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Category: Education

  • MIL-OSI Europe: Antoine Ferey is the 2025 AFSE Malinvaud Prize laureate

    Source: Universities – Science Po in English

     

     

    The Association Française de Science Économique (AFSE) announced the 2025 laureate of its Prix Edmond Malinvaud: Antoine Ferey.

    The AFSE (French Economic Association) is a nonprofit organization founded in 1950. It aims at promoting exchange of knowledge and participation of its members in public debates on economic policies. It is open to all economists, whether they work in universities, public research organizations, government bodies or private companies.

    Every year the AFSE awards a Prize for the best paper published in an indexed EconLit, peer-reviewed journal in the past two years by a young economist affiliated to a French laboratory.

    Antoine is awarded the 2025 Prix Edmond Malivaud for his paper Sufficient Statistics for Nonlinear Tax Systems with General Across-Income Heterogeneity (joint with Ben Lockwood and Dmitry Taubinsky), published in 2024 in the American Economic Review.

    The jury wanted to shed light on the topic of optimal non-linear tax systems, in particular taxation of savings which is much less investigated than taxation of income. 

    “In their paper, Antoine Ferey and his co-authors put forward a comprehensive approach to quantifying optimal commodity and savings taxes by developing sufficient statistics that capture various sources of income heterogeneity, extending the standard Atkinson-Stiglitz framework, and providing practical guidance for policy design and empirical estimation.”

    A ceremony will be organised on June 20th during the Paris Economics Taxation Workshop to award the Malinvaud Prize to Antoine.

    This is the third time that Antoine’s work has been honoured in as many months: earlier this year he became a CESifo Distinguished Fellow for his paper Redistribution and Unemployment Insurance (read abstract) and the Aix-Marseille School of Economics (AMSE) awarded him the Carine Nourry Best Doctoral Dissertation Prize. 

    Antoine also joins a growing list of faculty members whose papers have been awarded the Malinvaud Prize: Alfred Galichon, Isabelle Mejean, Clément de Chaisemartin, Johannes Boehm, and Michele Fioretti.

    Congratulations Antoine !

    (credits: Alexis Lecomte)

    Antoine Ferey joined the Department of Economics in 2023 as an Assistant Professor (tenure track). He is also a Research Affiliate of the CESifo Network and of the Institut des politiques publiques. During the Spring Semester, he has been invited by Harvard University to teach a part of their public economics sequence to PhD students.

    Prior to joining our faculty, he was an Assistant Professor at the Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich (LMU). He received his PhD in Economics from the Centre de recherche en économie et statistique (CREST) and Ecole Polytechnique in 2021, for which he received two PhD Dissertation Awards from the Association française de science économique (AFSE) and from Institut Polytechnique de Paris (IP Paris). 

    Antoine Ferey’s website

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: Meet Daniela Espinal Fondeur and Gabrijela Papec, Recipients of the Competitive Schwarzman Scholars Programme

    Source: Universities – Science Po in English

    Daniela Espinal Fondeur and Gabrijela Papec have been selected to be part of the 150 students from 38 countries of the 10th cohort of Schwarzman Scholars, one of the most competitive scholarship programmes in the world – with an acceptance rate of below 3%. With its first anniversary coming up in 2026, this programme has reached this year the biggest number of applications and has admitted its 100th country represented, thanks to Sciences Po student Gabrijela Papec, from Croatia.

    This scholarship offers the equivalent of €150,000 to each recipient, with automatic acceptance to the best university in Asia (Times Higher Education World University Rankings), Tsinghua University in Beijing, China, for a one-year master’s degree on a campus reserved exclusive to the 150 graduates, the Schwarzman College. The core purpose of this programme can be summed up in this quote from its founding trustee, Stephen A. Schwarzman, “Those who will lead the future must understand China today”.

    Meet this year’s two Sciences Po recipients, Daniela Espinal Fondeur, a graduate from the Paris School of International Affairs (PSIA) and Gabrijela Papec, a master’s student from the Law School.

    Who are you?

    Daniela E. F.: I was born and raised in the Dominican Republic, where I studied economics as an undergraduate student. In 2022, I joined the Master in International Governance and Diplomacy at Sciences Po, and graduated in June 2024. My interest lies in international cooperation. I undertook internships in embassies, UNESCO, and the Dominican Republic Consulate in Paris. I wish to become a diplomat in the near future.

    Gabrijela P.: I am from Croatia. I began my journey at Sciences Po as an undergraduate student on the Reims campus, and its North America minor – just like Felipe Chertouh (2024 Schwarzman Scholar, article in French). I have a strong interest in the way advocacy work can be intertwined with human rights and international law, which grew even stronger after a summer internship at Genocide Watch. After a year as a master’s student in Economic Law, I decided to take a gap year and applied to the Schwarzman Scholar programme.

    What are you expecting from this programme?

    Daniela: I am really excited to benefit from this unique opportunity. China is so remote from the Dominican Republic, it is priceless to learn about a country while living there. I aim to build a bridge between China and my country through an internship at the Dominican Embassy in Beijing. Considering all the turmoil that’s happening in our world, it is incredible to go through that experience.

    Gabrijela: Getting a deep cultural understanding of the way international law is applied in China – a gigantic country which holds much power over other countries – is very important. I feel that China needs to be included in the very making of international law and policies, or they will never work out. I already experienced working in Asia, for a South Korean company, and I can’t wait to further enrich my skill set.

    How was your experience at Sciences Po ?

    Daniela: It was my first time away from home! I met remarkable colleagues, professors, and had a unique experience as a Paris Peace Forum volunteer, assigned to the Montenegro delegation. You can access many academic opportunities, such as the European Forum Alpbach in Austria. One of my favourite courses was about great strategies in diplomacy, past and present, taught by Bruno Stagno Ugarte, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Costa Rica. I made the most out of my Sciences Po experience by joining different clubs as well, in the fields of diplomacy and debate. 

    Gabrijela: Reims being quite a small city, I found it easy to meet people, who came from everywhere. The course that made a lasting impression on me was about conflict-related sexual violence, taught by David Eichert. This excellent course focused on the way international criminal law evolved to include sexual violence. I do believe that I, too, can change the course of history. I used to complain about the way Sciences Po gave me so much work, but I can see now that it prepared me to think for myself, to be responsible. It enabled me to apply to this programme, filling in a comprehensive file.

    What advice would you give to sciences po students applying to the Schwarzman Scholars programme? 

    Daniela: Be open to getting out of your comfort zone, to consider living in other places that can challenge you, mentally and culturally. It can turn into the greatest opportunity for growth at all level.

    A Schwarzman recipient must meet three main criteria :

    • demonstrated leadership,
    • intellect,
    • exemplary character and integrity.

    Gabrijela: Be open to yourself and who you want to be, but also, try to be the best student you can be. 

    Both: Reach out to previous scholars, ask for help. Sciences Po has an alumni base for this programme now, rely on it, on its sense of community. We can’t wait to meet the 1,300+ programme graduates in 2026 for its 10th anniversary.

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: School holiday meals for more children who are most in need thanks to transformative support package

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    Press release

    School holiday meals for more children who are most in need thanks to transformative support package

    Children most in need across the country will be kept from going hungry during the school holidays thanks to funding announced in the Spending Review.

    • Major support package will help ensure the poorest children don’t go hungry in the school holidays and give vital support to communities.
    • Latest pledge builds on existing commitments to help children including breakfast clubs and extension to free school meals entitlement. 
    • Funding announced in Spending Review and forms package to build financial security for communities as part of Government’s Plan for Change.

    Children most in need across the country will be kept from going hungry during the school holidays thanks to funding announced in the Spending Review. 

    This latest support for children will be delivered under a new £1 billion package – including Barnett consequentials funding – to reform crisis support, including the launch of a new Crisis and Resilience Fund. 

    As a multi-year deal, the Fund will for the first time give councils much needed certainty to protect households from falling into crisis and to provide vital support to those who need it most.  

    Local authorities will be empowered to best target support in their areas – including allocating funding to ensure children receive meals outside of term time. 

    Other examples could include bringing together existing services to deliver joined-up support such as on debt advice, income maximisation, budgeting and welfare support.

    The ambition to ensure no child goes hungry builds on the government’s pledge to ensure 500,000 more children become eligible for free school meals following the major expansion to breakfast clubs in England.  

    Children who are most in need already receive meals out of term time via the government’s Holiday Activities and Food (HAF) programme and the latest funding will extend this even further. 

    This marks a significant step in the government’s ambition to reduce child poverty and to end the mass dependence on emergency food parcels. 

    Work and Pensions Secretary Liz Kendall said: 

    No child should be left to go hungry and we are determined to do whatever it takes to tackle this issue. 

    Our commitment to feeding children most in need builds on measures like our expansion of free school meals – and we will be going further in our Child Poverty Strategy.

    The funding we have secured is a major part of our Plan for Change and will help ensure left behind families across the country can look forward to a brighter future.

    Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson said:

    This government is committed to delivering excellence for every child. 

    That is why, as part of our Plan for Change, we are rolling out free breakfast clubs and extending free school meals to deliver better life chances for all of our children. 

    The only hunger a child should have is a hunger to learn – we will make sure children’s backgrounds should not determine where they end up.

    The new Crisis and Resilience Fund will replace the Household Support Fund and launch from April 2026 – incorporating Discretionary Housing Payments. 

    The funding represents a total of £1 billion including Barnett consequentials – with £842 million allocated to England. 

    An allocation will go towards food support and meals to children during the holidays. Details will be set out in due course. 

    This comes alongside wider action to tackle poverty and make everyone better off – including increasing the National Minimum Wage for those on the lowest incomes and uprating benefits. 

    The government has also introduced a cap on how much Universal Credit can be taken for debt repayments – helping 1.2 million households become up to £420 better off. 

    Alongside this, the best route out of poverty for struggling families is well paid, secure work. That’s why the Government is delivering on its Get Britain Working reforms, to support people into good jobs, boost living standards and put money back into families’ pockets. 

    Additional Information:  

    • A total of £1 billion to reform crisis support (including £842 million for England) has been announced in the Spending Review. 

    • This includes funding for the new Crisis and Resilience Fund incorporating Discretionary Housing Payments as well as investment in ensuring the poorest children don’t go hungry in the holidays.

    Updates to this page

    Published 13 June 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Next steps for the former leisure centre site

    Source: City of Winchester


    Winchester City Council is inviting residents to attend a public engagement event about the next steps for the former leisure centre site.

    Earlier this year, the city council received confirmation that the University of Southampton were no longer taking forward their planned investment in the site. Therefore, the council is proposing to begin an open process of finding a partner to invest in the site, subject to cabinet approving the proposed process at a meeting on 15 July.  

    Councillor Kathleen Becker, Cabinet Member for Healthy Communities, said:  

    “We really encourage people to come along and find out more and let us know their thoughts about the planned process and potential future uses of the site. This drop-in event will give local people the opportunity to hear the proposed approach, understand the process and timeline for finding a new partner to invest, learn about the opportunities and constraints of the site, ask the project team questions and have their say.  

    “This council is one that listens, and we’ve been clear that there must be opportunity for the public to have a proper say in what happens at this site.” 

    Winchester City Council committed to finding a new partner to invest in the site, on a long lease basis, as long as the following three conditions were met:  

    • The green space – whether park, sports or play area, tennis courts or access through the site – is wholly out of scope 
    • The public have a proper say during the process 
    • Provision of the skate park and indoor bowling must be absolutely protected 

    Drop-in engagement event:  

    Thursday 26 June 2025, from 3-7pm

    The Courtyard, The Guildhall, Winchester, SO23 9GH

    There is no need to book. Just pop along, find out more, ask questions and tell us what you think.

    Can’t make the event? Don’t worry. You can read the supporting project information on the website- www.winchester.gov.uk/former-leisure-centre-site  

    and then complete the short feedback form- www.winchester.gov.uk/former-leisure-centre-site-feedback

    There will also be further opportunities in the future for residents to provide their feedback. 

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI USA: SEC Names Jamie Selway as Director of Trading and Markets

    Source: Securities and Exchange Commission

    The Securities and Exchange Commission today announced the appointment of Jamie Selway, an accomplished financial markets leader, as Director of the Division of Trading and Markets, effective June 17, 2025.

    “I’d like to welcome Jamie to the SEC,” said SEC Chairman Paul S. Atkins. “He brings decades of industry experience in market structure and across multiple asset classes to this critical role. I look forward to working with him to protect our markets and ensure the agency’s regulations balance costs and benefits.”

    Mr. Selway was most recently a partner at Sophron Advisors, where he advised clients on capital markets issues. He was also a board member at Protego Holdings, board chair at AllofUs Financial and Skew, and served as an advisor to multiple financial technology companies. He previously was a managing director and head of electronic brokerage at Investment Technology Group, a global institutional broker. He co-founded institutional brokerage White Cap Trading, where he was a managing director and chairman. Earlier in his career, he was chief economist at Archipelago, worked in Equity Derivatives Research at Goldman Sachs, and was associate director of research at the National Association of Securities Dealers, which became the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority.

    “Chairman Atkins is bringing about a ‘new day’ at the SEC,” said Mr. Selway. “I thank him for selecting me to lead Trading and Markets at this exciting and pivotal time. Together, we will promote the SEC’s mission and enable innovation, to the benefit of our nation’s investors.”

    Mr. Selway has served on a number of industry committees and previously testified at Congressional and SEC roundtables. He is a member of the National Organization of Investment Professionals (NOIP) and the Investment Traders Association of Philadelphia, and has served as chair of NOIP and the NOIP Foundation. He previously was associate editor of the Journal of Trading.

    Mr. Selway received an M.S. in financial mathematics from the University of Chicago and a B.A. in mathematics and European history from Washington & Lee University.  

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Nuclear energy is a risky investment, but that’s no reason for the UK government to avoid it

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Renaud Foucart, Senior Lecturer in Economics, Lancaster University Management School, Lancaster University

    Sizewell B on the UK’s Suffolk coast. Nick Beer/Shutterstock

    The UK government’s investment of around £14 billion in a new nuclear power plant marks a big economic shift for the country’s approach to energy.

    The Sizewell C plant in Suffolk will be the second of a new generation of reactors to be built in the country, after Hinkley Point C in Somerset, which is expected to open in 2031.

    French energy firm EDF is building Hinkley and will probably end up building Sizewell too. But it seems that the British government is finally prepared to take on the considerable financial risk which these projects bring.

    Previously it has preferred to look elsewhere. China, notably, has a longstanding appetite for investment in British infrastructure. (Although in 2022, the UK government bought back China’s stakes in Sizewell C amid geopolitical concerns.)

    But the money has to come from somewhere. And after EDF announced it wanted to limit its participation in Sizewell C – and in particular, exposure to the risk of cost overruns – the UK government has stepped in.

    EDF has has already lost a lot of money building Hinkley Point C. When construction began in 2017, costs were estimated at £18 billion.

    At the time, the UK government agreed to pay a set rate for the electricity produced so the French company could recoup its cost and make a reasonable profit. That price was perceived by some as as extremely high and remains higher than current wholesale prices.

    But as construction costs have more than doubled, the project has generated an estimated loss of around £13 billion for EDF. The company hopes to keep construction costs down this time, after similar costs overruns in projects it completed in France and in Finland.

    But now Sizewell C will only progress because the British government has said it will take on almost all of the financial risk.

    In doing so, the UK is not an outlier. In France, China and South Korea, nuclear power plants are built by state-owned companies. In the US, private companies are waiting for public funding to finance Donald Trump’s dream of a nuclear renaissance.

    And perhaps it’s an expense the state should be willing to take on.

    After all, although nuclear reactors (like solar farms and wind turbines) are expensive to set up, once they are built, the cost of producing electricity is very small.

    And if the long-term goal is to eliminate the need for fossil fuels, it means all electricity will need to come from a mixture of renewables, batteries and nuclear. Electricity could then become much cheaper than it is now.

    But building the means of creating this power comes with varying degrees of risk.

    Solar, for example, is not that risky. Panels are usually imported, there are no major safety concerns, and investors can roughly predict how much sun there will be in a typical year.

    For nuclear energy, production is also predictable. But the time it will take to complete construction of a plant and the associated costs are not.

    Part of this is down to choice. UK regulations around nuclear energy are complex and strict, and other countries build faster and cheaper. This may be why globally, solar power is attracting much more investment than other sources of energy.

    Political energy

    But this does not mean governments should ignore the nuclear option. One of the main reasons governments are useful to society is that they can afford to take risks that private investors cannot, and finance long term innovation.

    This in turn can lead to much greater strategic and geopolitical autonomy. While solar panels and batteries are getting ever cheaper, the vast majority of production is in China.

    Domestic production of nuclear allows for greater diversity in energy sourcing, and arguably from some more predictable partners. The key component, uranium, can be found in large quantities in places like Canada or Australia, or directly reused.

    Research suggests that nuclear energy may be particularly suited to feed the needs of digital datacentres and artificial intelligence.

    Meanwhile, the government also hopes to get small nuclear reactors from domestic producer Rolls Royce which could be built in factories at a much more predictable cost. Russia and China have each already built this kind of reactor.

    Plus there’s £2.5 billion for UK research on nuclear fusion, with the potential to deliver electricity on an unprecedented scale.

    No one knows if fusion will ever be possible. It is the kind of uncertain, incredibly expensive projects (with potentially massive returns) that pretty much no private investor would risk looking at.

    But again, it is the kind of bet only governments can take. For nuclear power, for reasons of scale, risk and uncertainty, is mostly a government business – and ultimately a political choice.

    It will take a long time to know if the decision to spend taxpayers’ money on Sizewell C was the right way to respond to the country’s energy needs. But ending reliance on private or foreign financing for nuclear projects could one day be seen as a positive reaction.

    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 45,000+ readers who’ve subscribed so far.

    Renaud Foucart 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. Nuclear energy is a risky investment, but that’s no reason for the UK government to avoid it – https://theconversation.com/nuclear-energy-is-a-risky-investment-but-thats-no-reason-for-the-uk-government-to-avoid-it-258645

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Africa: Deputy President to undertake working visit to Russia

    Source: South Africa News Agency

    Strengthening economic and trade relations will be at the core of Deputy President Paul Mashatile’s working visit to Russia.

    According to the Deputy President’s Office, the trip will focus on enhancing cooperation in key sectors, including agriculture, automotive, energy, and mining, as well as collaboration in science and technology.

    The working visit set for 17-21 June in Moscow and St. Petersburg, will involve high-level engagements and activities focused on economic diplomacy.

    In Moscow, Deputy President Mashatile will meet with Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin to discuss cooperation in the areas of economy, trade, and energy.

    The Deputy President will meet with several high-ranking officials, including President Vladimir Putin, Valentina Matvienko, the Chairman of the Russian Federation Council, and Vyacheslav Volodin, the current Chairman of the State Duma, which is the lower house of the Russian Parliament.

    While in Moscow, the Deputy President will lay a wreath at the memorial site honouring South Africa’s liberation heroes, John Beaver (JB) Marks and Moses Kotane. 

    Following this, he will participate in the 28th St. Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF2025).

    This year’s forum will be held from 19 to 21 June,  under the theme: “Shared Values: The Foundation of Growth in a Multipolar World.”

    The Deputy President will take part in the plenary session of SPIEF2025 while he has also received an invitation to speak at the Russia-Africa Business Dialogue.

    In addition, he is scheduled to deliver a public lecture at St. Petersburg State University on the topic: “South Africa’s G20 Presidency in a Rapidly Changing Geopolitical Environment.”

    He will address attendees at the opening of the South African Trade and Investment Seminar.

    “The St. Petersburg leg of the visit is expected to leverage on promoting South Africa’s trade relations and South Africa as an investment destination.” 

    According to the Deputy President’s Office, this trip will be his first visit to Russia since he took office under the seventh administration. 

    He will be accompanied by a delegation of Ministers and Deputy Ministers who are part of the Economic Sectors, Investment, Employment and Infrastructure Development Cabinet Cluster. – SAnews.gov.za

    MIL OSI Africa –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Canterbury is Best, Bar None!

    Source: City of Canterbury

    Hosted by Canterbury BID, the third annual Best Bar None awards took place on Wednesday 11 June, recognising the efforts of 33 venues in Canterbury.

    Best Bar None is a national accreditation scheme that recognises excellence in the hospitality industry, promoting safer and more welcoming nights out. Canterbury remains the leading location for accredited venues in Kent.

    The scheme was introduced by Kent Police, Canterbury City Council and Canterbury BID in 2022 and provides businesses with an official, independent, accreditation that shows customers how hard they work to provide a safe and welcoming place to visit while they are out socialising.

    This year’s ceremony took place at The Lounge Bar & Kitchen, with 33 businesses receiving their awards, along with 14 Special Achievements awards for those venues and individuals that have gone above and beyond in keeping our community safe.

    The event was opened by the Lord Mayor of Canterbury, Cllr Keji Moses, District Commander CI Paul Stoner and BID CEO Lisa Carlson.

    Awards for top scoring assessments were given to The Venue, Woody’s, Tokyo Tearoom and The Cricketers, while staff from Club Chemistry, McDonald’s, Boom Battle Bar, The Shakespeare and The Foundry BrewPub also received individual and special awards.

    Awards based on the highest scores achieved in the Best Bar None accreditation process:

    • Best Venue Management: The Venue
    • Best Staff Training & Care: Woody’s
    • Best Customer Safety & Welfare: Tokyo Tearooms
    • Best Customer Safety & Community: The Lounge
    • Best Newcomer: The Cricketers
    • Best Overall Venue: The Venue

    Individual and special awards based on the stories submitted by management about their staff and project work:

    • Special Recognition Award: Thomas Garncarek, Club Chemistry
    • Community Ambassador Award: McDonald’s Team
    • Best Commitment to Safety and Prevention: Chloe Petter, The Shakespeare
    • Best Dedicated Member of Staff: Ricky Richards, Boom Battle Bar
    • Best Diversity and Inclusion Awareness Award: Sarah and Alice from Club Chemistry
    • Best Customer Experience: Kristina Hopkins, The Shakespeare
    • Sustainability Award: The Foundry BrewPub
    • Outstanding Service: PC Danielle Rolfe, Kent Police

    Lisa Carlson, CEO Canterbury BID said: “Canterbury has been the proud receiver of the Purple Flag for 13 years, thanks to the existing partnership working between agencies, police and businesses and we are delighted to see that Best Bar None continues to grow in popularity.

    “When we started three years ago, 19 venues were accredited and we’re now up to 33. The scheme was so successful in its first year that we were part of the Kent-wide team that won the national Best Newcomer award because of the number of venues accredited in the first year (actually, within four months!).

    “Our licensed venues drive economic growth, support jobs and improve the quality of life for residents and visitors. They provide the vibrant cultural atmosphere that well and truly make Canterbury the best night out in Kent – and beyond!”

    PC Danielle Rolfe, Canterbury Licensing Officer, said: “Through the Best Bar None scheme, Kent Police is able to build stronger relationships with local venues. By working closely with businesses, officers are creating a safer local environment, helping to prevent crime and will gain the ability to identify suspects faster.

    “It is a pleasure to work alongside the venues and individuals that are being recognised at the event, and I congratulate them for their contribution to the community.”

    Cabinet member for community safety, Cllr Connie Nolan, said: “Our licensed premises play a vital role in the economic and social fabric of the city and residents and visitors need to know that when they are heading for a night out, they are doing so in well run, responsible and safe businesses.

    “It’s great to see such a range of pubs, clubs and restaurants being recognised in this year’s awards and I congratulate them all.

    “Managing the night-time economy is one big collaborative effort between the businesses and all the authorities and it’s by taking such an approach that Canterbury retains its reputation as a great and safe city to socialise in and spend time in.”

    The 33 venues to receive Best Bar None accreditation were:

    The Ballroom, The Bishops Finger, The Black Griffin, Boom Battle Bar, Canterbury Cathedral, Club Chemistry, The Cherry Tree, Citi Terrace, The Cosy Club, The Cricketers, The Cuban, Curzon Riverside, The Dolphin, The Lady Luck, Las Iguanas, Matches Sports Bar, McDonalds, The Miller’s Arms, Old City Bar, The Foundry BrewPub, The Lounge (Canterbury Christ Church University), The Parrot, The Penny Theatre, The Pound, The Seven Stars, The Shakespeare, Thomas Ingoldsby, Tokyo Tea Rooms, The Unicorn, The Venue (University of Kent), The Westgate Inn, Woody’s (University of Kent), Ye Olde Beverlie.

    Published: 13 June 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Sly Stone turned isolation into inspiration, forging a path for a generation of music-makers

    Source: The Conversation – USA – By Jose Valentino Ruiz, Associate Professsor of Music Business and Entrepreneurship, University of Florida

    The charismatic front man of Sly and the Family Stone died on June 9, 2025, at the age of 82. Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images

    In the fall of 1971, Sly and the Family Stone’s “There’s a Riot Goin’ On” landed like a quiet revolution. After two years of silence following the band’s mainstream success, fans expected more feel-good funk from the ensemble.

    What they got instead was something murkier and more fractured, yet deeply intimate and experimental. This was not just an album; it was the sound of a restless mind rebuilding music from the inside out.

    At the center of it all was front man Sly Stone.

    Long before the home studio became an industry norm, Stone, who died on June 9, 2025, turned the studio into both a sanctuary and an instrument. And long before sampling defined the sound of hip-hop, he was using tape and machine rhythms to deconstruct existing songs to cobble together new ones.

    As someone who spends much of their time working on remote recording and audio production – from building full arrangements solo to collaborating digitally across continents – I’m deeply indebted to Sly Stone’s approach to making music.

    He was among the first major artists to fully embrace the recording environment as a space to compose rather than perform. Every reverb bounce, every drum machine tick, every overdubbed breath became part of the writing process.

    From studio rat to bedroom producer

    Sly and the Family Stone’s early albums – including “Dance to the Music” and “Stand!” – were recorded at top-tier facilities like CBS Studios in Los Angeles under the technical guidance of engineers such as Don Puluse and with oversight from producer David Rubinson.

    These sessions yielded bright, radio-friendly tracks that emphasized tight horn sections, group vocals and a polished sound. Producers also prized the energy of live performance, so the full band would record together in real time.

    But by the early 1970s, Stone was burnt out. The dual pressures of fame and industry demands were becoming too much. Struggling with cocaine and PCP addiction, he’d grown increasingly distrustful of bandmates, label executives and even his friends.

    So he decided to retreat to his hillside mansion in Bel Air, California, transforming his home into a musical bunker. Inside, he could work on his own terms: isolated and erratic, but free.

    Stone relied heavily on overdubbing when recording music from his home.
    Richard McCaffrey/Michael Ochs Archives via Getty Images

    Without a full band present, Stone became a one-man ensemble. He leaned heavily into overdubbing – recording one instrument at a time and building his songs from fragments. Using multiple tape machines, he’d layer each part onto previous takes.

    The resulting album, “There’s a Riot Goin’ On,” was like nothing he’d previously recorded. It sounds murky, jagged and disjointed. But it’s also deeply intentional, as if every imperfection was part of the design.

    In “The Poetics of Rock,” musicologist Albin Zak describes this “composerly” approach to production, where recording itself becomes a form of writing, not just documentation. Stone’s process for “There’s a Riot Goin’ On” reflects this mindset: Each overdub, rhythm loop and sonic imperfection functions more like a brushstroke than a performance.

    Automating the groove

    A key part of Stone’s tool kit was the Maestro Rhythm King, a preset drum machine he used extensively.

    It wasn’t the first rhythm box on the market. But Stone’s use of it was arguably the first time such a machine shaped the entire aesthetic of a mainstream album. The drum parts on his track “Family Affair,” for example, don’t swing – they tick. What might have been viewed as soulless became its own kind of soul.

    This early embrace of mechanical rhythm prefigured what would later become a foundation of hip-hop and electronic music. In his book “Dawn of the DAW,” music technology scholar Adam Patrick Bell calls this shift “a redefinition of groove,” noting how drum machines like the Rhythm King encouraged musicians to rethink their songwriting process, building tracks in shorter, repeatable sections while emphasizing steady, looped rhythms rather than free-flowing performances.

    Though samplers wouldn’t emerge until years later, Stone’s work already contained that repetition, layering and loop-based construction that would become characteristic of the practice.

    He recorded his own parts the way future DJs would splice records – isolated, reshuffled, rhythmically obsessed. His overdubbed bass lines, keyboard vamps and vocal murmurs often sounded like puzzle pieces from other songs.

    Music scholar Will Fulton, in his study of Black studio innovation, notes how producers like Stone helped pioneer a fragment-based approach to music-making that would become central to hip-hop’s DNA. Stone’s process anticipated the mentality that a song isn’t necessarily something written top to bottom, but something assembled, brick by brick, from what’s available.

    Perhaps not surprisingly, Stone’s tracks have been sampled relentlessly. In “Bring That Beat Back,” music critic Nate Patrin identifies Stone as one of the most sample-friendly artists of the 1970s – not because of his commercial hits, but because of how much sonic space he left in his tracks: the open-ended grooves, unusual textures and slippery emotional tone.

    You can hear his sounds in famous tracks such as 2Pac’s “If My Homie Calls,” which samples “Sing a Simple Song”; A Tribe Called Quest’s “The Jam,” which draws from “Family Affair”; and De La Soul’s “Plug Tunin’,” which flips “You Can Make It If You Try.”

    The studio as instrument

    While Sly’s approach was groundbreaking, he wasn’t entirely alone. Around the same time, artists such as Brian Wilson and The Rolling Stones were experimenting with home and nontraditional recording environments – Wilson famously retreating to his home studio during “Pet Sounds,” and the Stones tracking “Exile on Main St.” in a French villa.

    Yet in the world of Black music, production remained largely centralized in institutionally controlled studio systems such as Motown in Detroit and Stax in Memphis, where sound was tightly managed by in-house producers and engineers. In that context, Stone’s decision to isolate, self-produce and dismantle the standard workflow was more than a technical choice: It was a radical act of autonomy.

    The rise of home recording didn’t just change who could make music. It changed what music felt like. It made music more internal, iterative and intimate.

    Sly Stone helped invent that feeling.

    It’s easy to hear “There’s a Riot Goin’ On” as murky or uneven. The mix is dense with tape hiss, drum machines drift in and out of sync, and vocals often feel buried or half-whispered.

    But it’s also, in a way, prophetic.

    It anticipated the aesthetics of bedroom pop, the cut-and-paste style of modern music software, the shuffle of playlists and the recycling of sounds that defines sample culture. It showed that a groove didn’t need to be spontaneous to be soulful, and that solitude could be a powerful creative tool, not a limitation.

    In my own practice, I often record alone, passing files back and forth, building from templates and mapping rhythm to grid – as do millions of musical artists who compose tracks from their bedrooms, closets and garages.

    Half a century ago, a funk pioneer led the way. I think it’s safe to say that Sly Stone quietly changed the process of making music forever – and in the funkiest way possible.

    Jose Valentino Ruiz 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. Sly Stone turned isolation into inspiration, forging a path for a generation of music-makers – https://theconversation.com/sly-stone-turned-isolation-into-inspiration-forging-a-path-for-a-generation-of-music-makers-258659

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Special Report: Continuation of a thousand-year friendship and a new chapter in the history of the era – on Xi Jinping’s trip to Kazakhstan to participate in the 2nd China-Central Asia Summit

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

    Source: People’s Republic of China in Russian – People’s Republic of China in Russian –

    Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News

    Beijing, June 13 /Xinhua/ — At the invitation of President of the Republic of Kazakhstan Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, Chinese President Xi Jinping will be in Astana from June 16 to 18 to attend the 2nd China-Central Asia (CA) Summit.

    Over a thousand years, the people of China and Central Asia have created the glory of the ancient Silk Road and written a magnificent chapter in the history of exchanges between civilizations. With deep historical roots, a solid foundation of public support and a wide range of practical needs, China’s relations with Central Asian countries have gained vitality and vigor in the new era.

    Two years ago, the 1st China-Central Asia Summit was successfully held in Xi’an, ushering in a new era of China-Central Asia relations. Over the past two years, cooperation between China and the region has achieved tangible results. Now, as promised, the 2nd summit will be held in Astana, pushing the six countries to move forward on a new path of building a China-Central Asia community with a shared future.

    In the time between the Xi’an and Astana summits, the roadmap for action has become clearer and the steps forward more powerful. Xi Jinping and the heads of the five Central Asian states must develop a new plan for cooperation that opens up new opportunities for peace and development in the region, brings valuable confidence to a changing world, and charts a brighter future for the progress of human civilization.

    A UNITED DESIRE TO PASS ON MILLENNIAL FRIENDSHIP

    More than 2,100 years ago, the journey of Zhang Qian, an emissary of the Han Dynasty, to the western lands opened the door for friendly exchanges between China and Central Asia.

    In the autumn of 2013, Xi Jinping visited four Central Asian countries and in Kazakhstan for the first time put forward the initiative to build the Silk Road Economic Belt, awakening ancient memories and drawing a blueprint for a dream.

    Over the past 10 years, Xi Jinping has visited Central Asia many times and maintained close ties with the leaders of Central Asian countries. China and the countries of the region have joined forces to comprehensively revive the Silk Road and deepen cooperation, which has ushered in a new era in relations between the two sides.

    Today, China has established a comprehensive strategic partnership, signed cooperation documents for the joint construction of the Belt and Road, and is implementing the concept of a community with a shared future for mankind bilaterally with each of the five Central Asian countries. This signifies the height of political mutual trust, the depth of good-neighborliness, and the breadth of practical cooperation between China and these countries.

    Friendship is the fruit of common views and common aspirations. As Xi Jinping noted, “deepening cooperation between China and Central Asian countries is a strategic choice of our generation of leaders, made with an eye to the future, in line with global trends and in response to the aspirations of the people.”

    In 2020, China put forward an initiative to create a “China-CA” mechanism. In July of the same year, the first meeting of the foreign ministers of China and the Central Asian countries via video link was held, at which the launch of regular meetings in this format was announced.

    In January 2022, Xi Jinping held a video summit with the leaders of five Central Asian countries to mark the 30th anniversary of the establishment of interstate diplomatic relations. During the talks, proposals were made to raise the status of the mechanism to the level of heads of state. “Always based on mutual respect, good neighborliness and friendship, unity in the face of challenges, mutual benefit and win-win,” this is how the head of China explained the secret to the success of cooperation between China and the Central Asian countries.

    In May 2023, at the 1st China-CA Summit, Xi Jinping detailed China’s foreign policy toward Central Asian countries and agreed with the leaders of the five countries to jointly build a closer community with a shared future for China and Central Asia. The mechanism of meetings at the level of heads of state was formally established. Xi Jinping put forward four proposals for regional development and four principles for building a community with a shared future, which received a warm response from other leaders.

    The Xi’an Declaration, a number of multi- and bilateral documents, key agreements on the most important areas of cooperation… The Xi’an meeting became a bright page in the thousand-year history of friendly contacts between China and the Central Asian states and gave a powerful impetus to peace and stability not only in the region, but also on the entire planet.

    The content of China-Central Asia cooperation is constantly enriched based on the principles of joint consultation, joint construction and joint use, and its structure is constantly improved. At the recent 6th meeting of the foreign ministers of China and Central Asian countries in Almaty, the parties highly appreciated the level of mutual trust and solidarity, as well as the important role of the China-Central Asia mechanism, expressing their readiness to further unleash the potential of partnership and create new milestones in building a community with a shared future.

    The China-CA format demonstrates practical results despite the relative “youth” of the mechanism. The personal participation of the leaders of the countries emphasizes mutual respect and the desire to deepen the partnership. This approach allows coordinating the positions of countries on key issues of our time, strengthening trust between countries and with each other, and forming a unified approach to regional security and development. In addition, the personal participation of the leaders in the formation of the China-CA mechanism emphasizes its strategic importance. This creates a new model of multilateral interaction in Eurasia, contributing to stability and development of the region. “Therefore, confidence is growing that the summit in Astana will expand the horizons of cooperation between our countries and give a new impetus to achieving practical results for the benefit of the population of the region,” said Sheradil Baktygulov, Director of the Kyrgyz Institute of World Politics.

    HAND IN HAND TOWARDS MODERNIZATION

    On April 29 this year, work began in the mountains of Kyrgyzstan’s Jalal-Abad region to lay three tunnels on the Kyrgyz section of the China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan railway, marking the project’s transition to the construction phase.

    This major infrastructure project within the framework of the Belt and Road initiative, promoted personally by the heads of the three states, has become a symbol of the convergence of interests of the three countries and embodies the desire of their peoples for interconnectedness and common prosperity. According to the Director of the Department of Land and Water Transport under the Ministry of Transport and Communications of Kyrgyzstan Tariel Keldibekov, the railway will rebuild the logistics network in the region. Acting Deputy Chairman of the Executive Committee of the Political Council of UzLiDeP Jamoliddin Meliboev emphasized that the project is evidence of deepening mutual trust and practical cooperation between China and the Central Asian countries.

    “The world needs a transport-connected Central Asia,” Xi Jinping said at the 1st China-CA summit. The above-mentioned railway is being built, trains regularly depart from different regions of China to Central Asian countries, the Kazakhstan terminal in Xi’an has been put into operation, and the construction of the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route is actively advancing… China and the Central Asian countries are consistently deepening their interconnectedness.

    Taking the high-quality construction of the Belt and Road as a new starting point, China and Central Asian countries are intensifying cooperation at an unprecedented speed and intensity. The two sides are jointly building a path to modernization and common development.

    An increasingly dense network of transport routes is becoming a bridge for trade. With the help of uninterrupted rail, road and air transport, Chinese products – from household appliances and everyday goods to electric cars – are constantly flowing into Central Asia, and high-quality Central Asian goods such as fertilizers, cotton, beef and lamb are increasingly finding their way to the Chinese market… According to the General Administration of Customs of the People’s Republic of China, in 2024, trade turnover between China and the Central Asian countries reached $94.8 billion, an increase of $5.4 billion compared to the previous year and a new historical maximum.

    38-year-old Kazakh farmer Sergey told reporters that in recent years he began cooperating with Chinese companies, introducing a “contract farming” model: he grows grain crops according to the demands of the Chinese market and receives agricultural support from Chinese specialists. This helped solve problems with growing grain and selling it.

    According to Abdugani Mamadazimov, Chairman of the National Foundation “Silk Road – the Road of Consolidation”, the “China-CA” mechanism has made a significant contribution to the stability and development of the region. “We hope that the 2nd “China-CA” summit will deepen cooperation between the parties, help continue the development of infrastructure and logistics, and also unite efforts for the sake of joint development and common prosperity,” he said.

    DEVELOPMENT OF CULTURAL EXCHANGES AND MUTUAL LEARNING BETWEEN CIVILIZATIONS

    On May 31, 2025, the first international tourist train China-Central Asia arrived from Xi’an to Almaty railway station. This event opened a series of cultural exchanges between China and Kazakhstan.

    At the 1st China-CA Summit, Xi Jinping put forward a number of initiatives, including a proposal to launch a tourist train. Deputy Chairman of the Board of JSC NC Kazakhstan Temir Zholy Anuar Akhmetzhanov expressed hope that the train will help strengthen ties between the peoples of China and the Central Asian countries and deepen their mutual understanding.

    Today, China has a visa-free regime with Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan. 2025 has been declared the Year of Chinese Tourism in Kazakhstan, and the Year of Uzbek Tourism in China. More and more Chinese tourists are traveling to the ancient cities of Samarkand and Bukhara, and more and more citizens of Central Asian countries are visiting China.

    The thousand-year-old Silk Road allows people to travel freely, promotes mutual understanding and cultural integration. Cooperation in education and poverty reduction, contacts on public administration issues, exchanges at the local level – deep and sustainable civilizational dialogue makes the friendship between the parties ever stronger.

    Partnerships in the field of professional education open the way to the future for Central Asian youth. In Tajikistan, the first in Central Asia “Lu Ban Workshop” has been operating for more than two years, where they teach heat supply technologies and engineering geodesy. “Lu Ban Workshop” in the East Kazakhstan region is aimed at training personnel for the automotive industry. In Astana, the second “Lu Ban Workshop” in Kazakhstan is also actively preparing to open. In Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan, such workshops began operating last year, and in Turkmenistan, the project is currently underway.

    Interest in China and the Chinese language in Central Asian countries is steadily growing. China and the countries of the region are rapidly exchanging cultural centers. There are already 13 Confucius Institutes operating in Central Asia. More and more young people are seeking to get an education in China. Today, there are almost one hundred pairs of administrative-territorial units that have established sister-city relations.

    Joint restoration of ancient Khiva in Uzbekistan, joint excavations at the Kazakh archaeological complex of Rakhat, work to preserve and pass on to future generations the Kyrgyz heroic epic “Manas”… Cooperation between China and the Central Asian countries in the field of cultural heritage protection has allowed many pearls of the Silk Road to shine again.

    Uzbek political commentator Sharofiddin Tulaganov noted that the China-CA mechanism has become an important platform for mutual learning between civilizations and the rapprochement of peoples, which contributes to deepening mutual understanding and strengthening trust, and also makes a significant humanitarian contribution to peace and stability in the region.

    According to Aidar Amrebayev, Director of the Center for Political Research at the Institute of Philosophy, Political Science and Religious Studies of the Science Committee of the Ministry of Science and Higher Education of Kazakhstan, the upcoming China-CA summit will give new impetus to cohesion and cooperation between China and the Central Asian countries, advance the construction of a closer community with a common destiny for China and CA, and contribute to the prosperity of the region and the improvement of global governance.

    From Xi’an to Astana, in the flow of high-quality joint construction of the “Belt and Road”, on the new path to modernization and in the dialogue of civilizations, China and the Central Asian countries are passing on the traditions of friendship and mutual support from generation to generation, making a new contribution to ensuring peace and development on the planet and promoting the progress of human civilization. –0–

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI Global: House tax-and-spending bill and other Trump administration changes could make millions of people lose their health insurance coverage

    Source: The Conversation – USA – By Simon F. Haeder, Associate Professor of Public Health, Texas A&M University

    People who don’t have health insurance coverage often delay or simply don’t get the medical care they need. Jacob Wackerhausen/iStock via Getty Images Plus

    President Donald Trump has promised not to cut Medicaid many times over the past decade, including in the tax-and-spending legislative package he has made a top priority in his second administration.

    But several provisions in the bill, which the House of Representatives passed in a largely party-line 215-214 vote in May 2025, could cause millions of Americans enrolled in Medicaid to lose their health insurance coverage, according to the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office. Medicaid is funded jointly by the federal government and the states. The program provides nearly 80 million Americans, most of whom are low-income or have disabilities, with health insurance.

    The legislation, which advances Trump’s agenda, faces a tough battle in the Senate despite the Republican Party majority in that chamber. Several GOP senators have either said they oppose it or have expressed strong reservations for a variety of reasons, including the trillions of dollars the package would add to the U.S. government’s debt.

    As a scholar who researches access to health care, I am concerned about the possibility that millions of people will lose their health insurance coverage should this bill become law. In many cases, that could occur due to new bureaucratic obstacles the bill would introduce.

    Proposed policy changes and the uninsured

    About 25.3 million Americans lacked insurance in 2023, down sharply from 46.5 million in 2010. Most of this 46% decline occurred because of the Affordable Care Act of 2010.

    The Congressional Budget Office, a nonpartisan agency that provides evidence-supported information to Congress, estimates that 10.9 million Americans would lose their health insurance by 2034 if the House of Representatives’ version of that package were to become law.

    Of these, as many as 7.8 million would lose access to Medicaid.

    Another 2.1 million people who the CBO estimates would end up uninsured are Americans who today have coverage they bought in the marketplaces that the Affordable Care Act created.

    In addition to the measures in the tax-and-spending bill, other changes are looming. These include the expiration of some ACA-related measures adopted in 2021 that Trump does not intend to renew, and new regulations. All told, the number of Americans losing their health insurance by 2034 could total 16 million, according to the CBO.

    Other estimates suggest that the number of Americans losing their coverage could run even higher.

    Obstructing Medicaid expansion

    The House bill would reduce incentives the federal government provides states to expand their Medicaid programs as part of the ACA.

    Eliminating these incentives would make it even less likely that Texas and the other nine states that still have not expanded Medicaid eligibility would do so in the future.

    The bill would also make it harder for states to come up with their share of Medicaid funding by limiting “provider taxes.” These taxes are charged to hospitals, doctors and other medical providers. The revenue they raise help pay for the state’s share of Medicaid costs.

    And the legislative package would also reduce federal funding to cover Medicaid costs in states that provide coverage to unauthorized immigrants using only their own funds. Threatened with billions in losses, the states that do this are unlikely to maintain these programs. In California alone, this would jeopardize the coverage of 1.6 million of its residents.

    Losing Medicaid coverage may leave millions of low-income Americans without insurance coverage, with no affordable alternatives for health care.

    A supporter of the Affordable Care Act stands in front of the Supreme Court building on Nov. 10, 2020.
    Samuel Corum/Getty Images

    Making Medicaid enrollment more complicated

    Other proposed changes in the House bill would indirectly cut Medicaid coverage by forcing people to deal with more red tape to get or keep it.

    This would happen primarily through the introduction of “work requirements” for Medicaid coverage. When enrolled in the program, applicants who are between 19 and 64 years old would need to certify they are working at least 80 hours a month or spending that much time engaged in comparable activities, such as community service.

    Work requirements specifically target people eligible for Medicaid through the Affordable Care Act’s expansion of the program. They tend to have slightly higher incomes than the other people eligible for this benefit.

    Arkansas gave Medicaid work requirements a try during the first Trump administration. Researchers who studied what happened found that 1 in 4 of the Arkansans enrolled in Medicaid affected by the policy lost their health insurance coverage. They also found that in most cases, this occurred because of bureaucratic obstacles, and that the policy didn’t lead to more people getting jobs.

    By some estimates, the work requirements provision alone would lead to close to 5 million people of the 7.8 million being denied Medicaid coverage.

    At the same time, the bill would increase how often Medicaid beneficiaries have to reapply to the program to keep their coverage from once every 12 months to twice a year.

    It also would delay or reverse several policies that made it easier for Americans to enroll in Medicaid and maintain their coverage. Many of those who aren’t kicked out would also face either new or higher co-payments for appointments and procedures – restricting their access to health care, even if they don’t wind up without insurance.

    There is ample evidence that obstacles like these make it hard to remain enrolled in safety net programs. Historically, the people who are most likely to lose their benefits are low-income, people of color or immigrants who do not speak English well.

    President Barack Obama signs the Affordable Care Act during a ceremony with congressional Democrats on March 23, 2010.
    Win McNamee/Getty Images

    Costlier Marketplace policies and more barriers

    The bill would also affect the more than 24 million Americans who get health insurance through Affordable Care Act Marketplace plans.

    Changes in the House version of the bill would make it harder to get this coverage. This includes reducing the time Americans have to enroll in plans and eliminating certain subsidies. It also makes the enrollment process more complicated.

    Combined with other changes the Trump administration has made, experts expect Marketplace premiums to skyrocket.

    The Congressional Budget Office expects more than 2 million beneficiaries to lose coverage due to these new policies.

    More coverage losses possible

    Americans buying their own insurance on the ACA marketplaces may also face higher premiums.

    Increased subsidies in place since 2021 are set to expire at the end of the year. Combined with Trump regulatory decisions, this may lead to more than 5 million Americans losing coverage – whether or not the GOP’s tax-and-spending package is enacted.

    The effects of the bill would also be compounded by further changes by individual states. This could include the introduction of monthly premiums that people with Medicaid coverage would have to pay, in Indiana and other states.

    Some states may also reduce eligibility for certain groups or cover fewer services, as states seek to reduce their Medicaid costs.

    And some states, including Iowa and Utah, are already pursuing work requirements on their own whether or not they become mandatory across the nation.

    If fewer Americans have health insurance due to changes the Trump administration is making and the policies embedded in the pending tax-and-spending legislative package, the health of millions of people could get worse due to forgone care. And at the same time, their medical debts could grow larger.

    Dr. Simon F. Haeder has previously received funding from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, the Pennsylvania Insurance Department, and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation for unrelated projects.

    – ref. House tax-and-spending bill and other Trump administration changes could make millions of people lose their health insurance coverage – https://theconversation.com/house-tax-and-spending-bill-and-other-trump-administration-changes-could-make-millions-of-people-lose-their-health-insurance-coverage-257529

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: UK and Scottish governments join forces to boost Scottish growth

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    Press release

    UK and Scottish governments join forces to boost Scottish growth

    Scottish Secretary and Minister for Business co-chair business forum

    • Business and trade union groups working with governments to grow Scotland’s economy faster
    •  Murray urges new collaboration for Scotland’s defence industry

    For the first time in more than two years, the Scottish Business Growth Group was convened in Edinburgh today, bringing the UK and Scottish governments together with business leaders to discuss how they can deliver economic growth.

    The forum, jointly chaired by the Scottish Secretary Ian Murray and the Scottish Government’s Minister for Business Richard Lochhead, brings together officials from both of Scotland’s governments alongside business representatives and the Scottish Trades Union Congress. With economic growth the UK Government’s number one priority, Murray used a speech in March at the University of Edinburgh to announce that this group would be reconvened, with a fresh focus on collaboration across governments and sectors.

    During the meeting, the Scottish Secretary provided updates on recent and upcoming announcements from the UK Government and outlined their significance for businesses in Scotland. This includes the Spending Review, the Strategic Defence Review and economic opportunities for the Scottish supply chain, the recent trade deals agreed with the EU, US and India – and the modern Industrial Strategy which will be announced shortly.

    Recognising there are already a  range of areas in which the UK and Scottish governments work constructively with business, the Scottish Secretary called for collaboration in new areas which could yield significant economic benefits, such as defence.

    Murray has also been working with business groups as part of his Brand Scotland programme and last week announced that the Scotland Office will fund the Scottish Chambers of Commerce to launch a new international trade initiative. This collaboration will be supported by a grant of £100,000, to promote Scottish goods and services and bring foreign direct investment into Scotland.

    Following the meeting, Mr Murray said: 

    “Scotland has two governments and most Scots rightly expect their politicians to work in partnership wherever possible, especially on something as important as economic growth. Political differences aside, I have always sought to engage constructively with Scottish Government ministers and I was delighted to co-chair this important forum today with Richard Lochhead.

    “The business and trade union groups which joined our discussion challenged us to go further and faster in helping businesses and workers feel the benefits of economic growth. I am determined to meet that challenge and want the Scottish Government to work with me in areas where we have not previously collaborated.

    “With the UK Government committing to significant increases in defence spending, there are huge opportunities for Scottish workers and defence firms, but only if both governments fully commit to giving our young people the skills they need and backing our world class defence industry.

    “On nuclear power, the announcement this week of UK Government investment for Sizewell in England is a reminder of the huge potential of nuclear power. Thousands of skilled jobs and billions of pounds of investment could come to Scotland, but only if both governments work in partnership with industry to unlock those opportunities.

    “Boosting Scottish exports and selling the best of Scotland overseas is a key lever in delivering economic growth at home. Our Brand Scotland programme, boosted by £2.25 million in the Spending Review, will do just that. I am delighted to be working with the Scottish Government and businesses of all sizes to deliver trade missions and sell our goods and services to the world.”

    Updates to this page

    Published 13 June 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI Africa: Seminar to explore leveraging of AfCFTA for inclusive development

    Source: South Africa News Agency

    The Human Sciences Research Council’s Africa BRICS and Global South (ABGS) research unit will host a seminar focused on utilising the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) to promote regional health-industrial integration and foster inclusive development across the continent. 

    The ABGS research unit, based at the Human Sciences Research Council’s (HSRC), focuses on issues related to Africa, BRICS, and the Global South.

    Their research explores topics like economic integration, health security, and the role of BRICS in the Global South. 

    The hybrid seminar will be held at the HSRC Building in Pretoria on Tuesday, 17 June 2025.

    Presented by Senior Lecturer at the University of Edinburgh, Dr Geoffrey Banda, the seminar will focus on how the AfCFTA can be a powerful catalyst for strengthening Africa’s local health security through increased and resilient regional trade, industrialisation, and innovation.

    “The seminar will further explore how aligning health and industrial policy within the framework of the AfCFTA can drive job creation, enhance resilience, and support the continent’s broader development ambitions under Agenda 2063,” the advisory read. 

    In his recent book, “Cancer Care in Pandemic Times: Building Inclusive Local Health Security in Africa and India”, Banda makes a strong argument for an interdisciplinary approach that combines health research with industrialisation and regional economic integration. 

    The HSRC said this approach aims to develop sustainable and context-specific solutions to the health challenges faced in Africa.

    Key themes to be explored include the vulnerabilities associated with reliance on global supply chains, the intentional connection between health and industrial capabilities, the transition to new technologies along with industrial capabilities, and the use of the AfCFTA to scale innovative procurement. 

    “This approach aims to gradually develop continental innovation ecosystems that support resilient regional trading systems.”- SAnews.gov.za

    MIL OSI Africa –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Exclusive: China-Central Asia Mechanism Promotes Sustainable Development of Region – Kazakh Political Scientist

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

    Source: People’s Republic of China in Russian – People’s Republic of China in Russian –

    Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News

    ALMATY, June 13 (Xinhua) — Modern geopolitical challenges require enhanced and coordinated interaction between countries seeking stability and development. Central Asia and China have a unique potential to become a fulcrum of stability in the world. This opinion was expressed by Aidar Amrebayev, Director of the Center for Political Research at the Institute of Philosophy, Political Science and Religious Studies of the Science Committee of the Ministry of Education and Science of the Republic of Kazakhstan, in an exclusive interview with Xinhua.

    Speaking about the growing importance of cooperation between China and the Central Asian states, the expert noted that digitalization of infrastructure, joint development, and coordination of foreign policy positions are especially important today.

    “I think that it is in the interests of China and Central Asia to have a joint, coordinated positioning in the current geopolitical situation, which today is quite confrontational,” noted A. Amrebaev.

    The political scientist emphasized that the approaches of Kazakhstan and China largely coincide: both countries advocate strict adherence to international law, non-interference in the internal affairs of states, respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity, especially in times of acute confrontation in the international arena.

    “We are moving in the same direction. And I am convinced that the Central Asian countries are also interested in maintaining such positions. This is a signal to the world community that our region is striving for sustainable development and constructive interaction,” he added.

    In this context, the expert noted the importance of creating the UN Sustainable Development Centre in Almaty, as well as the active role of Kazakhstan and China in promoting multilateralism and strengthening international institutions, primarily the UN.

    Commenting on the 80th anniversary of the Victory in World War II and the establishment of the UN, A. Amrebaev emphasized the importance of historical memory and the role of China and Central Asia in supporting justice and honest dialogue in international relations.

    “Today, there are many inter-civilizational fault lines, economic and political confrontations. The modern world order is changing, and we need support points of stability and sustainability. In my opinion, Central Asia and China have the potential to become such a point of growth and sustainability in international relations,” the expert believes.

    The political scientist noted that despite the statements of some Western analysts about the possibility of the region turning into a “geopolitical chessboard,” the position of the Central Asian countries and China remains balanced, peaceful and pragmatic. He recalled the global initiatives of the Chairman of the People’s Republic of China Xi Jinping – in the areas of security, development, and civilizational dialogue, which give the world hope for overcoming conflicts.

    “At the Astana Forum, our president spoke about the need to look for reference points and countries capable of supporting joint and coordinated development. In the Chinese concept, this is a “community with a common destiny for humanity.” This is a wonderful philosophical concept, and Kazakhstan confirms its practical value with its actions,” said A. Amrebayev.

    The political scientist also commented on cooperation within the framework of the Belt and Road initiative, in which all five Central Asian countries participate. In his opinion, new formats of interaction between China and the regions provide a sustainable basis for economic and technological growth.

    “Today, the focus has shifted from a bilateral to a multilateral format. Let’s take water or transport issues, for example — they cannot be resolved in isolation. Broad regional coordination is needed. Therefore, participation in integration initiatives is becoming increasingly justified,” the expert noted. He emphasized that the region’s economy cannot be closed: it is necessary to go beyond bilateral corridors, taking into account global markets. In this context, Chinese initiatives create favorable conditions for the inclusion of Central Asia in the global trade and investment architecture.

    “It is important to listen to the interlocutor – this corresponds to both Chinese and Kazakh philosophy. Everyone wants to live peacefully, in harmony, raise children, interact. And it is on these values, and not on force, that the new world order should be built. I think such a philosophy is embedded in China’s initiatives and is shared by reasonable humanity,” A. Amrebaev summed up. -0-

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: How breast tissue density affects your risk of cancer

    Source: Anglia Ruskin University

    Justin Stebbing, Anglia Ruskin University

    Breast density is a significant yet often overlooked factor in breast cancer awareness, risk assessment and screening practices. Understanding what breast density is, how it affects breast cancer risk and what it means for screening can help women make informed decisions about their health.

    Breast density refers to the proportions of glandular and connective tissue compared to fatty tissue in the breast, as seen on a mammogram. Simply put, dense breasts have more glandular and fibrous tissue and less fat.

    On a mammogram, both dense tissue and tumours appear white, making it harder to detect abnormalities in women with dense breasts. This masking effect can lead to cancers being missed during routine screening, which is why breast density is not just a risk factor for developing breast cancer, but also for having it go undetected until it is more advanced.

    Recent large-scale studies have confirmed that women with dense breasts face a higher risk of developing breast cancer compared to women with less dense, fattier breasts. For example, a major study involving more than 33,000 women found that those with dense breasts were nearly twice as likely to develop breast cancer than those with low breast density.

    This increased risk is seen across both pre-menopausal younger women and post-menopausal older women, although the proportion of women with high breast density tends to decrease with age.

    In practical terms, women with the lowest breast density have about a 6% lifetime risk of developing breast cancer after age 50, while those with the highest density face a risk closer to 15%.

    The impact of breast density on cancer detection is also significant. Mammography, the standard screening tool, is less sensitive in women with dense breasts. While mammograms can detect about at least nine out of 10 cancers in women with mostly fatty breasts, the sensitivity drops to about seven out of 10 in women with extremely dense breasts.

    This means that tumours can be missed, leading to what are known as “interval cancers”, cancers that are diagnosed between regular screenings, often at a more advanced stage.

    Supplemental screening methods, such as MRI scanning, can help detect cancers that mammography might miss in women with dense breasts, and some pilot studies have shown that additional cancers are found this way.

    Breast density is now recognised as one of the most important risk factors for breast cancer, even as much as family history or other commonly discussed risk factors.

    About 40% of women fall into the higher density categories, and dense breasts are common in younger women, those taking hormone replacement therapy, and those with certain genetic backgrounds and ethnicities. However, breast density can also be influenced by lifestyle and hormonal factors, and it tends to decrease with age and higher body mass index and obesity.

    Given the importance of breast density, there has been a growing movement to ensure women are informed about their own breast density after mammograms, and to address this appropriately. A recent UK survey showed that most women aren’t aware of their breast density.

    In the US, new regulations require that all women undergoing mammography be notified if they have dense breasts and be advised about the associated risks. This aims to empower women to have more informed discussions with their healthcare providers about their personal risk and the potential need for additional screening.

    Despite the increased risk, it is important to remember that the majority of women with dense breasts will not develop breast cancer. Breast density is just one factor among many, and decisions about screening and risk reduction should be made on an individual basis.

    For women with dense breasts, discussing options for supplemental screening with their doctor is recommended. While there is currently no widely accepted intervention to reduce breast density, in my own research, I’m exploring new ways to address this risk factor.

    In summary, breast density is both a common and significant risk factor for breast cancer, and it can complicate the detection of cancer through standard mammography.

    Women should be aware of their breast density status, understand its implications for both risk and screening, and work with their doctors to determine the best approach for their individual situation. As awareness grows and screening practices evolve, the hope is that more cancers will be detected earlier, improving outcomes for all women.

    Justin Stebbing, Professor of Biomedical Sciences, Anglia Ruskin University

    This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.

    The opinions expressed in VIEWPOINT articles are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of ARU.

    If you wish to republish this article, please follow these guidelines: https://theconversation.com/uk/republishing-guidelines

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Sir Chris Bryant speech at London Tech Week 2025

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    Speech

    Sir Chris Bryant speech at London Tech Week 2025

    Minister for Data Protection and Telecoms, Sir Chris Bryant, gave a speech at London Tech Week on Wednesday 11 June 2025.

    The first time Kalpana went to Skills Enterprise – a digital training hub run out of a community centre in Newham, East London – she hadn’t used a laptop before.

    That made finding a job pretty difficult.

    She’d been out of work for some time, and had never browsed a job site, uploaded a CV or sent a professional email.

    After weekly training, Kalpana has gradually grown in confidence using the internet to find work.

    And she’s been given her own laptop.

    It’s become an asset for the whole family – a means to help her son do homework or pick GCSE options.

    In her words, the help she received in Newham “changed everything”.

    Painting the problem

    There are 1.6 million people in the UK who, like Kalpana did, live largely offline.

    It’s a kind of exclusion that’s hard to spot.

    If you don’t live exiled from the digital world, how do you understand what it looks like?

    It looks like a family of 5 sharing one laptop, judging whose homework is most important that night.

    An elderly woman who can’t apply for a disabled parking permit, because she’s not given options to do it offline.

    A jobseeker in a rural area travelling miles for public WiFi to send off a CV.

    Or a young man experiencing homelessness, who uses his phone to find a safe place to stay.

    When he runs out of money for data, he faces another night where he hopes to get lucky by sleeping on the bus.

    When a laptop plus an internet connection equals a train ticket, a doctor’s appointment or a conversation with a loved one, not having those things means being locked out of a world of opportunity.

    Locked out of life itself.

    The economic case

    That’s a problem for all of us.

    We should care about digital exclusion for its own sake – in the same way society comes together to help people shut out of housing, of work.

    But we should also care because we can’t afford not to.

    In a week when you’ll hear a lot about the massive opportunity for economic growth technology brings – fundamental to our Plan for Change – we can’t afford to miss out on the growth we’ll see if we close the digital divide.

    For every £1 spent on digital skills training, our economy gets £9.48 back.

    And if everyone in the workforce could do all 20 essential digital tasks, the country could be £23 billion better off each year, in Gross Value Added.

    Whole nation task

    A problem for the whole nation, then.

    And one the whole nation has a hand in solving.

    For too long, this work has been left to the sterling efforts of industry, local government and charities, with central government at worst, absent – at best, standing on the sidelines calling on businesses to do more.

    Well, no longer.

    This is the year that government stepped up to play our part.

    Digital Inclusion Action Plan

    In February, we published a Digital Inclusion Action Plan.

    It’s the first time a British government has proposed a plan on this since 2014. In that same timespan, Taylor Swift has released 11 albums.

    The Plan makes up for lost time, setting out the first 5 actions we’re taking.

    And today I can announce that, next year alone, we’ll back local digital inclusion initiatives with £6 million of new funding.

    The money will support programmes up and down the country where so much good work is done, including through our Digital Inclusion Innovation Fund.

    It could be used to get laptops into schools that kids can take home, so no child falls behind on learning because they don’t have the tech.

    To give councils the power to trial innovative ways of running digital skills training for people anxious about getting online.  

    Or to build up our evidence base on why digital exclusion happens.

    This funding will focus our efforts where they work best: in the communities people live and work in.

    To meet this challenge, we’ll also need a concerted national effort on skills.

    Keeping up is a lifelong pursuit, as any of us who have ever scratched our heads at a new operating system or helped a parent share a photo can attest to.

    Education doesn’t stop the day you turn 18. Digital education is no different.

    On Monday, the PM announced that we’ll partner with industry to give 7.5 million workers essential AI skills by the end of the decade.

    So that the AI revolution is one everybody gets to be a part of.

    And, as part of the Digital Inclusion Action Plan, we’ll give employers targeted support to upskill teams.

    We’ve also kicked off a project with the Digital Poverty Alliance to donate refurbished government laptops and phones to people in need.

    I hope this scheme inspires more like it.

    Because it makes no sense to live in a world where, every day, stacks of old devices are carted off to landfill…

    … while 1.5 million people in this country don’t have a laptop or smartphone.

    Soon, I’ll launch an ‘IT Reuse for Good’ charter, alongside Deloitte, Vodafone and the Good Things Foundation – where businesses can pledge to donate unneeded tech.

    I hope many of you will sign up.

    Cross-government

    This is work happening in the round in government.

    The Action Plan is co-signed by 5 Secretaries of State, and a Ministerial Group brings together Health, Education, Work and Pensions and more.

    Because digital exclusion hinders people in every facet of life – dimmer job prospects; shorter life expectancy. So we’ve got to bust the usual silos to fix it.

    We must also be guided by those who’ve led on this for years.

    Our Digital Inclusion Action Committee – chaired by Baroness Hilary Armstrong – has now been appointed, to make sure our work is informed by experts as well as the people we’re here to help.

    Business support

    I know how many businesses have put a great deal of time and money into this.

    Ten companies pledged commitments alongside our Action Plan; I am immensely grateful to them all.

    From Virgin Media O2, connecting 1 million excluded people by the end of the year.

    To BT, giving free WiFi to families and communities across the country.

    I also want to thank everyone offering social tariffs, connecting low-income households to broadband and data that would otherwise be out of reach.

    And huge thanks to all of you finding ways to connect the unconnected – tariffs or tech, skills or speedier connections.

    Call to action and wrap-up

    What we’ve done so far is just the start.

    We’ll keep pushing ourselves to go further, and I want to see industry go with us:

    Partner with local digital inclusion charities.

    Sign up to the device donation charter.

    Keep investing in your employees’ digital learning.

    For years at London Tech Week, you’ve heard successive governments talk about the transformative power of technology.

    I believe what has to define this government’s approach is that we’ll make this a transformation that leaves nobody behind.

    That makes society more equal, not less.

    And that reaps the economic rewards equality brings.

    Back in Newham, Kalpana is now a digital skills volunteer.

    She’s gone from being someone who’d barely used the internet to someone who teaches others to work a smartphone, or set up online banking.

    That’s the return that investing in digital inclusion gives us.

    Connecting just one person can connect a family, a workplace, a community.

    In the end, we’ll reach the 1.6 million unconnected that way. If we keep at it, together.

    Updates to this page

    Published 13 June 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Three senior appointments announced

    Source: Hong Kong Information Services

    The Government today announced the appointments of three senior officials.

    Commissioner for Labour May Chan will take up the post of Permanent Secretary for Education on July 2. She will succeed Michelle Li, who will begin pre-retirement leave on the same day.

    Deputy Secretary for Health Sam Hui will take up the post of Commissioner for Labour on July 2.

    On July 3, Head (Policy Coordination) of the Chief Secretary’s Private Office Kinnie Wong will take up the post of Registrar of Companies. She will succeed Helen Tang, who is on pre-retirement leave. 

    Secretary for the Civil Service Ingrid Yeung said the appointees are all seasoned administrative officers with proven leadership and management skills.

    “I have every confidence that they will continue to serve the community with professionalism in their new capacity.”

    On the retirements of the two senior officials, Mrs Yeung thanked them for each rendering over 30 years of loyal and dedicated service to the community and making significant contributions to the Government. She also wished them a fulfilling and happy retirement.

    “During Ms Li’s tenure as Permanent Secretary for Education, she made commendable efforts in formulating and overseeing the implementation of various policies to promote quality education, developing Hong Kong into an international hub for high-calibre talent, and nurturing young people to become virtuous and capable lifelong learners with global competitiveness, positive values and love for our country and the city.

    “She made valuable contributions to enhancing the quality of education, strengthening the professionalism of teachers, enhancing governance of schools and institutions, expanding vocational and professional education and training, promoting the internationalisation and diversification of the post-secondary sector, as well as catering for students with diverse learning needs.”

    Regarding Miss Tang, the civil service chief said that during the latter’s tenure as Registrar of Companies, she capably led it in providing efficient, cost-effective and quality services for companies.

    “She also paved the way for the company re-domiciliation initiative in Hong Kong, which complements the Government’s efforts in proactively attracting enterprises and investment.”

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: Finland to receive €235 million in EIB financing for hospital and school upgrades

    Source: European Investment Bank

    • EIB provides €235 million in loans to improve hospitals and schools in Finland´s Uusimaa region.
    • Hospitals in Helsinki, Espoo and Vantaa, as well as schools in Vantaa among beneficiaries. 
    • Part of the EIB’s ongoing support for Finland’s public services, with over €3.8 billion invested in healthcare and education in recent years.

    The European Investment Bank (EIB) is signing two major financing agreements, totalling €235 million, to support critical public infrastructure in southern Finland. The funding will significantly enhance healthcare services across southern Finland and education services in Vantaa.

    The first agreement, worth €135 million, will support the modernisation of hospital infrastructure across the region. This includes improving access to specialised care, strengthening medical education, and enhancing the energy efficiency of hospital buildings. The financing is part of a broader €300 million loan package with the Helsinki University Hospital (HUS)—the joint authority for specialized healthcare in Helsinki and Uusimaa. Major upgrades are planned at hospitals in Meilahti in Helsinki, Jorvi in Espoo and Peijas in Vantaa.

    In parallel, the EIB is also lending €100 million to support the development of modern, energy-efficient educational facilities in Vantaa, a rapidly growing city just north of Helsinki. This tranche is part of a larger €350 million loan package. The initiative will benefit over 11,000 students and deliver more than 160,000 square metres of new and refurbished educational space across more than 30 facilities, including schools, day centers, and sports venues.

    “These projects will directly improve daily life for tens of thousands of people across southern Finland,” said EIB Vice-President Thomas Östros. “We are proud to support Finland in building modern, sustainable infrastructure that delivers better services and meets the highest environmental standards. Investing in healthcare and education is investing in people’s futures.”

    Both loans reflect the EIB’s goals of fostering sustainable urban development, promoting social inclusion, and advancing climate action through energy-efficient infrastructure.

    The major part of hospital upgrades in the Uusimaa region are due to be completed by the end of 2026.

    “The EIB is an important and reliable financier of investments for HUS,” said HUS Chief Financial Officer Jari Finnilä. “The EIB and HUS have a long-time cooperation in financing investments of specialized healthcare.”

    The works on the school buildings in Vantaa are scheduled to be completed within the next five years. “The long-term funding we receive from the EIB is vital to our efforts in renovating and constructing educational facilities,” said Vantaa Mayor Pekka Timonen.

    In Finland, the EIB has provided financing of more than €2.1 billion in healthcare and €1.7 billion in education over the past decade. Recent projects include the Laakso hospital construction and modern school facilities in Tuusula, Helsinki and Turku.

    Background information  

    EIB 

    The European Investment Bank (ElB) is the long-term lending institution of the European Union, owned by its Member States. Built around eight core priorities, we finance investments that contribute to EU policy objectives by bolstering climate action and the environment, digitalisation and technological innovation, security and defence, cohesion, agriculture and bioeconomy, social infrastructure, high-impact investments outside the European Union, and the capital markets union.  

    The EIB Group, which also includes the European Investment Fund (EIF), signed nearly €89 billion in new financing for over 900 high-impact projects in 2024, boosting Europe’s competitiveness and security.  

    All projects financed by the EIB Group are in line with the Paris Climate Agreement, as pledged in our Climate Bank Roadmap. Almost 60% of the EIB Group’s annual financing supports projects directly contributing to climate change mitigation, adaptation, and a healthier environment.  

    Fostering market integration and mobilising investment, the Group supported a record of over €100 billion in new investment for Europe’s energy security in 2024 and mobilised €110 billion in growth capital for startups, scale-ups and European pioneers. Approximately half of the EIB’s financing within the European Union is directed towards cohesion regions, where per capita income is lower than the EU average.

    High-quality, up-to-date photos of our headquarters for media use are available here.

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Expanding access to childcare

    Source: Scottish Government

    More than £1.5 million targeted funding over two years.

    Families most at risk of living in poverty are benefitting from expanded childcare offers through projects backed by the Scottish Government’s Access to Childcare Funding.

    Almost £1.5 million funding will support the seven initiatives situated in areas from Glasgow to Shetland over the next two years. Organisations will use funding to deliver free or subsidised breakfast clubs, after-school clubs, term-time and holiday childcare, as well as specialist provision for children with complex additional support needs. The expanded childcare offers for these families is improving outcomes for children while also supporting parents and carers to enter or sustain employment.

    Confirming the funding, Children’s Minister Natalie Don-Innes met families attending an after-school club at Fairview Primary run by Support, Help, and Integration in Perthshire (SHIP). SHIP provides after school and holiday clubs for children aged 5-18 years with complex additional support needs, sensory and physical disabilities.

    Ms Don-Innes said:

    “Since 2020, we have provided over £4.5 million through the Access to Childcare Fund to support projects delivering activities, childcare, food and family support.

    “Eradicating child poverty is the Scottish Government’s defining mission, and we know what a difference access to affordable school-age childcare can make for families that need it most.

    “The projects receiving Access to Childcare Funding over the next two years are demonstrating the important role that school age childcare services play in supporting children’s health, wellbeing and relationships, and in enabling more parents and carers to balance caring for their children with work commitments, thereby helping increase household income.”

    Lucas and Marc are 16 years old and have autism. They have been supported by SHIP since they were five years old. Their dad Brian said:

    “SHIP has played a critical role in providing our sons with social opportunities and vital support with meeting their sensory needs that we would not as a family been able to. The term time clubs and holiday clubs have provided year round support for the boys, and the happiness and confidence this has given them is genuinely immeasurable.” 

    SHIP will receive £273,000 funding over two financial years through the Fairer Funding pilot. General Manager at SHIP Nicola Schelbert said:

    “SHIP provides essential support for children and young people aged from 5–18 with complex needs, delivering youth clubs, Saturday clubs, after-school and holiday clubs. Access to Childcare Funding supports our after school clubs and childcare spaces at our holiday club, which enables parents to work or take respite.

    “Families we work with tell us that without SHIP, continuing employment would be impossible, which would have a negative impact on their families’ wellbeing. This vital service strengthens families and ensures children receive the support they need.”

    Background

    Breakdown of latest Access to Childcare Fund projects and funding:

    Fairer funding pilot – funding over next two financial years

    • SHIP is a parent-led childcare provider in Perthshire providing holiday clubs and after-school clubs for children with complex additional support needs, sensory and physical disabilities aged 5-18 – £135,000 in 2025-26, £138,000 in 2026-27
    • St Mirin’s Out of School Club delivers free or subsidised childcare for children aged 4-12 with term-time indoor and outdoor play at breakfast clubs, after school clubs and a holiday club in Glasgow – £135,005.92 in 2025-26, £141,787.72 in 2026-27
    • Indigo offers both childcare and family support through their family matters programme for families in Castlemilk. They provide children aged 4-12 with breakfast clubs and after school clubs and holiday clubs – £196,325 in 2025-26, £196,325 in 2026-27
    • Stepping Stones for Families provides a School Age Childcare service at their Flexible Childcare centre in Possilpark Glasgow.  They deliver school-age childcare for children aged 5-12 years during term time as well as during the school holidays – £77,531 in 2025-26, £79.450 in 2026-27
    • SupERkids is led by volunteer parents of disabled children and provides children aged 5-18 with additional support needs with after-school activities during term-time, as well as offering unsupported family activities during holidays in East Renfrewshire – £98,700 in 2025-26, £103,635 in 2026-27

    Grant funding – financial year 25-26 only

    • Hame Fae Hame provides wraparound childcare for children aged 5-12 with a breakfast club and after school subsidised childcare during term-time, and childcare during school holidays and in-service days, in Scalloway, Shetland – £37.880 in 2025-26
    • The Wee Childcare Company provides after-school clubs for children aged 4-12, after-school clubs and 25 days of holiday provision across four sites in Angus, with breakfast clubs at two of these – £218,360.44 in 2025-26

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Record of discussion of meeting of Exchange Fund Advisory Committee Currency Board Sub-Committee held on April 30

    Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

    Record of discussion of meeting of Exchange Fund Advisory Committee Currency Board Sub-Committee held on April 30 
    Report on Currency Board Operations (25 December, 2024 – 16 April, 2025)
    ————————————————————————————
     
    The Currency Board Sub-Committee (Sub-Committee) noted that the Hong Kong dollar (HKD) traded within a range of 7.7555 – 7.7927 against the US dollar (USD) during the review period. The HKD exchange rate moderated in early January 2025 as liquidity tightness subsided at the end of 2024 and global markets reacted to US tariff announcements, but strengthened in mid-February 2025, supported by strong performance of the local stock market amid Mainland China’s recent advancements in artificial intelligence and net inflows from the Southbound Stock Connect. In early April, in response to further US tariffs, the HKD strengthened further as long USD carry trades unwound amid a risk-off sentiment and southbound inflows continued. HKD interbank rates (HIBORs) continued to track the USD rates while shorter-tenor rates were also being affected by local supply and demand. Short-term HIBORs tightened briefly near the year-end but softened thereafter as funding demand faded. The Convertibility Undertakings were not triggered during the review period and the Aggregate Balance was stable at around HK$45 billion. No abnormality was noted in the usage of the Discount Window. Overall, the HKD exchange and interbank markets continued to trade in a smooth and orderly manner.
     
    The Sub-Committee noted that the Monetary Base increased to HK$1,980.99 billion at the end of the review period. In accordance with the Currency Board principles, all changes in the Monetary Base had been fully matched by changes in foreign reserves.
     
    The Report on Currency Board Operations for the review period is at Annex.
     
    Monitoring of Risks and Vulnerabilities
    ——————————————
     
    The Sub-Committee noted that downside growth risks to the global economy had intensified following the US announcement of imposing reciprocal tariffs that exceeded market expectations. In response, global financial markets had gyrated, although they continued to operate smoothly with no sign of widespread funding stress. While the postponement of reciprocal tariffs had offered some reprieve for export-reliant Asian economies which generally faced higher rates, the prospect of tariffs being implemented further down the road still posed significant growth headwinds.
     
    The Sub-Committee noted that in Mainland China, the economy entered 2025 amid some green shoots and improved equity market sentiment. In particular, at the “two sessions” in March, the authorities sent strong pro-growth signals, including prioritising consumption and strengthening fiscal support. From April onwards, the Mainland economic outlook faced stiffer external headwinds due to the US reciprocal tariffs. It was expected that Mainland China would place increasing emphasis on supporting consumption.
     
    The Sub-Committee noted that in Hong Kong, downside risks to the growth outlook heightened following the imposition of the US reciprocal tariffs. Yet, several factors might help alleviate some of the impact, including the Mainland’s pro-growth policies and its advancement in artificial intelligence, the prospective US rate cuts expected by the markets, and the ongoing recovery of inbound tourism. Meanwhile, housing market transactions gained momentum in March following the Government’s adjustment in stamp duties for lower-value properties, although market sentiment turned conservative in early April amid the global financial market volatility. The commercial real estate markets remained subdued, especially in the office segment.
     
    A Study on “Discount Window Stigma”
    ——————————————-
     
    The Sub-Committee noted a paper that examined the usage of the Hong Kong Monetary Authority’s (HKMA) Discount Window and the associated “stigma effect” by banks over time. The results showed that the Discount Window was tapped more frequently and the associated stigma diminished in the current period of tight liquidity, compared with the previous period of tight liquidity in 2018 – 2020. This trend coincided with the HKMA’s proactive communication efforts with banks to alleviate concerns about the “stigma effect” during recent periods.
    Issued at HKT 16:36

    NNNN

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Why anti-trafficking measures alone won’t save Africa’s pangolins

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Charles Emogor, Schmidt Science Postdoctoral Fellow, Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge

    Nigeria accounts for the largest volume of detected pangolin scales illegally traded from Africa. Between 2010 and 2021, 190,000kg of scales – representing nearly 800,000 African pangolins – were seized in shipments linked to Nigeria, despite a ban on international trade.

    Pangolins are scaly mammals found across Asia and Africa. They are considered the world’s most trafficked wild mammals and they are exploited in different ways on different continents.

    In Asia, mainly China, their scales are used in large-scale therapeutic medicines, despite not having known medicinal properties. Their meat is consumed as a delicacy, so it’s expensive and highly sought after.

    In Africa, pangolin scales are mainly used in small quantities to make traditional medicines and, like most other wildlife on the continent, their meat is sold and consumed locally. However, the decline in Asian pangolin populations has prompted the trafficking of African pangolin scales to Asia.

    Due to the relatively recent rise in international demand, the drivers of African pangolin exploitation remain unclear. However, some conservationists and researchers propose that this exploitation is primarily driven by overseas demand for pangolin scales used in traditional medicine.

    My new study challenges this view and suggests that African pangolin exploitation is motivated more by local demand for meat than international demand for scales.

    Having grown up in Nigeria, I developed personal connections with many of the hunters and vendors and have spent the past five years building a trustworthy relationship with them in order to research pangolin trade from within the industry.

    My colleagues and I sent an anonymous questionnaire to 590 hunters and 219 wild meat vendors in 33 locations in southeast Nigeria. We wanted to find out how many pangolins they caught annually and how they were captured. We also asked what their motivations for hunting were, how much they sold pangolin products for and the subsequent uses of meat and scales.

    Given that pangolin meat is eaten as food, we asked another group of 570 hunters, vendors, and other household members to score the palatability (perceived sensory qualities of meat flavour and texture) of 96 meat and fish dishes consumed in Nigerian communities.

    Of the approximately 21,000 white- and black-bellied pangolins, which we estimated were killed annually across the hunters in the landscape between 2020 and 2023, 97% were captured opportunistically (that is, while performing activities other than hunting) or during general hunting. Of those, were picked up by hand – these animals weigh just 2-3kg on average and are relatively slow-moving.

    Surprisingly, 98% of captured pangolins were caught for their meat, with 71% eaten by the hunters and 27% sold locally. This high rate of personal consumption compared to local sales is likely driven by their exceptional taste. In southeast Nigeria, the three pangolin species eaten scored highest in palatability among 96 wild meats assessed, and were comparable only with the African brush-tailed porcupine.

    By comparison, rural southeast Asian communities increasingly forego eating the pangolins themselves and instead sell them to urban centres because they get high prices for meat and scales.

    Most of the pangolin scales (70%) were discarded. Less than 30% were traded illegally. We also found that, on a per-animal basis, pangolin scales have been three to four times lower than meat since 2010, when Nigeria’s first pangolin scale seizure was documented.

    Beyond Nigeria

    While our study focused on pangolin trade in southeast Nigeria, our findings likely apply to other African forest regions where pangolins make up a similar proportion of the hunters’ total catch and where the price of scales is comparable.

    Our analysis only applies to white- and black-bellied pangolins; but this is still substantial as they make up approximately 98% of African pangolins trafficked internationally (based on seizure data) and 96% of pangolins caught by hunters across central and west Africa (based on hunter offtake data from six countries).

    Securing the future of African pangolins demands a bold shift if they are primarily being hunted for meat rather than scales, as appears to be the case in southeast Nigeria. Anti-trafficking measures alone won’t protect pangolins if hunting for local consumption remains unchecked.

    Promoting alternative protein sources or sustainable livelihoods for hunters could help reduce wild meat dependence. As current global trade bans don’t always reflect local hunting motivations, understanding why people hunt protected species and how they get traded both locally and globally will be crucial in developing conservation strategies that will tackle the root of the problem and encourage a transition to more sustainable practices.

    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 45,000+ readers who’ve subscribed so far.

    Charles Emogor receives funding from the British High Commission in Nigeria, National Geographic Society, Wildlife Conservation Society, Wildlife Conservation Network, Rufford Foundation, Conservation Leadership Programme, and Save Pangolins. He is the founder of Pangolin Protection Network (aka Pangolino).

    – ref. Why anti-trafficking measures alone won’t save Africa’s pangolins – https://theconversation.com/why-anti-trafficking-measures-alone-wont-save-africas-pangolins-251744

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Netflix’s Dept Q. suggests that psychological trauma might help a detective investigate – neuroscience backs this up

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Edward White, PhD Candidate in Psychology, Kingston University

    Carl Morck is psychologically damaged. He’s socially insufferable. And he’s a departmental embarrassment. Yet this broken man becomes an incredibly effective investigator. Welcome to the brilliant paradox of Netflix’s Dept. Q, where mental trauma doesn’t disable – it supercharges.

    Detective Morck’s story begins with catastrophic failure. Ignoring protocol, he and his partner, James Hardy, rush headlong into what they think is a routine murder scene. It’s an ambush. Hardy ends up paralysed for life, a rookie officer dies and Morck survives with crushing survivor’s guilt and severe PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder). Most detectives would retire. Morck comes back more determined to get his man.

    Months later, Morck returns to work. He obsessively replays the rookie’s body camera video hundreds of times as well as the ballistics reconstruction. His colleagues flee his toxic presence. His commander ships him off to the basement with a stack of cold cases, hoping he’ll disappear into bureaucratic obscurity.

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    Instead, she accidentally creates the perfect storm.

    Morck’s first basement case involves Merritt Lingard, a prosecutor who vanished from a ferry four years earlier. The official conclusion was she fell overboard and drowned. Case closed. But Morck can’t move on from anything anymore. His trauma-rewired brain won’t let him.

    He watches the ferry security footage with the same obsessive intensity he brings to replaying his shooting. Frame by frame. Over and over. The same compulsive attention to detail that torments him with endless replays of his failure becomes his investigative superpower. Where normal detectives see a tragic accident, Morck’s damaged neural pathways spot the inconsistencies everyone else missed.

    This isn’t nonsense, it’s neuroscience. Research shows that depression fundamentally rewires information processing, creating enhanced sensitivity to negative details and threats. What his therapist calls pathological rumination becomes detective gold.

    The banished misfits

    Morck is saddled with a team of misfits: Hardy (paralysed and bitter), Akram Salim (a Syrian refugee with mysterious combat skills), and Rose Dickson (battling her own demons). Together, they form a collection of damaged individuals that conventional policing would write off.

    But here’s the magic: their shared outsider status creates collective investigative superpowers.

    Take their interview with William Lingard, Merritt’s disabled brother. William draws pictures of “a man in a hat with a bird logo” — evidence that conventional investigators would probably set aside because it wouldn’t hold up in court. The series shows this attitude earlier when a young mother recants her witness statement. While other officers dismiss it as useless since it can’t help prosecute a case, Morck argues it’s still valuable investigative information.

    This reflects a fundamental difference in approach: most police focus on building prosecutable cases, but Dept. Q’s outsider status frees them to pursue any lead that might reveal truth, regardless of its courtroom value. Taking William’s drawings seriously as investigative intelligence, rather than dismissing them as legally inadmissible, eventually leads them to identify the crucial cormorant logo connection.

    Organisational psychology research shows that socially excluded groups are more willing to ask questions that insiders avoid due to workplace politics or social taboos. Operating from their basement exile, Department Q pursues theories that proper procedure would shut down. Their isolation becomes investigative freedom, unencumbered by institutional constraints.

    Department Q isn’t just entertainment, it’s a master class in psychological diversity’s investigative value. Real police departments might benefit from understanding how different types of cognitive processing can reveal different types of evidence. The systematic pessimism of depression, the hypervigilance of PTSD, the pattern recognition of anxiety – these aren’t just symptoms to medicate away, they’re investigative tools waiting to be properly deployed.

    The series suggests that our most psychologically damaged individuals might see truths that healthy minds systematically miss, which research backs up. It’s a provocative idea: maybe the people we consider “broken” are exactly who we need investigating the cases that have broken everyone else.

    Department Q proves that in the right circumstances, psychological damage doesn’t create victims. It creates visionaries.

    Edward White is affiliated with Kingston University.

    – ref. Netflix’s Dept Q. suggests that psychological trauma might help a detective investigate – neuroscience backs this up – https://theconversation.com/netflixs-dept-q-suggests-that-psychological-trauma-might-help-a-detective-investigate-neuroscience-backs-this-up-258638

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Africa: Older South Africans need better support and basic services – and so do their caregivers

    Source: The Conversation – Africa – By Elena Moore, Professor of Sociology, University of Cape Town

    In South Africa, most long-term care for older people happens at home through the efforts of family members, largely female kin, not through government services.

    With South Africa’s population growing older, combined with reduced funding for community care, higher levels of disability in old age, and widespread poverty and unemployment, family care has become more important than ever and more challenging. But government and policy makers don’t know how it happens, and we can’t just assume it happens.

    The Family Caregiving Programme is the first major programme dedicated to understanding family care of older persons in southern Africa. As part of the research team for this programme we are looking at how family care works and how it can be better supported. The five-year programme aims to improve our understanding of how family care is experienced in South Africa, Malawi, Namibia and Botswana.

    For the latest research report, we worked with 103 caregivers and 96 older persons in 100 family units across seven locations in three South African provinces: the Western Cape, Eastern Cape, and KwaZulu-Natal. We worked in two rural areas, one peri-urban area and four urban areas including two townships.

    Three quarters of the sample of older persons required constant care or supervision.

    We found that all the care needs were being met – but at a significant cost for caregivers, older persons and society.

    Care needs go beyond physiological and cognitive issues and are shaped by the physical and social environment. The environment can make care more challenging and create more dependency. Lack of access to water, sanitation and electricity adds to care work.

    For care needs to be met, older persons need supported caregivers, access to care services and basic services.

    The gaps

    South Africa’s long term care policy encourages “ageing in place”, meaning older people should live in their homes, supported by community-based services. But the reality is that support is limited.

    Of the 5.5 million older people in South Africa, around 4 million receive the Older Person’s Grant, and at least 1.5 million need help with daily activities. Very few receive home-based care or subsidised meals. Even fewer receive assistive devices and materials such as wheelchairs or incontinence products.

    It’s a common assumption that if an older person lives with family, they’re being cared for. But this isn’t always true. Sometimes the available family member isn’t able – physically, emotionally, or financially – to provide proper care. Mental health support is also largely missing. Many older people experience loneliness and depression, but help is hard to find. In our study, one in five older persons experienced feelings of loneliness, anxiety and despair.

    Many older people don’t have running water, proper toilets, wheelchairs, or incontinence products. If basic services are missing, the older person needs more help. Older black people in rural areas and in under-resourced townships are most affected.

    Family Caregiving Programme

    Older people also need help accessing healthcare. High levels of diabetes, hypertension and arthritis in many cases lead to disability in later life. But getting help to access care isn’t always available.

    Mary Mwebu (we have used pseudonyms), who lives in the rural Eastern Cape and has TB of the spine and mobility challenges, has no running water in her home. She also has no accessible and affordable transport, so she hasn’t been to the clinic in 10 years and struggles to manage her pain.

    Care needs of older persons include basic provision of food. Our findings show that older persons and their households spend way below what is needed for a healthy diet.

    The older person’s grant, at R2,315 (US$130) a month in 2025 and similar to the cost of incontinence products for the month, is often the main income in the household and is used to cover the costs for everyone, especially in a context where 64% of people living with an older person are unemployed.

    Food is the biggest cost, often up to two thirds of income. It is the first thing to cut when there’s not enough money.

    Money is particularly tight in black low-income households. In many cases expenditure exceeds income, and older people are left vulnerable. If any unexpected costs like medical needs or hygiene products arise, the older person will often have to sacrifice food.

    Others will obtain loans and so many fall into debt. Borrowing from loan sharks is a way to buy food but high interest rates put people in a worse position the following month.

    Limiting spending, eating less, and limited help from family members are the only other ways to meet their needs.

    Why care is depleting

    The average older person household has five people in it. Large households have many care needs, not just elder care. We found that women – especially daughters and female relatives – are the main caregivers.

    But the findings show that due to HIV/Aids and migration, older people can’t always rely on their children. In such instances care is also provided by nieces, neighbours, and adult granddaughters.

    Looking after an older person often requires caregivers to relocate. Our findings showed that one in five caregivers had to move, often with young children or leaving spouses behind.

    Sometimes older persons need to move to get care. This happened in one in 10 older persons in our sample. Many are reluctant to move from their homes and the process can take years.

    The findings show that family caregiving is not an endless supply of “free” labour. It is physically, emotionally and financially costly, especially for black low-income women.

    Some answers

    The report proposes three key recommendations.

    Firstly, family caregivers and careworkers should be adequately compensated for their work.

    Secondly, we call for expanding home-based care services to ease the load and give caregivers breaks and mental health support.

    And thirdly, care-related items, such as wheelchairs, incontinence products and healthy food, should be made more easily available.

    Supporting family caregivers means supporting the wellbeing of millions of older South Africans. It’s time the country took elder and family care seriously and backed it with real investment and action.

    – Older South Africans need better support and basic services – and so do their caregivers
    – https://theconversation.com/older-south-africans-need-better-support-and-basic-services-and-so-do-their-caregivers-258409

    MIL OSI Africa –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Stay water safe this summer

    Source: City of Sunderland

    Residents are being urged find out more about how to stay water safe this summer as part of the Royal Life Saving Society UK’s (RLSS UK) Drowning Prevention Week.

    The annual RLSS UK campaign is all about educating families, carers, teachers of children aged between five and 15 years old about water safety. Sunderland City Council is backing the campaign which runs from Saturday 14 to Saturday 21 June, to help raise awareness of the importance of staying safe and water safety.

    The RLSS UK provides free water safety advice for families and schools in a bid to give every child the opportunity to learn about water safety. 

    Councillor Beth Jones, Cabinet Member for Communities, Culture and Tourism at Sunderland City Council said: “We are very lucky to have beautiful beaches in Sunderland where people can enjoy the water.

    “We want all our residents and visitors to be able to get the most out of these fantastic spaces, as safely as possible. This is why we are continuing to support Drowning Prevention Week, in the hope that everyone will take the time to look at some of the really helpful advice on offer from organisations like the RLSS and the RNLI on how to keep you and your loved ones safe in water this summer.”

    “I would also encourage anyone planning on swimming in the sea in Sunderland this summer to visit a beach which has RNLI lifeguards on duty and to always to swim between the red and yellow flags.”

    The RNLI will be providing their lifeguard service to Roker, Seaburn and Cat and Dog beaches everyday from 10am to 6pm, until Sunday 7 September.

    The RLSS UK hopes that by raising awareness, the campaign will see a reduction in the number of people losing their lives to accidental drowning every year. An average of 312 people in the UK and Ireland sadly lose their lives this way each year.  Many more have non-fatal experiences, sometimes life-changing injuries, following a water related incident. 

    Matt Croxall, Interim Charity Director at RLSS UK, said: “We want people to make the most of enjoying the water outdoors this summer as the weather warms up, which why we believe in the importance of everyone having the opportunity to learn key lifesaving knowledge, including the Water Safety Code, to keep them and their families safe and able to enjoy the water safely. 

    “Help us to support our Drowning Prevention Week campaign by sharing lifesaving knowledge with family and loved ones this summer, as this could help to save lives and prevent tragedies.”

    There are four parts to the Water Safety Code that the Royal Life Saving Society UK is encouraging parents to discuss with their children. Stop and think, stay together, call 999, and float. These are:

    • Stop and Think: Look for the dangers. Always read local signs and advice
    • Stay Together: When around the water always go with friends and family and swim at a lifeguarded venue
    • Call 999: in an emergency phone 999 and ask for the Fire and Rescue Service when inland and the coastguard if at the coast. Don’t enter the water to rescue
    • Float:  If you do fall in or become tired – stay calm, float on your back and call for help. Throw something that floats to someone who has fallen in

    For more water safety tips and advice visit: www.rlss.org.uk/water-safety-information

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Sign up now for summer activity scheme!

    Source: City of Leicester

    CHILDREN and young people in Leicester who receive benefits-related free school meals are being invited to sign up for a programme of free summer activities before the deadline on Friday 27 June.

    Starting on Monday 14 July, the sessions will include activities such as art, sport and outdoor fun – and each child taking part will receive a healthy meal as part of the session.

    Funding for the scheme has come from the Holiday Activities and Food programme (HAF) – a government scheme that aims to help children from low-income families keep active and eat well during the summer break.

    In Leicester, the programme – which is aimed at children aged from 4 to 16 – is being delivered by more than 40 providers at sites around the city.

    Youngsters (aged 6-11) could sign up for fun with Leicester’s museums’ service, with activities taking place throughout the summer at the Abbey Pumping Station, while basketball-loving 8-16-year-olds could head for the Mattioli Arena for a programme organised by the Leicester Riders Foundation.

    Older children (aged 14-16) could opt for a pass that would allow them to work out in the gym, go for a swim or book a court at the city council’s leisure centres, or choose a boxing pass that would give them access to early evening sessions at the GNR8 Academy at New College.

    Those choosing a pass instead of signing up for a programmed activity will receive a food voucher instead of a meal each time they use their pass – up to a maximum of 16 food vouchers over the holiday period.

    Eligible families can sign up to four weeks of free provision over the summer holiday. Most programmes run for four hours each day for four days, although some providers are offering flexible programmes that run for more hours over fewer days, or fewer hours over more days.

    Places, however, are limited and will be allocated on a first come, first served basis to those who live in the city of Leicester, receive benefits-related free school meals, and are in the age range for that programme.

    “The long summer holiday can be a struggle for many families,” said assistant city mayor Cllr Elaine Pantling.

    “This scheme, which is funded by the government, aims to ensure that children who normally have a free school meal can have fun in the summer break, and a healthy meal while they’re taking part, without having to worry about the cost.

    “There’s a wide range of activities on offer at sites around the city, but places are limited so please register as soon as you can – and certainly before the deadline on Friday 27 June – if you’d like your child to take part in the programme.”

    Information about the Holiday Activities & Food programme has been circulated to children via schools.

    Families with children who receive benefits-related free schools and who meet the eligibility criteria can register for a place on the Holiday Activities & Food programme at families.leicester.gov.uk/haf

    Anyone who thinks their child should be receiving free school meals can find out more at freeschoolmeals.leicester.gov.uk

    Children who don’t receive benefits-related free school meals may also be able to register on the programme, in exchange for a fee. Families should contact the provider directly for more information. The full programme and providers’ contact details can be found at families.leicester.gov.uk/haf

    The HAF programme is funded by the Department for Education.

    ends

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Older South Africans need better support and basic services – and so do their caregivers

    Source: The Conversation – Africa – By Elena Moore, Professor of Sociology, University of Cape Town

    In South Africa, most long-term care for older people happens at home through the efforts of family members, largely female kin, not through government services.

    With South Africa’s population growing older, combined with reduced funding for community care, higher levels of disability in old age, and widespread poverty and unemployment, family care has become more important than ever and more challenging. But government and policy makers don’t know how it happens, and we can’t just assume it happens.

    The Family Caregiving Programme is the first major programme dedicated to understanding family care of older persons in southern Africa. As part of the research team for this programme we are looking at how family care works and how it can be better supported. The five-year programme aims to improve our understanding of how family care is experienced in South Africa, Malawi, Namibia and Botswana.

    For the latest research report, we worked with 103 caregivers and 96 older persons in 100 family units across seven locations in three South African provinces: the Western Cape, Eastern Cape, and KwaZulu-Natal. We worked in two rural areas, one peri-urban area and four urban areas including two townships.

    Three quarters of the sample of older persons required constant care or supervision.

    We found that all the care needs were being met – but at a significant cost for caregivers, older persons and society.

    Care needs go beyond physiological and cognitive issues and are shaped by the physical and social environment. The environment can make care more challenging and create more dependency. Lack of access to water, sanitation and electricity adds to care work.

    For care needs to be met, older persons need supported caregivers, access to care services and basic services.

    The gaps

    South Africa’s long term care policy encourages “ageing in place”, meaning older people should live in their homes, supported by community-based services. But the reality is that support is limited.

    Of the 5.5 million older people in South Africa, around 4 million receive the Older Person’s Grant, and at least 1.5 million need help with daily activities. Very few receive home-based care or subsidised meals. Even fewer receive assistive devices and materials such as wheelchairs or incontinence products.

    It’s a common assumption that if an older person lives with family, they’re being cared for. But this isn’t always true. Sometimes the available family member isn’t able – physically, emotionally, or financially – to provide proper care. Mental health support is also largely missing. Many older people experience loneliness and depression, but help is hard to find. In our study, one in five older persons experienced feelings of loneliness, anxiety and despair.

    Many older people don’t have running water, proper toilets, wheelchairs, or incontinence products. If basic services are missing, the older person needs more help. Older black people in rural areas and in under-resourced townships are most affected.

    Older people also need help accessing healthcare. High levels of diabetes, hypertension and arthritis in many cases lead to disability in later life. But getting help to access care isn’t always available.

    Mary Mwebu (we have used pseudonyms), who lives in the rural Eastern Cape and has TB of the spine and mobility challenges, has no running water in her home. She also has no accessible and affordable transport, so she hasn’t been to the clinic in 10 years and struggles to manage her pain.

    Care needs of older persons include basic provision of food. Our findings show that older persons and their households spend way below what is needed for a healthy diet.

    The older person’s grant, at R2,315 (US$130) a month in 2025 and similar to the cost of incontinence products for the month, is often the main income in the household and is used to cover the costs for everyone, especially in a context where 64% of people living with an older person are unemployed.

    Food is the biggest cost, often up to two thirds of income. It is the first thing to cut when there’s not enough money.

    Money is particularly tight in black low-income households. In many cases expenditure exceeds income, and older people are left vulnerable. If any unexpected costs like medical needs or hygiene products arise, the older person will often have to sacrifice food.

    Others will obtain loans and so many fall into debt. Borrowing from loan sharks is a way to buy food but high interest rates put people in a worse position the following month.

    Limiting spending, eating less, and limited help from family members are the only other ways to meet their needs.

    Why care is depleting

    The average older person household has five people in it. Large households have many care needs, not just elder care. We found that women – especially daughters and female relatives – are the main caregivers.

    But the findings show that due to HIV/Aids and migration, older people can’t always rely on their children. In such instances care is also provided by nieces, neighbours, and adult granddaughters.

    Looking after an older person often requires caregivers to relocate. Our findings showed that one in five caregivers had to move, often with young children or leaving spouses behind.

    Sometimes older persons need to move to get care. This happened in one in 10 older persons in our sample. Many are reluctant to move from their homes and the process can take years.

    The findings show that family caregiving is not an endless supply of “free” labour. It is physically, emotionally and financially costly, especially for black low-income women.

    Some answers

    The report proposes three key recommendations.

    Firstly, family caregivers and careworkers should be adequately compensated for their work.

    Secondly, we call for expanding home-based care services to ease the load and give caregivers breaks and mental health support.

    And thirdly, care-related items, such as wheelchairs, incontinence products and healthy food, should be made more easily available.

    Supporting family caregivers means supporting the wellbeing of millions of older South Africans. It’s time the country took elder and family care seriously and backed it with real investment and action.

    Elena Moore receives funding from Wellcome Trust and IDRC-CRDI for the work on elder care in Southern Africa.

    Vayda Megannon and Zeenat Samodien do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

    – ref. Older South Africans need better support and basic services – and so do their caregivers – https://theconversation.com/older-south-africans-need-better-support-and-basic-services-and-so-do-their-caregivers-258409

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Africa: Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB) Executive Secretary Joins African Energy Week (AEW) 2025 Amid Focus on Enhancing Local Capacity

    Felix Omatsola Ogbe, Executive Secretary of the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB) – the organization tasked with overseeing Nigerian content plans developed by operators -, has joined the African Energy Week (AEW): Invest in African Energies 2025 conference to discuss strategies for enhancing capacity building and local participation across the oil and gas sector.

    As Nigeria strives to boost oil production to two million barrels per day while scaling-up gas capacity, the NCDMB plays an instrumental part in ensuring local content plans established by operators align with national goals spearheaded by the Nigerian Oil and Gas Industry Content Development (NOGID) Act. During AEW: Invest in African Energies 2025, Ogbe will outline how operators can strengthen local content in the industry, particularly as major projects prepare for development.

    AEW: Invest in African Energies is the platform of choice for project operators, financiers, technology providers and government, and has emerged as the official place to sign deals in African energy. Visit http://www.AECWeek.com for more information about this exciting event.

    Recent initiatives reflect the commitment by the NCDMB to enhance local capacity in Nigerian oil and gas. In May 2025, the organization graduated 20 trainees in critical engineering competencies as part of a 12-month capacity building initiative for oil and gas industry operations. Trainees received international certification. In February 2025, the organization donated a fully-equipped Information and Communication Technology center for the Community Secondary School in Brass Local Government Area. These programs signal the NCDMB’s commitment to skills development – from primary and secondary education all the way through to tertiary education.

    In addition to training initiatives, the organization is strengthening its partnerships with international and regional companies to bolster local content. In April 2025, the NCDMB and Nigerian Gas Infrastructure Company agreed to explore opportunities for collaboration to advance national objectives in local content development and energy infrastructure. Meanwhile, in March 2025, the NCDMB reaffirmed its partnership with the African Petroleum Producers Organization to establish African centers of excellence in local content development. The move aligns with ambitions by both organizations to scale-up capacity building in the oil and gas sector.

    Established in 2010 under the NOGID Act, the NCDMB has emerged as a driving force behind developing local capacity across the country’s oil and gas industry. The organization works closely with a variety of stakeholders – from upstream operators to downstream players to educational, financial and technology institutions – to drive local content strategies. Under a mandate to boost Nigerian local capacity to 70% by 2027, the company has developed 150 information and communication technology centers in second schools across the country, while upgraded select technical colleges, revamped primary schools and trained over 16,000 individuals. Looking ahead, the NCDMB aims to enhance training and local content even further, ensuring the Nigerian oil and gas industry becomes a catalyst for inclusive growth in the country. At AEW: Invest in African Energies 2025, Ogbe will share insights into this strategy, highlighting ongoing initiatives and future local content plans.

    “The NCDMB is not only playing an instrumental part in unlocking greater local value in Nigeria, but setting a strong benchmark for other resource-rich countries seeking to enhance local participation in the oil and gas industry. By prioritizing workforce training and skills development, working closely with operators and overseeing their respective content plans, the organization is ensuring Nigeria unlocks greater value from its oil and gas market,” stated Tomás Gerbasio, Vice President of Commercial and Strategic Engagement at the African Energy Chamber.

    Distributed by APO Group on behalf of African Energy Chamber.

    MIL OSI Africa –

  • MIL-OSI China: Suzhou Industrial Park provides fertile ground for innovation

    Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News

    More than 30 years ago, Suzhou Industrial Park (SIP) was just a stretch of low-lying paddy fields on the outskirts of Suzhou, eastern China’s Jiangsu province. Today, towering skyscrapers and modern infrastructure define the skyline of what has become a fertile ground for innovation and entrepreneurship. 

    This combo photo shows a blueprint of the Suzhou Industrial Park drawn in 1994 (top) and an aerial view of the industrial park (bottom) in 2024. [Photo provided to China.org.cn]

    The transformation began in the spring of 1994, when SIP was launched as the first cooperation project between the Chinese and Singaporean governments, aiming to build a world-class industrial zone.

    For three decades, SIP has centered its growth strategy on openness and innovation. In 2024, the park’s GDP reached 400.2 billion yuan (US$55.68 billion), making up nearly one sixth of the entire city’s GDP. Its R&D intensity reached 5.61% this year, among the highest in China’s economic and technological development zones.

    “Opening-up and innovation are the park’s greatest feature,” said Liu Hua, vice chairperson of the Administrative Committee of SIP, during an interview on Wednesday.

    Much of SIP’s growth has been driven by its efforts of supporting enterprises as the main players in its innovative development. The park channels resources to help them launch businesses, tackle technological challenges, and unlock new creative potential.

    So far, SIP is home to more than 10,000 technology companies and over 3,000 national high-tech enterprises. It has also cultivated more than 4,600 small and medium-sized tech firms. 

    “We provide efficient services and support to companies, achieving win-win results through cooperation,” Liu said. She added that SIP has accelerated the development of a modern industrial system centered on artificial intelligence, digital industries, and next-generation information technologies.

    AISpeech is one such company that came to SIP to develop conversational artificial intelligence. Yu Kai, the firm’s co-founder and chief scientist, said Suzhou was the first national development zone in China to support AI development with dedicated policies.

    “Suzhou is very active in attracting investment and boasts strong technological infrastructure,” Yu said. Even before he founded AISpeech in 2007, local officials had visited Cambridge University, where he earned his Ph.D. in engineering, to promote investment opportunities.

    “I chose to set up my company in SIP because Suzhou offers a solid foundation with its strategic planning, efficient governance, and clear support for technology industry policies,” he said.

    Today, AISpeech holds 1,597 intellectual property rights and has developed over 70 national and industry standards. Its clients include major automakers and tech firms such as Mercedes-Benz, BYD, Haier, and Xiaomi.

    Last year, the Yangtze River Delta Innovation Consortium in Language Computing, led by AISpeech, was selected as one of the first 12 Yangtze River Delta innovation consortiums.

    “Through this consortium, companies and institutions work together to accelerate breakthroughs in key technologies and applications,” Yu said. “It will play a key role in advancing the development and application of language intelligence technologies in China.”

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: FMQs: SNP must commit to expanding free school meals to all councils

    Source: Scottish Greens

    13 Jun 2025 Education Scottish Independence

    Universal free school meals must be our goal in Scotland.

    More in Education

    The First Minister must ensure that the free school meals programme is expanded across Scotland for all pupils, says Scottish Greens co-leader Lorna Slater.
     
    Scottish Greens secured universal free school meals for P1 to P5, and expanded provisions for P6 and P7 children whose families receive the Scottish Child Payment.
     
    Speaking at First Minister’s Question, Ms Slater highlighted the latest rollout of free lunches to S1-S3 pupils in receipt of SCP,  also secured by the Greens, must be a stepping stone towards universal free school meals for all children.

    In her first question, Ms Slater asked the First Minister:

    “We know children can’t learn if they are hungry.
     
    “That’s why the Greens campaigned for universal free school meals for P4 and P5 kids, expanded provision to P6 and P7 kids whose families receive the Scottish Child Payment;
    and why we brought the next phase of roll out, to S1, S2 and S3 kids receiving SCP, to budget negotiations.
     
    “In August, thousands more high school kids in Aberdeen, Glasgow, Fife, Moray, North Ayrshire, South Lanarkshire, Shetland and the Western Isles will now get free school meals.

    “Does the First Minister agree that this programme must be expanded to all Council areas as soon as possible to ensure that no kid goes hungry in school?”

    Following a response from the First Minister where he stated he was committed to doing more to expand free school meals even further within the Scottish Government’s budget, Ms Slater stressed the importance of Scottish independence to allow us to tackle poverty and inequality even further with the full powers of a self-governing nation, rather than continuing to pick up the pieces left by Westminster’s decisions.
     
    In her second question, Ms Slater asked:

    “Expanding free school meals is one way to build the fairer, greener country we know Scotland can be.
     
    “But children in Scotland will still be forced into poverty thanks to a Labour Government balancing the books on the backs of the poorest, while the wealthiest grow even richer.
     
    “The UK Government could have scrapped the cruel 2-child benefit cap this week – they didn’t.
     
    “Scotland is tired of mitigating Westminster’s mistakes.
     
    “Does the First Minister agree that now is the time to demand that Keir Starmer set out exactly what conditions he believes need to be met to trigger an independence referendum for Scotland so we get out of this unequal union?”

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Amanda Timberg and Darren Xiberras reappointed as Board Members of the National Citizen Service Trust

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    News story

    Amanda Timberg and Darren Xiberras reappointed as Board Members of the National Citizen Service Trust

    Amanda Timberg and Darren Xiberras have been reappointed by HM The King as Board Members to support with the orderly wind-down of the National Citizen Service Trust. Darren (as Chair) and Amanda (as member) play an important role on the Audit and Risk sub-Committee (ARC), which has an important role to play in the wind-down.

    Amanda Timberg

    Appointed for a 3 year term commencing 12th June 2025.

    Amanda has dedicated her career to improving access to opportunities through investing in people and communities. She has worked in various roles at Google over the last decade and is currently serving as the Director of Global Programs at Google.org. There, she leads initiatives like product contributions, employee giving, volunteering, and apprenticeships.

    Before Google, Amanda spent fifteen years in education charities in the UK and the US, including a decade as Executive Director at Teach First, working to develop and equip teachers and leaders to make an impact towards educational equity. 

    Amanda started her career teaching primary school in Compton, California and worked at both Teach For America and the Los Angeles Unified School District in southern California. She holds an MSc in Voluntary Sector Management from Bayes Business School.

    Darren Xiberras 

    Appointed for a 3 year term commencing 12th June 2025.

    Darren is currently Chief Financial Officer of Cardiff University and a member of the University Executive Board. He oversees all aspects of the University’s finances and financial performance. He is a Director of UMAL Limited which is a specialist provider of insurance services to the Higher and Further Education sectors.

    Prior to joining Cardiff University, Darren was Chief Finance Officer at the University of South Wales having joined them in 2019. Immediately before that, he held the same role for the education charity Teach First where he also oversaw the Human Resources (HR), property and IT functions.

    Prior to Teach First, Darren was Finance Director of ENGIE (formerly GDF Suez) UK’s £350m turnover public sector division, delivering property services to a multitude of blue-chip public sector clients across the UK.

    Darren has also been Director of Corporate Services for a national UK charity and held the role of Group Finance Director for an Alternative Investment Market (AIM) listed PLC delivering services to the public sector. He trained as an accountant with South Wales Electricity PLC.

    Darren has held several other voluntary roles for both charities and in Higher Education.

    Remuneration and Governance Code

    Board Members of the National Citizen Service Trust are not remunerated. This appointment has been made in accordance with the Cabinet Office’s 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. Amanda Timberg and Darren Xiberras have not declared any significant political activity.

    Updates to this page

    Published 13 June 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –