Source: United Kingdom UK Parliament (video statements)
Prime Minister’s Question Time, also referred to as PMQs, takes place every Wednesday the House of Commons sits. It gives MPs the chance to put questions to the Prime Minister, Sir Keir Starmer MP, or a nominated minister.
In most cases, the session starts with a routine ‘open question’ from an MP about the Prime Minister’s engagements. MPs can then ask supplementary questions on any subject, often one of current political significance.
The Leader of the Opposition, Kemi Badenoch MP, asks six questions and the leader of the second largest opposition party asks two. If another minister takes the place of the Prime Minister, opposition parties will usually nominate a shadow minister to ask the questions.
Want to find out more about what’s happening in the House of Commons this week? Follow the House of Commons on:
In accordance with the Methodology for determining the risk parameters of the stock market and deposit market of Moscow Exchange PJSC by NCO NCC (JSC) on March 26, 2025, 17-12 (Moscow time), the values of the upper limit of the price corridor (up to 5.54) and the range of market risk assessment (up to 64.34 rubles, equivalent to a rate of 50.0%) of the SU26231RMFS9 security (OFZ 26231) were changed.
Please note: This information is raw content directly from the source of the information. It is exactly what the source states and does not reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.
Please Note; This Information is Raw Content Directly from the Information Source. It is access to What the Source Is Stating and Does Not Reflect
Premier Danielle Smith has been relentless in her advocacy efforts to convince key U.S decision makers, and the American people, that tariffs will do nothing but harm both Americans and Canadians. She will be continuing this conversation as a featured speaker at a PragerU 2025 East Coast event, providing her with a platform to share Alberta’s priorities with an American audience in President Donald Trump’s home state.
The event will draw an active, engaged and influential U.S. audience, giving Premier Smith a broad-reaching platform to emphasize the mutual importance of Alberta’s relationship with the U.S., including the importance of Alberta’s, and Canada’s, energy industry to creating U.S. jobs and helping the U.S. achieve energy security.
The Premier will be joined on stage by host of the “Ben Shapiro Show” and Editor-in-Chief of the Daily Wire, Ben Shapiro. The Daily Wire has a monthly network reach of 220 million including the 25 million followers of Shapiro’s own social media platforms. Additionally, the Premier’s remarks will be shared across PragerU’s social media platforms to more than 10 million followers, including many U.S. elected officials and key decision makers.
“I am committed to acting in the best interest of Alberta and all Albertans. This includes continuing to engage with influential Americans in the U.S. to make it clear that the continuation of destructive tariffs on Canadian goods and energy will cost hundreds of thousands of American and Canadian jobs and benefit no one. This is an important opportunity to gain support in the U.S. and add voices to the conversation that will help amplify Alberta’s, and Canada’s, calls to work together on solutions and to rebuild our important trade relationship.”
Premier Smith will travel with four staff members. Mission expenses will be posted on the travel and expense disclosure page.
Quick facts
The U.S. administration implemented a 25 per cent tariff on Canadian goods and a 10 per cent tariff on Canadian energy on March 4, followed by a pause on tariffs for Canadian products that are covered under the Canada-U.S-Mexico trade agreement.
Canada has retaliated with tariffs on C$59.8 worth of U.S. goods and has earmarked potential tariffs on an additional C$100 billion worth of U.S. goods if needed.
The U.S. is Alberta’s largest trading partner and Alberta is the second largest provincial exporter to the U.S.
In 2024, Alberta’s exports to the U.S. totalled C$162.6 billion, accounting for 88.7 per cent of total provincial exports.
Energy products accounted for approximately C$132.8 billion, about 82.2 per cent of Alberta’s exports to the U.S. in 2024.
In 2024, Alberta imported approximately C$25 billion in products from the U.S., including energy, machinery, vehicles, electrical equipment, and plastics. However, these figures are under reported, as they do not account for trans-shipments.
Canada buys more from the U.S. than it does from Germany, Italy, France, the UK and Vietnam combined.
The U.S. is an important source of industrial inputs and consumer goods for the province.
Itinerary for Premier Smith*
March 26-27
Travel to south Florida.
Interview with Marissa Streit, CEO of PragerU.
Participate in on stage fireside discussion at the PragerU 2025 East Coast event.
Defendant illegally removed documents from secure facility
AUGUSTA, GA: A former employee of a U.S. Department of Defense component agency was sentenced to federal prison for mishandling sensitive documents.
Margaret Anne Ashby, 26, of Henderson, Nevada, was sentenced to 36 months in prison and a fine of $15,000 after pleading guilty to Unauthorized Removal/Retention of Classified Documents, said Tara M. Lyons, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia. U.S. District Court Judge J. Randal Hall also ordered Ashby to serve three years of supervised release upon completion of her prison term.
There is no parole in the federal system.
“This sentence should serve as a reminder to all personnel who handle sensitive government documents that their proper handling is of paramount importance,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Lyons. “Margaret Ashby is being held accountable for violating the laws that govern those entrusted to work with these materials.”
As described in court documents and testimony, Ashby was hired in March 2020 as a civilian employee of a Department of Defense component agency located in the Southern District of Georgia. As required for her employment, Ashby possessed a Top Secret security clearance.
From February 2022 to May 2022, Ashby, without authority, knowingly removed documents and materials containing classified information described in the plea agreement as “concerning the national defense or foreign relations of the United States.” She did so “with the intent to retain them at unauthorized locations, including her residence in the Southern District of Georgia and in digital files saved via a personal computing device located in the Southern District of Georgia.”
“Certain responsibilities are mandatory to individuals with access to Top Secret information and when the trust placed on them to protect our national intelligence is violated, they put our country at risk,” said Paul Brown, Special Agent in Charge of FBI Atlanta. “We will continue work with our partners to protect the American people and uphold the constitution by safeguarding our country’s classified information.”
The case was investigated by the FBI, and prosecuted for the United States by Southern District of Georgia Assistant U.S. Attorneys L. Alexander Hamner and Darron J. Hubbard, and Trial Attorney David J. Ryan with the U.S. Department of Justice Counterintelligence and Export Control Section.
Detectives investigating a fatal collision in Colindale have made two arrests.
Two men – aged 18 and 19 – were arrested on Wednesday, 26 March on suspicion of causing death by dangerous driving and failing to stop. Both are currently in police custody.
This follows an incident in Grahame Park Way, NW9 on Tuesday, 25 March where a car was in collision with a female pedestrian.
Despite the best efforts of the emergency services, the woman – aged in her 60s – died at the scene.
Her family are being kept updated with the progress of this investigation and continue to be supported by specially trained officers.
The car involved did not stop but was later found abandoned in nearby Franco Avenue.
Detectives from the Met’s Serious Collision Investigation Unit are investigating the collision and are appealing for witnesses to come forward. They are keen to hear from anyone who saw the incident or anyone leaving the car in Franco Avenue, including road users who have camera footage, to get in contact.
You can call detectives on 020 8246 9820 or dial 101 and quote CAD4453/25March. You can also provide information anonymously to the independent charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jill Sheppard, Senior Lecturer, School of Politics and International Relations, Australian National University
With another election campaign unofficially underway, voters may feel it hasn’t been long since they were last at the voting booth.
every House of Representatives shall continue for three years from the first meeting of the House, and no longer, but may be sooner dissolved by the Governor-General.
This allows the sitting government to call an election sooner than three years after taking office, but recent norms are for governments to use the full term length available to them.
But how do politicians and the public feel about this format, and could this change anytime soon?
Early elections
In 1998, the John Howard Liberal government called an early election seeking voters’ support for its ambitious plans to introduce a goods and service tax. It came very close to defeat, but clawed its way to victory and nine more years of power.
In 2016, the Malcolm Turnbull Liberal government took a similar punt, calling an early double dissolution election ostensibly on the issue of union corruption. Again, it came very close to defeat but clawed its way to victory (and six more years of power).
Despite their reasons for calling early elections, both Howard and Turnbull faced declining global economic conditions and arguably moved tactically to avoid campaigning in the worst of the headwinds.
Most governments have less appetite for capitalising on external events – like interest rate cuts – when calling an election. Voters already largely distrust politicians, and cynical early elections will only confirm their beliefs.
Fixed versus non-fixed parliamentary terms
The ability of a government to unilaterally decide the election date is unusual.
The political systems most similar to Australia – New Zealand, Canada, the United Kingdom, the United States – all have fixed election dates. Australian states and territories have also increasingly moved to fixed dates, where the government of the day has no discretion over election timing.
As prime minister, Julia Gillard effectively relinquished her right to manipulate the 2013 election date in her favour. She announced it more than seven months ahead of time. Her government lost the subsequent election.
Unsurprisingly, there is little political will to move to fixed dates for federal elections. Only current Special Minister of State Don Farrell has expressed even passing support for the idea (and then, only if voters were clearly in favour).
Fixed terms would undoubtedly benefit voters, who could plan their calendars well in advance. They would also benefit non-government parties and independent candidates, who could budget and plan campaigns around a known election date.
Who wants longer terms?
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese supports four-year terms, reflecting long-term Labor Party policy.
The Liberal Party has generally been more ambivalent. Howard was supportive but “not mad keen” in 2005 and supportive, but resigned to failure in 2024.
Current leader Peter Dutton also backs longer terms, but observes that, among voters, “generally, there is a reluctance to do anything that makes the life of a politician easier”.
Beyond voters’ reluctance to grant a one-year extension to politicians’ tenure, the issue of senate term lengths is an obstacle to reform.
Current tradition sets senate terms twice the length of House of Representatives terms, however, Penny Wong has argued that eight-year terms are too long.
Both New South Wales and South Australia have experience with eight-year terms in their upper houses, but no other states have yet followed.
How could (and will) terms be changed?
Any change to federal parliamentary terms would require a successful referendum. The question has been put to Australians once before, in 1988. Only 33% of voters supported the proposal, and no state achieved majority support.
Polling from April 2024 finds only 38% support, with 18% unsure. Independent and minor party voters – the fastest growing group in Australian politics – were also the most strongly opposed to longer terms.
As Dutton noted, voters have been reluctant to support “politician-friendly” referendums in the past. There seems almost no chance the 48th parliament would consider a referendum on the issue.
Would 4-year terms make politics better?
David Coleman, recently promoted to the Liberal Party’s frontbench, has confidently declared “businesses and consumers tend to hold off on investment during election periods and the phoney war that precedes them”, and so longer terms would improve the domestic economy.
Are they right? And what about non-economic outcomes?
Academic research backs up the assumption governments are less likely to announce major tax reforms in the months leading into an election. Shorter terms might also make governments less likely to introduce austerity (strict cost-cutting) measures.
The weight of academic evidence suggests that whichever party is in power matters far more than the length of the electoral cycle.
Researchers have struggled to find differences in how politicians with longer terms (usually four years) behave from those with shorter terms (usually two years). Activity levels for the shorter-term politicians appear slightly more frenetic – more fundraising and expenditure, more campaigning – but the outcomes are similar.
Longer terms do not seem destined to fix Australia’s political malaise.
Jill Sheppard receives funding from the Australian Research Council.
Minister Jones will participate in a trade mission to Germany from March 28 to April 4 to support market diversification, promote Alberta as a desirable investment destination and strengthen trade partnerships.
During this mission, Minister Jones will meet with European companies, potential investors and government officials to discuss investment and trade opportunities. This mission will focus on investment attraction in several high-value, in-demand sectors, including advanced manufacturing and technology and innovation.
“Alberta stands out as a top global destination for trade and investment, offering Canada’s most business-friendly environment, a competitive tax system, a highly skilled workforce and a thriving research and innovation sector. I am looking forward to showcasing Alberta’s world-class products, energy and innovation to our partners in Germany.”
While in Germany, Minister Jones will participate in Hannover Messe 2025, a leading industrial trade show with a focus on advanced manufacturing, innovation and clean technology. A delegation of more than 50 Alberta companies, organizations, partners and post-secondary institutions will join Minister Jones at Hannover Messe to demonstrate their solutions and establish new business partnerships.
Government-led trade missions enhance Alberta’s market access and help Alberta businesses diversify into new international markets. By supporting Alberta companies and organizations in global markets, the government helps connect innovators and entrepreneurs with contacts, buyers, partners and investors to promote their products and expand Alberta’s exports internationally.
Minister Jones will be joined by one government staff member. Mission expenses will be posted on the travel and expense disclosure page.
Alberta’s government is committed to working with its national and international partners to advance shared interests that can lead to new opportunities for people and businesses in Alberta and around the world.
Quick facts
Germany is Alberta’s eighth-largest trading partner, highlighting its significance in the province’s international trade network.
Alberta and Germany maintain a strong trade relationship, with total trade reaching C$865 million in 2024.
From 2020 to 2024, Alberta’s exports to Germany averaged $117 million annually.
In 2024, Alberta exported $95 million worth of goods to Germany.
Top exports included canola ($11.1 million), carbon and carbon products ($9.9 million), radio navigation equipment ($8.8 million), packaged pet food ($8.5 million) and aerials and reflectors ($7.2 million).
In 2024, Alberta imported $770 million worth of goods from Germany.
The top imports were parts for cranes and work trucks ($27.3 million), measuring instrument parts ($16.3 million), gas turbine components ($16.3 million), gears, speed changers and torque converters ($13.5 million) and control panels ($12.6 million).
As of 2023, Germany is the fourth-largest foreign investor in Canada, and second among European countries, with a direct investment valued at $42 billion.
Trade missions to priority markets are one way Alberta’s government is helping small- and medium-sized businesses get their products to international markets, making Alberta’s economy more resilient.
Itinerary for Minister Jones*
March 28
Travel to Hannover, Germany
March 29 – April 1
Meetings and briefings with government and industry leaders
March 31 – April 2
Participate in Hannover Messe 2025
April 2
Travel to Düsseldorf, Germany
April 2 – 3
Meetings and briefings with government and industry leaders
“When you ride Tesla, you ride with Hitler” according to a reworked second world war propaganda poster that was discovered in Oakland, California last month.
When did an electric car brand supposedly become associated with the far right? Perhaps when its CEO, Elon Musk, embraced Donald Trump and the Maga movement that propelled him to a second term as US president. Tesla dealerships have been targets for protests and vandalism, while the company’s sales and stock price have fallen recently.
“But those same political controversies may ironically help broaden the mass market appeal of electric vehicles,” says Hannah Budnitz, a research associate at the Transport Studies Unit of Oxford University.
“This is an industry that needs to go beyond the early adopter tech bros – and now might be the moment.”
Around a fifth of the greenhouse gas emissions heating Earth can be traced to a vehicle exhaust pipe. The more combustion engines that can be replaced with electric batteries, the less getting from A to B will exacerbate climate change.
“Huge amounts of land which could otherwise be used to house people or be dedicated to nature are still reserved for roads and car parks,” says Vera O’Riordan, an energy policy researcher at University College Cork.
And while driving an EV doesn’t emit CO₂, it does emit stuff you wouldn’t want to breathe in. Electric cars, which contain heavy batteries, wear down their tyres faster than conventional cars and generate more microplastic particles in the process, according to Henry Obanya, an ecotoxicologist at the University of Portsmouth.
Obanya estimates that as much as a quarter of all microplastics in the environment could have come from car tyres.
So, the strategy of putting an EV in every garage has its limits (not least the fact that not everyone has a garage, or the space to charge an electric car).
A more efficient way to decarbonise the second-largest emission source by sector (power generation is first) would be to follow the advice of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. The IPCC, which is made up of scientists and other experts convened by the UN, recommends that countries plan their transport systems according to the maxim “avoid, shift, improve”.
This involves, O’Riordan explains, avoiding unnecessary journeys by designing towns and cities with amenities in walking distance, shifting passengers onto higher-occupancy vehicles like buses by expanding public transport and improving all travel options by switching from fossil fuels to electric propulsion.
Let’s assume that decades of car-first urban planning have boxed us in and we don’t have time to undo it before the climate is cooked. How can more motorists be persuaded to turn in their gas-guzzler for a battery-powered model?
It’s the price, stupid
Back to Budnitz – and the waning influence of the EV industry’s tech-bro boosters.
“In 2010, when Tesla became the first American carmaker to go public since Ford in 1956, fully electric cars were still a niche technology,” she says.
Back then, Tesla adverts targeted the customers it thought would be early adopters: overwhelmingly, wealthy men like Musk. It worked. Survey after survey in North America and Europe showed that EV ownership in the early 2010s was skewed towards men and those on higher incomes.
This is in stark contrast to electric car marketing at the dawn of motoring. In 1900, petroleum-powered cars were in the minority (22% of all cars) and were widely considered temperamental “adventure machines” that were prone to breaking down. Electric cars were pitched as a safer, cleaner alternative that was perfect for city travel.
Perfect, in fact, for wealthy women. During the 1910s, when Victorian attitudes towards gender roles reigned and women were presumed to have limited mobility needs (no need to worry about your battery running flat if you’re not going far), 77% of EVs directly appealed to female consumers.
“In the short term, this was a successful strategy: car manufacturers that advertised to female consumers survived much longer,” says economic historian Josef Taalbi (Lund University). The only major electric car producer in the US to survive into the 1920s advertised to women, he adds.
In 2013, there were still less than 60,000 EVs on the road globally. A decade later, almost the same number are sold every day.
“The transition to electric personal mobility is well underway around the world,” says Budnitz. “Tesla’s troubles won’t stop this – but they can give the car industry an opportunity to make the messaging around electric vehicles more diverse, equitable and inclusive for the mass market.”
EV manufacturers can make their case to all drivers because they now offer a mass-market product, Budnitz argues. Nowhere is this more true than in Norway, which may become the first country to sell only zero-emission vehicles this year (88.9% of all vehicles sold in Norway in 2024 were fully-electric).
What’s Norway’s secret?
“Generous, comprehensive subsidies”, say Agnieszka Stefaniec and Keyvan Hosseini, transport researchers at the University of Southampton.
“Our recent research shows that affordability is a tool to get everyone on board. When lower-income households face affordability barriers, it’s not just their problem – it’s the missing link to achieving 100%. Smaller, more affordable electric cars could be the game changer needed to bridge this gap.”
Source: United States Senator for Maine Susan Collins
Washington, D.C. — U.S. Senators Susan Collins, Tom Cotton (R-AR), Mike Lee (R-UT), John Barrasso (R-WY), and James Lankford (R-OK) introduced the Guarding American Technology from Exploitation (GATE) Act, legislation that would ban foreign scientists from China, Russia, Iran, North Korea, and Cuba from visiting or working in Department of Energy National Laboratories without a waiver granted by the Department of Energy and the intelligence community.
“Sensitive research conducted at Department of Energy National Laboratories is vital to America’s national security and economic development. Allowing foreign scientists from adversarial nations access to this information poses a serious risk of espionage, sabotage, or theft – actions they may be pressured to undertake by the governments of their home nations,” said Senator Collins. “This legislation is a necessary step to prevent our adversaries from gaining unchecked access to critical taxpayer-funded research.”
In Fiscal Year 2023, 40,000 foreign scientists visited our national labs and approximately 8,000 of those were Chinese or Russian, meaning 1 out of every 5 scientists visiting our national labs were from our most dangerous foreign adversaries. Last Congress, this legislation passed out of Senate Select Committee on Intelligence by a vote of 17-0, but it was not included in the National Defense Authorization Act.
The United Nations on Wednesday welcomed recent diplomatic talks involving Russia, Ukraine and the United States in Saudi Arabia, calling an agreement on freedom of navigation and security in the Black Sea a crucial step for global food security.
In a statement, Stéphane Dujarric, Spokesperson for Secretary-General António Guterres, said the UN chief’s good offices remain available to support all efforts towards a lasting peace in Ukraine.
“Reaching an agreement on freedom of navigation in the Black Sea to ensure the protection of civilian vessels and port infrastructure, will be a crucial contribution to global food security and supply chains, reflecting the importance of trade routes from both Ukraine and the Russian Federation to global markets,” Mr. Dujarric said.
“The Secretary-General reiterates his hope that such efforts will pave the way for a durable ceasefire and contribute to achieving a just, comprehensive and lasting peace in Ukraine, in line with the UN Charter, international law and relevant UN resolutions and in full respect of Ukraine’s independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity,” he added.
Humanitarian crisis worsening
The humanitarian crisis in Ukraine continues to worsen with nearly 13 million people in need of assistance – but funds are dwindling, a top UN relief official warned ambassadors in the Security Council.
The shortfall is already having dire consequences, particularly for women and girls, and UN agencies fear that at least 640,000 could lose access to protection against gender-based violence, psychosocial support and safe spaces.
“Recent funding cuts have led to a reprioritization of Ukraine response efforts that will be announced in the coming weeks. Continued financial support will be essential to maintain operations,” Ms. Msuya said.
Ms. Msuya also highlighted the impact of the fighting on civilians.
“Since 1 March, not a day has passed without an attack harming civilians,” she said, noting civilian deaths and injuries, and damage to infrastructure across northern, central, eastern and southern Ukraine.
“In frontline communities, civilians are confronted with relentless shelling and face impossible choices: flee under dangerous conditions, leaving behind everything they own, or stay and risk injury, death and limited access to essential services,” she warned.
The UN Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine (UNHRMMU) has verified at least 12,881 civilian deaths since the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion in February 2022, though the actual toll is feared to be much higher.
UN Photo/Eskinder Debebe
Assistant Secretary-General Joyce Msuya (seated at the left end of the table) briefs the Security Council on the humanitarian situation in Ukraine
Humanitarian challenges
Meanwhile, humanitarians struggle to deliver aid, Ms. Msuya continued, stating that an estimated 1.5 million people in Russian-occupied areas of Donetsk, Kherson, Luhansk and Zaporizhzhya are in urgent need of assistance, but aid workers are unable to reach them “at any adequate scale”.
Humanitarian workers themselves are increasingly coming under attack, she said. Since the start of the year, seven aid workers have been injured and humanitarian assets damaged in several locations, further hampering relief efforts.
The destruction of energy infrastructure is compounding the crisis. Despite recent announcements of a ceasefire on energy targets, past attacks have left millions without reliable access to electricity, heating and water as cold weather persists.
Call for international support
Concluding her briefing, Ms. Msuya outlined three key asks for the international community: adherence to international humanitarian law to protect civilians, sustained funding to keep aid operations running and renewed efforts to push for a lasting end to the conflict.
The war must end, she underlined, and humanitarian needs must be central to discussions on a pause in fighting or longer-term agreement.
Assistant Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs Joyce Msuya briefs the Security Council.
Fire Alerts issued for Georgia, North and South Carolina
Gages affected by Table Rock Reservoir Fire
Dry conditions persist throughout Western Carolinas and North Georgia where downed trees from Hurricane Helene has increased fuel for wildfires.
Wildfires continue to burn in Georgia, North and South Carolina, with most occurring in the mountainous area of the three states. Two stream gages were damaged in the Table Rock Fire. Gage 021622847 and 021622845 are no longer recording data.
Source: The Conversation – UK – By Dafydd Townley, Teaching Fellow in US politics and international security, University of Portsmouth
The second Donald Trump administration has already sent shockwaves through the political establishment on both sides of the Atlantic. Overseas, the focus has been on the administration’s apparent dismantling of the post-war international order and Trump’s apparent pivot away from America’s traditional allies towards a warmer relationship with Russia and Vladimir Putin. But within the United States itself, the greatest concerns are associated with administration actions that, for many, suggest a deliberate destruction of American democracy.
Such fears in the US are not isolated to the political elites, but are shared by citizens across the entire nation. But what is also emerging is a concerted assault on people’s ability to push back – or even complain – about some of the measures being introduced by Trump 2.0. This will inevitably result in what is often called a “chilling effect”, where it becomes too hard – or too dangerous – to voice dissent.
Many of Trump’s policies – the mass deportations, the wholesale sacking of public servants by Elon Musk and his Department of Government Efficiency (Doge), the decision to revoke birthright citizenship for the children of undocumented immigrants – have been challenged in the courts. The Trump administration is now embroiled in a range of legal challenges. It is here that Trump’s disdain for a legal system that has temporarily blocked the wishes of the president has emerged.
Chilling effect
Judicial decisions calling for the administration to reverse or pause some of these policies have been greeted by Trump and some of his senior colleagues (including Musk and the vice-president J.D.Vance), with noisy complaints at judicial interference in government. Even, in some cases, calls for the impeachment of judges who rule against the government.
Not only did the administration ignore the court’s ruling that suspended the forced expulsion of Venezuelans to El Salvador, some of whom were in the US legally, but Trump attacked the judge on social media calling him a corrupt “radical left lunatic” and called for his impeachment.
This stirred the chief justice of the Supreme Court, John Glover Roberts Jr., to intervene. He reminded the president that America doesn’t settle its disputes, saying that the “normal appellate review process exists for that purpose”. Later, Tom Homan, Trump’s chief adviser on immigration issues, told ABC News that the administration would abide by court rulings on the matter.
The pressure being brought to bear on America’s legal system has not stopped at the judiciary. Trump has recently targeted some of America’s biggest and most powerful law firms, seemingly for no other reason than their acting for clients who have opposed his administration.
On March 25, Trump signed an executive order targeting Jenner & Block, one of whose partners, Andrew Weissmann, worked with special prosecutor Robert Mueller on the investigation into Russian meddling in the 2016 presidential election. The executive order calls for the firms to be blacklisted from government work and for their employees to have any security clearances removed, for them to be barred from any federal government contracts and refused access to federal government buildings. A death warrant for the firm in other words.
Sign up to receive our weekly World Affairs Briefing newsletter from The Conversation UK. Every Thursday we’ll bring you expert analysis of the big stories in international relations.
This follows the news that the head of the prestigious law firm Paul Weiss, Brad Karp, had signed a deal with the White House committing to providing millions of dollars worth of pro-bono legal work for causes nominated by the president. He’s also agreed to stop using diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) policies, which had been faced with a similar fate.
Silencing dissent
This administration’s chilling effect has also extended to an attack on press freedom. Trump has expelled established news organisations from the Pentagon, curtailed access to press events for the esteemed Associated Press, and taken control of the White House press pool, sidelining major media outlets.
These actions mark a significant downgrading of press freedom in America. They are undermining the role of independent journalism in their key function of holding power to account. By restricting access and silencing critical voices, his administration has raised concerns over transparency and the free flow of information in the domestic media landscapes.
Universities have traditionally been bastions of independent thought. We saw that with the massive protests against US policy towards Israel and Palestine which have roiled campuses during the conflict in Gaza. But universities are also seen by many in the administration as a hotbed of “woke” activism. Accordingly Trump 2.0 has fixed its sights on one of the most prominent US universities: Columbia.
Citing what it says is a repeated failure to protect students from antisemitic harassment, the administration cancelled US$400m (£310 million) of federal contracts with the university. Columbia caved in to the pressure moments before the administration’s deadline passed. It agreed to overhaul its disciplinary procedures and “review” its regional studies programmes, starting with those covering the Middle East.
Columbia’s academic staff are horrified. They are launching legal action against the government, alleging that “the Trump administration is coercing Columbia University to do its bidding and regulate speech and expression on campus”.
Democracy in peril
Why is this all so worrying? The legal system, the media and universities are the pillars of US democratic freedoms. The Trump administration’s undermining of these institutions is a blatant attempt to impose an authoritarian rule by bypassing any counterbalance to executive power. And the US Supreme Court has ruled that he is almost entirely immune from prosecution while doing it.
The checks and balances system of government in the US was designed to ensure that no single branch could dominate the political process. But partisan loyalty, and loyalty to Trump over the party, now outweighs constitutional responsibility for the majority of those within the Republican Party.
American democracy is under threat. Not from the external existential threats it faced over the past century such as communism and Islamic fundamentalism, but from within its own system. Those Americans who are terrified about this threat are trying to fight back, but Trump’s assault on dissent is so chilling that this is becoming increasingly dangerous.
Dafydd Townley 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.
Every day, decisions that affect our lives depend on knowing how many people live where. For example, how many vaccines are needed in a community, where polling stations should be placed for elections or who might be in danger as a hurricane approaches. The answers rely on population data.
But counting people is getting harder.
For centuries, census and household surveys have been the backbone of population knowledge. But we’ve just returned from the UN’s statistical commission meetings in New York, where experts reported that something alarming is happening to population data systems globally.
Census response rates are declining in many countries, resulting in large margins of error. The 2020 US census undercounted America’s Latino population by more than three times the rate of the 2010 census. In Paraguay, the latest census revealed a population one-fifth smaller than previously thought.
South Africa’s 2022 census post-enumeration survey revealed a likely undercount of more than 30%. According to the UN Economic Commission for Africa, undercounts and census delays due to COVID-19, conflict or financial limitations have resulted in an estimated one in three Africans not being counted in the 2020 census round.
When people vanish from data, they vanish from policy. When certain groups are systematically undercounted – often minorities, rural communities or poorer people – they become invisible to policymakers. This translates directly into political underrepresentation and inadequate resource allocation.
As the Brookings Institution, a US research organisation, has highlighted, undercounts have “cost communities of colour political representation over the next decade”.
This is happening because several factors have converged. Trust in government institutions is eroding worldwide, with the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) reporting that by late 2023, 44% of people across member countries had low or no trust in their national governments. Research shows a clear trend of declining trust specifically in representative institutions like parliaments and governments. This makes people less likely to respond to government-issued census requests.
International funding for population data is also disappearing. The US-funded Demographic and Health Surveys program, which provided vital survey data across 90 countries for four decades, was terminated in February 2025. Unicef’s Multi-Indicator Cluster program, which carries out household surveys, faces an uncertain future amid shrinking global aid budgets. US government cuts to support for UN agencies and development banks undertaking census support will likely have further impacts.
This is incredibly worrying to us as geography academics, because gathering accurate population data is fundamentally about making everyone visible. As population scientists Sabrina Juran and Arona Pistiner wrote, this information allows governments to plan for the future of a country and its people.
The US census directly impacts the allocation of more than US$1.5 trillion (£1.2 trillion) in public resources each year. How can governments distribute healthcare funding without knowing who lives where? How can disaster response be effective if vulnerable populations are invisible in official population counts?
Solutions that count
Countries are adapting. The COVID-19 pandemic accelerated the transition to alternative census methodologies. Many countries turned to online questionnaires, telephone interviews and administrative data sources to reduce face-to-face interactions.
The UN Economic Commission for Africa recommends that countries move from using paper forms for census data collection and embrace new digital technologies that can be cheaper and more reliable. Turkey’s switch in 2011 reduced census costs from US$48.3 million to US$13.9 million while improving data quality and timeliness, and nearly 80% of countries used tablets or smartphones for data collection in the 2020 round of censuses.
At WorldPop, our research group at the University of Southampton, we’re also helping governments to develop solutions using new technologies. Buildings mapped from satellite imagery using AI, together with counts of populations from small areas, can help create detailed population estimates to support census implementation or provide estimates for undersurveyed areas.
As we face growing challenges, from climate change to economic inequality, having accurate, reliable and robust population data isn’t a luxury. It’s essential for a functioning society. National statistical offices, UN agencies, academics, the private sector and donors must urgently focus on how to build cost-effective solutions to provide reliable and robust population data, especially in resource-poor settings where recent cuts will be felt hardest.
When people disappear from the data, they risk disappearing from public policy too. Making everyone count starts with counting everyone.
Don’t have time to read about climate change as much as you’d like?
Andrew J Tatem works for the University of Southampton, and is Director of WorldPop. His research on mapping populations has been funded by donors such as the Gates Foundation, Wellcome Trust, GAVI.
Jessica Espey works for the University of Southampton. Her research on data, statistics and evidence use has previously been funded by the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation, Gates Foundation and others.
Statue of Andrew Jackson in Layfayette Square, Washington DC.Flickr
How do you deal with an American president who does not obey the US constitution? The question has arisen because the recent episode where deportation flights carrying Venezuelans were dispatched to El Salvador, despite a court ruling that those flights must not proceed, suggests Donald Trump’s administration has a limited understanding of the separation of powers in the US. A president has no power to defy a court order.
Similarly, a Brown University medical professor, Rasha Alawieh, was deported to Lebanon because of a perceived sympathy for Hezbollah, despite the fact she had a valid US work visa and despite a judge’s order blocking her removal from the US.
This administration’s seemingly blatant disregarding of constitutional procedure is not the first time such a problem has arisen. Early in the life of the new republic it was posed by the election to the presidency in 1828 of Andrew Jackson. Jackson, an unashamed populist, harboured deep suspicion of all federal institutions. His belief in states’ rights sometimes trumped his commitment to the union.
Trump echoes Jackson in many ways. Just as Trump reviles Joe Biden, so Jackson scorned his predecessor, John Quincy Adams. Trump’s attacks on institutions such as USAid and the Department of Education, is echoed by Jackson’s extraordinary war on the Bank of the United States, which he thought too big and grand for a democratic people.
But the parallels come closest in relation to forced expulsion, whether of individuals in Trump’s case, or of whole peoples in Jackson’s.
When Europeans established their colonies in the Americas, they justified their presence by asserting the philosopher John Locke’s principle that legal title to land belonged to those who farmed it. Since the native peoples were mostly nomadic hunters, this legal fiction enabled the Europeans and their American successors to seize land while claiming it was theirs “by right”.
But the peoples of the American southeast – the Chickasaw, Choctaw, Creek, Seminole and Cherokee – took the Europeans at their word. They adopted a much more European lifestyle, establishing towns, wearing European clothing, even converting to Christianity. But above all, they started farming the land, even to the point of owning slaves to work on it. They were known, rather patronisingly, as the “five civilised tribes”.
None of this adoption of western culture would save them, however, when Georgian cotton planters realised, first, that the tribes were sitting on prime cotton-growing land and, subsequently, that there was gold in Cherokee territory. In 1828 the state of Georgia claimed jurisdiction over all the land of the five tribes. Jackson, an old “Indian fighter” and a staunch states-rights southerner who was about to begin his stint as seventh US president, clearly sympathised.
Jackson’s first State of the Union address made it clear that he intended to remove all the “Indian” tribes to the desert lands west of the Mississippi. In Congress, Jackson’s opponents accused him of betraying the very principles on which the republic had been founded. What had these people done that required their removal – and since they were indeed farmers, why was their right to their own land not to be respected in law?
Despite these good reasons for these people to be allowed to stay, the 1830 Removal Act passed and the Chickasaw, Choctaw and Creek peoples packed up and left. The Seminole attempted armed resistance but were defeated.
Supreme Court versus the US president
The Cherokee took their case to the Supreme Court. The US Supreme Court had originally been intended merely as a final court of appeal, but under its long-sitting chief justice, John Marshall, it had established itself as the ultimate arbiter of what was and was not lawful according to the constitution. And this included acts of the president.
The court’s new-found constitutional role was deeply resented in the White House as an unacceptable incursion on the rights of the president, even when it ruled in the president’s favour. Now Marshall was being asked to rule on the constitutional legality of Georgia’s claim to the land of the Cherokee people.
The Cherokee had tried to declare they were a fully independent state, but the court ruled against that. It did, however, find that they constituted a dependent nation within the United States and that, therefore, the State of Georgia had no jurisdiction over them.
Georgia, however, simply ignored the Supreme Court and in 1838 sent in troops to round up and expel the Cherokee people. Some 13,000 people set off on what became known as the “Trail of Tears” – about one-third of them died of weakness, disease and hunger.
One American officer commented later that: “I fought through the civil war and have seen men shot to pieces and slaughtered by thousands, but the Cherokee removal was the cruellest I ever knew.”
Jackson was exultant, taunting Marshall that his judgement “has fell still born” and sneering that Marshall had no means of enforcing it. The Cherokee chief, the half-Scottish John Ross, summed up the situation: “We have a country which others covet. This is the only offence we have ever yet been charged with.”
The Cherokee had found that, if the president chose to ignore it, the US constitution offered no protection to the innocent. It’s a history lesson Greenlanders, Mexicans and Canadians – and indeed many Americans who may fall foul of this administration and seek recourse to the law – would do well to study.
Sean Lang 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.
Source: United Nations General Assembly and Security Council
Following are UN Secretary-General António Guterres’ remarks to the informal interactive dialogue on the implementation of the Pact for the Future, in New York today:
I thank the President of the General Assembly for convening this important dialogue — the first of three in the coming months. From day one of the Pact for the Future’s adoption, the President has been its active champion. I deeply appreciate your efforts, Mr. President, and your leadership.
Adopting the Pact was the beginning of the process, not the end. Today, I want to focus on what we have done over the last six months — and what we need to do.
We face a long list of challenges. Conflicts and climate disasters are intensifying. The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are far off-track — as is the funding required to achieve them. Geopolitical divisions and mistrust are blocking effective action, with some actively questioning the value of international cooperation and the multilateral system itself.
But, let me be very clear. It is exactly because of these divides and these mistrusts that the Pact for the Future and the two parallel documents are more important than ever. And the bigger the obstacle, the bigger will be my determination to make things move forward in line with the will expressed by Member States in the Summit of the Future.
Meanwhile, critical funding is being drastically cut for people in desperate need — with more reductions to come. Resources are shrinking across the board — and they have been for a long time.
From day one of my mandate, we embarked on an ambitious agenda to become more effective and cost-effective across our Organization. Earlier this month, I announced the “UN80” initiative to continue this work and intensify it.
We’re reviewing efficiencies and improvements to current arrangements, the implementation of mandates handed down by Member States, and structural changes and programme realignment. All these will contribute for a more effective implementation of the Pact for the Future.
We’ve wasted no time moving into the implementation phase of the Pact. From an operational perspective, we established a principal-level steering committee — which I chair — overseeing six working groups focused on action and reforms in key areas: Sustainable Development Goals acceleration; peace and security; international financial architecture; digital technologies; UN governance; and youth.
We’ve created two task teams focusing on future generations and the need to look beyond GDP [gross domestic product] as a measure of progress and guide to policymaking.
And we’re establishing an internal tracking system to monitor our progress on Pact implementation. Today, I’d like to report on our efforts since the Pact was adopted and outline the work ahead in four areas.
First, peace and security. United Nations peace operations help safeguard people and communities in some of the most desperate corners of the world. The Pact represents a commitment to strengthen tools to prevent and address conflict, to ensure that our peace efforts respond to new and emerging threats.
In November, I issued a report on peacebuilding which included concrete suggestions to strengthen the Peacebuilding Commission and Fund. We’re actively working on the second independent progress study on the positive contribution of young people to peace processes.
And we’re progressing on a review of all forms of peace operations, as requested in the Pact. Our recent proposals to the Security Council regarding Haiti are a case in point where new approaches can be developed to complex security challenges.
The review will be an opportunity to help adapt peace operations to today’s realities, and ensure they’re guided by clear and sequenced mandates that are realistic and achievable — with viable exit strategies and transition plans.
It will also recognize the limitations of our operations where there is little or no peace to keep. We will also continue pushing forward on other peace-related priorities of the Pact — including disarmament commitments around nuclear, biological and chemical weapons, lethal autonomous weapons and the growing weaponization of outer space.
And we will continue advocating — including through the intergovernmental negotiations process — for the Pact’s call to make the Security Council more representative of today’s world and more effective in the capacity to promote peace in the world.
Second, finance for development. Since the Pact’s adoption, we’ve taken action on several fronts. For example, our resident coordinators and country teams are now mapping out how we can accelerate progress at the national levels in close cooperation with the Governments.
We’ve begun analysing the impact of military expenditure on the achievement of the SDGs and on our own work at the UN — with a final report out by September. The Expert Group called for in the Pact to develop measures of progress that go beyond gross domestic product will soon be announced and will work throughout the year before an intergovernmental process takes over in 2026.
And we’ve been working closely with the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) to follow-up on the Pact’s action points addressing improvements to the international financial system.
Developing countries must be represented fairly in the governance of the very institutions they depend on. We know the environment is not favourable. But we must not give up.
Since the Pact’s adoption, I have also established an expert group to identify practical steps for action on debt. In the coming weeks, they will propose a list of achievable outcomes — and release a full report in June in advance of the Financing for Development Conference in Spain.
Debt relief is a central issue if we want the implementation and the Pact for the Future a reality. At the same time, we will continue advocating to increase the lending capacity of multilateral development banks, to make them bigger and bolder. This includes both stretching their balance sheets and recapitalization.
And we must ensure that concessional finance is deployed where it is most needed. Many of these actions depend on decisions of other multilateral institutions and of Member States, but we will not relent in our constant advocacy for what the Pact for the Future has clearly indicated as the way to pursue.
Three, youth and future generations. Our efforts must deliver for young people and the generations to come. The Pact’s central promise to young people is to listen to their concerns and ideas and including them at the decision-making table.
Following the establishment of a UN Youth Office in 2022, young people played a key role in shaping the Pact’s priorities. With the Pact’s adoption, we’re now progressing towards establishing a Youth Investment Platform to ensure that national funding mechanisms and investment platforms are focused on the needs of young people.
And we’re developing core principles to strengthen youth engagement across our work at the United Nations — including by broadening the representation of younger colleagues within our organizational structures.
Through the Declaration on Future Generations, we’re also looking to the generations yet to be born. We’ve established a Strategic Foresight Network and Community of Practice to ensure our policies, programmes and field operations are based on long-term thinking. And later this year, I will appoint a Special Envoy for Future Generations to scale up these efforts.
Fourth, technology. We’re implementing the Global Digital Compact’s calls to close all digital divides and ensure all people benefit from a safe and secure digital space. Artificial intelligence (AI) is a particular focus.
We’re developing a report on innovative voluntary financing options for AI capacity-building to help the global South harness AI for the greater good, taking into account the recommendations of my High-Level Advisory Body.
The zero-draft resolution to establish the International Independent Scientific Panel on AI and convene a Global Dialogue on AI Governance was also circulated last week — thanks to the work of the co-facilitators, Spain and Costa Rica.
I urge the General Assembly to act swiftly to establish this Panel and ensure that AI expertise and knowledge are available to all countries, while supporting the Global Dialogue. The UN system stands ready to support this work.
As we push for these priorities, we’re also improving the efficiency and effectiveness of our operations, as called for by the Pact.
Last fall, we undertook a comprehensive assessment across UN entities to harness the potential of innovation, data analytics, digital transformation and foresight across our work — as called for in the UN 2.0 initiative.
We’re already seeing results: from speeding up disaster assessments in the Asia-Pacific [region], to strengthening social security programmes in Malawi, to consolidating information technology functions across the UN system. This work must continue, especially in light of the funding challenges we face. We’re counting on your support as we move forward.
The Pact for the Future is an essential part of this process of constant renewal, as we reshape the multilateral system for the challenges of today’s world. We cannot dilute our efforts.
We need to sustain the same spirit and determination in which the Pact was forged and adopted. We count on you to inform, inspire and guide the implementation work ahead. Once again, thank you for your ideas and commitment.
Press Release VELIZY-VILLACOUBLAY, France — March 26, 2025
Publication of the English version of the 2024 Universal Registration Document
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Ministers from 40 countries met on Wednesday at the first major climate forum of 2025 to discuss progress in renewable energy generation and the rising toll of inaction over rising temperatures.
2025 marks a milestone: the tenth anniversary of the Paris Agreement and the deadline for countries to submit their updated Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs), designed to keep the global goal alive of limiting temperature rise to 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels.
Addressing the 16th Petersberg Climate Dialogue (PCD) in Berlin – the first official gathering on climate since last year’s COP29 summit in Baku – the UN Secretary-General António Guterres issued a strong call for decisive climate action.
He said the year had begun against a backdrop of geopolitical instability and widespread cuts to overseas aid budgets.
“There is much uncertainty and instability in our world,” which is why “every country must step up and play their part,” he emphasised.
Renewables: A bright spot
Despite global tensions, Mr. Guterres pointed to a promising development: 2024 was officially a record year for global renewable energy production, according to the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA).
Renewables made up over 92 per cent of all new electricity capacity installed last year – equivalent to the total electricity capacity of Brazil and Japan combined.
Europe’s capacity rose by nine per cent, with Germany contributing over a quarter of that growth. Meanwhile, Africa’s grew by nearly seven per cent.
“All of this is another reminder of a 21st century truth: Renewables are renewing economies,” Mr. Guterres said. They are “powering growth, creating jobs, lowering energy bills, and cleaning our air.”
Wind power has dropped in cost by 60 per cent since 2010; solar is now 90 per cent cheaper.
Clean energy contributed significantly to economic growth in 2023 – accounting for five per cent of India’s GDP growth, six per cent of the US’, and one-third of the EU’s.
The rising toll of inaction
Nevertheless, climate challenges are piling up, the UN chief continued.
“It seems records are shattered at every turn – the hottest day of the hottest month of the hottest year of the hottest decade ever,” Mr. Guterres said.
Those suffering most are the world’s most vulnerable – grappling with rising food and insurance costs, displacement and growing insecurity.
The World Meteorological Organization confirmed in late December that 2024 was another year of alarming climate records. For the first time, global temperatures were 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels during a calendar year.
“Scientists are clear – it is still possible to meet the long-term 1.5 degree limit,” the Secretary-General stressed. “But it requires urgent action. And it requires leadership.”
Call for ambition
New NDCs are due by September 2025. These plans must align with the 1.5°C target and collectively cut emissions by 60 per cent by 2035, compared with 2019 levels.
“These new plans are a unique opportunity to deliver – and lay out a coherent vision for a just green transition,” Mr. Guterres said.
He reiterated that efforts must be made according to the principle of common but differentiated responsibilities but added: “Everybody must do more.”
The G20 most industralised nations – responsible for most global emissions – must lead the way.
The UN Climate Promise is already supporting 100 countries in preparing their next plans. A high-level event in September will take stock of progress and push for greater action.
Financing action
Implementation of the COP29 finance agreement is crucial to support developing countries.
“I count on the leadership of the COP29 and COP30 Presidencies to deliver a credible roadmap to mobilise $1.3 trillion a year by 2035,” said the Secretary-General.
He also called for doubling adaptation finance to at least $40 billion annually by the end of this year and for serious contributions to the Loss and Damage Fund.
To get there, stronger collaboration – across governments, societies, and sectors – is vital.
Looking ahead
As the Petersberg Dialogue sets the tone for the year ahead, Mr. Guterres issued a final rallying cry:
“Those who lag behind must not discourage us but rather strengthen our resolve. The rewards are there for the taking, for all those ready and willing to lead the world through these troubled times.”
“We are at a turning point. I urge you to seize this moment; and seize the prize,” he concluded.
Source: United Nations General Assembly and Security Council
The following statement was issued today by the Spokesman for UN Secretary-General António Guterres:
The Secretary-General welcomes the discussions and reported commitments reached in Saudi Arabia by the United States, the Russian Federation and Ukraine.
Reaching an agreement on freedom of navigation in the Black Sea to ensure the protection of civilian vessels and port infrastructure will be a crucial contribution to global food security and supply chains, reflecting the importance of trade routes from both Ukraine and the Russian Federation to global markets.
The United Nations has been working consistently, especially following the letters the Secretary-General sent to Presidents Zelenskyy, Putin and Erdogan on 7 February 2024 putting forward a proposal for safe and free navigation in the Black Sea.
The United Nations also remains closely engaged in the continued implementation of the Memorandum of Understanding with the Russian Federation on facilitating access of Russian food and fertilizers to global markets to address global food security.
The Secretary-General’s good offices remain available to support all efforts towards peace.
The Secretary-General reiterates his hope that such efforts will pave the way for a durable ceasefire and contribute to achieving a just, comprehensive and lasting peace in Ukraine, in line with the UN Charter, international law and relevant UN resolutions and in full respect of Ukraine’s independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity.
(COLUMBIA, S.C.)– South Carolina Attorney General Alan Wilson has joined a bipartisan coalition of attorneys general from across the country urging Congress to take immediate action to combat a growing threat to public safety: contraband cell phones in prisons.
For years, Attorney General Wilson has led on this issue, calling onCongressand the Federal Communications Commission to allow cell phone jamming within state prisons.
“For years, in South Carolina and across the nation, prison cells have become command centers for crime. Inmates are using contraband phones to traffic drugs, extort victims, and even order hits,” said Attorney General Alan Wilson. “This isn’t just a talking point—it’s a full-blown crisis. I’m once again calling on Congress: give states the power to jam these phones. Enough talk. It’s time to act.”
In a joint letter sent to congressional leaders, Attorney General Wilson and 30 other attorneys general called for the swift passage of H.R. 2350 and Senate companion bill S. 1137, legislation that would allow states to implement cell phone jamming technology in correctional facilities.
Despite stringent security measures, inmates across the U.S. continue to use smuggled phones to coordinate violent crimes, direct drug trafficking operations, orchestrate fraud schemes, and intimidate witnesses. A recent national survey found nearly 26,000 contraband phones recovered in state prisons in a single year alone.
The proposed legislation would authorize states to deploy jamming systems inside prison walls—without disrupting emergency communications or public cell service. Current federal law prohibits such systems in state prisons, even though the technology is allowed inside federal prisons.
“This is not a partisan issue—it’s a public safety issue,” Wilson added. “Every day we delay is another day criminals can exploit our prisons to harm the public. We’re calling on Congress to act now.”
The letter is being led by the attorneys general of Tennessee, Georgia, North Carolina, and the U.S. Virgin Islands and joined by South Carolina,Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, Connecticut, Florida, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Michigan, Mississippi, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Mexico, North Dakota, Northern Mariana Islands, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Texas, Virginia, and West Virginia.
A University of Aberdeen geology student has reached the final of the UK Career Change Awards after embarking on a degree following service as a Royal Marine Commando and rope access technician on offshore installations.
Andy Rycroft, who lives in Turriff, had written off his chances of succeeding in education with a succession of school reports citing that he was ‘easily distracted, doesn’t listen to instructions, presentation is poor’.
With no qualifications he enlisted in the Royal Marines and after 32 weeks of the most arduous basic military training in the world, became a Royal Marines Commando serving in Afghanistan and on operations in Canada and the UK.
The military gave him his first taste of formal training and he gained and NVQ and apprenticeship in engineering.
But when he left in 2012 he again turned to his practical skills training as a Rope Access Inspection Technician and later worked in the Oil and Gas industry as a project planner.
It was not until Covid slowed down the pace of the world that he asked what really inspired him and decided to follow his passion for earth and planetary science, signing up to a part-time distance learning course with the University of London Birkbeck.
During the enrolment process he took a learning differences screening and was diagnosed with dyslexia, making sense of the negative school reports.
Andy said: “With correct allowances in place and modern technology like recording lectures, Grammarly, reading back aloud and extra reading time in exams, I unlocked the cheat code in my mind.
“After achieving a distinction in the planetary science certificate, I was eager to complete the degree but decided to come closer to home and accelerate it to full-time learning.
“So, after 11 years in the Oil industry, I left and the University of Aberdeen accepted me to year two of BSc Geology, where I achieved my proudest grade to date. A 3500 report on the history of earth life with an A1 grade, has given me a huge confidence boost going into my honours years.
“I am currently in year 3 and getting ready to undertake my mapping project dissertation in the summer of 2025. After I complete my degree in 2026, I will become the first in my family to have a university degree.”
This remarkable career change has secured him a place as one of only 10 finalists the targetjobs UK Career Change Award Grand Final to be held in London April 25.
And Andy has plans to put his academic passion for earth sciences to practical use once he has completed his degree.
“I want to be part of something that makes a tangible impact on people’s lives,” he added. “The current energy crisis in the UK, where some people have to choose between heating and eating, is not something we can sit by and do nothing about. This can only be achieved by investing in wind, battery storage, and electric car charging infrastructure using clean energy sources. I am keen to transition into an industry where I can apply these passions.
“I’m honoured to be selected for the final out of hundreds of nationwide applications. I had the privilege of meeting representatives from Clifford Chance, the award sponsor and seeing first-hand how seriously they value career changers.
“Being invited to their stunning HQ in Canary Wharf along with 20 other shortlisted candidates was an incredible and humbling experience. I had the opportunity to pitch my career change journey and present an innovation that breaks down barriers for career changers, showcasing its benefits for both individuals and organisations.”
A recent intergenerational project in Craigavon has successfully brought together young and older generations, fostering a new and meaningful partnership between Eire Og Golden Years and Tullygally Primary School.
Organised by Armagh City, Banbridge and Craigavon Borough Council, the programme ran from January to March, spanning six weeks of exciting and enriching activities aimed at encouraging interaction and building lasting connections across generations.
The programme featured a variety of engaging sessions, including clay modelling and painting, bingo, drumming workshops, Ceili dancing and window box making. These activities allowed participants to share experiences, learn from one another, and cultivate strong bonds while having fun.
The initiative was designed to challenge the traditional boundaries between generations, offering young children the chance to interact with older adults and gain wisdom and life experiences, while providing older people with the joy of connecting with younger members of the community.
“The success of this intergenerational project highlights the power of community and the positive impact of bringing different age groups together,” commented Councillor Kyle Savage, Deputy Lord Mayor of Armagh City, Banbridge and Craigavon.
“The activities have not only provided fun and creativity but also created new friendships and fostered mutual understanding between the young and the elderly. We are proud to support such initiatives that enrich our community and strengthen our social fabric.”
The partnership between Eire Og Golden Years and Tullygally Primary School has set the stage for future collaboration, with plans for similar projects in the works.
The programme was organised by the ABC Council’s Community Development department with funding from the Northern Ireland Executive’s ‘Together: Building a United Community’ (T:BUC) Strategy, which is aimed at improving community relations.
Visitors to local cemeteries including the City, Ballyoan and Altnagelvin Cemeteries, should note that summer opening times will commence from this weekend.
The new extended opening times will see sites remain open from 8am to 8pm, seven days a week, running from Saturday 29th March 2025 until October 24th 2025.
In line with the clocks going forward this weekend, Recycling Centres will also change to their Summer opening times from Monday March 31st, as follows:
Pennyburn, Strathfoyle and Strahan’s Road Recycling Centres will open Monday to Friday 8am to 8pm, Saturday 8am to 6pm and Sunday 1pm to 5pm.
Claudy, Domemana and Glendermot Recycling Centres will also remain the same, opening Tuesday to Friday from 9:30am until 5pm and Saturday 9:30am to 4:30pm.
Eglinton, Park and Plumbridge will now open on Mondays from 12pm until 7pm and from 11:30am until 7pm on Tuesdays to Fridays.
Newtownstewart Recycling Centre will open on Tuesday to Friday 11.30am to 7pm and Saturday 9:30am to 4:30pm. Spamount will be open 10am until 5pm on Mondays and from 9:30am to 5pm on Tuesday to Fridays.
Progress continues to be made on major construction works across Aberdeen as part of the £150million City Centre and Beach Masterplan (CCBMP), a committee heard today.
The updates to the Council’s Finance and Resources Committee included that the start of works to the Castlegate will take place immediately after the Tall Ships event finishes in July this year, and updates to continuing works to Union Street Central and the beachfront.
Finance and Resources Committee convener Councillor Alex McLellan said: “Aberdeen City Council is investing in the significant transformation of the city centre and beachfront to make place people want to live, work, study, do business or invest.
“The Castlegate works will be running alongside the existing construction taking place on Union Street and the beachfront and, once finished, these developments will make a major difference to the city and ensure our city centre is a place both residents and visitors can continue to enjoy.”
Councillor Ian Yuill, Co-leader said: “The city centre and beach areas will be significantly improved through the agreed construction works. These are major investments to upgrade the city for the benefit of all.
“The beachfront will experience its biggest redevelopment for 35 years. The new facilities will offer amazing new facilities to young people, families and individuals of all ages. The aim is to make the city centre and beach a more attractive and desirable place for all to enjoy.”
The report to committee said the works to the Castlegate will mean it will play an important part in delivery of the city’s events programme, capable of hosting a range of small-scale events, as well as being an important gateway to the beach. The project comprises public realm and streetscaping improvements including street furniture, public art, improved lighting, enhanced street greening, and an active travel route towards the beachfront.
An area of loose flagstones has been lifted in the area and replaced with a temporary tarmac surface for public safety. Further site investigation works will take place so the main construction works can start after the Tall Ships event in July 2025.
The report said the works to Union Street Central will mean the space will be reapportioned in favour of walking, wheeling, and riding users, and public transport whilst still allowing for service vehicle access. It includes a new two-way 3m wide cycle track on the north side, public seating at key locations, and will offer welcoming amenity to all and opportunities for rest for the less able whilst encouraging a wide range of visitors to the city centre.
The report said since the start of the project, there has been additional works associated with the removal of tram sleepers embedded within the existing concrete basecourse and an undocumented redundant water main.
The report said practical completion of phase A of the beachfront works – including a beach park, events park, and Broad Hill – should be reached in late summer 2026.The core play park will create a focus for activity and will act as a key ‘gateway’ into the wider park and the beach.
The Events Park is intended as a flexible space capable of holding events including festivals, larger concerts and gatherings. The Field will be the central focus of this area, semi-enclosed by woodland planting, providing definition and increased shelter.
The vision for Broadhill is to enhance the natural environment of this distinctive feature through additional planting, furthering the diversity of habitat, and ecological value.
The report said works on site to all areas progressing on programme. The updates include:
Beach park:
Drainage well progressed;
Foundations work has started on the canopy and gateway building;
The hub building consents are now in place;
Superstructure orders are being procured by the contractor.
Events field:
Drainage is well progressed across the area;
Canopy foundations are in place;
Amphitheatre foundations have started;
Car park drainage and formation work is complete.
Broadhill:
Access steps from Links Road are in place and moving towards completion;
Seating and viewing points are due for installation over the next month;
Landscaping work has started.
The £150million commitment by Aberdeen City Council towards the City Centre and Beach Master Plan includes major improvement works underway at Union Street Central, the new market building, and at the city’s beach area. They will create vibrant and accessible areas to help make the city a destination of choice for the benefit of residents, visitors, and businesses.
Good progress on a new primary school for the area of Tillydrone has been made and the new building is expected to open before the summer holidays.
Members of Aberdeen City Council’s Finance and Resources Committee today (26 March 2025) agreed a report which gave an update on the construction work for the replacement for Riverbank school.
Finance and Resources Committee convener Councillor Alex McLellan said: “Aberdeen City Council is investing significantly in the education estate across Aberdeen, delivering new schools such as the new Tillydrone Primary School, to ensure children and young people have the best learning environment.
“I am pleased the new Tillydrone Primary School will be completed in the coming weeks and officials are working hard to ensure pupils can access the building from May 2025.”
Councillor Martin Greig, convener of Education and Children’s Services Committee, said: “The new school will provide top-class facilities for all of its pupils including a 3G sports pitch and external outdoor play. The building will be a tremendous boost for the local area as well as being a fantastic learning facility for pupils at the start of their education. It is an excellent and improved asset for the community.”
A report to committee said the major contractors are confident that practical completion can be achieved with the purpose of achieving an opening in May 2025. This would allow the pupils of the existing Riverbank Primary School to decant to the new school in advance of the summer recess.
The report also said the building works have been affected by a number of factors, including poor weather and new utility connections which are out with the control of the main contractor.
The three-stream primary school with Early Learning and Childcare (ELC) provision will also include a 3G sports pitch and external outdoor play and learning facilities.
The new school is being built on the site of the former Tillydrone Infant School and on part of the former St Machar Primary School site.
A man has been sentenced following two violent assaults that left one his victims dying from stab wounds.
Abdul Khan, 27 (14.08.97), of Durham Road, Harrow was sentenced to an indefinite hospital order under Section 37 of the Mental Health Act at the Old Bailey on Tuesday, 25 March.
Khan was also placed under an additional Section 41 order, which means that only the Secretary of State for Justice or a tribunal can give approval for him to be discharged from hospital.
Khan pleaded guilty to the manslaughter – through diminished responsibility – of Bohdan Vandzhura, and possession of an offensive weapon. He was also admitted to the attempted murder in relation to a second man who he attacked in Harrow. He was also found guilty of ABH in relation to this victim.
His father, Khalid Khan, 62 (22.04.62) of Durham Road, Harrow was sentenced to four years’ imprisonment for assisting an offender in relation to this incident.
Detective Chief Inspector Tom Williams, who led the investigation, said:
“Our thoughts remain with Mr Vandzhura’s family and friends.
“Bohdan was a loving father-of-two who was assaulted, unprovoked, and tragically died from his injuries.
“Abdul Hussain demonstrated a pattern of violent behaviour and posed a clear threat to the public.
“He will now remain in a safe place to get the treatment he needs.”
An investigation was launched by the Specialist Crime Command after police were called on the morning of 8 July 2023 to reports of a stabbing on Pinner Road in North Harrow.
Officers attended along with the London Ambulance Service and London’s Air Ambulance. At the scene, they found 49-year-old Bohdan with stab wounds. Despite their efforts he died.
A post-mortem examination carried out the following day confirmed he died as a result of multiple stab wounds to the chest and neck.
Detectives reviewed CCTV footage from the area and were able to track Khan’s movements, capturing him disposing of the weapon and walking away from Bohdan’s home.
This led them to quickly identify and then arrest Khan.
The footage also provided them with evidence of his father – Khalid Khan – leaving his home with a carrier bag that was later discovered to contain his son’s bloodied clothing.
Abdul Khan was arrested on 8 July and charged within 24 hours. He pleaded guilty to manslaughter – through diminished responsibility – and possession of an offensive weapon.
As part of this investigation, detectives also established that Khan was a suspect for two further offences that predated the death of Bohdan.
On 20 August 2022, in Pinner Road, Harrow, Khan punched a 43-year-old man to the ground before repeatedly stamping on him, leaving him unconscious.
He also attacked the same man on a second occasion on 10 February 2023.
Officers carried out an investigation at the time but were unable to identify a suspect. However, following the investigation into the assault of Bohdan, detectives were able to piece together evidence which made it clear that Khan was the chief suspect of the assault.
Appointment and renewals to Quadient’s Board of directors to be proposed to the Annual General Meeting on June 13, 2025
Delphine Segura Vaylet to be proposed to the Annual General Meeting on June 13, 2025forappointment as non-executive and independent director
Didier Lamouche and Nathalie Wrightto be proposed for renewal to the Annual General Meeting on June 13, 2025
Martha Bejar and Paula Felstead will not stand for re-election, and resignation of Vincent Mercier with effect at the close of the Board meeting which will be held on 2 June 2025
Downsizing of the Board of directors from 10 to 8 members (excluding employee directors) as from the next Annual General Meeting, on June 13, 2025
Paris, 26 March 2025
Upon recommendation of the Appointments and Remuneration Committee, Quadient’s Board of directors (the “Board”) has approved the list of Directors for appointment and renewal to be put forward at the Company’s Annual General Meeting that will be held on June 13, 2025.
At the next Annual General Meeting, shareholders will be asked to approve the appointment of Delphine Segura Vaylet as a new independent Director for a three-year term, until the Annual General Meeting approving the financial statements for the fiscal year ending January 31, 2028.
Shareholders will also be asked to approve the renewal for additional three-year terms of:
Didier Lamouche, with the Board’s intention, if renewed, to subsequently reappoint him as Chairman of the Board, and
Nathalie Wright, with the Board’s intention, if renewed, to subsequently appoint her as Chair of the Appointments and Remuneration Committee, replacing Martha Bejar.
Additionally, it is noted that Martha Bejar and Paula Felstead will not stand for re-election, and that Vincent Mercier will step down from the Board with effect at the close of the meeting to be held on 2 June 2025.
The Board wishes to express its sincere gratitude for their dedication and significant contributions to the Company — Paula for her thoughtful oversight as a member of the Audit Committee, Martha for her leadership and governance as Chair of the Appointment and Remuneration Committee, and Vincent for his 16 years of committed service across various strategic and leadership roles. Their expertise, integrity, and steadfast support have been instrumental in guiding the Company through key phases of growth and transformation.
Following these changes, subject to shareholders approval of the resolutions, the Board, which consists of 10 members (excluding employee directors) until June 2, 2025, will be reduced to 8 members (excluding employee directors) after the June 13, 2025 Annual General Meeting. The Board’s composition will continue to align with best governance practices, keeping a highly independent representation, with 75% independent directors, and complying with French legal parity rules, with a balanced structure of 5 men and 3 women, while ensuring a well-balanced mix of experience.
Delphine Segura Vaylet is 54 years old and a French citizen. She holds a Master’s degree (DEA) in Social Law, European Law from the University of Paris I Panthéon-Sorbonne. Delphine Segura Vaylet began her career at Groupe Bayard Press from 1993 to 1994 before joining Thales in 1994, where she held various operational Human Resources (HR) leadership roles until 2006. In 2007, she joined STMicroelectronics as HR Director for the Digital Consumer division. In parallel, she led Talent and Organizational Development as well as Training at the Group level for four years. In 2014, she became Group HR Director of Zodiac Aerospace, serving as a member of the Executive Committee until the company’s acquisition by Safran. She then joined Total in 2017 as Vice-President Strategy and HR Policy. Since January 2021, Delphine Segura Vaylet held the position of Senior Executive Vice President Human Resources at Groupe SEB. She also holds non-executive roles at Soitec and Artelia.
Didier Lamouche has been the Chairman of the Board of Quadient S.A. since June 28, 2019. He holds a PhD in Semiconductor Technology from École Centrale de Lyon. Didier Lamouche has had a distinguished career, including serving as President and CEO of Idemia until 2018, the world leader in cyber security and digital identity technologies, which he had headed since 2013. From 2005 to 2013, he also held key leadership roles at ST-Microelectronics, ST-Ericsson, and Bull Group, where he successfully turned the company around and repositioned on growth segments. Earlier in his career, Didier Lamouche worked at Philips, IBM Microelectronics, Motorola Semiconductor, and Altis Semiconductor. Didier Lamouche has extensive experience in corporate governance, in both public and private environments, having served as a director of eight public and four private-equity backed companies for nearly 20 years.
Nathalie Wright has been a member of the Board of Quadient S.A. since September 25, 2017. Nathalie Wright is a graduate in economics from Paris Assas University, IAE, and INSEAD. She began her career at Digital Equipment France and NewBridge Networks France, later holding roles at MCI, Easynet, and AT&T, where she oversaw commercial strategy for Southern Europe and the Middle East. In 2009, she joined Microsoft, serving as director of the Public Sector division and General Manager for Enterprise & Strategic Alliances. She became Vice President of Software France at IBM in 2017, then joined Rexel in 2018 as Chief Digital Officer and member of the executive committee until September 2023, overseeing digital transformation and ESG strategy. Since 2024, Nathalie Wright has focused on non-executive roles at Quadient, Keolis, and Amundi, supporting organizations with transformation challenges.
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CALENDAR
26 March 2025: FY2024 results release (after close of trading on the Euronext Paris regulated market)
3 June 2025: Q1 2025 sales release (after close of trading on the Euronext Paris regulated market)
13 June 2025: Annual General Meeting
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About Quadient®
Quadient is a global automation platform powering secure and sustainable business connections through digital and physical channels. Quadient supports businesses of all sizes in their digital transformation and growth journey, unlocking operational efficiency and creating meaningful customer experiences. Listed in compartment B of Euronext Paris (QDT) and part of the CAC® Mid & Small and EnterNext® Tech 40 indices, Quadient shares are eligible for PEA-PME investing.
Source: The Conversation – UK – By Shampa Roy-Mukherjee, Vice Dean and Professor in Economics, University of East London
Not even six months on from Labour’s first budget, and the world is a much-changed place. Geopolitical tensions and uncertainties, already high last year, have risen further, and with them the cost of the UK’s debt, while economic growth has stalled. As such, Chancellor Rachel Reeves has confronted an array of unpalatable choices – notably cutting disability benefits – to enable her to increase defence spending and stabilise the public finances. Here’s what our panel of experts made of the statement:
Falling inflation wasn’t enough to prevent further disability cuts
Shampa Roy-Mukherjee, Vice Dean and Professor in Economics, University of East London
The independent Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) has halved the UK’s 2025 growth forecast to 1%, down from the previously projected 2%. This sluggish growth, coupled with increased borrowing costs, has effectively eliminated the government’s £9.9 billion “fiscal headroom” – its financial buffer – resulting in a £4.1 billion shortfall by 2029-30.
There was some short-term relief in the latest inflation figures. These showed a slowdown in price rises in February (2.8% against 3% in January). The dip was caused by discounting of items like clothing. But given around half of businesses are considering price rises to combat tax hikes and the national living wage increase coming in April, this relief is likely to be short-lived. The OBR forecasts that inflation will climb back up to 3.2% this year.
The government had previously set out its controversial plans for £5 billion in welfare cuts. But the OBR rejected the claim that the reforms would save that much, estimating the savings at £3.4 billion, leaving Reeves with a £1.6 billion shortfall. As such, she has had to announce additional welfare reforms.
These include freezing the universal credit health element until 2030 and reducing it to £50 a week for new claimants. This is aimed at saving an additional £500 million by 2030 – and combined with other planned welfare reforms could affect more than 3 million people. But the standard allowance for universal credit will see an above-inflation increase from 2026-27 and the incomes of those with the most severe lifelong conditions will be protected.
Civil service administrative budgets are also to be reduced – by 15% by 2029-30. This, along with other efficiency and productivity improvements, will lead to annual savings of £3.5 billion. These cuts will focus on areas like human resources, policy advice, and office management, rather than frontline services.
Reeves resorted to tricks and ‘efficiency savings’
Steve Schifferes, Honorary Research Fellow, City St George’s, University of London
Reeves has announced a series of tweaks to her spending plans to address the economic situation which has meant that she is in danger of breaking her self-imposed fiscal rules. The chancellor was at pains to say that these rules are “non-negotiable”.
But these are unlikely to tackle the deeper problem – that in the short term she cannot rely on economic growth to square the circle of Labour’s three contradictory election pledges. These were more spending on public services, lower taxes and strict fiscal rules.
The UK, in fact, is particularly vulnerable to the disruption of global trade that is likely to result from US president Donald Trump’s tariff wars. And the productivity gains from her long-term infrastructure plans will take years – if not a decade – to translate into higher growth.
Like many chancellors, Reeves has resorted to various tricks – such as counting money moved to the defence budget to build tanks and aircraft as capital spending (and therefore exempt from the borrowing rules). And she has called for “efficiency savings” in the civil service and government departments that are unlikely to be realised.
But the biggest savings are coming from deeper than expected cuts in disability payments and other welfare payments, reducing the income of more than 3 million people. This is upsetting many Labour MPs. Her big sweetener – £2 billion for social housing next year – is actually less than that already allocated by the previous Conservative government.
Crucially, the further savings likely to be demanded in the spending review (announced on June 11) from unprotected departments including local government, justice and environment, will certainly look a lot like a return to austerity.
In the end – and possibly as soon as the autumn budget – the chancellor will have to accept that as well as spending cuts, she will have to consider tax increases and possibly even a revision of the fiscal rules.
Otherwise, she will remain at the mercy of the markets and the forecasters. Any long-term strategy will be strangled by the need to continually adjust policy to meet the fiscal “headroom” target she has set which leaves little room for manoeuvre. This requires an implausibly accurate prediction of the state of the economy in five years’ time by the OBR.
Commitment to financial stability is actually increasing uncertainty
Linda Yueh, Fellow and Adjunct Professor of Economics, University of Oxford
The chancellor’s self-imposed fiscal rules are intended to provide stability – one of the foundations of economic growth. One of those rules, which Rachel Reeves has said she will not bend, is that government day-to-day spending must be balanced by tax receipts by the end of this parliament.
This is intended to provide transparency on fiscal policy. And Reeves clearly understands the importance of how international financial markets react to the UK’s level of spending – and its public debt (currently about 100% of GDP).
But the world is not a stable place. And with the OBR halving its 2025 GDP growth forecast from 2% to 1%, unplanned cuts to public spending followed.
Consistency in fiscal policy helps households and business to plan for the future. But during times of heightened uncertainty with global tariffs looming, GDP is likely to remain volatile. This makes not changing the government’s fiscal stance particularly challenging.
It is also challenging for chancellor personally, as she would prefer to have one “fiscal event” a year, rather than two. But the OBR is obliged to provide economic forecasts twice a year, and when it slashes expected growth, she is duty bound to respond.
Somewhat ironically then, the government’s stability rule is having the unintended consequence of adding policy uncertainty to an already uncertain overall economic environment – and more frequent changes to fiscal policy.
Modest defence spending boost will struggle to reverse years of decline
Jamie Gaskarth, Professor of Foreign Policy and International Relations, the Open University
In two months, the UK defence sector has been turned upside down – primarily by Donald Trump. His administration has made implied threats to invade a NATO ally (Denmark), challenged the sovereignty of another (Canada) and pulled support for Ukraine, openly siding with Russia in ceasefire negotiations. There is a real chance the US will draw down its security presence in Europe.
If European countries are to meet the full cost of their own security, this will have to mean a dramatic increase in defence budgets. So far, the UK has redistributed aid money to help fund an increase in defence spending to 2.5% of GDP (from 2.3%) by 2027, with the ambition to raise it to 3% in the next parliament.
It has also offered an extra £2 billion to underwrite defence exports. But this is small beer.
As with many areas of public spending, dramatic cuts to the defence budget during the years of austerity (22% in real terms) have meant delays to procurement, crumbling estates and a chronic lack of investment.
This will take a substantial uplift to redress. Recent increases under the Conservatives were eaten up by capital costs and inflation.
And while ideas such as the £400 million ringfenced to support innovation in AI and new technology are welcome, these are tiny amounts in the grand scheme of things. The UK is not going to be a “defence industrial superpower” any time soon if budget announcements are this small, and increases so modest.
Promise to disabled people in tatters
William E. Donald, Associate Professor of Sustainable Careers and Human Resource Management, University of Southampton
In November, social security and disability minister Sir Stephen Timms spoke passionately at the Shaw Trust Disability Power 100 awards, vowing to undo past injustices and declaring: “We now want to put that right.” As a disabled person, I cheered. That promise now lies in ruins.
Despite government claims there will be no return to austerity, sick and disabled people face a real-terms cut to their incomes and the criteria for claiming personal independence payment (Pip) will become stricter than ever. This isn’t just a policy to save £5 billion, it’s cruelty and a devastating attack on disabled people.
Pip isn’t means-tested and is paid regardless of whether you work. It exists because, according to disability charity Scope, disabled households need an additional £1,010 a month to achieve the same standard of living as others. Stripping this support away while NHS mental health waiting lists grow, energy and food prices rise, and the disability pay gap sits at 12.7% won’t push people into work. It will push them into crisis.
Last year, Labour promised to break barriers for disabled people. Instead, they are building new ones. These cuts come at the expense of society’s most vulnerable. The consequences will be catastrophic.
Social housing boost – but homes could be improved now
Nicky Shaw, Senior Lecturer in Operations Management, Leeds University Business School, and Simon Williams, Associate Faculty, Leeds University Business School
The chancellor’s £2 billion investment in new homes will certainly help to increase the availability of affordable social housing. Everyone agrees that access to decent, affordable homes is important, but the quality and maintenance of existing social houses remains critical. Replacing cladding, for example, is stubbornly challenging.
But beyond just building more social housing, our research has explored key measures of tenant satisfaction. The potential ways for digital tools such as AI to improve the efficiency of tasks like repairs and maintenance in future are numerous.
But social housing’s tenant demographic includes many people who are more vulnerable, some of whom prefer not to – or simply cannot – engage with digital services. This means that sustaining face-to-face contact with tenants is critical. Investing in tenants’ experience now could really deliver tangible benefits for some of Britain’s most vulnerable people.
The authors 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.
Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments
Press release
Chancellor delivers security and national renewal for Northern Ireland in new era of global change
The UK Chancellor delivered the Spring Statement today (Wednesday 26 March 2025)
Chancellor vows to bring about “new era of security and national renewal” as she delivered a Spring Statement to kickstart economic growth, protect working people and keep Britain safe.
People across the UK to be on average £500 a year better off by the end of this parliament compared to under the previous government, putting more money in people’s pockets.
Growth at the heart of Plan for Change as £13 billion of additional capital spend allocated alongside £2.2 billion defence funding boost next year will get Britain building.
People across the UK will be on average £500 better off from 2029, relative to OBR’s autumn forecast, helping to deliver the Plan for Change as the Chancellor today (Wednesday 26 March) announced a Spring Statement to grasp the opportunities in a changing world.
The OBR also confirmed that the UK economy is expected to grow faster than expected from 2026 and will be larger by 2029 compared to its autumn forecast – up to 9.5% compared to 9.2%.
The Chancellor also set out how the government is protecting national security and maximising the growth potential of the UK defence sector by confirming a £2.2 billion increase in the UK-wide defence budget in 2025-26.
The Spring Statement delivers UK Government spending plans focused on its core objectives, bringing security and stability for working people across the UK.
It follows the Budget in the autumn where the Chancellor announced that the Northern Ireland Executive will be provided with an £18.2 billion settlement in 2025/26 – the largest in real terms in the history of devolution. This includes an additional £1.5 billion through the Barnett formula, with £1.2 billion for day-to-day spending and £270 million for capital investment.
The measures taken today top these Barnett consequentials up by a further £14 million in 2025/26. The Northern Ireland Executive are receiving over 24% more per person than equivalent UK Government spending in the rest of the UK, including the 2024 restoration financial package.
The Northern Ireland Executive’s block grant funding from 2026-27 onwards will be confirmed at Phase 2 of the Spending Review, which concludes on 11 June 2025. The Chief Secretary to the Treasury will meet with his counterparts from the devolved governments to discuss their priorities ahead of its conclusion.
Secretary of State for Northern Ireland Hilary Benn said:
I welcome the fact that Northern Ireland will receive a £14 million boost in Barnett consequentials as a result of today’s announcements, building on the record £18.2 billion settlement which was confirmed by the UK Government last Autumn.
This also follows a £235 million package to transform public services in Northern Ireland, which will support the transformation of key public services which make a real impact on people’s lives, including health, education, planning and justice.
Importantly, today’s announcement reinforces the economic growth potential of the UK defence sector, and follows the Prime Minister’s announcement of a £1.6bn deal to provide air defence missiles for Ukraine, which will create 200 jobs in Northern Ireland and demonstrates the strength of the local defence industry.
From next week, working people across Northern Ireland and the UK will also benefit from an increase to the National Living Wage, putting more money into the pockets of hard-working people.
And the UK Government continues to provide support across Northern Ireland through City and Growth deal packages, having confirmed the Mid-South West and Causeway Coast and Glens City deal last year.
Taken together, these measures will foster growth in Northern Ireland, creating jobs, supporting public services, and boosting the quality of life for local people.”
Growth
Kickstarting economic growth is the number one mission of this government, putting more money in people’s pockets.
The UK Government has already made considerable progress on growth in Northern Ireland, including confirming the Mid-South West and Causeway Coast and Glens City deal. Earlier this month, the Prime Minister also announced a £1.6bn deal to provide air defence missiles for Ukraine, which will create 200 jobs in Northern Ireland. In February we launched Intertrade UK which will advise on how businesses can take advantage of the full opportunities of the UK internal market.
The actions of this government across the Autumn Budget and Spring Statement, if sustained, lead to a 0.6% rise in the level of real GDP by 2034-25.
The OBR concluded that the stability rule is met by £9.9 billion and the investment rule is met by £15.1 billion. Both rules are met two years early, meaning from 2027-28 the government is only borrowing for investment and net financial debt is falling.
The government is not satisfied with short-term growth figures, and is going further and faster today to improve this.
The Chancellor has announced a further £13 billion of capital investment over the Parliament to go further on growth, on top of the £100 billion uplift announced at Autumn Budget. This will deliver the projects needed to catalyse private investment, boost growth and drive forward the UK’s modern industrial strategy.
Taken together, this greater capital investment more than offsets the modest savings on day-to-day spending and means the total departmental spending will increase over the next five years, when compared with plans in the Autumn.
Defence
The world is changing before our eyes, reshaped by global instability, including Russian aggression in Ukraine. Europe is facing a once-in-a-generation moment for its collective security, with conflicts overseas undermining security and prosperity at home.
A month ago, the Prime Minister announced the biggest sustained increase in defence spending since the Cold War as a result of the changing global picture, now reaching 2.5% of GDP by April 2027, and with an ambition to reach 3% in the next Parliament subject to economic and fiscal conditions.
We are going further and faster to protect our national security and maximise the economic growth potential of the UK defence sector.
Increasing the defence budget by £2.2 billion in 2025-26, taking additional spending on defence to over £5 billion since the Autumn Budget.
This raises spending on defence to 2.36% next year and will be invested in fitting Royal Navy ships with Directed Energy Weapons five years earlier than planned, providing better homes for military families and modernising His Majesty’s Naval Base Portsmouth.
Setting a minimum 10 percent ringfence for equipment spending on emerging technologies like drones and autonomous systems, dual-use technology, and AI-powered capabilities, so that British troops have the tools they need to fight and win in modern warfare.
Getting this new tech into the hands of our armed forces quicker by cutting away bureaucracy, with a new UK Defence Innovation unit within the Ministry of Defence spearheading efforts to identify promising technology and ensure these get to the frontline at speed, while also bolstering the UK tech sector and crowding in private investment.
Creating bespoke procurement processes for different types of military equipment, learning lessons from our rapid support for Ukraine to drive faster timescale targets for operationalising new tanks, aircraft and other essential tools for modern warfare.
This government is determined to transform the defence sector into an engine for growth by focusing this investment on where it boosts the productive capacity of the economy such as investment in innovation and novel technologies. As a result of the increase in defence spending to 2.5%, the government estimates this could lead to around 0.3% higher GDP in the long run, equivalent to around £11 billion of GDP in today’s money.
The government’s investment in defence will also support its number one mission to deliver economic growth. UK citizens will be protected from threats at home whilst creating a stable environment in which businesses can thrive, and supporting highly skilled jobs and apprenticeships across the whole of the UK.
Reform
The UK Government is determined to make the public sector more productive and to improve services for working people. But the changing world means we need to go further and faster to ensure we can deliver the public services that working people care most about.
The government has shown its commitment to taking the difficult decisions required to drive efficiencies and reform the state – reducing bureaucratic inefficiencies and duplication; and driving out wasteful government spend through cancelling thousands of government credit cards.
Getting more people into jobs is also central to the government’s growth mission. The broken welfare system is letting people down by asking them to prove what they can’t do, rather than focusing on what they could do with the right support – trapping people due to fear of trying work, lack of support and poor financial incentives.
The Chancellor has confirmed the creation of a £3.25 billion Transformation Fund to support the fundamental reform of public services, seize the opportunities of digital technology and Artificial Intelligence (AI), and transform frontline delivery to release savings for taxpayers over the long-term.
The UK Government provided £235 million to transform public services in Northern Ireland as part of the £3.3 billion restoration package for the Executive. This month we agreed to allocate £129 million of that funding to projects across several priority public services including health, education, planning and justice. The funding will see £61 million go towards expanding the multi-disciplinary teams in GP clinics across Northern Ireland, and support five other projects across justice, special education and infrastructure which represent key priorities in the Executive’s Programme for Government.
Looking Forward
This Spring Statement builds on the Autumn Budget and the decisions taken since required to deliver stability to the British economy and kickstart economic growth.
The government will set out its plans for spending and key public sector reforms at the Spending Review which will conclude on 11 June 2025.
Notes to editors
Government calculations for the long-run impacts of higher defence spending are based on estimates from Antolin-Diaz and Surico (2025), forthcoming in the American Economic Review (AER), of the GDP impact of higher defence spending on GDP. Their estimates of the GDP multiplier stabilise after ten years at around 1.6, which is assumed to reflect an appropriate long-run multiplier for potential output, as any demand-side effects are likely to have dissipated at the ten-year horizon.
Defence spending as a share of GDP is set to rise from 2.3% to 2.5%, an increase of 0.2 percentage points. Applying an elasticity of 1.6 to this change implies a long-run increase in the level of potential output of approximately 0.3%. A long-run increase to the level of potential output of 0.3% is equivalent to around £11 billion of GDP in the long run, in today’s prices.
Reserved places are the spaces held back in schools to accommodate children from families moving into new catchment areas, ensuring that pupils can attend their nearest schools.
Reserved places are crucial for managing school admissions, particularly in areas experiencing population growth or residential developments.
By holding back a designated number of spaces, Perth and Kinross Council aims to ensure that families moving into the catchment area during the year can enrol their children in their local school.
If children have to attend school outside the catchment area it can incur additional transport costs for the Council and create inconvenience for families.
Historical patterns of migration, residential developments, and anticipated population shifts have been carefully analysed to determine the reserved places for the next school year.
While the reserved places system has been in place since 1997, it is reviewed annually to reflect changing demographics and ensure fairness. The success of this system is evident in the high percentage of pupils able to attend their first-choice schools in recent years.
Councillors will also discuss adjustments to reserved places at certain schools due to fluctuations in rolls, new housing developments, and changes to school infrastructure.
Councillor John Rebbeck, convener of Perth and Kinross Council’s Learning and Families Committee, said: “Planning for reserved places is essential to ensuring pupils can attend their nearest school.
“It is a hugely complicated but vital process and I am sure parents and carers appreciate this work as much as I do.”
