Labour reveals plans to tackle ‘generational’ school absences challenge

Published

1 year ago

January 7, 2024

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Labour says it will introduce additional mental health counsellors to secondary schools as part of its plans to tackle rising pupil absences.

The party says the UK is facing a “generational challenge”, as more than 88,000 secondary school students missed at least half of their education last year.

Labour’s education pledge comes as a poll conducted for the Centre for Social Justice (CSJ) suggested almost a third of parents believe it is not essential for children to attend school every day.

The thinktank’s report, which questioned 1,206 parents during December 2023, found 28% felt that way, and only 70% of parents are confident that their child’s needs are being met – a figure which drops to 61% at secondary school.

A report by a committee of cross-party MPs released in September last year said that mental health support for children struggling to attend school was “grossly inadequate”.

As well as the introduction of more mental health counsellors in secondary schools, Labour is pledging to put “mental health hubs” in every community and offer universal free breakfast clubs for every primary school pupil if it gains power.

Shadow education secretary Bridget Phillipson will deliver a speech on Labour’s vision for schools on Tuesday, where she is expected to lay out a plan for tackling high rates of persistent absence.

She said the “broken relationship between schools and families” needs fixing.

The Conservatives “are only tinkering around the edges of a generational challenge,” Ms Phillipson said.

She added: “Persistent absence has reached historic levels under the Conservatives, beginning even before the pandemic, and they cannot be trusted to fix a problem that they have caused.

“Only Labour has a long-term plan to tackle the attendance crisis and drive the high and rising standards our children deserve.”

Figures released in September last year showed that more than 1.7 million children were persistently absent in 2021/2022, meaning they missed 10% or more of school.

The government has previously committed to introducing a children-not-in-school register, which would make it easier to track which pupils were being electively home-educated, flexi-schooled, or receiving alternative education in an unregistered setting.

Education secretary Gillian Keegan reiterated the government’s intention to introduce the register in November last year but didn’t say when the plans would be brought before parliament.

She said there was “a lot of work going on”, and referenced a consultation that was launched on revised elective home education guidance.

“The consultation is open until 18 January 2024. So there is a lot of work going on and we do intend to bring forward that legislation,” she said in the Commons.

Politics

Dohrnii Labs accuses Blynex of illegally liquidating token assets

Published

4 hours ago

March 24, 2025

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Dohrnii Labs accuses Blynex of illegally liquidating token assets

Learn-to-earn platform Dohrnii Labs filed a police report in the United Arab Emirates accusing local crypto exchange Blynex of liquidating its tokens without authorization and failing to deliver a promised loan.

According to a statement shared with Cointelegraph, Dohrnii Labs deposited 12,649.99 Dohrnii (DHN) tokens — valued at more than $500,000 — with Blynex. On March 23, the company said it used 8,650 of those tokens as collateral for a 30-day loan in exchange for 80,000 of Tether’s USDt (USDT).

Dohrnii claims the exchange never delivered the USDT. Furthermore, the team said Blynex liquidated its entire 8,650 DHN position on Uniswap, receiving 149,151 USDT and causing a drop in the token’s market value.

Attempts to withdraw the remaining 4,000 DHN tokens were unsuccessful, the company said.

Blynex claims it was automated risk management

Blynex co-founder Mike Baskes told Cointelegraph the incident was part of their “automated risk management system.” Baskes claimed their system detected a high risk that the collateral would drop significantly in the event of liquidation.

The Blynex executive said that when the tokens were sold, it only generated 145,000 USDT instead of its original amount. He noted that DHN token liquidity was limited, estimating just $315,000 available at the time of the transaction.

The executive claimed Blynex took action to prevent financial losses:

“Given this liquidity constraint, the system recognized a high risk of further loss if the collateral wasn’t liquidated immediately, as the tokens would be difficult to sell at a favorable price in the current market.”

Dohrnii Labs has challenged that explanation, calling Blynex’s justification “misleading” and alleging that the exchange liquidated collateral worth nearly double the value of the loan.

Dohrnii Labs threatens legal action against Blynex

In response, Dohrnii Labs filed the police report in the UAE and has threatened to take legal action against the crypto exchange.

A Dohrnii Labs representative told Cointelegraph that the police report was only a “first step.” The representative said if Blynex ignored their communications, they would legally escalate the matter:

“Since the project and the individuals responsible are based in the UAE, we are also getting in touch with local regulators, including VARA, ADGM, and other relevant authorities. Furthermore, we’re in contact with other affected projects and are actively exploring the possibility of joint legal action.”

The team said they want to ensure accountability through the legal system and regulatory oversight.

Dohrnii told Cointelegraph that Blynex attempted to settle the matter by offering them 80,000 USDT and allowing the withdrawal of 4,000 DHN tokens.

However, the exchange added a condition that the platform would drop all legal action. “That is unacceptable,” Dohrnii Labs said.

“The 4,000 DHN tokens in question are user deposits — not negotiable assets. The right to withdraw these funds should never be up for discussion,” Dohrnii Labs added.

Magazine: Ridiculous ‘Chinese Mint’ crypto scam, Japan dives into stablecoins: Asia Express

Politics

When is the spring statement – and what do you need to know about it?

Published

4 hours ago

March 24, 2025

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When is the spring statement - and what do you need to know about it?

Chancellor Rachel Reeves is poised to deliver an update on the health of the British economy on Wednesday.

The spring statement is not a formal budget – as Labour pledged to only deliver one per year – but rather an update on the economy and any progress since her fiscal statement last October.

Politics Hub: Follow live updates

While it’s not billed as a major economic event, Rachel Reeves has a big gap to plug in the public finances and speculation has grown she may have to break her self-imposed borrowing rules.

Here, Sky News explains everything you need to know.

What is the spring statement?

The spring statement is an annual speech made by the chancellor in the House of Commons, in which they provide MPs with an update on the overall health of the economy and Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) forecasts.

It is one of two major financial statements in the financial year – which runs from 1 April to 31 March.

The other is the autumn budget, a more substantial financial event in which the chancellor sets out a raft of economic policy for the year ahead.

Typically, the spring statement – which was first delivered by ex-chancellor Phillip Hammond in 2018 – gives an update on the state of the economy, and details any progress that has been made since the autumn budget.

When will Rachel Reeves deliver it?

The OBR, which monitors the government’s spending plans, will publish its forecast on the UK economy on 26 March.

It is required to produce two economic forecasts a year, but the chancellor said she would only give one budget a year to provide stability and certainty on upcoming tax changes.

The OBR will also provide an estimate on the cost of living for British households, and detail whether it believes the Labour government will adhere to its own rules on borrowing and spending.

The chancellor will then present the OBR’s findings to the House of Commons, and make her first spring statement.

This will be responded to by either Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch or shadow chancellor Mel Stride.

Why does it matter?

The UK economy is thought to be underperforming – potentially due to global factors, like Donald Trump’s trade tariffs – and there are rumours that the chancellor could consider breaking her own rules on borrowing in response.

The economy contracted slightly in January, while inflation has climbed to a 10-month high of 3%. Meanwhile, the government has committed to boosting defence spending to 2.5% of GDP by 2027 – an expensive task.

Ms Reeves’s fiscal rules mean she cannot borrow for day-to-day spending – leaving cuts as one of her only options. Her other “non-negotiable” is to get debt falling as a share of national income by the end of this parliament.

It is expected that welfare cuts will be part of the spring statement package to help the chancellor come within her borrowing limit.

Our deputy political editor Sam Coates said earlier in March there would be a “four-point plan” involving planning reform, Whitehall cuts, regulation cuts and welfare cuts. The government has already announced NHS England will be scrapped.

In short, the Treasury believes Ms Reeves must maintain £10bn in headroom after months of economic downturn and geopolitical events since last October’s budget.

It is widely expected the OBR will confirm that this financial buffer has been wiped clean.

Where can I watch the spring statement?

The spring statement will be delivered in the House of Commons on Wednesday 26 March, directly after Prime Minister’s Questions, which is usually finished by around 12.30pm.

You’ll be able to keep up to date on Sky News – and follow live updates in the Politics Hub.

Politics

US Treasury argues no need for final court judgment in Tornado Cash case

Published

8 hours ago

March 24, 2025

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US Treasury argues no need for final court judgment in Tornado Cash case

The US Treasury Department says there is no need for a final court judgment in a lawsuit over its sanctioning of Tornado Cash after dropping the crypto mixer from the sanctions list.

In August 2022, Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) sanctioned Tornado Cash after alleging the protocol helped launder crypto stolen by North Korean hacking crew the Lazarus Group, leading to a number of Tornado Cash users filing a lawsuit against the regulator.

After a court ruling in favor of Tornado Cash, the US Treasury dropped the mixer from its sanctions list on March 21, along with several dozen Tornado-affiliated smart contract addresses from the Specially Designated Nationals (SDN) list, and has now argued “this matter is now moot.”

United States, Court, Tornado Cash — *Because Tornado Cash has been dropped from the sanctions list, the US Treasury Department argues there is no need for a final court judgment in the lawsuit. Source:* *Paul Grewal*

“Because this court, like all federal courts, has a continuing obligation to satisfy itself that it possesses Article III jurisdiction over the case, briefing on mootness is warranted,” the US Treasury said.

However, Coinbase chief legal officer Paul Grewal said the Treasury’s hope to have the case declared moot before an official judgment can be made isn’t the correct legal process.

“After grudgingly delisting TC, they now claim they’ve mooted any need for a final court judgment. But that’s not the law, and they know it,” he said.

“Under the voluntary cessation exception, a defendant’s decision to end a challenged practice moots a case only if the defendant can show that the practice cannot ‘reasonably be expected to recur.’”

Grewal pointed to a 2024 Supreme Court ruling that found a legal complaint from Yonas Fikre, a US citizen who was put on the No Fly List, is not moot by taking him off the list because the ban could be reinstated again at a later date.

“Here, Treasury has likewise removed the Tornado Cash entities from the SDN, but has provided no assurance that it will not re-list Tornado Cash again. That’s not good enough, and will make this clear to the district court,” Grewal said.

Six Tornado Cash users led by Ethereum core developer Preston Van Loon, with the support of Coinbase, sued the Treasury in September 2022 to reverse the sanctions under the argument that they were unlawful.

Crypto policy advocacy group Coin Center followed through with a similar suit in October 2022.

In August 2023, a Texas federal court judge sided with the US Treasury, ruling that Tornado Cash was an entity that may be designated per OFAC regulations. On appeal, a three-judge panel ruled in November that Treasury’s sanctions against the crypto mixer’s immutable smart contracts were unlawful.

US Treasury had a 60-day window to challenge the decision, which it did; however, the US court sided with Tornado Cash, overturning the sanctions on Jan. 21 and forcing the government agency to remove the sanctions by March.

Its founders are still facing legal strife, however. The US charged Roman Storm and fellow co-founder Roman Semenov in August 2023, accusing them of helping launder over $1 billion in crypto through Tornado Cash.

Semenov is still at large and on the FBI’s most wanted list. Storm is free on a $2 million bond and expected to face trial in April.

Meanwhile, Tornado Cash developer Alexey Pertsev was released from prison after a Dutch court suspended his “pretrial detention” as he prepared to appeal his money laundering conviction.

Magazine: Ripple says SEC lawsuit ‘over,’ Trump at DAS, and more: Hodler’s Digest, March 16 – 22