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Category: Pandemic

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Common Platform: a modern digital case management system for the criminal justice system

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    Case study

    Common Platform: a modern digital case management system for the criminal justice system

    Common Platform is a bespoke digital case management system, designed and developed by HMCTS, for the Crown and magistrates’ courts in England and Wales.

    It has brought together a range of different ‘legacy’ case management systems used in the criminal justice system under a single, unified platform. 

    Before Common Platform, our people and partners faced significant daily challenges:  

    • High volumes of physical documents using hours of court time to manually handle 

    • Significant cost to the taxpayer of printing and transporting paper between agencies, causing delays and inefficiencies throughout the justice system. 

    • Need for legal advisers and court clerks to manually record and process actions after the hearing, slowing access to justice down further for victims, defendants and witnesses 

    • Delays and inefficiencies in completing daily tasks like booking interpreters, requesting screens, or processing court orders required multiple manual steps across different systems, causing delay and inefficiency 

    Benefits 

    Over 2.3 million criminal cases have been managed on Common Platform as of February 2025 (source Reformed Services Management Information, March 2025), meaning a number of benefits for the people and parties involved 

    • The right people involved in a case can access the right, up to date information at any time of day or night  

    • Users and agencies receive notifications and real time updates to the case instantly  

    • Automation of manual processes mean quicker progress, reduced chance of error and better use of expertise 

    • Information and data is kept and shared safely through controls over who can see what based on their role 

    • Greater resilience as HMCTS teams and external parties can access cases from any location, ensuring service continuity even if even if they cannot physically be on site at a court 

    • Quicker processing and uploading through automated case management, particularly for Single Justice Procedure cases 

    • Greater efficiency by eliminating some paper-based processes  

    • Better data collection to inform improvements  

    By developing the system in-house, we have strengthened our expertise and have greater flexibility to adapt the system to changing needs and technological developments.  

    Case Management Evolution  

    The implementation of Common Platform into all Crown and magistrates’ courts has transformed how cases are managed in criminal courts: over 2.3 million cases managed through the system (source Reformed Services Management Information, March 2025), demonstrates its robust capability , demonstrates its robust capability  

    • single system replacing multiple outdated platforms, reduces complexity and training needs 

    • real-time case updates across all agencies, significantly reduces delays in information sharing 

    Our Digital Transformation 

    The journey to modernise our criminal courts began in 2011, with Common Platform representing the most significant technological transformation in the justice system’s history. Under the Reform Programme from 2016, we faced the challenge of replacing multiple outdated systems that weren’t communicating with each other.  

    It has been very challenging to introduce such a significant change: 

    • Teams across HMCTS had to adapt to new roles and ways of working while managing existing caseloads  

    • The pandemic was especially challenging, as court personnel managed dual systems in live courtrooms 

    • We did not always get it right, initially focusing too heavily on technical solutions rather than user experience 

    • We did not deliver everything we set out to – for example Crown Prosecution Service case management systems interface with Common Platform, rather than being a direct part of it as originally planned 

    This has been valuable learning and helped shape our approach. By placing users at the heart of development and using their feedback to directly inform plans, we have still achieved a lot.  

    Digital Documentation  

    The move to digital processes has transformed how documents are handled and shared:  

    • Defence advocates can complete crucial forms digitally in real-time, saving court time and reducing errors  

    • Self-service access for case materials, allowing users more control  

    • Automatic generation of notices, orders and warrants, speeding up justice delivery  

    • Digital submission of documents, cutting costs and environmental impact  

    • Seamless transfer of materials between magistrates’ and Crown Courts, reducing delays 

    Automated Processing  

    Reform has introduced significant automation to streamline court processes:  

    • Automated Track Case Management (ATCM) for Single Justice Procedure (SJP) cases, increasing efficiency  

    • Instant case creation and updates, eliminating manual data entry  

    • Automatic notifications to relevant parties, improving communication flow  

    • Electronic monitoring forms processed immediately, reducing processing time from hours to minutes  

    • Screen requests handled automatically, ensuring courtroom readiness 

    Better Information Sharing  

    The digital system has revolutionised information sharing between justice partners:  

    • Instant result notifications to police forces, enabling swift action  

    • Direct updates to the Legal Aid Agency, speeding up payments to advocates  

    • Immediate sharing of sentencing information with prisons and probation, improving offender management  

    • Role-based access ensuring secure information sharing, maintaining data protection  

    • Single point of contact through Courts and Tribunals Service Centres (CTSC), providing consistent support 

    System Performance  

    The platform has demonstrated significant improvements in efficiency and user satisfaction:  

    • Criminal courts across England and Wales now fully digital since August 2023, modernising justice delivery  

    • Defence practitioners can access case information instantly, improving preparation time  

    • Court personnel report significant time savings through automated processes 

    • positive feedback from judiciary, legal professionals and court personnel (January 2025) 

    This transformation represents a fundamental, technological change in the criminal courts moving all information digitally onto a shared system that all stakeholders can access, creating a more efficient, accessible and resilient justice system for all. 

    Working Together 

    We worked closely with: 

    • local police forces on rollout and delivery – police prosecutors are now able to upload direct to the system and self-serve 

    • CPS, who were a founding partner on setting up the system, improving their access to digital forms and requests 

    • All criminal justice system partners 

    • non police prosecutors (NPPs) – NPPs are now able to upload direct on to the system and self-serve 

    • Legal Aid Agency – ensuring defence advocates are paid swiftly for legal aid cases 

    • Courts and Tribunals Service Centres to offer best support and advice with ongoing cases to all stakeholders 

    • HM Prisons and Probation Service improving offender management, as they previously did not have access to the Libra legacy system 

    • Magistrates, legal advisers and judiciary as a vital partner at all levels to deliver a more streamlined system 

    Getting Support 

    We’ve established comprehensive support systems: 

    • dedicated Courts and Tribunals Service Centre (CTSC) providing customer support 

    • specialised training programmes for court personnel and system users 

    • regular system updates based on user feedback 

    • technical support available for all professional users 

    • service boards to monitor live performance and system changes  

    • permanent change function to prioritise and resource future improvements 

    Feedback and Insights 

    Users across the justice system have praised the new platform: 

    We have better oversight of cases, the triage process ensures that cases are listed appropriately and in the correct court, which means we are saving court time.

    Sharon Kostanjsek, Criminal Justice Unit Manager, Avon and Somerset Police 

    Dealing with a case on a single system, rather than at least 3 different systems as we did previously, is more practical and efficient.

    Jon Sugden, legal adviser  

    I like that producing orders is far simpler, now they are created directly from the result. There is no need to produce orders manually and email them or complete a lengthy electronic monitoring form.

    Mark Whiteley, formerly Wales transformation implementer 

    Future Plans 

    As we continue to develop the platform, we’re focusing on:  

    • enhanced data analytics capabilities, enabling evidence-based improvements  

    • further automation opportunities to continue increasing efficiency  

    • maintaining system flexibility to adapt to future needs  

    • continue developing new features based on user feedback 

    • transfer of system responsibility to HMCTS live service teams by March 2025 

    Stay Updated 

    Keep up to date with the latest criminal court news and information by subscribing to our e-alerts and newsletters.

    Updates to this page

    Published 24 March 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Modernising probate: easing the most challenging times through innovation

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    Case study

    Modernising probate: easing the most challenging times through innovation

    Probate is the legal right to handle someone’s estate after they die.

    Before 2019, applications were made on paper meaning: 

    • a risk of human error when completing complex, inaccessible forms 

    • legal jargon was not explained well or in a user-friendly way 

    • an inefficient process for court staff, applicants and probate professionals when manually handling dozens of forms 

    • applicants needed to travel to compulsory in-person appointments at registry offices  

    • a lack of flexibility to suit modern ways of working for the courts and probate professionals 

    We wanted to create a more accessible, user-friendly service that works for everyone, whether they choose to apply online or use paper forms. 

    Benefits 

    The reformed service has transformed probate administration. Through over 1 million digital applications received since 2019, we’ve seen:  

    • positive environmental impact by eliminating over 25 million pieces of paper 

    • improved flow of legacy information from the probate service to charities, helping them to plan their vital work 

    • consistent, 24/7 access to the service from any device 

    • simplified language and streamlined processes 

    • increased flexibility with the digital statement of truth replacing inconvenient in-person oaths and the requirement for a ‘wet signature’ 

    • improved resilience, enabling continued granting of applications during the pandemic  

    Our digital transformation 

    The journey to modernise probate began in 2016 with extensive user research, leading to the 2019 launch of our digital service, making probate one of the first services to be reformed. We’ve created two tailored pathways. 

    For personal applicants we now have: 

    • a user-friendly online application via GOV.UK 

    • the ability to save and return to an online application 

    • step-by-step guidance throughout 

    • real-time application tracking 

    • the ability to complete digital statement of truth at home 

    • a service with clear, jargon-free language 

    Probate professionals now have a: 

    • comprehensive MyHMCTS platform for online probate applications 

    • collaborative team working features 

    • streamlined online payment system 

    • smoother integration with HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) processes 

    • better way to manage workflows 

    • modern digital case files, accessible from any device 

    It’s clear that the digital service is working well: 

    • Digital applications have risen steeply from 17% in FY 19/20 to 80% April 2024 to December 2024  

    Getting support 

    For people who are less able or confident using online services, we’ve developed a comprehensive support system which includes: 

    • simplified paper forms 

    • a dedicated Digital Support service 

    • a specialist Service Centre for the probate service 

    • telephone support 

    • clear guidance on GOV.UK 

    • ensuring accessibility for all users 

    Feedback from service users 

    Applicants have told us what they think of the digital probate service: 

    It’s easy to use, fast and convenient. I found it so easy and efficient. It’s exactly what you want from an online government system – if only everything could be this easy!

    It was intuitive to use and the whole thing flowed from one section to the next really well. The way things are summarised at the end is very helpful. You can check it all before you send it and that’s reassuring.

    I’d been expecting sheets and sheets of questions – but that wasn’t the case. The instructions were clearly written and the way everything was set out was so user friendly. I think it took a couple of hours to complete.

    I initially thought the online service would be complicated and take some dealing with. I thought it would take me a long time to complete, but it didn’t take me long at all – an hour at the most.

    James’ story 

    “When James lost his father, he faced the daunting task of dealing with his estate. In the past, some of James’ friends who had gone through the probate process had told him it was paper-based, confusing, and filled with legal jargon that made it challenging for personal applicants like him, which worried him a lot. However, with the reformed digital service, James was able to apply for probate online at a time that suited him, without needing to visit a probate registry or deal with extensive paperwork. 

    Using the new digital service, James found the application process intuitive and efficient, allowing him to save his progress and return later. He could easily track his application status online, reducing uncertainty and providing reassurance during a difficult time. The digital statement of truth replaced the need for an in-person oath, saving James time and travel expenses. 

    Overall, the digital probate service provided James with a flexible, accessible, and user-friendly way to manage his father’s estate, making a challenging process much more manageable and allowing him to focus on what truly mattered.” 

    Working together 

    We work closely with: 

    • our probate service user group which includes Society of Trusts and Estates Practitioners, Institute of Legacy Management, The Law Society, Remember a Charity and the Institute of Chartered Accountants, England and Wales 

    • HMRC to streamline processes 

    Future plans 

    The journey to deliver an effective online service has not always been straight forward, and we’ve learned a lot. When we launched the service the combination of a planned fee increase, adapting to new ways of working and increased demand led to delays in applications being granted.  

    At its peak in August 2023, there was a backlog of 97,000 applications. The service is now concluding its recovery plan and the open caseload is around 37,000. The workable open caseload (where we have the information needed to progress the application) dropped by over 80% in the year to January 2025 to 9,856.  

    We’re now committed to continuously improving the service by: 

    • continuing to share information with the charity sector who rely on donations to carry out their important work 

    • working closely with probate professional representatives to improve the service 

    • improving notifications to make it easier for applicants to know what they need to send us 

    • streamlining inheritance tax processes with HMRC 

    • offering regional office drop-in sessions for probate professionals 

    • offering dedicated registrar appointments to progress complex applications 

    • improving notifications about application status 

    Stay updated 

    Updates to this page

    Published 24 March 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI Economics: Asian Development Blog: Building Healthy Supply Chains While Cutting Carbon

    Source: Asia Development Bank

    Decarbonizing healthcare supply chains is essential to reducing emissions, minimizing waste, and strengthening the resilience of health systems, particularly in vulnerable regions.

    More than 70% of healthcare emissions are generated in the supply chain. This includes the production, procurement, transport, and disposal of health goods and services, such as pharmaceuticals, vaccines, medical devices, hospital equipment, food, and other items.

    Advancing low-carbon, resilient supply chains will be essential for achieving universal health coverage and equitable healthcare access in vulnerable hotspots in Asia, the Pacific, and globally.

    With momentum growing to decarbonize health care, lowering supply chain emissions will reduce the sector’s overall environmental impact. As demography and urbanization shifts evolve and environmental challenges intensify, the burden of communicable and non-communicable diseases will further strain the region’s health systems.

    Without supply chain decarbonization efforts in place, the risks of disruptions due to inflated prices, commodity shortages, or external shocks like disasters could wreak havoc on health systems. The consequences would be particularly dire for the poorest and most vulnerable populations, putting millions of lives at risk.

    The following four actions are recommended to help countries integrate decarbonization across the supply chain:

    Develop eco-designed medical supplies and products. Single-use plastic supplies, such as syringes, IV bags, surgical gloves, and face masks, significantly reduce infection risks in healthcare settings but their production and disposal contribute substantially to carbon emissions and generate large amounts of waste.

    Applying an environmentally-conscious approach to product design and incorporating circular economy principles, such as reducing material use, reusing components where feasible, and enhancing recyclability, can help mitigate environmental impacts.

    Sustainable alternatives to petroleum-based plastics include plant-based polymers, natural rubber, and other biodegradable or compostable materials, which can lower emissions, reduce waste, and improve resilience across the product lifecycle.

    Innovative materials—such as plant starches with plasticizers for flexible or rigid pharmaceutical packaging, plant-based cellulose derivatives like cellulose acetate for lab and pharmaceutical use, and sustainable insulating options like recyclable plastics or cardboard-based alternatives—are transforming the sector by enabling controlled lifespans, improving insulation efficiency, and reducing reliance on energy-intensive refrigeration.

    Decarbonize and build sustainability into manufacturing processes. As the healthcare market grows, medical supply and equipment manufacturers will continue to generate more emissions and waste during production.

    Building green practices into these processes is imperative for sustainable development and can lower operational costs over the long term. Key strategies include responsibly sourcing local and sustainable raw materials. Reduced waste is also needed in production processes such as reusing materials, repurposing products, and recycling.

    Replacing product packaging with biodegradable, reusable, or multi-use materials is also needed.

    Decarbonizing healthcare supply chains is not just an environmental imperative—it’s essential to building resilient, equitable health systems, especially in vulnerable regions.

    Invest in low-carbon transportation and logistics. Medical supply chains are highly complex, requiring a reliable and efficient flow of medicines, medical supplies, and medical devices from manufacturers to in-country distributors and healthcare providers.

    Ensuring the integrity of these essential products while promoting inclusive and sustainable growth necessitates a transition to resilient, low-carbon transportation and logistics systems.

    Key strategies for decarbonizing medical supply chains include optimizing transportation routes, adopting electric vehicles, and reducing supply-demand distances through localized sourcing and production.

    For instance, shifting away from air freight, approximately 40 times more emissions-intensive than sea, road, or rail transport, offers significant carbon savings. Leading pharmaceutical companies have made substantial progress in this regard—AstraZeneca increased its use of sea freight from 5% in 2012 to 65% in 2022, while Merck reduced its reliance on air transport from 65% in 2018 to just 10% in 2021.

    The electrification of short-distance transportation is another crucial step. Battery-powered electric vehicles are well-suited for most journeys under 400 kilometers, reducing emissions associated with fossil fuel-based trucking. Investing in bio-based or synthetic fuels for long-distance travel can help decarbonize air, sea, and heavy-road transport.

    Successful initiatives highlight the potential for transformation. Adopting compressed natural gas for transportation fleets in India has significantly reduced emissions. Similarly, drone technology has played a vital role in enhancing healthcare supply chains, particularly in remote areas. In the Pacific Islands, drones carrying up to three kilograms (6.6 pounds) have improved last-mile medical delivery while reducing the carbon footprint, traveling up to 130 kilometers (81 miles) per flight.

    Implement sustainable healthcare waste management. Millions of tonnes of waste are generated by healthcare activities each year, due largely to the use of single-use plastics and poor waste management practices.

    The pandemic led to a dramatic increase in the volume of healthcare waste globally, while many health facilities across Asia and the Pacific have limited waste management services. The use of chemical disinfectants and incineration to treat waste can result in the release of pollutants into the environment, causing respiratory and other diseases.

    Replacing carbon-intensive incineration with alternative waste treatment technologies like steam-based disinfection and adopting the principles of circularity to increase the reuse and recycling of healthcare products and materials can ease the burden of waste on health systems, reduce unnecessary emissions and human health, and save costs.

    Ensuring a robust regulatory framework to define, monitor, and enforce health safety standards is also a critical step toward resilient health systems.

    Decarbonizing healthcare supply chains is not just an environmental imperative—it’s essential to building resilient, equitable health systems, especially in vulnerable regions.

    Nansu Isadahl and Avdesh Gupta contributed to this blog post.
     

    MIL OSI Economics –

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

    Source: Asia Development Bank

    The role of mobile money in financial inclusion

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

    Pakistan’s evolving financial landscape

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

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

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

    Lessons from India and PRC

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

    The retail sector’s untapped potential

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

    MIL OSI Economics –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: Piero Cipollone: Interview with Expansión

    Source: European Central Bank

    Interview with Piero Cipollone, Member of the Executive Board of the ECB, conducted by Andrés Stumpf

    24 March 2025

    The last ECB Governing Council meeting left the door open for a pause in interest rate cuts, or even stopping them all together. Would you be OK with rates remaining at their current level of 2.5%?

    At the time of our March meeting, markets were pricing in a reduction in interest rates over the coming months, including going below 2%, with rates stabilising around that level. To produce our macroeconomic projections we take as given the rate path being priced in by markets and, despite rates being on a downward trajectory, the projections showed inflation converging towards our target at the beginning of 2026, with slightly weaker growth.

    Since then, not only has this narrative been confirmed, but key issues have arisen that have strengthened the arguments in favour of continuing to lower rates. First, energy prices have fallen significantly. The upward revision to projected inflation for this year was based on increased energy costs, but the pressure has eased as this trend reverses. Second, the euro has appreciated and real rates have increased, which contributes to lower inflation.

    And if the United States were to impose tariffs on European exports, that would have a negative impact on demand, which would further strengthen the downward trend in inflation. In the same vein, trade tensions between China and the United States could lead to China redirecting its products to the European market, increasing the downward pressure on prices.

    So will you continue cutting rates?

    We will go into each meeting with an open mind, assessing the available data and taking decisions on a meeting-by-meeting basis. Each adjustment will depend on how the economy evolves and how the uncertainties are resolved, but current conditions make it conceivable that monetary policy will be less restrictive as, at the moment, the outlook remains consistent with our March projections.

    In fact, according to the data we have available, we are likely to reach our inflation objective sooner than our latest projections indicate.

    The ECB’s latest statement signalled that monetary policy is now “meaningfully less restrictive”. Does this solely refer to the rate cuts that have already happened, or might it give us some hints about your next moves?

    That phrase alludes to the fact that we have already come a long way. It doesn’t say anything about the future, and we will go into the next meeting with new data that we will have to assess. If the path and our narrative are confirmed, from my perspective there is room to relax our monetary policy further.

    Would additional rate cuts get us to the famous, much-debated “neutral rate”, which is neither expansionary nor contractionary?

    It’s an interesting theoretical concept, but not particularly useful for conducting monetary policy. At the ECB we have sophisticated models and economists who analyse projections and risks. Their work provides crucial information that enables the Governing Council to take decisions on the basis of sound evidence. The neutral rate sparks an engaging debate, but the range [from 1.75% to 2.25%] is so wide that, depending on where you fall within this apparent neutral range, you could be conducting a totally different monetary policy.

    Europe currently needs substantial investment to tackle the climate transition and the loss of competitiveness, and now also for defence. Can the ECB help to mitigate this challenge?

    The ECB will contribute by providing a stable environment. For us, price stability and the expectation of price stability are essential elements because they encourage long-term planning. Families and businesses can plan, invest and take decisions accordingly.

    We are considering climate change, competitiveness and security challenges and the associated financing needs from that angle, analysing their economic and financial impact from the perspective of price stability. Aside from that, we’re getting into areas that aren’t within the ECB’s mandate.

    In any case, it’s important to avoid monetary policy keeping GDP growth below potential if that isn’t necessary to control inflation. If we are continually growing below potential we will end up undermining that potential. Investment is essential for supporting and growing the economy, and unnecessarily reducing investment can hamper long-term growth and make the economy more vulnerable to shocks.

    So, in this sense, our main contribution will be maintaining price stability, securing a stable economic environment and avoiding unnecessary restrictions on GDP growth.

    Recently you have signalled that the ECB shrinking its balance sheet could make monetary policy more restrictive and demand larger rate cuts.

    It’s more complicated than that. The large asset purchases we carried out in the past lowered long-term sovereign bond yields by as much as 175 basis points. Now, because of the reduction in the size of our balance sheet, this figure is 75 basis points and falling.

    But there’s another important factor. It’s not just about the size of central bank reserves, it’s also about their composition. ECB research shows that the composition of these reserves is very important for banks’ lending ability. The research estimates that debt portfolio holdings (under the ECB’s asset purchase programme (APP) and pandemic emergency purchase programme (PEPP)) will decrease by around €500 billion in 2025. This is associated with a possible €75 billion decline in credit supply. To put this into perspective, it is roughly equivalent to the amount of loans that banks granted to non-financial corporations in 2024.

    Therefore, we should bear in mind that, if nothing else happens, the reduction of the central bank balance sheet is putting pressure on banks’ lending capacity. So we need to monitor this effect and take it into consideration when calibrating our monetary policy stance.

    Growth in Spain is stronger and inflation is somewhat higher. Is the country at risk from the interest rate cuts?

    Inflation in Spain is currently slightly higher due to energy prices, and the stronger growth is in part also driven by supply factors, such as the impact of migration on the labour market. I think Spain’s growth is healthy.

    In any case, there have always been differences between euro area economies, and between regions in individual countries. The important thing is that there is convergence in economic and financial conditions, and we are actually seeing that in many respects. For example, despite all the volatility, risk premia have remained relatively contained.

    What is the current status of the digital euro?

    We are progressing as planned with our preparation phase, which will come to an end in October this year. We have been working on selecting providers. We’ve carried out the procurement process with potential suppliers and are about to finalise it. We are also developing the rulebook, and we’re working on ways to engage more with users.

    In the meantime, we are waiting for the legislative process to be completed. That is a key component.

    Are you optimistic?

    We know that progress has been made and we hope that the process will be concluded within a reasonable amount of time.

    One factor is important: there is a growing sense of urgency. The situation outside the euro area is a source of pressure and demands greater consideration of the risks we face in payments as a result of our fragility and our extreme dependence on foreign providers. I have the impression that this increased sense of urgency has now reached the legislators.

    At the European Parliament, President Lagarde argued that the digital euro is a tool of sovereignty. Would you agree with that?

    I fully agree with that statement. The digital euro is a structural necessity for the European payments market, irrespective of recent developments in other countries. However, recent events further underline the urgent need to make progress in this direction.

    The digital euro is key to reducing our foreign dependence as regards Europeans’ everyday payments. In addition, having more solutions across Europe will make us more competitive, which will lead to lower prices, better services and greater innovation.

    At a time of tensions between the EU and the United States, don’t you think that a public initiative designed to compete with US payment systems could cause further friction?

    I don’t think so, because it’s logical to think that each jurisdiction should have its own infrastructure that it can rely on. Payments are like water or electricity – essential services that every economy needs to ensure are available. In developing a digital euro, we are not seeking a confrontation with anyone. Implementing a digital euro is something that we should have done irrespective of the circumstances. It is about ensuring the resilience of our economy and that we are the master of our own destiny.

    The United States has abandoned plans for a digital dollar and other countries have also put their projects on hold. Why do you think the digital euro should go ahead?

    Every country and every region has its particular characteristics. In Europe we are facing specific challenges, like a fragmented payments market and a dependence on foreign solutions. Other countries and regions do not have the same problems and so may not see the same need.

    In any case, in the United States, there is a proposal that would allow stablecoins to hold their reserves with the Federal Reserve. This could be marketed as a form of hybrid digital dollar. In fact, some stablecoins present themselves as the world’s digital dollar.

    When will people be able to pay with digital euro?

    It very much depends on when the legislative process is finalised. The technical preparations and developments will take time, both on our side and for banks and the market. This could take some two or two-and-a-half years from the moment the decision to issue a digital euro is taken, once the legislation is in place.

    Do you have an estimate of the cost of the project?

    As the legislation is still pending and the procurement phase has not yet been finalised, it is difficult to say what the final cost of the project will be. In the procurement documentation we gave an initial estimate for the elements that will be sourced externally. This was based on market research we had carried out previously. These costs are estimated to be €432 million, including both the infrastructure and the operation of the system for 10-15 years. On top of that there will also be internal development costs, especially for the ledger. The ECB would bear these costs in the same way as it does for the production and issuance of banknotes. And like for banknotes, these costs would be covered by the seigniorage income generated by the digital euro.

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Tatyana Golikova took part in an extended meeting of the board of Rospotrebnadzor

    Translartion. Region: Russians Fedetion –

    Source: Government of the Russian Federation – An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.

    Tatyana Golikova took part in an extended meeting of the board of Rospotrebnadzor

    March 21, 2025

    Tatyana Golikova took part in an extended meeting of the board of Rospotrebnadzor

    March 21, 2025

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    Tatyana Golikova took part in an extended meeting of the board of Rospotrebnadzor

    An extended board meeting was held at Rospotrebnadzor, dedicated to the results of the agency’s activities in 2024 and tasks for 2025. Deputy Prime Minister Tatyana Golikova, head of Rospotrebnadzor Anna Popova, and Minister of Health Mikhail Murashko took part in the work of the board.

    The meeting was opened by Deputy Prime Minister Tatyana Golikova. She emphasized that Rospotrebnadzor regularly faces new challenges and threats, but coordinated work and accumulated experience allow preventing the import and spread of dangerous infections. Based on the century-long history of its existence, the service is constantly developing. Participation in the state programs “Development of Healthcare”, “Ensuring Chemical and Biological Safety of the Russian Federation” and “Scientific and Technological Development of the Russian Federation”, the Federal Scientific and Technical Program for the Development of Genetic Technologies, the implementation of the “Sanitary Shield of the Country” initiative gave the service the opportunity to reach a new technological level.

    According to Tatyana Golikova, the key area of the service’s work is the country’s biological safety. “Over three years, a network of 54 sequencing centers, 153 PCR centers has been formed, 20 mobile rapid response laboratories and 14 mobile sanitary and quarantine points operate in the regions. Of the 80 biological safety reference centers existing in the country, 46 operate in Rospotrebnadzor institutions,” she noted.

    What was introduced as pilot approaches and innovations during the COVID-19 pandemic has become routine today. “First of all, this is genomic surveillance and population immunological monitoring. Sequencing capacity in the country has increased fivefold since 2021 – up to 10 thousand sequences per week, which makes Russia one of the world leaders in genomic surveillance,” the Deputy Prime Minister emphasized.

    The second block of tasks of the service is hygiene. The issues of healthy nutrition, clean water, safe environment are becoming increasingly relevant, as they directly affect the health of each person.

    “As part of the national project “Demography” completed in 2024, a large-scale information and communication campaign on healthy eating was conducted with an audience reach of more than 2 billion views. It was possible to achieve a reduction of almost three times the rate of growth of primary obesity incidence in 2019-2024,” said Tatyana Golikova.

    Rospotrebnadzor will continue activities to implement individual healthy nutrition programs within the framework of the federal project “Health for Everyone”, which is part of the national project “Long and Active Life”, which was launched on January 1 of this year.

    An important area of activity is quality control and food safety. The Service has conducted more than 1 million studies of food products for vitamin and macro- and micronutrient content and surveyed more than 675 thousand students in more than 15 thousand schools. A large-scale in-depth assessment of the actual nutrition of schoolchildren made it possible to identify problems in each region and develop recommendations for each of them on the consumption of food products that meet the requirements of healthy nutrition.

    The product traceability system is gradually expanding the list of products for assessing their compliance with mandatory requirements through the Honest Sign application. In September 2024, the procedure for licensing disinfection activities came into force. A lot of work has been done to change the methodological framework, and amendments to the sanitary rules have been prepared.

    The third important block of the service’s work is consumer rights protection.

    At the end of last year, amendments to the legislation aimed at protecting citizens from the imposition of goods or services on them were adopted in the first reading. “We expect that the proposed amendments will strengthen control in this area and, as a result, will increase the effectiveness of protecting the rights of consumers, as well as bona fide entrepreneurs who avoid such tricks in their activities,” noted Tatyana Golikova.

    In addition, in December of last year, amendments were made to the Code of Administrative Offences, which increased the amount of administrative fines for failure by entrepreneurs to submit notification of the commencement of activities and increased the statute of limitations for bringing to administrative responsibility from three to six months.

    An equally important block is science. The service has a unique scientific base, its infrastructure is constantly being modernized.

    Breakthrough research for biological safety is carried out by Rospotrebnadzor scientific institutions, including within the framework of the Federal Scientific and Technical Program for the Development of Genetic Technologies. The latest candidate vaccines against especially dangerous infections have been developed. Plague and tularemia vaccines are already undergoing preclinical trials.

    “49 new rapid tests for diagnosing infections have been created, and the range should be expanded to effectively identify biological threats. The indisputable merit of the service’s scientific organizations is technological independence in the development and production of diagnostic test systems. Today, 100% import substitution of test system production has been ensured, with the release of up to 1 million kits per year,” the Deputy Prime Minister emphasized.

    The work of the World-Class Genomic Research Center based at the service’s scientific institutions will continue in 2025–2030.

    An equally important block of tasks is international cooperation. The Service monitors and controls infections at near and far approaches. Today, the Service interacts with 30 countries, constantly works in joint centers in Southeast Asia and Latin America. 41 mobile laboratories have been transferred to 16 countries to ensure biological safety. In 2024, the warning and response system in the single epidemiological space of the CIS was strengthened. Fulfilling the initiative of the President of Russia, announced at the Russia-Africa summit in 2023, the geography of the presence of Rospotrebnadzor specialists in Africa has been expanded to 15 countries.

    Tatyana Golikova thanked her colleagues for their success in defending Russia’s position at the WHO and preventing changes to international health regulations.

    All achievements are impossible without the main thing – professional staff. Today, the service employs about 15 thousand young specialists under 35 years of age – this is almost a quarter of all employees. Tatyana Golikova thanked the employees of Rospotrebnadzor for their work and wished them new successes.

    In his speech, Health Minister Mikhail Murashko spoke about the joint work of Rospotrebnadzor and the Ministry of Health, aimed at reducing the total duration of temporary disability among unemployed citizens. By 2030, it is planned to reduce this figure by 15%.

    In turn, the head of Rospotrebnadzor Anna Popova announced the results of the department’s activities in 2024 and tasks for 2025. Thus, the unified information system of Rospotrebnadzor allows informing the population and authorities about the quality of drinking water and air within the framework of the Clean Water and Clean Air projects. The interactive water quality control map, which has been in operation since 2022, contains more than 19 million research results.

    An alternative method for determining the contamination of drinking water and reservoirs has been introduced – the “toxicity index”. Methods have been developed for determining eight antibiotics in drinking water.

    Anna Popova emphasized that Rospotrebnadzor actively protects consumer rights in court, which ensures a high level of legal protection in the consumer market. In 2024, 94–98% of claims were made in favor of consumers, the amount of awarded payments amounted to 4.2 billion rubles.

    As part of the federal project “Sanitary Shield of the Country”, a unique fleet of mobile laboratories has been created, which allows for a prompt response to risks: anywhere in the country within 24 hours and in the world – within 48 hours. Since 2023, the AIS “Perimeter” has been operating at 241 checkpoints to assess epidemiological risks in real time. Remote thermometry and testing at the border have also been introduced, and mobile sanitary and quarantine complexes with laboratory support have been installed in 14 constituent entities of the Russian Federation.

    Territorial bodies of Rospotrebnadzor and hygiene and epidemiology centers operate in the Donetsk People’s Republic, Luhansk People’s Republic, Zaporizhia Oblast and Kherson Oblast. Since the summer of 2022, mobile complexes of anti-epidemic teams have been operating in the regions. Mobile laboratories for rapid response have been delivered to four entities, the work of which is integrated into the Rospotrebnadzor network, ensuring readiness to detect infectious diseases.

    Please note: This information is raw content directly from the source of the information. It is exactly what the source states and does not reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Security of payment: preventing enforcement of adjudicated amounts to contractors in precarious financial positions

    Source: Allens Insights (legal sector)

    Stays granted even if contractors are not insolvent 6 min read

    The Queensland Supreme Court has granted a stay preventing enforcement of a judgment debt obtained by a contractor in reliance upon an adjudication decision pursuant to the Building Industry Fairness (Security of Payment) Act 2017 (Qld) (BIF Act).

    In this Insight, we consider Taringa Property Group Pty Ltd v Kenik Pty Ltd [2024] QSC 327 and similar cases in NSW and Victoria, with a focus on two key questions:

    • can contractors in liquidation benefit from security of payment legislation?
    • how do courts approach stay applications made by the principal where the contractor is solvent, but in a precarious financial position?

    Key takeaways 

    • Taringa Property Group is a welcome development for principals in Queensland as it lays the foundation for seeking a stay, even when a contractor is not in liquidation.
    • Insolvency remains a major challenge for contractors, who may now experience more difficulties in enforcing payment of adjudicated amounts which can, in turn, exacerbate cash flow problems.
    • Courts maintain a wide discretion and will consider each stay application on its own facts and circumstances—however, a major consideration is how long the stay will likely be.
    • We expect to see an increase in security of payment adjudication and related court litigation as a result of the likely reforms in Victoria.

    Taringa Property Group Pty Ltd v Kenik Pty Ltd [2024] QSC 327

    TPG (Principal) engaged Kenik (Contractor) to design and construct a retail complex at Taringa.

    The contract ended in August 2023 and the Contractor made a final payment claim in September 2023 for $9.7 million. Following the Principal issuing a payment schedule (with a scheduled amount of nil), the Contractor made an adjudication application under the BIF Act, where the adjudicator awarded the Contractor $4.2 million. The Contractor obtained judgment in respect of the adjudicated amount.

    The Principal commenced two applications in the Queensland Supreme Court:

    • First, seeking to have the adjudication decision declared void for jurisdictional error or, in the alternative, a stay of the judgment debt.
    • Second, seeking final relief relating to the contract (specifically, that the Contractor is not entitled to retain the adjudicated amount).

    The court warned that considerable caution should be given to the granting of the stay as it detracts from the primary purpose of the BIF Act in enabling a contractor to be paid.1 Any risk of non‑recovery of payments made under the BIF Act as a consequence of the financial failure of the contractor after the receipt of the BIF payment is generally to lie with the principal.2

    The court gave three examples of circumstances of when a stay might be granted:3

    • where the contractor has taken steps to make the task of recovering any BIF payment more difficult for the principal by way of restructuring its financial affairs;
    • where the contractor engages in tactics to delay the resolution of the substantive proceeding;4 or
    • where the contractor is in liquidation or in some form of external administration due to liquidity issues at the time the BIF payment would otherwise be made.

    Essentially, there needs to be a real risk that the Principal will suffer prejudice or damage if a stay is not granted. However, Justice Hindman rejected the proposition that the risk must reach the level of certainty before a stay might be granted—in other words, the threshold is not so high that the contractor must actually be in external administration or must be positively proved to be hopelessly or otherwise insolvent.5

    Justice Hindman found ‘undisputed’ evidence of serious financial instability and that, if a stay is granted, the Contractor is most likely to financially fail.6 It was further observed that, even if it received the adjudicated amount, the Contractor was still likely to go into external administration as it would be insufficient to satisfy its debts.

    The court concluded that if the stay was refused, there would be a very high risk that the Contractor would not be able to repay the adjudicated amount should the Principal succeed in its claim for final relief. The practical effect of refusing the stay would be to transform the Contractor’s interim entitlement under the BIF Act into a final payment, unable to be recovered by the Principal, and at odds with the intended operation of the BIF Act.

    In a separate proceeding following this decision, a creditor of the Contractor successfully obtained an order that the Contractor be wound up.7

    The decision is currently under appeal.

    Discussion 

    Insolvency has been a major challenge for contractors, who are experiencing obstacles at every turn—high inflation, regulatory reforms, supply-chain issues, delayed effects of the pandemic, labour shortages etc. The main purpose of the BIF Act (and equivalent acts) is to help contractors be paid for the work they do, so stays to delay payment to contractors may have significant consequences and could potentially increase insolvency rates in the industry.

    New South Wales

    Since 2019, NSW has had a prohibition on companies in liquidation using the security of payment process8—the only jurisdiction in Australia to have such an express carveout. Companies in liquidation may not serve or enforce payment claims, or make applications for adjudication of a payment claim.

    Where contractors are not in liquidation, courts have been cautious in light of the policy of the statute and have undertaken a close analysis of the extent or certainty of the risk of prejudice or damage if a stay is not granted. Nevertheless, courts have been ready and willing to grant stays if the failure to do so would have the practical effect of making permanent that which, clearly enough, the legislature intended to be only interim.9

    Recently, the NSW Supreme Court noted that, although it does make it harder to obtain a stay when the contractor is not in liquidation, it by no means follows that a stay cannot be obtained unless it is.10

    The court further observed that:

    ‘up to a point, the more financial difficulty the contractor is in, the less reason there is for granting a stay, as the more likely it will be that the grant of such a stay will result in the contractor being deprived of the cashflow which is needed to sustain its operations. It is only when insolvency becomes inevitable, or at least highly probable, that the dynamics reverse because of the possibility that an interim payment will effectively become final.’11

    Indeed, in another recent decision, the court considered that even a ‘significant risk’ was not sufficiently certain of financial difficulty such that a stay should be granted.12 We note, however, in that case the contractor continued to trade, unlike the contractor in Taringa Property Group.

    The decision in Taringa Property Group, although the first of its kind in Queensland, is consistent with the approach taken in NSW.

    Victoria

    Victorian principals can still run the argument that contractors in liquidation may not use the payment regime, though this is unlikely to be without serious consideration by the courts due to conflicting decisions on this issue.13

    There is also a question of whether, in seeking a stay against a contractor who is not in liquidation, a principal is required to show that there is more than a real risk the contractor would not be able to repay the adjudicated amount in order to succeed.14

    At least one decision has granted such a stay, without requiring that higher standard.15 In that case, the stay was justified—save the fact of the parlous financial circumstances of the contractor—on the basis that it would be limited in time, and therefore minimal in the prejudice it caused the contractor.16 The likely takeaway is that, where the court is able to grant the stay on conditions or for a limited time period, application of a higher standard in the form of more than a real risk may be less relevant.

    On a wider note, principals in Victoria should be prepared to engage in more and broader adjudications in the near future as a result of the likely reforms to the current Victorian act. Consequently, it is expected that there will be an increase in proceedings seeking final determination of rights under contract and corresponding stay applications.

    To read more about Victoria’s proposed reforms, including the removal of Victoria’s unique ‘excluded amounts’ regime, removal of the concept of ‘reference dates’, an introduction of a blackout period and the introduction of a new provision allowing notice-based time bars to be declared unfair, see Government support for security of payment reform in Victoria.

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Mar 23, 2025 VTA Workers Slam VTA Board of Directors, VTA Management for Lack of Leadership, Insults to Workers, and Regressive Bargaining

    Source: US Amalgamated Transit Union

    VTA Assistant General Manager Greg Richardson calls VTA workers “uneducated”

    San Jose, CA – In a shameful VTA press briefing today on negotiations with ATU Local 265-San Jose, CA, to end the strike, VTA Board Chair Sergio Lopez and VTA GM Carolyn Gonot displayed a lack of leadership with an insulting contract offer disrespecting their frontline workers and the riders of the VTA.

    Earlier this week, during contract talks, in a shock to ATU Local 265 leaders, VTA Assistant General Manager Greg Richardson called VTA workers “uneducated.” The VTA also posted a dangerous video on social media accusing VTA workers of lying about contract talks. The video has since been removed.

    “The VTA is trying to bully their employees with this latest contract offer that has rolled back proposals on overtime and attendance. It’s reprehensible,” said Local 265 President/Business Agent Raj Singh. “This comes on the heels of Assistant GM Richardson calling our members uneducated earlier this week. The nerve of Richardson. He and the VTA management need to get off their high horse. The VTA is the one holding the riders in this community hostage. They can get a deal done to end this strike.”

    In the latest contract offer, the VTA has resorted to regressive bargaining by putting proposals on overtime calculations and attendance policy that had already been taken off the table months ago back in their offer.

    Furthermore, the VTA attempted to engage Governor Newsom to force VTA workers back to work. In response, the Governor told both parties to get back to the negotiating table and reach a fair and just contract that treats these workers with respect and dignity.

    “Once again, the VTA has shown a blatant disregard for the hardworking men and women who keep San Jose moving,” said ATU International President John Costa. “Our members deserve a fair contract that reflects their dedication and sacrifice. Instead, they’ve been met with disrespect and insults, with the VTA calling them uneducated and publishing and then deleting dangerous social media posts targeting their own employees. All of this happened after our members survived a mass shooting and risked their lives every day during the pandemic, serving the public. Shameful. It’s time for VTA to stop playing games and start treating transit workers with the respect they deserve.”

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Economics: Harnessing the Benefits of Regional Cooperation and Integration

    Source: Asia Development Bank

    Transcript

    The rapid growth of the Asia and Pacific region into a global economic powerhouse can be fully understood through the crucial role of deepening regional cooperation and integration.
     
    In recent decades, the region has made remarkable strides in integration through the accelerated growth in trade, investment, movement of people, and―importantly―knowledge.
     
    Asia’s trade integration is drawing closer to that of the European Union, with intraregional trade shares increasing by 10 percentage points from 1990 to 2023. 
     
    Foreign direct investment within Asia has grown, with 52% of FDI from 2013 to 2023 coming from within the region, boosted by investments in services, digital industries, and green sectors. 
     
    Financial integration has lagged behind trade and investment. 
     
    Yet it remains a critical conduit for translating the region’s existing and future savings into regional investments.
     
    Expanding markets and income has made Asia a crucial source of remittances and tourism, beyond pre-pandemic levels. 
     
    For several economies in the region, they have become financial lifelines.
     
    While the region is backed by strong regional cooperation and partnership, growing risks of geopolitical tensions and global fragmentation calls for renewed attention to the benefits of regional cooperation and integration in better cushioning external shocks.
     
    The region needs to broaden, deepen, and modernize its free trade agreements and investment treaties.
     
    Also, existing regional financial arrangements must upgrade their effectiveness to safeguard the region’s financial stability.
     
    Digitalization must ensure it helps facilitate the secure movement of people, money, and ideas; and lower transfer costs.
    Tourism can thrive only if improved connectivity―along with liberal air transport and visa policies―can expand regional travel opportunities.
     
    With these efforts, regional cooperation and integration will increasingly contribute to economic prosperity, help tackle the climate crisis, narrow the digital divide, and navigate geopolitical challenges in the coming decades
     
    To learn more, please read the Asian Economic Integration Report 2025. 

    MIL OSI Economics –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Trade mission to China

    Source: Australian National Party



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

    Released 24/03/2025

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

    – Statement ends –

    Andrew Barr, MLA | Media Releases

    «ACT Government Media Releases | «Minister Media Releases

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Union Minister Dr. Jitendra Singh hails “Recruitment Exams now being conducted in 13 regional languages which were limited to Hindi and English ” chairing a high-level review Meeting

    Source: Government of India (2)

    Union Minister Dr. Jitendra Singh hails “Recruitment Exams now being conducted in 13 regional languages which were limited to Hindi and English ” chairing a high-level review Meeting

    Average timeline of Recruitment cycle almost halved from 15 months to 8 months and will be further reduced” says Dr. Jitendra Singh

    Rules of Public examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Act 2024 notified: DoPT Minister Dr. Singh reviews

    Dr. Jitendra Singh instructs to create a ‘Single Job Application Portal’ to save youth’s energy from applying at various platforms

    Posted On: 22 MAR 2025 8:06PM by PIB Delhi

    NEW DELHI, March 22: Union Minister Dr. Jitendra Singh hailed the expansion of recruitment exams to 13 regional languages, a significant move from the earlier limitation to Hindi and English before 2014.

    Chairing a high-level holistic meeting at the Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT) in North Block here, he emphasized the government’s commitment to streamlining the recruitment process and enhancing governance through technology-driven reforms.

     

    Dr. Jitendra Singh stated that the average recruitment cycle time has been reduced from 15 months to 8 months, with further reductions planned in the coming days. He also recalled the Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Act, 2024, which was propelled by his efforts, and confirmed that its rules and details have been notified.

    Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Science and Technology, Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Earth Sciences, Minister of State in the Prime Minister’s Office, Department of Atomic Energy, Department of Space, and Personnel, Public Grievances, and Pensions, Dr. Jitendra Singh directed officials to establish standards and guidelines for conducting computer-based tests, ensuring a level playing field for all candidates. He also instructed the creation of a ‘Single Job Application Portal’ to ease the burden on job seekers and save their time and energy from applying across multiple platforms.

    Dr. Jitendra Singh took stock of Mission Karmayogi, noting that as of date, nearly 89 lakh Karmayogis have been onboarded. He emphasized the importance of capacity building for government employees, focusing on their overall development and increased workplace efficiency.

    The DoPT Minister instructed officials to create a repository of Good Governance practices and amplify them through outreach for other departments to follow. Stressing the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in governance, he cited its success in CPGRAMS 2.0, an AI-enabled grievance redressal system.

    Dr. Jitendra Singh also stressed continuous digitalization, recalling how during the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown, 70-80% of government work was carried out online, thanks to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Digital India Mission, envisioned in 2015. He emphasized the need for process re-engineering to revise guidelines for framing and amending recruitment rules.

    On personnel policies and rules, Dr. Singh directed officials to ensure inclusive and equitable policies while leveraging technology to foster transparency and accountability.

    During the review, Dr. Jitendra Singh also addressed the questions raised by officials and guided them on the way forward. Smt. Rachna Shah, Secretary, DoPT, along with senior officials of the ministry, attended the high-level meeting.

    ***

    NKR/PSM

    (Release ID: 2114071) Visitor Counter : 10

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Minister of Foreign Affairs, Trade and Barbuda Affairs of Antigua and Barbuda, H.E. E.P. Chet Greene Calls On Union Minister of Youth Affairs and Sports, Dr. Mansukh Mandaviya

    Source: Government of India (2)

    Minister of Foreign Affairs, Trade and Barbuda Affairs of Antigua and Barbuda, H.E. E.P. Chet Greene Calls On Union Minister of Youth Affairs and Sports, Dr. Mansukh Mandaviya

    Discussions took place on Enhancing People to People Relations through Cooperation and Collaboration in Sports

    Posted On: 22 MAR 2025 5:15PM by PIB Delhi

    H.E. E.P. Chet Greene Minister of Foreign Affairs, Trade and Barbuda Affairs of Antigua and Barbuda, while on visit to India called upon Dr. Mansukh Mandaviya, Union Minister of Youth Affairs & Sports and Labour & Employment, Government of India at his office at Shram Shakti Bhawan on 21.03.2025.

    Both sides highlighted the historical ties between India and Antigua & Barbuda. Discussions explored avenues for cooperation in various sports, including Cricket, Football, Rugby, Basketball, and Volleyball. The Antiguan delegation expressed keen interest in expanding mutual support and collaboration at multilateral forums.

    The dialogue also covered key areas such as exchange programs for athletes and coaches, sports science, medicine, management, and infrastructure development. Recognizing Sir Viv Richards’ immense popularity in India, the Antiguan side sought bilateral assistance to upgrade cricketing facilities in their country, aiming to strengthen their national team. Additionally, discussions were held on engaging Antigua & Barbuda cricketing legends in coaching academies in India to mentor young talent.

    H.E. E.P. Chet Greene conveyed gratitude to the Hon’ble Minister of Sports for his past contributions and acknowledged India’s support during the COVID-19 pandemic through vaccine assistance. He appreciated the visionary leadership of Hon’ble Prime Minister Narendra Modi in championing global south, economic growth, healthcare, and digital innovation.

    Both sides stressed on enhancing people to people relations through cooperation and collaboration in sports.

    ****

    Himanshu Pathak

    (Release ID: 2114019) Visitor Counter : 29

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

    Is Carney empathetic?

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

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

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

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

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

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

    Empathy, instinct

    Can Carney connect with people?

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

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

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

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

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

    Chretien’s skills

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

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

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

    Emotions to run high

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

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

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

    Kevin Quigley receives funding from SSHRC.

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

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Arizona Brothers Plead Guilty for Roles in Conspiracies to Fraudulently Obtain Nearly $109 Million in Covid-Relief Funds

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    PORTLAND, Ore.—Two brothers from Sedona, Arizona, pleaded guilty for conspiring with one another and others to defraud the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) out of nearly $109 million in loans intended to help small businesses during the COVID-19 pandemic.

    Eric Karnezis, 43, pleaded guilty Thursday to conspiring to commit wire fraud. Today, in a separate but related case, Anthony Karnezis, 43, also pleaded guilty to conspiring to commit wire fraud.

    According to court documents, from January 2021 until at least March 2022, Eric Karnezis carried out a scheme whereby he conspired to gather false and fraudulent business information from customers and used the information to submit at least 350 fraudulent Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loan applications through Blueacorn, a lender service provider, to Capital Plus Financial, a lender participating in the PPP. To facilitate the scheme, Eric Karnezis and his co-conspirators created fictious documents to support the fraudulent loan applications, including false payroll information and tax documents.

    In total, Eric Karnezis submitted or caused to be submitted at least 1,300 PPP applications, which together attempted to obtain at least $178 million from Capital Plus Financial, of which approximately $105 million in loans were funded in response to the fraudulent applications. Additionally, Eric Karnezis required applicants to pay a fee for his role in the conspiracy and he received approximately $3 million for submitting the fraudulent applications.

    Anthony Karnezis carried out a related scheme through at least March 2022, whereby he conspired with his brother, among others, to gather fraudulent business information from customers and used the information to submit at least 140 fraudulent PPP loan applications, through Blueacorn, to Capital Plus Financial. Based on the false and misrepresented information, more than $3.9 million in loans were funded in response to these fraudulent applications. Anthony Karnezis also required applicants to pay a fee for his role in the conspiracy and he received more than $957,000 for submitting the fraudulent applications.

    On August 21, 2024, a federal grand jury in Portland returned a 23-count indictment charging Eric Karnezis and other defendants with conspiring to commit and committing wire fraud and conspiring to commit money laundering.

    On February 19, 2025, Anthony Karnezis was charged by criminal information with conspiring to commit wire fraud.

    Each faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison, a $250,000 fine and 3 years of supervised release and will both be sentenced on June 20, 2025, before U.S. District Court Judge Karin J. Immergut.

    As part of their plea agreements, Eric Karnezis agreed to pay between $25 million and $65 million in restitution to their victims, and Anthony Karnezis agreed to pay between $3.5 million and $9.5 million in restitution to their victims. They have also agreed to forfeit any criminally-derived proceeds and property.

    This case was investigated by the SBA Office of Inspector General (SBA-OIG), IRS Criminal Investigation (IRS:CI), the U.S. Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration (TIGTA), and the Naval Criminal Investigative Service (NCIS). It is being prosecuted by Meredith Bateman and Robert Trisotto, Assistant U.S. Attorneys for the District of Oregon. Forfeiture proceedings are being handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Julia Jarett, also of the District of Oregon.

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

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-Evening Report: Top Pacific diplomats ready for direct talks on Bougainville independence

    By Leah Lowonbu, Stefan Armbruster and Harlyne Joku of BenarNews

    The Pacific’s peak diplomatic bodies have signalled they are ready to engage with Papua New Guinea’s Autonomous Government of Bougainville as mediation begins on the delayed ratification of its successful 2019 independence referendum.

    PNG and Bougainville’s leaders met in the capital Port Moresby this week with a moderator to start negotiations on the implementation of the UN-supervised Bougainville Peace Agreement and referendum.

    Ahead of the talks, ABG’s President Ishmael Toroama moved to sideline a key sticking point over PNG parliamentary ratification of the vote, with the announcement last week that Bougainville would unilaterally declare independence on September 1, 2027.

    The region’s two leading intergovernmental organisations — Pacific Islands Forum (PIF) and Melanesian Spearhead Group (MSG) — have traditionally deferred to member state PNG on discussion of Bougainville independence as an internal matter.

    But as a declaration of nationhood becomes increasingly likely and near, there has been a subtle shift.

    “It’s their [PNG’s] prerogative but if this matter were raised formally, even by Bougainville themselves, we can start discussion on that,” PIF Secretary-General Baron Waqa told a press briefing at its headquarters in Fiji on Monday.

    “Whatever happens, I think the issue would have to be decided by our leaders later this year,” he said of the annual PIF meeting to be held in Solomon Islands in September.

    Marked peace deal
    The last time the Pacific’s leaders included discussion of Bougainville in their official communique was in 2004 to mark the disarmament of the island under the peace deal.

    Waqa said Bougainville had made no formal approach to PIF — a grouping of 18 Pacific states and territories — but it was closely monitoring developments on what could eventually lead to the creation of a new member state.

    PNG Prime Minister James Marape (second from left) and Bougainville President Ishmael Toroama (right) during mediation in the capital Port Moresby this week. Image: Autonomous Government of Bougainville/BenarNews

    In 2024, Toroama told BenarNews he would be seeking observer status at the subregional MSG — grouping PNG, Fiji, Solomon Islands, Vanuatu and New Caledonia’s FLNKS — as Bougainville’s first diplomatic foray.

    No application has been made yet but MSG acting Director-General Ilan Kiloe told BenarNews they were also keeping a close watch.

    “Our rules and regulations require that we engage through PNG and we will take our cue from them,” Kiloe said, adding while the MSG respects the sovereignty of its members, “if requested, we will provide assistance” to Bougainville.

    “The purpose and reason the MSG was established initially was to advance the collective interests of the Melanesian countries, in particular, to assist those yet to attain independence,” he said. “And to provide support towards their aim of becoming independent countries.”

    Map showing Papua New Guinea, its neighboring countries and the Autonomous Region of Bougainville. Map: BenarNews

    The 2001 peace agreement ended more than a decade of bloody conflict  known as the Bougainville crisis, that resulted in the deaths of up to 15,000 people, and laid out a roadmap for disarmament and the referendum in 2019.

    ‘We need support’
    Under the agreement, PNG retains responsibility for foreign affairs but allows for the ABG to engage externally for trade and with “regional organisations.”

    “We need countries to support us, we need to talk to those countries [ahead of independence],” Toroama told BenarNews last September.

    The referendum on independence was supported by 97.7 percent of Bougainvillians and the outcome was due to be ratified by PNG’s Parliament in 2020, but was deferred because of the covid-19 pandemic.

    Discussions by the two parties since on whether a simple or two-thirds majority vote by parliamentarians was required has further delayed the process.

    Toroama stood firm on the issue of ratification on the first day of discussions moderated by New Zealand’s Sir Jerry Mataparae, saying his people voted for independence and the talks were to define the “new relationship” between two independent states.

    Last week, the 15 members of the Bougainville Leaders Independence Consultation Forum issued a statement declaring PNG had no authority to veto the referendum result and recommended September 1, 2027 as the declaration date.

    Bougainville Leaders Consultation Forum declaration setting September 1, 2027, as the date for their independence declaration. Image: AGB/BenarNews

    “As far as I am concerned, the process of negotiating independence was concluded with the referendum,” Toroama said.

    Implementation moderation
    “My understanding is that this moderation is about reaching agreement on implementing the referendum result of independence.”

    He told Marape “to take ownership and endorse independence in this 11th Parliament.”

    PNG’s prime minister responded by praising the 25 years of peace “without a single bullet fired” but warned Bougainville was not ready for independence.

    “Economic independence must precede political independence,” Marape said. “The long-term sustainability of Bougainville must be factored into these discussions.”

    “About 95 percent of Bougainville’s budget is currently reliant on external support, including funding from the PNG government and international donors.”

    Proposals to reopen Rio Tinto’s former Panguna gold and copper mine in Bougainville, that sparked its civil conflict, is a regular feature of debate about its economic future.

    Front page of the Post-Courier newspaper after the first day of mediation on Bougainville’s independence this week. Image: Post-Courier/BenarNews

    Marape also suggested people may be secretly harbouring weapons in breach of the peace agreement and called on the UN to clarify the outcome of the disarmament process it supervised.

    “Headlines have come out that guns remain in Bougainville. United Nations, how come guns remain in Bougainville?” Marape asked on Monday.

    “You need to tell me. This is something you know. I thought all guns were removed from Bougainville.”

    PNG relies on aid
    By comparison, PNG has heavily relied on foreign financial assistance since independence, currently receiving at about US$320 million (1.3 billion kina) a year in budgetary support from Australia, and suffers regular tribal violence and massacres involving firearms including assault rifles.

    Bougainville Vice-President Patrick Nisira rejected Marape’s concerns about weapons, the Post-Courier newspaper reported.

    “The usage of those guns, there is no evidence of that and if you look at the data on Bougainville where [there are] incidents of guns, it is actually very low,” he said.

    Further talks are planned and are due to produce a report for the national Parliament by mid-2025, ahead of elections in Bougainville and PNG’s 50th anniversary celebrations in September.

    Republished from BenarNews with permission.

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-OSI: LeddarTech Announces Receipt of Nasdaq Deficiency Notice

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    QUEBEC CITY, Canada, March 21, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — LeddarTech® Holdings Inc. (“LeddarTech” or the “Company”) (Nasdaq: LDTC), an automotive software company that provides patented disruptive AI-powered low-level sensor fusion and perception software technology, LeddarVision™, today announced that it has received a letter from the Listing Qualifications Department of the Nasdaq Stock Market LLC indicating that, based upon the closing bid price of the Company’s common shares for the 30 consecutive business day period from February 4, 2025 through March 18, 2025, the Company did not meet the minimum bid price of US$1.00 per share required for continued listing on the Nasdaq Capital Market (the “Listing Requirement”). The letter also indicated that the Company will be afforded a period of 180 calendar days to regain compliance.

    The Company intends to actively monitor the closing bid price of its common shares and will evaluate available options to regain compliance with the Listing Requirement. However, there can be no assurance that the Company will be able to regain compliance with such Listing Requirement or maintain compliance with any of the other Nasdaq Capital Market continued listing requirements.

    The letter has no immediate effect on the listing of the Company’s common shares, which will continue to be listed and traded on the Nasdaq Capital Market under the symbol “LDTC,” subject to the Company’s compliance with the other continued listing requirements of the Nasdaq Capital Market.

    The foregoing also should be read in conjunction with the disclosures set forth in the Company’s Report of Foreign Private Issuer on Form 6-K as filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission and under the Company’s SEDAR+ profile on the date hereof, and the Company’s Annual Report on Form 20-F for the year ended September 30, 2024 as filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission and under the Company’s SEDAR+ profile on December 26, 2024, including the disclosures set forth under “Item 3.D – Key Information – Risk Factors” contained therein.

    About LeddarTech

    A global software company founded in 2007 and headquartered in Quebec City with additional R&D centers in Montreal and Tel Aviv, Israel, LeddarTech develops and provides comprehensive AI-based low-level sensor fusion and perception software solutions that enable the deployment of ADAS, autonomous driving (AD) and parking applications. LeddarTech’s automotive-grade software applies advanced AI and computer vision algorithms to generate accurate 3D models of the environment to achieve better decision making and safer navigation. This high-performance, scalable, cost-effective technology is available to OEMs and Tier 1-2 suppliers to efficiently implement automotive and off-road vehicle ADAS solutions.

    LeddarTech is responsible for several remote-sensing innovations, with over 170 patent applications (87 granted) that enhance ADAS, AD and parking capabilities. Better awareness around the vehicle is critical in making global mobility safer, more efficient, sustainable and affordable: this is what drives LeddarTech to seek to become the most widely adopted sensor fusion and perception software solution.

    Additional information about LeddarTech is accessible at www.leddartech.com and on LinkedIn, Twitter (X), Facebook and YouTube.

    Forward-Looking Statements

    Certain statements contained in this Press Release may be considered forward-looking statements within the meaning of the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (which forward-looking statements also include forward-looking statements and forward-looking information within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities laws), including, but not limited to, statements relating to LeddarTech’s anticipated strategy, future operations, prospects, objectives and financial projections and other financial metrics. Forward-looking statements generally include statements that are predictive in nature and depend upon or refer to future events or conditions, and include words such as “may,” “will,” “should,” “would,” “expect,” “anticipate,” “plan,” “likely,” “believe,” “estimate,” “project,” “intend” and other similar expressions among others. Statements that are not historical facts are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are based on current beliefs and assumptions that are subject to risks and uncertainties and are not guarantees of future performance. Actual results could differ materially from those contained in any forward-looking statement as a result of various factors, including, without limitation: (i) our ability to continue to maintain compliance with Nasdaq continued listing standards following our transfer to the Nasdaq Capital Market; (ii) our ability to timely access sufficient capital and financing on favorable terms or at all; (iii) our ability to maintain compliance with our debt covenants, including our ability to enter into any forbearance agreements, waivers or amendments with, or obtain other relief from, our lenders as needed; (iv) our ability to execute on our business model, achieve design wins and generate meaningful revenue; (v) our ability to successfully commercialize our product offering at scale, whether through the collaboration agreement with Texas Instruments, a collaboration with a Tier 2 supplier or otherwise; (vi) changes in our strategy, future operations, financial position, estimated revenues and losses, projected costs and plans; (vii) changes in general economic and/or industry-specific conditions; (viii) our ability to retain, attract and hire key personnel; (ix) potential adverse changes to relationships with our customers, employees, suppliers or other parties; (x) legislative, regulatory and economic developments; (xi) the outcome of any known and unknown litigation and regulatory proceedings; (xii) unpredictability and severity of catastrophic events, including, but not limited to, acts of terrorism, outbreak of war or hostilities and any epidemic, pandemic or disease outbreak, as well as management’s response to any of the aforementioned factors; and (xiii) other risk factors as detailed from time to time in LeddarTech’s reports filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”), including the risk factors contained in LeddarTech’s Form 20-F filed with the SEC. The foregoing list of important factors is not exhaustive. Except as required by applicable law, LeddarTech does not undertake any obligation to revise or update any forward-looking statement, or to make any other forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

    Contact:
    Chris Stewart, Chief Financial Officer, LeddarTech Holdings Inc.
    Tel.: + 1-514-427-0858, chris.stewart@leddartech.com

    Leddar, LeddarTech, LeddarVision, LeddarSP, VAYADrive, VayaVision and related logos are trademarks or registered trademarks of LeddarTech Holdings Inc. and its subsidiaries. All other brands, product names and marks are or may be trademarks or registered trademarks used to identify products or services of their respective owners.

    LeddarTech Holdings Inc. is a public company listed on the Nasdaq under the ticker symbol “LDTC.”

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Kaine, Warner & Colleagues Demand Answers Over Trump Administration’s Illegal Cancellation of Grants to Train and Retain Quality Teachers

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Virginia Tim Kaine
    WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senators Tim Kaine, a member of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee, and Mark R. Warner (both D-VA) joined 23 of their colleagues in a letter to U.S. Secretary of Education Linda McMahon demanding detailed answers about the Trump Administration’s illegal cancellation of over $600 million in federal funding for teacher training grants, and to warn the Secretary of the detrimental effects the cancellation is already having on communities across the nation.
    “We write to raise serious objections and call for the immediate reinstatement of federal funding provided in the Department of Education’s (Department) appropriations laws intended to help strengthen our educator workforce in at least 34 states and improve teaching and learning for our nation’s students. It is shocking to us that the Department would take such disruptive action to take away funding from schools as they work to implement their approved plans to improve outcomes for our nation’s students,” the senators wrote.
    The senators continued, “The cancellation of these grants comes at a time when our country faces dire teacher shortages. A recent analysis of state-identified teacher shortages found that in recent school years, nationally, 1 in 8 of all teaching positions—or over 400,000 positions— are vacant or filled by a teacher who is not fully certified for their position. … Congress created and funded the Teacher Quality Partnership, Supporting Effective Educator Development, and Teacher and School Leader Incentive Fund programs in a bipartisan manner to ensure that all students have access to an effective educator workforce. The Department’s decision to terminate locally-driven grants previously awarded to schools, institutions of higher education, and other partners to address educator shortages and improve the quality of the teaching workforce will have long-term consequences on student outcomes.”
    Regarding the confusion and distress caused by the cancellation of funds already promised, the senators wrote, “Cutting off grant funds already adopted and in use in local budgets shows utter disregard to local officials who are now faced with a lengthy process for challenging the terminations and are required to adjust their adopted budgets and plans. These local communities may also face difficult decisions to curtail activities paid for by these terminated grant funds, such as recruiting teachers in rural communities, improving literacy, and mentoring early-career teachers to improve retention.  Ultimately, the Department’s decision to terminate these grant funds simply passes necessary expenses onto local and state taxpayers, who may have to sustain costs previously supported by federal funds that have been taken away by the Trump administration.”
    “We are deeply disappointed that despite claims of radical transparency from President Trump and other administration officials, the Department has not provided any transparency to Congress or the public about its teacher training grant terminations. Instead, the President’s disregard for the law and his desire to find savings to pay for his tax cuts for billionaires and large corporations seems to be driving these terminations. Given the need for actual transparency, stability, and productivity in government, as well as the bipartisan support these critical education training programs have received for many years, it is critical for the Department to provide accurate, timely responses on its use of taxpayer resources provided by the laws passed by Congress,” the senators wrote before concluding their request with a detailed list of questions for McMahon.
    The letter was led by Kaine and U.S. Senators Patty Murray (D-WA), Bernie Sanders (I-VT), and Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), and signed by Warner and U.S. Senators Michael Bennet (D-CO), Dick Durbin (D-IL), Jack Reed (D-RI), Mark Kelly (D-AZ), Tina Smith (D-MN), Ruben Gallego (D-AZ), Mazie Hirono (D-HI), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), Edward Markey (D-MA), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Cory Booker (D-NJ), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), Martin Heinrich (D-NM), Alex Padilla (D-CA), Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV), and Andy Kim (D-NJ).  
    The full text of the letter is available here and below:
    Dear Secretary McMahon:
    We write to raise serious objections and call for the immediate reinstatement of federal funding provided in the Department of Education’s (“Department”) appropriations laws intended to help strengthen our educator workforce in at least 34 states and improve teaching and learning for our nation’s students. Approximately two weeks ago, the Department announced that it terminated “over $600 million in divisive teacher training grants” and created confusion for schools and institutions of higher education around our nation.[1][2][3] The amount of reported savings is misleading since many of the terminated grants had already been partially spent and were in active use. Further, it appears that terminated grantees received no information from Department staff in response to their requests for additional information, even for grants with obligated and spent funds.[4]  It is shocking to us that the Department would take such disruptive action to take away funding from schools as they work to implement their approved plans to improve outcomes for our nation’s students. Thankfully, a federal judge ordered the administration to temporarily restore these grants in eight states[5] and just yesterday, another federal judge ordered the reinstatement of more than 100 of these grants,[6] but every impacted grantee deserves immediate action. 
    U.S. students have not recovered from the devastating effects of the pandemic. National scores are below pre-pandemic levels in all tested grades and subjects, and gaps continue to grow between higher-performing and lower-performing students.  A February 2025 analysis found that our students are approximately half a grade level behind pre-pandemic achievement in math and reading.[7] With teachers and principals being the most important in-school factors to student learning, these grant cancellations will hinder pandemic learning recovery and break President Trump’s promises of “great principals and great teachers.”[8] 
    The cancellation of these grants comes at a time when our country faces dire teacher shortages. A recent analysis of state-identified teacher shortages found that in recent school years, nationally, 1 in 8 of all teaching positions—or over 400,000 positions— are vacant or filled by a teacher who is not fully certified for their position.[9] This school year, 49 states reported to the Department critical shortages in math, science, or special education teachers.[10] In rural America, to attract and retain teachers in many places, including in states like Colorado,[11] Louisiana,[12] Missouri,[13] and Texas,[14] districts were forced to move to 4-day school weeks, despite the unknown impact on student achievement. Research shows that principals are the second most important in-school factor to student learning and also impact teacher retention. Yet, about one in ten principals leave the field every year.[15]
    Congress created and funded the Teacher Quality Partnership (TQP), Supporting Effective Educator Development (SEED), and Teacher and School Leader (TSL) Incentive Fund programs in a bipartisan manner to ensure that all students have access to an effective educator workforce.  The Department’s decision to terminate locally-driven grants previously awarded to schools, institutions of higher education, and other partners to address educator shortages and improve the quality of the teaching workforce will have long-term consequences on student outcomes. These terminations create confusion for dozens of local communities supported by now unavailable grant funds.[16]  Cutting off grant funds already adopted and in use in local budgets shows utter disregard to local officials who are now faced with a lengthy process for challenging the terminations and are required to adjust their adopted budgets and plans. [17] These local communities may also face difficult decisions to curtail activities paid for by these terminated grant funds, such as recruiting teachers in rural communities, improving literacy, and mentoring early-career teachers to improve retention.  Ultimately, the Department’s decision to terminate these grant funds simply passes necessary expenses onto local and state taxpayers, who may have to sustain costs previously supported by federal funds that have been taken away by the Trump administration. 
    We are deeply disappointed that despite claims of radical transparency from President Trump and other administration officials, the Department has not provided any transparency to Congress or the public about its teacher training grant terminations. Instead, the President’s disregard for the law and his desire to find savings to pay for his tax cuts for billionaires and large corporations seems to be driving these terminations. Given the need for actual transparency, stability, and productivity in government, as well as the bipartisan support these critical education training programs have received for many years, it is critical for the Department to provide accurate, timely responses on its use of taxpayer resources provided by the laws passed by Congress. We request you provide written answers to the following questions as soon as possible but not later than March 26, 2025:
    Please describe the policy and procedure established for the review of grants terminated on or after January 20, 2025.
    Are they the same as any grant terminations prior to this date?  If not, how and why were they different, including in the use of any program or technology not previously employed?
    Please identify the offices and titles of staff involved in the review.
    How many employees involved in the review were onboarded at the Department on or after January 20, 2025?  Please describe each of such employee’s role in the review.
    Please provide the total costs, including all personnel and non-personnel costs, of the review.
    Please identify any other program currently undergoing or planned for the same or similar review and the associated timeline for each such review. 
    Please specifically identify each program undergoing a different review and explain each difference and the reason for each such difference for such program.

    Please explain the policy and procedure for offering grantees the opportunity to clarify, explain or modify any element of their approved application prior to termination to avoid the disruption to grant activities that the Department’s termination has caused.  Please explain why an opportunity was not offered in each case of it not being offered. 
    Please explain the policy and procedure for offering grantees the opportunity to appeal their grant termination. When will appeals be reviewed, and when will grantees receive a decision on their appeal?
    For each program that includes a terminated grant, please provide the following about all such terminated grants:
    The total number of grants terminated by fiscal year of initial funding,
    The total amount of funding expected under the approved budgets of terminated grants on official documentation as of January 1, 2025 for each fiscal year,
    The total amount of funding outlaid as of the date of response to this letter for each fiscal year, and
    The total amount of funding deobligated by fiscal year as of the date of termination.

    For each program that includes a terminated grant, please provide the following about all such terminated grants:
    The total number of educators expected to participate in professional development activities,
    The total number of new educators expected to be prepared,
    The expected number of years of service that were expected from participants under each grant,
    The number of years of service that had already been completed,
    The total number of schools expected to benefit from any grant activities, and
    The total number of states in which any grant activities were expected to take place.

    For each program that includes a terminated grant, please provide the following:
    The name of each recipient of a grant not terminated by program and fiscal year of initial funding,
    An assurance that each non-terminated grant was subject to the same policy and procedure described in response to the first question, and as applicable, the reason for not doing so, and
    Please provide the most recent annual performance report submitted by each non-terminated grantee prior to January 1, 2025.

    For each terminated grant, please provide the most recent annual performance report submitted by such grantee prior to January 1, 2025, if applicable.
    For each terminated grant, please provide the following:
    The Department’s definition of divisive ideology,
    The Department’s definition of inappropriate Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI), and
    The specific evidence demonstrating how the grantee’s approved grant activities are inconsistent with such definitions of divisive ideology and DEI.

    Please explain how and when you will comply with the temporary restraining orders issued by  federal judges on March 10, 2025 and March 17, 2025.
    Please provide a detailed plan on how the Department will prioritize training and preparing educators for the classroom.
    Thank you for your attention to this urgent matter. We look forward to your prompt response.
    Sincerely,

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI: Silvaco Announces Departure of Chief Financial Officer

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    SANTA CLARA, Calif., March 21, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Silvaco Group, Inc. (Nasdaq: SVCO) (“Silvaco” or the “Company”), a provider of TCAD, EDA software and SIP solutions that enable semiconductor design and digital twin modeling through AI software and innovation, today announced that Chief Financial Officer, Ryan Benton, has resigned, effective April 11, 2025, to pursue a new career opportunity  outside of the semiconductor design industry. Mr. Benton will assist the Company to ensure a successful transition of his responsibilities prior to his departure. His resignation is not the result of any disagreement regarding the Company’s operations, accounting, or other policies or practices.

    Effective upon Mr. Benton’s resignation, Dr. Babak Taheri, Chief Executive Officer of the Company, will assume the roles of principal financial officer and principal accounting officer on an interim basis. Keith Tainsky, who leads the Company’s Financial Planning and Analysis function, will report directly to Dr. Taheri as Interim Chief Financial Officer upon Mr. Benton’s departure. Mr. Tainsky has held CFO and finance leadership positions at public and private companies in the semiconductor industry, including Exar Corporation and Amkor Technology. He joined Silvaco in 2023 and has been instrumental in the Company’s financial and business functions, including strategic planning, financings, mergers and acquisitions, and investor relations. In addition, Sherry Lin, Corporate Controller, will report directly to Dr. Taheri. She joined Silvaco in November 2023 and has been instrumental in leading the Company’s accounting and public company reporting function, preparation of periodic reports filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission, and establishing the Company’s internal controls over financial reporting.

    Silvaco has begun the process of engaging a search firm to assist in identifying Mr. Benton’s replacement.

    “On behalf of our employees and Board of Directors, I want to thank Ryan for his leadership and contributions to the financial management and strategic direction of the Company. We wish him much success in his future endeavors,” said Silvaco CEO Babak Taheri. “I have the utmost confidence in Keith’s ability to lead our finance organization and ensure a seamless transition. Keith’s experience and deep understanding of our financial operations will be instrumental as we enter a new chapter for the company.”

    “It has been a privilege to serve on Silvaco’s leadership team, and I am proud of our accomplishments,” said Mr. Benton. “The dedicated team at Silvaco is well-positioned to continue executing on its strategic vision to create shareholder value.”

    In addition to announcing the Chief Financial Officer transition, the Company today reaffirmed its previously disclosed guidance for the first quarter and full year fiscal 2025, as provided in the Company’s press release issued on March 5, 2025. The Company expects to report first quarter fiscal 2025 results on May 7, 2025.

    Safe Harbor Statement
    This press release contains forward-looking statements based on Silvaco’s current expectations. The words “believe”, “estimate”, “expect”, “intend”, “anticipate”, “plan”, “project”, “will”, and similar phrases as they relate to Silvaco are intended to identify such forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements reflect the current views and assumptions of Silvaco and are subject to various risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from expectations.

    These forward-looking statements include but are not limited to, statements regarding our future operating results, financial position, and guidance, our business strategy and plans, our objectives for future operations, our development or delivery of new or enhanced products, and anticipated results of those products for our customers, our competitive positioning, projected costs, technological capabilities, and plans, and macroeconomic trends.

    A variety of risks and factors that are beyond our control could cause actual results to differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements including, without limitation, the following: (a) market conditions; (b) anticipated trends, challenges and growth in our business and the markets in which we operate; (c) our ability to appropriately respond to changing technologies on a timely and cost-effective basis; (d) the size and growth potential of the markets for our software solutions, and our ability to serve those markets; (e) our expectations regarding competition in our existing and new markets; (f) the level of demand in our customers’ end markets; (g) regulatory developments in the United States and foreign countries; (h) changes in trade policies, including the imposition of tariffs; (i) proposed new software solutions, services or developments; (j) our ability to attract and retain key management personnel; (k) our customer relationships and our ability to retain and expand our customer relationships; (l) our ability to diversify our customer base and develop relationships in new markets; (m) the strategies, prospects, plans, expectations, and objectives of management for future operations; (n) public health crises, pandemics, and epidemics and their effects on our business and our customers’ businesses; (o) the impact of the current conflicts between Ukraine and Russia and Israel and Hamas and the ongoing trade disputes among the United States and China on our business, financial condition or prospects, including extreme volatility in the global capital markets making debt or equity financing more difficult to obtain, more costly or more dilutive, delays and disruptions of the global supply chains and the business activities of our suppliers, distributors, customers and other business partners; (p) changes in general economic or business conditions or economic or demographic trends in the United States and foreign countries including changes in tariffs, interest rates and inflation; (q) our ability to raise additional capital; (r) our ability to accurately forecast demand for our software solutions; (s) our expectations regarding the outcome of any ongoing litigation; (t) our expectations regarding the period during which we qualify as an emerging growth company under the JOBS Act and as a smaller reporting company under the Exchange Act; (u) our expectations regarding our ability to obtain, maintain, protect and enforce intellectual property protection for our technology; (v) our status as a controlled company; (w) our use of the net proceeds from our initial public offering, and (x) our ability to successfully integrate, retain key personnel, and realize the anticipated benefits of the acquisition of Cadence’s PPC product line.

    It is not possible for us to predict all risks, nor can we assess the impact of all factors on our business or the extent to which any factor, or combination of factors, may cause actual results or outcomes to differ materially from those contained in any forward-looking statements we may make. Accordingly, you should not rely on any of the forward-looking statements. Additional information relating to the uncertainty affecting the Silvaco’s business is contained in Silvaco’s filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. These documents are available on the SEC Filings section of the Investor Relations section of Silvaco’s website at http://investors.silvaco.com/. These forward-looking statements represent Silvaco’s expectations as of the date of this press release. Subsequent events may cause these expectations to change, and Silvaco disclaims any obligations to update or alter these forward-looking statements in the future, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

    About Silvaco

    Silvaco is a provider of TCAD, EDA software, and SIP solutions that enable semiconductor design and digital twin modeling through AI software and innovation. Silvaco’s solutions are used for semiconductor and photonics processes, devices, and systems development across display, power devices, automotive, memory, high performance compute, foundries, photonics, internet of things, and 5G/6G mobile markets for complex SoC design. Silvaco is headquartered in Santa Clara, California, and has a global presence with offices located in North America, Europe, Brazil, China, Japan, Korea, Singapore, and Taiwan. Learn more at silvaco.com.

    Investor Contact:
    Greg McNiff
    investors@silvaco.com

    Media Contact:
    Farhad Hayat
    press@silvaco.com

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Garran Surge Centre deconstruction underway

    Source: Northern Territory Police and Fire Services

    Following deconstruction of the Garran Surge centre, an improved oval will be returned to the community.

    Work has started to deconstruct the Garran Surge Centre.

    The purpose-built centre played a critical role in during the COVID-19 pandemic as a testing site, vaccination centre and COVID-19 treatment clinic for minor injuries and illnesses.

    Once the centre has been deconstructed, an improved Garran oval will be returned to the community. The oval will include a new cricket pitch, modern LED lighting and a drought-tolerant playing surface.

    The upgraded oval is expected to open for Garran Primary School students and public use by mid-2024.

    In addition to the removal of the surge centre, the final Critical Services Building crane at the Canberra Hospital Expansion project has also been removed.

    The two cranes that worked on the building were named Cranosaurus and Lightening McCrane by students from Garran Primary School. The flags from the cranes have been returned to the students.

    Construction of the critical services building is moving at pace with more of the façade now visible as scaffolding is removed. Inside the building, installation of internal facilities is also progressing well.

    For more information about the Garran oval restoration please visit: builtforcbr.act.gov.au

    Get ACT news and events delivered straight to your inbox, sign up to our email newsletter:


    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Four Individuals Sentenced in Sophisticated, Wide-Spread Fraud Schemes

    Source: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) State Crime News

    The defendants defrauded CARES Act and other programs out of more than $4.8 million

    PROVIDENCE – Four Florida residents convicted in U.S. District Court in Rhode Island for executing one of the largest schemes in the country to defraud Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act programs, including in Rhode Island, have been sentenced to federal prison, announced Acting United States Attorney Sara Miron Bloom.

    Court documents illustrate that the defendants defrauded various federally funded programs of more than $4.8 million.

    Each of the defendants pleaded guilty to charges of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and aggravated identity theft.  The schemes involved obtaining and using stolen personal identifying information to submit fraudulent applications to multiple state unemployment agencies, including the Rhode Island Department of Labor and Training, and to submit fraudulent Economic Injury Disaster Loans (EIDL) and Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loan applications, for pandemic-related benefits made available under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act and the Families First Coronavirus Response Act.

    Additionally, the defendants submitted fraudulent applications in the names of other persons to federal and state agencies to obtain tax refunds, stimulus payments, and disaster relief funds and loans.

    The scheme also involved using the stolen personal identifying information to open bank accounts that were used to receive, deposit, and transfer fraudulently obtained government benefits and payments and to obtain debit cards for the fraudulently opened bank that were used to withdraw the fraudulently obtained funds. 

    U.S. District Court Judge Mellisa R. DuBose sentenced

    • Tony Mertile 33, of Miramar, FL, identified in court documents as the leader of the conspiracy, to a term of 72 months of incarceration to be followed by three years of supervised release;
    • Junior Mertile, 35,of Pembroke Pines, FL, to a term of 54 months of incarceration to be followed by three years of supervised release.
    • Allen Bien-Aime, 33, of Lehigh Acres, FL, to a term of imprisonment of 48 months to be followed by three years of supervised release;
    • James Legerme, 33, of Sunrise, FL, to a term of imprisonment of 48 months of incarceration to be followed by three years of supervised release; and

    In accordance with signed plea agreements filed with the court, the government moved to forfeit a total of $4,857,191 in funds, or $1,214,294.75 from each defendant, that constitutes proceeds of the conspiracy. The defendants have also forfeited hundreds of thousands of dollars’ worth of Rolex watches and assorted jewelry, and over $1.1 million dollar in cash seized from the residences of Tony Mertile, Junior Mertile, and James Legerme at the time of their arrests. Each defendant is also jointly and several liable for $4,456,927.36 in restitution to be paid to agencies and financial intuitions that were defrauded.

    The case was jointly prosecuted in U.S. District Court by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Denise M. Barton and Stacey A. Erickson and Special Assistant United States Attorney and Rhode Island Assistant Attorney General John M. Moreira, Chief of the Rhode Island Attorney General’s Public Integrity Unit.

    The investigation was conducted by the United States Attorney’s Office, Rhode Island Department of the Attorney General, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Department of Labor – Office of Inspector General, Rhode Island State Police, and the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigations, with substantial assistance from the United States Postal Inspection Service, United States Secret Service, and United States Social Security Administration, Office of Inspector General/Office of Investigations.

     Acting United States Attorney Bloom, FBI Boston Division Special Agent in Charge Jodi Cohen, and Jonathan Mellone, Special Agent in Charge of Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General thank the Miami Division of the FBI, the Fort Myers Resident Agency of the FBI Tampa Division, the FBI’s Complex Financial Crimes Unit, and the U.S. Marshal Service in Florida for their assistance at the time the defendants were arrested and detained in Florida.

    Acting United States Attorney Bloom also extends her gratitude to prosecutors in the Middle District of Florida and the Southern District of Florida for their assistance.

    Rhode Islanders who believe their personal identification has been stolen and used to fraudulently obtain unemployment benefits from the RIDLT are urged to contact the Rhode Island State Police at financialcrimes@risp.gov or the FBI Providence office at (401) 272-8310.

    ###

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Governor Polis Visits CrossPurpose Highlighting Investments Into Colorado’s Workforce

    Source: US State of Colorado

    Through Opportunity Now, Colorado has distributed nearly $90 million to grant recipients across the state to expand workforce development, create career pathways, and connect Coloradans with in-demand careers

    DENVER — Governor Polis visited Opportunity Now grantee CrossPurpose to see firsthand how Opportunity Now investments are strengthening Colorado’s workforce and creating new career pathways for Coloradans. In 2024, CrossPurpose received $1.86 million in Opportunity Now grants to support initiatives that are equipping individuals with professional certifications and pre-apprenticeships that expand access to in-demand, good-paying jobs.

    “It’s great to see Opportunity Now grants in action helping Coloradans gain new skills to join our state’s growing workforce, and support our booming economy. Partners like CrossPurpose are important  for continuing Colorado’s work to invest in workforce opportunities that help people and businesses now and in the future,” said Gov. Polis.

    Yesterday, Gov. Polis toured CrossPurpose’s facilities in Denver meeting with members of the organization who help to provide Coloradans with the skills needed to secure high-paying, in-demand jobs. CrossPurpose provides coaching, case management, and workforce training in high-demand fields like healthcare, skilled trades, and transportation to help those impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic gain employment and achieve economic stability. By partnering with industry, CrossPurpose connects graduates with employers while offering ongoing upskilling and financial planning support to ensure long-term success.

    Gov. Polis’ visit followed the Opportunity Now Regional Talent Summit held earlier this week in the Denver region, one of a series of summits bringing together industry and education leaders focused on connecting Coloradans to good-paying jobs and meeting the needs of regions’ employers.

    Opportunity Now has invested nearly $90 million distributed to 89 grant recipients statewide, funding regional partnerships between educational institutions, industry leaders, and employers to address Colorado’s workforce needs in high-demand industries. Established under HB22-1350, the initiative prioritizes key sectors such as healthcare, education, and infrastructure and construction to ensure a skilled workforce for the state’s growing economy.

    ###

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: New posts to strengthen links between University and industry Bridging the gap between academia and key industry sectors at the heart of the North East of Scotland’s economy is the key aim for three new business development executives at the University of Aberdeen.

    Source: University of Aberdeen

    Bridging the gap between academia and key industry sectors at the heart of the North East of Scotland’s economy is the key aim for three new business development executives at the University of Aberdeen.
    The three new posts have been created by the 430-year-old institution in order to build and strengthen links and partnerships with the business community across energy, health and life sciences, and digital and creative industries.
    It’s hoped that the initiative will foster greater collaboration as part of a wider drive by the University to support regional economic development.
    Responsible for the health and life sciences portfolio is Dr Marina Kovaleva who boasts 25 years in the sector working within academia and biotech and pharma companies.
    Marina pioneered the discovery of new drug therapies developed from the shark immune system, leading to the first preclinical study on shark-based drugs for rheumatoid arthritis and designing targeted tumour therapies. This research was spun out into the biotech company Elasmogen Ltd in 2016, of which Marina is a founding team member.
    Marina has degrees in Biochemistry, Biotechnology and Veterinary Medicine obtained from universities in Russia and Germany.
    Taking on the digital and creative industries brief is Dr Allison Noble who has held various roles in both government and the charity sector.
    Following roles involving helping NHS health boards address vaccine hesitancy and develop clear travel guidance during the pandemic and sustainability research with the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS), Allison comes to the University after two and a half years with Research Data Scotland (RDS). With RDS, Allison helped restructure the organisation’s information architecture and implemented AI safely at an institutional level whilst working with bodies such as National Records of Scotland, Scottish Government and Public Health Scotland.

    These appointments demonstrate the University’s ongoing support for the region’s ambition to be an innovation-driven economy, leveraging our world-class research expertise to support business.” Professor Pete Edwards, Vice-Principal for Regional Engagement

    Her doctorate from the University of Southampton investigated how music streaming platforms and their algorithms impact the creation, distribution, and consumption of music.
    Aberdeen Geology and Petroleum Geology graduate, Dr Ian Brightmore, will be the lead for energy. He returns to the University, where he also obtained his PhD, with 15 years of international operator experience in the UK continental shelf, Norwegian continental shelf, Kurdistan and Barents.  
    Ian worked as geologist with ExxonMobil in Norway and Houston before returning to Aberdeen to take a position with Canadian Natural Resources (CNR) and has worked for numerous international operators since in the capacity of exploration geologist.
    Dr Liz Rattray, University of Aberdeen Interim Chief Operating Officer and Director of Research and Innovation, said: “There is an abundance of cutting-edge research being carried out at the University of Aberdeen which could have real and immediate benefits for industry.
    “The challenge is having key individuals in place with an overview of vital areas – such as energy, health and life science and digital and creative industries – who can act as a single point of contact between industry requirements and our researchers they could be collaborating with.
    “The appointment of our three new business development executives to cover these key industry sectors is crucial to maximising collaboration, fostering long-term industry links and promoting the expertise that the University of Aberdeen boasts – to the benefit of all parties.”
    Professor Peter Edwards, Vice-Principal for Regional Engagement, said: “These appointments demonstrate the University’s ongoing support for the region’s ambition to be an innovation-driven economy, leveraging our world-class research expertise to support business.
    The University of Aberdeen hosts the largest concentration of academic researchers in the North of Scotland and the new business development executives will work with industry to understand their problems, before connecting them to the relevant academic experts, and providing advice on the most appropriate mechanism to facilitate joint work.”
    Related Content

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

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

    Source: United States Small Business Administration

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

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

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

    Key features of SBA’s reorganization include:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

    ###

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

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Global: The pandemic badly affected young people’s mental health – but also showed what they need now to thrive

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Jilly Gibson-Miller, Senior Lecturer in Psychology, University of Sheffield

    Motortion Films/Shutterstock

    The common narrative around teenage behaviour in the UK sets parents up for a fairly sustained period of turbulence and unpleasantness.

    But as I navigate the teenage years with my oldest daughter, now 16, my whole outlook on adolescence has undergone a meteoric transformation. I now hold supremely compassionate explanations for the unusual behaviour, mood swings and bad choices that appear to be abundant features of the adolescent years – and especially so for those who were growing up during the pandemic.

    During the COVID pandemic, teens should have been busy cultivating independence, nurturing friendships and moulding their identities. Instead, they lived through a global public health crisis that resulted in not only catastrophic health and economic consequences, but also extreme disruptions in vital educational, social and family interactions over a sustained lockdown.



    Read more:
    Sending nudes but no first kisses: teenagers’ relationships during the pandemic

    This has left a lasting legacy for the lives of young people and has potentially reshaped the landscape of their social and emotional development.

    During the pandemic, I immersed myself in data – taken from research I was working on with a team of researchers who were monitoring the mental health of the UK population.

    Mental health decline

    In the early days, teens were – as they often do – getting bad press. They were “superspreaders”, they were breaking the rules, they were instructed by the then health secretary, Matt Hancock, not to “kill your gran”. They were, essentially, accused of spreading the virus through irresponsible behaviour.

    Want more politics coverage from academic experts? Every week, we bring you informed analysis of developments in government and fact check the claims being made.

    Sign up for our weekly politics newsletter, delivered every Friday.

    Some of these perspectives were borne out in our data. Young men aged 19-25, for example, were more likely than any other age group to be arrested for breaking social distancing rules. This reflects the inherent teenage drive to seek social connection, even if it means taking risks.

    However, as we listened to the voices of young people in our research, the data began to tell us a more complex story. In a world where teens are already misunderstood, the pandemic actually seemed to be making all the existing struggles that young people face today worse, including loneliness, anxiety and depression.

    Teens experienced uncertainty about the future and pressure around school, career and finances, resulting in a perceived lack of a sense of control over their lives.

    We became very concerned about the increasing levels of distress that certain groups of young people were experiencing. This was particularly worrying when you bear in mind that adolescence is a critical period for developing mental health issues.

    Our research showed that during the pandemic, around 30% of teens surveyed met the criteria for suffering from clinical levels of anxiety and depression. Over half – 53% – met the criteria for post-traumatic stress disorder related to COVID.

    Teens’ mental health suffered during the pandemic.
    SynthEx/Shutterstock

    Other data shows that teens are suffering increasing mental health disorders and eating disorders. Mental health issues are affecting sleep and school attendance.

    After the school years, the number of young people out of work due to ill health has more than doubled in the last decade, with mental health issues a significant driver.

    These figures plainly present the extent of the challenge we face today in improving teenagers’ mental health and wellbeing. Underlying these figures are enduring struggles around loneliness and social connection, family functioning, anxiety and fear about unpredictable events, and learning to cope with adversity, especially in younger teens and those already disadvantaged through poverty and other social factors.

    Feeling connected

    However, and importantly, not all teens experienced lasting poorer mental wellbeing as a consequence of COVID. Some actually experienced positive wellbeing.

    Our research found that young people who had the ability to tolerate uncertainty, had a sense of control over their lives, felt socially connected and had positive and quality relationships with family and friends were better able to adapt to the pandemic restrictions.

    The crisis in young people’s mental health means securing a healthy, thriving adult population in the future becomes less certain. If young people cannot navigate the transition into adulthood successfully, this has huge implications for the next generation and whether they can contribute in positive ways, socially and economically, to society.

    But there are lessons from the pandemic that can shine a light on the tools young people need to thrive. Young people received blame during the pandemic. Today, gen Z (those born between 1980 and 1994) have been given the derogatory label of the “snowflake generation” from a perception of their over-sensitivity and lack of resilience. But rather than being castigated, young people need support and connection. This helped them get through the pandemic, and it can help them now.

    This means helping teens to combat loneliness, develop resilience and build functional, good quality relationships. It means helping them to increase their self-esteem and regain a sense of control. Crucially, the family remains a key source of support and guidance for young people.

    Adolescence is a key transitional window during which young people can learn adaptive skills they will take with them into adulthood. Having the skills to build connections, resilience and self-esteem will help them address the challenges of this post-pandemic era.

    Jilly Gibson-Miller receives funding from ESRC, Triumph and UK Research and Innovation funds.

    – ref. The pandemic badly affected young people’s mental health – but also showed what they need now to thrive – https://theconversation.com/the-pandemic-badly-affected-young-peoples-mental-health-but-also-showed-what-they-need-now-to-thrive-250968

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: South Africa has a problem with people in the public service lying about their qualifications: what needs to change

    Source: The Conversation – Africa – By Busani Ngcaweni, Visiting Adjunct Professor, Wits School of Governance, University of the Witwatersrand

    The persistent challenge of falsified or misrepresented qualifications in South Africa exposes serious shortcomings in recruitment and appointment processes. Although the scale of the problem is difficult to quantify, it’s considered to be reaching “pandemic” levels. It is worse in the public sector.

    The problem became so serious that government introduced the National Qualifications Framework Amendment Act in 2019, making it a criminal offence to misrepresent qualifications. It is punishable by up to five years in prison.

    Yet the scourge continues, despite severe personal and professional consequences for some.

    The alarmingly high number of individuals pretending to be qualified for high-profile positions undermines trust and capability in organisations.

    There have been cases involving top executives and directors of parastatals. Some major companies have not been spared.

    Once unsuitable people occupy positions of responsibility, it is difficult to remove them. Their performance seldom improves because they lack the foundation.

    Their incompetence can affect institutions severely because they can make wrong decisions that result in financial losses. The South African Broadcasting Corporation, for instance, suffered financially due to poor decisions made by unqualified executives.



    Read more:
    South Africa’s public service: real spending is falling, but demand is growing

    Some municipalities with unqualified personnel often hire expensive consultants.

    Teachers with fraudulent credentials compromise quality education. This deprives children of opportunities to better their lives.

    Unscrupulous individuals have also been caught masquerading as medical doctors, putting lives at risk.

    Important infrastructure projects have collapsed owing to fake engineers.

    I am a researcher and practitioner of public sector reforms. I also head the National School of Government, which leads the drive to make the country’s public sector professional. I argue that to deter qualifications fraud, the management of human resources in the public sector must be professional.

    South Africa can draw lessons from the private sector and other governments.

    Loopholes in the system

    The National Qualifications Framework Amendment Act is aimed at deterring fraudulent qualifications. Some people have gone to jail for this crime.

    But measures to deter and punish it must be complemented by human resources management reforms.

    In my view, poor human resource screening processes, inadequate verification systems and ambiguous job descriptions and entry requirements contribute to appointing unsuitable candidates.

    The weekly public sector vacancies circular, published by the Department of Public Service and Administration, is a major source of data showing these limitations. It’s full of job advertisements where the minimum qualifications requirements are either too wide or below standard.



    Read more:
    South Africa’s public service is dysfunctional – the 5 main reasons why

    Some of the people who recruit and select staff are negligent. They fail to conduct thorough background checks or to screen applicants properly. This results in the appointment of unqualified and fraudulent candidates.

    Learning from the private sector

    The private sector, driven by competitive pressures and stakeholder expectations, developed robust systems to ensure the integrity and effectiveness of human resource functions. These systems can guide public sector reforms.

    Companies invest in advanced technologies and third-party verification services. They use agencies to check candidates’ fingerprints, verify qualifications, find references, and even do personality profiles.

    In contrast, public sector human resources personnel often rely on manual processes. These consume time and are prone to inaccuracies and manipulation. They can also be cumbersome as junior and middle management job advertisements often attract thousands of applicants.

    The private sector uses well-defined competency frameworks. These outline the skills, knowledge and experience required to evaluate a candidate.



    Read more:
    Africa should be building private-public partnerships in education

    Many private sector human resources practitioners belong to professional bodies. These enforce ethical standards. They also certify practitioners and promote ongoing professional development.

    Businesses also employ licensed and professional human resources practitioners. These are expected to be innovative, productive and ethical, and to act in the best interests of their employers. They can be dismissed if they lose their professional licence. These are guardrails against abuse.

    Learning from other governments

    India, China, South Korea, Singapore and several European nations have stringent public sector recruitment and selection methods. They emphasise merit and transparency to ensure only qualified and competent people are appointed.

    India’s Union Public Service Commission conducts a highly competitive civil services examination to recruit candidates.

    China uses the National Civil Service Examination, known as the Guokao. It evaluates candidates’ intellectual aptitude, policy knowledge and professional skills for jobs in government ministries and state-owned enterprises.

    South Korea’s Civil Service Examination system is a rigorous process which tests candidates’ analytical and managerial capabilities.

    Singapore is known for its efficient government. It employs structured assessment centres, psychometric testing and panel interviews to ensure capable people join the public sector.



    Read more:
    South Africa has a plan to make its public service professional. It’s time to act on it

    To uphold high standards of professionalism and integrity in governance, Germany and France have competitive entrance assessments for civil service roles.

    France’s Institut National du Service Public uses stringent entry requirements to prepare candidates for senior public service.

    South Africa introduced a pre-entry assessment called Nyukela/Step Up in 2020. It is applicable to public servants and citizens who wish to apply for a position in the senior management service.

    Professionalising the public sector

    Cabinet approved the National Framework Towards Professionalisation of the Public Sector in October 2022. It aims to tighten pre-entry requirements and carefully screen applicants. This includes verifying qualifications, testing integrity and assessing competence. The framework requires that public sector entities develop detailed job descriptions.

    The framework will help block fraud by professionalising human resources, supply chain management and legal services, among others. It will help human resources practitioners improve their competencies and make them part of a wider professional network. This is important for continued professional development.

    There will be consequences when officials violate their professional code of ethics. This has worked for lawyers and accountants who are disbarred for ethical and professional breaches.

    The framework gives the Public Service Commission a role in recruiting of heads of departments. This step controls entry to top positions in the civil service. The commission will bring two or more subject matter sector experts into the selection panels, making the process more rigorous.

    Busani Ngcaweni is affiliated with the University of Johannesburg as Senior Research Associate and Wits School of Governance as Visiting Adjunct Professor

    – ref. South Africa has a problem with people in the public service lying about their qualifications: what needs to change – https://theconversation.com/south-africa-has-a-problem-with-people-in-the-public-service-lying-about-their-qualifications-what-needs-to-change-244942

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Africa: South Africa has a problem with people in the public service lying about their qualifications: what needs to change

    Source: The Conversation – Africa – By Busani Ngcaweni, Visiting Adjunct Professor, Wits School of Governance, University of the Witwatersrand

    The persistent challenge of falsified or misrepresented qualifications in South Africa exposes serious shortcomings in recruitment and appointment processes. Although the scale of the problem is difficult to quantify, it’s considered to be reaching “pandemic” levels. It is worse in the public sector.

    The problem became so serious that government introduced the National Qualifications Framework Amendment Act in 2019, making it a criminal offence to misrepresent qualifications. It is punishable by up to five years in prison.

    Yet the scourge continues, despite severe personal and professional consequences for some.

    The alarmingly high number of individuals pretending to be qualified for high-profile positions undermines trust and capability in organisations.

    There have been cases involving top executives and directors of parastatals. Some major companies have not been spared.

    Once unsuitable people occupy positions of responsibility, it is difficult to remove them. Their performance seldom improves because they lack the foundation.

    Their incompetence can affect institutions severely because they can make wrong decisions that result in financial losses. The South African Broadcasting Corporation, for instance, suffered financially due to poor decisions made by unqualified executives.

    Read more: South Africa’s public service: real spending is falling, but demand is growing

    Some municipalities with unqualified personnel often hire expensive consultants.

    Teachers with fraudulent credentials compromise quality education. This deprives children of opportunities to better their lives.

    Unscrupulous individuals have also been caught masquerading as medical doctors, putting lives at risk.

    Important infrastructure projects have collapsed owing to fake engineers.

    I am a researcher and practitioner of public sector reforms. I also head the National School of Government, which leads the drive to make the country’s public sector professional. I argue that to deter qualifications fraud, the management of human resources in the public sector must be professional.

    South Africa can draw lessons from the private sector and other governments.

    Loopholes in the system

    The National Qualifications Framework Amendment Act is aimed at deterring fraudulent qualifications. Some people have gone to jail for this crime.

    But measures to deter and punish it must be complemented by human resources management reforms.

    In my view, poor human resource screening processes, inadequate verification systems and ambiguous job descriptions and entry requirements contribute to appointing unsuitable candidates.

    The weekly public sector vacancies circular, published by the Department of Public Service and Administration, is a major source of data showing these limitations. It’s full of job advertisements where the minimum qualifications requirements are either too wide or below standard.

    Read more: South Africa’s public service is dysfunctional – the 5 main reasons why

    Some of the people who recruit and select staff are negligent. They fail to conduct thorough background checks or to screen applicants properly. This results in the appointment of unqualified and fraudulent candidates.

    Learning from the private sector

    The private sector, driven by competitive pressures and stakeholder expectations, developed robust systems to ensure the integrity and effectiveness of human resource functions. These systems can guide public sector reforms.

    Companies invest in advanced technologies and third-party verification services. They use agencies to check candidates’ fingerprints, verify qualifications, find references, and even do personality profiles.

    In contrast, public sector human resources personnel often rely on manual processes. These consume time and are prone to inaccuracies and manipulation. They can also be cumbersome as junior and middle management job advertisements often attract thousands of applicants.

    The private sector uses well-defined competency frameworks. These outline the skills, knowledge and experience required to evaluate a candidate.

    Read more: Africa should be building private-public partnerships in education

    Many private sector human resources practitioners belong to professional bodies. These enforce ethical standards. They also certify practitioners and promote ongoing professional development.

    Businesses also employ licensed and professional human resources practitioners. These are expected to be innovative, productive and ethical, and to act in the best interests of their employers. They can be dismissed if they lose their professional licence. These are guardrails against abuse.

    Learning from other governments

    India, China, South Korea, Singapore and several European nations have stringent public sector recruitment and selection methods. They emphasise merit and transparency to ensure only qualified and competent people are appointed.

    India’s Union Public Service Commission conducts a highly competitive civil services examination to recruit candidates.

    China uses the National Civil Service Examination, known as the Guokao. It evaluates candidates’ intellectual aptitude, policy knowledge and professional skills for jobs in government ministries and state-owned enterprises.

    South Korea’s Civil Service Examination system is a rigorous process which tests candidates’ analytical and managerial capabilities.

    Singapore is known for its efficient government. It employs structured assessment centres, psychometric testing and panel interviews to ensure capable people join the public sector.

    Read more: South Africa has a plan to make its public service professional. It’s time to act on it

    To uphold high standards of professionalism and integrity in governance, Germany and France have competitive entrance assessments for civil service roles.

    France’s Institut National du Service Public uses stringent entry requirements to prepare candidates for senior public service.

    South Africa introduced a pre-entry assessment called Nyukela/Step Up in 2020. It is applicable to public servants and citizens who wish to apply for a position in the senior management service.

    Professionalising the public sector

    Cabinet approved the National Framework Towards Professionalisation of the Public Sector in October 2022. It aims to tighten pre-entry requirements and carefully screen applicants. This includes verifying qualifications, testing integrity and assessing competence. The framework requires that public sector entities develop detailed job descriptions.

    The framework will help block fraud by professionalising human resources, supply chain management and legal services, among others. It will help human resources practitioners improve their competencies and make them part of a wider professional network. This is important for continued professional development.

    There will be consequences when officials violate their professional code of ethics. This has worked for lawyers and accountants who are disbarred for ethical and professional breaches.

    The framework gives the Public Service Commission a role in recruiting of heads of departments. This step controls entry to top positions in the civil service. The commission will bring two or more subject matter sector experts into the selection panels, making the process more rigorous.

    – South Africa has a problem with people in the public service lying about their qualifications: what needs to change
    – https://theconversation.com/south-africa-has-a-problem-with-people-in-the-public-service-lying-about-their-qualifications-what-needs-to-change-244942

    MIL OSI Africa –

  • MIL-OSI USA: King Blasts Trump Executive Order to Dismantle the Department of Education

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Maine Angus King

    WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, U.S. Senator Angus King (I-Maine) released the following statement after President Trump signed an Executive Order directing the dismantling of the Department of Education:

    “The onslaught of actions from this administration in eight weeks have harmed veterans, farmers, consumers, disease experts, our national security, democracies worldwide — and now America’s public school students and teachers are at risk due to the announcement that the President intends to dismantle the Department of Education. This President doesn’t seem to have a grasp of the service and work done for Americans by the federal government day in and day out. He made his name on saying ‘You’re Fired,’ but when VA and IRS phone calls go unanswered, or bird flu and nuclear security dangers are increased because of reckless terminations — Americans suffer.

    “Cutting the Department of Education could leave thousands of vulnerable children in the lurch by compromising federal support for our public schools. Our educators, students and parents are still getting their bearings after the chaos of the pandemic; this is no time to backslide and destabilize public education.

    “In addition to our schools, this decision also damages our Constitutional system of government. The Department of Education (DOE) was established 45 years ago by Congress to consolidate federal programs and support the educational enterprise nationwide. This attempt to unilaterally dismantle the DOE without consulting or engaging Congress is grossly unconstitutional and violates the checks and balances of our American system of government.

    “America’s public school teachers are among the most committed public servants in our nation — as the son of a public school teacher, I know this firsthand. In fact, Abraham Lincoln said that education is ‘the most important subject which we as a people can be engaged in’ and those words have never been more true as the world grows more complicated and well-educated citizens are more important than ever.

    “From my time as Governor establishing the Maine Learning Technology Initiative (MLTI) to prepare Maine’s students for the 21st century, to my work in the Senate helping to ease the burden of student loans, I have been committed to ensuring our students have the latest resources and investments to set them up for long-term success both in and out of the classroom. When that means a change of course, a new way of thinking, a disruption, I have never shied away. But this proposed dismantling of the Department of Education would not be an improvement; it could cost our children untold damage in their lives.

    “Before she was confirmed, Education Secretary Linda McMahon indicated that she would be willing to dismantle the Department she was nominated to run — for this reason, along with her lack of experience in the education sector, voting against her candidacy was an easy decision. While we don’t know exactly how this Executive Order will affect Maine’s students and public schools, you can rest assured that I will work with my colleagues to protect the vital institutions are critical to a prosperous future for our children.”

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-Evening Report: ACCC finds Australia’s supermarkets are among the world’s most profitable – but doesn’t accuse them of price gouging

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Gary Mortimer, Professor of Marketing and Consumer Behaviour, Queensland University of Technology

    Daria Nipot/Shutterstock

    Australia’s supermarket sector has endured a long, uncomfortable moment in the spotlight. There have been six comprehensive inquiries into its conduct, pricing practices, and specifically claims of “price gouging”, over the past 18 months.

    Today, the long-awaited final report from the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) Supermarkets Inquiry has been released, more than 400 pages long.

    It finds Australia’s supermarkets are highly profitable by international standards, ranking among the highest in their peer group. But it did not find the supermarkets were price gouging. In fact, it didn’t even mention the phrase.

    How we got here

    In February 2024, the federal government formally directed the ACCC to investigate the competitiveness of retail prices in Australia’s supermarket sector. It was the first inquiry of its kind since 2008.

    The move followed widespread allegations the supermarkets had been price gouging – using the cover of high inflation to jack up prices even higher.

    The interim report from the ACCC’s inquiry, released in September, found the supermarket industry was highly concentrated, and reported many suppliers had raised concerns about “being exploited”.



    Read more:
    ‘Concerning’: ACCC interim report on supermarket inquiry tells of supplier woes and ‘oligopolistic’ market

    Highly profitable supermarkets

    The ACCC’s final report found Australian supermarkets appear highly profitable when compared with their international peers.

    ALDI’s, Coles’ and Woolworths’ average earnings before interest and tax margins were noted to be “among the highest of supermarket businesses in relevant comparator countries”.

    Average net profit after tax margins were similar to Walmart in the United States, Dutch-Belgian Ahold Delhaise, and Tesco in the United Kingdom, but below Canada’s Loblaw supermarkets.

    The inquiry found ALDI acted as a “price constraint” on Coles and Woolworths. But as a low-cost operator, ALDI does not compete with them “head-to-head” on all product offerings.

    It found while independent grocers provided a “valuable alternative”, consumers in regional areas were disadvantaged by higher freight costs and higher prices.

    ALDI’s, Coles’ and Woolworths’ store networks have expanded since the last inquiry in 2008, leading to greater “geographic overlap” and increased competition between their stores.

    Rising grocery prices

    The report notes that between late 2022 and early 2023, grocery prices were rising at more than twice the rate of wages. Supply chains took a big hit in the pandemic and its wake.

    Since March 2019, food and grocery prices have increased by about 24%, but this is still less than in many other OECD countries.

    The report notes input costs for supermarkets have increased dramatically since the pandemic. However, it says the fact supermarkets have also increased certain margins during this time means:

    at least some of the grocery price increases have resulted in additional profits for ALDI, Coles and Woolworths.

    Supermarkets often did not engage with suppliers “meaningfully” in relation to trading terms. Rebates paid by suppliers were opaque, complex and not well understood.

    The report found ALDI had been increasing its prices at a faster annual rate than Coles or Woolworths, particularly between 2022 and 2024.

    The ACCC investigated concerns suppliers lacked bargaining power when negotiating with the big supermarkets.
    Hypervision Creative/Shutterstock

    Was there any evidence of price gouging?

    Quite simply, no. And there appears to be no hard evidence of the practice from other inquiries either.

    A range of other inquiries into supermarket pricing and conduct at state and federal level have published findings in the past year, many centring on this very question:

    The ACTU report refers to price gouging 43 times, but no evidence is offered. Theories and possible economic impacts of price gouging and anti-competitive behaviour are presented.

    The Senate Select Committee report mentions “price gouging” at least 50 times, saying on whether price gouging exists in the supermarket sector – “the answer seems to be resounding yes”.

    However, a closer analysis again finds no actual evidence. Instead, the committee highlights that Australia’s “concentrated” supermarket sector, “potentially [creates] an environment for anti-competitive practices and price gouging”.

    The interim and final reports from the independent review into the Food and Grocery Code of Conduct mention “price gouging” multiple times. However, they don’t offer any evidence, instead referring to claims in the ACTU Report.

    Neither the ACCC inquiry’s interim report nor its final report mention “price gouging”.

    ACCC recommendations

    While the ACCC acknowledges there is no “silver bullet” to address competition issues in the supermarket sector, it offers 20 recommendations.

    Making it easier for smaller supermarket competitors to enter and expand in the market was one area of focus. Recommendations include simplifying planning and zoning rules, and encouraging governments of all levels to support community-owned supermarkets in remote areas.

    The ACCC also recommends supermarkets be required to publish notifications when “adverse” package size changes occur. This is commonly referred to as “shrinkflation”.

    Other notable recommendations include:

    • a requirement to provide an “independent” body weekly data about prices paid to fresh produce suppliers
    • a review of loyalty program practices in three years’ time
    • minimum information requirements for discount price promotions.

    The report did not recommend divestiture or breaking up the big supermarkets.

    Will Australians see lower grocery prices?

    The widely popular narrative of “stamping out price gouging” by dragging supermarket chief executives into public hearings and threatening them with jail time might have inferred such inquiries would lead to lower food prices. In isolation, they have not.

    The federal government says it agrees in principle with the recommendations. In its initial response, it has announced $2.9 million will be provided over three years for “targeted education programs” to help suppliers understand their rights.

    Gary Mortimer receives funding from the Building Employer Confidence and Inclusion in Disability Grant, AusIndustry Entrepreneurs’ Program, National Clothing Textiles Stewardship Scheme, National Retail Association, Australian Retailers Association.

    – ref. ACCC finds Australia’s supermarkets are among the world’s most profitable – but doesn’t accuse them of price gouging – https://theconversation.com/accc-finds-australias-supermarkets-are-among-the-worlds-most-profitable-but-doesnt-accuse-them-of-price-gouging-250503

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-OSI Security: North Texas Concrete Manufacturer Settles PPP Lawsuit for $1.8 Million

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    Speed Fab-Crete Corporation, a precast concrete manufacturer in Kennedale, Texas, agreed to pay $1,817,546.25 to resolve allegations that the company violated the False Claims Act by applying for and receiving a loan it was not eligible for in the Small Business Administration’s (SBA) Paycheck Protection Program (PPP), announced Acting U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Chad E. Meacham.

    Congress created the PPP in March 2020, as part of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act to provide emergency loans to small businesses suffering economic hardship due to the COVID-19 pandemic.  Whether an applicant qualified for a PPP loan depended on various factors.

    Speed Fab-Crete applied for and received a PPP loan in the principal amount of $1,170,000 in 2020, at a time when certain of its owners were facing criminal charges.  The government contends that Speed Fab-Crete was ineligible for the loan for that reason, because applicable SBA rules disqualified a business from PPP eligibility if any owner of 20% or more of the business’s equity was subject to criminal charges.

    “This office is committed to finding and recovering PPP funds that were obtained by ineligible recipients during the pandemic,” said Acting United States Attorney Chad E. Meacham.  “We will continue to investigate and take action as necessary to reclaim those funds on behalf of the American taxpayer.”

    “This settlement highlights the enhanced efforts of the SBA, working with the Department of Justice, SBA’s Office of Inspector General, and other Federal law enforcement agencies, as well as private individuals who have information about possible fraud in connection with PPP loans, to pursuing those who violated PPP program requirements and holding them accountable,” said SBA General Counsel Wendell Davis.  

    The settlement resolved a lawsuit filed under the qui tam or whistleblower provision of the False Claims Act, which permits private parties to file suit on behalf of the United States and share in a portion of the government’s recovery.  The qui tam lawsuit is case number 3:23-CV-2162-S in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Texas, and the qui tam relator, Aidan Forsyth, will receive a 15% share of the government’s recovery as part of the settlement.  

    The government was represented by Assistant United States Attorney Brian Stoltz in the lawsuit, with assistance from Lane Siems of the SBA.  The civil claims settled by the agreement are allegations only; there has been no determination of civil liability.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-Evening Report: Every generation thinks they had it the toughest, but for Gen Z, they’re probably right

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Intifar Chowdhury, Lecturer in Government, Flinders University

    Every generation thinks they had it tough, but evidence suggests young Australians today might have a case for saying they’ve drawn the short straw.

    Compared with young adults two or three decades ago, today’s 18–35-year-olds may earn more, but they also grapple with soaring living costs, rising education expenses, precarious employment and mounting debt.

    Shifts in the economy and labour market have restructured young adulthood, creating new barriers to financial security and delaying milestones such as home ownership, partnership and parenthood.

    How does this compare to what life was like for young Australians at the turn of the century?

    Increasing education, decreasing payoffs

    University participation has risen, but so has student debt. It’s now far beyond what was intended when HECS was introduced as a supposedly fair, income-contingent loan system.

    Indexation has outpaced wages, so much so that today’s 20-somethings carry debts that are more than $10,000 higher in real terms than their counterparts two decades ago.

    The Morrison government’s 2021 fee hikes only exacerbated the crisis, with some degrees nearly doubling in cost, leaving students with an even greater debt burden.

    University fees have increased over the past 25 years.
    Shutterstock

    Yet the financial return on education is increasingly uncertain.

    Credential inflation has reshaped the job market, with even low-wage positions now expecting a university degree.

    The widespread belief that a degree guarantees better pay is driving more students into higher education, yet there are many graduates saddled with debt and working in roles unrelated to their qualifications.

    In 1996, 28.5% of 21–25-year-olds found themselves in mismatched jobs.

    By 2019, that figure had climbed to 33% just among 25-year-olds.

    Salaries aren’t keeping up. Since 1996, graduate wages have risen by a factor of just 2.5, while student contributions have jumped between 1.7- and 6.2-fold. This leaves today’s graduates with debt that consumes a larger share of their income than ever before.

    The dwindling dream of home ownership

    Housing affordability has collapsed over the years.

    Twenty-five years ago, the average house cost nine years’ worth of the average household income.

    Now, it’s about 16.5 years.

    In 2001, property prices rose 1.3 times faster than incomes. Since then, they’ve surged at 2.3 times the rate.

    This is fuelled partly by tax incentive policies – for example, the Howard government’s 1999 capital gains tax changes – and, more recently, the COVID pandemic.

    Soaring prices have deepened the intergenerational housing wealth gap, reducing the home purchase opportunity for young people. While the First Home Owner Grant, introduced in 2000, provides some support, saving for a deposit remains a years-long struggle.

    That is, unless parents can help.

    For many young Australians, intergenerational wealth is now the key to home ownership. Inheritance is becoming nearly as important as employment.

    Since 2002, the total value of wealth transfers has more than doubled in real terms, with larger inheritances expected for younger generations due to rising parental wealth and fewer siblings.

    But parental wealth is far more unequally distributed than income – shaped by education and region.

    Therefore, inheritocracy is set to deepen economic inequality within today’s youth cohort.

    But this isn’t just about the ultra-wealthy passing down mansions. Most inheritances involve an ordinary home or proceeds from its sale.

    Housing, once central to middle-class stability, now determines who can build wealth and who will struggle financially for life.

    Mounting mental health pressures

    Meanwhile, Australians today are borrowing more than ever. Default risk is rising fastest among under-30s as soaring interest rates, rent hikes, and cost-of-living pressures squeeze finances.

    It’s then no surprise Gen Z is more concerned about finances than any other generation.

    Financial stress is taking a heavy toll on young people’s mental health. Between 2007 and 2022, the prevalence of mental health disorders among young Australians surged by nearly 50%.

    The burden of disease from non-fatal conditions – measured in years of healthy life lost – has risen 7% since 2003. This is largely due to mental health disorders and substance abuse, which disproportionately affect young people.

    Growing up Indigenous

    At the deepest end of these struggles are Indigenous youth, who face far greater challenges than their non-Indigenous peers.

    Across nearly every measure – education, employment, health and incarceration – outcomes for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander young people remain significantly worse.

    While today’s Indigenous youth have achieved better outcomes compared to previous generations – 39% of Indigenous Australians aged 20+ had completed Year 12 in 2021, up from 19.4% in 2001 – these gains still lag behind non-Indigenous youth.

    Systemic barriers, institutional racism and intergenerational trauma continue to limit fair access to opportunities. This compounds inequalities and contributes to higher rates of mental ill-health, stress and suicide among Indigenous youth.

    The changing politics of being young

    Undoubtedly, a continued period of instability and psychological distress in formative years is also shaping the youngest generation’s political attitudes and behaviours.

    With fewer assets to conserve compared to their parents or grandparents, they are more likely to lean more to the left politically, and this won’t change with age.

    Yet, they remain engaged, thanks in part to compulsory voting, but are also abandoning party loyalties.



    Read more:
    I looked at 35 years of data to see how Australians vote. Here’s what it tells us about the next election

    Australian Election Study data shows 18–30-year-olds were more interested in politics in 2022 than in 1998 (67% vs 63%). At the same time, they were more likely to change votes during campaigns (43% vs 30%) and less likely to consistently vote for the same party (28% vs 40%).

    Their right-wing identification has nearly halved since 1998, with the youth vote increasingly favouring left-wing parties (75% vs 61%).

    However, younger Australians’ diverse digital news habits add to their political unpredictability. With 60% of Gen Z relying short-form videos, podcasts, and social media platforms for news in 2024, they are increasingly exposed to fragmented, algorithm-driven content.

    This shift, coupled with rising concerns about misinformation, contributes to their volatility as voters.

    Overall, young Australians are coming of age in an era where hard work no longer guarantees security. How Australia adapts to this shifting economic and political reality will shape the country’s future for decades to come.

    This piece is part of a series on how Australia has changed since the year 2000. You can read other pieces in the series here.

    Intifar Chowdhury 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. Every generation thinks they had it the toughest, but for Gen Z, they’re probably right – https://theconversation.com/every-generation-thinks-they-had-it-the-toughest-but-for-gen-z-theyre-probably-right-249604

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –