Category: United Kingdom

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: UK commits additional £3 million to bolster aid to Syria

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    The UK has announced an additional £3 million to bolster aid to Syria.

    • FCDO will provide emergency healthcare and protection assistance to women and girls fleeing the conflict in Lebanon.
    • £3m package to support those most in need, as 400,000 people are displaced into Syria due to conflict in Lebanon.
    • Minister for Development Anneliese Dodds continues UK call for displaced civilians to be protected and given safe passage away from the violence.

    The most vulnerable civilians fleeing the Lebanon conflict into Syria will be provided with life-saving emergency assistance and healthcare, as the UK boosts its humanitarian support with a £3 million package.

    Taking refuge from the escalating conflict, more than 400,000 people – over half of whom are women and children – are estimated by the UN to have been displaced from Lebanon into Syria since September. The majority of those who have been displaced are Syrians, who initially fled to Lebanon after the Syrian civil war which began in 2014.

    The UK funding will help trusted aid organisations to deliver immediate healthcare at border crossings, including trauma and injury support, as well as targeted protection assistance for women and girls.

    Minister for Development Anneliese Dodds said:

    The humanitarian situation in Lebanon and the wider Middle East is extremely concerning. It is critical that vulnerable civilians fleeing the conflict in Lebanon are given safe passage, and for their lives to be protected.

    Today’s package of emergency assistance will provide support to those most in need as they continue to risk their lives to make this dangerous journey.

    Of the £3 million in funding, £2 million has been allocated to the UN OCHA led Syria Humanitarian Fund, with £500,000 given to both the International Medical Corps UK and UNFPA.

    International Medical Corps UK Country Director Wafaa Sadek said:

    This new contribution builds on the generous support from the FCDO, helping the International Medical Corps to deliver essential healthcare and humanitarian aid to people crossing from Lebanon into Syria.

    Thanks to FCDO funding, International Medical Corps has already deployed three Mobile Medical Teams to address the growing needs—one serving Damascus and Rural Damascus, another covering Latakia and Tartous, and a third focusing on Hama and Homs governorates.

    This announcement follows more than £4 billion of funding that the UK has contributed since 2011 in lifesaving and life-sustaining assistance for the victims of the crisis in Syria – its largest ever response to a single humanitarian crisis.

    In Lebanon, we have already announced £10 million of aid to respond to a widespread lack of shelter, and reduced access to clean water, hygiene and healthcare. This is in addition to £5 million already provided to UNICEF. The government is also supporting the DEC Middle East Humanitarian Appeal, with the government aid matching up to £10 million raised by the public. 

    The UK is clear that a wider regional conflict must be avoided at all costs and is committed to working with partners to secure a ceasefire on all sides.

    Notes to Editors:

    • Today’s allocation of funding comes from the UK’s annual Overseas Development Assistance (ODA) package for Syria, which is totalled at £97m for FY 24-25.
    • In addition, £6m will be released from the Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF) – to which the UK contributes centrally and is a leading donor– for the UN response to new arrivals from Lebanon in Syria.
    • Syria remains an unsafe destination for vulnerable people, including Syrian refugees, who should only return to Syria voluntarily in a safe and dignified manner.
    • UK commits additional £10 million of aid to Lebanon – GOV.UK

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    Updates to this page

    Published 23 October 2024

    MIL OSI United Kingdom

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Lord Mayor of London’s Dinner for HM Judges 2024: Lord Chancellor’s Speech

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    At this annual event for HM Judges the Rt Hon Shabana Mahmood MP spoke about the importance of prisons in maintaining the rule of law.

    Political content has been removed from this transcript

    My Lord Mayor, Lady Mayoress, my Lady Chief Justice, members of His Majesty’s judiciary, ladies and gentlemen.

    I want to thank Michael [Mainelli, Lord Mayor] and Elisabeth [Reuß, Lady Mayoress] for hosting us this evening…

    And express my gratitude for their year of service to the City of London…

    I am looking forward to welcoming the next Lord Mayor, Alastair King, in a ceremony at the House of Lords on Monday.

    As the first Muslim Lord Chancellor, I’m afraid I won’t partake in sipping port from the Loving Cups…

    But I am looking forward to the shortbread.

    Let me say what an honour it is to be here for the first time as Lord Chancellor.

    Unlike most of my 11 predecessors across the last 14 years…

    It will not also be my last.

    I understand that, in the past, my predecessors have peppered these speeches with humour.

    But you may have seen the very serious announcements that I made earlier today…

    And so, sadly, this is not a time for levity.

    Instead, I want to take this opportunity to explain why I had to make them and what they mean.  

    But let me start with something that should never be contentious: the rule of law.

    My parents came to the UK just a few decades ago…

    Leaving a country created by partition. 

    They were so-called ‘Mangla Dam affectees’…

    A people whose land was seized and then flooded by an overbearing and unaccountable state.

    But when they came here, to Britain…

    They found a home where no one is above the law – not even a government… 

    And where no one can fall below it either.

    It was that inheritance…

    And an argumentative disposition…

    That led me to the bar…

    And left me with an enduring belief in the sanctity of the rule of law…

    The most enduring of British values.

    That defines who we are and how our country works.

    Here, the law rules, not the mob…

    And our disagreements are resolved through the careful crafting of arguments.

    This Great British value is also of great value to Britain…

    Underpinning our economy…

    Giving businesses, large and small, the confidence to trade….

    In the knowledge that any disputes that arise will be settled fairly.

    In every instance, those who come before the courts…

    Know that their case will be decided on the facts by learned judges – by you…

    And that those judgments will be done without interference or commentary…

    From politicians like me or my colleagues.

    The oath that I swore when I took this job: to respect the rule of law and defend the independence of the judiciary…

    Is one that I take extremely seriously.

    It was at the forefront of my mind when I was appointed as Lord Chancellor.

    Our prisons were not just in crisis…

    They were on the point of collapse.

    Weeks away from running out of space altogether.

    And had that happened, the consequences are hard to contemplate:

    The police unable to make arrests…

    Your courts forced to cancel trials.

    Justice would have come to a grinding halt.

    As my officials explained the enormity of the situation…

    My oath rang in my ears.

    Would I be the Lord Chancellor who days after swearing to uphold the rule of law…

    Oversaw the breakdown of law and order?

    I had no choice but to take drastic action…

    To make sure the justice system could continue to function…

    Anything else would have been a betrayal of my constitutional duty.

    I simply could not allow that to happen.

    So, I took the decision to bring forward the release point for some prisoners serving standard determinate sentences…

    From the usual 50 percent to 40 percent…

    Spending the remainder on strict licence conditions in the community.

    The first releases happened in September and more took place today.

    Given the disgraceful disorder just a few weeks after we took office, the necessity of that decision was soon apparent.

    At one point, the prison places remaining in the adult male estate…

    Fell into double figures.

    And let me place on record, once again, my deepest thanks for all that you did this summer…

    Handing down justice, swiftly, to those responsible.

    I have no doubt at all that your work brought that disorder to a halt.

    The measures that I was forced to take…

    To bring our prisons back from the brink…

    Were not a long-term solution.

    So today, in parliament, I set out a long-term plan for our prisons…

    To ensure the scenes that we have witnessed today, of the emergency release of prisoners, are never witnessed again.

    And that starts by building more prisons.

    But we must be honest:  

    We cannot build our way out of this crisis.

    This isn’t a matter of ideology.

    It is simple mathematics.

    Every year, our prison population grows by around 4,500 prisoners…

    To keep up with that demand would require us to build the equivalent of HMP Birmingham, in my own constituency, four and a half times over, every single year.  

    We simply cannot build that fast.

    For that reason, I have today launched a landmark review of sentencing.

    It will have one clear goal:

    To ensure we are never again in a position where we have more prisoners than space in our prisons.

    The review will follow 3 principles:

    First, sentences must punish offenders and protect the public.

    For dangerous offenders, prison will always remain the answer.

    Punishment and public protection will be this government’s first priority.

    There will be dangerous offenders who must always receive a custodial sentence…

    And there must always be space in our prisons for them.

    The second principle of the review is that sentences must encourage offenders to turn their backs on lives of crime.

    The system needs both sticks and carrots.

    In this, I will be encouraging the reviewers to learn from those who have succeeded in other jurisdictions.

    The third principle of the review will be to expand punishment that offenders receive outside of prison.

    There are already ways that we severely constrain offenders…

    Limiting their freedom outside of prison.

    Those under Home Detention Curfews are, in practice, under a highly effective form of house arrest.

    And sobriety tags enforce teetotalism almost as strict as my own.

    And we must explore how the next generation of technology can ensure the eyes of the state follow an offender on the outside…

    As closely – or even more so – than a prison officer, on the inside.

    Moving punishment out of prison – for those who can be safely managed there – has huge benefits:

    Outside of prison, offenders can engage in work that pays back the communities and individuals who they have harmed.

    And the evidence is clear that those who serve their sentences outside prison are far less likely to reoffend…

    Making our streets safer…

    And reducing the cost to society of reoffending, which has been most recently valued at over £22bn a year.

    I am pleased to say that the review will be led by a former Lord Chancellor, David Gauke…

    A highly regarded Minister who served in multiple roles across government…

    And who I know earned the trust and respect of many of you in the room this evening.

    I will work with him to assemble a panel of reviewers who will draw together deep expertise and experience in the criminal justice system…

    Including judicial colleagues.

    And the review will take a bipartisan and evidence-based look at an issue that has – for far too long – been a political football, booted around by both sides.

    David Gauke will report back with his recommendations in the Spring…

    And I look forward to discussing them with the senior judiciary then.

    I know that for many in this room, it may seem like this government is preoccupied with what is happening in our prisons…

    Where an acute crisis could easily shroud the great challenges that we face across our justice system.

    I want you to know that I fully recognise all of those challenges…

    I know our courts backlogs are at historic highs…

    That, for far too many victims, justice delayed now means justice denied.

    I know you are working under immense pressure…

    In the delivery of justice…

    And in the defence of the rule of law.

    This government will support you.

    Speaking before a budget, my lips are – by necessity – sealed.

    But let me say this:

    This government will pursue the hard work of restoring and reforming our justice system.

    We will support you in delivering justice more swiftly…

    We will promote this country’s standing as a global beacon of the rule of law…

    And we will back our legal sector, which is so vital to this government’s mission to kickstart economic growth.

    All this, I must acknowledge, will take time.

    I know that you have grown weary of the merry-go-round of Lord Chancellors…

    Holding this ancient office for the blink of an eye…

    With every judges’ dinner yet another introduction…

    More warm words and bromides from the new Lord Chancellor…

    Who promises the world but goes out with a whimper.

    This time, it will be different.

    I am a Lord Chancellor who is here for the long haul.

    I won’t hide the difficulty of the job at hand.

    But nor will I resile from the hard work of pursuing it.

    I will, I must admit, need your support along the way.

    When times are good…

    And when we agree…

    We will support each other.

    And when we disagree, as I am sure we will on occasion…

    We must be frank with each other, albeit in private…

    Always critical friends in the pursuit of a shared endeavour.

    As I mentioned earlier, the rule of law runs strongly through my background.

    My parents did not study Magna Carta, Habeas Corpus and the Bill of Rights, as I would go on to do.  

    But they had a strong sense when they arrived here from rural Kashmir…

    That this country was different…

    Because it has rules to which all people are subject.

    That inheritance from my parents only grew stronger…

    As I went on to practise and was then elected to Parliament.  

    My personal commitment to the rule of law is something you should never doubt.  

    I hope I have shown already that I am willing to take the difficult and even unpopular decisions required to ensure that justice can be done in this country.

    It is a habit I intend to keep…

    As we, together, uphold the rule of law and promote justice…

    Through a period of great challenge, but also of great opportunity.

    It is an honour to be here with you this evening, as we embark upon it.

    Which leaves me only to thank our gracious hosts, who have brought us here together…

    So let’s raise our glasses and toast:

    The Lord Mayor and Lady Mayoress!  

    Thank you.

    Updates to this page

    Published 23 October 2024

    MIL OSI United Kingdom

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: The UK welcomes the unanimous mandate renewal of the Multinational Security Support mission to Haiti: UK statement at the UN Security Council

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    Statement by Ambassador James Kariuki, UK Deputy Permanent Representative to the UN, at the UN Security Council meeting on Haiti.

    Thank you President. I thank SRSG Salvador and Executive Director Russell for their briefings. I welcome the participation of the Permanent Representatives of Haiti and Kenya as well as Foreign Minister Álvarez Hill from the Dominican Republic in our meeting today.

    And I would also like to thank Ms. Auguste Ducéna for joining us today. As you and the other briefers made clear, the crisis in Haiti continues to bring unimaginable daily suffering and misery to the Haitian people. This Council remains shocked and appalled by the barbarity and human rights abuses committed by gangs.

    The UK welcomes the unanimous mandate renewal of the Multinational Security Support (MSS) mission to Haiti and pays tribute to Kenya’s leadership. We welcome the deployment of personnel from Kenya, Jamaica and Belize to the MSS as well as the pledged contributions from other nations. The MSS remains vital to supporting Haitian efforts to resolve instability and we commend the initial progress it has made alongside the Haitian National Police. It is important to ensure international security efforts are sustainable and support the Haitian government in addressing the root causes of the crisis. 

    We are also grateful to BINUH for their work to establish coordination between Haitian stakeholders, the MSS, and the international community. The UK has pledged over $6 million to support the deployment of the MSS through strengthening the mission’s human rights compliance framework. We expect the first tranche of funding to be released imminently.

    The Transitional Presidential Council must work together for the benefit of the Haitian people. We urge Haitian political and civil society, with the active participation of women and youth, to seize this opportunity to create the conditions necessary for lasting change.

    President, in a welcome step this Council decided to expand the UN Haiti sanctions designation list and for the first time targeted an individual responsible for financing destabilising gang activity.

    In conclusion, we call on all political actors to work together to address Haiti’s serious challenges and to refrain from acting based on personal or partisan interests. There is a chance to bring the peace and security that the Haitian people need and deserve.

    Updates to this page

    Published 23 October 2024

    MIL OSI United Kingdom

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: VR offers new opportunities for Social Work students

    Source: Anglia Ruskin University

    Published: 23 October 2024 at 13:30

    Cutting-edge technology allows students to experience realistic scenarios without risk

    Social workers of the future are now using cutting-edge virtual reality technology to replicate scenarios and complement their education at Anglia Ruskin University (ARU).

    The new materials have been created at ARU by Vanessa Ferguson, Leighanne Wilson, Dr Marques Hardin and Paul Driver, and a partnership between ARU and Bloomsbury Publishers means that Social Work students at subscribing institutions are able to access the simulations via the Bloomsbury Social Work Toolkit.

    An example scenario replicated by the technology is a simulated home visit, which gives students the opportunity to look around freely, spot any potential issues or signs of neglect, and click on hotspots to find out more information.

    Beginning with a referral or initial case notes, learners are prompted to record their thoughts, concerns, and reflections. From there, they can complete a series of preparatory activities to ensure they are ready for their simulated home visit. These activities test learners’ knowledge of relevant legislation and help prepare them for real-world scenarios they may encounter in their social work practice.

    All ARU students now have access to the technology through their online learning portal. The VR learning will complement the existing teaching and real-life placements that students undergo as part of their three-year undergraduate degree.

    This year is the first time ARU’s Social Work course has included virtual reality technology. A recent Office for Students (OfS) grant means ARU is equipping its campuses in Cambridge, Chelmsford and Peterborough with state-of-the-art VR facilities to be used by a range of courses, including Nursing and Midwifery, as well as Social Work.

    Vanessa Ferguson, Associate Professor and Lecturer in Social Work at ARU, said:

    “A crucial part of a social worker’s role is the home visit, which has traditionally been challenging to replicate in a teaching environment and so students have relied on experience gained in placement.

    “The VR simulation offers them the chance to replicate these home visits and provides a safe environment to discuss their findings with their peers and tutors. 

    “We are delighted to be partnering with Bloomsbury to help improve the experience for our Social Work students, as well as students across the country, and we look forward to developing new scenarios to enhance their learning further.”

    Helen Caunce, Senior Publisher at Bloomsbury Publishers, said:

    “We are excited to announce the launch of immersive 360° social work simulations. Helping to prepare students for their placements can be a challenge and these valuable resources will provide much-needed support as students enter a new stage in their journey.”

    MIL OSI United Kingdom

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Additional Translink services for Derry Halloween announced

    Source: Northern Ireland – City of Derry

    Additional Translink services for Derry Halloween announced

    23 October 2024

    Translink has announced additional and enhanced services for bus and rail in Derry~Londonderry for the upcoming Halloween festival, ensuring thousands of locals and visitors are better-connected to the celebrations.

    As Europe’s biggest Halloween festival prepares to descend upon the Northwest, public transport provides people with a safe, convenient, and sustainable way of travelling to, from and around the city.

     

    On Halloween night (Thursday 31st October), Translink will be running a number of additional Foyle Metro, Ulsterbus and Goldliner services from Foyle Street Bus Station:

    • 21:00 – additional 1a service to Culmore
    • 21:10 – additional 3n service covering Kilfennan, Currynierin and Drumahoe
    • 21:10 – additional 98 service to Strabane via Newbuildings
    • 22:00 – additional 212 service to Castledawson

     

    The public are also advised to note some service adjustments:

    • 4c – 20:25 from Foyle Street and 20:45 from Currynierin not running due to road closures for the fireworks display. Passengers can instead avail of the 3n service from Foyle Street at 21:10.
    • 6a – 20:20 to Newbuildings and 20:35 return not running due to road closures for the fireworks display. Passengers can avail of the 98 service to Newbuildings at 21:10.
    • 8b – 20:50 from Foyle Street to Creggan moved to 21:00, with return moving from 21:05 to 21:15.
    • 10a – 20:40 Ballymagroarty service moved to 21:00, with return moved from 21:00 to 21:20
    • 11a – 20:40 to Woodbrook moved to 21:00

     

    At the North West Transport Hub, additional capacity has been added to the 21:38 train departure to Belfast Grand Central Station, followed by an additional rail service at 22:38 to Coleraine Station.

     

    A special coach service will also operate from Belfast Grand Central Station on Halloween at 3pm, making its return journey from Foyle Street Bus Centre at 9pm. Tickets for this service are available to book online by visiting: translink.co.uk/events.

     

    Mayor of Derry City & Strabane District Council, Cllr Lilian Seenoi Barr, said: “I am delighted that Translink is once again supporting our world-famous Halloween celebrations by providing additional services that will allow families and individuals to use public transport to access and enjoy our events.

     

    “Halloween continues to be our biggest event of the year and it’s fantastic that we have additional services to encourage the public to attend our events and help ease traffic congestion and parking in our city centre. A huge thanks to Translink and our partners for their continued support in helping us promote sustainability and accessibility at our festival.”

     

    Sarah Simpson, Northern Area Manager at Translink, added: “Our commitment to sustainability and providing greener travel options aligns perfectly with the city’s own aspirations, so we are delighted to be running these additional and enhanced services for Derry~Londonderry, ensuring better connectivity to Europe’s biggest Halloween festival.

     

    “With these services, we aim to encourage even more people to make the switch away from private motoring, enjoy the many benefits of public transport and help create a cleaner, greener region for everyone.”

     

    Contactless ticketing is now available on all Translink buses and coaches, providing even more convenience and flexibility, reducing cash payments and ensuring faster boarding. Those planning on travelling to the city from further afield during the Halloween period can also avail of Translink’s Family and Friends ticket for just £24, including unlimited day travel on all services – both bus and rail – within Northern Ireland. This ticket permits up to two adults and four children.

     

    Full timetable and fare information is available at http://www.translink.co.uk, Translink’s Journey Planner, or by calling into Foyle Street Bus Station. 

    MIL OSI United Kingdom

  • MIL-OSI USA: ERO Boston arrests Brazilian noncitizen charged with violent crimes against Massachusetts child

    Source: US Immigration and Customs Enforcement

    Marlborough, Mass. — Enforcement and Removal Operations Boston apprehended an unlawfully present 24-year-old Brazilian noncitizen charged locally with assault and battery on a child with an injury, assault and battery against a family or household member, two counts of strangulation or suffocation, and intimidation charges. Officers from ERO Boston arrested Mateus Silva-Kerkovshy Aug. 16 in Marlborough.

    “Mateus Silva-Kerkovshy allegedly committed some extremely violent acts against a child with an injury and represents a dire threat to the residents of Massachusetts,” said ERO Boston acting Field Office Director Patricia H. Hyde. “We cannot allow such a threat to remain in our communities. ERO Boston will continue to prioritize the safety of our public by aggressively arresting and removing egregious noncitizen offenders from our New England neighborhoods.”

    U.S. Border Patrol arrested Silva Oct. 22, 2021, after he unlawfully entered the United States near San Luis, Arizona. U.S. Border Patrol issued Silva a notice to appear before a Department of Justice immigration judge and took him into custody.

    U.S. Border Patrol released Silva from custody after he was granted parole Oct. 29, 2021.

    On March 29, 2023, a Department of Justice immigration judge ordered Silva removed from the United States to Brazil.

    The Hudson Police Department arrested Silva Aug. 9 and charged him with with assault and battery on a child with an injury, assault and battery against a family or household member, two counts of strangulation or suffocation and intimidation charges. Later that day, the Marlborough District Court arraigned Silva on those charges.

    ERO Boston lodged an immigration detainer against Silva Aug. 9 with the Marlborough District Court.

    The Marlborough District Court transferred Silva Aug. 16 into the custody ERO Boston at the Marlborough District Court’s detention facility. Silva remains in ERO custody.

    ERO conducts removals of individuals without a lawful basis to remain in the United States, including at the order of immigration judges with the Justice Department’s Executive Office for Immigration Review. The Executive Office for Immigration Review is a separate entity from the Department of Homeland Security and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Immigration judges in these courts make decisions based on the merits of each individual case, determining if a noncitizen is subject to a final order of removal or eligible for certain forms of relief from removal.

    As one of ICE’s three operational directorates, ERO is the principal federal law enforcement authority in charge of domestic immigration enforcement. ERO’s mission is to protect the homeland through the arrest and removal of those who undermine the safety of U.S. communities and the integrity of U.S. immigration laws, and its primary areas of focus are interior enforcement operations, management of the agency’s detained and non-detained populations, and repatriation of noncitizens who have received final orders of removal. ERO’s workforce consists of more than 7,700 law enforcement and non-law enforcement support personnel across 25 domestic field offices and 208 locations nationwide, 30 overseas postings, and multiple temporary duty travel assignments along the border.

    Members of the public can report crimes and suspicious activity by dialing 866-DHS-2-ICE (866-347-2423) or completing the online tip form.

    Learn more about ICE’s mission to increase public safety in our New England communities on X, formerly known as Twitter, at @EROBoston.

    Members of the public can report crimes and suspicious activity by dialing 866-DHS-2-ICE (866-347-2423) or completing the online tip form.

    Learn more about ICE’s mission to increase public safety in our New England communities on X, formerly known as Twitter, at @EROBoston.

    MIL OSI USA News

  • MIL-OSI USA: ERO Boston arrests Guatemalan noncitizen charged with sex crimes, witness intimidation against Massachusetts resident

    Source: US Immigration and Customs Enforcement

    BOSTON — Enforcement and Removal Operations Boston apprehended an unlawfully present Guatemalan noncitizen charged with aggravated rape, witness intimidation and indecent assault and battery of a Massachusetts resident. Officers from ERO Boston arrested 49-year-old Elmer Perez Aug. 15 in North Dartmouth.

    “Elmer Perez unlawfully entered the United States before making his way to Massachusetts where he allegedly committed vile and disturbing crimes in our Massachusetts community,” said ERO Boston acting Field Office Director Patricia H. Hyde. “Perez posed a significant threat to our residents that we will not tolerate. ERO Boston will continue to prioritize public safety by apprehending and removing noncitizen offenders from our New England neighborhoods.”

    Perez unlawfully entered the United States on an unknown date, at an unknown location, without inspection, admission or parole by a U.S. immigration official.

    ERO Boston lodged an immigration detainer against Perez Dec. 20, 2019, with the Bristol County Superior Court

    The Bristol County Superior Court arraigned Perez Feb. 21, 2020, on charges of aggravated rape, rape, intimidation of a witness and two counts of indecent assault and battery on a person over 14 years of age.

    The Bristol County Superior Court notified ERO Boston that Perez would be released from custody Aug. 15. Authorities at the Bristol Superior Court detention facility honored ERO Boston’s immigration detainer and released Perez Aug. 15 into the custody of ERO Boston deportation officers. Perez remains in ERO custody.

    As part of its mission to identify and arrest removable noncitizens, ERO lodges immigration detainers against noncitizens who have been arrested for criminal activity and taken into custody by state or local law enforcement. An immigration detainer is a request from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement to state or local law enforcement agencies to notify ICE as early as possible before a removable noncitizen is released from their custody. Detainers request that state or local law enforcement agencies maintain custody of the noncitizen for a period not to exceed 48 hours beyond the time the individual would otherwise be released, allowing ERO to assume custody for removal purposes in accordance with federal law.

    Detainers are critical public safety tools because they focus enforcement resources on removable noncitizens who have been arrested for criminal activity. Detainers increase the safety of all parties involved — ERO personnel, law enforcement officials, the removable noncitizens and the public — by allowing an arrest to be made in a secure and controlled custodial setting as opposed to at-large within the community. Since detainers result in the direct transfer of a noncitizen from state or local custody to ERO custody, they also minimize the potential that an individual will reoffend. Additionally, detainers conserve scarce government resources by allowing ERO to take criminal noncitizens into custody directly rather than expending resources locating these individuals at-large.

    ERO conducts removals of individuals without a lawful basis to remain in the United States, including at the order of immigration judges with the Justice Department’s Executive Office for Immigration Review. The Executive Office for Immigration Review is a separate entity from the Department of Homeland Security and ICE. Immigration judges in these courts make decisions based on the merits of each individual case, determining if a noncitizen is subject to a final order of removal or eligible for certain forms of relief from removal.

    As one of ICE’s three operational directorates, ERO is the principal federal law enforcement authority in charge of domestic immigration enforcement. ERO’s mission is to protect the homeland through the arrest and removal of those who undermine the safety of U.S. communities and the integrity of U.S. immigration laws, and its primary areas of focus are interior enforcement operations, management of the agency’s detained and non-detained populations, and repatriation of noncitizens who have received final orders of removal. ERO’s workforce consists of more than 7,700 law enforcement and non-law enforcement support personnel across 25 domestic field offices and 208 locations nationwide, 30 overseas postings, and multiple temporary duty travel assignments along the border.

    Members of the public can report crimes and suspicious activity by dialing 866-DHS-2-ICE (866-347-2423) or completing the online tip form.

    Learn more about ICE’s mission to increase public safety in our New England communities on X, formerly known as Twitter, at @EROBoston.

    MIL OSI USA News

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Governments launch largest review of sector since privatisation

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    The UK and Welsh Governments have introduced major legislation with new powers to bring criminal charges against water executives and a ban on bonuses.

    An Independent Commission into the water sector and its regulation will be launched by the government tomorrow (Wednesday 23 October), in what is expected to form the largest review of the industry since privatisation.   

    The Commission forms the next stage in the Government’s long-term approach to ensuring we have a sufficiently robust and stable regulatory framework to attract the investment needed to clean up our waterways, speed up infrastructure delivery and restore public confidence in the sector. 

    It follows the Government’s inaugural International Investment Summit last week at which the Prime Minister spoke of the need for regulation and regulators to support growth and investment in the UK.  

    Launched by the UK and Welsh governments, the Commission will report back next year with recommendations to the Government on how to tackle inherited systemic issues in the water sector to restore our rivers, lakes and seas to good health, meet the challenges of the future and drive economic growth. 

    These recommendations will form the basis of further legislation to attract long-term investment and clean up our waters for good – injecting billions of pounds into the economy, speeding up delivery on infrastructure to support house building and addressing water scarcity, given the country needs to source an additional 5 billion litres of water a day by 2050.  

    Former Deputy Governor of the Bank of England, Jon Cunliffe, will chair the Commission. With several decades of economic and regulatory experience, his appointment demonstrates the Government’s serious ambitions.  

    The Commission will draw upon a panel of experts from across the regulatory, environment, health, engineering, customer, investor and economic sectors. It forms part of the Government’s reset of the water sector by establishing a new partnership between government, water companies, customers, investors, and all those who enjoy our waters and work to protect our environment.  

    Launching the review, Secretary of State Steve Reed said:    

    Our waterways are polluted and our water system urgently needs fixing.   

    That is why today we have launched a Water Commission to attract the investment we need to clean up our waterways and rebuild our broken water infrastructure.  

    The Commission’s findings will help shape new legislation to reform the water sector so it properly serves the interests of customers and the environment. 

    Water Commission Chair Sir Jon Cunliffe said:  

    I’m honoured to be appointed as chair of the government’s new Water Commission. It is vital we deliver a better system to attract stable investment and speed up the building of water infrastructure.

    Working over many years in the public sector, in environment, transport and the Treasury, and the Bank of England, I have seen how the regulation of private firms can be fundamental to incentivising performance and innovation, securing resilience and delivering public policy objectives.  

    I am looking forward to working with experts from across the water sector, from environment and customer groups and investors, to help deliver a water sector that works successfully for both customers, investors and our natural environment.

    Huw Irranca Davies, Wales’ Deputy First Minister with responsibility for Climate Change and Rural Affairs, added:  

    This vital review couldn’t come at a more urgent time for our water environment and water industry.      

    This shows the fresh approach of our two governments working together on an issue which affects us all as consumers, investors and as stewards of the natural world.   

    Both the Welsh and UK Governments are determined to improve water quality and the resilience of the water sector for future generations. We have clear priorities for reform and a shared sense of the work needed across both countries’ policy and regulatory regimes to make this change happen.

    A set of recommendations will be delivered to the Defra Secretary of State, and Deputy First Minister and Cabinet Secretary for Climate Change and Rural Affairs next year. The UK Government and Welsh Government will then respond with the proposals they intend to take forward.  

    The objectives of the Commission are to recommend measures to ensure the regulatory system delivers:  

    • Clear Vision: Establishing clear outcomes for the future and a long-term vision for delivering environmental, public health, customer, and economic outcomes.  

    • Strategic Planning: Adopting a collaborative, strategic, catchment approach to managing water, tackling pollution and restoring nature.  

    • Better Regulation: Rationalising and clarifying requirements for companies to secure better customer and environmental outcomes. 

    • Empowered Regulators: Ensuring regulators are effective in holding water companies accountable, for example for illegal pollution.    

    • Improved Delivery: Enhancing the sector’s ability to meet obligations, including clean rivers, lakes, and seas, while driving innovation. 

    • Stable Framework: Ensuring a regulatory environment that attracts investment and supports financial resilience for water companies.  

    • Consumer Protection: Safeguarding consumer interests and affordability through transparent and fair governance.  

    • Resilient Infrastructure: Delivering and maintaining robust infrastructure on time, anticipating future needs and climate challenges.   

    The independent commission is the third stage of the government’s water strategy. In his first week in office, the Secretary of State secured an agreement from water companies and Ofwat to ringfence money for vital infrastructure upgrades so it cannot be diverted to shareholder payouts and bonus payments.   

    In just 70 days, the Government also introduced the Water (Special Measures) Bill, which sets out tough new measures to crack down on water companies failing their customers. This includes:    

    • Bringing criminal charges against persistent lawbreakers, including imprisonment.  

    • Strengthening regulation to ensure water bosses face personal criminal liability for lawbreaking.  

    • Giving the water regulator new powers to ban the payment of bonuses if environmental standards are not met.  

    • Boost accountability for water executives through a new ‘code of conduct’ for water companies, so customers can summon board members and hold executives to account.  

    • Introduce new powers to bring automatic and severe fines.  

    • Require water companies to install real-time monitors at every sewage outlet with data independently scrutinised by the water regulators.  

    In addition, the cost recovery powers of regulators will be expanded to ensure that water companies bear the cost of enforcement action taken in response to their failings. The Environment Agency will undertake a consultation on the implementation of these new powers.

    Further quotes

    Jon Phillips, Chief Executive of the Global Infrastructure Investor Association said:

    The Secretary of State should be congratulated for acting swiftly to put in place this much needed review and reset of the water sector. No parties involved in the sector can be happy with the current arrangements, and that includes investors whose capital is vital to addressing current and future environmental challenges.

    The government has heard loud and clear that the sector needs both a long-term plan and a regulatory framework that places greater emphasis on attracting investment. We look forward to the opportunity to support the Commission’s work and hope that its findings can be put into practice at the earliest opportunity.

    Gail Davies-Walsh, CEO of Afonydd Cymru, said:

    This independent review of Welsh and English water companies is very welcome news and something that we hope will ultimately result in a much needed boost for river health.

    We would like to understand how long-term water company investment can be secured to deliver the environmental performance that we need.

    Afonydd Cymru welcome the collaboration of Welsh Government and the UK Government on this matter, particularly given the current cross-border management issues that hinder river restoration efforts.

    Richard Benwell, CEO of Wildlife and Countryside Link, said:

    The water sector is a perfect example of where stronger, better enforced regulation can drive up investment and drive down pollution.

    We welcome this significant review as the next step in Defra’s work to clean up our water environment. We’ll be looking for strong new rules that tie the industry into environmental investment and improve the way that money is spent in every river catchment to deliver quick, clean results for nature and communities.

    Jamie Cook, CEO of Angling Trust, said:

    The Angling Community has been calling for a root and branch review of Britain’s failing water sector, so we are pleased the Government has moved swiftly to set up an independent commission to deliver this.

    However, there is inevitably going to be a difficult balancing act between economic, consumer and environmental priorities that this review will need to address. We are pleased the views of water users, like the two million anglers, are going to be a key part of this review. 

    The Angling Trust is committed to working with the commission to ensure the health of our rivers, lakes and seas remains front and centre of its work.

    Mark Lloyd, CEO of Rivers Trust, said:

    35 years after water privatisation, this review is long overdue, which makes it even more welcome.  Our rivers have been flatlining for far too long, alongside the failure of our current systems to manage ageing infrastructure and population increase they face huge strategic challenges from climate change and biodiversity decline.

    Incremental policy tweaks will not fix our water system, and the review must look beyond the water industry to include land and water management in both urban and rural areas.  There needs to be much more focus on delivery of cost-effective solutions, through an integrated systems approach. 

    We will be keeping a close eye on the work of the commission to ensure it considers land use, nature, drought, flood and pollution in concert, because they are all intrinsically linked.  We look forward to working closely with Sir Jon Cunliffe and his team on a new system.

    Nicci Russell, CEO of Waterwise, said:

    We welcome this review, its wide scope and the collaborative way the government is approaching it. We agree with the government that now is the time for a reset in the water sector – nothing happens without water, so access to water needs to be at the heart of everything the government does.

    We will aim to put water efficiency at the heart of the Commission’s work, and look forward to working with Sir Jon and his team of experts to do this. The first objective in our Water Efficiency Strategy to 2030 is that governments and regulators show clear, visible leadership for water efficiency and reflect this in their policy and regulatory frameworks. 

    We are also delighted to see that Ministers are placing environmental and social outcomes as equally important to economic ones – because nothing happens without water. This is a great opportunity for the water sector to play a part in the Government’s mission of national renewal – not just in delivering a vital public service, but also in playing a proactive role to ensure a just society and a strong economy.

    Joan Edwards, Director Policy and Public Affairs at The Wildlife Trusts, said:

    This review comes not a moment too soon, given the precarious and polluted state of our waters, and the looming threat of future water shortages.

    It’s crucial that regulation drives companies to invest in the solutions that can best deliver improvements for nature at the same time as limiting bill increases.

    We look forward to supporting the Commission’s work by feeding in on the importance of a healthy environment and the changes needed to get us there.

    Updates to this page

    Published 22 October 2024

    MIL OSI United Kingdom

  • MIL-OSI Security: Former Montgomery County Restaurant Owner Sentenced to 21 Months’ Imprisonment for PPP and RRF Loan Fraud

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney Jacqueline C. Romero announced that Giuseppina “Josephine” Leone, 62, of North Wales, Pennsylvania, was sentenced today by United States District Court Judge Gerald A. McHugh to 21 months in prison, one year of supervised release, a $50,000 fine and $300 special assessment for pandemic program fraud. The Court denied the defendant’s request for a non-custodial sentence. The defendant has also paid full restitution in the amount of $972,861.75.

    Leone was charged by indictment on May 16, 2024, with three counts of wire fraud for making false representations in documents relating to the Paycheck Protection Program (“PPP”) and Restaurant Revitalization Fund (“RRF”) program, which provided emergency financial assistance to business owners suffering the economic effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. She pleaded guilty to those charges on May 23.

    Leone and her husband were owners of Ristorante San Marco (“RSM”), an Italian restaurant located in Ambler, Pa. Leone and her husband executed an Agreement for Sale of Real Property dated October 20, 2019, listing themselves as the “Sellers” of the RSM property and a third party as the “Buyer” for a purchase price of $1,575,000. Subsequently, on or about March 18, 2020, Leone posted on the restaurant’s Facebook page informing the public that RSM would be temporarily closed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. RSM remained closed and never reopened.

    Despite the restaurant not being in operation in April 2020, Leone submitted a fraudulent application for a PPP loan in the amount of $138,000. This application misrepresented that RSM, which had been closed for approximately a month, had 17 employees, and would use the loan for payroll and other operating expenses. The fraudulent application was approved, and the loan funds were deposited into RSM’s bank account later that month. The loan was subsequently forgiven based on further misrepresentations by Leone.

    In January 2021, while the restaurant was still not in operation, Leone submitted another fraudulent application for a PPP loan, this time seeking $120,000. The application made similar misrepresentations and was approved, resulting in the requested funds being deposited into RSM’s bank account in February 2021. Again, the PPP loan was forgiven due to misrepresentations by Leone.

    Finally, Leone defrauded another COVID-19 relief program. While RSM was still not in operation in May 2021, Leone submitted a fraudulent application for a grant under the RRF program, requesting $699,196 for restaurant operations. This RRF application mispresented that RSM, which had not been operating since March 2020, was in operation and that the money would be used to pay employee wages. As a result of this deception, the request was approved, and the funds were deposited into RSM’s bank account later in May 2021. One month later, in June 2021, Leone closed on the sale of RSM. Nonetheless, over a year later, Leone misrepresented to the federal government that the RRF funds had been used for eligible purposes, even though RSM was never reopened by Leone.

    “PPP and the other covid relief programs were meant to provide emergency aid to businesses and employees financially flattened by the pandemic,” said U.S. Attorney Romero. “My office and our partners won’t stand for opportunists like Mrs. Leone thinking they can defraud the federal government, pocket taxpayers’ money, and get away with it. We’ll continue to aggressively pursue and prosecute anyone foolish enough to do so.”

    The case was investigated by the Small Business Administration Office of Inspector General, the FBI, and Homeland Security Investigations, and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Angella Middleton.

    MIL Security OSI

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Landmark UK-Germany defence agreement to strengthen our security and prosperity

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    A landmark defence agreement will be signed by Defence Secretary John Healey MP and German Defence Minister Boris Pistorius in London today in a major moment for NATO, and European security and prosperity. It is the first-of-its-kind agreement between the UK and Germany on defence.

    • Defence Secretary John Healey MP and German Defence Minister Boris Pistorius will sign the landmark Trinity House Agreement today (Wednesday 23 October), bringing the two nations closer together than ever before.

    • Agreement will boost the economy, investment, and jobs, paving the way for a new artillery gun barrel factory to open in the UK.

    • German aircraft will operate from Scotland as part of the agreement, bolstering European security.

    The signing of the Trinity House Agreement marks a fundamental shift in the UK’s relations with Germany and for European security. This agreement between Europe’s two biggest defence spenders will strengthen national security and economic growth in the face of growing Russian aggression and increasing threats.

    The new partnership will help drive investment into the UK – with the agreement paving the way for a new artillery gun barrel factory to be opened in the UK, supporting more than 400 jobs and nearly half a billion-pounds boost to the British economy. The opening of the Rheinmetall factory will see the UK manufacture artillery gun barrels for the first time in 10 years, using British steel produced by Sheffield Forgemasters.

    The deal will see the UK and Germany work together systemically for years to come on a range of ground-breaking defence projects and across all domains (air, land, sea, space and cyber). This includes working jointly to rapidly develop brand-new extended deep strike weapons that can travel further with more precision than current systems, including Storm Shadow.

    It will bring the two nation’s defence industries closer than ever, including a long-term commitment to manufacturing Boxer armoured vehicles, supporting skilled jobs across the UK. The deal also aims to support and expanded complex weapons development in the UK, laying a path for Sting Ray Torpedoes procurement.

    The Trinity House Agreement includes:

    • New long-range strike weapons – working jointly to rapidly develop a new system that can fire even further and be more precise in its targeting than any current system.

    • New boost for British industry – a new large calibre gun manufacturing facility in the UK, supporting more than 400 jobs, and planned to use British steel, bringing nearly half a billion-pound economic boost to the UK over 10 years.

    • New cooperation to strengthen the Eastern Flank – the armies training and exercising more together, using the front as a catalyst for developing new ways of fighting.

    • Land Industrial Cooperation – cooperation on Boxer armed vehicles and kickstarting collaboration of land-based drones.

    • Protecting critical underwater infrastructure – working together to protect the vital cables in the seabed on the North Sea. This includes exploring new offboard undersea surveillance capabilities to improve detection of adversary activity.

    • German planes in Scotland – German P8 aircraft will periodically operate out of Lossiemouth to help protect the North Atlantic.

    • New drones – working towards drones that could operate alongside our fighter jets, as well as drones that can be used by other military force.

    • Exploration and development of new Maritime Uncrewed Air System capabilities.

    • New Ukraine support – new joint work to enable German Sea King helicopters to be armed with modern missile systems as well as work on capability coalitions.

    • Joint work with partners to integrate air defence systems to better protect European air space against the threat of long-range missiles, building on work agreed at the NATO Defence Ministers meeting just last week.

    The agreement is a key example of the Government delivering on its commitment to reset relations with European allies and bolster national security. It will be signed less than 100 days after the Defence Secretary visited Berlin to kick off negotiations in July and is the first pillar in a wider UK-Germany treaty pledged by Prime Minister Keir Starmer and Chancellor Olaf Scholz in August.

    Defence Secretary John Healey MP said:

    The Trinity House Agreement is a milestone moment in our relationship with Germany and a major strengthening of Europe’s security.

    It secures unprecedented levels of new cooperation with the German Armed Forces and industry, bringing benefits to our shared security and prosperity, protecting our shared values and boosting our defence industrial bases.

    This landmark agreement delivers on the Government’s manifesto commitment to strike a new defence relationship with Germany – less than four months since winning the election in July – and we will build on this new cooperation in the months and years ahead.

    I pay tribute to our negotiating teams who have worked hard at pace to deliver this.

    German Defence Minister Boris Pistorius said:

    The UK and Germany are moving closer together. With projects across the air, land, sea, and cyber domains, we will jointly increase our defence capabilities, thereby strengthening the European pillar within NATO. We can only strengthen our ability to act together. This is why our cooperation projects are open to other partners.

    We must not take security in Europe for granted. Russia is waging war against Ukraine, it is increasing its weapons production immensely and has repeatedly launched hybrid attacks on our partners in Eastern Europe.

    With the Trinity House Agreement, we are showing that the NATO Allies have recognised what these times require and are determined to improve their deterrence and defence capabilities. As it lays the foundation for future projects, the Trinity House Agreement is an important contribution to this. It is particularly important to me that we cooperate even more closely to strengthen NATO’s eastern flank and to close critical capability gaps, for instance in the field of long-range strike weapons.

    Armin Papperger, CEO and Chairman of Rheinmetall AG commented that:

    Rheinmetall’s investment in the gun hall reflects a forward-looking approach to innovation, collaboration, and national defence. It ensures the UK remains a leader in developing and manufacturing defence technologies that safeguard both national and global security.

    Gary Nutter, Chief Executive Officer at Sheffield Forgemasters, said:

    I am delighted to confirm that Sheffield Forgemasters will reinstate gun barrels manufacture after a 20-year hiatus, to supply large-calibre gun-barrels to Germany’s Rheinmetall AG, servicing UK defence contracts and exports.

    Updates to this page

    Published 22 October 2024

    MIL OSI United Kingdom

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Child protection caseworkers and government sign historic deal

    Source: New South Wales Premiere

    Published: 23 October 2024

    Released by: Minister for Families and Communities


    The NSW Government and the Public Service Association (PSA) have signed a reform agreement to deliver an immediate $8,283 pay increase for new caseworkers and improve rates of pay, roles and conditions for the state’s child protection workforce.

    The agreement covers more than 2,000 public sector caseworkers who do one of the most important jobs in the state, keeping vulnerable children safe.

    Under the reform agreement:

    • Child protection caseworkers will receive a 4 per cent pay increase this year, backdated to 1 July 2024, plus 0.5 per cent in superannuation. This totals 8 per cent in the first two years of the Labor Government;
    • The commencing rate for new child protection caseworkers in 2024-25 has been lifted by $8,283, including the 4 per cent;
    • A standalone child protection worker classification will be established for the first time in NSW history (currently child protection workers are under the general classification structure which covers nearly 80,000 workers);
    • The NSW Government and the PSA will enter into a reform process to update role descriptions and examine specific conditions such assafe working allocation guidelines;
    • At the conclusion of the reform process a three-year pay agreement will be made from 2025-26 onwards under a new Child Protection Award.

    This agreement delivers on a promise by the NSW Government to better support the vital work caseworkers do and consigns the former Coalition government’s punitive public sector wages cap to history.

    The NSW Government is also undertaking significant structural reform of the child protection system following years of neglect under the former government.

    The government will ban the use of unaccredited emergency accommodation for vulnerable children in the foster care system from March next year, with the government already achieving a 72 per cent reduction in the number of these arrangements since November 2023.

    The 2024-25 NSW Budget has invested $224 million in funding that will allow the Department of Communities and Justice (DCJ) to: 

    • re-enter the market as a foster care provider and expand the recruitment of DCJ emergency foster carers to include longer-term carers,
    • introduce government-run intensive and professional foster care models,
    • deliver government-run residential care for children where non-government providers are unable to offer stable placements,
    • ensure children living in residential care are supported by high quality, accredited providers, and
    • commence recruiting family time workers and additional caseworkers to undertake carer authorisation assessments. 

    These initial measures will help rebuild the broken out-of-home care system and ensure that more children grow up in safe and loving homes in NSW. 

    Minister for Families and Communities, Kate Washington said:

    “Child protection caseworkers have one of the most challenging and important jobs in the world, keeping vulnerable children safe.

    “When we came into government, we inherited a broken child protection system with a workforce walking out the door because they hadn’t felt valued in years.

    “I have seen firsthand the incredible difference these workers make to children and families, and I hope that this agreement will encourage more caseworkers to take up positions with DCJ.

    “I thank the PSA and their hardworking members for their advocacy and commitment to keeping children in NSW safe.”

    MIL OSI News

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Improving flood resilience around singleton

    Source: New South Wales Premiere

    Published: 23 October 2024

    Released by: Minister for Regional Transport and Roads


    The Singleton Local Government Area has received $7 million in funding from the Albanese and Minns Governments to help improve the resilience of Kilfoyles Bridge and Stanhope Road ahead of future flood events.

    The funds, provided through the Regional Roads Transport Recovery Package, will go towards:

    • Raising Stanhope Road at Elderslie; and
    • The betterment of Kilfoyles Bridge and approaches on Luskintyre Road with a two-lane concrete structure.

    Work to raise the road level along a one kilometer section of Stanhope Road is already underway and will involve major culvert upgrades to better manage drainage and improve access to the route during future rainfalls.

    The funding also covers raising Kilfoyles Bridge and approaches on Luskintyre Road by at least 2.2 metres, and upgrading the bridge to a two-lane concrete structure with a higher bridge deck and scour protection. This work is expected to start in November 2024.

    The improvements will help reduce the likelihood of road and bridge closures during severe weather and reduce costs for ongoing repairs and maintenance.

    These upgrades are jointly funded through the Disaster Recovery Funding Arrangements (DRFA).

    Quotes attributable to Federal Minister for Emergency Management Jenny McAllister:

    “We are working with the Minns Government and regional councils to ensure communities have resilient infrastructure they can rely on every day, but particularly in times of crisis.”

    “Upgraded roads and bridges will help residents stay connected during flooding and improve access to emergency services.

    “By raising the road and increasing the capacity of culverts, these projects will also reduce turbulence and help flood water escape quickly.”

    Quotes attributable to Member for Hunter Dan Repacholi:

    “We’ve seen over the last few years the devastation that constant rain and flooding has had on our communities and on our vital infrastructure.

    “Keeping our roads and bridges open during flood events is vital to stop communities being isolated.

    “It’s all about building back better and it’s about the Albanese Labor Government working with the states and the local government so that we can build back better and give people the future they need.”

    Quotes attributable to Minister for Regional Transport and Roads Jenny Aitchison:

    “This key investment by the Minns and Albanese Labor Governments will improve Singleton’s resilience to floods.

    “Workers, students, tourists, freight operators and other residents will be able to continue to go about their business, get to education and medical appointments with less inconvenience and disruption during disasters.

    “This will reduce their reliance on Surf Life Saving and the State Emergency Service (SES), particularly for residents of smaller communities like Lambs Valley and Stanhope.

    Quotes attributable to NSW Labor’s spokesperson for Upper Hunter Emily Suvaal:

    “These flood resilience projects will keep communities better connected during disasters while importantly protecting lives and livelihoods across the Upper Hunter.

    “It’s great to see all three levels of government working together to deliver projects that make such a big difference to our regional communities.”

    Quotes attributable to Singleton Council Mayor Sue Moore:

    “I’m very pleased to have State and Federal Governments working together to improve access in times of flooding for Singleton rural communities.”

    Quotes attributable to Singleton Council General Manager Justin Fitzpatrick-Barr:

    “Stanhope Road and Kilfoyles Bridge form an important transport route for the community and agricultural businesses but in times of flooding, they become inundated and unpassable for days at a time.

    “By upgrading and raising the level of this road and bridge, we’ll keep our community connected during future flooding disasters.

    “We’re extremely grateful to the Australian and NSW governments for their support to deliver these integral infrastructure projects for Singleton.”

    MIL OSI News

  • MIL-OSI Australia: NSW invites technology and AI solutions to improve planning assessments

    Source: New South Wales Premiere

    Published: 23 October 2024

    Released by: Minister for Planning and Public Spaces


    The Minns Labor Government is calling on the best and brightest in developing Artificial Intelligence (AI) and technology tools to improve the NSW Planning Portal and speed up assessment timeframes to deliver more homes, jobs and infrastructure.

    The NSW Planning Portal processes all the state’s Development Applications (DA) as well as Complying Development Certificates (CDC) and Concurrence and Referrals (C&R) for DAs that require state agency advice.

    The NSW Government has launched two Requests for Proposals (RFP) seeking innovative technology and AI solutions to integrate into the Planning Portal as a feature of the Next Generation NSW Planning Portal Ecosystem. The first RFP asks for:

    • Products to improve DA quality and assessment times that can be integrated into the existing Portal
    • Products or services that use AI to provide data analytics and spatial insights
    • Products to strengthen cybersecurity and improve user privacy including document security and certificate forgery

    A second tender seeking a range of technology enhancements to upgrade the core platform functionality of the NSW Planning Portal which include:

    • Making this legacy platform more efficient through upgrades to assessment and implementation planning
    • Seeking products that improve security through data processing and document migration and validation
    • Enhancements to the core platform, making it more reliable and improving the user experience

    These two RFPs follow the NSW Government’s $5.6 million investment to introduce AI into the planning system with 16 councils currently trialling AI solutions through the AI Early Adopter Grant.

    To provide a Request for Proposal for the NSW Planning Portal, applicants should respond by 3pm on Friday 1 November: NSW Planning Portal – Pega Upgrade – SR00252 | buy.nsw

    To provide a Request for Proposal for the Next Generation NSW Planning Portal ecosystem applicants should respond by 3pm on Monday 4 November: Next Generation NSW Planning Portal Ecosystem – SR00132 | buy.nsw

    Minister for Planning and Public Spaces Paul Scully said:

    “The NSW Planning Portal services millions of people, it should be utilising the best technological platforms available to us.

    “AI can assist planners to determine DAs much faster and that means faster assessments for housing across NSW.

    “We are also looking for solutions to improve the core technology of the Planning Portal to improve user experience.

    “The Minns Labor Government is bringing the planning system into the 21st century.

    “Our Early Adopter AI grant Program has already seen 16 councils commence technology trials to help their planners free up valuable time and energy to improve assessment times. This next round of technology enhancements will bring us even closer to the future of digital assessment in the planning system.”

    MIL OSI News

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Prime Minister warns Russian threat to global stability is accelerating as Putin ramps up attacks on Black Sea

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    Russia has stepped up attacks on Ukrainian port infrastructure in the Black Sea, delaying vital aid from reaching Palestinians, and stopping crucial grain supplies from being delivered to the global south.

    • Grain ships collateral damage in the Black Sea as Russian risk appetite increases, UK intelligence shows.
    • Prime Minister calls out Russia’s actions, saying the Black Sea strikes underscore that Putin is willing to risk anything in attempts to force Ukraine into submission.
    • UK and Norway at the forefront of protecting the corridor, funding cutting edge maritime capabilities for Ukraine to ensure grain can reach the global south.

    Russia has stepped up attacks on Ukrainian port infrastructure in the Black Sea, delaying vital aid from reaching Palestinians, and stopping crucial grain supplies from being delivered to the global south.

    The acceleration in attacks coincides with harvest season in Ukraine, a country which remains a major supplier of agricultural produce, crucial for global food security.

    Putin’s almost 1000-day conflict in Ukraine has reduced supplies for some of the world’s most in need and helped drive up food and fuel prices across the globe.

    Now, UK intelligence shows that there has been a noticeable increase in Russian risk appetite when conducting strikes on port infrastructure, with grain ships becoming collateral damage in Russia’s campaign. 

    Those strikes are believed to have delayed the MV SHUI SPIRIT from departing Ukraine while carrying vegetable oil destined for the World Food Programme in Palestine.

    It has also hit ships loaded with grain destined for Egypt, two vessels carrying corn – which Ukraine is the second biggest supplier to China of – and World Food Programme shipments bound for southern Africa. 

    Prime Minister Keir Starmer said:

    “Russia’s indiscriminate strikes on ports in the Black Sea underscore that Putin is willing to gamble on global food security in his attempts to force Ukraine into submission. 

    ‘’In doing so, he is harming millions of vulnerable people across Africa, Asia and the Middle East, to try and gain the upper hand in his barbaric war. 

    “In recent weeks, we have seen reporting that the Kremlin has been forced to turn to North Korea to provide troops to fuel its self-destructing war machine, an embarrassing and desperate act, and now they are intensifying attacks on areas of Ukraine that support the global south with much-needed food. 

    “Russia has no respect for the norms and laws that govern our international system. Not only was their illegal invasion a blatant attack on the principles of the UN Charter, but the way they have executed their war in Ukraine shows no respect for human life, or the consequences of their invasion across the world.” 

    According to Defence Intelligence, between 05 – 14 October 2024, at least four merchant vessels have been struck by Russian munitions. 

    These include: 

    1.       05 October 2024 – Yuzhny port – MV PARESA (St Kitts and Nevis flagged) was almost certainly the target of the strike that damaged it. Following the attack, the Russian MoD released a video of what they say shows the vessel unloading containerised cargo which they likely perceive to be weapons. 

    2.       07 October 2024 – Odesa port – MV  OPTIMA (Palau flagged). There is a realistic possibility that the vessel was collateral damage as a result of a strike on port infrastructure and was not the direct target of the attack. MV OPTIMA was also likely further damaged in a strike on port infrastructure on 15 October 2024. 

    3.       08 October 2024 – Chronomorsk port MV SHUI SPIRIT (Panama flagged).Ukraine’s Minister of Agrarian Policy and Food Vitalii Koval stated the MV SHUI SPIRIT was carrying sunflower oil as part of a UN shipment. However, the vessel was a containerised cargo carrier and noting the earlier strike on MV OPTIMA, there is a realistic possibility that this vessel was also the target of the strike as opposed to collateral damage. 

    4.       14 October 2024 – Odesa port – NS MOON (Belize flagged) was likely damaged in strikes on port infrastructure. The vessel was likely collateral damage in strikes on port infrastructure. 

    The announcement comes as this government announces a further £2.26 billion for Ukraine as part of the UK’s contribution to the G7 Extraordinary Revenue Acceleration (ERA) Loans to Ukraine scheme.  

    Through the scheme, $50 billion from G7 countries will be delivered to Ukraine for its military, budget and reconstruction needs. The loan will be repaid using the extraordinary profits on immobilised Russian sovereign assets. 

    The UK has been at the forefront of work to protect the maritime corridor in the Black Sea. The Maritime Capability Coalition – led by the UK and Norway – is focused on delivering a future naval fighting force for Ukraine and has been instrumental in helping to equip Ukraine’s navy with items such as uncrewed surface vessels, better known as maritime drones, which will protect the corridor. 

    The UK is donating an additional £120 million toward the Maritime Capability Coalition and is seeking partners to co-fund delivery of hundreds more maritime drones (aerial and uncrewed boats), as well as surveillance radars to protect the Grain Corridor. 

    And together, the UK and Norway are seeking a further £100 million to co-fund hundreds more. 

    Recent gifting packages have provided dozens of amphibious all-terrain vehicles and raiding craft, hundreds of anti-ship missiles for coastal defence and river operations, and hundreds of thousands of rounds of ammunition to accompany the machine guns we have provided. 

    Russia’s brutal and indiscriminate attacks have not been limited to the Black Sea, Putin’s forces have also been targeting civilian infrastructure in Ukraine throughout this year, aiming to make life intolerable for the Ukrainian people, especially as the country heads into winter. 

    They have attacked thousands of civilian targets, including hospitals and energy infrastructure. 

    Open-source intelligence shows there has been 1,522 attacks on Ukraine’s health care system since February 2022, 774 attacks damaged or destroyed hospitals and clinics, and 234 health workers have been killed.

    Updates to this page

    Published 22 October 2024

    MIL OSI United Kingdom

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Press release: Prime Minister warns Russian threat to global stability is accelerating as Putin ramps up attacks on Black Sea

    Source: United Kingdom – Prime Minister’s Office 10 Downing Street

    Russia has stepped up attacks on Ukrainian port infrastructure in the Black Sea, delaying vital aid from reaching Palestinians, and stopping crucial grain supplies from being delivered to the global south.

    • Grain ships collateral damage in the Black Sea as Russian risk appetite increases, UK intelligence shows.
    • Prime Minister calls out Russia’s actions, saying the Black Sea strikes underscore that Putin is willing to risk anything in attempts to force Ukraine into submission.
    • UK and Norway at the forefront of protecting the corridor, funding cutting edge maritime capabilities for Ukraine to ensure grain can reach the global south.

    Russia has stepped up attacks on Ukrainian port infrastructure in the Black Sea, delaying vital aid from reaching Palestinians, and stopping crucial grain supplies from being delivered to the global south.

    The acceleration in attacks coincides with harvest season in Ukraine, a country which remains a major supplier of agricultural produce, crucial for global food security.

    Putin’s almost 1000-day conflict in Ukraine has reduced supplies for some of the world’s most in need and helped drive up food and fuel prices across the globe.

    Now, UK intelligence shows that there has been a noticeable increase in Russian risk appetite when conducting strikes on port infrastructure, with grain ships becoming collateral damage in Russia’s campaign. 

    Those strikes are believed to have delayed the MV SHUI SPIRIT from departing Ukraine while carrying vegetable oil destined for the World Food Programme in Palestine.

    It has also hit ships loaded with grain destined for Egypt, two vessels carrying corn – which Ukraine is the second biggest supplier to China of – and World Food Programme shipments bound for southern Africa. 

    Prime Minister Keir Starmer said:

    “Russia’s indiscriminate strikes on ports in the Black Sea underscore that Putin is willing to gamble on global food security in his attempts to force Ukraine into submission. 

    ‘’In doing so, he is harming millions of vulnerable people across Africa, Asia and the Middle East, to try and gain the upper hand in his barbaric war. 

    “In recent weeks, we have seen reporting that the Kremlin has been forced to turn to North Korea to provide troops to fuel its self-destructing war machine, an embarrassing and desperate act, and now they are intensifying attacks on areas of Ukraine that support the global south with much-needed food. 

    “Russia has no respect for the norms and laws that govern our international system. Not only was their illegal invasion a blatant attack on the principles of the UN Charter, but the way they have executed their war in Ukraine shows no respect for human life, or the consequences of their invasion across the world.” 

    According to Defence Intelligence, between 05 – 14 October 2024, at least four merchant vessels have been struck by Russian munitions. 

    These include: 

    1.       05 October 2024 – Yuzhny port – MV PARESA (St Kitts and Nevis flagged) was almost certainly the target of the strike that damaged it. Following the attack, the Russian MoD released a video of what they say shows the vessel unloading containerised cargo which they likely perceive to be weapons. 

    2.       07 October 2024 – Odesa port – MV  OPTIMA (Palau flagged). There is a realistic possibility that the vessel was collateral damage as a result of a strike on port infrastructure and was not the direct target of the attack. MV OPTIMA was also likely further damaged in a strike on port infrastructure on 15 October 2024. 

    3.       08 October 2024 – Chronomorsk port MV SHUI SPIRIT (Panama flagged).Ukraine’s Minister of Agrarian Policy and Food Vitalii Koval stated the MV SHUI SPIRIT was carrying sunflower oil as part of a UN shipment. However, the vessel was a containerised cargo carrier and noting the earlier strike on MV OPTIMA, there is a realistic possibility that this vessel was also the target of the strike as opposed to collateral damage. 

    4.       14 October 2024 – Odesa port – NS MOON (Belize flagged) was likely damaged in strikes on port infrastructure. The vessel was likely collateral damage in strikes on port infrastructure. 

    The announcement comes as this government announces a further £2.26 billion for Ukraine as part of the UK’s contribution to the G7 Extraordinary Revenue Acceleration (ERA) Loans to Ukraine scheme.  

    Through the scheme, $50 billion from G7 countries will be delivered to Ukraine for its military, budget and reconstruction needs. The loan will be repaid using the extraordinary profits on immobilised Russian sovereign assets. 

    The UK has been at the forefront of work to protect the maritime corridor in the Black Sea. The Maritime Capability Coalition – led by the UK and Norway – is focused on delivering a future naval fighting force for Ukraine and has been instrumental in helping to equip Ukraine’s navy with items such as uncrewed surface vessels, better known as maritime drones, which will protect the corridor. 

    The UK is donating an additional £120 million toward the Maritime Capability Coalition and is seeking partners to co-fund delivery of hundreds more maritime drones (aerial and uncrewed boats), as well as surveillance radars to protect the Grain Corridor. 

    And together, the UK and Norway are seeking a further £100 million to co-fund hundreds more. 

    Recent gifting packages have provided dozens of amphibious all-terrain vehicles and raiding craft, hundreds of anti-ship missiles for coastal defence and river operations, and hundreds of thousands of rounds of ammunition to accompany the machine guns we have provided. 

    Russia’s brutal and indiscriminate attacks have not been limited to the Black Sea, Putin’s forces have also been targeting civilian infrastructure in Ukraine throughout this year, aiming to make life intolerable for the Ukrainian people, especially as the country heads into winter. 

    They have attacked thousands of civilian targets, including hospitals and energy infrastructure. 

    Open-source intelligence shows there has been 1,522 attacks on Ukraine’s health care system since February 2022, 774 attacks damaged or destroyed hospitals and clinics, and 234 health workers have been killed.

    Updates to this page

    Published 22 October 2024

    MIL OSI United Kingdom

  • MIL-OSI Economics: Transcript of Global Financial Stability Report October 2024 Press Briefing

    Source: International Monetary Fund

    October 22, 2024

    Speakers:

     

    Tobias Adrian, Financial Counselor and Director, Monetary and Capital Markets Department, IMF

    Caio Ferreira, Deputy Division Chief, Monetary and Capital Markets Department, IMF

    Jason Wu, Assistant Director, Monetary and Capital Markets Department, IMF

     

    Moderator: Alexander Müller, Communications Analyst, IMF

     

    Mr. MÜLLER: OK. Good morning, good afternoon, and good evening, depending on where you are joining us from. Welcome to this press briefing on our latest Global Financial Stability Report, titled “Steadying the Course: Uncertainty, Artificial Intelligence, and Financial Stability.”

     

    I am Alex Müller with the Communications Department here at the IMF. I am joined today by Tobias Adrian, the IMF’s Financial Counsellor and Director of the Monetary and Capital Markets Department; to Tobias’s left, Jason Wu, assistant director at the Monetary and Capital Markets Department; and to his left, Caio Ferreira, deputy chief of the Global Markets Analysis Division.

     

    Our latest GFSR is out as of right now, so you can download the full text, our executive summary, and the latest blog on our website at IMF.org/GFSR.

     

    This press briefing is on the record. And we’ll start things off with some opening remarks just to set the stage before opening the floor to your questions. As a reminder we do have simultaneous interpretation into Arabic, French, and Spanish, both in the room and online.

     

    With that, I think we can get started.

     

    Tobias, when we released our last GFSR in April, optimism in financial markets was fueling asset valuations, credit spreads had compressed, and valuations in riskier asset markets had ratcheted up. At the time, you warned of some short‑term risks, like persistent inflation, as well as the tension between these narrowing credit spreads and the deteriorating underlying credit quality in some regions; but you also warned of some more medium‑term risks, like heightened vulnerabilities amidst elevated debt levels globally. So where are we now since then, six months later?

     

    Mr. ADRIAN: Thanks so much. And let me welcome all of to you this launch of the Global Financial Stability Report.

     

    So the themes that you highlight, Alex, have broadly continued.

     

    Let me start with inflation. So global inflation has progressed toward target in most countries. So most central banks continue with a tight stance of policy but have started to cut rates. Now, with inflation heading towards target in many countries, the focus of the central banks has shifted from being primarily focused on inflation toward also considering real activity.

     

    So, concerning real activity, we have seen upward surprises relative to expectations. In financial markets, that has been particularly visible in earnings surprises that have been on the positive side. So as a result, the likelihood of a global recession has continued to recede. So the baseline forecast is one of a soft landing globally. And that is the optimism that we had flagged already in April. That has been reinforced in many ways. And that is fueling optimism in financial markets. So financial conditions globally continue to be accommodative. Credit spreads continue to be tight. Implied volatility, particularly in risky asset markets, such as equity markets, continues to be fairly low.

     

    Now, you know, our main theme in Chapter 1, which was released today, is a tension between this financial market assessment of volatility‑‑i.e. the implied volatility in the equity market is perhaps the best indicator here‑‑which is at fairly low levels by historical standards, relative to measures of global geopolitical uncertainty.

     

    So in the report, we’re showing two measures that are computed not at the Fund but by other institutions. One on geopolitical uncertainty. The other one on economic uncertainty. And those continue to be relatively elevated. So there’s a kind of wedge in between the financial market‑implied volatility and the assessment of political or economic uncertainty. So this tension worries us, as it gives rise to the potential for a sharp readjustment of financial conditions. So we saw a little bit of that in August in a sell‑off that was very brief. So it’s a blip, in retrospect; but it does raise the concern, whether there are some vulnerabilities in the financial system that could be triggered if adverse shocks hit.

     

    Mr. MÜLLER: Thank you, Tobias. That sets the stage nicely for us, I think.

     

    We will turn to your questions now. We do have runners in the room with mics, so please do raise your hand. You can raise your hand both online or in the room, and we’ll come to you. Please do remember to state your name and affiliation. And keep it as brief as possible so we can get to as many questions as possible.

     

    Let’s start over here with the first question.

     

    QUESTION: Thank you so much. I am not asking you to comment on the presidential election in the U.S. But we have a presidential election here in 14 days, and President Trump or Vice President Harris may win the election. And that election will have ramifications not just in the U.S. but around the world.

     

    How does the IMF assess the outlook for the U.S. economy in the lead‑up to the presidential election? And what implications could a potential economic shift have for emerging markets in Africa, particularly regarding investment flows and debt sustainability? Thank you.

     

    Mr. ADRIAN: Thank you so much.

     

    Mr. MÜLLER: Do you want to group some questions? Do we have similar questions on the election or the U.S.? Can we take the question over there, please?

     

    QUESTION: How do you explain the recent backup in U.S. yields? And are you concerned about financial stability in the United States, given the rising projections of federal debt, irrespective of the outcome of the election? Thank you.

     

    Mr. MÜLLER: I think we can start with that for now.

     

    Mr. ADRIAN: OK. Sounds good. Yes.

     

    You know, we don’t comment on specific election outcomes. Of course, this year is an unusual year, in that over half of the population globally either has elected already this year or will elect this year new governments. And so that is certainly part of the reason why this policy uncertainty globally is high. There’s some uncertainty as to, you know, what the policy path for economic policies and broader policies is going to be going forward.

     

    When we look at volatility, as I said, that uncertainty in equity markets is relatively contained. But in interest rates, volatility is somewhat more elevated than it was, say, in the decade after the global financial crisis. So we are back to levels that are more similar to pre‑financial crisis. So interest rate volatility is relatively high. And that answers to some degree the second question.

     

    We have seen volatile longer‑term yields throughout the year, but we don’t think that that volatility is excessive, relative to the fact that monetary policy has become more data dependent. You know, after the global financial crisis, there was this challenge of the zero lower bound for monetary policy; so forward guidance was a very important tool. And that had even been phase in prior to the financial crisis with, you know, forward guidance being a compressor of volatility for interest rates. And that is less the case today. So interest rate volatility has increased.

     

    When we look at the longer‑term yields, we do certainly see that term premia have decompressed to some extent. So after the global financial crisis, we had seen negative term premia at a 10‑year level in the U.S. and many other countries, and some of that has decompressed. And that is, as would be expected, as the interest rate wall is coming up, asset purchases are normalizing, and quantitative tightening is being phased in.

     

    Now turning to Africa. Of course, you know, financial markets are global. So the base level of interest rates is moving across the world in a common fashion. So you can think about sort of like the base level of interest rates and then the spreads in countries, relative to that. So what we see in sub‑Saharan Africa is that countries with market access‑‑so those are the frontier economies‑‑they have seen spreads being compressed, so financial conditions have eased. And you know, relative to, say, 12 months ago, interest rates have certainly declined as a base. And many frontier markets have reissued, sort of accessed international capital markets. So, of course, there are countries that do face debt challenges, that do face liquidity challenges; and we’re actively engaged with the membership to address those.

     

    Mr. WU: Just to quickly add to what Tobias said about Africa.

     

    As he pointed out, the backdrop heading into this year was one of improvement, both in terms of growth, as well as financing conditions and spreads. Inflation is still high in the region, but it is coming down and stabilizing. Debt is an issue, but we have seen several cases this year being resolved. So that is good news.

     

    I think to your broader point, you know, we don’t comment on election outcomes; but we do know that financial markets tend to see, you know, more uncertainty around those outcomes. And this may affect financing conditions around the world, including in Africa. Uncertainty can also bring, you know, some slowdown in investments in the near term or the medium term. And so those are all possible outcomes. I think the key thing is for the macroeconomic framework to remain stable to address domestic situations and for countries that may be facing debt issues to engage with their creditors early, including through the Common Framework and other international setups.

     

    Mr. MÜLLER: Thank you. Can we take other questions? I think we have a question here in the middle, at the center.

     

    QUESTION: I was hoping you could talk about quantitative tightening. The Fed is still doing it. What are the risks now going forward? When do you think they might stop it? Thanks.

     

    Mr. ADRIAN: Thanks so much.

     

    As I mentioned earlier, you know, during the global financial crisis and then in the decade after the global financial crisis and then again with the COVID crisis, central banks‑‑advanced economy central banks around the world engaged in a quantitative easing. So these are asset purchases, called large‑scale asset purchases, in the U.S. that led to an increase in the balance sheet size of the central banks. So in the U.S. case, it grew roughly by a factor of 10. And the Fed has started to move towards a normalization of the balance sheet size. So that is generally referred to as quantitative tightening. And that has proceeded in a very orderly fashion. So when we look at market functioning, we see orderly markets in money markets. We see ample liquidity in core funding markets, including Treasury markets. And that is generally the case in other advanced economies that are doing quantitative tightening, as well.

     

    Of course, there is the question of how far the balance sheet normalization is going to go. And policymakers in the U.S. and other advanced economies have indicated how far this normalization would be going. So what is notable here is that the operational framework of the Federal Reserve changed to a floor system, so having a sufficient amount of reserves in the system to operate that floor system is key. So, you know, looking at funding conditions in money markets and market functioning is absolutely key. Back in 2019, there were some dislocations, and that is certainly something that policymakers are watching out for. But I would say that this balance sheet normalization has proceeded in a satisfactory and very orderly manner.

     

    Mr. FERREIRA: Tobias, just a quick complement.

     

    I think that we have seen a quantitative tightening from all of the major central banks. And I think that from the peak in 2022, of about 28 trillion in terms of assets in their balance sheets, it has come down by about one‑quarter already and, as Tobias was saying, in a very orderly fashion.

     

    The main risk that I think is important to monitor going forward is the potential drain on reserves, as Tobias was saying, to avoid the kind of episodes that we have seen in 2019. But there is also a potential risk for a bounce of increasing volatility, in the sense that we are moving from central banks being one of the main buyers of Treasuries to more price‑sensitive buyers. And this might cause volatility coming from data releases.

     

    Mr. MÜLLER: OK. Let’s take it back as well. We have a question in the front here, in the center, that we can take.

     

    QUESTION: Thank you for taking my question. I want to ask about the U.S. Federal Reserve’s policy and its impact, spillover impact. I think recently, it started to cut rates, and it’s going to cut rates further going forward. And it seems to be allowing other governments, other policymakers to have more room, including the People’s Bank of China. I want to ask Tobias whether he could comment on the latest action by China’s central bank and what’s the IMF’s suggestion going forward. Thank you.

     

    Mr. ADRIAN: Yeah. Absolutely.

     

    What we have seen in China is an easing of monetary policy. So the question is referring to the most recent action, which was a cut in interest rates. And, of course, we have seen PBoC engaging in asset purchases, which has supported the easing of financial conditions. So when we look at financial conditions‑‑so, you know, the cost of funding for households and corporations in China, those financial conditions have eased quite markedly. Equity markets have rallied. Longer‑term bond yields have declined. And we generally welcome that easing. We think that is the appropriate policy for monetary policy.

     

    There have been also some announcements on the fiscal side that are indicating support ‑‑ to the real estate sector, in particular. And, of course, authorities in China had already engaged for some time in terms of addressing the exposure of the banking system to the real estate sector. The real estate sector has cooled off in China, and that has created some risks in the banking sector. So authorities are working actively at addressing those by merging banks and using asset management corporations (AMCs) in an active manner. And we welcome that, as well.

     

    You know, we are watching closely how financial stability policies are going to evolve going forward, relative to the real sector but also the broader economy, and how fiscal policy is evolving going forward.

     

     

    Mr. FERREIRA: Maybe on this last point, Tobias, on financial stability.

     

    Of course, there’s some slowdown in economic activity, and the problems that we are seeing in the property sector are exerting some pressure on the financial system. The good news I think is that particularly the large banks seem to have strong capital buffers and liquidity buffers. The authorities also have the capacity to make target interventions, and this somewhat limits the risks of spillovers.

     

    There are some vulnerabilities that need to be monitored. Right? So one, of course, is this potential pressure on asset deterioration coming from this slowdown in the property market. So far, banks have been quite good in terms of being able to deal with this potential deterioration, particularly using asset management companies to dispose of some of the nonperforming assets. The capacity of these asset management companies to keep absorbing these assets needs to be monitored going forward. It’s also important to monitor the stability of the smaller banks that are not as strong as the larger banks.

     

    And the last point I think that’s important to mention is that the financial sector holds a lot of exposure to local government financing vehicles. And if there is‑‑and there are some pressures on these vehicles, and a potential restructuring of these debts might cause some losses to the banking sector, as well.

     

    Mr. MÜLLER: Thank you, Caio. Do we have any other questions on China before we move to anything else?

     

    So we can turn over to the side.

     

    QUESTION: Thank you. My question will be for Tobias and Jason.

     

    Of course, reading your report, you talked about financial fragilities, so I would like to know what financial fragilities you see in developing economies and what policymakers should do to keep financial markets resilient and stable in the face of high interest rates as a result of high inflation in developing economies like Nigeria, too.

     

    The question I have for Jason would be around, what does vigilance really mean for policymakers? Because in your report, you said that the policymakers need to be vigilant. Because vigilance in European economies or advanced economies is also different vigilance for developing economies. Thank you.

     

    Mr. ADRIAN: Thank you so much. Those are very pertinent questions. And thanks so much for taking a close look at the report.

     

    For developing economies broadly, I would say that there are three priorities. In terms of financial stability, we are engaging with many countries in terms of building capacity on regulatory issues, so making sure that banks are well capitalized, that monetary policy frameworks are sound. And Nigeria is a good example, where the central bank has been moving toward an inflation‑targeting regime, has liberalized the exchange rate. And we welcome that direction.

     

    Secondly‑‑and I think you alluded to that‑‑is, of course, the overall indebtedness. That is a challenge for some countries. As I mentioned earlier, frontier markets are developing economies with market access. And we have seen many frontier markets issue this year. The issuance levels are fairly high. And we think market access is there, though, of course, financing conditions have improved but are still more expensive than they were, say, in 2021, before the run‑up in inflation.

     

    So with inflation coming down and interest rates expected to further normalize, we would also expect that frontier market funding conditions will improve. And as I said, interest rate spreads are fairly tight.

     

    Now, of course, there are some countries a that do not have market access, and many of those countries are in programs with the IMF. And we are working actively with authorities on the debt issue. We do feel we have made good progress within the Common Framework, but there is certainly more to be done.

     

    Now, of course, it remains key to also work on structural issues to enhance the growth outlook. And that is really something that the regional economic briefings are going to address in detail.

     

    Mr. WU: Maybe just a quick word, to add to what Tobias said about Nigeria, in particular. We recognize that many citizens do face difficulty. The flood was quite devastating. Inflation is still very high, at some 30 percent. So in that regard, the central bank’s rate hikes so far this year have been appropriate.

     

    You asked a question about vigilance. I think importantly, macroeconomic conditions within the country should stabilize. Right? And that includes inflation that will provide room to guard against external shocks, which is less controllable, right, for the economy of Nigeria. So when appropriate, the various foreign exchange measures that were taken by authorities earlier this year are also appropriate in improving vigilance, as are the banking sector‑related measures that Tobias has mentioned.

     

    Mr. MÜLLER: All right. Do we have any more questions on that side of the room before we turn it back over here?

     

    QUESTION: Thank you very much.

    So Ghana has just completed its debt restructuring. It’s good news for Ghanians. However, it appears the government is looking at the capital market. What advice do you have for the government at this point? And also because we have an election around the corner.

     

    Mr. ADRIAN: Yeah. As I noted earlier, we don’t really comment on elections in the countries of our membership. You know, these are democratic processes. And the people in each country are‑‑it’s their liberty to vote for the government, so we don’t comment on that.

     

    We are, of course, engaged very closely with Ghana. Ghana is in a program. Ghana did restructure its debt. And we are confident that the outlook is going to improve going forward. The regional economic press briefing on Africa is going to go further into detail on those issues.

     

    Mr. MÜLLER: Thank you, Tobias.

     

    As a reminder these regional press briefings will be on Thursday and Friday. So they’re all going to be here, so you will have the opportunity to ask those specific questions then.

     

    Can we turn it over here to the middle for a question, please? Right in the center. Thank you.

     

    QUESTION: Thank you.

     

    A follow‑up question related to the yields going up for the Treasury. In simple words, do you see them going up as a source of a potential sell‑off in the financial markets?

     

    And a separate question, if possible. For the same token, yields are going up because of the fiscal trajectory in the U.S. that is worrisome for some, at least, although the candidates are not talking about it. For the same token, considering that the Italian debt is only going up, according to the latest estimates from the IMF, does that represent a source of financial instability for the euro zone?

     

    Mr. ADRIAN: Yeah. Thanks so much for this question.

     

    We have, indeed, done work on the interconnection or the nexus between fiscal‑‑or, you know, sovereign debt and financial market debt. So in the euro area, of course, we are watching closely the sovereign‑bank nexus, so the exposure of banks to the sovereign. And you know, in general, we have seen an amelioration there. So, you know, debt‑to‑GDP has been increasing. And that’s very broadly the case around the world. It’s really in the pandemic that we see a sharp upward move in debt‑to‑GDP in both advanced economies and emerging and developing economies. And you know, the fiscal outlook in many countries does imply that debt-to-GDP may continue to rise. So that could‑‑you know, that is certainly a backdrop for the financial system.

     

    Now having said that, governments in advanced economies and major emerging markets have ample room to adjust the fiscal situation going forward through spending measures, through revenue measures. So it is not an immediate financial stability concern in those advanced economies or major emerging markets.

     

    You know, in terms of the pricing of sovereign debt‑‑so, you know, Treasury yields and other benchmark yields around the world‑‑as I said earlier, volatility in those longer‑term yields has increased relative to the decade of the post‑crisis environment, where central banks were constrained at the zero lower bound or the effective lower bound, so had very low interest rates; so they deployed forward guidance and these quantitative asset purchases. So that really compressed longer‑term yields. And that has normalized to some degree, but we don’t think that it is an unusual move. So we are quite comfortable with the kind of levels that we are seeing.

     

    Mr. MÜLLER: Thank you. Let’s bring it back over here. I think we have a few questions. Can we take the one in the middle right at the center? Thank you.

     

    QUESTION: A question for Tobias, if I may.

     

    There has been quite a lot of talk about fragmentation and geopolitical risk. Do you think that, as others have said, the momentum for financial regulation and for completing the job on a lot of areas of that is fading? Is there a risk of complacency there? Thank you.

     

    Mr. ADRIAN: Yeah. So let me note that we are working around the membership on the regulation of banks but also non‑banks, including security markets, insurance companies, pension funds, and other non‑bank financial institutions.

     

    Concerning banking regulation, of course, there was a major initiative after the global financial crisis to improve capital and liquidity in the banks and to improve the supervision of the banks, primarily of internationally active banks. So the members of the Basel Committee‑‑this is, you know, a group of countries that roughly maps into the G‑20‑‑have committed to phasing in Basel III as a standard for capital and liquidity requirements in those banks. And our understanding is that the membership is still committed to that phase‑in.

     

    I would note that it has taken longer than was initially anticipated, but we are very confident for now that, you know, the major advanced economies and major emerging markets that have signed onto this Basel III framework are going to phase that in.

     

    In the broader membership of the IMF, there’s also a substantial improvement in the regulation of banks. And I would note that there has also been quite a bit of progress in terms of regulations of non‑banks, including insurance companies but also security markets, though we do think that more needs to be done going forward.

     

    Mr. FERREIRA: We have seen important progress in the post‑crisis. Our baseline is still that all the internationally agreed standards will be implemented. Although, as Tobias was saying, there are some major jurisdictions that are facing some challenges implementing that.

     

    We see this with some concern because when you see a major jurisdiction not implementing any standard or implementing it with substantial deviations from what has been agreed, it kind of jeopardizes the international standard‑setting process. That seems to be working fine, but we still are concerned with the delays in the implementation of these regulations that are important for the banks but also to maintain trust in the international standard setting process.

     

    Mr. MÜLLER: Thank you. We are coming close on time. So let’s take two or three last questions from this side. Then I think we still have one more question online. Can we do the three over here in the front, on the right?

     

    QUESTION: [Through interpreter]

     

    Good day. Jesus Antonio Vargas. Chucho Lo Sabe Newsletter.

     

    This is the ninth time I come to the Annual Meetings of the IMF and the World Bank. Six times in Washington. I come from Medellín, Colombia. I have also been in Lima, in Bali, last year in Marrakech. And it is a pleasure to see Tobias Adrian here. He has been year in, year out heading the endeavors. Congratulations.

     

    First, a surprise positively since there’s measures to come from the effort to the citizens. In Bogota, they’ve been talking about building a Metro system for 60 years, and they’re attempting it yet again now.

     

    Now, leaving that aside, we have spoken about, it is unlikely there will be a global recession, which is a relief.

     

    I was talking about the risk of a recession. You were talking about a positive surprise in terms of the gains. What do you mean exactly by that? Thank you.

     

    Mr. MÜLLER: If we could take two more questions over here.

     

    QUESTION:

     

    You just mentioned there is a disconnect between market volatility and also market economic uncertainties. Could you please just elaborate a little bit more on these risks. And also, more importantly, how will it affect global financial stability if it persists? Thank you.

     

    Mr. MÜLLER: One last question in the back there.

     

    QUESTION:

     

    I’ve got a question on liquidity mismatch, in the world of DC pensions. The report mentions the U.K.’s desire to shift toward unlisted assets as investments. And our current Chancellor has also expressed an interest in this. What are the risks in this? Should the shift toward these assets be limited? And how should we guard against them?

     

    Mr. ADRIAN: Yeah. Let me perhaps start with the question on macro uncertainty, which was the second question.

     

    So yeah, you know, what we’re seeing is that there is leverage and there are maturity mismatches in the financial sector in many different parts. You know, some of those are contained through prudential regulations, but not all institutions are subject to prudential regulations. So when there’s a sudden burst of uncertainty, some institutions may be forced to unwind their positions. So this includes, say, leveraged trades in fixed‑income markets or in equity markets.

     

    We saw some of that in August, when there was a sharp sell‑off in global equity markets but also in some fixed‑income markets, such as the carry trade across countries. And you know, volatility increased very quickly, leading to this forced deleveraging, and that can amplify downward moves in asset markets.

     

    In August, this episode was very short‑lived. So the sell‑off was followed by a buying of longer‑term investors, such as insurance companies and pension funds. But if such a sell‑off persists for more than‑‑or is more sharp, that could lead to financial stability problems or financial sector distress.

     

    Concerning the U.K. situation and the liquidity mismatches, let me just point out that the Bank of England and the FCA are very focused on those issues. And they do have, you know, broad authorities to regulate those mismatches. And I think they’re actively looking at how to model stress and how to make sure that these investments are sort of balancing risks and returns in an appropriate manner. I think Andrew Bailey made some remarks just this morning in that regard, and we’re fully aligned with his views there.

     

    Mr. MÜLLER: I’ll take one last question we have from WebEx, online on the Mexican central bank lowering interest rates. For future adjustments and to maintain financial stability, what should it take into account more, the movements of the Federal Reserve, internal inflation, or the depreciation of the currency?

     

    Mr. ADRIAN: OK. I don’t want to go too specifically into Mexico. Again, there is the Regional Economic Outlook that will speak more closely to specific country issues. So, you know, in general, in the major emerging markets, such as Mexico, that have open capital markets and have inflation targeting regimes, you know, inflation targeting and monetary policy credibility has proven to be very powerful in terms of generating macroeconomic stability, relative to both domestic and external shocks. And you know, in those frameworks, central banks look at both internal and external conditions and are targeting the medium‑term convergence of inflation back to target rates. That has proven very successful. And I would argue that in the major emerging markets, we really see a great deal of improvement in those monetary policy frameworks. So let me stop here.

     

    Mr. WU: Just to quickly complement.

     

    Hence, this is why we have seen major emerging markets come through this rate hike cycle with reasonable resilience across the board. This inflation‑targeting framework has obviously done work, to an extent. Having said that, we are now on the opposite side of the cycle, where interest rates are being cut. That, in theory, should be conducive to emerging markets. Financial conditions could ease. We just want to point out that, as we said in the report, expectations could change. Volatility could be introduced and suddenly surge. So this may have spillovers to emerging market economies, you know, sentiment, financial market sentiment, as well. So policymakers need to remain vigilant on monetary policy and on other aspects of financial sector policies in order to guard against those risks.

     

    Mr. MÜLLER: All right. Great. Thank you.

     

    Unfortunately, that does bring us to a close because we do have to respect the next press briefing in this room.

     

    If you do have any questions that we weren’t able to address, please do send them over to me or someone from our team. We’ll make sure to get back to you as soon as we can.

     

    Meanwhile, the events here at the IMF do continue. We still have a host of press conferences this week, from our Fiscal Monitor tomorrow at 9 a.m. Eastern Time to the Managing Director’s Global Policy Agenda on Thursday to our five regional briefings that we talked about, on Thursday and Friday, not to mention the seminars. We have the Managing Director joining the debate on the global economy. That is on Thursday afternoon, which is always a hit that you won’t want to miss. On Friday, the First Deputy Managing Director Gita Gopinath will participate in a panel discussion on monetary policy in a shock‑prone world on Friday afternoon. And there’s a whole lot more, so do check the full schedule online at IMFConnect or at meetings.imf.org.

     

    With that, Tobias, Jason, Caio, thank you for your insights. And thank you all for joining us for this event. We look forward to seeing you at the next one. Thank you.

    IMF Communications Department
    MEDIA RELATIONS

    PRESS OFFICER: Alexander Muller

    Phone: +1 202 623-7100Email: MEDIA@IMF.org

    @IMFSpokesperson

    MIL OSI Economics

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Cutting-edge transport projects receive £1.4 million to encourage innovation and deliver growth

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments 2

    Winners of the Transport Research and Innovation Grant (TRIG) will help make travel cleaner, safer and more efficient for everyone in the UK.

    • 32 pioneering projects granted a share of £1.4 million to drive innovation and revolutionise the UK transport sector
    • visionary designs include an air purification product to tackle pollution and a pedestrian management system to enhance road safety
    • ideas will boost economic growth by creating jobs – sparking further innovation and cementing the UK’s position as a global leader in green transport

    Winners of a £1.4 million competition to transform the transport sector, grow the economy and inspire innovation have been announced by the Department for Transport today (23 October 2024).

    Organisations and academics with innovative ideas were able to win up to £45,000 in funding to offer sustainable, forward-thinking alternatives and contribute to the government’s aim of cleaner, greener and more efficient transport networks.

    Over the last decade, the Transport Research and Innovation Grant (TRIG) programme has invested over £15 million to support industries in the pursuit for new technologies and collaborations – helping deliver key economic growth throughout the country.

    This year sought proposals focused on local transport decarbonisation, maritime decarbonisation and emerging technologies such as AI and drones.

    Aviation, Maritime and Security Minister, Mike Kane, said:  

    Innovation is the driving force behind our transport system and these winning projects are leading the charge by creating cutting-edge solutions that could offer so much benefit for all.

    With sustainability at the core of this year’s competition, we’re helping to shape the future of transport – making travel cleaner, safer and more efficient for everyone.

    Among the groundbreaking projects awarded funding through the government’s TRIG is Vox Aeris, with an invention that hopes to use sound waves and music vibrations from a speaker to reduce harmful pollution across transport networks.

    Selene Sari, founder and CEO of Vox Aeris, said: 

    We are beyond excited to be a TRIG 2024 winner. This support will be pivotal for developing our technology, assessing feasibility with refined prototypes and engaging early stakeholders. We look forward to collaborating with Connected Places Catapult and the Department for Transport.

    The financial backing, expertise, and network support we’re receiving will be crucial for us to advance to the next stage. Having such robust support early in our journey will enable us to move faster and connect with networks that would otherwise be challenging to bring together.

    Previous TRIG winners include OpenSpace – a cutting-edge project using digital twinning and AI to tackle rail station disruption. By using special algorithms, it created the world’s first real-time simulated environment of St Pancras station to help operators manage people flow, improve safety and boost customer experience. 

    TRIG has been running for over a decade, funding more than 430 projects that have ranged from better connecting rural communities with a shuttle bus app to trialling the use of hydrogen to make plane and boat journeys greener. 

    Erika Lewis, Chief Executive Officer at Connected Places Catapult, said:

    Innovation in transport can unlock many benefits for society, the economy and the environment. The Transport Research and Innovation Grants programme has been supporting high-potential innovators for a decade, through funding and dedicated business support, helping them realise their commercial potential.

    This year’s TRIG competition drew a fantastic response from innovators, with the ‘critical and emerging technologies’ challenge proving to be especially popular.

    Today, the Aviation, Maritime and Security Minister is at the Transport Research and Innovation Grant Awards in Birmingham to celebrate last year’s successful winners and see firsthand what the funding can achieve.

    See the complete list of TRIG winners for more information.

    Aviation, Europe and technology media enquiries

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    Updates to this page

    Published 23 October 2024

    MIL OSI United Kingdom

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: UK Development Minister to push for gender equality at World Bank Annuals

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments 3

    Anneliese Dodds to outline priorities for gender equality and announce funding to boost women’s economic and social empowerment during visit to Washington D.C.

    • World’s finance and development ministers gather in Washington D.C. to discuss pressing international development issues at Annual Meetings of the World Bank Group and IMF.
    • UK Development Minister to announce funding to boost women’s economic and social empowerment in speech on priorities for gender equality.
    • UK to send two female governors to the World Bank Group and IMF Annual Meetings for the first time.

    The UK’s Development Minister Anneliese Dodds will arrive at the World Bank Group and IMF Annual Meetings in Washington D.C. today [23 October] for a series of engagements focused on advancing gender equality.

    It will mark the Minister’s first time attending in her capacity as the UK’s Governor to the World Bank Group. Her visit coincides with Chancellor Reeves attending the IMF Annual Meetings, marking the first time for the UK to send two female governors to the Meetings.

    In a speech at the conference tomorrow [24 October], the Minister will outline her priorities for gender equality and announce a £7.5 million investment over the next two years, and continued support beyond that, in the World Bank’s Umbrella Facility for Gender Equality (UFGE). The facility supports the generation of high-quality data and evidence to address gender inequality and boost women’s economic and social empowerment.

    The UFGE, which has received funding from the UK since 2012, has, for example, benefitted half a million women in Rwanda who were found to be losing rights over land due to not having marriage certificates. In Nigeria, the programme funded research on the benefits of cash transfers, which the government used to inform the expansion of its national livelihoods programme, covering more than 4 million vulnerable households.

    The new funding will enable the UK’s support to the UFGE to expand beyond Africa into Asia and the Pacific and support the development of new methods to collect and use gender data, including through the adoption of AI technology.

    The UK’s Development Minister Anneliese Dodds said: 

    My mission is to help create a world free from poverty, on a livable planet, for all. Women and girls are at the heart of this.

    Britain is back with a voice on the world stage. We are playing a leading role with the World Bank to improve the lives of women and girls around the world.

    The funding announced today will deliver projects that will have an enormous impact on the lives and economic situations of women and girls across the globe and drive economic growth.

    This year’s Meetings come as the World Bank Group and IMF celebrate their 80th founding anniversary and will bring together finance and development ministers from all over the world to agree joint approaches to addressing pressing international development issues.

    Minister Dodds’ attendance follows a keynote speech at Chatham House, in which she outlined her vision for a modern approach to international development.

    Over the course of the Annual Meetings, the Minister will also host an event on conflict prevention, bringing together ministers from the Global South, international financial institutions, humanitarian actors, and academics, to discuss how the World Bank Group and IMF can work better in an increasingly fragile world.

    Media enquiries

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    Contact the FCDO Communication Team via email (monitored 24 hours a day) in the first instance, and we will respond as soon as possible.

    Updates to this page

    Published 23 October 2024

    MIL OSI United Kingdom

  • MIL-OSI Australia: NSW Government takes action after customers unlawfully charged for merchant fees

    Source: New South Wales Government 2

    Headline: NSW Government takes action after customers unlawfully charged for merchant fees

    Published: 23 October 2024

    Released by: Minister for Customer Service and Digital Government, Minister for Finance


    Merchant fee surcharges were levied on tens of millions of customer card transactions, despite repeated legal advice during the term of the former Liberal-National government that the government agency surcharges were unlawful.

    The issue was identified by the NSW Auditor-General during settlement of the Department of Customer Service (DCS) financial statements for 2023-24 and brought to the attention of the current Government.

    The current Secretary of DCS, Graeme Head, sought further information from his Department which revealed that Service NSW’s practice of charging merchant fees had been flagged as unlawful in legal advice received from the Crown Solicitor’s Office between February 2016 and December 2022. Despite this, merchant fees continued to be passed onto customers.

    Merchant fee surcharges are levied to recoup transaction fees charged by payment providers including banks. Recouping the cost of merchant fees was directed by NSW Treasury in 2012.

    Typical surcharges on Service NSW transactions include 30 cents for a 1-year licence renewal, 29 cents for a marriage certificate and $1.92 to renew registration for a small car (like a Toyota Corolla). The average surcharge on a Revenue NSW payment in 2023-24 was $0.92.

    It’s currently estimated that 92 million transactions unlawfully incurred about $144 million in merchant fees from 2016 across Service NSW and Revenue NSW.

    The Minns Labor Government has established an incident management taskforce and is progressing urgent work to shut down the unlawful charging of merchant fees.

    People who have been charged fees are encouraged to register for updates on the Government’s response at service.nsw.gov.au/about-us/our-services/merchant-fees or by calling Service NSW on 13 77 88.

    The Treasurer, Minister for Customer Service and Digital Government, and Minister for Finance have written to the NSW Ombudsman requesting an investigation into possible serious maladministration.

    The Secretary of DCS has also referred the matter to the Ombudsman and the Independent Commission Against Corruption, noting the apparent failure to act on the 2016 Crown Solicitor’s advice.

    The taskforce led by DCS has switched off fees being charged directly by Revenue NSW and the Rental Bond Board, and stopped fees on more than 80 per cent of Service NSW transactions.

    Merchant fee surcharges have been switched off for more than 90 per cent of online payments, including the top 12 Service NSW transactions such as renewing a driver licence or vehicle registration or paying a fine.

    Service NSW is urgently continuing work to switch off fees on all remaining transactions, including thousands of credit card terminals in Service NSW Service Centres. These transactions span several technology platforms and are conducted on behalf of multiple agencies.

    While this work is being completed, alternate payment methods are available which do not incur a surcharge, such as paying in a Service Centre by cash or online with over-the-counter support from Service NSW staff.

    The majority of Government transactions take place through Service NSW, but as a result of this information being uncovered, all departments have been instructed to report to NSW Treasury by 30 November on whether they charge merchant fees for services and to confirm they have the legal authority to do so. 

    Quotes attributable to Minister for Customer Service and Digital Government Jihad Dib: 

    “Our most immediate priority has been to stop these charges as quickly as possible.”

    “It is deeply concerning that this practice has been ongoing, despite legal concerns being raised.”

    “While the individual amounts typically charged may appear to be small, they have been charged unlawfully.”

    “The community rightfully deserves an explanation about how this was allowed to continue for so long under the previous government.” 

    Quotes attributable to Minister for Finance Courtney Houssos:

    “We have acted swiftly to establish a taskforce to deal with this issue. Our immediate efforts are focused on switching off the payment methods that charge these merchant fees as quickly as possible.

    “We will get to the bottom of what happened and why millions of people were unlawfully charged merchant fees.

    “Families, households and businesses expect governments to conduct themselves lawfully. That’s why all agencies have been instructed to examine their own processes.”

    MIL OSI News

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Trade Secretary launches new fund to unlock multi-billion exports boost 

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    Jonathan Reynolds will announce Regulatory Partnership for Growth Fund on visit to Brazil including his first G20 meeting

    • New £2.3million Regulatory Partnership for Growth Fund will help to unlock export opportunities worth nearly £5 billion for UK companies over five years   
    • Sectors like clean energy and life sciences set to benefit, as fund targets trade barriers worth £300m in its first year   
    • Announcement comes as Jonathan Reynolds visits Brazil for G20 trade talks  

    The UK’s pharmaceutical industry will find it easier to sell innovative medicines in huge markets like Brazil and around the world thanks to a new fund to cut red tape and boost exports.  

    Trade Secretary Jonathan Reynolds will announce the new £2.3 million Regulatory Partnership for Growth Fund as part of a three-day visit to Brazil, which will include his first G20 meeting.  

    The fund builds on the Prime Minister’s call at the International Investment Summit last week for UK regulators to support the Government’s growth mission, keep pace with emerging industries and upgrade the regulatory regime to make it fit for the modern age.  

    The fund will help UK regulators work with international partners to remove trade barriers and shape markets in various growing sectors. This will see sectors benefit from a potential £5 billion of new export opportunities over five years, with trade barriers worth £300 million being targeted within the first 12 months – which would be equal to an average of £135 in exports per pound invested.   

    In an exciting project in the life sciences sector, this will see UK regulators and expert bodies work closely with Brazil’s Ministry of Health in sharing best practice around evaluating cancer drugs, supporting them to improve their nation’s health while making it easier for the industry to access Brazil’s pharmaceutical market. 

    Business and Trade Secretary Jonathan Reynolds said:   

    We are rolling up our sleeves and removing red tape where it is holding this country back from harnessing every opportunity available.  

    This multi-million-pound fund will unleash the potential of some of the most prominent sectors in the UK, and through our excellent regulators businesses will find it easier to sell their world class goods and services to Brazil and other partners around the world, as we continue to build momentum ahead of our new Industrial Strategy.

    The fund will also:  

    • enable the Offshore Renewable Energy (ORE) Catapult to partner with Brazil as it develops a comprehensive offshore wind regulatory framework, which could generate an additional £55 million of exports over five years for the UK supply chain.   
    • in the professional services sector, the Law Society will build closer relationships with other countries to reduce requirements for UK lawyers to practice overseas, including in some US states, where they have faced onerous requirements.    
    • support UK regulators who will aim to improve the process for accreditation of UK education programmes, such as university degrees, in countries all over the world, including Malaysia.  

    Dr Stephen Wyatt, Director – Strategy and Emerging Technology, ORE Catapult said:   

    The UK is a world leader in offshore wind and, in partnership with the Department for Business & Trade, we now have the opportunity to translate two decades of experience into new export opportunities for UK companies.    

    Our work will help other countries to accelerate their plans to develop offshore wind and pinpoint key areas, such as floating wind, project development, and operations and maintenance where the UK’s leading companies can also flourish overseas.

    Richard Atkinson, President of The Law Society England and Wales said:   

    The Law Society of England and Wales appreciates the government’s initiative to establish the Regulatory Partnership for Growth Fund.  

    This funding will provide essential support to UK businesses by helping them move past regulatory barriers in various global markets.  

    By building closer relationships with countries overseas, this fund will contribute to the growth and progression of the legal profession globally.

    It comes as the Trade Secretary heads to São Paulo and Brasília to build on the UK’s strong and enduring relationship with Brazil, meeting investors including one of the world’s biggest aircraft manufacturers, Embraer, as well as some of the largest UK businesses in Brazil such as Astra Zeneca.   

    The Trade Secretary will then meet Brazil’s Vice President and Trade Minister Geraldo Alckmin in Brasília, where they will talk about how to build on the over £10bn of UK-Brazil trade last year and implementation of Brazil’s Industrial Strategy ahead of the UK publishing its own next year. He will then meet his G20 counterparts and call for pragmatic and meaningful reform to strengthen the World Trade Organization, as well as action to promote gender equality in trade.   

    The Trade Secretary will also use the visit to hold the first bilateral meeting on trade between the UK and Argentina since 2019 when he meets with his counterpart Diana Mondino, where he will commit to strengthening the UK’s trade and investment relationship in line with both governments’ goals to support economic growth.  

    He will also speak to the Vice-President of the European Commission Valdis Dombrovskis, where he will emphasise the importance on resetting the relationship between the UK and the EU.   

    The meetings are alongside wider G20 discussions under Brazil’s presidency on sustainable investment and how trade can drive greener and more sustainable development, ahead of South Africa taking on the G20 Presidency in 2025.   

    Notes to Editors

    • Not all the trade barriers that are part of the £2.3m fund can be made public due to commercial or diplomatic sensitivity.  
    • The data on trade barriers to be resolved by the £2.3m fund is extracted from the Digital Market Access Service (DMAS). DMAS is not a comprehensive repository of all market access issues facing UK exporters, and reporting rates vary widely across countries and regions  
    • The £2.3m fund will be used to aid the resolution of 36 barriers in scope – the aggregate valuation of these barriers is around £5bn over 5 years. The aggregate figure of around £300m over 5 years is for a sample of 6 barriers only. To calculate the aggregate figures, the mid-point for each valuation range is estimated over a five-year period and added to provide a central estimate. Further details on the methodology for the aggregate valuation figures are published in a DBT analytical working paper. In some cases, estimates may have been sourced externally from industry.  
    • The figure of around £135 in export value per pound over five years is calculated by dividing £300m by the cost of the fund (£2.3m). This is a potential export win and it should not be interpreted that every additional pound might get another £135 in return.

    Updates to this page

    Published 23 October 2024

    MIL OSI United Kingdom

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Government pledges to make UK ‘top destination for women’s sport investment’ following record-breaking summit

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    The government has launched the 2024-25 Women’s Sport Investment Accelerator scheme, helping to attract more private investment in women’s sport and drive growth into the sector.

    • New scheme launched to attract more private investment in women’s sport to help drive growth in the sector.
    • Over 20 leagues, teams and competitions across 9 different sports set to benefit, including England Women’s Cricket and Barclays Women’s Super League.
    • Follows record-breaking International Investment Summit which secured over £63bn of private investment into the UK.

    Women’s sport in the UK is set for a massive boost as the Government announces a scheme to drive investment in elite clubs and leagues across the country, as part of a new pledge to make the UK the world’s top destination for women’s sport investment. 

    The scheme will prioritise development, commercial growth and financial sustainability. Sponsorship and investment are key to increasing visibility and inspiring young female athletes to ensure greater talent pathways are created, and to develop their careers in sport.

    Investment Minister Poppy Gustafsson will today [Wednesday 23 October] launch the 2024-25 Women’s Sport Investment Accelerator scheme, which will bring over 20 elite leagues, competitions and teams across nine different sports, such as the Barclays Women’s Super League and England Women’s Cricket, together with investors and industry experts to help them secure transformational investment and sponsorships.

    It will provide them with comprehensive market insights, seminars, connections and networking opportunities over a series of sessions, led by the Department for Business and Trade in collaboration with Deloitte, which will give them the tools and expert insight to help them attract investment and grow their business.

    Investment Minister Poppy Gustafsson will launch the scheme at a sport investment conference at Rothschild & Co today, involving leaders from major UK sports and some of the world’s most prominent investors.

    Minister for Investment Poppy Gustafsson said:

    The UK is already an elite home of women’s sport, and my goal is to make us the top destination for women’s sport investment.  

    The launch of this scheme, a week after our record-breaking International Investment Summit, shows the UK is truly the best place to do business in this fast-growing industry. 

    Off the back of the latest figures showing the industry could be worth over £1 billion this year, I’m looking forward to speaking to investors and clubs, leagues and teams today about how the Accelerator can drive this growth even further.

    The scheme will capitalise on the rapid growth of the women’s sport industry, which is expected to be worth over £1 billion by the end of the year according to Deloitte, marking a 300 percent increase since 2021.

    By supporting women’s sport to attract new private investment into the UK it will help deliver on the Government’s central Growth Mission, building on existing support for growing women’s sport including the £30 million Lionesses Future Fund and over £12 million to grow women’s rugby.

    It follows a successful pilot of the scheme in 2023-24 which supported leagues, teams and competitions across football, cricket, rugby and more to secure game-changing investment and sponsorship deals.

    Now, with two new sports and a range of new competitions and teams signed up, the scheme will provide even more dedicated advice and support to attract investment and offer more connections with investors.

    The launch also comes after major recent UK women’s sport investment successes, including a £45 million sponsorship deal for the Barclays Women’s Super League, Michelle Kang’s acquisition of the London City Lionesses, and the England & Wales Cricket Board launching the process to secure private investment into The Hundred early next year.

    Minister for Sport Stephanie Peacock said:

    Women’s sport has been growing rapidly in recent years and we are committed to supporting its expansion, from the grassroots to elite level.

    Last year, we welcomed Karen Carney OBE’s Review of Women’s Football which addressed the importance of growing investment in women’s sport.

    As Sports Minister, I want to see as many women and girls as possible enjoy sport and physical activity, and this scheme will be instrumental in securing investment to grow the sector even further.

    England & Wales Cricket Board Director of the Women’s Professional Game Beth Barrett-Wild said:

    The first edition of the Women’s Sport Investment Accelerator scheme provided an engine to help power conversations and connections between rights holders, investors, and commercial partners, with expert insight from Deloitte helping to deepen understanding for all about the landscape and opportunities.   

    I’m really looking forward to the launch of year two, and the chance to take this discussion to the next level, as we all work together to unlock the full potential of women’s sport.

    Deloitte Sports Business Group Lead Partner Tim Bridge said:

    We’re witnessing a surge in investment opportunities within women’s sport. The rise of dedicated funds and brand sponsorships for women’s and girls’ clubs, leagues and competitions signals a powerful shift. The Accelerator programme has been built to connect investors and brands with these opportunities, showcasing the strength and remarkable growth potential of women’s sport. This influx of investment will be instrumental in driving professionalisation and boosting participation across the UK, creating a lasting impact for women’s sport at all levels while delivering significant economic returns.

    The Government’s pledge to make the UK the top destination for women’s sport investment comes after the record-breaking International Investment Summit held just last week, which secured £63 billion of private investment into the UK which will create over 38,000 new jobs across the country.

    Full list of the elite sports represented in the 2024-25 Women’s Sport Investment Accelerator: 

    • Football 
    • Cricket 
    • Rugby union 
    • Rugby league 
    • Tennis 
    • Golf 
    • Netball 
    • Volleyball 
    • Cycling

    Updates to this page

    Published 23 October 2024

    MIL OSI United Kingdom

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Labour must bring councils back from “cliff edge” – Plaid Cymru Council Leaders

    Source: Party of Wales

    Plaid Cymru Council leaders have warned that Welsh councils face falling off a cliff edge unless both Labour governments take urgent action to address significant funding pressures.

    In a letter to the UK Chancellor and First Minister, the leaders of Carmarthenshire, Gwynedd, Ceredigion and Ynys Môn Councils along with the Deputy leader of Neath Port Talbot Council say “it is no exaggeration to say that many councils find themselves on the brink of financial ruin and there is a duty on both Welsh and UK governments to act.”

    Writing ahead of next week’s UK government budget, Darren Price, Nia Jeffreys, Bryan Davies Gary Pritchard and Alun Llewelyn warn that a failure to act now will mean ”many services that protect the most vulnerable in society disappearing altogether.”

    Writing to Rachel Reeves and Eluned Morgan ahead of next week’s budget they say:

    Whilst appreciating that the challenges you face are significant following 14 years of austerity, it is no exaggeration to say that many councils find themselves on the brink of financial ruin and there is a duty on both Welsh and UK governments to act. 

    The UK Budget presents an opportunity to provide urgent additional funding to Wales for critical Services such as social care, children’s services, schools and highways.

    Without adequate levels of funding, our schools will continue to lack the resources they need to give pupils the education they deserve. As the National Association of Head Teachers amplified in its report last month, spending per pupil has fallen by around 6% in real terms – an unsustainable situation if we are to truly give learners the best start in life.

    The Welsh Local Government Association estimates that local authorities in Wales face additional financial pressures of £559m for 2025-26. This would require a spending increase of just over 7% in net revenue.

    To address a pressure of £559m, without additional funding, will require a mix of council tax increases and further cuts to services and efficiencies. The pressure is equivalent to a 26% increase in council tax, or the loss of just under 14,000 posts.

    We know that we speak for all Local Authority leaders in Wales when we say that the weight of responsibility when it comes to protecting the most vulnerable in our communities is felt more acutely than ever. 

    We trust that your respective governments will work together as you have repeatedly pledged to do to ensure that Wales receives a fair deal from the UK Budget and that our councils get the urgent financial support they so desperately need. 

    Failure to do this will see many councils falling off the cliff edge with many services that protect the most vulnerable in society disappearing altogether and leaving a lasting legacy of inequality and deprivation.”


    A copy of the letter is below:

    Dear Chancellor and First Minister,

    We write in advance of the UK Budget on 30 October to express our grave concerns at the state of Local Authority finances in Wales.

    Whilst appreciating that the challenges you face are significant following 14 years of austerity, it is no exaggeration to say that many councils find themselves on the brink of financial ruin and there is a duty on both Welsh and UK governments to act.

    The General Secretary of UNISON, Chrstina McAnea, has already warned that numerous critical services and a considerable number of jobs are under threat, posing the risk of doing irreversible damage to our communities.  

    The UK Budget presents an opportunity to provide urgent additional funding to Wales for critical Services such as social care, children’s services, schools and highways.

    Without adequate levels of funding, our schools will continue to lack the resources they need to give pupils the education they deserve. As the National Association of Head Teachers amplified in its report last month, spending per pupil has fallen by around 6% in real terms – an unsustainable situation if we are to truly give learners the best start in life.

    The Welsh Local Government Association estimates that local authorities in Wales face additional financial pressures of £559m for 2025-26. This would require a spending increase of just over 7% in net revenue.

    To address a pressure of £559m, without additional funding, will require a mix of council tax increases and further cuts to services and efficiencies. The pressure is equivalent to a 26% increase in council tax, or the loss of just under 14,000 posts.

    We know that we speak for all Local Authority leaders in Wales when we say that the weight of responsibility when it comes to protecting the most vulnerable in our communities is felt more acutely than ever.

    We trust that your respective governments will work together as you have repeatedly pledged to do to ensure that Wales receives a fair deal from the UK Budget and that our councils get the urgent financial support they so desperately need.

    Failure to do this will see many councils falling off the cliff edge with many services that protect the most vulnerable in society disappearing altogether and leaving a lasting legacy of inequality and deprivation.

    Yn gywir,

    Darren Price, Leader of Carmarthenshire County Council

    Bryan Davies, Leader of Ceredigion County Council

    Gary Pritchard, Leader of Ynys Mon County Council

    Nia Jeffreys, Deputy Leader of Cyngor Gwynedd

    Alun Llewelyn, Deputy Leader of Neath Port Talbot

    MIL OSI United Kingdom

  • MIL-Evening Report: Scurvy is largely a historical disease but there are signs it’s making a comeback

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Lauren Ball, Professor of Community Health and Wellbeing, The University of Queensland

    Matilda Wormwood/Pexels

    Scurvy is is often considered a historical ailment, conjuring images of sailors on long sea voyages suffering from a lack of fresh fruit and vegetables.

    Yet doctors in developed countries have recently reported treating cases of scurvy, including Australian doctors who reported their findings today in the journal BMJ Case Reports.

    What is scurvy?

    Scurvy is a disease caused by a severe deficiency of vitamin C (ascorbic acid), which is essential for the production of collagen. This protein helps maintain the health of skin, blood vessels, bones and connective tissue.

    Without enough vitamin C, the body cannot properly repair tissues, heal wounds, or fight infections. This can lead to a range of symptoms including:

    • fatigue and weakness
    • swollen, bleeding gums or loose teeth
    • joint and muscle pain and tenderness
    • bruising easily
    • dry, rough or discoloured skin (reddish or purple spots due to bleeding under the skin)
    • cuts and sores take longer to heal
    • anaemia (a shortage of red blood cells, leading to further fatigue and weakness)
    • increased susceptibility to infections.

    It historically affected sailors

    Scurvy was common from the 15th to 18th centuries, when naval sailors and other explorers lived on rations or went without fresh food for long periods. You might have heard some of these milestones in the history of the disease:

    • in 1497-1499, Vasco da Gama’s crew suffered severely from scurvy during their expedition to India, with a large portion of the crew dying from it

    • from the 16th to 18th centuries, scurvy was rampant among European navies and explorers, affecting notable figures such as Ferdinand Magellan and Sir Francis Drake. It was considered one of the greatest threats to sailors’ health during long voyages

    • in 1747, British naval surgeon James Lind is thought to have conducted one of the first clinical trials, demonstrating that citrus fruit could prevent and cure scurvy. However, it took several decades for his findings to be widely implemented

    • in 1795, the British Royal Navy officially adopted the practice of providing lemon or lime juice to sailors, dramatically reducing the number of scurvy cases.

    Evidence of scurvy re-emerging

    In the new case report, doctors in Western Australia reported treating a middle-aged man with the condition. In a separate case report, doctors in Canada reported treating a 65-year old woman.

    There’s an abundance of vitamin C in our food supply, but some people still aren’t getting enough.
    Rebecca Kate/Pexels

    Both patients presented with leg weakness and compromised skin, yet the doctors didn’t initially consider scurvy. This was based on the premise that there is abundant vitamin C in our modern food supply, so deficiency should not occur.

    On both occasions, treatment with high doses of vitamin C (1,000mg per day for at least seven days) resulted in improvements in symptoms and eventually a full recovery.

    The authors of both case reports are concerned that if scurvy is left untreated, it could lead to inflamed blood vessels (vasculitis) and potentially cause fatal bleeding.

    Last year, a major New South Wales hospital undertook a chart review, where patient records are reviewed to answer research questions.

    This found vitamin C deficiency was common. More than 50% of patients who had their vitamin C levels tested had either a modest deficiency (29.9%) or significant deficiency (24.5%). Deficiencies were more common among patients from rural and lower socioeconomic areas.

    Now clinicians are urged to consider vitamin C deficiency and scurvy as a potential diagnosis and involve the support of a dietitian.

    Why might scurvy be re-emerging?

    Sourcing and consuming nutritious foods with sufficient vitamin C is unfortunately still an issue for some people. Factors that increase the risk of vitamin C deficiency include:

    • poor diet. People with restricted diets – due to poverty, food insecurity or dietary choices – may not get enough vitamin C. This includes those who rely heavily on processed, nutrient-poor foods rather than fresh produce

    • food deserts. In areas where access to fresh, affordable fruits and vegetables is limited (often referred to as food deserts), people may unintentionally suffer from a vitamin C deficiency. In some parts of developing countries such as India, lack of access to fresh food is recognised as a risk for scurvy

    • the cost-of-living crisis. With greater numbers of people unable to pay for fresh produce, people who limit their intake of fruits and vegetables may develop nutrient deficiencies, including scurvy

    Capsicums are a good source of vitamin D but they’re not cheap.
    Pexels/Jack Sparrow
    • weight loss procedures and medications. Restricted dietary intake due to weight loss surgery or weight loss medications may lead to nutrient deficiencies, such as in this case report of scurvy from Denmark

    • mental illness and eating disorders. Conditions such as depression and anorexia nervosa can lead to severely restricted diets, increasing the risk of scurvy, such as in this case report from 2020 in Canada

    • isolation. Older adults, especially those who live alone or in nursing homes, may have difficulty preparing balanced meals with sufficient vitamin C

    • certain medical conditions. People with digestive disorders, malabsorption issues, or those on restrictive medical diets (due to severe allergies or intolerances) can develop scurvy if they are unable to absorb or consume enough vitamin C.

    How much vitamin C do we need?

    Australia’s dietary guidelines recommend adults consume 45mg of vitamin C (higher if pregnant or breastfeeding) each day. This is roughly the amount found in half an orange or half a cup of strawberries.

    When more vitamin C is consumed than required, excess amounts leave the body through urine.

    Signs of scurvy can appear as early as a month after a daily intake of less than 10 mg of vitamin C.

    Eating vitamin C-rich foods – such as oranges, strawberries, kiwifruit, plums, pineapple, mango, capsicum, broccoli and Brussels sprouts – can resolve symptoms within a few weeks.

    Vitamin C is also readily available as a supplement if there are reasons why intake through food may be compromised. Typically, the supplements contain 1,000mg per tablet, and the recommended upper limit for daily Vitamin C intake is 2,000mg.

    Lauren Ball receives funding from the National Health and Medical Research Council, Queensland Health and Mater Misericordia. She is a Director of Dietitians Australia, a Director of Food Standards Australia and New Zealand, a Director of the Darling Downs and West Moreton Primary Health Network and an Associate Member of the Australian Academy of Health and Medical Sciences.

    ref. Scurvy is largely a historical disease but there are signs it’s making a comeback – https://theconversation.com/scurvy-is-largely-a-historical-disease-but-there-are-signs-its-making-a-comeback-241894

    MIL OSI AnalysisEveningReport.nz

  • MIL-OSI Australia: NSW Government delivers state’s first statutory Independent Agriculture Commissioner

    Source: New South Wales Department of Primary Industries

    18 Oct 2024

    The Minns Labor Government today passed legislation in the Parliament to establish an independent statutory Agriculture Commissioner, delivering the Government’s election commitment in full.

    The Commissioner’s role will be to provide independent advice, conduct reviews and make recommendations to the NSW Government on agricultural matters, including productivity, land use conflict and food security.

    The Government has made significant progress in delivering its election commitments supporting our farmers – including the delivery of NSW’s first independent Biosecurity Commissioner and Agriculture Workforce Strategy Roundtables, plus record funding for Biosecurity, Local Land Services and Landcare.

    The Agriculture Commissioner Act 2024 was developed following extensive engagement with primary industry organisations, NSW Farmers and local councils.

    The recruitment process for engaging a Commissioner has begun and will be announced in due course.

    The Commissioner’s workplan will be responsive to emerging agricultural priorities, and at the direction of the Minister for Agriculture.

    The initial workplan and priorities for the Commissioner have been directed by the NSW Minister for Agriculture, Tara Moriarty, to be as follows:

    • Advise the NSW Government on the development of a rural land use policy to guide on managing competing demands for land use and access from food and fibre producers
    • Assist the NSW Government in progressing the development of an ongoing system for defining, identifying, and mapping agricultural lands and its use throughout the State
    • To progress the pilot of the Farm Practices Panel aimed at reducing conflict between agricultural producers and neighbours on a broader scale
    • Provide input and advice about addressing ongoing challenges related to critical renewable energy infrastructure to support our energy transition and the impact it can have on landholders, and in particular, farmers.

    The Bill specifically requires the Commissioner to promote a coordinated and collaborative approach to supporting the agriculture industry.

    Under the new legislation the Commissioner can engage experts and stakeholders, plus consult broadly with Government and non-government stakeholders to inform its reviews and advice.

    The Act introduces a requirement for a statutory review every five years.

    NSW Minister for Agriculture, Tara Moriarty said:

    “Our Government has delivered on another election commitment, passing legislation to establish NSW’s first statutory Agriculture Commissioner with the required powers to assist our primary industries to be the best, safest and most productive they can be.

    “The former government failed to deliver a statutory role and that is why we went to the election promising to set this role up and deliver what farmers had for years been calling for.

    “Our Government is moving quickly to protect and enhance farming productivity to ensure our farmers can keep on providing food and fibre to our communities.

    “I look forward to announcing the Commissioner in due course.”

    MEDIA: Alastair Walton | Minister Moriarty | 0418 251 229

    MIL OSI News

  • MIL-OSI Australia: DNA breakthrough accelerates biosecurity response

    Source: New South Wales Department of Primary Industries

    23 Oct 2024

    In a world-first development for biosecurity management, the NSW Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development (DPIRD) has used a new rapid DNA sequencing technology which can speed up data analysis of pests, weeds and diseases.

    The technique could change how we monitor and manage diseases and pests at national and international levels to ensure the safety of our food supplies and the protection of our environment.

    NSW DPIRD scientists first used the innovative approach to accelerate species identification rates during the NSW varroa mite emergency response.

    NSW DPIRD biosecurity molecular epidemiologist, Daniel Bogema, said rapid and accurate identification of the species as Varroa destructor was critical.

    “The technology delivered sharper insights for surveillance and tracking during the early stages of the biosecurity operation and streamlined the process by isolating longer fragments of varroa DNA using an advanced gene editing technique called CRISPR,” Dr Bogema said.

    “Our team at the Elizabeth Macarthur Agricultural Institute (EMAI) was able to sequence DNA in a Nanopore sequencer, a portable device which can be used in the field.

    “Time is critical in an emergency response and the new technique delivered 12 times more data in a 24-hour period compared with conventional PCR methods.”

    This valuable investment in research and new technology allows NSW DPIRD to continue to deliver state-of-the-art diagnostic services to support primary industries.

    The rapid genetic diagnostic methods developed by the team can be used to monitor and identify any number of pests, weeds or diseases.

    NSW DPIRD scientist, Gus McFarlane, said the EMAI team sees broad applications for the technique in the ongoing management and surveillance of biosecurity and food safety threats.

    “This technique is simpler and quicker to design and validate than current multiplexed PCR tests and is now being used to study cattle diseases,” Dr McFarlane said.

    “NSW DPIRD’s findings contribute valuable insights to the future development of CRISPR-targeted Nanopore sequencing.”

    More information about the research is available in a recently published paper, Frontiers | Amplicon and Cas9-targeted nanopore sequencing of Varroa destructor at the onset of an outbreak in Australia (frontiersin.org)

    Media contact: pi.media@dpird.nsw.gov.au

    MIL OSI News

  • MIL-Evening Report: Apia Ocean Declaration to be ‘crown jewel’ of CHOGM climate ‘fight back’

    By Sialai Sarafina Sanerivi in Apia

    The Ocean Declaration that will be agreed upon at the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) this week will be known as the Apia Ocean Declaration.

    In an exclusive interview with the Samoa Observer, Commonwealth Secretary-General Patricia Scotland said members were in a unique position to bring their voices together for the oceans, which have long been neglected.

    “The Apia Ocean Declaration aims to address the rising threats to our ocean faces, especially from climate change and rising sea levels,” she said.


    Commonwealth pushes for ocean protection with historic Apia Ocean Declaration. Video: Samoa Observer

    Scotland, reflecting on her tenure as Secretary-General, noted the privilege of serving the Commonwealth, a diverse family of 56 countries comprising 2.7 billion people.

    “I am very much the child of the Commonwealth. With 60 percent of our population under 30 years, we must prioritise their future.”

    Scotland reflected that upon assuming her role, she recognised immediately that addressing climate change would be a key priority for the Commonwealth.

    “Why? Because we have 33 small states, 25 small island states and we were the ones who were really suffering this badly,” she said.

    Pacific a ‘big blue ocean state’
    “We also knew in 2016 that nobody was looking at the oceans. Now, the Pacific is a big blue ocean state.

    “But it’s one of the most under-resourced elements that we have. And yet, look at what was happening. The hurricanes and the cyclones were getting bigger and bigger.

    “Why? Because our ocean had absorbed so much of the heat, so much of the carbon, and now it was starting to become saturated. So before, our ocean acted as a coolant. The cyclone would come, the hurricane would come, they’d pass over our cool blue water, and the heat would be drawn out.”

    The Apia Ocean Declaration emerged from a pressing need to protect the oceans, especially given the devastating impact of climate change on coastal and island nations.

    “We realised that while many discussions were happening globally, the oceans were often overlooked,” Scotland remarked.

    “In 2016, we recognised the necessity for collective action. Our oceans absorb much of the carbon and heat, leading to increasingly severe hurricanes and cyclones.”

    Scotland has spearheaded initiatives that brought together oceanographers, climatologists, and various stakeholders.

    Commonwealth Secretary-General Patricia Scotland . . . discussing this week’s planned Apia Ocean Declaration at CHOGM, highlighting the urgent need for global action to protect oceans. Image: Junior S. Ami/Samoa Observer

    Worked in silos ‘for too long’
    “We worked in silos for too long. It was time to unite our efforts for the ocean’s health.

    “That’s when we realised that nobody had their eye on our oceans, but of the 56 Commonwealth members, many of us are island states, so our whole life is dependent on our ocean. And so that’s when the fight back happened.”

    This collaboration resulted in the establishment of the Commonwealth Blue Charter, a significant framework focused on ocean conservation.

    “Fiji’s presidency at the UN Oceans Conference was a turning point. Critics said it would take years to establish an ocean instrument, but we achieved it in less than ten months.”

    “We are not just talking; we are implementing solutions.”

    Scotland also addressed the financial challenges faced by many small island states, particularly regarding climate funding.

    “In 2009, $100 billion was promised by those who had been primarily responsible for the climate crisis, to help those of us who contributed almost nothing to get over the hump.

    Hard for finance applications
    “But the money wasn’t coming. And in those days, many of our members found it so hard to put those applications together.”

    To combat this issue, the Commonwealth established a Climate Finance Access Hub, facilitating over $365 million in funding for member states with another $500 million in the pipeline.

    “But this has caused us to say we have to go further,” she added.

    “We’re using geospatial data, we have to fill in the gaps for our members who don’t have the data, so we can look at what has happened in the past, what may happen in the future, and now we have AI to help us do the simulators.

    “The Ocean Ministers’ Conference highlighted the importance of ensuring that countries at risk of disappearing under the waves can maintain their maritime jurisdiction,” Scotland asserted.

    “The thing that we thought was so important is that those countries threatened with the rising of the sea, which could take away their whole island, don’t have certainty in terms of that jurisdiction. What will happen if our islands drop below the sea level?

    “And we wanted our member states to be confident that if they had settled their marine boundaries, that jurisdiction would be set in perpetuity. Because that was the biggest guarantee; I may lose my land, but please don’t tell me I’m going to lose my ocean too.

    Target an ocean declaration
    “So that was the target for the Ocean Ministers’ Conference. And out of that came the idea that we would have an ocean declaration.

    “It is that ocean declaration that we are bringing here to Samoa. And the whole poignancy of that is Samoa is the first small island state in the Pacific ever to host CHOGM. So wouldn’t it be beautiful if out of this big blue ocean state, this wonderful Pacific state, we could get an ocean declaration which could in the future be able to be known as the Apia Ocean Declaration? Because we would really mark what we’re doing here.

    “What the Commonwealth has been determined to do throughout this whole period is not just talk, but take positive action to help our members not only just to survive, but to thrive.

    “And if, which I hope we will, we get an agreement from our 56 states on this ocean declaration, it enables us to put the evidence before everyone, not only to secure what we need, but then to say 0.05 percent of the money is not enough to save our oceans.

    “Oceans are the most underfunded area.

    “I hope that all the work we’ve done on the Universal Vulnerability Index, on the nature of the vulnerability for our members, will be able to justify proper money, proper resources being put in.

    “And you know what’s happening in this area; our fishermen are under threat.

    “Our ability to use the oceans in the way we’ve used for millennia to feed our people, support our people, is really under threat. So this CHOGM is our fight back.”

    As the meeting progresses, the emphasis remains on achieving consensus among the 56 member states regarding the Apia Ocean Declaration.

    Republished from the Samoa Observer with permission.

    MIL OSI AnalysisEveningReport.nz

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Hunter and New England regions welcome new overseas nurses

    Source: New South Wales Government 2

    Headline: Hunter and New England regions welcome new overseas nurses

    Published: 22 October 2024

    Released by: Minister for the Hunter, Minister for Regional Health


    Communities across the Hunter and New England are experiencing a welcome boost of new nurses, with more than 140 registered nurses recruited from the United Kingdom (UK) and Ireland.

    Hunter New England Local Health District has welcomed the first of these new skilled nurses, who are now settling into the District’s hospitals and towns, following an international recruitment drive to attract staff and boost the capacity of local healthcare teams.

    The incoming nurses are qualified and experienced in emergency, surgical care, intensive care, and paediatrics, with many honing their skills at specialist hospitals in the UK.

    Nurses are being placed across the District’s hospitals and facilities, including 41 at Tamworth, 37 at Manning and 28 at Maitland hospitals, with dozens having already transitioned into their new roles.

    As part of their welcome, the new nurses and their families are greeted at the airport by District staff, before being escorted to local accommodation.

    Ongoing training and personal support are provided, including an orientation and buddy-up system to ensure the nurses feel comfortable and supported in their new environment.

    The District is currently assisting the remaining overseas nurses through the visa and immigration process, and anticipates their arrival in the coming months.

    The international recruitment drive is one of a range of initiatives currently underway to attract and retain nurses to HNELHD’s facilities, with other measures including the employment of more than 250 graduate nurses and midwives, the implementation of the NSW Government’s Rural Health Workforce Incentive Scheme, school-based trainee program, and tertiary study subsidies.

    Quotes attributable to Minister for Regional Health Ryan Park:

    “I warmly welcome these much needed and valued nurses to our Hunter and New England regions, who are bringing a wealth of experience to our facilities and communities.

    “Health worker shortages in our regions is one of the biggest challenges confronting our health system.

    “International recruitment drives are just one way we are helping to attract and retain health workers in our regional and rural areas. We want to ensure everyone can access high quality healthcare no matter where they live.”

    Quotes attributable to Minister for the Hunter Yasmin Catley:

    “It’s fantastic to welcome so many new nurses who have chosen to make the Hunter home.

    “These workers will make a real difference to peoples’ lives and help deliver better outcomes for patients and their families.

    “The NSW Labor Government is working hard to rebuild our public health system and the recruitment of these overseas nurses plays an important role in boosting the current workforce.”

    Quotes attributable to Elizabeth Grist, Executive Director, Nursing and Midwifery, Hunter New England Local Health District:

    “I am thrilled to see over 140 overseas nurses continue their healthcare careers in NSW and I want to pass on my thanks for choosing our District.”             

    “No two days are the same in our hospitals, and we are committed to providing these nurses with continuous opportunities for career-enhancing experiences and learning development across a variety of areas.”

    Quotes attributable to Michelle Keir, Director of Nursing and Midwifery, Tamworth Hospital:

    “We’ve welcomed over two dozen overseas nurses to our hospital so far, who are all settling well into the community and enjoying their new lifestyle and nursing roles.”

    “The overseas recruitment drive has been an extremely rewarding initiative, which has boosted morale and wellbeing among our existing staff as well as benefiting our patients.”

    “I look forward to welcoming and supporting more nurses over the coming weeks and months, as we continue to receive applications from highly-skilled nurses from across the world.”

    Quotes attributable to Bindhya Thomas, Registered Nurse, Tamworth Hospital:

    “I have 12 years’ experience in nursing, and I’m currently working in the acute surgical ward at Tamworth Hospital, taking care of post-surgical patients.”      

    “It was my dream to migrate to Australia and I’m so happy to be here, the sun is shining every day and that makes it so enjoyable.”

    “My colleagues are so supportive. I feel like I’ve been here for many years and that’s a wonderful feeling.”

    MIL OSI News

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Pair charged with drug trafficking extradited to face court in Tasmania

    Source: Tasmania Police

    Pair charged with drug trafficking extradited to face court in Tasmania

    Tuesday, 22 October 2024 – 2:36 pm.

    Tasmania Police is today extraditing a man and a woman from New South Wales to Hobart, after they failed to appear in the Supreme Court last Monday, 14 October.
    The 48-year-old woman and 49-year-old man are on trial for trafficking in a controlled substance, where it is alleged they were involved in the importing of approximately $700,000 worth of illicit drugs into Tasmania in 2019.
    At the time, the man was reportedly the national vice president of the Bandidos Outlaw Motorcycle Gang (OMCG).
    The investigation into the drug trafficking formed part of Operation Advance which was a joint operation between Tasmania Police and the Australian Federal Police (AFP).
    Tasmania Police and AFP would like to recognise the assistance provided by NSW Police in the extradition, after officers arrested the pair on Sunday.

    MIL OSI News

  • MIL-Evening Report: How we treat catchment water to make it safe to drink

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Mark Patrick Taylor, Chief Environmental Scientist, EPA Victoria; Honorary Professor, School of Natural Sciences, Macquarie University

    Andriana Syvanych/Shutterstock

    Most of us are fortunate that, when we turn on the tap, clean, safe and high-quality water comes out.

    But a senate inquiry into the presence of PFAS or “forever chemicals” is putting the safety of our drinking water back in the spotlight.

    Lidia Thorpe, the independent senator leading the inquiry, says Elders in the Aboriginal community of Wreck Bay in New South Wales are “buying bottled water out of their aged care packages” due to concerns about the health impacts of PFAS in their drinking water.

    So, how is water deemed safe to drink in Australia? And why does water quality differ in some areas?

    Here’s what happens between a water catchment and your tap.

    Human intervention in the water cycle

    There is no “new” water on Earth. The water we drink can be up to 4.5 billion years old and is continuously recycled through the hydrological cycle. This transfers water from the ground to the atmosphere through evaporation and back again (for example, through rain).

    Humans interfere with this natural cycle by trapping and redirecting water from various sources to use. A lot happens before it reaches your home.

    The quality of the water when you turn on the tap depends on a range of factors, including the local geology, what kind of activities happen in catchment areas, and the different treatments used to process it.

    Maroondah dam in Healesville, Victoria.
    doublelee/Shutterstock

    How do we decide what’s safe?

    The Australian Drinking Water Guidelines define what is considered safe, good-quality drinking water.

    The guidelines set acceptable water quality values for more than 250 physical, chemical and bacterial contaminants. They take into account any potential health impact of drinking the contaminant over a lifetime as well as aesthetics – the taste and colour of the water.

    The guidelines are not mandatory but provide the basis for determining if the quality of water to be supplied to consumers in all parts of Australia is safe to drink. The guidelines undergo rolling revision to ensure they represent the latest scientific evidence.

    From water catchment to tap

    Australians’ drinking water mainly comes from natural catchments. Sources include surface water, groundwater and seawater (via desalination).

    Public access to these areas is typically limited to preserve optimal water quality.

    Filtration and purification of water occurs naturally in catchments as it passes through soil, sediments, rocks and vegetation.

    But catchment water is subject to further treatment via standard processes that typically focus on:

    • removing particulates (for example, soil and sediment)

    • filtration (to remove particles and their contaminants)

    • disinfection (for example, using chlorine and chloramine to kill bacteria and viruses)

    • adding fluoride to prevent tooth decay

    • adjusting pH to balance the chemistry of the water and to aid filtration.

    This water is delivered to our taps via a reticulated system – a network of underground reservoirs, pipes, pumps and fittings.

    In areas where there is no reticulated system, drinking water can also be sourced from rainwater tanks. This means the quality of drinking water can vary.

    Sources of contamination can come from roof catchments feeding rainwater tanks as well from the tap due to lead in plumbing fittings and materials.

    So, does all water meet these standards?

    Some rural and remote areas, especially First Nations communities, rely on poor-quality surface water and groundwater
    for their drinking water.

    Rural and regional water can exceed recommended guidelines for salt, microbial contaminants and trace elements, such as lead, manganese and arsenic.

    The federal government and other agencies are trying to address this.

    There are many impacts of poor regional water quality. These include its implication in elevated rates of tooth decay in First Nations people. This occurs when access to chilled, sugary drinks is cheaper and easier than access to good quality water.

    What about PFAS?

    There is also renewed concern about the presence of PFAS or “forever” chemicals in drinking water.

    Recent research examining the toxicity of PFAS chemicals along with their presence in some drinking water catchments in Australia and overseas has prompted a recent assessment of water source contamination.

    A review by the National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) proposed lowering the limits for four PFAS chemicals in drinking water: PFOA, PFOS, PFHxS and PFBS.

    The review used publicly available data and found most drinking water supplies are currently below the proposed new guideline values for PFAS.

    However, “hotspots” of PFAS remain where drinking water catchments or other sources (for example, groundwater) have been impacted by activities where PFAS has been used in industrial applications. And some communities have voiced concerns about an association between elevated PFAS levels in their communities and cancer clusters.

    While some PFAS has been identified as carcinogenic, it’s not certain that PFAS causes cancer. The link is still being debated.

    Importantly, assessment of exposure levels from all sources in the population shows PFAS levels are falling meaning any exposure risk has also reduced over time.

    How about removing PFAS from water?

    Most sources of drinking water are not associated with industrial contaminants like PFAS. So water sources are generally not subject to expensive treatment processes, like reverse osmosis, that can remove most waterborne pollutants, including PFAS. These treatments are energy-intensive and expensive and based on recent water quality assessments by the NHMRC will not be needed.

    While contaminants are everywhere, it is the dose that makes the poison. Ultra-low concentrations of chemicals including PFAS, while not desirable, may not be harmful and total removal is not warranted.

    Mark Patrick Taylor is a full-time employee of EPA Victoria, appointed to the statutory role of Chief Environmental Scientist. He is also an Honorary Professor at Macquarie University. EPA Victoria has previously received funding from the Department of Energy, Environment and Climate Action and Victorian water authorities to understand the presence of contaminants waste water. He has previously received funding from the Australian Government, ARC and other government agencies for environmental pollution research.

    Antti Mikkonen is a full-time employee of EPA Victoria, in the role of Principal Health Risk Advisor for chemicals. Antti has previously received funding from the Australian Government Department of Education for research to understand PFAS bioaccumulation in livestock and models for risk management.

    Minna Saaristo is a full-time employee of EPA Victoria, appointed to the role of Principal Scientist – Ecological Risk and Emerging contaminants. She is affiliate of the School of Biological Sciences at Monash University. EPA Victoria has previously received funding from the Department of Energy, Environment and Climate Action and Victorian water authorities to understand the presence of emerging contaminants in recycled water. She has previously received funding from the Australian Government, ARC and other government agencies for environmental pollution research.

    ref. How we treat catchment water to make it safe to drink – https://theconversation.com/how-we-treat-catchment-water-to-make-it-safe-to-drink-242206

    MIL OSI AnalysisEveningReport.nz

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: PM call with Prime Minister Netanyahu of Israel: 19 October 2024

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    The Prime Minister spoke to Prime Minister of Israel Benjamin Netanyahu this afternoon.

    The Prime Minister spoke to Prime Minister of Israel Benjamin Netanyahu this afternoon.

    The Prime Minister said he was alarmed to hear about the drone launched towards Prime Minister Netanyahu’s home this morning.

    They discussed the situation in the Middle East following the death of Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar, who the Prime Minister said was a brutal terrorist and that the world is a better place without him. 

    He also discussed with Prime Minister Netanyahu the opportunity presented by Sinwar’s death to halt the fighting and get the hostages out. The Prime Minister also stressed the importance of getting much more aid into Gaza.

    Finally, the leaders also discussed Lebanon and the importance of making progress on a political solution.

    Updates to this page

    Published 19 October 2024

    MIL OSI United Kingdom