Source: New Zealand Police (National News)
Police can now release the name of the man who died in a crash on SH6 between Ruatapu and Ross on Saturday 21 September.
He was Andrew James Proctor, 40, of Ross.
Police extend our sympathies to his family at this difficult time.
Enquiries into the circumstances of the crash are ongoing.
ENDS
Issued by Police Media Centre
Source: Australian Government – Minister of Foreign Affairs
Australia will provide an additional $10 million in response to the ongoing humanitarian crisis in Gaza and the West Bank.
The funding will be directed to UNICEF and UNFPA and will provide lifesaving assistance, with a focus on women and girls, including the delivery of nutrition support, as well as hygiene and dignity kits.
Since 7 October, Australia has committed $82.5 million in humanitarian assistance to address essential needs in Gaza and the West Bank and respond to the protracted refugee crisis in the region.
Australia continues to push for safe, rapid and unimpeded humanitarian assistance to people in desperate need, and for all aid workers to be protected.
Quotes attributable to Minister for Foreign Affairs, Senator the Hon Penny Wong:
Australia’s support will help address the dire humanitarian situation with the delivery of nutrition and essential hygiene and health products.
Rapid, safe and unimpeded humanitarian relief must reach civilians, and aid workers must be protected to enable their lifesaving work.
“We continue to press for a ceasefire, the protection of civilians and the release of hostages.”
Quotes attributable to Minister for International Development and the Pacific, the Hon Pat Conroy MP:
“The situation in Gaza is catastrophic. Civilians should not be made to pay the price for the horrendous acts of others. The suffering must stop.”
“We support the ceasefire endorsed by the UN Security Council and want to see it fully implemented by both parties. Any delay will only see more lives lost.”
Source: Ministers for Social Services
The Albanese Labor Government is reinforcing its commitment to inclusion and accessibility with the launch of a new pilot, delivered in partnership with Deaf Connect and SBS.
Funded under the Information, Linkages and Capacity Building Program, the Auslan90 pilot, will include daily 90-second news summaries in Auslan as well as weekly ‘deep dive’ videos on certain news-related topics.
Auslan90 will be released daily at 1:00pm and provides the day’s top stories in a format designed specifically for Auslan users.
The Government has committed $3.91 million to develop the Auslan Information Resource Hub through to June 2025, which includes the Auslan90 pilot.
Minister for Social Services Amanda Rishworth said that the pilot formed part of the National Information Program, which seeks to provide vital information to people with disability, their families and carers.
There are 5.5 million Australians with disability, many of whom are Deaf or hard of hearing.
“Today is International Day of Sign Languages, and this program will help ensure the Deaf community can receive and access news and current affairs programs in their first language,” Minister Rishworth said.
“Our Government is committed to creating a more inclusive and accessible Australia, and this Auslan90 pilot will help to meet the live information needs of the Deaf community, supporting their full participation in the community.”
Minister for the National Disability Insurance Scheme Bill Shorten, said: “I recognise that for many in the deaf community, Auslan is a central part of their identity and a critical information tool”.
“There are about 27,600 participants on the Scheme who receive supports and services for a hearing impairment,” Minister Shorten said.
“It’s important to have innovative activities, such as the Auslan90 pilot, undertaken as part of the National Information Program, to ensure people with profound hearing loss and their families can build their confidence and connect with their communities.”
Deaf Connect CEO Brett Casey says Auslan90 represents a significant step toward media inclusivity for Deaf Australians.
“We are incredibly proud to launch Auslan90 – Australia’s first daily news service created specifically for the Deaf community. This is more than just delivering the news – it’s about an Auslan-first approach in which accessibility for Deaf Australians is not an afterthought,” Mr Casey said.
“This agreement with SBS enables us to provide the high-quality, accurate news that all Australians expect, in a format that truly works for Deaf audiences. SBS’s dedication to accessibility, inclusion and multilingual content makes them the ideal partner for Auslan90.”
For more information about the ILC program, visit the Department of Social Services website.
Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News
HAIKOU, Sept. 22 — The scale of China’s digital publishing industry reached 1.618 trillion yuan (about 228.89 billion U.S. dollars) in 2023, up 19.08 percent year on year, according to an annual report.
The report, issued by the Chinese Academy of Press and Publication (CAPP), was released during the 14th China International Digital Publishing Expo that kicked off Saturday in the city of Haikou, capital of south China’s Hainan Province.
By the end of 2023, the number of Chinese online literature readers reached a record high of 537 million. The overseas market scale for Chinese online literature exceeded 4 billion yuan, covering more than 200 countries and regions.
Traditional culture has become a significant theme element in various Chinese online culture forms, including literature, animation and games, noted Wei Yushan, head of CAPP, at the expo.
Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News
AI industry gains acceleration in E China’s Anhui
Source: United Nations secretary general
Source: China State Council Information Office 3
The Chinese Immersion Day highlighted cultural show and donated Chinese books in the New Zealand city of Christchurch on Sunday.
The Chinese Consulate General in Christchurch donated children’s books in Chinese and books about traditional Chinese culture to the Christchurch Library, as part of the nationwide celebration of the New Zealand Chinese Language Week, which started on Sunday.
Consul General He Ying told the donation ceremony that the annual book donation started more than five years ago, and these books have been widely received by the Chinese community and Kiwis in Christchurch.
The city libraries need diverse language books as part of a wide range of books offered, said a statement from the library, adding the donated books have been wonderful gifts for the community to enjoy.
The Chinese Immersion Day highlighted performance of traditional Chinese music, lion dance and various Chinese language and culture activities, such as calligraphy, paper cutting, Chinese knots making, Chinese painting, fan making, tea art, traditional Chinese medicine consultation, and fun language workshops and games.
The Chinese Immersion Day was jointly held by the Chinese Consulate General in Christchurch, the Confucius Institute at the University of Canterbury, Christchurch Central Library, and the New Zealand Chinese Language Teachers Association (Canterbury).
The Chinese Language Week is a Kiwi-driven initiative launched in 2014 after the Maori Language Week and the Pacific Language Week.
New Zealand has more than 260,000 people of Chinese origin. The number of primary and secondary school students in New Zealand learning Chinese was nearly 70,000 before the global pandemic, according to New Zealand’s Ministry of Education.
Source: New Zealand Police (National News)
Location:
A previous release contained a spelling error in the name of the man who died in the crash on SH6 between Ruatapu and Ross on Saturday.
His surname is spelled Procter, not Proctor as previously stated.
We apologise for any confusion caused.
ENDS
Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region
Industry views sought on Government’s procurement arrangements for IT professional services
Industry views sought on Government’s procurement arrangements for IT professional services
******************************************************************************************
The Digital Policy Office (DPO) released today (September 23) a consultation paper on the future arrangements for the Standing Offer Agreement for Quality Professional Services (SOA-QPS). Practitioners of the information technology (IT) industry are welcome to offer their views. The SOA-QPS5 in use will expire in early 2026. The DPO today launched the consultation on improvements to the current arrangements to, among others, strengthen the regulation and monitoring procedures of contractors’ performance by taking into account contractors’ performance in contracts awarded under the previous round of SOA-QPS and outside the SOA-QPS scheme. Other proposals put forward by the DPO include introducing a new category for IT systems that adopt diverse secure and reliable technologies, raising the upper limit of the contract value for individual projects, and raising the demarcation limit of contract value for minor and major groups. Since its initial launch in 2005, the SOA-QPS scheme has long been an effective means of addressing the Government’s large demand for IT professional services. The scheme also provides promising business prospects for the IT industry and helps bring innovative and creative IT services to government departments. The SOA-QPS scheme involves a two-stage bidding process. In the first stage, the Government enters into Standing Offer Agreements (SOAs) with a certain number of suppliers (SOA Contractors) selected through open tendering. During the second stage within the validity period of the SOAs, government bureaux and departments (B/Ds) invite technical and price proposals for individual IT projects from the SOA Contractors. B/Ds will award a service contract to the contractor whose proposal meets the technical requirements and attains the highest combined score according to the marking scheme. As of August 31, 2024, 1 696 services contracts were awarded under the current SOA-QPS5, with an accumulated contract value about HK$2,685 million. The consultation paper can be downloaded from the DPO website (www.digitalpolicy.gov.hk/en/news/consultations/). Interested parties may refer to the consultation paper for details and forward their comments and suggestions by email (qps_consultation@digitalpolicy.gov.hk) on or before October 22, 2024. An online briefing session will be held by the DPO on October 8, 2024, with details available on the above website.
Ends/Monday, September 23, 2024Issued at HKT 10:00
NNNN
Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Ruben Gallego (AZ-07)
PHOENIX – Today, Rep. Ruben Gallego (AZ-03) announced that $12,739,765 is coming to Maricopa County to improve safety conditions and traffic flow at the intersection of Grand Avenue (US 60), 35th Avenue, and Indian School Road. The funding announcement comes after Rep. Gallego sent a letter supporting the grant to the Department of Transportation earlier this year.
“Anyone who has been caught at this intersection knows how time-consuming and dangerous it is,” said Rep. Gallego. “I’m incredibly proud to have helped secure this funding that will support the region’s economy, save people time, and get them where they need to go safely.”
The nearly $13 million will be administered by the Maricopa Association of Governments and will be paid out over two years. The project will include raising 35th Avenue to create a new elevated intersection with Indian School Road above Grand Avenue; constructing new bridges over the BNSF railroad; addressing local circulation needs; installing new, wider ADA-accessible sidewalks; right-of-way acquisition; accommodating future high-capacity transit; and installing separate bus pull-outs and new bus shelters.
Source: New Zealand Police (National News)
Police are appealing for assistance from the public to help locate 13-year-old Tyrha, who has been reported missing.
Tyrha was last seen at her home in Glen Innes last Thursday 19 September.
She is described as having brown, straight hair and a nose ring in her left nostril. She was last seen wearing dark clothing.
It’s believed Tyrha could be somewhere in the Albany area. She also has ties to the Whakatāne region.
Police and her family have concerns for Tyrha’s wellbeing and we ask anyone who sights her to please contact Police as soon as possible on 111.
Additionally, anyone who has further information on her whereabouts should contact Police on 105, quoting file number 240921/4334.
ENDS
Tony Wright/Police Media
Source: Northern Territory Police and Fire Services
Northern Territory Police are calling for information after an aggravated robbery in Marrara early Sunday morning.
Around 12:45am, police received reports that a 26-year-old female had been approached at a residence on Dornoch Court by two youths who allegedly threatened her with a blunt weapon for her keys before stealing her vehicle.
A short time later, police observed the vehicle being driven on Elrundie Avenue and attempted to apprehend the vehicle. The vehicle failed to stop, and a pursuit was initiated.
The pursuit continued throughout the Palmerston area and later into the northern suburbs where a tyre deflation device was successfully deployed.
The alleged offenders abandoned the vehicle in Malak and fled the scene on foot.
Investigations are ongoing.
Police urge anyone with information about the incident to make contact on 131 444 and quote occurrence number P24261314.
Anonymous reports can be made through Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 00 or through https://crimestoppers.com.au/.
Source: African Development Bank Group
As the world convenes in New York this week for the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA 79), Africa’s 1.2 billion people will be counting on their participating leaders and pan-African institutions like the African Development Bank Group to lead the…
Source: United Nations secretary general
Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen,
I am thrilled to be with you all at this high-level dialogue.
We meet at a pivotal time.
The SDGs are off-track. Hunger is rising. Fossil fuel use and global temperatures have reached unprecedented new highs. Conflicts are spreading. And the fight for gender equality has stalled.
Meanwhile, financing gaps are large and growing.
Multilateral Development Banks are a critical part of the solution to salvage the SDGs and spur progress towards the future we want and need.
MDBs are an essential source of affordable, long-term finance to developing countries.
They provide vital countercyclical support in times of crisis.
And they are uniquely capable of mobilizing other sources of finance with the SDGs, including private investments.
But to fulfill this role effectively, MDBs must become bigger, better and bolder.
This message is being clearly articulated by Member States at the Summit of the Future.
In the Summit’s Pact, Member States welcome the reforms taking place across the MDB system, while declaring that further reforms are urgently needed.
What we will hear today is that MDBs are rising to this challenge.
This meeting provides a unique opportunity for MDB Principals to share their vision for reform, explain how it can accelerate SDG action, and take stock of progress.
They will also explain where they need your support to push their reforms – and impact – further.
I’m delighted that the MDB Principals are delivering these messages here – in New York, the home of the SDGs – and now, against the backdrop of the Summit of the Future.
This sends a powerful message of the bridges we are building between the UN and MDBs, between New York and Washington DC, and between Ministries of Finance and Ministries of Foreign Affairs.
Over the coming months, the UN will be working with our MDB partners to agree on further steps to increase development finance and to reform the international financial architecture, as we prepare for the
Fourth International Conference on Financing for Development in Spain in 2025.
This is our once-in-a-decade opportunity to transform financing to serve sustainable development everywhere.
The United Nations is proud to be travelling this path with you.
Thank you.
Source: New Zealand Transport Agency
Drivers travelling on State Highway 2 over the Remutaka Hill and through Wairarapa will need to be ready for another burst of rough spring weather tomorrow.
The Metservice has issued a Strong Wind Warning for Wairarapa, Tararua District, and Hawke’s Bay south of Hastings between 8 am and 5 pm tomorrow (Tuesday, 24 September).
Severe gale west to northwest winds are forecast and will coincide with morning and afternoon commuting times.
It means drivers must take extra care on exposed routes like Remutaka Hill. This particularly applies to trucks, vans, motorcycles, light vehicles, and towing vehicles.
Strong winds increase the risk of tree falls, downed powerlines, and windblown debris. Road users must be prepared for these hazards and drive accordingly.
It is also recommended to check road and weather conditions before travelling, as bad weather can cause roads to be closed on short notice.
It is also recommended to check road and weather conditions before travelling, as bad weather can cause roads to be closed on short notice.
Highway Conditions – Wellington/Wairarapa(external link)
Source: New Zealand Transport Agency
The State Highway summer maintenance programme will be in full swing in Tasman in October with new chipseal to be laid on the State Highway 60, Mariri Causeway (south of Motueka).
A daytime road closure will occur on Saturday, 19 October from 7 am to 5 pm when road workers will chipseal a one-kilometre section of the highway.
Mark Owen, Regional Manager Wellington/Top of the South, says while this work will cause short-term disruption for people living, working, and travelling in the area, the payoff will be a safer road surface.
“We’ve planned this work for Saturday because it’s outside of school hours, there are fewer trucks on the road, and it’s one day of the week when there is no public transport operating.”
“The reason for doing this work during the day is down to the ground temperature – chipseal has to be laid when the ground is warm to help the new seal set and stick. If it’s too cold, the seal will crack and fail,” Mr Owen says.
A local road detour will be available via Robinson Road, Main Road Lower Moutere, Wildman Road, and Quayle Street (otherwise known as High Street South). The same detour will apply in reverse for motorists travelling from Motueka to Richmond.
This detour is expected to add up to 10 minutes to travel time. Drivers travelling between Richmond and Motueka must allow extra time for their journeys.
Mr Owen says the Great Taste Cycle Trail will remain open, but the detour route means it will be affected by increased traffic.
“It’s essential drivers and cyclists share the road with care. Cyclists need to be aware there will be more vehicles around them, and drivers must look out for cyclists too.”
Once the chipsealing is completed, the Mariri Causeway will reopen under a temporary speed limit of 50km/hr to give the chipseal time to bed in. Road workers will then sweep clear any loose chip and re-apply road markings.
Drivers must follow all temporary speed limits. They are there to protect the road and vehicles from damage, and to keep people safe. In the event of unforeseen circumstances or bad weather this work will be postponed.
Works schedule:
Detour map for traffic travelling from Richmond to Motueka is via Robinson Road, Main Road Lower Moutere, Wildman Road and Quayle Street.
Source: Auckland Council
Auckland Council has selected two providers to receive new rental micromobility licences in Auckland.
Of the seven licence applications received, the chosen providers are current operator Lime and the New Zealand-owned Flamingo. Both will be licensed for a two-year period from 4 November 2024.
Auckland Council’s Manager of Licensing and Environmental Health, Mervyn Chetty, says the council received a number of strong applications, with the chosen providers demonstrating a commitment to safety initiatives and reducing nuisance.
“Both Lime and Flamingo have a history of operating in Auckland and around New Zealand. Their applications represented the best offering for Aucklanders, with both committing to a range of initiatives to support public transport connections, improved parking and safer riding.”
“We look forward to continuing our relationship with Lime and welcoming back Flamingo, which currently operates in a number of New Zealand cities and has been licenced in Auckland previously.”
Fewer operators but allocations the same
The current e-scooter allocation in Auckland is 3000 in total, with 900 in tier 1 (city centre), 900 in tier 2 (city fringe) and 1200 in tier 3 (suburban). This allocation will remain the same from November 4, but with the allocation split across the two providers.
“Having just two operators allows riders to easily find a device with their preferred provider, as well as allowing us to monitor and work with providers more closely,” says Mr Chetty.
Lime and Flamingo will each be allowed 900 devices split across tiers 1 and 2. In tier 3, Lime will have 700 devices and Flamingo will have 500.
Rental Micromobility Code of Practice
Throughout the current licensing period the council has identified improvements that can be made to the Rental Micromobility Code of Practice to better manage operator compliance and influence user behaviour.
Changes to the rental micromobility code of practice will include:
E-bikes
From 4 November the council will no longer license rental e-bikes. Previous e-bike licences saw a low number of trips, with operators having removed all rental e-bike devices from the streets.
Operators have committed to work with Auckland Council and Auckland Transport to develop a strategy to successfully bring rental e-bikes back to Tāmaki Makaurau.
Assessment of applications
Applications were assessed against the requirements of the Public Trading, Events and Filming Bylaw 2022 and Auckland Transport’s Activities in the Road Corridor Bylaw 2022, and were considered to ensure that the applicants could demonstrate their ability to comply with the Rental Micromobility Code of Practice (version 3).
Find out more
Visit the council’s micromobility web page to find out more about rental e-scooters in Auckland.
Source: Australian Ministers for Education
Good morning everyone. This really brings back memories. I’ve given many lectures in this room, and every time I lectured in this room, I never stood here.
So I’m going to stand here, and can you hear me at the back?
Excellent. Well, thank you so much, Amy, for that wonderful introduction, and I also want to thank you Auntie Robyn for that beautiful welcome to country.
Can I start also by acknowledging the Traditional Custodians of the lands on which we meet, the Whadjuk Noongar people, and I want to pay my respects to elders, past, present and emerging and celebrate the diversity of First Nations people, their ongoing cultural and educational practices and their connection to the land, water and skies. And I acknowledge any First Nations people joining us here this morning on a beautiful Saturday morning.
I was saying earlier, I don’t think there is any other sector that would come out on a Saturday morning of a long weekend to a conference, so kudos to each and every one of you who are here.
Can I take a moment just to acknowledge a few other people; my dear friend, Professor Andrew Whitehouse, Professor of Autism Research at the Telethon Kids Research Institute. I’m sure that you are going to be blown away by Andrew’s presentation. Every time Andrew and I sit down together, and I learn about the work he is doing, it really just blows my mind.
Can I also acknowledge the ECA WA Committee members here, all the early childhood leaders and educators here today as well, the most important people in the room, of course.
So I’m really – I’m just really honoured to be here to welcome you today to this day‑long conference. I was in Brisbane for the ECA Conference, it feels like a long time ago, but it actually was only two or three days ago, and that was a fabulous conference too.
I remember my very first ECA conference which was in Canberra. I’m a professor before I became a politician, so I’m an academic in nature, and so coming to conferences is like Disneyland for me. I find them incredibly exciting.
Unfortunately I have to get on a plane straight after this, so I cannot join you for the rest of the day, but I know that it will be a day filled with incredible insights, an opportunity to share, an opportunity to learn and opportunity to network, and I think they are some of the invaluable things that you can take away from days like today.
I’m actually not going to read this speech, because I’d much rather talk to you like this. It’s a really exciting time to be in the early childhood education sector at the moment, because we are on the cusp of a lot of reform.
I think that when I went to the very first ECA Conference, at the end of the conference – because I stayed for the whole thing – at the end of the conference they put up findings from the very first conference, which was way back in 1983, or 82, and it was really interesting that they contrasted them with the findings or the outcomes of the conference in 2022, it was at the time, and not much had changed.
In fact. nothing had changed. The issues were still the same, the concerns were still the same, the things that needed reform were still the same. And I think that speaks to the fact that this is a sector that is essentially, provides an essential service, not just for families who work, or where care givers work, but particularly for children in those first five years of their lives, the transformational benefits that you all bring to children and their families.
And I think that it is high time that the sector had the level of attention that it deserves. You as educators and leaders getting that recognition for the professionalism that you bring to your work. Dedication is great, and I know you all love your jobs, but I also know that you need to be recognised as professionals.
And as I said earlier, being here on a Saturday morning on a long weekend is demonstration of that, of that commitment to professionalism, as well as that dedication to the children that you teach, that you educate every day and the families that you help, it’s that dedication to the professionalism of what you do.
It’s been a long time coming, but I can tell you our government does not see you as babysitters, does not see you as care givers. We understand, and we know that what you do is education.
I often say this to people: I often say, you know, we talk about a child learning to talk, we say “They learnt to walk., they learnt to use a spoon or a fork, or the potty”. Those first five years of a child’s life are education, and we know from research – I actually studied my Masters of Education here, and I studied my post graduate here in Child Language Acquisition. And we know from research and cases where children have not had that interaction, that they don’t learn these things naturally. These are things that are taught to them, and that is the critical role that early childhood education and early childhood educators play in the shaping of a child’s life, not just in those first five years, but into their childhood, their adolescence, their adulthood. So it’s a critical time for that recognition of professionalism.
Now we’ve done a number of things. We know that the Prime Minister has articulated a commitment to universal early childhood education and care. I translate that as a sector that is affordable, accessible, and importantly inclusive. That’s really the key part of what you do, is that inclusivity.
When we first came into government, one of the first things we did was increase the Child Care Subsidy, and that’s helped about a million families across Australia, the ACCC review found that that’s reduced out‑of‑pocket costs by around 11 per cent.
In fact, I was on the Radio 6PR, the other day, and the presenter was saying that his fees went from $70 a day to $40 a day, which makes a huge difference to families, right, and to children.
The second thing that we did was recently announced a pay increase for early childhood educators, a 15 per cent pay increase, 10 per cent this year, 5 per cent next year. That comes on top of increases from the Fair Work Commission, particularly for some of the lowest‑paid educators in the sector and workers in the sector.
That 15 per cent increase also applies to out‑of‑school‑hours care, and we are working really hard with family day care and in‑home care to see how it can also apply to them.
That’s the second thing, because everything that we know, every report, every review, everybody knows that if we want to build that universal early childhood education sector that we want to see that is world‑class quality, affordable, accessible, inclusive, we need a strong and stable workforce, and one that is fairly remunerated for the work that they do and recognised as the professionals that they are.
So that’s a big part of what I do as the Early Childhood Education Minister, is looking at how we strengthen the workforce, but importantly how we contribute as leaders, as politicians, as policy makers to that recognition of the professionalism of the workforce.
Now last week, on Wednesday, we released the Productivity Commission Review. Now what we wanted the Productivity Commission to do was to give us some ideas in helping us chart that path to universal early childhood education and care.
I know from speaking to the sector, from speaking to early childhood educators, to academics, to advocates, to leaders, that we’re on the same page in terms of what we want for children.
We want every child to be able to access the transformational benefits of early childhood education and care. We’re on the same page with what we mean by “universal”. It means that every child has access.
But how do we get there? How do we get there? How do we get there within the constraints of what the sector looks like? The diversity within the sector, the different and sometimes competing priorities in the sector. The diversity of service delivery, but also the diversity of contexts in which services are delivered; rural/regional, low socio‑economic, high socio‑economic, the different contexts in which they’re delivered. First Nations, you know delivering culturally appropriate and culturally responsive early childhood education and care in place.
And that’s what the Productivity Commission was tasked with. So they’ve come out with a number of recommendations, and you might have read about some of them, you might have heard about some of these.
Primarily their recommendations are around – well, their findings aren’t anything that we didn’t know, that some of the most vulnerable children are the ones who are missing out.
So their findings are around abolishing the activity test and making early childhood education and care free for people earning under $80,000 a year for one child, and $140,000 a year for two or more children in ECEC, with a tapering rate according to parents’ incomes.
Abolishing the activity test, and a guarantee of 30 hours a week – or three days for every child – a guarantee, and an ECEC Commission to oversee this.
Now we’re going to be considering all of those recommendations that the Productivity Commission makes, and we’ll be considering them along with the ACCC Review.
One of the things I’m incredibly conscious of as the Minister is that within this sector every lever that you pull has a flow‑on effect ‑ and I know that Andrew’s talk is all about the ripple effect ‑ every lever that we pull has a ripple effect and a flow‑on effect to another part of the sector.
And so just as we look at child development holistically, with early childhood education, health, parenting, social services being all part of that development, as we did with the Early Years Strategy, we also have to look at the sector and the reform that we make holistically.
What is it, when we do one thing in one space, what impact does it have on other spaces, particularly considering the diversity of the sector, the diversity of services and the diversity of place and context, as I mentioned earlier.
Now, I don’t know – who was – was anyone in Brisbane on Wednesday?
So Professor Paul Leseman’s talk was all about governance and localised governance, and that was a really interesting talk. And I’m constantly looking at international examples and international research to how we can create a uniquely Australian sector, but take with us the lessons, develop that with the lessons that have been learnt internationally.
And that’s what makes this time really, really exciting. Because right now internationally there are so many lessons that are being learned from different countries in the ways in which they attempted to, or instigated, reforms within early childhood education, from the Nordic countries, to Canada, to New Zealand, to all different countries.
So as academic nerd I’m basically eating the research for breakfast, along with my coffee. And so for me as the Early Childhood Education Minister, you know, I know where we want to be, and I know that we share that vision with each and every one of you.
It’s a beautiful vision, right, and wow, how would it be if we could achieve that? That every child, no matter who they are, no matter what their background, no matter where they live can access this really high‑quality transformational early childhood education and care.
Because one of the first things I said to my department when I took on this portfolio was that the principle that guides us is that no child born into disadvantage should have to carry that disadvantage through their life, and the key to that is what you all do.
I speak to that not just as an academic who studied early childhood and – not early childhood, but childhood language and has a Master of Education, I speak to that as a mother. I speak to that as a single mum who was fleeing domestic violence, who has an unending gratitude to the early childhood educators who helped me through the most difficult time of my life.
Sorry. A few months ago, I was at a different conference, and at the back of the room was the educator who cared for my children, and we saw each other, and we just hugged each other and cried, and I said to her, “Do you have any idea how much you saved me? Do you have any idea what was going on in my household?” And she said, “Anne, we all knew, we all knew”.
That is the difference that you make to people’s lives. That is the difference that you make.
So I’m going to stop, because I’ve got to catch a plane, and I hate it when I cry before I get on a plane.
But look, I just want to say to you, I’m really excited. I am really excited about what we can do together, hand‑in‑hand, moving forward on this pathway, on this journey. And I’m excited too by what’s at the end of this journey, and I am incredibly honoured to be the Minister for Early Childhood Education and Care. It is a portfolio that – not just because I get to play with babies – but because of you, because the heart, the dedication, the professionalism that you bring to the work that you do inspires me every single day to be better and to do better for you.
So thank you so much for hearing me rant. And I wish you all the best for the rest of the conference. Enjoy it, and I hope you get so much value out of it, and I look forward to seeing all your faces again soon.
Source: China State Council Information Office 2
China’s pet economy is showing unprecedented vitality. In 2023, the country’s urban pet cat and dog market reached $39.2 billion. What is driving the continued boom in China’s pet economy? And how can foreign companies capture Chinese consumers’ hearts? In this episode, Sinologist Elsbeth van Paridon, also an editor with CICG Americas, heads to Shanghai to explore the Pet Fair Asia and Royal Canin’s factory to find answers.
Source: China State Council Information Office 2
People visit the 2024 China Culture and Tourism Industries Exposition in north China’s Tianjin, Sept. 13, 2024. [Photo/Xinhua]
Wearing an elegant white dress, Umuhoza, a Rwandan businesswoman, took a photo in front of a smart photo device, which soon generated a photo depicting her as a valiant and chivalrous female with traditional Chinese features.
“When people travel to China, they really want to take memories back home. The device can take a picture of you and then transform you into a Chinese kind of person. I really love it,” Umuhoza said.
Umuhoza runs a travel website. She helps tourists from Asian countries travel to African countries, including Rwanda, Egypt and Tanzania. At the same time, her website has a “China package,” catering to travelers from Africa who want to go to China.
At the 2024 China Culture & Tourism Industries Exposition held earlier this month in north China’s Tianjin Municipality, many foreign visitors were overwhelmed by the novel technologies adopted in China’s tourism sector.
“That’s amazing. I am very interested in autonomous driving cars and many smart tourism scenes. Perhaps new trade cooperation can be carried out in the future,” Umuhoza said.
Telling people more about China
Putting on a virtual reality headset, Elena Jitari-Parry, a full-time travel blogger from Moldova, was instantly drawn to various places to experience the magnificent landscapes of China’s mountains and rivers.
“So beautiful. It felt so authentic here,” Jitari-Parry said.
She also quickly learned about securing travel tips for exploring Tianjin via an intelligent tourism companion system, which simply requires a person to ask questions at a booth provided by Midu, a company focusing on artificial intelligence and large language models.
“Traveling in China can be so easy for foreigners! The digitalization and intelligence services of Chinese tourist attractions have become a new trend, enabling foreigners like me to enjoy a more comfortable and convenient travel experience in China,” Jitari-Parry said.
With the desire to further explore China, Jitari-Parry chose to be a full-time travel blogger, documenting her travels and experiences in China. “Foreigners are very interested in China’s technological development. I always advise my audience to come to China and see something different.”
The deep integration of technology and the cultural tourism sector not only creates a variety of experiential consumption scenarios, but also meets people’s new needs for personalized travel, immersive experiences and creative consumption.
Data showed that by the end of 2023, the scale of China’s digital cultural tourism market had exceeded 1 trillion yuan (about 140 billion U.S. dollars), accounting for more than 30 percent of the entire cultural tourism industry.
Experiencing smart, convenient services
In the exhibition area of Meituan, one of China’s leading online services platforms, high-end technologies such as drones and autonomous delivery vehicles became the focus of foreign bloggers’ lenses.
Ruben Diaz Jr. from the United States was amazed by it. “Some of these things are brand new to me. Tourists can specify drones to deliver the items they need directly to the scenic areas, which is definitely more convenient.”
A staff member at the Meituan booth said that currently Meituan drones are operating on more than 30 routes in cities such as Beijing, Shenzhen, Shanghai and Guangzhou, and have completed over 300,000 orders in total.
Thanks to the rapid development of smart tourism in China, tourists have become accustomed to using online payments, ticket purchases and guided tours during their travels.
Data from iResearch, an industry research and consulting institute, showed that in 2023, the total number of monthly uses and total usage time of online travel apps had grown by more than 30 percent year on year on average.
Some Chinese online travel service companies also use digital technologies to meet the growing travel needs of foreign visitors in China.
In May, Tongcheng Travel launched an international travel reservation platform named HopeGoo, which supports payments in 16 global currencies and via various operating languages.
Richard Santana, a product designer and blogger from the United States, said that with these online services, foreigners will be more willing to go to China, while their travels in China will also be more convenient.
Ma Yiliang, chief statistician of the China Tourism Academy, said that “digitalization plus cultural tourism” has become a development trend.
As “China Travel” has surged to be a hot global social media topic, demand for inbound tourism to China has increased significantly.
“With the smarter and more convenient experience in China, foreign tourists can find a more open, more confident and safer China during their travels,” said Ma.
Source: China State Council Information Office
The China Photovoltaic Industry Association has expressed serious concerns about and strong opposition to the United States’ distorting the global solar market by providing excessive subsidies to US companies and imposing high tariffs on imported solar products.
It said the US moves are hampering international cooperation in the fight against climate change.
The trade body said in a recent statement that the US has built high walls of protectionism by imposing multiple trade restrictions and continuously increasing tariff barriers on imported photovoltaic products. In May, for example, the US decided that the import tax on Chinese solar cells would rise from 25 percent to 50 percent.
The association also pointed out that the US implemented exclusive and discriminatory industrial policies through legislation such as the Inflation Reduction Act and the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, and subsidized its own photovoltaic industry on a large scale.
“The Inflation Reduction Act, introduced in 2022, offers subsidies of an unprecedented $369 billion to support investments and production in the clean energy sector, including domestic PV products, aiming to reconstruct the PV industry chain,” said the trade body’s statement.
On May 16, the US Department of Energy announced $71 million investment to fund the Silicon Solar Manufacturing and Dual-Use Photovoltaics Incubator Program ($27 million) and the Advancing US Thin-Film Solar Photovoltaics Funding Program ($44 million), aiming to close the gaps in PV supply chain manufacturing capabilities, the association added.
Such moves violated multilateral trade rules and severely distorted the market operations of the global supply chain of the PV industry, according to the statement.
Experts and business leaders said that while subsidies are common globally in the new energy industry, the US strategy of raising tariffs under anti-subsidy pretexts and financially backing domestic companies is a double standard, with the aim of hindering Chinese solar companies from capturing global market share.
They said that Chinese-made solar and wind power equipment has facilitated the widespread adoption of affordable renewable energy worldwide, contributing to a global shift toward green development, adding that collaboration among global economies is essential for mutual gains in the sector.
Cui Fan, an international trade professor at the University of International Business and Economics in Beijing, said that policy interventions are necessary globally to address market flaws in advancing new energy. Solely relying on market forces could significantly delay global decarbonization progress by 20 to 30 years, which would be out of sync with the pace of global green initiatives, he added.
“However, in the WTO framework, subsidies must adhere to specific conditions, including avoiding unjust discrimination. The US’ Inflation Reduction Act breaches this by favoring US products over Chinese imports,” Cui said.
Lin Boqiang, head of the China Institute for Studies in Energy Policy at Xiamen University, said that the US’ high subsidies for its new energy industry, as well as its consistent raising of tariffs on Chinese goods under anti-subsidy pretexts, showcase a US double standard.
Song Hao, assistant vice-president at GCL Technology Holdings, said the US’ contradictory actions of restricting imports under anti-subsidy pretexts while heavily supporting domestic solar industries were undermining fairness.
Lin said: “Although the US has continuously raised trade barriers, it has limited impact on the Chinese solar industry, as China’s direct exports to the US are relatively small. Chinese companies have diversified investments globally, forging stronger ties with Europe, the Middle East and other regions to explore new opportunities.”
The US was not among the top 10 markets for China’s solar module exports in the first half of this year, while Europe and Asia collectively accounted for over 80 percent of these exports, according to the China Photovoltaic Industry Association. Solar modules accounted for 87 percent of China’s total PV product exports in terms of value, it added.
Source: China State Council Information Office
Amid Shanghai’s continued efforts to deepen international cooperation in terms of research and development, multinational companies should be better integrated into the city’s innovation network, which would be conducive to the city’s high-quality development, said officials and company executives.
They made the remarks on Sunday during the 36th International Business Leaders’ Advisory Council for the Mayor of Shanghai.
Chen Jining, Party secretary of Shanghai, said that as technological innovation has been playing an increasingly important role in driving economic growth, Shanghai will expand its science and technology exchanges with other markets.
Efforts will be made to develop offshore technological innovation, Chen said, adding that a foundation to advance coordinated technological innovation at a global level will be built in Lin-gang Special Area of the China (Shanghai) Pilot Free Trade Zone.
International organizations are also encouraged to set up branches in the city, and all these steps are aimed at nurturing an open, fair, just and nondiscriminatory environment for technological innovation, he said.
Shanghai Mayor Gong Zheng said the scientific research paradigm is undergoing profound changes amid the new round of technological and industrial revolution, and coordination and cooperation are crucial against this backdrop.
Shanghai will implement a global technology partner plan, and will also actively participate in, nurture and initiate international large-scale scientific projects, he said.
Multinational companies will be encouraged to set up international R&D centers and open innovation centers in the city, and will be deeply integrated into Shanghai’s local innovation network, Gong added.
As of June, 985 multinational companies had set up their regional headquarters in Shanghai, and the number of foreign-funded R&D centers reached 575, according to the municipal government.
Severin Schwan, chairman of the board of directors of Swiss healthcare company Roche Group, said that openness, innovation and collaboration are important for Shanghai’s high-quality development, particularly in the wake of geopolitical tensions and market uncertainties.
Multinational companies can tap into the sectors of healthcare, science and technology, and the digital economy more deeply, said Schwan, who is also chairman for this year’s International Business Leaders’ Advisory Council.
Dominic Barton, chairman of multinational mining company Rio Tinto, said the private sector has been contributing substantially to research projects, and this is a global trend.
Miguel Lopez, CEO of German industrial and engineering conglomerate Thyssenkrupp AG, suggested that Shanghai could place great importance on and fully utilize multinational companies’ industrial expertise, global networks, international experience and innovative resources.
The International Business Leaders’ Advisory Council was initiated in 1989 and has grown into a think tank for Shanghai mayors over time.
This year’s meeting was attended by top executives of 34 multinational companies from 13 countries.
Source: China State Council Information Office
This photo shows the smoke caused by an Israeli air raid on the course of the Litani River in Litani, Lebanon, on Sept. 21, 2024. [Photo/Xinhua]
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Sunday that his country landed “a series of blows” on Hezbollah in recent days that the group “could not have imagined.”
In a video statement released by his office, Netanyahu warned, “If Hezbollah hasn’t understood the message, I promise you — it will understand the message.”
He emphasized Israel’s commitment to restoring security in the north, declaring, “We are determined to return our northern residents safely to their homes … We will do whatever it takes to restore security.”
Overnight, Hezbollah expanded its rocket attacks, targeting areas near Haifa, including the headquarters of Rafael Advanced Defense Systems, Israel’s state-owned defense technology company, and a military airport in Ramat David base, both located in northern Israel.
Amid the sharp escalation, Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant affirmed that the military, in response, would continue its offensive.
Gallant, speaking during his visit to an Air Force control center on Sunday morning, said Hezbollah “has begun to feel some of our capabilities,” referencing weekend airstrikes in Beirut that killed at least 37 people, including Ibrahim Akil, acting commander of Hezbollah’s Elite Radwan Force.
Israel is also believed to be behind a series of attacks earlier this week, which saw thousands of wireless communication devices explode across Lebanon, killing at least 37, including civilians, and injuring thousands.
In addition, Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz released a statement saying he had spoken with “dozens” of foreign ministers, sending a clear message: if the international community does not pressure Hezbollah to withdraw its forces north of the Litani River in southern Lebanon, “Israel will do so.”
Katz added that the withdrawal of Hezbollah forces is “essential” to create a security zone, allowing Israeli residents near the border with Lebanon to return to their homes.
The Israeli military announced Sunday in a statement that it is continuing airstrikes in Lebanon and has bombed 400 Hezbollah sites since Saturday. According to Lebanese military sources, at least three people were killed and four others injured on Sunday in intense Israeli airstrikes.
Amid fears that the cross-border fighting, which began in October last year, will escalate to an all-out war in the Middle East, United Nations Special Coordinator for Lebanon Jeanine Hennis-Plasschaert warned of an “imminent catastrophe” in the region.
“With the region on the brink of an imminent catastrophe, it cannot be overstated enough: there is NO military solution that will make either side safer,” she wrote on the social media platform X.
Source: China State Council Information Office
Philemon Yang, president of the General Assembly of the United Nations, speaks at the Summit of the Future at the UN headquarters in New York, Sept. 22, 2024. [Photo/Xinhua]
The Summit of the Future opened at the United Nations (UN) headquarters in New York on Sunday, with the adoption of a Pact for the Future, as well as its annexes the Global Digital Compact and the Declaration on Future Generations, which cover a broad range of themes including peace and security, sustainable development, climate change, digital cooperation, human rights, gender, youth and future generations and the transformation of global governance.
The Pact for the Future is the UN’s master plan for tackling challenges that lie ahead for humanity, with 56 “actions” covering everything from peacekeeping to the potential threats posed by artificial intelligence. The pact underlines the “increasingly complex challenges” to world peace, notably the threat of nuclear war, with the document reiterating the UN’s core tenets.
The pact promises to accelerate efforts to attain the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), which aim for the eradication of extreme poverty by 2030, an intensified battle against hunger, promotion of gender equality and education. Most of the objectives were set in 2005, but are far from being realized. Against that backdrop, and with poor countries particularly mobilized for change, the pact especially calls for “reform of the international financial architecture.”
What UNGA president says?
“We stand at a crossroads of global transformation, facing unprecedented challenges that demand urgent, collective action,” Philemon Yang, president the UN General Assembly, said at the opening segment of the two-day summit. “From conflict and climate change to the digital divide, from inequalities to threats against human rights, together, we all face profound challenges. Yet, alongside these challenges, there is hope,” because challenges come along with opportunities.
The Pact for the Future represents the world body’s pledge not only to address immediate crises, but lay the foundations for a sustainable, just, and peaceful global order, for all peoples and nations, he said, adding that the commitments embodied in the pact and its annexes reflect the collective will of UN member states to promote international peace and security, invigorate implementation of the SDGs, foster just and inclusive societies, and ensure that technologies always serve the common good of humankind.
“The Summit of the Future is a call to action. We must shape our future to protect ourselves and our planet Earth,” said the president. “Action that recommits us to the principles of international law, the goals of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the promise of the United Nations Charter to save future generations from the pain of war.”
The world body’s mission is to eradicate poverty in all its forms, tackle inequalities, and promote peace and security, tolerance and respect for diversity, and the summit offers a historic opportunity to ensure that progress is shared equitably across all nations and communities everywhere, he said.
“We have an obligation to harness the power of science, technology, and innovation, in order to prepare the future of humankind. It is also important that we reproduce our human successes across generations all the time,” noted the president. “Let us continue our efforts to reform and strengthen global institutions that support peace, security, sustainable development, and financial stability.”
What UN secretary general says?
“I called for this summit to consider deep reforms to make global institutions more legitimate, fair and effective, based on the values of the UN Charter,” said UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres at the meeting. “I called for this summit because 21st century challenges require 21st century solutions: frameworks that are networked and inclusive; and that draw on the expertise of all of humanity … our world is heading off the rails — and we need tough decisions to get back on track.”
Conflicts are raging and multiplying, from the Middle East to Ukraine and Sudan, with no end in sight, he said, adding that the world’s collective security system is threatened by geopolitical divides, nuclear posturing, and the development of new weapons and theaters of war, while resources that could bring opportunities and hope are invested in death and destruction.
“In short, our multilateral tools and institutions are unable to respond effectively to today’s political, economic, environmental and technological challenges. And tomorrow’s will be even more difficult and even more dangerous,” noted the secretary general, stressing that things are changing fast but the world’s peace and security tools and institutions, as well as its global financial architecture, reflect a bygone era.
Technology, geopolitics and globalization have transformed power relations and the world is going through a time of turbulence and a period of transition, he addressed the meeting. With the adoption of the Pact for the Future, the Global Digital Compact and the Declaration on Future Generations, pathways are opened to new possibilities and opportunities — a breakthrough on peace and security reforms to make the Security Council more reflective of today’s world is promised.
These three landmark agreements are a step-change toward more effective, inclusive, networked multilateralism, said Guterres, noting that their implementation will prioritize dialogue and negotiation, end the wars tearing the world apart, and reform the composition and working methods of the Security Council. “To rebuild trust, we must start with the present and look to the future. People everywhere are hoping for a future of peace, dignity, and prosperity.”
What Summit of the Future Means?
In 2020, the United Nations turned 75 and marked the occasion by starting a global conversation about hopes and fears for the future. This was the beginning of a process that would eventually lead, four years later, to the convening of the Summit of the Future, a major event this September, just before the annual high-level debate of the General Assembly.
The summit was conceived at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, when there was a perception at the UN that countries and people pulled apart instead of cooperating to face this global threat.
“We were really confronted with the gap between the aspirations of our founders, which we were trying to celebrate at the 75th anniversary, and the reality of the world as it is today,” said Michele Griffin, the policy director of the summit.
UN member states tasked Guterres to come up with a vision for the future of global cooperation. His answer to their call was “Our Common Agenda,” a landmark report with recommendations on renewed global cooperation to address a host of risks and threats, and a proposal to hold a forward-looking summit in 2024.
The event consists of sessions and plenaries based around five main tracks — sustainable development and financing; peace and security; a digital future for all; youth and future generations; and global governance — and other topics that cut across all of the work of the UN, including human rights, gender equality and the climate crisis.
The immediate outcome is the finalized version of the Pact for the Future, with the Global Digital Compact and the Declaration for Future Generations as annexes, all of which were adopted by member states during the summit on Sunday.
Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News
Shanghai issued 13 measures on Friday to improve services for overseas talent attracted to the city.
The measures, unveiled at the Fourth Shanghai Talent+ Summit, include streamlined procedures for obtaining visas, residence permits, permanent residency, work permits and financial services. For example, those who possess doctorates and others deemed to be outstanding foreign talent will benefit from streamlined procedures when applying for permanent residency.
An official surnamed Liu, who is in charge of services for foreign experts at the Shanghai Municipal Bureau of Talent Work, said that everyone from overseas who worked in Shanghai used to have to go to two different government departments to apply for a foreigner’s work permit and a residence permit.
Liu said the two services were combined at one window several years ago for category A talent, and that will now be extended to all talent from overseas.
Category A talent includes those who are employed by world-leading companies and research institutions, laureates of international prizes, those who possess innovative technological inventions or patents, and postdoctoral fellows below the age 40.
The new measures will also optimize services for expat talent in scientific research, innovation and entrepreneurship, medical care, travel and online and social integration.
At the summit, people from across Shanghai presented business plans in a contest designed to highlight their innovation and entrepreneurship. A section for expats was included for the first time this year.
“Shanghai is a role model in inspiring entrepreneurs from home and abroad to put their business plans into reality in a positive and speedy way,” said Benoit Dubuis, president of the Swiss Academy of Engineering Sciences and also director of the Sino-Swiss Institute of Advanced Technology at Shanghai University, which is promoting the integration of some cutting-edge disciplines, including microelectronics, biomedicine and artificial intelligence.
“Many businesses launched by expats in Shanghai increase investment or invest in other entrepreneurial projects if they succeed,” Dubuis said. “This part is critical to the development of the local business environment.”
Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News
WARSAW, Sept. 22 — A concert was held here on Sunday night to celebrate the 75th anniversary of the founding of the People’s Republic of China and the 75th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Poland.
Co-hosted by the Ministry of Culture and Tourism of China and the Chinese Embassy in Poland, the concert was performed by musicians from the China National Opera and Dance Drama Theater, together with Polish musicians.
Sun Linjiang, Chinese ambassador to Poland, said that music has played an important role in promoting cultural cooperation and enhancing mutual understanding between China and Poland.
Nearly 400 guests from the two countries enjoyed such well-known pieces as “Blooming Flowers and Full Moon,” “I Love You, China,” “Colorful Clouds Chasing the Moon,” and “Chopin: Fantaisie Impromptu, op. 66.”
The performance earned rounds of applause from the audience.
Joanna, a Polish member of the audience, said that she was very happy to see the Chinese art troupe come to Poland, and she expressed the hope that cultural exchanges between the two countries will become richer in the future.
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jane McAdam, Scientia Professor and ARC Laureate Fellow, Kaldor Centre for International Refugee Law, UNSW Sydney
Recent conflicts in Afghanistan, Ukraine, Sudan and Gaza have displaced large numbers of people. In each case, Australia’s humanitarian response has been different. Some people have been able to acquire a visa and travel to Australia relatively easily; others have been stuck.
Once here, wildly varying visa entitlements mean some people have access to work rights, health care and other services; others are barely surviving.
In a new policy brief, we argue the Australian government should create a new emergency visa for humanitarian crises.
We believe the government needs a more streamlined, equitable, predictable and effective response to assist people facing a real risk of persecution, extreme danger or other serious harm.
To date, Australia has used at least 25 different types of visas to respond to humanitarian emergencies. This has resulted in varying outcomes for those affected, as well as significant distress for diaspora communities in Australia concerned for the safety and welfare of loved ones stuck abroad.
While the use of different visas has provided the government with flexibility, it has led to ad hoc and inconsistent approaches. It has also added to challenges and inefficiencies within the visa processing system.
For instance, no special humanitarian visa has been announced for people fleeing conflicts in Gaza or Sudan, though Tony Burke, the new minister for Home Affairs, has indicated he is looking at ways to allow Palestinians to stay here longer.
Large numbers of Palestinians have been refused visitor visas due to security concerns and, arguably, the politicisation of humanitarian assistance.
In any case, visitor visas are far from an ideal response in such cases. They are intended for a short, temporary period and do not give people access to any government services or social supports.
One of the problems with existing visas is that even those designed for emergencies can be too slow to provide urgent protection. In addition, they typically help only a small number of individuals in immediate danger.
Many visas are issued on a wholly discretionary basis. People must be invited to apply for them, and they cannot transition to a more permanent visa unless the minister permits them to do so.
In some cases, special visa arrangements have been created for particular groups of people, such as Kosovar refugees in the late 1990s. By contrast, no special humanitarian visa regime has been created for people fleeing conflicts in Gaza or Sudan.
The visa situation does not need to be this complicated. Yes, it can be reassuring for people to know there is more than one way to find safety in Australia. However, a preferable option would be to have an emergency visa that enables people to reach Australia lawfully and quickly, with a clear pathway to a long-term solution.
An emergency visa should enable people at risk to travel to Australia quickly and safely. Eligibility should be determined on the basis of sound and defensible principles, and guided by good practices from other countries and our own history.
For example, the government could identify eligible classes of people in need of humanitarian emergency visas. Relatives and diaspora communities in Australia could assist in identifying those with connections to Australia (such as family members, past residents and people with links to Australian companies or organisations).
This recommendation aligns with past practices of designating a particular cohort of people for protection. For instance, Australia’s former special assistance visa category (in use from 1991–2000) provided resettlement opportunities to categories of people with connections to Australia. This included those from the former Yugoslavia and Soviet Union, East Timor, Lebanon, Sudan, Myanmar, Vietnam, Sri Lanka and Cambodia, as well as Ahmadi Muslims.
An emergency visa should provide for an initial stay of 12 months. While this is shorter than some comparative visas, it would provide some certainty for people and allow for a reassessment of the circumstances in their country of origin after a year. At this point, they could either return voluntarily. Or, if it’s not safe to do so, they could be granted a pathway to permanent residence in Australia.
Emergency visas should also provide immediate access to services (including Medicare and Centrelink), as well as work and study rights, language and cultural support, and assistance with accommodation. Access to work and study rights would enable visa holders to support themselves and alleviate the demands on relatives, community organisations, social service agencies and the government.
Furthermore, anyone who is in Australia when a humanitarian emergency occurs in their home country should be granted an automatic visa extension or a bridging visa with the same conditions. This should not adversely affect their ability to apply for a different visa, including a protection visa.
Establishing this kind of system would enable refugees fleeing conflict to rebuild their lives in Australia relatively quickly.
It would likely encourage people to take steps to get their qualifications recognised and seek jobs commensurate with their skills – benefiting both themselves and the Australian community.
It would also provide them with both legal and psychological security by removing the uncertainty and precarity of being stuck in a prolonged temporary status. Our research has shown this is detrimental to people’s mental health and wellbeing.
Australia has an opportunity to take a bold, dynamic and forward-looking approach that would show real leadership in responding to humanitarian emergencies in a timely, well-considered and compassionate manner.
Jane McAdam receives funding from the Australian Research Council. She is a member of the expert sub-committee of the Ministerial Advisory Council on Skilled Migration.
Regina Jefferies does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.
– ref. The pressing case for a new emergency visa to help people fleeing Gaza and other conflicts – https://theconversation.com/the-pressing-case-for-a-new-emergency-visa-to-help-people-fleeing-gaza-and-other-conflicts-238877
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Adrian Beaumont, Election Analyst (Psephologist) at The Conversation; and Honorary Associate, School of Mathematics and Statistics, The University of Melbourne
The United States presidential election will be held on November 5. In analyst Nate Silver’s aggregate of national polls, Democrat Kamala Harris leads Republican Donald Trump by 49.2–46.2. In my previous US politics article last Wednesday, Harris led Trump by 48.9–46.0.
Joe Biden’s final position before his withdrawal as Democratic candidate on July 21 was a national poll deficit against Trump of 45.2–41.2.
It’s been nearly two weeks since the September 10 debate between Harris and Trump. In my previous article I was sceptical that Harris’ post-debate gains would be sustained, but they have been.
The US president isn’t elected by the national popular vote, but by the Electoral College, in which each state receives electoral votes equal to its federal House seats (population based) and senators (always two). Almost all states award their electoral votes as winner takes all, and it takes 270 electoral votes to win (out of 538 total).
The Electoral College is biased to Trump relative to the national popular vote, with Harris needing at least a two-point popular vote win in Silver’s model to be the Electoral College favourite.
Harris’ Electoral College win probability fell to a low of 35% on September 9 in Silver’s model, but she has surged back to favouritism with a 54% win probability, up from 43.5% last Wednesday. Silver’s model is now in better agreement with the FiveThirtyEight model, which gives Harris a 62% win probability.
Pennsylvania is the most important swing state with 19 electoral votes, and Harris now leads there by 1.5 points, gaining 1.4 points since last week. Harris also has narrow leads in Michigan, Wisconsin and Nevada. If Harris wins all states she currently leads in, she wins the Electoral College by 276–262.
Since my previous US article on Wednesday, Harris has continued to get good national polls and better polls from Pennsylvania and Michigan (15 electoral votes). This explains why she is again the favourite in Silver’s model after Trump had been the favourite from late August until last Thursday.
In North Carolina, Trump leads by just 0.1 point, but there’s been a scandal about Republican gubernatorial candidate Mark Robinson that broke Thursday, and there haven’t yet been North Carolina polls taken since this scandal. This scandal may hurt Trump in North Carolina, which has 16 electoral votes.
Harris now has a barely positive net favourability in the national FiveThirtyEight aggregate, at +0.3, with 46.9% favourable and 46.6% unfavourable. After large early gains, her ratings have improved slowly in the last month. Trump’s net favourability is -10.1, with 52.8% unfavourable and 42.7% favourable; his ratings are barely changed in the last month.
Trump’s running mate JD Vance is unpopular with a -10.8 net favourable rating, while Harris’ running mate Tim Walz has a +3.8 net favourable, making him the most popular of the four. Biden remains unpopular with a -15.3 net approval. It’s best for Harris if Biden stays out of the headlines.
In economic news, the US Federal Reserve cut interest rates by 0.5 points last Wednesday, the first time they have been reduced since 2020. Rates had risen from nearly zero to over 5% from 2022 to 2023.
Silver’s economic index that averages six indicators is currently at +0.10. Many on the left despise the stock market, but its recent performance is offsetting worse data in other indicators.
Elections for the House of Representatives and Senate will be held concurrently with the presidential election on November 5. Single-member districts are used to elect the 435 House members, with states apportioned House seats on a population basis.
House terms are only two years, so the last election of the House was at the November 2022 midterm elections, when Republicans won the House by 222 seats to 213 for Democrats on a national popular vote share of 50.0–47.3.
The FiveThirtyEight aggregate of polls of the national House popular vote has Democrats ahead by 46.7–44.5. If Harris wins, Democrats have a good chance to regain control of the House.
There are two senators for each of the 50 states. Senators have six-year terms, with one-third up for election every two years. Including independents who caucus with them, Democrats currently control the 100-member Senate by a 51–49 margin.
This year Democrats and aligned independents will be defending 23 of the 33 regular Senate seats up for election (there will also be a byelection in the safely Republican Nebraska). Trump won West Virginia, Montana and Ohio easily in both 2016 and 2020, and Democrats are defending seats in all three states.
With the retirement of former Democratic Senator (now independent) Joe Manchin, West Virginia is certain to be a Republican gain at this election, and the Republicans are also well ahead in Montana. If no other seats change hands, gaining West Virginia and Montana will give Republicans a 51–49 Senate majority.
Democrats are just ahead in Ohio and have larger leads in Senate races in the presidential swing states of Arizona, Wisconsin, Nevada, Michigan and Pennsylvania (all Democratic held). They have outside chances of gaining seats in Florida and Texas.
Even if Harris wins, Republicans are likely to gain at least a 51–49 Senate majority. The two senators per state rule advantages Republicans as they dominate low-population, rural states.
If Democrats lose the Senate, even if Harris wins the presidency, Republicans would have a veto over Harris’ legislation, and her cabinet and judicial appointments. That means no left-wing judge would be appointed to the Supreme Court if a vacancy occurred.
Adrian Beaumont does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.
– ref. Harris’ post-debate gains sustained in US polls, but Republicans likely to gain Senate control – https://theconversation.com/harris-post-debate-gains-sustained-in-us-polls-but-republicans-likely-to-gain-senate-control-239385
Source: China State Council Information Office 3
Kunqu Opera performers perform at China Institute in Manhattan, New York, the United States, Jan. 8, 2023. (Photo by Ziyu Julian Zhu/Xinhua)
In Peking University Hall on Sept 13, an air of reflective nostalgia and vibrant enthusiasm enveloped a lecture by Pai Hsien-yung, a distinguished Chinese-American writer, playwright and director.
Pai, 87, a pivotal figure in modern Chinese literature and theater, took the stage to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the youth edition of the Kunqu Opera, The Peony Pavilion, which he produced and adapted. This adaptation of the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) classic, originally penned by Tang Xianzu, has been instrumental in bridging the gap between Kunqu Opera and contemporary youth culture. The lecture not only commemorated two decades of artistic endeavor but also highlighted the enduring relevance of this timeless tale.
Pai’s lecture also opened the latest performances of the youth edition of The Peony Pavilion, which was staged for three days at Peking University from Sept 14 to 16. About 6,000 tickets were sold.
“Time flies. It’s been 20 years since we premiered the youth edition of The Peony Pavilion. I am back here today, sharing this production with young people, just like what we did two decades ago,” Pai says. “I am a writer and I never expected that my life would be associated with Kunqu Opera closely for such a long time. I consider myself a volunteer in protecting and promoting the ancient art form, which is so sophisticated and beautiful that it would be a great regret if we didn’t keep it alive and let it be appreciated by a wider audience.”
One of the oldest traditional opera forms still performed in China, Kunqu Opera was born in the region of Kunshan in today’s Suzhou, Jiangsu province. It has distinguished itself by the virtuosity of its rhythmic patterns and exerted a dominant influence on other recent forms of opera in China, such as Peking Opera, which is over 200 years old. It is hence known as the mother of all Chinese operas.
Combining songs performed in the Suzhou dialect, graceful body movements, martial arts and dance, Kunqu Opera uses a great variety of gestures to express specific emotions.
For Pai, there is a reason why Kunshan was the birthplace of Kunqu Opera. “It’s just like Western opera was born in Italy because the Italian language is rhythmic. Kunqu Opera was born in Kunshan because of the local dialect’s musicality and expressiveness,” he says.
In 2008, UNESCO inscribed Kunqu Opera on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity (originally proclaimed in 2001). This recognition put Kunqu Opera in the international spotlight at the same time as it began to experience a domestic revival. The youth edition of The Peony Pavilion was the fruit of a collaboration between the Suzhou Kunqu Opera Theater of Jiangsu and Pai. Premiering in Taipei in 2004 and staged at Peking University in 2005, the production has been considered a major contributor to the development and revival of the art form.
With more than 500 performances across the Chinese mainland, Hong Kong and Macao, as well as in countries such as Greece, the United Kingdom and the United States, it has been watched by a combined worldwide audience of about 800,000. The shows were also staged at more than 40 Chinese universities at that time, which allowed Kunqu Opera to witness a surge in popularity, especially among young people.
In 2006, 2009 and 2016, the production returned to Peking University with shows and workshops. In 2009, appealing to the rising number of Kunqu Opera lovers, Pai, along with the university, initiated and launched a project, Inheritance Program of Kunqu Opera, to train young amateur fans. The school also launched an elective course on the art form, which, according to Peng Feng, dean of the university’s School of Arts, is one of its most popular courses among students.
Born in Guilin, South China’s Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region, Pai moved to Shanghai with his family during wartime and later settled in Taiwan. He recalls that his enthusiasm for the art form started at the age of 9 when he watched a performance by Peking Opera masters Mei Lanfang (1894-1961) and Yu Zhenfei (1902-93) in Shanghai in 1946.
“I can still remember that performance, an excerpt, The Interrupted Dream, from The Peony Pavilion, that is still widely performed today. Because of the two Peking Opera artists’ fame, tickets sold out fast and the audience was excited,” Pai says.
“People had been looking forward to Mei’s return and the show was phenomenal,” Pai adds. During the War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression (1931-45), Mei, who specialized in nandan (man performing female roles), stopped performing for eight years, refusing to entertain the invaders and growing a moustache to show his determination. Nandan roles are a practice forged in feudal times when women were forbidden to take the stage.
Pai as a child didn’t understand what Kunqu Opera was all about; he was only impressed by the art form’s beauty and the warm feedback of the audience. Gaining his degree in English literature from a local university and his master’s degree in literary theory and creative writing at the University of Iowa, Pai became a professor of Chinese literature at the University of California, Santa Barbara, and lived there for over three decades until his retirement in 1994. His many works include Taipei People and New Yorkers.
It was in 2002, when Pai was invited to give a lecture on Kunqu Opera in Hong Kong, that he was inspired to produce the youth edition of The Peony Pavilion. Kunqu Opera faced a great challenge back then from modern life, and few people went to theaters to watch the old art form. “I wanted to let young people enjoy the beauty of Kunqu Opera. I wanted to build up a profound dialogue between the past and the present,” Pai says.
For his lecture in Hong Kong, Pai not only narrated the history and cultural significance of Kunqu Opera but also had young performers display the singing and movements of The Peony Pavilion, an innovation that was widely praised by the students.
The original play, known for its intricate portrayal of love and longing, was a cornerstone of Chinese literature and drama. A beautiful young woman named Du Liniang falls in love with Liu Mengmei, a handsome scholar she meets in her dream. She wakes up and finds that her longing for the man is so strong that it gradually causes her to fall ill and die. After her death, she persuades the judge of the underworld to grant her permission to return as a ghost to find him. She eventually finds Liu, who is temporarily staying at her family temple where she is buried. Their powerful love brings Du back to life, and they live happily ever after.
“The Peony Pavilion is just like William Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet, which is timeless and embraced by different cultures. The difference is that Chinese people love a happy ending, so the couple conquered death and reunited,” Pai says.
His version was specifically tailored to resonate with a younger audience, infusing the classic narrative with elements that appeal to modern sensibilities while preserving its historical essence. He invited Kunqu Opera actor Yu Jiulin and actress Shen Fengying to play the roles of Liu and Du, both in their 20s in 2004, similar in age as the targeted audiences.
The original version tells the story in 55 acts, spanning eight hours in total. To appeal to the contemporary audience, Pai narrowed it down to 27 acts.
Pai talked about the personal stories he encountered from audience members over the years, especially the exciting moments when the production toured four universities in the US in 2006. “We toured the US for a month. I was worried about the response of the audiences, whether they would be able to enjoy the old Chinese art form. To my surprise, our tickets sold out and our performances received long standing ovations,” Pai say.
“For many, both the Chinese and Western audiences, the play was a gateway to discovering the complexities and beauty of Kunqu Opera, while for others, especially our creative team members and our then young performers, it was a profound reminder of the timeless nature of the story and the everlasting appeal of Kunqu Opera.”
According to Weng Guosheng, one of the directors of the youth edition of The Peony Pavilion, Pai’s adaptation took bold steps to modernize the presentation of the play, incorporating innovative staging techniques, contemporary music elements, and a focus on themes that speak directly to today’s youth. “Pai’s approach was both respectful and revolutionary, maintaining the soul of the original, while introducing new dimensions to enhance its appeal to younger generations,” Weng says.
Source: China State Council Information Office 3
Like most, Sun Lixin, the eldest child in the family-run businesses in Jingdezhen, east China’s Jiangxi province, was born with a mission — succession.
The firstborn son was followed by a brother and a sister in a family that has made porcelain for four generations and was trained to inherit the family’s ceramic making skills since he was a child.
His father, Sun Tongxin, has a masterly skill for blue and white painting on porcelain and was a trailblazer in splash ink painting on ceramic panels, blending the innovative contemporary high-temperature technique with the expressive methods of traditional Chinese blue and white ink painting. One of Sun Sr’s pieces was collected by the Palace Museum in Beijing.
Ink color is one of the color painting decoration methods of ceramics. It refers to a kind of porcelain painting technique that uses thick or bright black as the main colorant to paint on ceramics, presenting a light-black ink effect. It has a strong literati charm and an artistic appeal, showing an elegant and simple, green and subtle aesthetic feeling.
“I grew up in an environment surrounded by ceramics and ceramists,” Sun Lixin, 57, said.
He recalled that he did homework at the workshops where his parents worked when primary school finished. The three went home together after the adults got of work.
In 1976, then premier Zhou Enlai decreed the protection for traditional craftsmanship of porcelain production.
Thanks to the regulation, a group of teens in Jingdezhen was recruited by the local 10 state-owned porcelain factories to be trained in pottery-making techniques.
“Though being wet behind the ears, I was thrilled to be an apprentice in a state-owned factory,” Sun Lixin said.
He was only 13.
“I liked to learn how to make ceramics, such as drawing, throwing and painting as many of my peers were also in the factory,” he said.
Sun Lixin’s teacher was his father, who was very strict with the naughty boy. Luckily, his peer apprentices, in his words, learned from their parents’ friends, who were very friendly.
“I was always sniveling as my father bawled me out for doing things frolicsome with other children,” Sun Lixin said. “One day, I ran away from home, saying to myself that I was damned if I was going to do pottery again.”
However, he had no choice but to return home and continue his apprenticeship and his father had more teachers for the boy to sharpen his skill of Chinese painting.
Sun Lixin was a fast learner and became a skilled porcelain painter.
Time of change
But things turned bad in Jingdezhen in the late 1980s and early 90s as all the workers were laid of due to the restructuring of the state-owned factories. Sun Lixin and other potters had to do something else to make a living.
An entrepreneur from Guangzhou, South China’s Guangdong province, invited Sun Lixin to work for him, offering a fat salary of more than 2,000 yuan ($275) a month.
“His offer is very impressive to me. You know, I earned a monthly income of only 300 yuan in Jingdezhen at that time,” Sun said.
His parents were also among the massive layoffs, instead bringing home the bacon by drawing for some local people who were the first to run their own porcelain workshops.
Sun Lixin returned to Jingdezhen from Guangzhou when he was told that his grandfather was fatally ill.
“I am his firstborn grandson, whom the big family has great expectation on,” Sun said.
He took with him all the money he had saved over several years in Guangzhou and rebuilt the kiln that the family had before 1949.
Most of the Sun family members are artisans. Sun Lixin’s uncle has a mastery of porcelain pigments.
In January 1975, the Jingdezhen-based ceramic research institute affiliated to China’s former ministry of light industry was assigned the special mission of making porcelain for Chairman Mao Zedong. More than 100 sets of porcelain, or nearly 10,000 pieces, which were coded as 7501, were produced in a year.
Sun Lixin’s mother, who is specialized in underglaze polychrome enamels, was in the team for the important assignment.
“In my childhood, I saw my mom doing underglaze enameling on a very thin piece in the middle of night. There was a slight sound of cracking. I saw a tear rolling down her cheek,” Sun Lixin recalled compassionately.
“Flaws make porcelain prices drop, so no single flaw is allowed on ceramic pieces,” he said.
But Sun has kept piles of porcelain wares with flaws, which, in his words, remind him of the time and effort his parents invested.
“Hard work and dedication is the character of the Sun family to the core. I have a sense of purpose for making the family craftsmanship better,” Sun Lixin said.
Family craftsmanship
He is devoted to making the Sun’s kiln not only a workshop but also a place for doing research on ceramic making.
Sun Lixin’s modern aesthetic perfectly complements the craftsmanship of the classic designs from Chinese ink painting.
His ceramic panels are widely collected by museums such as the Israel Museum in Jerusalem, as well as individuals. He is one of the inheritors of intangible cultural heritage conferred by the Jingdezhen authorities.
In 2006, the Jingdezhen ceramic hand-making technique was included in the first batch of traditional skills in China’s national intangible cultural heritage list. There are 1,899 inheritors of Jingdezhen’s intangible cultural heritage, more than 90 percent of whom are engaged in the inheritance of ceramic hand-making skills.
When Sun Lixin found that his son was not into the porcelain making, he and his wife decided to have one more child. They had a daughter when Sun Lixin was 41.
The girl’s early interest in drawing gives her parents and grandparents pleasure. “It seems that drawing is in her bones. She is making sketches much better than I do,” Sun Lixin said as he beamed with pride.
While his 24-year-old son was studying biological engineering in Dalian city in Northeast China’s Liaoning province, his daughter, 16, is learning fine art in Beijing.
As the intangible cultural heritage inheritor, Sun Lixin is taking on six young people as his apprentices. They learn to draw the traditional Chinese patterns such as lotus, peony, peach, bat and persimmon.
“These flora and animals used as decorative motifs on porcelain pieces are symbols of traditional Chinese culture, which young people had better have a understanding of,” Sun Lixin said.
The Bat, for example, represents good fortune, lotus stands for good luck and the peach means longevity.
“I am obliged to tell them what I know about traditional Chinese culture,” he said.
Linglong ware
Lyu Yating, 31, is also the firstborn of a family that makes ceramics for five generations. She has a younger sister who does not find porcelain making appealing, as well as a younger brother who is still a middle school student.
Shortly after graduating from a university where she studied international business management in the United Kingdom in 2014, the 21-year-old Lyu returned to Jingdezhen to take over the family business. “My mother told me that my father, 62, was out of sorts as he always put his nose to the grindstone,” she said.
Lyu’s father started the Fuyu blue and white linglong ceramic company in the 1990s when the state-owned porcelain factories could not survive. He recruited all six of his brothers and sisters who were laid off from the factories, as well as other skilled artisans.
Jingdezhen is the only place where linglong porcelain is produced. Grain-sized holes are hollowed out in the thin roughcast and covered with several layers of glaze when ceramists make linglong porcelain, also known as a “porcelain inlaid with glass”. It is famous for its exquisite carving patterns and glittering, translucent appeal. The process requires a high level of craftsmanship.
Linglong porcelain is one of the most famous types of ceramics Jingdezhen produces. The others include famille-rose porcelain, blue-white porcelain and color-glazed porcelain.
Like Sun Lixin, Lyu also grew up at the ceramic-making workshop.
At that time, she dreamed of doing something different from what her parents did. The young artisan said: “I wanted to be independent.”
But she has no heart to let her parents down. The Lyu family has a formula for glaze handed down from her great-great-grandfather.
“After all, I am the eldest child and my father’s technique should be passed on. Our family business is well established in Jingdezhen,” Lyu said.
She feels a sense of pride when she sees Chinese porcelain, especially items made in Jingdezhen, exhibited in foreign museums.
Lyu started studying ceramic making comprehensively — the way to make the linglong glaze in particular — shortly after coming back to Jingdezhen.
“Though I had no experience for ceramic making at that time, I was of intellectual curiosity and thought outside the box,” she said.
The family business produces daily use porcelain at its production lines. At the same time, Lyu has a team focusing on research and development.
She and her team have been experimenting with new media to achieve the best effects for linglong porcelain.
“I want to find a type of glaze that can make the linglong ceramic more beautiful and more translucent,” Lyu said.
“Fortunately, the production of the daily use ceramics has increased significantly and made big profit so that investment in R&D is possible,” Lyu said.
New ways forward
Now the young entrepreneur is dedicating herself to building brands as she knows that her production lines cannot churn out as much as the companies in Dehua, Fujian province, and Chaozhou, Guangdong province. The two places have a pile-it-high-and-sell-it-cheap strategy.
“I don’t want to be an original equipment manufacturer. Instead, I want to sell our brands overseas,” she said.
Lyu described herself as a well balanced person who is calm and reasonable and shows good judgment.
“I hope that products of intangible cultural heritage can be salable rather than merely a symbol. In so doing, people can understand what the charm of intangible cultural heritage is,” Lyu said.
Lyu, also a designated inheritor of intangible cultural heritage in Jingdezhen, is ambitious to make ceramics that could be handed down from generation to generation.
“I am grateful to my father who has created such a wonderful company,” she said.
Her company has four brands; one started by her father and the other three by her. She is pouring a lot of effort into developing products such as coffee and tea sets, jardinieres and copies of antique porcelain.
In Lyu’s words, the spirit of artisans means their craftsmanship and pursuit of excellence.
Lyu received offers for graduate study from four foreign universities after her undergraduate education in the UK. When asked whether she regrets not undertaking graduate studies, Lyu said she had no choice but inherit the family business.
” Now I am having a great life, and I have no regrets,” she said.