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Category: Statistics

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: SFST’s keynote speech at MPF Symposium (English only)

    Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

         Following is the keynote speech by the Secretary for Financial Services and the Treasury, Mr Christopher Hui, at the MPF Symposium on “Green Finance and Sustainable Investing” today (February 24):
     
    Ayesha (Chairman of the Mandatory Provident Fund Authority (MPFA), Mrs Ayesha Macpherson Lau), YC (Managing Director of the MPFA, Mr Cheng Yan-chee), distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen,
     
         Good afternoon. It is both an honour and a privilege to address you today at the MPF Symposium on “Green Finance and Sustainable Investing”. I extend my gratitude to the Mandatory Provident Fund Authority for convening this important gathering, bringing together industry leaders, esteemed professionals, and dedicated stakeholders. We stand at a pivotal moment, united by a shared purpose: to explore how finance can serve not only as a cornerstone for retirement protection, but also as a transformative force for the future of our planet.
     
         In recent years, the global community has awakened to the profound urgency of climate change – a challenge that transcends borders and generations. The rising tide of extreme weather events and their far-reaching socio-economic consequences compel us to act with resolve and foresight. As an international financial centre of dynamism, Hong Kong is poised to lead this charge, harnessing the power of capital to propel the world towards a low-carbon future.
     
         The Government has made an unwavering commitment to achieve carbon neutrality before 2050 and to halve Hong Kong’s carbon emissions by 2035. These are not mere aspirations but a call to action. Through a sustained series of initiatives, we have fortified our resolve to advance green and sustainable finance – efforts that have not only accelerated Hong Kong’s emergence as a preeminent hub for sustainable investment, but also underscored our pivotal role in the global transition to a greener economy.
     
    Hong Kong: Asia’s vanguard in green finance
     
         The financial sector has emerged as a formidable conduit to direct global capital toward sustainable ends. Hong Kong, with its stature as Asia’s premier international financial centre and a beacon of sustainable finance, stands uniquely equipped to spearhead this transformation. Our capital markets have set a gold standard in green and sustainable finance, offering a rich tapestry of investment opportunities that resonate with two “Ps”, both “purpose” and “profit”.
     
         As of December last year, the Securities and Futures Commission has authorised over 220 ESG (environmental, social, and governance) funds, managing assets valued at approximately HK$1.2 trillion – a testament to the vibrancy of our market. Between 2021 and 2023, Hong Kong consistently led the region in arranging green and sustainable bonds. In 2023 alone, the total issuance of green and sustainable debt surpassed US$50 billion, with green and sustainable bonds accounting for US$30 billion, or 37 per cent of the regional total. These figures are not just statistics; they reflect the magnetic appeal and robust capacity of our markets to finance projects that safeguard our planet.
     
         The Government has been a steadfast champion of this cause. Since launching the Government Green Bond Programme in 2019, we have issued green bonds equivalent to HK$220 billion, channeling vital resources into sustainable infrastructure and innovation.
     
    Pioneering progress through innovation and partnership
     
         Our commitment to green and sustainable finance is not static; it is a dynamic pursuit propelled by innovation and collaboration. In 2021, we introduced the Green and Sustainable Finance Grant Scheme, a forward-thinking initiative that subsidises bond issuers and loan borrowers for expenses related to issuance and external reviews. By lowering financial barriers, this scheme empowers businesses to embrace sustainable financing, amplifying their contributions to a greener tomorrow.
     
         With sustainable development gaining heightened worldwide awareness, it has become vital to ensure that investors and other market participants have accurate, consistent and relevant information about sustainability-related matters for managing risks and supporting investments. We therefore published in March last year a vision statement to set out the vision and approach of the Government and financial regulators in developing a comprehensive ecosystem for sustainability disclosure in Hong Kong. We then launched in December last year a roadmap on sustainability disclosure in Hong Kong, setting out Hong Kong’s approach to require publicly accountable entities (PAEs) to adopt the ISSB Standards (International Financial Reporting Standards–Sustainability Disclosure Standards). It provides a well-defined pathway for large PAEs to fully adopt the ISSB Standards no later than 2028.
     
         Also, we are cultivating a thriving green fintech ecosystem to position Hong Kong as a global leader in this frontier. To better integrate fintech with green finance, and accelerate the green transformation of the economy, we will actively expand the green fintech ecosystem and develop Hong Kong as a green fintech hub. We launched in March last year the Prototype Hong Kong Green Fintech Map, which is developed together with relevant stakeholders, to provide one-stop information on the current status of green fintech companies operating in Hong Kong and related services, with a view to raising the companies’ profile. We are now developing the official Hong Kong Green Fintech Map with the industry, which will be published in the first half of this year.
     
    The resilience of the MPF System
     
         Now let’s turn our attention to reflect on the performance of our MPF System. Under the leadership of Ayesha, the system delivered last year an average annual net return of 8.6 per cent, culminating in a total net asset value approaching HK$1.3 trillion at the year end. This achievement underscores the resilience and adaptability of our system – qualities that have defined the MPF System over its two-decade legacy.
     
         Since its inception in 2000, the Equity Fund and Mixed Assets Fund, comprising nearly 80 per cent of total MPF assets, have posted average annualised net returns of 4.3 per cent and 4.0 per cent respectively, outpacing inflation over the same period. These results affirm the system’s capacity to weather economic cycles and also deliver enduring value to scheme members. Looking ahead, the MPF System remains a bedrock of retirement security, empowering members of the public to pursue their financial aspirations with more confidence and stability post-retirement.
     
    MPF’s leadership in sustainable investing
     
         Climate change and socio-economic shifts present unprecedented challenges – and opportunities – that demand we wield finance as a force for good. This convergence of prosperity and purpose is not optional; it is imperative.
     
         The MPFA has been a champion in this domain, embedding sustainable investing in its mission and guidance for the industry. While we celebrate last year’s strong performance, we recognise that the work of enhancing the MPF System is perpetual. A critical focus has been mitigating environmental, social, and governance risks – risks to which pension funds, with their decades-long horizons, are acutely exposed.
     
         In 2021, the MPFA issued the Principles for Adopting Sustainable Investing in the Investment and Risk Management Processes of MPF Funds. This framework has guided trustees in integrating ESG considerations into their investment and risk management strategies and disclosing these efforts to scheme members. Trustees now report their sustainable investing progress in annual governance reports, fostering transparency that empowers members to align their investments with their values.
     
         Beyond disclosure, we are diversifying MPF portfolios by integrating sustainable instruments – vehicles that not only finance ESG initiatives but also enhance risk-adjusted returns. We have established a pioneering mechanism to prioritise the allocation of institutional green bonds to Mandatory Provident Fund schemes. As of September last year, MPF funds invested HK$600 million in Government green bonds, representing a 50 per cent increase before the arrangement was put in place. This dual-purpose initiative advances our environmental agenda while bolstering the long-term sustainability of our pension system, a synergy of social responsibility and ecological stewardship.
     
    A call to collective action
     
         Our dialogue today must transcend this symposium, igniting enduring change in our communities and the MPF ecosystem. Hong Kong will continue to innovate, expand, and diversify, forging a vibrant ecosystem that serves both local, regional and global investors. Your wisdom and contributions are indispensable as we elevate this market and cement Hong Kong’s legacy as a global leader in green finance and retirement protection.
     
         Thank you.

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Import of poultry meat and products from Mid Ulster District of Northern Ireland in UK suspended

    Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

         â€‹The Centre for Food Safety (CFS) of the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department announced today (February 24) that in view of a notification from the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH) about an outbreak of highly pathogenic H5N1 avian influenza in the Mid Ulster District of Northern Ireland in the United Kingdom (UK), the CFS has instructed the trade to suspend the import of poultry meat and products (including poultry eggs) from the area with immediate effect to protect public health in Hong Kong.

         A CFS spokesman said that according to the Census and Statistics Department, Hong Kong imported about 910 tonnes of chilled and frozen poultry meat, and about 1.34 million poultry eggs from the UK last year.

         “The CFS has contacted the British authority over the issue and will closely monitor information issued by the WOAH and the relevant authorities on the avian influenza outbreak. Appropriate action will be taken in response to the development of the situation,” the spokesman said.

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: Commission steps up support for Ukraine’s energy security and paves the way for full market integration

    Source: EuroStat – European Statistics

    European Commission Press release Brussels, 24 Feb 2025 This package will allow for the full coupling of Ukraine’s electricity market with the EU by early 2027, together with Moldova, as well as further integration in the EU gas sector, provided that Ukraine significantly accelerates the necessary market reforms.

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Vehicle theft equipment to be banned under new government law

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    News story

    Vehicle theft equipment to be banned under new government law

    Possession or distribution of electronic devices used to commit vehicle theft will be banned, carrying a maximum sentence of 5 years.

    Sophisticated electronic devices used by criminals in 40% of vehicle thefts in England and Wales will be banned under new laws, as part of the government’s mission to make the nation’s streets safer.

    Having your vehicle stolen is a costly and distressing experience for victims. It disrupts livelihoods, stopping people from working and from seeing their families.

    As the government works to prevent crimes from impacting working people’s lives, police officers and the courts will be given new powers to target criminals who steal vehicles using electronic devices, including ‘signal jammers’, along with the organised groups who manufacture and supply these devices. 

    Previously, prosecution for handling these devices was only possible if it could be proved by police that they had been used to commit a specific crime.

    Under these new laws, anyone who is found in possession of one, or to have imported, made, adapted or distributed them, could receive a maximum penalty of 5 years’ imprisonment and an unlimited fine. The burden of proof will instead fall on the owner to prove they were using the device for a legitimate purpose, to avoid being prosecuted.

    This new measure acts on a key milestone in our Plan for Change to protect our neighbourhoods and is part of the government’s flagship Crime and Policing Bill, which will be introduced to Parliament on Tuesday.  

    Minister for Policing, Crime and Fire Prevention, Dame Diana Johnson, said:

    These thefts have a devastating effect on victims, who need their vehicles to go about their everyday lives. We are aware of the real concerns people feel with the use of these electronic devices being so prolific.

    This is why we are introducing new laws focused on tackling this issue at source, which is what our Safer Streets mission and Plan for Change are all about. These new laws will prevent these devices from getting into the hands of thieves and organised crime groups.

    We will also continue to work closely with the National Police Chiefs’ Council, which includes supporting their National Vehicle Crime Reduction Partnership, which brings together the police and manufacturers to clamp down on vehicle crime.

    The most common way theft from a vehicle – or the theft of the vehicle itself – occurs is with the use of these electronic devices, with keyless repeaters and signal amplifiers being used to scramble the signal from remote locking devices.

    According to the 2022 to 2023 Crime Survey for England and Wales, an offender manipulated a signal from a remote locking device in 40% of thefts of vehicles. There were also 732,000 incidents of vehicle-related theft in the year ending September 2024.

    The Metropolitan Police Service estimates that, in London, signal jammers are used in approximately 60% of vehicle theft.

    A significant proportion of vehicle theft is driven by organised crime groups, as there is a demand for stolen vehicles, which means this is a highly attractive and lucrative area for criminals to gain profit. Organised criminals are constantly trying to find ways to overcome security measures on vehicles, even in the latest models, by exploiting vulnerabilities in vehicles and new technologies.

    In support of the new measures, RAC head of policy Simon Williams said:

    With government statistics showing an average of 370 vehicles being stolen every day, outlawing the possession and distribution of signal jammers cannot come soon enough and we welcome the government’s action on this.

    Having your car stolen is not only a violation, it causes massive amounts of stress and inconvenience as well as higher insurance costs for the individual concerned and drivers generally.

    AA president, Edmund King, said:

    This is a positive step, and these tougher sentences should make would-be thieves think again before stealing cars. As fast as vehicle technology has evolved, thieves have always tried to keep pace and beat the security systems.

    Relay theft and signal jamming is all too frequent and these measures will give police forces more opportunities to tackle car crime.

    ACC Jenny Sims, National Police Chiefs’ Council lead for vehicle crime said:

    We welcome the announcement of new offences to criminalise the possession, manufacture, sale and supply of signal jammers which have provided an easily accessible tool for criminals to use in the theft of vehicles for far too long.

    These devices have no legitimate purpose, apart from assisting in criminal activity, and reducing their availability will support policing and industry in preventing vehicle theft which is damaging to both individuals and businesses.

    Updates to this page

    Published 24 February 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-Evening Report: ‘It’s disgusting that they can get away with this’: here’s how eviction can affect tenants’ lives

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Alan Morris, Professor, Institute for Public Policy and Governance, University of Technology Sydney

    For people relying on rental properties to keep a roof over their heads, there are few things more scary than the possibility of being evicted from their home.

    The paucity of official statistics makes it difficult to know exactly how common evictions are. In 2019–20, 13.8% of private renters moved due to their lease being terminated or not renewed.

    Besides a report or two, we know little about what happens when households face the possibility of being evicted, or are actually evicted.

    Our research examines these consequences. Through in-depth interviews with 53 private tenants in New South Wales and Queensland, we found these experiences negatively shaped people’s lives well into the future. Here are four themes we identified.

    1. Poor mental health

    The ease with which landlords can terminate a tenant’s occupation evoked persistent anxiety for most of the interviewees (the interviews were conducted prior to the scrapping of no-grounds eviction in NSW, though such evictions are still allowed in other states and territories).

    This was especially so for low-income tenants.

    When interviewed, Susan* had recently been evicted from her apartment in Sydney. She was reliant on the Disability Support Pension for her income and lived in constant fear of being evicted and rendered homeless. She felt that having a disability and being from a non-English-speaking background made her precarity worse:

    if you are somebody who comes from a non-English-speaking background, or you have a disability, or have no ability to enforce [the legislation], it’s on the tenant to take up the laws and to do something about it. And if you don’t have any of those abilities, you’re just going to be on your way to homelessness very, very soon […]

    Grace lived by herself in Sydney. She had been given a no-grounds termination and was convinced it was linked to her landlord’s realisation that he could raise her rent considerably once she moved out. Her mental health was seriously affected by the eviction:

    It was just like out of nowhere […] so that was horrific […] I’m still trying to settle into this new place with that trauma of being uprooted all of a sudden […] I think it’s probably going to affect me for a while and particularly in terms of just the power that real estates and landlords have to be able to do that.

    2. Financial hardship

    For many of the low-income tenants, the financial implications of being evicted were severe.

    Sarah, her husband and their three children had been renting in Sydney since 2013. She estimated that since 2014, they had had to move at least six times. Most of the moves were not voluntary. She found the financial implications of evictions extremely distressing:

    It’s the finances of it that’s the hardest […] when you get asked to move, you need to have a bond ready to go at the next place before you receive your bond back, which is a killer […]

    She outlined all the expenses that came up each time she moved from one rental to another: professional cleaners, removalists and maintenance deducted from the bond.

    After her rented accommodation was condemned, Brenda, a single mum of two children, had 48 hours to move from her rental property in regional Queensland. The move consumed her savings:

    I had $200 after paying all my bills to move. So once I moved that was it. So I struggled the following week for everything. For food, […] getting my son to school, my daughter. It was just horrible.

    3. Reluctance to complain

    The knowledge that, at some point, the rent could be increased to an untenable level or they could be asked to vacate evoked silent compliance. This created a reluctance to complain or request basic maintenance.

    Alice was convinced she was evicted after complaining about the poor condition of the rental property she, her son and grandson had been renting for eight years in regional NSW. Her grandson’s bedroom was unusable due to excessive mould.

    However, her low income and the threat of eviction meant she held off complaining for an extended period:

    […] it’s just disgusting that they [landlords] can get away with this shit while charging top dollar, and […] that’s why I didn’t complain because I said to everybody, “as soon as I complain he’ll kick us out.” […] If I hadn’t complained, we’d still be there […]

    Sarah described how, despite feeling harassed and stressed by her landlord’s unannounced and constant intrusions, she felt the family had to accept the situation and not protest:

    I was petrified of being kicked out if we fought back and so […] we let him onto the property 16 times in 10 months and said nothing.

    When they couldn’t take it any longer and complained, they were given notice, the landlord claiming he needed to do maintenance that required the property to be vacant.

    4. Ending up in a worse home

    A common consequence of eviction is having to move to unsuitable, lower-quality accommodation.

    Jan and her partner were older renters and reliant on government benefits for their income. The flow-on effects of being evicted from their accommodation in Queensland, where they had been living for ten years, were devastating. Her partner attempted suicide, her relationship with him ended, and she was forced to live in a tent on a piece of land her mother had bought several years prior:

    our rental accommodation was sold out from under us to developers and we had to be out with nowhere to go. We looked around for somewhere else to rent and there was absolutely nowhere we could afford at all.

    It’s clear that eviction, or the threat thereof, can have devastating affects on people’s lives.

    Although there has been some movement around improving the lot of private renters, such as legislation abolishing no-grounds eviction in some jurisdictions, and rent increases being allowed only once a year, a lot more needs to be done to ensure tenants have acceptable security of tenure.

    *All names in this article have been changed to protect participants’ privacy.

    Alan Morris receives funding from the Australian Research Council.

    Joelle Moore receives funding from the Australian Research Council.

    Thi Thanh Mai Giang receives funding from The Australian Research Council.

    Yiran Li receives funding from funding from the Australian Research Council.

    – ref. ‘It’s disgusting that they can get away with this’: here’s how eviction can affect tenants’ lives – https://theconversation.com/its-disgusting-that-they-can-get-away-with-this-heres-how-eviction-can-affect-tenants-lives-248221

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-Evening Report: Labor crashes to a 55–45 deficit in Resolve despite interest rate cut

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Adrian Beaumont, Election Analyst (Psephologist) at The Conversation; and Honorary Associate, School of Mathematics and Statistics, The University of Melbourne

    A national Resolve poll for Nine newspapers, conducted February 18–23 from a sample of 1,506, gave the Coalition a 55–45 lead by headline respondent preferences, a three-point gain for the Coalition since January. By 2022 election preference flows, the Coalition led by 52–48, a one-point gain for them.

    Primary votes were 39% Coalition (up one), 25% Labor (down two), 13% Greens (steady), 9% One Nation (up two), 9% independents (down one) and 4% others (down two). Labor’s primary vote is their lowest in any poll this term.

    Anthony Albanese’s net approval was steady at -22, with 56% giving him a poor rating and just 34% a good one. Peter Dutton’s net approval was down one to +5. Dutton led Albanese by 39–35 as preferred PM (39–34 in January).

    By 37–26, voters thought the Coalition was the best choice for them and their household over Labor. By 34–18, they thought Dutton better able to deal with Donald Trump than Albanese. By 43–22, they thought Albanese weaker than Dutton.

    The Liberals led Labor by 41–24 on economic management (42–23 in January). The Liberals led on keeping the cost of living low by 37–25, down a little from 37–22 in January.

    In both the Resolve and Freshwater polls that were taken after the Reserve Bank cut interest rates, the Coalition has increased its lead. Here is the graph that shows the dramatic widening in the Resolve poll in the Coalition’s favour.

    Dutton’s ratings have been much better than Albanese’s in Resolve, and this is now flowing through to voting intentions. To put Labor back on track, Albanese needs to improve his ratings and Dutton’s need to fall. In this respect, the Freshwater poll below was much better for Labor.

    Resolve’s respondent preference flows are probably a pro-Coalition outlier, but the general trend in the polls has been bleak for Labor.

    Freshwater poll: Coalition leads by 52–48

    A national Freshwater poll, conducted February 20–23 from a sample of 1,038, gave the Coalition a 52–48 lead by respondent preferences, a one-point gain for the Coalition since January. Primary votes were 41% Coalition (up one), 31% Labor (down one), 13% Greens (steady) and 15% for all Others.

    Albanese’s net approval improved seven points to -11, while Dutton’s dropped four points to -8. Albanese led Dutton as preferred PM by 45–43 (a 43–43 tie in January).

    On issues, 70% rated cost of living a top three issue, followed by 39% for housing, 27% for both crime and economic management, 26% for health and just 17% for the environment. The Coalition held double-digit leads over Labor on cost of living, crime and economic management.

    Essential poll: Labor gains for a tie

    A national Essential poll, conducted February 12–16 from a sample of 1,146, had a 48–48 tie by respondent preferences including undecided (49–47 to the Coalition in early February). The Coalition had led in the last four Essential polls by one to two points.

    Primary votes were 35% Coalition (down one), 30% Labor (steady), 12% Greens (steady), 9% One Nation (up one), 1% UAP (steady), 9% for all Others (steady) and 4% undecided (steady). By 2022 preference flows, Labor would lead by about 51–49, a 0.5-point gain for Labor.

    Albanese’s net approval dropped five points to -5 since January, with 48% disapproving and 43% approving, but the January poll had an 11-point jump in his net approval from December. Dutton’s net approval was down three points to -4, his worst net approval in Essential since February 2024.

    Asked about the direction of the country, wrong track led by 51–31, a blowout from 46–38 in January. Wrong track led by the same 51–31 margin in December, and it has consistently had sizeable leads since June 2023.

    On taxes and government services, 26% thought they should be reduced, 11% increased and 63% maintained. By 40–31, respondents opposed the Coalition’s plan to reduce the number of public service workers.

    Asked whether they were aware of various Labor achievements, 77% were aware of the $300 energy bill rebate for all households, 66% were aware of TAFE and HECS debt cuts and 61% were aware of increased renewable energy targets. However, only 46% were aware of consecutive budget surpluses.

    Morgan poll and Palmer’s new party

    A national Morgan poll, conducted February 10–16 from a sample of 1,666, gave the Coalition a 51.5–48.5 lead by headline respondent preferences, unchanged from the February 3–9 poll.

    Primary votes were 39.5% Coalition (down one), 28% Labor (down one), 12.5% Greens (up 1.5), 5.5% One Nation (up 1.5), 10% independents (up 0.5) and 4.5% others (down 1.5). By 2022 election flows, the Coalition led by 51–49, a 0.5-point gain for Labor.

    Clive Palmer had voluntarily deregistered the United Australia Party after the 2022 election. The High Court denied his attempt to re-register this party. He has now taken over the existing party “Trumpet of Patriots”.

    Queensland federal and state DemosAU poll

    A DemosAU poll of Queensland that asked for federal voting intentions, conducted February 10–14 from a sample of 1,004, gave the Liberal National Party a 53–47 lead, representing a 1% swing to Labor since the 2022 federal election result in Queensland.

    Primary votes were 39% LNP, 31% Labor, 12% Greens, 10% One Nation and 8% for all Others. DemosAU is using the One Nation preference flow at the 2024 Queensland state election for its federal polls; this was better for the LNP than at the 2022 federal election.

    State voting intentions were 54–46 to the LNP, unchanged since the 2024 election. Primary votes were 40% LNP, 30% Labor, 12% Greens, 10% One Nation and 8% for all Others.

    Economic data: wage growth and jobs

    The Australian Bureau of Statistics reported that in the December 2024 quarter, wages grew 0.7%, down from 0.9% in the September quarter. This was the slowest quarterly wage growth since March 2022. For the year to December, wages grew 3.2%, down from 4.1% in the year to June 2024.

    In the December quarter, inflation was up 0.2% and up 2.4% for the year to December. So wage growth exceeded inflation by 0.5% in the December quarter and 0.8% for the year, but it had exceeded inflation by 0.7% in the September quarter.

    The ABS said 44,000 jobs were added in January, but the unemployment rate rose 0.1% from December to 4.1% owing to a 0.2% increase in the participation rate. The employment population ratio (the percentage of eligible Australians that are employed) rose 0.1% to 65.6%, a record high.

    German election

    I am covering Sunday’s German federal election for The Poll Bludger. The election was held seven months early owing to a breakdown in the governing coalition of centre-left SPD, Greens and pro-business FDP.

    Exit polls and pre-election polls have the conservative CDU/CSU leading, with the far-right AfD in second place and the SPD lagging in third. The final outcome should be known by this afternoon AEDT.

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

    – ref. Labor crashes to a 55–45 deficit in Resolve despite interest rate cut – https://theconversation.com/labor-crashes-to-a-55-45-deficit-in-resolve-despite-interest-rate-cut-250150

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Talks relaunch on India trade deal to boost UK’s growth agenda

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    Press release

    Talks relaunch on India trade deal to boost UK’s growth agenda

    UK-India free trade talks are being relaunched, with a visit to India by the Business and Trade Secretary.

    • UK-India trade talks kick off in New Delhi today with Business and Trade Secretary Jonathan Reynolds meeting with Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal
    • Deal aims to deliver economic growth and bring Indian economy – world’s third largest by 2028 – within reach for more UK businesses
    • Push to attract investment will take place in financial capital Mumbai and tech hub Bengaluru by Investment Minister Poppy Gustafsson

    The relaunch of talks on a UK-India trade deal will take place today [Monday 24 February], as UK ministers arrive in India to negotiate a huge economic prize helping to deliver on the growth agenda.

    India is forecast to have the highest growth rate in the G20 for the next five years and set to become the world’s third biggest economy by 2028. With an expected 95 million strong middle class by 2035, there are more and more opportunities every day for UK businesses to sell to consumers in India ready to buy British.

    Securing trade deals with massive global economies like India demonstrates the UK’s commitment to free and fair trade and how this Government will support jobs, prosperity, and real change for the British people as part of the Plan for Change.

    Business and Trade Secretary Jonathan Reynolds said:

    Securing a trade deal with what is soon-to-be the third biggest economy in the world is a no-brainer, and a top priority for me and this Government. That is why I’m flying to New Delhi with our top negotiating team to show our commitment to getting these talks back on track.

    Only a pragmatic government can deliver the economic growth and stability that the British public and British businesses deserve, delivering on the Plan for Change.

    Growth will be the guiding principle in our trade negotiations with India and I’m excited about the opportunities on offer in this vibrant market.

    Trade ministers from both countries will kickstart negotiations on a modern economic deal with two-days of focused discussions – the first time both negotiating teams have formally got around the table under this government.     

    Standard Chartered UK CEO and Head, Client Coverage UK, Saif Malik said:

    We warmly welcome efforts to strengthen trade ties with one of the world’s most dynamic and fastest growing markets. As a leading global bank operating in India for over 160 years, the opportunities for British businesses are significant.

    Whether it’s improved access to India’s growing consumer market, opportunities in manufacturing, infrastructure and innovation, or collaboration in financial and professional services, the relaunch of trade talks can unlock even greater trade, investment and prosperity across the UK-India corridor.” 

    Chair of UK India Business Council Richard Heald said:

    The UK Government’s visit reaffirms its commitment for a new ambitious and future-focused trade & investment relationship with India. 

    We are delighted to note the progress on the UK-India Free Trade Agreement negotiations. Success in the FTA will support further economic growth for the world’s 5th and 6th largest economies. It will catalyse collaboration beyond into other areas too. Importantly, it will signal the UK and India are strategic partners. This is truly an exciting chapter of the UK-India partnership.

    The talks will open against a backdrop of Indian commerce and artisans on a joint visit to Delhi’s National Crafts Museum. The pair will also spend time visiting BT India’s office in Gurugram – one of the largest UK employers in India – to see first-hand how UK tech and Indian talent are helping solve global challenges.

    As part of the visit, Investment Minister Poppy Gustafsson will address investors in two of the country’s foremost business centres Mumbai and Bengaluru, to sell the UK as the best and most connected place for Indian businesses to invest.

    India has been the second biggest source of FDI into the UK for five consecutive years in terms of number of projects. In terms of value, the most recent stats show a 28% year-on-year increase in investment stock at the end of 2023.

    The UK offer for Indian investors has never been stronger, she will tell businesses, thanks to the government’s drive to restore economic stability and boost investor confidence as part of the Plan for Change.

    The UK and India are currently the sixth and fifth largest global economies respectively, with a trade relationship worth £41 billion and investment supporting over 600,000 jobs across both countries.

    A trade deal could unlock new opportunities for businesses and consumers in all regions and nations of the UK, support jobs, boost wages, and back the high-growth sectors identified in the government’s upcoming Industrial Strategy, such as advanced manufacturing, clean energy, financial services, and professional and business services.

    Notes to editors

    Updates to this page

    Published 23 February 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Retail activity up in the December 2024 quarter – Stats NZ media and information release: Retail trade survey: December 2024 quarter

    Source: Statistics New Zealand

    Retail activity up in the December 2024 quarter – 24 February 2025 – The total volume of retail sales in New Zealand increased by 0.9 percent in the December 2024 quarter compared with the September 2024 quarter, according to figures released by Stats NZ today. Figures are adjusted for price inflation and seasonal effects.

    “In the December quarter we saw a modest increase in retail activity, with growth across most industries,” economic indicators spokesperson Michael Heslop said.

    Ten of the 15 retail industries had higher retail sales volumes in the December 2024 quarter, compared with the September 2024 quarter, after adjusting for price and seasonal effects.

    Files:

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: English rendering of PM’s address in the 119th Episode of ‘Mann Ki Baat’ on 23.02.2025

    Source: Government of India (2)

    Posted On: 23 FEB 2025 11:33AM by PIB Delhi

    My dear countrymen, Namaskar. Welcome to ‘Mann Ki Baat’. These days the Champions Trophy is going on and there is an atmosphere of cricket everywhere. All of us know very well what the thrill of a century in cricket is… But today I am not going to talk to you about cricket, albeit about the wonderful century that India has made in Space. Last month, the country witnessed the launch of ISRO’s 100th rocket. This is not just a number; it also reflects our resolve to touch new heights in Space Science every day. Our space journey had commenced in a rather modest way. There were challenges at every step, but our scientists kept moving forward, conquering them. With time, the list of our successes in this space odyssey kept rising. Be it the manufacture of launch vehicles, the successes of Chandrayaan, Mangalyaan, Aditya L-1 or the unprecedented mission of sending 104 satellites into space at one go with a single rocket – the ambit of ISRO’s successes has been quite expansive. Over the last 10 years alone, around 460 satellites have been launched and this includes many satellites of other countries as well. Another important fact in recent years is that the participation of woman power is constantly on the rise among our team of Space Scientists. I am also very happy to see that today the Space Sector has become a favourite for our youth.

    Who would have thought a few years ago that the number of start-ups and private sector Space companies in this field would be in hundreds. For our youth who want to do something thrilling and exciting in life, the Space Sector is turning out to be an excellent option.             

    Friends, in a few days to come, we are going to celebrate ‘National Science Day’. The interest and passion of our children and youth in science matters a lot. I have an idea for this, which you can call ‘One Day as a Scientist’. That is, you should try to spend one day as a scientist. You can choose any day as per your convenience and choice. On that day, you must visit a research lab, planetarium or a Space Centre. This will enhance your curiosity about Science. Like Space and Science, there is another field in which India is rapidly carving out a robust identity – this field is AI i.e. Artificial Intelligence. Recently, I went to Paris to participate in a big AI conference. There, the world praised India’s progress in this sector. We are also getting to see examples of how people of our country are using AI today. For example, there is Thodasam Kailash ji, a teacher in a government school in Adilabad, Telangana. His interest in digital music is performing a very important task in saving many of our tribal languages. He has done wonders by composing a song in Kolami language with the help of AI tools. He is using AI to compose songs in many languages ​​other than Kolami. His tracks are being liked a lot by our tribal brothers and sisters on social media. Be it the Space Sector or AI, the ever-increasing participation of our youth is begetting a new revolution. The people of India are second to none in adopting and trying new technologies.

    My dear countrymen, next month, the 8th of March is ‘International Women’s Day’. This is a special occasion to salute our Nari Shakti. Devi Mahatmya says –

    Vidya: Samastaas-tava Devi Bheda:

    Streeya: Samasta: Sakala Jagatsu.

    That is, all the Vidyas are the expressions of the various forms of the Goddess and all the woman power of the world is also her reflection. In our culture, respect for daughters has been paramount. The MatriShakti of the country has also played a big role in our freedom struggle and the creation of the Constitution. I am sharing with all of you what Hansa Mehta ji had said while presenting our National Flag in the Constituent Assembly, in her own voice.

    It is in the fitness of things that this first flag that will fly over this August house, should be a gift from the women of India. We have donned the saffron colour, we have fought, suffered and sacrificed in the cause of our country’s freedom. We have today attained our goal. In presenting this symbol of our freedom, we once more offer our services to the nation. We pledge ourselves to work for a great India, for building up a nation that will be a nation among nations. We pledge ourselves for working for a greater cause to maintain the freedom we have attained. 

    Friends, Hansa Mehta ji had brought to the fore the contribution of women from all over the country, right from the making of our National Flag to sacrificing their lives for its sake. She was of the belief that the saffron colour in our tricolour also reflects this sentiment. She had expressed confidence that our woman power would make its valuable contribution in making India strong and prosperous; Today her words are proving to be true. If you observe at any field, you will find how extensive the contribution of women is. Friends, this time on Women’s Day I am going to embark upon an initiative for a day, which will be dedicated to our Nari-Shakti. On this special occasion, I am going to hand over my social media accounts like X, Instagram to some inspiring ladies of the country. Women who have achieved success in myriad fields; who have innovated and created a unique identity for themselves in various fields. On the 8th of March, they will share their work and experiences with the countrymen. The platform might be mine, but it will be about their experiences, their challenges and their achievements. If you want to avail of this opportunity, become a part of this experiment through the special Forum created on NamoApp and share your message with the whole world through my X and Instagram accounts. So come… this time on Women’s Day, let us all celebrate, honour and salute the indomitable power of women.

    My dear countrymen, many of you would have enjoyed the thrill of the National Games in Uttarakhand. There, more than 11,000 athletes from all over the country performed brilliantly. This event presented a new Swaroop of Devbhoomi. Uttarakhand is now emerging as a strong sporting force in the country. The players of Uttarakhand too performed wonderfully. This time Uttarakhand finished 7th – this is the power of sports, which transforms individuals and communities as well as the entire State. It inspires future generations and also promotes a culture of excellence. Friends, today some memorable performances in these games are being discussed all over the country. My heartiest congratulations to the Services team which won the maximum number of gold medals in these games. I also appreciate every player who participated in the National Games. Many of our players are the contribution of the Khelo India campaign. Be it Sawan Barwal of Himachal Pradesh, Kiran Mhatre & Tejas Shirse of Maharashtra or Jyoti Yaraji of Andhra Pradesh, all of them have given new hope to the country. Javelin thrower Sachin Yadav of Uttar Pradesh, high jumper Pooja of Haryana and swimmer Dhinidhi Desindhu of Karnataka won the hearts of the countrymen. They surprised everyone by setting three new national records. The number of teenage champions in this year’s National Games is astonishing. 15-year-old shooter Gavin Antony, 16-year-old hammer thrower Anushka Yadav, from UP and 19-year-old pole vaulter Dev Kumar Meena from Madhya Pradesh have proved that India’s sporting future lies in the hands of a very talented generation. The National Games held in Uttarakhand also showed that those who never accept defeat, definitely win. No one becomes a champion amid comfort. I am happy that with the determination and discipline of our young athletes, India is rapidly progressing towards becoming a global sporting powerhouse.

    My dear countrymen, during the opening of the National Games in Dehradun, I raised a very important topic, which has started a new discussion in the country – this topic is ‘obesity’. To become a fit and healthy nation, we will certainly have to deal with the problem of obesity. According to a study, one in every eight people today is troubled by the problem of obesity. Cases of obesity have doubled in the past years, but, what is even more worrying is that the problem of obesity has increased fourfold even among children. WHO data shows that in 2022, about 250 crore people around the world were overweight, that is, they had more weight than required. These statistics are very serious and force all of us to think why this is happening. Excess weight or obesity gives rise to many kinds of problems and diseases. We can together deal with this challenge with minor efforts. For example, one method I suggested was “reducing the consumption of edible oil by ten percent (10%)”. Decide that you will use 10% less oil every month. You can decide that while buying oil for cooking, you will buy 10% less oil. This will be an important step towards reducing obesity. Today, in ‘Mann Ki Baat’, I also want to share some special messages on this topic with you. Let us begin with Olympic medallist Neeraj Chopra, who has successfully overcome obesity:

    Namaskar everyone. I, Neeraj Chopra want to tell you all today that our honourable Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi ji has discussed obesity in ‘Mann Ki Baat’ this time, which is a very important issue for our country. And I somehow relate to this thing with myself too, because when I started going to the ground, I was also quite overweight at that time and when I started training and started eating well, my health improved a lot and after that when I became a professional athlete, I got a lot of help in that too. And I would also like to tell that parents should also play some outdoor sport or the other and take their children along and create a good healthy lifestyle, eat well and give your body an hour or however much time you can in a day for exercise. And I would like to add one more thing, recently our Prime Minister had said that the oil used in food should be reduced by upto 10%, because many times we eat a lot of fried food items which have a huge impact on obesity. So I would like to tell everyone to avoid these things and take care of their health. This is just what I request you and together we will uplift our country, thank you.

    Neeraj ji, I am very grateful to you. Renowned athlete Nikhat Zareen ji has also expressed her views on this topic:

    Hi, my name is Nikhat Zareen and I am two times world boxing champion. As our Prime Minister Narendra Modi ji has mentioned about Obesity in ‘Mann Ki Baat’ and I think it’s a national concern, we should be serious about our health because obesity is spreading so fast in our India, we should stop it and we should try to follow a healthy lifestyle as much as possible. Being an athlete myself, I try to follow a healthy diet because if by mistake I take an unhealthy diet or eat oily things, it impacts my performance and I get tired quickly in the ring and I try to use as little as possible things like edible oil and instead follow a healthy diet and do daily physical activity due to which I always remain fit. And I think common people like us, who go to work daily, I think everyone should be serious about health and do some daily physical activity due to which we stay away from diseases like heart attack and cancer and keep ourselves fit ‘because if we are fit then India is fit’.                                  

    Nikhat ji has really made some good points. Let us now listen to what Dr. Devi Shetty ji has to say. As all of you know, he is a very distinguished doctor, who is continuously working on this subject:

    I would like to thank our Honourable Prime Minister for creating an awareness about obesity in his most popular ‘Mann Ki Baat’ programme. Obesity today is not a cosmetic problem; it is a very serious medical problem. Majority of the youngsters in India today are obese. The main cause of obesity today is poor quality of food intake especially excess intake of carbohydrates that is rice, chapatti and sugar and of course large consumption of oil. Obesity leads to major medical problems like heart disease, high blood pressure, fatty liver and many other complications. So my advice to all the youngsters… start exercising control your diet and be very very active and watch your weight. Once again I would like to wish all of you a very very happy healthy future, Good Luck and God Bless.                             

    Friends, using less oil in food and dealing with obesity is not just a personal choice but also our responsibility towards the family. Excessive use of oil in food can cause many diseases like heart disease, diabetes and hypertension. By making small changes in our food habits, we can make our future stronger, fitter and disease-free. Therefore, without delay, we must increase our efforts in this direction and implement it in our lives. We can all do this together in a very playful & effective way. For example, today after this episode of ‘Mann Ki Baat’, I will request and challenge 10 people if they can reduce oil in their food by 10%. And I will also urge them to pass on the same challenge to 10 new people. I am sure that this will help a lot in fighting obesity.                                                                                                   

    Friends, do you know what the similarity between the Asiatic Lion, Hangul, Pygmy Hog and Lion-tailed Macaque is? The answer is that all of these are not found anywhere else in the world… they are found only in our country. Indeed, we have a very vibrant eco-system of flora and fauna. And these wild animals are deeply embedded in our history and culture. Many animals are also observed as the vehicles of our Gods and Goddesses. Many tribes in central India worship Bagheshwar. There is a tradition of worshipping Waghoba in Maharashtra. Lord Ayyappa also has a very deep connection with the tiger. Bonbibi, whose Vaahan is the tiger, is worshipped in Sundarbans. We have many cultural dances like Huli Vesha of Karnataka, Pooli of Tamil Nadu and Pulikali of Kerala, which are associated with nature and wildlife. I would also like to thank my tribal brothers and sisters, because they actively participate in work related to wildlife protection. The population of tigers has risen continuously in Karnataka’s BRT Tiger Reserve. A lot of credit for this goes to the Soliga tribe, who worship the tiger. Owing to them, there is almost no man-animal conflict in this area. In Gujarat as well, people have contributed significantly in the protection and conservation of Asiatic Lions in Gir. They have shown the world what co-existence with nature means. Friends, on account of these efforts, the population of tigers, leopards, Asiatic Lions, Rhinos and Barasingha has increased rapidly in the last few years. And it is also worth noting how beautiful the diversity of wildlife in India is. Asiatic Lions are found in the western part of the country, while the habitat of ​​Tigers is East, Central and South India. Rhinos are found in the Northeast. Every part of India is not only sensitive towards nature, but is also committed to wild life protection. I have been told about Anuradha Rao ji, many generations of whom have been associated with Andaman and Nicobar Islands. Anuradha ji had dedicated herself to animal welfare at an early age. For three decades, she has made the protection of deer and peacocks her mission. People here call her ‘Deer Woman’. We will celebrate World Wildlife Day at the beginning of next month. I urge you to encourage people associated with wildlife protection. It is a matter of great satisfaction for me that many start-ups have also emerged in this field.

    Friends, this is the season of Board Exams. I wish my young friends, i.e., Exam Warriors, the best of luck for their exams. Appear for your papers without any stress and with a completely positive spirit. Every year in ‘Pariksha Pe Charcha’, we discuss various topics related to exams with our Exam Warriors. I am happy that this programme is now taking an institutional form… it is getting institutionalized. Many New experts are also joining it. This year, we tried to conduct ‘Pariksha Pe Charcha’ in a new format.  Along with the experts, eight different episodes were also included. We covered topics ranging from Overall Exams to Health Care and Mental Health as well as food and nutrition. Past toppers also shared their thoughts and experiences with everyone. Many youngsters, their parents and teachers have written letters to me on this. They have told me that they liked this format very much because every topic was discussed in detail. Our young friends have watched these episodes in large numbers on Instagram too. Many of you also liked the fact that this program was organized in Sundar Nursery, Delhi. Those of our young friends who have not been able to watch these episodes of ‘Pariksha Pe Charcha’ till now, must watch them. All these episodes are available on NaMoApp. Once again, my message to our Exam Warriors is “Be happy and stress free”.                                                                           

    My dear friends, that’s all for me in this episode of Mann Ki Baat. Next month we will again conduct ‘Mann Ki Baat’ together with new topics. Keep sending me your letters, your messages. Stay healthy, stay happy. Thank you very much. Namaskar.

    ****

    MJPS/ST/RT/ZK

    (Release ID: 2105618) Visitor Counter : 145

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: ‘Mann Ki Baat’ (119th Episode) Broadcast Date: 23.02.2025

    Source: Government of India

    Posted On: 23 FEB 2025 11:33AM by PIB Delhi

    My dear countrymen, Namaskar. Welcome to ‘Mann Ki Baat’. These days the Champions Trophy is going on and there is an atmosphere of cricket everywhere. All of us know very well what the thrill of a century in cricket is… But today I am not going to talk to you about cricket, albeit about the wonderful century that India has made in Space. Last month, the country witnessed the launch of ISRO’s 100th rocket. This is not just a number; it also reflects our resolve to touch new heights in Space Science every day. Our space journey had commenced in a rather modest way. There were challenges at every step, but our scientists kept moving forward, conquering them. With time, the list of our successes in this space odyssey kept rising. Be it the manufacture of launch vehicles, the successes of Chandrayaan, Mangalyaan, Aditya L-1 or the unprecedented mission of sending 104 satellites into space at one go with a single rocket – the ambit of ISRO’s successes has been quite expansive. Over the last 10 years alone, around 460 satellites have been launched and this includes many satellites of other countries as well. Another important fact in recent years is that the participation of woman power is constantly on the rise among our team of Space Scientists. I am also very happy to see that today the Space Sector has become a favourite for our youth.

    Who would have thought a few years ago that the number of start-ups and private sector Space companies in this field would be in hundreds. For our youth who want to do something thrilling and exciting in life, the Space Sector is turning out to be an excellent option.             

    Friends, in a few days to come, we are going to celebrate ‘National Science Day’. The interest and passion of our children and youth in science matters a lot. I have an idea for this, which you can call ‘One Day as a Scientist’. That is, you should try to spend one day as a scientist. You can choose any day as per your convenience and choice. On that day, you must visit a research lab, planetarium or a Space Centre. This will enhance your curiosity about Science. Like Space and Science, there is another field in which India is rapidly carving out a robust identity – this field is AI i.e. Artificial Intelligence. Recently, I went to Paris to participate in a big AI conference. There, the world praised India’s progress in this sector. We are also getting to see examples of how people of our country are using AI today. For example, there is Thodasam Kailash ji, a teacher in a government school in Adilabad, Telangana. His interest in digital music is performing a very important task in saving many of our tribal languages. He has done wonders by composing a song in Kolami language with the help of AI tools. He is using AI to compose songs in many languages ​​other than Kolami. His tracks are being liked a lot by our tribal brothers and sisters on social media. Be it the Space Sector or AI, the ever-increasing participation of our youth is begetting a new revolution. The people of India are second to none in adopting and trying new technologies.

    My dear countrymen, next month, the 8th of March is ‘International Women’s Day’. This is a special occasion to salute our Nari Shakti. Devi Mahatmya says –

    Vidya: Samastaas-tava Devi Bheda:

    Streeya: Samasta: Sakala Jagatsu.

    That is, all the Vidyas are the expressions of the various forms of the Goddess and all the woman power of the world is also her reflection. In our culture, respect for daughters has been paramount. The MatriShakti of the country has also played a big role in our freedom struggle and the creation of the Constitution. I am sharing with all of you what Hansa Mehta ji had said while presenting our National Flag in the Constituent Assembly, in her own voice.

    # AUDIO BYTE:-

    It is in the fitness of things that this first flag that will fly over this August house, should be a gift from the women of India. We have donned the saffron colour, we have fought, suffered and sacrificed in the cause of our country’s freedom. We have today attained our goal. In presenting this symbol of our freedom, we once more offer our services to the nation. We pledge ourselves to work for a great India, for building up a nation that will be a nation among nations. We pledge ourselves for working for a greater cause to maintain the freedom we have attained. 

    Friends, Hansa Mehta ji had brought to the fore the contribution of women from all over the country, right from the making of our National Flag to sacrificing their lives for its sake. She was of the belief that the saffron colour in our tricolour also reflects this sentiment. She had expressed confidence that our woman power would make its valuable contribution in making India strong and prosperous; Today her words are proving to be true. If you observe at any field, you will find how extensive the contribution of women is. Friends, this time on Women’s Day I am going to embark upon an initiative for a day, which will be dedicated to our Nari-Shakti. On this special occasion, I am going to hand over my social media accounts like X, Instagram to some inspiring ladies of the country. Women who have achieved success in myriad fields; who have innovated and created a unique identity for themselves in various fields. On the 8th of March, they will share their work and experiences with the countrymen. The platform might be mine, but it will be about their experiences, their challenges and their achievements. If you want to avail of this opportunity, become a part of this experiment through the special Forum created on NamoApp and share your message with the whole world through my X and Instagram accounts. So come… this time on Women’s Day, let us all celebrate, honour and salute the indomitable power of women.

    My dear countrymen, many of you would have enjoyed the thrill of the National Games in Uttarakhand. There, more than 11,000 athletes from all over the country performed brilliantly. This event presented a new Swaroop of Devbhoomi. Uttarakhand is now emerging as a strong sporting force in the country. The players of Uttarakhand too performed wonderfully. This time Uttarakhand finished 7th – this is the power of sports, which transforms individuals and communities as well as the entire State. It inspires future generations and also promotes a culture of excellence. Friends, today some memorable performances in these games are being discussed all over the country. My heartiest congratulations to the Services team which won the maximum number of gold medals in these games. I also appreciate every player who participated in the National Games. Many of our players are the contribution of the Khelo India campaign. Be it Sawan Barwal of Himachal Pradesh, Kiran Mhatre & Tejas Shirse of Maharashtra or Jyoti Yaraji of Andhra Pradesh, all of them have given new hope to the country. Javelin thrower Sachin Yadav of Uttar Pradesh, high jumper Pooja of Haryana and swimmer Dhinidhi Desindhu of Karnataka won the hearts of the countrymen. They surprised everyone by setting three new national records. The number of teenage champions in this year’s National Games is astonishing. 15-year-old shooter Gavin Antony, 16-year-old hammer thrower Anushka Yadav, from UP and 19-year-old pole vaulter Dev Kumar Meena from Madhya Pradesh have proved that India’s sporting future lies in the hands of a very talented generation. The National Games held in Uttarakhand also showed that those who never accept defeat, definitely win. No one becomes a champion amid comfort. I am happy that with the determination and discipline of our young athletes, India is rapidly progressing towards becoming a global sporting powerhouse.

    My dear countrymen, during the opening of the National Games in Dehradun, I raised a very important topic, which has started a new discussion in the country – this topic is ‘obesity’. To become a fit and healthy nation, we will certainly have to deal with the problem of obesity. According to a study, one in every eight people today is troubled by the problem of obesity. Cases of obesity have doubled in the past years, but, what is even more worrying is that the problem of obesity has increased fourfold even among children. WHO data shows that in 2022, about 250 crore people around the world were overweight, that is, they had more weight than required. These statistics are very serious and force all of us to think why this is happening. Excess weight or obesity gives rise to many kinds of problems and diseases. We can together deal with this challenge with minor efforts. For example, one method I suggested was “reducing the consumption of edible oil by ten percent (10%)”. Decide that you will use 10% less oil every month. You can decide that while buying oil for cooking, you will buy 10% less oil. This will be an important step towards reducing obesity. Today, in ‘Mann Ki Baat’, I also want to share some special messages on this topic with you. Let us begin with Olympic medallist Neeraj Chopra, who has successfully overcome obesity:

    # AUDIO BYTE:-

    Namaskar everyone. I, Neeraj Chopra want to tell you all today that our honourable Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi ji has discussed obesity in ‘Mann Ki Baat’ this time, which is a very important issue for our country. And I somehow relate to this thing with myself too, because when I started going to the ground, I was also quite overweight at that time and when I started training and started eating well, my health improved a lot and after that when I became a professional athlete, I got a lot of help in that too. And I would also like to tell that parents should also play some outdoor sport or the other and take their children along and create a good healthy lifestyle, eat well and give your body an hour or however much time you can in a day for exercise. And I would like to add one more thing, recently our Prime Minister had said that the oil used in food should be reduced by upto 10%, because many times we eat a lot of fried food items which have a huge impact on obesity. So I would like to tell everyone to avoid these things and take care of their health. This is just what I request you and together we will uplift our country, thank you.

    Neeraj ji, I am very grateful to you. Renowned athlete Nikhat Zareen ji has also expressed her views on this topic:

    # AUDIO BYTE:-

    Hi, my name is Nikhat Zareen and I am two times world boxing champion. As our Prime Minister Narendra Modi ji has mentioned about Obesity in ‘Mann Ki Baat’ and I think it’s a national concern, we should be serious about our health because obesity is spreading so fast in our India, we should stop it and we should try to follow a healthy lifestyle as much as possible. Being an athlete myself, I try to follow a healthy diet because if by mistake I take an unhealthy diet or eat oily things, it impacts my performance and I get tired quickly in the ring and I try to use as little as possible things like edible oil and instead follow a healthy diet and do daily physical activity due to which I always remain fit. And I think common people like us, who go to work daily, I think everyone should be serious about health and do some daily physical activity due to which we stay away from diseases like heart attack and cancer and keep ourselves fit ‘because if we are fit then India is fit’.                                  

    Nikhat ji has really made some good points. Let us now listen to what Dr. Devi Shetty ji has to say. As all of you know, he is a very distinguished doctor, who is continuously working on this subject:

    # AUDIO BYTE:-

    I would like to thank our Honourable Prime Minister for creating an awareness about obesity in his most popular ‘Mann Ki Baat’ programme. Obesity today is not a cosmetic problem; it is a very serious medical problem. Majority of the youngsters in India today are obese. The main cause of obesity today is poor quality of food intake especially excess intake of carbohydrates that is rice, chapatti and sugar and of course large consumption of oil. Obesity leads to major medical problems like heart disease, high blood pressure, fatty liver and many other complications. So my advice to all the youngsters… start exercising control your diet and be very very active and watch your weight. Once again I would like to wish all of you a very very happy healthy future, Good Luck and God Bless.                             

    Friends, using less oil in food and dealing with obesity is not just a personal choice but also our responsibility towards the family. Excessive use of oil in food can cause many diseases like heart disease, diabetes and hypertension. By making small changes in our food habits, we can make our future stronger, fitter and disease-free. Therefore, without delay, we must increase our efforts in this direction and implement it in our lives. We can all do this together in a very playful & effective way. For example, today after this episode of ‘Mann Ki Baat’, I will request and challenge 10 people if they can reduce oil in their food by 10%. And I will also urge them to pass on the same challenge to 10 new people. I am sure that this will help a lot in fighting obesity.                                                                                                   

    Friends, do you know what the similarity between the Asiatic Lion, Hangul, Pygmy Hog and Lion-tailed Macaque is? The answer is that all of these are not found anywhere else in the world… they are found only in our country. Indeed, we have a very vibrant eco-system of flora and fauna. And these wild animals are deeply embedded in our history and culture. Many animals are also observed as the vehicles of our Gods and Goddesses. Many tribes in central India worship Bagheshwar. There is a tradition of worshipping Waghoba in Maharashtra. Lord Ayyappa also has a very deep connection with the tiger. Bonbibi, whose Vaahan is the tiger, is worshipped in Sundarbans. We have many cultural dances like Huli Vesha of Karnataka, Pooli of Tamil Nadu and Pulikali of Kerala, which are associated with nature and wildlife. I would also like to thank my tribal brothers and sisters, because they actively participate in work related to wildlife protection. The population of tigers has risen continuously in Karnataka’s BRT Tiger Reserve. A lot of credit for this goes to the Soliga tribe, who worship the tiger. Owing to them, there is almost no man-animal conflict in this area. In Gujarat as well, people have contributed significantly in the protection and conservation of Asiatic Lions in Gir. They have shown the world what co-existence with nature means. Friends, on account of these efforts, the population of tigers, leopards, Asiatic Lions, Rhinos and Barasingha has increased rapidly in the last few years. And it is also worth noting how beautiful the diversity of wildlife in India is. Asiatic Lions are found in the western part of the country, while the habitat of ​​Tigers is East, Central and South India. Rhinos are found in the Northeast. Every part of India is not only sensitive towards nature, but is also committed to wild life protection. I have been told about Anuradha Rao ji, many generations of whom have been associated with Andaman and Nicobar Islands. Anuradha ji had dedicated herself to animal welfare at an early age. For three decades, she has made the protection of deer and peacocks her mission. People here call her ‘Deer Woman’. We will celebrate World Wildlife Day at the beginning of next month. I urge you to encourage people associated with wildlife protection. It is a matter of great satisfaction for me that many start-ups have also emerged in this field.                                                      Friends, this is the season of Board Exams. I wish my young friends, i.e., Exam Warriors, the best of luck for their exams. Appear for your papers without any stress and with a completely positive spirit. Every year in ‘Pariksha Pe Charcha’, we discuss various topics related to exams with our Exam Warriors. I am happy that this programme is now taking an institutional form… it is getting institutionalized. Many New experts are also joining it. This year, we tried to conduct ‘Pariksha Pe Charcha’ in a new format.  Along with the experts, eight different episodes were also included. We covered topics ranging from Overall Exams to Health Care and Mental Health as well as food and nutrition. Past toppers also shared their thoughts and experiences with everyone. Many youngsters, their parents and teachers have written letters to me on this. They have told me that they liked this format very much because every topic was discussed in detail. Our young friends have watched these episodes in large numbers on Instagram too. Many of you also liked the fact that this program was organized in Sundar Nursery, Delhi. Those of our young friends who have not been able to watch these episodes of ‘Pariksha Pe Charcha’ till now, must watch them. All these episodes are available on NaMoApp. Once again, my message to our Exam Warriors is “Be happy and stress free”.                                                                           

    My dear friends, that’s all for me in this episode of Mann Ki Baat. Next month we will again conduct ‘Mann Ki Baat’ together with new topics. Keep sending me your letters, your messages. Stay healthy, stay happy. Thank you very much. Namaskar.

    ****

    MJPS/ST/RT/ZK

    (Release ID: 2105618) Visitor Counter : 7

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Union Minister Dr. Mansukh Mandaviya Reviews Functioning of Labour Bureau, EPFO and ESIC Model Hospital in Chandigarh

    Source: Government of India (2)

    Union Minister Dr. Mansukh Mandaviya Reviews Functioning of Labour Bureau, EPFO and ESIC Model Hospital in Chandigarh

    Data-driven decision-making is crucial for enhancing economic growth, governance, and service delivery: Dr. Mandaviya

    Government is committed to providing quality healthcare services for workers and their families – Union Minister

    Posted On: 22 FEB 2025 6:11PM by PIB Delhi

    Union Minister for Labour & Employment and Youth Affairs & Sports, Dr. Mansukh Mandaviya visited Chandigarh today to review key institutions under the Ministry of Labour and Employment. As part of his visit, Union Minister toured the Labour Bureau and the Employees’ State Insurance Corporation (ESIC) Model Hospital, Chandigarh, assessing their ongoing initiatives and interacting with stakeholders.

    At the Labour Bureau, a brief presentation regarding the various activities and schemes being undertaken by Labour Bureau was given to Union Minister. He was apprised about the objectives, scope and status of various activities, including price indices, labour statistics and surveys.

    Emphasizing the government’s commitment to the welfare of workers, Dr. Mandaviya highlighted the critical role of data-driven decision-making in enhancing economic growth, governance, and service delivery.

    Union Minister also took review of the performance and initiatives of the EPFO Regional Offices under the Punjab & Himachal Pradesh Zone at Labour Bureau. Emphasizing the Government’s commitment to the welfare of labour, Union Minister highlighted that reforms in the IT system are continuously transforming the functioning of the EPFO.

    Later in the day, Union Minister visited the ESIC Model Hospital in Chandigarh and toured the hospital facilities, including the OPD Registration Counter, Pharmacy, Laboratory, Radiology Unit, High Dependency Unit (HDU), OPD, and Casualty departments.

    During his visit, Dr. Mandaviya interacted with patients receiving treatment at the hospital and reaffirmed them that government is committed to providing quality healthcare services for workers and their families.

    A PowerPoint presentation was held in the hospital’s Conference Hall to brief the Union Minister on the hospital’s operations, objectives, and vision, as well as an overview of the Regional Office’s functioning.

    *****

    Himanshu Pathak

    (Release ID: 2105507) Visitor Counter : 55

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: NSO India releases the “Compendium of Datasets and Registries in India, 2024”

    Source: Government of India (2)

    Posted On: 22 FEB 2025 1:14PM by PIB Delhi

    The Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI) has published the latest edition of the Compendium of Datasets and Registries in India, 2024, a key initiative aimed at strengthening data accessibility and informed decision-making. As part of the ongoing modernization of the National Statistical System, this compendium ensures that government data is easily accessible for policymakers, researchers, academicians, students, analysts, businesses, and the general public.

    This comprehensive resource consolidates metadata for approximately 270 datasets and registries sourced from 40 Ministries and Departments of the Government of India, covering sectors such as agriculture, health, education, labor, rural development, tourism, social justice, banking, and more. By serving as a one-stop reference, the compendium enables users to explore the availability, scope, and accessibility of government datasets effortlessly.

    It features standardized metadata, detailing data collection methodologies, periodicity of updates, and data-sharing policies across ministries. Additionally, it outlines the legal and regulatory framework governing the collection and dissemination of each dataset while offering insights into the level of disaggregation to support deeper analysis and evidence-based policymaking. Users can also benefit from direct access to data sources through links to the respective Ministry/Department portals, ensuring seamless accessibility.

    Recognizing the increasing need for reliable and well-structured government data, this initiative aligns with   broader efforts of MoSPI to modernize and streamline the National Statistical System. By consolidating crucial information in one place, the compendium plays a vital role in advancing data-driven governance, fostering research, and promoting evidence-based policymaking.

    Designed as a dynamic document, the Compendium of Datasets and Registries in India is periodically updated to incorporate new datasets, evolving methodologies, and revised policies, ensuring stakeholders always have access to the most current and relevant information. All stakeholders, including policymakers, researchers, businesses, and civil society organizations, can leverage this compendium to gain valuable insights and contribute to the effective utilization of government data for national development. The compendium is available for access on official website of the ministry: www.mospi.gov.in

    Click to access the publication:

    https://www.mospi.gov.in/sites/default/files/publication_reportsCompendium_of_Datasets_and_Registries_in_India_2024_1.pdf

    Scan to access the publication:

     

    ***

    Samrat/Allen pibmospi[at]gmail[dot]com

    (Release ID: 2105461) Visitor Counter : 55

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI Submissions: Retail activity up in the December 2024 quarter – Stats NZ media and information release: Retail trade survey: December 2024 quarter

    Source: Statistics New Zealand

    Retail activity up in the December 2024 quarter – 24 February 2025 – The total volume of retail sales in New Zealand increased by 0.9 percent in the December 2024 quarter compared with the September 2024 quarter, according to figures released by Stats NZ today. Figures are adjusted for price inflation and seasonal effects.

    “In the December quarter we saw a modest increase in retail activity, with growth across most industries,” economic indicators spokesperson Michael Heslop said.

    Ten of the 15 retail industries had higher retail sales volumes in the December 2024 quarter, compared with the September 2024 quarter, after adjusting for price and seasonal effects.

    Files:

    MIL OSI –

  • MIL-Evening Report: Falling vaccination rates put children at risk of preventable diseases. Governments need a new strategy to boost uptake

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Peter Breadon, Program Director, Health and Aged Care, Grattan Institute

    Yuri A/Shutterstock

    Child vaccination is one of the most cost-effective health interventions. It accounts for 40% of the global reduction in infant deaths since 1974 and has led to big health gains in Australia over the past two decades.

    Australia has been a vaccination success story. Ten years after we begun mass vaccination against polio in 1956, it was virtually eliminated. Our child vaccination rates have been among the best in the world.

    But after peaking in 2020, child vaccination in Australia is falling. Governments need to implement a comprehensive strategy to boost vaccine uptake, or risk exposing more children to potentially preventable infectious diseases.

    Child vaccination has been a triumph

    Thirty years ago, Australia’s childhood vaccination rates were dismal. Then, in 1997, governments introduced the National Immunisation Program to vaccinate children against diseases such as diphtheria, tetanus, and measles.

    Measures to increase coverage included financial incentives for parents and doctors, a public awareness campaign, and collecting and sharing local data to encourage the least-vaccinated regions to catch up with the rest of the country.

    What followed was a public health triumph. In 1995, only 52% of one-year-olds were fully immunised. By 2020, Australia had reached 95% coverage for one-year-olds and five-year-olds. At this level, it’s difficult even for highly infectious diseases, such as measles, to spread in the community, protecting both the vaccinated and unvaccinated.

    By 2020, 95% of children were vaccinated.
    Drazen Zigic/Shutterstock

    Gaps between regions and communities closed too. In 1999, the Northern Territory’s vaccination rate for one-year-olds was the lowest in the country, lagging the national average by six percentage points. By 2020, that gap had virtually disappeared.

    The difference between vaccination rates for First Nations children and other children also narrowed considerably.

    It made children healthier. The years of healthy life lost due to vaccine-preventable diseases for children aged four and younger fell by nearly 40% in the decade to 2015.

    Some diseases have even been eliminated in Australia.

    Our success is slipping away

    But that success is at risk. Since 2020, the share of children who are fully vaccinated has fallen every year. For every child vaccine on the National Immunisation Schedule, protection was lower in 2024 than in 2020.

    Gaps between parts of Australia are opening back up. Vaccination rates in the highest-coverage parts of Australia are largely stable, but they are falling quickly in areas with lower vaccination.

    In 2018, there were only ten communities where more than 10% of one-year-old children were not fully vaccinated. Last year, that number ballooned to 50 communities. That leaves more areas vulnerable to disease and outbreaks.

    While Noosa, the Gold Coast Hinterland and Richmond Valley (near Byron Bay) have persistently had some of the country’s lowest vaccination rates, areas such as Manjimup in Western Australia and Tasmania’s South East Coast have recorded big declines since 2018.

    Missing out on vaccination isn’t just a problem for children.

    One preprint study (which is yet to be peer-reviewed) suggests vaccination during pregnancy may also be declining.

    Far too many older Australians are missing out on recommended vaccinations for flu, COVID, pneumococcal and shingles. Vaccination rates in aged care homes for flu and COVID are worryingly low.

    What’s going wrong?

    Australia isn’t alone. Since the pandemic, child vaccination rates have fallen in many high-income countries, including New Zealand, the United Kingdom and the United States.

    Globally, in 2023, measles cases rose by 20%, and just this year, a measles outbreak in rural Texas has put at least 13 children in hospital.

    Alarmingly, some regions in Australia have lower measles vaccination than that Texas county.

    The timing of trends here and overseas suggests things shifted, or at least accelerated, during the pandemic. Vaccine hesitancy, fuelled by misinformation about COVID vaccines, is a growing threat.

    This year, vaccine sceptic Robert F. Kennedy Jr was appointed to run the US health system, and Louisiana’s top health official has reportedly cancelled the promotion of mass vaccination.

    In Australia, a recent survey found 6% of parents didn’t think vaccines were safe, and 5% believed they don’t work.

    Those concerns are far more common among parents with children who are partially vaccinated or unvaccinated. Among the 2% of parents whose children are unvaccinated, almost half believe vaccines are not safe for their child, and four in ten believe vaccines didn’t work.

    Other consequences of the pandemic were a spike in the cost of living, and a health system struggling to meet demand. More than one in ten parents said cost and difficulty getting an appointment were barriers to vaccinating their children.

    There’s no single cause of sliding vaccination rates, so there’s no one solution. The best way to reverse these worrying trends is to work on all the key barriers at once – from a lack of awareness, to inconvenience, to lack of trust.

    What governments should do

    Governments should step up public health campaigns that counter misinformation, boost awareness of immunisation and its benefits, and communicate effectively to low-vaccination groups. The new Australian Centre for Disease Control should lead the charge.

    Primary health networks, the regional bodies responsible for improving primary care, should share data on vaccination rates with GPs and pharmacies. These networks should also help make services more accessible to communities who are missing out, such as migrant groups and disadvantaged families.

    State and local governments should do the same, sharing data and providing support to make maternal child health services and school-based vaccination programs accessible for all families.

    Governments can communicate better about the benefits of vaccination.
    Yuri A/Shutterstock

    Governments should also be more ambitious about tackling the growing vaccine divides between different parts of the country. The relevant performance measure in the national vaccination agreement is weak. States must only increase five-year-old vaccination rates in four of the ten areas where it is lowest. That only covers a small fraction of low-vaccination areas, and only the final stage of child vaccination.

    Australia needs to set tougher goals, and back them with funding.

    Governments should fund tailored interventions in areas with the lowest rates of vaccination. Proven initiatives include training trusted community members as “community champions” to promote vaccinations, and pop-up clinics or home visits for free vaccinations.

    At this time of year, childcare centres and schools are back in full swing. But every year, each new intake has less protection than the previous cohort. Governments are developing a new national vaccination strategy and must seize the opportunity to turn that trend around. If it commits to a bold national plan, Australia can get back to setting records for child vaccination.

    Grattan Institute has been supported in its work by government, corporates, and philanthropic gifts. A full list of supporting organisations is published at www.grattan.edu.au.

    Wendy Hu 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. Grattan Institute has been supported in its work by government, corporates, and philanthropic gifts. A full list of supporting organisations is published at www.grattan.edu.au.

    – ref. Falling vaccination rates put children at risk of preventable diseases. Governments need a new strategy to boost uptake – https://theconversation.com/falling-vaccination-rates-put-children-at-risk-of-preventable-diseases-governments-need-a-new-strategy-to-boost-uptake-249591

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-Evening Report: NASA’s new telescope will create the ‘most colourful’ map of the cosmos ever made

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Deanne Fisher, Associate Professor of Astronomy, Swinburne University of Technology

    NASA’s SPHEREx observatory undergoes integration and testing at BAE Systems in Boulder, Colorado, in April 2024. NASA/JPL-Caltech/BAE Systems

    NASA will soon launch a new telescope which it says will create the “most colourful” map of the cosmos ever made.

    The SPHEREx telescope is relatively small but will provide a humongous amount of knowledge in its short two-year mission.

    It is an infrared telescope designed to take spectroscopic images – ones that measure individual wavelengths of light from a source. By doing this it will be able to tell us about the formation of the universe, the growth of all galaxies across cosmic history, and the location of water and life-forming molecules in our own galaxy.

    In short, the mission – which is scheduled for launch on February 27, all things going well – will help us understand how the universe came to be, and why life exists inside it.

    A massive leap forward

    Everything in the universe, including you and the objects around you, emits light in many different colours. Our eyes split all that light into three bands – the brilliant greens of trees, blues of the sky and reds of a sunset – to synthesise a specific image.

    But SPHEREx – short for Spectro-Photometer for the History of the Universe, Epoch of Reionization and Ices Explorer – will divide light from everything in the sky into 96 bands. This is a massive leap forward. It will cover the entire sky and offer new insights into the chemistry and physics of objects in the universe.

    The mission will complement the work being done by other infrared telescopes in space, such as the James Webb Space Telescope and Hubble Space Telescope.

    Both of these telescopes are designed to make high-resolution measurements of the faintest objects in the universe, which means they only study a tiny part of the sky at any given time. For example, the sky is more than 15 million times larger than what the James Webb Space Telescope can observe at once.

    In its entire mission the James Webb Space Telescope could not map out the whole sky the way SPHEREx will do in only a few months.

    SPHEREx will take will take spectroscopic images of 1 billion galaxies, 100 million stars, and 10,000 asteroids. It will answer questions that require a view of the entire sky, which are missed out by the biggest telescopes that chase the highest resolution.

    NASA’s SPHEREx mission will use these filters to capture spectroscopic images of the cosmos.
    NASA/JPL-Caltech

    Measuring inflation

    The first aim of SPHEREx is to measure what astronomers call cosmic inflation. This refers to the rapid expansion of the universe immediately after the Big Bang.

    The physical processes that drove cosmic inflation remain poorly understood. Revealing more information about inflation is possibly the most important research area of cosmology.

    Inflation happened everywhere in the universe. To study it astronomers need to map the entire sky. SPHEREx is ideal for studying this huge mystery that is fundamental to our cosmos.

    SPHEREx will use the spectroscopic images to measure the 3D positions of about a billion galaxies across cosmic history. Astronomers will then create a picture of the cosmos not just in position but in time.

    This, plus a lot of statistics and mathematics, will let the SPHEREx team test different theories of inflation.

    The SHEREx mission will complement the work of the James Webb Space Telescope, which captured this composite image of stars, gas and dust in a small region within the vast Eagle Nebula, 6,500 light-years away from Earth.
    NASA/ESA/CSA/STScI

    Pinpointing the location of life-bearing molecules

    Moving much closer to home, SPHEREx aims to identify water- and life-bearing molecules (known as biogenic molecules) in the clouds of gas in our galaxy, the Milky Way.

    In the coldest parts of our galaxy, the molecules that create life (such as water, carbon dioxide and methanol) are trapped in icy particles. Those icy biogenic molecules have to travel from the cold gas in the galaxy onto planets so life can come to be.

    Despite years of study, this process remains a huge mystery.

    To answer this fundamental question about human existence, we need to know where all those molecules are.

    What SPHEREx will provide is a complete census of the icy biogenic molecules in our surrounding galaxy. Icy biogenic molecules have distinct features in the infrared spectrum, where SPHEREx operates.

    By mapping the entire sky, SPHEREx will pinpoint where these molecules are, not only in our galaxy but also in nearby systems.

    Located some 13,700 light-years away from Earth in the southern constellation Centaurus of the Milky Way, RCW 49 is a dark and dusty stellar nursery that houses more than 2,200 stars.
    NASA/JPL-Caltech/University of Wisconsin

    Once we know where they all are, we can determine the necessary conditions to form biogenic molecules in space. In turn, this can tell us about a crucial step in how life came to be.

    Currently 200 spectra have been taken on biogenic molecules in space. We expect the James Webb Space Telescope will obtain a few thousand such measurements.

    SPHEREx will generate 8 million new spectroscopic images of life-bearing molecules. This will revolutionise our understanding.

    Mapping the whole sky enables astronomers to identify promising regions for life and gather large-scale data to separate meaningful patterns from anomalies, making this mission a transformative step in the search for life beyond Earth.

    Deanne Fisher receives funding from the Australian Research Council.

    – ref. NASA’s new telescope will create the ‘most colourful’ map of the cosmos ever made – https://theconversation.com/nasas-new-telescope-will-create-the-most-colourful-map-of-the-cosmos-ever-made-247104

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Public Service – Oranga Tamariki workers strike over insulting pay offer, unmanageable workloads – PSA

    Source: PSA

    Strike to begin 28 February with two hour full labour withdrawal 7 March
    PSA members at Oranga Tamariki are taking strike action over an insulting pay offer and a refusal to address the concerns of workers over unsafe and unmanageable workloads.
    “Enough is enough – Oranga Tamariki is effectively offering a real pay cut and failing to ensure workloads are reasonably sized and well managed,” said Fleur Fitzsimons, Assistant Secretary for the Public Service Association Te Pūkenga Here Tikanga Mahi.
    The strike covers around 2,800 workers including social workers, supervisors, staff in care and protection and youth justice residences, family group conference workers and admin support staff.
    “It’s insulting to workers who are doing vital work for the agency supporting at risk tamariki and rangatahi at a time of rising stress for many families.”
    In bargaining for a new collective agreement Oranga Tamariki has offered small lump sum payments and no salary increases and provided no solutions to the long standing and growing workload management issues which have only been aggravated by last year’s big job cuts.
    “The workers care deeply about the children they support, but they are left with no choice. The pressure on staff to keep working after hours, such as with emergency care placements for children overnight in motels or offices, is unacceptable.
    “Workers are sending a strong message to the Government that it must make a fair offer, and develop a fair workload management system or more staff will face burn out.
    “Decades of reviews and inquiries at Oranga Tamariki have consistently identified high staff workloads as a barrier to good outcomes for tamariki, rangatahi and whānau. Without progress, we will see more skilled people leave Oranga Tamariki – how can that be good for the children in the agency’s care?
    [See attached stories from workers about the stress they are enduring]
    “The latest child poverty statistics this week show no change in the number of children living in material hardship. We know poverty creates stress for families. This is the time when the Government should be investing in the services Oranga Tamariki provides, and doing all it can to support and retain workers.
    “Instead it has gutted Oranga Tamariki, forced it to shed over 400 workers, increased workloads, cut contracts for many community service providers and now is turning a blind eye to the pay and conditions of so many of its own workers.
    “This risks creating lasting damage to the tamariki, rangatahi and whānau of New Zealand who need Oranga Tamariki’s support.”
    Details of strike action
    A variety of actions will be taken by PSA members. Some actions include members working in essential services; care and protection residences, youth justice residences, residential homes, and the national contact centre (their actions begin 7 March). There will be a total withdrawal of labour across the agency for two hours from 3pm Friday 7 March.
    The actions begin at 5pm on Friday 28 February and end on Friday 18 April. They include:
    -A ban on all work that is not paid work, including only working standard hours of work and taking all rest and meal breaks.
    -A ban on using all work-related systems and software outside of paid work, including online case recording systems.
    -A ban on working paid overtime; and a ban on working overtime for TOIL.
    -A ban on working double shifts.
    -A ban on being on-call and working call-back (after-hours duties).

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-Evening Report: Labor and the Coalition have pledged to raise GP bulk billing. Here’s what the Medicare boost means for patients

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Stephen Duckett, Honorary Enterprise Professor, School of Population and Global Health, and Department of General Practice and Primary Care, The University of Melbourne

    Labor yesterday foreshadowed a major Medicare change to address the falling rate of bulk billing, with an A$8.5 billion election announcement. The government said it would increase incentive payments for GPs to bulk bill all patients, from November 1 2025.

    Today the Coalition said it would match Labor’s Medicare investment dollar-for-dollar.

    Medicare was designed as a universal scheme to eliminate financial barriers to access to health care. The contemporary slogan is that you only need your Medicare card, not your bank card, to see your doctor.

    But fewer than half of Australians are always bulk billed when the see a doctor. So how did we get into this situation? And what could these changes mean for access to care?



    Read more:
    Albanese pledge: nine in ten GP visits bulk billed by 2030, in $8.5 billion Medicare injection

    Why bulk billing has been declining

    Until changes introduced by then Health Minister Tony Abbott in 2003, Medicare was the same for everyone.

    But in response to declining rates of GP bulk billing at the time, the then Coalition government backed away from Medicare’s universality and introduced targeted bulk billing incentives for pensioners and health-care card-holders, children, people in rural and remote Australia and, in a political fix to appease then Tasmanian independent Senator Brian Harradine, all Tasmanians.

    Fast-forward to 2014 and then Health Minister Peter Dutton introduced legislation as part of the budget for a compulsory copayment for GP consultations – a proposal that did not survive six months and failed in the Senate. A smaller optional payment also failed to get approval.

    But the idea of getting Australians to pay out of pocket to see a GP survived. It was introduced by stealth by freezing GP rebates, rather than adjusting them to inflation. This slowly forced GPs to introduce patient co-payments as their costs increased and their rebates didn’t.

    By the time Labor was elected, bulk billing was said to be in freefall.

    Labor’s first response was to restore the indexation of rebates, so they increase increase in line with inflation in November of each year.

    It then tripled the bulk billing incentive. This meant GPs received a greater rebate when they didn’t charge patients an out-of-pocket fee.

    But the new incentive was not enough to cover the gap between rebate and fees in metropolitan areas.

    What proportion of Australians are now bulk billed?

    Only about 48% of people have the security of “always” being bulk billed when they see a GP. A further 24% are “usually” bulk billed.

    Bulk billing rates are highest in poorer areas – South West Sydney has an “always” rate of 81%, almost quadruple the rate in the ACT (23%), which has Australia’s lowest “always” rate.

    The always bulk billed rate – excluding special COVID items which required bulk billing – has dropped from about 64% in 2021–22.

    The rate of bulk billing as a percentage of all visits to the GP, rather than people, is much higher. Around 78% of all attendances (aka visits) in the second half of 2024 were bulk billed. The higher rate is because more frequent users, such as older Australians, are bulk billed at a higher rate than younger people.

    What does the new bulk billing package include?

    The initiative announced yesterday includes three positive changes.

    First, it again increases the bulk billing incentive.

    It also introduces an additional bonus for general practices which achieve 100% billing.

    The new combined Medicare rebate in metropolitan areas for a standard bulk billed visit to the GP is A$69.56 when both changes are applied. This is $27 above the current rebate of $42.85 (without any bulk billing incentive).

    The current average out-of-pocket payment when a service is not bulk billed is $46. So there will still be a gap, but the difference between bulk billing and not is now significantly smaller.

    *Totals include item Medicare rebate, Bulk Billing Incentive item rebate, and 12.5% Bulk Billing Practice Incentive Program payment.
    Government Press Release

    The government expects a major uplift – to 90% of visits bulk billed – as a result.

    State government payroll taxes, also encourage bulk billing, by not requiring GPs to pay payroll tax on consultations that are bulk billed. This will provide a further incentive to increase the bulk billing rate.

    The second positive change is that the new initiatives are for everyone. This ends the two-tiered incentive the Coalition introduced in 2003 and restores Medicare as a truly universal scheme.

    Australia will now rejoin all other high-income countries (other than the United States) in having health funding underpinned by universality.

    Third is the introduction of a 12.5% “practice payment” bonus for practices that bulk bill all patients.

    This starts the necessary transition from a reliance on fee-for-service payments as the main payment type for general practice.

    A “practice payment” is more holistic and better suited to a world where more people have multiple chronic disease which require care for the whole person, rather than episodic care. It signals payments need to be redesigned for that new reality.

    Over time, this could fund and encourage multi-disciplinary teams of GPs, nurses and allied health professionals such as psychologists and physiotherapists – rather than patients always seeing a GP.

    The downsides

    The main risk practices face in contemplating these changes is the fear of how long this new scheme will last. A previous Coalition government showed it was prepared to use a rebate freeze to achieve its policy of a shift away from Medicare as a universal scheme.

    The best way of reducing that risk would be to build in indexation of the rebate, and the incentive, into legislation.

    The Royal Australian College of GPs says not everyone will be bulk billed because rebates are still too low to cover the cost of care.

    This is true, as the gap between the prevailing metro bulk billed fee and the new rebate plus incentive will be about $20. But the aim is to increase bulk billing to 90% not 100% – and that is probably achievable.

    Bottom line

    The new arrangements will likely reverse the decline in the rates of bulk billing. The government can reasonably expect a bulk billing rate of around 90% of visits in the future.

    For consumers facing cost-of-living pressures, it will be a very welcome change. There will be more 100%-bulk-billing practices and patients will no longer face a lottery based on a doctor’s or receptionist’s mood or whim about whether they will be bulk billed.

    Yesterday’s announcement and the Coalition’s backing is a watershed, benefiting patients and general practices.

    Labor is playing to its strengths and it will hope to reverse its current polling trends with this announcement.

    The Coalition obviously hopes to negate the impact of a popular announcement by matching it. What will weigh in voters’ minds, though, is whether today’s Coalition announcement will be delivered after the election. The Coalition has a long history – dating back to Malcolm Fraser – of promising one thing about health policy before an election and reversing it after the vote, and this will probably fuel a “Mediscare” campaign by Labor.

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

    – ref. Labor and the Coalition have pledged to raise GP bulk billing. Here’s what the Medicare boost means for patients – https://theconversation.com/labor-and-the-coalition-have-pledged-to-raise-gp-bulk-billing-heres-what-the-medicare-boost-means-for-patients-250604

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Government Cuts – CPAG urges Government to reverse ‘funded to fail’ school lunch cuts

    Source: Child Poverty Action Group

    The Child Poverty Action Group has today told the Government that reversing cuts to school lunches is an achievable way to address rising child poverty levels in New Zealand.
    Official statistics released last week showed an extra 36,600 children are likely to be living in material hardship compared to two years ago.
    Speaking to Guyon Espiner on TVNZ’s Q+A on Sunday, CPAG Executive Officer Sarita Divis said she was heartened to hear the Minister of Child Poverty Reduction Louise Upston mention the healthy school lunches programme as a key commitment of this government in tackling child poverty.
    This year the Government scrapped the previous model of healthy school lunches, many of which created jobs in local communities. Instead, it switched to a for-profit model delivered under an $85 million annual contract with the School Lunch Collective, a partnership between Compass Group NZ, Libelle Group and Gilmours.
    The new lunch programme has a budget of $3 per meal, about $5 cheaper than the previous model.
    “One in four children do not have enough food. That could be that they don’t have breakfast and dinner so we need to make sure that the lunch that they receive is nutritious, healthy and delicious so that they do get those educational benefits and those health benefits.”
    The new model has been beset by problems, with late deliveries, culturally insensitive food, and a largely repetitive, unappetising menu with questionable nutrition value since its implementation at the start of the school year.
    “Education is one of the key ways to break the cycle of poverty.”
    Ka Ora, Ka Ako only provides for about 40 percent of NZ children living in food poverty and there was a strong argument to not only reverse the cuts, but increase the number of children who receive the meals, Ms Divis said.
    “When you do proactive policies like this it can make a difference,” Ms Divis said.
    “Reverse those cuts. We think that is really achievable for the government.”
    Ms Divis said CPAG was disappointed the Government’s Budget policy statement in December – which gives an early indication about priorities in May’s Budget – had no mention of child poverty.
    Under the Child Poverty Reduction Act (2018), the Government is legally required to address child poverty rates in the Budget with specific policies.
    Last year, CPAG along with Health Coalition Aotearoa and the NZEI Te Riu Roa, campaigned to stop cuts to the programme with 26,000 people signing a petition to save school lunches.

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: First schools confirmed for landmark free breakfast clubs

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    Press release

    First schools confirmed for landmark free breakfast clubs

    First 750 schools to offer clubs from April, delivering on government’s Plan for Change.

    Families and children in every corner of England will soon benefit from free, daily breakfast clubs as the government confirms the first 750 schools to offer the scheme, putting up to £450 a year back in parents’ pockets.

    From as soon as April, chosen schools across all nine regions will kick-off the historic programme, with an early adopter phase set to inform the government’s landmark national roll out which will give all parents access to the scheme.

    Delivering on promises made to working parents in the government’s manifesto, all primary aged children in early adopter schools will be able to access a free breakfast and at least 30 minutes of free childcare, every day, helping to support parents getting into work by dropping their children off half an hour earlier.  

    Schools are encouraged to offer healthy, varied and nutritious breakfasts, with examples from wheat bisks and porridge to fresh fruit and yoghurt. The early adopter schools also provide the perfect setting to host activities including arts and crafts, educational puzzles, reading and more.

    Universal free breakfast clubs are central to the government’s Plan for Change, removing barriers to opportunity by making sure every child starts the school day ready to learn – with research showing the clubs can have a lasting impact on children’s behaviour, attendance and attainment.  

    Making sure no child starts school hungry, the scheme also has an important role to play in the government’s commitment to remove the stain of child poverty, as out of the 180,000 children who will benefit in the early adopter schools, around 67,000 attend schools in deprived areas.

    The clubs come alongside a raft of measures designed to cut the cost of living for families, including the commitment to significantly cut uniform costs through a cap on branded items and complement government-funded childcare.

    Education Secretary, Bridget Phillipson, said: 

    Free breakfast clubs sit right at the heart of our Plan for Change, breaking the link between background and success for families all over the country.   

    Breakfast clubs can have a transformative impact on the lives of children, feeding hungry tummies and fuelling hungry minds, so every child begins the day ready to learn.  

    Alongside our plans to roll out school-based nurseries and get thousands more children school-ready, this government is delivering the reforms needed to give every child, wherever they grow up, the best start in life.

    Schools were chosen from across England to ensure the scheme tests and learns from a variety of locations, including those that do not currently run a breakfast club, and all will receive funding to cover food and staffing costs.

    Government research shows most parents (87%) think breakfast clubs are a good chance for children to socialise, and two thirds (66%) recognise the value of clubs providing educational activities.  

    Breakfast clubs have been shown to boost children’s reading, writing, and maths by an average of two months. 

    Too many children’s life chances are being scarred by rising poverty, with one in four in absolute poverty as of 2023. The government is determined to change that, with the breakfast club rollout being driven alongside wider work of the Child Poverty Taskforce, which is set to deliver an ambitious strategy to increase household income, bring down essential costs, and tackle the challenges felt by those living in poverty. 

    Jackie Fitton, Headteacher at Kearsley West Primary School said: 

    We are delighted to be one of the early adopter schools. For our school, the funding provided will be a real-life saver, ensuring we can provide a healthy breakfast and supportive start to the day for our pupils.   

    Breakfast clubs have already made a massive difference to pupils’ wellbeing, providing them with time to settle in, socialise with friends and get ready to learn.

    Sir David Holmes CBE, Chief Executive of Family Action said: 

    Family Action welcomes the government’s announcement of the 750 schools who have been selected to take part in the Early Adopters Scheme. These schools will have a vital test and learn role which will undoubtedly inform the national rollout of the government’s exciting universal breakfast policy.  

    We know that an effective breakfast provision delivered in a supportive and enriching environment can make the world of difference to a child. We look forward to sharing our long experience of delivering breakfast provision ourselves with early adopter schools.

    Early adopter schools will shape the future of the national breakfast club policy, contributing directly to its implementation. Further details on the national roll out of the breakfast clubs programme will follow in due course.  The wider paid-for wraparound childcare offer – for all primary children to be able to access childcare between 8am and 6pm – continues to roll out across the country.  

    Notes to editors

    1. Number of eligible pupils attending early adopter schools in the bottom third most deprived LSOAs in England using IDACI English indices of deprivation 2019 at 19 February 2025. 

    2. An Education Endowment Foundation (EEF) impact evaluation of the Magic Breakfast programme found that offering pupils in primary schools a free, universal, before-school breakfast club which includes a breakfast can boost their reading, writing, and maths attainment by an average of 2 months’ additional progress in Key Stage 1.   

    3. Guidance on the early adopter scheme is available on GOV.UK.

    4. More information on the 750 confirmed schools is available on GOV.UK

    5. For more information on parents for local breakfast club provision can be found on the Education Blog.

    DfE media enquiries

    Central newsdesk – for journalists 020 7783 8300

    Updates to this page

    Published 23 February 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI Economics: Decisions taken by the Governing Council of the ECB (in addition to decisions setting interest rates)

    Source: European Central Bank

    February 2025

    21 February 2025

    Market operations

    Extension of liquidity lines until January 2027

    On 23 January 2025 the Governing Council approved the extension of the ECB repo lines with eight non-euro area central banks (Magyar Nemzeti Bank, Banca Națională a României, Bank of Albania, Andorran Financial Authority, National Bank of the Republic of North Macedonia, Central Bank of the Republic of San Marino, Central Bank of Montenegro and Central Bank of the Republic of Kosovo) until 31 January 2027. The decision was taken pursuant to the new framework for euro liquidity lines, which was adopted in 2023.

    Eurosystem climate stress test report

    On 13 February 2025 the Governing Council took note of the main findings of the 2024 climate stress test on the Eurosystem’s balance sheet, which will feed into the Eurosystem’s climate-related financial disclosures.

    Market infrastructure and payments

    Inclusion of provisions on the TARGET Analytical Environment in the T2 Currency Participation Agreement

    On 13 February 2025 the Governing Council approved the amendments to the agreement on the use of T2 services (T2 Currency Participation Agreement) to include the TARGET Analytical Environment as a standard feature offered to both current and future signatories of the T2 Currency Participation Agreement.

    Advice on legislation

    ECB Opinion on flood insurance

    On 4 February 2025 the Governing Council adopted Opinion CON/2025/3 at the request of the Chair of the Oireachtas (Irish National Parliament) Joint Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform and Taoiseach (Irish Prime Minister).

    ECB Opinion on indirect participants in, and access to, payment systems, and a new exemption from the cash rule

    On 5 February 2025 the Governing Council adopted Opinion ECB Recommendation on the external auditors of the European Central Bank for the financial years 2025 to 2029

    On 12 February 2025 the Governing Council adopted Recommendation ECB/2025/6 to the Council of the European Union on the external auditors of the European Central Bank.

    Statistics

    Extension of the Integrated Reporting Framework and the Common Data Management investigation phases

    On 17 February 2025 the Governing Council approved the revised Quality Review Gate 1 documentation (including the Financial Envelopes and Project Charters), extending until the end of September 2025 the investigation phases of the ESCB and SSM Common Data Management and the ESCB Integrated Reporting Framework projects.

    Banknotes and coins

    Composition of the design contest jury for the new euro banknotes

    On 6 February 2025 the Governing Council took note of the composition of the design contest jury for the new euro banknotes. The jury will prepare a shortlist of designs to support the selection of the final design of the future euro banknotes by the Governing Council and is scheduled to start work in early 2025.

    ECB Banking Supervision

    Update of the 2025 Supervisory Examination Programme (SEP) for on-site inspections and internal model investigations at significant institutions

    On 30 January 2025 the Governing Council did not object to a proposal by the Supervisory Board for an update of the 2025 SEP for on-site inspections and internal model investigations at significant institutions and outsourcing service providers. The on-site SEP is based on SSM supervisory priorities for 2025-2027 published on the ECB’s banking supervision website.

    MIL OSI Economics –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Funding to help build homes in Plymouth

    Source: City of Plymouth

    Nearly £8 million of new funding is set to be invested in accelerating house building across Plymouth.

    The funding will bolster the latest version of the Plan for Homes, which to date has helped deliver more than 7,500 new homes city-wide.

    The plan details the Council’s priorities for ensuring that the city has the housing to tackle the local effects of the national housing crisis as well as cater for the city’s growth agenda.

    By supporting a variety of new and affordable housing to tackle housing needs and homelessness, it sets out a strategy for the future for housing in the city to support the delivery of the Joint Local Plan.

    This new capital investment, added to legacy funding of just over £3.5million, gives the Plan for Homes a total budget of around £11.5million.

    The timing is perfect with the need for new housing across Plymouth has never been higher. A combination of economic factors has exacerbated the housing crisis, played out nationally, which has resulted in record numbers of people approaching the Council for housing support.

    Councillor Chris Penberthy, Cabinet Member for Housing, Communities and Cooperative Development, said: “I’m really pleased to bolster the power of the Plan for Homes with this funding.

    “I’ve said it before and I’ll keep saying it – we are in the middle of a housing crisis and we must come up with ways we can make things better for families who need somewhere to call home in our city.

    “These families are not just statistics. They are people who want what should be, in 2025, a basic human right; somewhere to call home and we will keep bringing forward innovative ways of tackling the worst of the crisis here in Plymouth.” 

    The new Plan for Homes 4 Programme budget £7,977,853.09 comes from a variety of sources, but a significant £4 million is forecast to be generated from receipts from the sale of Broadland Gardens.

    Broadland Gardens is a development of 10 energy-efficient, sustainable two, three and four bedroomed homes in Plymstock. All 10 homes are being sold on the open market with, as promised at the start of the project, surplus generated invested back into affordable housing elsewhere in the city.

    Other sources include monies from new and unspent Section 106 funding, recycled Right to Buy receipts, repayment of empty homes loans, sales of Council land and Brownfield Land Release funding.

    More details on the Plan for Homes and its achievements to date can be found at www.plymouth.gov.uk/PlanforHomes

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI Africa: South Africa’s fight over VAT raises a key question: who should bear the burden of taxes?

    Source: The Conversation – Africa – By Fabio Andrés Díaz Pabón, Research Fellow, African Centre of Excellence for Inequality Research (ACEIR), University of Cape Town

    The unprecedented postponement of the tabling of South Africa’s 2025 budget because of disagreement within the coalition government over a two percentage point increase in value added tax (VAT), highlights the country’s dilemma.

    The government needs to raise revenue to deliver on its constitutional obligations. But in a context where the global outlook is uncertain and unpredictable, trade-offs are required.

    South Africa has a deficit of around 4.3% of GDP, accounting for R377 billion (US$20,479 billion). According to the Unpublished budget review public debt stands at 76.1% of its GDP.

    Whereas the public debt as a percentage of GDP is in line with that of similarly sized economies, its debt servicing costs are considerably higher. The country pays around 5% on public debt interest as a share of GDP while developing and upper-middle-income countries pay, on average, 2.2% and 1.8% respectively.

    These figures point to why the finance minister wanted to raise more revenue. Treasury’s estimates in the 2025 unpublished Budget Review were that the increase in Vat and other tax adjustments plus factoring in tax foregone due to expanding the basket of zero-rated goods would have brought in an additional R58 billion (US$3.1 billion) for the 2025/26 financial year.

    To date, debates around previous years’ budgets have mostly been about expenditure, with very little scrutiny of the revenue side. Not since the 2013 Davis Tax Committee has there been public debate about reforming the tax policy.

    Read more: South Africa’s economy needs a shot in the arm, not austerity: 3 key areas where more public spending would get results

    Based on our academic research we believe the crucial question around tax reform is: who will bear the burden of the reform? And how taxes connect to the promise of the South African social compact. The social compact since democracy, expressed in the constitution, promises to uphold the rights of all citizens.

    Evidence shows that increases in the rate of VAT affect poor households more, particularly women-headed households.

    While the government is concerned about financing its budget and being able to raise the resources needed to make the state work, a rethink is needed about who must bear the burden of raising the money.

    The cost of food

    VAT is a flat tax on consumption of goods and services, usually paid by the end consumer. It affects lower income households more because they spend a greater share of their income on goods such as food, electricity and water.

    The uproar over the recent proposed increase is therefore not surprising.

    At least 34% of the yearly income of poor households is spent on food and groceries. Almost 50% of South Africans live under the poverty line. This is where the impact will be felt in a number of ways.

    Firstly, the net effect of an increase in VAT will mean that mean that already financially stretched households will be paying more for food. This comes on top of food inflation was 8% between 2023 and 2024.

    Secondly, meagre increases in social grant payments in the last decade – over 28 million grants are paid out every month – have not kept pace with inflation.

    One of the largest grants is the old age pension grant. There are around 3.9 million beneficiaries. It amounts to R2,190 (US$118) a month for those between 65 and 74 years and is the sole source of income for many families.

    Between 2023 and 2024 this grant increased by R110 (US$5.45) – a 5.2 % increase, while inflation stood at 4.5%. However, after taking into account inflation, the grant amounts to R2,091 (just over US$107), having the net grant increase (after adjusting for inflation) of meagre R11 (the grant was in 2023 R2.080).

    A VAT increase would raise their cost of living for working-class South African households (those earning between R8,000 (US$432) and R22,000 (US$1,188) a month) too. This cohort is already using 67% of their income to cover their debts. Middle class households (earning between R22,000 (US$1,188) and R35,000 (US$1,893) a month) use 69% of their income to cover their debts. A VAT-induced increase in the cost of living may push some to neglect servicing debt to maintain their living standards.

    If middle and working class households defaulted in large numbers on their debt obligations, a vicious cycle might unfold.

    Firstly, banks and financial institutions might face significant losses due to unpaid loans. This could trigger an economic recession as consumption could fall, leading to lower revenue collection. This could increase government debt as the state might need to bail out banks or get loans to cover the revenue shortfall. The result would be a credit downgrade which might make it more expensive to borrow money on international markets.

    In a country with such a limited and vulnerable tax base (in 2024, only 7.4 million people of 63 million paid income tax) these risks should not be taken lightly.

    Poor households spend 34% of their income on food. Per-Anders Pettersson/Getty Images

    Wealthy South Africans

    Wealthy South Africans will not be as badly affected by an increase in VAT. Their consumption as a share of their incomes is less. Yet they remain central to the government’s dilemma about raising money from taxes. That’s because taxing wealthier South Africans will result in a push-back, and in some cases put a strain on struggling companies and industries that are central for job creation.

    However, the most likely reason a VAT increase was chosen as opposed to a higher income tax for high income earners, taxes on capital gains, or taxes on wealth is that the government knows the wealthy elites (including those in government) will oppose increases taxes targeted at them. They are more organised and have more leverage over the government than vulnerable households.

    What next?

    The government needs to spend money properly and meet its constitutional obligations. And corruption must be reduced.

    What the standoff over the VAT increase has highlighted is that, if South Africa aims to be a society where everyone actually counts, it should place the well-being of all its citizens at the forefront. This should be the principle that informs the process of raising the resources needed to drive future.

    – South Africa’s fight over VAT raises a key question: who should bear the burden of taxes?
    – https://theconversation.com/south-africas-fight-over-vat-raises-a-key-question-who-should-bear-the-burden-of-taxes-250412

    MIL OSI Africa –

  • MIL-OSI Global: South Africa’s fight over VAT raises a key question: who should bear the burden of taxes?

    Source: The Conversation – Africa – By Fabio Andrés Díaz Pabón, Research Fellow, African Centre of Excellence for Inequality Research (ACEIR), University of Cape Town

    The unprecedented postponement of the tabling of South Africa’s 2025 budget because of disagreement within the coalition government over a two percentage point increase in value added tax (VAT), highlights the country’s dilemma.

    The government needs to raise revenue to deliver on its constitutional obligations. But in a context where the global outlook is uncertain and unpredictable, trade-offs are required.

    South Africa has a deficit of around 4.3% of GDP, accounting for R377 billion (US$20,479 billion). According to the Unpublished budget review public debt stands at 76.1% of its GDP.

    Whereas the public debt as a percentage of GDP is in line with that of similarly sized economies, its debt servicing costs are considerably higher. The country pays around 5% on public debt interest as a share of GDP while developing and upper-middle-income countries pay, on average, 2.2% and 1.8% respectively.

    These figures point to why the finance minister wanted to raise more revenue. Treasury’s estimates in the 2025 unpublished Budget Review were that the increase in Vat and other tax adjustments plus factoring in tax foregone due to expanding the basket of zero-rated goods would have brought in an additional R58 billion (US$3.1 billion) for the 2025/26 financial year.

    To date, debates around previous years’ budgets have mostly been about expenditure, with very little scrutiny of the revenue side. Not since the 2013 Davis Tax Committee has there been public debate about reforming the tax policy.



    Read more:
    South Africa’s economy needs a shot in the arm, not austerity: 3 key areas where more public spending would get results

    Based on our academic research we believe the crucial question around tax reform is: who will bear the burden of the reform? And how taxes connect to the promise of the South African social compact. The social compact since democracy, expressed in the constitution, promises to uphold the rights of all citizens.

    Evidence shows that increases in the rate of VAT affect poor households more, particularly women-headed households.

    While the government is concerned about financing its budget and being able to raise the resources needed to make the state work, a rethink is needed about who must bear the burden of raising the money.

    The cost of food

    VAT is a flat tax on consumption of goods and services, usually paid by the end consumer. It affects lower income households more because they spend a greater share of their income on goods such as food, electricity and water.

    The uproar over the recent proposed increase is therefore not surprising.

    At least 34% of the yearly income of poor households is spent on food and groceries. Almost 50% of South Africans live under the poverty line. This is where the impact will be felt in a number of ways.

    Firstly, the net effect of an increase in VAT will mean that mean that already financially stretched households will be paying more for food. This comes on top of
    food inflation was 8% between 2023 and 2024.

    Secondly, meagre increases in social grant payments in the last decade – over 28 million grants are paid out every month – have not kept pace with inflation.

    One of the largest grants is the old age pension grant. There are around 3.9 million beneficiaries. It amounts to R2,190 (US$118) a month for those between 65 and 74 years and is the sole source of income for many families.

    Between 2023 and 2024 this grant increased by R110 (US$5.45) – a 5.2 % increase, while inflation stood at 4.5%. However, after taking into account inflation, the grant amounts to R2,091 (just over US$107), having the net grant increase (after adjusting for inflation) of meagre R11 (the grant was in 2023 R2.080).

    A VAT increase would raise their cost of living for working-class South African households (those earning between R8,000 (US$432) and R22,000 (US$1,188) a month) too. This cohort is already using 67% of their income to cover their debts. Middle class households (earning between R22,000 (US$1,188) and R35,000 (US$1,893) a month) use 69% of their income to cover their debts. A VAT-induced increase in the cost of living may push some to neglect servicing debt to maintain their living standards.

    If middle and working class households defaulted in large numbers on their debt obligations, a vicious cycle might unfold.

    Firstly, banks and financial institutions might face significant losses due to unpaid loans. This could trigger an economic recession as consumption could fall, leading to lower revenue collection. This could increase government debt as the state might need to bail out banks or get loans to cover the revenue shortfall. The result would be a credit downgrade which might make it more expensive to borrow money on international markets.

    In a country with such a limited and vulnerable tax base (in 2024, only 7.4 million people of 63 million paid income tax) these risks should not be taken lightly.

    Wealthy South Africans

    Wealthy South Africans will not be as badly affected by an increase in VAT. Their consumption as a share of their incomes is less. Yet they remain central to the government’s dilemma about raising money from taxes. That’s because taxing wealthier South Africans will result in a push-back, and in some cases put a strain on struggling companies and industries that are central for job creation.

    However, the most likely reason a VAT increase was chosen as opposed to a higher income tax for high income earners, taxes on capital gains, or taxes on wealth is that the government knows the wealthy elites (including those in government) will oppose increases taxes targeted at them. They are more organised and have more leverage over the government than vulnerable households.

    What next?

    The government needs to spend money properly and meet its constitutional obligations. And corruption must be reduced.

    What the standoff over the VAT increase has highlighted is that, if South Africa aims to be a society where everyone actually counts, it should place the well-being of all its citizens at the forefront. This should be the principle that informs the process of raising the resources needed to drive future.

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

    – ref. South Africa’s fight over VAT raises a key question: who should bear the burden of taxes? – https://theconversation.com/south-africas-fight-over-vat-raises-a-key-question-who-should-bear-the-burden-of-taxes-250412

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: What is the AfD? Germany’s far-right party, explained

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Léonie de Jonge, Professor of Research on Far-Right Extremism, Institute for Research on Far-Right Extremism (IRex), University of Tübingen

    In the weeks ahead of the German election, the far-right party Alternative für Deutschland (AfD) consistently polled around 20%. For the first time, the AfD poses a challenge to mainstream parties’ longstanding strategy of isolating the far right.

    The rise of the AfD is striking, given the country’s history of authoritarianism and National Socialism during the 1930s and 1940s. For decades, far-right movements were generally stigmatised and treated as pariahs. Political elites, mainstream parties, the media and civil society effectively marginalised the far right and limited its electoral prospects.

    The AfD’s breakthrough in the 2017 federal election shattered this status quo. Winning 12.6% of the vote and securing 94 Bundestag seats, it became Germany’s third-largest party — unlocking viable political space to the right of the centre-right party CDU/CSU for the first time in the postwar era.

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

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

    The AfD was founded in 2013 by disaffected CDU members. This included economics professors Bernd Lucke and Joachim Starbatty, and conservative journalists Konrad Adam and Alexander Gauland. It began as a single-issue, anti-euro party advocating Germany’s exit from the Eurozone.

    Dubbed a “party of professors”, it gained credibility through the support of academics and former mainstream politicians, lending it an “unusual gravitas” for a protest party. While nativist elements were arguably present from the start, the AfD was not initially conceived as a far-right party.

    When it first ran for the Bundestag in 2013, its four-page manifesto focused exclusively on dissolving the Eurozone. At the time, the party advocated political asylum for the persecuted and avoided harsh anti-immigrant or anti-Islam rhetoric, cultivating more of a “bourgeois” image.

    This helped the AfD build what political scientist Elisabeth Ivarsflaten has called a reputational shield — a legacy used to deflect social stigma and accusations of extremism.

    Initially, the AfD distanced itself from far-right parties in neighbouring countries. However, successive leadership changes between 2015 and 2017 saw the party adopt a more hardline position, particularly on immigration, Islam and national identity. By 2016, its platform had largely aligned with those of populist radical right parties elsewhere.

    Far-right views

    Today, the party can unequivocally be classified as far right. This umbrella term captures the growing links between “(populist) radical right” (illiberal-democratic) and “extreme right” (anti-democratic) parties and movements. Ideologically, the far right is characterised by nativism and authoritarianism.

    Nativism is a xenophobic form of nationalism, which holds that non-native elements form a threat to the homogeneous nation-state. In Germany, nativism carries a historical legacy. “Völkisch nationalism” was one of the core ideas of the 19th and early 20th centuries that was broadly adopted by National Socialism to justify deportations and, ultimately, the Holocaust.

    Völkisch ideology is based on the essentialist idea that the German people are inextricably connected to the soil. Thus, other people cannot be part of the völkisch community.

    The AfD has evolved into a far-right party by continuously radicalising its positions. It acted like a Trojan horse, importing völkisch nationalist ideology into the parliamentary and public arena, which used to be blocked by the gatekeeping mechanisms of German democracy.

    The AfD carved out a niche for itself by advocating stricter anti-immigration policies. This came in response to the so-called “refugee crisis”, when then-Chancellor Angela Merkel welcomed more than a million asylum seekers into Germany. At its campaign kickoff rally in January 2025, AfD’s chancellor candidate Alice Weidel vowed to implement “large-scale repatriations” (or “remigration”) of immigrants.

    The party advocates a return to a blood-based citizenship, insisting that, with very few exceptions for well-assimilated migrants, citizenship can only be determined by ancestry and bloodline rather than birthright.

    Additionally, the party upholds the white, nuclear family as an ideal and has pledged to dismiss university professors accused of promoting “leftist, woke gender ideology”. The party also calls for the immediate lifting of sanctions against Russia and opposes weapons deliveries to Ukraine.

    In recent years, the party has embraced the far-right strategy of flooding the media and public discourse with controversy, misinformation and inflammatory rhetoric, to dominate attention and transgress traditional political norms.

    A striking example is former AfD-leader Alexander Gauland’s 2018 claim that the 12 years of Nazi rule were “mere bird shit in over 1,000 years of successful German history”. With this remark, he sought to reframe modern Germany as a continuation of its pre-1933 history, while downplaying the significance of the Nazi era.

    Normalising the AfD

    Until recently, the far right was consistently excluded by mainstream political parties. It was a founding myth of the old Federal Republic of Germany that democratic forces do not cooperate with the far right. At least on the parliamentary level, this worked quite well as a part of Germany’s “militant democracy”.

    However, the political firewall — the Brandmauer — has started to crumble. The AfD has since celebrated the election of its first mayors at the local level.

    The success of the AfD has especially been fuelled by the narrative of a “refugee crisis” in Germany. Harsh political rhetoric about migration has contributed to the party’s electoral success, as well as mainstream adoption of some of its positions.

    Oddly enough, the AfD is especially successful in rural, remote areas with low levels of migration. It is weak in more globalised, university-oriented urban areas.



    Read more:
    German party leaders are united against immigration – but there is little evidence for a key part of their argument

    Ahead of the 2025 elections, Friedrich Merz, the lead candidate of the CDU, broke a longstanding political taboo when his proposal to tighten asylum policies narrowly passed in the Bundestag with backing from the AfD. Meanwhile, German media have increasingly treated AfD representatives as legitimate political contenders.

    Once marginalised in political debates, they are now regularly invited to talk shows. And they have received international legitimacy from figures such as US vice-president J.D. Vance, and X owner Elon Musk.

    This election may give an indication of how far the AfD’s normalisation will go and how it will affect Germany’s political future. Beyond electoral success, the main question will be to what extent mainstream parties will incorporate far-right ideas in their political agenda.

    What is already clear, however, is that the political landscape has shifted. The boundaries that once kept the far right at the margins are no longer as firm as they once were

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

    – ref. What is the AfD? Germany’s far-right party, explained – https://theconversation.com/what-is-the-afd-germanys-far-right-party-explained-250218

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Why Keir Starmer may gamble on increasing Britain’s defence spending

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Peter Bloom, Professor of Management, University of Essex

    leshiy985/Shutterstock

    Amid rising tensions around the world, the UK government faces pressure to increase defence spending. External threats and uncertainty over the nature of peace talks with Russia over Ukraine have been in the spotlight. But there are also broader political and economic interests shaping these decisions.

    The UK prime minister, Keir Starmer, must navigate commitments to Nato, expectations from allies and the influence of the defence industry. All the while, the squeeze on domestic spending and public scepticism loom large.

    The UK’s total military spending for 2024-2025 is expected to be £64.4 billion, with a rise to £67.7 billion in 2025-26. This is equal to 2.3% of the entire UK economy (GDP). It would continue the trend of making the UK one of the highest military spenders in Europe. But it’s still not enough as far as the US president, Donald Trump, is concerned.

    In 2023-2024, the UK’s Ministry of Defence spent its budget across several key areas. Around one-third went towards investment in things such as equipment, infrastructure and technology. Another big area of spending was personnel costs, accounting for around one-fifth of the spend.

    In recent years, UK military spending has fluctuated, reflecting a balance between modernisation, deterrence and operational readiness. One of the most significant areas of investment has been in the UK’s nuclear deterrent (Trident).

    At the same time, cyber defence has become a growing focus, with £1.9 billion allocated to counter threats such as increased cyber attacks and misinformation campaigns from foreign governments and political extremists. The UK has also committed to expanding its next-generation air capabilities.

    Britain’s recent escalation in defence investment mirrors a global surge in military spending. In 2024, worldwide defence expenditures reached an unprecedented US$2.46 trillion (£1.95 trillion), marking a 7.4% real-term increase from the previous year.

    This trend is particularly pronounced in Europe, where nations are bolstering their military capabilities in response to geopolitical tensions such as the war in Ukraine. Germany’s defence budget experienced a significant 23.2% real-term growth, making the country the world’s fourth-largest defence spender.

    In the UK, Labour has pledged to increase defence spending to 2.5% of GDP, aligning with Nato expectations. It also serves as a response to concerns about the country’s military readiness. This could require several billion pounds more annually, raising questions about how this would be funded.

    Publicly, the party presents this commitment as a necessary investment in the UK’s global standing and ability to deter aggression. However, you can argue that there is more at play.

    Political and economic pressures

    Starmer’s government inherited a complex set of geopolitical challenges, from European security concerns to the UK’s international relationships post-Brexit. Nato commitments remain a significant driver of defence spending, particularly as European allies anticipate shifts in US foreign policy under the second Trump presidency.

    The UK must also respond to regional tensions beyond Europe, due to its military alliances in the Indo-Pacific and its arms trade relationships with Middle Eastern states.

    Domestically, Labour’s commitment to raising defence spending is not just about security – it is also a political calculation. Starmer wants to dispel any perceptions that Labour is weak on defence.

    However, it comes at a time of fiscal constraint. Any new defence commitments must compete with demands for public investment in healthcare, education and infrastructure. Without additional taxation or significant budget cuts, Labour may struggle to meet its defence spending targets without compromising other commitments.

    Beyond geopolitical necessity, increased military spending benefits the UK’s powerful military-industrial complex (the relationship between the country’s military and its defence industry). Major defence contractors such as BAE Systems, Rolls-Royce and Lockheed Martin UK secure billions in government contracts.

    The so-called “revolving door” between government and defence firms frequently sees former military officials and politicians taking on lucrative roles in private-sector defence companies.

    The cross-party consensus on expanding Britain’s defence industry, now embraced by trade unions and political commentators, reflects a narrow vision of economic security that overlooks more sustainable alternatives.

    The sector’s 200,000 jobs are frequently claimed to justify increased military spending. But investment in renewable energy infrastructure and domestic energy production could both boost employment and address fundamental security challenges exposed by the Ukraine crisis.

    The reliance on foreign energy sources can be weaponised by adversarial states, as reflected in the continued reliance of EU countries on Russia for their energy needs. By investing in domestic renewable energy infrastructure, the UK can insulate itself from geopolitical energy threats. Stable energy supplies can underpin both economic resilience and military readiness.

    But there is a disconnect between strong government protection for arms manufacturers and relatively limited support for green technology development. This, even as climate change poses an escalating threat to national stability.

    Labour faces a difficult balancing act. Increasing defence spending helps solidify the party’s credibility on national security. But domestically, it risks alienating voters who favour investment in social welfare over military expansion.

    Additionally, higher military expenditure could make tax hikes or borrowing necessary. Both pose political hazards. And there is a real risk that increased spending will disproportionately benefit corporate defence giants rather than the public.

    Starmer hopes increased defence spending will show that he is serious about European security.
    Fred Duval/Shutterstock

    Internationally, Starmer aims to signal Britain’s continued reliability as a Nato ally amid uncertainties about the US commitment to European security. This positioning becomes especially significant given the UK’s post-Brexit need to demonstrate its global relevance and military capability.

    Labour’s drive to increase defence spending is also shaped by economic imperatives that extend beyond immediate security needs. The party faces pressure to expand a major sector of British manufacturing. At stake are not just defence capabilities but jobs, regional development and industrial strategy.

    The government now finds itself caught between competing pressures. The commitment to military expansion reflects not just geopolitical imperatives but also domestic political calculations and economic concerns, which appear to be equally influential. And it raises fundamental questions about how national security priorities are truly determined in an era of multiple challenges.

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

    – ref. Why Keir Starmer may gamble on increasing Britain’s defence spending – https://theconversation.com/why-keir-starmer-may-gamble-on-increasing-britains-defence-spending-250447

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: YouTube was born from a failed dating site – 20 years on, the world’s biggest video platform faces new challenges

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Evelyn Polacek Kery, PhD Researcher in Social Work & Social Care, School of Education & Social Work, University of Sussex

    When three former PayPal employees, Steve Chen, Chad Hurley and Jawed Karim, registered the domain www.youtube.com 20 years ago, they wanted to create an online dating site based around videos of users. In 2016, Chen told the SXSW conference: “We thought dating would be the obvious choice.”

    But despite offering to pay users to upload videos of themselves, nobody came forward. When their concept failed, they hatched a new idea for the same domain: “OK, forget the dating aspect, let’s just open it up to any video,” said Chen.

    What followed was revolutionary. Having started as a small project, YouTube rapidly grew into one of the most influential platforms in media history, reshaping journalism, media, entertainment and social interactions.

    Its first-ever video, “Me at the Zoo” – featuring Karim casually describing the elephants at San Diego Zoo – set the tone for democratised content creation, and also the type of content that would become so significant for YouTube: vlogging – where people communicate their own blog-style entries on video, often delivered direct to camera.

    The simplicity of uploading and sharing any type of video, combined with the potential of online content going viral, made the platform an instant hit.

    In October 2006, just over a year after the video platform’s launch, Google acquired YouTube for US$1.65 billion (£1.3 billion) – a move that proved one of the most significant tech acquisitions in history. The platform embarked on monetising its growing library of content via online advertising, not only generating huge profits for Google but also providing content creators with a share.

    The increasing profits prompted content creators to deliver better content.

    Whereas traditional media outlets such as television controlled video production and distribution, YouTube suddenly allowed anyone with a camera to share their voice. This shift led to the rise of independent creators, from beauty vloggers and gamers to educators and activists.

    And so the platform has given birth to an entirely new profession: the YouTuber. Early pioneers built massive audiences, inspiring a new wave of content creators who could earn a living through ad revenue, sponsorships and crowdfunding.

    In the UK in 2010, for example, a group of young content creators nicknamed “Brit Crew” became popular on YouTube. They were relatable, fun to watch, and uploaded videos regularly.

    Today, the highest-paid YouTuber worldwide, according to Forbes magazine, is MrBeast, with more than 360 million subscribers and 10 billion views. In reality, MrBeast is Jimmy Donaldson, a content creator and businessman from Greenville, North Carolina. But the views his videos attract are still nowhere near the most-watched YouTube video of all time, “Baby Shark”, with 15 billion views.

    Baby Shark: the YouTube video with most views to date.

    Donaldson has often talked about understanding YouTube metrics and its algorithm as a key component to his success. He particularly pays attention to a measure known as “retention rate”, noting where viewers stop watching to improve his future videos. He says the algorithm prioritises things that are difficult to accomplish, such as getting high retention rates on a long video, over simply getting a large number of views.

    MrBeast is emblematic of the rise of influencers on YouTube: content creators with lots of followers who look to them for inspiration and lifestyle tips. Established companies and brands have sought to develop partnerships with key influencers in order to promote products and services to their often huge global audiences.

    Overall, detailed audience numbers for YouTube are difficult to come by. However, Statista reports that the platform now has more than 2.5 billion active monthly users.

    Citizen journalism

    YouTube also plays a critical role in modern journalism. The platform, along with others such as Facebook and Twitter-X, has allowed citizen journalists to document events in real time, from protests and social movements to natural disasters and political uprisings – especially since YouTube introduced live streaming in 2011.

    During major global events such as the Arab Spring and Black Lives Matter protests, influential coverage emerged from people capturing and sharing their footage on YouTube. This shift has challenged traditional news media, which now often relies on user-generated content as a key source of reporting.

    Similarly, some major world events are streamed live on YouTube, from election coverage to the Olympics to the Glastonbury music festival. There has also been growth in the popularity of video podcasts on the platform – one of the most popular, the Joe Rogan Experience, attracts millions of views per episode.

    Misinformation and conspiracy theories

    Despite its success, YouTube has faced significant challenges. The rapid spread of hate speech, misinformation and conspiracy theories has led the platform to implement stricter content moderation policies. In recent years, YouTube says there has been a substantial drop in the number of videos that violate its policies as a result, although some experts say these numbers can be interpreted in different ways.

    YouTube also continues to face controversies over its data collection, and how its algorithms reinforce conspiracy “rabbit holes”.

    Regulation has become a pressing concern. Governments worldwide are scrutinising YouTube for its role in spreading harmful content. Many countries are discussing how to better protect children online: in the UK, YouTube is the most popular website or app among younger users, used by nearly nine in ten children aged 3-17. (Officially, YouTube does not allow children below the age of 13 to use the platform without supervision, but there are clearly many ways around this for younger users.)

    There is a also drive among regulators to ensure fair competition in the digital marketplace, given YouTube’s dominant position.

    As YouTube enters its third decade, AI could become a powerful tool for creators – from speeding up the process of adding effects to videos, to creating video content from scratch. YouTube will also face continued competition from short-form video platforms such as TikTok and Instagram.

    In my opinion, the growing demand for high-quality, authentic content will shape YouTube’s future. The platform needs to focus on protecting and empowering its creators and their diversity, while nurturing its existing community.

    One thing is clear: YouTube has transformed the way we both consume and create media. From its humble beginnings to becoming a cultural phenomenon, YouTube’s 20-year journey is a testament to the power of digital platforms and social media in shaping modern society. Whether it continues growing or evolves into something entirely new, its impact on global culture is undeniable.

    Evelyn Polacek Kery works for the Guardian and is a judge at the Press Awards 2025.

    – ref. YouTube was born from a failed dating site – 20 years on, the world’s biggest video platform faces new challenges – https://theconversation.com/youtube-was-born-from-a-failed-dating-site-20-years-on-the-worlds-biggest-video-platform-faces-new-challenges-250164

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: China: Xi Jinping has learned from Trump’s first trade war and is ready to fight back

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Tom Harper, Lecturer in International Relations, University of East London

    The start of 2025 has been good for China and its reputation as a high-tech innovator. The unveiling of the Chinese-made artificial intelligence (AI) tool, DeepSeek, caused consternation on the US stock exchange and from potential competitors in Silicon Valley.

    Chinese firms are increasingly at the forefront of key high-level technologies such as electric vehicles (EVs) and AI, as reflected by the success of China’s electric vehicles, BYD, and now DeepSeek.

    These moves have made the Chinese economy more self sufficient than it was during Trump’s first term, and has made Beijing more confident about pushing back politically against Trump.

    This is all underlined by a high-level meeting hosted by President Xi Jinping at China’s Great Hall of the People this week. He told the heads of China’s leading tech firms it was time for them “to give full play to their capabilities” and spoke of it as a patriotic duty, according to official accounts.

    This comes as China starts being hit by US tariffs of an additional 10% on its goods, as well as a slew of anti-China rhetoric from the Trump government.

    But China’s high tech industries are on the up, and this is a significant boost for Xi. For instance, in January this year, sales of the Chinese EVs exceeded those of Tesla in the UK for the first time.

    Part of the Chinese EV’s success could be attributed to a backlash against Tesla’s co-founder Elon Musk, after he started backing far-right parties around the world.

    Another factor that Chinese high-tech goods have in their favour are lower prices. Prices for Chinese EVs start at £7,697 in the UK, for example – much lower than Tesla’s Model 3 at £25,490.

    This price difference will be significant in the latest phase of the Sino-US trade war, particularly in countries struggling with a cost-of-living crisis. China is also hoping its cheap prices and tech innovations will help it find new trading allies to counteract Washington’s proposed tariffs.

    What China has to offer

    China is a fast-growing economic and political power and is expected to account for nearly a quarter of the global economy by 2030.

    The success of BYD and DeepSeek comes at a time where Beijing feels more prepared for Trump’s tough tariffs and tension with Washington, than it did in his previous term. China has responded to Trump’s threats with reciprocal tariffs on US coal and liquefied gas, as well as a ban on the export of critical minerals. These are a key component for many US military technologies varying from communications equipment to missiles.

    China accounts for 72% of all rare earth imports for the US. Such measures contrast with the cautious approach taken by Beijing in 2017, when US tariffs during Trump’s first term met little retaliation from Beijing.

    The changes in China’s tactics can partly be attributed to what Beijing learned from the previous trade war. In 2017 there were weaknesses in the supply chains of many Chinese firms, most notably ZTE and Huawei.

    They struggled when Washington pressurised its own chipmakers and those of allied states, such as Britain’s Arm, to stop sales of semiconductor technology to China. As a result, finding long-term alternatives to US technology in the supply chain has become a key priority for Beijing.

    What is Deep Seek?

    Xi has recognised the value of firms such as Huawei and BYD in aiding China’s wider technological (and geopolitical) ambitions, most notably as part of the Made in China 2025 strategy, a national strategy to make China a leader in high-tech technology.



    Read more:
    DeepSeek: how China’s embrace of open-source AI caused a geopolitical earthquake

    Traditionally, China was seen as the home of cheap, low-quality goods, which had been central to its development in the 1980s and 1990s. But many of companies producing these products are increasingly moving to south-east Asia to take advantage of lower labour costs.

    However, Chinese industries are now gaining ground in fields that have traditionally been the preserve of developed nations. For instance, Huawei has developed a spin off, Honor, which has gone from producing cheap, simple smartphones and into AI technology.

    Meanwhile, the success of BYD and DeepSeek have demonstrated that China is, in some ways at least, far better placed for a prolonged trade war. Beijing is feeling more confident, which explains its willingness to push back against Washington this time.

    So the White House will have to deal with higher prices for US goods going into China, as well as additional trade spats with the EU, Canada and the UK. It might be a bumpy ride for US consumers.

    How Beijing responds and its new-found clout may determine the course of this new trade war, and potentially add to its long-term standing in the world.

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

    – ref. China: Xi Jinping has learned from Trump’s first trade war and is ready to fight back – https://theconversation.com/china-xi-jinping-has-learned-from-trumps-first-trade-war-and-is-ready-to-fight-back-250101

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI: The Agents are here! What is Decentralized AI and how will it impact the world according to new research from Alpha Sigma Capital Research

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    Tampa, FL, Feb. 21, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Alpha Sigma Capital Research has released an in-depth report entitled DeFAI Unleashed, highlighting the rise of AI agents in the crypto world, capturing headlines and fueling both excitement and skepticism.  

    Report highlights:

    • Examines the rise of DeFAI
    • Analyzes market trends and adoption challenges
    • Evaluates long-term impact of AI agents on crypto

    DeFAI transforms decentralized finance:

    • AI agents serve as intelligent facilitators
    • Utilize natural language processing for seamless on-chain transactions
    • Eliminates clunky interfaces and intimidating protocols
    • Provides frictionless access to DeFi

    Current market landscape:

    • Over 1,380 AI agent projects cataloged on platforms like Cookie.fun
    • Collective market cap: $8.29 billion
    • Recent market dip, but activity remains strong
    • Industry leaders view this as a foundational shift despite trader caution

    Future outlook:

    • AI agents gaining real use cases in DeFi
    • More than just a trend—marks the next phase of crypto’s evolution

    Access your complimentary copy of DeFAI Unleashed here.

    Stay connected with ASC Research on Substack. Subscribe at Alpha Sigma Capital Research | Substack.

    About Alpha Transform Holdings
    Alpha Transform Holdings (ATH) is a leading digital asset investment firm, combining strategic advisory, research, and capital investment to drive innovation in Web3 and blockchain.

    About Alpha Sigma Capital Research
    Active Investing in the Blockchain Economy.™
    Alpha Sigma Capital Research is provided by Alpha Sigma Capital Advisors, LLC, the Investment Manager for the Alpha Blockchain/Web3 Fund and Alpha Liquid Fund.  Alpha Sigma Capital (ASC) investment funds are focused on emerging blockchain companies that are successfully building their user-base, demonstrating real-world uses for their decentralized ecosystems, and moving blockchain technology towards mass-adoption. ASC is focused on companies leveraging blockchain technology to provide value-add in areas such as fintech, AI, supply chain, and healthcare. Apply to receive research at www.alphasigma.fund/research.

    DISCLAIMER
    This is for informational use only. This is not investment advice. Other than disclosures relating to Alpha Transform Holdings (ATH) and Alpha Sigma Capital (ASC) this information is based on current public information that we consider reliable, but we do not represent it as accurate or complete, and it should not be relied on as such. The information, opinions, estimates, and forecasts contained herein are as of the date hereof and are subject to change without prior notification. We seek to update our information as appropriate.

    Any forecasts contained herein are for illustrative purposes only and are not to be relied upon as advice or interpreted as a recommendation. The price of crypto assets may rise or fall because of changes in the broad market or changes in a company’s financial condition, sometimes rapidly or unpredictably. Past performance is not a guide to future performance, future returns are not guaranteed, and a loss of original capital may occur. Fluctuations in exchange rates could have adverse effects on the value or price of, or income derived from certain investments. We and our affiliates, officers, directors, and employees, excluding equity and credit analysts, will from time to time have long or short positions in, act as principal in, and buy or sell, the securities or derivatives, if any, referred to in this press release.

    The information on which the information is based has been obtained from sources believed to be reliable such as, for example, the company’s financial statements filed with a regulator, the company website, the company white paper, pitchbook, and any other sources. While Alpha Sigma Capital has obtained data, statistics, and information from sources it believes to be reliable, Alpha Sigma Capital does not perform an audit or seek independent verification of any of the data, statistics, and information it receives.
    Unless otherwise provided in a separate agreement, Alpha Sigma Capital does not represent that the contents meet all of the presentation and/or disclosure standards applicable in the jurisdiction the recipient is located. Alpha Sigma Capital and its officers, directors, and employees shall not be responsible or liable for any trading decisions, damages, or other losses resulting from, or related to, the information, data, analyses, or opinions within the report.

    Crypto and/or digital currencies involve substantial risk, are speculative in nature, and may not perform as expected. Many digital currency platforms are not subject to regulatory supervision, unlike regulated exchanges. Some platforms may commingle customer assets in shared accounts and provide inadequate custody, which may affect whether or how investors can withdraw their currency and/or subject them to money laundering. Digital currencies may be vulnerable to hacks and cyber fraud as well as significant volatility and price swings.

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI Economics: Quarterly BSR-1: Outstanding Credit of Scheduled Commercial Banks – December 2024

    Source: Reserve Bank of India

    Today, the Reserve Bank released its web publication entitled ‘Quarterly Basic Statistical Returns (BSR)-1: Outstanding Credit of Scheduled Commercial Banks (SCBs)1 – December 20242’ on its ‘Database on Indian Economy’ portal (https://data.rbi.org.in Homepage > Publications). It captures various characteristics of bank credit such as occupation/activity and organisational sector of the borrower, type of account and interest rates based on account-level reporting3. Data reported by SCBs {excluding Regional Rural Banks (RRBs)} are presented for bank groups, population groups4 and states.

    Highlights:

    • Bank credit growth (y-o-y) decelerated to 11.8 per cent in December 2024 from 12.6 per cent in September 2024; all population groups (viz., rural, semi-urban, urban and metropolitan branches of banks) maintained double digit growth, though with some moderation, which was experienced by both public sector and private sector banks.

    • Personal loans, which have large share (31.5 per cent) in total credit, recorded moderation in annual growth to 13.7 per cent (15.2 per cent a quarter ago); credit to agriculture and industry sectors also recorded some tempering in the growth.

    • Bank lending for trade, finance and professional/ other services accelerated during Q3:2024-25.

    • Lending to public sector organisations accelerated to 5.4 per cent in December 2024 as compared with 0.3 per cent in the previous quarter; its share in total credit stood at 13.6 per cent.

    • Nearly two per cent of the bank loans were in terms of bills purchased/ discounted.

    • Bank charged 8 per cent to less than 10 per cent interest rate on over half of the loan amount and nearly 16 per cent of the loans were bearing less than 8 per cent interest rate; the remaining loans were bearing 10 per cent or above interest rate.

    Ajit Prasad          
    Deputy General Manager
    (Communications)    

    Press Release: 2024-2025/2227

    MIL OSI Economics –

  • MIL-OSI Economics: Quarterly BSR-2: Deposits with Scheduled Commercial Banks – December 2024

    Source: Reserve Bank of India

    Today, the Reserve Bank released the web publication ‘Deposits with Scheduled Commercial Banks1 – December 20242’ on its ‘Database on Indian Economy’ portal3 (https://data.rbi.org.in Homepage > Publications).

    Scheduled commercial banks (SCBs) {excluding regional rural banks (RRBs)} report branch-wise data on type of deposits (current, savings and term), its institutional sector wise ownership, age wise distribution of deposits pertaining to individuals, maturity pattern, size and interest rate range wise distribution of term deposits as well as number of employees in the quarterly ‘Basic Statistical Return’ (BSR) – 2 return. These data are released at disaggregated level (viz., population groups4, bank groups, states, districts and centres).

    Highlights:

    • Aggregate deposits increased by 11.0 per cent in December 2024 as compared with 11.7 per cent growth a quarter ago.

    • Term deposits rose by 14.3 per cent (y-o-y) as compared with 5.1 per cent growth in saving deposits in December 2024; as a result, the share of term deposits in total deposits rose to 62.1 per cent from 60.3 per cent a year ago.

    • The share of deposits bearing seven per cent or above interest rate in total term deposits increased to 70.8 per cent in December 2024 from 61.4 per cent a year ago.

    • With rise in return on term deposits, nearly 79.8 per cent of the incremental term deposits mobilized during April-December 2024 were held in the original maturity bucket of one to three years; on an outstanding basis, over two third of term deposits were in this maturity bucket and another 11 per cent had higher original maturity.

    • During April-December 2024, 56.1 per cent of the total term deposits were of size ‘Rs. one crore and above’.

    • Senior citizens owned 20.2 per cent of the total deposits in December 2024.

    Ajit Prasad          
    Deputy General Manager
    (Communications)    

    Press Release: 2024-2025/2228

    MIL OSI Economics –