Category: Great Britain

MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Mayor launches Workers Rights and Social Justice Programme

Source: Northern Ireland – City of Derry

Mayor launches Workers Rights and Social Justice Programme

14 April 2025

The programme for this year’s Workers Rights and Social Justice Week in Derry and Strabane has gone live this week with a range of events focusing on workers’ unity and activism.

The programme will reflect on the campaign by the workers’ rights movement down through the decades and provides an opportunity to highlight issues that are facing workforces today.

It will feature events hosted by Derry City and Strabane District Council (DCSDC) and by Derry Trades Union Council (DTUC) and will run from April 26^th to the 5th of May, 2025.

Looking ahead to Workers Rights and Social Justice Week, Mayor of Derry City and Strabane District, Councillor Lilian Seenoi Barr, said: “I would really encourage people to support the events taking place throughout WR&SJ Week, which have been planned to educate, inspire and empower local workers.

“It’s an opportunity to share learnings and raise awareness of the issues that are impacting us in our workplaces every day. As a Council we support the campaign to ensure all employees are fairly paid and feel valued in their work. So much has already been achieved but more needs to be done, and it’s important that we to continue to work together in solidarity to progress the campaign for change.”

The programme opens at 12noon on Saturday April 26^th, with a day of workshops, discussions and entertainment in the Guildhall, exploring workers’ unity across the decades, communities and culture. Everyone is welcome to attend this free event, and booking is not required.

On May 1st, the Alley Theatre will play host to a special talk by Alana Moore on the work of prominent local campaigner and activist Ann Browne, titled ‘Our Local Girl Loved Worldwide’. Ann Browne campaigned extensively for workers in, and refugees from, Latin America, particularly those involved in the mining and similar industries. Ann first developed a love for Latin America at Queen’s University where she studied Spanish and at London’s Institute of Latin American Studies. During her time at university she was also an avid supporter of the civil rights movement, and she took that passion with her when she worked in London and Brussels when she joined the Miners’ International Federation (MIF).

The talk sets the scene for the opening of a special exhibition in Ann Browne’s honour titled ‘Ann’s Journey: Honouring the Life and Legacy of Strabane’s Trade Union Pioneer’. The exhibition will run throughout May.

The annual Noelene O’Kane Annual Walk around the City Walls will also take place on Thursday May 1^st, leaving Magazine Gate at 6pm with the opportunity to hear more about significant events in the working class history of the city.

Find out more about the full programme of events at www.derrystrabane.com/workersrights

MIL OSI United Kingdom –

April 15, 2025
MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Mayor hosts UMass Boston delegation

Source: Northern Ireland – City of Derry

Mayor hosts UMass Boston delegation

14 April 2025

Mayor of Derry City and Strabane District Council Cllr Lillian Seenoi Barr met with a delegation from UMass Boston at the weekend.

The delegation included the Chancellor UMass Boston Marcelo Suárez-Orozco and the Executive Director, Office of Global Programs, UMass Boston who visited Derry as part of a wider Northern Ireland visit.

Welcoming the delegation to the City, Mayor Barr said. “I was hugely honoured extend a warm and heartfelt welcome to the esteemed Chancellor of the University of Massachusetts Boston to our city. We were delighted to host him in our vibrant and historic city. This visit presented a valuable opportunity to explore potential collaborations in education, research, and cultural exchange between our region and UMass Boston. We deeply value the strong connections we share with Boston and look forward to fruitful discussions that will benefit both our communities and foster even closer ties in the years to come.”

In addition to attending a civic meeting with the Mayor, the group attended several engagements during their stay including a visit to Acorn Farm where they heard all about the work being done to deliver an urban food growing hub and the green skills academy. They attended an Entrepreneurship & Innovation roundtable discussion on STEM entrepreneurship including student, academic & graduate entrepreneurship, research Collaboration & Innovation including Derry City & Strabane’s City Region Growth Deal and community and citizen driven research and innovation before attending a Uniting Communities Celebration event hosted by the Manchester United Foundation in partnership with the International Fund for Ireland at the John and Pat Hume Building at Ulster University, Magee Campus.

The group attended a number of private meetings and availed of the opportunity to explore the city by taking part in a walking tour of the Derry Walls and the Guildhall.

MIL OSI United Kingdom –

April 15, 2025
MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Burns siblings to take on Strabane Lifford Half Marathon in memory of sister Oonagh’s selfless compa

Source: Northern Ireland – City of Derry

Burns siblings to take on Strabane Lifford Half Marathon in memory of sister Oonagh’s selfless compa

14 April 2025

The brother and sister of a Strabane nurse who tragically lost her life in a car accident last year are continuing the selfless kindness and compassion she was renowned for by running the 2025 Strabane Lifford Half Marathon in her memory next month.
Oonagh Burns dedicated her life to caring for family’s loved ones suffering from Alzheimer’s and Dementia at the Three Rivers Care Home in Omagh and her siblings want to continue her legacy by raising funds for the Alzheimer’s Society at the event on Sunday May 18^th.
It will be a first ever Half Marathon for both Teresa and Paddy Burns who have been preparing under the watchful eye of Lifford Strabane AC Coaches Brendan O’Donnell, Laurence Doherty and Eddie Breslin after joining the club’s Fit 4 Life program last Christmas.
“Paddy wasn’t all that into running or fitness growing up – funny enough, our dad was even his PE teacher and he still ‘forgot’ his PE gear, which is still a running joke in the family,” laughed Teresa.
“I’ve always been quite active myself, playing football from a young age with Sion Swifts and representing Northern Ireland in youth competitions but I’ve stepped back from it a bit over the past few years.

“We’re definitely not natural-born runners, but we’ve come to enjoy the challenge week by week, and thankfully it is getting easier.”
This year’s Half Marathon is the event’s 10^th edition and organisers Derry City and Strabane District Council are marking the milestone with a new route that will begin at the Alley Theatre and incorporate the Strabane Footbridge before the traditional finish on the Melvin Running Track.
As natives of Clady, the siblings are delighted the out and back route through Lifford and Clady Village has been retained.
“The Strabane Lifford Half Marathon felt like the perfect choice for us to run,” Teresa added. “We live in Strabane, and grew up in Clady.
“It gives the whole thing a real personal, full-circle feel.
“Running through the community that has given so much to our family, especially over the past year, and doing something meaningful in return, just felt right.”

With less than five weeks to go before race day, Teresa and Paddy are reaching the business end of their training but the vision of running at an event embedded in their community is spurring them on.

“The training has definitely pushed us,” she admitted. “It’s by far the biggest physical challenge either of us has taken on.

“The Fit 4 Life group in Lifford have been amazing – the way they support beginners and help you go at your own pace takes away the fear and brings a sense of enjoyment to it.
“We’re really looking forward to race day – not just for the personal achievement but for the atmosphere and sense of community.
“It’ll be such a proud moment for us both.”
Paddy and Teresa set an initial target of raising £2,000 through their exploits but they have already trebled that figure with over 200 individuals donating.
They have been overwhelmed by the public’s support and have drawn comfort from the fact that Oonagh’s legacy of helping families living with dementia continues following her untimely passing.

“We are honestly over the moon,” said Teresa. “We originally set out to raise £2,000, and to have now tripled that is beyond anything we expected.
“Supporting the Alzheimer’s Society means so much to us – and to see how many people have come together to help us do that, in memory of Oonagh, has been incredibly moving.

“She would be so proud of this, and we know she’s smiling down on it all.
“It’s been such a comfort to us, our parents and sister Katherine, knowing her name and spirit continue to bring people together.”

Oonagh was employed at the Three Rivers Care Home in Omagh where she was loved by staff, patients and their families for her attentive, compassionate and selfless nursing style.
Teresa agrees that her sister was born to be a nurse and it was much more than a job.

“Oonagh had such a special gift for helping and caring for people– it wasn’t just her job; it was her calling.
“She had a way of making everyone around her feel seen, heard, and cared for – whether that was the patients she worked with or their families, or even her colleagues at the Three Rivers Care Home.

“In the time since her passing, we’ve heard so many stories from people whose lives she touched – the impact she had goes far beyond what we even realised.
“She was truly one of a kind, and her compassion was at the heart of everything she did.”

Paddy and Teresa will run in custom made t shirts in remembrance of Oonagh on May 18th and know she will be with them along every step of the 13.1 mile course.

They admit that remembering her through taking part in the event and the public’s overwhelming response to their campaign has been a source of significant comfort during a challenging 12 months for the family.
“Every single donation, big or small, has meant the world to us,” Teresa added.
“You’ve helped turn something so painful into something hopeful and that’s a gift we’ll never forget.

“If anyone is thinking about donating – please know that every penny truly counts, and we are so grateful for the support in helping us honour Oonagh and support such an important cause.

“From the bottom of our hearts, we just want to say how thankful we are – to our community, to everyone who’s supported our journey, and to those who’ve shared their own stories with us along the way.

“It’s been a tough year, but this has brought light into our lives.

“We’re doing this for Oonagh and we know she’s with us every step of the way.”
You can donate to Paddy and Teresa’s fundraising exploits through their Just Giving page ‘Paddy and Teresa’s fundraiser for Alzheimer’s Society’ at https://www.justgiving.com/page/paddy-burns-3?utm_medium=FR&utm_source=CL&utm_campaign=015

The Strabane Lifford Half Marathon is sold out, you can access all the race day information on Council’s website at derrystrabane.com/slhm.

MIL OSI United Kingdom –

April 15, 2025
MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Edinburgh Award 2025 – nominations open today

Source: Scotland – City of Edinburgh

The Capital is once again searching for a worthy recipient of the coveted Edinburgh Award, with nominations for this year opening today (Monday 14 April).

Since 2007, this accolade has honoured individuals who have made remarkable and lasting contributions to the city, putting Edinburgh firmly on the national and global map.

The Edinburgh Award celebrates those whose outstanding achievements have enriched our capital and showcased it to the world. Past recipients have included extraordinary musicians, bestselling authors, pioneering scientists, human rights activists, and top-tier athletes – all of whom have left an indelible mark on Edinburgh’s legacy – and all have a cast of their handprints imprinted in flagstones in front of the City Chambers.

In 2024, the Edinburgh Award was presented to Mel Young MBE, a visionary leader who has transformed lives through the Homeless World Cup. The global initiative now spans 70 countries, empowering over 100,000 homeless individuals annually.

Mel’s co-founding of the Big Issue in Scotland in1993 and leadership as Chair of Sportscotland between 2016 and 2024 also exemplify his profound impact on the city.

Edinburgh has four weeks to cast nominations for the 2025 award, before a recipient is selected by the Civic Awards Committee.

The Lord Provost of the City of Edinburgh, Robert Aldridge has urged individuals and businesses to nominate someone for the Award:

Edinburgh’s global influence over the last two centuries is thanks to the exceptional character, achievements, and excellence of our citizens. The Edinburgh Award gives us a chance to honour the individual whose work continues to make Edinburgh the extraordinary city we all know and love. I am continually inspired by the way Edinburgh’s people support one another, and this award reflects that community spirit.

We are now in the 19th edition of the Edinburgh Award, and I invite everyone to nominate someone who has truly made a difference to our city. Now is your chance to help identify the next individual to be celebrated with the Edinburgh Award 2025.

Nominations open today Monday 14 April and close at 12 noon on Friday 16 May 2025.

To find out more and submit your nomination please visit our website.

Published: April 14th 2025

MIL OSI United Kingdom –

April 15, 2025
MIL-OSI Australia: Extradition from Northern Territory – child sex abuse charges

Source: New South Wales Community and Justice

Extradition from Northern Territory – child sex abuse charges

Monday, 14 April 2025 – 4:09 pm.

Police are today extraditing a man from the Northern Territory to Tasmania over child sexual abuse charges.Detectives from the Southern District have travelled to the Northern Territory and are extraditing the 28-year-old back to Tasmania.The man is expected to appear in the Hobart Magistrates Court on Wednesday 16 April 2025 on the charges of Penetrative Sexual Abuse of a Child or Young Person and Grooming with Intent to Expose a Person to Indecent Material.The charges relates to crimes allegedly committed in 2021 in Tasmania.

MIL OSI News –

April 14, 2025
MIL-OSI Australia: Draft Stage 2 Heritage Study for the former Shire of Huntly opens for feedback
Source: New South Wales Ministerial News

The City of Greater Bendigo has prepared a draft Stage 2 Heritage Study for the former Shire of Huntly, which is now open for public consultation.

The former Shire of Huntly covered areas including Ascot, Bagshot, Drummartin, Elmore, Epsom, Fosterville, Goornong, Kamarooka and parts of Huntly, East Bendigo and Longlea.

Stage 1 of the study was completed in 2021 and community members shared valuable local knowledge about the former Shire of Huntly, provided photographs, stories and records that have helped to fill in historical details for places or precincts with potential significance.

Topics included events that confirmed the significance of building periods within the area, the establishment of community and social infrastructure (including health, sporting, and social places), and the development of distinct phases of housing, including early settlement, early mining, and agriculture.

Manager Strategic Planning Anthony Petherbridge said a draft Stage 2 Heritage Study was the next step in the project.

“The Stage 2 draft goes a lot further and includes detailed assessments of places and precincts that were identified as part of the Stage 1 of the study. This determines their heritage significance according to a set of recognised criteria,” Mr Petherbridge said.

“This draft study makes recommendations for applying the Heritage Overlay to places found to be of local significance, and one place which may meet the threshold for state significance.

“Community members and businesses are invited to attend one of three engagement drop-in sessions to provide feedback on the draft study.

Feedback will help the City understand if any changes are needed before the draft is presented to a future Council meeting for adoption.“

City staff will be available to answer questions about the recommended Heritage Overlay for properties and areas that have been identified in the draft study as places of significance in the former Shire of Huntly.

“Community members are encouraged to register for a 15-minute appointment at one of the information sessions.”

Owners and occupiers with properties identified through the study will also receive a letter about the findings and any potential impacts on their property.

Three information drop-in sessions are taking place in May:
- Session 1: Elmore Community Hub, 1pm to 5pm on Thursday May 1, 2025
- Session 2: Huntly Memorial Hall, 1pm to 4pm on Thursday May 8, 2025
- Session 3: Goornong Memorial Hall, 5pm to 7pm on Monday May 12, 2025
Public consultation closes on Sunday May 18.

MIL OSI News –
April 14, 2025
MIL-OSI Australia: 122-2025: Methyl bromide fumigation methodology – New record of fumigation and treatment certificate templates now available

Source: New South Wales Government 2

14 April 2025

Who does this notice affect?

Import-related biosecurity treatment stakeholders, including all importers, brokerages, onshore approved arrangement holders, overseas government and industry treatment providers, relevant domestic state and territory government agencies, and other shipping, freight, and logistics peak industry bodies.

What has changed?

This is a reminder that the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry (the department) will…

MIL OSI News –

April 14, 2025
MIL-OSI Australia: Take eggs-tra care on the water

Source: New South Wales – News

Back-to-back Easter and Anzac Day long weekends will see officers from South Australia Police (SAPOL) continue working with partner agencies as part of ongoing water safety operations.

An increase in people enjoying a variety of waterways is egg-spected over the period, with police and Marine Safety Officers ramping up patrols across inland and coastal locations coinciding with school holidays.

“We encourage the public to make the most of the warm weather and enjoy our waterways, but they must do so safely,” Senior Sergeant Darian Leske from SAPOL’s Water Operations Unit said.

“Police will be working with our partner agencies to ensure everyone is acting responsibly while on the water, by detecting breaches of the Harbours and Navigation Act.

“We will be conducting safety equipment checks and random alcohol and drug testing of boat operators, observers and skiers, because as on land, a blood alcohol limit of 0.05 applies.”

From 27 December 2024 to 3 February 2025, Operation Riversafe saw 205 vessel checks by police alone, 204 alco tests, 115 drug tests, 28 cautions, eight expiations and six reports (four positive drugs, two prescribed concentration of alcohol). Marine Safety Officers also support this operation.

In addition to having a road safety operation in place, SAPOL is also mindful avoidable water tragedies can occur when risks are taken.

“While South Australians are being asked to ‘keep it sweet on the road’ this Easter, let’s also keep it sweet on the water,” Senior Sergeant Leske urged.

“Alcohol or drugs and water don’t mix. An incident at Mannum over the Australia Day long weekend is a prime example of this.”

Failing to carry appropriate safety equipment, misuse of or not carrying lifejackets, outdated flares, unregistered vessels and exceeding speed limits were the top five non-compliance issues among water users last Easter period.

“It only takes a moment to put a lifejacket on, but not wearing one on the water when trouble strikes can cost your life in an instant,” Gordon Panton, Manager Marine Safety and Compliance at the Department for Infrastructure and Transport, said.

“More than one third of the vessels we checked last Easter on coastal waters and at boat ramps were non-compliant, with misuse of or not carrying lifejackets among the most common issues.

“Boaties and holidaymakers are reminded to check their lifejackets are to standard, fit well, and are in good working condition, that they are operating safely and keeping to speed limits around other water users, and they have the right safety equipment on board.”

Since 1 January 2025, older standard lifejackets have no longer been acceptable to use, and jackets must now meet the AS 4758 standard.

Fisheries will also have an on-water and on-land presence across the entire state over the Easter and Anzac Day long weekends, and officers will be especially checking compliance with the no take zones for snapper over the period.

“We ask that fishers adhere to size and bag limits and fishing gear regulations and are encouraged to access the Rec Fishing App or the PIRSA website for further information,” Gary Darter, acting General Manager Operations Support at PIRSA, said.

“To combat the spread of the Abalone virus AVG, decontamination protocols apply to fishing devices and boats, especially those operating from the Murray Mouth to the Victorian Border.

“Remember, Check, Clean and Dry. Full details are also on the PIRSA website.

“If you see anything unusual, please report any concerns to Fishwatch on 1800 065 522.”

Plus, don’t forget:

* Let someone know where you’re going and when you’ll be back.

* Slow your vessel to 4 knots when near other boats, ramps, jetties, swimmers, surfaces and the shore.

* Keep your keys in a safe location. Do not hide them in your car, caravan or boat.

* Remove fishing rods, tackle boxes and eskies from boats and trailers when not in use.

* Securely attach trailers and boats to a vehicle or a solid fixture when not in use.

* Be aware of water safety issues at the beach or at the river including rips and currents, maritime safety and the dangers of marine life.

* Never leave valuable items unattended or under a beach towel. Use a watertight container or leave your items secured in your holiday home.

For more information on boating rules and regulations, visit: South Australian boating safety handbook (marinesafety.sa.gov.au)

Report any suspicious behaviour to SAPOL by calling 131 444.

[embedded content]

Gordon Panton, Manager Marine Safety and Compliance at the Department for Infrastructure and Transport, Senior Sergeant Darian Leske from SAPOL’s Water Operations Unit and Gary Darter, acting General Manager Operations Support at PIRSA at North Haven Marina today, sharing a school holiday water safety message.

MIL OSI News –

April 14, 2025
MIL-OSI Australia: Draft Council Plan 2025-2029 released for public comment
Source: New South Wales Ministerial News

The draft Council Plan 2025-2029, outlining how Council will guide Greater Bendigo’s growth, development and wellbeing over the next four years, has been released for public comment.

This important strategic document has been created following extensive consultation with the Greater Bendigo community, City partners, local stakeholder groups, and Greater Bendigo Councillors.

Public consultation has included a community-wide survey, a series of focus groups, meetings with community representative groups, and information from the City of Greater Bendigo’s online engagement platform Let’s Talk and customer requests.

In March 2025, the City hosted a community panel with 42 people participating in sessions over three days. The panel included people from over 20 local areas and many different ages, genders and backgrounds.

Collectively, the panel produced community guidance for Councillors to use when making decisions on behalf of the whole community.

The draft Council Plan is a comprehensive blueprint for improving and developing Greater Bendigo over the next four years and includes the Municipal Public Health and Wellbeing Plan.

It outlines the 2025-2029 priorities and guides all detailed complementary documents, including the Revenue and Rating Plan, the Financial Plan, and the Annual Budget.

The draft Council Plan is structured around four themes, linked to 12 goals and 34 priorities. The themes are:
- Responsible – Running an effective, fair, and efficient organisation
- Healthy – Protecting and improving our physical, mental, and environmental health
- Thriving – Managing our growth, including businesses, housing, heritage, and creativity
- Welcoming – Celebrating and including everyone in our community
Mayor Cr Andrea Metcalf encouraged the community to provide feedback on the draft Council Plan.

“After months of engagement and plan development, it’s now time to check in with the community to make sure the draft Council Plan reflects the feedback received from the community,” Cr Metcalf said.

“The Council Plan is an important document that will guide the work of Council and City staff over the next four years, investing in our future. It will provide a positive and exciting roadmap for Greater Bendigo.

“We want to be on the right track before the draft Council Plan is put forward for consideration at a future Council meeting in 2025, so your feedback is important.

“I wish to thank community members for their time and energy in providing input into this plan. Engagement was extensive, including in-person meetings and a comprehensive survey. A diverse and enthusiastic community panel, with representation from across the region, shared their top priorities on what they value most about living in Greater Bendigo, its challenges and how best to shape its future.”

MIL OSI News –
April 14, 2025

MIL-OSI Australia: 2023 Australian CRS reportable accounts by jurisdiction

Source: New places to play in Gungahlin

Limitations of the CRS report

The Total accounts column represents the number of Financial Accounts held by foreign tax residents; it does not represent the number of foreign tax residents holding accounts. An account holder may be a tax resident of multiple jurisdictions, so accounts may be reported more than once.

The Balance ($A) column represents the total balance or value of the Financial Assets held in the accounts. The figure includes:

cash
securities
bonds
commodities
partnership interests
debt interests and equity interests.

Where an account is held by more than one account holder, the balance or value is attributed in full to each account holder. Where an account is held by a passive non-financial entity, such as a trust, the value of the equity interest is attributed in full to each controlling person. These accounts will be reported in the Total accounts and Balance ($A) columns more than once.

Table: CRS statistics tabled by the Minister
Jurisdiction	Total Accounts	Balance (AUD)
Afghanistan	11070	$95,581,415
Aland Islands	693	$3,871,473
Albania	728	$10,764,088
Algeria	515	$10,363,535
American Samoa	555	$7,413,499
Andorra	1355	$101,244,778
Angola	296	$10,861,848
Anguilla	166	$1,170,312
Antigua and Barbuda	234	$3,613,577
Argentina	43207	$239,451,920
Armenia	725	$5,711,104
Aruba	510	$18,999,978
Austria	16740	$394,878,370
Azerbaijan	893	$29,236,263
Bahamas	1044	$232,452,443
Bahrain	1944	$70,119,634
Bangladesh	29473	$229,111,457
Barbados	378	$15,992,240
Belarus	564	$6,673,642
Belgium	11622	$328,051,334
Belize	141	$1,882,633
Benin	147	$4,016,713
Bermuda	802	$1,003,121,189
Bhutan	33564	$129,472,928
Bolivia (Plurinational State of)	644	$4,267,066
Bonaire, Sint Eustatius and Saba	65	$320,289
Bosnia and Herzegovina	1015	$18,562,691
Botswana	1551	$74,047,155
Brazil	115912	$665,938,179
Brunei Darussalam	4830	$175,136,606
Bulgaria	1168	$30,359,474
Burkina Faso	209	$6,083,998
Burundi	359	$1,251,294
Cabo Verde	57	$801,533
Cambodia	13543	$310,460,409
Cameroon	286	$12,837,192
Canada	131945	$4,655,911,312
Cayman Islands	1261	$2,287,140,562
Central African Republic (The)	65	$1,886,237
Chad	47	$1,931,612
Chile	34790	$184,569,286
China	1168312	$35,846,564,031
Colombia	117549	$329,328,309
Comoros	202	$1,192,041
Congo (Democratic Republic of The)	955	$15,603,703
Congo (The)	592	$5,826,658
Cook Islands	966	$15,755,625
Costa Rica	737	$9,190,245
Cote d’Ivoire	154	$12,847,535
Croatia	2570	$91,851,975
Cuba	270	$3,587,708
Curacao	63	$489,577
Cyprus	2728	$174,738,630
Czech Republic	5737	$138,163,643
Denmark	13370	$711,421,080
Djibouti	56	$94,469
Dominica	118	$20,557,976
Dominican Republic	6717	$219,006,335
Ecuador	4375	$24,093,968
Egypt	7828	$130,461,587
El Salvador	549	$4,583,826
Equatorial Guinea	43	$5,787,039
Eritrea	574	$3,235,597
Estonia	5283	$19,768,874
Ethiopia	2203	$22,578,132
Falkland Islands [Malvinas]	100	$662,808
Faroe Islands (The)	45	$320,055
Fiji	33661	$418,588,501
Finland	7518	$243,196,353
France	88770	$1,312,556,582
French Guiana	63	$1,169,649
French Polynesia	1466	$144,692,251
Gabon	95	$254,579
Gambia	98	$1,040,902
Georgia	519	$14,078,846
Germany	97566	$2,136,961,996
Ghana	3662	$45,920,708
Gibraltar	271	$98,559,288
Greece	18433	$874,732,119
Greenland	34	$1,090,263
Grenada	45	$860,469
Guadeloupe	59	$1,397,246
Guam	567	$22,049,141
Guatemala	609	$4,477,478
Guernsey	709	$188,289,280
Guinea	467	$16,333,658
Guinea-Bissau	22	$52,235
Guyana	145	$5,865,208
Haiti	79	$3,315,500
Holy See (The)	31	$223,543
Honduras	284	$3,912,750
Hong Kong	417259	$19,652,979,316
Hungary	4166	$89,013,732
Iceland	706	$9,559,465
India	541071	$3,337,392,017
Indonesia	141551	$2,447,310,574
Iran (Islamic Republic of)	25484	$220,602,656
Iraq	5657	$47,263,403
Ireland	99386	$1,184,004,246
Isle of man	755	$77,412,757
Israel	14404	$870,500,826
Italy	61111	$1,042,858,008
Jamaica	502	$10,346,693
Japan	122031	$2,930,986,700
Jersey	1191	$1,500,635,721
Jordan	3192	$51,114,032
Kazakhstan	2762	$76,557,742
Kenya	19121	$167,004,133
Kiribati	1728	$27,628,158
Korea (The Democratic People’s Republic of)	1300	$11,985,623
Korea (The Republic of)	120329	$692,796,653
Kuwait	2278	$59,151,943
Kyrgyzstan	253	$10,798,328
Lao Peoples Democratic Republic	3950	$56,663,831
Latvia	662	$19,990,384
Lebanon	4658	$77,228,058
Lesotho	76	$1,552,742
Liberia	331	$7,577,445
Libya	321	$5,848,095
Liechtenstein	115	$2,373,413
Lithuania	1572	$17,114,640
Luxembourg	1269	$1,281,207,061
Macao	8485	$557,432,905
Madagascar	302	$4,468,823
Malawi	602	$7,546,068
Malaysia	207495	$9,736,791,971
Maldives	1145	$9,633,668
Mali	204	$6,447,711
Malta	3940	$266,412,830
Marshall Islands (The)	142	$267,119,933
Martinique	54	$348,133
Mauritania	107	$2,254,652
Mauritius	7436	$190,515,176
Mayotte	43	$89,402
Mexico	12583	$107,075,070
Micronesia (Federated States of)	147	$15,869,862
Moldova (The Republic of)	251	$2,923,446
Monaco	655	$148,818,123
Mongolia	18288	$90,339,348
Montenegro	244	$25,032,609
Montserrat	5287	$264,020,964
Morocco	919	$34,620,243
Mozambique	551	$16,987,061
Myanmar	10713	$94,691,582
Namibia	852	$28,134,752
Nauru	1258	$71,353,711
Nepal	151948	$530,415,177
Netherlands (The)	38960	$5,741,717,769
New Caledonia	14843	$946,289,722
New Zealand	593810	$13,924,735,966
Nicaragua	212	$1,863,857
Niger (The)	118	$4,131,203
Nigeria	8518	$59,998,862
Niue	63	$457,441
Northern Mariana Islands (The)	86	$1,940,793
Norway	12085	$116,151,200
Oman	2919	$53,732,678
Pakistan	40606	$233,873,735
Palau	90	$2,489,305
Palestine, State of	490	$4,307,127
Panama	817	$22,319,621
Papua New Guinea	20645	$1,000,357,988
Paraguay	611	$4,606,315
Peru	8102	$93,464,956
Philippines	149788	$1,081,032,048
Pitcairn	42	$2,255,280
Poland	10216	$183,398,727
Portugal	8340	$364,367,730
Puerto Rico	111	$1,240,149
Qatar	5561	$199,292,806
Republic of North Macedonia	2098	$48,970,081
Reunion	198	$5,016,186
Romania	2257	$33,817,593
Russian Federation	13479	$311,237,493
Rwanda	349	$2,900,073
Saint Barthelemy	43	$132,991
Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha	19	$53,689
Saint Kitts and Nevis	164	$65,704,365
Saint Lucia	99	$11,339,027
Saint Martin (French part)	24	$1,272,193
Saint Vincent and The Grenadines	54	$648,955
Samoa	5642	$12,252,804
San Marino	22	$225,736
Sao Tome and Principe	16	$47,212
Saudi Arabia	17461	$290,408,054
Senegal	246	$17,019,253
Serbia	2765	$61,671,117
Seychelles	747	$66,081,694
Sierra Leone	518	$59,985,702
Singapore	216492	$16,932,866,043
Sint Maarten (Dutch)	44	$2,030,457
Slovakia	2683	$34,211,553
Slovenia	1143	$31,256,112
Solomon Islands	5670	$107,624,274
Somalia	419	$883,615
South Africa	85705	$3,036,112,507
South Sudan	409	$1,439,169
Spain	34964	$615,458,859
Sri Lanka	59417	$496,470,828
Sudan	1369	$9,428,890
Suriname	99	$808,495
Swaziland	491	$11,837,248
Sweden	24838	$395,550,321
Switzerland	27602	$2,522,289,323
Syrian Arab Republic	3146	$16,259,175
Taiwan (Province of China)	215091	$5,182,123,415
Tajikistan	150	$6,070,527
Tanzania, United Republic of	1483	$28,785,672
Thailand	115526	$1,671,533,990
Timor-Leste	5625	$103,220,105
Togo	50	$392,068
Tokelau	34	$94,511
Tonga	10335	$27,905,071
Trinidad and Tobago	429	$10,964,301
Tunisia	505	$42,954,529
Turkey	12815	$123,250,809
Turkmenistan	80	$269,557
Turks and Caicos Islands (The)	62	$12,992,454
Tuvalu	332	$24,161,951
Uganda	1469	$26,010,162
Ukraine	6358	$57,835,515
United Arab Emirates	34016	$1,525,677,609
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland (The)	650226	$15,897,900,722
United States Minor Outlying Islands (The)	616	$17,009,421
United States of America (The)	607512	$32,140,613,865
Uruguay	2967	$20,416,335
Uzbekistan	843	$14,924,835
Vanuatu	12745	$166,367,754
Venezuela (Bolivarian Republic of)	3429	$16,703,255
Vietnam	108399	$1,368,106,502
Virgin Islands (British)	664	$1,583,993,488
Virgin Islands (U.S.)	86	$12,262,261
Wallis and Futuna	79	$735,705
Western Sahara	54	$172,955
Yemen	436	$3,698,663
Zambia	2508	$52,915,353
Zimbabwe	8557	$181,025,534

MIL OSI News –

April 14, 2025

MIL-OSI Australia: Allens advises ACEN Australia on major renewable energy portfolio financing

Source: Allens Insights (legal sector)

Allens has advised ACEN Australia, a key player in the Australian energy transition, on the $750 million platform financing for its renewable energy portfolio. The two seed assets are the 400MW New England Stage 1 Solar and 400MW Stubbo Solar projects.

The financing establishes a platform to support the continued development of ACEN Australia’s pipeline of renewable energy assets across the country, including approximately 8 GW of solar, wind, battery energy storage systems and pumped hydro projects.

With Macquarie Capital as financial adviser, the financing included a syndicate of 11 Banks comprising ANZ, Cathay United Bank, Commonwealth Bank, CTBC Bank, DBS Bank, Deutsche Bank, HSBC, MUFG, SMBC, UOB, and Westpac,

A cross-disciplinary team, comprising lawyers across Banking & Finance, Projects, Corporate and Real Estate, Environment and Planning, advised on all aspects of the financing and due diligence.

‘We are proud to have advised on this significant milestone transaction for ACEN Australia, which will help facilitate the development of new renewable energy projects across Australia.’ said lead Partner Scott McCoy.

‘This portfolio financing platform is a prime example of the innovative funding structures being developed to support the sector’s growth, offering greater flexibility in managing individual projects, future growth and risk mitigation.’

This transaction builds on Allens extensive expertise in renewable energy portfolio financings having advised on recent transactions for clients including Neoen, Fotowatio Renewable Ventures, Global Power Generation Australia , CWP Renewables and Atmos Renewables.

Allens legal team

Finance, Banking & Debt Capital

Scott McCoy (lead Partner), Jamie Guthrie (Managing Associate), Flynn O’Byrne-Inglis (Senior Associate), Maya Bahra (Lawyer), Nick Walker (Lawyer)

Projects

Andrew Mansour (Partner), Kip Fitzsimon (Partner), Amy Ryan (Senior Associate), Sara Pacey (Associate), Jeanne Shu (Lawyer), Amelia Rebellato (Lawyer), Esther Khor (Lawyer), Emma Cottle (Lawyer), Saleem Al Odeh (Laywer)

Real Estate, Environment & Planning

Michael Graves (Partner), Naomi Bergman (Partner), Nathaniel Jende (Associate), Samuel Mursa (Associate), Ankita Rao (Lawyer), Alexander Murphy (Lawyer)

M&A and Capital Markets

Harry Beardall (Managing Associate), Matthias Laubi (Lawyer)

Contact for further information

Senior Communications & Corporate Affairs Manager

MIL OSI News –

April 14, 2025
MIL-OSI Australia: 121-2025: Scheduled Outage: Wednesday 16 April to Thursday 17 April 2025 – PEBS

Source: New South Wales Government 2

14 April 2025

Who does this notice affect?

All importers of plants, cats and/or dogs who will be required to use the Post Entry Biosecurity System during this planned maintenance period.

Information

Due to scheduled system maintenance, the Post Entry Biosecurity System (PEBS) will be unavailable from 23:00 Wednesday 16 April to 00:00 Thursday 17 April 2025 (AEST).

Action

Clients are advised to await the completion of this maintenance period…

MIL OSI News –

April 14, 2025
MIL-OSI Australia: City offers free weaving workshop for over 55’s

Source: New South Wales Ministerial News

As part of its commitment to positive ageing the City of Greater Bendigo is offering a free sustainable weaving workshop for people aged 55 plus from 10am to 12pm on Thursday May 8, at the Samuel Gadd Centre at the Bendigo Botanic Gardens, White Hills.

City of Greater Bendigo Community Partnerships Acting Manager Jo Connellan said the workshop will be presented by Yorta Yorta woman and celebrated artist Janet Bromley.

“This is a hands-on workshop and participants will enjoy a morning of sustainable weaving with Janet who will guide them through the steps to create a small woven wall hanging using recycled textiles, household objects and found natural materials,” Ms Connellan said.

“Janet will also share her First Nations cultural insights while exploring the connection between tradition and sustainability.

“If you love crafting, care about the environment, or just want to try something new, this workshop is for you.”

Bookings are essential. To book, visit:

MIL OSI News –

April 14, 2025
MIL-OSI Australia: Serious Two Vehicle Crash, East Derwent Highway, Geilston Bay

Source: New South Wales Community and Justice

Serious Two Vehicle Crash, East Derwent Highway, Geilston Bay

Sunday, 13 April 2025 – 5:44 am.

At approximately 10:48pm on Saturday 12th April 2025, emergency services responded to a two-vehicle crash on the East Derwent Highway Geilston Bay, at the intersection of Sugarloaf Rd.
A silver Opal sedan, driven by a 19-year-old man from Warrane, had been travelling south on the East Derwent Highway, when it collided with a north bound white Toyota Camry at the intersection of Sugarloaf Rd. The Toyota was being driven by a 32-year-old man from Berriedale.
There were a combined total of 7 occupants in both vehicles, all of which were transported to the Royal Hobart Hospital for medical treatment or assessment. A 17-year-old woman who was travelling in the Opal sedan at the time of the crash has suffered serious injuries.
Investigations in relation to this crash are ongoing, however initial investigations suggest that excessive speed may have been a contributing factor in this crash.
Police would like to ask anyone with information about this crash or those who may have observed the manner of driving of the vehicles prior to the crash, to contact police on 131 444 or crime stoppers on 1800 333 000, quoting ESCAD number 531-12042025.

MIL OSI News –

April 14, 2025
MIL-Evening Report: Top unis have imposed new restrictions on campus protests. What does this mean for students, staff and democracy?
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Joo-Cheong Tham, Professor, Melbourne Law School, The University of Melbourne

A wave of restrictions on protesting has been rippling through Australia’s top universities.

Over the past year, all of Australia’s eight top research universities (the Group of Eight) have individually increased restrictions on campus protests.

The changes include bans on indoor protests and restrictions on banners, posters and student announcements. At some campuses, groups need to give notice or obtain university approval if they are going to protest.

Why has this happened and what does it mean for protests, free speech and democracy at Australian universities?

Why are university protests important?

Over the past 60 years, campus protests have been a defining feature of Australian university life.

In the 1960s and ‘70s, they were a breeding ground for social protest, including rallies against apartheid and the Vietnam War, and in favour of women’s rights. In more recent years, students have protested on key social, political and environmental issues, from university fees to the invasion of Iraq and climate action.

This protest history feeds into the broader purposes of universities. Universities act as a modern-day “public square”. This means they are a place where ideas can be freely debated and difficult issues can be explored. In this way, they act as a key component of a free and healthy democracy.

As Victorian university legislation notes, universities should promote

critical and free enquiry, informed intellectual discourse and public debate within the University and in the wider society.

Rally and draft burning by students at the University of Sydney in 1968.
Image courtesy of the SEARCH Foundation, from the collections of the State Library of New South Wales., CC BY

Restricting protests for campus safety

Since early 2024, there have been increasing restrictions on campus protests.

These come in the wake of the months-long encampments protesting the war in Gaza – and ensuing concerns over antisemitism at universities and campus safety.

They have also coincided with increased public scrutiny over university governance. This includes accusations vice-chancellors are running a “lawless sector,” pointing to underpayment of staff, high levels of executive pay and criticism of the way some universities managed the protests.

What have universities done?

In this heightened context, universities have increased restrictions on campus protests, arguing they are needed for safety.

Universities have taken various measures. For example, the University of Western Australia has restricted student announcements in class (or “lecture-bashing”).

To ensure safety and wellbeing, student announcements are not permitted at the commencement of lectures or other teaching and learning activities.

The University of Adelaide has banned student encampments and indoor protests.

The changes across the Group of Eight mean students announcing a rally for climate action in class now risk disciplinary action at some universities. Sit-ins calling on universities to divest from weapon companies are no longer permitted at others. At some campuses, union members going to stop-work meetings to protest staff cuts could be engaging in employee misconduct.

The legal basis of the restrictions

Australian universities are typically set up under state legislation and through this have broad powers to regulate campus protests.

They can impose obligations on students through university rules and direct their staff as employers. They can determine who is allowed to enter and remain on campus through their powers to manage land they either own or control.

Universities in South Australia and Victoria also have powers under state legislation to make university statutes and regulations.

The protest restrictions have relied on a mix of these powers.

Could these changes be challenged?

But these restrictions are also subject to enterprise agreements made under the federal Fair Work Act which protect academic and intellectual freedom. For example, the University of Sydney’s enterprise agreement entitles staff to:
- express opinions about the operation of the university and higher education policy in general
- express unpopular or controversial views, provided that in doing so staff must not engage in harassment, vilification or intimidation.
There is also the implied right of freedom of political communication under the Australian Constitution.

This means both the Fair Work Act and Constitution may provide grounds for a legal challenge to many of these new restrictions. The High Court has previously ruled restrictions on protest must be proportionate and necessary for preventing harm and damage.

The protest restrictions also implicate various human rights. Under international law, which Australia has ratified, staff and students have freedom of expression and freedom of peaceful assembly. As workers, staff have freedom of association through trade unions, including the right to organise.

Many of these measures would seem to restrict activities where there is no or little threat to safety. In some cases, there are arguably excessive and disproportionate means to ensure safety.

What will happen now?

Some university students, staff and unions have opposed these protest restrictions.

But there is a balancing to be struck here. Other students and staff have not felt safe on campus and in class and have called for more safety protections. This has particularly been the case for those from Jewish backgrounds.

Given the doubts over their legality, court challenges may be on the horizon. It is also possible some groups will actively test these restrictions.

But we may see a chilling effect on university activism and protests, when individuals would otherwise speak their minds on campus. Some staff may be worried they will lose their jobs. Students may be also worried about academic penalties or expulsion and the impact on their future careers.

This undermines universities as a place where people talk, debate and test ideas as a key part of the learning and research process – and a vital component of our democracy.

Joo-Cheong Tham has been an employee of the University of Melbourne for more than two decades. During this time, he has participated in campus protests at the university that would now be banned by the university’s protest restrictions.

He is the Victorian Division Assistant Secretary (Academic Staff) of the National Tertiary Education Union; a Fellow of the Academy of Social Sciences in Australia; a Director of the Centre for Public Integrity; and an Expert Network Member of Climate Integrity.

Joo-Cheong has received funding from the Australian Research Council, the Australian Council of Trade Unions, European Trade Union Institute, International IDEA, the New South Wales Electoral Commission, the New South Wales Independent Commission Against Corruption and the Victorian Electoral Commission.

– ref. Top unis have imposed new restrictions on campus protests. What does this mean for students, staff and democracy? – https://theconversation.com/top-unis-have-imposed-new-restrictions-on-campus-protests-what-does-this-mean-for-students-staff-and-democracy-253627
MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –
April 14, 2025
MIL-Evening Report: Think your specialist is expensive? Look at what others are paying
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Yuting Zhang, Professor of Health Economics, The University of Melbourne

PeopleImages.com – Yuri A/Shutterstock

Seeing a medical specialist can leave you with significant out-of-pocket costs. Yet political parties have not adequately addressed this in their pre-election bids.

Labor has promised A$7 million to expand the government’s Medical Costs Finder website, which potentially allows you to compare specialists’ fees. But it hasn’t outlined a policy to lower these fees. The Coalition and the Greens have not addressed specialists’ fees directly.

During a cost-of-living crisis, this is a major omission.

Specialists’ fees are high, vary across specialties and across geographical regions.

That’s what we found when we used actual Medicare data to map costs across Australia to see a specialist doctor.

What we did and what we found

We used data from the national 2023 Medicare Benefits Schedule (or MBS) accessed from the Australian Bureau of Statistics. We calculated mean (average) fees charged by doctors in 17 specialties for initial face-to-face appointments after a GP referral.

Under MBS billing rules, different specialties use different item numbers (104 or 110) for an initial consultation. These attracted a different Medicare schedule fee ($91.80 and $161.90, respectively, as of January 2023). These schedule fees are what Medicare considers a fair price for doctors to charge.

Most patients pay the gap between 85% of the Medicare schedule fee and the specialist’s fee. This is their out-of-pocket cost. But that percentage can differ, depending on the circumstances. So not all patients have the same out-of-pocket costs for the same consultation.

We only looked at fees charged by private specialists at private clinics. We didn’t include free specialist care in public clinics. Nor did we look at GP fees.

We then looked at how specialists’ fees varied by patients’ geographical location to create some maps.

Use the map below to search for mean specialists’ fees and mean out-of-pocket costs for cardiology, rheumatology, neurology, and oral and maxillofacial surgery.

Fees for the other 13 specialties we looked at are available via maps on the HALE Hub’s Australian Healthcare Atlas website.

Which specialists charged the most?

Specialist fees varied substantially. On average, rheumatology had the highest fees, followed by neurology and immunology. Oral and maxillofacial surgery had the lowest fees, followed by general surgery.

Some specialties used the item number that attracted the $91.80 Medicare schedule fee. But almost all these specialists (except for general surgery) charged more than twice this amount (an average $183.60) in at least 80% of geographical areas.

Other specialties used the item number that attracted the $161.90 Medicare schedule fee. This included rheumatologists, which charged an average of over $323.80 (twice the schedule fee) in 17.6% of geographical areas. Neurologists charged the same amount in 19.2% of geographical areas.

Which parts of the country had the highest fees?

Certain states and territories consistently had higher fees for some specialties. For example:
- cardiology was most expensive in Western Australia, Australian Capital Territory and Queensland
- orthopaedics was most expensive in ACT, New South Wales and Queensland
- obstetrics was most expensive in ACT, WA and NSW.
High fees matter

Higher specialists’ fees directly translate to patients’ higher out-of-pocket costs. That’s because Medicare rebates are fixed, and private health insurance does not cover out-of-hospital consultations.

If patients avoid their initial consultation due to cost, their health can worsen over time, potentially leading to more expensive treatments later.

Higher specialists’ fees and the barrier to care could also entrench inequalities. That’s because people in lower socioeconomic groups already tend to have worse health.

What can I do?

You can use our maps to look at what specialists charge near you. Although the maps use 2023 data and look at average fees and out-of-pocket costs, you can get a general idea. Then you can call specialists’ offices and the receptionist will tell you how much the doctor charges for an initial appointment.

If there are several referral options, comparing fees will help you make an informed decision about your health care, alongside wait times, geographical location, quality of care and other factors. You can discuss these issues with your GP so they can refer you to the best available specialist for your circumstances.

What else can we do?

1. Make fees transparent

Patients often do not know how much a specialist consultation costs until they arrive at the doctor’s office. GPs typically do not refer to specialists based on their fees and often don’t know them anyway.

The government’s Medical Costs Finder website relies on doctors voluntarily reporting their fees. But only a few report them.

If re-elected, the Labor government says it will upgrade the website to display the average fee charged by every eligible specialist (other than GPs) using Medicare data, without asking doctors to spend time inputting their fees.

This is a welcome move. But the government should also mandate disclosure of fees on the website, which would be more up-to-date than looking back through past Medicare data.

2. Doctors need more advice, and can help

Specialists in Australia can charge what they like, and as we’ve found, sometimes way above the Medicare schedule fee.

But professional medical colleges can provide guides on how to set “reasonable” fees. They can also develop codes of conduct about fee practices, and counsel members who consistently charge high fees.

Once specialists’ fees are more transparent, GPs can inform patients about fee variations and options for more affordable care.

3. We need more public clinics

Government could also open more public clinics that offer free specialist care for those who cannot afford large gap fees in private clinics. This type of investment may be warranted in some low-socioeconomic areas if we’re aiming for all Australians to receive the specialist care they need.

Yuting Zhang has received funding from the Australian Research Council (future fellowship project ID FT200100630), Department of Veterans’ Affairs, the Victorian Department of Health, National Health and Medical Research Council and Eastern Melbourne Primary Health Network. In the past, Professor Zhang has received funding from several US institutes including the US National Institutes of Health, Commonwealth fund, Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, and Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. She has not received funding from for-profit industry including the private health insurance industry.

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

– ref. Think your specialist is expensive? Look at what others are paying – https://theconversation.com/think-your-specialist-is-expensive-look-at-what-others-are-paying-253628
MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –
April 14, 2025
MIL-OSI United Kingdom: More than 200 attendees join major psychology conference hosted at the University

Source: University of Abertay

More than 200 attendees join major psychology conference hosted at the University

Abertay University welcomed more than 200 delegates to its campus for the annual British Psychological Society (BPS) Scottish Branch Undergraduate Conference, held on Saturday 29 March 2025.

The event provided a platform for psychology students from across Scotland to showcase their research, enabling them to present their work and findings through engaging conference talks.

More than 100 student presenters covered a variety of topics from counselling to clinical, educational and neuro-psychology; with students from more than 10 Scottish universities taking part.

In addition to student presentations, the event featured a Futures Fair, where attendees connected with representatives from many divisions of the BPS – including Clinical, Health, and Educational Psychology. These professional representatives provided invaluable career advice and insights into their respective fields, helping students navigate their future paths.

Dr Lynn Wright, a Senior Lecturer in Abertay’s Department of Sociological and Psychological Sciences, was part of the organising committee for the event.

She said:

The BPS Scottish Branch Undergraduate Conference was a huge success, and it was such an honour to host the event at Abertay. It was incredible to see such a broad array of topics covered by the students presenting at the conference – and to give them this opportunity to showcase their research. Events like these are crucial for psychology undergraduates – allowing them to build on presentation skills, share their experiences, garner invaluable feedback, and network with other students and peers in the field of psychology. It was brilliant to see so many people in attendance engaging with the work of students, including the research of our own psychology undergraduates.

The keynote address was delivered by Sheila Cunningham, Professor of Social Cognition at Abertay University. Her talk addressed important issues surrounding gender biases and the social factors that shape educational choices, offering attendees a thought-provoking perspective on current challenges in psychology.

The BPS serves as the UK’s representative body for psychology and psychologists, dedicated to promoting excellence in the field and advocating for the discipline’s impact on individuals and society.

BPS President Dr Roman Raczka said:

The Scottish Undergraduate Conference is a really important event for the BPS. This year’s conference at Abertay University was a fantastic display of the psychology research being undertaken by students across Scotland. Presenting at a conference like this is hugely important for the career development of undergraduate students. Additionally, the opportunity to network with other students and psychology professionals is invaluable. I was really impressed by the range of different topics that were covered at the conference. It shows the incredible diversity of study and research that is being undertaken by psychology students across all of Scotland’s universities. It was great having the event hosted at Abertay University. The staff did a fantastic job of pulling together all the different presentations from universities across Scotland.

MIL OSI United Kingdom –

April 14, 2025
MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Increasing investment and trade
Source: Scottish Government

Trade mission to UAE to deliver new opportunities for Scottish businesses.

Scotland will respond to the ongoing global economic uncertainty by highlighting its economic strengths and making clear it is open for business, Deputy First Minister Kate Forbes has said.

Speaking ahead of a trade and investment visit to the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Ms Forbes promised the Scottish Government would do everything it could to promote trade and attract jobs and investment.

The Deputy First Minister is undertaking a three-day programme of engagements designed to build relations with the UAE Government and position Scotland as an investment destination.

She will meet the UAE’s Minister for Investments and Minister of State for Foreign Trade. Alongside Scottish Enterprise, the Deputy First Minister is aiming to help a range of Scottish businesses to secure new export and investment opportunities.

The visit coincides with the UAE’s first Scotland Week, a programme of business activity developed to showcase Scotland’s innovation and expertise across science and technology, the energy transition and food and drink.

The Deputy First Minister said:

“The global economic uncertainty we currently face makes it an imperative to send a message to the world that Scotland is open for business and to highlight our remarkable economic strengths.

“While all the economic levers are not in our hands, what the Scottish Government can and will do is stand square behind Scottish business and help open the doors that will deliver jobs and increased investment.

“That is why I will be in the UAE promoting Scottish companies and encouraging greater collaboration. Scotland’s unique strengths, expertise and innovation are recognised around the world, including in the UAE. This is an opportunity to build on that reputation and secure trade and investment opportunities to help the Scottish economy to prosper.”

Background

The Deputy First Minister will undertake a series of engagements in Dubai and Abu Dhabi from Tuesday 15 to Thursday 17 April. They will include:
- Speaking at a Scotland Week reception hosted by the Abu Dhabi Chamber of Commerce
- Meeting senior representatives of Mubadala, one of the world’s largest Sovereign Investment Funds
- Speaking at a Scottish Food and Drink showcasing reception in Dubai (around £125 million of Scottish food and drink products are exported to UAE each year)
- Taking part in a business roundtable with Scottish businesses and the UAE Ministry of Economy
Scotland Week in the UAE was developed by the Scottish Government, Scottish Development International and the UAE Ministry of Economy. The programme will focus on science and technology, energy transition, food and drink, and investment
MIL OSI United Kingdom –
April 13, 2025
MIL-OSI United Kingdom: First Minister: Scotland must be resilient in face of global shocks

Source: Scottish Government

‘UK response must reflect changing reality.’

The Scottish Government will take steps to ensure Scotland is as “resilient as we can possibly be” in the face of global economic uncertainty, First Minister John Swinney has said.

Responding to the events of the last few weeks, the First Minister has called for a UK Government response that reflects the fact that “the world is changing around us”.

First Minister John Swinney said:

“I know that this is a time of great uncertainty for people, that many families and businesses are worried about what global events will mean for their finances. That is why I want us to be united and creative in our response, to ensure that we are as resilient as we can possibly be.

“My view is that UK response should include removing the self-imposed economic straitjacket of the Chancellor’s fiscal rules and reversing the job – and growth – destroying increase in employers’ National Insurance contributions. The world is changing around us and quite simply, the UK government needs to change too.

“It should include closer alignment with the European Union. If trade barriers are being constructed across the Atlantic, they must be swept away in the Channel and North Sea.

“And it should include investment in Scotland’s green industrial future. If British Steel is to be nationalised to protect it, then so too should Grangemouth.

“If a supercomputer is to be built in the London-Oxford-Cambridge triangle, then the cancelled supercomputer for Edinburgh should be restored.

If carbon capture and storage is to proceed on Tyneside and Merseyside, it should be given an immediate green light for the north-east of Scotland too.

“This is what it means to get serious about Scotland’s economic future. Given the scale of the threat, anything less is not good enough.”

MIL OSI United Kingdom –

April 13, 2025
MIL-OSI Australia: Man arrested after attempted car theft at Seaford

Source: New South Wales – News

A man was arrested after allegedly attempting to steal a car at Seaford last night.

Police were called to Commercial Road, Seaford just after 9pm on Saturday 12 April by reports of an attempted robbery.

A 19-year-old woman was sitting in her car in the shopping centre car park when she was approached by a man who asked for a lift.

They had a brief conversation before he allegedly reached in and dragged her out of the car.

Witnesses quickly intervened, pulled the man out of the car and detained him until police arrived.

Fortunately, the victim wasn’t injured during this incident.

The 20-year-old South Brighton man was arrested and charged with aggravated robbery. He was refused police bail and will appear in the Christies Beach Magistrates Court on Monday 14 April.

Police thank the public for their swift intervention and coming to the young woman’s aid.

MIL OSI News –

April 13, 2025
MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Labour urged to tax the rich to fund services: billionaires should not exist

Source: Scottish Greens

12 Apr 2025 2025 Spring Conference

We cannot afford billionaires. Tax the super rich.

Labour is failing people and planet and must tax the super rich to build a fairer, greener future, says Scottish Green Co-Leader Lorna Slater.

Speaking at her party’s Spring Conference in Stirling, Ms Slater called for action to tax wealth and big polluters.

Addressing a capacity crowd, Ms Slater said: “The last few years have been difficult for most people, but they haven’t been difficult for everyone. The wealth of billionaires has more than tripled since 2010. They’ve made out like bandits in the last few years, cashing in every step of the way.

“Through austerity, COVID, global market turmoil – the super-rich have been able to shore up their wealth whilst ordinary people and families have suffered.

“It is not right that as billionaires are getting richer and richer, household bills are getting higher and higher for everybody else. It is not right that fossil fuel companies have raked in huge profits, whilst abandoning any significant investment in green renewables. It is not right that some of the wealthiest people in our society are telling us that we cannot afford to provide vital services for people who need them while they are hoarding so much wealth.

“It’s not that we can’t afford good public services, it’s that we can’t afford billionaires. Billionaires should not exist.

“It is thanks to the Scottish Greens that the highest earners in Scotland, and people who own more than one home, have to pay more. When I see headlines in the right-wing press whining about Scotland’s fairer tax system – it makes me proud. We need to tax the rich.

“We need to think beyond income tax, we need to tax wealth, we need to tax carbon emissions and the big polluters to put money back into people’s pockets, back into public services and to build a fairer, greener country.”

Ms Slater finished by laying out Green policies that will cut carbon emissions while putting money back in people’s pockets.

Ms Slater said:

“In just over a year’s time, we’ll be heading into the 2026 Holyrood election and this is the story that we are going to tell.

“Just like free bus travel for under 22’s, the things we need the Scottish government to do on climate will improve life opportunities for Scots, and will put money back in their pockets.

“Green policies will make life better in practical ways. Warm homes. Clean air. Affordable trains. We know what change is needed. That’s why we exist.”

MIL OSI United Kingdom –

April 13, 2025
MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Patrick Harvie calls for Greens to provide hope in final conference as leader

Source: Scottish Greens

12 Apr 2025 2025 Spring Conference

We must remain hopeful and keep making positive change happen.

Scottish Green Co-Leader Patrick Harvie has delivered his final conference speech as party Co-Leader.

Addressing a hall of members Mr Harvie called for his party to offer hope and challenge the hateful politics of the far right.

Mr Harvie said: “Ours must be a movement that offers vision, ambition, and clarity; only if we do that will we deserve the trust of voters; and our message is even more urgent and important in these unsettling times.

“Green politics could hardly be more of a contrast with the rise of dangerous forces in today’s political climate; the far right threat is very real, and too much of the political spectrum is still behaving as though it can be defeated by imitation.

“They tried that with anti-immigrant and anti-asylum prejudice, making policy ever more hostile and brutal. It harmed people, and it also didn’t work.

“They tried it with Brexit, parroting meaningless slogans like ‘make Brexit work’ even though they knew it never could. It harmed people, and it also didn’t work.

“They are now doing the same thing with the so-called culture war agenda, with transphobia and the right wing’s attempt to redefine free speech. It’s harming people, and it also cannot work to defeat the far right – playing into their agenda will only ever give the far right more political space.

“Their ideas can only be defeated by openly and consistently challenging them, not by imitating them.”

In closing his speech, Mr Harvie said:

“For much of our party’s early history, people voted Green as a protest. That’s not enough. It’s not enough to win the chance to make change happen. It should never be enough to satisfy us.

“Green politics must be about making a difference in the real world, because the challenges, and crises, that we exist to face are far too urgent.

“Not just during my time in a leadership role, but throughout the two and a half decades of the devolution era, that’s what we’ve built – the capacity and the credibility to make change happen.

“It took hard work, by many people over many years, to build this party into a political force in Scotland that’s capable of making the country a better place, and that can now point to a track record of doing it instead of just talking about it.

“So that’s still the task before us – to take Green politics forward, to achieve more positive change in people’s lives, and to live up to our values in the way we do our politics, because that’s the only way to truly deserve people‘s trust, not just for ourselves, but for democracy.

“So as I close my last speech as Co-Leader, I look forward to our party having the debate we deserve, the debate we need, about how to build on the most impactful period in our party’s history, and go forward to achieve even more positive change for people and for planet.

“Thank you once again for the opportunity to serve.”

MIL OSI United Kingdom –

April 13, 2025
MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Patrick Harvie Spring Conference speech 2025

Source: Scottish Greens

12 Apr 2025 Climate

Patrick Harvie gave his final conference speech as Co-Leader of the Scottish Greens, urging his party to present a bold and inspiring alternative to a broken status quo and the far right Reform party.

More in Climate

Now as you know, I’ve given more than a few co-leader speeches at our conferences, and I can’t really begin today without recognising that I’m turning the page now, both for myself and for the party.

I’m want to say how grateful I am to everyone who has offered kind words since I announced that I won’t be standing for re-election as Co-Leader.

And I want to thank everybody who has given me the opportunity to serve the party as co-convenor and then as Co-Leader; and everyone I’ve worked with across the party over many years.

And naturally, having made that decision, I’ve been reflecting on the journey we’ve all been on.

I think back to the public perceptions, and the internal reality, of the party I joined in 2001.

A party with just one MSP, no councillors, and a handful of members. A party so strapped for cash that it only narrowly escaped being bankrupted by a photocopier contract. A party with so little profile or recognition that when you said told people you were a member, people thought you meant Greenpeace.

I think back also to my experience of becoming part of our new parliamentary group in 2003, when we suddenly jumped up from one seat to seven. It was an exciting time, of course, but we knew that to most voters, to most politics watchers and to most of the media, we were an unknown quantity at best.

The Daily Mail knew what to make of us. As the first MSP to be elected as an out candidate, when I started talking about equal marriage and civil partnership, they splashed a front page with the headline “Green threat to the family.”

In the article that followed, they fretted “describing himself as bisexual, enjoying relationships with both men and women!”. I mean if they’d written “hoping for…” it would at least have been accurate.

And not long after that I was dubbed the voice of the “irresponsible left led anti family anti-Christian gay whales against the bomb coalition.” Because they hadn’t thought of the word woke by then.

But even beyond the odd worldview of the Mail, much of the media saw us as nothing more than a novelty act, something to do with the environment, something a bit eccentric, but nothing like a serious political force.

We wanted to change that perception. And slowly and surely, by taking our jobs seriously, and taking parliament seriously, we started to make others take us seriously. We built credibility. But that early success didn’t have a strong foundation.

Though our national membership was still measured in the hundreds, we had run a decent campaign, on half a shoestring, but in truth the electoral weather had been very kind to us. We did need to build that political credibility, but we hadn’t yet built the strong campaigning party in the country that we would need when we faced a tougher election.

In 2007 we just about held on by our fingernails. We lost most of our seats, most of our staff, most of our profile, and most of our ability to achieve change.

I never want that to happen to the Scottish Green Party again.

We began the slow process of rebuilding the party, and because Parliament was so tightly balanced we did manage to find opportunities to keep making change happen, from funding climate work in communities, to passing hate crime laws.

But it was 2014, and in fact the few years running up to it, that changed everything.

As soon as it was clear that Scotland would be making this historic decision on independence, we saw the opportunity not only to set out why independence fits with the Green vision, but why the Green vision is the path to making independence work – why a sustainable independent Scotland, able to move quickly and fairly away from the fossil fuel age, is the best future we can choose.

Some independence voices hadn’t yet moved on from “it’s Scotland’s oil.” To be honest, a few still haven’t even today. But we saw, and we seized, an opportunity to change the debate, and change the story of Scotland’s future.

More than that, we wanted to show that people could debate that choice in good spirit, and that people can disagree and still be friends. And that positive ideas and vision are of more value than fear, opportunism, or insults. That Scotland was capable of the standard of debate we deserved.

Our message reached more people than ever before, and more people than ever before decided to join.

There are people here today who joined in that surge, who attended branch meetings in the wake of the referendum, meetings where the overspills rooms needed overspill rooms.

With the capacity and the profile that we gained in that period, 2016 restored our parliamentary group, and with the SNP returning to minority government we were able to achieve real change; passing legislation, winning the case for progressive tax reform, and forcing policy change from government, but – critically – building out political relevance; and we laid the groundwork for our best ever result in 2021.

And on the back of that result, the opportunity to become part of the government presented itself. In the biggest and most participative democratic process our party has ever undertaken, our members first shaped and then approved the Bute House Agreement.

Doing that was a clear statement that we’re here to make change happen, and that we were ready to step up and do the hard work that’s necessary to make change on a far bigger scale than ever before.

Clearly, it was shorter lived than it could have been, and now some of our most important work is being undone or watered down by the SNP. But even without the chance to complete a lot of the work we got started, we made a bigger difference in people’s lives than ever.

It’s the reason three quarters of a million young people today have a bus pass in their pocket today, making public transport an affordable and natural first choice.

It’s the reason investment in climate and nature hit record highs, investment that was needed because for far too long politicians had been setting targets and then blocking the action needed to reach them; and it’s the reason why better planning policies ensured that Loch Lomond has been protected from the damage threatened by FlamingoLand.

This commitment to making change happen instead of only talking about it went well beyond the environmental agenda that Green politics is most strongly rooted in. The actions we took showed how Green ideas apply to social and economic policy, in ways that other parties have shied away from.

It’s the reason tenants across the country were spared thousands of pounds in avoidable extra rent rises during a cost of living crisis.

It’s the reason Scotland has continued on the path of more progressive taxation to help protect public services from the austerity first of the Conservative and now of a UK Labour Government.

And it was also the reason that more people than ever before gave us their support. While the SNP’s legal woes and Nicola Sturgeon’s resignation led to a decline in their support, we saw the highest sustained period of polling in our party’s history, and an election in 2022 that exceeded all expectations.

I’ll never forget the frustration of some of the SNP’s right wingers, furious at their own party for working with us, desperate to blame their loss of support on Green policies, but looking at our growing success with utter bewilderment.

So what now? How do we build on that success, and take Green politics forward in Scotland?

In this party, it has never just been leaders who answer questions like that, but I’ve no doubt that over the coming months as we choose the leadership team for the 2026 election, these are the questions we will debate.

And I want that debate to be a positive, collaborative debate; just like that positive debate that we aimed for about the country’s future, that’s what our party deserves as we debate our own future.

At any time, but especially now with basic democratic values facing new and very real threats, political parties should be willing to ask ourselves – why do people vote for us?

For the Greens, many people see us as the political wing of the environment movement. That’s fundamental to our origins and our purpose, but it was never the whole of the answer

Some people might vote for specific policies; whether that’s on climate & nature, housing, transport, independence, or anything else.

These policy stances really matter, of course; they matter most if we can actually make them happen. And we should never lose sight of the need to build a reputation for actually turning ideas into reality; all those achievements we’ve made – Scotland is a fairer, better, and greener place because of this work; they are the achievements that are only possible thanks to the political credibility we’ve earned and the support people have given us at election time.

But it’s a common error for people in politics to think these individual policy issues are what drive most people to the ballot box.

For far more people, it’s more about who we are.

We’re a party that’s always tried to be hopeful, even when that is hard work. We’re a party that’s always tried to be constructive – challenging others by putting forward better ideas, but also seeking out the common ground where cooperation can happen – and that’s ever more important in these dangerously polarised times.

These have been parts of our political character that people really value.

And I’m truly sorry to say that there have been times recently when I’ve had to ask if we really live up to those values? Times when instead of speaking up in an open and democratic way, a small minority of members have taken to anonymous leaks, smears, insults, undermining the work of fellow members and damaging our whole party and our reputation by doing so.

I want to appeal to everyone, lets make sure that the next few months see a positive campaign that lifts our party up, one that lives up to the best of our values, not one that descends to the factionalism and toxicity that characterises too much of political debate.

The vast majority of our members and our voters have had more than enough of that. I’m asking everyone in our party to call it out when they see it, and show those who behave that way that it’s not welcome in this party.

Ours has to be a movement that offers vision, ambition, and clarity. It’s only if we do so that we will deserve the trust of voters; and our message is even more urgent and important in these unsettling times.

Green politics could hardly be more of a contrast with the rise of dangerous forces in today’s political climate; the far right threat is very real, and too much of the political spectrum is still behaving as though it can be defeated by imitation.

They tried that with anti-immigrant and anti-asylum prejudice, making policy ever more hostile and brutal. It harmed people, and it also didn’t work.

They tried it with Brexit, parroting meaningless slogans like ‘make Brexit work’ even though they knew that it never could. It harmed people, and it also didn’t work.

They are now doing the same thing with the so-called culture war agenda, with transphobia and the right wing’s attempt to redefine free speech. It’s harming people, and it also cannot work to defeat the far right – playing into their agenda will only ever give the far right more political space.

Their ideas can only be defeated by openly and consistently challenging them, never by imitating them.

And that goes for the right’s contempt for democracy too – undermining trust in the democratic process is easy, and utterly destructive. Greens have a harder job to do, but a far more important one. We have to rekindle belief that in the idea that democratic politics is capable of making our society better, fairer and more liveable.

For much of our party’s early history, people might voted Green as a bit of a protest. That’s not enough. It’s not enough to win the chance to make change happen. It should never be enough to satisfy us.

Green politics must be about making a difference in the real world, because the challenges, and crises, that we exist to face are far too urgent.

Not just during my time in a leadership role, but throughout the two and a half decades of the devolution era, that’s what we’ve built – the capacity and the credibility to make change happen.

It took hard work, by many people over many years, to build this party into a political force in Scotland that’s capable of making the country a better place, and that can now point to a track record of doing it and not just talking about it.

So that’s still the task before us – to take Green politics forward, to achieve more positive change in people’s lives, and to live up to our values in the way we do our politics, because that’s the only way to truly deserve people‘s trust, not just for ourselves, but for democracy.

So as I close my last speech as Co-Leader, I look forward to our party having the debate we truly deserve in the coming months, the debate we need, about how to build on the most impactful period in our party’s history, and go forward to achieve even more positive change for people and for planet.

Thank you once again for the opportunity to serve.

MIL OSI United Kingdom –

April 12, 2025
MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Lorna Slater Spring Conference 2025

Source: Scottish Greens

12 Apr 2025

Speaking at her party’s Spring Conference in Stirling, Scottish Green Co-Leader Lorna Slater called for action to tax wealth and big polluters to build a fairer, greener Scotland.

When we met last October our country and our world were in a state of flux. Our political landscape is still shifting dramatically.

We have a Labour government telling us that things can only get worse while they cut the incomes of sick and disabled people. They kept the cruel two child cap, which has plunged thousands of families into totally avoidable poverty.

Although they look set to nationalise British Steel they have betrayed the workers of Grangemouth.

They betrayed the WASPI women after campaigning for them for years.

They kowtow to a far right Trump administration that is dismantling hard won rights and freedoms.

Donald Trump is a dangerous, fraudulent, misogynistic, racist, climate-change denier.

He opposes democratic values and the rule of law.

His White House is spreading lies and misinformation about abortion rights here in Scotland – including disgraceful attacks on our colleague Gillian Mackay’s Safe Access Zone Bill;

Labour may be happy to make friends with dangerous despots, but we refuse to play nicely while the world burns.

Trump and his hateful politics are not welcome in Scotland. Our country is not his playground.

Prime Minister Keir Starmer, you need to cancel the state visit. Cancel it now.

The impact of Nigel Farage’s hard right Reform party rising in the polls, is already being felt in Scotland as the Tories and Labour shift to the right to try and rescue their votes.

The Tories dropping any kind of commitment to net zero, and Labour throwing trans-people under the bus.

As Patrick said: You can’t beat the far right by stealing their policies.

You don’t beat Nigel Farage by cozying up to Donald Trump.

The Scottish Greens will stand our ground as a proud party of the left.

We stand with refugees who are being attacked by racist politicians and the billionaire-owned press.

We stand with people who have fled war and conflict only to be blamed by those who have cut services and plunged families into poverty.

We stand with the trans community who have been the focus of a relentless campaign of demonisation from MPs and MSPs from all the other parties.

Trans rights are human rights. Our Party stands with you today, tomorrow and always.

We stand with the people of Palestine who are suffering a genocide that has been armed, and supported and enabled by the UK government.

The crisis there is getting worse and so is the human cost.

Babies are being killed long before they have the chance to mark their first birthdays.

And yet the response from Downing Street has been to continue supporting the carnage.

If Labour is to have any moral authority then it must end arms sales to Israel.

It’s not just them. It’s time for the SNP to finally end the grants that are bolstering Israel’s arms dealers.

For all of us working towards a greener, fairer world, it can feel like we’re losing ground.

Sometimes it’s hard to keep hold of hope that we can build something better.

The future can be brilliant. We just have to decide to make it so.

By working together the Scottish Greens have already taken big steps into that better future.

We have taxed high earners to raise billions of pounds for public services;

We’ve given free bus travel to everyone under 22;

We’ve made sure that every organisation in Scotland that receives public money, pays the living wage.

We’ve delivered free school meals to more hungry children than ever before;

Our rent freeze and eviction protections for renters across Scotland saved tenants thousands of pounds and protected many from being made homeless.

We have made a big difference to people’s lives.

Our work has helped people and planet, and made our country a fairer and better place.

All of this has happened because of the work of the people in this room – our volunteers around the country, and our work with campaigners and activists.

Among the hardest working people in our movement are the Green Councillors who are transforming local communities for the better.

Green Councillors in Glasgow have secured free public transport pilots and extra funding for safer parks and streets.

In Edinburgh, our Green councillors stopped council venues and services running advertising from climate wreckers and arms dealers.

Day in and day out, our councillors across Scotland are supporting their constituents and standing up for their communities.

That’s what Councillor Bryan Quinn did when he protected crucial library services and Community Access Points in Clackmannanshire.

It’s what Councillor Kris Leask did when he secured an Offshore Energy Strategy for Orkney – something which he’s now leading on delivering.

After years of campaigning, our Dunblane and Bridge of Allan councillor Alasdair Tollemache – working with my MSP colleague Mark Ruskell – has successfully protected a vital local green space, Park of Keir, from expensive luxury housing and a tennis centre with unaffordable and inaccessible facilities.

These are the kind of things we achieve when we put our values into action.

It’s what we achieve when we work together to get greens elected.

We will be able to achieve even more by getting more Greens elected.

Can we please all show our appreciation for our councillors.

The last few years have been difficult for most people, but they haven’t been difficult for everyone.

The wealth of billionaires has more than tripled since 2010. They’ve made out like bandits in the last few years, cashing in every step of the way.

Through austerity, COVID, global market turmoil – the super-rich have been able to enlarge their wealth whilst ordinary people and families have suffered.

It is not right that as billionaires are getting richer and richer, household bills are getting higher and higher for everybody else.

It is not right that fossil fuel companies have raked in huge profits, whilst abandoning any significant investment in green renewables.

It is not right that some of the wealthiest people in our society are telling us that we cannot afford to provide public services for people.

It’s not that we can’t afford good public services, it’s that we can’t afford billionaires.

Billionaires should not exist.

It is thanks to the Scottish Greens that the highest earners in Scotland, and people who own more than one home, have to pay more.

When I see headlines in the right-wing press whining about Scotland’s fairer tax system – it makes me proud.

We need to tax the rich.

We need to think beyond income tax, we need to tax wealth, we need to tax carbon emissions, we need to tax the big polluters to put money back into people’s pockets, back into public services and to build a fairer, greener country.

Nowhere is this injustice more prevalent than when it comes to housing.

Over the past decade, the cost of renting has skyrocketed. Landlords have been charging more than ever before.

Right now, private landlords have too much power and renters are suffering.

The Scottish Greens have made big steps to protect tenants.

We froze rents and banned evictions in the aftermath of COVID.

We wrote the Bill to introduce rent controls.

And thanks to protections brought in by the Scottish Greens, thousands of people have been protected from eye watering rent hikes.

But without us in the room, the SNP are turning their backs on renters.

They are buckling under pressure from vested interests who want to water down our rent controls.

They want landlords to be able to raise rents higher than inflation.

If people aren’t getting a big pay rise, why should landlords?

Homes should be for living in – not for profiteering.

It’s time to raise tenants rights and lower rents.

We’re campaigning to bring in a permanent ban on winter evictions, and we’ve got plans to help local communities force absentee landlords and landowners to sell or rent derelict land for housing.

It isn’t just housing where the SNP is coming up short.

It’s the same story when it comes to transport.

If we want to reduce emissions and build happier, healthier communities – public transport is key.

Thanks to the Scottish Greens, hundreds of thousands of young people can now get a bus for free – saving families thousands of pounds, and opening up opportunities for Scotland’s young people.

Thanks to the Scottish Greens, people seeking asylum in Scotland will soon get free bus passes

Thanks to the Scottish Greens, thousands of young islanders can now jump on inter-island ferries for free.

We did that.

But the SNP has failed to deliver the scale of investment needed to make public transport a reliable, affordable and accessible option for all.

We need more publicly owned bus networks across the whole of Scotland – and capped bus fares. A cap of £2 for every local journey.

Private bus companies should not be able to hike fares at the same time as cutting lifeline services.

It should not be cheaper to travel between Scotland’s two biggest cities by car than by rail.

The Scottish Government should not be pouring funds into dualling the A9, increasing traffic, pollution and noise, instead of investing in buses and trains.

It is far too late in the climate emergency to be building new roads.

What we need is cheaper rail for all – that means ending peak time rail fares for good.

Cheaper buses, ferries and trains – a win-win for people and planet.

Our planet needs us.

I know I’m not the only one who has been really shocked by the wildfires that we are seeing across Scotland right now.

Not the only one who has been horrified by the devastation to people’s homes, businesses and farms that has been done by floods and storms.

This is the climate catastrophe accelerating. Governments around the world have let us down. They didn’t listen to science, they didn’t cut carbon emissions, they didn’t stop their destruction of our eco-systems.

What we are seeing now in Scotland, will only get worse, if governments continue to prevaricate, unsure of how to politically manage the cost of moving to an economy that isn’t dependent on fossil fuels.

Well anyone who was flooded out or who’s land is burning can see the cost of not making the change.

So much of what needs to change: insulating homes, building better public transport, building 20 minute neighbourhoods, moving to lower impact agriculture, will actually make life better for everyone.

For the kids who will be able to safely cycle to school. For the farmers who can improve their profits by buying fewer expensive fertilisers and pesticides.

In just over a year’s time, we’ll be heading into the 2026 Holyrood election and this is the story that we are going to tell.

Just like free bus travel for under 22’s, the things we need the Scottish Government to do on climate will improve life opportunities for Scots, and will put money back in their pockets.

Green policies will make life better in practical ways. Warm homes. Clean air. Affordable trains. More buses.

We know what change is needed. That’s why we exist.

The power of our shared vision. So many new possibilities, so much potential.

Some say it’s the hope that kills you. I don’t believe that.

I think it’s the hope that keeps us all here. It’s certainly what’s kept me here.

Everything you do as volunteers in this party matters. Without all of you there would be no Greens in Councils or in Holyrood. There would be no free bus travel for asylum seekers or any of the other changes that we have achieved.

Whether it’s the all important knocking on doors, taking meeting minutes, delivering leaflets, everything you do matters and it all adds up. It adds up to growing a Green movement in Scotland, it adds to how much we can get done.

Thank you for all the work you do

Thank you, in advance for the many miles of pavement you’ll be walking and wheeling in the next 14 months listening to voters on their doorsteps, delivering leaflets, supporting your candidates. We are so grateful for all of it.

Now is the time to stand together. To be brave and bold. Our vision for a greener, fairer Scotland could never be more important.

Let’s show them that the Scottish Greens are the ones who deliver.

MIL OSI United Kingdom –

April 12, 2025
MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Communities to nominate UK traditions for new inventory
Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

News story

Communities to nominate UK traditions for new inventory

Nominations will open this summer for traditions like Notting Hill Carnival, Hogmanay and artisanal crafts to be officially recognised
New inventory of traditions will champion UK values and heritage

Follows ratification of the 2003 UNESCO Convention for the Safeguarding of Intangible Culture Heritage last year

Communities across the UK will soon be able to nominate their favourite traditions to be included within official inventories of our living heritage.

Traditions that are central to the rich tapestry which makes up the UK’s many cultures and identity – from Eisteddfodau to Notting Hill Carnival, Hogmanay and Highland dancing – are among those expected to be put forward for a UK-wide official inventory. Artisanal crafts such as basket-weaving, thatching and the art of creating tweed, will also be considered.

Today the Government has published its response to a consultation asking the public for their views on making sure the new inventory of living heritage encompasses the broad spectrum of traditions practised in the UK.

The response sets out how the Government will, together with the Devolved Governments, create inventories of living heritage across England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. Submissions to the inventories will be encouraged from communities and groups practising living heritage, including from those who practise traditions brought to the UK by immigrant communities.

This follows the UK ratifying the 2003 UNESCO Convention for the Safeguarding of Intangible Cultural Heritage last year, which requires each member state to compile their own inventory of living heritage practiced by communities in their country. This can include the folklore, performance, customs and crafts that play an important role in telling our national story and making people feel proud of where they live.

Heritage Minister Baroness Twycross said:

The UK is rich with wonderful traditions, from Gloucestershire’s cheese rolling to folk music and dancing and the many heritage crafts that we practice, such as tartan weaving and carving Welsh love spoons.

I would encourage everyone to think about what traditions they value so that we can continue to celebrate them, tell our national story to the rest of the world and safeguard the traditions that make us who we are.

This UK-wide inventory will start a national conversation about the crafts, customs and celebrations that are valued across the UK and raise awareness of them, in order to help protect them for future generations. Nominations for the inventory are expected to open later this year.

DCMS ran a public consultation from January to February 2024 to inform the development of an Inventory of Living Heritage in the UK. This included 16 roundtables, which sought the views of those interested in recognising living heritage, such as grassroots organisations, non-governmental organisations, museums and academics as well as government representatives from across the UK.

Following this engagement, it has been agreed that nominations will be accepted under seven categories, which are:

Oral expressions, which could include poetry and storytelling

Performing Arts

Social Practices, which could include festivals and customs

Nature, Land and Spirituality, which could include land practices and living heritage knowledge and practice relating to nature and the environment

Crafts

Sports and Games

Culinary Practices

Further information about how to nominate traditions and crafts to be included on the inventories, including gaining support and consent from the community, will be available when the call for submissions opens later this year.

Notes to editors:

DCMS announced that the UK would ratify the UNESCO Convention on the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage in December 2023. Further details of the 2003 Convention for Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage here.

The UK ratified the 2003 Convention on the 7th March 2024 and the Convention officially came into force on 7th June 2024.

The full response to the consultation is available on gov.uk: https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/2003-unesco-convention-for-the-safeguarding-of-the-intangible-cultural-heritage

Whilst we ratify international treaties such as the 2003 Convention as the UK, policy responsibility for culture and heritage devolved from the UK Government to the Devolved Governments. DCMS therefore worked closely with counterparts in the Devolved Governments to agree on ratification and the consultation.

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Published 12 April 2025
MIL OSI United Kingdom –
April 12, 2025
MIL-OSI Banking: The ultimate guide to Microsoft Security at upcoming RSAC 2025 event
Source: Microsoft

Headline: The ultimate guide to Microsoft Security at upcoming RSAC 2025 event

So you just finished watching Microsoft Secure. That means by now, you’ve heard about our new protections for AI and Microsoft Security Copilot agents. These innovations will be the focus of Microsoft Security’s sessions and activities at RSACTM 2025 Conference (RSAC 2025).

The can’t-miss conference is just around the corner. Microsoft Security is bringing an exciting lineup of sessions, expert panels, and exclusive networking opportunities to empower security professionals in the era of AI. Our entire presence at RSAC 2025 is designed to help you boost your AI skills so you can stay ahead of threats and manage security more effectively.

Whether you’re interested in protecting all your AI investments, AI-driven security, threat intelligence, or securing cloud environments, we’ve got something for you. To help you plan your time from Sunday, April 27 to Thursday, May 1, 2025, in San Francisco, here’s a quick and easy guide to all the key Microsoft Security moments at RSAC 2025.

Microsoft Pre-Day | 4:00 PM – 6:00 PM | Palace Hotel

For the fourth year in a row, Microsoft Pre-Day kicks off the full lineup of Microsoft events and activities throughout RSAC 2025. We will host these at the Microsoft Security Hub at Palace Hotel, just a short walk from Moscone Center.

Hear directly from Microsoft Security leaders as they share reporting on emerging cyberthreat trends and the product innovations designed to protect against them. See the lineup below:
- Vasu Jakkal, Corporate Vice President (CVP), Microsoft Security Business
- Charlie Bell, Executive Vice President, Microsoft Security
- Sherrod DeGrippo, Director of Threat Intelligence Strategy
- Dorothy Li, Corporate Vice President (CVP), Microsoft Security Copilot
- Ann Johnson, Corporate Vice President (CVP) and Deputy CISO
- And more.
Register for Pre-Day today.

Networking Reception | 6:00 PM – 8:30 PM | Microsoft Security Hub, Palace Hotel, Second Floor

Stick around after Microsoft Pre-Day to attend the Networking Reception—a lively evening designed to connect with the security community, engage with Microsoft leaders, and exchange ideas in a relaxed atmosphere. It’s the perfect way to kick off an inspiring week at RSAC 2025.

On Monday we ease into things by focusing on what’s new all around. We’ll share lots of goodness about agents and our new innovations announced in March.

Security Demo Experience at the Microsoft Security Booth #5744 | All day, every day | Moscone Center North Expo Hall

Monday is the first day to explore the show floor. Stop by the Microsoft Security Booth #5744 in Moscone Center North Expo Hall to explore live demos, meet Microsoft Security experts, and get hands-on with the latest tools.

Become a defender against cyber threats in a fast-paced, interactive game. You’ll be a part of a mission, navigating realistic incident response scenarios using Microsoft Security solutions, including our new AI Agents. Engage in quick skill challenges and wrap up with expert insights. Are you ready to beat the bad actors?

Keynote: Security in the Age of Agentic AI | 4:40 PM | Moscone Center (West Stage)

Agentic workflows will dramatically reshape what is possible in security. By enabling more complex problem-solving, agent collaboration, and iterative learning, agentic AI will empower a new paradigm for security that was once the domain of science fiction. Vasu Jakkal will take an imaginative look at the future of security AI agents, and the very human-driven way they will change the game.

Microsoft Sessions at RSAC 2025 | All day | Moscone Center

Our top Microsoft Security experts were chosen by RSAC to share their insights and best practices to help you level up your own security strategy. These sessions are designed for learning, not selling. So, you’ll hear more about what’s happening in the security space and less about products.
- Practical Strategies for Security Architecture in a Changing World @ 8:30 AM – 9:20 AM
This session will delve into the core pillars of security architecture and share practical strategies that uphold foundational principles. Will discuss holistic system thinking and provide a practical playbook for navigating the complexities of security architecture while maintaining a focus on the fundamentals and essential considerations for a secure digital environment.

Speaker: Abhilasha Bhargav-Spantzel, Partner Security Architect, Microsoft
- RSAC Innovation Sandbox @ 9:30 AM – 12:40 PM
Ten of cybersecurity’s boldest new innovators compete in Innovation Sandbox for the title of “Most Innovative Startup.” ISB celebrates 20 years & spotlights startups with potentially game-changing ideas. The Finalists have 3 minutes to share groundbreaking products & solutions with a panel of judges. Interact first-hand with these companies as the judges deliberate before the winner is crowned.

Speakers: Christopher Young, Executive Vice President, Business Development, Strategy and Ventures, Microsoft; David Chan, Managing Director, Morgan Stanley; Dorit Dor, Chief Technology Officer, Check Point Software Technologies; Niloofar Razi Howe, Operating Partner, Capitol Meridian Partners; Hugh Thompson, Executive Chairman & RSAC Conference Program Committee Chair, RSAC; Paul Kocher, Researcher, Independent Researcher; and Nasrin Rezai, SVP & CISO, Verizon
- AI Era Authentication: Securing the Future with Inclusive Identity @ 1:10 PM – 2:00 PM
This session explores the security and usability risks of authentication techniques for users with diverse needs. Emergence of AI agents, a new user identity acting on our behalf, also necessitates a rethink of authentication methods. Discover AI-era authentication using sensors like location and behavior and learn about the shift from active to passive authentication with prototypes in action.

Speakers: Abhilasha Bhargav-Spantzel, Partner Security Architect, Microsoft and Aditi Shah, Senior Data & Applied Scientist, Microsoft
- DPRK Remote IT Workers – Have You Hired One and Are You at Risk? @ 2:20 PM – 3:10 PM
The DPRK actively deploys remote IT workers to generate revenue for the regime while circumventing sanctions. DPRK IT workers pose risks to companies, including insider access, potential intellectual property theft, and exposure to other malicious cyber activity. This panel will discuss best practices for identifying and preventing the hiring of DPRK IT workers.

Speakers: Greg Schloemer, Senior Threat Intelligence Analyst, Microsoft; Elizabeth Pelker, Special Agent, FBI; Chris Horne, Director, Trust & Safety Intelligence & Investigations, Upwork; Adam Meyers, SVP Intelligence, CrowdStrike; and Bryan Vorndran, Assistant Director, FBI

Microsoft Expert Sessions | All day Monday – Wednesday | Microsoft Security Hub at the Palace Hotel (Second Floor)

Don’t miss our deep-dive sessions happening at the Microsoft Security Hub. Build your AI cybersecurity skills as Microsoft Security experts will share what they’ve learned and provide insights you can apply in your own organization.
- Harnessing Diversity – Strengthening the Cybersecurity Workforce in the Age of AI @ 10:30AM – 11:30AM
Speakers: Amanda Minnich, Principal Research Manager, Microsoft; Nicole Ford VP, Customer Security Officer, Microsoft; Kyla Guru, Founder/CEO, Bits N’ Bytes Cybersecurity Education; Tanell Ford, Assistant General Counsel, Microsoft; and Sherrod Degrippo, Directory of Threat Intelligence Strategy, Microsoft
- Reshaping SecOps for the Cloud AI Era @ 10:30AM – 11:30AM
Speakers: Scott Woodbridge, General Manager, Product Marketing, Microsoft and Corina Feuerstein, Principal Product Manager for Copilot in Defender and Sentinel
- Practical use of CoPilot AutoFix to address Security Backlog @ 12:00PM – 1:30PM
Speakers: Alexis Wales, CISO, GitHub and Marcelo Oliveira, VP, Product Management, GitHub
- Executive Lunch: Scaling Compliance for Global Regulations @ 12:00PM – 1:30PM
Speakers: Bret Arsenault, CVP, Chief Cybersecurity Advisor, Microsoft

Theatre Sessions | Location: Microsoft Security Booth #5744

Here’s where we talk products. These 15-20 minute informal, come-and-go sessions run all day at the Microsoft Security booth. They’re demo-heavy product showcases to help you learn how to better use the tools you’ve got now.
- Identity Security in the Era of AI with Security Copilot @ 5:35PM – 5:55 PM
- Security Copilot Agents: Autonomous, adaptive, with you in control @ 6:05PM – 6:25 PM
- From Risk to Resilience: The Next Evolution in Multicloud Security @ 6:35 PM– 6:55PM
MISA Awards| Location: Microsoft Security Hub at the Palace Hotel (Second Floor)

It’s time to suit up in heroic attire for an epic celebration at the 6th annual Microsoft Security Excellence Awards! Just like the Avengers, assembling to save the world, we’re coming together to honor the extraordinary achievements of our MISA members who work so diligently to protect customers from external threats! Congratulations to the incredible finalists for the sixth annual Microsoft Security Excellence Awards presented by MISA!

Customer Meetings | Location: Microsoft Security Hub at the Palace Hotel (Second Floor)

Take advantage of the opportunity to connect with Microsoft Security experts and enhance your cybersecurity knowledge. From April 28 to April 30, 2025 customers and CISOs can schedule one-on-one meetings at the Palace Hotel to discuss your most pressing security product and threat intelligence questions. Secure your spot by visiting the Microsoft Security Experiences at RSAC 2025 Home Page.

Tuesday is the busiest day of the conference, with lots of choices in front of you, so plan ahead.

Keynote: AI Safety: Where Do We Go From Here? | 8:30 AM | Moscone Center (West Stage)

During this keynote session, Google, Microsoft, NVIDIA, and the UK AI Safety Institute leaders come together for this blockbuster panel to explain the evolving landscape of AI safety. Attendees will gain insights into key developments in AI safety that should matter to organizations, its intersection with existing security initiatives, and time-tested approaches to translate AI safety to practice.

Speakers: Ram Shankar Siva Kumar, Data Cowboy, Microsoft; Jade Leung, Data Cowboy, Microsoft; and Daniel Rohrer, VP Software Product Security, Architecture & Research, NVIDIA

Microsoft Sessions at RSAC 2025 | All day | Moscone Center

RSAC has chosen top Microsoft Security experts to share insights and best practices, letting you learn about the latest in security without the sales pitch.
- Incident Response Dilemmas: Sharing Intel Across Sectors in Critical Times @ 9:40 – 10:30 AM
An incident may be a singular event affecting one entity. What happens when it affects our critical infrastructure and has the possibility of sector-wide impact and cascading effects? How do companies share information and meet regulatory expectations? The session will dive into the work that financial services companies, the government, and cloud service providers are taking to mature IR.

Speakers: Ann Johnson, CVP & Deputy CISO, Customer Security Managment Office, Microsoft; Ted Conklin, Chief AI Officer & Deputy Assistant Secretary, US Treasury; Heather Hogsett, Senior Vice President, Deputy Head of BITS, Bank Policy Institute; and Erez Liebermann, Partner, Debevoise & Plimpton LLP
- XPIA Attacks – Rethinking Defense in Depth for an AI-Powered World @1:15 – 2:05 PM
As adversaries rapidly develop sophisticated AI attacks, the solutions also need to evolve rapidly. This panel will explore Cross/Indirect Prompt Injection Attacks (XPIA) and the need to rethink traditional defense in depth strategies. Gain insights into XPIA trends, risk analysis, and innovative solutions to protect critical infrastructure. Join for practical strategies and expert insights.

Speakers: Abhilasha Bhargav-Spantzel, Partner Security Architect, Microsoft; Aanchal Gupta, CVP, Microsoft; John Leo, Jr, Managing Director – Threat and Vulnerability Management Leader, EY; and Stefano Zanero, Professor, Politecnico di Milano
- A Year(ish) of Countering Malicious Actors’ Use of AI: What Have We Learned? @ 2:25 –3:15 PM
Artificial Intelligence has changed the game when it comes to how cyber adversaries operate, and how defenders respond. This panel will explore lessons learned from the past year of countering malicious cyber actors’ use of AI, challenges and limitations of legal actions involving AI, and what roadblocks might appear going forward as AI, and the actors who use it, continues to evolve.

Speakers: Sherrod DeGrippo, Director, Threat Intelligence Strategy, Microsoft; Morgan Adamski, Executive Director, US Cyber Command; Cynthia Kaiser, Deputy Assistant Director, FBI; and Sean Newell, Chief, National Security Cyber Section, National Security Division, Department of Justice

Microsoft Expert Sessions | All day | Monday – Wednesday Location: Microsoft Security Hub at the Palace Hotel (Second Floor)

Join Microsoft Security product leaders as they share their learnings and how you can apply them in your organization.
- Defending Against Modern Threats: Enhancing Endpoint Security and IT Resilience @ 8:00AM – 9:30AM
Speakers: Archana Devi Sunder Rajan, Partner Group Product Manager, Microsoft and Peter M. Thompson, Principal PM Manager, Microsoft
- Secure and Govern AI to safeguard your data, reduce risks, and support compliance @ 10:30AM – 11:30AM
Speakers: Herain Oberoi, GM, Data & AI Security, Microsoft; Rudra Mitra, Corporate Vice President, Microsoft Purview; and Neta Haiby, Director of AI Security, Microsoft
- Microsoft Security Copilot @ 12:00PM – 1:30PM
Speaker: Dorothy Li, CVP, Microsoft Security Copilot
- Secure your data in the era of AI with Microsoft Purview @ 2:30PM – 3:30PM
Speakers: Talhah Mir, Principal Group Product Manager, Microsoft Purview and Maithili Dandige, Partner Group Product Manager, Microsoft Purview
- AI and Automation Panel: The Startup Innovation for Enterprise Resilience – moderated by FC @ 2:30PM – 3:30PM
**Attendees will have the opportunity to receive a copy of FC’s book, How I Rob Banks, and the chance to have it signed by the author at the end of the session.

Speakers: Kevin Magee, Director Cybersecurity Startups, Microsoft for Startups; FC, Co-founder & CEO, Cygenta; Shane Coleman, Chief Data Security Evangelist; Christ “Tito” Sestito, CEO, HiddenLayer; Ravid Circus, Co-founder & CPO, Seemplicity; and Jeremy Vaughan, CEO, Start Left Security

Theatre Sessions | Location: Microsoft Security Booth #5744

Stop by the Microsoft Security booth to catch a short demo of your favorite product.
- See Beyond Silos and Protect Better with Microsoft Security Exposure Management 11:00 AM –11:20 AM
- Accelerate your Zero Trust journey with the Microsoft Entra Suite 11:30 AM – 11:50 AM
- Automating Vulnerability Management: The Power of “Endpoint Vulnerability Remediation Agent” in Microsoft Intune 12:00 PM – 12:20 PM
- From Risk to Resilience: The Next Evolution in Multicloud Security 12:30 PM – 12:50 PM
- Accelerating post-breach deep content analysis and mitigation with Microsoft Purview @ 1:00 PM – 1:20 PM
- Microsoft Sentinel Uncovered: Advanced Capabilities to Transform the SOC @ 1:30 PM – 1:50 PM
- Protect AI Workloads from Code to Runtime with Microsoft Defender for Cloud @ 2:00 PM – 2:20 PM
- Security Copilot Agents: Autonomous, adaptive, with you in control @ 2:30 PM – 2:50 PM
- Unified SecOps: Defending Critical Infrastructure with Microsoft Defender @ 3:00 PM – 3:20 PM
- Be Fast as Lighting: Automate Microsoft Defender XDR and Microsoft Sentinel Service Delivery @ 3:30 PM – 3:50 PM
- Mastering Cloud Threats: Detect, Investigate, and Respond in real-time with Microsoft Defender for Cloud and Defender XDR integration @ 4:00 PM – 4:20 PM
- Practical Strategies for Securing AI-Driven Data: Enhancing Cyber Resilience and Insider Risk Management @ 4:30 PM – 4:50PM
- Secure and govern access to GenAI apps with the Microsoft Entra Suite @5:00 PM – 5:20 PM
- Bolster your SOC with Microsoft’s Managed Extended Detection and Response (MXDR) @ 5:30 PM – 5:50PM
Networking and Fun | Location: Microsoft Security Hub at the Palace Hotel (Second Floor)
- Secure & Sip: DevOps Edition @ 4:30PM – 6:30PM
Speaker: Alexis Wales, CISO, GitHub

Gather with GitHub’s security leaders and experts for meaningful conversations, thoughtfully crafted cocktails, and a custom ramen bar to round out your day at RSAC.

Customer Meetings | Location: Microsoft Security Hub at the Palace Hotel (Second Floor)

Day 2 of meetings with Microsoft Security experts continues. Secure your spot by visiting the Microsoft Security Experiences at RSAC 2025 Home Page. https://MicrosoftSecurityEvents.eventbuilder.com/MicrosoftRSAC2025events?source=blog_techcomm

As the conference starts to wrap up, don’t miss your chance to get hands-on with Microsoft Security solutions and ask questions at the Hub and booth and in 1:1 meetings.

Microsoft Sessions at RSAC 2025 | Location: Moscone Center
- Guardians of the Cyber Galaxy: Allies Against AI-Powered Cybercrime @ 8:30 – 9:20 AM
AI is revolutionizing cybercrime, putting traditional defenses to the test. Expert panelists unite to detail innovative public-private strategies and real-world case studies from their experience in INTERPOL, the FBI, Microsoft, and the Privacy & Cybersecurity Group of an international law firm. Gain actionable insights to protect the global community and fortify cybersecurity defenses.

Speakers: Sean Farrell, Lead Counsel, AI Strategy, Digital Crimes Unit, Microsoft Corporation; Garylene Javier, Privacy & Cybersecurity Counsel, Crowell & Moring LLP; Craig Jones, Immediate Past Director Cybercrime, INTERPOL; and Andrew Sczygielski, Supervisory Special Agent, Federal Bureau of Investigation
- Green and Sustainable AI for Cybersecurity @1:15 – 2:05 PM
The session will consider the carbon cost of AI and analytics. It will focus on the estimated energy and carbon costs of many cybersecurity use cases and approaches that can be taken to build more sustainable solutions. This will be illustrated through the use of a threat hunting and detection analytical solution and how that could be designed to be most power efficient.

Speakers: Lesley Kipling, Chief Security Advisor, Microsoft and Sian John, CTO, NCC Group
- Scaling AppSec With an SDLC for Citizen Development @ 1:15 – 2:05 PM
AppSec programs are difficult. Filled to the brim with vulnerabilities. Overloaded staff and inadequate budget. The common “solution” is to narrow scope and focus on crown jewels and their devs. Increasing the scope to 100x devs and 1000x apps surprisingly worked, resulting in program remediation of >50K vulnerabilities in 3 months. 18K of them in a single night. This session will show how.

Speakers: Ryan McDonald, Principal Program Manager, Microsoft and Michael Bargury, Co-Founder & CTO, Zenity

Microsoft Expert Sessions | All day Monday – Wednesday | Location: Microsoft Security Hub at the Palace Hotel (Second Floor)

Don’t miss the final few Microsoft Security focused sessions at our Hub.
- Threat intelligence trends and insights panel: Exclusive briefing from Microsoft Threat Intelligence @10:30AM – 11:30AM
Speakers: Sherrod De Grippo, Director of Threat Intelligence Strategy, Microsoft; Jeremy Dallman, Senior Director of Security Research in Microsoft Threat Intelligence; and Steven Masada, Assistant General Counsel, DCU
- Secure access for your employees with Entra Suite @ 10:30AM – 11:30AM
Speaker: Irina Nechaeva, General Manager, Identity and Network Access
- Securing the AI Powered Enterprise Executive Panel Lunch @12:00PM – 1:30PM
Speakers: Bret Arsenault, Chief Cybersecurity Advisor, Microsoft; Brandon Dixon, Partner Product Manager, Security AI Strategy, Microsoft; Manny Sahota, Director, Global Cloud Privacy, Microsoft; Herain Oberoi, General Manager, Data Security, Governance, Compliance, Privacy Business and Marketing, Microsoft; and Sarah Bird, Chief Product Officer of Responsible AI, Microsoft

Theatre Sessions | Location: Microsoft Security Booth #5744

Don’t miss your chance to see demos and ask questions casually at the booth.
- Make Windows endpoints more secure and prevent downtime 11:00 AM – 11:20 AM
- Unlocking Opportunities: A Guide to Partnering with Microsoft 11:30 AM – 11:50 AM
- EY Security Copilot Empowered Solutions 12:00 PM – 12:20 PM
- Microsoft Security Copilot: Protect at the speed and scale of AI 12:30 PM – 12:50 PM
- Phishing-Resistant Authentication, Trusted Onboarding & Recovery @ 1:00 PM – 1:20 PM
- Building a multi-layered approach to data security SOC @ 1:30 PM – 1:50 PM
- Secure your email and collaboration tools against sophisticated cyber attacks @ 2:00 PM – 2:20 PM
- The latest intelligence on North Korean remote IT workers @ 2:30 PM – 2:50 PM
- Secure and govern M365 Copilot with Microsoft Purview @ 3:00 PM – 3:20 PM
- Proactively Mitigate Risks with Microsoft Security Exposure Management @ 3:30 PM – 3:50 PM
- Windows 365: The security of Windows, the scale of the cloud@ 4:00 PM – 4:20 PM
- Shift your SOC from manual incident response to automatic attack disruption @ 4:30 PM –4:50PM
- A Look Inside Microsoft’s Secure Future Initiative: Progress, Innovations, and Best Practices @ 5:00 PM – 5:20 PM
- Simplifying Data Security for the Modern Network with Microsoft Purview and Netskope One @ 5:30 PM – 5:50 PM
Customer Meetings | Location: Microsoft Security Hub at the Palace Hotel (Second Floor)

It’s your final chance to ask your questions and give your suggestions directly to Microsoft Security experts. Book your meeting here: Microsoft Security Experiences at RSAC 2025 Home Page.

Microsoft Sessions at RSAC | Location: Moscone Center

Last but certainly not least.
- Shaping Cybersecurity: How Regulation Shapes Operational Cyber Defense @ 10:50 – 11:40AM
In 2024, elections and growing cyberthreats pushed cybersecurity to the forefront of government priorities. The panel will explore governments’ efforts to strengthen cybersecurity and resilience through regulation, the impact on operational cyber defense, and discuss where greater alignment is possible. Attendees will gain an understanding of the quickly evolving global regulatory landscape.

Speakers: Ted Maurer, Senior Director, Global Cybersecurity Policy, Microsoft; Christiane Kirketerp de Viron, Director for Digital Society, Trust & Cybersecurity, DG Connect, European Commission; Ari Schwartz, Managing Director, Cybersecurity Services, Venable LLP; Josephine Wolff, Associate Professor of Cybersecurity Policy, Tufts University, The Fletcher School; and Florian Schütz, Director, NCSC – National Cybersecurity Centre
- Taking the Fight Upstream: Pursuing Systemic Defense Against Phishing 12:20 – 11:10 PM
Three decades into the public internet, cybercrime is booming and phishing remains a key vector. With AI-enhanced attacks rising, common users are increasingly ill-equipped to defend themselves. What can be done upstream to protect society? This session explores systemic defense strategies across the ICT ecosystem that hold the potential for significant ecosystem-wide impact.

Speakers: Kelly Bissell, CVP Security & Fraud, Microsoft; Tal Goldstein, Head of Strategy, World Economic Forum Centre for Cybersecurity; Steven Kelly, Chief Trust Officer, Institute for Security and Technology; and Kemba Walden, President, Paladin Global Institute, Paladin Capital Group
- Fraud, Risk, Hollywood & Government—A Strategy for AI Across Industry 12:20 – 11:10 PM
Dive into the high-stakes world of AI as the experts in this session unravel AI’s game-changing roles in Hollywood, government, and finance. Experience firsthand revolutionary strategies, ethical showdowns, and futuristic trends set to redefine industry landscapes. Get ready for a session that’s as dynamic and ambitious as a Hollywood blockbuster!

Speakers: Vishal Amin, GM, National Security Group, Security; Gurpreet Bhatia, Acting Deputy CIO for Cybersecurity, Acting CISO, DOD; David Mahdi, CIO, Transmit Security; and Scott Mann, Film Director & Co-Founder/Co-CEO, Flawless
- Generative AI Meets Identity Governance: Automating the Overlooked @ 1:30 – 2:20 PM
Identity governance is often the last thing to be implemented and rarely gets the attention it deserves due to its complexity. This session will explore how Generative AI agents can help overcome this by automating critical but often deprioritized tasks like role mining and identity lifecycle management, particularly addressing the challenges of managing ‘movers’ within organizations.

Speakers: Angelica Faber, Sr Security Architect, Microsoft and Wesley Kuzma, Architect Manager, Microsoft

Theatre Sessions | Location: Microsoft Security Booth #5744

Catch the last day of theater sessions.
- How Enterprises will Continue to Learn from Open Source 11:00 AM – 11:20 AM
- Creating Bespoke Identity Governance Solutions with Microsoft Entra Suite 11:30 AM – 11:50 AM
- Identity-first security: Using an event-based approach for threat remediation @ 12:00 PM – 12:20 PM
- Securing and governing Agents built-in Microsoft Copilot Studio @ 12:30 PM – 12:50 PM
- Azure Platform Security in an Evolving Threat Landscape @ 1:00 PM – 1:20 PM
How to Make the Most of Microsoft Security at RSAC 2025

Plan Ahead: Bookmark this blog to easily find the things that interest you the most.

Visit the Booth: Engage with our security experts and experience live demos.

Follow Along Online: Stay updated by following Microsoft Security on LinkedIn and X.

Book a Meeting: Want to connect 1:1 with a Microsoft Security expert? Secure your spot by visiting the Microsoft Security Experiences at RSAC 2025 Home Page.

See you at RSAC 2025!
MIL OSI Global Banks –
April 12, 2025
MIL-OSI Economics: The ultimate guide to Microsoft Security at upcoming RSAC 2025 event
Source: Microsoft

Headline: The ultimate guide to Microsoft Security at upcoming RSAC 2025 event

So you just finished watching Microsoft Secure. That means by now, you’ve heard about our new protections for AI and Microsoft Security Copilot agents. These innovations will be the focus of Microsoft Security’s sessions and activities at RSACTM 2025 Conference (RSAC 2025).

The can’t-miss conference is just around the corner. Microsoft Security is bringing an exciting lineup of sessions, expert panels, and exclusive networking opportunities to empower security professionals in the era of AI. Our entire presence at RSAC 2025 is designed to help you boost your AI skills so you can stay ahead of threats and manage security more effectively.

Whether you’re interested in protecting all your AI investments, AI-driven security, threat intelligence, or securing cloud environments, we’ve got something for you. To help you plan your time from Sunday, April 27 to Thursday, May 1, 2025, in San Francisco, here’s a quick and easy guide to all the key Microsoft Security moments at RSAC 2025.

Microsoft Pre-Day | 4:00 PM – 6:00 PM | Palace Hotel

For the fourth year in a row, Microsoft Pre-Day kicks off the full lineup of Microsoft events and activities throughout RSAC 2025. We will host these at the Microsoft Security Hub at Palace Hotel, just a short walk from Moscone Center.

Hear directly from Microsoft Security leaders as they share reporting on emerging cyberthreat trends and the product innovations designed to protect against them. See the lineup below:
- Vasu Jakkal, Corporate Vice President (CVP), Microsoft Security Business
- Charlie Bell, Executive Vice President, Microsoft Security
- Sherrod DeGrippo, Director of Threat Intelligence Strategy
- Dorothy Li, Corporate Vice President (CVP), Microsoft Security Copilot
- Ann Johnson, Corporate Vice President (CVP) and Deputy CISO
- And more.
Register for Pre-Day today.

Networking Reception | 6:00 PM – 8:30 PM | Microsoft Security Hub, Palace Hotel, Second Floor

Stick around after Microsoft Pre-Day to attend the Networking Reception—a lively evening designed to connect with the security community, engage with Microsoft leaders, and exchange ideas in a relaxed atmosphere. It’s the perfect way to kick off an inspiring week at RSAC 2025.

On Monday we ease into things by focusing on what’s new all around. We’ll share lots of goodness about agents and our new innovations announced in March.

Security Demo Experience at the Microsoft Security Booth #5744 | All day, every day | Moscone Center North Expo Hall

Monday is the first day to explore the show floor. Stop by the Microsoft Security Booth #5744 in Moscone Center North Expo Hall to explore live demos, meet Microsoft Security experts, and get hands-on with the latest tools.

Become a defender against cyber threats in a fast-paced, interactive game. You’ll be a part of a mission, navigating realistic incident response scenarios using Microsoft Security solutions, including our new AI Agents. Engage in quick skill challenges and wrap up with expert insights. Are you ready to beat the bad actors?

Keynote: Security in the Age of Agentic AI | 4:40 PM | Moscone Center (West Stage)

Agentic workflows will dramatically reshape what is possible in security. By enabling more complex problem-solving, agent collaboration, and iterative learning, agentic AI will empower a new paradigm for security that was once the domain of science fiction. Vasu Jakkal will take an imaginative look at the future of security AI agents, and the very human-driven way they will change the game.

Microsoft Sessions at RSAC 2025 | All day | Moscone Center

Our top Microsoft Security experts were chosen by RSAC to share their insights and best practices to help you level up your own security strategy. These sessions are designed for learning, not selling. So, you’ll hear more about what’s happening in the security space and less about products.
- Practical Strategies for Security Architecture in a Changing World @ 8:30 AM – 9:20 AM
This session will delve into the core pillars of security architecture and share practical strategies that uphold foundational principles. Will discuss holistic system thinking and provide a practical playbook for navigating the complexities of security architecture while maintaining a focus on the fundamentals and essential considerations for a secure digital environment.

Speaker: Abhilasha Bhargav-Spantzel, Partner Security Architect, Microsoft
- RSAC Innovation Sandbox @ 9:30 AM – 12:40 PM
Ten of cybersecurity’s boldest new innovators compete in Innovation Sandbox for the title of “Most Innovative Startup.” ISB celebrates 20 years & spotlights startups with potentially game-changing ideas. The Finalists have 3 minutes to share groundbreaking products & solutions with a panel of judges. Interact first-hand with these companies as the judges deliberate before the winner is crowned.

Speakers: Christopher Young, Executive Vice President, Business Development, Strategy and Ventures, Microsoft; David Chan, Managing Director, Morgan Stanley; Dorit Dor, Chief Technology Officer, Check Point Software Technologies; Niloofar Razi Howe, Operating Partner, Capitol Meridian Partners; Hugh Thompson, Executive Chairman & RSAC Conference Program Committee Chair, RSAC; Paul Kocher, Researcher, Independent Researcher; and Nasrin Rezai, SVP & CISO, Verizon
- AI Era Authentication: Securing the Future with Inclusive Identity @ 1:10 PM – 2:00 PM
This session explores the security and usability risks of authentication techniques for users with diverse needs. Emergence of AI agents, a new user identity acting on our behalf, also necessitates a rethink of authentication methods. Discover AI-era authentication using sensors like location and behavior and learn about the shift from active to passive authentication with prototypes in action.

Speakers: Abhilasha Bhargav-Spantzel, Partner Security Architect, Microsoft and Aditi Shah, Senior Data & Applied Scientist, Microsoft
- DPRK Remote IT Workers – Have You Hired One and Are You at Risk? @ 2:20 PM – 3:10 PM
The DPRK actively deploys remote IT workers to generate revenue for the regime while circumventing sanctions. DPRK IT workers pose risks to companies, including insider access, potential intellectual property theft, and exposure to other malicious cyber activity. This panel will discuss best practices for identifying and preventing the hiring of DPRK IT workers.

Speakers: Greg Schloemer, Senior Threat Intelligence Analyst, Microsoft; Elizabeth Pelker, Special Agent, FBI; Chris Horne, Director, Trust & Safety Intelligence & Investigations, Upwork; Adam Meyers, SVP Intelligence, CrowdStrike; and Bryan Vorndran, Assistant Director, FBI

Microsoft Expert Sessions | All day Monday – Wednesday | Microsoft Security Hub at the Palace Hotel (Second Floor)

Don’t miss our deep-dive sessions happening at the Microsoft Security Hub. Build your AI cybersecurity skills as Microsoft Security experts will share what they’ve learned and provide insights you can apply in your own organization.
- Harnessing Diversity – Strengthening the Cybersecurity Workforce in the Age of AI @ 10:30AM – 11:30AM
Speakers: Amanda Minnich, Principal Research Manager, Microsoft; Nicole Ford VP, Customer Security Officer, Microsoft; Kyla Guru, Founder/CEO, Bits N’ Bytes Cybersecurity Education; Tanell Ford, Assistant General Counsel, Microsoft; and Sherrod Degrippo, Directory of Threat Intelligence Strategy, Microsoft
- Reshaping SecOps for the Cloud AI Era @ 10:30AM – 11:30AM
Speakers: Scott Woodbridge, General Manager, Product Marketing, Microsoft and Corina Feuerstein, Principal Product Manager for Copilot in Defender and Sentinel
- Practical use of CoPilot AutoFix to address Security Backlog @ 12:00PM – 1:30PM
Speakers: Alexis Wales, CISO, GitHub and Marcelo Oliveira, VP, Product Management, GitHub
- Executive Lunch: Scaling Compliance for Global Regulations @ 12:00PM – 1:30PM
Speakers: Bret Arsenault, CVP, Chief Cybersecurity Advisor, Microsoft

Theatre Sessions | Location: Microsoft Security Booth #5744

Here’s where we talk products. These 15-20 minute informal, come-and-go sessions run all day at the Microsoft Security booth. They’re demo-heavy product showcases to help you learn how to better use the tools you’ve got now.
- Identity Security in the Era of AI with Security Copilot @ 5:35PM – 5:55 PM
- Security Copilot Agents: Autonomous, adaptive, with you in control @ 6:05PM – 6:25 PM
- From Risk to Resilience: The Next Evolution in Multicloud Security @ 6:35 PM– 6:55PM
MISA Awards| Location: Microsoft Security Hub at the Palace Hotel (Second Floor)

It’s time to suit up in heroic attire for an epic celebration at the 6th annual Microsoft Security Excellence Awards! Just like the Avengers, assembling to save the world, we’re coming together to honor the extraordinary achievements of our MISA members who work so diligently to protect customers from external threats! Congratulations to the incredible finalists for the sixth annual Microsoft Security Excellence Awards presented by MISA!

Customer Meetings | Location: Microsoft Security Hub at the Palace Hotel (Second Floor)

Take advantage of the opportunity to connect with Microsoft Security experts and enhance your cybersecurity knowledge. From April 28 to April 30, 2025 customers and CISOs can schedule one-on-one meetings at the Palace Hotel to discuss your most pressing security product and threat intelligence questions. Secure your spot by visiting the Microsoft Security Experiences at RSAC 2025 Home Page.

Tuesday is the busiest day of the conference, with lots of choices in front of you, so plan ahead.

Keynote: AI Safety: Where Do We Go From Here? | 8:30 AM | Moscone Center (West Stage)

During this keynote session, Google, Microsoft, NVIDIA, and the UK AI Safety Institute leaders come together for this blockbuster panel to explain the evolving landscape of AI safety. Attendees will gain insights into key developments in AI safety that should matter to organizations, its intersection with existing security initiatives, and time-tested approaches to translate AI safety to practice.

Speakers: Ram Shankar Siva Kumar, Data Cowboy, Microsoft; Jade Leung, Data Cowboy, Microsoft; and Daniel Rohrer, VP Software Product Security, Architecture & Research, NVIDIA

Microsoft Sessions at RSAC 2025 | All day | Moscone Center

RSAC has chosen top Microsoft Security experts to share insights and best practices, letting you learn about the latest in security without the sales pitch.
- Incident Response Dilemmas: Sharing Intel Across Sectors in Critical Times @ 9:40 – 10:30 AM
An incident may be a singular event affecting one entity. What happens when it affects our critical infrastructure and has the possibility of sector-wide impact and cascading effects? How do companies share information and meet regulatory expectations? The session will dive into the work that financial services companies, the government, and cloud service providers are taking to mature IR.

Speakers: Ann Johnson, CVP & Deputy CISO, Customer Security Managment Office, Microsoft; Ted Conklin, Chief AI Officer & Deputy Assistant Secretary, US Treasury; Heather Hogsett, Senior Vice President, Deputy Head of BITS, Bank Policy Institute; and Erez Liebermann, Partner, Debevoise & Plimpton LLP
- XPIA Attacks – Rethinking Defense in Depth for an AI-Powered World @1:15 – 2:05 PM
As adversaries rapidly develop sophisticated AI attacks, the solutions also need to evolve rapidly. This panel will explore Cross/Indirect Prompt Injection Attacks (XPIA) and the need to rethink traditional defense in depth strategies. Gain insights into XPIA trends, risk analysis, and innovative solutions to protect critical infrastructure. Join for practical strategies and expert insights.

Speakers: Abhilasha Bhargav-Spantzel, Partner Security Architect, Microsoft; Aanchal Gupta, CVP, Microsoft; John Leo, Jr, Managing Director – Threat and Vulnerability Management Leader, EY; and Stefano Zanero, Professor, Politecnico di Milano
- A Year(ish) of Countering Malicious Actors’ Use of AI: What Have We Learned? @ 2:25 –3:15 PM
Artificial Intelligence has changed the game when it comes to how cyber adversaries operate, and how defenders respond. This panel will explore lessons learned from the past year of countering malicious cyber actors’ use of AI, challenges and limitations of legal actions involving AI, and what roadblocks might appear going forward as AI, and the actors who use it, continues to evolve.

Speakers: Sherrod DeGrippo, Director, Threat Intelligence Strategy, Microsoft; Morgan Adamski, Executive Director, US Cyber Command; Cynthia Kaiser, Deputy Assistant Director, FBI; and Sean Newell, Chief, National Security Cyber Section, National Security Division, Department of Justice

Microsoft Expert Sessions | All day | Monday – Wednesday Location: Microsoft Security Hub at the Palace Hotel (Second Floor)

Join Microsoft Security product leaders as they share their learnings and how you can apply them in your organization.
- Defending Against Modern Threats: Enhancing Endpoint Security and IT Resilience @ 8:00AM – 9:30AM
Speakers: Archana Devi Sunder Rajan, Partner Group Product Manager, Microsoft and Peter M. Thompson, Principal PM Manager, Microsoft
- Secure and Govern AI to safeguard your data, reduce risks, and support compliance @ 10:30AM – 11:30AM
Speakers: Herain Oberoi, GM, Data & AI Security, Microsoft; Rudra Mitra, Corporate Vice President, Microsoft Purview; and Neta Haiby, Director of AI Security, Microsoft
- Microsoft Security Copilot @ 12:00PM – 1:30PM
Speaker: Dorothy Li, CVP, Microsoft Security Copilot
- Secure your data in the era of AI with Microsoft Purview @ 2:30PM – 3:30PM
Speakers: Talhah Mir, Principal Group Product Manager, Microsoft Purview and Maithili Dandige, Partner Group Product Manager, Microsoft Purview
- AI and Automation Panel: The Startup Innovation for Enterprise Resilience – moderated by FC @ 2:30PM – 3:30PM
**Attendees will have the opportunity to receive a copy of FC’s book, How I Rob Banks, and the chance to have it signed by the author at the end of the session.

Speakers: Kevin Magee, Director Cybersecurity Startups, Microsoft for Startups; FC, Co-founder & CEO, Cygenta; Shane Coleman, Chief Data Security Evangelist; Christ “Tito” Sestito, CEO, HiddenLayer; Ravid Circus, Co-founder & CPO, Seemplicity; and Jeremy Vaughan, CEO, Start Left Security

Theatre Sessions | Location: Microsoft Security Booth #5744

Stop by the Microsoft Security booth to catch a short demo of your favorite product.
- See Beyond Silos and Protect Better with Microsoft Security Exposure Management 11:00 AM –11:20 AM
- Accelerate your Zero Trust journey with the Microsoft Entra Suite 11:30 AM – 11:50 AM
- Automating Vulnerability Management: The Power of “Endpoint Vulnerability Remediation Agent” in Microsoft Intune 12:00 PM – 12:20 PM
- From Risk to Resilience: The Next Evolution in Multicloud Security 12:30 PM – 12:50 PM
- Accelerating post-breach deep content analysis and mitigation with Microsoft Purview @ 1:00 PM – 1:20 PM
- Microsoft Sentinel Uncovered: Advanced Capabilities to Transform the SOC @ 1:30 PM – 1:50 PM
- Protect AI Workloads from Code to Runtime with Microsoft Defender for Cloud @ 2:00 PM – 2:20 PM
- Security Copilot Agents: Autonomous, adaptive, with you in control @ 2:30 PM – 2:50 PM
- Unified SecOps: Defending Critical Infrastructure with Microsoft Defender @ 3:00 PM – 3:20 PM
- Be Fast as Lighting: Automate Microsoft Defender XDR and Microsoft Sentinel Service Delivery @ 3:30 PM – 3:50 PM
- Mastering Cloud Threats: Detect, Investigate, and Respond in real-time with Microsoft Defender for Cloud and Defender XDR integration @ 4:00 PM – 4:20 PM
- Practical Strategies for Securing AI-Driven Data: Enhancing Cyber Resilience and Insider Risk Management @ 4:30 PM – 4:50PM
- Secure and govern access to GenAI apps with the Microsoft Entra Suite @5:00 PM – 5:20 PM
- Bolster your SOC with Microsoft’s Managed Extended Detection and Response (MXDR) @ 5:30 PM – 5:50PM
Networking and Fun | Location: Microsoft Security Hub at the Palace Hotel (Second Floor)
- Secure & Sip: DevOps Edition @ 4:30PM – 6:30PM
Speaker: Alexis Wales, CISO, GitHub

Gather with GitHub’s security leaders and experts for meaningful conversations, thoughtfully crafted cocktails, and a custom ramen bar to round out your day at RSAC.

Customer Meetings | Location: Microsoft Security Hub at the Palace Hotel (Second Floor)

Day 2 of meetings with Microsoft Security experts continues. Secure your spot by visiting the Microsoft Security Experiences at RSAC 2025 Home Page. https://MicrosoftSecurityEvents.eventbuilder.com/MicrosoftRSAC2025events?source=blog_techcomm

As the conference starts to wrap up, don’t miss your chance to get hands-on with Microsoft Security solutions and ask questions at the Hub and booth and in 1:1 meetings.

Microsoft Sessions at RSAC 2025 | Location: Moscone Center
- Guardians of the Cyber Galaxy: Allies Against AI-Powered Cybercrime @ 8:30 – 9:20 AM
AI is revolutionizing cybercrime, putting traditional defenses to the test. Expert panelists unite to detail innovative public-private strategies and real-world case studies from their experience in INTERPOL, the FBI, Microsoft, and the Privacy & Cybersecurity Group of an international law firm. Gain actionable insights to protect the global community and fortify cybersecurity defenses.

Speakers: Sean Farrell, Lead Counsel, AI Strategy, Digital Crimes Unit, Microsoft Corporation; Garylene Javier, Privacy & Cybersecurity Counsel, Crowell & Moring LLP; Craig Jones, Immediate Past Director Cybercrime, INTERPOL; and Andrew Sczygielski, Supervisory Special Agent, Federal Bureau of Investigation
- Green and Sustainable AI for Cybersecurity @1:15 – 2:05 PM
The session will consider the carbon cost of AI and analytics. It will focus on the estimated energy and carbon costs of many cybersecurity use cases and approaches that can be taken to build more sustainable solutions. This will be illustrated through the use of a threat hunting and detection analytical solution and how that could be designed to be most power efficient.

Speakers: Lesley Kipling, Chief Security Advisor, Microsoft and Sian John, CTO, NCC Group
- Scaling AppSec With an SDLC for Citizen Development @ 1:15 – 2:05 PM
AppSec programs are difficult. Filled to the brim with vulnerabilities. Overloaded staff and inadequate budget. The common “solution” is to narrow scope and focus on crown jewels and their devs. Increasing the scope to 100x devs and 1000x apps surprisingly worked, resulting in program remediation of >50K vulnerabilities in 3 months. 18K of them in a single night. This session will show how.

Speakers: Ryan McDonald, Principal Program Manager, Microsoft and Michael Bargury, Co-Founder & CTO, Zenity

Microsoft Expert Sessions | All day Monday – Wednesday | Location: Microsoft Security Hub at the Palace Hotel (Second Floor)

Don’t miss the final few Microsoft Security focused sessions at our Hub.
- Threat intelligence trends and insights panel: Exclusive briefing from Microsoft Threat Intelligence @10:30AM – 11:30AM
Speakers: Sherrod De Grippo, Director of Threat Intelligence Strategy, Microsoft; Jeremy Dallman, Senior Director of Security Research in Microsoft Threat Intelligence; and Steven Masada, Assistant General Counsel, DCU
- Secure access for your employees with Entra Suite @ 10:30AM – 11:30AM
Speaker: Irina Nechaeva, General Manager, Identity and Network Access
- Securing the AI Powered Enterprise Executive Panel Lunch @12:00PM – 1:30PM
Speakers: Bret Arsenault, Chief Cybersecurity Advisor, Microsoft; Brandon Dixon, Partner Product Manager, Security AI Strategy, Microsoft; Manny Sahota, Director, Global Cloud Privacy, Microsoft; Herain Oberoi, General Manager, Data Security, Governance, Compliance, Privacy Business and Marketing, Microsoft; and Sarah Bird, Chief Product Officer of Responsible AI, Microsoft

Theatre Sessions | Location: Microsoft Security Booth #5744

Don’t miss your chance to see demos and ask questions casually at the booth.
- Make Windows endpoints more secure and prevent downtime 11:00 AM – 11:20 AM
- Unlocking Opportunities: A Guide to Partnering with Microsoft 11:30 AM – 11:50 AM
- EY Security Copilot Empowered Solutions 12:00 PM – 12:20 PM
- Microsoft Security Copilot: Protect at the speed and scale of AI 12:30 PM – 12:50 PM
- Phishing-Resistant Authentication, Trusted Onboarding & Recovery @ 1:00 PM – 1:20 PM
- Building a multi-layered approach to data security SOC @ 1:30 PM – 1:50 PM
- Secure your email and collaboration tools against sophisticated cyber attacks @ 2:00 PM – 2:20 PM
- The latest intelligence on North Korean remote IT workers @ 2:30 PM – 2:50 PM
- Secure and govern M365 Copilot with Microsoft Purview @ 3:00 PM – 3:20 PM
- Proactively Mitigate Risks with Microsoft Security Exposure Management @ 3:30 PM – 3:50 PM
- Windows 365: The security of Windows, the scale of the cloud@ 4:00 PM – 4:20 PM
- Shift your SOC from manual incident response to automatic attack disruption @ 4:30 PM –4:50PM
- A Look Inside Microsoft’s Secure Future Initiative: Progress, Innovations, and Best Practices @ 5:00 PM – 5:20 PM
- Simplifying Data Security for the Modern Network with Microsoft Purview and Netskope One @ 5:30 PM – 5:50 PM
Customer Meetings | Location: Microsoft Security Hub at the Palace Hotel (Second Floor)

It’s your final chance to ask your questions and give your suggestions directly to Microsoft Security experts. Book your meeting here: Microsoft Security Experiences at RSAC 2025 Home Page.

Microsoft Sessions at RSAC | Location: Moscone Center

Last but certainly not least.
- Shaping Cybersecurity: How Regulation Shapes Operational Cyber Defense @ 10:50 – 11:40AM
In 2024, elections and growing cyberthreats pushed cybersecurity to the forefront of government priorities. The panel will explore governments’ efforts to strengthen cybersecurity and resilience through regulation, the impact on operational cyber defense, and discuss where greater alignment is possible. Attendees will gain an understanding of the quickly evolving global regulatory landscape.

Speakers: Ted Maurer, Senior Director, Global Cybersecurity Policy, Microsoft; Christiane Kirketerp de Viron, Director for Digital Society, Trust & Cybersecurity, DG Connect, European Commission; Ari Schwartz, Managing Director, Cybersecurity Services, Venable LLP; Josephine Wolff, Associate Professor of Cybersecurity Policy, Tufts University, The Fletcher School; and Florian Schütz, Director, NCSC – National Cybersecurity Centre
- Taking the Fight Upstream: Pursuing Systemic Defense Against Phishing 12:20 – 11:10 PM
Three decades into the public internet, cybercrime is booming and phishing remains a key vector. With AI-enhanced attacks rising, common users are increasingly ill-equipped to defend themselves. What can be done upstream to protect society? This session explores systemic defense strategies across the ICT ecosystem that hold the potential for significant ecosystem-wide impact.

Speakers: Kelly Bissell, CVP Security & Fraud, Microsoft; Tal Goldstein, Head of Strategy, World Economic Forum Centre for Cybersecurity; Steven Kelly, Chief Trust Officer, Institute for Security and Technology; and Kemba Walden, President, Paladin Global Institute, Paladin Capital Group
- Fraud, Risk, Hollywood & Government—A Strategy for AI Across Industry 12:20 – 11:10 PM
Dive into the high-stakes world of AI as the experts in this session unravel AI’s game-changing roles in Hollywood, government, and finance. Experience firsthand revolutionary strategies, ethical showdowns, and futuristic trends set to redefine industry landscapes. Get ready for a session that’s as dynamic and ambitious as a Hollywood blockbuster!

Speakers: Vishal Amin, GM, National Security Group, Security; Gurpreet Bhatia, Acting Deputy CIO for Cybersecurity, Acting CISO, DOD; David Mahdi, CIO, Transmit Security; and Scott Mann, Film Director & Co-Founder/Co-CEO, Flawless
- Generative AI Meets Identity Governance: Automating the Overlooked @ 1:30 – 2:20 PM
Identity governance is often the last thing to be implemented and rarely gets the attention it deserves due to its complexity. This session will explore how Generative AI agents can help overcome this by automating critical but often deprioritized tasks like role mining and identity lifecycle management, particularly addressing the challenges of managing ‘movers’ within organizations.

Speakers: Angelica Faber, Sr Security Architect, Microsoft and Wesley Kuzma, Architect Manager, Microsoft

Theatre Sessions | Location: Microsoft Security Booth #5744

Catch the last day of theater sessions.
- How Enterprises will Continue to Learn from Open Source 11:00 AM – 11:20 AM
- Creating Bespoke Identity Governance Solutions with Microsoft Entra Suite 11:30 AM – 11:50 AM
- Identity-first security: Using an event-based approach for threat remediation @ 12:00 PM – 12:20 PM
- Securing and governing Agents built-in Microsoft Copilot Studio @ 12:30 PM – 12:50 PM
- Azure Platform Security in an Evolving Threat Landscape @ 1:00 PM – 1:20 PM
How to Make the Most of Microsoft Security at RSAC 2025

Plan Ahead: Bookmark this blog to easily find the things that interest you the most.

Visit the Booth: Engage with our security experts and experience live demos.

Follow Along Online: Stay updated by following Microsoft Security on LinkedIn and X.

Book a Meeting: Want to connect 1:1 with a Microsoft Security expert? Secure your spot by visiting the Microsoft Security Experiences at RSAC 2025 Home Page.

See you at RSAC 2025!
MIL OSI Economics –
April 12, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: CONGRESSWOMAN PLASKETT SHARES UPDATE ON TRUMP ADMINISTRATION’S PROPOSED FEES AT U.S. PORTS

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Stacey E. Plaskett (USVI)

For Immediate Release Contact: Tionee Scotland

April 11, 2025 202-808-6129

PRESS RELEASE

CONGRESSWOMAN PLASKETT SHARES UPDATE ON TRUMP ADMINISTRATION’S PROPOSED FEES AT U.S. PORTS

Washington, D.C. – Congresswoman Stacey E. Plaskett shared the following update regarding President Trump’s executive order on the maritime industry:

“This week, President Trump announced an executive order which doubles down on previous tariff directives and provides a structure to move ahead with the administration’s Section 301 tariff actions which will impose significant port fees on maritime transport operators with fleets comprised of Chinese-built vessels. If the order comes into full effect, it will result in significant port fees on maritime transport operators servicing the United States Virgin Islands. The order also directs the U.S. Trade Representative to consider imposing fees on Chinese-built cranes and other cargo-handling equipment, an action which could affect almost every port in America.

“These actions will cause increased shipping costs, shipping delays and, in some cases, the wholesale termination of service by cargo carriers to impacted locations throughout the coast of the United States and especially places like the Virgin Islands.

“I am particularly concerned for coastal and island communities, including the Virgin Islands, where the imposition of these punitive measures will skyrocket costs of food and other everyday items that must be imported by the maritime industry.

“My team and I have been highly engaged with the Virgin Islands maritime industry, as well as stakeholders, including meeting with the ambassadors to the Caribbean nations, to track the implications of President Trump’s executive order on ship owners, operators, and builders.

“Earlier this week, I had the opportunity to question US Trade Relations Ambassador Jameison Greer during a Ways & Means Committee hearing and urged the ambassador to consider the practical impacts of tariff actions on the US outlying areas and ultimately reconsider these actions. Our communities would bear tremendous undue cost, which makes clear the need for an exemption. I am also leading a letter to USTR Ambassador Greer and the Administration to make the case for this exemption and underscore the impact of these fees on the Virgin Islands, which will permeate through the Caribbean region.

“Under the order, transport operators with fleets comprised of Chinese-built vessels will be charged up to $1.5 million per vessel entrance to an American port, as well as an ‘additional fee’ of up to $1 million per vessel entrance to an American port if the number of foreign-built vessels in the operator’s fleet is equal to or greater than 25 percent. Even vessels under the U.S. flag, operated and owned by a U.S. entity that are Chinese-built would be subject to the fees in USTR’s proposal. We continue to urge the Trump Administration to heed the feedback of elected officials, the maritime industry, and stakeholders even amidst the imposition of these actions that will have radically negative consequences for our corner of the American experience.

“I will continue to collaborate in a bipartisan manner with my colleagues, stakeholders, and the Virgin Islands community to advance the interests of the Virgin Islands.”

###

MIL OSI USA News –

April 12, 2025
MIL-OSI Australia: Hit and run at Brooklyn Park

Source: New South Wales – News

A woman was lucky to escape serious injury after being struck by a car at Brooklyn Park last night.

About 9.40pm on Friday 11 April a grey SUV was conducting a U-turn on Henley Beach Road, Brooklyn Park and struck a woman crossing the road.

The grey SUV drove off.

The 43-year-old Ridleyton woman was taken by ambulance to hospital for treatment. Fortunately, her injuries are not believed to be life-threatening.

Police are still looking for the male driver and the grey SUV.

Investigations are continuing, but it is believed that the people involved in this incident are known to each other.

Anyone who witnessed the collision or has any dashcam or CCTV footage that may assist the investigation is asked to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or online at www.crimestopperssa.com.au

MIL OSI News –

April 12, 2025
MIL-OSI Australia: Driver and passenger arrested at Salisbury Heights

Source: New South Wales – News

Two people have been arrested after a Volkswagen failed to stop for police in the northern suburbs last night.

At 8.15pm on Friday 11 April patrols spotted a Volkswagen sedan on Haydown Road, Elizabeth East and attempted to stop the vehicle however the driver sped off.

Patrols called in the assistance of PolAir who tracked the vehicle as it travelled through Elizabeth East.

The vehicle was seen to travel on the wrong side of the road on Midway Road and through a red light at the intersection of Main North Road and Black Top Road.

Patrols successfully spiked the vehicle’s tyres on Stanford Road, Salisbury Heights.  The car turned into St Albans Drive, Salisbury Heights, and the male passenger was seen to run from the vehicle.

The car continued for a short distance onto Featherstone Place, where the female driver abandoned the car and ran off.

The driver was found a short time later, hiding in the rear yard of a Stanford Road address.

A 22-year-old Elizabeth Grove woman was arrested and charged with drive dangerously to escape police pursuit, drive unlicensed, drive unregistered, trespass and unlawfully on premises.  She was bailed to appear in the Elizabeth Magistrates Court on 12 May.

Her vehicle was impounded for 28 days.

Her passenger, a 35-year-old Renown Park man, was arrested and charged with breach of bail and outstanding warrants.  He was refused police bail and will appear in court on Monday.

MIL OSI News –

April 12, 2025

Category: Great Britain

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