ShakeOut, our national earthquake drill and tsunami hīkoi, is happening today with over 665,000 people around New Zealand taking part in the drill,” says Mark Mitchell, Ministerfor Emergency Management and Recovery.
“ShakeOut is a great opportunity for all of us to put our preparedness to the test.
“Gisborne is leading the way, with 27 percent of its population signed up to the drill. Today I will be joining students at Wainui Beach School in Gisborne for the drill, and will belivestreamingthe event on the Get Ready website from 9:15am.
“For many of us who work or play near the coast, ShakeOut is also a chance to familiarise ourselves with our tsunami evacuation route, so we know exactly where to go when a tsunami happens. Knowing where to go will help you evacuate quicker and safer after a long or strong earthquake.
“If you haven’t already, I encourage you to sign up. If you’re in a tsunami evacuation zone you can also practice your escape route.
“ShakeOut can also be a great time to make a household emergency plan. It’s as simple as having a talk with your whānau, flatmates, or neighbours about what you’ll do and how you can help each other safe in an emergency.”
You can sign up your business, school, household or community group to ShakeOut in 2024 and do the drill anytime in the next two weeks and still be counted. Sign up atwww.getready.govt.nz.
Before the drill, learn about the earthquake and tsunami risk in your area. If you’re in a coastal area, know yourtsunami evacuation zoneand make plans to practice your tsunami hīkoi as part of your ShakeOut drill.
Source: US Gov Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Today, CDC Director Mandy Cohen endorsed the CDC Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices’ (ACIP) recommendation for people 65 years and older and those who are moderately or severely immunocompromised to receive a second dose of 2024-2025 COVID-19 vaccine six months after their first dose.
Content warning: The following news release contains information about a sexualized assault which may be distressing.
On October 15, 2024 Mayo RCMP Detachment initiated an investigation into a home invasion, sexualized assault and theft of motor vehicle. On October 19, Yukon RCMP advised that the perpetrator believed to have committed these offences, was arrested.
William Dean Ryan Vaneltsi, 34 years old, of no known address, was arrested in Fort McPherson, Northwest Territories, and has been charged with the following offences: Sexual Assault, Forcible Entry, Kidnapping, Unlawful Confinement, Assault with a Weapon, Assault Cause Bodily Harm, Break, Enter and Commit Indictable Offence, and two counts of Breach of Probation.
Shortly after being arrested, Mr. Vaneltsi became sick, and was taken to the hospital. This individual was remanded in Yellowknife on the evening of October 22. Mr. Vaneltsi received a six-day remand order and remains in the hospital in the custody of the North Slave Correctional Center. Yukon RCMP expect to return Mr. Vaneltsi to Whitehorse for a court appearance, once he is cleared medically to fly.
The name of the victim will be under a publication ban. Yukon RCMP continue to investigate the theft of the vehicle from Mayo. If you have any information about this crime or any other crimes please contact Mayo RCMP at (867) 996-5555. Information can also be provided anonymously through Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477).
Our thoughts are with the victim at this time. Please consider the following supports available in the Yukon if you or someone you know may be in need.
SART: The Yukon’s Sexualized Assault Response Team (SART) provides a safe and confidential network of services focused on the needs and choices of individuals. SART is available to people of all genders, ages, and sexual orientations who have experienced sexualized assault.
Victim Services: Victim Services provides services and help for victims of sexualized violence and all other crimes, regardless of whether or not the victim has reported the crime, a charge has been laid, or there has been a conviction.
Units from the Japan Self-Defense Forces (JSDF) and U.S. military are conducting exercise Keen Sword 25 from Oct. 23 to Nov. 1, 2024, at various locations across Japan.
Keen Sword is the latest in a series of joint-bilateral field training exercises designed to increase combat readiness and interoperability of JSDF and U.S. forces. The U.S.-Japan alliance is built on shared interests and values and a commitment to freedom and human rights. Both countries are focused on ensuring regional peace and security in the Indo-Pacific region, including building new partnerships and strengthening multilateral cooperation.
Service members from the U.S. Navy, Marine Corps, Army, Air Force, Space Force, and Coast Guard will conduct training with their JSDF counterparts alongside Australian and Canadian partners throughout mainland Japan, Okinawa prefecture, and its surrounding waters .
During this year’s iteration, the Japan Ground Self-Defense Force’s (JGSDF) Amphibious Rapid Deployment Brigade (ARDB) and U.S. Marines from III Marine Expeditionary Force (III MEF) will conduct multiple unilateral and side-by-side amphibious landings on Japanese islands as part of the exercise. These events will demonstrate the capability of forward-deployed forces to rapidly counter aggression against Japan and other regional Allies and partners while improving the readiness of our forces.
This exercise, and others like it, are an opportunity to demonstrate to the world our will to defend Japan and the ironclad nature of the U.S.-Japan alliance, which has stood for more than 70 years.
The U.S. units scheduled to participate in Keen Sword 25 are U.S. Indo-Pacific Command (USINDOPACOM), U.S. Space Command (USSPACECOM), U.S. Pacific Fleet (PACFLT), U.S. Marine Corps Forces, Pacific (MARFORPAC), U.S. Army Pacific (USARPAC), Pacific Air Forces (PACAF), U.S. Forces Japan (USFJ), U.S. 7th Fleet (C7F), III Marine Expeditionary Force (III MEF), 3rd Marine Division (3d MARDIV), III MEF Information Group (III MIG), 3rd Marine Logistics Group (3rd MLG), 1st Marine Aircraft Wing (1st MAW), U.S. Army Japan (USARJ), U.S. Naval Forces Japan (CNFJ), 5th Air Force (5 AF), 94th Army Air and Missile Defense Command (AAMDC); 3rd Multi Domain Task Force (3rd MDTF), 613th Air Operations Center (AOC), 374th Airlift Wing (374 AW), 18th Wing (18 WG), 35th Fighter Wing (35 FW), and 17th Field Artillery Brigade (17th FAB).
Questions regarding JSDF training and personnel should be referred to Japan Joint Staff Office. Questions regarding Keen Sword 25 should be directed to the Combined Joint Information Bureau at indopacom.yokota.usfj.mbx.j021@mail.mil.
Further details of the exercise will be released throughout Keen Sword 25.
Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III confirmed there are North Korean troops in Russia, but it is unclear if they are preparing to become a co-belligerent in Russia’s war on Ukraine.
“We are seeing evidence that there are North Korean troops that have gone to … Russia,” Austin told reporters in Rome. “What exactly they are doing is left to be seen. These are things that we need to sort out.”
Austin said the United States is trying to get fidelity on why the North Korean soldiers are in Russia. “We will continue to pull this thread and see what happens here,” he said. “If they’re co-belligerents — [if] their intention is to participate in this war on Russia’s behalf — that is a very, very serious issue.” Impacts of such a move would be felt not only in Europe, but the Indo-Pacific region also, the secretary said.
Austin noted that South Korean leaders are intently watching this play out.
North Korea is one of Russia’s few open allies in its unjust war on Ukraine. North Korea has shipped arms and munitions to Russia, “and this is a next step,” Austin said.
President Vladimir Putin has taken significant casualties in his misguided war on Ukraine. U.S. officials said recently that Russia has lost more than 300,000 service members since the war began in February 2022. “This is an indication that he may be [in even] more trouble than most people realize,” Austin said. “But again, he went ‘tin-cupping’ early on to get additional weapons and materials from [North Korea], and then from Iran and now he’s making a move to get more people, if … these troops are designed to be a part of the fight in Ukraine.”
Austin spoke at the end of a long trip where he first participated in the last NATO Defense Ministerial of the Biden Administration. He then moved to Rome where he took part in the first G-7 Defense Ministers Meeting. He made an unannounced trip to Kyiv where he met Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and his defense leadership. He returned to Rome and met with Pope Francis in the Vatican.
Austin said the Pope is focused on the conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East. “He is concerned about humanitarian issues in both areas, and of course, we share a common desire to see these conflicts scale back in terms of the level of activity and in a ceasefire,” Austin said.
HONG KONG, Oct. 24, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — ACAMS, a leading global membership organization dedicated to the fight against illicit finance, in partnership with the ACAMS Hong Kong Chapter, is pleased to announce the recipients of its CGSS scholarship program for Hong Kong permanent residents. The program aims to cultivate local talent in sanctions compliance, arming them with the expertise, resources and peer support to excel in their careers and reinforce AFC efforts in Asia.
This initiative is timely as Hong Kong navigates the evolving sanctions landscape, requiring compliance professionals with advanced skills and up-to-date knowledge.
Five AFC professionals who are permanent residents of Hong Kong and work in sanctions functions or at financial institutions were awarded:
CGSS exam package, including all study materials;
Virtual classroom;
One-year ACAMS membership.
The latest CGSS certification program features up-to-date, real-world case studies and a flexible modular format to support practical learning for busy professionals. CGSS-certified individuals are equipped with specialized skills to better manage sanctions risk, establish an effective sanctions compliance program and demonstrate compliance with constantly evolving regulatory requirements.
“We are delighted to support these talented individuals as they advance their careers and amplify anti-financial crime efforts in Hong Kong and the region,” said Neil Sternthal, ACAMS CEO. “The modular format of the Certified Global Sanctions Specialist (CGSS) certification is specifically designed to accommodate the demanding schedules of AFC professionals while ensuring they receive targeted training to effectively combat financial crime.”
Moray Taylor-Smith and Ajay Budhrani, Co-Chairs of the Hong Kong Chapter, added: “The financial crime landscape is increasingly complex, particularly with the rise of digital assets, sophisticated laundering schemes and evolving sanctions regimes. By investing in motivated and capable talent through this scholarship, we are strengthening the region’s defenses and empowering the next generation of AFC leaders to make a significant impact.”
Scholarship submissions were reviewed by a select panel of judges: Moray Taylor-Smith, Hong Kong Chapter Co-Chair and Executive Director of Security, Integrity and Information Security, The Hong Kong Jockey Club; Jude Jung, Consultant of AFC Solutions, ACAMS for the Republic of Korea; Justin Lam, Head of Transaction and Fraud Monitoring, a retail bank in Hong Kong; and Tony Tse T F, Chief Inspector, Hong Kong Police Force.
More details about the scholarship recipients and judges are available here.
Find out more about the ACAMS Scholarship initiative here.
About ACAMS®
ACAMS is a leading international membership organization dedicated to providing opportunities for anti-financial crime education, best practices, and peer-to-peer networking to AFC professionals globally. With over 110,000 members across 200+ jurisdictions and territories, ACAMS is committed to the mission of ending financial crime through the provision of anti-money laundering/counterterrorism-financing and sanctions knowledge-sharing, thought leadership, risk-mitigation services, ESG initiatives, and platforms for public-private dialogue. The association’s CAMS certification is the gold-standard qualification for AFC professionals, while its CGSS and CCAS certifications are for sanctions professionals and AFC practitioners working in the crypto space, respectively. ACAMS’ 60+ Chapters globally further amplify the association’s mission through training and networking initiatives. Visit acams.org for more information.
About the CGSS Certification
Developed for professionals with 18 months to two years of experience in financial crime compliance, the CGSS certification helps them demonstrate the knowledge necessary to manage risks related to sanctions and ensure greater sanctions compliance. CGSS has been developed with active input from a cohort of recognized sanctions and AFC subject matter experts, including those from regulatory and law enforcement backgrounds. CGSS answers the need for an in-depth training program in sanctions compliance, to help industry professionals better respond to the current challenges. It can be deployed to teams globally, ensuring they are trained against the same standards and their specialized knowledge is formally recognized. CGSS-certified teams enable organizations to better manage sanctions risk, establish an effective sanctions compliance program and demonstrate compliance with constantly evolving regulatory requirements.
About the ACAMS Hong Kong Chapter
The ACAMS Hong Kong Chapter was founded in March 2012 to facilitate cooperation between private and public sector professionals in deterring financial crime. The Chapter’s mission is to strive for excellence in preventing money laundering and the financing of terrorism, by creating a forum in Hong Kong and Asia for training and the exchange of ideas within the financial services community. In 2021, it won the title of “ACAMS Chapter of the Year.”
Find out more about the ACAMS Hong Kong Chapter here.
Toronto, ON, Oct. 23, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Faircourt Asset Management Inc., as Manager of the Faircourt Fund (NEO:FGX), is pleased to announce the monthly distribution payable on the Shares of the below listed Fund.
Faircourt Funds
Trading Symbol
Distribution Amount (per share/unit)
Ex-Dividend Date
Record Date
Payable Date
Faircourt Gold Income Corp.
FGX
$0.024
October 31, 2024
October 31, 2024
November 14, 2024
Faircourt Asset Management Inc. is the Investment Advisor for Faircourt Gold Income Corp.
This press release is not for distribution in the United States or over United States wire services.
For further information on the Faircourt Funds, please visit www.faircourtassetmgt.com or please contact 1-800-831-0304.
You will usually pay brokerage fees to your dealer if you purchase or sell Shares of the Fund on the NEO Exchange or other alternative Canadian trading system (an “exchange”). If the Shares are purchased or sold on an exchange, investors may pay more than the current net asset value when buying Shares of the Fund and may receive less than the current net asset value when selling them.
There are ongoing fees and expenses associated with owning units of an investment fund. An investment fund must prepare disclosure documents that contain key information about the fund. You can find more detailed information about the fund in the public filings available at www.sedar.com. Investment funds are not guaranteed, their values change frequently and past performance may not be repeated.
Testimony from MSF orthopedic surgeon, Dr. Mohammed Obeid, sheltering in Kamal Adwan hospital, north Gaza – collected on 22 October.
24 October,2024: “There is death in all types and forms in Kamal Adwan hospital and north Gaza. The bombardment does not stop. The artillery does not stop. The planes do not stop. There is heavy shelling, and the hospital is targeted too. It just looks like a movie; it does not seem real.
About five days ago, my house was hit. They completely blew up the roof and water tanks, but we were at the ground floor and only one person got injured, thank God. We left a few times, moving to different areas, my family and neighbors were terrified. I sheltered in Kamal Adwan hospital with my wife and children, and I am now working here, where I can treat numerous patients.
There are no words to describe the situation in Kamal Adwan hospital: it is disastrous. The hospital is completely overwhelmed. There are injured people everywhere, outside and inside the hospital, and we do not have medical and surgical equipment to treat them.
Ambulances cannot move. We cannot reach the bodies of the people killed and cannot save the injured ones who lie in the streets. Many of them died before reaching the hospital, and others died inside the hospital as we could not treat their wounds.
We have 30 people dead inside the hospital, and around 130 injured patients who need urgent medical care. Medical staff are exhausted, and many are injured as well. We feel hopeless. I just don’t have words.
We call on all the countries in the world to consider north Gaza, and to lift the blockade that has led to the death of so many people.”
Notes
The situation in North Gaza governorate, where about 175,000 people live according to UN estimates, is extremely dire. The northern part of the Strip, particularly Jabalia camp, has been besieged by Israeli forces since October 7, 2024. People in North Gaza have since been trapped and caught in relentless attacks and violence amidst the ongoing military operation, which has killed over 600 people so far, as of October 22, 2024, according to Gaza’s civil defense agency.
On 7 October 2024, Israeli forces issued evacuation orders in Beith Hanoun, Jabalia and Beit Lahia, North Gaza, including three hospitals (Kamal Adwan, Indonesian and Al-Awda Hospitals), but it was almost impossible for people to move safely as the area was already surrounded and people attempting to evacuate were shot at. Around 55,000 people (OCHA, 16 October 2024), who were able to move in the initial hours of the offensive, were displaced toward the south (but within the northern part of Gaza), mainly to Gaza City.
Israeli forces are forcibly displacing people along unsafe routes, with reports that people trying to evacuate are being shot at, while trapping the population in Jabalia who face a critical lack of food, essential items, and access to healthcare, and risk being killed.
Since the beginning of the month of October, there has been a near total lack of humanitarian aid and food entering into North Gaza. Since October 15, some supplies have entered, but in quantities that are largely insufficient for the population. Fuel and medical supplies are running low for the remaining healthcare structures in the north as most movements of humanitarian actors from the south to the north are also being denied.
Medical evacuations are urgently needed but have been either denied, or extremely difficult to organize.
MSF Australia was established in 1995 and is one of 24 international MSF sections committed to delivering medical humanitarian assistance to people in crisis. In 2022, more than 120 project staff from Australia and New Zealand worked with MSF on assignment overseas. MSF delivers medical care based on need alone and operates independently of government, religion or economic influence and irrespective of race, religion or gender. For more information visit msf.org.au
Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News
BEIJING, Oct. 23 — China will vigorously promote the development of commercial insurance annuities, the National Financial Regulatory Administration said in a circular on Wednesday.
The circular specified the concept of the commercial insurance annuities as products developed by commercial insurance companies with functions such as pension risk management and stable accumulation of long-term funds, which includes qualified annuity insurance, endowment insurance and commercial pensions.
The circular called for efforts to develop various kinds of pension annuity and insurance products, and said insurance companies should continue to improve the service of pension risk assessment, pension planning and management in the whole life cycle of customers.
Trials of commercial pension services should be expanded, it said, adding that the administration will support qualified old-age insurance companies to participate in commercial pension services.
In the meantime, efforts will be made to promote innovation of the commercial insurance annuity business and set up a complete institutional supervision system, according to the circular.
Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News
SANYA, China, Oct. 23 — The 12th National Traditional Games of Ethnic Minorities of the People’s Republic of China will be held in Sanya, South China’s Hainan Island, on November 22, just 30 days from now.
During a press conference on Wednesday, Zhang Changfeng, Vice Mayor of Sanya and organizing committee official, shared updates on the event preparations. He expressed the city’s ambition, saying, “We aim to surprise those who have never been to Sanya, and to offer a fresh perspective to those who have.”
First launched in 1953, this is one of China’s oldest national multi-sport Games, having been held 11 times previously. Some 10,000 athletes representing China’s 56 ethnic groups will gather on this tropical island to compete in 17 sports, 139 events and three demonstration sports.
Some events, such as equestrian competitions, have already taken place in Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region in northwest China.
Unlike traditional sporting events, the Games feature competitions rooted in the traditional customs of China’s ethnic minorities. One highlight is the debut of the coconut tree climbing race, inspired by the daily lives of the Li and Miao ethnic groups in Hainan, who historically climbed coconut trees for harvesting.
The swing competition, which is exclusive to female athletes, hails from the Korean ethnic group in northeast China and aims to empower women by encouraging them to broaden their horizons through sport.
Zhang also noted the organizer is focusing on hosting the Games with a philosophy of simplicity, safety, excellence, sustainability, technology, and cultural depth.
“All the venues are repurposed from existing facilities, and most materials used are recyclable,” said Zhang. “The torch will be ignited by deep-sea combustible ice, symbolizing the intersection of technology and environmental awareness.”
Between the opening ceremony on November 22 and the closing ceremony on November 30, a special Ethnic Unity Gala will be held. This longstanding tradition of the Games will feature athletes from all 56 ethnic groups in a grand showcase of their cultures and traditions.
“In this most beautiful season, the great Chinese family will unite here, showing the strength of ethnic harmony and friendship. That will be the defining highlight of this year’s games,” Zhang said.
Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News
Malaysian dragon dancers hope to deepen friendship with China through traditional sports
Updated: October 24, 2024 08:08Xinhua
Members of Malaysia Johor Loong & Lion Dance Sport Association pose for photos after the awarding ceremony of the festival in Kunming, capital of southwest China’s Yunnan Province, on Oct. 18, 2024. The 2nd Traditional Sports International Festival was held in Kunming, capital of southwest China’s Yunnan Province from Oct. 17 to Oct. 21, 2024. The festival includes Wushu, Health Qigong, Go (Weiqi) and Dragon and Lion Dance, attracting contestants from 27 countries and regions. A team from Malaysia Johor Loong & Lion Dance Sport Association led by Chan Hong Kin won two gold medals in Dragon Dance Category. Chan Hong Kin, 52, has been a member of the team for more than 30 years. He hopes that through the festival in Kunming, the team members from Malaysia can not only show their skills, but also deepen friendship with Chinese people. “I first came to China in 1999,” Chan Hong Kin said, “After the competition, we will go to Lufeng City to visit some old friends. I’m also looking forward to seeing more new Chinese friends in Malaysia.” This year marks the 50th anniversary celebrations of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Malaysia, which promote more people-to-people exchanges in traditonal culture field. [Photo/Xinhua]Members of Malaysia Johor Loong & Lion Dance Sport Association compete in the traditional Dragon Dance event at the festival in Kunming, capital of southwest China’s Yunnan Province, on Oct. 19, 2024. [Photo/Xinhua]Members of Malaysia Johor Loong & Lion Dance Sport Association compete in the Dragon Dance freestyle event at the festival in Kunming, capital of southwest China’s Yunnan Province, on Oct. 19, 2024. [Photo/Xinhua]Members of Malaysia Johor Loong & Lion Dance Sport Association and members of Guangzhou Sport University Loong and Lion Dance team participate in the festival, in Kunming, capital of southwest China’s Yunnan Province, on Oct. 19, 2024. [Photo/Xinhua]Chan Hong Kin takes photos and videos during the festival in Kunming, capital of southwest China’s Yunnan Province, on Oct. 18, 2024. [Photo/Xinhua]An aerial drone photo taken on Oct. 18, 2024 Malaysia Johor Loong & Lion Dance Sport Association competing in the Dragon Dance freestyle event at the festival in Kunming, capital of southwest China’s Yunnan Province. [Photo/Xinhua]Members of Malaysia Johor Loong & Lion Dance Sport Association visit the Yunnan Nationalities Village in Kunming, capital of southwest China’s Yunnan Province, on Oct. 20, 2024. [Photo/Xinhua]Members of Malaysia Johor Loong & Lion Dance Sport Association and members of Guangzhou Sport University Loong and Lion Dance team pose for photos during the festival, in Kunming, capital of southwest China’s Yunnan Province, on Oct. 19, 2024. [Photo/Xinhua]Chan Hong Kin (front L) and members of Malaysia Johor Loong & Lion Dance Sport Association arrive for the opening ceremony of the festival in Kunming, capital of southwest China’s Yunnan Province, on Oct. 18, 2024. [Photo/Xinhua]
Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News
2nd phase of 136th Canton Fair opens in Guangzhou
Updated: October 24, 2024 08:13Xinhua
A buyer selects goods at the 136th China Import and Export Fair in Guangzhou, south China’s Guangdong Province, Oct. 23, 2024. The second phase of the 136th China Import and Export Fair, popularly known as the Canton Fair, opened in Guangzhou on Wednesday focusing on displaying products such as household goods, gifts, decorations, building materials and furniture. [Photo/Xinhua]A buyer selects goods at the 136th China Import and Export Fair in Guangzhou, south China’s Guangdong Province, Oct. 23, 2024. [Photo/Xinhua]People visit the 136th China Import and Export Fair in Guangzhou, south China’s Guangdong Province, Oct. 23, 2024. [Photo/Xinhua]A buyer visits the 136th China Import and Export Fair in Guangzhou, south China’s Guangdong Province, Oct. 23, 2024. [Photo/Xinhua]People visit the 136th China Import and Export Fair in Guangzhou, south China’s Guangdong Province, Oct. 23, 2024. [Photo/Xinhua]Buyers visit the 136th China Import and Export Fair in Guangzhou, south China’s Guangdong Province, Oct. 23, 2024. [Photo/Xinhua]A buyer talks with an exhibitor at the 136th China Import and Export Fair in Guangzhou, south China’s Guangdong Province, Oct. 23, 2024. [Photo/Xinhua]
Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News
Cultural activities boost unity, common dev’t of all ethnic groups in Guangxi
Updated: October 24, 2024 08:26Xinhua
Tourists learn about Yao embroidery in Changping Yao Township in Mengshan County, Wuzhou City, south China’s Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, Oct. 23, 2024. Various cultural activities have boosted the unity and common development of all ethnic groups in Mengshan. [Photo/Xinhua]Senior people of Yao ethnic group select costumes at a folk fair in Changping Yao Township in Mengshan County, Wuzhou City, south China’s Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, Oct. 23, 2024. [Photo/Xinhua]Teenagers of Yao ethnic group perform on stilts at a square in Changping Yao Township in Mengshan County, Wuzhou City, south China’s Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, Oct. 23, 2024. [Photo/Xinhua]Actors perform a traditional Yao wedding ceremony in Changping Yao Township in Mengshan County, Wuzhou City, south China’s Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, Oct. 23, 2024. [Photo/Xinhua]Teenagers of Yao ethnic group play iron-hoop rolling at a square in Changping Yao Township in Mengshan County, Wuzhou City, south China’s Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, Oct. 23, 2024. [Photo/Xinhua]People watch a folk performance at a square in Changping Yao Township in Mengshan County, Wuzhou City, south China’s Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, Oct. 23, 2024. [Photo/Xinhua]Teenagers of Yao ethnic group perform drum dance at a square in Changping Yao Township in Mengshan County, Wuzhou City, south China’s Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, Oct. 23, 2024. [Photo/Xinhua]Actresses perform to demonstrate Yao embroidery skill at a square in Changping Yao Township in Mengshan County, Wuzhou City, south China’s Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, Oct. 23, 2024. [Photo/Xinhua]
Source: Press Release Service – Press Release/Statement:
Headline: Dynabook Unveils New Ultra Lightweight Portégé X30L-M Packed with AI-Powered Performance
Dynabook ANZ Pty. Limited, The Laptop Experts, proudly announce the launch of its latest innovation, the Portégé X30L-M, a high performance laptop that delivers unparalleled mobility and productivity.
Source: Press Release Service – Press Release/Statement:
Headline: New Zealand insolvencies rise as voluntary administration gains popularity
Latest business insolvency data has revealed the highest single-quarter figure since 2016, but an increasing number of Kiwi business owners are exploring alternatives to liquidation for survival.
WorkSafe’s announcement that it is planning even further restructuring and cuts just months after losing 15% of its staff has alarmed the NZCTU Te Kauae Kaimahi.
“Our health and safety regulator is a critical component of our health and safety system, and we know it already has an undercooked capacity to deliver on its role,” said NZCTU President Richard Wagstaff.
“Taking more people out to save money to pay for tax cuts is short-term thinking that will have long term consequences for the health and safety of New Zealand workers.
“WorkSafe is now set up to fail. They have stripped down the organisation to its bare bones, throwing whatever they can to the so called ‘front line’ inspectorate, knowing full well that without a well-resourced support function, the inspectorate will be less effective.
“Everyone in New Zealand has the right to expect a safe workplace and to be able to come home safely to their family at the end of the day. Sadly, these cuts will mean more workers will be at-risk.
“This announcement is all smoke and mirrors. The fact remains that WorkSafe, remains well short of the numbers of inspectors the agency once had when it was created in 2013. At that time, we had 8.4 inspectors per 100 thousand workers (similar to Australia) and now it has been run down to 6.3 – a level we last saw when the Pike River disaster occurred.
“Compounding this problem is the lack of support, and the expectation in this latest proposal for inspectors to pick up more administrative and other functions on top of their day job. This makes a mockery of the claims to move resources to the front line.
“These proposals signal a further shift away from protecting workers from risks to their health and safety and towards a focus to responding to harm. WorkSafe has had to shrink away from its proper role to fit the budget.
“Our health and safety system relies on an effective regulator. This latest announcement demonstrates yet again that health and safety is just not a priority for the Government,” said Wagstaff.
The launch of new community advocacy group VisAble signals an important development in community advocacy to achieve more focus on the needs and rights of disabled people in the family violence and sexual violence system.
Minister for the Prevention of Family and Sexual Violence, Karen Chhour, and Disabilities Issues Minister, Louise Upston, hosted the launch in Parliament today.
“I want all disabled people to achieve their aspiration to live a good, full life. Being respected, included, and welcomed into communities and wider society, free from harm, violence and abuse,” Karen Chhour says.
“My goal is to ‘break the cycle’ of abuse and harm. This requires effective responses from people in the system, and all people being respected.
“Disabled people are among the groups of people disproportionately impacted by family violence and sexual violence, and it is often harder for them to seek help and be heard.
“It will take all of us, especially groups like VisAble, to enable effective responses from the system, as well as building a culture of care and respect for children, young people, adults at risk and families to prevent, respond and heal from violence.
“Our 25-year strategy – called Te Aorerekura – is supported across the Parliament to ensure the provision of safe, integrated, and early help for people impacted by violence, alongside prevention and healing to improve the overall system response.”
The second Te Aorerekura Action Plan will be released by the end of this year.
“An Action Plan on its own will not solve all the problems in the family violence and sexual violence system, but it will bring a stronger focus to the way government agencies are working together at the regional level and in partnership with communities to improve outcomes for people impacted by violence.
“Disabled people are key to the implementation of the next Action Plan. Groups like VisAble will help bring the goals of Te Aorerekura to life, alongside government agencies.”
Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative for Western Samoa Congresswoman Aumua Amata
Headline: Amata’s Statement in Celebration of White Sunday
Pago Pago – Congresswoman Uifa’atali Amatareleased the following statement for White Sunday:
“I always deeply enjoy the sight of our children on White Sunday, especially viewing this beautiful tradition as a mother and grandmother. On this day, each year, we celebrate the children of our islands, knowing they are a gift to us from the Lord. This is among our most special days, as it is both celebratory and promotes a serious message of responsibility in raising up the next generation.
“We are a people of strong faith, and we rejoice in our youth as they serve the Lord, follow our way, and stay on right paths. We know God will lead them by still waters throughout their lives. This White Sunday, we are reminded of the importance of our Christian commitment, as we trust in God’s eternal blessings on our families and children. Have a wonderful White Sunday!”
Behold, children are a heritage from the Lord, the fruit of the womb is a reward. Like arrows in the hand of a warrior, so are the children of one’s youth. Happy is the man who has his quiver full of them… Psalm 127:3-4
Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative for Western Samoa Congresswoman Aumua Amata
Headline: Amata Hails $24.4 Million in 2025 EPA Investment from Bipartisan Infrastructure Law
Washington, D.C. – Congresswoman Uifa’atali Amatais hailing Wednesday’s announcement by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for a total of $24.4 million in fiscal year 2025 investment in American Samoa from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law(BIL), which Amata backed publicly throughout the bill’s debate and passage in 2021. The official name of the BIL is the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA).
Congresswoman Amata with our Veterans in Honolulu
“I supported the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law in 2021, and since then I’ve been repeatedly pleased to see it result directly in numerous funding projects for American Samoa over these several years,” said Congresswoman Aumua Amata. “These funds, already appropriated to EPA by Congress, make lasting improvements for our safe and healthy drinking water for years to come.”
“Thank you to EPA Administrator Regan for the attention to American Samoa’s appropriate share in these funds from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Act,” continued Congresswoman Amata. “Thank you to the EPA Pacific Southwest Region (Region 9) in working with American Samoa Government and our American Samoa EPA on planning for much-needed water projects. Congratulations to ASEPA Director Fa’amao Asalele, and special appreciation to all who work on these efforts.”
The $24.4 million includes $17,219,000, announced Wednesday, and $7,181,000 notified recently on October 8, both from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. American Samoa’s total under the two notifications is the most of any of the four insular areas, totaling slightly more than Guam and several million more than CNMI and USVI.
Wednesday’s notification of over $17.2 million includes two areas of funding: Drinking Water State Revolving Funds (DWSRF) of $2,204,000, which emphasizes lead removal, andClean Water State Revolving Funds (CWSRF) of $15,015,000. Within that $15 million from CWSRF, the further breakdown is $13,820,000 in general allotment, and $1,195,000 in emerging contaminants program.
These 2025 EPA funds are part of a five-year planned investment in water infrastructure upgrades, and the nationwide total of these two October notices is $6.2 billion in BIL water quality and safety projects.
In EPA announcements following passage of the BIL, the EPA hailed the congressional investment as a historic impact in the nation’s healthy water supply and water infrastructure, and Administrator Regan noted the funds support job creation, construction, and emphasized projects for underserved communities. The SRF programs are designed to generate significant and sustainable water quality and public health benefits across the country.
EPA Administrator Michael S. Regansaid, “Water keeps us healthy, sustains vibrant communities and dynamic ecosystems, and supports economic opportunity. When our water infrastructure fails, it threatens people’s health, peace of mind, and the environment. With the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law’s historic investment in water, EPA is working with states and local partners to upgrade infrastructure and address local challenges—from lead in drinking water, to PFAS, to water main breaks, to sewer overflows and climate resilience. Together, we are creating good-paying jobs while ensuring that all people can rely on clean and safe water.”
Headline: Building resilience against flooding in Tenterfield
Published: 24 October 2024
Released by: Minister for Planning and Public Spaces, Minister for Regional Transport and Roads
Residents and motorists will soon see activity around the Molesworth Street Bridge in Tenterfield, as early work to improve flood resilience commences.
Tenterfield Shire Council received just over $9.9 million in funding from to build a new concrete bridge over Tenterfield Creek and relocate adjacent infrastructure.
Funding will be provided by the Albanese and Minns Governments’ Regional Roads Transport Recovery Package, through the joint Disaster Recovery Funding Arrangements.
Geotechnical work to help inform the design of the bridge redevelopment started in July, with construction scheduled to start mid-2025.
The project will also include the relocation of a sewer line that runs adjacent to the bridge, which was damaged in early 2022 when severe weather events affected northern NSW.
Quotes attributable to Federal Minister for Emergency Management Jenny McAllister:
“The current bridge is vulnerable to natural disasters, leading to regular disruptions to the local community.
“It’s why we’re building this bridge to a better standard, helping the community stay connected in the event of any future disasters.
“We want to work with state and local government to make sure communities like Tenterfield are better prepared for natural disasters.”
Quotes attributable to NSW Minister for Planning Paul Scully:
“The funding for this improvement to the bridge will allow councils and other road authorities to ‘build back better’ so infrastructure is more resilient.
“Revitalising the bridge will allow the community, State Government agencies, Tenterfield Shire Council, and industry to withstand and respond to bushfires, severe weather and flooding events effectively.”
Quotes attributable to NSW Minister for Regional Transport and Roads Jenny Aitchison:
“I was delighted to visit Tenterfield recently to thank Janelle Saffin and Tenterfield council for their advocacy efforts to ensure this vital bridge is rebuilt.
“This project is a great example of all three levels of government working together to keep communities better connected during future natural disasters.”
Quotes attributable to NSW Parliamentary Secretary for Disaster Recovery and Member for Lismore Janelle Saffin:
“This bridge is a critical piece of infrastructure for the residents of Tenterfield.
“In a major flood it goes under water, isolating the town’s important medical services, including the 18-bed acute hospital with a 24-hour emergency department.
“There is also no helipad, which reinforces the need for access to the hospital to be maintained.
“In times of natural disaster, access to medical services can be a matter of life and death, so the community benefits of this project are obvious.”
Quotes attributable to Tenterfield Mayor Bronwyn Petrie:
“Tenterfield Shire Council is grateful for the full funding of the replacement and betterment of the timber Molesworth Street Bridge and adjacent sewer line by the Australian and NSW Governments under the Regional Roads and Transport Recovery Package totaling $9,988,775.80.
“Council is pleased to announce we have entered into a Memorandum of Understanding with Transport for NSW to deliver the bridge component of the project, fostering collaborative relationships and enhancing Council’s in-house skills, leveraging the professional and comprehensive expertise of Transport in design and construction.
“Following geotechnical, planning and design work, construction work on the bridge will commence with detours via Duncan, High and Scott streets.”
There’s been an increased political and media focus recently on so-called youth crime waves, particularly in Queensland and the Northern Territory.
This has unfortunately led to crackdowns from governments and police. Young people in Alice Springs have been subject to curfews.
Queensland Opposition Leader David Crisafulli (who’s ahead in the polls ahead of this weekend’s election) has suggested young people found guilty of some crimes should be sentenced as adults.
But punitive youth crime policies violate children’s human rights and are an expensive way of making the community less safe. It’s much better to stop youth crime before it starts by supporting children’s positive development in early childhood.
In a new evaluation published today, we found a preschool program reduced the amount of young people before the courts by more than 50%. When the right family support was provided too, the chances of the children committing crimes were even lower.
Scientific evidence has been accumulating for more than 50 years that shows the root causes of serious youth crime can be addressed in early childhood through prevention initiatives. The most famous example is the Perry Preschool Project, implemented in a disadvantaged area of Michigan in the early 1960s.
In Australia, the Pathways to Prevention Project operated in a disadvantaged, multicultural region of Brisbane from 2002 to 2011.
It was a collaboration between Griffith University, the Queensland Department of Education, and national community agency Mission Australia.
The children in the study learned communication skills through reading and games. Shutterstock
The project aimed to improve child and youth outcomes by partnering with local preschools, schools, families and community organisations.
In 2002 and 2003, 214 four-year-old children attending two local preschools received an enhanced program focused on communication skills. This is called an “enriched preschool program”.
It was integrated into the standard curriculum and delivered by specialist teachers working with the children’s classroom teachers and their parents.
Evidence at the time showed communication skills were directly linked to success at school. They were also linked to to success in life through improved behaviour and enhanced social skills.
The communication program brought children together in small groups with similar levels of language competence. The groups were balanced in terms of gender and cultural background. They completed carefully curated activities including games, bookmaking and reading.
Reading was a large part of the enriched preschool curriculum. Shutterstock
These provided children with the opportunity to extend and practice oral language skills in ways that were personally meaningful. These activities were led by the specialist teachers who had postgraduate qualifications in communication and oral language development.
The specialist teachers engaged parents and children in joint activities, and actively supported reading and language activities at home. By year one, children who received the communication curriculum had better language proficiency, social skills, classroom behaviour and academic achievement than children in the other preschools.
The children’s families could also access practical support from community workers from their own cultural background. This included parenting education, advocacy with government agencies and counselling. This continued until 2011.
What’s new?
Earlier evaluations showed the enhanced curriculum helped improve children’s readiness for school, among a range of other benefits. Now we’ve evaluated the success of the program over the long term.
Using anonymised data-linkage procedures, we followed up the students who received the enhanced curriculum back in 2002 to see what’s happened since.
Children who received the enhanced curriculum had improved classroom behaviour throughout primary school. They were also 56% less likely to be involved in serious youth crime by age 17.
Remarkably, our evaluation found none of the children whose families also received support in the preschool years went on to offend.
The full Pathways Program was implemented widely in the community over a ten-year period, so we thought it might have had an impact more broadly.
We looked at the rate of youth offending in the region in the years 2008–16, when members of the 2002–03 preschool cohort were between 10 and 17 years old. It was 20% lower in this region than in other Queensland regions at the same low socioeconomic level.
How does this lead to less youth crime?
Programs like this work by levelling the playing field and improving the lives of children early in their developmental pathways. Developmental pathways are events and experiences that follow on from each other, or cascade, across the course of life.
For instance, a difficult transition to school increases the likelihood of poor engagement and academic problems. These are well-known risk factors for antisocial behaviour.
The long-term impact of Pathways to Prevention on youth offending means it could be a model for similar programs across Australia.
This is especially the case given our nation’s chronic under-investment in community-based developmental crime prevention. We need more programs in disadvantaged communities that are open to everyone and don’t stigmatise people.
Overwhelmingly, efforts across the country are devoted to early intervention with children identified as “at risk” in some way (such as showing disruptive behaviour), or to the treatment of young people who become enmeshed in the youth justice system.
In Queensland, there is an over-reliance on youth detention, which is often very harmful for children and of no preventative value.
Using Pathways as a model for other communities doesn’t necessarily mean exactly replicating what we did (though this is also important). Any early prevention initiative will have the best chance of success if it includes evidence-based strategies that improve children’s life chances.
These can be implemented cost-effectively through existing systems including preschools, schools and primary care. Ideally, they should operate through local partnerships involved at all stages of planning, data collection, implementation and evaluation.
Jacqueline Allen received funding from the Australian Research Council and the Australian Institute of Criminology Research Grants.
Kate Freiberg holds an unpaid position at RealWell and received funding from the Australian Research Council and the Australian Institute of Criminology Research Grants.
Emeritus Professor Ross Homel received funding from the Australian Research Council, Australian Institute of Criminology Research Grants, the Queensland Government and the John Barnes Foundation. He is affiliated with the Justice Reform Initiative as a Queensland Patron and provides honorary research support to RealWell Pty Ltd.
Source: United States Senator for Virginia Tim Kaine
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senators Mark R. Warner and Tim Kaine, both D-VA, announced $15,733,481 in federal funding for the City of Richmond to repair, replace, and modernize natural gas pipes. The funding is part of the Department of Transportation’s Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration’s (PHMSA) Natural Gas Distribution Infrastructure Safety and Modernization (NGDISM) grant program, which was made possible by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law that the senators helped pass.
“Upgrading our natural gas pipes will lower energy costs for families, reduce methane pollution, and reduce the risk of dangerous leaks,” said the senators. “We’re glad to have helped pass the legislation that made this investment possible and will continue working to improve energy infrastructure across the Commonwealth.”
While serving as Mayor of Richmond, Kaine helped oversee Richmond’s gas utility, which is one of the largest municipal gas utilities in the United States.
The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law has brought over $8.4 billion in investments to Virginia, including resources to repair roads and bridges, expand broadband access, and improve airports, ports, and waterways.
Source: United States Senator Alex Padilla (D-Calif.)
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, U.S. Senators Alex Padilla and Laphonza Butler (both D-Calif.), members of the Senate Judiciary Committee, applauded President Biden’s and Vice President Harris’ nomination of Judge Serena Murillo and Judge Benjamin Cheeks to fill vacancies on the U.S. District Courts for the Central District and Southern District of California, respectively.
“Judge Murillo and Judge Cheeks hold a wealth of litigation experience, with longstanding commitments to justice and deep roots in the Southern California legal community,” said Senator Padilla. “The daughter of a Mexican-American farm worker and a schoolteacher, Judge Murillo has demonstrated a tireless work ethic and developed extensive criminal and civil judicial experience with the Los Angeles County Superior Court. Judge Cheeks has earned immense respect from his colleagues in the Southern District and has fought to protect vulnerable immigrants against fraud. I applaud President Biden for his continued commitment to nominating highly qualified, diverse judges to serve California.”
“Californians deserve a federal bench that reflects the diversity of the Golden State,” said Senator Butler. “I applaud the President’s nomination of Judge Serena Murillo and Judge Ben Cheeks to the United States District Courts for the Central District and Southern District of California, respectively. These two incredibly qualified candidates bring a breadth of both judicial and lived experienced to the federal bench, and I look forward to supporting their paths to confirmation.”
Senator Padilla is committed to rebuilding a federal judiciary that better reflects and is receptive to the America it serves. Within weeks of being sworn into the Senate, one of Padilla’s first initiatives was to establish a Judicial Evaluation Commission that is majority attorneys of color and women to evaluate candidates for federal judicial vacancies in California. Earlier this year, Padilla highlighted the importance of federal judicial diversity of race, gender, as well as legal and professional experience during an event hosted by The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights. Senator Padilla has worked closely with the Biden-Harris Administration to recommend and support the nominations of highly qualified, outstanding judges to the federal courts.
Judge Serena Murillo: Nominee for the United States District Court for the Central District of California
Judge Serena Murillo has been a judge on the Los Angeles Superior Court since 2015. She also served by appointment of the Chief Justice of the California Supreme Court as an Associate Justice pro tem on the California Court of Appeal from 2018 to 2019. Prior to joining the bench, Judge Murillo served as a Deputy District Attorney in the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office from 1997 to 2014. Earlier in her career, she worked as an associate attorney at McNicholas & McNicholas in Los Angeles in 1997 and as a law clerk at Shernoff, Bidart, and Echeverria in Claremont, California in 1996. Judge Murillo received her J.D. from Loyola Law School in 1996 and her B.A. from the University of California, San Diego in 1993.
Judge Benjamin Cheeks: Nominee for the United States District Court for the Southern District of California
Judge Benjamin J. Cheeks has been a United States Magistrate Judge for the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of California since July 2024. Prior to joining the bench, Judge Cheeks was a criminal defense lawyer in private practice at the Law Offices of Benjamin J. Cheeks, A.P.C. in San Diego from 2013 to 2024. From 2010 to 2013, Judge Cheeks served as an Assistant U.S. Attorney in the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of California. Earlier in his career, he served as an Assistant District Attorney in the New York County District Attorney’s Office from 2003 to 2010. Judge Cheeks received his J.D. from the American University, Washington College of Law in 2003 and his B.A. from the University of Miami, Florida in 2000.
The Education Minister is travelling to Australia today to attend the 23rd edition of public policy conference,Consilium.
“New Zealand and Australia share common challenges and aspirations for education. New South Wales has recently introduced a new curriculum that is explicit, sequenced and knowledge based while Victoria is requiring structured approaches to teaching reading from 2025,” Erica Stanford says.
“I look forward to hearing more about their experiences and ideas, as well as sharing our Government’s plan to lift achievement and close the equity gap in New Zealand.”
Minister Stanford will speak to ‘Can Education in Australia be reformed?’ where she will share her plan to deliver a world-leading education system.
While in Australia she will meet with Rt Hon Nick Gibb, former UK Schools Minister, Hon Sarah Henderson, Senator for Victoria and federal Shadow Minister for Education, and other education policy experts and officials.
Minister Stanford will travel to Australia on 24 October and returns to New Zealand on 27 October.
SUBJECTS: Melbourne Water flood rezoning in Kensington Banks; future of the NDIS
TOM ELLIOTT, HOST: So, a couple of years ago there were those terrible floods in mainly, well, it was all up and down the Maribyrnong River, but particularly in Kensington. There was a group of, or there was a bit of land that had previously been considered flood prone and then it wasn’t, so people built houses on it. And then during the floods, hundreds of houses got badly flooded. And these people now face a future where if they want to sell their house, well, it’s going to be very difficult because it’s now a declared flood zone. If they say no, it will stay, but we need to insure our house against future floods, well, that would be hideously expensive because we’ve already had a flood. It’s not dissimilar to suddenly having, you know, having a fire, a bushfire, and your house is suddenly declared to be in a bushfire zone when it wasn’t previously in a bushfire zone. Our next guest is a Member for Maribyrnong. He’s also the Minister for the NDIS in the Federal government, Bill Shorten, good morning.
BILL SHORTEN, MINISTER FOR THE NDIS AND GOVERNMENT SERVICES: Good morning, Tom.
ELLIOTT: So, I got this right. We’ve got a group of your constituents who are in flood damaged homes and see no way out.
SHORTEN: Yeah, listen in June of this year, Melbourne Water had been doing some modelling about increased flood risk. And the great irony is sometimes in the west and the northwest of Melbourne, we feel we get things last compared to the Southeast, whether or not that’s true, it’s sometimes how we feel. But Melbourne Water very kindly decided to evaluate the flood risk in the Maribyrnong and before other parts of Melbourne and residents in Kensington, and Freshwater on the other side of the Maribyrnong, who bought in good faith land and houses, put their investment, their single most important investment, discovered on about 17 June, sometimes just through the media reporting, not even, you know, advance notice, that the rules had changed all of a sudden that their houses were in flood risk areas.
I want to be very clear. We should look after all Australians who are in, you know, bushfires or flood risk areas. But these residents did the due diligence and Kensington Banks did not have the flood rating that it’s now got. Now, the flood ratings, we’ve got to deal with truth. If because of climate change or other reasons, there’s an increased flood rating, that’s a development, the science is the science. But what’s happened since June is that Melbourne Water, in my opinion, has been singularly deficient in the way in which they communicate with the residents whose lives they’ve changed. They’ve got people have got to think about what does it mean for their safety, but I think more practically their house values, the cost of insurance. And I held a public meeting Tuesday night, the local state member for Melbourne was there, Ellen Sandell, Daniel Mulino, who covers some of the federal turf on the other side of the river. We got the head of the Insurance Council of Australia there, we’ve got the Coordinator General, the National Emergency Management Authority. Melbourne Water had said they were coming, but then they thought it was all too political, so they didn’t turn up on the panel. You can’t keep people in the dark, Tom. You’ve got to tell them the truth.
ELLIOTT: So, okay, so there’s a short and a long-term issue I’m seeing here. So, on one hand you hold a public meeting to try and talk reasonably and responsibly about this changing of the flood rating and Melbourne Water, which has the power to do things about it, doesn’t show up. So, that’s one issue. The second issue, long term, is there something that Melbourne Water could do to try and offset the flood risk? Because, I mean, I look at Flemington and the VRC. I mean, several years ago they built a giant wall, which meant that they’re sort of, they seem to be immune from floods now. Could something like that be done?
SHORTEN: Yes. The short answer, yes. I was able to get the Water Minister, Harriet Shing, on the phone when I realised Melbourne Water had just pulled the plug at short notice. She made them turn up, but at least they turned up and sat up the back and took some notes. So, there was some poor old Melbourne Water staff there, but they were let down by their leadership. So, the short-term issue is when you give the community a major development, major news, which is like your house values are tanked at the moment until we get mitigation strategies in place, you don’t get to be the only people who call the shots. The community have a say, they have a voice.
And the point about this is the people, they’re not sort of, this is not some radical issue. This is your own home. A statutory authority said, hello, your own home, the value of it, we’re going to make a decision based on science and it affects your home value. But what’s happened is Melbourne Water think that they’re the only experts on consultation, so they’ve got their processes. I’m not saying they haven’t done anything. They put out a leaflet telling people how to floodproof their kitchens. You know, like, that’s not a strategy.
To go to the long-term question, you’re asking. I’ve been the Insurance Minister in Australia. I’ve seen what we’re able to do at Roma and where you build levies, mitigate, I’ve seen what’s happened in Launceston with a Tamar, when you build levies, it works. But Melbourne Water’s sort of got their own secret squirrel process on what they’re going to do and their options, and they’re keeping residents in the dark. I don’t think they’re adequately talking to the Federal Government or council and I’m just calling out an arrogant statutory body who thinks that somehow, they’re above talking to people on any other terms other than the rules they set.
ELLIOTT: So, is it possible that Melbourne Water behind the scenes, will agree to build some sort of a wall or a levee? Or are they just saying, no, no, no, the river, we have to let the river do what the river wants to do or what?
SHORTEN: No, I think they’ve put out a tender, not that anyone else has seen the terms of reference, to look at mitigation options. The thing is, it’s now been four months. Melbourne Water’s moving to the beat of their own drum, to the beat of their own clock. That’s not satisfactory. The residents, the people who are affected, have been kept in limbo and stressed for four months. When the local elected representatives call a meeting, which the statutory body, Melbourne Water, says they’re coming to, then they pull out at the last minute because they think it’s political, when you – statutory bodies are not above dealing with the rest of us. So, I’m filthy at the way Melbourne Water’s handled the consultation so far. Their leadership need to get their head out of their bottom and start talking to people not just in the way they want to, but in the way that people need to be involved in.
ELLIOTT: Well, I’ll tell you what, we will get in touch with Melbourne Water and just see if we can perhaps expedite that process a bit. Tell me, I mean, your constituents are affected. It must be, you know, like a man’s house is his castle and all that sort of thing. But to not know the future of hundreds of properties, like, are we going to be permanently flood prone or is a wall going to be built? Or if we sell, do we take a massive loss? I mean, that must be making life very difficult for some people.
SHORTEN: It is very stressful for people. I actually think the Kensington Banks residents have been remarkably reasonable. I mean, they’re toey, toeier than a Roman sandal. I get that. But they’ve been more reasonable than I think maybe you or I would be in the same circumstances. Melbourne Water just has to change their approach. They can’t – you know, no more control freak behaviour. They’ve got to set up an advisory board, all levels of government, you know, down there, you know, there’s public transport, railway bridges, there’s industry that are affected. You’ve got to get those; you’ve got to get the community there. There’s got to be full transparency on the modelling. What are the terms of reference? I mean, floods are not new in Australia.
ELLIOTT: No.
SHORTEN: In Lismore where unfortunately they get a lot of floods, they’ve got this Northern Rivers living laboratory where they have a shop front and the citizens can come in and say, oh, this is what we think is a good idea. They can see what ideas are being done. Melbourne Water, I think, needs to up its, bring its A game to stakeholder consultation in a way which it doesn’t say it controls everything. That’s for the whole Maribyrnong catchment area.
ELLIOTT: Well, we’ll get in touch with them and see if we can get them on the program and I’ll put your concerns to them. Now, look, you’re retiring in a few months. Are you going to have the NDIS all sorted out before you vacate the office?
SHORTEN: The NDIS is like painting the harbour bridge. When you get to one end of it, you start again. But do I think that we’re getting on top of some of the rorts? Yes, I’m changing jobs, not retiring. The thing about it is, when I came in at the beginning of the three years, I knew the scheme was changing lives for the better, but there was a complete naivety about how to administer the scheme. What we’ve done in the last two and a half years is we’ve upped the tempo on catching crooks. We’ve now got 500 investigations, we’ve got 55, 56 people in the courts or heading to court. We’ve got people in jail now. We’ve now said what you can spend money on after talking to people, what you can’t spend money on. We’re now sorting out the assessment process. We’ve now got the legal ability to make sure the assessment process is consistent, transparent and equitable. I love the scheme, I’m very proud of it. The rest of the world looks at it. The idea of giving a personal budget to people with profound and severe disabilities and their families is life changing. But we need to register most of the service providers, they weren’t registered. We need a much better back office in the way we – you can’t just put in an invoice with no ABN and no explanation and expect to get paid. All of these matters we’ve now either stopped or got the legal authority to start stamping out. So, I do think the NDIS is on a more sustainable trajectory. So, it’s there for future generations and it’s serving the original purpose of the scheme.
ELLIOTT: Look, good luck with that and good luck with your future career as I think it’s Vice Chancellor of Canberra University, Bill Shorten there. He’s still the NDIS Minister and the Member for Maribyrnong and, well, very passionate about the shortcomings of Melbourne Water
FEMA Recognizes Emergency Management Institute’s 70 Years of Training jessica.geraci Mon, 05/24/2021 – 14:22
Release Date May 24, 2021
This year, FEMA commends the Emergency Management Institute on their 70 years of training those who serve our nation.
The Civil Defense Staff College opened April 1, 1951 with the intention of teaching civil defense courses during the Cold War. Concerns about a potential attack led the college to relocate the campus from Olney, Maryland to St. Joseph’s campus in Battle Creek, Michigan.
When FEMA was created in 1979, the Civil Defense Staff College joined with several other federal agencies focused on disaster response, including the Defense Civil Preparedness Agency. In the same year, the Civil Defense Staff College closed and merged its programs and students with the National Emergency Training Center.
President Jimmy Carter dedicated the former Mount Saint Mary’s University, in Emmitsburg, Maryland, as the FEMA National Emergency Training Center. The training center was later changed to the Emergency Management Institute, a broader name that included the National Fire Academy and reflected the nation’s readiness posture. The Emergency Management Institute moved from Battle Creek, Michigan to Emmitsburg, Maryland a year later, and in 1981, the Institute held its first class.
In 1992, Hurricane Andrew highlighted the need to address the training implications for emergency managers at all levels of government when it devastated portions of South Florida, Louisiana, and the Caribbean. After careful consideration, it became apparent that the Institute could no longer serve as both a training and an educational institution.
To address this, FEMA develop a plan to transition the institute’s educational mission to colleges and universities to foster a higher level of commitment to emergency management. A year later, FEMA launched the Emergency Management Higher Education Project. The name of was changed in 2008 to Emergency Management Higher Education Program.
At that time, only three higher education institutions offered emergency management programs. This repositioning encouraged and supported the teaching of emergency management in colleges and universities across the country to help ensure that the next generation of emergency managers come to the job with a degree in emergency management.
In 2017, the Higher Education Program was reassigned from the Emergency Management Institute to the National Training and Education Division at FEMA headquarters to raise its profile and expand the reach of the program. The move also helped build closer relationships with FEMA’s training and education programs.
There are currently more than 721 emergency management programs throughout the United States and offered across the globe. Of the almost 8,000 graduates who earned an emergency management degree in 2020, nearly half of those graduates move on to public sector emergency management positions. The remaining graduates chose jobs as part-time faculty.
Emergency managers are integral to FEMA’s efforts to protect the nation and help families and communities feel cared for and more resilient when a disaster strikes.
Having the tools, resources and space available to train emergency management professionals is critical. The ability of the Emergency Management Institute and the Higher Education Project to provide these is vital to the country’s future.
The Emergency Management Institute will host its 70th anniversary celebration on its website in the upcoming weeks. Stay tuned for upcoming notices and events.
Spokane, WA – Brandon Frackenpohl, 34, was arrested without incident an hour outside of Klamath Falls, Oregon, by the United States Marshals Service (USMS) Pacific Northwest Violent Offender Task Force and Klamath County Sheriff deputies.
Frackenpohl allegedly raped and molested an eight-year-old child in Airway Heights, Washington on 6/30/2024.
Frackenpohl fled the state of Washington shortly after the incident. On 9/18/2024, an arrest warrant was issued for Frackenpohl by the Spokane County Superior Court.
Frackenpohl is charged with one count of Rape of a Child in the First Degree and one count of Child Molestation in the First Degree. He will be booked into the county jail and is awaiting extradition back to Washington State. Airway Heights Police detectives worked tirelessly and around the clock with the U.S. Marshals to apprehend Frackenpohl.
Craig Thayer, United States Marshal for the Eastern District of Washington commented, “Our children are our most precious resource, and we all share the greatest responsibility to insure their physical and emotional safety and wellbeing. The U. S. Marshals Service will relentlessly pursue those accused of crimes of sexual abuse against children, in concert with our law enforcement partner agencies, to bring those accused to answer these charges in a court of law. The U. S. Marshals led Pacific Northwest Violent Offender Task Force (PNVOTF) commends the investigative work of the Airway Heights Police Department and their cooperative efforts that have resulted in the arrest of this suspect.”
Anyone with information on wanted fugitives is urged to contact the nearest U.S. Marshals office, the U.S. Marshals Service Communications Center at 1-800-336-0102, submit a USMS Web Tip.
Philadelphia, PA — Members of the U.S. Marshals Eastern Pennsylvania Violent Crimes Fugitive Task Force arrested Raphael Ezeamaka,18, at an apartment complex in the 400 block of Ramunno Drive in Middletown, Delaware. Ezeamaka was wanted by the Philadelphia Police Department for three counts of Attempt to commit Criminal Homicide in relation to a shooting that took place October 8th on a SEPTA (Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority) bus in the 700 block of S. 57th Street. After exiting the route G bus, Ezeamaka turned and fired multiple rounds into the bus, striking 3 women. On April 10th, a warrant was issued for Ezeamaka’s arrest and the fugitive warrant was delegated to the U.S. Marshals Fugitive Task Force.
On October 23rd, investigators from the Marshals Fugitive Task Force in Philadelphia developed information Ezeamaka was presently in an apartment in Middletown, Delaware. Marshals from the Philadelphia and Wilmington offices proceeded to the apartment and upon knocking and announcing, Ezeamaka attempted to flee from the second-floor rear balcony. Ezeamaka was then approached by investigators and apprehended in a rear bedroom without incident. Ezeamaka is being held at the Howard Young Correctional Institution where he awaits extradition to Philadelphia.
“The arrest of Ezeamaka should assure the citizens of Philadelphia that violent crime fugitives will be aggressively pursued no matter where they flee” said Robert Clark, Supervisory Deputy Marshal for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania.
The Eastern Pennsylvania Violent Crimes Fugitive Task Force is a team of law enforcement officers led by U.S. Marshals in Philadelphia and the surrounding counties. The task force’s objective is to seek out and arrest violent crime fugitives. Membership agencies include the Philadelphia Police Department, Pennsylvania State Parole Officers, Pennsylvania State Police, Pennsylvania Attorney General Agents, Immigration Customs Enforcement, Chester Police Department, Bucks County Sheriff’s Office, and Delaware County Sheriff’s Office.
