NewzIntel.com

Category: Transport

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Budget marks first step in plan to drive up opportunity and drive down poverty

    Source: United Kingdom – Government Statements

    Millions of people, including families, pensioners, carers and those struggling to find work are set to benefit from Autumn Budget reforms to boost work and tackle poverty.

    • Welfare safety net will be strengthened with a new Fair Repayment Rate, an increase to benefits and an extension of vital crisis support.

    • Carers will also see a boost to the amount they can earn whilst retaining their entitlement to Carer’s Allowance.
    • A £240 million package for the Get Britain Working White Paper will shift department’s focus from welfare to work.

    The first steps in the Work and Pensions Secretary’s plan to drive up opportunity and drive down poverty across the UK were unveiled in the Government Budget yesterday (Wednesday 30 October).  

    As the department shifts its focus from welfare to work, a £240 million package will open up opportunities to millions of people left behind and denied the opportunity to get into work and get on at work.

    These major changes will address spiralling economic inactivity and a record 2.8 million people locked out of work due to long term sickness and are part of the Government’s ambition to reach an 80% employment rate. 

    The Get Britain Working White Paper will develop:

    • A new jobs and careers service to help get more people into work, and get on in their work, by linking jobseekers with employers, with an increased focus on skills and careers;
    • Joined-up work, health and skills plans to tackle economic inactivity and boost employment, led by Mayors and local areas;
    • A new Youth Guarantee so that every young person is given the opportunity to earn or learn.

    Those with caring responsibilities will able to earn more without losing government support, with the Carer’s Allowance earnings threshold boosted by £45 a week to £196, benefitting more than 60,000 carers by 2029/30. This is the biggest ever cash increase in the earnings threshold for Carer’s Allowance. This is alongside an independent review into Carer’s Allowance Overpayments led by Liz Sayce OBE.

    As well as boosting pensions and benefits through annual uprating, a new Fair Repayment Rate will be introduced, reducing Universal Credit deductions. This will mean 1.2 million of the poorest households will benefit by an average of £420 a year.

    £1 billion, including Barnett impact, will be invested to extend the Household Support Fund in England by a full year, on top of the six months already announced, and to maintain Discretionary Housing Payments in England and Wales. This will help struggling families and pensioners facing the greatest financial hardship.   

    Work and Pensions Secretary, Liz Kendall said:

    We promised change, and that is what we will deliver. 

    For too long, millions of people have been denied opportunities to work and build a better life, and too many children are growing up in poverty, harming their life chances and our country’s future.

    This Budget shows the first steps in our plan to drive up opportunity and drive down poverty in every corner of the country.

    There is still much more to do, but this Budget has shown change has begun.

    Measures announced today will also improve how the department detects and prevents fraud and error, so support is targeted where it is needed most and taxpayers know every pound is spent wisely. These changes are expected to save £7.6 billion by 2029/30.

    The Secretary of State has also concluded her annual review of the State Pension and benefit rates, which will see:

    • A 4.1 percent increase to the basic and new State Pensions due to the Triple Lock commitment – meaning those on the full rate of the new State Pension will now see an increase of over £470 per year.
    • A 1.7 percent increase to Universal Credit and other working-age benefits – worth an average £12.50 per month for a family on Universal Credit.

    Further Information

    • The Get Britain Working White Paper will be published in Autumn and will set out the government’s plans to reform employment support and tackle the root causes of record-high inactivity.
    • Welfare reforms announced at Autumn Budget include:
    • A new Fair Repayment Rate to reduce Universal Credit deductions from 25% to 15%.
    • A £240 million Get Britain Working package
    • An extension of the Household Support Fund
    • Maintaining Discretionary Housing Payments funding.
    • Raising the Carer’s Allowance earnings threshold by £45 a week
    • Uprating disability benefits and working age benefits including Universal Credit by 1.7% in line with the year to September 2024 Consumer Prices Index figure.
    • Uprating basic and new State Pensions and the standard minimum guarantee in Pension Credit by 4.1% in line with the average weekly earnings figure for the year to May to July 2024.
    • Improving fraud, error and debt detection and prevention.

    Updates to this page

    Published 31 October 2024

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Property Market – Slowing rate of decline signals potential value floor – CoreLogic

    Source: CoreLogic

    Property values in New Zealand fell -0.5% in October according to CoreLogic’s hedonic Home Value Index (HVI) – the eighth drop in a row – taking the total decline in values since February to -5.1%.

    Values across Aotearoa New Zealand now stand at $805,984, which is around 18% below the post-COVID cyclical peak but still about 16% higher than the pre-COVID level from March 2020.
    Around the main centres, Te Whanganui-a-Tara Wellington dropped by -1.2% in October, with both Kirikiriroa Hamilton and Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland down by -0.7%. Ōtepoti Dunedin’s fall was slightly smaller (-0.4%), while Tauranga was flat in October, and Ōtautahi Christchurch edged up by 0.2%.
    Although the property market remained relatively sluggish in October, the pace of decline has roughly halved in the past couple of months after an average fall of around -0.9% from May to August.
    CoreLogic NZ Chief Property Economist, Kelvin Davidson said that could be a sign of an approaching floor for property values.
    ““The latest fall in national home values suggests that even though mortgage rates have already dropped quite sharply, the influence of job losses and the wider feelings of reduced job security are playing the more important role at present. This was echoed in the latest ANZ consumer confidence survey. That said, it’s not all one-way traffic for property values, with Ōtautahi Christchurch continuing to show relative resilience amongst the main centres, alongside Tauranga in October.”
    “It’s hard to prove categorically, but there’s certainly a ‘vibe’ out there that The Garden City is still considered an attractive place for people outside the area to relocate to, driven by both lifestyle and affordability.”
    “There has also been a change in the on-the-ground mood around Aotearoa NZ’s wider property market in the past few weeks. That shift has been seen across a range of segments, from property valuers to individual investors, to developers and construction industry consultants.”

    “Rising sentiment may take some time to hit the ‘hard data’, but there’s a sense that the end could be in sight for the recent downturn.”

    “For property investors in particular the falls in mortgage rates are key, flowing directly through to better cashflow on a typical rental purchase – or in other words reduced losses – and smaller top-ups from other income. Increased interest deductibility supports that effect too.”

    Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland

    Each of Tamaki Makaurau Auckland’s sub-markets saw property values decline in October, although the falls in Papakura and Franklin were marginal (-0.1%). Elsewhere, the falls ranged from -0.4% in Rodney, up to -0.8% in Auckland City and -0.9% in Manukau.

    Generally speaking, values across Tamaki Makaurau Auckland are still around 21-24% lower than the post-COVID peak (apart from a drop of closer to 26% in Waitakere), while the falls since the more recent ‘mini peak’ at the start of this year have typically been between -7% and -9%.

    Mr Davidson added: “Auckland’s property market continues to be weighed down by abundant supply, both in terms of existing properties listed for sale as well as the continued pipeline of new-builds being completed. However, there are signs in a market such as Papakura that values have started to flatten out to some degree, so it’ll be interesting to see if the falls also lessen or stop altogether in other parts of the super-city in the next few months too.”

    Te Whanganui-a-Tara Wellington

    The wider Te Whanganui-a-Tara Wellington area underperformed in October, with Porirua down by -0.5%, and then the falls increasing to -0.7% to -0.8% in the Hutt Valley, and to more than 1% in both Kapiti Coast and Wellington City itself. Porirua has been slightly more resilient than elsewhere over a wider three-month horizon – while across the rest of Wellington, values are down by close to 3% or more since July.

    “Wellington looks to be a good example of where job insecurity is outweighing the benefits to sentiment and households’ finances of lower mortgage rates. This could also make it an interesting test case for property values, in terms of the strength of any recovery in 2025 amidst the backdrop of labour market weakness.”

    Regional results

    Reflecting the counteracting influences of lower mortgage rates and job losses, property value trends across many of the provincial markets remained patchy in October. Nelson, Whanganui, Rotorua, and Gisborne all edged higher, while Queenstown was stable. But value falls of -0.7% or more were seen in Invercargill, Whangarei, and Napier.

    “Putting aside the normal monthly variability that you see in any part of the cycle, it’s interesting to note the recent divergences over the year as a whole,” Mr Davidson noted, pointing to areas such as Napier and Whangarei which were down by -7% to -9% since the latest mini-peak, compared to Whanganui and Invercargill, which were down by -1 to -2%.

    “Lower house prices in the latter two areas may have given their markets some insulation. Of course, the affordability argument certainly doesn’t apply in somewhere like Queenstown, where the market has only fallen slightly in 2024 despite a median value of $1.5m.”

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Cross-boundary forgery syndicate smashed by Immigration Department and Mainland authorities (with photos)

    Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

         The Immigration Department (ImmD) mounted a cross-boundary joint operation with Guangxi Public Security Department, Guangdong Provincial Public Security Department and Shenzhen Frontier Inspection Station in July and August under the co-ordination of the Exit and Entry Administration of the People’s Republic of China. The operation successfully neutralised a cross-boundary forgery syndicate, resulting in the arrest of a total of 201 persons and the seizure of a large amount of forgery equipment and forged documents.

         In May this year, Mainland authorities unearthed crucial intelligence related to a syndicate arranging Mainlanders to take up illegal employment in Hong Kong. The ImmD immediately collaborated with the Mainland authorities to conduct in-depth investigations and successfully identified a cross-boundary forgery syndicate specialised in recruiting Mainlanders to take up illegal employment in Hong Kong and providing them with accommodation and forged Hong Kong identity cards to seek illegal employments. The forgery syndicate had set up workshops on the Mainland for producing forged documents, and they would dispatch the forged Hong Kong identity cards by express delivery to Hong Kong syndicate members, who would then distribute the forged Hong Kong identity cards to the illegal workers.

         The ImmD swiftly launched an operation codenamed “Vanguard” to eradicate the syndicate in Hong Kong. During the operation, ImmD investigators retrieved a batch of suspicious parcels sent out from Mainland forgery workshops and disguised as couriers to deliver the suspicious parcels. As a result, several Hong Kong syndicate members were apprehended, and a number of forged Hong Kong identity cards were seized. Moreover, the ImmD raided a total of 69 premises, including 37 residential premises and 32 working places, and arrested a total of 97 persons, including a syndicate mastermind, nine syndicate members, 67 suspected illegal workers and 20 suspected employers, aged 18 to 64. Ten syndicate members, including the mastermind, comprise five men and five women, consisting of three Hong Kong residents and seven Mainlanders, aged 18 to 61. The 67 arrested suspected illegal workers comprise 34 men and 33 women, including 65 Mainlanders, one Indonesian and one Vietnamese Recognizance Form holder issued by the ImmD, aged 22 to 64. ImmD investigators also seized 21 forged Hong Kong identity cards, 18 copies of forged Hong Kong identity cards and two forged documents related to construction workers. Through this large-scale cross-boundary joint operation, the cross-boundary forgery syndicate has been neutralised. The investigation is still ongoing, and more persons involved in the case may be arrested.

         On the Mainland side, three forgery workshops were smashed and a total of 104 offenders were arrested, including 18 syndicate masterminds and ring members, and 12 pieces of forgery equipment were seized.

         An ImmD spokesman said, “Under the laws of Hong Kong, anyone who uses or possesses a forged identity card commits an offence. Offenders are liable to prosecution and, upon conviction, a maximum penalty of a fine of $100,000 and 10 years’ imprisonment. Any person who without lawful authority or reasonable excuse transfers to another person a Hong Kong identity card commits an offence. Offenders are liable to prosecution and, upon conviction, a maximum penalty of a fine of $100,000 and 10 years’ imprisonment.”

         The spokesman warned, “Any person who contravenes a condition of stay in force in respect of him or her shall be guilty of an offence. Also, visitors are not allowed to take employment in Hong Kong, whether paid or unpaid, without the permission of the Director of Immigration. Offenders are liable to prosecution and upon conviction face a maximum fine of $50,000 and up to two years’ imprisonment. Aiders and abettors are also liable to prosecution and penalties. As stipulated in section 38AA of the Immigration Ordinance, an illegal immigrant, a person who is the subject of a removal order or a deportation order, an overstayer or a person who was refused permission to land is prohibited from taking any employment, whether paid or unpaid, or establishing or joining in any business. Offenders are liable upon conviction to a maximum fine of $50,000 and up to three years’ imprisonment.”

         The spokesman reiterated that it is a serious offence to employ people who are not lawfully employable. Under the Immigration Ordinance, the maximum penalty for an employer employing a person who is not lawfully employable, i.e. an illegal immigrant, a person who is the subject of a removal order or a deportation order, an overstayer or a person who was refused permission to land, has been significantly increased from a fine of $350,000 and three years’ imprisonment to a fine of $500,000 and 10 years’ imprisonment to reflect the gravity of such offences. The director, manager, secretary, partner, etc, of the company concerned may also bear criminal liability. The High Court has laid down sentencing guidelines that the employer of an illegal worker should be given an immediate custodial sentence.

         According to the court sentencing, employers must take all practicable steps to determine whether a person is lawfully employable prior to employment. Apart from inspecting a prospective employee’s identity card, the employer has the explicit duty to make enquiries regarding the person and ensure that the answers would not cast any reasonable doubt concerning the lawful employability of the person. The court will not accept failure to do so as a defence in proceedings. It is also an offence if an employer fails to inspect the job seeker’s valid travel document if the job seeker does not have a Hong Kong permanent identity card. Offenders are liable upon conviction to a maximum fine of $150,000 and to imprisonment for one year. In that connection, the spokesman would like to remind all employers not to defy the law by employing illegal workers. The ImmD will continue to take resolute enforcement action to combat such offences.

         Under the existing mechanism, the ImmD will, as a standard procedure, conduct an initial screening of vulnerable persons, including illegal workers, illegal immigrants, sex workers and foreign domestic helpers, who are arrested during any operation with a view to ascertaining whether they are trafficking in persons (TIP) victims. When any TIP indicator is revealed in the initial screening, the ImmD officers will conduct a full debriefing and identification by using a standardised checklist to ascertain the presence of TIP elements, such as threats and coercion in the recruitment phase and the nature of exploitation. Identified TIP victims will be provided with various forms of support and assistance, including urgent intervention, medical services, counselling, shelter or temporary accommodation and other supporting services. The ImmD calls on TIP victims to report crimes to the relevant departments immediately.      

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Five Western N.C. State Parks to Reopen Nov. 1, Eight Parks to Remain Closed

    Source: US State of North Carolina

    Headline: Five Western N.C. State Parks to Reopen Nov. 1, Eight Parks to Remain Closed

    Five Western N.C. State Parks to Reopen Nov. 1, Eight Parks to Remain Closed
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    Crowders Mountain, Gorges, Grandfather Mountain and Lake Norman state parks, as well as Rendezvous Mountain, will reopen at least partially on Nov. 1, the Division of Parks and Recreation announced. These parks were temporarily closed through October after impacts from Hurricane Helene.

    The following areas are open at each park:

        • Crowders Mountain — trails and day-use will reopen, all camping will remain closed through November

        • Gorges — Grassy Ridge Access (visitor center, trails to Rainbow and Upper Bearwallow Falls, RV/trailer/tent camping and cabins) will reopen; the backcountry area (Frozen Creek Access, including Auger Hole and Canebrake trails and backcountry campsites) will remain closed

        • Grandfather Mountain — most trails and campsites will reopen; Profile Trail, Profile Connector Trail, and Profile Campsite will remain closed

        • Lake Norman — day-use and tent/trailer/RV and group campsites will reopen; some sections of mountain bike trail may be closed; cabins remain closed to new reservations; existing reservations are being honored

        • Rendezvous Mountain — all areas

    The following parks remain closed entirely: Chimney Rock, Elk Knob, Lake James, Mount Mitchell, New River, South Mountains, and Stone Mountain state parks, as well as Mount Jefferson State Natural Area.

    “We are very excited to be able to reopen these parks, and we hope to open additional facilities in November,” said State Parks Director Brian Strong. “We know our visitors have been missing our closed parks, and we hope these reopenings will help our neighbors, local towns, and communities.”

    The division continues to assist with emergency and rescue efforts in western North Carolina. To date, over 150 division staff have been deployed with the North Carolina Emergency Operations Center as well as to assist with Incident Management Teams and with cleanup projects at western state parks.

    “Our priority first and foremost is visitor and staff safety,” Strong said. “There are areas that will be marked closed due to hazardous trees and branches with a high likelihood of falling as well as unsteady bridges and washed-out trails. We ask that visitors follow signage and do not attempt to access areas that have been closed off.”

    Some of the remaining closed parks may reopen partially in November, depending on progress with cleanup and hazard mitigation. Chimney Rock, Mount Mitchell, and South Mountains will be undergoing extended closure. Reservations for campsites anticipated to be closed have been refunded in full.

    About North Carolina State Parks
    North Carolina State Parks manages more than 262,000 acres of iconic landscape within North Carolina’s state parks, state recreation areas and state natural areas. It administers the N.C. Parks and Recreation Trust Fund, including its local grants program, as well as a state trails program, North Carolina Natural and Scenic Rivers and more, all with a mission dedicated to conservation, recreation and education. The state parks system welcomes more than 19 million visitors annually.
    About the North Carolina Department of Natural and Cultural Resources
    The N.C. Department of Natural and Cultural Resources (DNCR) manages, promotes, and enhances the things that people love about North Carolina – its diverse arts and culture, rich history, and spectacular natural areas. Through its programs, the department enhances education, stimulates economic development, improves public health, expands accessibility, and strengthens community resiliency.
    The department manages over 100 locations across the state, including 27 historic sites, seven history museums, two art museums, five science museums, four aquariums, 35 state parks, four recreation areas, dozens of state trails and natural areas, the North Carolina Zoo, the State Library, the State Archives, the N.C. Arts Council, the African American Heritage Commission, the American Indian Heritage Commission, the State Historic Preservation Office, the Office of State Archaeology, the Highway Historical Markers program, the N.C. Land and Water Fund, and the Natural Heritage Program. For more information, please visit www.dncr.nc.gov.
    Oct 31, 2024

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: UConn Receives $500,000 from Travelers to Support Housing Stipends for UConn Hartford Students

    Source: US State of Connecticut

    The UConn Foundation today announced that it will receive $500,000 from Travelers spread over the next five years to help cover the cost of room and board for qualified UConn students at the new, 200-bed residence hall on Pratt Street in Hartford.

    This marks a pivotal moment for the UConn Hartford campus, which will offer student housing for the first time when the apartment-style units open in fall 2026. The project involves transforming a former law office into a vibrant, residential community, part of the university’s broader strategy to elevate student education and experiences.

    “Thanks to this generous gift from Travelers, more students will have access to our new residence hall, which will have a transformative impact on their education and lives,” says Mark Overmyer-Velázquez, campus dean and chief administrative officer at UConn Hartford. “The residence hall will serve as a catalyst for learning as well as connecting students to the rich historical, cultural, political, and business resources of our capital city.”

    In a 2023 survey, about 70% of UConn Hartford undergraduates expressed interest in nearby student housing. Many students noted that affordability is crucial, given that most currently reside with parents.

    The new housing initiative aligns with UConn’s vision, alongside state and local leaders, to establish Hartford as a “college town” where students play an integral role in the city’s cultural landscape.

    “Our relationship with UConn spans decades, and we are proud to be a part of the university’s efforts in expanding its presence in downtown Hartford,” says Andy Bessette, executive vice president and chief administrative officer for Travelers. “UConn’s dedication to excellence in education is why it was one of our inaugural partners when we started our school-to-career pipeline program, Travelers EDGE, 17 years ago. Together, we are helping to build a brighter future for our city and state.”

    Travelers EDGE, a program that aims to give students increased access to higher education and career preparation, has supported 133 UConn scholars since its inception, with 93 interning at Travelers and 35 graduates accepting full-time jobs at the company.

    “We are thrilled that Travelers is making this transformational investment in UConn, our students, and the city of Hartford through this $500,000 donation,” says Nathan Fuerst, UConn’s vice president for student life and enrollment.

    “This visionary gift ensures the success of UConn’s expanded footprint in Hartford and helps alleviate the financial barriers facing many students who choose to live downtown. It also brings more scholars to downtown, where many will stay and establish deep roots,” Fuerst says.

    The new residence hall is one of many initiatives UConn has underway to deepen its ties with the capital city. The University recently opened its new Community Intersections & Innovation Space for research and academic use near the XL Center and is opening a café for students next fall in the Hartford Times main campus building.

    The UConn Foundation also recently launched the Hartford Residential Scholars Enhancement Fund to raise additional funds to support qualifying UConn Hartford students. Find more information about supporting the Hartford Residential Scholars Enhancement Fund [here].

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: ‘It’s Alive!’ (and Guilty?): Student Considers Whether Frankenstein’s Monster Could Be Held Liable in Court of Law

    Source: US State of Connecticut

    For 10 weeks this summer, Gianna Socci worked hard for a sole purpose.

    As if her gift was the plunder of information from the stacks of libraries in southwestern Connecticut, piece by piece she stitched together thoughts, contentions, and beliefs, her own cheeks pale with study, as she infused life into the inanimate body that’s become her very own creation.

    “I’d never taken on a beast this size before,” Socci ’25 (CLAS) says. “I would get very stressed out that I wasn’t going to be able to finish this. I wasn’t going to be able to write something that made sense. I wasn’t going to be able to bring this all together and I feared I bit off more than I could chew.”

    Clinging to the hope the next day or the next would bring success, Socci labored to coax to life the 62 pages that have become her greatest academic triumph to date: “Monstrosity on Trial: Claiming Legal Personhood for Frankenstein’s Monster.”

    This is a project Socci conceived nearly two years ago, when as a sophomore she sought to convert her Introduction to Literary Studies course into an honors credit, which requires a larger research project, namely a more in-depth look at one of the books read that semester.

    “I had worked hard for nearly two years, for the sole purpose of infusing life into an inanimate body. For this I had deprived myself of rest and health.” – Victor Frankenstein in describing his work in Mary Shelley’s novel “Frankenstein”

    As an English and political science double major who expects one day to take up the study of law, Socci heeded the advice of associate professor Dwight Codr and looked at Mary Shelley’s 1818 novel “Frankenstein” through a legal lens.

    What started as an honors conversion paper became a much larger Summer Undergraduate Research Fund (SURF) grant proposal, replete with a reading plan of an admittedly ambitious 37 works, including dense legal case studies, she says. The funding allowed her the space in June, July, and August to focus on her work, without worrying about money.

    “Research in the humanities is very rare to begin with,” she says, “and I don’t think a lot of people understand what it entails. When you’re a STEM major, you can lay out lab steps, you can show people graphs, diagrams, and lab methods. It’s very quantitative, whereas humanities research is reading, taking notes, thinking, and writing.”

    It’s nonetheless important, she argues.

    Not the Frankenstein you might imagine

    One of the first things Socci says she was shocked to learn when reading “Frankenstein” the first time two years ago was that the character of Frankenstein, contrary to popular belief, is not the monster depicted in the story.

    Gianna Socci ’25 (CLAS) (Contributed photo)

    Victor Frankenstein is the young doctor who brings to life an 8-foot-tall monster – born of inanimate body parts he stole from graves and mortuaries. Most contemporary depictions of Frankenstein wrongly show him as the flat-headed, green, almost zombie-like monster with bolts in his neck.

    That is, in fact, Frankenstein’s “creature,” who in Shelley’s book is never given a name, referred to only by such descriptors as “devil,” “thing,” and “ogre.”

    “The other thing that struck me – and this might just be my poli-sci brain at work – was that she included three legal proceedings in the novel, three specific examples of courtroom trials, and that’s not something that’s talked about. You typically think of ‘Frankenstein’ as a very science-fiction text,” Socci says.

    Those trials, in which the defendants aren’t in fact guilty of the crimes they’re accused, got Socci thinking about how the law weaves itself through the novel and found herself wondering: What if Frankenstein’s monster was granted legal personhood and able to stand trial for his wrongdoings?

    Before she could answer, she needed to tackle the idea of what it means to be a legal person and how that idea has been used over time. She turned to legal theory, philosophy, history, and Shelley’s text for answers.

    “Legal personhood is a status, which means someone has rights and privileges but can also be held responsible for their actions,” she explains. “It’s twofold and it’s been expanded and contracted over time to include and exclude so many different things and people.

    “Slaves had a very limited form of personhood. Women had a very limited form of personhood. Animals at one time were granted legal personhood and could be put on trial, which is completely absurd,” she continues. “The law is flexible and almost subject to the politics of the time. That reminded me, as a citizen, as a woman in contemporary times, the importance of paying attention to that.”

    “My cheek had grown pale with study, and my person had become emaciated with confinement. Sometimes, on the very brink of certainty, I failed; yet still I clung to the hope which the next day or the next hour might realise.” – Victor Frankenstein in describing his work in Mary Shelley’s novel “Frankenstein”

    Things like cognition and competency are used in helping distinguish personhood, even intent and mental capacity. And when Socci looked to the novel for these characteristics as they relate to the monster, her conclusion was clear.

    “He is a completely cognizant being who acted with intent,” she says. “He was very aware of what he was doing. He could express himself. He was extremely human in every way but his physical appearance. Violence is never the answer, and his reasoning for violence is flawed, but it’s reasoning, nonetheless. He’s angry, and he’s acting in a very methodical way. He is totally eligible to stand trial.”

    ‘Abstractions rule our lives’

    Socci says that at the outset of her research, when telling people how she was spending her summer, she started to wonder why she was even bothering. Arguing about whether Frankenstein’s monster could be held criminally liable for his actions is an exercise in the abstract.

    Except it is relevant, she was reminded.

    In an interview with an Australian professor who’d written about personhood, she asked why any of this mattered.

    “He said abstractions rule our lives. These legal definitions, these philosophical foundations are what govern our whole being,” she says. “We don’t really think of ourselves in legal terms that often, so it can seem unimportant. But it’s how we have the right to vote. It’s how we have the right to express ourselves. It’s how we’re seen by the government.”

    Suddenly, what once was hypothetical was much more concrete.

    The European Union this year adopted the AI Act, Socci notes, which, in part, rates various artificial intelligence technologies on their risk level – high-risk AI is more autonomous and can operate with minimal human intervention, for example. The AI Act seeks to regulate high-risk artificial intelligence.

    Consider Hollywood movies like “Avengers: Age of Ultron,” in which the artificial life form, Ultron, seeks to destroy. Technology advances rapidly and might not be that far off from the movies.

    “If an AI is a sentient being and it decides to act out on its own will and is harming someone, we’re going to have to start thinking about liability,” Socci says. “My theory holds the monster accountable and therefore would hold the AI accountable. Then, if you can hold the AI accountable, shouldn’t they also have rights and be able to vote if we’re talking about the dual edge of legal personhood.”

    Illustration from Frankenstein (Adobe stock)

    Socci surmises that humans will be unlikely to put robots and technology on the same level as themselves, but that conversation may very well need to be had, which means the hypothetical turns real.

    In the U.S. Supreme Court’s 2010 Citizens United decision that gave corporations the right to make political donations, the reasoning, Socci says, is that businesses have a right to free speech, in this case through their dollar, and that can’t be infringed upon.

    “Legal personhood is not the reason for that decision, but if you go through the legal text, the chief justice uses very personifying language when talking about corporations, saying they can bring a good perspective into the democratic dialogue. And suddenly, corporations can talk like people. This tendency to personify the inanimate is where we see legal personhood bleeding into our contemporary scheme,” she says.

    A story about injustice

    In a planned career as a lawyer, Socci says she’ll take many of the things she’s learned from this project and apply them to work with abused and neglected children, who oftentimes need an advocate to protect their rights.

    And in a way, children are a little like the monster – seeking to belong, looking to be molded, hungry for learning. Victor Frankenstein’s rejection of the monster, in the same way a parent might reject a child, results in lifelong ramifications.

    “You might feel sad for the monster because all he really wants is to be part of the human community,” Socci says. “There’s a whole segment of the book in which he is watching the DeLacey family from far away in his hovel. He realizes they’re poor, so he starts leaving food on their steps. He shovels their driveway. He helps them out despite the fact he’s been rejected by his creator.”

    Socci says that while there are dozens of ways one could analyze the story, for her, “Frankenstein” boils down to a tale of injustice.

    “We hear the word ‘monster,’ and we think ‘beast.’ We’re scared. Something’s uncivilized. Something is rowdy. Something is dangerous. But the monster, in the beginning, is anything but that,” she says. “He’s a very rational individual who just wants to be close to someone. I think Shelley is asking us to think about the definitions we’ve applied to others.”

    And that interpretation may become part three of “Monstrosity on Trial” – the honors conversion project turned SURF grant award, yet-to-become English honors thesis.

    “I don’t think there’s going to be another time in my life, unless I become an author, when I’ll have dedicated hours for researching and writing, not worrying about the income I’m missing out on,” Socci says of the SURF grant. “It was honestly a privilege to have this experience.”

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Economics: The future of finance

    Source: Bank for International Settlements

    The title of this panel is “The Future of Finance”. I know this is an issue you have thought a lot about and one that has been a key focus area for the BIS throughout your tenure as General Manager. Why is the topic so important? How should the financial system change?

    Financial innovation is important because finance is important – it is the bloodstream of the real economy.

    Today’s financial system falls short in many dimensions: many financial transactions are too slow; many are too costly; for these reasons, useful transactions don’t take place. And in too many countries, too few people are able to access financial services. Improving the functioning of the financial system could make everyone better off.

    It is appropriate for the private sector to take the lead in financial innovation. But the public sector has a role as a catalyst for innovation, for instance, by providing the pipes and rails on which finance runs.

    Many public institutions – including central banks – are not natural innovators. They may lack experience, expertise and budgets.

    Moreover, many countries face similar challenges.

    For this reason, there can be great value in working together. 

    That is why we at the Bank for International Settlements (BIS) established the BIS Innovation Hub as a mechanism for collaboration among central banks to develop technological public goods.

    When we first came up with this concept, the idea was to have a small unit of four staff members, based in Basel. It quickly became apparent that the appetite among our member central banks to work together and innovate went far beyond that.

    Today we have more than 100 staff working in our seven Innovation Hub centres in eight locations throughout North America, Europe and Asia, as well as a strategic partnership with the Innovation Centre of the New York Federal Reserve.

    The Innovation Hub undertakes projects across six broad themes: (i) suptech and regtech, (ii) next generation financial market infrastructures, (iii) open finance, (iv) cyber security, (v) green finance and (vi) central bank digital currency, or CBDC. Our CBDC work accounts for a large part of the Innovation Hub’s project portfolio and certainly accounts for much of the public attention. But we have made important contributions in each theme.

    Since establishing the Innovation Hub, we have completed 28 projects, with another 27 currently under way. Central banks, of course, are doing their own innovations, and there are many other initiatives under way by both the public sector and the private sector.

    While all of the technological innovation has been important, it would be fair to say that it has had modest real-world impact to date. If you compare the degree of progress in the application of digital technologies in, say, the communications industry to that in the financial industry, I am sure you will agree.

    The issue is not the technology itself. As I mentioned, there have been great advances there.

    What has been lacking is a vision of how the various initiatives should fit together, and of what the financial system of the future should look like and how it should function.

    Together with Nandan Nilekani – Chairman of Infosys and the driving force behind India’s digital public infrastructure initiatives – I wrote a paper earlier this year that laid out such a vision. We call it the “Finternet”. The aim of the Finternet is to use technology to make the financial system much more user-centric and to eliminate many of the frictions that add cost and complexity to today’s financial system. It does not advocate for a specific technology, but instead aims to add some guidance about what we want to achieve.

    Let me delve more deeply into the Finternet. What does it involve, concretely?

    The Finternet rests on three broad pillars. The first is a robust economic and financial architecture. The second is the application of advanced technology. The third is a sound legal and regulatory basis. Let me address each in turn.

    The basic economic and financial architecture would resemble that of today’s financial system. As is the case today, there would be a two-tier banking system. Central bank money would be at the core, with commercial bank money accounting for the bulk of the money used day to day. This money, however, would have a more advanced digital representation. We would have tokenised central bank money, which could exist in wholesale form – the digital equivalent of central bank reserves – or retail form – the equivalent of digital banknotes. And we would have tokenised commercial bank deposits.

    But tokenising money is just the first step. To get the real benefits of tokenisation you need to combine money with other financial assets, ideally residing on the same ledger.

    Government bonds strike me as a natural starting point. These are incredibly important assets in today’s financial system. They serve as the basis for pricing all other financial assets.

    Once you have money and government bonds residing on the same platform, you essentially have the basis of the current financial system. Adding other assets to the platform would naturally follow.

    Tokenising financial assets would bring many benefits. In particular, if the assets were on a common ledger, there would be much less need for complex messaging and clearing, which are the source of so much cost and delays in today’s financial system. Tokenised assets can settle atomically, helping to further reduce the time needed for financial transactions. And tokenised assets can be programmed. This could open up a huge array of financial transactions that are not possible today.

    Of course, not all assets will be tokenised and not all tokenised assets will reside on the same ledger. So we need some way of moving assets across ledgers and from the tokenised to the non-tokenised world. Technology can also help achieve this.

    Other technologies can also help to turn the Finternet into reality. For example, compliance with anti-money laundering and countering the financing of terrorism regulations – which I would emphasise is hugely important – can also be extremely costly. Technology should allow us to automate such checks, allowing for greater reliability, lower costs and faster processing speeds. Data governance and privacy would draw on the latest privacy-preserving technology. There are many related topics we explore through our projects. One good example is Project Mandala, which has shown how to embed regulatory compliance in cross-border transaction protocols. Beyond economics and technology, the Finternet will also rest on a sound legal and regulatory basis. At a minimum, this should respect all existing laws and governance measures. Privacy, cyber security and related concerns will also need to be addressed. However, technology should also allow us to achieve greater security in the financial system.

    This all sounds very promising in principle. But can it be delivered? How could one turn the Finternet vision into a reality?

    Absolutely. Indeed, we are already taking active steps to turn it into reality, including through our Innovation Hub projects.

    Let me give you a concrete example of one such project, called Project Agorá.

    This is probably our largest Innovation Hub Project to date. We have teamed up with six central banks and more than 40 private sector institutions, coordinated by the Institute for International Finance. I should mention that Santander is one of the participants.

    The specific aim of Project Agorá is to look at whether, using tokenised deposits integrated with tokenised wholesale central bank money, we can streamline cross-border payments.

    This is an area ripe with inefficiencies, and where services in some jurisdictions have actually worsened in recent years due to the shrinkage of the correspondent banking system. One important reason is that the system, by and large, rests on legacy systems. This implies long sequences of messages being sent back and forth, across national borders, using systems that do not necessary communicate with each other very well. The various regulatory compliance measures – which are particularly important in cross-border transactions – often require manual processes, which add delays and lead to errors.

    In principle, using tokenised assets residing on unified ledgers could ease many of these burdens. Transactions using tokenised assets can settle atomically – that is immediately – with all parts of the transaction settling at once. Compliance with regulatory norms can be embedded programmatically inside the tokens. So they will be adhered to with certainty and without the need for manual intervention.

    So this is a big project, with big potential gains.

    But even more than the specific application, what really excites me about Project Agorá is that it has central banks and commercial banks working together to craft a structure that could form the basis for a future financial system.

    I mentioned before the useful catalytic role for central banks in initiating technological innovation. But central banks cannot do it alone. The two-tier banking system lies at the heart of today’s financial system. The system needs money. But very little money comes from the central bank. Commercial bank money provides the bulk of it.

    The two-tier banking system helps deliver two foundational principles. The first is the singleness of money. This ensures that a euro is a euro, whether it is the banknote in my pocket or in my deposit at Santander or any other bank. The second is settlement finality, which comes about through the final settlement of all transactions on the balance sheet of the central bank.

    We do not know what the financial system of the future will look like. But it is hard for me to imagine that it will not require a two-tier banking system. This means that as well as tokenised central bank money – particularly in wholesale form – it will require banks to provide their customers with tokenised deposits. Project Agorá provides a powerful use case, and I hope that it will spur further innovation.

    At the same time, cross-border payments can be a controversial topic. For example, I have noted media speculation recently that one of your projects – Project mBridge – could provide the basis for a BRICS initiative to circumvent sanctions. Is that plausible? Can you comment on this?

    In the Innovation Hub we try to be a catalyst for innovation. The way it works is that we talk with the community of central banks, identify their needs and then develop projects. And we do them in partnership with central banks.

    MBridge has been a project we have been involved with for four years. We have several central bank partners and many, many observers. I think the project has been a big success. It’s a payment system where through wholesale CBDCs you could facilitate tremendously cross-border transactions.

    I would say that the project has been so successful that we can declare that we have graduated out. The BIS is leaving that project, not because it was a failure and not because of political considerations but instead because we have been involved for four years and it is at a level where the partners can carry it on by themselves. That has happened already with other projects.

    At the same time, I have to say that mBridge is not mature enough to start operating; it is many years away from that.

    With respect to political aspects, the noise out there, mBridge is not the “BRICs bridge” – I have to say that categorically. mBridge was not created to cater to the needs of the BRICs. It was put together to satisfy broad central bank necessities. 

    We at the BIS – I think this is an opportunity to set record straight – we always try to be good global citizen. And the BIS does not operate with any countries, nor can its products be used by any countries that are subject to sanctions. This will continue to be the case. And all central bank members are in this mindset that we need to be observant of sanctions and whatever products we put together should not be a conduit to violate sanctions. 

    MIL OSI Economics –

  • MIL-OSI Video: Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken holds a joint press availability – 1:30 PM

    Source: United States of America – Department of State (video statements)

    Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken holds a joint press availability with Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III, Republic of Korea Minister of Foreign Affairs Cho Tae-yul, and Republic of Korea Minister of Defense Kim Yong-hyun at the Department of State, on October 31, 2024.

    ———-
    Under the leadership of the President and Secretary of State, the U.S. Department of State leads America’s foreign policy through diplomacy, advocacy, and assistance by advancing the interests of the American people, their safety and economic prosperity. On behalf of the American people we promote and demonstrate democratic values and advance a free, peaceful, and prosperous world.

    The Secretary of State, appointed by the President with the advice and consent of the Senate, is the President’s chief foreign affairs adviser. The Secretary carries out the President’s foreign policies through the State Department, which includes the Foreign Service, Civil Service and U.S. Agency for International Development.

    Get updates from the U.S. Department of State at www.state.gov and on social media!
    Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/statedept
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    Subscribe to the State Department Blog: https://www.state.gov/blogs
    Watch on-demand State Department videos: https://video.state.gov/
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    #StateDepartment #DepartmentofState #Diplomacy

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o7TySBmLgZo

    MIL OSI Video –

  • MIL-OSI China: New ultra-high voltage project begins operation in north China

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

    HOHHOT, Oct. 31 — A 1,000-kilovolt ultra-high voltage (UHV) alternating current (AC) project was officially put into operation on Thursday, connecting clean energy resources in the north of China with economically dynamic regions such as the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region.

    The Zhangbei-Shengli 1,000-kilovolt UHV AC project is expected to transmit over 70 billion kilowatt-hours of electricity — an amount sufficient to power 19 million households for a year — annually from Xilin Gol League in north China’s Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region and Zhangjiakou in Hebei Province to the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region, Shandong and Jiangsu provinces, and other regions.

    The project applies the UHV technology for the first time to connect a clean energy base in the north of Hebei with wind farms in Xilin Gol League, increasing the proportion of new energy in UHV transmission channels and boosting the consumption of green electricity on the receiving end of the grid, thereby promoting the transition to clean and low-carbon energy.

    It also addresses the rising demand for electricity in the receiving regions more effectively.

    China is at the technological forefront in new energy power generation, UHV power transmission, flexible direct current transmission and digitization of electricity systems, according to a report issued earlier this year by the Global Energy Interconnection Development and Cooperation Organization, a non-profit international organization headquartered in Beijing.

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI Video: Secretary Blinken meets with Republic of Korea Minister of Foreign Affairs Cho Tae-yul – 2:15 PM

    Source: United States of America – Department of State (video statements)

    Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken meets with Republic of Korea Minister of Foreign Affairs Cho Tae-yul at the Department of State, on October 31, 2024.

    ———-
    Under the leadership of the President and Secretary of State, the U.S. Department of State leads America’s foreign policy through diplomacy, advocacy, and assistance by advancing the interests of the American people, their safety and economic prosperity. On behalf of the American people we promote and demonstrate democratic values and advance a free, peaceful, and prosperous world.

    The Secretary of State, appointed by the President with the advice and consent of the Senate, is the President’s chief foreign affairs adviser. The Secretary carries out the President’s foreign policies through the State Department, which includes the Foreign Service, Civil Service and U.S. Agency for International Development.

    Get updates from the U.S. Department of State at www.state.gov and on social media!
    Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/statedept
    Twitter: https://twitter.com/StateDept
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    Subscribe to the State Department Blog: https://www.state.gov/blogs
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    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hKQwyU9wrf8

    MIL OSI Video –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Government takes first steps to fix the foundations and save the NHS

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    More than £3 billion has been set aside to mend crumbling wards and bring NHS technology into the 21st century.

    • Concrete steps to fix the foundations and rebuild Britain’s public services to make them fit for generations to come.
    • More than £2 billion to upgrade NHS technology and £1 billion to deal with massive NHS maintenance backlog.
    • NHS will deliver 2% productivity growth in new commitment.

    New technology and functioning hospitals will be the first priority in the Government’s ambition to modernise the NHS and make it fit for the future. 

    More than £3 billion has been set aside to mend the crumbling wards and bring healthcare tech into the 21st century – to give patients the right care, in the right location, with the right technology. 

    It’s only with this new technology and functioning hospitals that the NHS can begin to reform in earnest – and create a health service that can thrive for generations to come. 

    This is part of the Chancellor’s record-breaking £22.6 billion increase in day-to-day spending and £3.1 billion capital boost for the Department for Health and Social Care from 2023/24 to 2025/26, which will reduce waiting times and rebuild the NHS. 

    Paired with reforms set out in the Government’s 10-Year Health Plan, this overdue injection of capital spending will fix the foundations and make the delivery of healthcare more efficient for generations to come. It will move us from hospital to community, analogue to digital, and from sickness to prevention. 

    It comes alongside a commitment to deliver 2% productivity growth to the nation’s healthcare system.

    Prime Minister, Rt Hon Keir Starmer, said:

    We’re fixing the foundations to deliver change – by fixing the NHS and rebuilding Britain, while ensuring working people don’t face higher taxes in their payslips.

    Yesterday’s budget marks a huge step towards that – setting us on the path to make our public services fit for the future.

    This new settlement follows a shocking report by Lord Darzi earlier this year, which laid bare the chronic underinvestment in both facilities and technology that has been stunting the NHS.  

    He concluded the last decade was a “missed opportunity” to prepare the NHS for the future and embrace the technologies that would enable a shift in the model from ‘diagnose and treat’ to ‘predict and prevent’— something he warned about 15 years ago. 

    Yesterday’s budget puts an end to that – with £2 billion set aside to tilt the NHS towards technology and £1 billion to deal with the bulging backlog of maintenance work that has left hospitals on their knees. 

    The investment of more than £2 billion will transform the way NHS staff work as the service looks to harness new technologies to free up their time so they can focus on the care and treatment of patients. 

    The £1 billion will tackle critical repairs and the NHS maintenance backlog which has built up since 2010; something highlighted by Lord Darzi, which has meant the NHS has been left in a ‘critical condition’.

    Chancellor of the Exchequer, Rt Hon Rachel Reeves, said: 

    This was a Budget to fix the foundations and deliver change – starting by fixing the NHS.   

    It’s a service that matters to so many of us and this is us delivering on our promise of change.

    Health and Social Care Secretary, Wes Streeting, said: 

    We’re on a mission to fix our broken NHS by driving fundamental reform, to bring our analogue health service into the digital age. We will put the latest kit in the hands of NHS staff and use modern technology to give patients real control over their own healthcare. 

    Through our 10-Year Health Plan we will cut waiting lists, reduce waiting times and get the health service delivering for patients and staff once again.

    Dr Vin Diwakar, NHS National Director for Transformation, said:

    The NHS has already made £2 billion of efficiency savings so far this financial year, and the Chancellor’s confirmation of funding for next year will allow us to continue to roll out technology to improve productivity and switch services from analogue to digital.  

    Whether it is critical estates maintenance, cyber security or digitising patient records, the NHS is committed to working with the Government in the coming months to fix the foundations of the health service, while also transforming for the future.

    Updates to this page

    Published 31 October 2024

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: PIF and Hong Kong Monetary Authority sign memorandum of understanding for investment fund at FII8 (with photo)

    Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

    PIF and Hong Kong Monetary Authority sign memorandum of understanding for investment fund at FII8 (with photo)
    PIF and Hong Kong Monetary Authority sign memorandum of understanding for investment fund at FII8 (with photo)
    ******************************************************************************************

    The following is issued on behalf of the Hong Kong Monetary Authority: 

    Discussions to anchor a joint US$1 billion fund to invest in companies with Hong Kong nexus expanding to Saudi Arabia to drive localisation of key industries, including manufacturing, renewables, fintech and healthcare
    Collaboration marks significant milestone aligning with Saudi Vision 2030 and with Hong Kong’s position as one of the world’s leading financial hubs

         PIF and the Hong Kong Monetary Authority (HKMA) today (October 31) signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to work towards jointly anchoring a new investment fund, with a target size of US$1 billion. The MoU was signed at the 8th edition of the Future Investment Initiative (FII) in Riyadh.     Under the MoU, the fund would explore investment in manufacturing, renewables, fintech and healthcare, supporting the localisation in Saudi Arabia of companies connected to Hong Kong and the Greater Bay Area. It would enable the creation of highly skilled local jobs and drive economic growth through fostering regional champions in the target sectors. It would reinforce Hong Kong’s position as one of the world’s leading financial hubs, leveraging its diverse talent pool, efficient financial infrastructure and deep liquidity.     The signing of this MoU is a new milestone and underlines the economic ties between two leading institutions – PIF and HKMA. The proposed new fund aligns with PIF’s strategy of economic diversification and sustainability.     This partnership has the potential to drive shared prosperity by investing in industries that will shape future economies, combining HKMA’s long-term investment expertise with PIF’s strategy for the target sectors.     The new fund would promote foreign direct investments via Hong Kong, providing a platform for companies to internationalise their businesses and have access to attractive investment opportunities in Saudi Arabia.

     
    Ends/Thursday, October 31, 2024Issued at HKT 20:45

    NNNN

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: ICYMI: Murphy Administration Announces Approval of Triennium 2 Energy Efficiency Programs

    Source: US State of New Jersey

    TRENTON – The New Jersey Board of Public Utilities (NJBPU) today announced the approval of Triennium 2 (T2) energy efficiency programs proposed by the state’s seven electric and gas utilities. In the process of supporting building decarbonization and energy conservation, these programs will prioritize low-income customers who shoulder disproportionately high energy burdens.

    “Today’s approval of the Triennium 2 energy efficiency programs marks a major milestone in our progress toward achieving the goals set out in Governor Murphy’s Energy Master Plan, which is paving the way for a healthier, more sustainable Garden State,” said NJBPU President Christine Guhl-Sadovy. “By bolstering New Jersey’s ongoing building decarbonization efforts and the NJBPU’s robust array of energy efficiency initiatives, the T2 programs will further boost long-term cost and energy savings for New Jersey customers.”

    “These ambitious programs are the largest single step by New Jersey to achieve Governor Murphy’s ambitious goal in EO 316 to electrify 400,000 residential and 20,000 commercial units by 2030,” said Eric Miller, Executive Director of the Office of Climate Action and the Green Economy. “The steps taken today by the BPU will grow our clean energy workforce, lower bills for participating customers, and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.”

    Triennium 2 is the second cycle of the State’s multi-year utility-run energy efficiency programs. Established by the Clean Energy Act of 2018, natural gas utilities must achieve energy savings of 0.75% and electric utilities must achieve energy savings of 2% of the average annual usage in the prior three years within five years of implementation of their energy efficiency programs.

    To date, it is estimated that Triennium 1 (T1) programs have disbursed $1.25 billion in financial incentives to ratepayers statewide and reduced annual electricity usage by 3 million megawatt hours, annual natural gas usage by 8.5 million MMBtu, and reduced customers’ utility bills by $600 million. T1 resulted in 1.4 million metric tons of annual greenhouse gas emission reductions, which is equivalent to approximately 300,000 cars removed from the road per year.   

    The T1 portfolio was expanded in T2 to address two important challenges for NJ: building decarbonization and demand response. The building decarbonization start-up programs incentivize adoption of key measures such as electric heat pumps and water heaters to reduce building emissions from fossil fuels. Demand response programs encourage homeowners and businesses to reduce consumption of energy at peak times through smart thermostats, controls, and price signals. Collectively, over $3.75 billion has been budgeted for the programs and will be implemented over a 30-month period from January 1, 2025 through June 30, 2027. This investment will help the State achieve Governor Murphy’s goals outlined in Executive Order 316 and are anticipated to reduce annual electricity usage by 2.3 million megawatt hours, annual natural gas usage by 8.9 million MMBtu, and annual greenhouse gas emissions by 1.5 million metric tons.

    To promote energy equity, the Income-Qualified Program will have more capacity compared to T1 to provide comprehensive home energy assessments and offer health and safety, weatherization, HVAC, and other energy efficiency upgrades at no cost to eligible customers.  More broadly, programs across the utilities’ portfolios will continue to include enhanced incentives and more favorable financing terms for income-eligible customers. 

    One notable addition in T2 is the standardization of the Direct Install model, including a Public Sector Direct Install program pathway, which will help support partners in labor in growing a local workforce that represents the diverse fabric of our state. Approximately 37,000 people work in the clean buildings sector, and T2 will strengthen the pathway for diverse workers and businesses to continue to build the clean energy economy.

    For more information about State and utility-led efficiency programs, please visit: https://www.njcleanenergy.com/EEP

    About New Jersey’s Clean Energy Program (NJCEP)
    NJCEP, established on January 22, 2003, in accordance with the Electric Discount and Energy Competition Act (EDECA), provides financial and other incentives to the State’s residential customers, businesses and schools that install high-efficiency or renewable energy technologies, thereby reducing energy usage, lowering customers’ energy bills and reducing environmental impacts. The program is authorized and overseen by the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities (NJBPU), and its website is www.NJCleanEnergy.com.

    About the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities (NJBPU)
    NJBPU is a state agency and regulatory authority mandated to ensure safe, adequate and proper utility services at reasonable rates for New Jersey customers. Critical services regulated by NJBPU include natural gas, electricity, water, wastewater, telecommunications and cable television. The Board has general oversight and responsibility for monitoring utility service, responding to consumer complaints, and investigating utility accidents. To find out more about NJBPU, visit our website at www.nj.gov/bpu. 

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: From Lone Stars to Allies – NATO fighter pilots train in Texas

    Source: NATO

    Wichita Falls, Texas is home to the Euro-NATO Joint Jet Pilot Training Program, where aspiring aviators from 14 NATO member countries see if they have what it takes to fly with the Alliance’s best.

    The home of a transatlantic training mission

    Wichita Falls doesn’t seem like a place that should mean anything to a European fighter pilot. But if you were to ask Jade, a lieutenant in the Belgian Air Force, if she’s ever heard of the place, she might give you a knowing smirk.

    It’s where she learned to fly.

    The sky over Sheppard Air Force Base thundered as sleek jets knifed through the air, breaking left over the runway in preparation for landing. Home of the US Air Force’s 80th Flying Training Wing, Sheppard owns the busiest airspace in the United States. Planes are constantly landing, taking off or queueing on the long taxiways. A bumper sticker on the back of one car reads: “I Heart Jet Noise.”

    The Euro-NATO Joint Jet Pilot Training Program (ENJJPT) has been turning out NATO fighter pilots since 1981, when seven Allies founded the school at Sheppard Air Force Base in Wichita Falls. Most joint NATO initiatives are based in Europe (where 30 of the 32 NATO member countries are located), but Sheppard was chosen as the ideal location for ENJJPT because of its existing training facilities, year-round good flying weather and the wide-open Texan skies. Today, more than 40 years later, 14 national flags fly outside the squat, brick building that houses ENJJPT’s headquarters, representing the 14 participating NATO Allies: Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Germany, Greece, Italy, the Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Romania, Spain, Türkiye, the United Kingdom and the United States.

    Inside, Italian pilots saunter through the maze-like corridors, passing groups of Romanians, Norwegians, Spaniards and Danes. In the gear room, Greek instructors put on their flight vests and G-Suits (trousers lined with inflatable air pockets that keep pilots conscious during high-speed turns) and wait for their students. On their way out, they pass groups of Canadian and Turkish students coming back from training sorties, their hair matted with sweat, their faces flushed with victory: it’s another flight down, another step closer to their wings.

    Ask one of the European student aviators how they like living in the Lone Star State, and they’ll twist their mouth into a curious smile and say something like: “I like it.” Which might be a polite way of saying: I’m from a small village in Germany and I’ve never heard someone say “yeehaw” before.

    Fixin’ to fly – A rigorous training schedule

    Not that the students get many chances to sample the local culture. From the moment they arrive at Sheppard and drop their suitcases, their schedules are packed. First stop is “ground school”, where students learn the fundamental science of flight. Then students get fitted for helmets, harnesses and G-suits and climb into their first aircraft, the T-6 Texan II.

    With the instructors watching from the backseat, this is where the student aviators take the stick for the first time. They learn how to take off, fly in formation and land, keeping the aircraft on speed and on course. It’s a time of firsts, each with its own tradition: a student’s first flight is called a “Dollar Ride” because students are expected to give their instructors a Silver Dollar coin. After a student’s first solo flight, their classmates haul them off to a nearby pool of water for a well-deserved bath.

    From here, some students leave Wichita Falls to learn how to fly multi-engine transport aircraft like the C-130 Hercules. Those destined for fighter jets, however, must conquer the T-38 Talon.

    Save a horse, ride a jet plane – training with the Talon

    The Talon is skinny as a scalpel, with wings so thin they seem to disappear when viewed head-on. Its long snout slopes up to a bubble canopy, which encloses two ejection seats. It looks fast, and it is; with afterburners lit, it can punch through the sound barrier and send a sonic boom smashing across the north Texas Plains. One Dutch Major, callsign “Homer”, compares it to a ’66 Mustang sports car – fitting, he notes, because the Talon first entered service in the 1960s.

    The jet will be replaced in the coming years, but in the meantime it’s still a worthy teacher. Its hydraulic flight controls demand that students pay attention, feeling the jet through the stick and continuously “trimming out” to ensure balanced flight. Its stubby wings are built for maximum speed, not maximum stability, and if the inattentive student bleeds too much speed in a turn, it will fall out of the sky – or, as the instructors prosaically put it, “depart controlled flight.”

    When Lieutenant Jade first took off in a Talon, she was used to the T-6 Texan II, and she wasn’t ready for the raw power pumped out by the jet’s two turbojet engines. She had to stand on the brakes to keep the aircraft static as she pushed the throttle to “mil” – full military power. She felt the aircraft tremor as the afterburners lit. When she released the brakes, the jet leapt forward.

    “For me, that day was like… I knew I was on the right track,” she said.

    Getting back in the saddle

    The Talon curriculum is the hardest part of ENJJPT. When students aren’t flying, they’re studying. When they aren’t studying, they’re in the simulator, practising skills like flying in close formation, or the thrill of high-speed, low-level flight. And when they’re not in the simulator, they’re sleeping.

    “Sometimes it’s a bit too fast, and I have to catch up,” Jade said. “That’s the biggest struggle I’ve had so far. That gets me feeling down about it, sometimes. But then it’s even more rewarding when you’re able to step up and strive again.”

    The students know that success is not guaranteed. Plenty of their peers buckle under the stress and leave the Program to serve out their military commitments elsewhere in their country’s armed forces. But for most, failure is not an option. Washing out would mean turning their back on something that’s called to them all their life.

    “Everyone wishes to have an impact on the world,” Jade said. “That’s how I think I can make the biggest impact.”

    Earning their wings

    If a student proves that they can master the demands of high-speed flight in the Talon, they head towards “Drop Night” – the ceremony where they find out which jet they’re going to fly. For the US Air Force, which operates a variety of fighter, bomber and transport aircraft, the suspense is real. When a student is assigned to their first-pick aircraft, some literally leap with joy and relief.

    For Jade, there was little suspense – the Belgian Air Force primarily flies one tactical jet, the F-16 Fighting Falcon multirole fighter, although Belgium is now replacing its F-16 fleet with F-35 Lightning II fifth-generation stealth fighters – but the glee in having passed a demanding curriculum was undiluted. When she “dropped” the F-16, she leapt into the air, pumping her fists before being carried away by her cheering classmates.

    Jade has since left Sheppard to learn how to fly the F-16. Eventually, perhaps, she’ll be deployed to eastern Europe, where NATO Allies have significantly increased the number of fighters on standby to respond to airborne threats, part of the NATO Air Policing mission on the Alliance’s eastern flank. Until then, the next generation of aspiring military aviators has already begun training at Sheppard, joining a decades-long tradition of taking to the skies together.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Allister savages Government assault on farming families

    Source: Traditional Unionist Voice – Northern Ireland

    Statement, following the Budget, by TUV MP Jim Allister:-

    “The Labour Government proved, what I suspected, it has no feel or empathy with farmers. Else, it would not have dealt such a brutal blow to the future of family farming through its inheritance tax extinction policy.

    “Farmers are asset rich, because of their land, but, often, cash poor, with it being a struggle to meet the constant monthly bills from fluctuating income. The fact they own 50 or 100 acres isn’t something they can draw on for day-to-day needs. Yet, retaining that 50 or 100 acres for farming into the future is key to the generational survival of the farm.

    “Hence, the reason and logic for the historic agricultural exemption from inheritance tax.

    “Now, alas, this Government is set to raid farming assets by a whacking on inheritance tax upon the death of the current farmer. With limited cash reserves, most family farms, when that point comes, will have no alternative but to sell off land and thereby diminish the viability and productivity of the farm. Food production and security will suffer knock-on effects.

    “The threshold of £1m is of little help at today’s land prices. Acreage as low as 50 or 60 will frequently be caught for inheritance tax.

    “The farmers in North Antrim, as elsewhere, have devoted their lives to building up their farms with the driving motivation to see the land handed on to the next generation. Now this kick in the teeth from uncaring government has rightly left many angry and betrayed.

    “I will, of course, vote against this madness and join vigorously in the campaign to rescue the situation.”

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Abortion service protection zones in place in England and Wales

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments 3

    Safe access zones are now in force around abortion clinics in England and Wales to protect women accessing these services.

    Women accessing abortion services will be better protected from harassment or distress as protection zones come into force around abortion clinics, the government has confirmed.

    From today, a 150-metre boundary will be in place around all clinics and hospitals offering abortion services known as a ‘safe access zone’.

    Within these boundaries it is now a criminal offence to intentionally or recklessly:

    • influence any person’s decision to access or facilitate abortion services at an abortion clinic
    • obstruct any person from accessing or facilitating abortion services at an abortion clinic
    • cause harassment, alarm or distress to any person in connection with a decision to access, provide or facilitate abortion services at an abortion clinic

    Police and prosecutors will consider each case individually based on the evidence. However, this could include:

    • handing out anti-abortion leaflets
    • protesting against abortion rights
    • shouting at individuals attempting to access abortion services

    This could also cover prayer, including:

    • silent prayer
    • holding vigils
    • any behaviour where someone is intentionally trying to – or recklessly acting in a way that might – influence a person accessing the service

    Anyone found guilty of breaking the new laws will face an unlimited fine.

    The Crown Prosecution Service has published guidance today, alongside further information from the College of Policing, setting out how the police and prosecutors should approach enforcing the new offence. While operational decisions will be made on a case-by-case basis, this new guidance will ensure there is clarity and consistency across the country.  

    Crime and Policing Minister, Dame Diana Johnson said:

    Access to healthcare is a fundamental right. Access to abortion services is a matter of healthcare. I’m confident that the safeguards we have put in place today will have a genuine impact in helping women feel safer and empowered to access the vital services they need.

    Safeguarding Minister, Jess Phillips said:

    Getting this measure up and running as soon as possible has been one of our priorities and I am proud of everyone involved in getting us here. The idea that any woman is made to feel unsafe or harassed for accessing health services, including abortion clinics, is sickening. This stops today.

    The measure applies to any clinics and private hospitals that are approved under the Abortion Act 1967, and for any NHS hospital that has given notification in the current or previous calendar year that it has carried out abortions. 

    Safe access zones were introduced through the Public Order Act 2023, following a free vote in Parliament that received cross-party support.

    Updates to this page

    Published 31 October 2024

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: The Academic Council discussed the problems of education and the tasks of the Institute of Physics and Mathematics

    Translation. Region: Russian Federation –

    Source: Peter the Great St Petersburg Polytechnic University – Peter the Great St Petersburg Polytechnic University –

    The next meeting of the Polytechnic University Academic Council was marked presentation of the mantle of the Honorary Doctor of SPbPU to the head of the S. M. Kirov Military Medical Academy, Lieutenant General, Academician of the Russian Academy of Sciences Evgeny Kryukov.

    In addition, the ceremonial part of the meeting, as usual, included the presentation of certificates of academic titles to university employees and the honoring of the best polytechnicians who have earned awards in science, education, social and cultural life and sports.

    Rector of SPbPU Andrey Rudskoy congratulated the director of the Higher School of Sports Pedagogy Vladislav Bakayev and professor of the Higher School of Service and Trade Sergey Barykin on being awarded the title of “professor”. The certificate of assignment of the academic title of associate professor was received by the leading research fellow of the laboratory “Synthesis of New Materials and Structures” Vadim Sufiyarov.

    The company “Kodeks” received a commemorative medal and gratitude from the university, represented by its CEO andgraduate of the Physics and Mechanics Department of the Polytechnic University Sergei Tikhomirov. “Kodeks” made a significant contribution to the development of the SPbPU Endowment Fund and the formation of the endowment “Development of scientific, educational, youth and educational projects of PhysMech”. Also, for assistance in the formation of the endowment capital of PhysMech, its graduates, Associate Professor of the Higher School of Mechanics and Control Processes Natalia Ermakova and Professor of the Higher School of Applied Mathematics and Computational Physics, received awards. Maxim Frolov.

    The Polytechnic University fruitfully cooperates with the Kalininsky District in many areas. The honorary badge “For services to the Kalininsky District” was awarded to the director of the Higher School of Engineering and Economics Dmitry Rodionov.

    From October 14 to 17, the super final of the Open International Student Internet Olympiad in Mathematics was held. In the individual standings, the silver medal was won by PhysMech student Chinh Thi Thu Hoai, and the bronze medal was won by IMMiT student Phan Mau Dat. The Polytechnic team included another PhysMech student, Ilya Grishchenko, and the guys also took bronze in the team standings. The scientific supervisor was Maria Bortkovskaya, associate professor of the Department of Higher Mathematics.

    The gold medal of the IV International Construction Championship in the individual nomination “Information Modeling” was won by the student of the Civil Engineering Institute Serafim Zagorodniy. In the team standings, the gold of the championship was won by the students of the ICI: Dmitry Zharkov, Alexandra Kulakova, Ulyana Popova, Mikhail Safoshkin and Alina Doroshenko. The expert of the championship, assistant of the Civil Engineering Institute Alexander Mitin received a letter of gratitude from the Minister of Construction and Housing and Communal Services of the Russian Federation Irek Faizullin and the General Director of the ANO “Russia – Country of Opportunities” Alexey Komissarov.

    The next series of congratulations concerned the athletes.

    The Polytechnic University team won first place in the overall team standings at the student orienteering competitions within the first stage of the IX All-Russian Summer Universiade and third place in the overall team standings of the Universiade. Pavel Ivanov (IEIT) also won the Universiade in the sprint discipline, and together with Alexander Gumennikov (PhysMech) won silver medals in the men’s relay.

    The Polytechnic team won 1st place in the student volleyball competitions as part of the first stage of the Universiade. The Academic Council honored players Egor Tretyakov (IMMiT) and Ilya Smirnov (IE). At the Universiade, our Polytechnic team entered the top 10 best student teams in the country.

    Ivan Sokolov, a student at the Institute of Mechanical Engineering, Materials and Transport, won first place in the qualifying tournament for the World Championship in Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) “Steel Lion JFC” among juniors and became a Master of Sports of Russia in this sport.

    Vice-Rector for Educational Activities Lyudmila Pankova spoke on the meeting agenda. She spoke about the results of work in the 2023–2024 academic year and the tasks for the 2024–2025 academic year.

    The number of students as of October 1, 2024 was 33,818. Of these, 30,870 are studying in higher education programs (21,810 in bachelor’s programs, 2,124 in specialist programs, 6,936 in master’s programs), and 2,948 in secondary specialized programs. There are 121 people studying in the specialist program at the branch in Sosnovy Bor. There are 156 people in the general education Natural Science Lyceum.

    There are 357 main educational programs at the Polytechnic University, including 142 bachelor’s programs, 15 specialist programs, and 200 master’s programs. There are 22 programs at the college.

    In the 2023–2024 academic year, 23 new basic educational programs were launched. For 2024–2025, 19 new basic educational programs were developed: two for bachelor’s degrees, one for specialist degrees, and 16 for master’s degrees.

    51 basic educational programs are being implemented under network agreements, including 13 with Slavic universities.

    A system of individual achievements has been developed and implemented as a pilot project, allowing teachers to create different trajectories for assessing students, taking into account their individual capabilities, and to conduct interim assessments based on the results of ongoing monitoring of academic performance outside of the examination session.

    A project-based approach has been introduced into the state final certification, and defenses of final qualification works have been organized in new formats — as a project and as a startup. 48 students successfully defended their collective final works as a project (21 projects were completed), and 52 people (26 startups) successfully defended their final qualification works as a startup.

    A policy in the field of formation has been developed and introduced career trajectories for professional development of teachers. Starting from the 2024–2025 academic year, there will be four career paths: research teacher, mentor teacher, practicing teacher, and intern. The transition to them occurs through a competitive selection of faculty members.

    A project to support fundamental training in engineering fields has been launched. A program to improve the quality of teaching fundamental disciplines by reducing the teaching load and providing additional payments has been approved. 181 teachers are participating in the project.

    Entrance testing of first-year engineering students in mathematics and physics was conducted to organize in-depth fundamental training for gifted children and remedial training for those who are lagging behind. A pilot program for in-depth study of mathematics and physics for talented students was launched at IMMiT and IKNK.

    The second issue on the agenda was also related to fundamental disciplines. To ensure advanced training of students in physics and mathematics, taking into account engineering specifics, the Institute of Physics and Mathematics was created at the Polytechnic. Its director Pavel Zakharov spoke about the IFiM development program.

    Also at the meeting, members of the Academic Council voted to award further academic titles to Polytechnic employees. SPbPU Academic Secretary Dmitry Karpov reported on monitoring the implementation of the Academic Council’s decisions.

    Photo archive

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

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Grande Prairie — Grande Prairie Proactive Crime Reduction initiative results in multiple arrests

    Source: Royal Canadian Mounted Police

    On Friday, Sept. 6, 2024, Grande Prairie RCMP Crime Reduction Unit and the Grande Prairie RCMP conducted a proactive crime reduction initiative resulting in the arrest of six individuals and the recovery of five stolen vehicles.

    Video surveillance received from one of the 27 thefts resulted in the identification of a male suspect and his vehicle. A subsequent search warrant was conducted, leading to the arrest of two individuals.

    A 32-year-old individual, a 22-year-old individual, a 39-year-old individual, a 48-year-old individual, a 42-year-old individual and a 29-year-old individual have been charged collectively accumulating 18 charges including:

    • Possession of property obtained by crime over $5000
    • Fail to comply with release order
    • Possession for the purpose of trafficking cocaine

    All individuals are scheduled to appear at the Alberta Court of Justice in Grande Prairie.

    “The result of this initiative is another example of targeted crime reduction strategies the Grande Prairie Detachment utilizes and the dedicated efforts of all the officers involved. These types of crimes cause personal hardship to the owners of the vehicles and the greater community” said Cpl Steven Jewer from the Crime Reduction Unit.

    Members of the public who witness suspicious activity in their community are encouraged to contact their local RCMP detachment. If you have information about this incident or any other illegal activity, please call the Grande Prairie RCMP at 780-830-5700 or call your local police. If you wish to remain anonymous, you can contact Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477 (TIPS), online at www.P3Tips.com or by using the “P3 Tips” app available through the Apple App or Google Play Store.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Mayerthorpe — Mayerthorpe RCMP – Dangerous Person Alert – Update #2

    Source: Royal Canadian Mounted Police

    As a result of a continued investigation into the incident, which led to a public safety alert being issued by RCMP on Sept. 17, 2024, one male suspect surrendered himself to the RCMP with family, and a warrant for arrest for the second male involved has been issued. The investigation remains open; however, it has been determined that the offences committed were targeted, and Mayerthorpe RCMP would like to re-assure the members of the community that there is no imminent risk to the community.

    RCMP have charged a 28-year-old individual, a resident of Whitecourt, Alta., with:

    • Kidnapping with a firearm;
    • Robbery with a firearm;
    • Theft of truck;
    • Assault with a weapon;
    • Careless use of a firearm;
    • Possession of a weapon for a dangerous purpose;
    • Flight from Peace officer;
    • Fail to comply with firearms prohibition;
    • Fail to comply with Probation.

    Dakota Patterson was taken before a justice of the Peace and remanded into custody.

    A warrant of arrest has been issued for a 30-year-old resident of Grande Prairie, Santiago Patterson who has been charged with:

    • Kidnapping with a firearm;
    • Robbery with a firearm;
    • Theft of truck;
    • Assault with a weapon;
    • Careless use of a firearm;
    • Possession of a weapon for a dangerous purpose;
    • Uttering threats against a person;
    • Fail to comply with firearms prohibition.

    Mayerthorpe RCMP is encouraging anyone who may know the location of Santiago Patterson to call their local police. If you wish to remain anonymous, you can contact Crime Stoppers at 1-800-

    222-8477 (TIPS), online at www.P3Tips .com or by using the “P3 Tips” app. To report crime online, or for access to RCMP news and information, download the Alberta RCMP app through Apple or Google Play.

    Background:

    Sept. 17, 2024

    Mayerthorpe RCMP – Dangerous Person Alert – Update #1

    On Sept. 17, 2024 at approximately 9 a.m., members of the Mayerthorpe RCMP responded to information that a stolen vehicle from Edmonton may be in the surrounding area. RCMP members quickly responded and were able to locate the vehicle; however, it fled from police and it was soon located abandoned. The occupants were suspected to have fled on foot, and based on information obtained during the investigation, the occupants were also believed to have been armed.

    RCMP members from surrounding detachments including members from the RCMP emergency response team, were deployed to the scene and facilitated an exhaustive search. The members of the Mayerthorpe RCMP no longer believe the suspects to be in the immediate area and do not believe there is any imminent risk to the community.

    We understand how situations such as this can make a community feel uneasy, but rest assured, your Alberta RCMP are there for you and working to keep our communities safe.

    We ask that the public remain vigilant and report any suspicious activity or tips to the Mayerthorpe RCMP or Crime Stoppers.

    Background:

    Sept. 17, 2024

    Mayerthorpe RCMP – Dangerous Person Alert

    This alert is in effect for Mayerthorpe, in the area of Hwy 18 and Township Road 572A, between RR 92 and RR 80. Two men armed with guns are on foot after an armed robbery.

    • Suspect 1 is a white male, 5 feet 11 inches tall, 205 pounds, dark hair, brown eyes, about 30-year-old, in a cowboy hat, black sweater;
    • Suspect 2 is a white male, 6 feet tall, 220 pounds, brown hair, blue eyes, in a black flat brim hat with red letters;
    • Do not open the door to strangers;
    • Do not pick up hitchhikers.

    If suspects are spotted, do not approach suspects. Report all sightings to 911.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Grande Prairie — Grande Prairie RCMP early morning traffic stop leads to significant drug seizure

    Source: Royal Canadian Mounted Police

    On Sept. 17, 2024 just before 1 a.m., a routine traffic stop initiated by a member of the Grande Prairie RCMP resulted in stopping a significant quantity of dangerous drugs from infiltrating the community.

    Upon speaking with the two occupants of the vehicle, the officer noticed drug paraphernalia in plain view. Both occupants were placed under arrest for the possession of a controlled substance, and a subsequent search of the vehicle resulted in the seizure of 542 grams of suspected cocaine. Numerous other items including drug related paraphernalia and items associated with drug trafficking were also seized.

    A 58-year-old individual, a resident of Grande Prairie and a 17- year-old youth from Edmonton have been charged with one count of possession for the purpose of trafficking.

    Both individuals were taken before a justice of the peace and subsequently released with court appearances set for the month of October at the Alberta Court of Justice in Grande Prairie.

    Your Alberta RCMP is committed to fighting the importation and creation of drugs within the province and do so through various units and duties.

    If anyone has information about illegal activity regarding illicit drugs, please contact your local police. If you wish to remain anonymous you can contact Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477 (TIPS), online at www.P3TIPS.com or by using the “P3 Tips” available through Apple App or Google Play Store.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Blackfalds — Blackfalds RCMP execute search warrant seizing drugs and guns

    Source: Royal Canadian Mounted Police

    In September of 2024, the Blackfalds RCMP General Investigation Section (GIS) with assistance from Sylvan Lake GIS entered into an investigation involving an individual believed to be trafficking drugs in the community. As a result of the investigation, on Oct. 2, 2024, Blackfalds RCMP with assistance from Innisfail RCMP GIS and Red Deer RCMP Police Dog Service executed a search warrant at a home in Blackfalds.

    As a result of the search RCMP seized:

    • 253 grams of Cocaine
    • Canadian currency
    • 6 firearms

    RCMP have arrested and charged a 25-year-old individual, a resident of Blackfalds, with:

    • Possession for the purpose of trafficking;
    • Possession of stolen property under $5000;
    • Weapons offences (x8).

    The individual was taken before a justice of the peace and remanded into custody with a next court date set for Oct. 3, 2024, at the Alberta Court of Justice in Red Deer.

    “This investigation saw the effective coordination of different RCMP detachments and sections to quickly and safely remove these drugs and guns from our community,” says Staff Sergeant Andrew Allan.

    If you have any information about this investigation or about drug trafficking in the Blackfalds area please contact Blackfalds RCMP at 403-885-3333 or submit an anonymous report through Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477 (TIPS), online at www.P3Tips.com or by using the “P3 Tips” app available through the Apple App or Google Play Store. To report crime online, or for access to RCMP news and information, download the Alberta RCMP app through Apple or Google Play.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Economics: Azure at GitHub Universe: New tools to help simplify AI app development

    Source: Microsoft

    Headline: Azure at GitHub Universe: New tools to help simplify AI app development

    With seamless integration among VS Code, GitHub, and Azure, we provide an AI-powered, end-to-end development platform to transform your apps with AI.

    AI has reset our expectations of what technology can achieve. From transforming how we explore the cosmos to enabling doctors to provide personalized care and making business functions operate more intelligently, it all comes down to you—the developer—to turn this potential into reality. As developers, you’re experiencing a dramatic shift in what you build and how you build it. And the tools you use should seamlessly fit into your workflow, solve real problems quickly, and keep you in the flow of development.

    As a company of developers who builds for other developers, we’re excited to be part of this change and many of us will be at GitHub Universe to share our experience and learn from others about how AI is reshaping how we work. We’re not coming empty handed. I’m excited to announce new capabilities and tools that further integrate Microsoft Azure AI services directly in your favorite dev tools.

    With seamless integration among Visual Studio (VS) Code, GitHub, and Azure, we provide an AI-powered, end-to-end development platform building on strong community support to help you transform your apps with AI. Read on for the details and be sure to catch up on all the GitHub news this week.

    Now in preview: GitHub Copilot for Azure, your personal expert

    By integrating with tools you already use, like GitHub and Visual Studio Code, GitHub Copilot for Azure builds upon the Copilot Chat capabilities in VS Code to help you manage resources and deploy applications. Using “@ azure,” you can get personalized guidance to learn about services and tools without leaving your code. This can accelerate and streamline development by provisioning and deploying Azure resources through Azure Developer CLI (azd) templates. GitHub Copilot for Azure also helps you diagnose issues and answer questions about resources and costs, freeing your time to focus on whatever you prefer while GitHub Copilot for Azure takes care of the rest. Get started today.

    Deploy in as little as five minutes with AI App Templates

    AI App Templates accelerate your development by helping you get started faster and simplifying evaluation and the path to production. You can use AI App Templates directly in your preferred development environment such as GitHub Codespaces, VS Code, and Visual Studio. You can even get recommendations for specific templates right from GitHub Copilot for Azure based on your AI use case or scenario. Most importantly, the templates provide flexibility and choice, offering a variety of models, frameworks, programming languages, and solutions from popular AI toolchain vendors such as Arize, LangChain, LlamaIndex, and Pinecone. You can deploy full apps at once or start with app components, provisioning resources across Azure and partner services. The templates also include recommendations for added security, like using Managed Identity and keyless authentication flows. Get started.

    Customize and scale your AI apps

    To empower you to quickly discover, learn, and experiment with a range of the latest, most advanced AI models, GitHub announced today that GitHub Models is now in preview, bringing you Azure AI’s leading model selection direct to GitHub. Building on that theme, the Azure AI model inference API now enables you to explore and access Azure AI models directly through GitHub Marketplace. Compare model performance, experiment, and mix-and-match a variety of models, including advanced proprietary and open models that support a broad range of tasks, for free (usage limits apply).

    Once you’ve selected your model and are ready to customize and deploy, you can seamlessly setup and login to your Azure account to scale from free token usage to paid endpoints with enterprise-level security and monitoring in production. Learn more.

    Simplify Java Runtime updates with GitHub Copilot upgrade assistant for Java

    Keeping your Java apps up to date can be a time-consuming task. GitHub Copilot upgrade assistant for Java offers an approach using AI to simplify this process and allowing you to upgrade your Java applications with minimal manual effort. Integrated into popular tools like Visual Studio Code, the GitHub Copilot upgrade assistant for Java generates an upgrade plan and guides you through a step-by-step process to transition from an older Java runtime to a newer version with optional dependencies and frameworks such as Spring Boot and JUnit. During the upgrade, the assistant automatically fixes issues through a dynamic build or fix loop and uses a human-in-the-loop approach for you to address other errors and make fixes if necessary. It ensures transparency by providing access to logs, code changes, outputs, and details at every step, giving you full control while benefiting from enhanced AI automation throughout the process. Once the upgrade is complete, you can easily review the detailed summary, and inspect all code modifications, making the entire upgrade process smooth and efficient, allowing you to focus on innovation instead of manual maintenance.

    Scale AI applications with Azure AI evaluation and online A/B experimentation using CI/CD workflows 

    Given trade-offs between business impact, risk and cost, you need to be able to continuously evaluate your AI applications and run A/B experiments at scale. We are significantly simplifying this process with GitHub Actions that can be integrated seamlessly into existing CI/CD workflows in GitHub. In your CI workflows, you will be able to run automated evaluation after changes are committed leveraging the Azure AI Evaluation SDK to compute metrics such as coherence and fluency. Following successful deployment, A/B experiments are automatically created and analyzed using out of the box AI model metrics and custom metrics as part of CD workflows. Along the way you can also engage with a GitHub Copilot for Azure plugin that assists with experimentation, creates metrics, powers decisions and more. Stay tuned for more details at Microsoft Ignite and sign up for our private preview to learn more! 

    We trust our business with Azure, you can trust it with yours 

    As you explore new AI capabilities for your organization, the platform you choose matters. Today, 95% of Fortune 500 companies trust their operations on Azure. Our business, including Microsoft 365, Dynamics 365, Bing, Copilots, etc., also runs on Azure. The same tools and services we use to build and run Microsoft are available for you. Our integration with GitHub and Visual Studio Code simplifies building with AI on Azure. And with more than 60 data center regions globally and a dedicated security team, Azure offers a reliable and secure foundation for your AI projects. All great reasons to build your next AI app with GitHub and Azure. 

    Innovate with Azure AI

    And, if you’re at GitHub Universe this week, stop by and say hello to the Azure team.

    About Jessica

    Jessica leads data, AI, and digital application product marketing at Microsoft. Find Jessica’s blog posts here and be sure to follow Jessica on LinkedIn. 

    MIL OSI Economics –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Why Europe should consider putting boots on the ground in Ukraine

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Viktoriia Lapa, Lecturer, Institute for European Policymaking, Bocconi University

    The mantra “as long as it takes” has become the European Union’s rallying cry in support of Ukraine’s resistance against Russia. Initially, some experts predicted that Ukraine would fall within three days – yet nearly three years have passed, and Ukraine is still standing. This prolonged struggle has come at an immense human cost.

    It’s clear that the decision to resist was made by the Ukrainian population, and they are grateful to the EU for its support. However, hopes that Ukraine can repel the invaders are fading, and there is no clear end in sight. “As long as it takes” for the EU translates, for Ukrainian ears, to “as many of your lives as we can afford to sacrifice”. Ukrainians are weary, even as they hold the front line, but the west has not communicated a commitment to fully engage in stopping Russian aggression and deterring future threats. Instead, it seems focused on a policy of “de-escalation management”. This only emboldens Russia and its allies.

    What is even more concerning is the absence of a coherent strategy for managing Russia. What would the EU do in the event that the war were to magically end tomorrow? Is there a plan in place, or will EU leaders simply offer Russia a reset?

    The EU has excelled in rhetoric when it comes to Ukraine but has fallen short in delivering military support. It remains reluctant to draw firm red lines for Russia as a response to attacks on European soil or to adopt a more assertive stance.

    The supply of shells to Ukraine is a case in point. The EU pledged to supply 1 million rounds of ammunition by March 2024, but by January, Josep Borrell, the EU’s foreign affairs chief, admitted that the bloc would only deliver half of that on time while committing to send 1.1 million shells by the year’s end. To address this shortfall, Czech president Petr Pavel proposed an initiative at the Munich Security Conference in February, aiming to provide 800,000 shells to Ukraine by the year’s end, sourcing ammunition globally instead of solely from EU manufacturers. By August 2024, the EU had sent Ukraine only 650,000 shells out of the promised 1 million.

    Various news outlets have reported that the result is a grim picture on the front line, where for every shell fired by Ukraine, Russian forces are firing ten or more.

    Additionally, the EU has been reluctant to take decisive action, even in response to Russian attacks on its territory. Recent incidents, such as a narrowly avoided plane crash in Germany attributed to suspected sabotage, reflect a troubling increase in aggressive behaviour from Russian saboteurs. The only response so far has been a relatively weak sanctions framework to be used on those involved in such attacks.

    A strategy for the future

    The EU must adopt a proactive approach to securing peace in Ukraine, recognising that Russia is currently unwilling to negotiate – but would also never negotiate from a position of weakness.

    A clear strategy – including security guarantees for Ukraine, preferably through a pathway to Nato membership – could help put pressure on Russia and facilitate negotiations. It’s clear that bringing Ukraine into Nato might take years, but in the meantime, European countries should consider deploying troops to Ukraine as a security guarantee for this interim period.

    As the Lithuanian minister of foreign affairs, Gabrielius Landsbergis, rightly said: “At the beginning of the year, Emmanuel Macron hinted at putting boots on the ground. At the end of the year, North Korea had actually done so. We are still on the back foot, reacting to escalation instead of reversing it. Macron’s ideas should now be revisited – better late than never.”

    Security agreements do of course exist between Ukraine and its EU and G7 partners, but not a single country has hinted at a possibility of providing, as a guarantee for peace, such a security guarantee as “troops on the ground”. EU countries must consider this seriously.

    And with a view to what happens after the Russian aggression in Ukraine, the EU needs at least the beginnings of an idea about what its terms would be for re-engaging with Russia. Otherwise it risks enabling Russia to set its own terms.

    The situation on the ground is dire. While the west boasts economic strength, it lacks visionary leadership and political will. It should not allow Russia to take the lead and must adopt a clear strategy for Ukraine’s victory. Otherwise, we are heading toward the scenario described by Timothy Garton Ash in his Financial Times article advocating for Ukraine’s accession to Nato:

    Consider the alternative. A defeated, divided, demoralized, depopulated Ukraine, pulsating with anger against the West and – as Zelenskyy hinted last week – probably seeking to acquire nuclear weapons. Moscow triumphant. The rest of the world concluding that the West is a paper tiger. Xi Jinping encouraged to have a go at Taiwan. Biden and Harris going down in history as the leaders who ‘lost Ukraine’.

    One could add: the EU faces disintegration, regressing to its pre-union state. Ursula von der Leyen is remembered as the leader whose “as long as it takes” policy resulted in an epic failure to secure a safer future for Europe and Ukraine. Does the west want to see itself in this way?

    Viktoriia Lapa is an Affiliated Scholar at the Center for Constitutional Studies and Democratic Development, a research partnership between the School of Law of the University of Bologna and the Johns Hopkins University Paul H. Nitze School of Advanced International Studies in Bologna, Italy (SAIS Europe).

    – ref. Why Europe should consider putting boots on the ground in Ukraine – https://theconversation.com/why-europe-should-consider-putting-boots-on-the-ground-in-ukraine-242279

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Congresswoman Barbara Lee Applauds Announcement of Over $300 Million for Port of Oakland

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Barbara Lee 13th District of California

    October 29, 2024

    Oakland, CA – Congresswoman Barbara Lee (CA-12) today applauded the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) announcement of $322 million for the Port of Oakland to decarbonize Port activities by providing Port tenants and Port users the opportunity to transition to zero emission alternatives. This funding comes after Lee led a letter with her congressional colleagues to EPA Administrator Michael Regan in July pushing for the grant application to be approved.

    This federal funding will advance the EPA Clean Ports Program’s mission of zero-emissions equipment at the Oakland Seaport and will help improve overall air quality at the Oakland Seaport and in neighboring communities. It is the largest-ever amount of federal funding for a Bay Area program aimed at cutting emissions from seaport cargo operations. The grant will finance 663 pieces of zero-emissions equipment which includes 475 drayage trucks and 188 pieces of cargo handling equipment.  

    “The climate crisis demands that we act urgently and boldly to protect our communities,” said Congresswoman Lee. “This investment will protect Oakland from the damaging effects of fossil fuels and will move us faster toward a zero-emissions future. Further, this investment will improve air quality and reduces pollution in local communities by cutting emissions from diesel-heavy port operations. This brings us closer to an economy that provides good jobs while expanding environmental justice. I’d like to thank the Biden-Harris administration for their leadership and my colleagues in the Northern California Delegation in Congress for their work in helping secure this funding. It is critical that we continue to invest in zero-emissions operations, and I’m proud the Port of Oakland is leading the way.”

    “California’s ports move the goods that power our economy. This historic investment of over $320 million in the Port of Oakland is a monumental step forward in accelerating the zero-emission infrastructure transition,” said Senator Alex Padilla. “Thanks to the Inflation Reduction Act, we’re decarbonizing our supply chain to produce cleaner air and protect public health in neighboring communities while developing the next-generation East Bay workforce.” 

    As a result of this critical funding, emissions reductions and climate adaptation community initiatives will see actionable and measurable results for the surrounding communities in Oakland.

    “I am thrilled to support the ‘Transforming the Port of Oakland to Zero Emissions Project,’ which will not only strengthen the local workforce but also provide zero-emission transportation alternatives for everyone, especially the region’s most underserved communities. This new EPA funding for the Port of Oakland unlocks critical federal financing to meet the Bay Area’s community priorities, reducing carbon emissions and supporting climate adaptation initiatives,” said Congressman John Garamendi (CA-08). “As a senior member of the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, one of my top priorities in Congress is securing federal investments that promote economic and environmental justice for all Californians.”

    “The EPA’s $322 million grant to support the ‘Transforming the Port of Oakland to Zero Emissions Project’ marks a huge step in our efforts to maintain the Port of Oakland as a key hub for goods movement and a sustainability leader for our region,” said Congressman Mike Thompson (CA-04). “I was glad to join Rep. Lee as she led Congressional support for the Port of Oakland’s application for this grant. This funding will help adapt Port operations in the face of climate change and I look forward to seeing the project’s community benefits, including improvements to our air quality and opportunities for local clean energy workforce development.”

    “The Port of Oakland is vital to our local economy and it’s critical that we advance its goals to reduce emissions.  Funding through the EPA’s Clean Ports Program, made possible by the Inflation Reduction Act, will support sustainability, make our air cleaner, and create good-paying jobs. I was proud to join Congresswoman Barbara Lee and my colleagues in supporting for this funding,” said Rep. Ro Khanna (CA-17).

    “Special thanks to Congresswoman Barbara Lee for always being a champion of the Port’s decarbonization efforts,” said Port of Oakland Executive Director Danny Wan. “These grant funds and our Clean Ports partnership with our customers and our community are transformative for the Port and the region—and will accelerate all of our zero emissions efforts currently underway.”

    “The Clean Ports grant from the U.S. EPA is a major environmental victory,” said Port of Oakland Board President Michael Colbruno. “We are grateful to U.S. Senators Laphonza Butler and Alex Padilla, Congresswoman Barbara Lee, and the Bay Area congressional delegation who stood together in strong advocacy for this grant. This funding will go a long way toward decarbonizing the Oakland supply chain and providing environmental and economic benefits for the region.” 

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Myanmar fighters battle to hold prized city – AFP

    Source: United States Institute of Peace

    Red flags flutter over bullet-scarred buildings in the strategic Myanmar city of Lashio, which an ethnic minority armed group linked to China seized from the military in its biggest defeat for decades.

    Lashio is the largest urban centre to fall to any of Myanmar’s myriad ethnic minority armed groups — who have been fighting the central authorities on and off for decades — since the military first seized power in 1962. 

    But analysts say the Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army (MNDAA) will struggle to govern Lashio, which straddles a key trade route to China and normally has a population of 150,000.

    Most fled the weeks of fighting that culminated in the city’s capture last month, and those who remain fear a return to the bloody violence.

    Residents and rescue groups say dozens of civilians were killed or wounded as the military pounded the town with air strikes and both sides launched rockets and shells at each other.

    While the fighting has eased since August, junta planes are still flying sorties and conducting air strikes, including on Monday and Tuesday night. 

    “We cannot say Lashio is back to normal but everyone is trying to act like it’s normal,” real estate agent Soe Soe, 30, told AFP.

    She fled in July but returned after the MNDAA took over and said she will stay, even as smaller clashes continue in the vicinity. 

    “The situation is uncertain right now,” she added. “Everyone is afraid.”

    – ‘No experience’ –

    The MNDAA was part of a trio of ethnic armed groups that launched a coordinated offensive against the junta — which ousted Aung San Suu Kyi’s civilian government in 2021 — a year ago, taking it by surprise and seizing swathes of Shan state.

    Junta jets are still pounding the city and targets have included hospitals and administrative buildings, according to the US Institute of Peace’s Myanmar programme chief Jason Tower.

    They “seem to be focused on preventing the MNDAA from advancing post-conflict reconstruction and returning the city to normal under its governance”, he said.

    Running Lashio will stretch the MNDAA’s manpower and capacity, he told AFP.

    “It is now trying to govern a much larger territory and faces a wide range of challenges it has no experience dealing with.”

    – ‘Everyone is afraid’ –

    Lucrative lead, silver and zinc mines lie near Lashio, while hundreds of millions of dollars’ worth of trade passes along the highway that snakes northeast to China through the jungle-clad Shan hills each year, according to the junta’s commerce ministry.

    Reaching the city is difficult due to fighting along the road.

    Within it, rifle-toting MNDAA policemen in black uniforms patrol the streets as the group — which analysts say maintains close ties with Beijing — works to convince former residents and businesses to return.

    Vendors marked out new plots at a market damaged during the fighting, but schools were shuttered and traffic was thin on the usually busy highway.

    As the group tries to restore normality, MNDAA-affiliated media have released regular updates about new administrative measures, from reorganising the main market to distributing rice and supplies to needly families.

    But many who fled the fighting are yet to return. 

    “Everyone is afraid because the fighting only just finished,” said Mae Gyi, 28, a vendor.

    Junta air strikes have killed and wounded several civilians, according to the MNDAA.

    And the ethnically Chinese MNDAA are an unknown quantity for Lashio’s diverse population of Bamar, Shan, and other groups.

    In areas controlled by the group in its Kokang homeland along the border with China’s Yunnan province, the language of administration, the currency and internet providers are all Chinese.

    It has other echoes with the People’s Republic: in April the MNDAA executed three of its members in the border city of Laukkai for murder and selling stolen weapons, following a public trial in which each of the accused wore a placard detailing their crimes in Chinese. 

    – Nowhere to go –

    The approach has alarmed some Lashio residents, with one former inhabitant — speaking on condition of anonymity — telling AFP they would not return until the MNDAA left.

    “Only our parents went back to Lashio,” the former resident said.

    But others have welcomed the tough approach.

    “The MNDAA has cleaned the town, and they have been helping the people… They helped to prevent prices from becoming too high,” said another former resident, whose family have returned.

    AFP has contacted the group on its plans for administering Lashio but received no response.

    Only “around 20-30 percent” of the town’s population had returned, said Soe Soe, but she was determined not to flee again despite the continuing low-level fighting.

    “We don’t have anywhere else to go,” she said. “So I came back to Lashio and am trying my best to stay here.”

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: 60 Years Ago: The First Flight of the Lunar Landing Research Vehicle

    Source: NASA

    President John F. Kennedy’s national commitment to land a man on the Moon and return him safely to the Earth before the end of the decade posed multiple challenges, among them how to train astronauts to land on the Moon, a place with no atmosphere and one-sixth the gravity on Earth. The Lunar Landing Research Vehicle (LLRV) and its successor the Lunar Landing Training Vehicle (LLTV) provided the training tool to simulate the final 200 feet of the descent to the lunar surface. The ungainly aircraft made its first flight on Oct. 30, 1964, at NASA’s Flight Research Center (FRC), now NASA’s Armstrong Flight Research Center (AFRC) in California. The Apollo astronauts who completed landings on the Moon attributed their successes largely to training in these vehicles.
    The first Lunar Landing Research Vehicle silhouetted against the rising sun on the dry lakebed at Edwards Air Force Base in California’s Mojave Desert.
    In December 1961, NASA Headquarters in Washington, D.C., received an unsolicited proposal from Bell Aerosystems in Buffalo, New York, for a design of a flying simulator to train astronauts on landing a spacecraft on the Moon. Bell’s approach, using their design merged with concepts developed at NASA’s FRC, won approval and the space agency funded the design and construction of two Lunar Landing Research Vehicles (LLRV). At the time of the proposal, NASA had not yet chosen the method for getting to and landing on the Moon, but once NASA decided on Lunar Orbit Rendezvous in July 1962, the Lunar Module’s (LM) flying characteristics matched Bell’s proposed design closely enough that the LLRV served as an excellent trainer. 
    Two views of the first Lunar Landing Research Vehicle shortly after its arrival and prior to assembly at the Flight Research Center, now NASA’s Armstrong Flight Research Center, in California.
    Bell Aerosystems delivered the LLRV-1 to FRC on April 8, 1964, where it made history as the first pure fly-by-wire aircraft to fly in Earth’s atmosphere. Its design relied exclusively on an interface with three analog computers to convert the pilot’s movements to signals transmitted by wire and to execute his commands. The open-framed LLRV used a downward pointing turbofan engine to counteract five-sixths of the vehicle’s weight to simulate lunar gravity, two rockets provided thrust for the descent and horizontal translation, and 16 LM-like thrusters provided three-axis attitude control. The astronauts could thus simulate maneuvering and landing on the lunar surface while still on Earth. The LLRV pilot could use an aircraft-style ejection seat to escape from the vehicle in case of loss of control.
    Left: The Lunar Landing Research Vehicle-1 (LLRV-1) during an engine test at NASA’s Flight Research Center (FRC), now NASA’s Armstrong Fight Research Center, in California’s Mojave Desert. Right: NASA chief test pilot Joseph “Joe” A. Walker, left, demonstrates the features of LLRV-1 to President Lyndon B. Johnson during his visit to FRC.
    Engineers conducted numerous tests to prepare the LLRV for its first flight. During one of the engine tests, the thrust generated was higher than anticipated, lifting crew chief Raymond White and the LLRV about a foot off the ground before White could shut off the engines. On June 19, during an official visit to FRC, President Lyndon B. Johnson inspected the LLRV featured on a static display. The Secret Service would not allow the President to sit in the LLRV’s cockpit out of an overabundance of caution since the pyrotechnics were installed, but not yet armed, in the ejection seat. Following a Preflight Readiness Review held Aug. 13 and 14, managers cleared the LLRV for its first flight.
    Left: NASA chief test pilot Joseph “Joe” A. Walker during the first flight of the Lunar Landing Research Vehicle (LLRV). Right: Walker shortly after the first LLRV flight.
    In the early morning of Oct. 30, 1964, FRC chief pilot Joseph “Joe” A. Walker arrived at Edwards Air Force Base’s (AFB) South Base to attempt the first flight of the LLRV. Walker, a winner of both the Collier Trophy and the Harmon International Trophy, had flown nearly all experimental aircraft at Edwards including 25 flights in the X-15 rocket plane. On two of his X-15 flights, Walker earned astronaut wings by flying higher than 62 miles, the unofficial boundary between the Earth’s atmosphere and space. After strapping into the LLRV’s ejection seat, Walker ran through the preflight checklist before advancing the throttle to begin the first flight. The vehicle rose 10 feet in the air, Walker performed a few small maneuvers and then made a soft landing after having flown for 56 seconds. He lifted off again, performed some more maneuvers, and landed again after another 56 seconds. On his third flight, the vehicle’s electronics shifted into backup mode and he landed the craft after only 29 seconds. Walker seemed satisfied with how the LLRV handled on its first flights.
    Left: Lunar Landing Research Vehicle-2 (LLRV-2) during one of its six flights at the Flight Research Center, now NASA’s Armstrong Flight Research Center, in California in January 1967. Right: NASA astronaut Neil A. Armstrong with LLRV-1 at Ellington Air Force Base in March 1967.
    Walker took LLRV-1 aloft again on Nov. 16 and eventually completed 35 test flights with the vehicle. Test pilots Donald “Don” L. Mallick, who completed the first simulated lunar landing profile flight during the LLRV’s 35th flight on Sept. 8, 1965, and Emil E. “Jack” Kluever, who made his first flight on Dec. 13, 1965, joined Walker to test the unique aircraft. Joseph S. “Joe” Algranti and Harold E. “Bud” Ream, pilots at the Manned Spacecraft Center (MSC), now NASA’s Johnson Space Center (JSC) in Houston, travelled to FRC to begin training flights with the LLRV in August 1966. Workers at FRC assembled the second vehicle, LLRV-2, during the latter half of 1966. In December 1966, after 198 flights workers transferred LLRV-1 to Ellington AFB near MSC for the convenience of astronaut training, and LLRV-2 followed in January 1967 after completing six test flights at FRC. The second LLRV made no further flights, partly because the three Lunar Landing Training Vehicles (LLTVs), more advanced models that better simulated the LM’s flying characteristics, began to arrive at Ellington in October 1967. Neil A. Armstrong completed the first astronaut flights aboard LLRV-1 on Mar. 23, 1967, and flew 21 flights before ejecting from the vehicle on May 6, 1968, seconds before it crashed. He later completed his lunar landing certification flights using LLTV-2 in June 1969, one month before peforming the actual feat on the Moon.
    Left: Apollo 11 Commander Neil A. Armstrong prepares to fly a lunar landing profile in Lunar Landing Training Vehicle-2 (LLTV-2) in June 1969. Middle: Apollo 12 Commander Charles “Pete” Conrad prepares to fly LLTV-2 in July 1969. Right: Apollo 14 Commander Alan B. Shepard flies LLTV-3 in December 1970.
    All Apollo Moon landing mission commanders and their backups completed their lunar landing certifications using the LLTV, and all the commanders attributed their successful landings to having trained in the LLTV. Apollo 8 astronaut William A. Anders, who along with Armstrong completed some of the early LLRV test flights, called the training vehicle “a much unsung hero of the Apollo program.” During the flight readiness review in January 1970 to clear LLTV-3 for astronaut flights, Apollo 11 Commander Armstrong and Apollo 12 Commander Charles “Pete” Conrad, who had by then each completed manual landings on the Moon, spoke positively of the LLTV’s role in their training. Armstrong’s overall impression of the LLTV: “All the pilots … thought it was an extremely important part of their preparation for the lunar landing attempt,” adding “It was a contrary machine, and a risky machine, but a very useful one.” Conrad emphasized that were he “to go back to the Moon again on another flight, I personally would want to fly the LLTV again as close to flight time as possible.” During the Apollo 12 technical debriefs, Conrad stated the “the LLTV is an excellent training vehicle for the final phases. I think it’s almost essential. I feel it really gave me the confidence that I needed.” During the postflight debriefs, Apollo 14 Commander Alan B. Shepard stated that he “did feel that the LLTV contributed to my overall ability to fly the LM during the landing.”
    Left: Apollo 15 Commander David R. Scott flies Lunar Landing Training Vehicle-3 (LLTV-3) in June 1971. Middle: Apollo 16 Commander John W. Young prepares to fly LLTV-3 in March 1972. Right: Apollo 17 Commander Eugene A. Cernan prepares for a flight aboard LLTV-3 in October 1972.
    David R. Scott, Apollo 15 commander, stated in the final mission report that “the combination of visual simulations and LLTV flying provided excellent training for the actual lunar landing. Comfort and confidence existed throughout this phase.” In the Apollo 15 postflight debrief, Scott stated that he “felt very comfortable flying the vehicle (LM) manually, because of the training in the LLTV, and there was no question in my mind that I could put it down where I wanted to. I guess I can’t say enough about that training. I think the LLTV is an excellent simulation of the vehicle.” Apollo 16 Commander John W. Young offered perhaps the greatest praise for the vehicle just moments after landing on the lunar surface: “Just like flying the LLTV. Piece of cake.” Young reiterated during the postflight debriefs that “from 200 feet on down, I never looked in the cockpit. It was just like flying the LLTV.” Apollo 17 Commander Eugene A. Cernan stated in the postflight debrief that “the most significant part of the final phases from 500 feet down, … was that it was extremely comfortable flying the bird. I contribute (sic) that primarily to the LLTV flying operations.”
    Left: Workers move Lunar Landing Research Vehicle-2 from NASA’s Armstrong Flight Research Center for display at the Air Force Test Flight Museum at Edwards Air Force Base. Right: Lunar Landing Training Vehicle-3 on display outside the Teague Auditorium at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston.
    In addition to playing a critical role in the Moon landing program, these early research and test vehicles aided in the development of digital fly-by-wire technology for future aircraft. LLRV-2 is on display at the Air Force Flight Test Museum at Edwards AFB (on loan from AFRC). Visitors can view LLTV-3 suspended from the ceiling in the lobby of the Teague Auditorium at JSC.
    The monograph Unconventional, Contrary, and Ugly: The Lunar Landing Research Vehicle provides an excellent and detailed history of the LLRV.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: NASA, NOAA Rank 2024 Ozone Hole as 7th-Smallest Since Recovery Began

    Source: NASA

    Healing continues in the atmosphere over the Antarctic: a hole that opens annually in the ozone layer over Earth’s southern pole was relatively small in 2024 compared to other years. Scientists with NASA and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) project the ozone layer could fully recover by 2066.

    During the peak of ozone depletion season from Sept. 7 through Oct. 13, the 2024 area of the ozone hole ranked the seventh smallest since recovery began in 1992, when the Montreal Protocol, a landmark international agreement to phase out ozone-depleting chemicals, began to take effect.
    At almost 8 million square miles (20 million square kilometers), the monthly average ozone-depleted region in the Antarctic this year was nearly three times the size of the contiguous U.S. The hole reached its greatest one-day extent for the year on Sept. 28 at 8.5 million square miles (22.4 million square kilometers).
    The improvement is due to a combination of continuing declines in harmful chlorofluorocarbon (CFC) chemicals, along with an unexpected infusion of ozone carried by air currents from north of the Antarctic, scientists said.

    [embedded content]
    The ozone hole over Antarctica reached its annual maximum extent on Sept. 28, 2024, with an area of 8.5 million square miles (22.4 million square kilometers).Credit: NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center/ Kathleen Gaeta

    In previous years, NASA and NOAA have reported the ozone hole ranking using a time frame dating back to 1979, when scientists began tracking Antarctic ozone levels with satellite data. Using that longer record, this year’s hole ranked 20th smallest in area across the 45 years of observations.
    “The 2024 Antarctic hole is smaller than ozone holes seen in the early 2000s,” said Paul Newman, leader of NASA’s ozone research team and chief scientist for Earth sciences at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland. “The gradual improvement we’ve seen in the past two decades shows that international efforts that curbed ozone-destroying chemicals are working.”
    The ozone-rich layer high in the atmosphere acts as a planetary sunscreen that helps shield us from harmful ultraviolet (UV) radiation from the Sun. Areas with depleted ozone allow more UV radiation, resulting in increased cases of skin cancer and cataracts. Excessive exposure to UV light can also reduce agricultural yields as well as damage aquatic plants and animals in vital ecosystems.
    Scientists were alarmed in the 1970s at the prospect that CFCs could eat away at atmospheric ozone. By the mid-1980s, the ozone layer had been depleted so much that a broad swath of the Antarctic stratosphere was essentially devoid of ozone by early October each year. Sources of damaging CFCs included coolants in refrigerators and air conditioners, as well as aerosols in hairspray, antiperspirant, and spray paint. Harmful chemicals were also released in the manufacture of insulating foams and as components of industrial fire suppression systems.
    The Montreal Protocol was signed in 1987 to phase out CFC-based products and processes. Countries worldwide agreed to replace the chemicals with more environmentally friendly alternatives by 2010. The release of CFC compounds has dramatically decreased following the Montreal Protocol. But CFCs already in the air will take many decades to break down. As existing CFC levels gradually decline, ozone in the upper atmosphere will rebound globally, and ozone holes will shrink.

    [embedded content]
    Ozone 101 is the first in a series of explainer videos outlining the fundamentals of popular Earth science topics. Let’s back up to the basics and understand what caused the Ozone Hole, its effects on the planet, and what scientists predict will happen in future decades.Credit: NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center/ Kathleen Gaeta

    “For 2024, we can see that the ozone hole’s severity is below average compared to other years in the past three decades, but the ozone layer is still far from being fully healed,” said Stephen Montzka, senior scientist of the NOAA Global Monitoring Laboratory.
    Researchers rely on a combination of systems to monitor the ozone layer. They include instruments on NASA’s Aura satellite, the NOAA-20 and NOAA-21 satellites, and the Suomi National Polar-orbiting Partnership satellite, jointly operated by NASA and NOAA. 
    NOAA scientists also release instrumented weather balloons from the South Pole Baseline Atmospheric Observatory to observe ozone concentrations directly overhead in a measurement called Dobson Units. The 2024 concentration reached its lowest value of 109 Dobson Units on October 5. The lowest value ever recorded over the South Pole was 92 Dobson Units in October 2006.
    NASA and NOAA satellite observations of ozone concentrations cover the entire ozone hole, which can produce a slightly smaller value for the lowest Dobson Unit measurement.
    “That is well below the 225 Dobson Units that was typical of the ozone cover above the Antarctic in 1979,” said NOAA research chemist Bryan Johnson. “So, there’s still a long way to go before atmospheric ozone is back to the levels before the advent of widespread CFC pollution.”
    View the latest status of the ozone layer over the Antarctic with NASA’s ozone watch.
    By James RiordonNASA’s Earth Science News Team
    Media Contact:Jacob RichmondNASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Md.jacob.richmond@nasa.gov

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: CONGRESSMAN PAT RYAN, GOVERNOR KATHY HOCHUL, AND MAYOR YVONNE FLOWERS ANNOUNCE LANDMARK FUNDING TO TACKLE CITY’S LEAD PIPE CRISIS

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Pat Ryan (New York 18th)

    Congressman Pat Ryan, Governor Kathy Hochul, and Mayor Yvonne Flowers Announce Landmark Funding to Tackle City’s Lead Pipe Crisis

    Lead pipes can leach the toxin into drinking water, exposing families to the extreme health hazard; Nearly $12M will help Poughkeepsie remove the toxic pipes from the city’s drinking water infrastructure

    Announcement builds on Ryan’s record of fighting for clean water for Hudson Valley families and his commitment to eliminating sources of lead exposure from NY-18 communities

    POUGHKEEPSIE, NY  –  Today, Congressman Pat Ryan, Governor Kathy Hochul, and Mayor Yvonne Flowers announced $11,869,472 in funding to tackle Poughkeepsie’s lead pipe crisis and remove the toxic service lines from the city’s drinking water system. The funding from New York State will help the city identify the locations of lead service lines, inventory the extent of the city’s lead pipe crisis, and fund the beginning of lead pipe removal projects. Congressman Ryan has fought for federal resources to help Poughkeepsie address its lead pipe crisis, including bringing Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) leadership to the city last year. 

    “Freedom means every American has the right to breathe clean air and drink clean water, and that’s why I’m pushing relentlessly to remove every last toxic lead pipe from the Hudson Valley,” said Congressman Pat Ryan. “Today’s funding is a huge step towards ensuring that parents in Poughkeepsie never have to worry if the water coming out of the faucet is safe for their kids. I’m proud to work alongside Governor Hochul and Mayor Flowers in this fight – we will not rest until our communities are free from toxic lead pipes for good.”

    “When it comes to New York’s water infrastructure, we’re getting the lead out,” Governor Hochul said. “We’re continuing to give municipalities the resources and support they need to replace lead water pipes and protect public drinking water.”

    “I thank Governor Hochul and Congressman Ryan for their tremendous efforts on this critically important public health issue,” said City of Poughkeepsie Mayor Yvonne Flowers. “The city recognizes it cannot complete this work without strong state and federal partners. We need their financial resources to address the significant costs it will take to replace thousands of lead pipes throughout our city to reduce our residents’ risk of lead poisoning. The city intends to methodically move forward with the allotted money and will continue to aggressively seek more funds.”

    There is no safe blood lead level for children. The corrosion of aging and outdated lead water pipes can cause toxic lead to leach into the drinking water supply, which is linked to significant adverse health effects including permanent neurological damage and impaired cognitive abilities, especially in children, as well as fertility and renal issues in adults.

    Today’s announcement comes only weeks after the Biden-Harris Administration announced that all lead pipes in drinking water systems across the country must be removed within the next ten years. Ryan applauded the announcement as a major step towards his goal of removing all lead pipes in Hudson Valley communities. The Biden Administration’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL) will deliver $15 billion towards these efforts.

    The $11,869,472 announced today comes from state funding designated to help cover the costs of lead service line replacement projects that received financing through the federal BIL but whose costs were not fully covered by BIL grants. This funding comes in addition to the funding already allocated through the BIL and the State’s Water Infrastructure grant program. This unprecedented move takes the fiscal pressure off communities, allowing them to replace more lead service lines without incurring additional costs. The State’s comprehensive approach continues to provide communities with the resources they need to improve their water infrastructure. Last year, the City of Poughkeepsie was deemed eligible to receive $3.2 million in BIL funding to identify and inventory the locations of lead service lines and begin replacement projects. 

    Ryan has built a record of fighting for clean water for Hudson Valley families and has prioritized removing sources of toxic lead exposure from Hudson Valley communities. Ryan has especially targeted his efforts to addressing the City of Poughkeepsie’s lead pipe crisis and delivering the federal resources needed to eliminate all lead pipes from the city’s drinking water system. On August 1, 2023, Ryan brought EPA leadership to Poughkeepsie to assist the city in securing resources for lead pipe removal projects. Ryan had pressed the EPA to commit to visiting the city in a July 13, 2023 House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee hearing and for it to work closely with the city to usher in the federal resources needed to protect Poughkeepsie families from lead exposures. On July 14, 2023, Ryan also announced his plan to remove all lead pipes in Poughkeepsie. Ryan and his team have worked closely with the city and the EPA to provide technical guidance in helping the city apply for federal funds for lead service line replacements, resulting in the city announcing in April of 2024 that it was eligible for millions in federal funding and assistance for projects.

    Ryan has been at the forefront of combatting the lead contamination crisis in the Hudson Valley, immediately sounding the alarm when the Wall Street Journal reported that major telecommunications companies are allowing a network of decrepit, lead-sheathed aerial cables to shed the toxin into the environment, including at a playground in Wappingers Falls. He has repeatedly demanded that multi-billion dollar telecommunications companies Verizon and AT&T take responsibility and pay for the cleanup of their cables. Earlier this year, Ryan brought together local officials and community advocates to call on the corporations to publicly disclose the locations of the cables after Hudson Valley families reported finding them discarded across the region.

    Ryan has amassed a record of taking on big corporations that pollute Hudson Valley water, air, and soil. He spoke at the Save the River Rally, demanding that Holtec halt its plan to dump radioactive waste into the River and introduced legislation banning additional barges, carrying toxic materials like asphalt, from anchoring on the Hudson. Earlier this year, the bill was passed in the House of Representatives with overwhelming bipartisan support. Last fall, Ryan organized a coalition of local government officials, community leaders, and organizations to temporarily halt the Coast Guard’s plan to begin allowing barges to anchor on the Hudson River.

    Congressman Ryan has also spearheaded efforts to combat PFAS “forever chemical” pollution, including introducing the landmark PFAS Action Act and cosponsoring the Department of Defense PFAS Discharge Prevention Act.  The EPA has recently implemented many of the components of the PFAS Action Act, including issuing a national standard for PFAS in drinking water. Ryan has made repeated calls for the Department of Defense (DoD) to hasten its cleanup of PFAS pollution at Stewart Air National Guard Base in Newburgh.

    ###

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Kosovo and Serbia must show their commitment to cooperation and dialogue: UK statement at the UN Security Council

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    Statement by Fergus Eckersley, UK Minister Counsellor, at the UN Security Council meeting on UNMIK.

    Location:
    United Nations, New York
    Delivered on:
    (Transcript of the speech, exactly as it was delivered)

    Let me begin by thanking the Special Representative for the work she and her team are doing to promote stability and respect for human rights in Kosovo.

    The UK is a long-standing supporter of Kosovo’s sovereignty and independence. We remain committed to supporting an inclusive, diverse and multi-ethnic democracy in Kosovo.

    We welcome, for example, Kosovo’s efforts to recruit police officers from non-majority communities, and its commitment to tackling Conflict Related Sexual Violence including through its leadership of the International Forum for Women, Peace and Security.

    Yet for many years the absence of a normal relationship between Kosovo and Serbia has negatively impacted the lives of individuals living in both countries and impacted regional stability.

    In recent weeks we’ve seen positive steps towards greater cooperation. This includes easing restrictions on Serbian imports into Kosovo, and the agreement securing Kosovo representation in the Central European Free Trade Agreement. 

    We are, however, concerned that progress in the EU-facilitated dialogue has been faltering. We call upon both parties to reaffirm their commitment to the EU-facilitated dialogue and we echo the Secretary-General’s call for greater participation of women in the process.

    It is important that both sides demonstrate the political will and the courage to fully implement existing agreements under the dialogue, including the establishment of an Association of Serb-Majority Municipalities.

    At the same time, it is important for all sides to avoid actions which could jeopardise such progress. We urge Kosovo to carefully consider the impact of its decisions on all its citizens including those from non-majority communities and to work with its partners.

    And we urge Serbia to play its part in supporting efforts to ensure justice and accountability for the perpetrators of last year’s shocking attack in Banjska and to play a constructive role in reducing tensions and promoting positive relations in the region.

    I would like to end by expressing the UK’s gratitude to the Special Representative and all Mission staff who have contributed to UNMIK’s work over the last 25 years.

    Promoting dialogue and trust-building between Kosovo’s communities is and remains vital.

    However, it has been over sixteen years since Kosovo’s independence and the situation is unrecognisable from 1999. It is therefore time for this Council to review UNMIK’s role to reflect conditions on the ground.

    Updates to this page

    Published 30 October 2024

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Autumn Budget 2024 speech

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    Autumn Budget 2024 speech as delivered by Chancellor Rachel Reeves.

    Delivered on:
    (Transcript of the speech, exactly as it was delivered)

    Madam Deputy Speaker…

    [redacted political content]

    This government was given a mandate. 

    To restore stability to our economy… 

    … and to begin a decade of national renewal. 

    To fix the foundations… 

    … and deliver change. 

    Through responsible leadership in the national interest.  

    That is our task.  

    And I know that we can achieve it. 

    My belief in Britain burns brighter than ever.  

    And the prize on offer is immense.  

    As my Right Honourable Friend the Prime Minister said on Monday – change must be felt. 

    More pounds in people’s pockets.  

    An NHS that is there when you need it.  

    An economy that is growing, creating wealth and opportunity for all…  

    … because that is the only way to improve living standards.   

    And the only way to drive economic growth… 

    … is to invest, invest, invest.  

    There are no shortcuts. 

    And to deliver that investment… 

    … we must restore economic stability…

    [redacted political content]

    INHERITANCE

    [redacted political content]

    … it is the first Budget in our country’s history to be delivered by a woman.  

    I am deeply proud to be Britain’s first ever female Chancellor of the Exchequer.  

    To girls and young women everywhere, I say:  

    Let there be no ceiling on your ambition, your hopes and your dreams.  

    And along with the pride that I feel standing here today… 

    … there is also a responsibility… 

    … to pass on a fairer society and a stronger economy to the next  

    generation of women.

    [redacted political content]

    A black hole in the public finances… 

    Public services on their knees…. 

    A decade of low growth. 

    And the worst parliament on record for living standards. 

    Let me begin with the public finances. 

    In July, I exposed a £22bn black hole

    [redacted political content]

    The Treasury’s reserve, set aside for genuine emergencies… 

    … spent three times over… 

    … just three months into the financial year.  

    Today, on top of the detailed document that I have provided to the House in July… 

    … the government is publishing a line by line breakdown of the £22bn black hole that we inherited… 

    It shows hundreds of unfunded pressures on the public finances… 

    … this year, and into the future too.  

    The Office for Budget Responsibility have published their own review of the circumstances around the Spring Budget forecast.  

    They say that the previous government – and I quote – “did not provide the OBR with all the [available] information to them”… 

    … and – had they known about these “undisclosed spending pressures that have since come to light”… 

    … then their Spring Budget forecast for spending would have been, and I quote again: “materially different”.  

    Let me be clear: that means any comparison between today’s forecast and the OBR’s March forecast is false… 

    … because the party opposite hid the reality of their public spending plans. 

    Yet at the very same budget… 

    … they made another ten billion pounds worth of cuts to National Insurance.

    [redacted political content]

    That’s why today, I can confirm that we will implement in full… 

    … the 10 recommendations from the independent Office for Budget Responsibility’s review. 

    But, the country has inherited not just broken public finances… 

    … but broken public services too. 

    The British people can see and feel that in their everyday lives. 

    NHS waiting lists at record levels. 

    Children in portacabins as school roofs crumble. 

    Trains that do not arrive. 

    Rivers filled with polluted waste.  

    Prisons overflowing. 

    Crimes which are not investigated… 

    … and criminals who are not punished.  

    That is the country’s inheritance

    Since 2021, there had been no detailed plans for departmental spending set out beyond this year.  

    And [redacted political content] plans relied on a baseline for spending this year which we now know was wrong… 

    … because it did not take into account the £22bn black hole.  

    The previous government also failed to budget for costs which they knew would materialise.  

    That includes funding for vital compensation schemes…  

    … for victims of two terrible injustices…

    [redacted political content]

    … the infected blood scandal… 

    … and the Post Office Horizon scandal.  

    The Leader of the Opposition rightly made an unequivocal apology for the injustice of the infected blood scandal on behalf of the British state… 

    … but he did not budget for the costs of compensation.  

    Today, for the very first time, we will provide specific funding to compensate those infected and those affected, in full… 

    … with £11.8bn in this budget. 

    And I am also today setting aside £1.8bn to compensate victims of the Post Office Horizon scandal… 

    … redress that is long overdue for the pain and injustice that they have suffered.

    [redacted political content]

    … and we will restore stability to our country again. 

    The scale and seriousness of the situation that we have inherited cannot be underestimated. 

    Together, the hole in our public finances this year, which recurs every year… 

    … the compensation schemes that they did not fund… 

    … and their failure to assess the scale of the challenges facing our public services… 

    … means this budget raises taxes by £40bn. 

    Any Chancellor standing here today would have to face this reality. 

    And any responsible Chancellor would take action. 

    That is why today, I am restoring stability to our public finances… 

    … and rebuilding our public services.  

    FISCAL RULES / OBR FORECASTS 

    Economy forecast/growth 

    As a former economist at the Bank of England, I know what it means to respect our economic institutions.  

    I want to put on record my thanks to the Governor of the Bank, Andrew Bailey…  

    … and to the independent Monetary Policy Committee. 

    Today, I can confirm that we will maintain the MPC’s target of two per cent inflation, as measured by the 12-month increase in the Consumer Prices Index. 

    I want to thank James Bowler, the Permanent Secretary to the Treasury, and my team of officials. 

    Madam Deputy Speaker, I would also like to thank my predecessors as Chancellor of the Exchequer… 

    … for their wise counsel as I have prepared for this Budget.

    [redacted political content]

    Finally, I want to thank Richard Hughes and his team at the Office for Budget Responsibility for their work in preparing today’s economic and fiscal outlook. 

    Let me now take the House through that forecast. 

    The cost of living crisis under the last government stretched household finances to their limit, with inflation hitting a peak of above 11%.  

    Today, the OBR say that CPI inflation will average 2.5% this year, 2.6% in 2025, then 2.3% in 2026, 2.1% in 2027, 2.1% in 2028 and 2.0% in 2029.  

    Next, I move on to economic growth.  

    Today’s budget marks an end to short-termism.  

    So I am pleased, that for the first time, the OBR have published not only five year growth forecasts… 

    … but a detailed assessment of the growth impacts of our policies over the next decade, too… 

    … and the new Charter for Budget Responsibility, which I am publishing today, confirms that this will become a permanent feature of our framework. 

    The OBR forecast that real GDP growth will be 1.1% in 2024, 2.0% in 2025, 1.8% in 2026, 1.5% in 2027, 1.5% in 2028 and 1.6% in 2029. 

    And the OBR are clear: this Budget will permanently increase the supply capacity of the economy…

    [redacted political content]

    … boosting long-term growth. 

    Every Budget I deliver will be focused on our mission to grow the economy. 

    And underpinning that mission are the seven key pillars of our growth strategy… 

    … developed and delivered alongside business…  

    … all driven forward by our Financial Secretary to the Treasury.   

    First, and most important, is to restore economic stability. That is my focus today. 

    Second, increasing investment and building new infrastructure is vital for productivity, so we are catalysing £70bn of investment through our National Wealth Fund… 

    … and we are transforming our planning rules to get Britain building again. 

    Third, to ensure that all parts of the UK can realise their potential… 

    … we are working with the devolved governments… 

    … and partnering with our Mayors to develop local growth plans.  

    Fourth, to improve employment prospects and skills we are creating Skills England, delivering our plans to Make Work Pay and tackling economic inactivity.  

    Fifth, we are launching our long-term modern industrial strategy and expanding opportunities for our small and medium sized businesses to grow. 

    Sixth, to drive innovation we are protecting record funding for research and development to harness the full potential of the UK’s science base.  

    And finally, to maximise the growth benefits of our clean energy mission, we have confirmed key investments such as Carbon Capture and Storage to create jobs in our industrial heartlands. 

    Our approach is already having an impact. 

    Just two weeks ago – we delivered an International Investment Summit which saw businesses commit £63.5bn of investment into this country… 

    … creating nearly 40,000 jobs across the United Kingdom.

    [redacted political content]

    Economic growth will be our mission for the duration of this parliament.  

    Stability rule 

    Madam Deputy Speaker, in our manifesto, we set out the fiscal rules that would guide this government. 

    I am confirming those today… 

    Our stability rule… 

    And our investment rule… 

    The “stability rule” means that we will bring the current budget into balance… 

    … so that we do not borrow to fund day to day spending. 

    We will meet this rule in 2029-30, until that becomes the third year of the forecast.  

    From then on, we will balance the current budget in the third year of every budget, held annually each autumn. 

    That will provide a tougher constraint on day to day spending… 

    … so difficult decisions cannot be constantly delayed or deferred.  

    The OBR say that the current budget will be in deficit by £26.2bn in 2025-26 and £5.2bn in 2026-27… 

    … before moving into surplus of £10.9bn in 2027-28, £9.3bn in 2028-29 and £9.9bn in 2029-30… 

    … meeting our stability rule… 

    … two years early.  

    Monthly public sector finances data shows that government borrowing in the first six months of this year… 

    … was already running significantly higher than the OBR’s March forecast. 

    And so the OBR confirmed today, that borrowing in this financial year is now £127bn…

    [redacted political content]

    The increase in the net cash requirement in 24-25 is lower than the increase in borrowing, at £22.3bn higher than the spring forecast.  

    Because of the action that we are taking… 

    … borrowing falls from 4.5% of GDP this year to 2.1% of GDP by the end of the forecast. 

    Public sector net borrowing will be £105.6bn in 2025-26, £88.5bn in 2026-27, £72.2bn in 2027-28, £71.9bn in 2028-29 and £70.6bn in 2029-2930. 

    FIXING THE FOUNDATIONS 

    Spending  

    Madam Deputy Speaker, before I come to tax… 

    … it is vital that we are driving efficiency and reducing wasteful spending. 

    In July, to begin delivering, and dealing with our inheritance… 

    … I made £5.5bn of savings this year.  

    Today we are setting a 2% productivity, efficiency and savings target for all departments to meet next year… 

    … by using technology more effectively and joining up services across government 

    As set out in our manifesto, I will shortly be appointing our Covid Corruption Commissioner, they will lead our work to uncover those companies that used a national emergency to line their own pockets. 

    Because that money belongs in our public services. And taxpayers want that money back.  

    And I can confirm today that David Goldstone has been appointed as the Chair of the new Office for Value for Money…  

    … to help us realise the benefits from every pound of public spending. 

    Welfare 

    Today, I am also taking three steps to ensure that welfare spending is more sustainable.  

    First, we inherited [redacted political content] plans to reform the Work Capability Assessment.  

    We will deliver those savings…  

    …as part of our fundamental reforms to the health and disability benefits system that my Right Honourable Friend the Work and Pensions Secretary will bring forward. 

    Second, I can today announce a crackdown on fraud in our welfare system… 

    … often the work of criminal gangs.  

    We will expand DWP’s counter-fraud teams.. 

    … using innovative new methods to prevent illegal activity…  

    … and provide new legal powers to crackdown on fraudsters… 

    … including direct access to bank accounts to recover debt. 

    This package saves £4.3bn a year by the end of the forecast. 

    Third, the government will shortly be publishing the “Get Britain Working” white paper…  

    … tackling the root causes of inactivity with an integrated approach across health, education and welfare.  

    … and we will provide £240m for 16 trailblazer projects… 

    … targeted at those who are economically inactive and most at risk of being out of education, employment or training… 

    … to get people into work and reduce the benefits bill.  

    Tax avoidance 

    Before a government could consider any change to a tax rate or threshold… 

    … it must ensure that people pay what they already owe. 

    So we will invest to modernise HMRC’s systems using the very best technology… 

    … and recruit additional HMRC compliance and debt staff. 

    We will clamp down on those umbrella companies who exploit workers… 

    … increase the interest rate on unpaid tax debt to ensure that people pay on time… 

    … and go after promoters of tax avoidance schemes. 

    These measures to reduce the tax gap raise £6.5bn by the end of the forecast… 

    … and I want to thank the Exchequer Secretary for his outstanding work on this agenda. 

    PROTECTING WORKING PEOPLE 

    Madam Deputy Speaker, I know that for working people up and down our country… 

    … family finances are stretched… 

    … and pay checks don’t go as far as they once did. 

    So today, I am taking steps to support people with the cost of living. 

    Cost of living

    [redacted political content]

    As promised in our manifesto, we asked the Low Pay Commission to take account of the cost of living for the first time.  

    I can confirm that we will accept the Low Pay Commission recommendation to increase the National Living Wage by 6.7% to £12.21 an hour… 

    … worth up to £1,400 a year for a full-time worker. 

    And for the first time, we will move towards a single adult rate…  

    … phased in over time…  

    … by initially increasing the National Minimum Wage for 18-20 year olds by 16.3% as recommended by the Low Pay Commission… 

    … taking it to £10 an hour.

    [redacted political content]

    Second, I have heard representations from colleagues across this house about the Carer’s Allowance… 

    … and the impact of the current policy on carers looking to increase the hours they work… 

    … including from the Honourable member for Shipley, the Honourable member for Scarborough and Whitby and the Rt Hon Member for Kingston and Surbiton, too. 

    Carer’s allowance currently provides up to £81.90 per week to help those with additional caring responsibilities.  

    Today, I can confirm that we are increasing the weekly earnings limit to the equivalent of 16 hours at the National Living Wage per week… 

    … the largest increase in Carer’s Allowance since it was introduced in 1976.  

    That means a carer can now earn over £10,000 a year while receiving Carer’s Allowance… 

    … allowing them to increase their hours where they want to… 

    … and keep more of their money. 

    I am also concerned about the cliff-edge in the current system and the issue of overpayments. 

    My Right Honourable Friend the Work and Pensions Secretary has announced an independent review to look at the issue of overpayments, and we will work across this house to develop the right solutions. 

    Third, we will provide £1bn from next year to extend the Household Support Fund and Discretionary Housing Payments, to help those facing financial hardship with the cost of essentials.  

    Fourth, having heard representations from the Joseph Rowntree Foundation, Trussell and others… 

    … to reduce the level of debt repayments that can be taken from a household’s Universal Credit payment each month… 

    … by reducing it from 25% to 15% of their standard allowance. 

    This means that 1.2 million of the poorest households will keep more of their award each month… 

    … lifting children out of poverty…  

    … and those who benefit will gain an average of £420 a year. 

    Madam Deputy Speaker, our Plan to Make Work Pay will also protect working people.

    [redacted political content]

    It is right that we protect those who have worked their whole lives.  

    In our manifesto, we promised to transfer the Investment Reserve Fund in the Mineworkers’ Pension Scheme to members… 

    … and I have listened closely to my Honourable Friends for Easington, Doncaster Central, Blaenau Gwent, and Ayr, Carrick and Cumnock on this issue. 

    Today we are keeping our promise…  

    … so that working people who powered our country receive the fair pension that they are owed. 

    Our manifesto committed to the Triple Lock… 

    … meaning spending on the State Pension is forecast to rise by over £31bn by 2029-30… 

    … to ensure that our pensioners are protected in their retirement.  

    This commitment means that while working age benefits will be uprated in line with CPI, at 1.7%… 

    … the basic and new State Pension… 

    … will be uprated by 4.1% in 2025-26. 

    This means that over 12 million pensioners will gain up to £470 next year… 

    … up to £275 more than if uprated by inflation.  

    The Pension Credit Standard Minimum Guarantee will also rise by 4.1%…  

    … from around £11,400 per year to around £11,850 for a single pensioner.  

    Fuel duty 

    While I have sought to protect working people with measures to reduce the cost of living… 

    … I have had to take some very difficult decisions on tax. 

    I want to set out my approach to fuel duty.  

    Baked into the numbers that I inherited from the previous government… 

    … is an assumption that fuel duty will rise by RPI next year… 

    … and that the temporary 5p cut will be reversed.  

    To retain the 5p cut… 

    … and to freeze fuel duty again… 

    … would cost over £3bn next year.  

    At a time when the fiscal position is so difficult…  

    … I have to be frank with the House that this is a substantial commitment to make. 

    I have concluded… 

    … that in these difficult circumstances… 

    … while the cost of living remains high… 

    … and with a backdrop of global uncertainty… 

    … increasing fuel duty next year… 

    … would be the wrong choice for working people. 

    It would mean fuel duty rising by 7p per litre. 

    So, I have today decided to freeze fuel duty next year… 

    … and I will maintain the existing 5p cut for another year, too. 

    There will be no higher taxes at the petrol pumps next year.

    Madam Deputy Speaker, the last government made cuts of £20bn to employees’ and self-employed national insurance in their final two budgets.

    [redacted political content]

    Because we now know they were based on a forecast which the OBR say would have been “materially different”… 

    … had they known the true extent of the last government’s cover-up.   

    Since July, I have been urged on multiple occasions to reconsider these cuts.  

    To increase the taxes that working people pay and see in their payslips. 

    But I have made an important choice today: 

    To keep every single commitment that we made on tax in our manifesto.  

    So I say to working people: 

    I will not increase your National Insurance… 

    …I will not increase your VAT… 

    …And I will not increase your income tax. 

    Working people will not see higher taxes in their payslips as a result of the choices I make today. 

    That is a promise made – and a promise fulfilled. 

    TAX 

    But any responsible Chancellor would need to take difficult decisions today. 

    To raise the revenues required to fund our public services. 

    And to restore economic stability.  

    So in today’s Budget, I am announcing an increase in Employers’ National Insurance Contributions.  

    We will increase the rate of Employers’ National Insurance by 1.2 percentage points, to 15%, from April 2025.  

    And we will reduce the Secondary Threshold – the level at which employers start paying national insurance on each employee’s salary – from £9,100 per year to £5,000.  

    This will raise £25bn per year by the end of the forecast period.  

    I know that this is a difficult choice. 

    I do not take this decision lightly.  

    We are asking business to contribute more… 

    … and I know that there will be impacts of this measure felt beyond businesses, too… 

    … as the OBR have set out today. 

    But in the circumstances that I have inherited, it is the right choice to make.  

    Successful businesses depend on successful schools. 

    Healthy businesses depend on a healthy NHS.  

    And a strong economy depends on strong public finances.

    [redacted political content]

    That is the choice our country faces too.  

    As I make this choice, I know it is particularly important to protect our smallest companies.  

    So having heard representations from the Federation of Small Businesses and others… 

    … I am today increasing the Employment Allowance from £5,000 to £10,500. 

    This means 865,000 employers won’t pay any National Insurance at all next year… 

    … and over 1 million will pay the same or less than they did previously. 

    This will allow a small business to employ the equivalent of 4 full time workers on the National Living Wage… 

    … without paying any National Insurance on their wages. 

    Madam Deputy Speaker, let me come now to capital gains tax. 

    We need to drive growth, promote entrepreneurship, and support wealth creation… 

    … while raising the revenue required to fund our public services… 

    … and restore our public finances.  

    Today, we will increase the lower rate of Capital Gains Tax from 10% to 18%, and the Higher Rate from 20% to 24%… 

    … while maintaining the rates of capital gains tax on residential property at 18% and 24%, too.  

    This means the UK will still have the lowest Capital Gains Tax rate of any European G7 economy. 

    Alongside these changes to the headline rates of Capital Gains Tax… 

    … we are maintaining the lifetime limit for Business Asset Disposal Relief at £1m… 

    … to encourage entrepreneurs to invest in their businesses.   

    Business Asset Disposal Relief will remain at 10% this year… 

    … before rising to 14% in April 2025… 

    … and 18% from 2026-27… 

    … maintaining a significant gap compared to the higher rate of Capital Gains Tax.  

    Together, the OBR say these measures will raise £2.5bn by the end of the forecast. 

    In a sign of this government’s commitment to supporting growth and entrepreneurship… 

    …we have already extended the Enterprise Investment Scheme and Venture Capital Trust schemes to 2035… 

    … and we will continue to work with leading entrepreneurs and venture capital firms… 

    … to ensure our policies support a positive environment for entrepreneurship in the UK. 

    Next, inheritance tax. 

    Only 6% of estates will pay inheritance tax this year. 

    I understand the strongly held desire to pass down savings to children and grandchildren. 

    So I am taking a balanced approach in my package today. 

    First, the previous government froze inheritance tax thresholds until 2028. I will extend that freeze for a further two years, until 2030. 

    That means the first £325,000 of any estate can be inherited tax-free… 

    … rising to £500,000 if the estate includes a residence passed to direct descendants…. 

    … and £1m when a tax free allowance is passed to a surviving spouse or civil partner. 

    Second, we will close the loophole created by the previous government… 

    … made even bigger when the Lifetime Allowance was abolished… 

    … by bringing inherited pensions into inheritance tax from April 2027. 

    Finally, we will reform Agricultural Property Relief and Business Property Relief.  

    From April 2026, the first £1m of combined business and agricultural assets will continue to attract no inheritance tax at all… 

    … but for assets over £1m, inheritance tax will apply with 50% relief, at an effective rate of 20%. 

    This will ensure we continue to protect small family farms… 

    … and three-quarters of claims will be unaffected by these changes. 

    I can also announce that we will apply a 50% relief, in all circumstances, on inheritance tax for shares on the Alternative Investment Market (AIM) and other similar markets… 

    … setting the effective rate of tax at 20%. 

    Taken together, these measures raise over £2bn in the final year of the forecast. 

    Next, I can confirm that the government will renew the Tobacco Duty escalator for the remainder of this Parliament at RPI+2%… 

    … increase duty by a further 10% on hand-rolling tobacco this year… 

    … introduce a flat rate duty on all vaping liquid from October 2026… 

    … alongside an additional one off- increase in tobacco duty to maintain the incentive to give up smoking. 

    And we will increase the Soft Drinks Industry Levy to account for inflation since it was introduced… 

    …  as well as increasing the duty in line with CPI each year going forward. 

    These measures will raise nearly £1bn per year by the end of the forecast period. 

    Madame Deputy Speaker, we want to support the take-up of electric vehicles. 

    So I will maintain incentives for electric vehicles in Company Car Tax from 2028… 

    … and increase the differential between fully electric and other vehicles in the first year rates of Vehicle Excise Duty from April 2025. 

    These measures will raise around £400m by the end of the forecast period. 

    Madam Deputy Speaker let me update the House on our plans for Air Passenger Duty…

    [redacted political content]

    Air Passenger Duty has not kept up with inflation in recent years… 

    … so we are introducing an adjustment… 

    … meaning an increase of no more than £2 for an economy class short-haul flight.  

    But I am taking a different approach when it comes to private jets…  

    … increasing the rate of Air Passenger Duty by a further 50%.

    [redacted political content]

    These measures will raise over £700m by the end of the forecast period. 

    Madam Deputy Speaker, let me turn now to our high street businesses.  

    I know that for them, a major source of concern is business rates.  

    From 2026-27, we intend to introduce two permanently lower tax rates for retail, hospitality and leisure properties which make up the backbone of high streets across the country… 

    … and it is our intention that is paid for by a higher multiplier for the most valuable properties.

    [redacted political content]

    So I will today provide 40% relief on business rates for the retail, hospitality and leisure industry in 2025-26… 

    … up to a cap of £110,000 per business. 

    Alongside this, the small business tax multiplier will be frozen next year.  

    Next, I can confirm that alcohol duty rates on non-draught products will increase in line with RPI from February next year… 

    … but nearly two-thirds of alcoholic drinks sold in pubs are served on draught. 

    So today, instead of uprating these products in line with inflation… 

    … I am cutting draught duty by 1.7%… 

    … which means a penny off a pint in the pub. 

    Alongside the changes I am making today, I am publishing a Corporate Tax Roadmap.. 

    … providing the business certainty called for by the CBI, British Chambers of Commerce and the Institute for Directors. 

    This confirms our commitment to cap the rate of Corporation Tax at 25% – the lowest in the G7 –  for the duration of this parliament…. 

    … while maintaining full expensing and the £1 million Annual Investment Allowance… 

    …and keeping the current rates of research and development reliefs, to drive innovation. 

    Manifesto 

    Madam Deputy Speaker, in our manifesto we made a number of commitments to raise funding for our public services.  

    First, I have always said that if you make Britain your home, you should pay your tax here. 

    So today, I can confirm… 

    … we will abolish the non-dom tax regime… 

    … and remove the outdated concept of domicile from the tax system from April 2025. 

    We will introduce a new, residence based scheme… 

    … with internationally competitive arrangements for those coming to the UK on a temporary basis… 

    … while closing the loopholes in the scheme designed by the party opposite. 

    To further encourage investment into the UK, we will also extend the Temporary Repatriation Relief to three years and expand its scope… 

    … bringing billions of pounds of new funds into Britain. 

    The independent Office for Budget Responsibility say that this package of measures will raise £12.7bn over the next five years.  

    Next, the fund management industry provides a vital contribution to our economy… 

    …  but as our manifesto set out, there needs to be a fairer approach to the way carried interest is taxed.  

    So we will increase the Capital Gains Tax rates on carried interest to 32% from April 2025… 

    … and – from April 2026 – we will deliver further reforms to ensure that the specific rules for carried interest are simpler, fairer and better targeted. 

    In our manifesto we committed to reforming stamp duty land tax to raise revenue while supporting those buying their first home.  

    We are increasing the stamp-duty land tax surcharge for second-homes… 

    …known as the “Higher Rate for Additional Dwellings”… 

    … by 2 percentage points, to 5%, which will come into effect from tomorrow.  

    This will support over 130,000 additional transactions from people buying their first home, or moving home over, the next five years. 

    Next, we committed to reform the Energy Profits Levy on oil and gas companies. 

    I can confirm today that we will increase the rate of the levy to 38%, which will now expire in March 2030… 

    … and we will remove the 29% investment allowance. 

    To ensure the oil and gas industry can protect jobs and support our energy security… 

    … we will maintain the 100% first year allowances and the decarbonisation allowances too.  

    Finally, 94% of children in the UK attend state schools. 

    To provide the highest quality of support and teaching that they deserve… 

    … we will introduce VAT on private school fees from January 2025… 

    … and we will shortly introduce legislation to remove their business rates relief from April 2025, too.  

    We said in our manifesto that these changes… 

    … alongside our measures to tackle tax avoidance… 

    … would bring in £8.5bn by the final year of the forecast. 

    I can confirm today that they will in fact raise over £9bn… 

    … to support our public services and restore our public finances. 

    That is a promise made – and a promise fulfilled. 

    Madam Deputy Speaker, I have one final decision to take on tax today. 

    The previous government froze income tax and National Insurance thresholds in 2021… 

    … and then they did so again after the mini-budget. 

    Extending their threshold freeze for a further two years raises billions of pounds.  

    Money to deal with the black hole in our public finances…  

    … and repair our public services.  

    Having considered this issue closely… 

    … I have come to the conclusion… 

    … that extending the threshold freeze… 

    … would hurt working people. 

    It would take more money out of their payslips.

    I am keeping every single promise on tax that I made in our manifesto. 

    So there will be no extension of the freeze in income tax and National Insurance thresholds beyond the decisions of the previous government.  

    From 2028-29, personal tax thresholds will be uprated in line with inflation once again.

    When it comes to choices on tax, this government chooses to protect working people every single time.  

    SPENDING 

    Madam Deputy Speaker, these are the choices I have made. 

    To restore economic stability. 

    And to protect working people.  

    The next choice I make is to begin to repair our public services.  

    In recent months, we have conducted the first phase of the Spending Review… 

    … to set departmental budgets for 2024-25 and 2025-26… 

    … and I want to thank my Right Honourable Friend the Chief Secretary to the Treasury for his tireless work with colleagues from across government.  

    Because I have taken difficult decisions on tax today… 

    … I am able to provide an injection of immediate funding over the next two years… 

    … to stabilise and to support our public services.  

    The next phase of the Spending Review will report in late Spring, and I have set the overall envelope today. 

    Day to day spending from 2024-25 onwards will grow by 1.5% in real terms… 

    … and total departmental spending, including capital spending, will grow by 1.7% in real terms. 

    At the election we promised there would be no return to austerity.  

    Today we deliver on that promise. 

    But given the scale of the challenges that are facing our public services… 

    … that means there will still be difficult choices in the next phase of the Spending Review. 

    Just as we cannot tax and spend our way to prosperity… 

    … nor can we simply spend our way to better public services.  

    So we will deliver a new approach to public service reform… 

    … using technology to improve public services… 

    … and taking a zero-based approach… 

    … so that taxpayers’ money is spent as effectively as possible…  

    … and so that we focus on delivering our key priorities.  

    Spending Review: Phase 1 

    In the first phase of the Spending Review… 

    … I have prioritised day-to-day funding to deliver on our manifesto commitments. 

    I want every child to have the best start in life… 

    … and the best possible start to the school day, too… 

    … and I know my Right Honourable Friend the Education Secretary shares my ambition.  

    So I am today tripling investment in breakfast clubs to fund them in thousands of schools.  

    I am increasing the core schools budget by £2.3bn next year… 

    … to support our pledge to hire thousands more teachers into key subjects.   

    So that our young people can develop the skills that they need for the future… 

    … I am providing an additional £300m for further education. 

    And finally, this government is committed to reforming special educational needs provision… 

    … to improve outcomes for our most vulnerable children and ensure the system is financially sustainable. 

    To support that work, I am today providing a £1bn uplift in funding, a 6% real terms increase from this year.  

    There is no more important job for government than to keep our country safe, and we are conducting a Strategic Defence Review to be published next year. 

    And as set out in our manifesto, we will set a path to spending 2.5% of GDP on defence at a future fiscal event. 

    Today, I am announcing a total increase to the Ministry of Defence’s Budget of £2.9bn next year… 

    … ensuring the UK comfortably exceeds our NATO commitments…  

    … and providing guaranteed military support to Ukraine of £3bn per year, for as long as it takes. 

    Last week, alongside my Right Honourable Friend the Defence Secretary, I announced, in addition to this, further support to Ukraine – on top of our NATO commitment…  

    … through our £2.26bn contribution to the G7’s Extraordinary Revenue Acceleration agreement… 

    … repaid using profits from immobilised Russian sovereign assets. 

    And as we approach Remembrance Sunday…  

    … it is vital that we take time to remember those who have served our country so bravely.  

    So I am today announcing funding to commemorate the 80th anniversary of VE and VJ day next year… 

    … to honour those who have served at home and abroad. 

    We must also remember those who experienced the atrocities of the Nazi regime first hand.  

    I would like to pay tribute to Lily Ebert, the Holocaust Survivor and educator who passed away aged 100 earlier this month.  

    I am today committing a further £2m to holocaust education next year… 

    … so that charities like the Holocaust Educational Trust, can continue their work to ensure these vital testimonies are not lost and are preserved for the future. 

    Madam Deputy Speaker, to repair our public services we also need to work alongside our mayors and our local leaders. 

    We will deliver a significant real-terms funding increase for local government next year…  

    … including £1.3bn of additional grant funding to deliver essential services… 

    … with at least £600m in grant funding for social care…  

    … and £230m to tackle homelessness and rough sleeping 

    We are today confirming that Greater Manchester and the West Midlands will be the first mayoral authorities to receive integrated settlements from next year… 

    … giving Mayors meaningful control of the funding for their local areas. 

    * 

    And to support our local high streets… 

    … we are taking action to deal with the sharp rise in shoplifting we have seen in recent years. 

    We will scrap the effective immunity for low-value shoplifting introduced by the party opposite. 

    And having listened closely to organisations like the British Retail Consortium and USDAW… 

    … I am providing additional funding to crack down on the organised gangs which target retailers… 

     … and to provide more training to our police officers and retailers to help stop shoplifting in its tracks.  

    Finally, I am today providing funding to support public services and drive growth across Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.  

    Having discussed the matter with the First Minister of Wales, Eluned Morgan, and my HFs for Llanelli and Pontypridd… 

    … I am providing a £25m to the Welsh Government next year for the maintenance of coal tips to ensure we keep our communities safe.  

    And to support growth, including in our rural areas, we will proceed with City and Growth Deals in Northern Ireland… 

    … in Causeway Coast and Glens; and Mid-South West.

    And we will drive growth in Scotland [redacted political content] including a City and growth Deal in Argyll and Bute.

    This budget provides the devolved governments with the largest real-terms funding settlement since devolution… 

    … delivering an additional £3.4 billion for the Scottish Government through the Barnett formula… 

    … funding which must now be spent effectively to improve public services in Scotland.  

    This budget also provides £1.7 billion to the Welsh Government… 

    …  and £1.5 billion to the Northern Ireland Executive in 2025-26. 

    I said there would be no return to austerity, and that is the choice I have made today.  

    REBUILDING BRITAIN 

    Madam Deputy Speaker, to rebuild our country we need to increase investment. 

    The UK lags behind every other G7 country when it comes to business investment as a share of our economy. 

    That matters.  

    It means the UK has fallen behind in the race for new jobs… 

    … new industries… 

    … and new technology.  

    By restoring economic stability… 

    … and by establishing the National Wealth Fund to catalyse private funding… 

    … we have begun to create the conditions that businesses need to invest.  

    But there is also a significant role for public investment.

    Hospitals without the equipment they need.  

    School buildings not fit for our children.  

    A desperate lack of affordable housing. 

    Economic growth held back at every turn.  

    Under the plans I inherited… 

    … public investment was set to fall from 2.5% to 1.7% of GDP.  

    But in Washington last week, the International Monetary Fund were clear:  

    More public investment is badly needed in the UK.  

    So today, having listened to the case made by the former Governor of the Bank of England, Mark Carney… 

    … former Treasury Minister, Jim O’Neill… 

    … and the former Cabinet Secretary, Gus O’Donnell… 

    … among others…  

    … I am confirming our investment rule.  

    As set out in our manifesto, we will target debt falling as a share of the economy. 

    Debt will be defined as Public Sector net Financial Liabilities, or “net financial debt”, for short… 

    … a metric that has been measured by the Office for National Statistics since 2016… 

    … and forecast by the Office for Budget Responsibility since that date too. 

    “Net financial debt” recognises that government investment delivers returns for taxpayers…  

    … by counting not just the liabilities on a government’s balance sheet, but the financial assets too. 

    This means that we count the benefits of investment, not just the costs… 

    And we free up our institutions to invest… 

    … just as they do in Germany, France and Japan.  

    Like our stability rule, our investment rule will apply in 2029-2030… 

    … until that becomes the third year of the forecast. 

    From that point onwards, net financial debt will fall in the third year of every forecast. 

    Today, the OBR say that we are already meeting our target two years early… 

    … with “net financial debt” falling by 2027-28…  

    … with £15.7bn of headroom in the final year. 

    So that we drive the right incentives in government investments… 

    … we will introduce four key guardrails to ensure capital spending is good value for money and drives growth in our economy.  

    First, our portfolio of new financial investments will be delivered by expert bodies like the National Wealth Fund which must, by default, earn a rate of return at least as large as that on gilts.  

    Second, we will strengthen the role of institutions to improve infrastructure delivery.  

    Third, we will improve certainty, setting capital budgets for five years and extending them at every spending review every two years. 

    Finally, we will ensure there is greater transparency for capital spending, with robust annual reporting of financial investments… 

    … based on accounts audited by the National Audit Office… 

    … and made available to the Office for Budget Responsibility at every forecast. 

    Taken together with our stability rule… 

    …these fiscal rules will ensure that our public finances are on a firm footing… 

    … while enabling us to invest prudently alongside business. 

    Growth projects  

    The capital plans I now set out… 

    … to drive growth across our country… 

    … and repair the fabric of our nation… 

    … are only possible because of our investment rule.  

    Let me set out those investment plans. 

    Industrial strategy 

    Today we are confirming our plans to capitalise the National Wealth Fund… 

    … to invest in the industries of the future… 

    … from gigafactories, to ports to green hydrogen. 

    Building on these investments, my Right Honourable Friend the Business Secretary is driving forward our modern industrial strategy… 

    … working with businesses and organisations like Make UK… 

    … to set out the sectors with the biggest growth potential. 

    Today, we are confirming multi-year funding commitments for these areas of our economy, including… 

    … nearly £1bn for the aerospace sector to fund vital research and development, building on our industry in the East Midlands, the South-West and Scotland… 

    … over £2 billion for the automotive sector… 

    …  to support our electric vehicle industry and develop our manufacturing base… 

    … building on our strengths in the North East and the West Midlands… 

    And up to £520m for a new Life Sciences Innovative Manufacturing Fund. 

    For our world-leading creative industries…  

    … we will legislate to provide additional tax relief for visual effect costs in TV and film… 

    .. and we are providing £25m for the North East Combined Authority… 

    … which they plan to use to remediate the Crown Works Studio site in Sunderland… 

    … creating 8,000 new jobs.  

    Research & Development 

    To unlock these growth industries of the future, we will protect government investment in research and development with more than £20bn worth of funding. 

    This includes at least £6.1bn to protect core research funding for areas like engineering, biotechnology and medical science… 

    …through Research England, other research councils, and the National Academies. 

    We will extend the Innovation Accelerators programme in Glasgow, in Manchester and in the West Midlands.  

    And with over £500m of funding next year, my Right Honourable Friend the Science, Technology and Innovation Secretary, will continue to drive progress in improving reliable, fast broadband and mobile coverage across our country, including in rural areas. 

    Housing 

    We committed in our manifesto to build 1.5 million homes over the course of this parliament… 

    … and my Right Honourable Friend the Deputy Prime Minister is driving that work forward across government. 

    Today, I am providing over £5bn of government investment to deliver our plans on housing next year. 

    We will increase the Affordable Homes Programme to £3.1bn…  

    … delivering thousands of new homes.  

    We will provide £3bn of support in guarantees… 

    … to boost the supply of homes and support our small housebuilders. 

    And we will provide investment to renovate sites across our country… 

    … including at Liverpool Central Docks… 

    … where we will deliver 2,000 new homes… 

    … and funding to help Cambridge realise its full growth potential.  

    Alongside this investment, we will put the right policies in place to increase the supply of affordable housing.  

    Having heard representations from local authorities, social housing providers and from Shelter…  

    … I can today confirm that the government will reduce Right to Buy Discounts… 

    … and local authorities will be able to retain the full receipts from any sales of social housing… 

    … to reinvest back into the housing stock, and into new supply.. 

    … so that we give more people a safe, secure and affordable place to live.  

    We will provide stability to social housing providers, with a social housing rent settlement of CPI+1 percent for the next five years.  

    And we will deliver on our manifesto commitment to hire hundreds of new planning officers, to get Britain building again.  

    We will also make progress on our commitment to accelerate the remediation of homes following the findings of the Grenfell Inquiry… 

    … with £1bn of investment to remove dangerous cladding next year.  

    Transport

    Working with my Right Honourable Friend the Transport Secretary, I am changing that.  

    We are today securing the delivery of the Trans-Pennine upgrade to connect York, Leeds, Huddersfield and Manchester…  

    … delivering fully electric local and regional services between Manchester and Stalybridge by the end of this year… 

    … with a further electrification of services between Church Fenton and York by 2026.… 

    … to help grow our economy across the North of England… 

    … with faster and more reliable services.  

    We will deliver East-West Rail to drive growth between Oxford, Milton Keynes and Cambridge…  

    … with the first services running between Oxford, Bletchley and Milton Keynes next year… 

    … and trains between Oxford and Bedford running from 2030.  

    We are delivering railway schemes which improve journeys for people across our country… 

    … including upgrades at Bradford Forster Square…  

    … improving capacity at Manchester Victoria… 

    … and electrifying the Wigan-Bolton line. 

    My Right Honourable Friend the Transport Secretary has also set out a plan for how to get a grip of HS2. 

    Today, we are securing delivery of the project between Old Oak Common and Birmingham… 

    … and we are committing the funding required to begin tunnelling work to London Euston station… 

    … This will catalyse private investment into the local area. 

    I am also funding significant improvements to our roads network.  

    For too long, potholes have been an all too visible reminder of our failure to invest as a nation. 

    Today, that changes… 

    … with a £500m increase in road maintenance budgets next year… 

    … more than delivering on our manifesto commitment to fix an additional one million potholes each year. 

    We will provide over £650m of local transport funding to improve connections across our country… 

    … in our towns like Crewe and Grimsby… 

    … and in our villages and rural areas, from Cornwall to Cumbria.

    … we understand how important bus services are for our communities… 

    …so we will extend the cap for a further year, setting it at £3 until December 2025. 

    Finally we will deliver £1.3bn of funding to improve connectivity in our city regions, funding projects like…  

    … the Brierley Hill Metro extension in the West Midlands… 

    … the renewal of the Sheffield Supertram… 

    … and West Yorkshire Mass Transit, including in Bradford and Leeds.  

    Energy 

    Madam Deputy Speaker, to bring new jobs to Britain and drive growth across our country… 

    … we are delivering our mission to make Britain a clean energy superpower, led by my Right Honourable Friend the Energy Secretary. 

    Earlier this month, we announced a significant multi-year investment between government and business into Carbon Capture and Storage… 

    … creating 4,000 jobs across Merseyside and Teesside. 

    Today, I am providing funding for 11 new green hydrogen projects across England, Scotland and Wales – they will be among the first commercial scale projects anywhere in the world… 

    … including in Bridgend, East Renfrewshire and in Barrow-in-Furness 

    We are kickstarting the Warm Homes Plan by confirming an initial £3.4bn over the next three years… 

    … to transform 350,000 homes… 

    … including a quarter of a million low-income and social homes. 

    And we will establish GB Energy… 

    … providing funding next year to set up GB Energy at its new home in Aberdeen. 

    Overall, we will invest an additional £100bn over the next five years in capital spending… 

    … only possible because of our investment rule.  

    The OBR say today that this will drive growth across our country in the next five years… 

    … and in the longer term increase GDP by up to 1.4%. 

    It will crowd in private investment… 

    … meaning more jobs, and more opportunities… 

    … in every corner of the UK.  

    That is the choice that I have made.  

    To invest in our country… 

    … and to grow our economy. 

    Today, I am setting out two final areas in which investment is so badly needed… 

    … to repair the fabric of our nation. 

    Schools

    [redacted political content]

    … schools roofs are crumbling….  

    … and millions of children are facing the very same backdrop as I did. 

    I will be the Chancellor that changes that.  

    So today, I am providing £6.7bn of capital investment to the Department for Education next year… 

    … a 19% real-terms increase on this year. 

    That includes £1.4bn to rebuild over 500 schools in the greatest need… 

    … including St Helen’s Primary School in Hartlepool, and Mercia Academy in Derby… 

    … and so many more across our country. 

    And we will provide a further £2.1bn to improve school maintenance, £300m more than this year… 

    … ensuring that all our children can learn somewhere safe… 

    … including dealing with RAAC affected schools in the constituencies of my HFs the members for Watford, Stourbridge, Hyndburn, and beyond.   

    Alongside investment in new teachers… 

    … and funding for thousands of new breakfast clubs… 

    … this government is giving our children and young people the opportunities that they deserve.   

    NHS 

    Madam Deputy Speaker, I come to our most cherished public service of all: our NHS.

    [redacted political content]

    In our first week in office, he commissioned an independent report into the state of our health service by Lord Darzi.  

    Its conclusions were damning.  

    While our NHS staff do a remarkable job, and we thank them for it… 

    … it is clear that, that in so many areas… 

    … we are moving in the wrong direction.  

    100,000 infants waited over 6 hours in A&E last year.  

    350,000 people are waiting a year for mental health support. 

    Cancer deaths here are higher than in other countries.  

    It is simply unforgiveable. 

    In the Spring, we will publish a 10 year plan for the NHS… 

    … to deliver a shift from hospital to community… 

    … from analogue to digital… 

    … and from sickness to prevention. 

    Today, we are announcing a downpayment on that plan…  

    …  to enable the NHS to deliver 2% productivity growth next year. 

    These reforms are vital.  

    But we should be honest.  

    The state of the NHS we inherited… 

    … after – and I quote Lord Darzi – “the most austere decade since the NHS was founded” –  

    … means reform must come alongside investment. 

    So today… 

    … because of the difficult decision that I have taken on tax, welfare and spending… 

    … I can announce… 

    … that I am providing a £22.6bn increase in the day to-day health budget… 

    … and a £3.1bn increase in the capital budget… 

    … over this year and next year. 

    This is the largest real-terms growth in day to day NHS spending outside of Covid since 2010.  

    Let me set out what this funding is delivering.  

    Many NHS buildings have been left in a state of disrepair. 

    So we will provide £1 billion of health capital investment next year to address the backlog of repairs and upgrades across the NHS.  

    To increase capacity for tens of thousands more procedures next year… 

    … we will provide a further £1.5bn… 

    … for new beds in hospitals across the country…  

    … new capacity for over a million additional diagnostic tests… 

    … and new surgical hubs and diagnostic centres … 

    … so that those people waiting for their treatment can get it as quickly as possible. 

    My Right Honourable Friend the Health Secretary will be announcing the details of his review into the New Hospital Programme in the coming weeks… 

    … and publishing in the new year… 

    … but I can tell the House today… 

    … that work will continue at pace to deliver those seven hospitals affected including… 

    … West Suffolk Hospital in Bury St Edmunds… 

    … and Leighton Hospital in Crewe.  

    And finally… 

    … because of this record injection of funding… 

    … because of the thousands of additional beds that we have secured… 

    … and because of the reforms that we are delivering in our NHS…  

    … we can now begin to bring waiting lists down more quickly… 

    … and move towards our target for waiting times no longer than 18 weeks… 

    … by delivering our manifesto commitment for 40,000 extra hospital appointments a week.

    [redacted political content]

    CLOSING 

    Madam Deputy Speaker, the choices that I have made today are the right choices for our country.  

    To restore stability to our public finances. 

    To protect working people. 

    To fix our NHS. 

    And to rebuild Britain.  

    That doesn’t mean these choices are easy. 

    But they are responsible.

    [redacted political content]

    This is a moment of fundamental choice for Britain.  

    I have made my choices.  

    The responsible choices. 

    To restore stability to our country. 

    To protect working people.  

    More teachers in our schools.  

    More appointments in our NHS.  

    More homes being built.  

    Fixing the foundations of our economy. 

    Investing in our future.  

    Delivering change.  

    Rebuilding Britain.

    We on these benches commend those choices… 

    … and I commend this Statement to the House.

    Updates to this page

    Published 30 October 2024

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –