cancelled tickets. Further, 13,118 listings of car seat belt alarm stopper clips have been delisted from major e-commerce platforms based on the Orders passed by CCPA to delist all such products which violates consumer rights and are unfair trade practice under the Consumer Protection Act, 2019 as the sale or marketing of said product compromise with the life and safety of consumer by stopping alarm beep when not wearing seat belts.

    The Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) has notified framework on ‘Online Consumer Reviews — Principles and Requirements for their Collection, Moderation and Publication’ on 23.11.2022 for safeguarding and protecting consumer interest from fake and deceptive reviews in e-commerce. The standards are voluntary and are applicable to every online platform which publishes consumer reviews. The guiding principles of the standard are integrity, accuracy, privacy, security, transparency, accessibility and responsiveness.

    Under CONFONET scheme, VC equipment for conducting hearing through video conferencing mode has been installed and made functional at 10 benches of the National Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission (NCDRC) and 35 benches of State Consumer Disputes Redressal Commissions (SCDRCs).

    This information was given by the Union Minister of State for the Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution, Shri B.L. Verma in a written reply today in the Rajya Sabha.

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    Abhishek Dayal/Nihi Sharma

    (Release ID: 2114829) Visitor Counter : 37

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: ICMR Pioneers Drone-Based Cornea Transport to Revolutionize Eye Care

    Source: Government of India

    ICMR Pioneers Drone-Based Cornea Transport to Revolutionize Eye Care

    Successful Pilot Demonstrates the Potential of Aerial Medical Logistics for Timely and Efficient Cornea Transplants under ICMR’s i-DRONE Initiative

    Posted On: 25 MAR 2025 1:38PM by PIB Delhi

    Aligning with the vision of Hon’ble Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi to make India self-reliant and technologically empowered, the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) has launched a pioneering study on the aerial transport of human corneas and amniotic membrane grafts.

    ICMR in collaboration with AIIMS New Delhi and Dr. Shroff’s Charity Eye Hospital and with the support from Ministry of Civil Aviation has conducted a feasibility study to assess the potential of using drones to transport sensitive ophthalmic biomaterials such as human corneas and amniotic membrane grafts from peripheral collection centres to tertiary hospitals for transplantation procedures, in Sonipat and Jhajjar, Haryana. The drone successfully transported corneal tissue from Dr. Shroff’s Charity Eye Hospital (Sonipat centre) to the National Cancer Institute (NCI), AIIMS Jhajjar, and subsequently to AIIMS New Delhi. The distance between the two cities was covered in around 40 minutes via drones which usually takes around 2-2.5 hours to cover via road. The drone maintained optimal conditions for specimen integrity and upon arrival, the cornea was evaluated, leading to a successful transplant surgery.

    Drones are emerging as game changers in healthcare logistics, offering rapid delivery of life-saving medical supplies to remote and hard-to-reach areas. The timely transportation of corneal tissues is critical, as the viability of donated corneas is time-sensitive. Delays in transportation can compromise tissue quality and reduce the chances of successful transplantation. Drone-based transport offers a swift, temperature-stable, and efficient alternative to traditional road networks, which are often slow or unpredictable—especially in semi-urban or rural areas. This can help bridge the gap between donor sites and recipients, ensuring that no viable tissue goes unused and that more patients regain sight in time.

    Over the past few years, ICMR’s i-DRONE initiative has demonstrated the successful use of drones to deliver essential medical supplies in states such as North East India (Covid-19 and UIP vaccines, medications, and surgical), Himachal Pradesh (medications and samples in high altitude and sub-zero temperatures), Karnataka (intraoperative oncosurgical samples), Telangana (TB sputum samples) and the NCR (blood bags and its components). These efforts highlight the growing capability and promise of drones in bridging the last-mile healthcare gap.

    Commenting on the development, Dr. Rajiv Bahl, Secretary, the Department of Health Research (DHR) and Director General, ICMR, stated:

    “The i-DRONE platform was originally conceived during the COVID-19 pandemic to deliver vaccines to remote regions. Since then, we’ve scaled our efforts to include low-temperature delivery of blood products and essential medicines to high-altitude and sub-zero locations. This cornea transport study marks another step forward—enhancing patient access, ensuring timely transplants, and reducing pressure on overburdened tertiary hospitals. This initiative aligns perfectly with the Honourable Prime Minister’s vision of a self-reliant India powered by innovation. Drone-based healthcare logistics are the future, and India is taking the lead by applying this to areas where it matters most—saving lives and restoring sight.”

    Shri Piyush Srivastava, Additional Secretary and Senior Economic Advisor, Ministry of Civil Aviation, added:

    “This collaboration between health and aviation sectors is an inspiring example of tech-enabled social impact. The use of drones for cornea delivery showcases India’s growing capability to solve real-world healthcare challenges using homegrown solutions. Drones offer a scalable solution for timely medical delivery in geographically challenging areas. As India strengthens its drone ecosystem, such studies are critical to building resilient and responsive healthcare infrastructure.”

    Prof. (Dr.) M Srinivas, Director, AIIMS, New Delhi, remarked:

    “Corneal blindness affects millions in India, and timely availability of donor tissue is often a limiting factor. This drone-based transport model could be a transformative step toward ensuring equitable access to vision-restoring surgeries, especially in underserved areas. The success of this pilot project opens the door to deploying precision drone logistics for a wide range of critical medical applications.”

    Through this study, researchers aim to document operational workflows, identify technical bottlenecks, and generate evidence to support the integration of drone logistics in routine medical practice—especially for time-sensitive and temperature-sensitive biological materials like human corneas. The findings will help shape future protocols, policies, and best practices for aerial transport in healthcare. The event was attended by many dignitaries including Dr Anil Kumar, Director, National Organ and Tissue Transplant Organisation, MoHFW.

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    MV

    HFW/ ICMR – Drone Based Cornea Transport/25 March 2025/5

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    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: UKHSA highlights pathogens of greatest risk to public health

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    Press release

    UKHSA highlights pathogens of greatest risk to public health

    A new Priority Pathogens reference tool aims to support national funders of research and development into diagnostics, vaccines and therapeutics.

    The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has today published its view on the pathogen families that could pose the greatest risk to public health, in a bid to focus and guide preparedness efforts against these threats.

    The list of 24 pathogen families, a reference tool to help guide research and development investment in England, is the first specifically designed to consider both global public health threats as well as those most relevant to a UK population.  

    It provides information on pathogen families where UKHSA believes further research would be most beneficial to boost preparedness against future biosecurity risks, particularly around diagnostics, vaccines and therapeutics. Research and development across a range of other pathogen families not on this list also remains vital.

    For each viral family included in the tool, an indicative rating of high, moderate, or low pandemic and epidemic potential is suggested. These ratings are the opinions of scientific experts within UKHSA, who have considered routes of transmission and severity of disease arising from pathogens in each family to inform the ratings.

    This rating does not indicate which pathogen UKHSA considers most likely to cause the next pandemic, but rather those pathogens requiring increased scientific investment and study.

    This includes those pathogens where we need increased vaccine or diagnostics development, or those which may be exacerbated by a changing climate or antimicrobial resistance.

    Dr Isabel Oliver, Chief Scientific Officer for UKHSA, said:

    This tool is a vital guide for industry and academia, highlighting where scientific research can be targeted to boost UK preparedness against health threats.

    We are using the tool as part of our conversations with the scientific community, to help ensure that investment is focused to where it can have the biggest impact.

    We hope this will help to speed up vaccine and diagnostics development where it is most needed, to ensure we are fully prepared in our fight against potentially deadly pathogens.

    Among the pathogen families where UKHSA is keen to see greater scientific strides made are the coronaviridae family, which includes Covid-19; the paramyxoviridae family which includes Nipah virus; and the orthomyxoviridae family which includes avian influenza.  However, the reference tool is not a detailed threat assessment and the list of families included in this tool is not exhaustive and the families are not ranked.

    Priorities and risks will change with updates in epidemiology and progress will be made with the development of diagnostics and countermeasures. Therefore, the tool, which is intended to be updated annually, must be used with other information as appropriate, and represents a snapshot at one point in time.

    The tool, which aims to support all aspects of the UK Biological Security Strategy, is just one of a number of UKHSA is using to secure and protect the public’s health. Both UKHSA’s Vaccine Development and Evaluation Centre and Diagnostic Accelerator are working closely with academia and industry to identify and prepare for pathogenic threats to UK health and the Priority Pathogens tool will help guide this work.

    UK Health Security Agency press office

    10 South Colonnade
    London
    E14 4PU

    Updates to this page

    Published 25 March 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Before Confirmation Hearing, Warren Slams Top Military Health Nominee on Record of “Severe and Systemic” Problems

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Massachusetts – Elizabeth Warren
    March 24, 2025
    Keith Bass would be responsible for military health care system that provides care for over nine million active and retired servicemembers and their families
    “Given your checkered past involving the disbursement of controlled substances within the [White House], and your failures in managing the CIA’s health care program, I am concerned that if you are confirmed, you will not be able to effectively manage the military health care system, placing care at risk for millions.” 
    Text of Letter (PDF)
    Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, wrote to Mr. Keith Bass, nominee for Assistant Secretary of Defense for Health Affairs (ASD[HA]), demanding an explanation for the problems that occurred under his watch at the White House Medical Unit (WHMU) and the Central Intelligence Agency’s health care program. 
    Mr. Bass is scheduled to appear before the Senate Armed Services Committee for his nomination hearing on Thursday, March 27, 2025. If confirmed, Mr. Bass would be in charge of the Military Health System, which provides health care to approximately 9.5 million active and retired service members and their families, would become a top advisor at DoD on “force health protection policies, programs, and activities,” and oversee budgeting across the military health program. But his record raises serious concerns about his ability to fulfill the responsibilities of the role. 
    From 2013 to 2019, Mr. Bass oversaw the WHMU, overseeing care to the President, other senior officials, and their families. During his tenure, several complaints were filed against him for overseeing “an operation that widely dispensed sedatives and stimulants, among other concerns.” An independent investigation by the Department of Defense’s (DoD) Inspector General found that, under Bass’ tenure, the WHMU pharmacy operations had “severe and systemic problems” and was found to have violated federal law by handing out “sedatives such as Ambien and stimulants such as Provigil without proper prescriptions” to ineligible staff while “us[ing] aliases in electronic health records to disguise the patients’ identities and deliver free care in cases where the recipients wouldn’t be eligible.” 
    “At best, you were oblivious to the wide distribution of sedatives and stimulants by WHMU’s pharmacy operations and, in the worst case, you were complicit. Either scenario should disqualify you from serving as the ASD(HA),” said Senator Warren. 
    After leaving the WHMU, Mr. Bass served as Director of the Office of Medical Services (OMS) at the CIA, where he was reportedly “pushed out” because of his “messy” management, poor communication, “badly handl[ing] the surge of Covid-19 cases,” and “fumbling the agency’s handling of Havana Syndrome.” 
    “Your poor performance in this position casts doubt on your ability to serve in a position requiring broader management skills,” said Senator Warren. 
    “Given your checkered past involving the disbursement of controlled substances within the WHMU, and your failures in managing the CIA’s health care program, I am concerned that if you are confirmed, you will not be able to effectively manage the military health care system, placing care at risk for millions,” concluded Senator Warren. 
    Senator Warren asked Mr. Bass to explain his involvement in the illegal distribution of controlled substances at the White House, his knowledge of the “severe and systemic” problems at the WHMU, the issues during his tenure at the CIA, and asked him to commit to not lobby DoD after his service. 

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: expert reaction to UKHSA’s new Priority Pathogens reference tool

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    Scientists comment on the UK Health Security Agency’s new Priority Pathogens reference tool for R&D funders.

    Prof Martin Hibberd, Professor of Emerging Infectious Disease, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine (LSHTM), said:

    “I am pleased to see a guidance description for pathogens in a UK context being released, and that it will be up-dated yearly. As mentioned in the report, these lists cannot be comprehensive and different perspectives are likely to lead to different conclusions, but it’s release is likely to lead to more widespread consultations and honing of the findings for next year. While all the pathogen families are important, the three identified as priorities (Covid-19; Nipah virus; and avian influenza) are not surprising and I expect perhaps a more detailed, UK specific, priority list next year.”

     

    Darius Hughes, UK General Manager at Moderna, said:

    “This important work directly supports Moderna’s strategic partnership with the UK Government to strengthen national pandemic preparedness. By aligning our scientific innovation with the UKHSA’s priority pathogen list, we can help accelerate the development of vaccines where they are most urgently needed. This ensures our joint efforts are focused, forward-looking, and capable of responding rapidly to emerging biological threats—ultimately supporting the UK’s ambition to lead in global health security and protect public health through sustained innovation and collaboration.”

     

    Prof Miles Carroll, Professor of Emerging Viruses, Pandemic Sciences Institute, University of Oxford, said:

    “This new Priority Pathogen Families R&D Tool from UK Health Security Agency is aligned with similar prioritisation from the UK Vaccines Network and the World Health Organization, but with a UK focus for obvious reasons.

    “The new R&D Tool is consistent with existing evidence, which is helping guide funders, policymakers and scientists on the most urgent research gaps in epidemic and pandemic pathogen threats.  Tools like this are important if we are to develop effective diagnostics, vaccines and treatments to support the UK Biological Security strategy.”

    Prof Robert Read, Professor of Infectious Diseases, University of Southampton, and Editor in Chief, Journal of Infection, said:

    “Lists like this have been made for many years, and they represent an effort to prioritise infections for advisory and funding purposes, ostensibly to align research funding as closely as possible to public health need.  Unfortunately, pathogens emerge or change constantly, and it is difficult to predict big infectious disease problems coming down the line.  For this reason, I think this list is at best pointless, and at worst potentially harmful to the public health.

    “Pointless because the list of viruses is so long that its tricky to name a significant viral pathogen that has not been included.  Potentially harmful because a prescriptive list like this could misdirect funding towards certain infections, and away from problems that need urgently to be solved.  For example, the list of bacteria of concern includes Yersinia pestis (the cause of plague, a massive problem in 14th-18th Century Europe) for which there is now good available treatment and potential vaccine candidates, but does not include Bordetella pertussis (the cause of Whooping Cough) which caused serious problems for the public during 2024 because vaccines remain sub-optimal and antibiotic treatment only works during the early phase.”

    Prof Mark Woolhouse, Professor of Infectious Disease Epidemiology, and Director of the Tackling Infections to Benefit Africa, University of Edinburgh, said:

    “A key recommendation of the UK Covid Inquiry’s Interim Report for Module 1 (Preparedness) was that prior to 2020 the UK was overly focussed on the risk of an influenza pandemic.  When Covid arrived, it took too long to adjust our response to a different threat, which was part of the reason we ended up in lockdown.

    “Since the pandemic, there have been many initiatives to better understand the diversity of pandemic threats that the UK and the world may face in the coming years.  The UKHSA’s pathogen prioritization exercise is a welcome contribution to this global effort.

    “Of the highest priority pathogens identified by the UKHSA, no one could argue with the inclusion of coronaviruses and influenza viruses (the latter being members of the Orthomyxoviridae family).

    “The UKHSA are also right to be concerned about another family of viruses, the Paramyxoviridae.  This is a group that includes the measles virus, itself a continuing cause for concern with large outbreaks regularly reported from around the world.

    “A novel measles-like virus would pose a threat far worse than Covid.  Such a virus would have a much higher R number than the original variants of Covid – making it impossible to control by even the strictest lockdown.  It would also be considerably more deadly, and (unlike Covid) it would be a threat to children.  This is the kind of pandemic that public health agencies around the world are most concerned about.

    “That said, there are many potential kinds of novel pandemic threats – so-called Disease X – and the UKHSA report is a timely reminder that we should not put all our eggs in one basket.  The possibility of different kinds of threat – different transmission routes, different types of disease, different populations at risk – means that our response needs to be scalable, adaptable and quick.  Knowledge, information and data collected in the first few weeks of the next pandemic will be crucial to tailoring our response appropriately.  We need the systems to gather that data in place in advance and ready to be activated, possibly at very short notice.”

    ‘Priority pathogen families research and development (R&D) tool: A reference tool to help guide England-based funders of research and development’ was published by the UK Health Security Agency at 00:01 UK time on Tuesday 25 March 2025.

    Declared interests

    Prof Mark Woolhouse: “I am a consultant for the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovation (CEPI) and a member of the Scottish Committee for Pandemic Preparedness (SCoPP).”

    Prof Martin Hibberd: “I have no conflicts with this topic, but I do work on some of the pathogens listed and have been funded by Industry (most recently J&J) – amongst other government support, to work on them.”

    Prof Miles Carroll: “I consult for PicturaBio diagnostics. I am a member of the WHO R&D BluePrint Pathogen Prioritisation Committee, UKVN, APHA SAB and MRC/UVRI SAB.”

    Darius Hughes: In December 2023, Moderna entered a 10-year strategic partnership with the UK government to establish an mRNA research development and manufacturing facility in the UK. The strategic partnership is managed by the UK Health Security Agency on behalf of the UK government.

    For all other experts, no reply to our request for DOIs was received.

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: Answer to a written question – Derogation in Directive 2009/120/EC – E-000075/2025(ASW)

    Source: European Parliament

    Directive 2009/120/EC[1], amending Directive 2001/83/EC[2], excludes vaccines against infectious diseases from the definition of gene therapy medicinal products.

    mRNA vaccines authorised in the EU against COVID-19 are not genetically modified organisms and do not contain genes as their active substance. They are not used with the aim to restore, correct, or modify human genes.

    mRNA vaccines are biological medicines regulated under the EU pharmaceutical legislation to ensure their quality, safety, and efficacy.

    Under the legislation, the Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use (CHMP) may also recommend additional measures, such as long-term monitoring, based on specific risks following a case-by-case assessment[3].

    The safety and efficacy of mRNA vaccines authorised in the EU against COVID-19 have been rigorously assessed through clinical trials and post-authorisation monitoring.

    The European Medicines Agency (EMA) and Member States continuously monitor the safety of COVID-19 vaccines to ensure any possible risks are detected and managed as early as possible[4]. All data confirm that COVID-19 vaccines have a favourable safety profile.

    Regarding safety concerns in respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) vaccine trials in infants, these are not linked to the mRNA technology[5] but rather to challenges previously observed with other RSV vaccines in this age group.

    Currently, RSV vaccines are only authorised for use in adults[6], with trials ongoing to assess their safety and efficacy in infants and toddlers.

    The Commission remains committed to ensuring that all medicines, including vaccines, authorised in the EU meet the highest standards of safety, efficacy, and quality, in full compliance with the EU pharmaceutical legislation.

    • [1] https://eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/dir/2009/120/oj/eng
    • [2] Directive 2001/83/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 6 November 2001 on the Community code relating to medicinal products for human use (OJ L 311, 28.11.2001, p. 67, ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/dir/2001/83/oj
    • [3] https://www.ema.europa.eu/en/committees/committee-medicinal-products-human-use-chmp
    • [4] https://www.ema.europa.eu/en/human-regulatory-overview/public-health-threats/coronavirus-disease-covid-19/covid-19-medicines/safety-covid-19-vaccines
    • [5] https://www.fda.gov/media/184301/download
    • [6] https://www.ema.europa.eu/en/medicines/human/EPAR/abrysvo; https://www.ema.europa.eu/en/medicines/human/EPAR/arexvy; https://www.ema.europa.eu/en/medicines/human/EPAR/mresvia

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Union Health Minister Shri JP Nadda Inaugurates World TB Day 2025 Summit

    Source: Government of India

    Union Health Minister Shri JP Nadda Inaugurates World TB Day 2025 Summit

    Our TB elimination strategy is based on ‘whole of the society’ and ‘whole of the government’ approach: Shri JP Nadda

    “Over 13.46 lakh Nikshay Shivirs, or community screening and awareness camps were organised in the districts bringing essential TB services directly to the doorsteps of crores of people”

    Under the 100-day TB Mukt Bharat Abhiyaan, 12.97 crore people were screened for TB with over 7.19 lakh TB patients notified across India

    Approximately 2.85 lakh of the notified patients were asymptomatic, who might have otherwise gone undetected without the stratified screening strategy of the campaign

    With a proven blueprint derived from the campaign’s success, Union Health Minister announces nationwide expansion of the campaign, highlighting its efficient case finding, leveraging of technology and ensuring timely treatment initiation

    State/UTs awarded for exemplary performance during the 100 Days intensified TB Mukt Bharat Abhiyan and in the TB Mukt Gram Panchyat Initiative

    A digital Coffee Table Book and Guidance document on ‘differentiated TB care’ launched at the event

    Posted On: 24 MAR 2025 7:26PM by PIB Delhi

    “Our TB elimination strategy is based on ‘whole of the society’ and ‘whole of the government’ approach”. This was stated by Shri Jagat Prakash Nadda, Union Minister of Health and Family Welfare during his address to the World TB Day 2025 summit, here today. The theme for this year’s World TB Day summit is “Yes! We Can End TB: Commit, Invest, Deliver”.

    The Union Minister reaffirmed India’s unwavering commitment to achieving a TB-Mukt Bharat in his address. While presiding over the Summit, he lauded the 100 Days Intensified TB Elimination campaign’s strategy to deploy cutting-edge technologies, including handheld X-ray units and upfront Nucleic Acid Amplification Testing (NAAT) some of which were deployed using mobile vans (Nikshay Vahans). This helped the campaign shatter geographical barriers and brought vital screening and diagnostic services to remote and underserved areas. He mentioned that over 13.46 lakh Nikshay Shivirs, or community screening and awareness camps were organised in the districts bringing essential TB services directly to the doorsteps of crores of people.

    The Union Minister noted that TB treatment coverage in India has increased from 59% to 85%. He informed that 12.97 crore people were screened for TB with 7.19 lakh new cases detected. Among the notified TB cases, approximately 2.85 lakh were asymptomatic cases who might have otherwise gone undetected without the stratified screening strategy of the campaign. More than 5,000 MLAs and 10,000 Gram Panchayats participated in the campaign. Citing these successes, he announced the Ministry’s plans to scale the campaign nationwide. Stating that TB is not over yet, he announced further scaling up of the TB elimination campaign to cover all districts in India.

    Shri Nadda highlighted that 22 line ministries supported the 100-days campaign and more than 30,000 elected representatives were mobilized for the common cause, demonstrating that the fight against TB is a collective mission. He informed that in just 100 days, over 1,05,181 new Ni-kshay Mitras have registered and distributed over 3,06,368 food baskets among TB patients and their family members.

    He noted that during the recently concluded 100-Day Intensified TB Elimination Campaign, modern technology was leveraged to improve case detection, reduce diagnostic delays, and ensure timely treatment initiation, particularly for vulnerable populations. “The campaign strategically screened vulnerable populations, including asymptomatic individuals, household contacts of TB patients, those with a history of TB, undernourished individuals, and those with chronic comorbidities such as diabetes and HIV”.

    Shri Nadda stated that India is one of the top global funders on TB research and congratulated ICMR for their significant research on TB. He highlighted some innovations like RT-PCR machines used during the Covid pandemic which is adapted for use in TB screening. Similarly, indigenous diagnostic kits developed by ICMR not only reduce the cost for TB detection but also improve efficiency by conducting 32 tests in one go. “Hand held x-ray machines with AI support have also played a huge role in detecting asymptomatic TB”, he added.

    He concluded his address by thanking the invaluable support and involvement of elected representatives and community leaders, MPs, MLAs, Gram Pradhans and local leaders which was instrumental in raising awareness and mobilizing communities against this disease. “Their dedication has fostered a sense of ownership and accountability in the community, one of the many unique strategies India has adopted to fight TB”, he stated.

    Smt. Punya Salila Srivastava, Union Health Secretary said, “World TB Day is a day where we remind ourselves that this disease still exists while we can eliminate it”. She further stated that this is a day to chart out our task ahead. “All our stakeholders have put in a lot of effort towards the goal of eliminating TB and this should continue until we achieve the goal of TB Mukt Bharat”, she added.

    A digital Coffee Table Book on TB Mukt Bharat Abhiyaan, capturing and showcasing the implementation of the Abhiyaan through photos from the field, was unveiled on the occasion. The Union Health Minister also launched a ‘Guidance Document on Differentiated TB Care’ to ensure timely and effective care for high-risk patients. This document provides guidelines for triaging high-risk patients (for instance, those suffering from severe undernutrition or respiratory insufficiency) at diagnosis and refers to a comprehensive treatment plan for them.

    State/UTs were awarded for the exemplary performance during the 100 Days intensified TB Mukt Bharat Abhiyan and also for their performance in the TB Mukt Gram Panchyat Initiative.

    Dr Rajiv Bahl, Secretary, Department of Health Research and DG, ICMR; Dr Atul Goel, Director General of Health Services (DGHS); Smt. Aradhana Patnaik, Additional Secretary and Mission Director, National Health Mission; and senior officials of the Union Health Ministry were present on the occasion. The event also witnessed participation from NTEP Staff from State and Districts, TB Champions, District Magistrates, District Collectors, MD NHMs, Medical Institutions, Civil society, WHO Consultants and development partners.

    ***

    MV

    HFW/World TB Day Inauguration/24March2025/1

    (Release ID: 2114554) Visitor Counter : 41

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Heeding the lessons of COVID-19 in the face of avian influenza

    Source: The Conversation – Canada – By Matthew S Miller, Executive Director, Global Nexus and M.G. DeGroote Institute for Infectious Disease Research, McMaster University

    If the H5N1 avian flu virus learns to spread efficiently from person to person, it could pose an imminent threat to humanity. (CDC and NIAID), CC BY

    Infectious disease outbreaks have a bad habit of piling on at the worst possible times.

    The 1918 flu pandemic, also known as the Spanish flu, caught the world by surprise just as the First World War was coming to an end. It was responsible for killing three to five per cent of the world’s population (50-100 million people, equivalent to about 400 million today).

    Now, as we reflect on five years since the declaration of the COVID-19 pandemic and face economic uncertainty imposed by the United States administration — as well as lingering conflicts in places such as the Middle East and Ukraine — it’s the steady march of avian influenza, or “bird flu,” that poses an imminent threat to humanity.

    Walter Reed hospital flu ward in Washington, D.C. during the flu epidemic of 1918-19, which killed three to five per cent of the world’s population.
    (Shutterstock)

    Bird flu has been causing a flurry of human infections, especially in U.S. cattle workers. If the virus learns to spread effectively from human to human, it could change the course of history. Even though our weary world already feels maxed out, we have to make room to avert yet another crisis.



    Read more:
    Bird flu in cattle: What are the concerns surrounding the newly emerging bovine H5N1 influenza virus?

    The good news is that we know how to minimize risk and mobilize resources quickly, before the virus starts moving from human-to-human.

    Heading off a bird flu pandemic

    Knowing what to do and actually doing it, though, are very different, as we saw all too well five years ago when COVID-19 shut down much of the world, killing more than seven million people worldwide. And it’s not through with us yet.

    The question is whether we will act in time to head off a bird flu pandemic. The Spanish Flu was the first of five influenza pandemics since the end of the First World War.

    A sixth is inevitable without co-ordinated global action. Otherwise, the only questions are when it will it come and how bad it will be.



    Read more:
    Combatting the measles threat means examining the reasons for declining vaccination rates

    Infectious diseases constitute a permanent threat to society, especially as vaccine hesitancy and misinformation grow. Fighting pandemics needs to be a full-time, ongoing priority for governments everywhere.

    After the arrival of COVID-19, there were some impressive investments in infrastructure and science to support pandemic preparedness, but many were essentially one-time projects.

    Canada needs to establish permanent capacity to prevent and respond to health emergencies. Government agencies specifically dedicated to supporting the development of medical countermeasures for pathogens that pose a pandemic risk, like the recently established Health Emergencies Readiness Canada (HERC), are a step in the right direction.

    However, we must also re-prioritize investments in the fundamental research that is the birthplace of new medical and non-medical solutions to pandemic preparedness — where we currently lag far behind essentially all of our G7 counterparts. This has never been more important than in the current global political context.

    The cost of acting to prevent or limit a pandemic is infinitesimal compared to the price of letting one happen, whether one measures the toll in human lives, or in dollars.

    The world needs to adopt a collective mentality that we are “all in” on prevention if we want to maximize our chances of avoiding the next pandemic. We cannot sit on our hands and hope we get lucky. That strategy has failed us in the past and will doom us in the future.

    H5N1 avian flu

    Today, as we stand on the brink of an avian influenza pandemic that could be significantly worse than COVID-19, too much of the world seems unaware, unprepared or largely disengaged.

    Globally, more than 900 humans are known to have been infected by H5N1 avian influenza so far. The death rate associated with these human infections is a staggering one in two, placing it on par with threats such as Ebola.

    Death rates resulting from human infections of the most prevalent currently circulating H5N1 virus in the U.S. (clade 2.3.4.4b) have been much lower — though the very narrow demographic characteristics of the individuals that have been infected leaves many questions regarding the true danger that this virus poses to the population at-large.
    Avian influenza has become more prevalent than ever in our environment. Having adapted to spread efficiently among cattle and other mammals, the virus will follow its biological imperative to adapt and survive.

    No responsible country can ignore the possibility that person-to-person spread could start anywhere and quickly wash over the planet.



    Read more:
    An ounce of prevention: Now is the time to take action on H5N1 avian flu, because the stakes are enormous

    Certainly, Canada is treating the issue seriously, as I know from my work with the Public Health Agency of Canada, the National Advisory Committee on Immunization, the Ontario Immunization Advisory Committee and other bodies.

    But the effort to stop or at least slow avian influenza needs to include all countries and to engage everyday people, especially those who work directly with birds, cattle and other wild and domestic animals.

    Targeted interventions

    The best tactics to stave off a pandemic, at least at this point, are relatively unintrusive, targeted interventions. It’s critical that farm workers, veterinarians and others who work with animals follow careful protocols such as wearing masks and goggles, sanitizing equipment and continuing to cull poultry flocks where exposure is identified.

    We also need to educate hunters about protective measures to lower their risk of exposure.

    Most mitigation measures are entirely non-medical — though offering vaccines to those at high risk of exposure, as Finland has done, would be prudent. It’s much easier to target vaccination programs to high-risk groups than to organize a global vaccine campaign after a pandemic has begun.

    We need to encourage these groups to take every possible action to protect themselves — and therefore the world — and to provide financial supports that enable them to comply without cost.

    If avian flu becomes established among humans, which could happen rapidly and with very little warning, COVID-19 has shown that only a swift, decisive and truly global approach can fend off disaster.

    A significant lesson from COVID-19 is that we have to support pandemic prevention and response efforts for people in every corner of the world, however remote they may be, and that we must reach vulnerable populations within wealthy countries, such as elderly, frail and marginalized people, and those affected by poverty. These are the people always impacted most by infectious diseases.

    A selective distribution of resources among the planet’s wealthiest populations will not provide the protection the world needs and will only enlarge and extend the reach of a new pandemic.

    We must remember what it was like to close down schools, workplaces and public gatherings and to have hospitals overflowing with patients as clinicians risked their lives to care for them.

    We could have saved so many people and so much money by taking the threat more seriously from the outset, including providing better public education about evidence-based measures such as masking and vaccines.

    It’s past time we made pandemic prevention and response a permanent priority, no matter what else is happening in the world.

    Matthew S Miller is co-founder and Chief Scientific Officer of AeroImmune Inc. He has received compensation from Seqirus, Sanofi, GSK, Roche, Grifols, and Aramis Biotechnologies for participating on advisory boards and for supporting educational activities. He has received research funding from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research, the Canadian Foundation for Innovation, the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada, the Canada Research Chairs Program, the Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario, Ontario Centre of Innovation, Bay Area Health Trust, Providence Therapeutics, JN Nova Pharma, Lactiga, and Zentek. He is a member of the National Advisory Committee on Immunization COVID-19 Working Group and H5N1 Influenza Working Group. He is also a member of the Ontario Immunization Advisory Committee and the Public Health Agency of Canada Expert Panel on Avian Influenza A(H5Nx).

    – ref. Heeding the lessons of COVID-19 in the face of avian influenza – https://theconversation.com/heeding-the-lessons-of-covid-19-in-the-face-of-avian-influenza-252161

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Canada: COVID-19 Spring Vaccine Dose

    Source: Government of Canada regional news

    People at highest risk for severe illness from COVID-19 can book a second vaccine dose – if it’s been at least three months since their last dose or known infection – starting today, March 24.

    The spring dose will be available from March 31 to June 30. The children’s COVID-19 vaccine for those aged six months to 11 years is available until June 17.

    Nova Scotia is following recommendations from the National Advisory Committee on Immunization (NACI) to provide people at highest risk a spring dose. This includes:

    • people 65 years of age or older
    • people aged 18 and older living in long-term care, nursing homes, senior congregate living settings or residential care facilities
    • people six months and older who meet the criteria for being moderately to severely immunocompromised due to an underlying condition or treatment
    • people aged 50 years and older who identify as Black, African Nova Scotian or First Nations.

    “It is recommended that those with the highest risk of infection get a second dose to prevent severe illness,” said Dr. Jesse Kancir, Nova Scotia’s Deputy Chief Medical Officer of Health. “People who aren’t in that high-risk category and are up to date on their COVID-19 vaccines are still well protected.”

    People who did not receive a dose in the fall or winter can continue to get the vaccine, even if they are not in the high-risk category. Anyone who has never had a COVID-19 vaccine can also do so.

    COVID-19 and influenza symptoms can include a sudden high fever, headache, general aches and pains, fatigue and weakness, a runny, stuffy nose, sneezing and sore throat.

    Appointments can be booked online at https://novascotia.ca/vaccination . Those who are unable to book online can schedule an appointment by calling 1-833-797-7772, seven days a week.

    Quick Facts:

    • the influenza and COVID-19 vaccines are updated annually to protect against the latest strains of influenza and COVID-19
    • children younger than nine years old who have never had an influenza vaccine should receive two doses four weeks apart
    • Nova Scotians can access their vaccine records via the YourHealthNS app and online at https://vaxrecordns.nshealth.ca

    Additional Resources:

    More information on vaccines and bookings for both influenza and COVID-19 is available at: https://www.nshealth.ca/seasonal-vaccines

    More information on influenza: https://novascotia.ca/flu

    More information on COVID-19 and testing: https://www.nshealth.ca/coronavirusvaccine

    Other than cropping, Province of Nova Scotia photos are not to be altered in any way

    MIL OSI Canada News –

  • MIL-OSI Economics: Development Asia: From Cash to Digital: Advancing Financial Inclusion in Pakistan

    Source: Asia Development Bank

    The role of mobile money in financial inclusion

    Mobile money offers huge potential to improve lives by enabling low-cost, fast, safe, and easy transactions. It addresses access barriers by eliminating the need to go to physical bank branches. In 2022, Pakistan had only 10.8 commercial bank branches per 100,000 adults—one of the lowest ratios in the region.

    Pakistan’s evolving financial landscape

    Over the past 15 years, financial services in Pakistan have evolved rapidly. Financial institution accounts grew by about 127% between FY19 and FY24. Of Pakistan’s 241 million people, 60% are adults. With 91 million unique financial institution accounts, two-fifths of the adult population still lack access to formal financial services. Deregulation in the sector led to new branchless banking regulations. This enabled kiryana convenience stores across the country to offer financial services. The coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic shifted consumer behavior and further accelerated mobile and cashless banking adoption. Mobile and online transactions rose from 17% in early 2020 to 75% by September 2024, per the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP).

    Raast, the country’s first instant payment system launched in 2021, has also simplified person-to-person (P2P) and person-to-merchant (P2M) transactions. This system offers instant, reliable, and free digital payments for individuals and businesses within Pakistan. Users can send or receive money using their mobile numbers and bank accounts. This has extended financial services to the poor and the unbanked. Adoption has surged, with Raast processing over 102 million P2P payments in 2023, up from 7.9 million in 2022. By the end of September, daily transactions had reached 3 million, and there were 39.5 million registered Raast IDs, according to public data from the State Bank of Pakistan.

    Raast also revolutionized businesses, especially small and medium enterprises and the retail sector, with P2M transactions introduced in February 2022. This reduced fees and settlement times, enhancing efficiency and boosting economic activity.

    Lessons from India and PRC

    Lessons from regional giants like India and the People’s Republic of China (PRC) highlight the transformative potential of digital payment systems. India’s Unified Payments Interface (UPI), introduced in 2016, processed 117.6 billion transactions in 2023, making it the world’s most popular alternative payment method. While P2P transactions initially drove its adoption, the widespread acceptance of P2M payments accelerated its growth. Similarly, PRC’s tech giant Alipay began with P2P transfers in 2004, followed by WeChat Pay in 2013. Exponential growth and near-universal adoption came after the introduction of P2M capabilities.

    The retail sector’s untapped potential

    Pakistan’s robust retail sector, which makes up almost 18% of GDP and is spread across a network of an estimated 2.5 million retail and wholesale outlets, offers an immense opportunity for growth. Traditionally, this sector has remained largely untaxed, contributing an estimated 4% of tax revenue. But recent pressure from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) has renewed the government’s drive to get the retail sector to pay more through taxation. To that end, several measures have already been taken, including the implementation of point-of-sale registers and the Tajir Dost scheme, where retailers are subject to a fixed monthly tax. The tax assessment is based on the market value and regular turnover of the enterprise. In 2024, the scheme was extended to 42 cities in Pakistan from the original six. Under the scheme, businesses can declare their assets and income and potentially receive benefits like reduced tax rates and simplified tax compliance procedures.

    MIL OSI Economics –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: ABC Adelaide, interview

    Source: Australian Attorney General’s Agencies

    This transcript has been redacted in accordance with Digital Transformation Agency guidelines.

    Rory McClaren: In a time of growing global uncertainty, my next guest is currently charged with trying to navigate Australia’s international trade relationships. Federal Minister for Trade and Tourism and South Australian Senator Don Farrell. Good morning to you.

    Trade Minister: Good morning, Rory.

    Rory McClaren: Minister, ABC News is reporting today that a lobby group representing the big tech sector in the US Is encouraging the Trump administration to try and put pressure on Australia to change its policies. And the group has attacked the way that social media, streaming services, and artificial intelligence is being regulated. How do you respond to that criticism?

    Trade Minister: Well, every day, Rory, you get reports of things happening in the United States. I don’t panic about them and try and work through all of these issues, in a calm and consistent way. On this particular topic, of course, we are not singling out United States companies. We treat all companies from all countries equally, and that’s how it should be, and that’s how we’ll proceed to deal with these issues. We have been working to try and improve online safety for all Australians and of course, ensure that we’ve got a diverse and sustainable news media sector. So, that’s our objective out of all of this. And we’ll keep working in the interest of Australians on that online safety and that diversification of the media sector.

    Rory McClaren: But is this intervention from this lobby group just another example of how volatile this trade relationship is becoming with the United States?

    Trade Minister: Look, again, I don’t think we should be overreacting to everything that comes out from the United States. We’ve had a very long standing and good relationship with the United States. Sure, things have started to change in the last few weeks and the last few months. But the goodwill that we have towards the Americans and that they have towards us is still on display. I spoke with my counterpart, the United States Trade Representative, on Tuesday morning. We had a very good discussion. He got to explain what their objectives are. And I explained to them just how important we think we are to the American economy. We have an interesting trade relationship with America. We roughly have $100 billion worth of trade. We buy $70 billion worth of product off them and we sell them $30 billion worth of product. So, we say to them, look, why would you impose a tariff on a country where you have a trade surplus? He pointed out to me that there are only a few other countries in the world where the United States has a trade surplus. One is Hong Kong and the other one is the Netherlands. So, as best we can, we are trying to explain to the highest levels of the United States government just how our trading relationship works. And we’ll continue to do that over the days and the weeks ahead. Obviously, there’s going to be some developments next week. The American government is going to announce what it’s going to do across the board on tariffs on that.

    Rory McClaren: Have you received any reassurances from the Trump administration about Australia and how Australia will be impacted?

    Trade Minister: We’re continuing to talk with them, Rory. I think that’s the most appropriate thing I can say at this stage. We want to engage with the Americans. We want to understand what it is that they want out there, out of the relationship. We’ve had 20 years of our free trade agreement. We think it’s been beneficial to both countries. We want that relationship to continue. Obviously, we have a very important relationship, particularly in South Australia with the AUKUS arrangement. We continue to talk to them about that and we have good, strong, friendly relationships with the United States and we want to keep it that way.

    Rory McClaren: Just on that, we’ve had a text with a question for you, Senator Don Farrell. Do we have a free trade agreement with the U.S. and if so, have they broken it? Do these free trade agreements really mean anything?

    Trade Minister: Well, answering that final question, yes, yes, they are important. You might recall three years ago when I first came into this job, we had $20 billion worth of tariffs and impediments imposed on us by the Chinese government. Despite the fact that we had a free trade agreement with the Chinese. Over that three year period, we – one by one – managed to remove all of those tariffs and all of those trade impediments. The last of them, interestingly, was crayfish just before Christmas last year. And already in that first month we’ve sold $33 million worth of crayfish back into the Chinese market. A record amount. But what did we use? We used our free trade agreement to take issues to, for instance, the World Trade Organization. And we were able to, by combination of diplomacy and other remedies, we were able to resolve each and every one of those issues. So, yes, we do have a free trade agreement with the United States and yes, we are able to use those free trade agreements to progress issues if there is a dispute. Now, obviously first point is we’re trying to resolve issues with the United States by discussion. That’s the first starting point. What we might do subsequently to that. Well, let’s, let’s see what happens. But my ambition is to do what we did in the China situation, that is sit down, open the dialogue, start talking, try and understand what their issues are, but also explain to the Americans what our issues are.

    Rory McClaren: Minister, could that also see you travel to the United States ahead of that decision?

    Trade Minister: Well, I’ve been taking video conferences in the post Covid world. That’s a pretty good way to talk to people and to communicate with people. I don’t want to predict just how we’ll conduct those negotiations, but the listeners should be, should rest assured that we’re open to dialogue and we are having dialogue with the Americans as we speak. And we’ll continue to do that because I think that’s the way you resolve issues. That’s how you resolve issues. Between other people. And that’s how you resolve issues between countries. And that’s what I’d like to do.

    Rory McClaren: Don Farrell, Federal Trade Tourism Minister, thank you for your time.

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Trade mission to China

    Source: Australian National Party



    As part of ACT Government’s ‘One Government, One Voice’ program, we are transitioning this website across to our . You can access everything you need through this website while it’s happening.

    Released 24/03/2025

    Promoting further trade, tourism and economic development with our largest trading partner, across a range of sectors, including tourism, aviation, education and investment will be the focus of this week’s trade mission to China.

    The week-long mission features activities celebrating the 25th anniversary of the Beijing-Canberra sister city relationship and a meeting with the Mayor of Beijing and Beijing Municipal Government representatives.

    Returning to Canberra’s largest export market for the first time since the Covid pandemic, the mission will focus on delivering outcomes outlined in our International Engagement Strategy and T2030 Tourism Strategy.

    Under the T2030 strategy, the Government aims to reach $5 billion in annual visitor expenditure by 2030. China is Canberra’s largest international market and has considerable capacity to grow over this decade. Recent data shows 15 per cent of all international visitors to the ACT came from China, contributing 52 per cent of the total international visitor spend.

    Tourism and investment opportunities will be pursued through meetings with airlines including Air China and Cathay Pacific, hotel operators and key tourism distribution partners.

    Education partnerships will also be strengthened including an official visit to the Cunzhi Senior High School in Shanghai – who deliver the ACT Year 12 certificate through the BSSS (Board of Senior Studies).

    Supported by Tourism Australia, the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade and AusTrade, participants in the mission include Visit Canberra and the Commissioner for International Engagement.

    The estimated cost of the Chief Minister’s component of the trade mission is under $15,000, met from the ACT Executive 2024-25 Budget. The final cost will be reported as part of the regular quarterly travel reports.

    – Statement ends –

    Andrew Barr, MLA | Media Releases

    «ACT Government Media Releases | «Minister Media Releases

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Can Mark Carney truly connect with Canadian voters? Canada will now find out

    Source: The Conversation – Canada – By Kevin Quigley, Scholarly Director of the MacEachen Institute for Public Policy and Governance, Dalhousie University

    After a busy two weeks as prime minister, Mark Carney has called an election for April 28.

    As the first in Canadian history to be named prime minister without ever having held public office, Carney is hoping he can win the trust of Canadians. He’ll run for a seat in the Ottawa riding of Nepean.

    Trustworthiness is awarded to those who are at least perceived as knowledgeable, transparent and concerned. Can Carney pull it off?

    When it comes to economics, Carney is among the most knowledgeable in the country. After obtaining a PhD at the University of Oxford, Carney has had a distinguished public service career in the Canadian Department of Finance, the Bank of Canada and the Bank of England.

    With such a high level of economic uncertainty today in the face of repeated threats from United States President Donald Trump, his supporters say he’s the right person to lead Canada. His chief rival, Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre, was first elected to the House of Commons at the age of 25 and has quite a different CV.

    Is Carney empathetic?

    Carney, however, might struggle more with the other characteristics of trustworthiness — seeming open and showing concern.

    The Conservatives have criticized Carney for not being more transparent about his private financial interests. While Carney is following disclosure rules, the Conservatives argue Canadians need to know more about whether he’s in a conflict of interest when he makes decisions in government.

    Carney’s answers to questions about his time at Brookfield Asset Management have on occasion been unsteady.

    On the surface, this is about transparency, but in fact it’s just as much about empathy and whether Carney can relate to working-class voters. By alluding to Carney’s wealth and connections, the Conservatives are implying that Carney is an out-of-touch elite who doesn’t share the concerns of average Canadians.

    Some of the early visuals of Carney can cut both ways.

    His recent chummy embrace at the Élysée with French President Emmanuel Macron exemplifies how immediately comfortable he is with world leaders. Some will find this reassuring, given the state of geopolitics; others might find it privileged and off-putting. Even his hockey skills, which were part of a recent photo-op in Edmonton when he practised with the Oilers, were acquired partly during his time at Harvard University, an institution among the most elite in the world.

    Empathy, instinct

    Can Carney connect with people?

    Arguably, he needs work on this front. He might consider some of his Liberal predecessors.

    Former prime minister Justin Trudeau could certainly rally a crowd. Trudeau became a motivational speaker in the 2000s and used opportunities like the WE Charity to practise public speaking to what would become an important constituency for him — young voters — when he led the Liberals to victory in 2015.

    Not everything can be taught at school. Political instinct is also crucial. It requires reconciling the knowledge of experts with the concerns of everyday citizens. There is no formula for this balance sheet.

    Here again, Trudeau had insight. Bill Morneau, a corporate executive himself and the former federal finance minister, noted after the COVID-19 pandemic that government payouts had been too generous and driven more by Trudeau’s view of the politics of the moment than by the economic analysis provided to him by the Finance Department.

    This may be so, but most would say Trudeau handled the early stages of the pandemic deftly.

    Chretien’s skills

    It was interesting that at the recent Liberal convention confirming Carney as leader, delegates gushed over former prime minister Jean Chretien, far from an elitist. A winner of three consecutive majorities, Chretien delivered a speech that went over at least as well with delegates as Carney’s.

    Chretien had unparalleled political instincts. When Conservative Prime Minister Brian Mulroney rolled out the GST in 1991, it was deeply unpopular. Despite Chretien later famously backtracking on his original opposition to the GST, the Liberal Party under his stewardship used the issue to exact maximum damage on the Progressive Conservatives, delivering them a near-fatal blow.

    Chretien’s killer instincts trumped expert knowledge. While the Progressive Conservatives paid a heavy price for adopting the GST, the policy was largely advocated and shaped by business and economic elites, including in the Department of Finance. Good economics does not always make for good politics.

    Emotions to run high

    If the 1988 federal election that focused almost exclusively on free trade with the U.S. is any indication of what the next few weeks will look like in Canada, the election campaign is going to get heated quickly. Arguments may be more emotional than sensible.

    The fact that Carney dropped the carbon tax and capital gains tax was an early sign that he’s not an economist anymore, he’s a politician.

    The challenge for Carney — and for any politician in the heat of an election campaign battle — will be to find the sweet spot that reconciles expert opinion with public concerns and to articulate policies in a manner that voters will understand and support.

    Kevin Quigley receives funding from SSHRC.

    – ref. Can Mark Carney truly connect with Canadian voters? Canada will now find out – https://theconversation.com/can-mark-carney-truly-connect-with-canadian-voters-canada-will-now-find-out-252365

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Small Business Administration Announces Agency-Wide Reorganization

    Source: United States Small Business Administration

    WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, pursuant to EO 14210, the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) announced its plans for an agency-wide reorganization. To return to its founding mission of empowering small businesses, and to restore accountability to taxpayers, the agency will reduce its workforce by 43% – ending the expansive social policy agenda of the prior Administration, eliminating non-essential roles, and returning to pre-pandemic staffing levels.

    The strategic reorganization will begin a turnaround for the agency by restoring the efficiency of the first Trump Administration, as well as its focus on promoting small businesses. Core services to the public, including the agency’s loan guarantee and disaster assistance programs, as well as its field and veteran operations, will not be impacted.

    The SBA’s reorganization will enable the agency to become a dynamic and efficient force for small businesses, manufacturing, and job creation in support of President Trump’s economic agenda. SBA will refocus its resources on the core missions of supplying capital, fostering innovation, supporting veteran small business owners, providing field support, and delivering timely disaster relief.

    Key features of SBA’s reorganization include:

    • Promoting business formation and growth by shifting resources to expand capital formation functions and personnel, removing the emphasis from partisan programs of the past.
    • Prioritizing risk management and fraud prevention by centralizing these functions within the Office of the Chief Financial Officer, in the effort to restore integrity to agency programs, audits, and financial statements.
    • Expanding disaster response support by transferring disaster loan servicing functions and additional personnel into the Office of Disaster Recovery and Resilience. Additionally, the agency will cross-train field office personnel to support disaster recovery efforts.
    • Eliminating redundant pandemic-era positions associated exclusively with processing pandemic-era loans within the Office of Capital Access.
    • Ensuring that 30% of the agency is located in the field, by decentralizing services and working to better serve Main Streets across America.
    • Promoting veteran businesses and American manufacturing by preserving existing staffing levels within the Office of Veterans Business Development and the Office of Manufacturing and Trade.
    • Exempting key accountability offices from reductions at this time including the Office of Advocacy and the Office of the Inspector General.

    Much of the reorganization is targeted to reverse the broad and costly expansion of the SBA under the Biden Administration. Since the pandemic, the agency has nearly doubled in size, in part to support a suite of new progressive programs like the Green Lender Initiative, the Community Navigator Pilot Program, and DEI activities. This partisan agenda, promoted at the expense of America’s small businesses, predictably led to the deterioration of SBA’s services and financial performance. An estimated $200 billion in Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) and Covid Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) fraud was ignored for four years. Meanwhile, irresponsible Biden-era changes to the 7(a) loan program generated rising defaults and delinquencies, as well as negative cash flow for the first time in over a decade – which will have future, multi-year consequences for the program.

    “The SBA was created to be a launchpad for America’s small businesses by offering access to capital, which in turn drives job creation, innovation, and a thriving Main Street. But in the last four years, the agency has veered off track – doubling in size and turning into a sprawling leviathan plagued by mission creep, financial mismanagement, and waste. Instead of serving small businesses, the SBA served a partisan political agenda – expanding in size, scope, and spending,” said SBA Administrator Kelly Loeffler.

    “Just like the small business owners we support, we must do more with less. We have therefore submitted plans to pursue a strategic restructuring that will realign the agency and its resources with our founding mission. By eliminating non-mission-critical positions and consolidating functions, we will revert to the staffing levels of the last Trump Administration, which supported a historic economic boom. We will return our focus to driving private sector growth and delivering disaster relief with accountability, efficiency, and results.”

    Under the reorganization plan, the agency will eliminate approximately 2,700 active positions out of a total active workforce of nearly 6,500 through voluntary resignations, the expiration of COVID-era and other term appointments, and a limited number of reductions in force (RIFs).

    The average salary of an SBA employee is over $132,000 – more than double the national average wage. The reduction in workforce will save taxpayers more than $435 million annually by FY26.

    SBA’s reorganization plan will provide for the preservation of public services through a strategic transfer of duties. It will be actioned in the coming weeks.

    ###

    About the U.S. Small Business Administration
    The U.S. Small Business Administration helps power the American dream of entrepreneurship. As the leading voice for small businesses within the federal government, the SBA empowers job creators with the resources and support they need to start, grow, and expand their businesses or recover from a declared disaster. It delivers services through an extensive network of SBA field offices and partnerships with public and private organizations. To learn more, visit www.sba.gov.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: The Prime Minister has appointed 6 new Trustees to the V&A

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    News story

    The Prime Minister has appointed 6 new Trustees to the V&A

    The Prime Minister has appointed Mariella Frostrup, Andrew Keith, Akshata Murty, Nigel Newton, Vick Hope and Pedro Pina as trustees of the Victoria and Albert Museum; their four year terms started on 10 March 2025.

    Mariella Frostrup

    Mariella is a journalist, broadcaster, author, and cultural commentator; in particular covering the worlds of arts, culture and societal issues. She promotes the intrinsic value of arts and culture to wider society and the importance that they connect with and are accessible to all. Mariella has presented the UK’s leading book programmes, cultural shows and judged its literary and arts awards, such as the Booker Prize, BAFTA Awards, RIBA and Turner Prize.

    She was the first non-elected member of the Royal Academy’s Council, and more recently she became a Trustee of the British Council. She was awarded a Doctor of Arts from Nottingham University in 2009 for her work and achievement in arts and culture. She’s a Royal Society of Literature fellow and a BAFTA member.

    Mariella co-founded the annual Women in Work Summit. She is the Government’s Menopause Employment Ambassador, Chairs the advocacy group Menopause Mandate, and is a Save the Children Ambassador.

    Andrew Keith

    Andrew is a luxury retail executive with over three decades of experience leading prominent international brands.

    Andrew spent 19 years with Lane Crawford Joyce Group, holding a number of key positions including President of Joyce and Lane Crawford. Under his leadership, the group greatly expanded its footprint, introducing innovative retail formats and establishing a significant presence in Greater China. He oversaw the opening of flagship stores and launched the group’s online platform. He then spent three years with Selfridges as Managing Director and later CEO, Andrew led Selfridges through the complexities of reopening post-COVID-19, implementing strategies to adapt to the new retail landscape. In early 2025, he took on the role of leading the transformation of Edinburgh’s historic Jenners building. This multi-million-pound project aims to revitalise the iconic site into a premier destination, blending retail and hospitality elements.

    Andrew has served as a co-opted Member of the V&A’s Commerce Committee, contributing his commercial expertise to enhance the museum’s engagement strategies.

    Born in Lagos, Nigeria, to Scottish parents, Andrew studied Fashion Design at Kingston University and maintains a deep connection to his Scottish heritage, often spending time at his home in the Highlands, reflecting his appreciation for nature and the environment.

    Akshata Murty

    Akshata is passionate about education and the power of creativity to have positive effects on young people. During her time living in Downing Street, she launched ‘Lessons at 10’. This initiative provided children from across the United Kingdom with a unique opportunity to go behind the famous black door of Number 10 to be inspired and discover their passions.

    With her husband, former Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, Akshata is a co-founder of The Richmond Project, a charity focused on enabling social mobility by breaking down barriers to numeracy. She is also a keen supporter of the UK’s veteran community.

    Akshata spent over a decade investing in early-stage consumer-focused British companies, providing funding and strategic advice. Previously, Akshata founded a fashion line that was inspired by Indian craftsmanship.

    Originally from Bangalore, Akshata obtained a B.A in Economics and French from Claremont McKenna College, an MBA from Stanford University’s Graduate School of Business as well as an Associate degree from the Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising Los Angeles. She is on the board of Claremont McKenna College. Akshata is also a Trustee of the Murty Trust in India and a supporter of the Murty Classical Library of India.

    Nigel Newton CBE

    Nigel is the founder and Chief Executive of Bloomsbury Publishing. He was born and raised in San Francisco. He read English at Selwyn College, Cambridge and after working at Macmillan Publishers, he joined Sidgwick & Jackson. He left Sidgwick in 1986 to start Bloomsbury Publishing. He was appointed as President of the Publishers Association in April 2022.

    He serves as a Member of the Advisory Committee of Cambridge University Library and President of Book Aid International. In 2020, he was awarded The London Book Fair (LBF) Lifetime Achievement Award and became an Honorary Fellow of Selwyn College, Cambridge. He has previously served as a member of the Booker Prize Advisory Committee, Chairman of the Charleston Trust, Chair of World Book Day, Board member of the US-UK Fulbright Commission, member of the Publishers Association Council, Trustee of the International Institute for Strategic Studies and Chair of the British Library Trust.

    In 2021 he was awarded a CBE for his services to the publishing industry. 

    Vick Hope

    Vick is an award-winning TV and radio presenter, journalist and author. She hosts BBC Radio One’s show Going Home, and was recently named the newest presenter of Countryfile. She also presents The One Show, Channel 4’s Paralympic Games coverage, CBBC’s Britain’s Best Young Artist, Glastonbury, and ITV’s Vick Hope’s Breakfast Show.

    Vick served on the Women’s Prize for Fiction (WPFF) judging panel in 2021 and curates their Young Adults’ Reading List. She hosts the WPFF podcast, Bookshelfie, interviewing female artists, writers, politicians, musicians, actors and sportspeople about the books by women that have shaped them. She is also the author of two children’s books which promote creativity in young children. 

    In 2020, Vick became an official Ambassador for Amnesty International. She volunteers at local charities Literacy Pirates and Just For Girls, which support children from disadvantaged backgrounds in her community. With the Duke Of Edinburgh Award, she mentors young people and delivers annual speeches at Buckingham Palace. Vick leads The Brit Awards’ campaign to tackle accessibility issues in the creative industries, and is Marks and Spencer’s Plan A Fashion Sustainability Ambassador. Vick was a judge on the ArtFund Museum Of The Year panel in 2024, which was awarded to Young V&A.

    Vick graduated from Emmanuel College, University of Cambridge in 2011, having read Modern Languages (French, Spanish and Portuguese).

    Pedro Pina

    Pedro is a senior executive with over three decades of experience in media, brand management, advertising, and all areas of the digital space. Pina has been at Google for over 12 years and currently serves as Head of YouTube, overseeing the platform’s business and strategic development within Europe, Middle East and Africa. His career includes roles at Google, McCann Worldgroup, PepsiCo, and Procter & Gamble having lived in the US, Brazil, Spain and Portugal. London has been home for Pedro and his family for more than 15 years. 

    Pina holds an MBA from INSEAD, Paris and previously served on the V&A Corporate Advisory Committee. His expertise includes digital transformation, audience engagement, and strategic partnerships. He serves on the Board of OutRight International and is an Ambassador of Stonewall as well as other organisations that advocate for LGBTQ+ human rights globally and in the UK.

    Remuneration and Governance Code

    Trustees of the V&A are not remunerated. These appointments have been made in accordance with the Governance Code on Public Appointments. The appointments process is regulated by the Commissioner for Public Appointments. 

    Under the Code, any significant political activity undertaken by an appointee in the last five years must be declared. This is defined as including holding office, public speaking, making a recordable donation, or candidature for election. Mariella Frostrup, Andrew Keith, Nigel Newton CBE, Victoria Nwosu-Hope and Pedro Pina have not declared any significant political activity. Akshata Murty has declared she has spoken on behalf of the Conservative Party, and their candidates and canvassed on behalf of the Conservative Party and helped at elections. 

    DCMS has around 400 regulated Public Appointment roles across 42 Public Bodies including Arts Council England, Theatres Trust, the National Gallery, UK Sport and the Gambling Commission. We encourage applications from talented individuals from all backgrounds and across the whole of the United Kingdom.  To find out more about Public Appointments or to apply to be a Trustee of a National Museum or Gallery visit the HM Government Public Appointments Website.

    Updates to this page

    Published 21 March 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –