Podcasts about uk home office

Should Prince Harry have retained Royalty Protection? (Part 2) Black Spy Podcast, 195, Season 20, Episode 0006 In this week's Black Spy Podcasts, Carlton King and his compatriots, Firgas Esack and Doctor Rachel Taylor delve into the subject of the provision of state controlled close protection operations. As they began last week in part one, the team continues looking into the fall out of the court decision on to agree with the UK Home Office and the Metropolitan Police Service to withdraw police close protection from Prince Harry and his family. The argument played out in the UK Government, Civil Service, Police and finally the High Court was that the withdrawal of Prince Harry's 24 hour armed close protection was seemingly based on the fact that now Prince Harry is estranged from the British royal family and hence no longer undertaking royal duties, that state, in the form of the Royalty Protection section of the RaSP department (Royalty and Specialist Protection Command) of the Metropolitan Police Service should no longer provide Prince Harry with this state sponsored function. Whereas, Prince Harry's argument was, that by virtue of his birth into the Royal Family that regardless of his role, he'd still be seen as intrinsically linked to the very essence of the UK and hence be at threat from the UK's enemies. Carlton uses his decades of expertise in the UK's governmental protection, national security and secret intelligence fields to answer the questions on this issue posed by his podcast colleagues. Moreover some surprising connectivity is uncovered by both Firgas and Dr Rachel vis-a-vis Prince Harry's situation. So, if you want to continue learning whilst being entertained this and next week's continuation of this subject are must listen episodes. Please don't forget to subscribe to the Black Spy Podcast for free, thereby you'll never miss another episode. To contact Firgas Esack of the DAPS Agency go to Linked In To contact Carlton King by utilising any of the following: To donate - Patreon.com/TheBlackSpyPodcast Email: carltonking2003@gmail.com Facebook: The Black Spy Podcast Facebook: Carlton King Author Twitter@Carlton_King Instagram@carltonkingauthor   To read Carlton's Autobiography: “Black Ops – The incredible true story of a (Black) British secret agent” Click the link below: https://amzn.eu/d/fmzzq9h

Should Prince Harry have retained Royalty Protection? (Part 1) Black Spy Podcast, 195, Season 20, Episode 0005   In this week's Black Spy Podcasts, Carlton King and his compatriots, Firgas Esack and Doctor Rachel Taylor delve into the subject of the provision of state controlled close protection operations. Specifically the team assess the fall out of the court decision to agree with the UK Home Office and the Metropolitan Police Service to no longer provide this support to Prince Harry. The argument played out in the UK Government, Civil Service, Police and finally the High Court was that the withdrawal of Prince Harry's 24 hour armed close protection was seemingly based on the fact that now Prince Harry is estranged from the British royal family and hence no longer undertaking royal duties, that state, in the form of the Royalty Protection section of the RaSP department (Royalty and Specialist Protection Command) of the Metropolitan Police Service should no longer provide Prince Harry with this state sponsored function. Whereas, Prince Harry's argument was, that by virtue of his birth into the Royal Family that regardless of his role, he'd still be seen as intrinsically linked to the very essence of the UK and hence be at threat from the UK's enemies. Carlton uses his decades of expertise in the UK's governmental protection, national security and secret intelligence fields to answer the questions on this issue posed by his podcast colleagues. Moreover some surprising connectivity is uncovered by both Firgas and Dr Rachel vis-a-vis Prince Harry's situation. So, if you want to continue learning whilst being entertained this and next week's continuation of this subject are must listen episodes. Please don't forget to subscribe to the Black Spy Podcast for free, thereby you'll never miss another episode. To contact Firgas Esack of the DAPS Agency go to Linked In To contact Carlton King by utilising any of the following: To donate - Patreon.com/TheBlackSpyPodcast Email: carltonking2003@gmail.com Facebook: The Black Spy Podcast Facebook: Carlton King Author Twitter@Carlton_King Instagram@carltonkingauthor To read Carlton's Autobiography: “Black Ops – The incredible true story of a (Black) British secret agent” Click the link below: https://amzn.eu/d/fmzzq9h

Kaseya's 2025 Global MSP Benchmark Report reveals that cybersecurity has emerged as a crucial revenue driver for managed service providers (MSPs), with 67% of respondents identifying it as one of their fastest-growing revenue categories. The report highlights that 76% of MSPs recognize their clients' primary concern is security, emphasizing the need for integrating cybersecurity into service offerings. Additionally, operational efficiency is paramount, with 95% of MSPs acknowledging the necessity of connecting their tools for smoother operations. The report also notes a rise in co-managed IT services, with 61% of executives reporting year-over-year revenue growth in this area.The ongoing legal battle between Apple and the UK Home Office over encryption access has taken a significant turn, as the Investigatory Powers Tribunal has denied the government's request for complete secrecy. This ruling allows for public disclosure of the case, which stems from a technical capability notice requiring Apple to provide backdoor access to encrypted data for UK law enforcement. The tribunal's decision underscores the importance of transparency in legal proceedings, particularly concerning national security and private sector data protection practices.In the realm of artificial intelligence, the Trump administration has issued new guidance for AI use and acquisition in government, replacing previous directives from the Biden administration. This guidance includes a 200-day deadline for creating a web-based repository of AI procurement tools and emphasizes risk management practices for high-impact AI use cases. Analysts have raised concerns about the implementation of these directives, particularly regarding the commitment of the Department of Government Efficiency to adhere to the established framework.Meta has launched its latest AI models, Llama 4, which enhance its AI Assistant across various platforms, while Google has introduced Gemini 2.5 Pro, its most advanced AI model to date. Microsoft has also updated its AI assistant, CoPilot, with new features that enhance personalization and task management capabilities. Meanwhile, companies like Zoom, Enable, and DNSFilter are making strategic moves to integrate AI into their services, reflecting the growing trend of AI adoption in the tech industry. Framework has temporarily suspended sales of certain laptop models in the U.S. due to new tariffs, highlighting the impact of global trade policies on consumer electronics. Four things to know today 00:00 Kaseya's MSP Report: Cybersecurity Growth, M&A Plans, and the Fight to Keep Clients03:33 Apple Encryption Fight Goes Public While New AI Guidelines Roll Out in Government 06:10 Meta Debuts Llama 4, Google Launches Gemini 2.5 Pro, and Microsoft Updates Copilot – What IT Needs to Know08:55 Framework Pauses Laptop Sales Due to Tariffs While Zoom, N-able, DNSFilter, and SentinelOne Make Strategic Plays  Supported by:  https://cometbackup.com/?utm_source=mspradio&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=sponsorship https://www.huntress.com/mspradio/  Join Dave April 22nd to learn about Marketing in the AI Era.  Signup here:  https://hubs.la/Q03dwWqg0 All our Sponsors: https://businessof.tech/sponsors/ Do you want the show on your podcast app or the written versions of the stories? Subscribe to the Business of Tech: https://www.businessof.tech/subscribe/Looking for a link from the stories? The entire script of the show, with links to articles, are posted in each story on https://www.businessof.tech/ Support the show on Patreon: https://patreon.com/mspradio/ Want to be a guest on Business of Tech: Daily 10-Minute IT Services Insights? Send Dave Sobel a message on PodMatch, here: https://www.podmatch.com/hostdetailpreview/businessoftech Want our stuff? Cool Merch? Wear “Why Do We Care?” - Visit https://mspradio.myspreadshop.com Follow us on:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/28908079/YouTube: https://youtube.com/mspradio/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mspradionews/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mspradio/TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@businessoftechBluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/businessof.tech

A hacker claims to have stolen internal documents from  a major French telecommunications company. A security breach hits Russia's financial sector. Cyberattacks targeting ICS and OT surged dramatically last year. Chinese group Silver Fox is spoofing medical software. The UK Home Office's new vulnerability reporting policy risks prosecuting ethical hackers. Ransomware actors are shifting away from encryption. A sophisticated macOS malware campaign is distributing Poseidon Stealer. The LightSpy surveillance framework evolves into a cross-platform espionage tool. A Chinese botnet is targeting Microsoft 365 accounts using password spraying attacks. Our guest today is Lauren Buitta, Founder and CEO at Girl Security, discussing mentoring and intergenerational strategies. There may be a backdoor in your front door. Remember to leave us a 5-star rating and review in your favorite podcast app. Miss an episode? Sign-up for our daily intelligence roundup, Daily Briefing, and you'll never miss a beat. And be sure to follow CyberWire Daily on LinkedIn. CyberWire Guest Our guest today is Lauren Buitta, Founder and CEO at Girl Security, discussing mentoring and intergenerational strategies. Selected Reading Orange Group confirms breach after hacker leaks company documents (Bleeping Computer) Russia warns of breach of major IT service provider LANIT serving the financial sector (Beyond Machines)  Dragos: Surge of new hacking groups enter ICS space as states collaborate with private actors (CyberScoop) China's Silver Fox spoofs medical imaging apps to hijack patients' computers (The Register) UK Home Office's new vulnerability reporting mechanism leaves researchers open to prosecution (The Record) Only a Fifth of Ransomware Attacks Now Encrypt Data (Infosecurity Magazine) Poseidon Stealer Malware Attacking Mac Users via Fake DeepSeek Site (Cyber Security News)  Exploits for unpatched Parallels Desktop flaw give root on Macs (Bleeping Computer) LightSpy Malware Expands with 100+ Commands to Target Users Across All Major OS Platforms (GB Hackers)  Chinese Botnet Bypasses MFA in Microsoft 365 Attacks (Infosecurity Magazine) CISA Warns of Attacks Exploiting Oracle Agile PLM Vulnerability (SecurityWeek) A single default password exposes access to dozens of apartment buildings (TechCrunch) Share your feedback. We want to ensure that you are getting the most out of the podcast. Please take a few minutes to share your thoughts with us by completing our brief listener survey as we continually work to improve the show.  Want to hear your company in the show? You too can reach the most influential leaders and operators in the industry. Here's our media kit. Contact us at cyberwire@n2k.com to request more info. The CyberWire is a production of N2K Networks, your source for strategic workforce intelligence. © N2K Networks, Inc. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This episode features an interview with Odette McHenry and Hannah Turner from the UK Home Office. Odette is Deputy Director for Automation and Innovation in the Digital, Data and Technology Department (DDaT). Hannah is the Head of Commissioning for Automation and AI. Odette and Hannah tell us about what their individual jobs involve, the unique pathways they have taken towards working in tech, and what they are most excited about in automation and AI at the moment. At the end they each offer a bit of advice to anyone interested in working in automation.Subscribe to the podcastIf you'd like to have new episodes of the show appear right in your podcast player, you can subscribe via our page on Apple Podcasts and follow the show on Spotify, or search for us in your podcast app of choice!Notes and LinksThis interview was recorded online by Sarah Lister, Membership Coordinator at Sheffield Digital, on 4th September 2024. ReferencesDigital Data and Technology Department (DDaT)Did we miss something you're looking for? Just get in touch and let us know. Join the conversationWe're really keen to get your feedback on the podcast. You can share your thoughts with us on Twitter or on the channel in the Sheffield Digital Slack community.Thank you for the musicThanks to Alex Mclean – aka Yaxu – for the show's intro music, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0.

This week the Gals talk about the toppling pylon, the High Court decision clearing the way for the Greens to waka-jump Darleen Tana, missed child poverty targets and NZ on the world stage. Yass Queen to some unnamed MFAT officials and Beehave Mate to the UK Home Office.

Talk Art Live! We meet artist Studio Lenca (Jose Campos) within his recent solo exhibition 'Leave to Remain' at Carl Freedman Gallery in Margate. ‘Leave to Remain' is the official term used by the UK Home Office, meaning someone who is allowed to stay in the UK with restrictions and without permanent legal status. According to the latest data from the UNHCR, 70.8 million people around the world have been forced from their own homes. Among them are 25.9 million refugees, over half aged under 18. In this latest body of work, Studio Lenca continues to explore his own displaced experience whilst questioning universal themes of belonging, home and lost histories.Growing up as an illegal immigrant, Studio Lenca travelled illegally overland to the USA, growing up ‘without papers' in San Francisco. As a young adult the artist moved to the UK, settling in Margate where he is now based. In his ‘Los Historiantes' paintings Studio Lenca continues to play with the frames of history and identity. This new series depicts the folkloric dancers that theatrically re-enact stories of colonisation and the subjugation of indigenous peoples. The work playfully references a combination of biographical anecdotes, personal reflections and national iconography.Alongside his characteristically vivid paintings, Studio Lenca will collaborate with KRAN (Kent Refugee Action Network), turning Carl Freedman Gallery into a working studio. Young refugees and asylum seekers will work with Studio Lenca to build large sculptural works based on the volcanoes of El Salvador. These works will explore the ‘borderless' process of making and reference the artists own problematic encounters with a colonised education system.Leave to Remain, offers a critical window within the gallery and a space for discussion. The show asks us to address Margate as a border town and who is allowed to leave and to remain. Studio Lenca (b.1986 La Paz, El Salvador) is based at TKE Studios, Margate, UK. Studio Lenca is the working name of artist Jose Campos – ‘Studio' referring to a space for experimentation and making; ‘Lenca' referring to the Mesoamerican indigenous people of southwestern Honduras and eastern El Salvador.He works with performance, video, painting and sculpture. He received an MA from Goldsmiths University of London and his work is included in the permanent collection of the Pérez Art Museum Miami and the Parrish Art Museum in New York.Follow @StudioLencaVisit: https://carlfreedman.com/exhibitions/2024/studio-lenca/Special thanks to @CarlFreedmanGallery (where Talk Art's Robert Diament is Partner). Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Sarah Collecott, Commercial Specialist, Procurement and Contract Management, at the UK Home Office, discusses the importance of maintaining wellbeing and authenticity in a high-profile, high-pressure workplace.

This week we talk to Dame Susan Langley. Sue is a Sheriff of the City of London, Non-executive Chair of Gallagher UK and previously Lead Non-Executive Director for the UK Home Office. We discuss: • The role of the Sheriff and how Sue came into the role • Sue's experience with the Home Office, including working with 5 different Home Secretaries. • Sue's top tips for developing a successful career in financial services and how can we make sure it is open to everyone.

‘Protect and Survive', the UK Government's pamphlet offering Britons advice on how to navigate the aftermath of a nuclear explosion, was published on 20th May, 1980, following a campaign in The Times. Intended for distribution in times of imminent crisis - and only alongside the broadcast of a series of related public information films - the booklet's earnest yet chilling tone, coupled with its practical advice on makeshift shelters and fallout room essentials, variously triggered alarm, disbelief, and mockery.  In this episode, Arion, Rebecca and Olly ask whether the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament were correct to suggest the campaign promoted a false sense of confidence in survivability of nuclear war; compare notes on the most chilling passages of the simply-written text; and marvel at the official advice for people living in mobile homes…  Further Reading: • ‘'Sinister yet pathetic': how the UK was primed for nuclear war' (The Guardian, 2019):  https://www.theguardian.com/books/2019/oct/30/uk-was-primed-for-nuclear-war-in-the-uk-taras-young-interview • ‘Protect and Survive' (UK Home Office, 1980): https://archive.org/details/ProtectAndSurvive_136 • ‘Protect and Survive' (BBC, 1980): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7yrv505R-0U Love the show? Support us!  Join 

Hello, and welcome to episode 106 of the Financial Crime Weekly Podcast, I'm Chris Kirkbride. This week has been yet another busy week for financial crime – the busiest ever – at least I'm no longer ill. Sanctions news brings US action against China for its aid to Russia, and some enforcement action against a sanctions-evader and a member of a sanctioned organisation. In the UK, sanctions designations against senior political figures in Uganda, and updates to a range of sanctions guides. On anti-corruption, the 25th anniversary of GRECO is marked, and the NCA in the UK is judged on the effectiveness of its anti-corruption action. On money laundering, MONEYVAL updates on several European countries' AML/CFT frameworks, and stories from China and Venezuela. The significant fraud news comes in the form of news from Australia on the scale of losses to scams, and the FBI publishes a report on Elder Fraud in the US. There is also a round-up of this week's cyber news. Let's crack on. As usual, I have linked the main stories flagged in the podcast in the description. These are: Attorney-General's Department (Australia), Progressing reforms to Australia's anti-money laundering and counter-terrorism financing laws.Attorney-General's Office (UK), Attorney General's Code of Practice issued under Section 377A of the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002.Australia Competition and Consumer Commission, Scam losses decline, but more work to do as Australians lose $2.7 billion.Department for Science, Innovation and Technology, New laws to protect consumers from cyber criminals come into force in the UK.Europol, Operation Pandora shuts down 12 phone fraud call centres.Eversheds Sutherland, National Security Act of 2024 extends statute of limitations for sanctions violations to 10 years.FBI, Elder fraud reports to FBI's Internet Crime Complaint Center rose by 14% in 2023.Hansard, National Crime Agency: Dealing with Corruption (Volume 749: debated on Tuesday 30 April 2024).His Majesty's inspectorate of constabulary and fire and rescue services, Vetting and anti-corruption part 2: How effective is the National Crime Agency at dealing with corruption?Joint Money Laundering Steering Group, Consultation – Part II Sector 18 (Wholesale markets).Joint Money Laundering Steering Group, Consultation April 2024 – Part II Sector 18 (Wholesale markets).MONEYVAL, Poland improved its AML/CFT guidance and feedback for reporting institutions.MONEYVAL, Cyprus improved AML/CFT measures with respect to virtual asset service providers and virtual asset related activities.MONEYVAL, Croatia strengthened its preventive framework to combat money laundering.MONEYVAL, Anti-money laundering and terrorist financing: Lithuania has improved coordination and co-operation, according to new report.National Crime Agency, Gold and art worth millions and linked to crime is forfeited.National Cyber Security Centre, Business email compromise: defending your organisation Guidance.National Cyber Security Centre, CYBERUK Digital Loft: The Future of Cyber Security for Small Organisations (Sign-Up).Pymnts, Venezuelan Opposition Politician Warns of Crypto Use for Money Laundering.UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, UK sanctions corrupt politicians in Uganda who stole from vulnerable communities (press release).UK Home Office, New powers to seize cryptoassets used by criminals go live.UK Home Office, 004/2024: Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Act – cryptoasset confiscation order provisions.UK Home Office, 005/2024: Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Act – cryptoasset forfeiture provisions chapters 3C to 3F.UK Home Office, Certain information orders: code of practice.UK Home Office, Investigations: code of practice issued under section 377.UK Home Office, Recovery of cryptoassets: code of practice issued under section 303Z25.UK Home Office, Search, seizure and detention of property (England and Wales).UK Office of Financial Sanctions Implementation, Financial Sanctions Notice: Global Anti-Corruption.UK Office of Financial Sanctions Implementation, Financial Sanctions Notice: ISIL (Da'esh) and Al-Qaida.UK Office of Financial Sanctions Implementation, General Licence: Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories Humanitarian Activity: INT/2023/3749168.UK Office of Financial Sanctions Implementation, Financial sanctions enforcement and monetary penalties guidance.UK Office of Financial Sanctions Implementation, Financial sanctions guidance for Russia.UK Office of Financial Sanctions Implementation, UK Financial Sanctions FAQs.UK Parliament, Social and psychological implications of fraud (press release).UK Parliament, Report: Social and psychological implications of fraud.US Congress, National Security Act 2024.US Department of Justice, Brooklyn Resident Pleads Guilty to Conspiracy to Unlawfully Export Dual-Use Electronics Used in Russian Military Drones.US Department of Justice, Regional Leader of Sanctioned Russian Organization Pleads Guilty to Lying to FBI.US Department of Justice, Binance and CEO Plead Guilty to Federal Charges in $4B Resolution.US Department of State, Imposing New Measures on Russia for its Full-Scale War and Use of Chemical Weapons Against Ukraine.US Department of State, Recognizing the 25th Anniversary of the Council of Europe's Group of States Against Corruption.US Department of the Treasury, U.S. Continues to Degrade Russia's Military-Industrial Base and Target Third-Country Support with Nearly 300 New Sanctions.US Department of the Treasury, Remarks by Under Secretary Brian Nelson at ACI's Annual Flagship Conference on Economic Sanctions Enforcement and Compliance.US Office of Foreign Assets Control, Russia-related Designations Removals.US Office of Foreign Assets Control, Treasury Targets Sanctions Evaders Supporting Key Hizballah Financial Advisor.Wolfsberg Group, Wolfsberg Group Response to FATF public consultation on R.16/INR.16.World Economic Forum, Cryptocurrency regulations are changing across the globe. Here's what you need to know.

IN THIS episode we speak with Nadia, a young refugee woman from Lebanon, and Alexandros, a Greek human rights lawyer.   Nadia tells us how she and her husband Dawood were forced to leave Lebanon by boat, how they spent over 10 days at sea, and how, once they were rescued, Dawood was arrested by the Greek authorities and accused of human smuggling.    Alexandros tells us how he and his colleague Dmitris won the legal case against Dawood, and tells us more about the unjust EU directive that is locking up refugees.    --Get in touch---   Twitter: @FleetCivil   Mastodon: @civilfleet@kolektiva.social   Bluesky: @thecivilfleet.bsky.social   Instagram: thecivilfleet   info@civilfleet.com   civilfleet.com   Support:   ko-fi.com/civilfleet ---Show Notes---   For more on Dawood's case, read this article by the Human Rights Legal Project humanrightslp.eu/post/hrlp-lawyers-to-defend-dawood-who-has-been-in-custody-for-a-year-and-a-half   Check the Human Rights Legal Project out here: humanrightslp.eu/who-we-are-hrlp   For more on the situation in Lebanon following the 2020 explosion, read this Guardian report: theguardian.com/world/2023/aug/03/port-of-beirut-explosion-aftermath-scars-on-already-broken-lebanon   Check out The Civil Fleet's previous interview with Alexandros about the Samos 2: civilfleet.libsyn.com/episode-26-the-samos-2-and-the-criminalisation-of-refugees-in-greece   And here's the interview Alexandros helped set up with Hanad Abdi Mohammad, a Somalian refugee who was sentenced to 142 years behind bars because he momentarily steered a boat: civilfleet.libsyn.com/episode-35-sentenced-to-142-years-for-doing-what-any-human-would-do   Want to see what Malta's search-and-rescue zone looks like? See the July-August 2022 issue of ECHOES from the Central Mediterranean: https://issuu.com/civilmrcc/docs/cmrcc_echoes_issue_1_jul_aug_2022   Here's the UK Home Office's tweet of Ibrahima Bah, who was criminalised for steering a dinghy which collapsed in the Channel: twitter.com/ukhomeoffice/status/1761090973520576879   For more on Ibrahima Bah, read this statement by Captain Support UK: captainsupport.net/jury-convicts-ibrahima-bah-statement-from-captain-support-uk/   And this news report by Sky News: news.sky.com/story/ibrahima-bah-asylum-seeker-boat-pilot-locked-up-after-death-of-four-migrants-13078980   For more on the Maersk Etienne, read about it here: thecivilfleet.wordpress.com/tag/Etienne/   And check out episode 18 of The Civil Fleet Podcast with Iason Apostolopoulos, who talks about it in that interview: civilfleet.libsyn.com/episode-18-there-is-no-end-to-this-cruelty  

Hello, and welcome to episode 95 of the Financial Crime Weekly Podcast, I'm Chris Kirkbride. It is yet another busy week for financial crime. There is the usual range of sanctions updates and additions, together with blog posts on imminent updates to guidance and operations. On money laundering, there is some important movement from the EU on a new regulation and directive, and in the UK, the Home Office has responded to the Law Commission's SARs regime recommendations. In terms of fraud, the UK has launched a new anti-fraud initiative – another one – with a clear aim at prevention. Finally, the recently-appointed Director of the SFO has delivered his first speech since appointment, with some interesting take-aways, and I have rounded up some of this week's cyber-attack news. Lots to get through, so let's crack on. As usual, I have linked the main stories flagged in the podcast in the description. These are: Council of Europe, Azerbaijan should step up investigations and prosecutions of money laundering and improve supervisory arrangements, says MONEYVAL.Council of the European Union, Proposal for a Regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council on the prevention of the use of the financial system for the purposes of money laundering or terrorist financing.Council of the European Union, Proposal for a Directive of the European Parliament and of the Council on the mechanisms to be put in place by the Member States for the prevention of the use of the financial system for the purposes of money laundering or terrorist financing and repealing Directive (EU) 2015/849.Council of the European Union, Note: General Secretariat of the Council.Financial Conduct Authority, Four men under investigation on suspicion of multiple offences.Financial Conduct Authority, FCA bans and fines Floris Jakobus Huisamen over London Capital & Finance plc financial promotions.Financial Conduct Authority, Final Notice: Floris Jakobus Huisamen.Financial Conduct Authority, Mohammed Zina found guilty of insider dealing and fraud.Financial Crimes Enforcement Network, Fact Sheet: Anti-Money Laundering Program and Suspicious Activity Report Filing Requirements for Registered Investment Advisers and Exempt Reporting Advisers Notice of Proposed Rulemaking.Financial Crimes Enforcement Network, Statement of FinCEN Director Andrea Gacki before the House Committee on Financial Services.Forbes, What Is Phishing? Understanding Cyber Attacks.Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, UK sanctions extremist settlers in the West Bank (press release).His Majesty's Revenue and Customs, Economic Crime Supervision Handbook.Information Commissioner's Office, ICO approves legal services certification scheme.International Monetary Fund, Corruption and Economic Growth in Moldova: A Reexamination.Microsoft, Staying ahead of threat actors in the age of AI.Nick Ephgrave, Director Ephgrave' speech at RUSI 13 February 2024.Norton Rose Fulbright, Regulation Tomorrow Plus: Submitting better SARs - A guide for MLROs and in-house teams.Office of Financial Sanctions Implementation, Financial Sanctions Notice: Global Human Rights.Office of Financial Sanctions Implementation, Financial Sanctions Notice: Russia.Office of Financial Sanctions Implementation, Changes coming to OFSI guidance in 2024 (blog post).Office of Financial Sanctions Implementation, New reporting requirements for Designated Persons under the Russia Regime (blog post).Office of Financial Sanctions Implementation, Financial sanctions guidance for ransomware.Office of Financial Sanctions Implementation, General Licence - INT/2022/2009156.Office of Financial Sanctions Implementation, Introduction to Financial Sanctions Licensing Webinar.Office of Financial Sanctions Implementation, UK Maritime Services Ban and Oil Price Cap: Industry Guidance.Office of Financial Sanctions Implementation, General Licence – Oil Price Cap  INT/2024/4423849.Office of Financial Sanctions Implementation, General Licence – Publication Notice.Office of the Inspector General, Audit of the Criminal Division's Money Laundering and Asset Recovery Section Special Analytics System.Pinsent Masons, The importance of a cyber incident response plan.UK Home Office, Policy Paper: Response to Law Commission review of the SARs regime.UK Home Office, Major campaign to fight fraud launched.US Department of Justice, Three Defendants Convicted At Trial In $7.9 Million COVID-19 Fraud Scheme.US Department of Justice, Six Men Sentenced for Roles in $20M COVID-19 Relief Fraud Ring.US Department of Justice, Former CEO Sentenced to Prison for COVID-19 Relief Fraud and Money Laundering.US Department of State, U.S. Participation in the EU – Sanctions Coordinators Forum.US Department of the Treasury, Fact Sheet: Treasury Actions to Enhance Financial Transparency and Combat Illicit Finance.WTW, UK Cyber Insurance Market Update.

This month Stephen and Frank are interviewing Dimitris Perdikou from the UK Home Office. The topic is Gamification, but, as often, it grew beyond its original scope. Dimitris made us feel good with the work done making sure taxpayer money is well spent. In the process, we discussed two new metrics for unit economics specific to the public sector.You can reach us at: podcast@finopsguys.com

The UK Home Office are reviewing legislation around the awful 'Forced Swim Test' and PETA's latest campaign attempts to end the practice forever. See how you can easily get involved to lend your support for the ban at https://www.peta.org.uk/blog/scientists-forced-swim-test/?fbclid=IwAR3LFgNbQEsFByedP3l1tNqGcJOF1yrG5JsP2VNr3Q5UNlx18HtjvIrx-nsJulie & Anthony look at this, as well as a dozen or so vegan & animal rights news stories from the last week including...Morrisons vow to increase the space for their chickens...but is it enough?Are there really over a million new vegans in the UK in the last 12 months?Plus lots more!This episode includes a shout out for Noo Beginnings Animal Sanctuary, ran by friend of the show, Ella, down in the South East of the UK. Their mission is to provide solace and care for victims of neglect, cruelty, and exploitation. They also work to inspire others to have compassion and respect towards animals previously seen as product or stock for profitable gain. All donations and contributions help them provide essential veterinary care, nutritious vegan meals, comfortable shelter, and enriching activities for their animal friends. If that's something you are able to contribute then head to https://noobeginnings.co.uk/services/ Thank You****************Enough of the Falafel is a community of people who love keeping on top of the latest news in the world of veganism & animal rights. With the Vegan Week podcast, we aim to keep listeners (& ourselves) informed & up-to-date with the latest developments that affect vegans & non-human animals; giving insight, whilst staying balanced; remaining true to our vegan ethics, whilst constantly seeking to grow & develop.Each week we look through news stories from the past 7 days in the world of veganism & animal rights.If you spot any news stories that might catch our fancy, or have an idea for a discussion topic, get in touch via enoughofthefalafel@gmail.com.Enough of the Falafel is also on Facebok, Tiktok & Instagram @enoughofthefalafel.*******************Some of this week's news articles include:https://www.irishexaminer.com/news/arid-41315221.htmlhttps://www.theanimalreader.com/2024/01/19/news-monkeys-backpack-chile/https://www.farminguk.com/news/bird-flu-impacted-farmers-could-see-increased-statutory-compensation_64047.htmlhttps://www.farminguk.com/news/morrisons-to-lower-poultry-stocking-density-as-part-of-welfare-pledge_64021.htmlhttps://www.farminguk.com/news/wales-post-brexit-farming-scheme-risks-reducing-122-000-livestock-units-_64046.htmlhttps://ca.news.yahoo.com/food-labels-identify-belgian-producers-160024519.htmlhttps://www.thegrocer.co.uk/mergers-and-acquisitions/heather-mills-strikes-rescue-deal-for-vbites/687360.articlehttps://confidentials.com/manchester/vegan-restaurant-to-serve-meat-in-order-to-survivehttps://obgyn.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/aogs.14778https://www.foodmanufacture.co.uk/Article/2024/01/23/UK-vegan-population-surged-by-1.1m-during-2023https://www.farminguk.com/news/nearly-all-households-continuing-to-buy-meat-despite-budget-squeeze_64038.htmlhttps://viva.org.uk/animals/campaigns/dairy-corporate-cruelty/https://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/kozhikode/animal-rights-activists-prevent-rooster-sacrifice-at-kozhikode-temple/article67769426.ecehttps://www.peta.org/blog/video-danville-shelter-director-spay-neuter-psa/****************Thanks everyone for listening; give us a rating and drop us a message to say "hi"; it'll make our day!Julie & Ant(SFX in today's show provided by Zapsplat.com)

Please support us:   / themadmamluks   or via PayPal https://themadmamluks.com/donate 0:00 - Intro 1:28 - Mort's father's passing 11:30 - Al Qamah and his Mother 18:00 - HT Ban 54:33 - McDonalds Boycott Update 57:30 - Iran attack on Pakistan

In this episode we take a look at the activity around regulation with regards to online scams in the US, UK and Australia, following comprehensive analysis done by Ken over the last year. The overall outlook is pretty positive. We see a lot of good attention, especially in the UK, and we are optimistic about the future of protecting consumers. However, there is still a lot more to be done.To learn more about Ken and his work, follow him on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ken-palla-09b585/This podcast is hosted by Ayelet Biger-Levin who spent the last 15 years building technology to help financial institutions authenticate their customers and identify fraud. She believes that when it comes to scams, the story starts well before the transaction. She has created this podcast to talk about the human side of scams, and to learn from people who have decided to dedicate their lives to speaking up on behalf of scam victims and who take action to solve this problem. Be sure to follow her on LinkedIn and reach out to learn about her additional activities in this space. https://www.linkedin.com/in/ayelet-biger-levin/ ScamRanger: https://scamranger.ai/

Wagwan good people!  It's another episode of the podcast you didn't know you needed and we are hearing that Rich Aunty is back with Mr Nkomo dot dot dot. The UK Home Office just introduced new restrictions for COS visa, we take a trip down memory lane to the most chaotic times in our lives, High School. We also play a game... tune in! Grab a ticket to our Christmas Comedy Shows here ⁠https://madeinzwe.com/christmasbox/⁠ You can also support the gang by grabbing a coffee here ⁠https://www.buymeacoffee.com/blackandforthpod

A 160Kg drone, contracted by the UK Home Office, loses its command and control link while searching for migrant boats in the English Channel.  The Flying Reporter Pilot Briefing Podcast discovers what happened.  Jon also finds out what's happening with the CAA's plans for tightening the rules on cost sharing flights.The Flying Reporter Pilot Briefing is the essential guide to the most pertinent changes affecting your flying in the UK.  Covering changes to regulation, airspace, training, licensing and medicals.Jon Hunt, is a private pilot, YouTuber and former BBC TV news reporter.  He makes inspirational, educational and entertaining general aviation content with a UK focus - and being a fixed wing pilot - that's where his heart lies and what drives most of his content.The Flying Reporter Pilot Briefing is made in association with Astral Aviation Consulting.This episode is sponsored by AOPA UK.  Sign up for a discounted membership hereTo find out more, visit The Flying Reporter website.Watch my videos on YouTubeFollow me on InstagramFollow me on TwitterFollow me on FacebookSupport my channel, and this podcast on PatreonThanks for listening.Support the show

In this episode of Looking Outside we venture into dark futures with global futurist Nikolas Badminton, crossing over the line of realism into dystopia.Nikolas spent 30 years at the front line of emerging futures, aiding organizations and governments in the anticipating risks that lie ahead and shaking people out of unrealistic expectations. He says now he is hired to do the type of work he'd normally get fired for, as, often, Nik is tasked with telling people the future they are excited about is not going to happen, and prompting frank conversations. He uses ‘impossible' scenarios to paint preposterous futures, those ideas about the future that appear ridiculous, in order to bring people out of their self interests or away from a yearning for nostalgia.While positive futures are important, Nik says facing into the fact that ‘bad stuff does exist' is the important starting point. We often see plans or goals that are so far out, particularly in government policies, that are psychologically disconnected from the people planning them and therefore aren't designed to provide anything tangible enough to motivate people to act. Jo and Nik also discuss the need to help organizations see beyond the ‘garbage' that is out there about emerging risks and trends, often sensationalized, by painting change as accretive, with layers of complexity constantly building, instead of as hinging on a ‘switch' from one state to another. Nik describes the need to bring people into future states by first taking them into the hybrid state where things are transitioning, seeking out evidence of the future to provide the missing link between disruption and strategy. Often we hear change is happening faster than ever before, but Nik counters that; “If you think things are happening quickly you're not paying attention”.--To look outside, Nik moves away from his work quite literally by cycling around Toronto's water parks and trails, while listening to music or a podcast. He says through this, his thoughts become clearer and he is happier. --Nikolas Badminton is a global futurist speaker and Chief Futurist that mentors top executives and the highest levels of government to explore desirable futures, anticipate unforeseen risks, and strengthen strategic planning. He has spent 30+ years working with leadership at over 400 leading organizations at the frontline of futures, strategy and disruption - including NASA, Disney, Google, Microsoft, Intel, IBM, WM, JP Morgan, Verizon, VISA, TD Bank, American Express, BISCI, ISACA, Rolls Royce, Procter & Gamble, US Department of State, UK Home Office, United Nations, and many more. Facing Our Futures: How foresight, futures design and strategy creates prosperity and growth - is Nikolas' number one best selling book and has been named as JP Morgan Private bank's ‘Next Gen Pick' for their prestige 2023 Summer Reading List to guide new leaders to ignite curiosity and embrace futures thinking.Nikolas' essential research has been featured by the BBC, VICE, The Atlantic, Fast Company, Business Insider, Forbes, Sunday Telegraph and many others. He appears on SIRIUSXM and CTV regularly, was a key advisor to the ‘Age of AI' series with Robert Downey Jr, and appears in the Franklin Institute's series ‘2050'.Find out more about Nik Badminton at www.futurist.comFollow Nik on LinkedIn, YouTube and Blue Sky. Check out Nik's

In this episode we speak with Tigs Louis-Puttick, the founder of Reclaim the Sea, a UK-based organisation helping refugee women reclaim the seaside as a place of joy.   Tigs tells us about teaching refugees to swim and surf, about the UK government placing asylum seekers on a floating barge – the Bibby Stockholm – and the company which owns the barge's links to the trans-atlantic slave trade.   She also tells us how she was arrested in July 2023 during a protest outside the UK Home Office against the Illegal Migration Bill.     ---Get in touch--- Twitter: @FleetCivil Mastodon: @civilfleet@kolektiva.social Instagram: thecivilfleet info@civilfleet.com civilfleet.com   Support:  ko-fi.com/civilfleet    ---Show Notes--- Follow Reclaim the Sea on Twitter: @Reclaim_The_Sea You can read Reclaim the Sea's report on the financial and moral cost of the Bibby Stockholm here: reclaimthesea.org.uk/atwhatcost    Read Reclaim the Sea's open letter to UK Home Secretary Suella Braverman here: bit.ly/3DTusoT    Two days before this podcast was released, the people who were being held on the Bibby Stockholm were taken off the prison barge because legionella was found in its water supply. Read about that here: bit.ly/45r3wss    For more on the Bibby Stockholm's links to the transatlantic slave trade, see this article by Corporate Watch: bit.ly/3KDwQnI    For more on Corporate Watch, check out episode 40 of The Civil Fleet Podcast   This short article on the Liverpool Museum's website also looks at Bibby Marine's links to the slave trade: liverpoolmuseums.org.uk/artifact/bibby-line-shipowners   For more on Sea-Watch and Sea-Eye, see episodes 1, 7, 10, 22, 23 and 40 of The Civil Fleet Podcast.   Check out this trailer for The Swimmers, a film Ben mentions in the podcast: bit.ly/4578xqd    For more on the UK's Police Crime and Sentencing Act, see this explanation by the human rights organisation Liberty: bit.ly/3KzJgwL    For more on the UK's Illegal Migration Bill, see episodes 38, 39 and 42 of The Civil Fleet Podcast.

A sham marriage or fake marriage is a marriage of convenience entered into without intending to create a real marital relationship. This is usually for the purpose of gaining an advantage from the marriage. Definitions of sham marriage vary by jurisdiction, but are often related to immigration. The essential point in the varying definitions is whether the couple intend to live in a real marital relationship, to establish a life together. A typical definition by the UK Home Office in 2015: A sham marriage or civil partnership is one where the relationship is not genuine but one party hopes to gain an immigration advantage from it. There is no subsisting relationship, dependency, or intent to live as husband and wife or civil partners. While referred to as a "sham" or "fake" because of its motivation, the union itself is legally valid if it conforms to the formal legal requirements for marriage in the jurisdiction. Arranging or entering into such a marriage to deceive public officials is in itself a violation of the law of some countries, for example the US. After a period, couples often divorce if there is no purpose in remaining married. The reverse situation, in which a couple gets a divorce while continuing to live together, is called paper divorce. Marriage fraud. Sham marriages are sometimes considered distinct from a marriage fraud, which is a type of romance scam, in which one spouse is unwittingly taken advantage of by the foreign spouse who feigns romantic interest, typically in order to obtain a residence permit or for money. Background. Common reasons for sham marriages are to gain immigration, residency, work, or citizenship rights for one of the spouses. There have been cases of people entering into a sham marriage to avoid suspicion of homosexuality, bisexuality, etc. For example, Hollywood studios had allegedly requested homosexual or homoromantic actors, such as Rock Hudson, to conceal their homosexuality in a so-called lavender marriage. Fraud. Since the introduction of stricter modern immigration laws in First World countries, sham marriages have become a common method to allow a foreigner to reside, and possibly gain citizenship, in the more desirable country of the spouse. The couple marries with knowledge that the marriage is solely for the purpose of obtaining the favorable immigration status, and without intending to live as a couple. This is frequently arranged as a business transaction with payment of a sum of money, and occurs more commonly with foreigners already in the country. United States. A green card marriage is a marriage of convenience between a legal resident of the United States of America and a person who would be ineligible for residency if they were not being married to the resident. The term derives from the availability of permanent resident documents ("green cards") for spouses of legal residents in the United States, where marriage is one of the fastest and surest ways to obtain legal residence. Marriages, if legitimate, entitle the spouse to live and work in the United States, as in most other countries. In the United States, 2.3 million marriage visas were approved from 1998 through 2007, representing 25% of all green cards in 2007. Even if the non-resident spouse was previously an illegal immigrant, marriage entitles the spouse to residency. Most marriages between residents and non-residents are undertaken properly, for reasons other than or in addition to residency status. That said, the practice of obtaining residency through marriage is illegal in the United States if the marriage itself is fraudulent. A marriage that is solely for purposes of obtaining legal residence is considered a sham, and is a crime in the United States for both participants. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/law-school/message Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/law-school/support

In this episode of The Cybersecurity Defenders Podcast, we recount some hacker history, and with the help of John Bambenek, tell the story of one of the largest and most complicated supply chain attacks in history: SolarWinds On December 13, 2020, The Washington Post reported that multiple government agencies were breached through SolarWinds's Orion software.Victims of this attack include the cybersecurity firm FireEye, the US Treasury Department, the US Department of Commerce's National Telecommunications and Information Administration, as well as the US Department of Homeland Security.Prominent international SolarWinds customers investigating whether they were impacted include the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), the European Parliament, UK Government Communications Headquarters, the UK Ministry of Defence, the UK National Health Service (NHS), the UK Home Office, and AstraZeneca. FireEye reported the hackers inserted "malicious code into legitimate software updates for the Orion software that allow an attacker remote access into the victim's environment" and that they have found "indications of compromise dating back to the spring of 2020". FireEye named the malware SUNBURST. Microsoft called it Solorigate.The attack used a backdoor in a SolarWinds library; when an update to SolarWinds occurred, the malicious attack would go unnoticed due to the trusted certificate.The Cybersecurity Defenders Podcast: a show about cybersecurity and the people that defend the internet.

“They didn't believe that I was gay.” What if your safety depended on proving your sexuality? What happens when the state has the power to define queerness? And what happens if they don't believe you? Jason Thomas-Fournillier applied for asylum in the UK in 2014 after facing escalating homophobic violence in Trinidad. The Home Office initially refused his claim because they did not believe that he was gay. Nine years and several appeals later, he has still not received the right to stay here. He cannot work or vote. He lives on £35 per week. Jason is not alone. A 2020 report found that LGBT+ people seeking asylum are having claims rejected at a disproportionate rate due to an "impossible burden of proof". Ostracised from their communities, subject to repeated threats, forced into marriages, losing partners to violent attacks, many of the LGBT+ people who seek asylum in the UK have experienced immeasurable trauma. Like Jason, they often find that their journey into the asylum system begins with an assessment of the "credibility" of their queerness. People who have spent their entire lives hiding their sexuality to protect themselves are asked to quickly and confidently reverse these coping mechanisms. Bridey Addison-Child, a trans-masc British citizen, explores what happens when the authenticity of queerness is enforced by the UK Home Office. Combining testimony with reflections on queer identity, the programme follows the experiences of LGBT+ people in the UK asylum system as they grapple with proving who they are. Featuring the voices of refugees and people seeking asylum in the UK including Jason Thomas-Fournillier and Aderonke Apata, Bridey also hears from Professor of Refugee Law at SOAS Sarah Singer, and barrister and Visiting Adjunct Professor at the University of Southampton Dr. S Chelvan. Producer: Bridey Addison-Child Executive Producer: Jo Meek & Anishka Sharma Sound Mix: John Cranmer Image Credit: Jack Owen A Reduced Listening production for BBC Radio 4

This week we're discussing the UK Home Office's practice of forcing migrants to wear GPS ankle tags or carry GPS fingerprint scanners. Find out more about the policy, its impact on people, how the trackers work and why we think its wrong for a company to profit from all of this. Links Send Capita an email at: pvcy.org/GPSaction Find out more on our website about the campaign: https://privacyinternational.org/campaigns/capital-surveillance Watch the full video testimonies - video 1: https://media.privacyinternational.org/w/cB1gjT7FA4L77NUA2PF7Jd video 2: https://media.privacyinternational.org/w/bMY219Rmd2tXSpmSH4HL9F

In the Global North, media and political depictions of migration tend to be relentless images of little boats crossing bodies of water or crowds of people stacking up at a dotted line on a map. These depictions presume two things – that this is a generally comprehensive picture of migration and that, regardless of where you stand, the situation around migration is relatively dire. Enter Heaven Crawley, who heads equitable development and migration at United Nations University Centre for Policy Research. She also holds a chair in international migration at Coventry University's Centre for Trust, Peace and Social Relations, and directs the South-South Migration, Inequality and Development Hub since 2019, a project supported by UK Research and Innovation's Global Challenges Research Fund. From her perch, spanning government, academe and field research, she says confidently in this Social Science Bites podcast that international migration “is not an entirely positive story, but neither is it an entirely negative one. What we're lacking in the media conversation and in the political discussion is any nuance.” Connecting nearly all the regional debates about migration “is the lack of an honest conversation about what migration is and what it has been historically. It has historically been the very thing that has developed the societies in which we live, and it is something on which the clock cannot be turned back. “And none of us, frankly, if migration was to end tomorrow, would benefit from that.” Trying to bring a clear eye to the debate, she explains to host David Edmonds that roughly 3.6 percent of the world's population, or 280 million people, could be considered migrants. Of that, about 32 million fit under the rubric of “refugee.” And while the sheer number of Migrants is growing, the percentage of the world's population involved has been “more or less the same” last three decades.   And while this might surprise European listeners, almost 40 percent of migration originates from Asia-- mostly India, Pakistan and Bangladesh -- followed by Mexico. There is a lot of migration from African countries, Crawley notes, which gibes with European media, but most of that migration isn't to Europe, but within the African continent. Who are these migrants? Overall, she says, most people who move are less than 45. Nonetheless, “the gender, the age really depends on the category you're looking at and also the region you are looking at.” Generalizations about their qualifications can be fraught: low-skills migrants ready to fill so-called “dirty, difficult and dangerous jobs” and high-skill migrants draining out their country's brains can often depart from the same nation. Crawley agrees that migration currently is a politically potent wedge issue, but she notes it has been in the past, too. She suggests that migration per se isn't even the issue in many migration debates. “A whole set of other things are going on in the world that people find very anxiety-producing” – rapid changes in society drawing from security, economy, demographics, and more, all against a backdrop of “migration simultaneously increasing (in the number of people on the move, not the proportion) and the variety of people also increasing.” This creates an easy out for policymakers, she says. “Politicians know that if they've got problems going on in society, it's very easy to blame migration, to blame migrants. It really is a very good distraction from lots of other problems they really don't want to deal with.” This is also why, she suggests, that responses such as deterrence are more popular than more successful interventions like addressing the inequalities that drive migration in the first place. Crawley's career saw her sit as head of asylum and migration research at the UK Home Office, serve three separate times as a specialist adviser to the UK Parliament's Home Affairs Committee and Joint Committee on Human Rights, and be associate director at the Institute for Public Policy Research. In 2012, in recognition of her contribution to the social sciences and to evidence-based policymaking, she was named a fellow of Britain's Academy of Social Sciences.

In today's episode we speak with filmmaker Sonita Gale, about her award-winning documentary film Hostile.    Sonita tells us how Britain's "hostile environment" stretches much further back than 2012, when then home secretary Theresa May coined the term, and is rooted in the British Empire.    We hear how successive governments — both Labour and Conservative — have created an inhumane system for migrants and refugees in the UK and how this has affected the people in her film.    She also tells us how these dehumanising policies lead to the Windrush Scandal, and how they link with the NHS crisis, workers' rights, poverty, and the government's anti-protest laws.     ---Get in touch--- Twitter: @FleetCivil Mastodon: @civilfleet@kolektiva.social info@civilfleet.com civilfleet.com   Support:  ko-fi.com/civilfleet   ---Show Notes---   For more on Sonita Gale's documentary, see here: hostiledocumentary.com   If you're in the UK, you can watch the film online here: tinyurl.com/569sfdd7   If you're outside the UK, then check here for more information on how to watch it: https://www.hostiledocumentary.com/watch-the-film/    See the trailer for Hostile here: tinyurl.com/34me88cv    You can follow Hostile on Twitter here: @hostiledoc   And follow Hostile on Instagram here: instagram.com/hostiledoc   For anyone outside the UK that doesn't know what the Home Office is, it is similar to the Ministry of the Interior in much of Europe, or the Department for Homeland Security in the US.    The head of the UK Home Office (called the Home Secretary) is Suella Braverman. Before her, it was Priti Patel. Both are mentioned in the podcast.    Liz Truss, Boris Johnson, Theresa May and David Cameron were all former Conservative Prime Ministers. Members of the Conservative party are often referred to as Tories, and the party as The Tory Party.    Theresa May was the Home Secretary in 2012. She coined the term Hostile Environment in 2012. You can read more about that, and the 10-year anniversary of it, here: tinyurl.com/4aynzkbz     Ben and Sonita mention Enoch Powell and his Rivers of Blood speech. You can read more about him and his infamous speech here: tinyurl.com/mtt3pcdf   Here's a good explanation of the Police, Crime and Sentencing Bill and why it is so dangerous by the human rights organisation Liberty: tinyurl.com/ktwxcxtw     For more on the No Recourse to Public Funds (NRPF) policy, see the NRPF Network, here: tinyurl.com/yc6rj3x9   Here is a good explanation of the Windrush Scandal by the Joint Council for the Welfare of Immigrants: tinyurl.com/t6stcvnx    The Noam Chomsky quote at the end of the film is this: "As long as the general population is passive, apathetic, diverted to consumerism or hatred of the vulnerable, then the powerful can do as they please, and those who survive will be left to contemplate the outcome.”   The Chomsky quote that Ben (mis)quotes (again!) is this: “If you assume that there's no hope, you guarantee there will be no hope. If you assume that there is an instinct for freedom, there are opportunities to change things.”

Hello, and welcome to episode 57 of the Financial Crime Weekly Podcast, I'm your host, Chris Kirkbride. It's been a busy week this week, with plenty on fraud, bribery, and cyber-attacks, with some bits and pieces on other things. Let's crack on. As usual, I have linked the main stories flagged in the podcast in the description. These are: Bank of England and Prudential Regulation Authority, The Bank of England consults on its approach to Enforcement policies to provide greater clarity on the scope of its powers and processes.Bank of England and Prudential Regulation Authority, CP9/23 – The Bank of England's approach to enforcement: proposed changes and clarifications.Commodity Futures Trading Commission, Federal Court Orders South African CEO to Pay Over $3.4 Billion for Forex Fraud.Council of the European Union, Corruption as an obstacle to development: Council approves conclusions (press release).Council of the European Union, Corruption as an obstacle to development - Council conclusions (4 May 2023).Council of the European Union, Foreign Affairs Council (Development), 4 May 2023.European Commission, Anti-corruption: Stronger rules to fight corruption in the EU and worldwide.European Commission, Questions and Answers: Stronger rules to fight corruption in the EU and worldwide.European Union External Action: Diplomatic Service of the European Union, Anti-corruption package: Press remarks by High Representative/Vice-President Josep Borrell at the press conference.Lloyd's Market Association, Publication of Oil Price Cap Endorsements for Political Risk and Credit Business.Office for Professional Body Anti-Money Laundering Supervision (OPBAS), Anti-Money Laundering Supervision by the Legal and Accountancy Professional Body Supervisors: Progress and themes from our 2022/23 supervisory work.Spotlight on Corruption, Now we need the other fraud strategy (blogpost).Techtarget, Studies show ransomware has already caused patient deaths.The Guardian, Facebook and WhatsApp owner urged by UK bank to act on fraud as scams soar.UK Financial Conduct Authority, FCA continues action against unregistered crypto ATMs across the UK.UK Financial Conduct Authority, FCA sets out steps to improve whistleblower confidence (press release).UK Financial Conduct Authority, Whistleblowing qualitative assessment survey 2022.UK Financial Intelligence Unit and the National Crime Agency, Suspicious Activity Report (SAR) Glossary Codes and Reporting Routes.UK Food Standards Agency, Chief Executive's message to stakeholders - Update on our meat fraud investigation.UK government, New blueprint to protect public from scammers (news story).UK government, What the Prime Minister's Fraud Strategy means for you (press release).UK government, Fraud Strategy: stopping scams and protecting the public (policy paper).UK Home Office, Economic Crime Survey 2020.UK Home Office, Research and analysis: Economic Crime Survey 2020.UK Insolvency Service, London businessman convicted for Bounce Back Loan fraud.UK Office of Financial Sanctions Implementation, General Licence INT/2022/1710676.UK Office of Financial Sanctions Implementation, General Licence INT/2023/2954852.US Department of Justice, Houston man sent to prison for $3M PPP loan fraud scheme.US Department of Justice, Man Sentenced for $1.1M COVID-19 Fraud Scheme.US Department of Justice, Alaska Couple Charged in $700,000 Investment Fraud Scheme Based on Fictitious Alaska Marijuana “Bud and Breakfast”.US Department of Justice, San Diego Man Sentenced to Prison for Tax Evasion, Fraud and Failing to Appear for his 2001 Sentencing Hearing.US Department of Justice, FBI Disrupts Virtual Currency Exchanges Used To Facilitate Criminal Activity.UK Prudential Regulation Authority, Business Plan 2023/24.US Securities and Exchange Commission, SEC Issues Largest-Ever Whistleblower Award.Welsh government, New plan to help protect Wales from cyber-attacks and grow cyber sector.

Cyberpolitik: AI and Crime Prevention: Is it a force multiplier?— Satya SahuCrime prevention is based on the idea that crime can be reduced or eliminated by modifying the factors that influence its occurrence or consequences. We can classify “prevention” into three main types: primary, secondary, and tertiary. Primary prevention addresses the root causes of crime or deters potential offenders before they commit a crime. Secondary prevention aims to intervene with at-risk groups or individuals to prevent them from becoming involved in crime. Finally, tertiary prevention efforts seek to rehabilitate or punish offenders to prevent them from reoffending. (This, however, is beyond the scope of today's discussion.)Flipping the coin, we notice that policing is based on the idea that law enforcement and public order can be maintained by enforcing the law and responding to crimes or incidents. Policing also lends itself to being classified into two main types: reactive and proactive. Reactive policing responds to reported crimes or incidents after they occur. Proactive policing anticipates or prevents crimes or incidents before they occur. On the face of it, AI can help us prevent and fight crime by enhancing both types of crime prevention and policing.AI can digest and analyse petabytes of data from disparate sources, such as social media, CCTV footage, sensors used in our Smart Cities™, and boring old digitised government records, to identify patterns, trends, and anomalies that can indicate potential criminal activity. For example, the police in Vancouver use predictive models to identify areas where robberies are expected to occur and then post officers to deter potential thieves or other criminals. Similarly, the police in Los Angeles use a system called PredPol that generates maps of hotspots where crimes are likely to happen based on past data. These systems can help the police allocate their resources more efficiently and effectively and reduce crime rates and response times.When it comes to collecting and processing evidence, such as fingerprints, DNA, facial recognition, voice recognition, and digital forensics etc., we can look at the UK Home Office's VALCRI, which uses AI to analyse large volumes of data from different sources, such as crime reports, witness statements, CCTV footage, and social media posts, to generate hypotheses and leads for investigators. For example, the police in India used ML-backed facial recognition technology to reunite thousands of missing children with their families. Moreover, AI can help the police in presenting evidence and arguments in court, such as using natural language processing to generate concise summaries or transcripts of testimonies or documents.It could augment efforts to monitor and evaluate police performance and conduct, such as using dashcams, bodycams, or drones to record their interactions with the public and/or suspects. For example, the police in New Orleans developed a program called EPIC that uses AI to analyse video footage from bodycams to identify instances of misconduct or excessive force by officers. It can also help the police in engaging with the public and building trust and confidence, such as using chatbots or social media platforms to communicate with citizens and provide critical information services, hopefully unlike the chatbot from my bank's beleaguered website.However, all this has enormous implications for the jurisprudential underpinnings of crime prevention and policing. One such significance arises when AI itself can change the nature and scope of crime and criminality. AI can enable new forms of crime that exploit its capabilities and vulnerabilities, such as cyberattacks, biometric spoofing, deepfakes, autonomous weapons, or social engineering. Unlike their current-crime counterparts, leveraging AI allows these future crimes to be more sophisticated, scalable and anonymous than conventional ones. Therefore, the legal and ethical frameworks that govern our efforts to control such crimes must, therefore, must evolve to address these new crimes. It is a foregone conclusion that without involving AI at the forefront of these efforts, it will be impossible to counter AI-enabled crimes themselves. Hence the concomitant need to update the legal and ethical norms guiding society's conceptions of policing and crime prevention.Yet another implication is that AI also transforms the roles and responsibilities of police officers and other actors involved in crime prevention or response. As the examples show, AI can augment or automate some of the tasks that police officers perform, such as data collection, analysis, or evidence processing. AI can also assist or replace some of the decisions that police officers make, such as risk assessment, resource allocation, or intervention selection. To ensure that the concerns of effectiveness and responsibility surrounding Mx. Robo-Cop are adequately balanced, clear and consistent standards and regulations for police and state actors must be established side-by-side with the development and deployment of such systems. This is not to say that we need to disavow the use of AI in the field of policing and crime prevention. The potential and limitations of AI and the skills and knowledge to use it effectively and responsibly make it so versatile and terrifying. However, it is still a tool to be wielded by the legitimate wielder of the state's punitive power: the police.The use of AI in identifying young people who are vulnerable to gang exploitation or violence and mounting efforts to prevent them from becoming involved in crime is already a burning question in the UK. This recognises that leveraging AI to provide better targeted and tailored state support and services to at-risk groups or individuals, is valuable. On the face of it, any enhancements to their state's performance, efficiency, and accountability in this regard will be applauded. But given what we know about the pitfalls surrounding AI, the opposite also holds: violating the privacy, dignity, or rights of individuals or communities will reduce the trust and legitimacy that is essential for state actors and the police to be able to police under the social contract.Referring back to my previous post here, we know that AI can create or exacerbate the digital divide or systemic social inequalities among different groups or individuals. The conversation about the use of AI in a field where the slightest deviation from the limited scope of policing is undesirable must discuss the processes involved as well as the outcomes exacted upon the population being policed. This indicates the need to ensure that AI is used in a way that respects and protects the interests and values of individuals or communities. AI is a powerful tool that can help us understand the causes of, prevent, and reduce crime. Still, it is not a substitute for human judgment or responsibility. It is not merely a technology but also a socio-cultural phenomenon to be embraced with a healthy mixture of curiosity and caution. (I use the term ‘AI' to include machine learning, Neural Language Processing, etc., here for brevity.)Matsyanyaaya: Why a local Indian rickshaw app should worry Big Tech— Shailesh ChitnisDigital platforms, such as Google and Facebook for advertising and Amazon for e-commerce, derive their power by bringing sellers and buyers together in one place. Over time, "network effects" ensure that these platforms achieve monopoly power in the market. Regulators have tried different methods to limit the reach of these platforms. The European Union prefers a rule-based approach to reining in these companies, while the United States M+A policy is focused on preventing market concentration.Neither has worked particularly well. Namma Yatri, a small ride-hailing app in Bangalore, may point in another direction. Since its launch last November, the app lists almost a third of the city's 150,000-odd rickshaw drivers on its network and routes 40% of all rickshaw rides. It is now a viable competitor to Ola and Uber, the dominant apps.Namma Yatri is unique in that it is entirely funded and run by the community. The app is based on the open-source platform Open Network for Digital Commerce (ONDC), which is a non-profit supported by the Indian government. A private company, Juspay Technologies create the app, and there is no commission fee.ONDC's concept is to create a common platform where buyers and sellers can easily transact. This is essentially a technological solution that deconstructs a marketplace (see figure below). By abstracting the platform from supply and demand, ONDC seeks to remove some of the barriers of large digital platforms.ONDC's approach is not unique. Last week, Bluesky, a new social media platform backed by Twitter's founder Jack Dorsey, started inviting users to its Twitter-like platform. What makes it different is that the social network is built on a decentralized system. This would allow, in theory, users from multiple social networks, each with its own systems of curation and moderation to interact.A technology-driven solution that unbundles a marketplace into different pieces may spur more competition. And given India's success with pushing large-scale digital infrastructure projects, entrenched platforms should pay attention.Though it's early days for these platforms, there are a few questions, particularly around their business model.- Can a community-supported model work for India when our open-source culture isn't that well-developed?- If private companies are developing and maintaining applications on the platform, what are the monetization models?But perhaps, the most important question is about government intervention. With ONDC, if the government actively participates in defining the protocol and in advocating its use, does that influence innovation and natural market evolution?Antariksh Matters: Challenges for the Indian private space sector— Pranav R SatyanathThe approval of the new space policy by the Union Cabinet ushers in a new era for the space sector in India. The long-awaited reform, reflected in an 11-page document, details the activities that the commercial space sector can undertake and delineates the roles of three key government agencies: Indian National Space Promotion & Authorisation Centre (IN-SPACe), Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), and the Department of Space (DoS). We have covered the merits and shortcomings of the policy in a Takshashila blog. The enthusiasm for the growth of the private space sector is indeed merited, as private entities were largely denied these opportunities in the past. However, there also exists a host of challenges that the Indian private space sector will face in the future. Some of these challenges are rooted in the historical evolution of the space sector in India, while others are created by the structure of market competition in the space sector. To understand the challenges, we must first briefly analyse how the private space sector has evolved to its present state in India.Evolution of India's private space sectorPrivate sector participation in India's space sector has historically been sparse. This was because space activities were the state's monopoly for several decades, and ISRO had achieved several feats, such as developing indigenous launch vehicles with limited resources. Indeed, since space was a high-risk and relatively low-reward sector, private entities stayed away from undertaking entire space projects and instead played the role of contractors and subcontractors for manufacturing satellite and launch vehicle components.Given ISRO's monopoly over space activities, a regulatory mechanism to oversee national space activities was seen as unnecessary, even after commercial space activities became a viable undertaking for the private sector. ISRO became the de-facto regulator for the private sector as it was the only route through which the private sector could participate in space activities. The absence of a set regulatory framework, therefore, disincentivised major private sector participation.This affected the evolution of the private sector in three ways. First, due to the large capital required to establish  manufacturing facilities for the space sector, the task of taking the role of suppliers fell on the traditional heavy industries who had large resources at their disposal. Second, since the industries largely followed ISRO's guidelines on design and manufacturing, they had very little incentives to innovate on their own. Finally, an ancillary support industry or the space sector did not flourish as ISRO imported or manufactured key components in-horse. Put together, these factors would go on to place several structural constraints on India's private space sector.     The challenges for India's private space sectorWith clarity on the regulatory framework, the private space sector is free to pursue activities in both the Upstream sector (which includes satellite manufacturing and launch services) and the Downstream sector (Ground Segment and satellite services). However, the industry must overcome several hurdles before achieving a high degree of competitiveness. This essay focuses on two challenges that are discussed less frequently.Support from the governmentThe miniaturisation of satellites has given rise to a new market for satellite service providers, which has, in turn, spurred the demand for launch vehicles. Despite the boom in demand, the private space sector continues to rely on significant government funding to stay in business. For the NewSpace industry, support from the government comes in the form of purchasing services or directly funding the research and development of new technologies. Consider the example of the launch industry in the United States. Traditionally the National Aeronautic and Space Administration (NASA) and the U.S. Air Force (USAF) purchased services from the established space and missile industry through a cost-plus arrangement. The rise of the private space launch market introduced a new fixed-cost model, where NASA and USAF paid for launches on a need basis. Furthermore, NASA has taken significant steps to involve the private industry in human spaceflight, as the national space agency has shaped itself to undertake high-risk exploration missions. The military sector has also taken major steps to integrate the private industry into the procurement ecosystem, making the government a major source of funding for the private space sector.Such a model of government funding does not exist in India. According to the new space policy, NewSpace India Limited (NSIL), an entity under the DoS, will take responsibility for operating launch vehicles developed by ISRO. Further, ISRO has also stated that it will develop a new reusable launch vehicle to replace the PSLV. There is no indication that either the DOS or the armed forces will fund private launch providers for launch services or develop new launchers.Due to the long absence of a commercial space policy, India's private space industry is in its nascent stages. As the industry matures, it will face stiff competition from well-established international players. In this regard, the Union government must be cognizant of the fact that international competitors have some level of backing from foreign governments, which skews their advantage in the international market. Access to key technologiesThe second major challenge to Indian companies arises from the lack of a robust supply ecosystem in India. As mentioned earlier, the evolution of India's space sector led to a condition where a supporting industry for the space sector had limited incentives to flourish into its full potential. Decades later, a new generation of space entrepreneurs began to rely on foreign suppliers for key components and technologies as they could not find equivalent suppliers domestically. The lack of a domestic space ecosystem has led several space entrepreneurs to shift their establishments to foreign countries, where access to technology, talent and support systems was easier.Indeed, the NewSpace ecosystem will eventually gain competence as the domestic industry begins to mature and the demand for domestically-manufactured sensors, optics, testing equipment and software increases. During the transition period, however, space startups will continue to rely on foreign suppliers. The process of procuring foreign components is often a roadblock due to the export control regime on dual-use technologies.Charging forwardWhile the new policy achieves high marks in several key areas, the transformation of India's space sector is far from complete. To achieve the vision of augmenting India's capabilities through the commercial space sector, India needs a  National Space Strategy which charts a clear path forward for both civilian and military activities. Such a strategy must lay down the objectives for India's space programme and seamlessly incorporate the interests of the commercial space sector into the national strategy.Our Reading Menu[Book] Traffic: Genius, Rivalry, and Delusion in the Billion-Dollar Race to Go Viral by Ben Smith[Report] Mapping Biosafety Level-3 Laboratories by Publications by Caroline Schuerger, Sara Abdulla and Anna Puglisi[Op-ed] CPC's tryst with private regulatory interventionism by Anushka Saxena[Podcast] Indian Space Policy - 2023 with Aditya Ramanathan and Narayan Prasad This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit hightechir.substack.com

Hello, and welcome to episode 54 of the Financial Crime Weekly Podcast, I'm your host, Chris Kirkbride. It's been another bumper week for financial crime this week, so my hopes that there would be an ease down in work were short-lived. Lots of news on everything, except for sanctions, with a round-up of cyber-attack news at the end. These are the links to the principal documents mentioned in the podcast: Cooley, Treasury Department Releases Report on Money Laundering Risks, Decentralized Finance.Council of the European Union, Russia's war of aggression against Ukraine: Wagner Group and RIA FAN added to the EU's sanctions list.European Parliament (Committee on Economic and Monetary Affairs, Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs), REPORT on the proposal for a regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council establishing the Authority for Anti-Money Laundering and Countering the Financing of Terrorism and amending Regulations (EU) No 1093/2010, (EU) 1094/2010, (EU) 1095/2010.Financial Stability Board, Recommendations to Achieve Greater Convergence in Cyber Incident Reporting: Final Report.International Monetary Fund, IMF Executive Board Concludes Review of the Implementation of the Framework for Enhanced Engagement on Governance (press release).International Monetary Fund, Review of Implementation of The 2018 Framework for Enhanced Fund Engagement on Governance.International Monetary Fund, Review of 1997 Guidance Note on Governance - A Proposed Framework for Enhanced Fund Engagement.International Monetary Fund, Good Governance: The IMF's Role.Solicitors' Regulation Authority, Goad & Butcher.UK Department for Work and Pensions, Guidance: Changes in the fraud and error in the benefit system: financial year 2022 to 2023 estimates.UK Financial Conduct Authority, TSB fined £48.65m for operational resilience failings (press notice).UK Financial Conduct Authority, TSB Bank plc (Final Notice).UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office, UK sanctions Abramovich and Usmanov's financial fixers in crackdown on oligarch enablers.UK Government, Policy paper Factsheet: failure to prevent fraud offence.UK Home Office, New crackdown on fraud introduced by the Home Office (press release).UK National Crime Agency, Former Cambridge don who defrauded Government energy grants repays more that £1m.UK Office of Financial Sanctions Implementation, Financial Sanctions Notice: Russia (12/04/2023).UK Office of Financial Sanctions Implementation, Financial Sanctions Notice: Russia (13/04/2023).UK Office of Financial Sanctions Implementation, Financial sanctions targets: list of all asset freeze targets (updated).UK Prudential Regulation Authority, PRA fines the former Chief Information Officer of TSB Bank plc for a breach of the PRA's Senior Manager Conduct Rules (press release).UK Prudential Regulation Authority, Carlos Abarca (Final Notice).UK Prudential Regulation Authority, TSB fined £48.65m for operational resilience failings (press release).UK Prudential Regulation Authority, TSB Bank plc (Final Notice).Ukraine Ministry of Defence, The composition of the Public Anticorruption Committee under the Ministry of Defense has been approved.US Department of Justice, Former Executives of Outcome Health Convicted in $1B Corporate Fraud Scheme.US Department of Justice, Restaurateur Sentenced To 57 Months In Prison For Over $6 Million Pandemic Loan Fraud And Interstate Threats.US Department of Justice, All defendants plead guilty in drug trafficking, COVID fraud operation tied to Savannah strip clubs.US Department of Justice, Former Investment Banker and Registered Broker Arrested for Operating Cryptocurrency Investment Fraud Scheme.US Department of Justice, Former Puerto Rico Mayor Pleads Guilty to Bribery Scheme.US Department of Justice, Man Sentenced for Bribery Schemes Involving Millions of Dollars in U.S.-Funded Military Contracts and Visa Fraud.US Department of Justice, Sophisticated Sinaloa Cartel Money Laundering Organization Dismantled.US Department of Justice, U.S. Attorney Announces Charges Against Leadership Of The Sinaloa Cartel And 25 Other Defendants In Massive Fentanyl Importation And Trafficking Conspiracies.US Department of Justice, Justice Department Announces Total Distribution of Over $6B to Victims of State Sponsored Terrorism.US Department of Justice, Readout of U.S. Attorney General Merrick B. Garland's Meeting with Singapore Attorney General Lucien Wong.US Department of the Treasury, Treasury Releases 2023 DeFi Illicit Finance Risk Assessment (press release).US Department of the Treasury, Illicit Finance Risk Assessment of Decentralized Finance (report).US Department of the Treasury Office of Foreign Assets Control, Treasury Targets Russian Financial Facilitators and Sanctions Evaders Around the World.

ASX 200 fell 20 points to finish at 7324 (-0.3%), letting go of some of yesterday's gains. Energy sector leading the gainers today, WDS +1.1%, STX +5.3%, and COE +6.5%. Banks are down, WBC down 0.1% after getting upgraded to neutral from underperform at Macquarie, The Big Bank Basket falling to $172.21 (-0.9%) CBA falling 1.0%. Tech doing ok, with WTC up 1.5% and CPU up 1.4%. The All-Tech Index up 0.4%. Healthcare stocks were mostly down, CSL down 0.6% and RMD off 0.3%. REITS firmed GMG up 1.4% and URW up 1.0%. Bad day for miners BHP, RIO, and FMG all off 0.9%, 0.7%, and 1.8%, respectively as Cyclone Ilsa heads for WA. Gold miners finish in positive territory, NST up 0.7%, PRU up 1.2% and DEG firm 2.2%. Industrials lagging beyond again, TCL down 0.2% and QAN down 0.6% while DOW gained 2.6%. On the corporate front, Corporate Travel Management (CTD) surged +12.1% after being awarded a 2-year contract by UK Home Office worth £1.6B, Wesfarmers (WES) -0.7% offloads 37.2m shares in Coles (COL), OZ Minerals (OZL) +0.1% declares fully franked dividend of 175c per share. In economic news, Australian jobs data comes in hotter-than expected, holding near 50-year lows at 3.5% against forecasts of 3.6%. Labour market remains tight. Australian housing demand seen strengthening even further amid the migration surge, NAB's April housing update attributed the recent rise in home values to low supply and extremely tight rental conditions, and additional demand form overseas migration. In Asian trade, Japan up 0.1%, HK down 0.7% and China down 0.3%. Dow futures up 9 points. NASDAQ futures up 21 points.Why not sign up for a free trial? Get access to expert insights and research and become a better investor.

This episode investigates the use of automated decision-making in government and the lack of transparency that accompanies it. Researchers Alexandra Sinclair and Tatiana Kazim speak to Professor Joe Tomlinson about the steps people and government can take to improve this aspect of automation. Discussed in this episode: the PLP's TAG register, Joe Tomlinson's book, Algorithmic Transparency Recording Standard Hub, the Australian Robodebt scandal, the English language testing scandal, and the UK Home Office's sham marriage algorithm. Show website: www.peoplelawpower.org

In today's episode we speak with Jelka and Amara. Amara was one of 108 people who were rescued by an oil tanker, called the El Hiblu 1, in March 2019 after escaping Libya. The European authorities ordered the El Hiblu 1's crew to wait for the Libyan coastguards to come and take the rescued back to the war-torn country.  But, the rescued convinced the crew to sail north instead. Amara, along with fellow teenagers Abdalla and Kadar, acted as translators between the refugees and the crew. The Maltese special forces eventually raided the ship, in full tactical gear, when it got close to the island nation.  Amara, Abdalla and Kadar were arrested and accused of terrorism, piracy and worse for what is essentially an extraordinary act of humanitarianism.  They have been stuck in a bureaucratic legal nightmare for four years while the Maltese prosecutors try to figure out what crime to charge them with.  We're going to hear from Amara briefly about halfway through today's episode. With the pretrial in Malta still ongoing, he is unable to tell us too much about what happened.  And so, we'll mainly be speaking with Jalka from the Free the El Hiblu 3 campaign.  She's going to tell us more about what happened to Amara, Abdalla and Kader and the campaign to free them. ---Get in touch--- Twitter: @FleetCivil Mastodon: @civilfleet@kolektiva.social info@civilfleet.com civilfleet.com Support:  ko-fi.com/civilfleet ---Show Notes--- For more on the El Hiblu 3 and the Free the El Hiblu 3 campaign, see here: elhiblu3.info Follow Free the El Hiblu 3 on Twitter on: @ElHiblu3, and on Instagram here: instagram.com/elhiblu3 If you'd like to read the El Hiblu 3 e-book, then go here: elhiblu3.info/book You can read more about Amara's story here: elhiblu3.info/amara.html Read Kader's here: elhiblu3.info/kader.html And Abdalla's here: elhiblu3.info/abdalla.html Ben mentions an exclusive story he worked on about the rising numbers of deaths at UK Home Office asylum-seeker accommodation. You can read that here: bit.ly/42xtR7v  Ben and Jelka mention EUNAVFOR MED, which stands for European Union Naval Force Mediterranean. You can read more about that here: bit.ly/3K0LQvP, here: bit.ly/40pF6go, and here: bit.ly/3yY04qO Ben and Jelka briefly mention the campaign group Refugees In Libya and one of its organisers David Yambio. He appears on episode 29 of The Civil Fleet podcast.  Here's a link to the Times of Malta documentary on the El Hiblu 3 with English subtitles: bit.ly/3LJJra0 Ben briefly mentions Derbyshire Refugee Solidarity. You can find more about them here: derbyshirerefugeesolidarity.org

Nikolas Badminton FRSA, Chief Futurist at futurist.com Nikolas Badminton FRSA is a global futurist speaker that mentors top executives and the highest levels of government to explore desirable futures, anticipate unforeseen risks, and strengthen strategic planning.  He has spent 30+ years working with leadership at over 300 leading organizations at the frontline of foresight, strategy and disruption - including NASA, United Nations, Google, Microsoft, Intel, WM, HSBC, TD Bank, DISCOVER, American Express, Bank of Canada, Rolls Royce, Procter & Gamble, US Department of State, UK Home Office and many more.  Nikolas' #1 best selling book ‘Facing Our Futures' - released internationally on Bloomsbury Business - helps executives ignite curiosity and embrace futures thinking. The result is future preparedness, better strategic planning, more profit and growth. Nikolas' essential research has been featured by the BBC, VICE, The Atlantic, Fast Company, Business Insider, Forbes, Sunday Telegraph and many others.  He appears on SIRIUSXM and CTV regularly, was a key advisor to the ‘Age of AI' series with Robert Downey Jr, and appears in the Franklin Institute's series ‘2050'. Order Nikolas' new book 'Facing Our Futures' - Reach out to Nikolas  LinkedIn

What are you doing as a leader to make your organization better in the future? To continuously improve and innovate your organization, you have to explore futures thinking which is about challenging or augmenting your vision. In this episode of the Inspirational Leadership podcast, I speak with Nikolas Badminton, a world-renowned futurist speaker and foresight thought leader who mentors leaders to create more connected, curious, and creative teams that embrace futures design to drive more profit and explosive growth. He has spent 30+ years working with leadership at over 300 leading organizations at the frontline of foresight, strategy, and disruption – including NASA, United Nations, Google, Microsoft, Intel, WM, United Way, Bayer, Bank of Canada, Rolls Royce, Procter & Gamble, IDEO, UK Home Office and many more. Listen in to learn why you have to shift your mindset from what is to what if by practicing curiosity, courage, and creativity in your organization. You will also learn the importance of letting go of your biases to build trust and empower people to invest in their mental well-being. Key Takeaways: How to shift your mindset from what is to what if by practicing curiosity, courage, and creativity. The importance of thinking beyond your lifetime and how you can create a better world for generations to come. How to create a people-first organization by making sustainable and ethical decisions. How to let go of your biases to build trust and empower your people. Standout Quotes: “We have to think way beyond our lifetime, and beyond the lifetime of our children, how we can create a better world today that's going to still be here in hundreds of years.”- Nikolas [20:50] “Anxiety and pressure are not fuel for creativity and business.”- Nikolas [32:39] ⇢ Get full show notes and more information here: https://bit.ly/NikolasBadminton

Dimitris Perdikou, Head of Engineering at the UK Home Office, Migration and Borders joins Carolyn and Mark to discuss the innovative undertakings of one of the largest and most successful cloud platforms in the UK. With over 3,000 technical users, and millions of end users, Dimitris sheds some light on his experience with SRE, User Experience, and Service Monitoring.Episode Table of Contents[0:21] Inside the Massive Programs That the UK Home Office Offers[7:00] The Importance of Observing Cost Efficiency[12:25] The Monitoring Pack of the UK Home Office[17:59] UK Home Office Take on a Good User Experience[24:09] Why UK Home Office Didnt Have to Reinvent the Wheel[30:20] Let the Experts Do Their JobEpisode Links and ResourcesEpisode Links and ResourcesDimitris PerdikouUK Home OfficeNCSCThe Happiness LabThe Art of Happiness

Today on The Day After, (25:11) Headlines: Tory MP Andrew Bridgen to fight possible suspension from Commons, Ukraine claim that Russian attacks on energy grid amount to genocide, Protests continue in major cities across China over Covid lockdown (32:12) What You Saying? How will the advent of metaverse / AR/VR integration affect social interactions? Positive or Negative? (01:26:02) Headlines: Ministers pressured to explain PPE Medpro contracts decision, Child asylum seekers are being detained as adults due to UK Home Office altering dates of birth, Museum closes 'racist, sexist and ableist' Medicine Man display (01:36:12) Word on Road: Kim K releases statement on her relationship with Balenciaga, Donald Trump states him backing Kanye West is fake news, Ivorian Doll claps back at Esther Falan with a diss track (01:48:02) The People's Journal (01:57:14) Asking For A Friend: I had sex with my work husband and he wants to tell my real husband. (02:18:40) Headlines: Jill Scott is victorious in “I'm a celeb…” over Matt Hancock and Owen Warner, Three people arrested after bodies of two babies found in South Wales, 16 yr old arrested after two teens fatally stabbed in London (02:23:21) The Reaction: World Cup fixtures, World Cup results, Spain draw with Germany, Argentina earn much needed win against Mexico, Will Ghana & Cameroon pick up 3 points today in the World Cup (02:44:41) Done Out 'Ere: Chelsea Orton, 22 (03:00:01) Outro --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/thedayaftertnb/message

This week I discuss my 6 months wedding anniversary, UK Home Office, 4 day working week soft launch, Love is Blind, Are You The Mole?, men/women's dating preferences and much more. #LOUDITPodcast is hosted by Nnedinso. Tune in every Monday for some funny stories and girl talk to cheer up your Monday blues. From life experiences to wild stories and current media, no topic is off limits. Let's LOUD IT and talk some rubbish! Twitter: @Nneddy121 and YouTube: ItsNnedinso

A government PR-turned-journalist reveals how to gain access to ministerial departments prone to leaks, scandals and sources wanting to speak out (at the risk of their careers)

Everyone who holds a position of leadership has five key Vantage Points from which they can build positive momentum and high performance. Building awareness through exploring each one helps leaders create clarity for people and room for teams to thrive. Paula Leach has spent over 25 years in executive HR roles, most notably as the Chief People Officer at the UK Home Office and in senior roles at Ford Motor Company. She is also the author of Vantage Point: How to Create Culture Where Employees Thrive.

Rishi Sunak and Liz Truss are the final two candidates to replace Boris Johnson as leader of the Conservative Party. So what's their vision for the UK, and its relationship with the rest of the world? Join host Nastasya Tay. Guests: Mo Hussein - Political Commentator and former Special Adviser to the UK Home Office. Lesley Riddoch - Director, Nordic Horizons. Jonathan Lis - Deputy Director, British Influence.

A wave of emigration from Hong Kong has surged since the National Security Law was passed in June 2020. As shown in the data from the UK Home Office on May 26, 19,500 BNO visa applications were received, a 25 percent increase from 15,600 in the 2021 fourth quarter. This is a first big quarterly […]

Nakba Melb vox pop here II We asked people at the recent Melbourne rally marking the 1948 expulsion and murder of Palestinians by Zions why they came to the rally. Why is it important to stand up.Stella Assange Speaks here II Stella Assange's speech outside the UK Home Office on May 17th. The extradiction ruling for Julian Assange is expected by May 31.This is the Week here II Kevin Healy runs through the week - if it wasn't so serious it would be funny.Climate Goals Held to Ransom here II Voices from a recent on-line rally around the use of the insidious ECT, Energy Charter Treaty, to gouge money from countries putting in legislation to protect the environment. We feature a small snippet from a UK Union Caucus meeting that looks at the upcoming COP27 meetings.

In a week where: Kendrick Lamar is dropping his 5th Studio Album next month. UK Home Office seek to deport illegal means asylum seekers to Rwanda. DJ Kay Slay, pioneering hip-hop artist and longtime radio host, dies at 55 after a months-long battle with COVID-19. Boris Johnson apologises in Parliament so everything is fine. Julian Assange extradition to the US one step closer as UK Court Approves Removal. In the 1st of three Society segments: (7:29) I've been thinking about my screen-on-time recently. And whilst I can definitely improve on it, I probably am not able to ever log off. And being able to whenever you want is beginning to look like a new class barrier.In the 2nd Society segment: (20:33) Is Marcus Rashford working class? How about Tyson Fury? Or Lenny Henry? A new poll suggests that depending on your age, you see celebrities as "working class".In the 3rd Society segment: (34:02) I'm one for good pronunciation, as you could imagine from a guy with a Podcast where a key cog is reading articles. But if you're "that person" that loves to catch people on mispronunciation, maybe you should curb that.Lastly, in Music: (47:24) Ambient Music is something you may or may not have heard of. It's easy to see it as sonic wallpaper. But it's worth arguing that there's a lot more to it.Thank you for listening! If you want to contribute to the show, whether it be sending me questions or voicing your opinion in any way, peep the contact links below and I'll respond accordingly. Let me know "What's Good?"Rate & ReviewE-Mail: the5thelelmentpub@gmail.comTwitter & IG: @5thElement_UK5E Community DiscordWebsite: www.the5thelement.org.uk/5epnIntro Music - "Too Much" By VanillaInterlude - "Charismatic" By NappyHighChillHop MusicOther Podcasts Under The 5EPN:Diggin' In The Digits5EPN RadioBlack Women Watch...In Search of SauceThe Beauty Of Independence

Have you ever wondered how the disastrous impacts of climate change affect national and global security? How do we, states, and international organizations respond to these and prepare for imminent challenges?   In this first episode of our Earth Month "Climate” series, host Logan Williams and the team at the https://cciproject.uk/ (Climate Change and (In)security Project) discuss the intersections of climate change and national security and the challenges that come with addressing this existential threat. From specific regional concerns in the Arctic and The Sahel to the framing of local and multilateral solutions, this episode will delve into what it means to work towards a better future amidst global rising temperatures. Dr. Tim Clack is the Chingiz Gutseriev Fellow at the School of Anthropology and Museum Ethnography, University of Oxford. He is also an Official Fellow for Environmental Change at Reuben College, Oxford. He joins the episode to discuss his research focus on responses to climate and environmental change, including conflict and migration.  Logan is also joined by Louise Selisny, who is a Strategy Consultant with a specific interest in communications and defense. She has been engaged by a variety of organizations across the corporate and public sectors, including the UK Home Office and the UK Ministry of Defense. She has a wide range of local governance and stakeholder relations experience in Eastern Africa and Central Asia, and joins us to discuss the human security dimensions of this challenge. This episode was hosted by Logan Williams. The executive producers for this season of OPP are Read Leask and Livey Beha. And this episode was produced by Claddagh Nic Lochlainn, Grace Miner, and Elsa Katz. To stay up to date on Season 4, be sure to subscribe to Oxford Policy Pod wherever you get your podcasts. You can also follow us on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/oxfordpolicypod_/ (@oxfordpolicypod_) and on Twitter https://twitter.com/oxfordpolicypod (@oxfordpolicypod).

Yang Liu is the founder and CEO of JustWears - a direct to consumer brand on the mission to create the most comfortable underwear for men, with biodegradable natural materials. From starting in her living room and personally responding to every customer email, she has built JustWears into a multi-million pound business in just 3 years, even featured on Dragons Den with her famous phallus for your palace underwear. Previously Yang worked at venture capital firm 500Startups as an investor. She came to the UK at 23 with nothing but her broken English. She was recently awarded "Highly Commended Entrepreneur of 2019" by NatWest Asian Women of Achievement Awards and was recognised as 'Exceptional Talents" by UK Home Office.The main thing that has made JustWears stand out is their signature pouch design which separates a man's package from his balls. By using ventilated fabrics on the underside of this area, it provides men with more space and airflow where they need it most. Their premium Micromodal Air fabric is 50% more absorbent and breathable than cotton, drying quicker and keeping the body pleasantly cool all day long. Listen in to find out about Yang's journey to date.Connect with Yang Liu via: LinkedIn & Instagram.Find out more about JustWears via: website, Instagram, Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn.A new episode EVERY WEEK, showcasing the journeys of inspirational entrepreneurs, side hustlers and their mentors. We discuss their successes, challenges and how they overcame setbacks. Focusing mainly on what they wish they had known when starting out. The podcast aims to give aspiring entrepreneurs the confidence to Start Up and Start Now by showcasing real and relatable entrepreneurs. After all, seeing is believing!Join the conversation using #startupstartnow and tagging us on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn. Don't forget to leave a review as it really helps us reach those who need it and allows us to get the best guests for you! Connect with Start Up. Start Now. and to nominate a guest please visit: www.startupstartnow.co.uk.  To connect with Sharena Shiv please visit: www.sharena.co.uk.

For anyone who doesn't remember the incredible story of the Stansted 15 - they are a group of human rights activists who organised a non-violent action to stop a deportation flight leaving from Stansted on the night of the 28 March 2017.The plane they stopped from leaving the UK was chartered by the UK Home Office to deport 60 people to Ghana, Nigeria and Sierra Leone. Amongst these people were several victims of human trafficking. Most deportations in the UK take place on normal scheduled flights with other passengers not being deported, but up to 2,000 people a year are deported on these secretive mass deportation flights, specifically chartered by the Home Office. They take place at night, and the passengers are often shackled in chains and waist restraint belts or leg restraints. This is what the Stansted 15 wanted to expose. Their aim was to stop these charter flights from happening altogether.What actually happened after that day, was the group were arrested, and instead of being charged with aggravated trespassing, the usual charge for a non-violent action like this at an airport, they were charged with terrorism charges carrying a maximum sentence of life in prison. Almost two years after the action they endured a 10-week-trial and were initially found guilty, but this conviction was eventually overturned in January of this year and their names were cleared.Very importantly, as a result of their action, 11 of those 60 people due to be deported that night, now legally live in the UK. To me, thats a huge success. I closely followed this story as it was unfolding and have always wanted to talk to a member of this group. I've just always thought it was an absolutely incredible thing to do. So I reached out to a few of them for this episode and got the general sense that this whole process had taken a huge emotional toll on them all, and they were busy trying to rebuild a sense of normality.But one member of the group, Mel, was happy to meet me and invited me to her house. I was immediately totally enamoured by her as soon we met and we spent the afternoon together chatting, she made us sandwiches and we went for a walk in the forest. Mel has a real sense of calm and a sweetness and strength about her that hopefully comes through in this conversation. This story is so inspiring to me and I hope you enjoy it .Support the show (https://www.justgiving.com/prism-worldwidetribe)Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/asylum-speakers-podcast-with-jaz-ohara-stories-of-migration. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Kate Nash from Purple Space and David Caldwell from UK Home Office explore the role of disability staff networks in building partnership excellence within an organization. As part of this conversation, they touch on how accessibility leaders can support the development of disability staff networks, the role disability staff networks play in developing a culture of accessibility awareness, and how disability network leaders can be vital support and allies for accessibility leaders.  HOST: Please welcome Kate Nash and David Caldwell.  Kate is the Head of Purple Space, the world's networking and professional development hub for disabled employees, network, and resource group leaders.     David is the Head of Accessibility and Digital Inclusion at U.K. Home Office, a UK government department. His main focuses at the Home Office are accessibility strategy, policy, and assurance.      Today they will be discussing the role of disability staff networks in building partnership excellence within an organisation.  They will touch on how accessible leaders can support the development of disability staff networks, the role disability staff networks play in developing a culture of accessibility awareness, and more!    DAVID: My name is David. I'm -- I currently work at the Home Office in the UK as the head of accessibility and digital inclusion and I'm really pleased to be part of the strategic leader in accessibility working group, and today we'll be focusing on one of the domains that is inside the book of knowledge and as part of the work that we've been doing. The domain we are looking at is partnership excellence and we are focusing specifically on disability staff networks, and I can think of nobody else in the world better qualified to talk about disability staff networks than Kate Nash. So, Kate, hello. Welcome. Give us a bit of an introduction. KATE: Thank you, David. A really great pleasure to be able to join you today. I was thoroughly excited to be able to join David in any conversation, but this of course is a subject so dear to my heart. I have the great pleasure of heading up Purple Space. It's a small social business and we set up in 2015 as a result of a book that I wrote some years ago, Secrets and Big News. And now we have a growing membership and what we do is support organizations, employers to set up and or to improve the effectiveness of their employee resource groups or networks and there is such cross over in terms of the wonderful work the access champions and access professionals are doing. So, delighted to be here David. I think my picture, my photo is short hair. I think COVID has now meant we cannot go to hairdresser, but it is me and it is lovely to be with you. I am looking forward to this conversation. DAVID: We wanted to start today's session setting a bit of context about networks in the world that we live in right now and Kate, I know that Purple Space just before Christmas around the International day of Persons with Disabilities launched their impact report that looked at networks in the world of COVID. I wonder what are your thoughts about that and what are you seeing from networks around COVID in particular around accessibility and accessing company systems remotely. KATE: Yeah, thank you. So, a few things, a few things. I mean in terms of the context of ERGs and networks, we're seeing massive growth, so organizations, whether they're global business or a local business within a specific jurisdiction, we're increasingly seeing that they're becoming vehicles to accelerate the pace of change when it comes to disability confidence, so as we know, most businesses or businesses of a certain size will have a diversity and inclusion professional specialist, and they often work across really large brief in order to build a more inclusive workplace, and resource groups and networks are really used to augment and supplement and to really hasten the pace of change, so that's happening per se. In terms of COVID and some of the things that came out of the impact working group. Two things really struck me. One is that disability networks, ERGs, have meant that they are a really good focal point in raising issues and surfacing challenges and spotting trends when it comes to access issues. So, they are a really natural vehicle for surfacing those pre-existing challenges. And what COVID has done, and of course we've proven in an instant how easy it is for many of us to work remotely and from home and this is something that many disabled employees have been calling for for many years. We've now almost proven the point that it's relatively easy to be able to work extensively from home. Of course, that brings challenges so that's the first thing that really struck me is how COVID has accelerated the surfacing of pre-existing challenges when it comes to the access requirements not just for disabled people but anyone who wants to become more proficient in using tech and more productive and more efficient in their work. So that is the first thing. I think the second thing is they're often -- and it really came through in the impact report, David. I know you were part of the working group, but often networks and resource groups provide a very strong role in noticing the solutions, you know, so lots of chat between and across disabled people some who have the same impairments, some who have different impairments, but they're often a rich source of advice and support as to how you can switch on certain features when it comes to access tech. And what we're seeing through COVID is often they were the go-to agent for organizations who wanted to really start to think about how you automate certain features within tech. So those are the first two things that struck me.  What about you? What did you see from the impact report? DAVID: Yeah, I think it's probably similar to you. I think the way I summarized it when I was talking to some colleagues about the report and we were discussing it was, I think the thing that comes through a lot is that the impossible was made possible in an instant, and I think actually it's shown that the reluctance to do some adjustments and -- was there -- has been there for a long time but in some ways unjustifiably. And I think that sometimes it just takes these big events to happen to shake things up a little bit, and what I like in what you were saying about how networks are like a conduit for those issues bubbling up, and I suppose I wonder -- I wonder what you see in that – in that kind of being that conduit about the role of network leaders in speaking that truth to power and being the voice for those that they represent in the organization. What's your thoughts there in terms of how networks can do that? KATE: I think one of the strongest roles that they play is in clustering the common themes that come out in terms of inaccessible tech as well as inaccessible environment as well as inaccessible ways in which we work. The reality is most people with a disability are individuals who acquire that health condition or disability through the course of their working life. We know that some 83 or 84 percent of all disabled people are those who acquire their disability from the age of 16 and 65. What that means is people are often grappling with a change of identity as well as often a change in the way in which they have to work and a change in the way in which they interface with their working environment as well as the people who work around them and it can be incredibly hard to accommodate and feel good and to feel good about yourself within that change of identity. And therefore it becomes very complex and harder and longer for individuals to articulate what their needs are. One of the things that we saw, for example, in the book that we wrote years ago is it can take on average someone two to three years to even ask for a workplace adjustment because they feel that there are favors. We know on the one hand that these things are not favors. They're enshrined in law, but it's altogether different. So, to come back to your question I think what networks and ERG do so powerfully is that they provide what I call an advocate type role. They start to surface the themes and the constant truths around inaccessible tech or environments, and they start to depersonalize the needs to provide solutions for groups of people who might share the same impairment so whether that's individuals with a vision impairment or people who maybe have a hearing condition, they are theming those things rather than an individual having to ask for a particular workplace adjustment and it's just accelerated that. DAVID: Absolutely. There's some interesting comments from Ray around people being taught to be grateful for what you do have and not to ask for too much, and I think I've definitely seen that. I've definitely seen disabled staff go, well, you know, I got this bit of -- I got one of the ten things that I needed, and I kind of felt bad for asking for more. So yeah, I've seen that. I also, just on Tracey's point, so ERG is Employee Resource Group so we tend to talk about employee networks and employee resource groups. There's a whole plethora of different ways of saying the same thing, isn't there, Kate? KATE: Yes, absolutely. Different organizations will use different language to describe often the same thing. As David says, the most common used languages are networks or employee resource groups, but we equally see some organizations use the term business resource groups, sometimes special interest groups, sometimes affinity groups. Particularly when it comes to this subject you often have accessibility networks or user testing groups as well. So, it's really vehicles of individuals who don't have a dedicated role in mainstreaming disability within the workplace but individuals who want to support the business to do differently and better. DAVID: I want to pick up a little bit on one of the things you just mentioned there about the informal role of networks in as much as, you know, most network leaders and most networks are volunteer led. There are very few examples where it's a formal part of somebody's job. And what challenges do you see with that in terms of those network leader's role when it comes to this topic of accessibility, digital accessibility, workplace accessibility in general, what impact does that have, these people have a big remit but they are volunteers? KATE: Yeah, and there lies the rub (laughs). And one of the great things that ERG leaders and network                leaders have in abundance we say is passion, energy, commitment, dedication, and a real desire to support their organization to do differently and better. They're very often individuals who have experienced disability themselves in one way or another. Often that's direct experience, but it equally can be somebody who may be a parent of a child with a disability or indeed someone whose parents had a disability. It may be individuals who are line managers, exceptions but you're absolutely right. They also have a day job and the day job comes first. So, I suppose the great -- the greatest role, the greatest benefits that networks can play is in clustering some of the themes and the common features of inaccessibility for disabled people. But their roles are naturally very broad. They're often involved in supporting an organization to improve workplace adjustment policy. They're often involved in delivering storytelling campaigns, which you know so much about yourself, David. And they also can be involved in user testing groups, but their roles are very, very broad, and I think where some of the networks that are led by some of the accessibility leaders and the unique role that accessibility leaders can play is a real focus on the access issues because they're slightly different. You know, disability is a complex human experience, and for some it's about leveling the playing field when it comes to kit and gizmos, technical terms. But sometimes it's not about that. Sometimes it's about noticing the self-limiting untruths that we have of ourselves and the things that we need to do to improve our confidence, so, yeah, but to answer your question, ERG leaders are busy bunnies. They have a very broad remit.  Some of that is about access but if that can be augmented by great leadership when it comes to access champions, then that's fantastic. That's when the magic happens. DAVID: Yeah. HOST: IAAP membership consists of individuals and organizations representing various industries including the private sectors, governments, non-profits, and educational institutions. Membership benefits include products and services that support global systemic change around digital and the build environment. United in Accessibility, join IAAP and become a part of the global accessibility movement. DAVID: How do we encourage people to tell us about their disabilities and then how do we encourage them to ask for adjustments to make sure that they are best supported in the workplace, and I've got some thoughts, but I'd love to hear yours first. KATE: Yeah, well, I think some of the more common ways in which you can support people I suppose to hasten the process by which they ask for a workplace adjustment is to really give good, consistent, and easily visible information about how you can access the workplace adjustment. Those employers that really start to motor on this are those that tend to have, you know, a one-stop portal of information that's very visible. It can be available as you on-board an organization. Senior business leaders know where it is and tend to socialize that information with their own teams, with human resources and the DNI departments will routinely get information about where you can get that access adjustment, so that's really, really important. I think the other thing that networks can do to support people to know that a business is really serious in wanting to deliver adjustments is some of the storytelling campaigns. Many organizations whether they're very small public sector organizations in a locale or whether large global multinationals, one of the most powerful instruments of change is to get individuals to share information about their disability, and not just for its sake. It's not a cathartic exercise. It's about saying this is me. This is my impairment. This is what I do for the business. This is how I deliver well for the business. And by the way, I have bipolar and mine is a good news story because as soon as I asked, I was able to get a soft adjustment in terms of how I work. And those little micro stories have the most powerful impact in helping people to notice, wow, the business is really serious about this. We know from our membership how hard it is often for individuals to share information about their disability with an organization. It can take a very long time, and it can take a wee bit of courage. And when the wonderful John Armichi talks about trust and how organization need to earn that trust. So, yes, of course individuals can do differently and better and learn as they go along about how to be who they are – how can they preserve and protect their brand as a high-performing employee with a disability at the same time as being who they are. But it's often the case that people will need a bit of courage to share that information formally, and as you call out when you've done that, you at least expect I suppose the business to say, okay, so what do you need and how can we help and when do you need it, yeah. DAVID: Yeah, absolutely. One of the things that we talked about before we jumped and looked at some questions is about how networks can help to I suppose provide a sense of themes and a general helping to scope those areas. I wonder, one of the things I've been thinking about recently is about what's the role of an accessibility leader to help disability network leaders almost focus a bit to provide some of that time to be a sounding board and to be I suppose a confidante rather than having to do it themselves, almost helping, go well look, this is what we've got, you know, we've got this side of the table when it comes to accessibility. What we need some help on is this stuff. So almost helping for us some of the shaping around the role of disability networks in this conversation about accessibility in the workplace. KATE: Yeah, agree. I mean a number of thoughts strike me when you offer that up, David. I think the first is -- of course, we talk about access in the round and that can mean different things. It can mean access to tech as well as access to the built environment. As well as access to flexible and agile working policies. Access is a broad term. But that said there's often what I would call an occupational psychology that sits behind some of the exceptionally gifted access leaders and champions. What I mean by that is they tend to be -- dare I say without stereotyping access leaders is they tend to be very systematic in the way that they work. They tend to be those individuals who can do root and branch analysis. They tend to be those that really hone down on what the problem is and therefore surface what the range of solutions are and therefore for the business can understand what the best solution is. So, the interplay I think between access professionals and leaders and champions as well as the ERGs of work on a broader level is, one, to be able to get the bit between their teeth and really hone down on solutions. They can unblock what I call the consistent themes, the challenges that go round and round and never get resolved. Maybe surface one year and then three years later, guess what the big problem is, it's the same thing that surfaced six years ago or three years ago. And some of the greatest access leaders and champions are those who chose to table thump and say this is not good enough or not in my name or leave that with me and I'll go back. So they set the bar high and as you say, can often counsel and mentor ERG leaders. Does that make sense? DAVID: It does. It makes absolute sense, and I think what I've seen and certainly what I've learned from other folks in this working group and in the IAAP and similar groups in places like the business disability forum in the UK, and the ILO, the international labor organization groups is as much as you get accessibility leaders who maybe come in have a focus on say digital accessibility, we end up -- because we're such a passionate bunch of people, we end up getting involved in areas like build environment and might not be part of our official remit to look at workplace adjustments because that's traditionally an HR thing but we're going to get stuck in, and I think it comes down to the fact that we live in this sort of ecosystem of things and it's no good to just make the digital things accessible if our stuff can't get workplace adjustment so they can't get into a building. So, I think it's increasingly -- like I say, whilst people are coming with this digital angle and this tech angle. I'm increasingly seeing and feeling that access, is not workable, doesn't stack up like that because you end up kind of doing half the job really, which is difficult because you end up with network -- with accessibility leaders who are spinning multiple plates. But I think that's the role of networks comes in and helps accessibility leaders to say I've got all these things, I need you to help me understand what's going on, on the ground to be able to then go, right, that plate, it's about to fall off, but it is not actually going to cause anybody any problems. Let's deal with this plate that is still spinning and it's going to spin on for a bit longer but the second it drops it's going to break, it's going to smash. KATE: Absolutely. DAVID: I wonder as well. One of the things that I've been thinking about as well is about that kind of useful tension that can exist between networks and accessibility leaders and thinking about it from the perspective of very often I've seen and I know colleagues see is that networks and individuals in networks will perhaps raise an issue that they think affects a lot of people, but actually when you dig under it, it's a lack of understanding, it's a challenge that individuals because of a specific reason but that's not been surfaced. So, I wonder whether you think there is a useful tension in having them as the separate groups and separate entities and the accessibility not leading the disability network or not being on the steering committee, for example. KATE: Yeah, real pros and cons, and I think like you say, David, I think I'm more inclined to notice the benefits of the creative tension that comes with those two groups and those two issues. We -- I mean, as we know, in the disability inclusion, building more inclusive workplaces is about coming at the topic of disability and mental health from different dimensions and different perspectives, and inclusion can mean a number of things, and part of it is about access to kit, access to buildings, access to technology, access to policies, access to know-how, access to people. We know that. But inclusion is also about encouraging in this case non-disabled allies to be part of our world and notice the benefits of recruiting and retaining and developing employees with disabilities. So, you know, I think there's a lot of benefits in disaggregating the responsibilities between the access leader and the ERG leader, but the reality is both are allies of each other, and so the reality is all organizations will do it differently, all organizations. We see, for example, subnetworks of user testing, mystery shopping, individuals, very patient people who want to be genuinely used to test out kits and to test out technologies, etc., and others don't want to do that at all. They're busy with their day job, and they are like “Thank you very much”. So yeah, we're challenged there but a good challenge I think. DAVID: Lets turn, Maybe spend five or ten minutes talking about the culture around accessibility and the role of networks. You talked a little bit about storytelling, and I wonder what your thoughts are about how that can be used and the telling of lived experience stories to kind of bring to life the reasons why organizations need to be accessible not just, you know, in their systems but in their workplace environment and the simple things like their communications and the videos from the CEO and those sorts of things. So be interested to hear your thoughts on that. KATE: Yeah, really powerful, really, really powerful. Telling gritty stories about actual individuals within an organization can be one of the most powerful drivers to sustain motivation and direction and ambition and standards when it comes to accessibility. So, there's nothing quite like -- and of course, it takes a little bit of practice. Not everybody wants to share their story, and the majority of individuals are continually perfecting the way in which they describe their story of disability or difference. It is never once and done, it's a story of continued practice. But where we see real power is where you can hone down somebody sharing a bit about themselves, a bit about blocks they have had, the challenges, the obstacles, the barriers, the inaccessible ways in which the business has interfered in them being productive, the solutions that then came about, particularly the individuals that helped unlock those solutions, our champions, our allies that can unblock that and then as a result of that how either productivity went up or efficiency went up and/or one's level of, you know, motivation goes up because of course we want to work with organizations who want us to do well. So, I think storytelling can be an incredibly powerful vehicle and a technique for accelerating the process of accessibility change within an organization, really, really powerful. DAVID: Yeah, and from my experience I hear it quite a lot when we get asked about how do you help people to see beyond compliance and beyond box checking, and it's very often that the thing that changes people, people's perceptions and people's approach to accessibility regardless of what version of accessibility that is, is watching somebody or being involved with somebody with a disability trying to complete a task, for example, trying to, you know, have a look at their pay slip, for example, or watch that really important video that lays out the next thing that their CEO wants to do or simply getting into the building, getting up to their desk, using that new fangled touch screen lift system that nobody thought about how somebody in a wheelchair was going to use or someone who is blind was going to use. I think that is really impactful. That's another type of storytelling, but it has to be, we have to be careful how we do those things and so that we don't -- so we don't overuse the -- certain individuals and we don't overplay somebody's ability or inability to do some things. So, it doesn't, we're not, so people understand that we are not going this people can't do their job, it is actually we're putting barriers in this person's way because I think it is very easy and a fine line between those things. KATE: Yeah, absolutely. It's about reframing, I think. DAVID: Absolutely. We talked a little bit; you mentioned a couple of times and I know that a lot of people use disability networks as a way of finding people to do testing and to get them to do user testing of their systems or of their buildings. I think the one thing I've kind of realized come to over the last couple of years particularly in this role that I have now actually is that I think they are, there's definitely a use -- there's definitely a way we can leverage disabled staff to do that. But I think we have to do two things. Firstly, we have to make sure that those individuals who are involved in that are trained and skilled in their assistive technology and in the types of things that they need to be talking to people about, and very often what I've seen is unfortunately where the individual is using a very sophisticated piece of assistive technology, but they don't understand it and therefore they come up with all these problems that aren't really accessibility issues. It's an issue with their setup or with their knowledge of their system. So, I think we need to make sure that the people we get involved in user testing like that are suitably supported in that way. And I also think we need to find ways to say thank you and rewarding them because it is an extra thing. As much as it's good to involve staff that don't have disabilities in that type of work, it doesn't happen very often because we roll things out, we just give people stuff. So that extra and the extra thank-you, the extra little reward and generally can't pay them in the way you might pay somebody externally, but I think there's ways we should reward people who volunteer and take part in that type of activity, and lastly it shouldn't be the only thing. We should definitely be encouraging organizations to have people doing this as part of their jobs and making sure we do it in a way that doesn't rely on the goodness and the kindness of volunteers. KATE: Great tips there, David. I really enjoyed hearing all of those. I mean picking up on your point on thanking people, it can be one of the simplest easiest things to do but it's the most commonly missed. You know, we see for example in our membership -- we do see some fantastic practice. I just saw the other day and if you're listening, Sodexo, well done. We saw an amazing thank you going out from senior business leaders to those who are doing a good job in terms of leading ERG networks, and I think when it comes to user testing and mystery shopping and using your own people to surface where there's constant challenges, a simple thank-you is really powerful. Doesn't do it, not everyone wants to be part of that user testing, but for those that do, they are investing their time in the organization in terms of how we could be doing things differently and better. So, a simple thank-you is very powerful. DAVID: Kate, I want to say a big thank you to you for generously giving us some of your time and talking to us about the world of networks and about that useful opportunity that accessibility leaders have to be closer to their disability networks. HOST: The IAAP Accessible Document Specialist (ADS) credential is intended for accessibility professionals who create and remediate accessible electronic documents and their related policies. The ADS credential represents an ability to express an intermediate level of experience designing, evaluating, and remediating accessible documents. The ADS credential is beneficial for people in or aspiring to be a User Experience Designer or Tester, Web Content Manager and Administrators, Project, Program, and ICT Managers and more! Check out the IAAP ADS certification webpage to learn more!     

Medical cannabis experts, Professor Mike Barnes and campaigner Hannah Deacon sit down with their guests to find out why cannabis matters to them.----In the final episode of the series, Hannah interviews Professor Mike Barnes for a rare insight into how he ended up as one of the UK's leading cannabis experts.Now known to many as the UK's 'cannabis doctor' Mike spent most of his career as a leading neurologist at the Royal Victoria Infirmary in Newcastle upon Tyne. He set up the  World Federation For Neurorehabilitation and travelled to countries across the globe to improve neuro-rehab facilities for patients living with brain injury and chronic neurological conditions.It was through the many MS patients attending his clinic that he first realised cannabis was being used to help relieve pain, spasticity and other symptoms related to the condition. After writing the one of the first reports into the medicinal role cannabis in the UK, he would meet Hannah Deacon and work with the UK Home Office to obtain the first full, permanent licence for a medical cannabis prescription for Hannah's son Alfie.Since then he has turned his attention to improving education around cannabis, setting up the Medical Cannabis Clinicians Society and Maple Tree Consultants with Hannah, and has shared his knowledge and insight with doctors around the world.He reveals how growing up with a sister who was profoundly disabled  - and a campaigning mother - inadvertently shaped his future, what it's like to be thrust into the limelight as an 'expert' in such a new field, and what needs to change to improve things for patients today. ----Hannah helped change the law in 2018 after her successful campaign to enable her epileptic son Alfie Dingley to be legally prescribed cannabis medicines. She continues to help other families access medical cannabis in the UK.  Hannah is also a director of the Medical Cannabis Clinicians Society and Maple Tree Consultants.Join Hannah and Mike as they discover how cannabis has changed their guest's lives, what makes them tick, why they do what they do and what they think needs to improve for patients.Forget graphs and commercial outlooks and expect open, honest conversations with those at the heart of the issue. Edited by Sarah Sinclair Artwork by Sophie Dinsdale

Firefighters need to train like any other professional, and their training usually involves setting a mock set ablaze – which, as you might imagine, would be costly to reset. Enter RiVR, who are using 360 video and photogrammetry to recreate these practice blazes digitally. CEO Alex Harvey and Alan have a heated discussion on the topic. Alan: Hey, everyone, my name is Alan Smithon, your host for the XR for Business Podcast. Today we have Alex Harvey, CEO and creative director at RiVR, a virtual reality training and visualization company based in the UK. RiVR harnesses the power of VR and photogrammetry technology to create interactive, immersive training experiences. They’re currently working with the UK Home Office, UK Fire Service, Police Service and the Department of Defense in the US. Their ultimate goal is to enhance the way humans learn (I love that). Alex has a deep understanding of the games industry, having worked on commissions for the likes of Codemasters, the BBC, and Ford Motor Company. He’s obsessed with harnessing the latest A/V technology to make the real world differences that we all need. He gets to work with incredibly talented people to make this happen, and to quote him, “I love the feelings and memories we can evoke in VR when technology, creativity, and innovation collide.” I love that quote. RiVR’s exhibited at six different VR shows this year, including CES Vegas, and their technology has been reported on by the BBC. To learn more about RiVR, you can visit rivr.uk. Alex, welcome to the show, my friend. Alex: Hi, Alan. Nice to meet you. Nice to speak again. Alan: Yeah. We’ve been kind of back and forth on LinkedIn, and emails, and it’s really finally great to sit down and have a conversation with you. Alex: It is such a busy world, and it’s great to chat in person. Alan: Listen, let’s dive right into this. Explain to us what RiVR is and how it’s making a difference. Alex: RiVR is “Reality in Virtual Reality.” We’ve been creating VR experiences now for probably nearer to three years with the production company, starting back in 2014, but we started obviously with 360 video doing things for Thomson Holidays — you experience what it’s like to be on a cruise ship, or be on a plane. That was three years ago. Then we started moving into the room-scale photogrammetry world, with very much a significant push at RiVR for training, and using photorealism to make sure that the users of our experiences are completely immersed. I often say to people, “I want you to feel like you’re in the world, and not in a Simpsons cartoon world.” It is very much pushing photogrammetry and photo realism into VR. You know, there’s a lot of people doing photogrammetry now, but two, three years ago? It was only of the likes of– Alan: That was you and Simon! Alex: Yeah! [laughs] Me, Simon and Realities.IO. They were the guys that were pushing it. And it really felt like when I saw those early experiences of Realities.IO and Simon’s stuff, it felt like I was inside a video, but not quite? I want to try and be inside video content. I think that– Alan: Let me kind of unpack this fruit for people listening. So, what Alex and his team do is they go into a space, and they will take hundreds of photographs — if not thousands of photographs — of the space, and they’ll convert that into a game engine-based experience, where you can actually walk around. Now, what I think is really mind-blowing about what you guys have done at RiVR is, not only do you create the environment, but then you take specific parts of the environment — for