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Category: Politics

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: ESFA Update: 26 March 2025

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    Correspondence

    ESFA Update: 26 March 2025

    Latest information and actions from the Education and Skills Funding Agency for academies, schools, colleges, local authorities and further education providers.

    Applies to England

    Documents

    ESFA Update further education: 26 March 2025

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    ESFA Update academies: 26 March 2025

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    ESFA Update local authorities: 26 March 2025

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    Details

    Latest for further education

    Article Title
    Information Transfer of Education and Skills Funding Agency (ESFA) functions to the Department for Education (DfE)
    Information Updated adult skills fund – funding rates and formula guidance 2024 to 2025
    Information 16 to 19 funding rates and formula 2025 to 2026
    Information Provider data self-assessment toolkit updated
    Information New college financial framework documents for the financial year 2024 to 2025
    Information Good practice guidance for colleges and academy trusts on novel, contentious and repercussive transactions
    Information Publishing the 2025 to 2026 apprenticeship funding rules

    Latest information for academies

    Article Title
    Information Transfer of Education and Skills Funding Agency (ESFA) functions to the Department for Education (DfE)
    Information Pupil premium conditions of grant and technical note for the 2025 to 2026 financial year
    Information 16 to 19 funding rates and formula 2025 to 2026
    Information Academy national non-domestic rates claims guidance updated for 2025 to 2026
    Information Academies Accounts Direction for 2024 to 2025
    Information Good practice guidance for colleges and academy trusts on novel, contentious and repercussive transactions
    Information Related Party Transactions (RPTs) online form portal downtime
    Events and webinars Risk protection arrangement members only – stress workshop

    Latest information for local authorities

    Article Title
    Information Transfer of Education and Skills Funding Agency (ESFA) functions to the Department for Education (DfE)
    Information Pupil premium conditions of grant and technical note for the 2025 to 2026 financial year
    Information Updated adult skills fund – funding rates and formula guidance 2024 to 2025
    Information 16 to 19 funding rates and formula 2025 to 2026
    Information Updated dedicated schools grant (DSG) management plan template and accompanying guidance for 2025 to 2026
    Information The national non-domestic rates (NNDR) operational guidance for billing authorities updated for 2025 to 2026
    Events and webinars Risk protection arrangement members only – stress workshop

    Updates to this page

    Published 26 March 2025

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    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Sir Martyn Oliver’s speech to Parentkind

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    Speech

    Sir Martyn Oliver’s speech to Parentkind

    Sir Martyn Oliver, Ofsted’s Chief Inspector, spoke to Parentkind on the role of parents in education.

    Thank you, thank you to Jason [Elsom, CEO, Parentkind] to everyone whether you’re in the room or online. It’s wonderful to be here, I want to thank Parentkind for the opportunity, and for all of the work they do. It’s always fantastic to speak directly to parents and carers. It’s so important that you are involved in the dialogue around education. That your voices, and the voices of your children are heard.

    I know from all my time as a teacher, a head, a multi-academy trust leader and now as His Majesty’s Chief Inspector at Ofsted, that education works best when children, families and schools all work together.

    Education is a team sport, and you need every member of the team to be pulling in the same direction.

    The power of education

    I saw this in my time as an art teacher, if you can believe it. I loved my job. I loved being able to see the impact that education can have on an individual child. You do all that you can to pass on knowledge and skills, but you also want to light a fire in children so they enjoy and keep learning throughout their lives. Teachers do this remarkable work every single day. But it’s in these roles that you also see the limitations of what can be achieved if something in the child’s home life isn’t working.

    My biggest fear as a headteacher wasn’t Ofsted nor was it the responsibility of the actual job itself, it was the fear that there may be or there will be a child in one of my schools whose needs were not being met and that they wouldn’t go on to have the remarkable impact on society that they could have had: a child not able to attend PE enrichment and misses out on a sport they may have excelled at and gone to represent the country in, or a child not taking the right exam option and not going to make a break-through discovery in that field. These are the real-world and long-lasting consequences to what happens in education.

    I saw it again when I became a head of sixth form. It was a wonderful role, helping to prepare young people for the world. But again, it only worked if the child and their family are also active participants in education and that progression.

    In my first school, I stayed and taught art for 7 years and I was really fortunate enough to be given a few classes who I could see through from Year 7 all the way through to taking the their GCSEs and the first A-level class in that school when they got to Year 12. Seeing one generation through the school from start to finish and working with both the children and their parents as they flourished at GCSE and then A-level art before going on to university and having really successful careers is incredibly powerful, and satisfying as a career. The open and honest relationship with parents was critical each and every step of the way.

    And I saw it as a headteacher. In that role, you’re working not just for the community within the school gates, but also the community outside those gates. You need to make sure that the children in the school are getting all the education and the opportunities that they can.

    But you also need to be heavily invested in what happens before they arrive and when they leave school at the end of the day. In some cases, you need to understand why they are not coming in the first place. You need to support the aspirations of children and also the aspirations of their parents and carers. And you need to make sure everyone gets to work together to support the development of every child.

    Beyond the individual

    Of course, we want all parents to be involved in their children’s learning. To read to them, and to read with them. To support them with homework. To challenge and encourage them. I’m sure all of you involved in Parentkind exemplify this.

    But what’s even more encouraging is when parents get involved in the life of the school itself. When they begin to help not only their child’s learning, but the learning of all children at that school, including those who may not have strong parental advocacy.

    We know that schools with strong parent engagement thrive and succeed. As Parentkind regularly point out, it has been linked to improvements in attendance, behaviour, and academic achievement.

    And PTAs are a fantastic way to do that, and I know many of you, here and online, are involved in that way. The same can be said for parent governors, again I know many of you have taken that route.

    I was lucky enough to work with some fantastic PTAs and governors – in my first year of teaching I joined my school’s PTA and by the second year, incredibly, I chaired the group! You can imagine the impact it had on me as a young teacher chairing a group which consisted of the headteacher and chair of governors. Yet again though, I saw the power of parents and the school working together – this time not for the benefit of any one child, but of all children in that community.

    But whether or not you join the PTA or the governing board, parents should understand what schools are doing and why they take the decisions they take. This requires active engagement from the parent, and active communication from the school. In loco parentis only works if the parents and teachers trust each other. It’s a two-way street.

    When it’s done right, when parents and carers really buy in to the school and its ethos, then they become part of a united community, working together.

    When the relationship breaks

    But of course, we have also heard a lot recently about what can happen when this relationship and community is not there. When there is breakdown of trust between parents and schools. Sometimes this results in friction, or even outright hostility between parents and school leaders.

    A survey of teachers called Teacher Tapp reported recently that over 40% of teachers and school leaders reported seeing negative online comments from parents about staff or their school since September.

    In another Teacher Tapp survey at the end of the last school year, 9% of teachers said they had been the subject of an allegation from a parent. Obviously, some of these are legitimate grievances, and parents should be able to raise concerns. But nearly 1 in 10 of teachers feels high to me.

    Other teacher representatives talk about abuse of teachers becoming more of a problem.

    This sort of relationship breakdown can be hard to recover from. Trust is not built overnight, and once it’s lost it can take months or even years to rebuild. But the only way to tackle that is more openness and transparency.

    We want to encourage parental engagement. Engagement in the right way, the way so many of you will be doing it.

    We know how social media has come to influence the dynamics of school communities – positively and negatively. It’s such a powerful tool, and it can be an amazing way to bring people together. But it can also hand a microphone to the pub bore, a megaphone to the bully and help the rabble rouser find his or her rabble without leaving their armchair.

    The world seems to be getting more antagonistic and adversarial. So, you can understand why a school leader might be wary of engaging with parents. But I always found that the way to defuse tensions, tackle rumours and build common purpose with parents is more communication, not less. More openness, not less. And more information sharing, not less. So, I say: join the PTA, don’t join the pile on!

    Because I know from my experience, it will be welcomed. And Parentkind’s survey backs this up too. You found that 85% of teachers agree that parental engagement in school life has benefits and 75% agree that it improves outcomes for young people.

    So I want Ofsted to play its part in better communication.

    Our new report cards

    I hope that our proposals for new report cards, to be introduced from November, will prove a game-changer.

    They are based on what we heard from parents in the Big Listen. You told us that you wanted a broad evaluative approach with clear reporting on what your child’s school or nursery or college is doing well and what it needs to work on.

    That’s exactly what we think we have designed. A report card that provides more detailed and nuanced information for you.

    Now I know some of you were happy with the old system. After all, the one-word overall judgement was praised for its simplicity. But that simplicity also frustrated many parents who wanted more detailed information – more tailored to the needs of their children.

    One-word judgements could also have unintended consequences. Where parents had a choice in schools – in cities and larger towns – the one-word judgement could lead to schools being over or under subscribed. This is frustrating for parents and potentially damaging for schools who could find their local reputation ‘locked’ for years, with a knock-on effect on everything from recruitment and retention of teachers, to local house prices.

    The changes we’re proposing will do things differently. We will report on a much wider range of areas. Things that matter, I hope, to you. Things like behaviour, achievement, attendance, teaching and the curriculum, leadership and governance, and inclusion – really looking in detail at how schools make sure their pupils all have a sense of belonging, especially those who are disadvantaged, vulnerable, or have special educational needs. For each area, you will be able to see a clear grade, and a description of what we found when we inspected the school.

    Report cards will help give a more balanced picture of schools. Because the best schools aren’t perfect and have areas where they could do better, and the schools which might be seen as ‘weaker’ will have aspects of their work that they do really well. In that way a school’s report card will be much closer to a child’s school report. Going back to my art teacher days, the one-word grade paints a monochrome picture of a school; and now we want to paint it in colour.

    Wouldn’t it be great if more balanced reporting, acknowledging both strengths and weaknesses, put paid to the idea that a school is seen as a 100% ‘success’ or a 100% ‘failure’. And instead parents had the information they needed to choose schools based on the specific things they thought were most important to their children.

    Somewhere with great standards of behaviour. Somewhere with exceptional support for children with special educational needs or disabilities. Somewhere which delivers great outcomes and achievements. Somewhere that really prioritises the wellbeing and personal development of its pupils. Parents and carers will be able to see how local schools perform on these. That might change the way schools are seen by their communities and change established patterns of school applications.

    But I know for many of you – particularly if you live outside of cities – there really isn’t much choice between schools. I still think more detailed information will really help you. You’ll be able to see what’s working well and what needs attention at your local school. And I believe this level of information will help inform a better, more constructive conversation between school leaders and their communities – to address some of those tensions I spoke about a few minutes ago.

    And we want to do more to encourage this constructive dialogue. As I said, we know that an engaged community leads to a better school. So, our proposals for inspecting the leadership and governance of a school talk explicitly about the need for leaders to ‘engage with and work effectively with parents and carers and the local community to support pupils’ achievement and well-being.’ – that’s a direct quote from our school inspection toolkit. I know that’s something that Parentkind has welcomed.

    Driving higher standards

    Above all, we hope this approach will drive ever higher standards for children. It will give schools an independent and expert assessment of what they’re doing well and where they could improve. It will validate, assure, and celebrate their hard work, and shine a light on how they can do even better.

    And it will help you, as parents, meaningfully engage with the school on the issues that need attention. Sometimes, it may validate your concerns, other times it may reassure you that an individual experience is not the norm.

    It will also help the government better target support where it is needed. By reporting specifically on topics like attendance or behaviour, we can help government decide when and where to provide expert assistance to those who need it most. And we also want to help schools – as well as nurseries and further education colleges – to see which of their peers are really blazing a trail, through our new exemplary grade. So, we will highlight some of the best national examples of where schools are doing something truly exceptional.

    Initial support from parents

    Of course, what I’ve set out today are our proposals, they are not set in stone. Our consultation on a new way of inspecting is open until 28th April and it’s on our website – ‘gov.uk/Ofsted’. Please, please read the proposals and give us every one of your views.

    I’m sure there are things that could be better. Things we could refine. But we are encouraged that parents seem to support the broad approach that we have set out.

    We recently commissioned independent research from YouGov. They polled parents on our proposed report cards and have just shared the results with us.

    Almost 7 out of 10 of the parents surveyed said they prefer the new-look report cards to our current inspection reports. Just 15% said they preferred the old system.

    And nearly 9 out of 10 parents said the report cards are easy to understand. 84% thought that the colour-coding we propose to use on the reports is helpful.

    And it’s worth adding that two thirds of parents said they support Ofsted continuing to grade schools. That is important, as grading does come in for some criticism – but parents are consistent: they told us in the Big Listen they wanted it and they’ve told us again in this new survey.

    It’s great to see this level of support. But obviously, we need a system that works for everyone. It needs to work for you as parents and, most importantly, it needs to work for children. But it also needs to work for those working in schools and nurseries and colleges.

    Sometimes that’s a balancing act. But I do not see the two as in opposition. After all, you and your children want happy teachers. You don’t want to see high turnover any more than leaders do. And you want schools to be able to focus on what really matters and provide the best possible education.

    So, we’ve tried to design a system that does just that. That drives higher standards for children, that improves reporting for you and enables engagement for you, and that reduces pressure on everyone working in education.

    Conclusion

    So, it’s really important that we capture parents’ opinions in the consultation. So, thank you for all of you who have already taken part – and thank you in advance if you plan to do so.

    And I’d like to end by recognising the incredible work so many of you do as PTA members, or parent governors. Thank you for supporting schools, for contributing to your communities, and for improving the education prospects not just of your own children, but of all the children in your neighbourhoods. So thank you for the work you do, it’s so important. It’s been a pleasure talking to you. Thank you.

    Updates to this page

    Published 26 March 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Fast Stream opens doors for North East civil servant Keiron

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    Case study

    Fast Stream opens doors for North East civil servant Keiron

    Meet Keiron Ringwood who is among the one in nine fast streamers in 2024 who joined the accelerated development scheme from within the Civil Service.

    Keiron Ringwood

    For Keiron Ringwood, being able to build a career on his home turf has always been a big priority.

    So, after joining the Civil Service straight from university, he wanted to be able to grow his career while continuing to live in his beloved North East of England.

    After working as an administration officer for HMRC in Durham and an executive officer for DEFRA in Newcastle, he applied for the Civil Service’s prestigious Fast Stream accelerated development scheme and secured a place on his second attempt.

    Though it’s best known as one of the UK’s top graduate employers, the Civil Service’s Fast Stream is also open to existing civil servants who made up around one in nine of successful applicants in 2024.

    Keiron’s role as a Fast Stream policy advisor in His Majesty’s Treasury in Darlington has broadened his horizons in ways he never imagined.

    Its combination of formal training and enriched workplace opportunity has set him on a path which should see him become a Grade 7 at the end of three years.

    “What I enjoy most is the chance the Fast Stream gives you to learn about the way the government works and to meet people from different backgrounds and from different parts of the country,” he said.

    “I’m making the most of the experience and learning as much as I can from the people, the training and workplace opportunities I’m getting.” 

    Keiron was brought up in Hartlepool. After getting Cs and Bs in his GCSEs at his local comprehensive school, he came into his own during his Sixth Form years and achieved distinctions in BTEC business and law qualifications. Throughout his studies he also managed to support himself through hospitality jobs at his local McDonalds and Hartlepool Catholic Club.

    Despite gaining a First Class degree in journalism at nearby Sunderland University, he decided against a career in the media and opted instead to follow his parents into the Civil Service.

    “My mum and step dad have been administration officers in DWP for more than 30 years and I was attracted to the structure and security of a Civil Service role,” he said.

    “I put a lot into all my posts, but securing a place on the Fast Stream gave me confidence that the Civil Service was an organisation in which I could progress. If it hadn’t been, I would have left and gone elsewhere.”

    While Keiron did not get into the Fast Stream on his first try, he succeeded on his second attempt and could not have been more delighted to learn the scheme could, in his case, accommodate his request for a local placement 

    “My friends and family are in the region so staying where my roots are is a non-negotiable for me,” he said.

    Keiron currently leads on the policy relating to tax-free childcare, developing the policy in a way that improves take-up.

    Being on the Fast Stream has set him on a steep development path that has seen his confidence increase.

    “I used to feel inferior because of my background and accent,” he said.

    “But I’m learning alongside people with very different upbringings and feel I fit in as I am just fine.”

    Find out more about the Fast Stream here.

    Updates to this page

    Published 26 March 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: £8million funding secured towards new Heath Town heat network

    Source: City of Wolverhampton

    The Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (DSNEZ) has announced the funding as part of its Heat Network Efficiency Scheme.

    It will contribute towards the critical £19.5million works, with the remainder coming from the council’s Housing Revenue Account Capital Programme.

    All of the properties on the Heath Town estate are supplied with heat via the outdated district heating network that was first installed around 55 years ago and has undergone minor upgrades since.

    The existing boiler house was designed to use coal and is no longer fit for purpose and the boiler house pre-cast reinforced concrete panelling has now reached the end of its life and is starting to fail.

    The new system will improve efficiency through reduced primary energy consumption, network return temperature and pumping energy costs, following upgrades to the network’s control systems, replacement of pumps and pipework, and the installation of new heat interface units (HIUs) for residents.

    Works on the new heat network are expected to start next month (April) and last for 2 years.

    The council’s Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for City Housing, Councillor Steve Evans, said: “The council’s transformative regeneration of Heath Town has seen extensive demolition of vacant buildings followed by 40 new council homes – the first developed on the estate since the 1960s.

    “This is just the first phase of a total of more than 150 new council homes to be built on the estate over the coming years – and is in addition to existing residential blocks undergoing major improvements by Wolverhampton Homes. All new homes will be connected to the district heating system.

    “It is important the right infrastructure is in place to support this rejuvenated neighbourhood and this funding from government will enable us to put in place a heat network that is fit for purpose and ultimately reduces energy costs for residents.”

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Funding boost to keep homes warm and cut energy bills

    Source: City of Leicester

    PEOPLE are being encouraged to use a digital advice tool to see how they might benefit from new support for energy efficient home improvements.

    Leicester City Council has been awarded over £4.5 million of Warm Homes Local Grant funding from the Government’s Department for Energy Security and Net Zero.

    The scheme will offer grants to low-income households to pay for better insulation and other improvements, such as solar panels and low carbon heating, to cut bills for families, slash fuel poverty, and help reduce carbon emissions.

    To be eligible, homes must be privately owned (owner occupied or privately rented); have an energy performance certificate (EPC) between D and G; and have a household income of less than £36,000.

    Applications for the new grants are expected to begin in later-summer, with full details of the amount of support available to households due to be published soon.

    In the meantime, residents can explore how their homes might benefit by using the new Homewise digital advice tool, developed by Energy Saving Trust.

     This free online service helps homeowners identify energy efficiency improvements they could make to their homes. By completing a simple online survey, people can get a personalised action plan tailored to their needs and budget. They’ll also get a breakdown of the cost for any improvements and potential savings.

    Cllr Geoff Whittle, assistant city mayor for environment and transport, said: “We know that installing energy efficient home improvements can be expensive so the announcement of this Government funding for new grants is very welcome.

    “We are already making free tailored energy advice available to city residents through Homewise. This free online advice is easy to get and will help people see how they can make their home more energy efficient, save money and reduce their carbon footprint.

    “By understanding your home’s energy needs now, you’ll be in a better position to take advantage of the grants when applications open later this year.”

    Laura Atkinson, business development manager at Energy Saving Trust said: “Leicester City Council is leading the way in empowering its residents to identify home energy improvements that will benefit them.

    “We know the value of personalised advice in helping people to make informed choices on how to make their home cheaper to heat and lower carbon emissions – our expert tool Homewise was created with this aim.”

    To find out more about Homewise, and to register for free tailored energy advice for your home, visit leicestercitycouncil.homewise.energy

    The Warm Homes: Local Grant scheme is part of the Government’s national Warm Homes Plan which aims to upgrade five million homes over the next five years to cut bills for families and deliver warmer homes to slash fuel poverty.

    Leicester is one of 73 local authorities, combined authorities and consortium areas to receive a share of over £463,000,000 of Government cash set aside for the scheme.

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Spring Statement 2025 speech

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments 3

    Speech

    Spring Statement 2025 speech

    Spring Statement 2025 speech as delivered by Chancellor Rachel Reeves.

    Mr Speaker, [political content redacted]. 

    To provide security for working people. 

    And to deliver a decade of national renewal. 

    That work began in July – and I am proud of what we have delivered in just nine months. 

    Restoring stability to our public finances…  

    … giving the Bank of England the foundation to cut interest rates…  

    … three times since the General Election.  

    Rebuilding our public services… 

    … with record investment in our NHS… 

    … bringing waiting lists down for 5 months in a row.   

    And increasing the National Living Wage… 

    … to give 3 million people a pay rise from next week.  

    Now our task is to secure Britain’s future… 

    … in a world that is changing before our eyes.  

    The threat facing our continent was transformed when Putin invaded Ukraine. 

    It has since escalated further…  

    … and continues to evolve rapidly.  

    At the same time, the global economy has become more uncertain…  

    … bringing insecurity at home… 

    … as trading patterns become more unstable… 

    … and borrowing costs rise for many major economies.  

    Mr Speaker, the job of a responsible government is not simply to watch this change. 

    This moment demands an active government. 

    A government not stepping back, but stepping up.  

    A government on the side of working people…  

    … helping Britain to reach its potential.  

    We have the strengths to do just that… 

    … as one of the world’s largest economies … 

    … an ally to trading partners across the globe…  

    … and a hub for global innovation.  

    These strengths… 

    … and the progress we have made so far… 

    … mean we can act quickly and decisively in a more uncertain world… 

    … to secure Britain’s future… 

    … and to deliver prosperity for working people. 

    Mr Speaker, as I set out at the Budget last year… 

    … I am today returning to the House to provide an update on our public finances… 

    … supported by a new forecast from the independent Office for Budget Responsibility… 

    … ahead of a full Spending Review in June. 

    I will then return to the House in the autumn to deliver a budget… 

    … in line with our commitment to deliver just one major fiscal event a year. 

    So let me turn now to the OBR’s forecasts… 

    … and I want to thank Richard Hughes and his team for their dedicated work. 

    The increased global uncertainty has had two consequences. 

    First, on our public finances. 

    And second, on our economy. 

    I will take each in turn.  

    In the autumn, I set out new fiscal rules that would guide this government. 

    These fiscal rules are non-negotiable. 

    They are the embodiment of this government’s unwavering commitment… 

    … to bring stability to our economy… 

    … and to ensure security for working people. 

    [political content redacted]

    But we must earn that trust every single day.  

    The two fiscal rules that I set out at the Budget were… 

    First, our “Stability Rule”, which ensures that public spending is under control… 

    … balancing the current budget by 2029-30… 

    … so that day-to-day spending is met by tax receipts.  

    Second, our “Investment Rule” to drive growth in the economy… 

    … ensuring that net financial debt falls by the end of the forecast period…  

    … while enabling us to invest alongside business. 

    Turning first to the Stability Rule, the OBR’s forecast shows that… 

    … before the steps that I will take in this statement…  

    … the current budget would have been in deficit by £4.1bn in 2029-30… 

    … having been in surplus by £9.9bn in the autumn…  

    … as the UK, alongside our international peers like France and Germany… 

    … has seen the cost of borrowing rise during this period of heightened uncertainty in global markets. 

    As a result of the steps that I am taking today… 

    … I can confirm that I have restored in full our headroom against the “stability rule”…  

    … moving from a deficit of £36.1bn in 2025-26 and £13.4bn in 2026-27… 

    … to a surplus of £6.0bn in 2027-28, £7.1bn in 2028-29 and a surplus of £9.9bn in 2029-30. 

    [political content redacted]

    That means that we are continuing to meet the Stability Rule two years early…  

    … building resilience to shocks in this, a more uncertain world.  

    The OBR forecast that the “investment rule” is also met two years early… 

    … with net financial debt of 82.9% of GDP in 2025-26 and 83.5% in 2026-27… 

    … before falling from 83.4% in 2027-28, to 83.2% in 2028-29 and 82.7% in 2029-30…  

    … providing headroom of £15.1bn in the final year of the forecast… 

    … broadly unchanged from the autumn.  

    [political content redacted]

    … debt interest payments now stands at £105.2bn this year… 

    … Mr Speaker, that is more than we allocate on Defence, the Home Office and Justice combined. 

    [political content redacted]

    So the responsible choice is to reduce our levels of debt and borrowing in the years ahead… 

    … so that we can spend more on the priorities of working people. And that is exactly what this government will do. 

    Mr Speaker. 

    I said that our fiscal rules were non-negotiable. 

    And I meant it. 

    I will always deliver economic stability. 

    And I will always put working people first.  

    [political content redacted]

    I said it at the Budget. 

    And I say it again today. 

    Let me now set out the steps the government has taken.  

    At the Budget we protected working people… 

    … by keeping our promise not to raise their rates of National Insurance, income tax or VAT. 

    At the same time, we began to rebuild our public services…  

    [political content redacted]

    Ours were the right choices, the right choices for stability and the right choices for renewal… 

    … funded by the decisions that we took on tax.  

    As I promised in the autumn, this Statement does not contain any further tax increases.  

    But when working people are paying their taxes, while still struggling with the cost-of-living…  

    …it cannot be right that others are still evading what they rightly owe in tax.  

    In the Budget, I delivered the most ambitious package of measures that we have ever seen… 

    … to cut down on tax evasion… 

    … raising £6.5bn per year by the end of the forecast.  

    Today, I go further… 

    … continuing our investment in cutting-edge technology … 

    … investing in the HMRC’s capacity to crack down on tax avoidance… 

    … and setting out plans to increase the number of tax fraudsters charged every year by 20%. 

    These changes raise a further £1bn… 

    … taking the total revenue raised from reducing tax evasion under this [political content redacted] government to £7.5bn… 

    … figures verified by the Office for Budget Responsibility…  

    … and I want to thank my Honourable Friend the Exchequer Secretary for his continued work in this area.  

    Mr Speaker, last week my Right Honourable Friend the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, set out this government’s plans to reform the welfare system.  

    [political content redacted]

    We believe that if you can work, you should work… 

    … but if you can’t work, you should be properly supported.  

    This government inherited a broken system.  

    More than 1,000 people are qualifying for Personal Independence Payments. 

    And 1 in 8 young people are not in employment, education or training. 

    If we do nothing, we are writing off an entire generation.  

    That cannot be right and we will not stand it.  

    It is a waste of their potential and it is a waste of their futures and we will change it. 

    As my Right Honourable Friend said in her statement last week… 

    … the final costings would be subject to the OBR’s assessment. 

    Today, the OBR have said… 

    … that they estimate the package will save £4.8bn in the welfare budget… 

    … reflecting their judgements on behavioural effects and wider factors. 

    This also reflects final adjustments to the overall package… 

    … consistent with the Secretary of State’s statement last week… 

    … and the government’s Pathways to Work Green Paper. 

    The Universal Credit Standard Allowance will increase from £92 per week in 2025-26 to £106 per week by 2029-30… 

    … while the Universal Credit Health element will be cut for new claimants by 50% and then frozen.  

    On top of this, we are investing £1bn to provide guaranteed, personalised employment support to help people back into work… 

    … and £400m to support the Department for Work and Pensions and our Job Centres to deliver these changes effectively and fairly… 

    … taking total savings after that for the package to £3.4bn. 

    Whilst spending on disability and sickness benefits will continue to raise, these plans 

    mean that welfare spending as a share of GDP will fall between 2026-27 and the end of the forecast period.  

    [political content redacted]

    We are reforming our welfare system… 

    … making it more sustainable… 

    … protecting the most vulnerable… 

    … and supporting more people back into secure work lifting them out of poverty.  

    Mr Speaker, at the Budget, I fixed the foundations of our economy to deliver on the promise of change. 

    That work has already begun. 

    2 million extra appointments in our NHS. 

    Waiting lists down.  

    New breakfast clubs opening across England. 

    The largest settlements in real terms for Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland in the history of devolution.  

    Asylum costs, falling. 

    Promises made, promises kept.  

    [political content redacted]

    At the Budget… 

    … alongside providing an increase in funding for this year and next… 

    … I set the envelope for the Spending Review… 

    … which we will deliver in June… 

    led by my RHF the Chief Secretary to the Treasury 

    … to set departmental budgets until 2028-29 for day-to-day spending… 

    … and until 2029-30 for capital spending.  

    Today, I am reflecting two steps that we have taken in our spending plans.  

    First, because we are living in an uncertain world… 

    … as the Prime Minister has set out… 

    … we will increase defence spending to 2.5% of GDP, reducing overseas aid to 0.3% of Gross National Income. 

    This means we save £2.6bn in day-to-day spending in 2029-30… 

    … to fund our more capital-intensive defence commitments.  

    Second, in recent months, we have begun to fundamentally reform the British state… 

    … driving efficiency and productivity across government… 

    … to deliver tangible savings… 

    … and improve services across our country. 

    Earlier this month, the Prime Minister set out our plans to abolish the arms-length body NHS England… 

    … and ensure that money goes directly to improving the service for patients. 

    My Right Honourable Friend the Health Secretary is driving forward vital reforms to increase NHS productivity… 

    … bearing down on costly agency spend… 

    … to save money so that we can improve patient care. 

    And my Right Honourable Friend the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster is taking forward work to significantly reduce the costs of running government… 

    … by 15%, worth £2bn, by the end of the decade. 

    This work shows that we can make our state leaner, and more agile… 

    … delivering more resources to the frontline…  

    … while ensuring we control day-to-day spending to meet our fiscal rules. 

    Today, I build on that work… 

    … by bringing forward £3.25bn of investment… 

    … to deliver the reforms that our public services need…  

    … through a new Transformation Fund.  

    That is money brought forward now… 

    … to bring down the costs of running government by the end of the forecast period…   

    … by making public services more efficient, more productive and more foucssed on the user. 

    I can confirm today the first allocations from this fund… 

    … including funding for Voluntary Exit Schemes to reduce the size of the Civil Service… 

    … pioneering AI tools to modernise the state… 

    … investment in technology for the Ministry of Justice to deliver probation services more effectively… 

    … and up-front investment so we can support more children in foster care… 

    … to give them the best possible start in life… 

    … and reduce cost pressures in the future. 

    Our work to make government leaner… 

    … more productive… 

    … and more efficient… 

    … will help deliver a further £3.5bn of day-to-day savings by 2029-30. 

    Overall, day-to-day spending will be reduced by £6.1bn by 2029-30…  

    … and it will now grow by an average of 1.2% a year above inflation…  

    … compared to 1.3% in the Autumn. 

    Mr Speaker, I can confirm to the House that day-to-day spending will increase in real terms, above inflation, in every single year of the forecast.  

    And in the Spending Review, apart from the reduction in overseas aid… 

    … day-to-day spending across government has been fully protected.   

    I can also confirm our approach to capital investment.  

    In the Autumn Budget I announced £100bn of additional capital spending…  

    … to crowd in investment from the private sector… 

    … to fix our crumbling infrastructure…  

    … and to create jobs in every corner of our country. 

    [political content redacted]

    Today, I am instead increasing capital spending … 

    … by an average of £2bn per year compared to the Autumn…  

    … to drive growth in our economy… 

    … and to deliver in full our vital commitments on defence. 

    This government will ensure that every pound we spend will deliver for the British people… 

    … by increasing productivity… 

    … driving growth in our economy… 

    … and improving our frontline public services.  

    Mr Speaker, let me turn now to the impact of increased uncertainty on our economy. 

    To deliver economic stability, we must work closely with the Bank of England… 

    … supporting the independent Monetary Policy Committee to meet their 2% inflation target.  

    There have been three interest rate cuts since the General Election and today’s data showed that inflation fell in February. 

    [political content redacted]

    … the OBR forecast that CPI inflation will average 3.2% this year… 

    … before falling rapidly to 2.1% in 2026 and meeting the 2% target from 2027 onwards… 

    … giving families and businesses the security that they need… 

    … and providing our economy with the stable platform it needs to grow. 

    Mr Speaker… 

    … earlier this month, the OECD downgraded this year’s growth forecast for every G7 economy, including the UK. 

    And the OBR have today revised our growth forecast for 2025… 

    … from 2% in the autumn… 

    … to 1% today. 

    I am not satisfied with these numbers. 

    That is why we on this side of the house are serious about taking the action needed to grow our economy.  

    Backing the builders, not the blockers…  

    … with a third runway at Heathrow Airport… 

    … and the Planning and Infrastructure Bill.  

    Increasing investment… 

    … with reforms to our pension system… 

    … and a new National Wealth Fund.  

    And tearing down regulatory barriers… 

    … in every sector of our economy. 

    That is a serious plan for growth. 

    That is a serious plan to improve living standards.  

    That is a serious plan to renew our country.  

    Mr Speaker, a changing world presents challenges.  

    But it also presents new opportunities.  

    For new jobs. 

    … and new contracts… 

    … in our world-class defence industrial centres… 

    … from Belfast to Deeside, and from Plymouth to Rosyth. 

    In February, the Prime Minister set out our government’s commitment to increase spending on defence to 2.5% of GDP from April 2027… 

    The biggest sustained increase in defence spending since the end of the Cold War 

    …and an ambition to spend 3% of GDP on defence in the next parliament. 

    That was the right decision in a more insecure world… 

    … putting an extra £6.4bn into defence spending by 2027. 

    But we have to move quickly in this changing world. 

    And that starts with investment. 

    So today I can confirm that I will provide an additional £2.2bn for the Ministry of Defence in the next financial year… 

    … a further downpayment on our plans to deliver 2.5% of GDP by 2027.  

    This additional investment is not just about increasing our national security…  

    … but increasing our economic security, too.  

    As defence spending rises, I want the whole country to feel its benefits. 

    So I will set out the immediate steps that we are taking to boost Britain’s defence industry… 

    … and to make the UK a defence industrial superpower.  

    We will spend a minimum of 10% of the Ministry of Defence’s equipment budget on novel technologies … 

    … including drones and AI enabled technology… 

    … driving forward advanced manufacturing production in places like Glasgow, in Derby and in Newport… 

    … creating demand for highly skilled engineers and scientists… 

    … and delivering new business opportunities for UK tech firms and start-ups.  

    We will establish a protected budget of £400m within the Ministry of Defence… 

    … a budget that will rise over time for UK Defence Innovation… 

    … with a clear mandate to bring innovative technology to the front line at speed. 

    We will reform our broken defence procurement system… 

    … making it quicker, more agile and more streamlined…. 

    … and giving small businesses across the UK better access to Ministry of Defence contracts. 

    Something welcomed by the Federation of Small Businesses. 

    We will take forward our Plan for Barrow, a town at the heart of our nuclear security… 

    … working with my Honourable Friend the Member for Barrow and Furness…  

    … and providing £200m, supporting the creation of thousands of jobs there. 

    We will regenerate Portsmouth naval base, securing its future…   

    … as called for by my Honourable Friend the Member for Portsmouth South. 

    We will secure better homes for thousands of military families… the homes that they deserve [political content redacted]. 

    … homes for our military families in the constituencies of my Honourable Friends for Plymouth Moor View, Plymouth Sutton & Devonport, York Outer and in Aldershot.  

    That is the difference that this [political content redacted] government is making.  

    Finally, Mr Speaker, we will provide £2bn of increased capacity for UK Export Finance… 

    … to provide loans for overseas buyers of UK defence goods and services… 

    Because I want to do more with our defence budget so we can buy and make and sell things here in Britain.  

    … giving further opportunities for our world leading defence companies and those who work in them… 

    … to grow and create jobs here in Britain… 

    … as military spending rises right across Europe.  

    To oversee all of this vital work… 

    … my Right Honourable Friend the Defence Secretary and I will establish a new Defence Growth Board… 

    … to maximise the benefits from every pound of taxpayers’ money that we spend. 

    And we will put defence at the heart of our modern industrial strategy… 

    … to drive innovation that can deliver huge benefits back into the British economy. 

    Mr Speaker, that is how we make our country a defence industrial superpower… 

    … so the skills of the future… 

    … the jobs of the future… 

    … and the opportunities of the future… 

    … can be found right here in the United Kingdom.  

    Mr Speaker, [political content redacted] there are no shortcuts to economic growth. 

    It will take long-term decisions.  

    It will take hard yards. 

    It will take time for the reforms that we are introducing to be felt in the everyday economy. 

    It is right that the Office for Budget Responsibility consider the evidence… 

    … and look carefully at measures before recognising a growth impact in their forecast.  

    But, Mr Speaker, I can announce to the House…  

    … that the OBR have considered – and have scored – one of the central planks of our plan for growth.  

    In my first week as Chancellor, I announced that we were pursuing the most ambitious set of planning reforms in decades… 

    … to get Britain building again. 

    And in December – we published changes to the National Planning Policy Framework… 

    … driven forward tirelessly by my Right Honourable Friend the Deputy Prime Minister…  

    … reintroducing mandatory housing targets… 

    … and bringing “grey belt” land into scope.  

    The OBR have today concluded that these reforms will permanently increase the level of real GDP… 

    … by point 0.2% by 2029-30… 

    … an additional £6.8bn in our economy… 

    … and by point 0.4% of GDP within 10 years… 

    … an additional £15.1bn in our British economy. 

    Mr Speaker, that is the biggest positive growth impact that the OBR have ever reflected in their forecast, for a policy with no fiscal cost.  

    And taken together with our plans to increase capital spending that we set out in the Budget last year… 

    … this government’s policies will increase the level of real GDP by point 0.6% in the next ten years.  

    Mr Speaker, that is the difference that this [political content redacted] government is making. 

    Policies to grow our economy.

    [political content redacted]

    The OBR have concluded that our reforms will lead to housebuilding reaching a forty-year high… 

    …  of 305,000 a year by the end of the forecast period.  

    And changes to the National Planning Policy Framework alone… 

    … will help build over 1.3 million homes in the UK over the next five years… 

    … taking us within touching distance…  

    … of delivering our manifesto promise to build 1.5 million homes in England in this parliament. 

    [political content redacted]

    The impact on our economy goes further still.  

    [political content redacted]

    We need economic growth.  

    So I can today confirm… 

    … that the effect of our growth policies… 

    … including our planning reforms… 

    … means an additional £3.4 billion to support our public finances and our public services by 2029-30. 

    The proceeds of growth. 

    [political content redacted]

    Mr Speaker, earlier this week…  

    … we provided an additional £2bn of investment in social and affordable homes next year… 

    … delivering up to 18,000 new homes… 

    … and allowing local areas to bid for new developments across our country… 

    … including sites in Thanet, in Sunderland and in Swindon.  

    More security for families across our country. 

    [political content redacted]

    And to build these new homes… 

    … we need people with the right skills. 

    Earlier this week, my Right Honourable Friend the Education Secretary announced more than £600m… 

    … to train up 60,000 more construction workers…  

    … including with 10 new Technical Excellence colleges across every region of our country… 

    … giving working people the chance to fulfil their potential.  

    New opportunities for our young people. 

    [political content redacted]

    Mr Speaker, all this is just the start.  

    The Planning and Infrastructure Bill passed its second reading on Monday. 

    [political content redacted]

    Once this Bill completes its passage… 

    … it will help deliver the homes and infrastructure our country badly needs. 

    [political content redacted] 

    And today, I can confirm to the House… 

    … that the OBR have upgraded their growth forecast next year… 

    … and every single year thereafter…  

    … with GDP growth of 1.9% in 2026, 1.8% in 2027, 1.7% in 2028, and 1.8% in 2029.  

    Mr Speaker, 

    By the end of the forecast… 

    … our economy is larger compared to the OBR’s forecast at the time of the Budget.

    [political content redacted]

    But Mr Speaker, this isn’t just about lines on a graph. 

    It is about improving people’s lives. 

    Working people are still feeling the pinch after a cost of living crisis [political content redacted] that saw prices spiral. 

    So I am pleased that the OBR confirm today … 

    … that Real Household Disposable Income…  

    … will now grow this year at almost twice the rate expected in the autumn.  

    [political content redacted]

    … and after taking into account inflation… 

    … the OBR say today… 

    … that people will be on average over £500 a year better off under this [political content redacted] government. 

    That will mean more money in the pockets of working people. Higher living standards. 

    [political content redacted]

    Mr Speaker, the world is changing. 

    We can see that… 

    … and we can feel it. 

    A changing world demands a government that is on the side of working people. 

    Acting in their interest. 

    Acting in the national interest.  

    Not retreating from challenges.  

    Not stepping back.  

    But a government with the courage to step up…  

    … to secure Britain’s future…  

    … and to seize the opportunities that are out there before us. 

    I am impatient for change, the British people are impatient for change, [political content redacted].

    And we are beginning to see change happen.  

    Our Plan for Change is working. 

    Defence spending is rising. 

    Waiting lists are falling. 

    Wages are up.  

    Interest rates are cut. 

    [political content redacted]

    And today, Mr Speaker… 

    … the OBR confirm… 

    … that our plan to get Britain building… 

    … will drive growth in our economy… 

    … and put more money in people’s pockets. 

    There are no quick fixes. 

    But we have taken the right choices.  

    [political content redacted]

    Delivering security for our country and security for working people.  

    That is what drives this government. 

    That is what drives me as Chancellor. 

    And that is what drives the choices that I have set out today.  

    And I commend this statement to the House.

    Updates to this page

    Published 26 March 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Federal Debt and the Statutory Limit, March 2025

    Source: US Congressional Budget Office

    The debt limit—commonly called the debt ceiling—is the maximum amount of debt that the Department of the Treasury can issue to the public or to other federal agencies. The amount is set by law and has been increased or suspended over the years to allow for the additional borrowing needed to finance the government’s operations.

    On June 3, 2023, lawmakers suspended the debt limit through January 1, 2025. On January 2, 2025, that limit was reinstated at $36.1 trillion—the amount of debt outstanding on the previous day. At that time, a scheduled redemption of securities held by a Medicare trust fund lowered outstanding debt by $54 billion, giving the Treasury room for additional borrowing. That redemption forestalled the beginning of a “debt issuance suspension period” until January 21, 2025. During such a period, the Treasury can pause investments in the Civil Service Retirement and Disability Fund (CSRDF) and the Postal Service Retiree Health Benefits Fund (PSRHBF) to free up room to borrow additional funds without breaching the debt ceiling. In addition, other well-established “extraordinary measures” are available to the Treasury to supplement cash balances and finance ongoing government operations.

    The Congressional Budget Office estimates that if the debt limit remains unchanged, the government’s ability to borrow using extraordinary measures will probably be exhausted in August or September 2025. The projected exhaustion date is uncertain because the timing and amount of revenue collections and outlays over the intervening months could differ from CBO’s projections. If the government’s borrowing needs are significantly greater than CBO projects, the Treasury’s resources could be exhausted in late May or sometime in June, before tax payments due in mid-June are received or before additional extraordinary measures become available on June 30. Conversely, if borrowing needs fall short of the amounts in CBO’s projections, the extraordinary measures will permit the Treasury to continue financing government activities longer than expected.

    If the debt limit is not raised or suspended before the extraordinary measures are exhausted, the government will be unable to pay all of its obligations. As a result, it would have to delay making payments for some activities, default on its debt obligations, or both.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: NCDHHS Partners with Hazel Health to Provide Virtual Mental Health Services for K-12 Students in North Carolina

    Source: US State of North Carolina

    Headline: NCDHHS Partners with Hazel Health to Provide Virtual Mental Health Services for K-12 Students in North Carolina

    NCDHHS Partners with Hazel Health to Provide Virtual Mental Health Services for K-12 Students in North Carolina
    jwerner

    The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services today announced students across North Carolina will soon have access to high-quality, virtual mental health care through Hazel Health. This initiative, supported through an investment by UnitedHealthcare, is part of a broader effort announced last year to provide virtual school-centered mental health care for up to one million students across select states nationwide.

    Through this initiative, nearly 400,000 students – amounting to almost 30% of North Carolina’s K-12 student population – will have access to Hazel Health’s mental health services. Once Hazel is implemented, any student who is enrolled within participating districts will be able to access one of Hazel’s on-staff, licensed therapists before, during and after the school day. Hazel Health services will go live in late March 2025, beginning with Harnett County Schools and Durham Public Schools, with more districts to be added in the coming weeks.

    “Services like school-based telehealth are critical to improving access to mental health care because they meet children and families where they are with the care they need,” said NC Health and Human Services Secretary Dev Sangvai. “We look forward to partnering with our public schools and Hazel Health to further the department’s ongoing work to transform North Carolina’s mental health system and create better outcomes for children and families.”

    More than 1 in 3 high school students in North Carolina have reported feeling sad or hopeless, along with almost 1 in 3 middle school students.  While there are early signs signaling improvement, the numbers still paint a grim picture of the health and wellbeing of our nation’s youngest generation.

    “Many children in schools lack access to essential mental health services, with barriers ranging from provider shortages to cost,” said Kelly Crosbie, MSW, LCSW, Director of the NCDHHS Division of Mental Health, Developmental Disabilities, and Substance Use Services.  “Schools are an essential part of a child’s life, so expanding access to direct mental health care in school addresses the gap in care and can improve a child’s wellbeing, academic performance, social relationships and long-term development.” 

    “Mental health challenges—such as anxiety, depression, and trauma—can severely impact a child’s ability to learn, socialize, and thrive,” said Yvonne Copeland, Director of the NCDHHS Division of Child and Family Well-being. “Many students face barriers to accessing professional mental health support, including transportation issues, long wait times, stigma, and financial constraints. By bringing tele-behavioral health care services to schools, we can remove those barriers and address concerns earlier, setting children up for long-term success.”

    “School-based healthcare is essential to removing obstacles to care, such as transportation and time limitations, to allow for early identification and treatment of behavioral conditions for children of all ages,” said Anita Bachmann, CEO, UnitedHealthcare Community Plan of North Carolina. “We are honored to collaborate with NCDHHS and Hazel Health to ensure that students in select districts – including Harnett and Durham Public Schools – have access to critical mental health services to help them be successful in and out of the classroom.”

    “The cross-functional, public-private partnership in North Carolina shows a deep commitment to ensuring that all students have access to the mental health support they need,” said Andrew Post, President, Hazel Health. “When we prioritize student wellbeing and health now, we’re doing more than boosting their academic achievements – we’re building the groundwork for them to thrive throughout their entire lives.”

    Hazel Health, the nation’s largest provider of school-centered telehealth, serves over 5 million students in 18 states. A third-party study conducted by Clemson University found that 75% of students who participated in Hazel’s online therapy program experienced clinically significant reductions in depression and anxiety after an average of six sessions. Additionally, early research also indicates that Hazel’s therapy program can combat chronic absenteeism. One emerging data point: 68% of students who engaged with Hazel’s therapy program improved their attendance–and over 30% had zero absences!–since their referral to Hazel.
    To learn more, please visit hazel.co.

    About Hazel Health
    Hazel Health is the nation’s largest and most trusted provider of school-based telehealth. By partnering with districts and health plans across the country, Hazel transforms schools into the most accessible front door to pediatric healthcare. Today, Hazel’s licensed providers deliver teletherapy and virtual care (in school or at home) to over four million K-12 students, regardless of their ability to pay. Hazel aims to remove all barriers to the mental and physical health care that children need to thrive in school, at home, and in life. Learn more at hazel.co.

    About the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services
    NCDHHS manages the delivery of health and human services for all North Carolinians, especially our most vulnerable populations – children, people with disabilities, older adults, and low-income families. Our vision is to advance innovative solutions that foster independence, improve health and safety, and promote well-being in every community across the state. The department works closely with health care professionals, community leaders and advocacy groups; local, state and federal entities; and many other stakeholders to make this happen. Visit ncdhhs.gov.

    El Departamento de Salud y Servicios Humanos de Carolina del Norte anunció hoy que los estudiantes de Carolina del Norte pronto tendrán acceso a atención de salud mental virtual de alta calidad a través de Hazel Health. Esta iniciativa, respaldada a través de una inversión de UnitedHealthcare, es parte de un esfuerzo más amplio anunciado el año pasado para proporcionar atención de salud mental virtual centrada en la escuela para hasta un millón de estudiantes en determinados estados del país.

    A través de esta iniciativa, casi 400,000 estudiantes, que representan casi el 30% de la población estudiantil de grados K a 12 de Carolina del Norte, tendrán acceso a los servicios de salud mental de Hazel Health. Una vez que Hazel se haya implementado, cualquier estudiante que esté inscrito dentro de los distritos participantes podrá acceder a uno de los terapeutas con licencia en el personal de Hazel antes, durante y después del día escolar. Los servicios de Hazel Health comenzarán a funcionar a fines de marzo de 2025, comenzando con las Escuelas Públicas de los condados de Harnett y las escuelas públicas del condado de Durham, y se agregarán más distritos en las próximas semanas.

    “Los servicios como la telesalud escolar son fundamentales para mejorar el acceso a la atención de salud mental, ya que reúnen a los niños y las familias donde se encuentran con la atención que necesitan”, dijo Dev Sangvai, secretario de Salud y Servicios Humanos de Carolina del Norte. “Esperamos colaborar con nuestras escuelas públicas y Hazel Health para promover el trabajo continuo del departamento para transformar el sistema de salud mental de Carolina del Norte y crear mejores resultados para los niños y las familias”.

    Más de 1 de cada 3 estudiantes de secundaria en Carolina del Norte han informado sentirse tristes o desesperanzados, junto con casi 1 de cada 3 estudiantes de secundaria. Si bien hay señales tempranas que indican una mejora, los números aún pintan un panorama sombrío de la salud y el bienestar de la generación más joven de nuestra nación.

    “Muchos niños en las escuelas carecen el acceso a servicios esenciales de salud mental, con barreras que van desde la escasez de proveedores hasta el costo”, dijo Kelly Crosbie, MSW, LCSW, directora de la División de Salud Mental, Discapacidades del Desarrollo y Servicios de Uso de Sustancias de NCDHHS.  “Las escuelas son una parte esencial de la vida de un niño, por lo que ampliar el acceso a la atención directa de salud mental en la escuela aborda las carencias en la atención asistencial y puede mejorar el bienestar, el rendimiento académico, las relaciones sociales y el desarrollo a largo plazo de un niño”.

    “Los problemas de salud mental, como la ansiedad, la depresión y el trauma, pueden afectar gravemente la capacidad de un niño para aprender, socializar y prosperar”, dijo Yvonne Copeland, directora de la División de Bienestar Infantil y Familiar de NCDHHS. “Muchos estudiantes enfrentan barreras para acceder al apoyo profesional de salud mental, los problemas de transporte, largos tiempos de espera, estigma y limitaciones financieras. Al llevar los servicios de atención médica teleconductual a las escuelas, podemos eliminar esas barreras y abordar las preocupaciones antes, preparando a los niños para el éxito a largo plazo”.

    “La atención médica escolar es esencial para eliminar los obstáculos a la atención, como el transporte y las limitaciones de tiempo, para permitir la identificación temprana y el tratamiento de las condiciones de comportamiento de los niños de todas las edades”, dijo Anita Bachmann, CEO de UnitedHealthcare Community Plan of North Carolina. “Nos sentimos honrados de colaborar con NCDHHS y Hazel Health para garantizar que los alumnos de las escuelas en distritos seleccionados incluso las escuelas públicas de Harnett y Durham, tengan acceso a servicios críticos de salud mental para ayudarlos a tener éxito dentro y fuera del aula”.

    “La asociación multifuncional público-privada en Carolina del Norte muestra un profundo compromiso para garantizar que todos los estudiantes tengan acceso al apoyo de salud mental que necesitan”, dijo Andrew Post, presidente de Hazel Health. “Cuando priorizamos el bienestar y la salud de los estudiantes ahora, estamos haciendo más que aumentar sus logros académicos: estamos sentando las bases para que prosperen durante toda su vida”.

    Hazel Health, el mayor proveedor nacional de telesalud centrada en la escuela, atiende a más de 5 millones de estudiantes en 18 estados. Un estudio de terceros realizado por la Universidad de Clemson encontró que el 75% de los estudiantes que participaron en el programa de terapia en línea de Hazel experimentaron reducciones clínicamente significativas en la depresión y la ansiedad después de un promedio de seis sesiones. Además, las primeras investigaciones también indican que el programa de terapia de Hazel puede combatir el ausentismo crónico. Un dato emergente: el 68% de los alumnos que participaron en el programa de terapia de Hazel mejoraron su asistencia, ¡y más del 30% tuvieron cero ausencias!, desde su remisión a Hazel.
    Para obtener más información, visite hazel.co.

    Acerca de Hazel Health
    Hazel Health es el proveedor de telesalud escolar más grande y de mayor confianza del país. Al asociarse con distritos y planes de salud en todo el país, Hazel transforma las escuelas en la puerta de entrada más accesible a la atención médica pediátrica. Hoy en día, los proveedores con licencia de Hazel brindan teleterapia y atención virtual (en la escuela o en el hogar) a más de cuatro millones de estudiantes de grados K a 12, independientemente de su capacidad de pago. Hazel tiene como objetivo eliminar todas las barreras a la atención de salud mental y física que los niños necesitan para prosperar en la escuela, en el hogar y en la vida. Más información en hazel.co.

    Acerca del Departamento de Salud Y Servicios Humanos de Carolina del Norte
    NCDHHS gestiona la prestación de servicios de salud y humanos para todos los habitantes de Carolina del Norte, especialmente nuestras poblaciones más vulnerables: niños, personas con discapacidades, adultos mayores y familias de bajos ingresos. Nuestra visión es avanzar en soluciones innovadoras que fomenten la independencia, mejoren la salud y la seguridad, y promuevan el bienestar en todas las comunidades del estado. El departamento trabaja en estrecha colaboración con profesionales de la salud, líderes comunitarios y grupos de abogacía; entidades locales, estatales y federales; y muchas otras partes interesadas para que esto suceda. Visite ncdhhs.gov.

    Mar 26, 2025

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Frankfort Company Pays More Than $3.8 Million to Resolve Improper Paycheck Protection Program Loan

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    FRANKFORT, Ky. – A Frankfort-based steel wheel manufacturer, Topy America, Inc., agreed to pay the United States $3,840,188.19 to resolve allegations that it improperly obtained a Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loan from the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) for which it was not eligible.

    Congress created the PPP in March 2020 to provide emergency financial assistance to small American businesses struggling to pay employees and other expenses during the COVID-19 pandemic. Under the PPP, eligible small businesses could receive forgivable loans guaranteed by the SBA. When applying for PPP loans, borrowers were required to certify that they were eligible for the requested loans and that the information they provided was true and accurate. Regulations provided various eligibility requirements for the PPP, including limitations on the number of employees.

    The settlement resolves allegations that Topy America falsely certified it was eligible to apply for and receive forgiveness of a second-draw PPP loan.  In January 2021, Topy America applied for a second-draw PPP loan for $2,000,000, representing that it had fewer than 300 employees. The government contends that, together with its foreign affiliates, Topy America had more than 300 employees and was therefore ineligible for that loan. Based on its false certification, Topy America received the loan and ultimately received forgiveness of the loan. Topy America cooperated with the United States’ investigation and agreed to compensate the United States for its error.

    “Our office is committed to holding accountable businesses and individuals who improperly obtained COVID-19 relief funds,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Paul McCaffrey. “Topy America quickly and responsibly addressed the concerns raised by the United States, and we expect that other PPP recipients who did not follow the applicable rules will do the same.”

    The Government’s work in this investigation illustrates its commitment to combatting COVID-19 fraud. The United States encourages anyone with information about potential fraud involving COVID-19 to report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline at 866-720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at: https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form. PPP recipients also may voluntarily disclose self-discovered evidence of fraud involving the PPP to U.S. Attorney’s Offices.

    The settlement resolves lawsuits brought by private citizens under the qui tam provisions of the False Claims Act.  Under those provisions, a private party can file a civil action on behalf of the United States, thereby bringing allegations of fraud to the Government’s attention, and share in any financial recovery.  As part of this resolution, the individuals who filed the qui tam complaints are eligible to receive a portion of the settlement proceeds.  The civil cases are captioned United States ex rel. GNGH2 Inc. v. Topy America, Inc., Case No. 3:24-cv-0003-GFVT and United States ex rel. Blockquote, Inc. v. Topy America, Inc., Case No. 3:24-cv-0028.

    This matter was handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Meghan Stubblebine, with assistance from the SBA’s Office of General Counsel. The claims resolved by the settlement are allegations only; there has been no determination of liability.

    – END –

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Medicare Advantage Provider Seoul Medical Group and Related Parties to Pay Over $62M to Settle False Claims Act Suit

    Source: United States Attorneys General 1

    Seoul Medical Group Inc. and its subsidiary Advanced Medical Management Inc., headquartered in California, have agreed to pay $58,740,000 and their former president and majority owner, Dr. Min Young Cha, has agreed to pay $1,760,000 for allegedly violating the False Claims Act by causing the submission of false diagnosis codes for two spinal conditions to increase payments from the Medicare Advantage program. Renaissance Imaging Medical Associates Inc., a California-based radiology group that worked with Seoul Medical, has also agreed to pay $2,350,000, for allegedly conspiring with Seoul Medical Group in connection with the false diagnoses for the two spinal conditions.

    Under Medicare Advantage, also known as the Medicare Part C program, Medicare beneficiaries have the option of enrolling in managed care insurance plans called Medicare Advantage Plans (MA Plans) and the MA Plans contract with healthcare providers, such as Seoul Medical Group, to provide the Medicare-covered benefits. MA Plans are paid a per-person amount to provide the care to their enrollees and, in turn, the MA Plans pay the providers. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), which oversees the Medicare program, adjusts the payments to MA Plans based on demographic information and the health diagnoses of each plan beneficiary. The adjustments are commonly referred to as “risk scores.” In general, a beneficiary with diagnoses that are more expensive to treat will have a higher risk score, and CMS will make a larger risk-adjusted payment to the MA Plan for that beneficiary.

    Seoul Medical Group is a healthcare provider that started in 1993 in Los Angeles and has since expanded into at least six states and has employed at times 150 primary care providers and 1,000 specialists. Dr. Min Young Cha started Seoul Medical Group and until 2023 was president and majority owner.

    Allegedly, from 2015 to 2021, Seoul Medical Group and Dr. Cha submitted diagnoses for two severe spinal conditions, spinal enthesopathy and sacroiliitis, for patients who did not suffer from either of these conditions. When Seoul Medical Group was questioned by an MA Plan about its use of spinal enthesopathy, Seoul Medical Group enlisted the assistance of Renaissance Imaging Medical Associates to create radiology reports that appeared to support the spinal enthesopathy diagnosis. Both diagnoses resulted in an increase in payment from CMS to the MA Plan, and the MA Plan then passed along a portion of the increased payment to Seoul Medical Group.

    “Medicare Advantage is a vital program for our seniors and the government expects healthcare providers who participate in the program to provide truthful and accurate information,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Yaakov M. Roth of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “Today’s result sends a clear message to the Medicare Advantage community that the United States will zealously pursue appropriate action against those who knowingly submit false claims for taxpayer funds.”

    “My office is committed to ensuring that healthcare providers are held accountable for unlawful misrepresentations to Medicare and other healthcare programs,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Joseph T. McNally for the Central District of California. “As this settlement makes clear, we will diligently pursue those who defraud government programs.”

    “Providers who game the Medicare program to increase profit undermine the foundation of care and diminish patient trust in the nation’s public health care system,” said Deputy Inspector General for Investigations Christian J. Schrank of the Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG). “HHS-OIG will continue to collaborate with our law enforcement partners and rigorously probe false claims to the fullest extent possible.”

    The civil settlement resolves claims brought under the qui tam or whistleblower provisions of the False Claims Act by Paul Pew, the former Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of Advanced Medical Management. Under those provisions, a private party can file an action on behalf of the United States and receive a portion of any recovery.  The qui tam case is captioned U.S. ex rel. Pew v. Seoul Medical Group, Inc., et al., No. 2:20-cv-05156 (C.D. Cal.). The relator’s share of the settlement has not yet been determined.

    The resolution obtained in this matter was the result of a coordinated effort between the Justice Department’s Civil Division, Commercial Litigation Branch, Fraud Section, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Central District of California, with assistance from the Department of HHS-OIG.

    The investigation and resolution of this matter illustrates the government’s emphasis on combating healthcare fraud. One of the most powerful tools in this effort is the False Claims Act. Tips and complaints from all sources about potential fraud, waste, abuse, and mismanagement, can be reported to the Department of Health and Human Services at 800-HHS-TIPS (800-447-8477).

    The matter was investigated by Fraud Section Attorneys J. Jennifer Koh and Robbin O. Lee and Assistant U.S. Attorney Karen Paik for the Central District of California.

    The claims resolved by the settlement are allegations only and there has been no determination of liability.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI: No. 10/2025 – Course of the annual general meeting

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    Nasdaq Copenhagen                                                                                   
    Nikolaj Plads 6
    DK-1067 Copenhagen K   

    Copenhagen, 26 March 2025
    ANNOUNCEMENT no.10/2025

    CEMAT A/S
    Company reg. (CVR) no. 24 93 28 18
    Annual general meeting 2025

    On 26 March 2025 at 1:00 pm the annual general meeting was held in Cemat A/S (the “Company”) at DLA Piper Denmark, Oslo Plads 2, 2100 Copenhagen Ø.

    Pursuant to the Company’s articles of association, the Board of Directors had appointed attorney-at-law Martin Lavesen as chairman of the meeting.

    1. The management’s report on the Company’s activities during the past financial year

    The management’s report for the financial year 2024 was presented by management.

    The annual general meeting took note of the management’s report for the financial year 2024.

    1. Presentation of the audited annual report for adoption

    The annual general report was presented.

    The general meeting approved the annual report for 2024.

    1. The Board of Directors’ proposal for appropriation of profit or covering of loss according to the adopted annual report

    The Board of Director’s proposal for appropriation of profit as stated in the annual report was approved by the general meeting, with the result being carried forward to the next year, and it was decided not to distribute dividends.

    1. Presentation of and indicative vote on remuneration report

    The remuneration report was presented.

    The general meeting approved the remuneration by an indicative vote.

    1. Approval of the remuneration of the Board of Directors’ fees for the current financial year

    The Board of Directors’ proposal regarding directors’ fees for the current financial year 2025 was adopted by the general meeting. The members of the Board of Directors will receive the basic fee of DKK 220,000 for the financial year 2025.

    In accordance with the remuneration report the chairman of the Board of Directors will receive the basic fee multiplied by a factor of 2.5, and the vice-chairman will receive the basic fee multiplied by a factor of 1.75.

    1. Election of members to the Board of Directors

    The Board of Directors proposed re-election of Frede Clausen, Eivind Dam Jensen, Joanna Iwanowska-Nielsen and Brian Winther Almind to the Board of Directors.

    The candidates were re-elected by the general meeting.

    At a subsequent constituent board meeting, the Board of Directors appointed Frede Clausen as Chairman of the board and Eivind Dam Jensen as Deputy Chairman of the board.

    1. Appointment of auditor

    The Board of Directors proposed re-election of BDO Statsautoriseret Revisionsaktieselskab, CVR-nr. 20222670, as auditors of the Company.

    BDO Statsautoriseret Revisionsaktieselskab was re-elected by the general meeting.

    1. Proposals from the Board of Directors or shareholders

    No items on the agenda.

    1. Any other business

    No items discussed.

    The annual general meeting was adjourned at 2:03 pm.

    Any questions concerning this announcement may be directed to info@cemat.dk.

    Cemat A/S

    Frede Clausen
    Chairman of the Board of Directors

    This announcement has been issued in Danish and English. In case of any inconsistencies, the Danish version will prevail.

    Attachment

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Blaming absent dads for the crisis of masculinity is too simplistic – many men want to be more involved

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Anna Tarrant, Professor of Sociology, University of Lincoln

    imtmphoto/Shutterstock

    Fatherlessness and a lack of male role models are often cited as causes of an apparent crisis of masculinity among boys. This is not new. These arguments have been made for nearly half a century, both in the UK and the US, as the root of a multitude of social issues.

    These are key ideas in the Lost Boys report from thinktank the Centre for Social Justice, cited recently by Gareth Southgate in his Richard Dimbleby lecture on the issues facing boys. In this report, concerns about fatherlessness and a lack of male role models for boys in their homes and schools loom large as part of an explanation about why boys today are “lost” and struggling.

    I am a researcher who works with boys and fathers, especially with those in low-income communities. I have long feared that these explanations fall short. In the report, boys are presented as passive victims of inequalities. Men, as fathers and educators, are considered to be to blame when they are deemed absent, or seen as a way to solve the societal ills that influence and shape the nation’s boys.

    But simply asking fathers to step up and do better isn’t enough. In my research with men as caregivers, including young fathers aged 25 and under, I’ve found they want to be involved in their children’s lives but face numerous challenges that can make this more difficult.

    Whether struggling to secure qualifications and find employment or family-suitable housing that is near to or safe for their children, they come up against serious barriers to support with their parenting.

    The UK remains woefully ill-equipped to support fathers to be involved and present in the lives of their children. Not only do we have among the worst parental leave offers in Europe, but family and public health services do not routinely engage with fathers as effectively as they should.

    Diverse family life

    Lost Boys also presents a bleak picture of family life in Britain. It highlights what is referred to, rather sensationally, as an epidemic of family breakdown.

    The report notes there are “just shy of half of young Britons growing up with only one biological parent … with close to nine out of ten of these being single mothers”. If absent fathers are the problem, then this concern over fatherlessness also presents single mothers bringing up boys as lacking.



    Read more:
    Having a single parent doesn’t determine your life chances – the data shows poverty is far more important

    Further, in the emphasis on the absence of biological fathers from households, it is assumed that the diverse ways we now live family life are also a problem. This obscures the very meaningful family connections that are forged through co-habiting, step-parenting, single-sex parenting and other forms of care – which men also engage in.

    Including fathers

    Working-class communities often bear the brunt of concerns about a gender crisis. Men in these communities, through labels like feckless and absent dads, are portrayed as failing fathers. This often happens despite limited engagement with them to understand their experiences.

    Fathers may face barriers, such as access to nearby work and housing, that prevent them from spending as much time with their children as they want.
    Alex Linch/Shutterstock

    My research with boys and fathers over the last decade has shown there are greater benefits when fathers are directly involved in addressing the systemic challenges shaping their parenting experiences. We have therefore involved fathers in creating dads’ groups and online parenting support, where they challenge negative views and advocate for progressive societal support for boys and men.

    Shifting away from the concept of “fatherless families”, this work promotes the idea of creating societies that are father-inclusive and better at supporting men as fathers. This might be by advocating for increased time to bond with their children through well-funded and affordable parental leave, or through more effective public health and community-based support for fathers through pregnancy and parenthood.

    Focusing on including fathers means we can explore ways that societies can better support men to be involved in caregiving – and role modelling.

    To do this requires collective and collaborative efforts. Building partnerships and fostering dialogues across diverse sectors including education, health, social services, local government and charities – as well as with parents and communities – we are better able to respond to the complexities of the issues boys and men navigate. My work demonstrates the value of developing systemic solutions that are rooted in lived experience and professional insight.

    The issues boys and men navigate are diverse, messy and reflective of the complex machinery of our social world. They’re linked to socioeconomic inequalities, geography and social history.

    Meaningfully addressing the problems boys and young men encounter that play out in our homes, schools and online means broadening the scope of change beyond individuals and families. It means creating the social conditions for happier, healthier journeys into and through adulthood and fatherhood.

    Anna Tarrant receives funding from UK Research & Innovation.

    – ref. Blaming absent dads for the crisis of masculinity is too simplistic – many men want to be more involved – https://theconversation.com/blaming-absent-dads-for-the-crisis-of-masculinity-is-too-simplistic-many-men-want-to-be-more-involved-252408

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Snow White: this opportunity to empower Disney’s first princess falls short at every turn

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Laura O’Flanagan, PhD Candidate, School of English, Dublin City University

    Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs was a wonder of animation and cinema when it was first released by Disney in 1937. Based on the 1812 German fairy tale by the Brothers Grimm, it tells the story of a princess whose wicked step mother is intimidated by her youthful beauty. Desperate to be the “fairest of them all” the evil queen tries to have Snow White killed. Evading death, she is forced into hiding with seven dwarves.

    It was Disney’s first animated feature-length film and a critical and commercial success. Snow White was also the first Disney princess.

    In the decades since, Disney’s pantheon of princesses has grown. Alongside newer princess, Snow White seems pretty antiquated and uninspiring. She is a passive, innocent character who doesn’t do very much but wait around for her prince with whom she travels into the sunset at the film’s conclusion. In contrast, Moana (2016) and Elsa from Frozen (2013) are strong and independent characters who develop into thoughtful and careful leaders by the end of their stories.

    So, in an age of live-action remakes of some of Disney’s most iconic films it seemed fitting to give the character who started it all an update for modern audiences. However, the production was mired in controversy before it was even released, raising questions about whether Snow White is a story that can ever really be retold in a more empowering way.

    Looking for something good? Cut through the noise with a carefully curated selection of the latest releases, live events and exhibitions, straight to your inbox every fortnight, on Fridays. Sign up here.

    Changing the story to move with the times is in keeping with traditions of oral folk tales. But, controversy has followed the film since it was announced. As a result, Disney scaled back their usual red carpet premieres and it has been critically panned upon release.

    To many, the prospect of an updated, less romantically inclined Snow White was unthinkable. Some online commenters dubbed a Snow White story where the princess is not dreaming of true love “woke”.

    There was also backlash against the choice of Rachel Zegler as Snow White because of her Colombian background. The live-action Snow White isn’t the first remake to be the source of such racism. The ire echoes the hatred which accompanied 2023’s The Little Mermaid, when black actress Halle Bailey was cast as Ariel.

    There were also those who had concerns about the story, particularly the titular seven dwarves. Actor Peter Dinklage, who has a form of dwarfism, has condemned the production’s use of CGI, rather than casting dwarf actors to play Snow White’s mining companions. The story’s representation of people with dwarfism, has led some to say that the story shouldn’t be retold altogether.



    Read more:
    Why the changing representation of dwarfism in Disney’s live action Snow White remake is so important

    However, there are some aspects of the story that could have provided interesting opportunities to explore modern issues.

    For instance, it could have thoughtfully explored female ageing through the character of the evil queen. It could also, perhaps, have commented on the politics of beauty and the pressure for consumers in their teens and twenties, who have started buying beauty products at younger ages than ever before.

    Like Frozen’s tale of sisters saving each other, it could have subverted the trope of the damsel in distress saved by her prince charming. Snow White could have been a strong heroine who can overcome evil on her own terms.

    The story could have revised mistakes of the past and depicted different body types and people of different sizes and statures. It could also have portrayed consensual kisses by updating the kiss Snow White receives while asleep, turning it into a moment she chooses to participate in.

    Unfortunately, the new Snow White does not achieve any of these, or really anything much at all. The result is a dull, pointless story with poorly rendered visuals, cheap-looking costumes and lacklustre musical numbers.

    Falling short

    The 1937 film was a technical marvel and remains one of Disney’s visual masterpieces. Snow White of 2025 looks like she is gallivanting through a theme park ride as she moves through the forest, bathed in permanent evening light among computer-generated woodland creatures in her garish costume.

    The miners are introduced as 274-year-old magical creatures. Their appearance is neither human nor magical creature, landing somewhere uncanny in between. This is the crux of the film’s entire problem. The opportunity to update Snow White fails on every level because it does not go far enough.

    The story largely remains intact, with some expansion in terms of backstory and some additional characters. The evil queen remains a one-dimensional villain obsessed with beauty.

    The script plays with the word “fair”, with it taking on a confused double-meaning in the story. To the queen “fair” is beautiful, in keeping with the 1937 film, but to Snow White, “fair” means just. This is an interesting idea but it becomes muddled as the film progresses, and loses its way.

    Snow White is portrayed with an expanded backstory and is certainly given more motivation than in the 1937 film. For instance, she wants to reinstate “fairness” in the kingdom, which has been under the tyrannical rule of the evil queen since Snow White’s father’s death. But as more characters are introduced to aid Snow White on her journey, these serve as distraction and buffer, preventing her from showing any real development or growth.

    Prince Charming has been replaced by Jonathan, a Robin Hood-style bandit who condescendingly explains to Snow White why she has “princess problems”. He ultimately saves her by giving her true love’s kiss when she is under the queen’s spell. The issue of consent still swirls around this scene and underscores the question: is this an update at all?

    In the end, the queen is ultimately defeated by collective action, compared with a lightning bolt like in 1937. This is a significant development and perhaps the clearest update in the film. In 2025, the defeat of a vain autocrat by collective action is an appealing thought. Perhaps the filmmakers could have leaned into this idea, allowed Snow White to truly become one of the people and a clear democracy could have been established. But, like every other of the film’s updates, it falls short and she remains an unelected autocrat – albeit “the fairest one of all”.

    Laura O’Flanagan 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. Snow White: this opportunity to empower Disney’s first princess falls short at every turn – https://theconversation.com/snow-white-this-opportunity-to-empower-disneys-first-princess-falls-short-at-every-turn-253064

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Signal chat group affair: unprecedented security breach will seriously damage US international relations – expert view

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Robert Dover, Professor of Intelligence and National Security & Dean of Faculty, University of Hull

    Plans for an attack against an enemy target are classified in America. But the private views of high-ranking officials about allies, communicated within government, must also count as intelligence to be protected.

    The recent communication of this category of information over the Signal messaging app has been dismissed by the US president, Donald Trump as a mere “glitch”. It is definitely that. But it also raises the prospect that in his first two months of office, key parts of the administration might have inadvertently been leaving sensitive information vulnerable to enemy interception. That would be one of the most serious intelligence breaches in modern history.

    National security advisor, Mike Waltz, has subsequently “taken responsibility” for the episode – but, so far at least, remains in post. Instead, the administration has decided to launch bitter ad hominem attacks against the journalist that revealed this breach of security, the editor-in-chief of The Atlantic, Jeffrey Goldberg.

    Storied national security reporter: The Atlantic’s editor-in-chief Jeffrey Goldberg.
    US Secretary of Defense

    Trump called Goldberg a “total sleazebag”, defense secretary Pete Hegseth referred to him as “deceitful and highly discredited”. Walz called him “the bottom scum of journalists”.

    The recent chat group reported exchange involved the adminstration’s most senior national security officials: Waltz, Hegseth, Vice-President J.D. Vance, secretary of state Marco Rubio and director of national intelligence Tulsi Gabbard, among others.

    As we know now, it also, accidentally, included Goldberg, himself a storied national security reporter before he took up the editorship of the Atlantic. It’s a national security blunder almost without parallel.

    Interestingly, some of the people on this chat were among those who savaged Hilary Clinton’s use of a personal email address during her time as secretary of state. This was controversial, but did not meet the standard for prosecution. Most of her work-related emails were archived into federal records by their recipients on government email. It was poor practice, and regulations were significantly tightened after.

    If an inquiry is set up about this most recent incident, it will be interesting to see whether these messages are treated as federal records. This would be signficant because the messages would need to be handed over to officials to classify and archive as part of the public record. That would certainly clear up whether this was indeed a “glitch” or whether classified information was indeed shared – something the administration still denies.

    Sign up to receive our weekly World Affairs Briefing newsletter from The Conversation UK. Every Thursday we’ll bring you expert analysis of the big stories in international relations.

    For such an elevated group of US government officials to use a consumer messaging app to talk business invites an easy win for enemy intelligence agencies. America’s key intelligence competitors invest billions of dollars in techniques and technologies to break the toughest encryption. For phone-based communications, we know that apps such as NSO Group’s Pegasus can be used to bypass the encryption on phones.

    The Guardian newspaper’s investigative work has highlighted how journalists and activists were targeted by countries using this technology and the interception capability of capable intelligence nations is far stronger. So the standard security induction to officials would cover communications, devices and protocols.

    It is not clear whether the protocols cover the use of emojis. Waltz’s use of a fist, fire and flag emoji is certainly unusual in diplomatic cables that have been aired publicly.

    Even worse, the communication between these officials was prior to a deployment of US military assets against an enemy target, the Houthi rebels in Yemen. This potentially placed the success of the operation and those assets at risk.

    That the Yemenis did not move assets that had been targeted does not conclusively prove that the communications remained safe. It has long been a practice to pick and choose when to risk revealing that communications are being intercepted.

    Zero accountability

    An ordinary intelligence officer who communicated about highly sensitive and classified deployments through a platform with security that is not accredited or controlled by the intelligence community, would certainly face disciplinary action. An officer who accidentally invited a journalist into this chat would be likely to face even stiffer sanctions. Trump seems to have rallied around his officials, however.

    The US has recent form in vigorously pursuing journalists who publish classified materials. The Edward Snowden leaks caused considerable damage to transatlantic intelligence and Snowden was forced to take up residence in Moscow to avoid prosecution.

    The newspapers who published his papers were subject to strong action from the governments in their countries. The publication of Chelsea Manning’s leaked cables – known as Cablegate – by Julian Assange and Wikileaks resulted in a lengthy process to try and prosecute Assange (Manning herself was prosecuted and was sentenced to 35 years in jail, serving seven).

    But instead, Trump has chosen to spearhead a backlash against The Atlantic – the “messenger”. It fits in with Trump’s antipathy towards the mainstream media and his strong preference for some social media outlets. It might also signal a more serious turn towards intolerance to investigative journalism.

    Diplomatic disaster

    What the Signal messages also reveal is a contempt for European allies among Trump’s most senior people. That will be difficult to repair. Describing allies who have lost thousands of soldiers supporting American foreign policy aims as “pathetic” and “freeloaders” will make it very difficult for those governments to underplay the significance of the comments.

    What we have seen in the Signal messages might herald a new era of diplomacy and policy making, by officials who are not afraid to break established patterns. What we can definitely say is that it is radically different to the diplomacy the rest of the west is used to, and it will be nearly impossible to unsee.

    The western allies will be accelerating their plans to be less dependent on the US – and this will be to America’s detriment.

    Robert Dover 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. Signal chat group affair: unprecedented security breach will seriously damage US international relations – expert view – https://theconversation.com/signal-chat-group-affair-unprecedented-security-breach-will-seriously-damage-us-international-relations-expert-view-253090

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Canada: Summer-long entertainment on the Plains:  Over 20 free shows at the Edwin-Bélanger Bandstand 

    Source: Government of Canada News

    Quebec City, Tuesday, March 25, 2025 – The National Battlefields Commission (NBC) has unveiled its program for the Edwin-Bélanger Bandstand (EBB), which runs from June 19 to August 23, 2025. This outdoor stage, in the heart of the Plains of Abraham, will host over 20 performances of music and family entertainment against an enchanting backdrop. The shows will be on Thursdays and Saturdays, and they’ll be free!

    Thursday and Saturday nights from June 19 to August 23

    Every Thursday and Saturday night (except during the Festival d’été de Québec), the EBB will host shows starting at 7 or 8 p.m. The stage will come alive with a variety of beats, from country music to rock with plenty in-between: pop, Québécois, jazz, folk, and fusions of Western music with traditional Indigenous music. There will be something for every taste!

    Your heart and soul will be touched by a surprising array of artists: LOVEU2, Tennessee Whisky, Chico Band, Christian Marc Gendron & Manon Séguin, Andréanne A. Malette, Sabor 19, Duo Phoenix, Guylaine Tanguay, Yvan Pedneault, Génération Crooners, LBA Band, Coco Country Band, New World Men, Mike DeWay, Kawandak, Gabrielle Destroismaisons, and the Patrick Norman and Nathalie Lord duo.

    Four morning shows for families

    The Plains of Abraham and the EBB are known for their efforts to cater to all audiences, particularly families. Four shows will be performed Saturday mornings on July 19 and 26 and August 9 and 16, starting at 11 a.m. Kids will be delighted by Marimba and her thunderous djembe drum, the Gentle Giant’s barrel organ, Arthur the Adventurer, and Mr. Ben’s intern. To savour each moment to its fullest, some parents will be tempted to get a coffee and croissant at the Maison Smith Café, just a stone’s throw from the EBB.

    Extended business hours of the Maison Smith Café at the central pavilion

    The Maison Smith Café has been on the Plains of Abraham for nearly a year, during which its selection of beverages and food has further enhanced the EBB spectator experience. An aperitif on the central pavilion terrace, a picnic on the Plains with a lunchbox or a satisfying coffee in your hand—everything will be available for a heartwarming summer! This Maison Smith Café branch will be open for extended business hours during the shows.

    About the National Battlefields Commission 

    The Battlefields Park is Canada’s leading national historic park and notably includes the Plains of Abraham and Des Braves Park. The National Battlefields Commission, an agency of the Canadian government, has striven since 1908 to preserve and develop this site that brings so many people together. All year long, it offers a variety of activities for those who wish to explore the park and its history. www.plainsofabraham.ca.

    -30-

    MIL OSI Canada News –

  • MIL-OSI China: Eyeing free trade port milestone, China pushes toward higher-level opening up

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

    BOAO, Hainan, March 26 — As the world economy faces mounting uncertainty and rising protectionism, China is reaffirming its commitment to openness, with the Hainan Free Trade Port (FTP) emerging as an important gateway driving the country’s opening up in the new era.

    At the Boao Forum for Asia (BFA) annual conference, officials and experts underscored the significance of the Hainan FTP, as preparations accelerate for its independent customs operations, scheduled to begin by the end of 2025.

    “Following the launch of independent customs operations, the Hainan FTP is expected to further improve the free and convenient flow of trade and investment with the rest of the world, while forging even closer ties with China’s vast domestic market,” said Liu Xiaoming, governor of south China’s island province of Hainan.

    Local officials told Xinhua that preparations for the independent customs operations, a milestone in the construction of the Hainan FTP, have entered a critical sprint stage. All 31 checkpoint facility projects required for the operations have been completed, laying a solid foundation for the efficient movement of goods, people, and other key factors.

    Hainan is China’s first province to transform an entire island, spanning 34,000 square kilometers, into a free trade port that serves as a testbed for the unrestricted flow of goods, services, capital and data.

    “The mission of a free trade zone or port is to break down barriers, not to build high walls, and to create opportunities, not to monopolize the benefits,” Liu said, adding that Hainan is willing to cooperate with other global FTPs in areas such as logistics, industries and green development.

    Hainan FTP is also a frontier for the innovation of regulations and mechanisms, according to Zhou Xiaochuan, vice chairman of the BFA.

    As a key platform, the FTP can offer opportunities for countries worldwide, particularly those in Asia, to explore China’s vast market — home to over 1.4 billion people.

    “I think the FTP has great possibility to help international businesses get attracted to China and expand not only to serve China but also the rest of the world,” said Carl F. Fey, professor of strategy at BI Norwegian Business School.

    By the end of 2024, Hainan was home to 9,979 foreign-invested enterprises, 77.3 percent of which were established after June 2020, when China released its master plan for the Hainan FTP. The number of countries and regions investing in the province has grown from 43 in 2018 to 174 today.

    BFA Chairman and former UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon called China’s decision to build the Hainan FTP “a courageous move that takes vision and leadership.”

    Highlighting the significance of Hainan alongside other global FTPs from Dubai, Singapore and Hong Kong, Ban added that such models demonstrate what trade and openness can deliver for growth, well-being, and sustainability at a time when globalization faces headwinds.

    The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development recently revised its global GDP forecast downward, from 3.3 percent to 3.1 percent for 2025 and 3 percent for 2026, citing higher trade barriers in several G20 economies and increased geopolitical and policy uncertainty weighing on investment and household spending.

    Participants at the forum hailed the Hainan FTP as a prime example of China’s higher-level opening up.

    Since 1978, China’s commitment to reform and opening up has transformed it from an impoverished nation into a market-oriented economic powerhouse, driving high-quality development and creating opportunities shared with the rest of the world.

    “Regardless of changes in the external environment, we should remain steadfast in our commitment to opening up,” said the Chinese government work report released early this month. “We should steadily expand institutional opening up and take the initiative to open wider and advance unilateral opening up in a well-ordered way, to promote reform and development through greater openness.”

    In late 2024, China granted zero tariff treatment to 100 percent of tax lines from all the least developed countries that have established diplomatic relations with China.

    Since last year, the country has introduced measures to expand opening up in sectors such as value-added telecommunications and healthcare, completely removed foreign investment access restrictions in manufacturing, and reduced nationwide foreign investment access restrictions from 31 to 29 items.

    “We will ensure national treatment for foreign-funded enterprises in fields such as access to production factors, license application, standards setting, and government procurement,” the government work report said.

    Thanks to these efforts, nearly 90 percent of surveyed respondents expressed that they were “very satisfied” or “relatively satisfied” with the business environment in China in 2024, an increase of 2.1 percentage points compared to 2023, according to a report released by the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade.

    China’s opening up at a high level, undoubtedly, is of great significance and will bring new opportunities for Asia and the world at large, Ban said.

    China’s GDP grew by 5 percent year on year in 2024, ranking among the world’s fastest-growing major economies and continuing to contribute about 30 percent to global economic growth.

    Looking ahead, Zhou Xiaochuan expressed confidence that as the Chinese government accelerates the rollout of core policies for the Hainan FTP, the province will play an increasingly vital role in a changing world, strengthening Asia’s ties and supporting broader global cooperation.

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: UK is absolutely committed to securing a just and lasting peace in Ukraine: UK Statement to the OSCE

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    Speech

    UK is absolutely committed to securing a just and lasting peace in Ukraine: UK Statement to the OSCE

    Politico-Military Counsellor, Ankur Narayan, commends Ukraine as the party of peace for proposing a full, immediate and unconditional ceasefire – and urges Russia to agree to this without further delay.

    Thank you, Mr Chair. Our Helsinki Final Act commitments include sovereignty, territorial integrity and the non-violability of borders. As per the first line of the Helsinki Final Act, these principles are designed to protect “true and lasting peace” in our region. This is why we remain unwavering in our support for Ukraine defending its territorial integrity, its right to exist, its sovereignty, and its independence.  

    We welcome the progress President Trump has made towards a ceasefire in Ukraine and in negotiations with Russia and Ukraine. We are in close contact with US and Ukraine following the conclusion of talks in Riyadh yesterday. President Zelenskyy has already shown Ukraine is the party of peace by proposing a full, immediate and unconditional ceasefire.  We hope that President Putin will agree to this without further delay.  

    Any lasting peace must ensure Ukraine’s sovereignty and security – in line with the Helsinki Final Act and the UN Charter. With robust security arrangements to ensure Russia is never able to invade again. The UK will play its full part – and is already taking a leading role, alongside France, to build a coalition of the willing to support Ukraine’s future security.  

    Over the last week, Russia has continued to launch brutal attacks that cause daily suffering for innocent Ukrainians. The drone strike on Kyiv on March 23rd exemplifies another horrific assault, tragically killing a 5-year-old girl and severely injuring ten others. A Russian missile strike on Sumy in northeastern Ukraine injured 88 people, including 17 children. In Donetsk, Russian shelling over the past three days across the eastern Oblast province has resulted in the deaths of seven civilians. We must emphasise the need for accountability for these actions and renew our commitment to collaborating towards achieving enduring peace. 

    Mr Chair, we are absolutely committed to securing a just and lasting peace in Ukraine and are engaging with key allies in support of this effort. A just and lasting peace is vital for Ukraine and for wider Euro-Atlantic and international security and prosperity.

    Updates to this page

    Published 26 March 2025

    Invasion of Ukraine

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Politicians’ attacks on immigrants lack solid evidence: New data set the record straight

    Source: The Conversation – Canada – By Edward Koning, Associate professor, University of Guelph

    Immigration dominated recent election campaigns in countries that include the United Kingdom, France, Germany and the United States.

    The subject sparked particularly fierce debates over welfare. While some politicians called for more support for typically economically vulnerable immigrant populations, others argued that welfare systems are already too generous and accommodating to newcomers.

    Unfortunately, many debates on this subject lack solid evidence. A newly launched data set could change that. The data, which provides systematic information on immigrants’ access to social programs across different countries and different time periods, can help ground some of these discussions in empirical reality.

    The data set reveals key insights. One striking observation is that the countries where politicians most frequently complain that immigrants are treated too generously are among the most exclusionary from a comparative perspective.

    It also shows that although most welfare systems were moving towards greater inclusion up until the 2010s, since then social programs in many countries have become more inclusive in some respects but more exclusive in others.

    A new data set for 22 countries

    The data set, called the Immigrant Exclusion from Social Programs Index (IESPI), measures how much immigrants’ access to pensions, health care, unemployment benefits, housing benefits, social assistance and active labour market programs compares to that of native-born citizens.

    The index uses 32 indicators to measure factors like whether immigrants have to have resided in the country for a certain period of time, held a specific type of residence status, or met standards of successful integration before they can access social programs.

    The data covers the years 1990 to 2023 and includes information for 22 countries.

    Complaints about inclusion

    In the United States, President Donald Trump has voiced concerns about immigrants’ welfare access repeatedly, both during his first term and since taking office again this year.

    In last year’s British election, a staple of Rishi Sunak’s campaign was the insistence that immigrants threaten the sustainability of the welfare state.

    On the other side of the North Sea, the political party that won the Dutch elections made the argument that immigrants are “pampered” a central feature of its election platform.

    Ironically, all three of these countries are among the most exclusionary, according to the most recent IESPI data, as the graph below illustrates. (Note that the IESPI is organized such that a value of 0 is maximally inclusionary and 100 is maximally exclusionary.)

    Inclusionary trends have ended

    A second observation is that the era of social welfare systems becoming more inclusive for immigrants has ended.

    From 1990 until the 2010s, most western welfare systems were removing barriers for immigrant access to social programs. But since then, levels of immigrant welfare exclusion have not changed dramatically over time.

    Closer inspection shows that this picture of stability since the 2010s hides negative trends in different social programs.

    On the one hand, health-care programs and active labour market policies have gradually become more inclusionary. More and more countries have been making health-care services accessible for vulnerable immigrant populations, and rolling out targeted programs to improve newcomers’ chances on the labour market.

    On the other hand, social assistance policies have generally become more exclusionary over time. Many countries have intensified restrictions for recent arrivals, migrants without permanent residence status and migrants who cannot demonstrate successful integration.

    Large differences in historical trajectories

    When we look beyond aggregate trends, we also note very different trajectories in different countries.

    In some countries (Austria, Germany, Finland, Iceland, Malta, New Zealand, Portugal and Spain), social programs have become consistently more inclusionary.

    Other countries (Canada, Luxembourg and Sweden) have also undergone an inclusionary development, although at a more modest pace of change.

    In a third set of countries (Australia, Belgium, Denmark, France, Ireland, Italy, Norway and Switzerland), policies initially became more inclusionary but this trend was halted or reversed around 2010. The social programs of three other countries (the Netherlands, the United Kingdom and the United States), finally, have consistently become more exclusionary over time.

    These comparisons within the IESPI data set hopefully enable us to make sense of the frequently charged nature of discussions about immigrants’ access to social programs.

    Most obviously, they show we should be cautious when listening to some of the politicians who are most critical of immigrant welfare access, like Donald Trump, Rishi Sunak and Geert Wilders.

    If their arguments that exclusionary reforms in their countries are nothing but reasonable adjustments to overly generous approaches ever had any merit, that merit is quickly evaporating.

    Edward Koning received funding from the Social Science and Humanities Research Council of Canada to collect the data for this project.

    – ref. Politicians’ attacks on immigrants lack solid evidence: New data set the record straight – https://theconversation.com/politicians-attacks-on-immigrants-lack-solid-evidence-new-data-set-the-record-straight-251853

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Banking: Sanjay Malhotra: Address – Private Sector Collaborative Forum of the Financial Action Task Force

    Source: Bank for International Settlements

    It is a pleasure to be here at the Private Sector Collaborative Forum (PSCF) 2025 of the Financial Action Task Force. I am happy to note that this is the first time that the forum is being held in India. I thank FATF for giving us this opportunity. In my previous role as the Secretary in the Department of Revenue, Ministry of Finance, Government of India, I had the opportunity of being closely associated with the FATF during our mutual evaluation last year.

    About FATF

    Financial Action Task Force (FATF), the standard setting body for illicit financing has come a long way since its establishment in 1989. Over the years, it has evolved from an organisation with only 16 members to a global forum with 40 members. Through the FATF-styled regional bodies1, its reach is even wider. The standards developed by FATF are used by over 200 jurisdictions to combat money laundering (ML), terrorism financing (TF) and proliferation financing. The implementation of the standards has played an important role in strengthening the global financial system and making the world a safer place.

    India’s Mutual Evaluation by FATF

    India accords immense importance to Anti-Money Laundering (AML) and Countering the Financing of Terrorism (CFT). Last year, India underwent the mutual evaluation by the FATF. India was placed in the ‘regular follow-up’ category, a distinction shared by only a few other G20 countries2. This is a recognition of our effective AML and CFT framework. It demonstrates our commitment to AML and CFT. This is a result of many years of building and continuously improving and strengthening the financial system of our country.

    This was possible due to the collaborative efforts of all stakeholders, led by the Government of India including financial entities and designated non-financial businesses and professions in the private and public sector, regulators, and the state governments. The private sector plays a vital role in keeping the financial systems secure. Their role in implementing due diligence procedures, conducting robust risk assessments, monitoring transactions, and reporting suspicious activities is critical for preventing the abuse of the financial system. They identify suspicious activities and help government agencies in destroying illicit financial networks.

    Strong public-private partnerships form the bedrock for safeguarding the integrity of the financial system. In India, we recognize the importance of close cooperation between public and private sector stakeholders in achieving these goals. Reserve Bank of India, as the regulator and supervisor of a large segment of the financial system in India has diligently and consistently worked towards building and ensuring implementation of a strong AML and CFT framework in this segment of the financial system, in line with FATF recommendations. The Reserve Bank has taken several initiatives to enhance cooperation and coordination with various stakeholders. Similarly, the Financial Intelligence Unit (FIU)-India has also set up FPAC3, a public-private cooperation forum for facilitating closer interaction and collaboration. It has also supported the setting up of ARIFAC4 – a cross sectoral forum for the private sector reporting entities to collaborate among themselves.

    It is a result of these collaborative efforts that we have been able to build and demonstrate a robust and resilient AML and CFT framework. I compliment all the stakeholders, especially, the regulated entities in the financial sector as well as the designated non-financial businesses and professions for the successful mutual evaluation.

    However, as all of you are aware, the threats from money laundering and terror financing to the national and global financial systems are continuously evolving and becoming more sophisticated. This is primarily due to technological advancements. In order to effectively counter these threats, we need to continue the close cooperation among various stakeholders – government agencies, financial entities in both the public and private sectors, civil society, and others.

    The mutual evaluation process was rigorous and detailed. While providing us with valuable insights into our strengths, it has highlighted some areas of improvement in our AML-CFT framework. We are determined to further strengthen our financial system to deter and combat illicit financial activities taking into consideration the recommendations made during the evaluation. We will continue to strive for continuous improvement in this regard.

    Some thoughts on the Agenda for PSCF 2025

    I am told that yesterday’s sessions were very engaging and produced lively discussions. Looking at the agenda for today and tomorrow, I am confident that the deliberations on contemporary topics such as evolving AML-CFT landscape, financial inclusion & humanitarian channels, risk-based approach to supervision, digitalization & information sharing, beneficial ownership and countering of proliferation financing, will also be exciting. Let me outline some of my thoughts for the forum on these areas.

    First, while we all continue to make our financial systems safe and secure against money laundering and terror financing, we as policy makers need to be mindful that our measures are not over-zealous and do not stifle legitimate activities and investments. You would appreciate that multiple laws and rules, each with their own level of granularity cast a high level of burden of compliance on the regulated financial service providers. This is relevant in the context of AML-CFT too. Therefore, we need to have laws and regulations which, with surgical precision, target only the illegitimate and illicit, rather than use them as blunt tools which unintentionally hurt even the honest.

    Similarly, even while implementing the legal framework and regulations, we need to keep in mind the impact on persons and businesses. Risk-based approach is recommended in this regard. But let us keep in mind that this is only a step forward in reducing compliance burden. Let us appreciate that it is not the ultimate solution, as any risk-based approach is not perfect; it would have false positives and false negatives. We need to continuously refine and improve our risk assessment models to make them robust.

    To make these improvements, we need to improve the quality of our data and harness emerging technologies. This will help improve screening of transactions and detection of suspicious activities thereby reducing false positives and false negatives. Considering the evolving landscape in the area of money laundering resulting from changing customer behaviour and evolving products and services, we need to continuously augment AML risk assessment framework and make appropriate system enhancements on a regular basis after assessing the impact of ML and other risks. The focus has to also be on understanding the latest trends and developments in the financial world that can be exploited by criminals and accordingly develop tools and enabling frameworks that will allow us to detect suspicious transactions and activities early and take pre-emptive action. With the adoption of new technological tools and models, I am sure that AML-CFT risk assessments can be further fine-tuned. I would urge you all to discuss and share best practices in identification, mitigation and supervision of AML-CFT risks. This will not only help to reduce compliance burden on the Regulated Entities but also result in optimal allocation of supervisory resources.

    While India has made remarkable progress in financial inclusion, we need to ensure that we continue to widen and deepen it. The discussions on FATF standards to promote financial inclusion need to find answers to the challenge of aligning financial inclusion and financial integrity, especially for the developing economies. It must be ensured that regulations do not create unintended barriers to financial inclusion. We need to be mindful of customer rights and convenience while fulfilling the due diligence requirements. I am happy to note that the amendments to Recommendation 1 and its interpretive note under the Mexican presidency intend to foster and promote financial inclusion without compromising on financial integrity. Similar approach is needed to extend access of financial channels for supporting humanitarian aid.

    In recent years, digitalisation has been increasingly applied to customer onboarding and customer due diligence (CDD) processes. India has made huge strides in this regard too. The digital KYC and video KYC are shining examples of this. The Central KYC Records Registry (CKYCR) with more than one billion records is another example, which has the potential of ushering in a new era of customer onboarding by making it easier and seamless not only for customers but also for regulated entities to perform customer identification and due diligence. I am told there is a separate session to deliberate on the state of play of technical solutions in customer due diligence area. The discussions could be helpful in further enhancing the capability and utility of CKYCR manifold.

    Further, during the process of CDD, reporting entities collect a large amount of data from the customers. Moreover, there are requirements of sharing of information with Financial Intelligence Units, law enforcement agencies and data registries leading to concerns regarding data protection and sharing of information without consent. India has recently enacted a law for Digital Personal Data Protection. Exchange of experiences from different jurisdictions will help us in better implementing the law in our country.

    Another important area which needs discussion is the travel rule. In today’s world, fast payment systems are revolutionizing financial access and deepening financial inclusion. Developing countries like India have made huge progress in making digital payments accessible, affordable, and convenient. While card networks have helped developed economies in improving payment systems, fast payment systems have assisted Emerging Market and Developing Economies (EMDEs) leapfrog in this area. We have also enabled cross border payments using fast payment systems with a few countries. We will continue to work towards fulfilling our commitment to the effective implementation of the next phase of G20 roadmap towards inclusive cross-border payments by 2027. In this context, the ongoing discussions on FATF Recommendation 16 (R.16), known as the travel rule, assume importance. To meet the G20 objective of making cross-border payments faster, cheaper, more transparent and more inclusive, while maintaining their safety and security, it would be desirable to make the travel rule technology-neutral.

    Lastly, discussions regarding combating proliferation financing and sanctions evasion need to answer questions related to identification of products and services which are most vulnerable to exploitation and the mitigation of the risks related to such products. This forum can discuss the best practices as well as challenges in this regard.

    Conclusion

    To conclude, I would like to stress that through our collaborative efforts, we can safeguard the trust that underpins the global financial framework. Together, let us continue to collaborate and innovate in building a financial ecosystem that is not only safe and secure but also fast, convenient, accessible and affordable. Let us build financial systems that not only thwart the attempts of money laundering, terror financing and proliferation financing, but also support financial inclusion, encourage innovation, and facilitate economic growth. In the end, I wish the forum very fruitful and productive deliberations.

    Thank you.

    MIL OSI Global Banks –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Spring Mayoral meal to conclude 2024/5 charity season

    Source: City of Winchester

    A spring dining experience in an acclaimed district restaurant will mark the final official 2024/5 Mayoral Charities event.

    Mayor of Winchester and Hendrik Engelbrecht, Restaurant Manager at Rick Stein Winchester

    The Mayor of Winchester Cllr Russell Gordon-Smith will host the special evening on Tuesday 29 April in Rick Stein Winchester in support of his four chosen charities: Winchester Radio, St John’s Winchester, Hampshire History Trust, and Winchester Sea Cadets.  

    The 2025/6 Mayoral Charities will be announced by the incoming Mayor Cllr Sudhakar Achwal, whose mayor-making will take place in May.

    Guests, who are welcome to arrive at Rick Stein Winchester from 6.30pm, are invited to choose from one of three main courses: Chicken katsu curry; coley fillets with pointed cabbage and a lemon butter sauce; and pasta alla trapanese (spaghetti, almond, basil and pecorino pesto).

    There are four dessert options: raspberry bavarois; chocolate pave with vanilla ice cream; apple and rhubarb crumble with custard; and a selection of sorbets (mango, raspberry and lime).

    Tickets are priced £42 (plus a booking fee) per person which also includes table drinking water, olives and bread, and a cup of tea or filter coffee after the meal.

    Allergy information for each menu selection is included on the booking page.

    The Mayor of Winchester Cllr Russell Gordon-Smith said: “This special event at Rick Stein Winchester promises to be a great evening out in one of the city’s most acclaimed restaurants. It is going to be the last Mayoral charity event of my year and we are pulling out all the stops to make it particularly special. I warmly welcome everyone to please come along and join us.”    

    Tickets can be purchased online via https://www.ticketsource.co.uk/mayor-of-winchester-charities

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Oxford Investigation Service wins prestigious Innovation in Fraud Prevention Award

    Source: City of Oxford

    Oxford City Council’s Investigation Service has scooped the 2025 Innovation in Fraud Prevention Award.

    The award was presented at the Public Sector Counter Fraud Conference in Westminster, an annual event that brings together around 800 delegates from central government, local government and the NHS. 

    The conference featured speaker sessions, networking opportunities, a trade stand exhibition. It culminated in the presentation of the prestigious Public Sector Counter Fraud Awards. 

    Throughout the day, the Oxford Investigation Service was actively involved in the exhibition where they showcased innovative approaches to tackling fraud in the public sector.

    During the evening awards event, the team was honoured to be named finalists in the Innovation in Fraud Prevention category. Competition was fierce, with strong contenders including teams from the Department for Work and Pensions, Network Rail, and the Department for Transport. However, the Oxford Counter Fraud Team emerged as the winners, taking to the stage to accept the esteemed award. 

    Adding to the evening’s achievements, Investigation Service Manager Scott Warner was shortlisted individually in the Outstanding Leadership category, following nominations from team members for his exemplary leadership and contributions to the field. 

    Comment 

    “This recognition reflects the City Council’s commitment to preventing and uncovering fraud and protecting the public purse. Our Investigation Service, with its long-standing commitment to excellence, has a track record of receiving accolades from various awarding bodies. Their ongoing innovation and high-profile results continue to showcase the team’s expertise, professionalism, and dedication to combating fraud.” 
    Scott Warner, Investigation Service Manager 

    The Public Sector Counter Fraud Awards, now in their fifth year, celebrate excellence in counter-fraud initiatives across the public sector. They serve as a platform to recognise individuals and teams who have demonstrated innovation, dedication, and teamwork in the national fight against fraud.  

    The Innovation in Fraud Prevention Award specifically honours initiatives that have effectively identified and addressed fraud risks, showcasing measurable impact in preventing fraudulent activity against the public sector. To qualify, nominees must have: 

    The Oxford Investigation Service remains committed to upholding the highest standards in fraud prevention and will continue to drive forward initiatives that safeguard public funds. This award reinforces their position as leaders in the fight against fraud, ensuring integrity and accountability across the sector. 

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: Getting EU ready to prevent and respond to crises

    Source: European Union 2

    The Commission has presented the Preparedness Union Strategy to boost the EU’s capability to prevent and respond to emerging threats such as geopolitical tensions and conflicts, cybersecurity and information risks, and climate change and increasing risks of natural disasters.

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Trump’s tariffs on Canada and Mexico could spell trouble for distilled spirits

    Source: The Conversation – USA – By Andrew Muhammad, Professor of Agriculture and Resource Economics, University of Tennessee

    If all the tariff drama in the news lately has you reaching for a stiff drink, you’re not alone. Unfortunately, those same tariffs might make it harder to get your hands on your favorite brand of tequila.

    In early March 2025, U.S. President Donald Trump levied import tariffs of 25% on goods from Canada and Mexico, following through on a promise he made back in November 2024. While he later partially reversed course, suspending tariffs on some goods, tensions remain high. Mexico is largely holding off on retaliation, but Canada quickly fired back with counter-tariffs on billions of dollars’ worth of U.S. products.

    These trade tensions spell trouble for numerous industries, including the booming spirits market. Canada and Mexico – two of the top U.S. trading partners – accounted for nearly half of the US$12 billion in distilled spirits the U.S. imported in 2024.

    As an agricultural economist, I’ve analyzed how a 25% tariff could affect tequila, whiskey and other distilled spirits – and the results weren’t pretty. I found that these tariffs would cost distilled spirit importers over $1 billion in lost trade, with tequila alone taking a more than $800 million hit.

    Americans’ thirst for imported liquor

    The U.S. imports far more distilled spirits than it exports – five times as much by value, as of 2024.

    Since 2000, U.S. imports of distilled spirits have surged by more than 300%, driven largely by the explosive rise in tequila consumption. Between 2000 and 2024, tequila imports rose by 1,400%, skyrocketing from $350 million to $5.4 billion.

    While imports of whiskey, liqueurs, vodka and brandy also grew, none matched tequila’s explosive rise. Tequila now represents 45% of all spirits imported into the U.S., up from 12% in 2000.

    Not surprisingly, 99% of tequila and mezcal is imported from Mexico, making it the leading foreign supplier of distilled spirits to the United States. Meanwhile, Canada has supplied between 4% and 6% of U.S. spirits imports over the past two decades, primarily whiskey and liqueurs.

    Since distilled spirits are classified as agricultural products, their rising imports have significantly contributed to the U.S. agricultural trade deficit. However, this isn’t necessarily a problem. Imports help meet demand from U.S. consumers, generate value-added opportunities for U.S. companies, and support economic activity in bars, liquor stores, restaurants and beyond.

    A 25% tariff on Mexican goods is a 25% tax on tequila

    In my study, published in February in the peer-reviewed journal Agribusiness and in a follow-up policy brief, I found that 25% tariffs on Mexico and Canada could reduce imports of distilled spirits by $1.2 billion. This loss exceeds the total amount of tax revenue those tariffs can expected to bring in.

    Unsurprisingly, tequila imports would be the hardest hit, falling by $810 million. I found that the tariff revenue from tequila – $910 million – could actually exceed the corresponding fall in imports. That’s because demand for tequila, like most alcoholic beverages, is what economists call “inelastic,” meaning that when prices rise, consumers are unlikely to change their purchasing decisions by very much.

    However, it would be a mistake to consider tequila in isolation. When I factored in other notable decreases, such as a $100 million drop in whiskey imports, I found that the value of total trade losses, in the form of decreased imports, would outweigh the total tariff revenue. I also found that no product category would come out ahead.

    In fact, even products like vodka, which are mostly exempt from these tariffs, would be indirectly affected. This is because tariffs can increase the overall cost of importing, leading businesses to reduce all imports, tariffed or otherwise. My research suggests that this “trade destruction” effect, to use an economics term, will be quite significant.

    A new era of tariffs

    The Trump administration has argued that tariffs will generate a lot of money for the federal government. But my research suggests those gains may not outweigh the economic costs to businesses and consumers.

    Contrary to common belief, trade losses don’t just affect exporting countries. Domestic consumers also face higher prices and fewer choices – hurting their overall economic welfare. Reducing imports also affects U.S. businesses involved in marketing, distribution and sales.

    Trade is more complex than a simple formula of “exports good, imports bad.” Research makes it clear that tariffs have negative consequences, including higher consumer prices, reduced product availability and downstream economic disruption. Policymakers would be wise to take those effects seriously. Otherwise, they might find themselves with a serious economic hangover.

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

    – ref. Trump’s tariffs on Canada and Mexico could spell trouble for distilled spirits – https://theconversation.com/trumps-tariffs-on-canada-and-mexico-could-spell-trouble-for-distilled-spirits-251583

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: From Greenland to Fort Bragg, America is caught in a name game where place names become political tools

    Source: The Conversation – USA – By Seth T. Kannarr, PhD Candidate in Geography, University of Tennessee

    President Donald Trump re-renamed Denali as Mount McKinley in 2025. Tim Rains/National Park Service, CC BY

    Place names are more than just labels on a map. They influence how people learn about the world around them and perceive their place in it.

    Names can send messages and suggest what is and isn’t valued in society. And the way that they are changed over time can signal cultural shifts.

    The United States is in the midst of a place-renaming moment. From the renaming of the Gulf of Mexico to the Gulf of America, to the return of Forts Bragg and Benning and the newly re-renamed Mount McKinley in Alaska’s Denali National Park, we are witnessing a consequential shift in the politics of place naming.

    This sudden rewriting of the nation’s map – done to “restore American greatness,” according to President Donald Trump’s executive order that made some of them official – is part of a name game that recognizes place names as powerful brands and political tools.

    In our research on place naming, we explore how this “name game” is used to assert control over shared symbols and embed subtle and not-so-subtle messages in the landscape.

    As geography teachers and researchers, we also recognize the educational and emotional impact the name game can have on the public.

    Place names can have psychological effects

    Renaming a place is always an act of power.

    People in power have long used place naming to claim control over the identity of the place, bolster their reputations, retaliate against opponents and achieve political goals.

    These moves can have strong psychological effects, particularly when the name evokes something threatening. Changing a place name can fundamentally shift how people view, relate to or feel that they belong within that place.

    In Shenandoah County, Virginia, students at two schools originally named for Confederate generals have been on an emotional roller coaster of name changes in recent years. The schools were renamed Mountain View and Honey Run in 2020 amid the national uproar over the murder of George Floyd, a Black man killed by a police officer in Minneapolis.

    Four years later, the local school board reinstated the original Confederate names after conservatives took control of the board.

    One Black eighth grader at Mountain View High School — now re-renamed Stonewall Jackson High School — testified at a board meeting about how the planned change would affect her:

    “I would have to represent a man that fought for my ancestors to be slaves. If this board decides to restore the names, I would not feel like I was valued and respected,” she said. The board still approved the change, 5-1.

    Even outside of schools, place names operate as a “hidden curriculum.” They provide narratives to the public about how the community or nation sees itself – as well as whose histories and perspectives it considers important or worthy of public attention.

    Place names affect how people perceive, experience and emotionally connect to their surroundings in both conscious and subconscious ways. Psychologists, sociologists and geographers have explored how this sense of place manifests itself into the psyche, creating either attachment or aversion to place, whether it’s a school, mountain or park.

    A tale of two forts

    Renaming places can rally a leader’s supporters through rebranding.

    Trump’s orders to restore the names Fort Bragg and Fort Benning, both originally named for Confederate generals, illustrate this effect. The names were changed to Fort Liberty and Fort Moore in 2023 after Congress passed a law banning the use of Confederate names for federal installations.

    Veterans and other guests posed in 2023 next to a newly unveiled sign for Fort Moore, named for Lt. Gen. Harold ‘Hal’ Moore, who served in Vietnam, and his wife, Julia Moore. In 2025, President Donald Trump reverted the name back to Fort Benning.
    Cheney Orr/AFP via Getty Images

    Trump made a campaign promise to his followers to “bring back the name” of Fort Bragg if reelected.

    To get around the federal ban, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth identified two unrelated decorated Army veterans with the same last names — Bragg and Benning — but without any Confederate connections, to honor instead.

    Call it a sleight of hand or a stroke of genius if you’d like, this tactic allowed the Department of Defense to revive politically charged names without violating the law.

    A soldier walks beside a sign that was unveiled when Fort Liberty was rededicated as Fort Bragg during a ceremony on base on March 7, 2025.
    AP Photo/Chris Seward

    The restoration of the names Bragg and Benning may feel like a symbolic homecoming for those who resisted the original name change or have emotional ties to the names through their memories of living and serving on the base, rather than a connection to the specific namesakes.

    However, the names are still reminders of the military bases’ original association with defenders of slavery.

    The place-renaming game

    A wave of place-name changes during the Obama and Biden administrations focused on removing offensive or derogatory place names and recognizing Indigenous names.

    For example, Clingmans Dome, the highest peak in the Great Smoky Mountains, was renamed to Kuwohi in September 2024, shifting the name from a Confederate general to a Cherokee word meaning “the mulberry place.”

    Under the Trump administration, however, place-name changes are being advanced explicitly to push back against reform efforts, part of a broader assault on what Trump calls “woke culture.”

    The view from a lookout tower on Kuwohi, formerly known as Clingmans Dome, in the Great Smoky Mountains.
    National Park Service



    Read more:
    From Confederate general to Cherokee heritage: Why returning the name Kuwohi to the Great Smoky Mountains matters

    President Barack Obama changed Alaska’s Mount McKinley to Denali in 2015 to acknowledge Indigenous heritage and a long-standing name for the mountain. Officials in Alaska had requested the name change to Denali years earlier and supported the name change in 2015.

    Trump, on his first day in office in January 2025, moved to rename Denali back to Mount McKinley, over the opposition of Republican politicians in Alaska. The state Legislature passed a resolution a few days later asking Trump to reconsider.

    Georgia Rep. Earl “Buddy” Carter made a recent legislative proposal to rename Greenland as “Red, White, and Blueland” in support of Trump’s expansionist desire to purchase the island, which is an autonomous territory of Denmark.

    Danish officials and Greenlanders saw Carter’s absurd proposal as insulting and damaging to diplomatic relations. It is not the first time that place renaming has been used as a form of symbolic insult in international relations.

    Renaming the Gulf of Mexico to Gulf of America might have initially seemed improbable, but it is already reflected in common navigation apps.

    Google Maps displays the name ‘Gulf of America’ instead of Gulf of Mexico in March 2025.
    Google INEGI



    Read more:
    Yes, Trump can rename the Gulf of Mexico – just not for everyone. Here’s how it works

    A better way to choose place names

    When leaders rename a place in an abrupt, unilateral fashion — often for ideological reasons — they risk alienating communities that deeply connect with those names as a form of memory, identity and place attachment.

    A better alternative, in our view, would be to make renaming shared landscapes participatory, with opportunities for meaningful public involvement in the renaming process.

    This approach does not avoid name changes, but it suggests the changes should respond to the social and psychological needs of communities and the evolving cultural identity of places — and not simply be used to score political points.

    Instead, encouraging public participation — such as through landscape impact assessments and critical audits that take the needs of affected communities seriously — can cultivate a sense of shared ownership in the decision that may give those names more staying power.

    The latest place renamings are already affecting the classroom experience. Students are not just memorizing new place labels, but they are also being asked to reevaluate the meaning of those places and their own relationship with the nation and the world.

    As history has shown around the world, one of the major downsides of leaders imposing name changes is that the names can be easily replaced as soon as the next regime takes power. The result can be a never-ending name game.

    The authors do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

    – ref. From Greenland to Fort Bragg, America is caught in a name game where place names become political tools – https://theconversation.com/from-greenland-to-fort-bragg-america-is-caught-in-a-name-game-where-place-names-become-political-tools-251201

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: US swing toward autocracy doesn’t have to be permanent – but swinging back to democracy requires vigilance, stamina and elections

    Source: The Conversation – USA – By Jennifer Victor, Associate Professor of Political Science, George Mason University

    The United States is no longer a democracy.

    At least, that’s the verdict of one nonprofit, the Center for Systemic Peace, which measures regime qualities of countries worldwide based on the competitiveness and integrity of their elections, limits to executive authority and other factors.

    “The USA is no longer considered a democracy and lies at the cusp of autocracy,” the group’s 2025 report read.

    It calls Donald Trump’s second inauguration following a raft of criminal indictments and convictions, combined with the U.S. Supreme Court’s July 2024 granting of sweeping presidential immunity, a “presidential coup.”

    Generally, only scholars pay attention to this kind of technical index. This year, however, many people are calling out the erosion of U.S. democracy.

    Political scientists like myself can see that in the guise of government “efficiency,” the Trump administration is sabotaging the rule of law to such an extent that authoritarianism is taking hold in America.

    How long might this situation last?

    US no longer a democracy?

    The term “political regime” refers to either the person or people who hold power, or to a classification of government, including in a democracy.

    Since the mid-1960s, when the U.S. expanded voting rights to include its Black citizens, historians and political scientists have generally classified the U.S. as having a democratic regime. That means the government holds free and fair elections, embraces universal voting rights, protects civil liberties and obeys the law.

    All of these areas have significantly degraded in the U.S. over the last few decades due to partisan polarization and political extremism. Now, the rule of law is under attack, too.

    Trump’s unprecedented use of nearly 100 executive orders in the first two months of his presidency aims to enact a vast policy agenda by decree. For comparison, President Joe Biden issued 162 executive orders over four years.

    This is not what the founders had in mind: Congress is the constitutional route for policy-making. Skirting it threatens democracy, as do the issues Trump’s orders address. From attempting to deny citizenship through birthright to abolishing the U.S. Department of Education, Trump is attacking both the U.S. Constitution and Congress. His administration has even defied judges who order it to stop.

    All of this challenges the rule of law – that is, the idea that everyone, including those in power, must follow the same laws.

    When things get this bad, can a country recover?

    Autocrats can be beaten

    Based on my research, the short answer is yes – eventually.

    When a political party that does not honor democratic institutions or heed critical democratic norms takes power, political scientists expect the government to shift toward autocratic rule. That means restricting civil liberties, quashing dissent and undermining the rule of law.

    This is happening right now in the U.S.

    The Trump administration is challenging broadcasters for their election coverage and banning speech that does not conform to its gender ideology. It’s flagrantly violating the Constitution. And it’s eliminating federal funding for universities and research centers that oppose its actions.

    However, as long as a country has a robust opposition and elections that offer real opportunities for alternative parties to win office, the regime shift is not necessarily permanent.

    Take Brazil, for example.

    Its 2022 election ousted President Jair Bolsonaro, leader of an autocratic regime that had attacked the Brazilian media, judiciary and legislature. Bolsonaro claimed his loss to President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva was fraudulent, and in January 2023 his supporters attacked the nation’s capital. Since then, Bolsonaro has been charged with plotting a coup and barred from seeking office until 2030.

    Brazilian voters and the courts stemmed the country’s autocratic slide and returned it to a democratic regime.

    Polarization swings the pendulum

    Today the American public is deeply divided and dissatisfied with how U.S. democracy works. This polarization translates into presidential elections that are narrowly won.

    According to the American Presidency Project at the University of California Santa Barbara, which measures presidential margins of victory by subtracting the electoral vote percentage from the popular vote percentage for each election, the average margin of victory in presidential elections between 1932 and 2000 was 25 points. Since 2000, it has been 7.8 points.

    Moreover, since 1948, every time the White House changed hands after an election, it flipped parties as well, with one exception in 1988. Political scientists refer to this back-and-forth as “thermostatic shifting.” In other words, the electorate regularly sours on the status quo and aims to adjust the thermostat to another temperature – or political party.

    When a party that more strongly favors democratic principles takes power, the U.S. more firmly adheres to democratic institutions and norms. This was essentially Biden’s winning pitch to voters in 2020.

    Trump’s return to the White House despite two impeachments and a criminal conviction on 34 felony charges marked another pendulum swing – this time, back in the direction of authoritarianism.

    The U.S. political pendulum has been singing back and forth like this since at least 2016, with Trump’s first win. I expect the oscillation to continue.

    A kind of equilibrium

    The risk, of course, is that a ruling authoritarian-leaning party abuses its power to ensure that the opposition can never again win. This has happened in recent decades in Hungary, Turkey and Venezuela, to name a few.

    There are good reasons to believe that a permanent slide into autocracy is harder in the U.S. than in those countries.

    The U.S. has a robust and wealthy network of civil society organizations, which are well versed in exercising their civil liberties. Its decentralized federalist structure is harder for any one person or party to seize. U.S. elections for example, are run by state and local governments, not the federal government. This makes its election systems more resilient than more centralized election systems.

    At the moment, I see no reason to fear that the U.S. will fail to hold free and fair elections in 2026 or 2028.

    For the time being, then, the U.S. is in what I call a “pendular equilibrium.” Parties trade majority control as voters react to extremism, shifting the regime from more autocratic to more democratic depending on who is in power.

    The effect is a stable outcome of sorts – not a static stability but a dynamic stability. Despite the day-to-day chaos, there is balance over time in the predictable shift back and forth.

    When the pendulum stops swinging

    Until, that is, some other force comes along to disrupt the pattern.

    This might be a force more toward fascism that restricts elections to the point of futility, as in Venezuela and Russia. Or the equilibrium could be thrown off by a democratic resurgence, in the model of Brazil or Poland.

    Even just maintaining the pendular equilibrium to conserve some manner of democratic regime will require those who oppose authoritarianism to boldly insist on political leaders who value democratic principles: fair elections, voting rights, civil liberties and rule of law.

    Dangerously, many Americans won’t notice the end of democracy as it happens. As the political scientist Tom Pepinksy writes, life in authoritarian states is mostly boring and tolerable.

    For those who pay attention, the frequency and seriousness of lawless actions can nonetheless make it difficult to sustain an organized opposition.

    Until and unless the U.S. nurtures and elects political movements and leaders who make lasting democratic changes, I believe the country will continue to lurch back and forth in its pendulum swing.

    Jennifer Victor serves as the Vice Chair of the Board of Directors of OpenSecrets, a non-partisan, non-profit. This is an unpaid position.

    – ref. US swing toward autocracy doesn’t have to be permanent – but swinging back to democracy requires vigilance, stamina and elections – https://theconversation.com/us-swing-toward-autocracy-doesnt-have-to-be-permanent-but-swinging-back-to-democracy-requires-vigilance-stamina-and-elections-250383

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Spring statement targeting ill and disabled is “morally repugnant”

    Source: Green Party of England and Wales

    / by Green Party

    Responding to the Chancellor’s Spring Statement, the Co-Leader of The Green Party, Adrian Ramsay MP, said, “The Chancellor had a choice today. To rebalance our economy by asking the very wealthiest to contribute more, or to remove vital support from ill and disabled people. That she chose to take from the most vulnerable to balance her books is a damning reflection of how out of touch this government is. It is morally repugnant.”  

    He continued, “And it’s not just ill and disabled people who will suffer as the Chancellor doubles down on cuts to frontline services. This will weaken our communities and leave us all poorer. Labour once claimed that they were for the many, not the few – it’s clear now that this is no longer the case.” 

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: Secretary-General’s remarks to the Virtual High-Level Segment of the 16th Petersberg Climate Dialogue [as delivered]

    Source: United Nations secretary general

    Thank you for this opportunity — and for your focus today on collective climate action and acceleration of implementation. 

    This could not be more timely. 

    There is much uncertainty and instability in our world.

    But today we meet in the wake of some good news.

    Just this morning, the International Renewable Energy Agency officially confirmed that 2024 was a record year for renewables additions to global power capacity. 

    Renewables represented more than 92 per cent of all new electricity generation capacity installed last year.
     
    The amount of renewables added represents more than the total electricity capacity of Brazil and Japan combined.

    Europe’s capacity grew by 9 per cent – with Germany contributing more than one-quarter of that growth. Africa’s capacity grew by almost 7 per cent.

    All of this is another reminder of a 21st century truth:

    Renewables are renewing economies. 

    They are powering growth, creating jobs, lowering energy bills, and cleaning our air. 
     
    And every day, they become an even smarter investment. 

    Since 2010, the average cost of wind power has plunged 60%.  Solar is 90% cheaper. 

    In 2023, clean energy sectors accounted for five per cent of economic growth in India and six in the US. It accounted for a fifth of China’s GDP growth, and a third of the EU’s.

    The economic case for – and opportunities of – climate action have become ever clearer – particularly for those who choose to lead. 

    And leadership is what we need – as today’s IRENA report shows:

    To accelerate the shift to renewables…

    And to correct the imbalances in the transition, which is still starving developing countries – outside China – of the investment needed to fully embrace clean energy. 

    Excellencies, dear friends,

    As the title of this session puts it so well: we are indeed at a turning point to the future.

    In the ten years since Paris, we have seen other important progress.

    Ninety percent of global emissions are now covered by net-zero targets. 

    A decade ago, the planet was on course for a global temperature rise of over four degrees Celsius.

    Today, countries’ national climate plans – or NDCs – if fully delivered – will take us closer to a 2.6-degree rise.

    At the same time, climate challenges are piling up.  

    It seems records are shattered at every turn — the hottest day of the hottest month of the hottest year of the hottest decade ever. 

    All of this is hitting the vulnerable hardest, and everyday people in their pockets – with higher living costs, higher insurance premiums, and higher food prices.

    Just last week, the World Meteorological Organization confirmed that 2024 was another alarming year:

    Almost every climate indicator reached new and increasingly dangerous heights – inflaming displacement and food insecurity and inflicting huge economic losses.

    And, for the first time, the annual global temperature was 1.5 degrees Celsius hotter than pre-industrial times.

    Scientists are clear – it is still possible to meet the long-term 1.5 degree limit.

    But it requires urgent action. And it requires leadership.

    Excellencies, dear friends,

    I see two critical fronts to drive action. 

    First, new national climate plans – or NDCs – due by September.

    Investors need certainty and predictability.

    These new plans are a unique opportunity to deliver – and lay out a coherent vision for a just green transition.

    They must align with the 1.5-degree limit, as agreed at COP28. And cover all emissions and the whole economy.

    Together, they must reduce global emissions 60% by 2035 – compared to 2019…

    And contribute to the COP28 global energy transition goals.

    All this must be achieved in line with the principle of common but differentiated responsibilities and respective capabilities, in the light of national circumstances but everybody, everybody must do more.

    The G20 – the largest emitters and economies – must lead.

    Every country must step up and play their part.

    The United Nations is with you all.

    President Lula and I are working to secure the highest ambition from the largest economies.

    The United Nations Climate Promise is supporting a hundred countries to prepare their new climate plans.

    And we will convene a special event in September to take stock of the plans of all countries, push for action to keep 1.5 within reach, and deliver climate justice.

    Second, we must drive finance to developing countries.

    The COP29 finance agreement must be implemented in full.

    I count on the leadership of the COP29 and COP30 Presidencies to deliver a credible roadmap to mobilize $1.3 trillion a year by 2035.

    We need new and innovative sources of financing, and credible carbon pricing.

    Developed countries must honour their promise to double adaptation finance to at least $40 billion a year, by this year.

    And we need serious contributions to the fund for responding to Loss and Damage, and to get it up and running.
    Excellencies,

    We can only meet these goals with stronger collaboration – between governments, and across society and sectors.

    Those that will lag behind need to be not a reason for us to be discouraged but an increase in our commitment to move forward.

    The rewards are there for the taking, for all those ready and willing to lead the world through these troubled times.

    We are at a turning point.  I urge you to seize this moment; and seize the prize.

    Thank you.
     

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Secretary Denny Hoskins Applauds President Trump’s Executive Order on Election Integrity: Make Elections Great Again!

    Source: US State of Missouri

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: 4 College of Engineering Faculty Elected to CASE

    Source: US State of Connecticut

    For being “leading experts in science, technology, engineering, mathematics, and medicine,” the Connecticut Academy of Science and Engineering (CASE) is welcoming four faculty from UConn’s College of Engineering (CoE) into its membership.

    They are among 12 inductees from UConn, and 36 statewide. The new members will be introduced at the Academy’s 50th Annual Dinner on May 28.

    Election to CASE is open to scientists and engineers who work or live in Connecticut based on scientific distinction achieved through significant original contributions in theory or applications, unusual accomplishments in the pioneering of new and developing fields of applied science and technology, or both.

    The 2025 CASE inductees from the CoE include:
    • Omer Khan, professor of electrical and computer engineering

    • Ji-Cheng “JC” Zhao, dean of the College of Engineering; professor of materials science and engineering

    • Guoan Zheng, Collins Aerospace Professor of Engineering Innovation in the Department of Biomedical Engineering; and director of the UConn Center for Biomedical and Bioengineering Innovation

    • Xiao-Dong Zhou, Connecticut Clean Energy Fund Professor in Sustainable Energy; the Nicholas E. Madonna Chair in Sustainability; director of the Center for Clean Energy Engineering; and professor of chemical and biomolecular engineering, materials science and engineering, and mechanical engineering

    “CASE is honored to have these outstanding scientists and engineers join us as we seek to fulfill our mission to provide evidence-based advice to inform policy and promote innovation in Connecticut,” says CASE President Amy Howell.

    Brief bios of the 2025 CASE Fellows are below:

    Omer Khan

    Omer Khan leads the Computer Architecture Group (CAG) and serves as an associate director of the Connecticut Advanced Computing Center (CACC). His research interests include computer architectures and methods that exploit parallelism, locality, resiliency, and privacy suitable for high-performance applications, such as graph intelligence problems. He has contributed architectural advancements for futuristic massively parallel microprocessors that substantially enhance system level performance and efficiency.

    Most recently, Khan and his colleagues took a hardware-architecture-algorithm approach to develop a new system architecture that helps optimize multiple goals at once, like finding the best trade-off between speed and fuel efficiency for autonomous vehicles. They propose Ordered Parallel Multi-Objective Search, or OPMOS, that exploits massive parallelism to achieve huge improvements in performance.

    “OPMOS is a unique approach that brings together algorithmic optimizations and architectural insights to rapidly accelerate these computationally hard multi-objective graph intelligence problems,” Khan explains. “This means exact solutions that used to take hours to generate can be found in seconds. This allows decision-makers to have access to real-time information, leading to better decision-making in high-impact application scenarios.”

    As a complementary research effort, Khan is addressing the computational complexity problem in artificial intelligence applications, such as autonomous systems, social influence, and chip design that must handle increasingly large and sparse graph-based data.

    “Efficient processing of sparse graph problems is extremely challenging since the underlying computations require complex mathematical operations whose processing suffers from performance scaling challenges on existing hardware processing units,” Khan explains. Khan and his colleagues are developing parallel hardware architectures that exploit sparsity for performance to reduce computational complexity without compromising accuracy.

    Prior to joining UConn, Khan spent several years in the semiconductor industry as a high-performance processor architect.

    Khan has a BS in electrical and computer engineering from Michigan State University (2000) and a Ph.D. in electrical and computer engineering from the University of Massachusetts Amherst (2009).

    Ji-Cheng “JC” Zhao

    Ji-Cheng “JC” Zhao is an expert on design of advanced alloys and coatings, additive manufacturing (3D printing) of alloys and composites, high-throughput materials science methodologies, and computational thermodynamics and kinetics. He previously served as a director at the U.S. Department of Energy’s ARPA-E (Advanced Research Projects Agency—Energy), managing approximately $100 million in projects to develop energy-efficient and green technologies.

    Before working in academia and government, Zhao was a senior materials scientist and project leader at General Electric (GE) Research Center where he invented new materials and processes, mostly for gas turbines and jet engines, leading to 48 U.S. patents.

    As dean of engineering at UConn, Zhao is working to expand the College’s research footprint, launch impactful educational programs, and advance relationships with local, national, and international partners.

    Zhao is a member of the National Academy of Engineering and the Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, the National Academy of Inventors, ASM International, the Materials Research Society, and the Minerals, Metals, and Materials Society.
    Zhao has a BS in materials science and engineering from Central South University in Hunan, China (1985) and a Ph.D. in materials science and engineering from Lehigh University (1995).

    Guoan Zheng

    Guoan Zheng is an expert on biomedical optics and instrumentation, computational imaging, microscopy, and chip-scale imaging. At UConn’s Smart Imaging Laboratory, he leads a team of researchers who are developing a new technique called Synthetic Aperture Ptycho-Endoscopy (SAPE), which achieves outstanding resolution and visibility in endoscopic images. Since its inception in 2013, the laboratory has been supported by NSF, NIH, DOE, Connecticut Innovations, and partnerships with multiple industry leaders.

    Zheng is also the inventor of Fourier ptychography, a transformative microscopy technique that has become a global standard, now widely adopted across numerous laboratories worldwide. The technique is featured as a chapter in the most widely read textbook on Fourier optics.

    He’s also a member of Optica and SPIE, the international society for optics and photonics.

    Zheng holds a BS in electrical engineering from Zhejiang University (2007); and a Ph.D. in electrical engineering from the California Institute of Technology (2013).

    Xiao-Dong Zhou

    Xiao-Dong Zhou is passionate about reducing greenhouse gas emissions through the development of advanced materials and innovative, efficient processes. He’s an expert on nonequilibrium thermodynamics, electrochemistry, thermodynamics and electrochemistry in fuel cells, electrolyzers, and batteries, and studies ways small molecules—such as oxygen, water, carbon dioxide and methane—can be used to create value-added commodities.

    At UConn, Zhou serves as a special advisor on sustainable energies to President Radenka Maric and Vice President for Research Pamir Alpay. In this role, he provides guidance and contributes to the development of sustainable energy strategies and initiatives across the university.

    Zhou currently serves as the technical editor of the Journal of The Electrochemical Society, and an associate editor of the Journal of the American Ceramic Society and the International Journal of Ceramic Engineering and Science. Since 2017, Zhou has secured more than $23 million in grants from the National Science Foundation, NASA, and the Department of Energy.

    Zhou received his BS in chemical engineering from East China University of Science and Technology and his Ph.D. in ceramic engineering from the University of Missouri-Rolla.

    In 2012, CASE elected Pamir Alpay, vice president for research, innovation, and entrepreneurship and professor of materials science and engineering to its membership. He’s among 20 engineering faculty from UConn—including the four new inductees—who are CASE members.

    “We’re thrilled to have Professors Zhao, Zheng, Khan, and Zhou join our membership at the Connecticut Academy of Science and Engineering,” Alpay says. “This achievement is a testament to their contributions to research and innovation, and their dedication to advancing knowledge in engineering fields. Their work continues to inspire excellence within our academic community at the CoE.”

    The CoE faculty are among 12 newly elected CASE members at UConn. One third of all new inductees statewide are UConn faculty. Others 2025 inductees include:

    • Gerald Berkowitz, professor of horticulture, University of Connecticut College of Agriculture, Health and Natural Resources
    • Ming-Hui Chen, department head of statistics; Board of Trustees Distinguished Professor, University of Connecticut College of Liberal Arts and Sciences
    • Jie He, professor of chemistry, University of Connecticut College of Liberal Arts and Sciences
    • Guozhen Lu, professor of mathematics; director of Mathematical Sciences Research Collaboratory, University of Connecticut College of Liberal Arts and Sciences
    • Xiuling Lu, professor of pharmaceutical sciences; associate director of the Kildsig Center for Pharmaceutical Processing Research, University of Connecticut School of Pharmacy
    • Vijay Rathinam, professor of immunology, University of Connecticut Health Center School of Medicine
    • Kumar Venkitanarayanan, professor of animal science; associate dean for Research and Graduate Studies, University of Connecticut College of Agriculture, Health and Natural Resources
    • Jing Zhao, professor of chemistry, University of Connecticut College of Liberal Arts and Sciences

    UConn Engineering continues to have a strong presence in CASE membership. Khan, Zhao, Zheng, and Zhou join 16 other faculty from the College of Engineering who are already members of CASE.

    CASE was chartered by the Connecticut General Assembly in 1976 to provide expert guidance on science and technology to the people and to the state of Connecticut, and to promote the application of science and technology to human welfare and economic well-being.

    For more information about CASE, visit https://ctcase.org.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Welcome Back to Honduran Chevening Scholars 2023-24

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    World news story

    Welcome Back to Honduran Chevening Scholars 2023-24

    Deputy Head of Mission, Paul Huggins, welcomed the Honduran Chevening Scholars who successfully completed their master’s programs at UK universities.

    Two Honduran scholars from the 2023-24 academic year pursued master’s degrees at various renowned British institutions. 

    The Embassy congratulated the scholars on the successful completion of their studies and for being outstanding representatives of Honduras during their time in the UK. 

    Chevening is the UK government’s global scholarship program, offered by the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office in partnership with various organizations. Since 1983, Chevening has helped build bridges with over 160 different countries and territories, supporting the education and development of future leaders, influencers, and decision-makers worldwide. 

    The returning scholars are:

    • Eva Carolina Salgado Aguilar – MSc in Data Analytics at Queen Mary University of London. 
    • Fanny Carolina Nuñez Soriano – MSc in Social Innovation & Entrepreneurship at University of Strathclyde. 

    Chevening has fostered economic development and better business environments worldwide by funding scholars who have created businesses, become directors, and hold high-level positions in global organizations. 

    The application window for the 2025-2026 scholarships will open in August 2025. We strongly encourage mid-career professionals to apply for the program and sign up for alerts by visiting the Chevening website.

    Updates to this page

    Published 26 March 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –