Northeast India has emerged as a model of inclusive and sustainable development over the past 11 years, with remarkable progress in agriculture, healthcare, literacy, and social empowerment. Between 2014 and 2025, targeted government schemes and grassroots participation have helped bridge the development gap between the Northeast and the rest of the country.
Sikkim led the charge by becoming the world’s first 100% organic state. Building on its success, the central government launched the Mission Organic Value Chain Development for North Eastern Region (MOVCDNER), under which over 200,000 farmers transitioned to organic farming between 2015 and 2025. The establishment of 434 Farmer Producer Companies has facilitated access to national and international markets.
Mizoram set another benchmark in May 2025 by becoming India’s first state to achieve 100% functional literacy under the ULLAS (Understanding Lifelong Learning for All in Society) mission, which focuses on adult education and community learning.
Healthcare infrastructure has also advanced significantly. Assam now houses 15 medical colleges and 15 cancer hospitals, forming the largest cancer care network in South Asia. These facilities, developed over the past decade, have enhanced access to specialized and affordable treatment for millions in the region.
To measure and guide progress, the Ministry of DoNER launched the North East District Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) Index in collaboration with NITI Aayog and UNDP. This tool tracks district-wise performance on key indicators, helping tailor development policies to local needs.
Together, these milestones represent 11 years of purposeful, people-first growth—transforming the Northeast into a beacon of inclusive and sustainable development.
Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments 3
Press release
First meeting of defence industry body to forge new partnership and industry mobilisation
Defence Secretary John Healey co-chairs the first Defence Industrial Joint Council meeting today, bringing together defence firms, trade unions and investors to forge a new partnership aimed at improving warfighting readiness, driving innovation and boosting British jobs.
Defence Secretary to co-chair inaugural Defence Industrial Joint Council meeting at Hadean’s London headquarters.
Council members include primes, tech companies, small and medium enterprises (SMEs), trade unions and investors, bringing diverse defence industry expertise from all across the UK to the heart of defence decision-making.
Focus on delivering the Government’s Plan for Change by driving jobs and prosperity through a new partnership with industry and driving procurement reforms, marking start of London Tech Week and following launch of the Strategic Defence Review.
The UK’s drive to improve warfighting readiness and turbocharge defence innovation will be the focus of the first ever meeting of the Government’s new Defence Industrial Joint Council (DIJC) today – bringing together Ministers and defence firms of all sizes with trade unions and investors.
Co-chaired by the Secretary of State for Defence, John Healey and Dr. Charles Woodburn, Chief Executive Officer at BAE Systems, the meeting comes at a significant moment for defence, following the publication of the Government’s Strategic Defence Review and in the lead-up to the Defence Industrial Strategy’s publication this summer.
Industry, innovators and investors will benefit from the new partnership with UK Defence, enabling better decision-making and communication between the MOD and its industry partners, boosting British jobs and national security, underpinning the Government’s Plan for Change.
This comes as the Prime Minister made the historic commitment to increase defence spending to 2.5% of UK GDP by April 2027, recognising the critical importance of military readiness in an era of heightened global uncertainty.
Closer collaboration with the defence industry was a key focus of the Strategic Defence Review, which saw the UK committing to:
Investing £6bn in munitions this parliament, including £1.5bn in an “always on” pipeline for munitions and building at least 6 new energetics and munitions factories in the UK, generating over 1,000 jobs and boosting export potential.
Establishing UK Defence Innovation with £400m to fund and grow UK based companies.
Creating a new Defence Exports Office in the Ministry of Defence to drive exports to our allies and growth at home.
Introducing radical new reforms to speed up defence procurement.
Defence Secretary John Healey MP said:
National security is at the heart of our Plan for Change and is essential for economic security. We are sending a signal to industry and to our adversaries: with a strong UK defence sector we will make Britain secure at home and strong abroad.
It is an honour to co-chair the inaugural meeting of the Defence Industrial Joint Council, through which we can forge a new and improved partnership between government and industry, while also bringing trade unions and investors closer to the heart of defence decision-making. I am proud that this council brings together, for the first time, the full range of voices across UK Defence.
UK Defence is open for business and driving defence as an engine for economic growth, boosting British jobs across the UK.
The DIJC replaces the former Defence Suppliers Forum and aims to harness a wider, and more diverse set of defence expertise to shape the future of Britain’s defence manufacturing, supply chain and innovation – including trade union representation alongside SMEs and investors for the first time.
The Council is underpinned by a commitment to continually refresh and widen its membership, to champion new entrants to the defence sector. The diversity of the DIJC’s members reflects the defence sector of the future, a joint endeavour characterised by innovation and efficiency.
The meeting coincides with the first day of London Tech Week, serving as a reminder of the cutting-edge innovation delivered through defence tech year-round and its contribution to keeping the UK safe at home and strong abroad. Innovation as a driver for growth has been recognised by government with a commitment to ringfencing 10% defence budget for investment in novel technologies.
Dr. Charles Woodburn, Chief Executive Officer at BAE Systems said:
Today’s meeting of the Defence Industrial Joint Council is an important moment, bringing together defence companies of all sizes, along with trade unions and investors, to support implementation of the Government’s forthcoming Defence Industrial Strategy.
Improved collaboration and communication will enable industry to continue investing in new technologies, facilities and our workforce to create a stronger UK defence industrial base ready to meet evolving military requirements in an increasingly uncertain world.
Innovation can be delivered most efficiently through partnerships between the public and private sectors, exemplified by the latest remotely operated underwater robot developed by the Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (Dstl) with small and medium enterprises. By modifying a commercially available remotely operated vehicle, Dstl and its industry partners have created a prototype which might soon be able to save lives at sea for the Royal Navy and prevent adversaries from sabotaging undersea cables and pipelines.
The Paiter-Suruí people have a culture deeply rooted in their land: the Sete de Setembro Indigenous Land (TISS), on the border of Rondônia and Mato Grosso in the southwestern Brazilian Amazon. Known as Paiterey Karah, this territory is home to rich biodiversity. However, increasing human encroachment has triggered socio-cultural and territorial challenges that now threaten the transmission of traditional wisdom.
The region’s wildlife includes several primate species—some now at risk of extinction due to deforestation and environmental degradation. Within their traditional memory, the Paiter-Suruí hold extensive knowledge about these animals, which are integral to their cultural heritage. This includes the 10 species of neotropical primates identified and named by the Paiter-Suruí, all native to their territory.
Of these 10 species, five appear on the International Union for Conservation of Nature’s (IUCN) Red List, a global benchmark for conservation status of fauna and flora. Among them, three—Ateles chamek, Chiropotes albinasus, and Pithecia mittermeieri—are considered extremely rare, according to Paiter tradition.
Ethnoprimatology studies the intersections between humans and non-human primates. In this field, the Paiter-Suruí have developed a complex traditional knowledge system relating to the primate species in their territory.
Because it is inherently interdisciplinary, ethnoprimatology connects biology and anthropology, allowing a deeper analysis of how human and primate lives intertwine—both ecologically and culturally.
My research used an ethnoprimatological approach grounded in qualitative methodology, drawing on key practices from biological and cultural anthropology.
The study
This research aimed to document the breadth of Paiter-Suruí knowledge about the primates within the Sete de Setembro Indigenous Land, examining both the cultural and ecological significance of these animals, as well as their uses—for food, handicrafts, traditional medicine, and timekeeping based on animal vocalizations.
Using an interdisciplinary approach, I holistically examined the biological, ecological, and socio-cultural factors shaping the human-primate relationship in this region.
For data collection, I used several techniques: free listing, collective semi-structured interviews, participant observation—immersing myself in daily community life for deeper understanding—and audiovisual recordings.
Interviews included community members aged 20 to 80, with special attention to elders, who are the main custodians of traditional primate knowledge. However, women and young hunters were also included to enrich the information gathered.
Through the free list technique, which asks participants for open-ended answers without restrictions, I identified 10 primate species recognized and named by the Paiter-Suruí.
The primates of the territory
Among the 10 primate species documented in the Sete de Setembro Indigenous Land, three are traditionally used as food, while four have special symbolic importance, woven into key cultural, ecological, and mythological aspects of the Paiter cosmology.
An illustrative case is the red-necked night monkey—called Yaah in Paiter. Elders say this species is excluded from the community’s typical primate classifications and instead regarded as an omen. Hearing its call or unexpectedly seeing one signals the approach of external enemies or impending death in the community.
While exploring these cultural ties to the region’s primates, I also observed the practice of rearing infant animals, especially among girls. Species such as Alouatta puruensis (howler monkey), Saimiri ustus (squirrel monkey), and Mico nigriceps (black-headed marmoset) are commonly involved.
In Paiter-Suruí society, adolescent girls often care for offspring of monkeys hunted by the community, as well as other small animals outside their typical diet. Encouraged by parents, this tradition is a vehicle for socialization and passing down valued skills. By raising young animals, girls develop emotion, empathy, nurturing skills, and hands-on experience seen as foundational for motherhood in Paiter tradition.
Beyond developing caretaking abilities, these interactions strengthen symbolic and emotional connections with local wildlife—especially primates—reinforcing ideals of belonging, reciprocity, and respect for nature. These practices demonstrate the interplay among social learning, interspecies relations, and ecological wisdom passed down through generations.
Community members also reported declining populations of certain primate species, including two—Yaah (Aotus nigriceps) and Arimẽ-Iter (Ateles chamek)—that hold special cultural significance. The latter became a central focus of my research.
The endangered Arimẽ-Iter
The black-faced spider monkey (Ateles chamek), or Arimẽ-Iter to the Paiter, is classified as endangered on the IUCN Red List. Its sacred status and diverse roles led me to propose it as a ‘Cultural Key Species’ for the Paiter-Suruí.
In various Indigenous communities, certain biological species are of exceptional cultural importance and are called Cultural Key Species. Defined by their significant role, many uses and deep integration in community life, these species embody the interdependence between people and their environment.
For the Paiter-Suruí, the black-faced spider monkey (Ateles chamek) stands out for its multiple uses and appears to meet the criteria of a Cultural Key Species.
Based on field observations, I cataloged five uses the Paiter-Suruí associate with this species:
· Food: The meat of Ateles chamek (called Sobag) is an important protein source in the Paiter-Suruí diet.
· Traditional dishes: Its meat is used in cultural recipes, often with Mamé—a flatbread made from corn flour. This practice passes down culinary knowledge and highlights the species’ nutritional, medicinal, and symbolic value in the community.
· Handicrafts: Spider monkey teeth are made into body ornaments (Sogap Arimẽ Ikaáp)—such as necklaces and bracelets—which reflect status or ceremonial participation and reinforce ties between people and local fauna.
· Medicine: The animal’s lard is traditionally applied to wounds (Ikawah), part of the community’s oral ethnopharmacological knowledge passed down by elders and healers.
· Caretaking: When infants are orphaned through hunting, adolescent girls may raise young spider monkeys. This reinforces learning about caretaking and builds affectionate, reciprocal ties between people and primates (Yatĩga), reflecting broader values of coexistence with nature.
Together with ancestral stewardship of spider monkey habitats, these uses highlight the species’ role as essential for cultural preservation and identity among the Paiter-Suruí.
Territorial and environmental management plan
Facing growing socio-environmental challenges, the Paiter have created internal policies for territorial management, grassroots political organization, and culturally centered development—all to protect their culture and traditional knowledge.
This laid the foundation for the Territorial and Environmental Management Plan (PGTA) for the Sete de Setembro Indigenous Land, launched in 2000 as a comprehensive framework guiding conservation, resource management, and recognition of cultural practices.
In my research, I examine TISS land management practices, focusing on the protection of primates as essential to ecological preservation. These animals are vital both for maintaining natural balance and for the cultural continuity of the territory.
Of the 10 primate species recognized by the Paiter, five now qualify as threatened under the IUCN Red List. However, the PGTA currently lacks targeted conservation measures for these at-risk populations. My findings suggest the management plan could serve as a platform to protect local primates.
Ultimately, enacting effective conservation efforts for these ethno-species is critical to the coexistence of the region’s biodiversity and the traditional knowledge of the Paiter-Suruí.
Fabrício Gatagon Suruí não presta consultoria, trabalha, possui ações ou recebe financiamento de qualquer empresa ou organização que poderia se beneficiar com a publicação deste artigo e não revelou nenhum vínculo relevante além de seu cargo acadêmico.
Despite serving as crucial guardians of biodiversity, traditional communities continue to be systematically excluded from developing and managing protected areas. This often subtle, silent exclusion has fueled persistent, complex socio-environmental conflicts, harming both conservation and the welfare of Indigenous peoples, riverside populations, Afro-Brazilian quilombola communities, and smallholder farmers.
A recent study, “Socio-environmental Conflicts and Traditional Communities in Protected Areas: A Scientometric Analysis,” published in the Journal for Nature Conservation, mapped how scientific literature has examined these conflicts over time.
Researchers from the Federal University of Western Pará (UFOPA), the Federal University of Pará (UFPA), the University of International Integration of Afro-Brazilian Lusophony (UNILAB), and the Vale Institute of Technology (ITV) collaborated on the study as part of the National Institute of Science and Technology in Synthesis of Amazonian Biodiversity (INCT-SynBiAm) and the Eastern Amazon Biodiversity Research Program (PPBio-AmOr).
The team reviewed 263 scientific articles published worldwide between 1990 and August 2024, sourced from Scopus and Web of Science. Their analysis revealed significant gaps in research on this topic and offered recommendations for more just, inclusive, and effective management of protected territories.
What does science reveal about these conflicts?
The research shows not only a rise in conflicts involving traditional communities and protected zones, but also their diversity. The main sources of tension are:
1. Access to subsistence resources: Local prohibitions—often unilaterally enacted—restrict fishing, hunting, gathering, and subsistence agriculture, all vital for food and income. These constraints sever longstanding traditions of sustainable resource use, leading to food insecurity and marginalization.
2. Exclusionary management of protected areas: Community voices are rarely included in decisions about protected area creation or management. The absence of prior consultation and disregard for traditional knowledge often yield policies disconnected from local realities. Such centralized management breeds resentment and undermines conservation; participatory governance is essential to socio-environmental justice.
A study in Chile involving Aymaras, Atacameñas, and Mapuche-Huilliches communities found that while participatory practices and technical support from the CONAF forest agency improved perceptions, dissatisfaction persists due to initial exclusion. Many continue to assert ancestral land rights and demand meaningful input, highlighting the urgent need to build trust and align conservation with social justice.
3. Conflicts involving wildlife: Local communities contend with damaged crops, attacks on domestic animals, and even threats to personal safety. Large mammals such as elephants, lions, jaguars, and buffalo are the main culprits. Habitat loss and depleted food sources exacerbate these incidents. Peaceful coexistence requires inclusive, context-specific solutions.
4. Territorial disputes and land rights: Many protected areas overlap with territories long used by traditional peoples. Disavowed land rights provoke legal battles, forced displacement, and greater insecurity, compounding social challenges. Formal recognition of collective land title is key to reducing conflict and ensuring autonomy; these disputes exemplify the global fight for territorial justice.
In Mexico, a recent study documents the impact of land privatization, livestock expansion, plantations, and urbanization in the protected areas of Veracruz, Chiapas, and Morelos. It generated a land market that is disrupting Indigenous and peasant communities and threatening both their territories and forest conservation.
5. Cultural and socioeconomic disruption: Establishing protected areas can upend ways of life rooted in symbolic, generational relationships with nature. Prohibiting customary practices disrupts rituals, beliefs, and the intergenerational transmission of knowledge, silently eroding local cultures.
In the United States, Australia, and New Zealand, studies have noted frequent friction between Indigenous groups, recreational visitors, and managing agencies. Issues include access to sacred sites and resources on traditional lands, visitor infrastructure, permitted activities, and even place names.
6. Lack of recognition and real participation: When communities are denied a voice in decisions, historical inequities deepen, fueling conflict. Despite legal progress, many traditional groups remain excluded from governance. Without meaningful participation, environmental policy fails to address local needs—highlighting the urgent need for community leadership and real power-sharing in conservation.
Italy’s Monti Sibillini National Park in the Central Apennines offers an instructive case: rural depopulation has coincided with rising friction between environmental managers and locals. Imposed bureaucratic guidelines, unresponsiveness to community aspirations, and challenging collaboration between the park and municipalities have generated mutual frustration and hostility. This underscores the need for “knowledge democracy” and truly participatory stewardship that respects diverse ways of living on the land.
Within Brazil, the same types of socio-environmental strife observed worldwide are especially acute in national protected areas. Research shows that even in sustainably managed zones like Extractive Reserves, communities regularly face resource restrictions and limited decision-making power—a recipe for lingering resentment and compromised conservation. Centralized authority and denial of customary land rights often lead to drawn-out disputes, mirroring patterns across the Global South.
These findings highlight Brazil’s urgent need for strong co-management models—mechanisms that value local knowledge and foster territorial justice.
Such tensions cluster in nature reserves and national parks, where regulatory regimes often disregard local lifeways and worldviews. Although the law guarantees consultation and participation mechanisms like free, prior, and informed consultation, they are often ignored or implemented ineffectively.
Another key finding: 66.54% of studies focused on non-Indigenous populations, while only 16.73% examined Indigenous peoples exclusively. This imbalance exposes the under-representation of research attentive to the full range of traditional communities.
Such gaps hinder efforts to understand these peoples’ rich cultural and ecological realities—and in turn, weakens recognition of their expertise and the value of their knowledge for global biodiversity conservation. Scientific consensus now affirms the vital role these communities play in preservation, yet too often they are treated as problems to be managed, not as collaborative partners.
Why does conservation demand inclusion?
Ensuring traditional communities participate in planning and stewarding protected lands is not only a matter of justice, but fundamental to effective conservation. Sustainable outcomes depend on their involvement. This study underscores the urgent need for public policies that are both inclusive and tailored to local conditions, embedding traditional knowledge as an indispensable part of conservation solutions, not as an obstacle.
Worldwide, co-management experiments show that community involvement fosters compliance with conservation rules, improves governance, and delivers stronger socio-environmental benefits.
Shifting the focus to Amazonian science
While most studies reviewed focus on countries in the Global South—like Brazil and India—research production is dominated by institutions in the Global North. This reflects persistent “parachute science”: fieldwork by foreign scientists in rich biodiversity zones, often excluding local scientists and communities from the research process. Such projects often leave little local benefit, treating Amazonian residents as data collectors or study subjects.
To address this, efforts must shift toward empowering Amazonian scientific institutions and researchers, strengthening their role in shaping conservation and research agendas, and realizing epistemic justice. Investments are especially needed in institutions serving remote, often overlooked regions of the Amazon.
With robust support, these institutions can fill crucial gaps—producing research attuned to local realities, expanding our understanding of Amazonian ecosystems, and inspiring new generations of scientists.
Researchers living and working in the Amazon possess deep, context-sensitive knowledge of the territory, enabling them to pose more relevant questions and craft solutions suited to regional challenges and opportunities. Their scholarship, in ongoing dialogue with both environment and community, enriches global science and yields practical advances that matter for daily life in the forest.
Proximity to Indigenous, riverside, and urban populations also enables more authentic community participation in research. When research projects originate from local priorities and perspectives, they strengthen communities, help protect biodiversity, and affirm the possibility of uniting science, social justice, and climate action.
Leandro Juen has a productivity grant from the National Council for Scientific and Technological Development (CNPq), research projects funded by CNPq, the Coordination for the Improvement of Higher Education Personnel (CAPES), the Amazon Foundation for Studies and Research (FAPESPA) and the BRC Biodiversity Consortium.
Everton Silva, Fernando Abreu Oliveira, Fernando Geraldo de Carvalho, James Ferreira Moura Junior, José Max B. Oliveira-Junior, Karina Dias-Silva e Mayerly Alexandra Guerrero Moreno não presta consultoria, trabalha, possui ações ou recebe financiamento de qualquer empresa ou organização que poderia se beneficiar com a publicação deste artigo e não revelou nenhum vínculo relevante além de seu cargo acadêmico.
Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments
News story
Chikungunya vaccine (IXCHIQ) temporarily paused in people aged 65 and over as precautionary measure
This is a precautionary measure while the MHRA conducts the safety review.
Following global reports of serious adverse events in older people, the government’s independent expert advisory body, the Commission on Human Medicines (CHM), has temporarily restricted use of a chikungunya vaccine called IXCHIQ in people aged 65 and over until a further safety review has been concluded.
This is a precautionary measure while the MHRA conducts the safety review.
The MHRA is working with the manufacturer of the IXCHIQ vaccine, Valneva. This vaccine was approved by the MHRA in February 2025. There will be no impact on operational issues as this vaccine is not yet available in the UK and therefore there is no immediate safety concern.
The decision to restrict the licence until further review is based on global data which has highlighted 23 cases of serious adverse reactions, including two cases reporting a fatal outcome, in people aged from 62 to 89 years of age who received the vaccine. There are no changes in the recommendations for vaccination with IXCHIQ for people of 18 to 64 years of age.
The vaccine is currently contraindicated in individuals with immunodeficiency or immunosuppression as a result of disease or medical therapy.
Chikungunya virus (CHIKV) is found in the subtropical regions of the Americas, Africa, Southeast Asia, India, and the Pacific Region, and is spread to humans by the bite of an infected mosquito (Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus). It cannot be passed from human to human. A recent outbreak in La Reunion, an overseas department and region of France, saw over 47,500 people contract the virus, with 12 fatalities.
The majority of people infected with chikungunya develop a sudden fever and severe pain in multiple joints (arthralgia). Other symptoms may include headache, muscle pain, joint swelling, or rash. These symptoms typically resolve within 7 to 10 days, and most patients make a full recovery. However, in some cases joint pain and arthritis may persist for several months or even years. Occasional cases of eye, neurological and heart complications have been reported, as well as gastrointestinal complaints. A small number of people may develop severe acute disease, which can lead to multiorgan failure and death.
Notes to editors
The Commission on Human Medicines (CHM) advises ministers on the safety, efficacy and quality of medicinal products. The CHM is an advisory non-departmental public body, sponsored by the Department of Health and Social Care.
The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) is responsible for regulating all medicines and medical devices in the UK by ensuring they work and are acceptably safe. All our work is underpinned by robust and fact-based judgements to ensure that the benefits justify any risks.
The MHRA is an executive agency of the Department of Health and Social Care.
For media enquiries, please contact the newscentre@mhra.gov.uk, or call on 020 3080 7651.
NEW YORK and MIAMI, June 09, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Siebert Financial Corp. (NASDAQ: SIEB) today announced that its shelf registration statement on Form S-3 has been declared effective by the SEC. The registration is the first step to allow the company to raise up to $100,000,000 through the sale of a range of securities.
The filing strengthens Siebert’s financial flexibility. The proceeds may be used to pursue strategic initiatives that align with Siebert’s long-term vision, including potential acquisitions, the purchase of digital assets (including Bitcoin, Ethereum, and Solana), and investments to advance technology across all service lines, including, but not limited to, AI-powered solutions.
“Our shelf registration is a foundational step toward scaling our technology strategy,” said John J. Gebbia, CEO of Siebert Financial. “We’re creating the additional capital access needed to move decisively in key areas like AI, digital assets, and innovation that will define the future of financial services.”
“Our ability to access capital on flexible terms enhances how we can build value over time,” added Andrew Reich, Chief Financial Officer of Siebert Financial. “This filing gives us the optionality to invest in next-generation technologies and support long-term growth for our shareholders.”
These investments reflect Siebert’s broader commitment to innovation in financial services, including the integration of blockchain technology and digital assets to enhance client experience and platform capabilities.
About Siebert Financial Corp. Siebert is a diversified financial services company and has been a member of the NYSE since 1967, when Muriel Siebert became the first woman to own a seat on the NYSE and the first to head one of its member firms.
Siebert operates through its subsidiaries Muriel Siebert & Co., LLC, Siebert AdvisorNXT, LLC, Park Wilshire Companies, Inc., RISE Financial Services, LLC, Siebert Technologies, LLC, and StockCross Digital Solutions, Ltd, and Gebbia Media LLC. Through these entities, Siebert provides a full range of brokerage and financial advisory services, including securities brokerage, investment advisory and insurance offerings, securities lending, and corporate stock plan administration solutions, in addition to entertainment and media productions. For over 55 years, Siebert has been a company that values its clients, shareholders, and employees. More information is available at www.siebert.com.
Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements The statements contained in this press release that are not historical facts, including statements about our beliefs and expectations, are “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements include statements preceded by, followed by, or that include the words “may,” “could,” “would,” “should,” “believe,” “expect,” “anticipate,” “plan,” “estimate,” “target,” “project,” “intend” and similar words or expressions. In addition, any statements that refer to expectations, projections, or other characterizations of future events or circumstances are forward-looking statements.
These forward-looking statements, which reflect beliefs, objectives, and expectations as of the date hereof, are based on the best judgment of the management of Siebert. All forward-looking statements speak only as of the date on which they are made. Such forward-looking statements are subject to certain risks, uncertainties and assumptions relating to factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those anticipated in such statements, including, without limitation, the following: economic, social and political conditions, global economic downturns resulting from extraordinary events; securities industry risks; interest rate risks; liquidity risks; credit risk with clients and counterparties; risk of liability for errors in clearing functions; systemic risk; systems failures, delays and capacity constraints; network security risks; competition; reliance on external service providers; new laws and regulations affecting Siebert’s business; net capital requirements; extensive regulation, regulatory uncertainties and legal matters; failure to maintain relationships with employees, customers, business partners or governmental entities; the inability to achieve synergies or to implement integration plans; and other consequences associated with risks and uncertainties detailed in Part I, Item 1A – Risk Factors of Siebert’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2023, and Siebert’s filings with the SEC.
Siebert cautions that the foregoing list of factors is not exclusive, and new factors may emerge, or changes to the foregoing factors may occur that could impact its business. Siebert undertakes no obligation to publicly update or revise these statements, whether as a result of new information, future events, or otherwise, except to the extent required by the federal securities laws.
Source: The Conversation – USA – By Kendall Deas, Assistant Professor of Education Policy, Law, and Politics, University of South Carolina
Originally developed as a tool to help Black children attend better schools, school voucher programs now serve a different purpose.Drazen via Getty Images
School voucher programs that allow families to use public funds to pay tuition to attend private schools have become increasingly popular.
The first vouchers were offered in the 1800s to help children in sparsely populated towns in rural Vermont and Maine attend classes in public and private schools in nearby districts.
After the U.S. Supreme Court’s 1954 Brown v. Board of Education decision, in which justices ruled that separating children in public schools on the basis of race was unconstitutional, segregationists used vouchers to avoid school integration.
More recently, school voucher programs have been pitched as a tool to provide children from low-income families with quality education options.
As a scholar who specializes in education policy, law and politics, I can share how current policies have strayed from efforts to support low-income Black children.
History of school voucher programs
Over time, as school voucher policies grew in popularity, they evolved into education subsidies for middle-class families. Peter Dazeley/Getty Images
Research from education history scholars shows that more recent support for school choice was not anchored in an agenda to privatize public schools but rooted in a mission to support Black students.
Over time, as school voucher policies grew in popularity, they evolved into subsidies for middle-class families to send their children to private and parochial schools.
School choice policies have also expanded to include education savings account programs and vouchers funded by tax credit donations.
School voucher programs can negatively impact the quality of public schools serving Black students. Connect Images via Getty Images
States looking to add or expand school choice and voucher programs have adopted language from civil rights activists pushing for equal access to quality education for all children. For example, they contend that school choice is a civil right all families and students should have as U.S. citizens. But school voucher programs can exclude Black students and harm public schools serving Black students in a host of ways, research shows.
Since the Brown v. Board ruling, school voucher programs have been linked to racial segregation. These programs were at times used to circumvent integration efforts: They allowed white families to transfer their children out of diverse public schools into private schools.
For example, private schools that receive voucher funding are not always required to adopt the same antidiscrimination policies as public schools.
School voucher programs can also negatively impact the quality of public schools serving Black students.
As some of the best and brightest students leave to attend private or parochial ones, public schools in communities serving Black students often face declining enrollments and reduced resources.
In cities such as Macon, Georgia, families say that majority Black schools lack resources because so many families use the state’s voucher-style program to attend mostly white private schools.
Moreover, the cost of attending a private or parochial school can be so expensive that even with a school voucher, Black families still struggle to afford the cost of sending children to these schools.
Vouchers can siphon school funding
Voucher programs can disproportionately affect funding in majority Black school districts. kali9/Getty Images
Research from the Economic Policy Institute, a nonpartisan, nonprofit think tank based in Washington, D.C., shows that voucher programs in Ohio result in majority Black school systems such as the Cleveland Metropolitan School District losing millions in education funding.
Another example is the Marion County School District, a South Carolina system where about 77% of students are Black.
Marion County is in the heart of the region of the state known as the “Corridor of Shame,” known for its inadequate funding and its levels of poor student achievement. The 17 counties along the corridor are predominantly minority communities, with high poverty rates and poor public school funding because of the area’s low tax base due to a lack of industry.
On average, South Carolina school districts spent an estimated US$18,842 per student during the 2024-25 school year.
In Marion County, per-student funding was $16,463 during the 2024-2025 school year.
By comparison, in Charleston County, the most affluent in the state, per-student funding was more than $26,000.
Returning voucher policy to its roots
Rather than focus on school choice and voucher programs that take money away from public schools serving Black students, I argue that policymakers should address systemic inequities in education to ensure that all students have access to a quality education.
Establishing restrictions on the use of funds and requiring preferences for low-income Black students could help direct school voucher policies back toward their intent.
It would also be beneficial to expand and enforce civil rights laws to prevent discrimination against Black students.
These measures would help ensure all students, regardless of background, have access to quality education.
Kendall Deas 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.
Yet as fascination with America’s founding endures, controversy colors how the revolution is taught across the United States. From contested efforts by The New York Times “1619 Project” to put slavery at the center of America’s story, to attempts to limit teaching about race and racism, partisanship surrounds the teaching of American history. Anniversaries can inspire public passion, but they can also open old wounds.
As an American historian and a naturalized citizen of the United States, I regard the American Revolution with both personal and professional interest. The fact that I grew up in the United Kingdom amuses my students to no end whenever we discuss the Revolutionary War. Sometimes, in my British-accented English, I remind them I did not personally grow up with King George. Teaching history is encouraging students to think critically about the past without dictating what emotions they should feel – patriotic or otherwise.
Sadly, in the U.S., the sort of objective historical knowledge once taken for granted now appears to be waning. According to the National Assessment of Educational Progress, just 13% of eighth graders in 2023 ranked “proficient” in American history. A 2010 survey found that 26% of adults could not identify from whom America declared its independence, with China, Mexico and France among the responses.
America divorcing France would have been news to Gilbert du Motier, better known as the Marquis de Lafayette. His commitment to the new country not only helped secure its independence, but it also helped solidify American identity decades later.
Key alliance
A privileged aristocrat who served in both the American and French revolutions, Lafayette went to war at age 19. Commissioning and equipping his own expedition across the Atlantic in 1777, he fought in many battles against the British, including decisive action at Yorktown. Earning George Washington’s confidence, Lafayette attained the rank of major general in the Continental Army.
‘The reception of Lafayette at Mount Vernon, home of Washington,’ painted by Herman Bencke around 1875. Bencke & Scott/Library of Congress
Lafayette’s enrollment in the U.S. military predated the 1778 alliance between his home country and the United States. Eventually, France’s alliance turned the tide against Great Britain on land and at sea. By the war’s end, the French had supplied some 12,000 soldiers, 22,000 sailors and dozens of warships to the American cause, plus huge financial resources. When Lafayette volunteered, however, he was one of just a few foreign volunteers – and the most acclaimed.
“Nowadays,” as historian Sarah Vowell conceded, Americans think of Lafayette as “a place, not a person.” But an abundance of cities, counties and thoroughfares named after the revolutionary hero attest to his former celebrity. During World War I, U.S. troops sailed to France under the slogan “Lafayette here we come,” promising to repay America’s debt of gratitude to France.
A growing country
Older Americans may recall the U.S. bicentennial of 1976, marked with much pageantry and even a state visit by Queen Elizabeth II. America’s semicentennial, however – the 50th anniversary of independence – played a far greater role shaping the idea of America in the minds of its citizens.
Lafayette starred in the buildup to this 1826 commemoration, the first of its kind at the national level. President James Monroe, a fellow veteran of the War of Independence, invited Lafayette to be “the guest of America,” honored as the last living major general of the Continental Army. Beginning in July 1824, at the age of 66, Lafayette embarked on a triumphal tour of all 24 states then comprising the union – nearly double the original 13.
As Lafayette headed west, borne by horse-drawn carriage, steamboat and canal barge, he journeyed across a changing America. Nowhere was America’s economic and demographic growth more evident than Cincinnati, where a crowd of 50,000 welcomed Lafayette in May 1825. Once a small frontier town, Cincinnati was growing faster than any comparably sized city in the nation: Its population increased from around 15,000 to roughly 115,000 in the quarter century following Lafayette’s visit.
He addressed his audience with emotion: “The highest reward that can be bestowed on a revolutionary veteran is to welcome him with a sight of the blessings which have issued from our struggle for independence, freedom and equal rights.”
Lafayette gave human face to America’s national commemoration. He granted citizens of frontier states like Ohio – hitherto excluded from the revolutionary narrative – license to celebrate themselves. High turnouts in western stops such as Cincinnati reflected enthusiasm for grand spectacles. They also reflected the growth of America’s print media, which had advertised his visit, and improved transportation in formerly remote regions of the country.
Lafayette’s tour culminated with a September 1825 state banquet in Washington, D.C., hosted by the new president, John Quincy Adams. Adams – the son of America’s second president, John Adams – praised “that tie of love, stronger than death,” connecting Lafayette “for the endless ages of time, with the name of Washington.”
Rose-colored glasses
The enthusiasm that welcomed Lafayette 200 years ago was authentic. But like all good history lessons, Lafayette’s legacy is open to interpretation.
His grand tour cemented the myth of “the Era of Good Feelings”: a golden age of American political harmony. In reality, the seeds of America’s civil war were already evident. Missouri’s 1820 admission to the union threatened the country’s precarious balance between states that opposed slavery and states that allowed it – a crisis Thomas Jefferson warned was “a fire bell in the night.”
Likewise, Lafayette’s lionization in the western United States coincided with the ongoing forced removal of Indigenous people. Ohio, for example, forcibly removed its last Native American tribe in 1843.
Despite the uses and abuses of historical memory and the aversion of modern historians toward hero-worship, Lafayette remains a charismatic figure – a “citizen of two worlds” who championed both abolitionism and women’s rights. I believe his fading public memory indicates a troubling amnesia. America’s anniversary offers the opportunity to reconsider his legacy, alongside revolutionary stories of Americans from all walks of life.
As Lafayette wrote home following the British army’s surrender in 1781: “Humanity has won its battle. Liberty now has a country.”
Matthew Smith 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.
When people use the term “Orwellian,” it’s not a good sign.
It usually characterizes an action, an individual or a society that is suppressing freedom, particularly the freedom of expression. It can also describe something perverted by tyrannical power.
It’s a term used primarily to describe the present, but whose implications inevitably connect to both the future and the past.
But while Orwell believed in the existence of an objective truth about history, he did not necessarily believe that truth would prevail.
President Donald Trump signed an executive order to determine whether ‘public monuments, memorials, statues, markers, or similar properties … have been removed or changed to perpetuate a false reconstruction of American history.’ Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images
Winners write the history
During World War II, the Nazis broadcast reports on German radio describing nonexistent air raids over Britain.
Orwell knew about those reports and wrote: “Now, we are aware that those raids did not happen. But what use would our knowledge be if the Germans conquered Britain? For the purposes of a future historian, did those raids happen, or didn’t they?”
The answer, Orwell wrote, was, “If Hitler survives, they happened, and if he falls, they didn’t happen. So with innumerable other events of the past ten or twenty years. … In no case do you get one answer which is universally accepted because it is true: in each case you get a number of totally incompatible answers, one of which is finally adopted as the result of a physical struggle. History is written by the winners.”
As Orwell wrote in “1984,” his final, dystopian novel, “Who controls the past controls the future. Who controls the present controls the past.”
Power, Orwell appreciated, allowed those who possessed it to create their own historical narrative. It also allowed those in power to silence or censor opposing narratives, quashing the possibility of productive dialogue about history that could ultimately allow truth to come out.
The Ministry of Truth
The desire to eradicate counternarratives drives Winston Smith’s job at the ironically named Ministry of Truth in “1984.”
The novel is set in Oceania, a geographical entity covering North America and the British Isles and which governs much of the Global South.
Oceania is an absolute tyranny governed by Big Brother, the leader of a political party whose only goal is the perpetuation of its own power. In this society, truth is what Big Brother and the party say it is.
The regime imposes near total censorship so that not only dissident speech but subversive private reflection, or “thought crime,” is viciously prosecuted. In this way, it controls the present.
But it also controls the past. As the party’s protean policy evolves, Smith and his colleagues are tasked with systematically destroying any historical records that conflict with the current version of history. Smith literally disposes of artifacts of inexpedient history by throwing them down “memory holes,” where they are “wiped … out of existence and out of memory.”
At a key point in the novel, Smith recalls briefly holding on to a newspaper clipping that proved that an enemy of the regime had not actually committed the crime he had been accused of. Smith recognizes the power over the regime that this clipping gives him, but he simultaneously fears that power will make him a target. In the end, fear of retaliation leads him to drop the slip of newsprint down a memory hole.
The contemporary U.S. is a far cry from Orwell’s Oceania. Yet the Trump administration is doing its best to exert control over the present and the past.
As part of efforts to purge references to gay people, U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has ordered the removal of gay rights advocate Harvey Milk’s name from a Navy ship. Screenshot, Military.com
Other erasures have included the deletion of content on government sites related to the life of Harriet Tubman, the Maryland woman who escaped slavery and then played a pioneering role as a conductor of the Underground Railroad, helping enslaved people escape to freedom.
The administration also directed the removal of content concerning the Tuskegee Airmen, the group of African American pilots who flew missions in World War II.
Over the past several months, many of Trump’s opponents have bemoaned the fecklessness of the Democratic Party in mounting an effective opposition to the president’s agenda.
Current proponents of the “anti-woke” agenda at both the federaland state level are focused on reshaping educational curricula in a way that will make it inconceivable for future generations to question their historical claims.
Orwell’s “1984” ends with an appendix on the history of “Newspeak,” Oceania’s official language, which, while it had not yet superseded “Oldspeak” or standard English, was rapidly gaining ground as both a written and spoken dialect.
According to the appendix, “The purpose of Newspeak was not only to provide a medium of expression for the worldview and mental habits proper to the devotees of [the Party], but to make all other modes of thought impossible.”
Orwell, as so often in his writing, makes the abstract theory concrete: “The word free still existed in Newspeak, but it could only be used in such statements as ‘This dog is free from lice’ or ‘This field is free from weeds.’ … political and intellectual freedom no longer existed even as concepts.”
The goal of this language streamlining was total control over past, present and future.
If it is illegal to even speak of systemic racism, for example, let alone discuss its causes and possible remedies, it constrains the potential for, even prohibits, social change.
It has become a cliché that those who do not understand history are bound to repeat it. As George Orwell appreciated, the correlate is that social and historical progress require an awareness of, and receptivity to, both historical fact and competing historical narratives.
Laura Beers 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.
While many Americans do not trust national news, they still say they have faith in local news. iStock/Getty Images Plus
Many Americans say they have lost trust in national news – but most still believe they can rely on the accuracy of local news.
In 2023, trust in national newspapers, TV and radio reached historic lows. Just 32% of Americans said they have a “great deal” or “fair amount” of trust in these news sources. In 1976, by comparison, 72% of Americans said they had a “great deal” or “fair amount” of trust in mass media, including newspapers, TV and radio.
And in 2021, the United States ranked last among 46 countries in the trust citizens placed in news outlets.
Yet even as the local news industry is declining in the U.S. – more than 3,200 local and regional newspapers have closed since 2005 – Americans still place much more trust in local news than they do in national news.
In 2024, 74% of Americans said they had “a lot of” or “some” trust in their local news organizations, and 85% believed their local news outlets are at least somewhat important to their community.
Despite their trust in local news, many Americans are not willing to pay for it. Only 23% of Americans who say they pay for online news report paying for a local or regional newspaper.
News organizations in the U.S. have long relied on commercial business practices – such as advertising from companies and subscriptions from readers – that have not been financially sustainable since the mid-2000s.
Newspapers’ advertising revenue peaked around 2005 and has since rapidly declined from more than $49 billion a year in 2005 to less than $10 billion in 2020, according to the Pew Research Center. This drop was driven by the rise of the internet.
As a result, the U.S. has lost more than a third of its local and regional newspapers since 2004.
Now, “news deserts” have become more common. This term describes places where there are not enough reliable news sources to help people get information about their local communities.
Of the local newspapers that remain, 80% are weeklies, as opposed to the daily local newspapers that were more common in the past.
Americans also read local newspapers less than they once did. Since 2015, print and digital circulation numbers have dropped 40% for weekday news editions and 45% for Sunday editions among locally focused daily newspapers and their websites.
Despite local news’ problems with declining revenue and readership, Americans still trust local news – and this trust crosses partisan lines.
A 2024 Pew Research Center survey found that both Republicans and Democrats think local journalists are in touch with their local communities. The majority of Democrats and Republicans in this survey agreed that local news media “report news accurately,” “are transparent about their reporting,” “cover the most important stories/issues” and “keep an eye on local political leaders.”
This might be because local newspapers can focus on issues people encounter in their day-to-day lives rather than on national politics. In many cases, readers are also able to more easily connect with local journalists in their communities and share story ideas or feedback.
Local news gives constituents information they need to monitor whether their local leaders are implementing campaign promises. People who regularly follow local news are more likely to participate in politics, including voting in local elections, contacting a local public official and attending a town hall meeting.
A man reads the New York Post, a local New York City paper, on Nov. 5, 2008, in Grand Central Station. Don Emmert/AFP via Getty Images
Some Americans started relying more heavily on national news when local newspapers shut down, which research shows led to increases in political polarization. My research found that when people trust a partisan-leaning national news source, for example, they’re very likely to agree with the partisan-slanted news stories published by that source.
As nonpartisan local newspapers have vanished or downsized, partisan-leaning online local news content has cropped up over the past several years. These sites publish news stories that are focused on local issues but approach it with a partisan bent. As a result, people looking for local news information may take in unreliable information that is presented as local news and interpret it as trustworthy.
Verifying the origins and intentions of information continues to be paramount for news consumers to make sure they are receiving accurate information – including when it comes to local news.
While the local news industry continues to face financial problems, research shows that local journalists could consider new content ideas to increase readers’ interest, such as engaging with community members by answering their specific questions.
Meanwhile, I believe that news consumers should consider whether they are willing to pay for and continuously support the local news they say that they trust. Without that support, their trusted local news source may disappear.
Jennifer Hoewe 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.
Source: The Conversation – USA – By Michael A. Little, Distinguished Professor Emeritus of Anthropology, Binghamton University, State University of New York
If people stopped having babies, how long would it be before humans were all gone? – Jeffrey
Very few people live beyond a century. So, if no one had babies anymore, there would probably be no humans left on Earth within 100 years. But first, the population would shrink as older folks died and no one was being born.
Even if all births were to suddenly cease, this decline would start slowly.
Eventually there would not be enough young people coming of age to do essential work, causing societies throughout the world to quickly fall apart. Some of these breakdowns would be in humanity’s ability to produce food, provide health care and do everything else we all rely on.
Food would become scarce even though there would be fewer people to feed.
As an anthropology professor who has spent his career studying human behavior, biology and cultures, I readily admit that this would not be a pretty picture. Eventually, civilization would crumble. It’s likely that there would not be many people left within 70 or 80 years, rather than 100, due to shortages of food, clean water, prescription drugs and everything else that you can easily buy today and need to survive.
Sudden change could follow a catastrophe
To be sure, an abrupt halt in births is highly unlikely unless there’s a global catastrophe. Here’s one potential scenario, which writer Kurt Vonnegut explored in his novel “Galapagos”: A highly contagious disease could render all people of reproductive age infertile – meaning that no one would be capable of having babies anymore.
A lot of these works are science fiction involving a lot of space travel. Others seek to predict a less fanciful Earth-bound future where people can no longer reproduce easily, causing collective despair and the loss of personal freedom for those who are capable of having babies.
Two of my favorite books along these lines are “The Handmaid’s Tale,” by Canadian writer Margaret Atwood, and “The Children of Men,” by British writer P.D. James. They are dystopian stories, meaning that they take place in an unpleasant future with a great deal of human suffering and disorder. And both have become the basis of television series and movies.
In the 1960s and 1970s, many people also worried that there would be too many people on Earth, which would cause different kinds of catastrophes. Those scenarios also became the focus of dystopian books and movies.
‘The Last Man on Earth’ is an American postapocalyptic comedy television series about what might happen after a deadly virus wipes out most of the people in the world.
Heading toward 10 billion people
To be sure, the number of people in the world is still growing, even though the pace of that growth has slowed down. Experts who study population changes predict that the total will peak at 10 billion in the 2080s, up from 8 billion today and 4 billion in 1974.
The U.S. population currently stands at 342 million. That’s about 200 million more people than were here when I was born in the 1930s. This is a lot of people, but both worldwide and in the U.S. these numbers could gradually fall if more people die than are born.
One thing that will be important as these patterns change is whether there’s a manageable balance between young people and older people. That’s because the young often are the engine of society. They tend to be the ones to implement new ideas and produce everything we use.
Also, many older people need help from younger people with basic activities, like cooking and getting dressed. And a wide range of jobs are more appropriate for people under 65 rather than those who have reached the typical age for retirement.
Declining birth rates
In many countries, women are having fewer children throughout their reproductive lives than used to be the case. That reduction is the most stark in several countries, including India and South Korea.
The declines in birth rates occurring today are largely caused by people choosing not to have any children or as many as their parents did. That kind of population decline can be kept manageable through immigration from other countries, but cultural and political concerns often stop that from happening.
At the same time, many men are becoming less able to father children due to fertility problems. If that situation gets much worse, it could contribute to a steep decline in population.
Neanderthals went extinct
Our species, Homo sapiens, has been around for at least 200,000 years. That’s a long time, but like all animals on Earth we are at risk of becoming extinct.
Consider what happened to the Neanderthals, a close relative of Homo sapiens. They first appeared at least 400,000 years ago. Our modern human ancestors overlapped for a while with the Neanderthals, who gradually declined to become extinct about 40,000 years ago.
Some scientists have found evidence that modern humans were more successful at reproducing our numbers than the Neanderthal people. This occurred when Homo sapiens became more successful at providing food for their families and also having more babies than the Neanderthals.
If humans were to go extinct, it could open up opportunities for other animals to flourish on Earth. On the other hand, it would be sad for humans to go away because we would lose all of the great achievements people have made, including in the arts and science.
In my view, we need to take certain steps to ensure that we have a long future on our own planet. These include controlling climate change and avoiding wars. Also, we need to appreciate the fact that having a wide array of animals and plants makes the planet healthy for all creatures, including our own species.
Hello, curious kids! Do you have a question you’d like an expert to answer? Ask an adult to send your question to CuriousKidsUS@theconversation.com. Please tell us your name, age and the city where you live.
And since curiosity has no age limit – adults, let us know what you’re wondering, too. We won’t be able to answer every question, but we will do our best.
Michael A. Little 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.
Paddy Hill spent more than 16 years in prison for murders he did not commit. One of the so-called Birmingham Six who were wrongfully convicted for the Birmingham pub bombings in 1974, he was proof that exoneration and financial compensation do not fix a miscarriage of justice.
When I met him in July 2023, more than 30 years after his release from prison, his ordeal continued to haunt him. He was in his late 70s, looking frail and far from the “12 and a half stone” man he was in Parkhurst Prison. He had very little appetite and was in poor health. The little sleep he was able snatch was marred by screaming nightmares.
Neither of us knew it at the time, but this was to be his final interview. He died aged 80, on December 30 2024. I sat down to talk with Hill in his living room. Struggling to control his emotions, he told me: “Sometimes I sit in the bedroom … and I’m crying my eyes out like a child and I don’t know what the fuck happened … I’ve been so fucking screwed up.”
The ITV docudrama Mr Bates vs the Post Office thrust wrongful convictions into mainstream consciousness in January 2024 – a quarter of a century after the Post Office began prosecuting sub-postmasters and mistresses for fraud, theft, and false accounting and 15 years after Rebecca Thomson’s Computer Weekly article exposing the Horizon IT system as the potential culprit.
Now the public could finally see the human impact of miscarriages of justice on these upstanding – and, more importantly, innocent – members of their communities. Public outrage followed.
But despite the mass quashing of hundreds of convictions, and amid promises of speedy financial compensation, progress has been pitiful. While collecting a National Television Award in September 2024, former sub-postmistress Jo Hamilton confirmed that out of the “555 group”, those involved in the litigation which exposed the Horizon scandal, “more than 300 haven’t been paid yet, including Sir Alan Bates”.
Sadly, this timescale is far from unusual. In July 2023, Andrew Malkinson finally had his 2003 rape conviction overturned after several unsuccessful appeals, including unsuccessful applications in 2012 and 2020 to the Criminal Cases Review Commission (CCRC), the independent body which investigates potential miscarriages of justice.
Crucially, the CCRC did not commission the DNA testing that finally exonerated him and did not review police files which would have shown that Greater Manchester Police had withheld crucial evidence at his trial.
Malkinson spent 17 years in prison maintaining his innocence. Perversely, he could have been released sooner had he falsely confessed. He was eventually exonerated thanks to the help of the charity Appeal, which commissioned those crucial DNA tests and unearthed the disclosure failures.
The CCRC has since acknowledged in an independent review that it “failed Mr Malkinson” with chairperson Helen Pitcher OBE (whose recent resignation was welcomed by the Ministry of Justice) eventually expressing “sincere regret and an unreserved apology on behalf of the commission”. All of this happened 12 months after Malkinson called on the CCRC to apologise to him. Malkinson said it was “shameful” that the CCRC has kept private the names of those responsible for his ordeal and delayed the publishing of the report highlighting its mishandling of his case.
The true number of miscarriages of justice is unknown. In the UK, the CCRC referral rate averages 2% including appeals of sentence. In the US, estimates of wrongful conviction and imprisonment range from 6% to 15.4%.
The Insights section is committed to high-quality longform journalism. Our editors work with academics from many different backgrounds who are tackling a wide range of societal and scientific challenges.
Inevitably, some innocent people will have their appeals denied and will remain convicted for the rest of their lives. The trauma of remaining legally guilty of a crime you did not commit cannot be overstated.
But persistent psychological ill-effects can be seen even in those who have been formally exonerated, including long-term effects on their employment and relationships.
I’ve been examining cases like this as part of a research project into the experiences of people who suffer grave miscarriages of justice. Working with Dr Mandy Winterton at Edinburgh Napier University, I interviewed several men who have been imprisoned for crimes they did not commit.
As academics with psychology and sociology backgrounds, we were predominantly interested in how victims were affected by such injustices. Previous research has documented the litany of mental health and social effects on those who have been wrongfully convicted and exonerated, and the flaws in the criminal justice system that are to blame. But little attention has been paid to individual experiences. While there were clear commonalities in the men’s stories, they all had unique perspectives.
Of the people we spoke to, Hill and a man called Jimmy Boyle spoke to us on the record and specifically requested that they be named. I have given the other men featured here pseudonyms to protect their anonymity.
Paddy Hill
Hill’s story is particularly harrowing. On November 21 1974, shortly after 8pm, bombs exploded in two pubs in Birmingham, England, killing 21 people and injuring around 200 others. They were attributed to the Provisional Irish Republican Army (IRA), which had detonated many bombs in the West Midlands in the previous year.
Hill and his friends were arrested at Heysham Docks as they were boarding the ferry to Belfast to attend the funeral of an old friend who had been a member of the IRA. Hill said that they were initially interviewed at Morecambe police station in Lancashire, and the West Midlands Police took over their questioning the next day.
Hill and his co-accused were, says Hill, tortured by the West Midlands serious crime squad. They were subjected to anti-Irish verbal abuse, hours-long beatings over several days, mock executions, were burned with cigarettes, and deprived of sleep, food and drink. Unable to withstand this, four of the six men eventually signed false confessions, condemning them all to life imprisonment in 1975 for the murders. The six men brought a civil action against the West Midlands Police which was thrown out in 1980 by Lord Denning.
These shocking revelations eventually reached the public consciousness thanks to investigative journalist and former Labour MP Chris Mullin, who uncovered evidence of police wrongdoing and corruption. His work informed the group’s court of appeal hearing in 1987. However, the convictions were upheld by Lord Chief Justice Lane. It was only at their second appeal in 1991, after Mullin had uncovered more evidence of their innocence, that they were finally exonerated.
Despite other lines of enquiry which could have led to the real bombers – including a confession and several named suspects – the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) decided in 2023 that there was insufficient evidence to prosecute, denying justice to the families of those killed and injured.
The impact on Hill’s family was enormous. With such public vitriol for the Birmingham Six, his wife and children had to move house regularly and change their names to avoid being recognised. He told me:
Everywhere they went, sooner or later somebody found out who they were and then they’d pick on them. And sometimes my kids were going to school and they couldn’t even remember what fucking name they were supposed to be using, they were that confused.
Hill’s marriage ended while he was in prison. “I told her to divorce me. I said: ‘Meet someone, you want to get married, don’t worry about me.’ And that was it.”
He later remarried, but his relationship with his children was irretrievably destroyed. “Along the way I lost my own kids, because I came out of jail and I didn’t feel nothing for my kids. I still don’t … I’ve spent more time here with you than I have done in the last 20 fucking years with my kids.”
Though he was referred to psychologists for support, he told me none were able to help him. Over and above the pains of imprisonment, the wrongfully convicted are betrayed by the very people that we are led to believe are there to protect us. The justice system has wrought on them the worst injustice, and many will suffer from enduring anger and mistrust of authorities.
When we met, Hill was still consumed by his anger and felt badly let down: “Over the years I realised I was never going to get any professional help from the government, even though we have it in writing that they have a duty of care towards us – but they’ve never done nothing to help us … If they did, they would acknowledge what they’ve done wrong.”
Up until his death, Hill had spent much of the past 30 years helping other survivors of miscarriages of justice. Initially intending to spend his first 12 months of freedom campaigning, he “got involved with the families, and it was then I realised how bad the families had it … That’s what kept me going, coming out and campaigning.”
He established the Miscarriages of Justice Organisation (Mojo), a Glasgow-based charity dedicated to supporting the wrongfully convicted. It provides advocacy for clients in prison, aftercare and reintegration services, and dedicated psychological support offered pro-bono by a clinical psychologist.
But the demand far exceeds Mojo’s ability to help, and it may take several months for a case to be assessed. Euan McIlvride, the organisation’s legal officer, told me it typically receives “250 applications a year, and we will probably support only ten of those because the rest of them don’t meet the requirements for our support … We have finite resources.”
For Hill, keeping busy provided some relief from thinking about his ordeal.
…When you aren’t doing something, all you’re going to do is sit there and think … about things you don’t fucking want to think about. I don’t know what happens to me when I go to sleep … [My wife] hears me screaming … kicking and punching everything … I’ll be watching television and all of a sudden … BANG! It’s like a non-stop video going through your head all the time.
Chained to a radiator
The Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984 (Pace), which came to effect in 1986, aimed to reduce miscarriages of justice by balancing the powers of the police and the public. Pace provides safeguards for suspects during questioning, puts a limit on how long suspects can be questioned for, and insists that interviews be recorded.
This makes it easier to detect when protocols have not been followed or there may have been mistreatment or intimidation.
It doesn’t prevent such wrongdoing, however.
I spoke with one man, who I am calling Mark, who was wrongfully convicted of murder in 1988. He told me there were over one hundred breaches of Pace in his case, including being handcuffed to a hot radiator, being denied food and water, and being denied a solicitor.
One of his co-accused, a vulnerable adult, had also falsely confessed to the crime. Mark lost his first appeal in 1990 but his case went to the CCRC when it was established in 1997. The CCRC brought in another police force to investigate. He said:
When I saw [their] report … I nearly fell off my chair and nearly choked on my coffee … Everything I had said all those years ago … the handcuffing to the radiators, they proved it. All the breaches of the Police and Criminal Evidence Act … that we were interviewed off the record … Making up notes and stuff like that. I couldn’t believe it. I knew we were going home.
He subsequently pursued a civil action against the police which was settled out of court, with the force insisting the settlement did not mean it was admitting liability.
Mark also suffered a marital breakdown, after he and his wife lost their baby daughter while he was on remand:
It ripped the guts out of my marriage, you know. My wife was only 17-18, same age as me … She had a husband inside and she lost a child. And you’ve got to look at the economical impact and the mental impact it had on her … She was just as much a victim as what I was.
He started taking drugs in prison: “I didn’t care if I lived or died because I had lost everything, as far as I was concerned.”
But Mark turned himself around, got off drugs and availed himself of all the education he had access to, including law and human rights, to build the strongest possible case for his appeal. With the aid of a human rights lawyer the CCRC referred his conviction in 1998, which was then quashed by the Court of Appeal in 1999. He had spent 11 years in prison as a convicted murderer.
‘The innocence test’
After his exoneration, Mark was successful in securing over £600,000 compensation for his ordeal, though he had over £37,000 deducted for “saved living expenses”. A House of Lords ruling in 2007 deemed that those receiving compensation for a miscarriage of justice can have the amount reduced to account for “savings” made while in prison – for costs such as food, housing and other bills that they would have had to pay had they not been wrongfully incarcerated.
Considering the difficulties people face accessing any financial compensation for their wrongful imprisonment, this adds further insult to injury. The rule has since been scrapped following the high-profile Malkinson case – but deductions made prior to this are not being reimbursed.
Mark was given no financial counselling or support, and he rapidly spent the money – more than he had ever had in his life – while trying to block out his pain:
By the time six months had gone, I’d spent the hundred grand [interim payment] on wine, women, drugs … ’cause I couldn’t cope with what was going on … That was my way of blotting out all the things I saw in prison.
The money also caused a rift in his family – something echoed by others I have spoken to. After the death of his mother, his family “went their own ways”.
Nowadays, only a small proportion of those exonerated will ever receive financial compensation due to the requirements of the so-called “innocence test”.
The Criminal Justice Act 1988 made it difficult for applicants to receive compensation because there had to be a newly discovered fact – not available at the time of their original trial – that they could use to make the case that they had suffered a miscarriage of justice.
The definition of what constitutes a miscarriage of justice has become more restrictive over time, meaning an applicant now must provide evidence, beyond reasonable doubt, of their innocence. In the absence of a key witness admitting to falsifying their statement or DNA evidence proving innocence, this is unlikely.
Like Hill, Mark struggled to adjust after his exoneration and release, and found support to be woefully lacking:
I had nobody to talk to, no money, no job, no house. I didn’t have any prospects. I phoned up my solicitor … I remember saying: ‘Why did you get me out?’ It was difficult to adjust … I slept with a hammer … under my pillow – I was very paranoid … All they did was give me tablets and told me to get on with my life. No counselling. Nothing. They didn’t know what to do with people like me.
Mark still suffers with post-traumatic stress disorder and depression, and has never been able to work a normal job. He continues to campaign for the wrongfully convicted and to increase awareness of miscarriages of justice. He credits this work with giving him a sense of purpose.
Jimmy Boyle – not innocent enough?
I also spoke to James Boyle, who was acquitted at retrial of historical sexual offences after he had spent five years in prison. Boyle, from Rutherglen, who likes to be known as Jimmy, has always maintained these offences never happened.
From the outset, Boyle found processes quite at odds from how we are told they are supposed to be. He said: “Things that you should have: for example, presumption of innocence – nonsense, it doesn’t exist. None of these rights exist in reality.” He claims that lines of evidence undermining the allegations against him were not investigated. Further, he encountered professionals in the criminal justice system who he says were incompetent and even “malicious” and “criminal”.
To add further insult, he was later told that he was not considered exonerated because he did not provide evidence proving his innocence (he failed the “innocence test”). As a result, the General Teaching Council for Scotland did not reinstate him and he was unable to return to his teaching career which he had found enormously fulfilling.
Like others I have spoken to, Boyle, now in his 60s, hasn’t been able to work since his release:
There was so much involved, and fighting with the Teaching Council – you know, it was full time. It really was full time when you’re dealing with these agencies … I do plenty [at Mojo] – I’ve spoken at a number of events … But I had to continue fighting my own fight.
Martin: total lack of victim support
Miscarriages of justice have a huge effect on a person’s mental health. But my research found the impact begins long before a conviction – with effects such as anxiety, trauma and depression resulting from the wrongful allegation.
Martin (not his real name) detailed the difficulties he experienced from his initial wrongful allegation of rape – including isolation, lack of advice, and a lack of appropriate mental health support. He said:
I kept [the rape allegations] to myself and it was horrific, because I didn’t know what was going to happen … Once I was charged … I went to my GP because I was severely depressed. I could barely function. [Counselling] was actually making things worse rather than better … I had looked online … There’s victim support and there’s witness support, but if you’ve been accused there is absolutely nothing.
It took over three years from the initial allegation to court proceedings, during which time two other allegations of rape and indecent assault were made and charges were brought. Martin kept the allegations from his employers and friends:
You don’t mention it because if you mention it, you’re opening the box and then that becomes a big thing – and God help how you’re going to feel at the end of that conversation.
Convicted of rape and indecent assault (the second and third charges), he was sentenced to four years in prison, but successfully appealed on the basis that the Moorov doctrine was misapplied.
Moorov is a principle of Scottish law which allows evidence of one crime to corroborate evidence of another. As the charges against him were considered to corroborate one another, having been acquitted of the key (first) charge he should have been acquitted of all. Instead, he spent about a year in prison – yet he considers himself fortunate.
The guy [Andrew Malkinson] that won his appeal the other day spent 17 years in prison. I only spent one. And although I shouldn’t have spent any, it could have been a hell of a lot worse. There are a lot of people that haven’t been able to clear their names, there are a lot of people that have spent a long time in prison. I spent one year and managed to clear my name, so I should be thankful for what little happiness I’ve managed to get out of it.
Martin was fortunate in that he’d had a good education and had taken detailed notes during his trial, which assisted his appeal. He also helped other prisoners who were struggling to complete required forms for themselves, and managed to get a job in the prison kitchen.
Since his release, he has pursued a law degree, eager to use his experience for positive change in the justice system. “I think it’s given me a new perspective really … You know what, life’s too short – let’s just get on with it.”
What needs to be done?
People wrongly accused of crimes are in dire need of support from the moment the initial allegation is made, to help them navigate the complex legal processes and challenging psychological effects of being wrongly accused.
Currently there is woefully inadequate mental health support at all stages, from initial allegation to post-release.
Of course, there are many guilty people in prison who protest their innocence – but support should not be denied to those who maintain their innocence.
Reforms are needed to make it easier for an innocent person to appeal their conviction. The CCRC has suffered a decline in funding, from £9.24 million in 2004 to £6 million in 2022. Over this period, the workload has more than doubled while the Ministry of Justice has reduced CCRC commissioners’ terms of employment from full-time salaried positions to one-day-a-week contracts, making the workload unsustainable.
People may also face significant barriers in accessing evidence that would exonerate them such as police files, without which they have little hope of a successful appeal. This was evident in the Malkinson case, where the charity Appeal accessed the police files the CCRC had refused to look at.
The lack of accountability and consequences for those who purposely harm innocent people causes further anger and distress to the wrongfully accused and convicted. Yet those affected rarely even receive an apology. This needs to change.
Finally, there needs to be greater public awareness of wrongful convictions and allegations, their causes and consequences, and an understanding of their devastating and long-term effects. As Hill told me the year before he died:
People think you come out and they give you a few quid … [then you] walk off into the sunset and live happily ever after. If only. I would love to go to bed at night like an ordinary fucking person … without waking up so angry and tense.
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This work was supported by the BA/Leverhulme Trust grant SRG1819190884. Many thanks to Dr Mandy Winterton, co-Investigator on this research, and to the Miscarriages of Justice Organisation (MOJO) for supporting us by facilitating access to clients.
Faye Skelton is affiliated with the Miscarriages of Justice Organisation having joined the Board of Directors in April 2025.
Source: The Conversation – UK – By Victoria Mapplebeck, Professor in Digital Arts, Royal Holloway University of London
Ten years ago I was at a preview screening at the British Film Institute (BFI) of short films shot and set in London. My smartphone-filmed short, 160 Characters, was part of the programme and told the story of me raising my son Jim alone.
I was excited to have my film included, but by the end of the night I was a little less euphoric. I was one of only a handful of women directors screening work that night and almost every film in the programme was set on a council estate, featuring one-dimensional characters who were either mad, bad or sad.
At the post-screening drinks, I met some of the male directors who’d written and directed those films. Several of them had put between £20,000 and £40,000 of their own money into their productions, hoping their short would be the calling card to their first feature. Having a “day job” was not a concept they seemed to have come across.
Flash forward a decade and I’m at a Reclaim The Frame preview screening of Daisy May Hudson’s feature drama Lollipop, watching her receive a standing ovation from an audience who – like me – were bowled over by the authenticity and power of her storytelling .
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Lollipop is a BBC Films-funded feature drama which tells the story of Molly (Posy Sterling), recently out of a prison after serving a four-month sentence. She comes out to find she has lost her council housing and custody of her kids. Molly finds herself in the mother of all catch-22s: she can’t get housing because she doesn’t have her kids living with her, but she can’t get them back without a roof over her head.
On the surface, this film could read like another council estate melodrama. But Lollipop is the polar opposite of middle class fantasies of working class life. When Hudson was writing it she drew on her own experience of homelessness, explored in her debut feature documentary, Half Way (2015).
In Half Way, Hudson, her mum and her kid sister find themselves stuck in “half way” hostels in an endless battle with council bureaucrats who meet their escalating housing crisis with a continual chorus of “computer says no”.
There’s a great scene in which Hudson’s sister complains that the film is too heavy and that she’s sick of talking about their “trauma”. She jokes: “I was thinking we need to liven this documentary up, it’s really dull and miserable and boring, we just talk about doom and gloom stuff.” She goes on to mimic Hudson’s line of questions about how they’re all “feeling”.
Hudson’s decision to keep that scene in gave us a much needed reminder of how many documentary directors fall into the trap of “poverty porn” in which the money shot is the tear rolling down your protagonist’s cheek.
The trailer for Lollipop.
Watching Lollipop with an audience of mainly women, there were a lot of tears but also lots of laughter. Hudson continues to see the importance of humour in her stories as a way of enriching and empowering her characters. She explains in the film’s production notes: “Although Lollipop is grounded in real-life, I never want to see women as victims on screen, because we’re so full of life, there’s so much about us.”
In Hudson’s entirely female cast, Molly and her best mate Amina (Idil Ahmed) are fierce single mums who transform the challenges they face into laugh-out-loud moments of comedy. The film is about the power of their friendship, their love for their kids and their sense of humour.
When it came to casting, Hudson wanted to work with women actors – professionals and first timers – who could relate to what the characters were going through. In the film’s production notes, Hudson explains:
I come from a lived experience background, and it was really important to me that I worked with women with lived experience … women who felt full and rounded, not perfect. Every woman you see in the film is someone trying to do their best. We’re humans. We’re messy, and our beauty is in our messiness.
Hudson’s work is part of a new wave of film and TV drama and comedy written and directed by women who are empowered rather than disempowered by their messiness.
Cash Carraway’s Rain Dogs (2023), Sophie Willan’s Alma’s Not Normal (2020), Michelle de Swarte’s Spent (2024) and Charlotte Regan’s debut feature drama, Scrapper (2023) are all part of an emerging genre of stories in which we finally see working class characters who are well written and relatable. Every one of these directors has mined the highs and lows of their own lives to create these funny, flawed, complex and ultimately believable characters.
The trailer for Rain Dogs.
Rain Dogs*, for instance,* follows the roller-coaster journey of Costello (Daisy May Cooper), a single mum battling to find a permanent home for her and her nine-year-old daughter. Carraway has said of her series:
We don’t see interesting single mothers in TV. We don’t really see that many interesting people living in poverty. If we do, it’s always politicised. I wanted to make it entertaining.
Hudson echoes these sentiments. Speaking to me over the phone, she explains:
Lollipop isn’t issue-led. I don’t want to shout from the rooftops and talk about everything that’s wrong with the world. Yes, the context is these things that I care strongly about. But ultimately, I want audiences to come away, feeling: Wow, isn’t love a magical thing?“
Hudson’s mantra in both life and film is to: “Turn your pain into power and into medicine.” Her women characters have an alchemy and agency we rarely see in the black and white council estate films that became such a staple of UK independent films in the 80s and 90s. Hudson’s women aren’t victims or martyrs, the magic of Lollipop is that she has created fascinating real characters – and captured them in glorious technicolour.
Victoria Mapplebeck 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.
When I started horse riding lessons at the age of eight, I was told that if a horse had its ears forward that was a good sign, and if horse had its ears back it wasn’t happy. Those riding lessons sparked a fascination with equine behaviour that is still with me and inspires my research.
Yet when I carried out my new study into horse facial expressions I was still surprised at how complex equine communication can be.
Horses are a social species with wild and feral populations living in complex societies. They form relatively stable herds or “bands”, typically made up of a stallion protecting his group of mares. The ranges of these bands overlap, and the need to share space and resources means that effective communication is essential for horses.
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We also know that facial expressions are an important method of communication for horses. In a 2016 study, equine cognition researcher Jen Wathan and her colleagues demonstrated this when they showed a group of horses images of another horse.
The horse in the images was displaying one of three different facial expressions: aggression, positive attention and relaxation. Horses were more likely to approach the images of the horse showing positive attention and relaxation. They tended to avoid the horse showing aggression. This shows that horses can use the expression of another horse to infer that animal’s intent.
Equine facial communication is therefore, understandably, of significant interest to those working with and around horses. Go to any stables, as I did when I was young, and you will hear talk of which signals to look out for. You will quickly learn that the ears are important. However, in recent years, scientists have become interested in the more subtle cues that are often overlooked.
Research into horse facial expressions began in 2014 with identifying indicators of pain to try and improve horse welfare. More recently, there have been a number of studies that have looked at facial expressions outside of pain contexts. These have, however, been restricted to a small number of usually human-created, contexts.
For example, in 2024 animal behaviour researchers Romane Phelipon and colleagues examined the facial expressions of horses when they were being led towards a bucket of feed and allowed to eat. They were also shown the bucket of feed and then prevented from eating it.
In the positive situation, horses had a lower neck position, their ears forward, and their upper lip extended forwards. In the more frustrating situation, horses held their neck higher, with their ears backward or to the side.
My team wanted to extend what we know about equine facial behaviour into contexts that don’t involve humans, and to identify the expressions that horses use when communicating with each other.
To do this we used something called the equine facial action coding system (EquiFACS). This involves two types of code: action units, which correspond to the contraction of particular facial muscles; and action descriptors, which correspond to more general facial movements.
There are already similar codes for a variety of primate and domestic species, including cats and dogs. This makes them useful for making comparisons between species and for studying the evolution of facial behaviour.
We observed groups of domestic horses out at pasture. Whenever they interacted with one another we would hit record on our video camera and film the facial expressions they made. This gave us a bank of 805 expressions, which were coded using EquiFACS.
We categorised the expressions based on the behaviour they were associated with, such as a kick threat or friendly contact. Then we used network analysis techniques to assess how the individual action units and action descriptors work together to create the overall facial expression. Network analysis is a statistical method usually used to study social networks, but which also works well for understanding how the different areas of the face work together.
This created a catalogue that identified 22 discrete facial expressions. These included expressions from a range of aggressive, friendly, playful and alert interactions. Some movements are used across several contexts, for instance rotated and flattened ears which can indicate aggression or playfulness.
When making a threat, horses have their ears rotated backwards and flattened downwards. They often lower their head, raise the inner corner of their brow, and/or flare their nostrils.
Most interesting are facial expressions during play, which are highly dynamic. They involve a range of different facial movements, often in quick succession. Movements include depressed lower lips, raised chins, parted lips, wide-open mouths, rotated and flattened ears, increased visibility of eye whites, and noses pushed forward.
We also identified similarities between the facial expressions horses make during play and the play faces used by primates and carnivores. Primates and carnivores often use an open-mouthed expression to indicate that an interaction is playful. This can help prevent misunderstandings about the intent of an interaction, and is particularly useful during rough-and-tumble play. The fact that this expression is also used by horses suggests that it evolved much further back than scientists believed.
Anyone who needs a way to assess a horse’s subjective experience can benefit from our catalogue, from researchers through to those working with horses. I certainly wish I had had it over the many years I spent riding, and later working, at my local riding school.
Our results also highlight the importance of looking beyond our primate cousins if we are to gain a comprehensive understanding of facial expressions and their evolutionary origins.
Kate Lewis does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.
Source: The Conversation – UK – By Stephen Clear, Lecturer in Constitutional and Administrative Law, and Public Procurement, Bangor University
Since returning to office, Donald Trump has often called the US legal system into question. He has criticised judges as activists, challenged the role of the courts and insisted some firms do free legal work in support of his administration’s causes to make up for working for some of his political opponents.
Meanwhile, Vice-President J.D. Vance has advised US Supreme Court chief justice John Roberts that he ought to be “checking the excesses” of the lower courts.
And Stephen Miller, deputy White House chief of staff, said: “We are living under a judicial tyranny,” after the US Court of International Trade ruled the president didn’t have the power to impose international trade tariffs. Meanwhile, judges are asking for more security to protect them from threats.
Trump’s federal investigations and volley of executive orders (presidential directives that don’t require legislative approval by Congress) have also put enormous pressure on law firms. And a recent report shows that both trust in law firms’ independence, and even the rule of law itself, is perceived as under threat in the US. But what does this mean, and why is it important?
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The president has taken action against law firms in two prominent ways:
First, by federal investigation. Specifically, letters to a group of 20 law firms from the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. These demanded information about their diversity, equality and inclusion (DEI) policies, based on the proposition that any sort of treatment of underrepresented groups that appeared preferential to them in policy, or practice, was unequal treatment for other groups, and, consequently, discriminatory.
Second, the president has passed numerous executive orders introducing punitive measures on specific law firms that previously represented clients opposing his administration, or employed attorneys involved in past investigations against him. His administration has also revoked government contracts and suspended security clearance from buildings. In practice, the orders would prevent attorneys from accessing from where they work, such as courthouses and federal agencies.
In response, some prominent law firms have sought to mitigate the fallout with the Trump administration by entering into agreements with it. These have included pledging US$1 billion (£730,000,000) in pro bono (free) legal services supporting causes aligned with Trump’s agenda.
For example, support for veterans, representing police officers, and antisemitism prevention. Noteworthy is that law firm Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison have now agreed to discontinue certain DEI policies, in addition to committing US$40 million (£29.4 million) in pro bono work for the president’s causes. In response the Trump administration has now lifted restrictions against them.
Judges say they are under threat.
More broadly, it has been reported that 70% of the US Justice Department civil rights division’s attorneys are leaving their posts. The mass exodus is believed to be part of attempts to reshape the division into one focused on enforcing executive orders.
The consequences of these developments are that the president’s actions have led to a significant realignment in the legal professions. Some US attorneys have reported that law firms are now more hesitant to engage in pro bono work that could be viewed as opposing the administration’s policies.
By contrast, some lawyers are now trying to establish independent firms aimed at defending civil servants and challenging federal overreach, ensuring at least some, albeit less resourced, support for underrepresented groups.
Trump criticizes judges and legal activists.
Other lawyers have sought legal action against the orders as unconstitutional interference. Some of these have led to success. For example, Perkins Coie challenged theirs and got it struck down. The concern here centred around their representation of Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton. In arriving at the decision, the district judge ruled the president’s actions to be an “overt attempt to suppress and punish certain viewpoints”.
Why this matters
These developments call into question the balance between governmental influence and the independence of lawyers in upholding the rule of law. Lawyers must be impartial in representing their clients in order to effectively represent their interests, and allow the judiciary to fulfil their duty of checks and balances on the government’s decisions.
When unfettered power is wielded by the government, and the law is undermined, scope for monitoring the constitutionality of decision making is compromised.
The rule of law is a foundational principle of western democracies. It means that everyone is subject to the law, including governments. Laws must be applied equally, fairly and consistently, and no one is above them.
In essence, laws govern the nation, not arbitrary decisions by individuals in power. In that sense, following the rule of law helps prevent tyranny, protect people’s rights and liberties, and ensures a stable and predictable society.
In order to deliver these objectives, an independent legal sector is needed. Trump’s actions are a threat to achieving this cornerstone US constitutional principle. Some have gone as far as to suggest that by entering into agreements with Trump, law firms have become subsidiaries of his administration.
A recent study on trust in the rule of law found that Americans’ trust in lawyers was already undermined, even before the second Trump administration.
The results, based on public attitudes in 2024, compared public perceptions in Germany, the Netherlands, Spain, Italy, Norway, the UK and the US. Norway and the UK ranked highest in respect of trust in the rule of law (81% and 74% respectively), and Spain and Italy were least trusted (49% and 43%).
The results for the US are interesting. Around 71% of American respondents stated that they had a high level of trust in the rule of law. Yet the country came third from the bottom under the metric “you feel like you are in good hands in US courts”.
The reasons for this are implied in the responses to the other questions in the survey. The US performed second worst (just behind Spain) in respect of belief that judges could be biased. The US also performed worst of all in the category where the public were asked if lawyers were impartial (just 41% agreed).
In interpreting these results it is important to note that the survey was conducted in 2024, prior to Trump’s second term. But anti-elite and anti-judge rhetoric pointing to arguments for more presidential power and less judicial oversight had already been prominent in the first Trump term, and the 2024 campaign.
The results expose the already fragile nature of trust in the legal sector in the US, and underline how this could be ramped up further after the announcements in recent weeks.
Stephen Clear 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.
Fitness enthusiasts have debated the question for decades: is it better to do cardio before or after lifting weights? Until recently, the answer has largely been down to preference – with some enjoying a jog to warm up before hitting the weights, while others believe lifting first is better for burning fat.
But a new study may have finally answered this long disputed question.
According to the study, the order of your workout does significantly affect how much fat you lose. Participants who performed weight training before cardio lost significantly more fat and became more physically active throughout the day compared to those who did cardio first.
The researchers recruited 45 young men aged 18-30 years who were classified as obese. The researchers split participants into three groups for 12 weeks. One group was a control group. This meant they stuck to their usual lifestyle habits and didn’t make any changes to their exercise regime.
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The other two groups exercised for 60 minutes three times weekly. Participants were also given sports watches to objectively track daily movement. This helped the researchers avoid reliance on self-reporting, which can often be inaccurate.
Both exercise groups followed identical training programmes, differing only in exercise sequence. Strength training involved actual weights, with participants performing exercises such as the bench press, deadlift, bicep curl and squat. The cardio sessions involved 30 minutes of stationary cycling.
Participants in both groups experienced improvements in their cardiovascular fitness, muscle strength and body composition – specifically, they lost fat mass while gaining lean muscle mass. Interestingly, cardiovascular fitness improvements were similar regardless of sequence – echoing recent findings that exercise order has limited impact on cardiovascular adaptations.
But the real differences emerged when it came to fat loss and muscle performance. Participants who lifted weights first experienced significantly greater reductions in overall body fat and visceral fat – the type of fat most strongly linked to cardiovascular disease risk.
They also increased their daily step count by approximately 3,500 steps compared to just 1,600 steps for the cardio-first group. Additionally, the weights-first approach enhanced muscular endurance and explosive strength.
Why exercise sequence matters
The reason behind these findings is tied to how your body uses energy.
Resistance training depletes muscle glycogen stores – the sugar that’s stored in the muscles which acts as your body’s quick-access fuel. Imagine glycogen as petrol in your car’s fuel tank. When you lift weights first, you effectively drain this fuel tank, forcing your body to switch energy sources.
With glycogen stores already low, when you transition to cardio, your body must rely more heavily on fat reserves for energy. It’s akin to a hybrid car switching to battery power once the petrol runs low. This metabolic shift helps explain the greater fat loss seen in the weights-first group.
This recent study’s findings align with broader research. A comprehensive systematic review published in 2022 found resistance training alone can significantly reduce body fat and visceral fat, the type linked to chronic diseases. Muscles are metabolically active tissues, continuously burning calories even at rest, which amplifies these effects.
Conversely, performing cardio first might compromise your strength training effectiveness. Cardio uses up glycogen stores, leaving muscles partially depleted before you even lift a weight. It also induces fatigue and may reduce your muscles’ ability to produce explosive power and strength.
A recent systematic review on concurrent training (the practice of combining both resistance and aerobic exercise within the same program) supports this – highlighting that explosive strength gains might diminish if aerobic and strength training occur in the same session, especially if cardio is performed first.
These findings align with other research on concurrent training. A systematic review and meta-analysis examining exercise sequence effects found that resistance-first protocols produced significantly superior strength improvements compared to endurance-first training.
The American Heart Association’s 2023 statement on resistance training confirmed resistance exercise significantly improves lean body mass and reduces fat, especially when combined with other exercise types. However, resistance training alone was found less effective in improving cardiovascular health. This underscores the importance of including cardio in your exercise routine.
However, it is worth noting the study’s limitations. As it only involved obese young men, this means we don’t know how the results will apply to women, older adults or those with different body compositions. A 2024 review suggests adaptations may differ by sex, indicating the need for further research involving diverse populations.
The 12-week duration also may not capture long-term changes. Results also specifically only apply to concurrent training – performing both exercises in the same session.
Moreover, the study did not account for nutritional intake, sleep patterns or stress levels, all of which can significantly influence body composition outcomes. Future research should incorporate these factors to offer even more comprehensive guidance.
Workout sequence
Whether you prefer to do cardio before or after lifting weights, the message is clear: both will improve overall health. The only difference is that weight training before cardio provides advantages for fat loss, abdominal fat reduction and increased daily physical activity.
Interestingly, resistance training boosts confidence and energy levels, naturally encouraging more movement throughout the day, further aiding fat loss.
If cardiovascular fitness is your primary goal, the sequence matters less, as both ways equally boost aerobic fitness. However, if fat loss and optimising daily activity are your main objectives, evidence strongly supports placing resistance training first.
Jack McNamara 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.
Northeast India’s security landscape has undergone a sweeping transformation over the last 11 years, emerging from decades of insurgency and ethnic unrest to a new era of peace and stability.
Between 2014 and 2025, consistent efforts by the central government, including historic peace accords and confidence-building measures, have brought thousands of armed cadres back into the mainstream.
More than 8,000 insurgents from various outfits—ranging from the Bodo and Karbi groups to factions of the NSCN and ULFA—have laid down their arms as a result of peace agreements facilitated between 2019 and 2023. These efforts were instrumental in dismantling underground networks and paving the way for inclusive governance.
Insurgency-related incidents have declined by 89%, civilian casualties have reduced by 86%, and security forces’ deaths have dropped by 76% since 2014. The scale of improvement has allowed the government to withdraw the Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA) completely from Tripura and Meghalaya, and partially from Assam, Manipur, Nagaland, and Arunachal Pradesh—an unprecedented step in restoring normalcy.
Adding to the atmosphere of cooperation, Assam signed boundary agreements with both Meghalaya and Arunachal Pradesh during this 11-year period, resolving long-pending disputes and de-escalating local tensions.
The government also launched targeted rehabilitation schemes to help surrendered militants reintegrate into civil society through education, vocational training, and livelihood support. Together, these measures mark a fundamental shift in the region’s approach to peace—from confrontation to collaboration.
NEW YORK, June 09, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Mizuho Americas today announced it won 2025 Global Markets Choice Awards for Best in CLOs (Collateralized Loan Obligations) and Best in Equity Research.
Launched in 2022, Mizuho Americas’ CLO team has rapidly emerged as a leading force in the CLO market. In just two years, the team recently achieved a top five ranking in broadly syndicated CLO new issue by volume and stands as a leading foreign bank in the space. The platform successfully arranged 37 deals in 2024 and another 24 in 2025 year-to-date, earning recognition from both CLO managers and investors for its consistently strong execution. Mizuho’s unique connection with clients in Japan – one of the most prominent investor regions for CLO AAA – has further distinguished the team, making this award a testament to our growing impact and innovation in the market.
“This recognition reflects the outstanding efforts of our team, whose dedication and expertise have been central to our momentum in the CLO market,” said Tom Hartnett, Head of Fixed Income Division. “Our commitment to the strategy, combined with deep connectivity between the Americas and Japan continues to set us apart and deliver exceptional value to clients across both regions.”
In addition, Mizuho Americas Equity Research was honored for advancements in its equity research. Their research expansion has been critical to the success of Mizuho’s Equity and Banking franchises.
“Winning the Markets Choice award for Best in Equity Research underscores our US and Japanese alpha-generating ideas and differentiated research for our investor and corporate clients,” said Darlene Pasquill, Head of Equity Division, Mizuho Americas. “We are grateful for the advancements Bill Featherson has made elevating our US Equity Research product this past year since joining Mizuho following his tenure leading Credit Suisse’s Equity Research team.”
The award ceremony was held last night at the Central Park Boathouse in New York City.
About Mizuho
Mizuho Financial Group, Inc. is one of the largest financial institutions in the world as measured by total assets of ~$2 trillion, according to S&P Global 2024. Mizuho’s 65,000 employees worldwide offer comprehensive financial services to clients in 36 countries and 850 offices throughout the Americas, EMEA, and Asia.
Mizuho Americas is a leading Corporate and Investment Bank (CIB) that provides a full spectrum of client-driven solutions across strategic advisory, capital markets, corporate banking, and fixed income and equities sales & trading to corporate, government, and institutional clients in the US, Canada, and Latin America. Through its acquisition of Greenhill, Mizuho enhanced its M&A, restructuring, and private capital advisory capabilities across the Americas, Europe, and Asia. Mizuho Americas employs approximately 4,000 professionals. For more information visit www.mizuhoamericas.com.Mizuho Financial Group, Inc. is the 15th largest bank in the world as measured by total assets of ~$2 trillion, according to S&P Global 2022. Mizuho’s 60,000 employees worldwide offer comprehensive financial services to clients in 36 countries and 800 offices throughout the Americas, EMEA, and Asia.
For inquiries, please contact:
Jim Gorman Executive Director, Media Relations, Mizuho Americas +1-212-282-3867 jim.gorman@mizuhogroup.com
Many people have been closely following the journey this week of the Madleen, a small humanitarian yacht seeking to break Israel’s illegal blockade of Gaza with a crew of 12 on board, including humanitarian activists and journalists.
This morning we woke to the harrowing, yet not unexpected, news that the vessel had been illegally hijacked by Israeli forces, who boarded and took the crew captive into Israeli territories, in contravention of international law.
Yet another on the long list of war crimes Israel has committed over the last 20 months of genocide, and decades of illegal occupation.
Communication with the crew was lost after the final moments of tense onboard footage as they donned lifejackets, threw phones and other sensitive data overboard, and raised their arms in preparation for whatever might come next.
Israel has a detailed history of attacking all previous freedom flotillas — including the 2010 mission aboard the Mavi Marmara in which 10 crew were killed and dozens more injured when Israeli forces hijacked the humanitarian vessel.
Another mission earlier this year was cut short when it was targeted by an airstrike in international waters, injuring crew.
The next updates were scenes filmed by Israeli forces which appear to show them calmly handing bread rolls and water to the detained crew, painting a picture which immediately recalled my own experience last year being unlawfully arrested in the southern West Bank.
Detained while documenting I was detained while documenting armed settler violence, taken illegally to a military base where myself and three other internationals were given a bathroom stop, bread and water.
While we ate, they filmed us, saying “You are unharmed, yes? We are looking after you well?”
We were then loaded into a police van where a Palestinian farmer sat blindfolded, in silence, with his hands zip-tied behind him.
Eleven of the 12 crew members on board the humanitarian yacht Madleen before being arrested by Israeli forces today. Image: FFC screenshot APR
Israel loves to put on a show of their “humane treatment” when internationals are present and cameras are rolling, but it’s a shallow and sinister facade for their abusive racism and cruelty towards Palestinians.
It appears their response to the Madleen’s crew over the next few days will be exactly that. Don’t buy into it; this is no more than deeply sinister propaganda to cover state-backed racism, supremacy, and cruelty.
Families in Gaza are still facing indiscriminate airstrikes, continuous displacement, forced starvation, and the phony Israel/US “Gaza Humanitarian Foundation” which has led to more than 100 civilians being shot while desperately seeking food.
Thousands of trucks still wait at the border to Gaza, barred entry by Israeli forces, while Palestinians face severe malnutrition and a man-made famine.
The New Zealand government has still not placed a single sanction on the Israeli state.
Cole Martin is an independent New Zealand photojournalist based in the Middle East and a contributor to Asia Pacific Report.
Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments
Press release
Insolvency Service appoints first dedicated crypto specialist to help recover online assets such as Bitcoin
New crypto specialist will help the agency trace rising number of digital assets held by individuals in bankruptcy and criminal cases
Number of insolvencies where crypto is identified as an asset has increased 420% in five years
More than £500,000 in cryptoassets identified in insolvency cases last year – 364 times higher than in 2019/20
New role will help the agency recover more money owed to creditors in insolvency cases
The Insolvency Service has appointed its first dedicated crypto intelligence specialist to help recover more money for the UK economy from bankruptcy cases.
Former police investigator Andrew Small will help track digital assets in criminal cases and provide the agency with detailed knowledge of the crypto market.
The Insolvency Service is responsible for tracing and recovering money and assets belonging to bankrupt individuals or liquidated companies in insolvency proceedings.
In the past five years, the number of insolvency cases involving crypto as a recoverable asset has risen by 420%, with 59 cases in 2024/25 compared to 14 in 2019/20.
At the same time, the estimated value of cryptoassets identified in insolvency cases has risen by 364 times – from just over £1,400 in 2019/20 to more than £520,000 in 2024/25.
Andrew said:
There has been a rapid rise in crypto ownership in the UK, and alongside that, we’ve seen a similar rise in cryptoasset ownership in bankruptcy cases.
The Insolvency Service has a duty to trace and recover money and assets from individuals or companies in insolvency cases, and we work to return as much money owed to creditors as possible.
Crypto is very much a recoverable asset, and my role will help the agency by providing specialist knowledge about the types of cryptoassets available and the associated technology used to buy, sell and store them.
Cryptoassets have soared in popularity in recent years, with 2024 research by the Financial Conduct Authority finding seven million adults in the UK – 12% of the population – held some form of crypto, up from 3.2m adults (4.4% of the population) in 2021.
This includes ‘cryptocurrency’ coins such as Bitcoin, Litecoin, DOGE and Ethereum, as well as online tokens and NFTs – non-fungible tokens – which offer digital ownership of online artworks.
The Official Receiver Service, a key part of the Insolvency Service, identified £523,580 of cryptoassets across 59 insolvency cases in 2024/25, compared to just £1,436 of crypto across 14 cases in 2019/20.
The new cryptoasset intelligence role is based within the Insolvency Service’s Investigation and Enforcement Services team, meaning Andrew will primarily focus on cryptoasset ownership in criminal cases.
Neil Freebury, head of intelligence at the Insolvency Service, said:
Crypto is growing in popularity, and we’ve seen the number of insolvency cases involving cryptoasset ownership rise four-fold in the past five years.
Andrew brings a wealth of knowledge to this role, along with his previous experience as an economic crime investigator within the police, and his appointment will help our investigators dealing with cases where cryptoasset ownership is a factor.
Official Receivers are appointed by the court following bankruptcy or liquidation proceedings. They have a legal duty to trace and recover assets involved in such cases to return as much money as possible to creditors.
The latest FCA research on cryptoassets in the UK can be found on the FCA website.
TALLINN, Estonia, June 09, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Bitcoin Solaris (BTC-S), a next-generation blockchain project, has officially entered Phase 7 of its presale, offering early participants a strategic entry point ahead of its upcoming exchange launch. With tokens currently priced at $7 and a forecasted listing price of $20, BTC-S presents a 233% ROI potential for early supporters — based on current market benchmarks and demand from its live mining ecosystem.
A Structural Replay of Bitcoin’s Earliest Advantages
Bitcoin Solaris isn’t riding a wave of speculative hype. Its model is engineered around fundamentals that made Bitcoin successful in the first place — a fixed 21 million token supply, scarcity-based mechanics, and a functioning distribution model tied to user contribution rather than capital lockups.
At its core, the protocol combines a Proof-of-Stake and Proof-of-Capacity base layer with a high-performance Solaris Layer that processes over 10,000 transactions per second. Finality occurs in under two seconds, and energy consumption is reduced by over 99.95% compared to traditional mining systems.
Price Forecasts Rooted in Function
Phase 7 of the presale is now live, with BTC-S priced at $7 per token. Exchange launch benchmarks target $20, translating to an immediate 233% ROI for early backers — assuming no speculative appreciation beyond the forecasted listing value.
This figure isn’t abstract. It’s grounded in market benchmarking, liquidity provisioning frameworks, and rising demand from the Bitcoin Solaris mining ecosystem, which has already completed closed beta testing with strong reported returns.
Analyst Attention and Audit-Backed Trust
As President Trump’s crypto-positive policies fuel renewed attention toward blockchain technologies, Bitcoin Solaris is emerging as a key beneficiary — not because of political noise, but because its structure and transparency offer actual utility.
The project has passed a full Cyberscope audit of its smart contract systems, as well as a mobile infrastructure audit by Freshcoins. KYC verification has also been completed by a third party , giving retail participants added assurance in a space often lacking transparency.
Analyst Ben Crypto recently released a market breakdown on YouTube, calling Bitcoin Solaris the closest thing we’ve seen to early Bitcoin conditions since 2012. His thesis centers not on nostalgia, but on clear tokenomics: a capped supply, no emissions curve, and a network ready for mainstream use.
Final Thoughts
Crypto markets follow narratives, but they reward mechanics. Bitcoin Solaris isn’t promising future breakthroughs — it’s rolling them out. The tech is live, the presale is active, and the fundamentals are visible to anyone willing to look beyond the headlines.
With President Trump signaling favorable conditions for crypto adoption, and BTC-S offering a direct path to early-stage ownership with built-in mining incentives, this moment marks a real chance at structural participation.
Disclaimer:This is a paid post and is provided byBitcoin Solaris. The statements, views, and opinions expressed in this content are solely those of the content provider and do not necessarily reflect the views of this media platform or its publisher. We do not endorse, verify, or guarantee the accuracy, completeness, or reliability of any information presented.We do not guarantee any claims, statements, or promises made in this article.This content is for informational purposes only and should not be considered financial, investment, or trading advice.Investing in crypto and mining-related opportunities involves significant risks, including the potential loss of capital.It is possible to lose all your capital. These products may not be suitable for everyone, and you should ensure that you understand the risks involved. Seek independent advice if necessary. Speculate only with funds that you can afford to lose.Readers are strongly encouraged to conduct their own research and consult with a qualified financial advisor before making any investment decisions. However, due to the inherently speculative nature of the blockchain sector—including cryptocurrency, NFTs, and mining—complete accuracy cannot always be guaranteed.Neither the media platform nor the publisher shall be held responsible for any fraudulent activities, misrepresentations, or financial losses arising from the content of this press release.In the event of any legal claims or charges against this article, we accept no liability or responsibility. Globenewswire does not endorse any content on this page.
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As Prime Minister Narendra Modi completes 11 years in office, one of his government’s flagship health initiatives — the Pradhan Mantri Surakshit Matritva Abhiyan (PMSMA) — has completed nine impactful years, delivering significant gains in maternal healthcare across the country. Launched in June 2016, the programme continues to demonstrate its role in transforming India’s approach to antenatal care (ANC) and in reducing maternal and neonatal mortality.
PMSMA, spearheaded by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, provides free, assured, and quality antenatal care to pregnant women on the 9th of every month, with special emphasis on those in their second and third trimesters. Since its inception, over 6.19 crore pregnant women have been examined under the scheme, many of them from rural and underserved areas. The programme focuses on early detection and management of high-risk pregnancies (HRPs) to ensure safe outcomes for both mother and child.
One of the most impactful results of PMSMA has been its contribution to reducing India’s Maternal Mortality Ratio (MMR). The MMR has dropped significantly from 130 per 1 lakh live births in 2014–16 to 80 in 2021–23, reflecting a 50-point decline. Health officials attribute this success to a combination of systematic antenatal services, community engagement, and increased health awareness.
The programme also draws strength from active private sector participation. As of now, more than 6,800 private doctors have registered as volunteers and are contributing their expertise across 20,752 healthcare facilities that offer PMSMA services nationwide.
In January 2022, the government launched the Extended PMSMA (E-PMSMA) initiative, further strengthening the original programme. E-PMSMA focuses on continuous monitoring and tracking of HRPs until safe delivery. It also offers financial incentives to both pregnant women and Accredited Social Health Activists (ASHAs) for completing three additional ANC visits beyond the standard PMSMA check-ups. As of December 2024, the programme had identified over 78.27 lakh HRPs across all states and union territories.
E-PMSMA has incorporated a strong digital component, including name-based tracking of HRPs and follow-up through automated SMS alerts to both beneficiaries and ASHAs. Each high-risk pregnancy is monitored until at least 45 days postpartum, ensuring comprehensive care.
The PMSMA and its extended version work in alignment with several other maternal and child welfare schemes initiated or strengthened under PM Modi’s leadership. These include the Janani Suraksha Yojana (JSY), which promotes institutional deliveries and has benefited over 11.07 crore women; the Janani Shishu Suraksha Karyakram (JSSK), which ensures free maternity and neonatal services for over 16.60 crore beneficiaries since 2014; and Surakshit Matritva Aashwasan (SUMAN), which guarantees respectful and quality maternity care through 90,015 health facilities nationwide.
Additionally, POSHAN Abhiyaan, targeting nutritional needs of women and children, and the Pradhan Mantri Matru Vandana Yojana (PMMVY), which offers direct cash support of ₹5,000 to pregnant and lactating women, have strengthened the foundation laid by PMSMA in improving maternal and child health outcomes.
As the nation reflects on a decade of policy-led transformation in healthcare, the PMSMA stands out as a symbol of sustained commitment to women’s health. With continued focus on digital tracking, community outreach, and public-private collaboration, the programme has brought India closer to achieving Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) related to maternal health.
Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments
Press release
Top talent backed with master’s funding as Britain’s tech experts called into government
The Spärck AI scholarships will provide full funding for master’s degrees at nine leading UK universities specialising in AI and STEM subjects
Exceptional students to receive fully funded AI master’s degrees at Britain’s top 9 universities, with industry partnerships offering direct routes into UK’s tech sector.
New fellowship programme launched for exceptional talent to cement Britain’s reputation a global AI leader.
Programmes form key part of the Plan for Change to kickstart economic growth through innovation and deliver highly skilled jobs across the country.
Young people with exceptional talent in AI will receive unprecedented support to study at Britain’s top universities through a new prestigious scholarship programme announced by the Technology Secretary today (Monday 9 June).
The Spärck AI scholarships, named after pioneering British computer scientist Karen Spärck Jones, will provide full funding for master’s degrees at nine leading UK universities specialising in artificial intelligence and STEM subjects – from Edinburgh to Manchester, and Newcastle to Bristol.
Set to rival the likes of globally recognised Rhodes, Marshall and Fulbright scholarships, at least 100 talented undergraduates level students from the UK and abroad will see unparalleled access to industry partnerships, work placements and mentorship opportunities, including in the UK’s AI Security Institute as well as leading tech firms like Darktrace, Faculty and Quantexa.
This will not only drive forward AI innovation that grows the UK economy but also gives young people a direct route into highly skilled jobs in the UK’s tech sector – furthering our Plan for Change.
By covering both tuition and living expenses, the scholarship could also be of interest to talent students from low-income backgrounds who might otherwise be unable to afford university – spreading opportunity across the UK.
Technology Secretary Peter Kyle said:
“We are providing unique opportunities for talented young people to take up master’s degrees in AI, with fully funded tuition and unparalleled access to industry.
“Students will be able to go on to highly skilled jobs, building a workforce fit for the future and boosting economic growth as part of our Plan for Change.
“We are also expanding our fellowship programme to bring top talent into our leading AI sector and drive forward transformational benefits to the public like new drug discoveries.”
The government has also announced an expansion of its Turing AI Fellowships with new Pioneer fellowships, providing established professionals from any part of academia, humanities, research, or industry with resources to develop AI skills and knowledge to tackle a specific challenge in their fields. Fellows will receive funding, priority access to the AI Research Resource for compute power, and be connected with AI mentors, experts, and industry leaders.
This comes as millions of people are set to be upskilled with digital and AI skills in a bold national skills drive announced by the Prime Minister at London Tech Week.
The new Spärck AI scholarships and expanded Turing Pioneer Fellowship delivers on recommendations of the AI Opportunities Action Plan and helps grow our leading AI sector – a priority industry for our upcoming Digital and Tech Sector Plan under the Industrial Strategy.
Notes to editors:
Spärck AI scholarships: Applications will open in Spring 2026, with the first cohort beginning their studies in October 2026. This is backed by £17.2 million in government funding and delivers on a recommendation of the AI Opportunities Action Plan.
Universities participating in the Spärck AI scholarship programme include Oxford, Cambridge, Imperial College London, UCL, Southampton, Edinburgh, Newcastle, Manchester and Bristol, who will co-design and co-fund the initiative.
Companies signed up to participate in the scholarship programme include PolyAI, Quantexa, CausaLens, Flok, Beamery, Darktrace and Faculty.
Turing Pioneer Fellowships: Applications will open in mid-July this year, with fellows due to be in-post by Autumn 2026. This is backed by £25.2 million in government funding and delivers on a recommendation of AI Opportunities Action Plan.
Quotes in support of Spärck AI scholarships:
Jack Stockdale OBE, Chief Technology Officer at Darktrace:
“Building AI-powered cybersecurity solutions to defend against next generation threats depends on world-class R&D talent, and we are thrilled to partner with DSIT on this transformative programme. The Spärck AI scholarship will be an important gateway for exceptional global minds to join the frontlines of British innovation, and we’re excited to help develop the next generation of Britain’s world-class AI ecosystem.”
Co-founder and CEO of Flok Health Finn Stevenson:
“AI is already generating economic value at unprecedented pace. To put the UK at the forefront of this transformation, its vital that we can attract world’s best talent – not just to study here, but to stay and build future-defining companies of global importance. We’re delighted to be partnering with DSIT on this initiative to do exactly that.”
PolyAI CEO Nikola Mrkšić:
“PolyAI was founded in the dialog systems group at the University of Cambridge. Since then, we’ve drawn on our academic backgrounds to bring cutting-edge technology out of the lab and into the real world. I am delighted to join the Spärck AI scholarship programme and work with the next generation of AI pioneers who will help create AI applications that drive real value for real people.”
Faculty CEO Mark Warner:
“AI is an epoch-defining technology – yet the UK won’t reap its benefits without having the skills to build and deploy it.
“Technical training, education and work placements open the door to highly skilled, well-paid jobs.
“Faculty has a decade of experience developing exceptional AI practitioners, and we are delighted to partner with DSIT to further strengthen the UK’s AI talent pipeline.”
Darko Matovski, Co-founder & CEO of causaLens
“causaLens is thrilled to collaborate with DSIT on the Spärck AI Scholarships program. We’re proud to champion this vital initiative, which empowers the UK’s brightest AI talent with world-class opportunities at leading AI companies like causaLens, ensuring our nation remains a global leader in the AI race.”
Beamery CEO Sultan Saidov, CEO
“Beamery is very proud to support this AI scholarship initiative. The Spärck AI programme is deeply aligned with our mission of creating equal access to work, and to our belief that connecting talent to opportunity — especially in such a pivotal field — is how we build a more innovative, inclusive future. By supporting emerging AI talent, we’re investing in the skills that will shape tomorrow’s breakthroughs.”
Edinburgh University Vice Chancellor Professor Sir Peter Mathieson:
“As one of the UK’s original and consistently leading AI universities, we are pleased to be part of the proposed Spärck Scholarships Scheme. We look forward to working with the UK Government on the precise details and we fully support the potential of the UK to become an AI superpower.”
Southampton University Vice-President (Research & Enterprise) Mark Spearing:
“The University of Southampton is excited to be a founding partner in the Spärck AI Scholarship programme. We view this as a nationally significant opportunity to attract talented students to the UK to take advantage of our world leading expertise and education in artificial intelligence”.
Bristol University Vice Chancellor Evelyn Welch:
“As AI University of the Year and the proud host of the UK’s most powerful supercomputer, Isambard-AI, the University of Bristol is thrilled to support this prestigious new scholarship as an anchor partner.
“We relish the opportunity to shape the next generation of global AI pioneers – collaborating with our partners to explore bold new ideas, nurture exceptional talent, and advance the future of this transformative technology together.”
Professor Deborah Prentice, University of Cambridge Vice-Chancellor:
“Cambridge combines academic excellence with a dynamic, interdisciplinary AI community, from foundational research to real-world impact. We are delighted to be a founding partner in this ambitious initiative, which reflects a shared commitment to attracting exceptional talent and reinforcing the UK’s position as a home for world-class AI. We are especially proud that these scholarships are named after Karen Spärck Jones, a brilliant Cambridge computer scientist.”
Imperial College London Vice Provost for Research and Enterprise Mary Ryan:
As one of the world’s most international universities, where diverse minds and disciplines are leveraging AI for science and innovation, Imperial is delighted to be an anchor partner in the prestigious new Spärck AI Scholarships. Our global science and technology hubs in Bengaluru, San Francisco, Accra, and Singapore will be well-placed to support outreach efforts to help attract the best and brightest students to the UK, irrespective of their background. Together, we are building a network of future AI leaders who will shape the world through responsible innovation and convergence science.
Professor Duncan Ivison, Manchester University President and Vice-Chancellor:
“The University of Manchester welcomes this important scheme to attract and retain leading talent to the UK and AI sector. We look forward to providing Spärck Scholars with the opportunity to excel within our internationally leading environment for AI related learning, research and innovation, and supporting them to flourish as future leaders in this critical technology area”
Professor Geraint Rees, UCL Vice-Provost:
“London Tech Week 2025 is a vital forum for shaping the trajectory of global technology, which depends on highly talented people as much as the technology itself. It is critically important that the UK can continue to attract the brightest and best future academics, entrepreneurs and business leaders in AI to study and work here. UCL is proud to be working with DSIT and other leading universities to make this a reality through a bold new AI Scholarships programme.”
The City of Edinburgh Council has negotiated the purchase of 78 homes in Colinton in an ongoing drive to urgently tackle the capital’s housing emergency
Councillors have today (Monday 9 June) agreed to progress the purchase of a further 38 homes from the Ministry of Defence (MOD) for £6.65 million, as part of the council’s phased purchase of homes on the Dreghorn Estate.
The proposal has been warmly welcomed by the families, who had previously been told by the MOD that they might have to vacate their homes after the summer.
Finance and Resources Convener Mandy Watt said:
We’re doing everything we can to make sure these residents will remain in their homes and to increase the amount of affordable and social housing we have in the city – and I know the residents are very grateful that this proposal has had so much support from councillors.
Purchasing these homes is a sensible way to boost the housing we have, and Dreghorn is a community that provides a great place for council tenants to have a suitable, safe and affordable place to call home.
Council colleagues have worked over many months to negotiate this purchase from the Ministry of Defence, listening to the concerns of Dreghorn residents at every turn and ensuring good value for the council. This is a huge step towards a positive outcome – a fantastic example of doing things differently to make sure we address our housing emergency.
It is proposed that the purchase of these homes will be made using £3.289 million from the Scottish Government’s National Acquisition Fund, delivered through the Affordable Housing Supply Programme, with the remaining balance funded through rental income and prudential borrowing over 30 years. A final decision on financing will be made at a future full council meeting.
TORONTO, June 09, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Matador Technologies Inc. (“Matador” or the “Company”) (TSXV: MATA, OTCQB: MATAF, FSE: IU3), the Bitcoin Ecosystem Company, is pleased to announce the formation of its Strategic Advisory Board. This diverse group of advisors will guide Matador as it scales its Bitcoin treasury balance sheet strategy and real-world asset (“RWA”) platform.
The Strategic Advisory Board includes:
David Bailey David Bailey | CEO of BTC Inc | Founder & CEO of Nakamoto Inc | General Partner at UTXO Management David Bailey is the Co-founder and CEO of BTC Inc, the company behind Bitcoin Magazine and the Bitcoin conference. Since 2013, he has helped shape the global Bitcoin ecosystem through media, events, and venture incubation. A vocal advocate for hyperbitcoinization, David served as a surrogate for the Trump 2024 campaign, helping define its Bitcoin strategy. He also sits on the board of the Bitcoin Policy Institute. In 2025, David founded Nakamoto Inc, a Bitcoin-native holding company focused on building a publicly traded Bitcoin conglomerate. Nakamoto recently merged with KindlyMD (NASDAQ: NAKA) and is executing a Bitcoin treasury strategy backed by a US$710M capital raise. David is a General Partner at UTXO Management, an early investor in Metaplanet (TYO: 3350, OTC: MTPLF). Through BTC Inc, he partnered with Strategy (NASDAQ: MSTR) to launch Bitcoin for Corporations, helping companies adopt Bitcoin for their balance sheets and treasury management.
Brad Mills Entrepreneur | Bitcoin Investor | Value Maximalist Brad Mills is a seasoned entrepreneur, investor, and early Bitcoin advocate active since 2011. With a long history in Bitcoin mining, strategic investing, Bitcoin angel investing and building successful media ventures, Brad champions Bitcoin’s transformative economic and social potential. As a committed “Value Maximalist,” Brad strategically aligns his focus on long-term Bitcoin treasury strategies, community engagement, and driving impactful adoption. In his advisory role at Matador, Brad will leverage his expertise to shape the company’s Bitcoin treasury model, accelerate market entry, and cultivate a vibrant Bitcoin-centric community.
Dave Forestell Public Policy & Corporate Affairs Executive | Former Barrick Gold Executive Dave Forestell brings deep expertise at the intersection of natural resources, public markets, and public policy. He is currently Chair of the Board at the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario and served as the Founding Chair of iGaming Ontario (2022–2024), where he oversaw the launch of Ontario’s online gaming market—generating $1.4 billion in revenue in year one and $2.4 billion in year two, with total wagers exceeding $82.7 billion. Dave previously served as Vice President, Corporate Affairs at Barrick Gold, one of the world’s largest gold producers, where he led global stakeholder engagement, government relations, and ESG strategy. He also served as Chair (2015–2017) of the Cerro Casale Joint Venture (Barrick/Kinross), a gold project with over 17 million ounces of proven and probable reserves. His leadership navigating complex regulatory frameworks and deep understanding of global commodities make him an invaluable advisor as Matador builds products at the intersection of Bitcoin, gold, and financial innovation.
“We’re incredibly proud of the advisory team we’ve assembled,” said Deven Soni, CEO of Matador Technologies Inc. “Each member brings a powerful blend of industry expertise, principled leadership, and deep commitment to Bitcoin. Together, they will help Matador accelerate its mission of bridging traditional assets with the Bitcoin economy.”
“Bitcoin is changing everything—from money to markets to nation-states,” added Mark Moss, Chief Visionary Officer of Matador. “Our advisors are not just spectators—they are builders of the new financial system. Their collective insight will guide us through the next phase of our growth.”
Matador would also like to thank Darius Eghdami and Michael Wekerle for their past contributions as advisory board members. Their support and guidance helped shape the foundation of Matador’s early growth and positioning in the Bitcoin ecosystem.
Matador continues to differentiate itself as a Bitcoin Ecosystem company accumulating Bitcoin as its primary treasury asset and developing products on the Bitcoin network. This approach focuses on creating institutional-grade tools to unlock Bitcoin’s full potential as both a treasury reserve and an infrastructure for new digital assets.
The Company trades on the TSX Venture Exchange under the symbol MATA, on the OTCQB under MATAF and now on the Frankfurt Stock Exchange under the symbol IU3.
For additional information, please contact:
Media Contact: Sunny Ray President Email: sunny@matador.network Phone: 647-496-6282
About Matador Technologies Inc. Matador Technologies Inc. is a publicly traded Bitcoin ecosystem company that holds Bitcoin as its primary treasury asset and builds products to enhance the Bitcoin network. Through a self-reinforcing model that combines strategic Bitcoin accumulation, Bitcoin-native product development, and participation in digital asset infrastructure, Matador aims to grow long-term shareholder value without dilution.
The Company’s flagship offering, the Digital Gold Platform, allows users to buy, sell, and trade 1-gram gold units on the Bitcoin blockchain—bridging traditional value with decentralized technology. With a Bitcoin-first strategy, a debt-free balance sheet, and a clear focus on innovation, Matador is helping shape the future of financial infrastructure on Bitcoin. Visit us online at https://www.matador.network/.
Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Information
NEITHER THE TSX VENTURE EXCHANGE NOR ITS REGULATION SERVICES PROVIDER (AS THAT TERM IS DEFINED IN THE POLICIES OF THE TSX VENTURE EXCHANGE) ACCEPTS RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE ADEQUACY OR ACCURACY OF THIS RELEASE.
This news release does not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy any securities in any jurisdiction.
Forward Looking Statements – Certain information set forth in this news release may contain forward-looking statements that involve substantial known and unknown risks and uncertainties, including risks associated with the implementation of the Company’s treasury management strategy, receipt of regulatory approvals, and the launch of its mobile application as currently proposed or at all. These forward-looking statements are subject to numerous risks and uncertainties, certain of which are beyond the control of the Company, including with respect to the potential acquisition of Bitcoin and/or US dollars, the pricing of such acquisitions and the timing of future operations. Readers are cautioned that the assumptions used in the preparation of such information, although considered reasonable at the time of preparation, may prove to be imprecise and, as such, undue reliance should not be placed on forward-looking statements.
Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News
CHONGQING, June 9 (Xinhua) — The 2025 SCO (Shanghai Cooperation Organization) Film Festival will be held from July 3 to 7 in Yongchuan District of southwest China’s Chongqing City, focusing on new achievements in cinema from member countries, the city government said Monday.
The upcoming film festival is intended to promote humanitarian exchanges and cooperation among SCO member countries, the Chongqing government said at a press conference to mark the event.
The film festival will feature 11 events, including film screenings, cooperation forums, a film technology exhibition, a gala concert, etc. According to Qin Zhengui, Deputy Director of the State Film Administration of the People’s Republic of China, awards will be presented in 10 categories, including “Best Film” and “Best Director”.
According to the organizing committee, 27 films from SCO member states have been submitted to the film festival to date, some of which will be shown in local cinemas.
In recent years, Yongchuan, located in the western part of Chongqing, has become a vibrant center for innovation in film technology. There are currently more than 100 film and television enterprises operating in Yongchuan. -0-
The central government on Monday notified key amendments to the Special Economic Zones (SEZ) Rules, 2006, to ease the establishment of semiconductor and electronics component manufacturing units. The reforms, which were notified by the Department of Commerce on June 3, are expected to address the sector’s capital-intensive nature and long gestation periods, while reducing import dependency and enabling domestic value addition.
One of the major changes includes the reduction in the minimum land requirement for SEZs dedicated exclusively to semiconductor or electronics component manufacturing. The threshold has been brought down from 50 hectares to 10 hectares through an amendment to Rule 5, significantly lowering the entry barrier for firms in this strategic sector. The Centre has also amended Rule 7 to permit the Board of Approval to relax the requirement of encumbrance-free land in cases where the land is mortgaged or leased to Central or State governments or their authorised agencies.
Further easing compliance norms, the government has amended Rule 53 to allow goods received or supplied on a free-of-cost basis to be included in the Net Foreign Exchange (NFE) calculations. The valuation of such goods will follow the existing customs valuation rules. Additionally, a crucial change to Rule 18 enables SEZ units in the semiconductor and electronics component manufacturing sectors to sell products in the domestic tariff area (DTA) after paying the applicable duties. This is expected to enhance the flexibility and commercial viability of operations for SEZ units.
Following the notification, the Board of Approval has cleared two significant proposals under the new regime. Micron Semiconductor Technology India Pvt. Ltd. (MSTI) has received the green light to set up a dedicated SEZ in Sanand, Gujarat, over 37.64 hectares. The facility is expected to attract investments to the tune of ₹13,000 crore and will focus on semiconductor manufacturing.
Similarly, Hubballi Durable Goods Cluster Pvt. Ltd., part of the Aequs Group, has secured approval for setting up an SEZ for electronics components manufacturing in Dharwad, Karnataka. The proposed unit will span 11.55 hectares and entail an investment of ₹100 crore.
Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments
News story
Consultation on new measures to protect sensitive habitats and species in 30,000 km² of our seas
The Marine Management Organisation (MMO) is consulting on proposed fisheries management measures to protect some of England’s most sensitive marine ecosystems, habitats and species.
On 9 June 2025, the government announced plans to extend bans on the use of bottom towed gear and other damaging fishing activities in more Marine Protected Areas (MPAs).
As England’s marine manager, MMO is responsible for managing fishing in offshore MPAs. It is now asking marine stakeholders to view its draft management measures for 42 English MPAs, complete an online survey and have their say.
Proposals would be implemented through the creation of four region byelaws. They include:
prohibitions of fishing using bottom towed gear in specified areas in 31 MPAs;
prohibition of fishing using bottom towed gears and prohibitions on fishing using static gears (traps and/or bottom set nets and lines) in specified areas in four MPAs;
prohibition of fishing using traps in a specified area of one MPA;
prohibition of fishing using bottom towed gear and prohibition of the removal of spiny lobster, also known as crawfish (Palinurus elephas) in a specified area of one MPA;
minor changes to existing bottom towed gear prohibitions in five MPAs to reflect the most up to date approach, habitat location and depth information.
The total area of seabed that would be protected by MMOs proposed measures is approximately 30,000 km².
The measures are based on detailed assessments into the impacts of fishing on sensitive seabed habitats and species within these sites. This includes circalittoral rock (animal dominated rocky reef habitats), fan mussels, ocean quahogs, as well as sea-pen and burrowing megafauna communities.
These habitats and species are at risk from damaging fishing activity. Their protection and recovery will contribute to healthier marine ecosystems and support the long-term sustainability of commercial fish stocks.
Michelle Willis, MMOs Acting CEO, said:
Marine protected areas play a critical role in the future health and vitality of our seas and sustainability of our fisheries. Our latest proposals are based on draft fisheries assessments which have concluded that management measures are necessary to ensure, beyond reasonable scientific doubt, that the conservation objectives of the MPAs included in the stage can be achieved.
This consultation runs for 12 weeks and will close on 1 September 2025. Stakeholders are encouraged to view proposals by region and comment on areas relevant to them.
The consultation follows a call for evidence which ran from 17 January to 28 March 2023.
Focus on industry and innovation during Defence Secretary and NATO Secretary General’s Sheffield factory visit
Government delivering on Strategic Defence Review to turbocharge UK defence industry and drive ‘NATO-first’ approach
Innovation and growth through the UK’s world-leading defence industry was the focus of a visit to a Sheffield factory today by the Defence Secretary and NATO Secretary General.
Defence Secretary, John Healey and NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte toured Sheffield Forgemasters, which manufactures specialist steel parts used in critical defence programmes, including nuclear-grade steel components for the Royal Navy’s attack submarines.
The factory, which employs 725 skilled staff, is symbolic of the government’s plan to harness defence as an engine for growth and deliver on the Plan for Change, and how investment in the UK’s defence industry not only boosts British jobs but strengthens the defence and deterrence of the NATO alliance.
Sheffield Forgemasters has been manufacturing components for nuclear powered, conventionally armed submarines with more than £200m worth of contracts in place under the AUKUS programme. The Government confirmed plans last week to deliver up to 12 SSN-AUKUS attack submarines, which will further strengthen the UK’s contribution to NATO in addition to creating thousands of jobs across the UK.
It comes the week after the publication of the Government’s Strategic Defence Review (SDR), which saw the government commit billions of pounds in investment for British defence companies, driving innovation and supporting thousands of jobs around the country – delivering on the Government’s Plan for Change.
The NATO Secretary General has welcomed the industry focus of the SDR and highlighted how it will be key to supporting the deterrent effect of the alliance while boosting collective security.
Defence Secretary, John Healey said:
Sheffield Forgemasters sits in one of Britain’s proudest industrial heartlands, and it is at the heart of our drive to shift our sovereign defence industry to warfighting readiness, supporting hundreds of skilled jobs in the process. The work is ensuring this government’s commitment to the defence dividend is met, delivering on the Plan for Change.
It was a pleasure to tour its factory with the NATO Secretary General, where we discussed this government’s plan to put NATO first as we deliver on our landmark Strategic Defence Review.
NATO is critical to UK security and global security, which is why we are stepping up to lead in Europe, investing in powerful new technologies to support growth and boost our national security.
NATO Secretary General, Mark Rutte:
The renewal of the UK’s defence industry will not only enhance Allied security but boost national prosperity as well. It is a vital component in ensuring warfighting readiness.
The United Kingdom has a rich heritage in manufacturing and innovation, and Sheffield Forgemasters is an excellent example of this. Harnessing this legacy will be critical to enabling NATO to effectively deter and defend against future threats.
Sheffield Forgemasters will be crucial to delivering the plans set out in the SDR, as they restart manufacturing for artillery gun barrels, the first time they have been produced by the UK in decades underlining the defence dividend delivered by this government’s spending uplift. This follows the Prime Minister’s historic commitment to increase defence spending to 2.5% of GDP by 2027 and ambition for 3% in the next Parliament.
Their work also supports vital equipment supplied to Ukraine, such as L119 Light Guns and the AS90 self-propelled gun.
It comes after major announcements following the SDR, including: the building of up to a dozen new attack submarines for the Royal Navy; £5bn of confirmed investment in drone and laser weapon technology, up to 7,000 new UK-built long-range weapons to be procured; at least six new munitions and energetics factories in the UK; more than £1.5 billion to improve the state of military housing; and more than £1 billion for pioneering technology to spearhead battlefield engagements.
Sheffield Forgemasters plays a vital role in this National Endeavour as part of the Defence Nuclear Enterprise – the partnership of organisations that operate, maintain, renew, and sustain the UK’s nuclear deterrent.
The nuclear deterrent is the bedrock of the UK’s national security, helping to guarantee the safety of the UK and our NATO allies.
In a remarkable push towards inclusive financial empowerment, the Pradhan Mantri MUDRA Yojana (PMMY) has sanctioned over ₹33.65 lakh crore in loans to more than 52.5 crore small and micro-entrepreneurs over the last eleven years — more than the combined population of the USA, Russia, and Australia.
Launched in 2015 by Prime Minister Narendra Modi with the vision of “Funding the Unfunded,” PMMY has become a game-changer for first-time entrepreneurs, especially from marginalized communities. Of the total sanctioned loans, ₹11.58 lakh crore has been extended to Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, and OBCs, underscoring the government’s commitment to “Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas, Sabka Vishwas, Sabka Prayaas.”
Women have emerged as the biggest beneficiaries, receiving 68% of the total MUDRA loans—over 35.38 crore loans worth ₹14.72 lakh crore—boosting their participation in the national economy and fostering a new generation of female entrepreneurs.
PMMY offers collateral-free loans under four categories:
Shishu (up to ₹50,000),
Kishor (₹50,000 to ₹5 lakh),
Tarun (₹5 lakh to ₹10 lakh), and the newly introduced
Tarun Plus (₹10 lakh to ₹20 lakh), supporting businesses at various growth stages.
As India continues to strengthen its MSME sector, PMMY remains a key pillar in promoting self-reliance and entrepreneurship across every strata of society.
